Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop

Happy New Year!  What an amazing year 2012 was!  I'm very excited to see what this new year brings!  The Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Babs Book Bistro.  On my stop, I'm giving away a $25.00 gift card to your choice of Amazon or Barnes&Noble to help with those much-anticipated 2013 new releases or perhaps buy yourself a little something that Santa may have forgotten ;)

Fill out the Rafflecopter form and be sure to visit the other great giveaways listed below.

Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed 2013!

Happy New Year!!!

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~ Season's Greetings ~

 

 

Hope you all have a beautiful holiday season!

 

See you in 2013!

Love,

Michele and Katertot

Waiting on Wednesday (13): Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine,

that showcases our most anticipated upcoming releases.

 

Title:  Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author:  Marissa Meyer
Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends
Expected Publication:  February 5, 2013

 Amazon  |  B&N | The Book Depository



Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.




Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

 

After yesterday's slightly gushy review of Cinder, it's no surprise that my WoW pick is Scarlet.  I can hardly wait to find out what happens next for Cinder and to meet Scarlet and Wolf.  Cinder was a book I wasn't sure I would like and certainly didn't expect to love, but it ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2012.  You can download the first five chapters of Scarlet for free from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

What book are YOU waiting to get your hands on?

 

While you're here, there's still time to enter my Christmas giveaway and win a book of your choice from The Book Depository.

 

 

Happy Holidays! 

Giveaway Winners

 

My first blog hop experiences were SO much fun!  A big thank-you to

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and her co-hosts for hosting these amazing events!

 

 

Congratulations to Beckey - she won a book of her choice from The Book Depository in the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop.  She chose Beautiful Redemption (awesome pick)!






Congratulations to Sunny - she won the $30.00 Amazon gift card in the Gift Card Giveaway Hop. Check out her awesome blog, Blue Sky Bookshelf .  She's so lovely!





Thanks to all who entered and supported the blog.  There's still time to enter my Christmas giveaway, and I'll be participating in another blog hop in January!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Title:  Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: January 3, 2012

Amazon  |  B&N  |  The Book Depository


My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★


Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .


Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

 

 

“Do your kind even know what love is?

Can you feel anything at all, or is it just... programmed?”

Exciting, heart-breaking, and mesmerizing... this is the story of Linh Cinder.  Cinder, an unwanted stepdaughter, part-cyborg misfit, and extremely brilliant mechanic in Beijing, catches the eye of Kai, Crown Prince of the Eastern Commonwealth, when she agrees to repair his broken android. With Iko, her trusty and hilariously sarcastic android, and Peony, her younger stepsister, as her closest and only friends, Cinder’s life is no fairytale. But she is spunky, full of snark, and a character I fell very much in love with. With a frightening plague and an even scarier queen, Cinder is a clever, but poignant, must-read novel.

Despite the positive reviews I read of Cinder at the beginning of 2012, I held off reading this Cinderella retelling, or “re-envisioning,” rather. Cyborgs? Lunars? Intergalactic struggles? That is just way too science fiction for my taste. But I really needed to give it a try and read it as my final book in the 2012 Debut Author Challenge.

And herein lies the lesson, fellow readers: Never judge a book by its gorgeous, but sci-fi-ish, cyborg-legged cover.

I was nowhere prepared to love this book as much as I did.   A tale so absorbing and captivating that it kept me spellbound until 4:30 in the morning because I could not, for the life of me, put this book down until I reached the final page. My punishment (besides dark circles under my eyes the rest of the day and a slightly sluggish demeanor) was my near breakdown when I reached the final page and I needed more. So. Much. MORE. The world building; the unbelievably beautiful, vivid details; intriguing characters; and Ms. Meyer’s amazing storytelling have turned a book I shied away from into one of my favorite 2012 reads.

Two important things that I learned from Cinder:

1) The book you least expect to love is sometimes the one you end up loving the most.

2) You are never too old for fairytales.

The only reason I’m not kicking myself too hard for waiting to read this as long as I did is I won’t have to suffer a very long wait for Scarlet, which will be out February 5, 2013.

“It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful

if you can convince yourself you are beautiful.

But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.”

 

  

  　

~ Christmas Giveaway ~

I'm giving away a book of your choice from The Book Depository ($15.00 value)! 

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. 

This giveaway is international provided The Book Depository delivers to your neck of the woods (you can check for your country here).

 

 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from A Belle's Tales!

