[Blog Tour] Miss World by Randi Black -- Review + Top Ten

*A copy was provided by the author for review.

I've done quite a few events with my friends Darkfallen and Greta over at Paranormal Wastelands. I've also never been lead astray about a book by these two. So, when they invited me to be part of the Miss World blog tour, I took one look at the summary and went "Hell yes!".

I'm very glad that I did. I have a lot to say about Miss World -- starting with the fact that this book is definitely not for everybody -- but I personally really enjoyed it. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's rewind and start at the beginning, shall we? Read on to find out my thoughts about this extremely original and unique book...

The Plot: (Summary from GoodReads)

It's 1993. Kim Ho wishes she were Courtney Love, instead of the chubby 16-year-old who clashes with her traditional Chinese parents. Her very own Kurt Cobain arrives in the form of Kevin, a 26-year-old failed musician. But Kevin uses Kim's rock-star dreams to exploit her, and those dreams die along with the real Kurt Cobain.Too scared to tell anyone, Kim conjures up a cross-dressing imaginary friend and dates Walter Riordan, the cute boy from special-ed. Walter helps her recover, but after a joke snowballs into a plot to murder Kevin, Kim's forced to choose between revenge or her sanity. This is a truly daring and original coming-of-age novel about one girl's quest to reclaim her power from those who've stolen it.

I love it when I can say that a book "took me back". I've always had a thing for history, and when a book explores a part of it that I have actually lived through it leaves me with this really weird and wonderful feeling. Now, first up I need to tell you. I wasn't part of the whole Nirvana thing. But that really didn't matter as I read this book. I had my own bands that I followd at the time, and while I would likely have been a bit younger then Kimmy is here one of the things this book made me immediately want to do was go back and listen to the songs I personally recalled from this time.

Music, and it's power to heal, is a huge part of Miss World. Music is also often a huge part of one's identity during the teen years, regardless of what time period you are talking about. This is one of the things about the book that I think makes it just as applicable today as it might have been if it had been available to those at the time it is taking place. In music we seek self, solace, understanding, safety, a voice to speak for us when we can't necessarily speak for ourselves.

But Kimmy's silence is far more profound then simply needing music because her life is filled with the general "sense of suck" that most of us think our lives are as a teen. Kimmy has a very pushy and unforgiving mother, struggles to walk the line between Chinese traditions and being an American teenager, battles her own insecurities with regard to her self esteem and must rise above the ashes created as she experiences and must come to terms with sexual abuse.

There are several words that immediately come to mind when I think of Miss World, but as far as plot and substance, I think the most immediate would have to be "fierce". Randi Black does not hold back in any way, shape or form. She looks every thing she aims to tackle straight in the eye and makes no attempt to sugar coat it.

I've seen a lot of people questioning how old someone should be to read Miss World. Before I tackle this, and I feel I must tackle it because it's come under some controversy, a quick background on me. My mother bought me my first "adult" romance novel when I was in high school -- to be turned into a report for my grade 11 English class. My family has always had a very open door policy about entertainment -- my parents preferred talking about things and knowing what was going on, rather then "forbidding" things and having us hide them instead.

Here's the bottom line on Miss World, in my opinion: the sort of girl who is going to be drawn to this novel is likely to also be the type who does not need her family's permission to read it. She likely has a mind of her own and is going to do her own thing one way or the other anyway. There is some very, very graphic stuff here and it's very straight to the point. But it really all tied together to enhance this book and make everything seem very real. And the "realness" of Miss World is one of the things that compelled me to keep reading it for the entire day it spent me to finish it, when I had only intended to read a chapter of it to see what it was about.

The Characters:

I really liked Kimmy. She was flawed but fabulous. I feel that Randi really captured the depths of a fully developed character here; one who possessed traits that were endearing and issues that ensured that she truly had a story that needed to be told. I enjoyed accompanying her on her journey and felt very close to her despite the fact that our backgrounds -- relationship with family, culture, etc. -- were vastly different. I was a little worried when I first got the book and wondered whether there would be much for Kimmy to say to me, but by the end I truly felt that I had made a new "friend" as far as this character goes, and I am very anxious to see her story continue.

I also really like Walter. And yet again, he is far from perfect and definitely has issues. I thought it was really cool seeing him and Kimmy get to know one another, discovering the things that they did share (particularly music; which can be such a powerful binding force) and how they drew them together despite things they did not share (academics, for instance). I think Walter's role in the story was very important and that he added a great deal of depth and a great vantage point from which to see Kimmy's growth, which was very needed.

