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Friday, November 30, 2012

Bambi by Felix Salten


Bambi
 
Summary:
 
The Prince of the Forest Bambi's life in the woods begins happily. There are forest animals to play with -- Friend Hare, the chattery squirrel, the noisy screech owl, and Bambi's twin cousins, frail Gobo and beautiful Faline.

But winter comes, and Bambi learns that the woods hold danger -- and things he doesn't understand. The first snowfall makes food hard to find. Bambi's father, a handsome stag, roams the forest, but leaves Bambi and his mother alone.

Then there is Man. He comes to the forest with weapons that can wound an animal. He does terrible things to Gobo, to Bambi's mother, and even to Bambi. But He can't keep Bambi from growing into a handsome stag himself, and becoming...the Prince of the Forest.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 192 pages (Paperback)
Publication Date: 1923
 
Once again I had to find a book to read for a BOTM selection in one of  the online book groups I participate in on Goodreads  You'll love this one...!! A book club & more. The November BOTM was if we could not or did not want to read the two selected books we could read any other book that met the criteria for "Books to Movies". I originally had another book planned but seeing as though I just read Bambi yesterday there wasn't enough time for me to read my original choice of Tsotsi by Athol Fugard. However I do plan on working that on into my December reading plans.
 
Anyways, I decided to pick a book that I'm pretty sure I had rad to me by my Dad as a kid but it was one that I couldn't remember. That's not to say I was unfamiliar with the beloved little fawn but lately I've been getting rather nostalgic about my childhood and the books I read or should have read. I think it's because of the holidays but in any case I decided to pick the one book that was the bases of one of my favourite Disney movies as a kid. Bambi.
 
Since I've always had a soft spot for Bambi and his forest friends I was hoping I'd be in for a comical, light hearted read. Boy was I wrong. Then again I probably should have looked closer at the original publication date, and read that the book wasn't originally published in English. Usually I do my homework on my books but, obviously I was lazy so it was really surprising to find that the book wasn't at all as light, fluffy and carefree as I'd hoped. In fact Bambi was prone to being quite a spoiled little fawn with a bit of a streak where he placed himself above his animal friends.
 
While I did still find the book enjoyable, a lot of what I thought would be in the book just wasn't. Often, Bambi would just walk off in the middle of the other characters talking to him and I couldn't help but wish that he was more like the Bambi in the animated film classic. Unfortunately he wasn't and this was a major let down for me.
 
However, I do understand why he wasn't as loveable and carefree as we see him in the movies and that is because it was written almost 100 years ago and the books people enjoyed regardless of their age were much different back then. The writing is superb though and I fell in love with the authors story it was just the characterizations I had trouble with.
 
Still, I liked the book. I thought it was great for me to be able to read the original story and I did get swept up in that nostalgic feeling while I read it so I believe this will be one of the books added to the "Read to Spawn" list I've created if I ever have kids and I can't wait to read the sequel to this beloved children's classic so look out for my review!
 
 
Overall it was a good story, I think kids now may have a little difficulty with the harshness of Bambi's life but then again the book like the movie can be used as a good example as life and death for kids as a lesson. I also think that this is a good book for anyone to read regardless of their age because Bambi has been a movie icon for decades. Plus, this would be a great read aloud book for families with kids and/or teachers. While my rating may seem a little low I do believe that this book is an essential must have a on any young readers bookshelf.
 
Liked It!
★ ★ ★
 
To purchase Bambi via ChaptersIndigo CLICK HERE
To purchase Bambi via Kobo CLICK HERE
To purchase Bambi via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase Bambi via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase Bambi via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom by Jennifer S. Holland


Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom
 
Summary:
 
