Sweet Temptation Blog Tour: Love Letter to Kaidan Rowe + A Giveaway!

Today I have the pleasure of slipping into complete fangirl mode as part of the promotional tour for Sweet Temptation, the fourth book in the outstanding Sweet series by Wendy Higgins. I couldn't love this series (or Wendy!) more if I tried, and most of that love is dedicated to one Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, drummer for the band Lascivious, and the man responsible for all the drool marks on the pages of my books. To honor my obsession with Kaidan (and to convince all of you who have yet to meet him to pick Sweet Temptation up immediately) I decided to write him a letter. Gushing will commence in 3, 2, 1....

Dear Kaidan,

Today is my 8th wedding anniversary, and instead of writing this love letter to my husband, I'm writing it to you. I think that says a little something about the depth of my feelings where you're concerned. (Don't read this Kevin!)

We met 3 years ago (and by we I mean I met you, you were somewhat distracted by Anna at the time which I'm going to choose to ignore in favor of my preferred delusion wherein you love me instead) and there was no looking back. You're the type of boy that never fails to tie me up in emotional knots; a fundamentally good guy forced into a bad position, continually riding a razor's edge where the slightest of movements could tip you over and send you plummeting to a place redemption can't reach.

You'd probably read this and laugh at me for calling you a fundamentally good guy, and then you'd follow that up with a suggestive comment (or twelve) to try and prove how much you love being the son of the Duke of Lust, but we've spent too much time together now for me to fall for it. (Though if you want to turn on the charm and flirt me into an embarrassingly deep blush, don't let me stop you.)

While you undoubtedly have enjoyed many of your assignments (I block these out - see aforementioned preferred delusion), I know there are some that haunt you, that have left their indelible mark and eat away at you in those quiet moments when the echoing drumbeats of Lascivious have long faded into the night. It's that mark that makes me love you. It shows that you're a fighter; stronger than the darkness of the Dukes hammering you from all sides. It's proof that who you've been isn't all you can be, and it makes me indescribably happy to know that my love (or Anna's, whichever) has helped you see that there's more to you than a legacy of lust.

With all my heart,

Jenny

• • • • • • • • • • • •

SWEET TEMPTATION

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it.

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.

Amazon • B&N • The Book Depository • iBook • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • •

WENDY HIGGINS

After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, I taught high school English until becoming a mommy. I've always had a heart for teens, and writing YA stories gives me the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal years before adulthood.

I live in Virginia with my husband, daughter, son and doggie Rue.

Website  • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

• • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Two lucky winners will each receive a complete set of the Sweet series (4 books)! To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/Can only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week 1:

9/7 - Stuck In Books 

9/8 - Reads All the Books

9/9 - Curling Up With A Good Book

9/10 - Reading W/ABC 

9/11 - Jenuine Cupcakes 

Week 2

9/14 - Little Red's Reviews 

9/15 - Supernatural Snark 

9/16 - A Reader Under the Sea

9/17 - Krista's Dust Jacket

9/18 - The Irish Banana Review

The Big Love Letter Event + Giveaway: Wendy Higgins

Today marks the first day of The Big Love Letter Event, a joint month-long feature hosted by Danny from Bewitched Bookworms and myself, and I hope you guys are all as excited as we are!

I'm beyond thrilled to kick things off with one of my very favorite authors and someone I'm proud to call friend, Wendy Higgins. I picked Sweet Evil up a couple years ago and found myself completely blown away by the story and its characters, but let's face it, lover of swoon-worthy boys that I am, Kaidan Rowe was the highlight for me. He continued to be so in last year's Sweet Peril, and I may or may not have worn a path in my floor as I've paced waiting for his return once again in Sweet Reckoning.

Wendy took pity on me though and has oh-so graciously allowed Kaidan to stop by the blog today to share with us a little special something to help tide me (and everyone else who loves him desperately) over until April. Kaidan was asked to write a love letter, but given his love of music he decided to write his letter in the form of song lyrics. Lyrics I like to think were written with me in mind. Delusional, party of one ;-)

I know you're all here for Kaidan so I'll stop the gushing and get to the sharing, but after you read (and drool), be sure and check out all the details on a fantastic giveaway and don't forget to hop over to Bewitched Bookworms to check out their featured letter from Katie McGarry!