Joey. I must, must, must talk about Joey. Because I *loved* Joey. I have never seen someone so perfectly capture the wonder, limitless insanity and whimsical joy of an imaginary friend -- especially when the need for that friend comes from absolutely heart wrenching pain the way Kimmy's did -- as Randi Black managed to convey with Joey. He had some of the best lines in the novel, he was an absolutely brilliant instrument through which to show what Kimmy was enduring and his moods and behavior were a great doorway through which to show us how Kimmy was handling the things that had happened to her. I can't say enough good, or give enough praise, here.

The last character I want to talk about in detail is Kimmy's mother, Yan. I think that a fine line was walked here. I could never totally put my finger on whether Kimmy's mother totally hated her, thought she was doing what was best (and for *who*?) or whether she had some kind of illness and was mood swinging between these two extremes. Regardless she was an extremely interesting character and her issues, and the issues her issues caused for Kimmy, created a fertile ground for the issues that Kimmy faced making them understandable, if not acceptable, to the reader. When you see what Kimmy has been through, the "why?" of what she is going through becomes abundantly clear.

The Romance:

I'm not sure if this is really the right way to talk about Walter and Kimmy, but for the sake of avoiding confusion, and since I can't come up with a better term, I'm going to leave it as is. The thing is, what happens between these two characters is so much more then a typical boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, situation.

Walter, in some ways, is a stepping stone to Kimmy being able to stand on her own two feet. He represents her ability to reconnect with the real world. He is the one she confides what happened to her to, which is absolutely essential to her ability to heal. He likes her the way that she is, which is a strong contrast to her mother's constant attempts to alter everything about her. Yet he is ultimately flawed in his need to avenge the wrongs done to her, and despite how sad it is to see the two begin to fall apart because of this, it is absolutely vital.

Kimmy's understanding that she does not need vengeance to move on, and that Walter is wrong for wanting it for her, is a huge part of seeing how she is healing. Also, the way that the book ends (...you're not getting that from me) is amazing in how it takes everything it has built up and leaves it hanging by a thread. There are at least three different ways I can see things going from here and I am absolutely dying to see which road it will take. (Probably one I never consider, actually. ;) )

In General:

Miss World is not necessarily a book that everyone is going to love. But I think it is the kind of book that everyone should at least read. Regardless of your reaction to it, you *will* have a reaction. I'm fairly confident in saying that this is the sort of book where you aren't going to come out of it feeling num. Be prepared to face some issues that might make you squirm, but realize that everything in the book is there for a reason and the book would not be the same without it.

Miss World is an always fierce, at times funny, and absolutely fabulous novel. It's a flashback to a time when for many teens, music was what we had to connect. It's a story of losing and then learning to love oneself. It's honest. It's real. It makes no apologies for what it is. But if you've got the guts to give it a go, it's a story you won't soon forget.

As part of the Miss World blog tour one of the things I wanted to make sure I did was sign up to host some type of guest post so that my readers could get to know Randi better. It's always tough coming up with these things before I read a book, but I think this turned out extremely well. What we decided on was the top ten songs on Randi's iPod, since music is such a huge thing in Miss World. As a writer, I know that I would be completely hopeless without mine. But enough rambling from me. Let's hand this over to Randi so we can get the show on the road...

Kat: Thanks for reading Miss World and being part of my blog tour! Here's the top 10 songs on my iPod!

10. Suicidal Tendencies - "Institutionalized"

I swear this song keeps me young. Gives me something to fight for. When I first heard it, my 11-year-old self knew it was autobiographical. Back then, my mom was always accusing me of being on drugs and believe me, I still know what it's like to do things and not have them work out the way I want them to.

9. X - "Nausea"

I enjoy blasting this song in the morning, and can't think of a better way to start my day. Especially with lyrics like "Today you're gonna be sick/so sick/you'll prop your forehead on the sink/say oh Christ/oh Jesus Christ/My head's gonna crack/like a bank tonight."

8. PJ Harvey - "The Sky Lit Up"

Joyful abandon in the space of one minute and fifty-five seconds. This is what it's like to feel truly alive. "And this world tonight is mine/A world to be remembered in."

7. Sonic Youth - "Eric's Trip" (home demo)

This is the stripped-down version of one of my favorite Sonic Youth songs. I love how raw and intimate it sounds. The lines "She thinks she's a goddess/She says she talks to the spirits/I wonder if she can talk to herself?/If she can bear to hear it?" has always struck a nerve.