It is exactly like Isaiah 11:6: " The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid . . . "Written by "National Geographic "magazine writer Jennifer Holland, "Unlikely Friendships" documents one heartwarming tale after another of animals who, with nothing else in common, bond in the most unexpected ways. A cat and a bird. A mare and a fawn. An elephant and a sheep. A snake and a hamster. The well-documented stories of Koko the gorilla and All Ball the kitten; and the hippo Owen and the tortoise Mzee. And almost inexplicable stories of predators befriending prey an Indian leopard slips into a village every night to sleep with a calf. A lionness mothers a baby oryx. Ms. Holland narrates the details and arc of each story, and also offers insights into why how the young leopard, probably motherless, sought maternal comfort with the calf, and how a baby oryx inspired the same mothering instinct in the lionness. Or, in the story of Kizzy, a nervous retired Greyhound, and Murphy, a red tabby, how cats and dogs actually understand each other s body language. With Murphy s friendship and support, Kizzy recovered from life as a racing dog and became a confident, loyal family pet.
These are the most amazing friendships between species, collected from around the world and documented in a selection of full-color candid photographs.
Summary & Photo taken from
Goodreads.com
Length: 210 pages (Paperback)
Publication Date: June 30th 2011 by Workman Publishing
 
Last week when I picked up my library hold of Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom I knew that there would be no chance in me resisting the book after I got home and wouldn't you know it an hour and a half after I got in the door I was smiling and flipping the last page of the book.
 
I thought that this was a delightful read. It was quick to read with very cute heart warming stories from all walks of life in the animal kingdom from all over the globe. There are 47 different tales of inter-species friendships and each story is around 2-4 pages long with accompanying photographs.
 
Each of the stories in the book brought their own merry cast of characters and I really enjoyed each and every one of them. From the adopted iguana who made friends with his owner's cats to the elephant and the stray mutt. Big and small all the animals in the book demonstrated that animals do make friends, or at least companions in other creatures. Maybe it's due to loneliness maybe because they're instincts kick in who knows.
 
True the scientific community still scoffs at the idea that such friendships are possible but it isn't as though science hasn't been wrong before. I personally wonder if it is really up to us to make these decisions for our animal brethren and think that we should look at these situations as children do and not wonder about the meanings behind these animal wonders.
 
I thought this was a good book to read especially since I'm an animal lover. At present I live with 2 cats, a golden retriever, 2 gerbils, 3 hamsters and 2 infuriating budgies. While not all my animals are friendly with one another they do sometimes demonstrate a certain tenderness for one another when when one is ailing.
 
I would highly recommend this book to all the animal lovers out there and since the holidays are coming up this might just make the perfect Christmas gift for the animal lovers in your life. Also, I think this would work equally well for children and adults because of the animal theme. For children who are a bit younger I think this would help as a lesson on how friends of all shapes, sizes, etc. can get along.
 
Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★
 
 
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Kobo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 
 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

It's Not Really About the Hair: An Outspoken Stylist's Smart Guide to Life by Tabatha Coffey


It's Not Really About the Hair: An Outspoken Stylist's Smart Guide to Life
 
Summary:
 
Fans of the hit Bravo show "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" tune in for the straight-shooting, unvarnished commentary of its ballsy, stylish, and savvy star. Though millions admire Tabatha Coffey's unflinching honesty and never-say-die attitude, some do not and have even taken to name-calling. Refusing to let others define her, she has reclaimed the word "bitch," transforming it to fit the person she is: Brave, Intelligent, Tenacious, Creative, and Honest.

In "It's Not Really About the Hair," this deeply private woman shares the experiences of her own life to encourage you to get in touch with your own inner bitch. Tabatha reveals how she used her strength and openness to help define her signature look, personal relationships, life choices, and tenacious work ethic--one that in her own words likens her to "a pit bull with a bone." Here are the people and the circumstances that have led her to a place of honesty, self-assurance, satisfaction, and success--from her tough-minded "mum" to her famous mentors, her peers, and clients.

Part memoir, part business manual, and part coaching guide on achieving self-acceptance and love, "It's Not Really About the Hair" teaches you that it's all right to be who you are, stand up for what you believe in, and do what makes you happy without being defined by others.

Tabatha Coffey's raw, funny, shocking, and always inspirational story will encourage you to celebrate the long-lasting and most important beauty of all--the true beauty that is you.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 212 pages
Publication Date: January 1st 2011 by It Books
 
Back in October one of the Goodreads groups I'm in You'll love this one...!! A book club & more had a week long non-fiction read-a-thon and this was one of my reads for the challenge. I've long been a fan of Tabatha Coffey and I actually watch her show every week. I love her attitude and her work ethic. Plus when she goes off on the stupidity of some people well she's a girl after my own heart.
 