And now I give you Kaidan Rowe, drummer for Lascivious, son of the Duke of Lust, and fictional boyfriend extraordinaire:

LOVE LETTER by Kaidan Rowe

Staring at this paper
Trying to write a “love letter.”
This is not my thing,
This is just not me.
My mind turns instead
To a wicked beat in my head,
And I bang out the lyrics to a song.
Yeah, I bang out the lyrics to a song.

You’re soft to my hard,
You’re sweet to my salt.
If we both wind up naked
It’ll all be my fault.
Yeah, I’ll take the blame,
That’s it, say my name.
You’re gorgeous, so gorgeous,
Let me win at this game.

CHORUS:
Gimme, gimme, gimme,
I’m Greed when you’re near.
I want more, I need more,
Stay the f**k away, fear.
Heat me, scald me, burn me,
I’m Lust for your touch.
You kill me with a smile
And I refuse to be rushed.

How’s this for a love note?
Do my words quake your boat?
If not, I’ll need to try harder
Take things a little bit farther.
You bet your ass I can do that,
Raise the bar, sexy little cat.
So step closer to me and turn up the AC.
I’ll have you singin’ the chorus in 1, 2, 3…

CHORUS

Roses are red and violets are blue,
That played out sh*t wasn’t meant for you.
I got your love letter right here in my eyes.
If you look long enough you’ll see the truth through the lies.

* Iadlkjfasdkjgalkga;dsfkjalkjfal

*.......

* Sorry about that everyone, I couldn't form actual words there for a few minutes. Ahem. Thanks so much Kaidan, I can now no longer concentrate on work. *runs away to re-read Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril instead*

• • • • • • • • • • • 

SWEET RECKONING
(releases April 29th from HarperTeen)

It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

  

Goodreads • Amazon

• • • • • • • • • • • 

WENDY HIGGINS

Wendy Higgins is the author of Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril from HarperTeen. She lives in the Washington D.C. area with her husband, daughter, son, and puppy Rue. 

Website  • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

Danny and I have an amazing giveaway to share with you all, one that will have 14 winners in total!

• Winners 1 and 2: Each will get a book of their choice from one of the authors featured during the event (open internationally as long as Book Depository ships to you!)
• Winner 3 : Signed Copy of Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (open US/CAN only) – Prize is provided by the author – A huge thank you to Katie!
• Winners 4- 14: Sweet Trilogy swag packs from Wendy Higgins (open internationally) - Prize is provided by the author – Thank you so much Wendy!

The giveaway will run until March 7th and you can enter via the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back both here and at Bewitched Bookworms every Friday in February for more letters and a whole lot more love from these fantastic authors:

•      Wendy Higgins (Sweet Reckoning)

•      Katie McGarry (Crash Into You)

•      Kasie West (Split Second)

•      Sara B. Larson (Defy)

•      A.C. Gaughen (Lady Thief)

•      Tiffany Schmidt (Bright Before Sunrise)

•      Gena Showalter (The Queen of Zombie Hearts)

•      Nichole Chase (Recklessly Royal)

•      Lorraine Heath (When the Duke Was Wicked)

•      Lynne Matson (Nil)

Super Six Sunday: Bad Bookish Boyfriends

Inspired by Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and The Bookish, Super Six Sunday, a new feature from the fabulous ladies at Bewitched Bookworms, has different book-related topics each week and asks participants to address each one in the form of a list of six. Obviously.

This week's topic is bad bookish boyfriends, something those of you who read this blog with any frequency know is all-too perfect a topic for me. The hard part of course comes in narrowing this list down to only six–rather than say, one hundred–bad bookish boyfriends. *shakes fist at the Bookworms for limiting me so!* MY LOVE FOR FICTIONAL MEN CANNOT BE CONTAINED IN SUCH A MANNER! I have so very much to give you see, but I endeavored to adhere to the rules of this feature and picked only a handful. *exasperated sigh*

In order to help me compile this list, I narrowed the topic further and chose men who walk a fine line between hero and anti-hero, often saying or doing things that make me want to revoke their candidacy for Fictional Love of Jenny's Life, but yet I find them all the more interesting for their deep, and sometimes very dark, flaws.

1. RYODAN

The Fever Series (adult urban fantasy)

I know. I talk about him a lot. There's just so much to say! He has layers, my friends, LAYERS UPON LAYERS and I adore him. I'll spare you my fawning all over him because I already did that in a previous post, but suffice to say he pretty much owns the term badass and skates the line between someone I love and someone I could easily hate so very, very expertly. I need Burned in my hands as soon as physically possible.