(Kat adds: I need to check that out. I like interesting lyrics.)

6. The Jesus and Mary Chain - "April Skies"

Oh, dear, this song totally reminds me of Kim and Walter: "Hand in hand in a violent life/Making love on the edge of a knife/And the world come tumbling down/And it's hard/For me to say/And it's hard/For me to stay/I'm going down/To be by myself/I'm going back/For the good of my health/And there's one thing/I couldn't do/Sacrifice myself to you."

(Kat adds: Oh, my, *yes*. That does sum the whole thing up perfectly.)

5. The Tindersticks- "El Diablo En El Ojo"

This song inspired me to write a certain scene for the sequel of "Miss World." It's dark, sexy, and thanks to the string quartet, slightly disorienting. Kind of like being with someone new for the first time.

4. Suicide - "Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne"

Sure, I'm way too young to remember and I've never been to New York City, but this song makes me think of the city in the late 70s and early 80s. Alan Vega's voice lures me to the Times Square that was once full of dangerous thrills.

3. The Gun Club - "Carry Home"

"Your love never survived the heat of my heart/My violent heart in the dark." Enough said.

2. Morphine - "Let's Take a Trip Together"

I like to believe that in a parallel universe, I was the late Mark Sandman's muse. Because I would've taken that trip with him, "headlong into the irresistible orbit."

1. Rambin' Jeffrey Lee - "Go Tell the Mountain"

The majority of guitar solos sound obnoxious to me, but the one in this song is the most beautiful guitar solo I've ever heard.

Well, there you have it! I'd like to thank Randi for being my guest here today. Now I need to go and see what these songs are about, since I don't think I've actually heard them. (Not a loss -- I enjoy checking out new music.) 

I'm very lucky to have two giveaways for you guys to take part in today. The first one is for a signed copy of Miss World. This is open internationally. All you need to do is fill out the Google Doc form below:

The other totally awesome giveaway I have for you to take part in is for a chance to win an iPod Shuffle. :) For that one, please fill out this Rafflecopter:



a Rafflecopter giveaway



Anyway, my questions to those of you reading are: (1) Are you planning to read Miss World? and (2) What music inspires you? Thanks so much for dropping by! 

Have you enjoyed my post? Make sure that you visit all the rest of the stops to say what others are saying about Miss World.

2-01-12 Paranormal Wastelands -Miss World Review – Blog Kick off

2-02-12 Amanda@Letters Inside Out - Miss World Playlist

2-03-12 Missy@Missy Reads Reviews – How Randi's love of music inspired Miss World

2-04-12 Jennifer@Can’t Put it Down - Review of Miss World

2-08-12 Tee@A Diary of a Book Addict – Character Interview –Joey

02-09-12 Sizzling Reads@Sizzling Reads – Author Interview –Randi Black

02-10-12 Maja@The Nocturnal Library – Kurt Cobain’s suicide (How it affected you, or where you were when you found out)

02-11-12 Tee@Dreaming Dreams – Interview – How music affects Randi’s writing

02-15-12 Katrina@Page Flippers - Character Interview – Kim

02-16-12 Giselle@Xpresso Reads – Author Interview – Randi Black

02-17-12 Handcuff Betty@One Girl’s Little Odd Dream – KurtCobain’s Suicide (How it affected you, or where you were when you found out)

02-18-12 Kathy Ann@Kat Reads – Top 10 Songs on Your Ipod

02-22-12 Valentina@Cara Bosses Library – Review of Miss World

02-23-12 Katie@Novel Society – Author Guest Post – What’s nextfor Miss World

02-24-12 Cassandra@bmDimension – Author Post – Randi’s Top 5Nirvana videos

02-25-12 The Haunted Rose@The Haunted Rose – Author Guest Post – Randi blogs about sexual health and education online

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Buying this was actually Jay's idea, not mine. Truthfully? I'm a total wuss who likes happy endings. The only way I can read something that ends tragically is if I know it in advance, the way someone goes into, say, Romeo and Juliet or Antigone.

And I knew I was setting myself up for a big fall with Delirium. I won't say what happens or why it is that way, but it is. The ending will gut you if you aren't ready for it. So if you're like me? Be ready.

