Below are the YA books releasing this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

These are books for the week of April 30th-May 6th that I have pre-ordered.

***Not a YA title***

OATH BOUND by Rachel Vincent will be released in the U.S. on April 30, 2013 in paperback and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and in paperback format at BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin MIRA, the print edition is 432 pages.

OATH BOUND is the third and final book in the Unbound series by author Rachel Vincent.

I am so excited for the release of OATH BOUND. I feel like I’ve waited for ages and ages to read Sera and Kris’ story. And I will be reading it the second my pre-order copy downloads to my Kindle.

As much as I would love this series to go on for a couple more books… at least… I can’t wait to see how everything wraps up for Liv and Cam, Kori and Ian. I’m curious to see just what happens to the Syndicates. And I’m super curious about what Skill Sera has.

And as difficult as it will be to say goodbye to yet another series by author Rachel Vincent, I can’t make myself wait to read it. I am such a huge fan of this series and its characters. I love the fact that with each book I get a different view of the world, get to meet new characters and learn about their different abilities. And I love that with each book the overarching plot moves just a little bit farther forward.

The wait has been torturous. Especially with the author’s Facebook comments throughout the writing process. But I am so glad to finally get the chance to dive into this last installment in this amazing series.

THE ETERNITY CURE by Julie Kagawa will be released in the U.S. on April 30, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin TEEN, the print edition is 448 pages.

THE ETERNITY CURE is the second book in author Julie Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series. No information is yet available about the third book in the series.

I may be a new fan of this series, but I am officially an obsessed fan. And I am so unbelievably excited for THE ETERNITY CURE’s release this week. Because that means that the next book in this series is that much closer to its release date.

I got the chance to read THE ETERNITY CURE just a little bit early thanks to the publisher and NetGalley and I thought it was totally amazing. (My Review.) I loved the first book in the series but this sequel was seriously epic. And now I am dying to continue the story and find out just what happens after that killer ending.

The world was even darker in this sequel. The threats were even more deadly. And the love story was way more heartbreaking.

While I won’t be re-reading this book on release day, I do plan on re-reading it. And I’m so thrilled that the finished copy will be downloading to my Kindle this week and that it will join THE IMMORTAL RULES as part of my permanent collection.

SWEET PERIL by Wendy Higgins will be released in the U.S. on April 30, 2013 in paperback, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and in print and eBook formats at BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 384 pages.

SWEET PERIL is the second book in Wendy Higgins’ The Sweet Trilogy. The third book in the series, SWEET RECKONING, is slated for release in June 2014.

I cannot believe that the release date for SWEET PERIL is finally almost here. I held off reading the early review copy I had for as long as possible because I know just how torturous the wait is for the next book’s release.

Well I read it. And it’s all sorts of awesome. And I desperately want to re-read it right this minute. Or when my finished copy downloads to my Kindle on Monday Midnight. Because I am definitely not ready to disconnect from the story and leave the world. And I am absolutely not ready to begin suffering the agonizingly long wait for the final book in this series.

As I will be posting my review in the next couple of days and I already spotlighted SWEET PERIL for my Book Watch post a few weeks ago, I won’t go on and on here. But I will just quickly say that this book was every bit as exciting as the first book in the series. There was just as much heat… okay, there was a lot more…. The suspense was killer. And the chemistry sizzled.

Yes, I am still swooning over Kaidan Rowe.

LIFE AFTER THEFT by Aprilynne Pike will be released in the U.S. on April 30, 2013 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and in hardcover and eBook formats at BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 352 pages.

I am a huge fan of author Aprilynne Pike and when I heard about her standalone novel, LIFE AFTER THEFT, I just had to pre-order a copy. While I did receive an eARC for review, I didn’t get the chance to read it before release date, so I will be reading my finished copy instead.

But this book sounds like so much fun. I love modern retellings. And I am so very curious to see what the author did with The Scarlet Pimpernel in her novel.

I can’t wait to meet Jeff and Kimberlee and see just what her “unfinished business” is. And the fact that her haunting is dubbed snarky makes me that much more excited to read it.

While I won’t get the chance to add it to the pile this week or next, I will be reading it in May.

THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young will be released in the U.S. on April 30, 2013 in hardcover and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Simon Pulse, the print edition is 416 pages.

THE PROGRAM is the first book in a new series of the same name by author Suzanne Young.

