Blog Tour/Giveaway and Character Interview: Of Neptune by Anna Banks + Toraf Interview!!!

Today we have the pleasure of hosting the Blog Tour for Of Neptune by Anna Banks.  We love this series so much, and we were so excited to get to interview Toraf, our favorite comedic merman!

Emma and Galen’s kingdom and their love is threatened by long-lost Syrena in the brilliant conclusion to Anna Banks bestselling trilogy.

Emma, half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma’s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.

Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn’t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean and the land-dwelling, freshwater Syrena. They didn’t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn’t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love but their ocean kingdoms.

In this stunning conclusion to her bestselling Syrena Legacy, Anna Banks thrills fans with more action and romance than ever

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And now.....let's get to that interview!!!!

1.)  Toraf, we at the YA Sisterhood love your sense of humor.  How has it helped you with a certain mermaid girl (who we are all jealous of)?

Mermaid girl? Oh you mean Rayna. I don’t know. Sometimes she calls me immature and she never laughs at my jokes unless I’m making fun of Galen. Mostly she doesn’t like me. Sometimes she does.

2.)  If you could go anywhere on land, where would you go?

I would go where the real Tartessos used to be so that I can imagine the huge waves that pulled it into the sea. Plus, there’s got to be some keepsakes still hiding under the sand there that Rayna would like for her human treasure collection. Or something valuable Galen could sell for me so I can get one of those car things that he has. When I learn how to drive.

3.) Tell us a secret no one else knows about you. :)

Okay look. I’ve been teaching myself how to drive while Galen’s asleep. I’ve only hit three things so far and one of them wasn’t even alive.

4.) What's your greatest fear?

I always have nightmares that Rayna will unseal us. And there’s this one lionfish that I tormented when I was just a fingerling. I always have dreams that he found me again only he’s bigger and…I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

5.)  Ok, last quick question...to make us swoon.  What's the most romantic thing you've ever done?

One time Rayna was looking for some pretty shells to put on her…on her…I think you call them breasts…She searched for days and days and couldn’t find any that fit quite right and then I found some. I knew they would fit right away because of the way they felt in my hand—uh, they seemed to the perfect shape, I meant. So I brought them to her. She was really surprised at first—she actually didn’t say anything. Then she got mad for some reason and snatched them out of my hand. But I knew she liked them because she wore them the next day. 

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Author Links/Info

• Learn more about Of Poseidon.
• Learn more about Of Triton.
• Learn more about Girls Day Out.
• Join in on social media with #OfNeptune.
• Add Of Neptune to your to-read list on Goodreads.
• See Anna Banks on the Spring 2014 Fierce Reads tour!
• Visit Anna’s website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Of Triton by Anna Banks

ARC received  from Macmillan

On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Good story, but kind of a let down after the first book

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

I was so excited to read Of Triton because I was completely blown away by Of Poseidon.  I was so blown away that I did a special Top Ten review of it!  Sadly, this sequel did not live up to my expectations.  That doesn’t mean it was bad, I actually enjoyed it.  However, the things that were so good in Of Poseidon were missing if Of Triton.

I’ll start with what I liked:  the plot.  Anna started the story up right where the last book left off, and there was little time for boredom.  The pacing was well done, and I never felt like I needed to put the book down to get some distance, even when I was disappointed in parts.  I do wish the book would have been a little longer, spending more time in the ocean because I love seeing beneath the surface! 

The thing I really missed the most was the humor.  In Of Poseidon, I found myself laughing out loud over and over again.  Emma’s voice was much more flat in the sequel, and I felt like we just didn’t see her originality flow from the dialogue.  Furthermore, I didn’t see the humor from Toraf, either, and he was one of my favorite characters from the first book.  I’m hoping we see the humor come back in the final book.

I also missed the romance aspect.  It was there, but it just wasn’t prevalent like it was in the first book.  There was always something in the way, and I wanted Emma and Galen just to say “Screw it,” to the world and let go in an amazing kiss.  But that never happened.  The romance was a kiss here, a hug there; but there was no immediacy to it—no passion.

The final thing that bugged me was the switch from Emma’s first person to Galen’s third person—drove me nuts!!!!!  It might be because I was an English teacher, but I just couldn’t get past the fact that we could see inside Emma’s thoughts, but not Galen’s.  I think it needed to be first person from both of them or third person from both.  I just felt disconnected from Galen.

Overall, it was a good storyline, and I’m happy with the progression of the gifts and the tension.  It just fell flat in the little details that made the first book so unique and impressive.