First book in the entire series: Darkfever

First book in Dani's series in which Ryodan is a major player: Iced

2. KAIDAN ROWE

The Sweet Trilogy (paranormal YA)

Okay, like Ryodan, I may have mentioned Kaidan a time or two on this blog. Or possibly 23849203394 times, but that's completely beside the point. The point is Kaidan is the son of the Duke (think demon) of Lust, and he won me over the minute he came on page in Sweet Evil. He's more than just a bad boy who happens to ooze sex appeal; underneath the sharp wit, the British accent, and the devil-may-care attitude lies a young man stuck in a situation he's powerless to change, and he has perhaps more fear in him than he does cocky swagger if you take the time to really look, something very few actually do. If you couldn't tell already, I'll let you in on a little secret: I love him.

First book in the series: Sweet Evil

3. COLE

The Everneath Series (paranormal YA)

Oh, Cole. What a tangled web you weave my friend. Though Cole plays second fiddle to primary love interest Jack in this series, he remains the far more intriguing of the two (but my love for Jack is still epic!), his motivations for every action always shrouded in an untold number of mysteries, and just when I think I have a handle on the man he is, he cracks a sinister smile and laughs right in my face for being so dense. He is both kind and cruel, genuine and devious, and I simply cannot wait to see where things go with him in the third installment of this series.

First book in the series: Everneath

4. GREYFRIAR

Vampire Empire Series (adult urban fantasy/steampunk)

This trilogy completely and unexpectedly blew me away when I first picked it up a couple years ago, the world a welcome yet devastating return to a time when vampires were not the stuff of romance novels, but rather the monstrous killing machines of legend. The Greyfriar is one who hunts them, but as things unfolded in the first book I quickly realized the mask he wears hides far more than just his features from the world, and once I got a peek at what was underneath, I had to know everything there was to know. Like the others on this list he sometimes straddles the line between black and white, though he proves again and again that gray is a far more attractive and addictive color.

First book in the series: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire)

5. PHOENIX

The Violet Eden Chapters (paranormal YA)

Phoenix has led me on a merry dance through this series (though like Cole, he is not the primary love interest, that honor falls to Lincoln). In one book I despise him and everything he is, but then in the next book he shows a completely new side to himself that has my fingers turning from claws that would slice him open to clutching digits that would pull him closer and never let him go. He can be brutal and plays a mean emotional game with Violet and Lincoln, but in the rare moments when his guard drops he shines brighter than any other character, and the glutton for punishment in me never fails to rejoice when he makes an appearance on page.

First book in the series: Embrace

6. RAPHAEL

The Guild Hunter Series (adult paranormal Romance)

Ooooo Raphael, you are a sexy bastard. I am an enormous fan of all things Nalini Singh, and though you've probably seen me gush most often about my love of alpha wolf Hawke from her Psy-Changeling series (YOU'RE STILL MY FIRST LOVE HAWKE!), I absolutely adore her Guild Hunter series as well. In these books we get to spend time with Raphael, the archangel of New York, a man who is all power and steel and immortality, and who time has hardened and shaped into someone unyielding and unrelenting. He is perhaps the most alpha of all Nalini's many alpha men, but when Elena enters his life we have the pleasure of watching the rigidity of him start to ever-so-slightly relax (though not much mind you), giving but the barest of inches before his archangel superiority snaps back into place. He's infuriating and intoxicating and if you've yet to meet him, you're missing out.

First book in the series: Angels' Blood

Sweet Peril Blog Tour: Review, Band Tour Posters + A Giveaway

SWEET PERIL
The Sweet Trilogy #2
Wendy Higgins
Paranormal Young Adult
374 pages
HarperTeen
Available April 30th
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY
Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

MY THOUGHTS
Sweet Peril has a rather daunting task ahead of it from the beginning, following up a debut that was surprisingly intense emotionally, and while it is definitely a middle book in some ways, Ms. Higgins uses the slightly slower pace of this sequel beautifully, allowing readers time to really study the characters and walk away from them with a far deeper understanding than we had when we started. We begin with a rather brutal prologue – a harsh reminder of just what Kaidan and Anna risk should they try to be together – and it succeeds in planting a seed of tension in our guts from the onset, something that continues to grow and often forces us to hold our breath as our concern for Anna and Kaidan’s safety reaches an all time high.