I cannot believe I almost forgot to pre-order THE PROGRAM for my Kindle. I’d heard about this series months ago when it was making the rounds on the blogs and I thought it sounded awesome. But as it wasn’t yet available to pre-order in electronic format I had to wait.

Fortunately I didn’t miss its release and I cannot wait for it to download this week.

I’m so totally curious about this book. Sloane’s world sounds chilling. And the fact that The Program wipes people’s memories makes that solution to the suicide epidemic seem even more horrific than the problem.

A life where feelings have to be buried does not sound appealing. And the fact that Sloane and James are both beginning to suffer from depression makes their future seem bleak. Especially if they do have to enter The Program.

I definitely want to check this book out this week. Even if I don’t get the chance to move it to the top of the pile I just have to take a peek. And I hope to be able to read it in June if I can’t manage to sneak it in sooner.

THE WARD (The Ward #1) by Jordana Frankel

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

OUR SONG by Jordanna Fraiberg

Pub. Date: May 2, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

THE BOYFRIEND APP by Katie Sise

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

IDENTITY THEFT by Anna Davies

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Point

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

DEFRIENDED by Ruth Baron

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Point

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

BELONGING (Temptation #2) by Karen Ann Hopkins

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

THE LOOP by Shandy Lawson

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

THE  LAST ACADEMY by Anne Applegate

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Point

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

GORGEOUS by Paul Rudnick

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Scholastic Press

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

ANTHEM FOR JACKSON DAWES by Celia Bryce

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

NOBODY’S SECRET by Michaela MacColl

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Chronicle Books

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

There are a ton of books releasing this week, but at the moment I only have five books pre-ordered. I am so very tempted to order OUR SONG as it sounds totally awesome. And I’m still really curious about THE WARD. But for now I’m trying to show a little restraint and not impulse buy books that I won’t immediately get the chance to read.

Fortunately, even with five books pre-ordered, I won’t be adding too many books to the TBR pile since I’ve already read SWEET PERIL and THE ETERNITY CURE and I will be reading OATH BOUND when it releases. But as next week promises just as many new releases, if not more, and I haven’t read any of the books I have pre-ordered, it’s a good thing my reading pile gets a little bit of a respite this week.

Many of the books “of note” that I’ve listed are ones I hadn’t heard very much about. But those Point Horror books have piqued my curiosity so I’ll definitely have to stalk a few reviews to see if they’re books I should have in my collection.

Anyway…

I hope I haven’t missed any amazing titles releasing this week. And I hope that if you are a fan of Rachel Vincent’s Unbound series, you won’t have as tough a time saying goodbye as I know I will.

But if there are a few books I should have on my radar, feel free to let me know in the comments. I’m always up for learning about new “must read” and “must buy” books.

And I’d love to hear what books releasing this week are ones you just have to have.

As always, I would love to hear what you’re hoping to add to your collection this week!

And if you have any great suggestions of “must read” books to buy that are releasing this week, please let me know!

WITH ALL MY SOUL by Rachel Vincent releases in the U.S. today, March 26, 2013, in paperback and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin TEEN, the print edition is 384 pages.

WITH ALL MY SOUL is the seventh and final full-length book in author Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series.

Goodreads description…

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It’s time to kick some hellion butt…

After not really surviving her junior year (does “undead” count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She’s going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she’s closer to the edge than she’s ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can’t save everyone she loves without risking everything she has….

WITH ALL MY SOUL is the stunning conclusion to the Soul Screamers series by author Rachel Vincent. With an intriguing new character and a new mortal sin, a gripping storyline and a shocking turn of events, this final installment is an exhilarating, heartrending and epic finish to this must-read series.

No matter how hard she fights and no matter how great the risk to herself, Kaylee Cavanaugh has not been able to defeat the hellion that wants her soul. With each loss hitting closer to home, Kaylee is not sure how many more people she cares about she can bear to lose, especially knowing that she’s the one Avari really wants.

And when he takes someone she loves, someone whose life she is not willing to risk, she must quickly find a way to stop him once and for all or be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Because Avari has nothing but time, has nothing to lose and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Action-packed, electrifying and at times heartbreaking, WITH ALL MY SOUL takes readers on one last journey with Kaylee Cavanaugh as she faces off against a seemingly unstoppable enemy that has pursued her through life and the afterlife. With anger as her motivation and an unlikely ally, Kaylee’s greatest challenge yet will keep readers on the edge of their seats and their eyes glued to the page as events unfold and lead up to the book’s dramatic conclusion.