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

ARC received by Delacorte Books for Young Readers via Netgalley

Release Date:  6-12-12

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Seductive, Sinister, and Spine-tingling

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Where you ever afraid to go into the water when you were young?  I know I was terrified—even of the deep end of the swimming pool where you could see all the way to the bottom.  Was this just an irrational fear?  Forget all your Ariel notions of mermaids and dive straight into your childhood phobia!  After reading Anne Greenwood Brown’s Lies Beneath, you will never look at mermaids the same again.

I’ve seen quite a few mixed reviews about this book, comparing the plotline to Twilight but just with mermaids.  I absolutely disagree!  There was nothing in this book that screamed Edward to me.  From Chapter 1, I was mesmerized by the idea of these monstrous mermaids.  It was like stepping through the looking glass hoping to find a beautiful wonderland, but instead falling into a dark, ominous fantasy full of deadly creatures.  I really enjoyed Brown’s macabre underwater world, in fact, I was in the middle of reading this when a tornado outbreak was starting to occur (I live in Tornado Alley), and instead of hiding in a safe room below the stairs, I stayed on the couch and read, determined to fight down any tornadoes that might impede my finishing the book! (I’m not crazy, promise.)

I really enjoyed the character development—even the evil characters.  Calder White and his sisters are out for revenge on Jack Hancock, and even though Calder is one of the bad guys (or just in a Catch-22 situation), I felt myself rooting for him.  He’s gorgeous, mysterious, arrogant, and dark—a wonderful combination in a young adult guy.  And I love him even more as he starts to fall for Lily and we begin to see a different side of the monster.  I know there's plenty in store for Calder in the future, and I can't wait to see more of his chillingly sultry personality!

Calder’s three sisters are perhaps my favorite characters.  You would think that mermaids would be similar (at least in some regards) to humans, but these three are truly inhuman, capable of the most treacherous evil.  I (along with my sisters) have always been fans of the villain--I mean, who doesn't wish for all-consuming power every now and again.  Am I alone here??  There is something about the sisters that I found intriguing, and I can’t wait to see more of them in the next installment.

And then there’s the damsel in distress, Lily, who proves to be anything but “in distress.”  She’s calculating and doesn’t fall for the gorgeous guy right away.  It isn’t some “love at first sight” type of thing, which is a nice change of pace.  We get to see Lily’s strengths and flaws, which makes her a great heroine.

With the enormous amounts of paranormal romance novels out there, it is nice to see something fresh and different.  Brown takes the perfect fantasy world, the one where we all pretended we were Ariel on the side of the pool and would shoot up out of the water singing, “Part of Your World,” and she completely turns it upside down, adding hatred, revenge, murder, and deceit. 

Dive into her world, and you won’t regret it!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
ARC received by Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan) from ALA
Release Date:  5-22-2012
Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say:
A Copy of Of Poseidon by Anna Banks:  $12.23 from Amazon
                          
 A Mermaid Costume to wear on Halloween:  $91.25 via Costume Craze, LLC
                          
Getting to read a fantastic book with a super hot Mer-guy (Galen)--PRICELESS!

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

At first I was skeptical about a “mermaid book” because the idea of a fin kind of creeps me out—don’t laugh; but I figured I would give this one a try. I am so glad I did! From the first chapter, I was hooked—I even laughed out loud a few times (loud enough to get my husband’s attention along with a murmur that sounded something like “book nerd”—he doesn’t know what he’s missing). I read it in one sitting (which is a feat with an 8 month old baby) and was tempted to turn right back to the beginning to re-read it.

So after chatting with my sister Britt, who read the book first and also loved it, we have decided to do another of the famed “Top Ten” lists for Of Poseidon.

10. Cosmic Clumsiness--Emma is so clumsy that you will truly laugh out loud quite often during the book. In fact, her clumsiness is how she meets Galen, falling forward and "asssaulting his pecks." I couldn't stop laughing!

9. Toraf--He's a Syrena whose snarkiness will also make you laugh out loud. His persistent chase of Rayna and his acceptance of her constant attacks is borderline insanity, but you can really see how much he cares for her. I found Toraf to be one of my favorite characters.

8. Mythology--We get a different view of Poseidon and Triton in this novel. It's a part of mermaid mythology I had never heard before--very interesting.

7. The Ocean setting--I won't tell you much because I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I loved the history that we got to see about the oceans and what happens above and below them.  If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be a mermaid (or were just curious about the bottom of the ocean), take a look through Galen's eyes!

6. The Little Mermaid-like scenes--Do you remember the scene in The Little Mermaid where Ariel spins around and the fish fly around her hair until it's standing straight up? I loved that scene as a little girl, and there are plenty of scenes in this book that brought me right back to my childhood.

5. Rayna--she's so smug and self-absorbed, but it works for her. She's the love you/hate you type of girl, but she adds a great dimension to how Syrena life appears. I loved reading her insults and comebacks, and eventually, her breakthroughs.

