Book Giveaway!! Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting!

A signed copy of Kimberly Derting's Desires of the Dead + signed swag!

Kimberly Derting's Body Finder books have become favorites in our house, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend one of Kimberly's recent booksigning events!  You can read my full event report here.  If you haven't read The Body Finder or Desires of the Dead yet, I highly recommend both books!  If you happen to have an ereader, HarperCollins is currently offering The Body Finder (with bonus material) for just $1.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders, so it is an awesome time to give this fantastic series a try if you haven't already.  I'm excited to be able to share some fabulous signed Desires of the Dead goodies with our readers!

Desires of the Dead summary:
The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

Read an excerpt from Desires of the Dead here!

Contest Details:

Prize #1 (US only - one winner):  A signed hardcover copy of Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Prize #2  (US only - one winner):  A signed Desires of the Dead poster and bookmark

Prize #3 (US & International - four winners):  A signed Desires of the Dead bookmark

The deadline:  March 31st at 11:59 pm (PST)

How to Enter:

Fill out the form below.

Extra Entries:

+1 for every place you help spread the word about this contest - twitter, blog, sidebar, etc.  (Up to +3)

Awesome Book Event!! Kimberly Derting!

Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder and Desires of the Dead

Yesterday I attended a Powell's book signing event featuring the lovely Kimberly Derting!  It was fantastic to see her again and to hear more about her upcoming projects.  She read an excerpt from Desires of the Dead, answered several questions from the audience, talked about her upcoming fantasy-dystopian novel The Pledge, and signed lots of books!  If you would like to win a signed copy of Desires of the Dead, be sure to check out our giveaway post here.    :-)

For a video recap of the event, check out TheEagerReaders YouTube Channel:

Part 1 -  Kimberly discusses a creepy scene in the third Body Finder book.

Part 2 -  Kimberly talks about the cover art for the Body Finder books.

Part 3 -  Kimberly describes The Pledge, her upcoming fantasy-dystopian novel (Release date: 11/15/11)

Part 4 - Kimberly discusses one of the challenges of working on two books at once.

Candace of Candace's Book Blog also recorded several videos, and you can check them out  here.  It was tons of fun visiting with Candace and her sister-in-law, and it was also awesome to see Sara from Novel Novice, Inara Scott (author of the Delacroix Academy series), and Suzanne Young (author of A Need So Beautiful and The Naughty List trilogy).  Suzanne is completely responsible for my crazy lack of sleep last night because I simply could not put A Need So Beautiful down until I reached the final page!  I absolutely loved it!  (Thank you, Suzanne!)

The other huge highlight of the day was having the chance to visit with Kimberly before her Q & A session.  We talked about her upcoming appearance at the RT Booklovers Convention in LA, and she also shared a bit of news that surprised me in the best way ever.  When I first met Kimberly last April at an event for The Body Finder, she mentioned that she loved my name (not my online nickname, Violet, but my actual name, Avonlea) and wanted to steal it to use in one of her books.  It turns out that she was totally serious, and there will be a character in The Pledge with my name.  *insert giddy fangirl squee here*  How cool is that?!  In related news, I'm going to need to pick up a bazillion copies of The Pledge, and we will definitely be giving away a copy here on The Eager Readers.  Is it November yet?  ;-)

If you would like to learn more about The Body Finder series or The Pledge, please check out Kimberly Derting's website, blog, or twitter.

Buy Desires of the Dead: IndieBound | The Book Depository | Powell's | Amazon

Add this book to your: Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing | Visual Bookshelf

Pre-order The Pledge (11/15/11):  Amazon 

Add this book to your: Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing 

Recommendations for the Once-Upon-a-Read-a-Thon

The Once-Upon-a-Read-a-Thon begins Monday!  You can learn more about it here and sign up to join the fun here.  The read-a-thon will be hosted by Lori of Pure Imagination, Angel of Reading Angel, and Candace of Candace's Book Blog, and they have each decided to share a short list of recommended read-a-thon books today as a way of suggesting a few fast and fun books that you might want to consider adding to your read-a-thon lineup.  :-)


Here are a handful of my read-a-thon suggestions.  What books would you recommend?

Title:  Vampire Academy 
(All of the VA books)
Author:  Richelle Mead
Summary:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school--it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's--the very place where they're most in danger. . . .


Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi--the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires--make Lissa one of them forever.

Why this would make a great read-a-thon book:

The Vampire Academy series is absorbing and fun!  The sixth and final book will be published this December, so if you haven't read the first five books yet, now is the perfect time.

Title:  Chasing Brooklyn
Author:  Lisa Schroeder
Summary:

Restless souls and empty hearts
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Why this would make a great read-a-thon book:

Chasing Brooklyn is a compelling novel about loss and recovery.  Despite the serious subject matter, this verse novel is a quick and uplifting read.