 

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Weekend Reads

*** I postponed posting my Weekend Reads until I could include a note about the devastation that occurred this morning in Newtown, Connecticut. I mention in this post my plans I have for the weekend with my child; and, while I am so blessed that I can do those things, my heart breaks for those parents who will never be able to hold their children again. I will hold my daughter closer than ever, and we will keep those touched by this horrible tragedy in our thoughts and prayers. Our deepest condolences to these families and their loved ones.

 

In keeping with our Christmas traditions, this weekend Katerot and I will be snuggled by the fireplace with mugs of hot chocolate, reading:

Title:  A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
Illustrator:  Christian Birmingham
Publisher:  Running Press
 Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of “the man who invented Christmas”—English writer Charles Dickens—A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since.

Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn’t like...and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas!

What book are you planning on curling up with?
Any Christmas traditions you'd like to share?

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

We'll see you Monday!

Happy Holidays!
 

Dead Radiance by T.G. Ayer

Title:  Dead Radiance (Valkyrie #1)
Author: T.G. Ayer
Publisher:  Evolved Publishing
Published: February 25, 2012

 Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

That day I knew for sure. I'd lost control of my tears then. They fell in huge, mocking drops. I stared at Joshua through those bitter tears, my heart missing beats as I tried to remember to breathe.

I finally knew what the glow meant.

I was a freak and Joshua was going to die.

Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.

The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.

Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?

 

I’m not that familiar with Norse mythology, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, reading about Valkyries. I really enjoyed the beginning of the story and the introduction to Bryn. Her mother left her at a young age, and after her father’s death, she’s been bounced from foster home to foster home. Finally, she’s found a place where she might actually fit in. Her foster mother, Ms. Custer, is such a genuinely sweet and loving woman. She and the adorable younger foster siblings are head over heels for Bryn. School isn’t quite the heaven that home is, but for most of us, it rarely is. She’s coping pretty well… until she and her best friend Joshua are in a terrible car accident. She walks away with a bump on the head, but Joshua wasn’t so lucky. Not only is Bryn grieving the loss of Joshua, but she is consumed with guilt due to a uncanny feeling that she might have been able to prevent her friend’s death.

Bryn sees a golden aura around certain people. Once Bryn sees the glow, she knows that time is running out for those who possess the aura. But what can she do? If she tells anyone, they’ll commit her. Then he shows up - the ultimate bad boy, complete with motorcycle, smoldering eyes, black hair, and a smirk that makes her weak in the knees. Just what she needs. But there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye, and when she begins to see a golden glow around one of her foster siblings, Bryn knows she has to trust someone so she can prevent the death of a child she’s grown to love.

Not only is Aidan not ready to call the men in white coats after hearing her confession, but he also has some pretty incredible secrets himself. Secrets that involve Bryn and who she really is. But before Bryn can press Aidan for more answers… he’s gone…he’s disappeared without so much as a goodbye, leaving behind the only evidence that he was ever there: a very old and intriguing book, filled with an unusual ancient scribble… which, while unfamiliar, creates a sense of déjà vu. And in the midst of those ancient writings: a painting of a beautiful Valkyrie in chain mail, a red cloak, and a bronze helmet. And to her surprise, the detailed painting of the warrior is the spitting image of Bryn herself. And that life-changing discovery is only the beginning.

Poor Bryn. Just when happiness seems within her grasp, it’s quickly snatched away. She’s tough, though, and I admire her determination, and her strong will. Aidan is easy to love, as is Bryn’s foster family. The fast-paced and intense relationship between the two MC’s may be off-putting to some, but surprisingly for me, it just worked. They have instant chemistry. My only regret was that we didn’t get more Aidan, but that’s just me being greedy.

The world of Asgard is full of vivid details, and readers who live for intricate world-building will be very pleased with the imagery this author has created. I’m not really the target audience for fantasy or mythological reads, and I enjoyed the first part of the more modern day story as compared to the middle, but the conclusion of the book and the wonderfully written action scenes drew me in, much to my surprise! Gods; goddesses; wolves; eight-legged horses; dragons; and, of course, key characters in Asgard that fans of Norse mythology will revel in! Consider me a fan!


T.G. Ayer is a wonderfully talented writer, and I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters in book two, Dead Embers.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (12): Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine,

that showcases our most anticipated upcoming releases.

 

Title:  Deeply Odd (Odd Thomas #6)
Author:  Dean Koontz
Publisher:  Random House
Expected Publication:  May 28, 2013
Pre-order: Amazon  |  Barnes&Noble

From Amazon:

Following the explosive success of Odd Apocalypse, here is the gripping new adventure of Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz’s most celebrated character.