With that one rather large issue out in the open, I liked Delirium. It did not bowl me over in the mind-blowing way that it seems to do to most people. This may be because of what I described above, or it could just be a "me" thing. It isn't that Delirium was bad, or even 'meh'. But a lot of people have built this up to be a really huge deal and I just didn't see it that way.

The Plot: (Summary from GoodReads)

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

I'll give Lauren Oliver this: as a defender of romance, and a devourer of romantic fiction, there is nothing more terrifying then the idea of a society where love is considered a disease. Long before I had any concerns about how the end of the book might effect me, I was first and foremost intrigued by its absolutely terrifying premise. In regard to this premise, and the results it would create, I think that Delirium delivers everything it should. 

We see the fear that those who have not been cured, such as Lena, feel. We see the brutality and cruelty shown to those who choose not to comply. We see the absolute brokenness of those who have received treatment. As much as it may hurt to have a broken heart, I'd take a thousand of them, all at once, for a thousand years before if that was what it would take to save our society from a fate like this. It's really, truly that bad. Which was absolutely perfect and as it needed to be.

I also like how we see Lena's growth and change, and how it changes her perceptions of everyone and everything around her. She goes from staunchly supporting the systems that the government have set up to being the one who ultimately chooses to completely defy them. It's not something that is done overnight, and it is not purely her feelings for Alex, but also what those feelings allows her to recognize about the system she lives within, that eventually allows her to change. 

The Characters:

Lena was a likable main character who definitely went through some changes as the story moved along. I enjoyed, as I said earlier, the pace that this happened at and the variety of reasons that triggered it. The fact that she goes from being somewhat timid and afraid and worried about how others will see her, to having only a fear that she will not be able to live with herself (not even her concerns about being with or without Alex seemed ultimately more powerful then this, and that to me was important.) was very interesting and made the decisions she made at each part of the story seem like they made sense.

Alex was a decent enough guy. He wasn't one of those book boys that totally grabbed me, but he and Lena seemed to go well together. I like the way that the truth about him is revealed slowly and carefully, and how Lena deals with it and how it ties into her growth just as much or more then it really does into us getting to know Alex as a character. His willingness to always protect her at all costs was very noble and endearing, especially when contrasted with the harshness of the world the pair were living in. 

The rest of the cast was interesting and solid. I particularly liked Hana, in that she seemed the more brave and adventurous of her and Lena until the time came to actually take action. Gracie was incredibly interesting, too. It was very moving to see the bond between her and Lena amidst all of the emptiness or cruelty that seemed to transpire otherwise within her aunt and uncle's home. With that said, many of the "cured" characters were nothing less then chilling. They really made a strong case for why the "cure" was really not all that it was cracked up to be. 

The Romance: 

I have only two things to really say here. The first is that Lauren Oliver described the emotions that can be constituted to love, both the good and the bad, in a beautiful and vivid way that was a joy to read.

The second is that for some reason I simply could not get behind this pairing. I don't know why; they just didn't do it for me. They did not click within my mind. I knew I was suppose to want them to be together. I was suppose to be screaming / cheering / weeping / whatever was appropriate at any given time. But I felt, in some ways, like I actually was reading a tragedy in some ways. (Even though I didn't actually look up what happened -- I only knew this had a really bad cliffhanger.) In some ways I felt like I was reading Romeo & Juliet, too. Only Juliet had enough brains not to kill herself here. 

In General:

Delirium is definitely worth reading. I want to make sure that I make that really clear. I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel when it releases. But for me, it is one of those books I'm glad I read but that I'm fairly sure I'm not going to be rushing back to again and again. (Yes, I can see some of you gawking at me like I am insane.) Before I close this, I do want to take a moment to make sure that I say that Lauren Oliver has amazing skill with describing emotions, some of the most beautiful I've ever read. 

If you haven't read Delirium you should definitely give it a go, because its message is vital and one that absolutely must be heard. 

Who Do You Love? -- Kat's Post

Okay. So I can't enter my own contest. But that certainly doesn't mean I'm not going to participate in what it stands for. When I came up with the idea for Who Do You Love it was first and foremost because this was something I wanted to do myself for valentines day. ...And then I sat here, trying to figure out who I would pick!

There are many, many book boys that I really love. Joe Fontaine from The Sky Is Everywhere. Brom Griswald from Dearly, Departed. Daemon from Obsidian. Kishan from Tiger's Curse.

But much like the genie in the Aladin movie when he's trying to choose a mode of transportation, I kept snapping my fingers as I went through my favorites and going "not enough".

