A Mad Zombie Party (The White Rabbit Chronicles #4) Pre-Order Offer

So, maybe you haven't heard, but Gena Showalter has written a fourth book in the White Rabbit Chronicles series. I KNOW! A MAD ZOMBIE PARTY releases on September 29, but you can pre-order it now. And, if you fill out this form with your pre-order information, Harlequin TEEN will send you a kick-ass fan kit that includes:

A never-before-seen excerpt from the original manuscript (includes edits and everything!)
White rabbit earrings
Deck of customized playing cards

This is an awesome pre-order deal, and fans of the White Rabbit Chronicles series (like ME!) will definitely want to take advantage of it!

A Mad Zombie Party (The White Rabbit Chronicles #4), by Gena Showalter
Publish Date: September 29, 2015 
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN  
Genre: young adult paranormal romance
To Pre-Order: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Google Play * iBooks  

(From Goodreads) The battle rages on.

Ali Bell and Cole Holland's crew of zombie slayers thought they'd won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular—the love of his life, Kat Parker.

On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond—Kat's spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla is the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat's death.

But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction is blurred…and the road to redemption isn't through revenge, but in letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.

REVIEW: The Queen of Zombie Hearts (The White Rabbit Chronicles #3)

Queen of Zombie Hearts (The White Rabbit Chronicles #3), by Gena Showalter
To Be Published September 30, 2014
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Format: ARC, obtained from the publisher
Genre: young adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) I have a plan.

We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.

Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

"Gavin has started calling you the queen of zombie hearts," Cole said. "And you know what, he's right. It fits. Before you, I wasn't really living. I was existing. Moving from girl to girl. Killing zombies. I was as good as dead, but you brought me back to life. And you are most definitely the queen of my heart."

Things have finally come to a head with Anima, and Cole, Ali and the rest of the slayers and their friends are ready to start kicking ass and taking names. But, Anima doesn't seem to be playing by the unwritten rules of evildom. They're doing unexpected things, and that's making the gang nervous. To make matters even more nuts, Ali has started seeing a new Witness - one she never has before. And when she finds out who she is, it's even more clear that the game is changing in a big way.  

I had to sit on this book for a bit before I could wrap my head around what to say about it. It's one of those books that puts you into a coma for awhile because of its sheer epicness. So much happens in The Queen of Zombie Hearts - both good, bad and awesome. It starts immediately and doesn't die down until the very last page. It's exactly what you want when you're reading the last book in a series, especially one about zombie slayers. 

Gena Showalter gives readers everything we want and tempers it with some of what we need. She gives us a happy ending. But, in Cole's words, 

"Did everyone get a happily ever after? Sorry, but no. Welcome to life."

You know those books where it just seemed like the author was trying too hard to please everyone? So, all the characters get this sweet ending tied up with a nice bow at the end, and all ride off into the sunset, tra-la-la. BLECH. It might be painful, and it might suck at times, but it's better if the road to the end is full of potholes. It's definitely more interesting, and it absolutely makes the story seem more believable - even one about zombies. 

The White Rabbit Chronicles has always been about Ali Bell and her search for self. Who is Ali Bell? What makes her tick? Admittedly, Cole Holland became a large part of who Ali is as we moved through her story. And, that's okay. Because, Cole makes her better. Together, they're amazing. They're dynamic and sexy, and completely dysfunctional at times. In a word - they're PERFECT. They've been through a lot together, and it really seems like they are finally rock solid. 

"You're my girl, Ali. That's never going to change. There's no one else I've ever wanted more, no one else I ever will. You're it for me, and if it takes the rest of my life, I'm going to prove it to you."

I believed him. "I'm looking forward to that."

Because I wasn't constantly worrying about their relationship this time around, my brain and fragile emotions were better able to focus on the evil empire, Anima, and what their dastardly end game was. And, we finally find out. And, it all has everything to do with who Ali Bell REALLY is and what she can do. Seriously, the twists and turns in The Queen of Zombie Hearts surprised me. I loved all the new stuff that came up. Usually, final books are all about tying up the loose ends. It was awesome that Gena Showalter decided to not only introduce some crazy awesome plot twists, but tons of brand new characters too. It gave the book a completely fresh feeling, which was great. And, yet, all the loose ends are still taken care of. See - we can have our cake and eat it too. 

After all the explosions and fight scenes and zombie ashing and after all the kisses and tears and snarky comments we've finally reached the end. I'm kinda holding out for a spin-off series. There's several potential characters that would be perfect for that. (*raising eyebrows* Gena?) Until then, I'm content to re-read some of my favorite moments. And, pretty much all of them involve Cole. 

"You know I think you hung the moon, right?"

"Right. Just like I know you held the ladder and looked up my skirt."

REVIEW: Through the Zombie Glass (The White Rabbit Chronicles #2)

Through the Zombie Glass (The White Rabbit Chronicles #3), by Gena Showalter
Published September 24, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre: young adult paranormal/romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Zombies stalk the night. Forget blood and brains. These monsters hunger for human souls. Sadly, they've got mine...

Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends. A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.

After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and the whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.

She's never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her...from everyone. Now, with her best friend Kat at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole's secret and learn to fight the darkness.

But the clock is ticking...and if she fails at a single task, they're all doomed.

I have no words.