In a sinister encounter with a rogue truck driver tricked up like a rhinestone cowboy, Odd has a disturbing vision of a shocking multiple homicide that has not yet been committed. Across California, into Nevada, and back again, Odd embarks on a riveting road chase to prevent the tragedy.

Along the way, he meets—and charms—a collection of eccentrics who become his allies in a terrifying battle against a sociopath of singular boldness and cleverness—and a shadowy network of mysterious, like-minded murderers whose chilling resources seem almost supernatural.

 

I know this seems like quite a departure from my usual YA WoW selections, but my love for Odd Thomas (and all things Dean Koontz) goes back many, many years.  I adore Odd and can't wait for the next installment in the series.  I'm also super excited they are making a movie about this amazing character. So far, I really love the cast!

What book are YOU waiting to get your hands on?

 

While you're here, why not enter for a $30.00 Amazon gift card and treat yourself to some of those great WoW pre-orders?

Teaser Tuesday (11): 'Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, and Karen Duvall

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• 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 that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from the following book:  

 

Title: 'Til the World Ends
Authors: Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, and Karen Duvall
Publisher: Harlequin
Expected Publication: January 29, 2013
Purchase:  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden—as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What’s worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she’s beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems...

Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre

After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside—in the Red Zone—is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they’ll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside... for good.

Sun Storm by Karen Duvall

Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms—in the cosmos and beyond. And she’s not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She’ll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.

 

My teaser is from Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa:

"'We're both adults,' I said, attempting to be pragmatic and reasonable. 

'We can share a bed if we have to. 

And I...I'd feel better not sleeping alone tonight, anyway.'"

                                                                                    - Kindle location 618

And I'm guessing those sleeping arrangements won't be too much of a burden considering he's a big bundle of hottie?  I can't wait to see where this short story is headed! ;)

I'd love to know what your teaser is!

Gift Card Giveaway Hop

I'm super excited to be a part of the Gift Card Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at
 I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Mary at  Sweeping Me. 

On my stop, I'm giving away a $30.00 Amazon gift card to help with Christmas shopping... or perhaps just to pamper yourself and ease the stress of the holidays!  Just fill out the Rafflecopter form and be sure to check out the other awesome stops below. 

Happy Holidays!
 

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Radiant (Unearthly #2.5) by Cynthia Hand

Title: Radiant (Unearthly #2.5)
Author:  Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: December 4, 2012
Purchase:  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.

Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . .

For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.

Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.
 

Even though Radiant is from both Angela’s and Clara’s POVs, this short story really belongs to Angela. We learn some of her back story (which includes an interesting incident involving Christian) and a bit about her insecurities, and we finally get some details about her secret summer boyfriend, the mysterious Phen. Her loud, boisterous family is hilarious, and her Nonna gives the best advice:

“‘You must beware the handsome ones,’ she says, and makes a tsking noise with her tongue. ‘Pretty face, rotten soul. Watch out for those. Those boys no good for you. Those boys will get you in plenty of trouble.’ Turns out, she’s not wrong.” 

Angela and I share a fascination with old churches, so I loved reading that she visited those that were filled with the corpses of the saints.  Her visit to the church in Milan was a favorite part of mine because of the vivid details she provided about the fresco on the ceiling and the man she saw standing under it.

“I had a thing for churches back then; I suppose I still do. They’re so quiet most of the time, a quiet that’s different from anyplace else, cool and peaceful and contemplative in their very nature.”

And while that visit was quite enjoyable, it was even more gratifying to read about her first meeting with Phen and all the rendezvous that followed in the museums, churches, cafes, the Coliseum, and of course …. his flat.

“‘Beautiful,’ he murmured, and I knew that he was talking about more than the song. He was gazing at me like I was a butterfly trapped in his net, like he was tempted to pin me up behind glass even though he knew he should let me fly away.” 

*************************
 

“‘Ti voglio baciare,’ I said. I want to kiss you.”

Though I was intrigued by Angela and Phen, I was also worried about poor Clara. With the ending of Hallowed, I’ve been nursing my broken heart, so it’s no surprise that she has been nursing hers, but Clara is tough and not without her humor:

“I’m the last person qualified to lecture someone else about affairs of the heart. I’m the poster girl for the it’s complicated relationship status on Facebook.”