When I found out that Tabatha had a book I was kind of surprised and a little nervous. I really wanted to read it but I was a little nervous as to how it would turn out because Celebrity biographies, autobiographies and memoirs can be very hit or miss. So, when I finally did start this book I went into it with low expectations and ended up completely surprised.
 
In It's Not Really About the Hair: An Outspoken Stylist's Smart Guide to Life Tabatha gives us a glimpse into her early life in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia with her mother and father. Her parents owned a strip club when she was very young and she writes how she often spent much of her time there helping out the transsexual strippers that they employed.
 
Tabatha's upbringing and life experiences have clearly shaped her into the strong, intelligent, independent woman that she is but even this self reliant woman admits that she could not have turned out the way she is without the love and acceptance of her mother which I can totally relate to because my mother (and father) are the most important people in my life.
 
Though Tabatha did have some hard knocks in life she was ultimately able to rise above everything and pull her life together to the extent that she was able to open her own salon and employ other stylists to work for her.
 
The book was a quick read, and to my surprise it wasn't dry as some autobiographies are. Instead while I read the book I felt as though Tabatha were reading it to me. I was impressed with it and the personal details that she shared since she is clearly a rather private person I thought it was a real treat to learn about her and her struggle to get where she is now. I think she's an awesome stylist and a passionate person about everything she does which I truly admired about her.
 
Overall I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick and easy read but still enjoyable. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves her shows Tabatha's Salon Takeover and Tabatha Takes Over. It's a quick read that will keep you entertained and may even surprise you too.
 
Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★
 
To "Like" Tabatha on Facebook CLICK HERE
To "Follow" Tabatha on Twitter CLICK HERE 
To Subscribe to Tabatha's Channel on Youtube CLICK HERE
To visit Tabatha's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Kobo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon  CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Indie Bound CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

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The 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge is hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads!
 
The goal is to read at least one book featuring each of the following paranormal creatures: 
 
Vampires
Werewolves/Shifters
Fey
Angels/Nephilim
Mermaids
Dragons
Zombies
Demons
Witches/Wizards
Ghosts
Aliens
Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)
 
I'm hoping to read one book a month to tick off each of the criteria listed above. I'll be using the lable 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge for all my posts to be found quickly and easily.
 
For more information check out the 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge.
So what are you waiting for?! Go sign up!
 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #39



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and is where we can talk about books we are looking forward to being released!

Here are my picks for the week:
 
 
 
The Winter Witch
 
Summary:
 
Fledgling witch Morgana must defend her love, her home, and her life in this enthralling tale perfect for fans of Discovery of Witches

In her small Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana. She has never spoken, and her silence as well as the magic she can't quite control make her a mystery. Concerned for her safety, her mother quickly arranges a marriage with Cai Bevan, the widower from the far hills who knows nothing of the rumours that swirl around her. After their wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving, but she soon falls in love with Cai’s farm and the rugged mountains that surround it, while slowly Cai himself begins to win her heart. It’s not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village. A dark force is at work there—a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana, even at the expense of those closest to her. Forced to defend her home, her love, and herself from all comers, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything.

Paula Brackston's debut novel, The Witch's Daughter, was the little book that could—with a captivating story, remarkable heroine, and eye-catching package, it has now netted over 40,000 copies in all formats. Now Paula returns with The Winter Witch, another enchanting tale of love and magic, featuring her signature blend of gorgeous writing, a fabulous and intriguing historical backdrop, and a headstrong and relatable heroine readers will cheer for.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 352 pages
Expected Publication Date: January 29th 2013 by St. Martin's Press
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
I love novels like these especially when they're set in Wales where in my opinion not enough novels are set. The book has all the elements I love to find in novels like this so I can't wait to read this one!
 