Anna is both the girl we met at the beginning of Sweet Evil and yet drastically different at the same time, forced to split her personality in two in order to keep off the Dukes’ radar. She’s not the girl that can look at the world and see only the good anymore, instead her painful lessons in life as a Nephilim have given her a few sharp edges where before there were only smooth curves. She never resorts to melancholy or despairs of all the ways her life has changed since learning of her heritage though, instead she meets every challenge with a lift of her chin and an admirable confidence borne from the hope that one day her future will be free of its current confines. Her handling of the romantic drama in this sequel causes us to release a sigh of relief, a love triangle flickering briefly into place before Anna definitively shuts it down, embracing her feelings for Kaidan even though she knows he may never be able to return them.

Many readers may find themselves a touch antsy during the first half of this book as Kai is physically absent for the most part, but Ms. Higgins gives us a scene at the very beginning that acts as a branding iron, searing our skin and causing a sharp pain to flare before fading to a dull but persistent ache, leaving behind a permanent reminder of Kaidan that we keep with us until he and Anna join forces once again. What becomes hauntingly clear in this second installment is just how dark and unforgiving life for the children of the Dukes really is, Anna’s upbringing a stark contrast to the torment Kaidan and the others suffer daily; their fathers constantly seeking ruination rather than salvation and pain instead of love, all the while using their sons and daughters as the tools by which they cast a black mark on the soul of humanity.

Anna’s separation from Kaidan and the things she learns as she travels the world searching for allies among the Neph make their relationship all the more poignant when they finally work through some of their issues, Kaidan’s ability to express any kind of emotion at all shocking given the depravity his father requires of him, and our hearts beat to an erratic but pounding rhythm as Anna bleeds love into a man who knows nothing of it. Sweet Peril definitely sets readers up for what is sure to be an epic showdown in the final book, but the quieter nature of it gives us time to truly breathe these characters in before that breath will no doubt be expelled quickly as the Dukes bring fists to vulnerable flesh in book three.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find Sweet Peril:

Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble • The Book Depository • Facebook

• • • • • • • • • • 

LASCIVIOUS TOUR POSTERS

For any of you who have yet to read this series (first of all, get a move on, Kaidan is waiting for you!),  Kaidan Rowe is the drummer for a band called Lascivious. Those of you who follow this blog with any frequency know I'm scarily mildly obsessed with these books and Kaidan in particular, and given I find Mr. Rowe to be, ahem, inspiring, I thought it might be fun to design some promotional posters for Lascivious as though they were actually going out on tour.

Below are the three posters I created for Kaidan and his band as a token of my undying affection for them, Wendy Higgins, and this series as a whole :)

KAIDAN ROWE

LEAD ME INTO TEMPTATION

WHO MAKES YOUR HEART BEAT LOUDER?

• • • • • • • • • •

WENDY HIGGINS

After earning a bachelors in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until becoming a mommy. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Evil is her debut novel.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Pinterest

 • • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

The prizes:

1 Grand Prize Giveaway - engraved “Kaidan Rowe Sweet Peril” drumsticks, fruity scented lip balms, a paperback copy of Sweet Peril and a signed Sweet Peril bookplate.

5 Winners for - a paperback copy of Sweet Peril and a signed Sweet Peril bookplate.

Giveaway is US only and ends May 10th at 12:00 a.m. PDT. Only one entry per household and you must be 13 or older to enter. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 • • • • • • • • • 

BLOG TOUR

Don't forget to check out all the other amazing tops on this tour for more interviews, guest posts and general Sweet Peril awesomeness! A huge thank you to Rockstar Book Tours for putting this tour together.

April 22nd - YA Sisterhood - Guest Post
April 23rd - Tater's Tall Tails - Kaiden Interview
April 24th - Supernatural Snark - Review + Artwork
April 25th - Books with Bite - Anna Interview
April 26th - Tales of a Ravenous Reader - Guest Post

April 29th - Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post
April 30th - Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post
April 30th - Curling Up with a Good Book - Review
May 1st - Magical Urban Fantasy Reads - Guest Post
May 2nd - The Book Cellar - Guest Post
May 3rd - Fiktshun - Guest Post

Fire and Ice Blog Hop: Character Interview with Kaidan Rowe + Giveaway

Today I'm going to attempt to not hyperventilate over the fact that I have Kaidan Rowe, the oh-so sexy and charming love interest from The Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins (Sweet Evil sits atop my list of favorites from last year, you can read my review here) joining me on the blog. Did I also mention he's the son of the Duke of Lust? Yeah. Anyone who has been following this blog for a while knows my interest in Kaidan borders on unhealthily obsessive, but I like to think of it more as adorably fixated. I enjoy deluding myself you see. But, enough about me! Today is all about Kaidan, so for those of you who have yet to meet him, I hope this interview makes you want to do so, and for those of you who have, well, I hope this tides you over a bit until the release of Sweet Peril in April!