I was more than ready for Boundless after I read Hallowed, but this novella -- along with the delicious sneak peek of Boundless at the end -- not only has me on the edge of my seat with anticipation, but also has left me with some suspicions and a couple of theories about the friendship between these two girls and, most importantly, Tucker and Christian.   January can’t come soon enough!

Note: I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t agree with some novellas (especially those that are only around 20 pages) being sold for $2.99 or more. I’m very pleased that the price for Radiant is $1.99 - very fair for a story that is roughly 76 pages, including the novella and the sneak peek of Boundless. 

Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie

Title: Reached (Matched #3)
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher:  Penguin Group USA
Published: November 13, 2012
Purchase:  Amazon |  B&N

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the "New York Times" bestselling Matched Trilogy.

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising--and each other--Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 "New York Times" bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

 

“I realize now how much courage it takes to choose the life you want, whatever that might be.”

Beautiful and breathtaking is how I describe the final installment in the Matched trilogy. Ally Condie delivers a spectacular ending to one of my favorite series. All of the components that make this trilogy so stunning are present, and fans of the first book will be very pleased to know that the element of danger is back, along with a new threat that results in a perilous race against the clock. The author’s beautiful, poetic writing; these beloved characters; and the magnificent imagery of places only previously mentioned in the first two books aid Reached in its exciting and thrilling conclusion .

“When I see him next, I’ll kiss him first. He’ll pull me so close that the poems I keep underneath my shirt, near my heart, will rustle, a sound so soft that only the two of us will hear. And the music of his heartbeat, his breathing, the cadence and timbre of his voice, will set me to singing.” 

**************

“And in that cold metal aisle, alone, I wanted him. I wanted his hands at my back and his lips speaking poems on mine and our journey to each other to be completed, the miles between us consumed and all distance closed.”

Nothing makes me happier than someone who is not afraid to go against the grain. Someone who doesn’t follow orders mindlessly, but questions what they’ve been taught and the rules that have been set by others. This is something that speaks to me on a personal level, and it is one of my favorite aspects of this trilogy: not doing what you’re supposed to because society dictates it, but choosing to go where your heart leads you, regardless of the consequences.

“I know that I’m not the only one doing these things, committing small acts of rebellion. There are people swimming against the current and shadows moving slowly in the deep. I have been the one looking up when something dark passed before the sun. And I have been the shadow itself, slipping along the place where earth and water meet the sky.”

***************

“‘Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.’”

This was a bittersweet read with a satisfying ending.  I shed a few tears, but I really expected to bawl my eyes out through the entire story. Chapter 44 nearly broke me, but it was when I had finished the story and was reading the acknowledgements that I began to sob. After thanking all of the wonderful people who helped make her story possible, Ms. Condie writes: “And you, the reader, for taking this journey with Cassia, Ky, and Xander, and with me.”

And what an amazing journey it was. I feel as though I’m saying goodbye to wonderful, dear friends. Thank you, Ally Condie, for this gorgeous series. These books will always have a special place in my heart.

“There is ebb and flow. Leaving and coming. Flight and fall. Sing and silent. Reaching and reached.”
　

Waiting on Wednesday (11): With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine,

that showcases our most anticipated upcoming releases.

 

Title:  With All My Soul
(Soul Screamers #7)
Author:  Rachel Vincent
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication:  March 19, 2013

Amazon  |  Barnes&Noble

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 (after all, she did die), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to the find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity and the rest on each other. And so she–and her gang–make plans to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath. And Kaylee realizes that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. Especially when one more person she loves is taken...

 

I'm new to the Soul Screamers series, but I'm already captivated and know I'll be dying to get my hands on With All My Soul in March.  These books have some of the most gorgeous covers - I want to collect them all!

What book are YOU waiting to get your hands on?

Teaser Tuesday (10): Radiant by Cynthia Hand

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• 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 that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from the following book:
 

Title: Radiant (Unearthly #2.5)
Author:  Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Teen
Expected Publication: December 4, 2012
Purchase:  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble


From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.


Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . .


For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.

Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.
 

My teaser is: 

 

"'Beautiful,' he murmured, and I knew that he was talking about

more than the song.  He was gazing at me like I was a butterfly

trapped in his net, like he was tempted to pin me up behind glass even

though he knew he should let me fly away."

                                                                                    - pg 46

 

I've been looking forward to this novella and, as you can see, I wasted no time getting right to it.  I love this story so much, and I'm very excited to find out what Ms. Hand has in store for these amazing characters.

 

I'd love to know what your Teaser is!