Author Rachel Vincent has once again put her characters through an incredible ordeal and taken her readers on a roller coaster ride of emotion in WITH ALL MY SOUL. Filled with exciting plot twists and turns, dialogue that is both heartfelt and moving and sarcastic and amusing, and a nail-biting build-up to an outcome that is heart-stopping, this last installment in the series can only be called phenomenal.

The author does not leave readers hanging at the story’s end. All loose-ends have been tied up and all the larger questions about the remaining characters have been answered. And while the story wraps up in a way that will satisfy those readers who like to say their goodbyes and move on, it does allow for the reader’s imagination to go beyond the story and look into the futures of those characters that do remain, for those readers that aren’t quite ready.

WITH ALL MY SOUL is the perfect finish to this always entertaining, always surprising and always thrilling series.

And this story and series is a must for readers who want to discover a world that is unique, writing that is engaging, clever and oftentimes breathtaking, a plot that is suspense-, danger- and tension-filled, a heroine that is incredibly brave, selfless and relatable, and a love story that is eternal.

Reviewer gives this book…

Like In-N-Out Burger‘s infamous secret menu this one deserves my off-the-menu 6 star rating.

On a personal note…

If I had a million words at my disposal instead of the meager few that seem to rattle around my brain when sitting down to compose my thoughts, even then I don’t think I could come up with the appropriate combination to express just what this series has meant to me or just how truly amazing I think it is.

And this final installment, this final chapter in these characters’ lives, has been no less of a roller coaster than its predecessors, no less heartbreaking, nail-biting, tension-filled, bittersweet, heart-rending. It was a phenomenal ending to an absolutely riveting series that just got better and better as it progressed.

WITH ALL MY SOUL was everything I’d hoped it would be in a series-ending book. I had incredibly high expectations that I wasn’t entirely sure could be met. And yet they were. Met. And surpassed.

I did not expect to get so caught up in the story that I’d forget this was a series-ending book. I did not expect to fall for a newly introduced character. I did not expect to be surprised by how things came together at the end. And I did not expect the ending when it arrived, all too quickly.

I expected tears. And yes there were tears. From the moment I began the last quarter of the book until the story’s end I could not stop tearing up. Every sentence felt like a goodbye. A goodbye I was not ready for. Every heartfelt passage was bittersweet, heartbreaking.

Every action, every page, brought me one step closer to the end. And after having been so distracted by the events taking place in the first three-fourths of the story, the realization that this series was coming to a close made every single thing that happened in that final fourth that much more emotional.

And it still didn’t prepare me for the end… a part of which continues to haunt me even after a re-read.

I expected a roller coaster. And there was definitely one of those. I expected sarcasm, dialogue that would make me grin, a brave, stubborn and fiercely protective heroine and a mortal sin that would make this story explosive. And I got all of that and then some.

I expected to fall in love with this final book in the series. And Rachel Vincent made it just so easy to do so. It was so easy to once again get lost in Kaylee’s world as she prepared to face just one more obstacle to a happily ever afterlife. It was so easy to be captivated by her characters – some charming, some horrifying, some a little bit of both.

And it was so easy to connect with Kaylee, who was every bit as strong and determined and sarcastic as she’d been throughout the series, but who also displayed a confidence she didn’t previously possess.

I couldn’t have been more proud of, more fearful for, more heartsick for, more in awe of who Kaylee became by the end of this series. A character who I liked right from the start was one that I absolutely adored by the end.

While I won’t reveal whether Kaylee gets a happy ending… or even if she makes it to the end of this book… I will just say that I loved every single moment of WITH ALL MY SOUL. Even the moments that broke my heart.

And no, I would not change a single thing about this book… well… except for the fact that it is a series-ending book. It was just that out-of-this-world amazing. It is just that unforgettable.

Favorite passage…

I had more than a few favorite passages. Some passages were actually paragraphs that spanned pages. So finding a favorite passage that was short enough to include in this post wasn’t easy. So I chose two.

And while I would have loved to include a certain quote from Avari from page 63 or one from Ira from page 82 – both of which were beautifully written – or one of the many lengthier passages about a certain Reaper (especially pages 299, 312-315, 322, 364), as they would be best discovered within the context of the story I thought I’d share these instead.