This interview is part of the Fire and Ice Blog Hop hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings, Love of Books, Cambria Hebert, The Caffeinated Reviewer, and Mostly Reviews, so be sure and check out all the participants here so you don't miss out on all the reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaways!

Since this is our first time “meeting”, I figured we should just start things off with a nice icebreaker; something to help us get comfortable with one another. So, here goes. Hypothetically speaking (of course), should I brazenly make a pass at you and put all my feminine wiles (which are obviously legion ;-) to use, what kind of reaction could I expect?

Well, luv, if you were to do that we’d have to pause this interview for a bit, yeah?  ;)   

If you could ask Wendy to write any scene from Sweet Evil from your point of view knowing that Anna would be the only one to read it and be privy to what you were thinking, which scene would you choose?

My first reaction is to say “none” because I’d rather not have the vulnerability of anyone knowing my thoughts. But at the same time it would be interesting for Anna to see herself the way I see her. So I’ll say the night of our first kiss. She has no idea how bleedin sexy she is when she’s not even trying.

What genre of fiction best describes your life (horror, mystery/thriller, etc.)?

Ha. Is there such thing as Horrotica?

You have the ability to look at a woman and know exactly what she needs to see/hear/feel in order to fall into bed with you, thus making the job you do for your father a bit easier. If Anna had a variation of this ability wherein she knew not what it would take to get you into bed, but rather what it would take for you to fall in love, what might this gift show her about you?

I believe you’re stealthily trying to get in my head, but I forgive you because you’re beautiful. However, I still can’t answer this question. The whole idea of “falling in love” is...beyond my scope of understanding. I was raised to see love as a weakness, and frankly it’s difficult to get past that mindset.

Aside from Anna, has any other woman ever resisted the temptation that is you?

No. I’ve had some tough cases that required me to pull out all the stops, but resistance is futile.

If things were a bit simpler for you and Anna and you were able to take her on a date, what would your ideal evening with her consist of?

She’s quite easily impressed and it’s entertaining to watch her be dazzled. I’m thinking dinner overlooking water—something beautiful where I can sit back and just watch her reactions.

For those of us dying a little each day as we wait for the release of Sweet Peril, please take pity on us and describe what we can expect in the sequel using only the title of a song (or songs).

How about “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett. There’s an uplifting little teaser for you, eh?   

Last question, and it’s very serious in nature, so please prepare yourself. When you hear the name “Jenny”, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind?

Sex. Definitely sex.

*Jenny falls down dead*

I'm sorry everyone, I'm not sure I can run this blog any longer because my entire body just liquified and I've taken up permanent residence on the floor. It's been lovely knowing you all ;-)

A huge thank you to Kaidan for stopping by the blog and answering my, ahem, probing questions! More information on Kaidan, The Sweet Trilogy and Wendy Higgins can be found here:

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Sweet Evil Buy Link
Sweet Peril Buy Link

SWEET PERIL (releases April 30th from HarperTeen)

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she'd never do the work of her father--polluting souls. She'd been naive to make such a claim. She'd been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school's party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there's Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

  

 GIVEAWAY

In celebration of Kaidan and his ability to warm up these cold winter nights, I'm giving away either a copy of Sweet Evil for newcomers to the series or a copy of Sweet Peril for those of you who are already in love. Sweet Peril will be a pre-order, I do not have an advanced copy to give away. To enter, please fill out the rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only, good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Sweet Peril

Some of you may remember a few weeks back (months back? Time is flying by.) I entered a cover design contest for the sequel to one of my favorite reads of the year, Sweet Evil. During my shameless campaign to encourage votes, I somewhat obsessively went on and on about my love for one Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust and ultimate bad boy to heroine Anna's good girl. After finishing Sweet Evil, my love for him was deep, but thinking about him made my heart ache because at the time the sequel to Sweet Evil had not yet been picked up by the publisher. I was less-than amused by this discovery. I needed more of Kaidan. More of his badassery. More of the delicious pain his impossible relationship with Anna caused me. So it was with a heavy heart and mostly bitten-off nails that I awaited any news on Kaidan's fate.