Two Graves
 
Summary:
 
For twelve years, he believed she died in an accident. Then, he was told she'd been murdered. Now, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast discovers that his beloved wife Helen is alive. But their reunion is cut short when Helen is brazenly abducted before his eyes. And Pendergast is forced to embark on a furious cross-country chase to rescue her.
But all this turns out to be mere prologue to a far larger plot: one that unleashes a chillingly-almost supernaturally-adept serial killer on New York City. And Helen has one more surprise in store for Pendergast: a piece of their shared past that makes him the one man most suited to hunting down the killer.
His pursuit of the murderer will take Pendergast deep into the trackless forests of South America, to a hidden place where the evil that has blighted both his and Helen's lives lies in wait . . . a place where he will learn all too well the truth of the ancient proverb:
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 480 pages
Expected Publication Date: December 11th 2012 by Grand Central Publishing     
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
This is the 12th book in the Special Agent Pendergast series and the third book in the Helen series that thes authors have written. I'm currently reading Brimstone which is the 5th book in the Special Agent Pendergast series  and I find it highly addictive so I'm really excited that a new book has come out just in time for the new year so I can work on reading the rest of the series in 2013.
 
 
Now, what are YOU waiting for this Wednesday?

 

Friday, November 23, 2012

*[Blog Tour Author Interview] Q & A with Angela Shelton

Today on Turning the Pages I'm delighted to bring you an interview from author Angela Shelton who has taken time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions. Thank you Angela!
 
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
 
 I’m an artist with a mission to create things that inspire people to live joyful lives, no matter what they’ve been through. I started out as a mime at the local mall. I went on to model from ages 16-26. I started acting professionally when I was 17 in commercials, independent movies, and TV guest stars. I wrote my first manuscript at 19 while living in Paris. It was a novel about my mom called Tumbleweeds. When I booked my first lead in a movie when I was 21, the director read my book and loved it. That led to us writing the screenplay together and the indie movie Tumbleweeds was born. After that I started writing screenplays while continuing to act. Then I got the wild idea to direct my first film. That became the documentary, Searching for Angela Shelton where I traveled America interviewing other Angela Sheltons. I thought the film was going to be funny, but it was far from it. When I discovered that 70% of the Angela Sheltons had been victims of child sexual abuse, rape and/or domestic violence I was propelled on a decade long tour of speaking out against violence against women and children. After years encouraging survivors to move on and lead joyful lives, I decided to practice what I preached and fulfill my dream of writing books. So I married my first love, moved to the country, and I’m on my fifth book already. Woowee – that was a mouthful! From mime to married life!
2. Did you plan to be a writer or did it just happen?
 
My mom started me writing. She got custody of me again when I was eight and from that point on, she would urge me to “write it down” whenever I was upset. I had stacks and stacks of journals.
 
3. What is your favorite non-writing pastime?

When I’m not writing, I love to cook. I love going on long hikes through the woods with my husband and our puppy. I love Kung Fu movies and I’m totally addicted to Dexter.
 
 4. When did you decide to take that step that made you a published author?

I didn’t exactly decide to be a published author on my first published book. I just started writing a book about how making my documentary changed my life forever because I just had to write it all down. I was speaking at a church in Iowa about healing and moving on from trauma. I shared that I was writing the book Finding Angela Shelton and it turned out that someone who worked at a huge publishing house was in the congregation. She became a champion for the book and took it up the ranks. The next thing I knew, I had a book deal.

I did not follow up on sending the manuscript for Tumbleweeds out to publishers because honestly, I was tired of that story. We’d made a movie and worked on it for five years and that story was cooked in my mind. I wanted to do something different and plus, I kept getting hired to write screenplays. I let my first book sit for a while. I pulled it out again recently, so it’s on my list.
 
5. What has been your greatest challenge as a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?

My main challenge has been my desire and urge to write in more than one genre.

A lot of audience from the documentary was scratching their heads over the fact that I wrote a fantasy series for example.

I believe I’m overcoming that by simply continuing to write what I love to read and letting each book finds its own audience. There are some people who support everything I write, no matter what genre or age group it’s written for. I love those readers!
 
6. Is writing a full-time career for you? If not, how else do you spend your workday? 
 
I write full time and also help other writers on their books as a consultant. I am on social media for a least an hour a day, I write on my personal blog and my book blog and I work on at least one book project. I have two going right now. My husband and I also work on film projects together. We just finished one for animals that will be launched in 2013 hopefully. We have a very creative household and are always up to something new!
 