4. The pull--I won't say much other than it is a Syrena legend kind of like soul mates--a feeling that quite literally pulls you to another person, and that it really adds to the romance!

3. The OOOOOOHHHHHH ending…..that caused me to go straight to Twitter and ask Anna Banks how many more books there would be (as of now, a sequel is in the works). II am reeling to find out what happens next!  I won't say anything else!

2. Emma and her sarcasm, snarkiness, and smugness--I find her insistence that she call Gale, “Your Highness” very amusing. She's not afraid of who he is, and she's not intimidated. She's tough, but not too tough--so she's very believable. She struggles with the truth, and she struggles with her abilities. I really felt like I connected to her.  I can't wait to see what's in store for her in the future.

1. Galen--What can I say? He's charming, mysterious, tan, chiseled, and handsome--just what every girl wants in her YA guys. He comes on tough and insensitive, but eventually we see a side to him that will make you melt!  I really loved Galen, and I just love seeing how his feelings for Emma change and grow over the book.  With the crazy ending, though, I'm anxious to find out what Galen's role will be in the sequel.

This was my first mermaid book, and I am so glad I started with this one.  It was full of action--never a dull moment.  Plus, there's the hot guy that will make all girls squee--even the tail doesn't bother me anymore! 

So....you think you're tired of mermaid books?

I promise you, dive into this book and you'll find the waters hot and steamy--just like I like 'em!  Don't miss out!

Go buy this book!!! You won't regret it!

OHHHHHH.....and one more thing!  We are proud to get the chance to host the Of Poseidon Blog Tour on May 27th!  We get to interview hottie mer-guy Galen--trust me, you don't want to miss out on this interview!!!!

Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova Blog Tour & Giveaway

We are so excited to be apart of the Bloggers of the Deep Blog Tour!  We have some exciting things coming your way.  Today we are hosting a giveaway and guest post.  Later on in May, we will host another stop for a character interview and review.  Here's a little about The Vicious Deep:


The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
May 1, 2012

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.
He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.
His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.
Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

We are happy to host Zoraida today for Desert Island books!  We love playing Desert Island books!  Here is my Desert Island Book list from last summer.

Top Ten Books to Read when Stranded on a 

Desert Island

 If you are going to be stranded, may as well find something to pass the time. Just make sure you plan ahead…

#1 would have to be HOW TO SURVIVE ON A DESERT ISLAND. Because, really, if I don't survive, I won't get to read #2-10. 

#2 Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, obvi. 

#3 A collection of fairy tales from around the world.

#4 The Harry Potter series, because I'll need a little hope to keep me going. 

#5 Montana Sky by Nora Roberts. Don't you roll your eyes at me. Deserted islands get lonely.

#6 Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins because every word is beauty. 

#7 Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown. Partly because I'd like the company of merpeople. Partly because I'd like to read it before I get stranded. But also because I can't say I want to get stranded with my own mermaids ;) 

#8 Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 8 graphic novels. When facing the forces of darkness (strike that), nature, I'd ask myself, What Would Buffy Do? 

#9 The Essential Neruda. Pablo Neruda was exiled to an island where he fell in love and wrote poetry. Maybe I'd get the same inspiration. 

#10 A blank notebook, to write my own stories.

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Sourcebooks Fire has kindly donated a finished copy of The Vicious Deep to giveaway here.  The giveaway is open to US and Canada entries.  We want to say a big Thank You to Sourcebooks Fire for providing this giveaway!

Teaser Tuesday: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from Of Poseidon by Anna Banks! Published by Feiwel and Friends (an imprint of MacMillan), this fantastic book comes out 5/22/12. And let me tell you now... put this one on your wish list!

             Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish. 

                What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

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"And I meet my threshold for embarrassment. Tripping is bad enough. Tripping into someone is much worse. But if that someone has a body that could make sculpted statues jealous-- and thinks you've broken your nose on one of his pecs-- well, that's when tripping runs a distant second to humane euthanasia." -pg. 5

"Emma, we don't have to kiss. She already knows I want to sleep with you." He cringes as soon as he says it. He doesn't have to look up to know the sizzling sound in the kitchen is from Rachel spitting her pineapple juice into the hot skillet. "What I mean is, I already told her I want to sleep with you. I mean, I told her I wanted to sleep with you because she already thinks I do. Want to, I mean--" If a Syrena could drown, this is what it would feel like." pg. 125

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Guys! This book!!! It is seriously addicting! It's humorous (I laughed hysterically at the line about breaking her nose on his pecs). And Galen, the male lead is quite swoon-worthy! And this book opens with a bang-- I promise it will catch your attention! :)