Title:  The Darkangel
Author:  Meredith Ann Pierce
Summary:
The Darkangel, a vampire of astounding beauty and youth, can only summon his full power when he finds his 14th and final bride. But for Aeriel, whom he kidnaps to serve his brides, there is something about him--something beyond his obvious evil--that makes her want to save him rather than destroy him.

Why this would make a great read-a-thon book:

The Darkangel reads less like a typical vampire romance and more like a fairytale or an imaginative legend.  At only 256 pages, it is a very quick read, but the fable-like story will stick with you long after you've turned the final pages.  This book is the first in a trilogy.

Title:  The Body Finder
Author:  Kimberly Derting
Summary:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Why this would make a great read-a-thon book:

The Body Finder is a darkly captivating paranormal thriller with a sweet, best-friend romance.

Title:  Terrier 

Author:  Tamora Pierce

Summary:

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises--and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.

Why this would make a great read-a-thon book:

Terrier is significantly longer than the other books I've included on this list, but the engaging story and first-person narrative make it a surprisingly quick read.  I love all of Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, and this is the first book in her current trilogy.  The final book, Mastiff, is due out next year.

Winners!!

Thank you to everyone who entered our first two giveaways here on The Eager Readers!  Eighty-four people entered our giveaway for Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder, and the winners are:

1st prize = Sherry S.

First prize = a signed, hardback copy of The Body Finder + a signed bookmark + a sticker + a bracelet                                               

2nd prize = Jamie L.

Second prize = a signed The Body Finder poster + a signed bookmark + a sticker + a bracelet
3rd prize = Wendy

Third prize = a signed bookmark + a sticker

4th prize = Jessica  (from Book Sake)

Fourth prize = a signed bookmark + a sticker

Thirty-seven people entered our giveaway for Suzanne Young's The Naughty List.  And the winner is:

1st prize = Sophia L.

First prize = A signed copy of  The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

All winners have been contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond before new winners will be drawn.  Thank you to everyone who entered!  We will have another book giveaway beginning Monday!  You can stop by to see if you won The Body Finder contest at Candace's Book Blog HERE.


Happy Reading!  :-)

Reminder: Our giveaways for The Body Finder & The Naughty List end tonight!

Just a quick reminder that today is the last day to enter our signed book giveaways for Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder and Suzanne Young's The Naughty List.  Both contests end at 11:59 pm (PST) on Friday, April 30th!  Winners will be announced Saturday evening!

Click HERE to enter to win a signed copy of Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder (plus swag).

Click HERE to enter to win a signed copy of Suzanne Young's The Naughty List.

Book Giveaway!!! The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting!!

The Body Finder book & goodies!  Signed bookmarks, signed poster, stickers, & bracelets!  Yay!

UPDATE (5/1):  Contest Closed!

84 individuals entered with a total of 394 entries

Winners were chosen by Random.org:

1st prize = Sherry S.

First prize = a signed, hardback copy of The Body Finder + a signed bookmark + a sticker + a bracelet                                               

2nd prize = Jamie L.

Second prize = a signed The Body Finder poster + a signed bookmark + a sticker + a bracelet

3rd prize = Wendy

Third prize = a signed bookmark + a sticker

Because our first prize winner already had a bookmark + sticker, we were able to draw a fourth prize winner:

4th prize = Jessica (from Book Sake)

Fourth prize = a signed bookmark + a sticker

Our first contest!  I recently had the pleasure of attending a fun book signing event with Kimberly Derting, debut author of the suspenseful romantic thriller The Body Finder!  If you have not read this book yet, I would recommend adding it to your "Must Read" list immediately.

The Body Finder summary:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

You can read my full review of The Body Finder HERE and check out my event report HERE.  I purchased an extra copy of The Body Finder before the signing so that I would have a signed copy to give away here on The Eager Readers, and Kimberly was sweet enough to share some extra goodies - like beautiful signed bookmarks, lovely stickers, a signed poster, and a few bracelets.  That means three winners will end up with some fabulous signed goodies!  This is our first contest here on The Eager Readers, so I am very excited about it!  Eventually I hope to make some of our contests international, but I am afraid this first giveaway is going to be limited to US residents only.  So sorry to my international friends!

Contest Details:

There will be three winners:
First prize = a signed, hardback copy of The Body Finder + a signed bookmark + a sticker + a bracelet
Second prize = a signed The Body Finder poster + a signed bookmark + a sticker + a bracelet
Third prize = a signed bookmark + a sticker

Contest deadline:
April 30th at 11:59 pm  (PST)

How to Enter:
You can enter by filling out the form near the bottom of this post.  You will receive +3 entries for being a follower of The Eager Readers  *required*  (Limited to US residents only.  Sorry!)