“So you really did grow up on cookies and cake. I knew it.”

“That’s why I’m so sweet now. I have no idea what went wrong with Nash.”

And…

“Take a nice, long look at your future, reaper. You’ll soon be burning as fuel for hundreds of tiny fires.”

Tod laughed out loud. “If that’s your way of saying I’m hot, rest assured, I already know.”

Below are the YA books releasing this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

These are books for the week of March 26th-April 1st that I have pre-ordered.

WITH ALL MY SOUL by Rachel Vincent will be released in the U.S. on March 26, 2013 in paperback and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in both formats at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Harlequin TEEN, the print edition is 384 pages.

WITH ALL MY SOUL is the seventh and final full-length book in author Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series.

I cannot believe that March 26th is finally just about here and with it the release day for the final book in the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. I’ve been super lucky to have been able to read WITH ALL MY SOUL last month and I cannot believe this series is really over… or will be in just a couple of days.

I’ve already spotlighted WITH ALL MY SOUL for my Book Watch post and because I’ve already read it I won’t go on and on about it for too long in this post. But I will just quickly say that this final book in the series is every bit as awesome as its predecessors.

It is just as exciting, if not more so, than earlier books in the series. It doesn’t fall victim to a lengthy series’ shortcomings. And it has all the allure, tension, heartbreak, anguish and nail-biting suspense as is expected from a book by author Rachel Vincent.

And the way it ends… well, I won’t talk about that.

But I am so happy-sad for this title’s upcoming release. And I can’t wait for it to download to my Kindle on Monday Midnight so that I can read it again and again without worrying about damaging my gorgeous print copy.

WASTELAND by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan will be released in the U.S. on March 26, 2013 in hardcover, audio and eBook formats. It is currently available to pre-order online in all formats at AMAZON and in hardcover and eBook formats at BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by HarperTeen, the print edition is 336 pages.

WASTELAND is the first book in a new series by the authors. No information on the sequel is currently available.

I have heard that WASTELAND is an awesome book and was told that this story is one that I absolutely must read. So I requested an eARC for review and pre-ordered a copy for my Kindle. And while I was not able to read WASTELAND just yet, I definitely plan on reading it soon after its release.

I cannot wait to dive into this post-apocalyptic world where “no one lives past the age of nineteen.” I can’t wait to meet Esther and Caleb and discover who can and can’t be trusted and what “shady pasts” are affecting the present.

This future sounds absolutely despairing and yet incredibly fascinating and I am super excited that it’s releasing this week and that it’s the start of a trilogy. I only hope that if there is a cliffhanger ending it won’t be too torturous. Especially since I will be reading it soon and the date for the sequel is not yet known.

{Not a YA title}

DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD by Rinda Elliott will be released in the U.S. on March 26, 2013 in eBook format. It is currently available to pre-order online in eBook format only at AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.

Published by Samhain Publishing, the print edition is 298 pages.

DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD is the first book in Rinda Elliott’s Beri O’Dell series. The second book in the series, BLOOD OF AN ANCIENT, is slated for release in October 2013.

I’ve only recently learned that author Rinda Elliott’s DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD was releasing this week and that it was available to pre-order for my Kindle. But I do have it pre-ordered and I am so excited that it’s sharing a book birthday with Rachel Vincent’s book.

I was super lucky to have received an eARC for review from the author this past week and I just had to set aside one of my planned reads so that I could devour this book before its release. Especially since I read the prologue – which was awesome – and I just had to find out more.

As I am in the middle of reading it and don’t want to reveal too much about the book, I’ll just say that my curiosity about the main character, Beri O’Dell, was piqued after having read the description. Like Beri, I wanted to know what she was and why she had the abilities she did.

I wanted to meet Beri’s spirit guides and see just how a “pyro-nervous witch” and an “androgynous necromancer” fit into this story. And I wanted to meet Nikolos, the “handsome Minoan warrior” that knows exactly what the Dweller on the Threshold is.

So of course I had to pre-order this book. And having read quite a bit of it already, I will just say that so far Beri is an awesome main character and I cannot wait to see what else she gets up to over the course of this book and series.