Then the answer came to me and it was so simple I couldn't believe I hadn't been planning it all along...

The Book Boy I Love Is...

Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games

Who Is He?

Peeta is the district 12 tribute selected alongside Katniss who is going to compete in the 74th Hunger Games. He has been in love with Katniss since childhood although the two have only ever had one major interaction prior to the games, when Peeta deliberately burnt bread so that he could give it to Katniss to keep her family from starving.

Why Do I Love Him? 

Romantically, he takes the lead. In so many books I've read, its the girl who wants the guy and the book is about her chasing him. In The Hunger Games, it's Peeta who has had feelings for Katniss since forever. Further, these feelings are not an afterthought in the novel, but actually at the very heart of the story -- of the characters' very survival -- as the book moves along.

Marching to the beat of a different drummer. Most people who end up in the Hunger Games are most worried with simply not dying. Peeta is more worried about making sure that he is himself the whole way, whether he makes it through the games or not.

Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to... to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their games.

I think this is incredibly important. It's one of the things that makes this character, and these books, stand out. Especially when you combine it with the fact that...

Peeta and Katniss reverse the roles that we generally set for heroes and heroines on a subconscious level. As a default, guys tend to be tough and girls tend to be the ones representing emotion, humanity, etc. in a book like The Hunger Games. Yet that could not be further from the truth here. Peeta is more concerned with preserving his humanity and protecting Katniss then he is about getting out alive, where Katniss (at least initially) is able to keep going because she has promised her family she will not die.

Killing is his last resort. On the rare occasions that Peeta does kill someone, it tends to either be a flat out accident, or he tends to regret it.

Smarts are strength, compassion a weapon. Peeta always seems to know the right thing to say, and while Katniss might be the one who knows how to survive the Arena it's Peeta who knows how to survive the Capitol and who willingly uses his (very real) feelings to protect the one he loves. He is essentially able to take who he really is and use it to his advantage.

You love me. Real or not real? 

Definitely real, Peeta. While I love many of the characters in The Hunger Games, it was you that first drew me in and compelled me to keep reading despite all better judgement. It is for you that I read Catching Fire and Mockingjay after telling myself that I wouldn't. But I think Katniss sums up why you're worth loving the best:

What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.

This times one thousand. War is a terrible thing, conflict of any kind is. What makes Peeta so important and special is that he is a reminder of what people fight for and why they are fighting. No matter how terrible a conflict, people fight because they think they can make things 'better'. But Peeta reminds us that if you lose yourself along the way and don't have the strength to find your way back to being essentially who you are, winning or losing a battle doesn't matter. Because in failing to be true to yourself, you ultimately lose everything.

The greatest power of love is its ability to let us cling to hope even in our darkest hour, and it is because of this that I feel Peeta is a step above even the finest book boyfriends.

Now that you've read about who I love, it's your turn! Click here to go to the contest page for Who Do You Love, make a post on your blog with your choice and link it up!

Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

First up, a major thank you to Jodie over at Books For Company for sending me this when I won a contest for her blogversary. It's taken me a while to get to it, but that certainly wasn't for a lack of wanting to.

Anyway, with that said ... how many of you knew coming into this review how much I wanted to read Die For Me? I bet a few people are nodding their heads with that. Die For Me really intrigued me. I love anything to do with zombies; especially when an author creates their own system of rules. The gorgeous cover made the book pretty hard to ignore. I love books that take place in parts of the world I've never been, so the Paris setting also had my attention. And I'd heard this is a great love story. So with that said, I doubt it was a surprise to anyone that I wanted to read this.

Did it measure up, though? My expectations, my hopes, my dreams for this book were absolutely earth shattering and sky high. Well, I'll tell you this. Die For Me wasn't perfect, but it was a book that I did enjoy despite its flaws. Read on and I'll do my best to explain.

The Plot: (Summary from GoodReads)

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart--as well as my life and my family's--in jeopardy for a chance at love?

To me, Die For Me was three things. It was a pretty decent supernatural tale about beings called Revenants. It was a story about coming to terms with loss and realizing that even when people die, you must keep living. And it was, of course, a love story. One of these things it covered exceedingly, excruciatingly well. The other two ranged, at least for me, from being 'good' to being just 'passable'. 

The lore for the Revenants and Numa is very interesting and I think that Any Plum did a fantastic job developing it and letting the reader discover it with Kate throughout the book. I was very interested in this part of the story and thought that it was all very well thought out and fairly original. I also thought that the concept of the Numa, to balance the Revenants, was interesting and relatively scary. 