Extra Entries:
+2  for posting a link to this contest on your blog [sidebar is fine]
+1  for tweeting the following link to this contest:  
Book giveaway!!  Enter to win a signed copy of THE BODY FINDER by @kimberlyderting!  Visit @TheEagerReaders (ends 4/30) ---> http://wi.nr/qL
+1  for sharing a link to this contest on facebook
+1  for entering The Body Finder giveaway on Candace's Book Blog


Please don't hesitate to comment on this post or to ask any questions you may have in the comments section, but remember that only entries submitted on the form below will be counted toward the contest.  Thank you!!



Happy Reading!  :-)

Awesome Book Event! Kimberly Derting!

Kimberly Derting signing copies of her debut novel, The Body Finder.

On Saturday, I attended a Powell's book signing event featuring the lovely author of The Body Finder, Kimberly Derting!  Hearing more about Kimberly's writing process and upcoming novels was so much fun, and I am extremely excited to be able to give away a signed copy of The Body Finder as well as a few signed bookmarks and a couple of stickers and bracelets!  [Stay tuned for contest details in my next post this afternoon!]  But the fun didn't stop there.  Several local authors also came out to attend Kimberly's signing, and it was great to see Lisa Schroeder, Suzanne Young, and L.K. Madigan again.

Suzanne Young, Kimberly Derting, and Lisa Schroeder

In addition to all the author-filled fun, I also met a very sweet book blogger, Candace from Candace's Book Blog, as well as blogger/reporter/producer Sara from Novel Novice & Novel Novice Twilight.  I have been following Novel Novice for several months & always enjoy Sara's examiner.com articles, so it was wonderful to meet her in person.  Candace and I 'met' online the day before the event, and it was tons of fun to visit with her at the signing!  We met and chatted excitedly before the signing, had the opportunity to ask a couple of questions during the signing, and happily waited to be the last couple of people through Kimberly's signing line so that we could visit longer & have time to chat with Kimberly without holding up the line.  It was such a blast to attend the signing with another book enthusiast who was just as thrilled as I was to be there!  Awesome authors are definitely like rock stars to both of us, so we were both a little giddy by the end of the signing!!  :)  After the signing, Candace and I had a great time snapping pictures with Kimberly Derting, Lisa Schroeder, and Suzanne Young.  Then we continued chatting as we did a bit more book shopping together and even hung out in the Powell's parking lot cheerfully visiting in the chilly wind & drizzle (in short sleeves with no coats on) for quite a while after the signing.  It was way too much fun!!  Candace and I plan to get together for more fabulous book events in the future, so you will definitely be hearing more about our book adventures in the months to come!

Now onto a few details about Kimberly Derting's book presentation and Q & A session.  She talked a little about her long-time love of scary thrillers, like Stephen King's novels, and how she always enjoyed frightening books and liked the idea of writing a suspenseful thriller that kept readers on the edge of their seats.  Kimberly also read The Body Finder's prologue to us and took questions from the audience.  I asked if she'd always intended to write some of the chapters from the serial killer's point of view, and she explained that she had originally written just a few chapters from that alternate perspective, anticipating that her editor would tell her they were too creepy for a YA novel & should be cut out, but instead they loved those chapters & requested that she write more chapters from that chillingly creepy point of view.  For those of you who may not have read The Body Finder yet, the chapters from the serial killer's point of view are truly haunting and will give you chills with their psychological spookiness (but they are also impressively non-graphic).

I also asked Kimberly if it was difficult to balance the romantic aspects of her story with the suspenseful elements of her story, and it sounds like that balance fell into place very naturally for her.  She knew she wanted to write a thriller and she really enjoyed writing about a romance in which the characters already knew each other well enough to truly love one another.  I absolutely adored the romance in this book, and the best-friend romance is refreshingly different from the meet-and-fall-instantly-in-love kind of romance that is fairly common (and not always believable) in YA literature.  

The best news of all is that Kimberly has already written the second book in the Body Finder series, entitled Desires of the Dead and due out in 2011.  She also has two additional books mapped out to continue this series should the publisher be interested.  As a reader who thoroughly enjoyed The Body Finder, I am VERY interested in seeing all four of her Body Finder books make it to publication.  So I definitely want to encourage everyone to go out and buy The Body Finder as soon as possible.