Why am I telling you all this you ask? Well, my heart has lightened considerably recently. Not only has book two been picked up by HarperTeen, but book three has as well which means there is much more Kaidan Rowe in my future. And even better? The official cover for book two, now titled Sweet Peril instead of Sweet Hope, has just been released along with the blurb:

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things. Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.
 
When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

SO EXCITED! And nervous. There's a lot of black on this cover, and I feel like we're getting a little foreshadowing through the literal use of shadow, indicating dark times are clearly ahead. I'm going to need to take deep, soothing breaths before I pick this one up!

If you haven't read Sweet Evil yet, I hope you guys give it a try, and definitely mark your calendars for the release of Sweet Peril from HarperTeen on April 30th, 2013. More information on the amazing Wendy Higgins and her books can be found here:

Website
Facebook
Wendy on Twitter
Kaidan on Twitter
Goodreads
Sweet Evil Amazon Buy Link
Sweet Peril Amazon Buy Link

Sweet Hope Cover Design Contest: Final Round

Hey Everyone!

I know I've talked a lot about the Sweet Hope cover design contest over the past several weeks and I promise this is the last time I'll post about it:) I just wanted to thank all of you who voted for me in the first round, I found out this morning the above design made it to the top 6! *hugs all of you*

The final round of voting begins today and runs all week, so if you're interested in seeing which other covers made it to the final and placing one last vote, you can do so HERE. I'm in very fine company! Thank you all so much again, and *fingers crossed* that my dream of appearing in ink next to Kaidan in the second installment comes true ;-)

Sweet Hope Cover Design Contest: Vote Now!

 

Hey Everyone!

Some of you may have seen my post last week regarding the cover design contest for Sweet Hope, the sequel to one of my favorite reads this year, Sweet Evil. In that post, I might have mentioned my undying, slightly obsessive love for one Kaidan Rowe. He's delicious. And if one of my covers is chosen, I'll be immortalized in ink alongside him as the girl who tempts him away from Anna with her wit and charm but, being the extraordinarily selfless person I am, nobly turns down his aggressive advances and convinces him to return to Anna to spare her a broken heart. Okay. Maybe that last part takes place all in my head, but the first part about my name in ink is true enough.

Voting for the cover design contest is now open, and you can see all the gorgeous entries over at Bewitched Bookworms. You can vote for multiple covers, and once the voting is tallied, the top 6 covers will be announced and will advance to the final round before a winner is chosen. I'd love it if you guys would pop over there and cast a vote for the covers you love because this is a truly unbelievable prize! If my entries below happen to be among your favorites, that would be amazing, but there are some truly stunning designs and I can't wait to see the top picks! Vote HERE.

MY ENTRIES:

 

Now I would like to take a few moments to get a little personal. I have something to share with all of you, and I think it's best to prepare yourselves. You see, in June I attended Book Expo America with my good friend Melissa from I Swim For Oceans and we had quite the experience. One that involved the L. Ron Hubbard booth and an overly friendly, dare I say handsy, tiny pirate. I give you this memento of our time with said pirate:

I think we should all take a moment to let the gloriousness of this picture sink in before I call attention to a few disturbing things.

...

Ready? First, let's all take a closer look at his face. I have no explanation for his expression. He looks dazed, whereas Melissa and I look terrified and uncomfortable (mostly because we were both of those things). He did seem rather fixated on Melissa's hair, telling her that it was the color of the sun (he did not offer any sort of poetic comparison for my hair - WTH pirate?), so perhaps the slack-jawed look is a result of a blond hair fetish. Yikes.

Speaking of a possible fetish, I 'd like draw attention to his, um, sword as I feel it supports my pirate-is-creepily-in-love-with-Melissa theory. Anyone else notice how his sword is quite forcefully jutting out from his groin and pointing directly at her crotch? I think it's trying to tell us something. His junk sword is making an enthusiastic beeline for Melissa, and the smile plastered on her face makes me think she has no idea what his masculine weapon is up to. RUN MELISSA! RUN AWAY FROM THE HORNY PIRATE'S SWORD BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

I feel like it's inappropriate for me to be in this picture at all. I'm just there on the left like a third wheel of douchey-ness in this strange, suddenly frighteningly sexual tableau. And who gave me that book? I don't remember picking that book up at all, but there it is in my hand in all its L. Ron Hubbard glory.