With that said, I had two issues with the action plot of the book. Issue one was that I saw everything coming. In one sense this isn't terrible and it made me grin from time to time. The feeling of "Oh, yes! That is exactly what I would have had happen!" can be a very fun experience as a writer who is reading. Yet at the same time, when that happens too often it takes some of the edge away from the book. This clearly isn't something that is within Amy Plum's control, but it happened a lot more here then it normally does so I am noting it. 

My other huge issue with this aspect of the plot -- and this one really carries through all the various plot arcs, actually -- is that Kate is a very passive character. I understood that in the beginning with what happened to her and how she was trying to heal. But it happens in multiple ways in her romance with Vincent. And the way that the final conflict goes down at the end of the book was, to me at least, totally and utterly disappointing. Everything I hope *not* to see in a paranormal book marketed to teenage girls. There is so much that I could say about this aspect of Die For Me because it really bothered me, but for the sake of spoilers I'm just going to leave it at that. Bad, bad, bad. I hope that the 'gift' Kate gets at the end of the book in the jewelry box gets put to *very good use* in the next book, because her "actions" in this book were pretty much non-existent. 

While I did not get as strong a world building vibe in regard to Paris from this as I did for it in Anna and the French Kiss (or for India in Tiger's Curse for that matter) I still think that the level of description and detail were solid and that they did enhance my enjoyment of what was going on, rather then bogging it down. Overall, Die For Me was a quick and light read and aside from one part of the novel, where Kate is trying to figure out something about Vincent (and does a few dumb things where I wanted to hurl the book...) I pretty much couldn't put it down despite any personal or ethical quarrels I might have now that I've finished it. 

The Characters: 

Kate was a likable character and narrator for the most part, but as I said above she had a tendency to be either very passive about things, or to decide things that could easily go under the "too stupid to live" label. (And I don't use that one lightly or liberally and anyone who reads my reviews regularly can vouch for that...) There is a lot about Kate and Vincent ... from their relationship, to his interest in her, to their 'connection' that is not made fully clear throughout the book, which made it hard for me to relate to or root for her at various points in the story. I either didn't understand her reasoning, felt that her reaction to a situation was unbelievable, or felt that she was wasting her time and energy.

That leads to my next problem. I did not feel that Vincent was a consistent character. There are a few saving graces here ... namely that the book is written in first person from one POV which makes a character with a situation like his hard to write that way, and the fact that he is suppose to be so much older and have been through the things that he has. Still, it does not take away the fact that as a romantic lead he rang hollow for me. I couldn't connect with him. I didn't want to be with him (which isn't a good sign) but even more critically important I wavered continually about whether I wanted Kate to be with him. That's a kiss of death. 

The rest of the characters were alright, although I must say that I felt there were possibly a couple more Revenants then necessary, to the point where Jules, Ambrose, Gerrard, Vincent and Charles all started to blend together. (Yes, I mean that exactly as I wrote it...) Looking at the book as a whole I can *now* see why they were all there. But still ... while reading it felt like a bit of character overload.

I thought that Georgia and Kate's grandparents were alright, but aside from Mamie letting her have a sleep over at Vincent's and what seemed a hint that her grandfather knew something that I either misread or that was never elaborated on their involvement didn't seem overly deep. (Always a shame -- I like family involvement in YA.) 

The Romance: 

I did not understand what was compelling Kate and Vincent to be together. I can see on Kate's end that she thinks he's hot. But that by itself isn't enough. His behavior toward her is erratic enough in the beginning that I couldn't understand how there ended up being a middle or an end. As the relationship continues she goes through many ups and downs with what she discovers about him and how she feels about being close to people after her parents' deaths. (I will say that this part was well done.) 

As for Vincent, it's never clear to the reader what he sees in Kate, who seems very bookish and quiet and tame. There is clearly some type of supernatural connection between the characters as the book progresses, but so far as book one of this series is concerned we never get to see what it is -- and thus, more importantly, what it's role on the romance is. Does Vincent like Kate, or is he drawn to something about or within her that is beyond her control? The fact that we never figure this out and the relationship seems legitimately solid at the end of the book both puzzled me and annoyed me. If I was in Kate's shoes I would be trying to figure this out in a big way. It would really bother me.