GOING VINTAGE by Lindsey Leavitt

Pub. Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

IMPOSTOR (Slide #2) by Jill Hathaway

Pub. Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

PERIOD.8 by Chris Crutcher

Pub. Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

IF YOU FIND ME by Emily Murdoch

Pub. Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

SHADOW ON THE SUN (Hell’s Cross #3) by David Macinnis Gill

Pub. Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

ROTTEN by Michael Northrop

Pub. Date: April 1, 2013

Publisher: Scholastic Press

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

THAT TIME I JOINED THE CIRCUS by J. J. Howard

Pub. Date: April 1, 2013

Publisher: Point

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

SPELLBINDING by Maya Gold

Pub. Date: April 1, 2013

Publisher: Point

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

A TOUCH OF SCARLET by Eve Marie Mont

Pub. Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: K-Teen

(AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE)

***

There are quite a few books releasing this week, though I only have three books pre-ordered, and only two of them are YA titles. But I am almost positive I will be ordering GOING VINTAGE when it releases on Tuesday and IMPOSTOR, since I own the first book in that series.

As I have read two of the three books I have on order before release day, I don’t think I’ll feel too guilty about adding a few more titles to my “buy” list. Having only one pre-ordered book going on the TBR pile leaves a little bit of room to add at least a couple more. Right?

Though I do have quite a few books on order for the week of April 2nd, so I probably shouldn’t go too crazy. But books are my addiction and they’re not one I plan on curing any time soon.

Anyway…

I hope that the books you’ve pre-ordered arrive on, or close to, release date. I’ve heard there were delays in last week’s shipment of CLOCKWORK PRINCESS, so I hope that if you have a few books on order, they don’t meet that same fate.

A happy book birthday week to all the books releasing this week and, as always, I wish you a happy week of book acquisitions!

As always, I would love to hear what you’re hoping to add to your collection this week!

And if you have any great suggestions of “must read” books to buy that are releasing this week, please let me know!

I cannot believe that in just one short week from today Rachel Vincent’s WITH ALL MY SOUL, the final book in her Soul Screamers series, will be releasing. As excited as I am for it to hit the shelves – both physical and electronic – I am so very sad that it will officially mark the end of this amazing series.

Yes, I’ve already read it, and I know exactly how things end. But because its release was still forthcoming, it felt very much like maybe, just maybe it wasn’t over. And yes, I am still holding out hope that there will be another novella or two in the series… sort of a “where are they now” story that will give us just another peek into the characters’ lives and into this amazing world the author has so brilliantly crafted over the past few years.

And yes, I’m also sad that this will be my last reading challenge as pertains to the Soul Screamers series. But we’ve reached the final sin and unless “they” determine there are a few more sins of that calibre, it’s likely this series won’t be resurrected. Of course, I am ever hopeful.

The Challenge

I know that WITH ALL MY SOUL won’t be releasing until next week… but when I decided to host this challenge the release date was listed as March 19th. And I decided not to change the date as it’s also very likely that a few readers might have been able to get their hands on it prior to its release. To my knowledge, WITH ALL MY SOUL has not been embargoed.

So…

If you haven’t yet signed up for the reading challenge, CLICK HERE for all the details and to leave your link to sign up.

The giveaway associated with that post has closed, but there is a giveaway for those challenge participants who read WTIH ALL MY SOUL and link their reviews and/or book thoughts posts in the Linky List below.

You have until APRIL 30th, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific to read it, review it and leave your link to be entered into the giveaway.

There is no minimum or maximum length required for your review. Nor does your review have to be in English. And there is no set format for how you choose to review. However, it has to be clear enough to anyone who reads it that the book has actually been read. I do check out all reviews for challenge participants!

AND, if there are going to be spoilers for the book in your review, PLEASE state that in the Linky List entry below.

That’s it!

Good luck to everyone! While the challenge might not seem that challenging, saying goodbye to a well-loved series and its characters is HARD! So I completely understand those who might have already signed up but just can’t take that next step.

But… this just means that now the author, Rachel Vincent, can create new characters for us to love, hate, angst over, suffer along with. Of course, if you’re like me, and you also have taken that journey with her characters in the Unbound series, you’ll have one more goodbye to say before being able to say hello to her next endeavor.

The Book

And yes… those are tears… I’m just so sad this series is ending that I cried on my blog.

The Giveaways

As this is the final book in the series and those who are participating in the challenge will already have read the previous books in the series, I can’t very well offer up a Soul Screamers book.