7. If you had to sum it up The Adventures of Tilda Pinkerton in 30 or less words, what would you say?

Tilda Pinkerton teaches a triumphant story of what happens when you realize you have the power to change things. Plus, this fun fantasy builds vocabulary for kids and adults!
 
8. What inspired the idea behind your book?

The idea of Tilda Pinkerton was presented to me during a meditation prayer. I asked the muses - those little creative angels who plant ideas into our minds - what I should write that was original, fun, and good for children and adults alike. I sat there and waited. Then I heard “Tilda Pinkerton collects hats” and my eyes popped open. I announced that I loved it and wanted to hear more. Then I heard “Whenever Tilda Pinkerton gives you a hat, your life changes forever.”

Tilda Pinkerton was born through a higher source, if you believe in those things, which I do!
 
9. Do you have to be alone or have quiet to write?

Having quiet time to write is not always possible so I have developed the ability to tune everything and everyone out – like reading a book in a busy airport. I zone out and dive into a story. I prefer slipping always to the porch, but if I must I can write at the kitchen table amid a cocktail party too.
 
10. What has been your greatest challenge in writing The Adventures of Tilda Pinkerton?

Actually, my biggest challenge with Tilda was her words. She has a much more extensive vocabulary than I do so it was a dance with the dictionary for me.
 
11. Is there any place and time in the world and in history that you would like to visit?

There are many! I would have loved to go to the moon. I’d love to go back to France in the 1700’s. I’d also love to be a quick draw cowboy in the wild west. 
 
Author Bio: 
 
Angela Shelton is an author, actor, blogger and public speaker. She has been writing since she was eight years old. Her first novel was adapted into the movie Tumbleweeds. Angela won a regional Emmy award for her portrayal of Safe Side Superchick in The Safe Side video series created by Baby Einstein’s Julie Clark and America’s Most Wanted’s John Walsh. After living in Los Angeles for over a decade, Angela left the big city for a one-light country town to marry her first love and fulfill her dream of writing books in a barn house.
Find out how Angela has incorporated the character of Tilda Pinkerton into an entire line of book projects, each geared towards a different age group at www.MagicHatShop.com
 
To "Like" Angela Shelton on Facebook CLICK HERE
To "Follow" Angela Shelton on Twitter CLICK HERE
To "Follow" Tilda Pinkerton on Twitter CLICK HERE
To become a "Fan" of Angela Shelton on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit Angela's Website CLICK HERE
 

Thursday, November 22, 2012

*[Blog Tour Review] The Evolutionary Wars (Books #0.5, #1 and #2) by Thomas Winship


 
Vaempires: Revolution (The Evolutionary War, Book One)
 
Summary:
 
It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution. Væmpires—former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood—have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons—væmpires with special powers.
What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, or walk through walls?
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 216 pages
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: October 31st 2011 by Createspace
 
I had actually heard quite a lot of good things about Thomas Winship's book prior to getting the host invite for this tour so I was really looking forward to reading the books especially since one of my favourite bloggers had nothing but awesome things to say about his writing.
 
I think I was a little unprepared though for how action packed this book was right from the get go but you know what? I absolutely loved that. There's nothing like a high octane thrill to get me wanting to keep reading.
 
Vaempires, not vampires are a race of the undead who have been mutated from their original selves and have thusly been given the boot by society and essentially were being pushed under the rug as if they were some deep dark secret.
 
I really enjoyed the novel's plot I honestly have not read anything like it before. Winship definitely gives the typical vampire story a new twist with his thrills, chills, and wonderfully well rounded characters Cassandra and Daniel. They may only be two 15 year old kids but they had a lot of substance to them.
 
As for the world building, I thought it was great the author provided a lot of detail about the world in which the book took place. It's still earth but an earth that is drastically different than the one that you and I know. However, a little more detail could be added in certain places where I felt things were a little vague.
 
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. I had a lot of fun reading it and I would recommend this to anyone. It's the type of book that can be read by teens and adults a like.
 

*I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★
 
Vaempires: Zombie Rising  (The Evolutionary War, Book Two)
 
Summary:
 
The tale of the Evolutionary War resumes in Væmpires: Zombie Rising.