You can find The Body Finder at:  IndieBound | Powell's | Amazon | The Book Depository | Borders | Barnes & Noble   

I will be giving away a signed copy of The Body Finder here on The Eager Readers and Candace will also be giving away a signed copy on her blog, so be sure to enter both contests to double your chances of winning.  :-)

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder

Author:  Kimberly Derting

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: YA/Romance/Suspense

Hardcover: 336 pages

ISBN:    0061779814

Summary:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself. (description from IndieBound.com)

• Overall rating: 9/10

To buy this book: IndieBound | The Book Depository | Powell's | Amazon

Add this book to your: Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing | Visual Bookshelf

Romantic, intense, and suspenseful!  Those are the first three words that come to mind when describing Kimberly Derting's impressive debut novel, The Body Finder.  Part heart-pounding suspense and part heart-racing romance, readers will find themselves unable to put this book down!  Set in a small town in western Washington, this romantic thriller seamlessly blends romance and mystery as a teenage girl uses her unusual paranormal ability in an attempt to trace the imprints left by a serial killer before he strikes again.  A word of warning: Don't start this book at bedtime if you intend to get any sleep because you won't want to set it down until you reach the last page. 

What I Liked:

-     The playful and flirtatious romance!  Since this book is about a girl who senses dead bodies and gets entangled in a serial killer investigation, I expected creepy suspense from this novel (and it delivered).  But I did NOT expect the completely intoxicating romance!  Violet's crush on her best friend leaves her distracted by his casual touch, flustered by his comforting, familiar scent, and blushing at his every teasing grin.  The romance is sweet, sexy, and believable.  If you adore best-friend love stories, this book is definitely for you!

-     Violet is a well-rounded teenager.  She isn't defined solely by her unique body-finding ability or by her relationship with Jay.  She interacts with her parents, goes shopping with friends, babysits for her aunt and uncle, feels the sting of social rivalries at school, and finds herself frustratingly focused on her changing feelings toward her best friend.  She also handles her paranormal talent well, deals with social pressures responsibly, and stands up to her best friend when he seems over-protective or demanding.  She makes her own decisions at every turn.

-     Violet has a healthy self-image.  To pull a line directly from the text (p.122): "She never wanted to be one of those girls who looked for flaws, picking themselves apart with unjust criticisms."  I really enjoyed that about Violet's personality.  She isn't arrogant and she isn't totally free of insecurities, but she is self-confident and relatively comfortable in her own skin.

-     Jay is a good guy.  He is kind and thoughtful.  He genuinely cares about Violet and is not afraid to show it.  He is funny and sweet, and he and Violet have basically been inseparable since the first grade.  Since Jay has been her constant companion for so long, it makes sense that he feels and acts protective at times, and Violet's specific situation truly does warrant a lot of caution.  I found Jay's protective nature endearing, and I like that he listens to Violet (who isn't shy about calling him out on his missteps & won't tolerate being bossed around).  I seriously adored Jay!

-     The chapters from the killer's point of view are used to excellent effect and will leave readers nervous to be out alone at night.

-     This is a romantic thriller that can be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.  Although it involves disturbing abductions and murders, it is never gory or graphic.  The romantic scenes are steamy enough to have readers running to turn up their air conditioners, but they are not graphic either.  Both the suspense and the romantic tension remain PG-13, yet the frightening moments are still chillingly scary and the romantic moments are still deliciously sexy.  

-     Violet's parents care about her and are present in her everyday life.  That may sound like an unusual thing to comment on, but it is surprising how often a YA protagonist's parents are dead, drug-addicted, missing, abusive, totally oblivious, or otherwise excluded from the plot.

-     The overall high school atmosphere rang true, as did the intensity and all-consuming nature of Violet's newly-discovered feelings for her best friend.  Readers will feel Violet's excitement and nervousness & will fall for Jay right along with her. 

What I Wished:

-     This is probably only because I've read too many mystery novels and watched too many suspenseful thrillers over the years, but I wanted the manhunt and the investigative aspect of the plot to take center stage a little more often.  In the final third of the book, I wondered what the police and FBI were discovering while we were following Violet, and I wanted a few more twists and turns in the investigation.  

-     I wanted more.  I have no complaints about the way this novel ended, and I was pleased to see the suspenseful elements of the plot thoroughly wrapped up.  But I wasn't quite ready to close the book on the main characters yet.  I look forward to re-reading The Body Finder, and I wish we didn't have to wait until next year to read Kimberly Derting's next book.

If you are looking for a fast, suspenseful read with believable characters and a sweet romance, I would definitely recommend The Body Finder. I was impressed by the well-paced balance between the frightening serial killer mystery and the sweet love story. It is pretty rare to find a book that is just as likely to give you pleasant, romantic dreams as it is to give you terrifying, serial killer nightmares.  Readers who enjoy romantic YA novels like Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely, and Claudia Gray's Evernight should pick up Kimberley Derting's The Body Finder.  Fans of paranormal mystery novels like Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly series, may also be interested in reading The Body Finder.  I look forward to reading Kimberly Derting's next book,  Desires of the Dead, which is due out in 2011.  For more information about The Body Finder, please check out the trailer below & visit Kimberly Derting's website | blog | twitter.