I think I should crop myself out of this picture, blow it up, frame it, and then send it on to Melissa so she can treasure it forever and ever. Get it? Treasure? Because he's a pirate? Yes? No? Fail.

Sweet Evil Sequel: Cover Design Contest

 

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today I'm excited to share with you some details about an EPIC contest going on at the moment. Wait till you hear. Before I give you all the juicy details though, I want to confess to you my love for a little book called Sweet Evil. I first stumbled across this book on Goodreads and thought it sounded like something I might find enjoyable. Wrong. This book was not one I simply found enjoyable, but rather one that absolutely blew me away with its beautifully painful romantic tension and emotional turmoil, and I fell completely in love with Kaidan Rowe, son of the demon of lust. THE DEMON OF LUST! I feel the need for a cold shower coming on just thinking about him.

Since I'm so madly in love with Kaidan and Sweet Evil, imagine my excitement upon discovering a contest over at Bewitched Bookworms to design a cover for the sequel. Your imaginings of my excitement cannot possibly live up to the real thing, as I may have spastically danced around my living room before leaping into my desk chair to sketch out possible designs. And what does the winner get you ask? Nothing big really, just a character named after them in book two.

*Jenny falls down dead*

Let's just take a moment to think this through. If I win, my name (in all its hugely imaginative glory O_o) will appear next to Kaidan's in the sequel. Clearly, the proximity of our names in ink will lead to a whirlwind romance wherein he abandons Anna and professes his undying love for me, the new girl he just can't keep his hands lips body eyes off of. Obviously. I think Wendy will thoroughly appreciate my suggestions for the new direction of the second installment's romance ;-)

I hope any of you who want to try your hand at designing a cover for the sequel, titled Sweet Hope, will enter! And for those of you who are perhaps not so artistically inclined, fear not, you can still enter to win copies of Sweet Evil, all the specifics are available at Bewitched Bookworms.

Each person can enter up to three cover designs, so below are my three submissions. The contest runs through August 22nd with voting taking place August 24th. Be sure and check out the Bookworms' post to see all the current entries, I've got some seriously stiff competition!

COVER #1

COVER #2

COVER #3

SWEET HOPE (from Goodreads)

Anna Whitt promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win, will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues that have formed between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Summer Fun HarperTeen Style: SPF9 Epic Giveaway

Who's excited for summer? *raises hand* Though it's not quite as exciting as it was when I was in school and summer meant 3 months off, I still love this time of year, and the people over at HarperTeen are trying to make it even better with some amazing giveaways and opportunities to experience their books. Love it.

Before I get to all the giveaway goodness though, HarperTeen has a few other things made of win I wanted to share with you. First up:

See the art.

Spread the love.

Join the Resistance

Love is not a disease.

Follow the above link to join the Resistance from Lauren Oliver's Pandemonium by sharing some beautiful posters with your friends to help encourage recruitment.

EPIC READS

Have you heard of Epic Reads? No? Well HarperTeen has recently launched EpicReads.com, a central location of awesomeness for all of HarperTeen's books, and now we can all officially join. Yay! The people at Harper can explain it a bit better than I can, so I'll let them give it to you straight from the source:

EpicReads.com is the new hub for all of HarperTeen’s books. We’ve also launched two channels, for readers who prefer particular genres. If you’re a huge fan of paranormal or dystopian fiction, PitchDark.com is the channel for you! Rather read about romance than werewolves? Then you should definitely explore the StoryCrush.com channel! Each channel has its own blog, contests, polls, quizzes and forums – so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved, win free books, & chat with authors!

I just registered this week, I hope to see you guys on there!

YA CRUSH TOURNAMENT

This tournament isn't related specifically to HarperTeen but I wanted to include it because it should be a blast. The YA Sisterhood is hosting their Crush Tournament in which all our favorite book boyfriends go head to head to see who's the hottest crush of the year. It's nomination time again, and now through June 19th you can nominate your top 10 YA crushes and see who's already topping the list.

Topping my personal list this year is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer's Noah Shaw, followed closely by Kaidan Rowe of Sweet Evil. The fabulous Michelle Hodkin is offering fans extra incentive to add Noah to their lists (as if we need it) by offering up a special scene of our choice should he receive enough nominations. Maybe it will be another scene from his POV! You can find all the details on Michelle's Blog.