Væmpires have taken control of twelve major cities. Their leader, Vielyn, seeks the atomic weapons that will bring the rest of the world to its knees.

Vampire forces are reeling. As Linq and Ray race to the royal estate to rendezvous with Cassandra and Daniel, the princess is captured and Daniel falls.

With the fate of world shifting to their teenage shoulders, Linq and Ray must deal with tremendous losses while battling a most unexpected—and undeadly—new foe.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 170 pages
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: October 2012
 
This book picks up where the dramatic cliffhanger ending I was left with in Vaempire's Revolution so the story flowed pretty seamlessly from the first book to this without a hitch.
 
In this second installment was even more action packed than the first book was so of course I ended up staying up way past my bed time burning the midnight oil to read more about the Evolutionary War. There was a hell of a lot going on in this one and I loved how busy the novel was because it kept me on my toes and kept me interested in wanting to find out what would happen next.
 
In this installment more and more of the nature of the Evolutionary War comes to light and the reader is shown more about why the war is happening, who the key players are and what is to be lost and won if the war effort succeeds.
 
Of course we still have the characters from the first novel to keep us interested in the series as well. I have really come to enjoy Cassandra, Daniel, Linq and Ray. I think they each bring a little something special to the table to keep the readers involved with the human aspect of the novel which I personally loved.
 
As a second book in the series I truly enjoyed this one just as much as the first book in the series if not more so. I was a little worried at first that book two wouldn't hold up to the expectations I had once I finished the first book but there was no problem with this book standing on its own two feet. I really love this series and I can't wait to see what the author will bring us next.
 

*I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★
 
 Vaempires: A white Christmas: A prelude to the Evolutionary War
 
Summary:
 
It's almost Christmas. With the global holiday days away, the people of the world should be turning their attention toward celebrating peace and goodwill, but tension between humans, vampires, and væmpires is at an all-time high. Desperate for solutions, King Brant schedules a secret summit deep in North America's Northern Forest. Along with Queen Anne, Princess Cassandra, Daniel's family, and the human president and First Lady, the vampire leader seeks to reaffirm the ties between humans and vampires, while brainstorming ways to respond to the growing hostility among væmpires.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Cassie's relationship is at an all-time low. The princess is still reeling from her breakup with Vielyn, and Daniel doesn't know what he should or shouldn't do to help. Little does he know that the summit will be flooded with surprises--guests, allegations, accusations, proposals, and even Christmas Eve revelations--but not all of the surprises will be pleasant.

**Author's note: This story takes place six months before the events in Væmpires: Revolution. However, it is designed to be read after Væmpires: Revolution.**
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 100 pages
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: December 11th 2011 by Thomas Winship
 
This was a really quick read for me when I read. I think I finished it within an hour or so and I loved it. As you can probably tell I'm a big, big fan of the series so this one filled the gap that was left after I finished the second book in the series.
 
This novella tells us a lot more about Cassandra, her relationship with Vielyn and Daniel as well as learning even ore about the politics of the war. In this book the characters not the action are more of the story and it was really refreshing to get to know them on a deeper level. While I really enjoy all the action that I always found in books one and two I was really wanting to get to know the characters as people a lot more and this novella allowed me to do so which was fantastic.
 
I would personally consider this book to be a filler novel for me but every great series needs a filler and this was the one for the Evolutionary Wars series. It's not a bad thing because a lot of my questions were answered after reading this book so I definitely see how it was needed.
 
Overall, this was another great addition to the series but now I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in this series which I hope comes out in the near future. I highly recommend this book and all the books in the series to people who want to read a vampire story with a unique twist!
 
*I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★
 
Author Bio:
 
 
Thomas Winship lives in New York. He currently serves as MBA Director for St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he also teaches courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. Prior to this, he spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.
Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, Temporary Insanity, was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. Væmpires: Revolution, his second novel (first in the Væmpires series) was published in October and Væmpires: White Christmas followed in December.
He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.
He is currently working on the next installment of the “Væmpires” series, which is scheduled for a 2013 release.
Links
Trailers
Buy Vaempires: Revolution
Buy Vaempires: White Christmas
Buy Vaempires: Zombie Rising