The unfortunate truth for me, based on this, is that I was not satisfied with the romance between these two because I was never fully certain -- never felt that I was shown -- that it was true and genuine and that it came from them rather then from some external or internal force beyond their control. 

In General:

Wow. I just went back and read everything I've said and I came down on this book pretty hard. The thing is -- it's a good enough book. It's a page turner, it has some original ideas, it kept my interest. But when I come to a paranormal romance I expect two things: (1) a good love story and (2) a heroine *and* hero doing something kickass to protect or save their world. (Whether on a huge scale or a small one.) Die For Me dropped the ball on both accounts. The romance fell flat for me. As I said above, I never felt certain how these characters actually felt -- or perhaps more importantly I never felt certain that what they felt were actually their feelings. 

And I think that saying passive heroine speaks for itself. And please, if you really want to know e-mail me or something. I want to talk about that part of it so bad because Kate may be the most passive heroine (as far as how she figures into *her* story's climax) that I have ever encountered in a book I've finished. That's how strongly I feel about that. 

If you are at all interested in Die For Me, it is certainly worth a read. there is some good stuff here. But there are also some serious problems. Am I planning to read If I Die? Absolutely. I have to admit, in the name of all fairness, that both of my major issues could be addressed in a sequel and there's enough good here that I want to see if that will happen. I wish I had liked this more then I did, but the truth is the truth. Die for Me is "good" but I think it could have been much, much "better". 

Guest Post with Marie Landry: Do It Yourself Cover Design

Today it is my pleasure to by joined by my friend Marie Landry, author of the absolutely fantastic Blue Sky Days, to talk about the challenge of being an indie author and deciding to design your own cover. I must admit, as a fellow author who is likely going the indie route I was extremely curious about this. And since so many of us, as readers, love to "Oh!" and "Ah!" over the covers of our favorite books, I thought it might be interesting to see how one -- or at least *this* one -- was made.

Do It Yourself Cover Design
A guest post by Marie Landry

Before and After

First, I'd like to thank Kathy for having me here today and for being part of the Blue Sky Days blog tour. She’s been a great friend and supporter during my journey.

When Kathy discovered that I designed the cover of Blue Sky Days myself, she thought her blog readers might be interested in learning the process.

Let me start with my beginnings in graphic design. When I first got the internet, I was looking for a hobby I could do online. I had just graduated from high school and had the summer off before college, so I had a lot of time on my hands. I quickly discovered Paint Shop Pro and the world of PSP groups. A friend gave me the program and I started looking for tutorials. I had some help along the way, but a lot of what I learned was just by playing around with the program.

My first designs were terrible. I look at them now and alternate between cringing and laughing. But over the years, I learned a lot, practiced a lot, got feedback from other PSPers, and I began to like my own designs.

When it came time to design the cover for Blue Sky Days, I knew I wouldn't be able to afford to have someone do it for me. I had a very specific idea in mind, but I couldn't find models that fit my idea, and I don't have a good quality camera (yet!). I spent hours searching online, and found quite a few possibilities, but nothing screamed 'perfect'. Finally, I found the picture that ended up being the cover art—a close-up of a couple holding hands with a blue sky and water in the background.

I bought the rights to the photo and took it to PSP. I adjusted the lighting and colouring, added some texture, and played around with the title and my name. That was the hardest part. I knew I wanted something eye-catching and different, but many independently published books have incredibly cheesy covers, and I wanted to avoid that. I created several mock-ups and posted them on my Facebook fan page and my blog, asking readers for feedback. It took several weeks, but I finally came up with the finished product you see today.

Is it the most amazing cover ever? No. But I'm proud of it, and I've had a lot of very positive feedback. And, like the book itself, designing the cover was a labour of love. Also, by doing it myself, the total cost was only about $10 for the rights to the photo, compared to the hundreds of dollars I’ve heard of other people spending. Can't beat that! Plus, the other pictures I found that didn't end up as the cover, I worked into my book trailer—which I also made myself—and I've used them in artwork I've created for the book.

I'd like to thank Marie for taking the time to drop by and share her experience. I know that cover design is one of the things I am most excited and nervous about with regard to my own work. As for the cover of Blue Sky Days, I think Marie did a fantastic job and I feel that it definitely suits the book perfectly. 

If you haven't heard about Blue Sky Days, or are just curious to know my thoughts about it, please click here for my review. 

If you want to know more about Marie and Blue Sky Days outside of my site, visit her at her blog Ramblings of a Daydreamer or at her author site.