SPF9 GIVEAWAY

Last but not least, I have the SPF9 Giveaway (from HarperTeen):

Did you know… books provide excellent shade? HarperTeen is giving you the chance to sample your very own Sun-Proof Fiction with nine of our most fantastic summer reads in paperback. During the month of June, we’ll be tweeting our favorite beach reading photos with #spf9 hashtag, giving away books and more on HarperTeen’s Facebook, and spreading the word that books can be better than sunglasses.

To enter the giveaway, just visit HarperTeen's Facebook Page.

WAIT! Before you run off and enter (because this giveaway is unbelievably awesome), HarperTeen has given me the privilege of hosting a separate giveaway here on the blog. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and you'll be entered for a chance to win. Giveaway is open to US residents only, good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Sweet Evil

SWEET EVIL

Wendy Higgins
Paranormal Young Adult
464 pages
HarperTeen
Available May 1st
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

MY THOUGHTS

Sweet Evil is a tale of dark emotional decadence, luring us in with a beautiful contrast between innocent Anna and sinful Kaidan, and once it has us in its iron grip their story begins to slowly squeeze, forcing us to feel each moment of joy and pain as it’s forced from the recesses of our bodies to the very surface. Once there, it seems as though anyone looking at us will be able to clearly see each emotion etched across our features, and we read page after page hypersensitive to every nuance of feeling coursing through our bodies as Kai and Anna move their feet to a dangerous and addictive rhythm, their steps echoing in our minds and leaving indelible footprints on our hearts. This is one of those books we find ourselves repeatedly walking away from–not due to disinterest, but rather to self-preservation–needing to take a breather to shore up our courage at what we can only imagine Anna and Kai are going to face in a battle that extends beyond life and death and into eternity.

Anna is sweet and innocent; a perpetual rule-follower and spiritual young woman who has known little other than the unconditional love of her adoptive mother. Though she is often naïve and entirely too trusting, believing the best of people and hardly ever recognizing potentially threatening behaviors, she’s never one to think herself better than those around her nor does she believe her way of living is the best or only way. There’s a definite fragility about her–the desire to cup her eyes with our own hands to form blinders that keep her view of the world unsullied by reality dogging our every step–however, that fragility is in no way tantamount to weakness, and she proves to us again and again that she’s far stronger on every level than she might outwardly appear. She handles her gut-wrenching relationship with Kai with a stunningly flawed grace, recognizing some unhealthy behaviors in herself when things with him prove difficult, and allowing herself to indulge in them in a way that’s realistic without being overly dramatic.

Kaidan is the perfect counterpoint to Anna, wearing sin and debauchery like a perfectly tailored suit to accentuate his every deliciously seductive feature, but every once in a while that suit slips off his shoulders and we see pieces of him marred by a life absent of the very love with which Anna’s overflows. Being the son of the Demon of Lust, it’s his job to touch, tease, and tempt any young woman who crosses his path, and while we should be angry with him as he continues his “work” throughout his tumultuous relationship with Anna, Ms. Higgins writes him in such a way that our anger is tempered by the agony we feel on his behalf the more we learn of his circumstances. The acute pain that jolts our systems every time we think of him is two-fold: the distress caused by the knowledge that his hands and mouth are on girls other than Anna when we know how much she loves him first tearing our hearts to ragged shreds, while the even more tortuous realization that being with those other women only causes him misery then rips those shreds fully from our chests and leaves them pulsing weakly on the ground.

One very minor criticism keeping this story from being gloriously perfect is with regard to Kaidan and the other Neph’s need peddle the sins of their fathers. We aren’t told or exposed to the reasons why they all feel so trapped with the work they’re required to do, and we can’t help but wonder why they don’t try their hand at fabricating reports to the Dukes as Anna’s own father does. These musings are more selfish in nature though—a case of us as readers desperately seeking an excuse for Kaidan to walk out of his forced lustful haze and into a loving relationship with Anna. At the very end we are finally granted a peek at the horrors that await those who disobey the Dukes, so by the last page that tiny criticism shrivels in the face of their fury and leaves us with a deeper understanding of life as Nephilim. A truly brilliant beginning to the series, Sweet Evil should top everyone’s must-read list.

Rating: 5/5

I had the pleasure of interviewing Wendy earlier in the week as part of the Sweet Evil blog tour, so if you haven't had a chance to read her describe Kaidan as "lusty to the core" you can do that HERE.