So…

Giveaway #1

To the winner of the challenge I’m offering up $50 in Books of Your Choice from Amazon or The Book Depository.

And to the runner-up I’m offering $25 in Books of Your Choice from Amazon or The Book Depository.

AND…

Giveaway #2

Since the final day of the challenge is the release date for Rachel Vincent’s OATH BOUND, the final book in her Unbound series…

I’m offering up for giveaway to FOUR challenge finishers, 18 and older, a chance to win a copy of either OATH BOUND or either of the two previous books in that series – BLOOD BOUND or SHADOW BOUND.

Just leave a comment when you leave your review link stating that you’d like a chance to win one of the Unbound books to be entered!

• The giveaways will end at the end of the challenge on April 30, 2013
• Winners for the BoYC giveaways will be chosen by their review link number through Random
• Winners for the OATH BOUND giveaway will be chosen by name
• Winners will be chosen on May 1st and announced in this post.
• All prizes will be sent from either Amazon or The Book Depository depending upon location.

Leave your review links ONLY in the Linky List below!

UPDATE: This post has been updated with the challenge winners….

Thank you so much to everyone who participated AND managed to read WITH ALL MY SOUL and write their review during the challenge period! Reading it was hard enough… oh my gosh… but wrangling thoughts? Practically impossible.

I am so sorry that not everyone could get a prize for being a participant, but I do have a few winners to announce.

For Giveaway #1 – $50 in Books of Your Choice – the winner is #10 Lena Reve @ Between Fantasy and Reality

For Giveaway #1 – $25 in Books of Your Choice – the winner is #21 YA Book Crush

For Giveaway #2 – A copy of OATH BOUND – the winners are:

Kt, Julie S., Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives, Jen @ Book Exhibitionism

I will be contacting you all by email.

It makes me so sad to say goodbye to this series, but as Rachel Vincent is an amazing author, I just know that she has other characters and worlds for us all to meet and fall in love with.

Thank you all so much again for being a part of this challenge, whether it was just for this book’s challenge or for the SSRC and the BIW Reading Challenges last year. Just knowing there are fans out there who have loved these characters as much as I have means the world!

Harlequin TEEN’s spring Reading into Romance

I love this blog tour by Harlequin TEEN and Kismet Book Touring that celebrates some of my favorite authors this spring. And I am so super excited to be a part of it and have the very amazing and enormously talented Rachel Vincent stop by to talk about why romance is so important to her stories.

As one of my favorite authors of all time, who has two series ending this spring that have just the right amount of romance, romantic tension and chemistry, I loved getting to hear her thoughts on the subject. Especially since I am one of those readers who, through practically every book in the Soul Screamers series, wondered about the state of the relationship of two of her characters.

And while I would never reveal what happened in WITH ALL MY SOUL – yes I read it, and yes it was awesome – or any of the books in the Soul Screamers series, I will just say that this amazing author has definitely not “underestimated the importance of romance” in any of her stories.

Anyway…

You’re not here to read my ramble. You’re here to read what Rachel Vincent has to say. And if you haven’t yet taken a peek at the description for WITH ALL MY SOUL, the final book in the Soul Screamers series, I have some information about it and places to find it online included in this post. And for those of you who haven’t yet checked out this series, there are some brief descriptions for each of the books also included below.

Rachel Vincent will also be stopping at Parajunkee and The Bookish Brunette today for the tour. So you’ll definitely want to visit both of those blogs, if you haven’t already, to see what else she has to say.

And if you scroll down just a little bit farther in the post there is also a giveaway. So be sure to check it out.

But first, let me turn my blog over to Rachel Vincent.

Guest Post

Why is romance so important to my stories?

Romance is vital to most of the stories I’ve written because at its core, even if you were to take out all the pretty faces and well-timed sweet words, romance is about human connection, and human connections are what let an audience connect to a story. Any story. We want to read about people going through the things we’ve been through. Even if those people secretly have fur and claws, or can predict death, or spend half their time in a nightmare dimension with monsters determined to feed upon their souls.

Even in fantasy—especially in fantasy—the human elements of the story must feel real. Beyond that, in my opinion, they must feel vital. That’s what’s so great about writing romance in YA, in particular. It makes sense for the relationships to feel like the most important thing in the world, because as teens, that’s really what it felt like. At least, it did for me.

Obviously, romance isn’t the only kind of human connection I’m drawn to in my writing. I also tend to write stories about family relationships and friendships strong enough to count as family bonds. And since there is no story without conflict, I work really hard on conflict and motivation in my books. But what continues to surprise me is that no matter what kind of torture I put my characters through—no matter what kind of challenges they know they’ll face in the next book—the questions I get most often from readers aren’t “How are they going to survive?” or “How will Kaylee get them out of this one.”

Nope. People ask, “Will they get back together?” and “Will they stay together?”

As a fledgling author, I underestimated the importance of the romance for readers. That’s not a mistake I’ll ever make again.

About Rachel Vincent

WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | FORMSPRING | GOODREADS

About WITH ALL MY SOUL

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

It starts with a scream….

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent’s compelling Soul Screamers series keeps getting better—

MY SOUL TO TAKE

She’s always felt different, but now Kaylee discovers why. The screams that cannot be denied mean that someone near her will die—and she can never save them.

Because saving one life means taking another….

***

MY SOUL TO SAVE

Going on dates with her boyfriend is still new to Kaylee. But when the singer of the band they’re seeing dies onstage and Kaylee doesn’t scream, she knows something crazy is going on. Soon she discovers souls can indeed be sold….

***

MY SOUL TO KEEP

Aside from the whole “I scream when someone is about to die” thing, Kaylee Cavanaugh’s life has gotten better. She’s getting to know her dad, doing okay in school and has a hot new boyfriend who understands her in every way. Until the hellion Avari starts tempting everyone with an exotic new drug—demon’s breath….

***

MY SOUL TO STEAL

Now on shaky ground with Nash Hudson, Kaylee is taking their relationship easy. But then Sabine—Nash’s ex—storms into their lives. She’s determined to get Nash back and there’s nothing she won’t do to remind him of what they had. And since Sabine has special abilities of her own, Kaylee is headed into a battle she’s not sure she can win….

 ***

IF I DIE

The entire school’s talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. But the next scream might be for Kaylee.  But Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.  Anything.

***

BEFORE I WAKE

I died on a Thursday—killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn’t get it.  The bad news?

Turns out not even death will get you out of high school….

***

WITH ALL MY SOUL

When one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can’t save everyone she loves without risking everything she has….

With All My Soul, the final book in The Soul Screamers series will be released March 26th by HarlequinTEEN - add it to your Goodreads shelf!

On Tour Today….

Be sure to check out the other blogs hosting Rachel Vincent and her seriously amazing Soul Screamers series today!

Parajunkee
The Bookish Brunette

The Giveaways…

Harlequin TEEN has included TWO seriously awesome giveaways for this tour!

The first is a paperback copy of any one book from the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent to THREE winners.

The second is a Romantic Grand Prize Package, pictured and described below.

Your entry in the daily giveaway will be your entry into the grand prize giveaway.

To enter both giveaways, just enter in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tour Schedule…

Monday, March 4th – Karen Ann Hopkins and TEMPTATION

Bittersweet Enchantment | The Cozy Reader | Paulette’s Papers

***

Wednesday, March 6th – Liz Fichera and HOOKED

Bumbles and Fairy-Tales | IB Book Blogging | Chick Loves Lit

***

Friday, March 8th – Cayla Kluver and the Legacy series

YA Bibliophile | Rex Robot Reviews | Starting the Next Chapter

***

Monday, March 11th – Aimée Carter and the Goddess Test series

Coffee, Books and Me | Book Nook | Bookshelf Banter

***

Wednesday, March 13th – Julie Kagawa and The Iron Fey series

Refracted Light Reviews | PageTurners | Mundie Moms

***

Friday, March 15th – Katie McGarry and Pushing the Limits

Alice Marvels | Bewitched Bookworms | Katie’s Book Blog

***

Monday, March 18th – Rachel Vincent and the Soul Screamers series

Fiktshun | Parajunkee | The Bookish Brunette

***

Wednesday, March 20th – Hannah Harrington and Saving June

A Bookish Escape | The Book Cellar | Basia’s Bookshelf

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Friday, March 22nd – Jordan Dane and IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS

Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf | Fantasy Book Addict | Swoony Boys Podcast

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To learn more about each of the tour stops, be sure to visit Kismet Book Touring’s Harlequin TEEN Reading Into Romance Tour Page.