Well... yeah. That's not true. I ALWAYS have words when it comes to good books. But, seriously, as I was reading Through the Zombie Glass, there were many moments when I just sat in my car (because, this was an audiobook for me), mouth agape like a fish trying to get a handle on myself so that I could function normally when I walked into my office. There was some of this:

A lot of this:

This too:

To sum up... it was a feels-free-for-all. But, it wasn't all feels and no substance. Through the Zombie Glass was an incredible story about sacrifice and salvation. There is absolutely no sophomore slump here - it built upon the groundwork laid in Alice in Zombieland, had its own ridiculously awesome storyline and laid the frame for what I'm sure will be an epic finale, come September. 

Ali survived a near-death encounter with Anima, and is now healing at the Ankh's house and enjoying some snuggle time with Cole. After two new slayers join the group, including pretty Veronica, Cole starts distancing himself from Ali, until he delivers the final blow and breaks up with her. On top of that, Ali is dealing with another voice in her head that is telling her to do awful things. None of it makes sense at all, and Ali is feeling alone, lost, adrift, and not just a little hopeless. 

My heart absolutely broke into itty bitty pieces for Ali in this book. Gena Showalter was masterful at creating the perfect mood for Ali's eventual crash. Everything was perfect. Cole was finally hers, she was a lean, mean fighting machine, and they had won the initial battle with Anima. The beginning of the book dawned with hope and positivity, and I was buying everything that she was selling. 

Then, Cole happened and everything went to hell in a hand basket. 

UGH! He acted like such a colossal douche purse (LOVE Nana), I found myself wishing he was a real person, just so I could walk up to him and smack him a few times. It was clear from the beginning that there was more going on under the surface, but you just didn't know what that was. So, like Ali, I had to take things at face value for awhile, and that drove me crazy! I refused to believe that my Cole was really that cold and callous to dump Ali while she was still getting better from her wounds for no real good reason.

Thing is, Cole wasn't the only crazy person in Through the Zombie Glass. Everyone was doing their absolute best to make me nuts. Kat kept pushing away Frosty. Reeve was dating a new boy of questionable background. Ankh was extra frigid toward Ali. And don't even get me started on newbie Veronica, who - oh yeah - is another one of Cole's exes. 

And then there was Ali and her alter ego, Z.A. (short for Zombie Alice). Z.A. would show up in a mirror or start talking in Ali's head, making her want to do things, like bite her friends. Ali's fighting skills were compromised and she proved to be more of a danger to her team than a help. It was here when I started yelling at my car's stereo almost daily. "Talk to someone, dammit! Tell Cole! Tell Gavin! Tell SOMEONE!!" Ugh - communication is never a strong suit among teens. 

Ali's fight to kill Z.A. and survive the break up from the love of her life was absolutely what I live for when I read. She was inspiring and strong and kicked some major ass. But, Ali had her moments when everything just was too much, and she allowed herself some time to break down. I think those moments are so important. Without them, there's no humanization of your character. They're either too hard and you have a difficult time connecting with them, or they're too soft and they drive you drink. Gena Showalter wrote Ali so perfectly - she's the perfect blend of hard and soft; strong and weak. I believed her, I rooted for her, I cried with her, and I rejoiced at her triumphs. THIS is what reading is all about. 

Just a word about the audio version - it was SPECTACULAR.

Through the Zombie Glass was told entirely from Ali's POV. It's YA, and Ali and Cole spend much of the book emotionally apart, so there wasn't much sexy stuff to be had. But, that's okay. The story about Ali's search for a way to defeat Z.A. AND Anima had me captivated from the very first word all the way to the exciting conclusion. This series has very quickly become one of my favorites, and I will be chomping at the bit (pun intended) for Queen of Zombie Hearts, due out late this September.

REVIEW: Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles #1)

Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles #1), by Gena Showalter
Published September 25, 2012
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Format: hardback, borrowed from a friend
Genre:  young adult paranormal
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I've made no bones about the fact that zombies and horror are not really my bag. Hence, my reticence with starting Alice in Zombieland, despite all the wonderful things I had heard about it. I mean, it's about zombies, and zombies = bad. Right?

Wrong.

Alice's dad is nuts. He sees monsters. As a result, he has sheltered Alice and her younger sister in order to protect them. And then, after an awful car accident that kills everyone in her family but Alice, she finally sees the monsters too. She moves in with her grandparents, switches school, and finds out that there are others out there who see them too. Including the dashing and dangerous Cole. Soon, Alice is recruited into Cole's band of zombie slayers. And, there's got to be a reason that the zombies seem to be going after Alice, right?

What an amazing and creative take on zombies! This book took me completely by surprise. Who knew I'd be giving 5 stars to a "zombie book?!" 

In Alice in Zombieland, not everyone can see the zombies. Only those with a special ability to separate their spirit from their body can see them. And, the zombies only exist on the spiritual plane. But, they can still kill people. They don't eat brains, or even flesh, really. They're after your spirit. Those that can fight the zombies can split their spirits from their bodies in order to take them on. They can ash them with their hands. 

Alice is such an amazing heroine. She's only 16, but acts so much older than that. Her family is dead, she has this new, scary ability, she sees monsters on a nearly daily basis - if it were me, I'd be sitting in a corner rocking and crying like a baby. Alice sets out to get answers. And, when she discovers a powerful connection with her new school's resident bad boy, she knows where to get them. 

Speaking of the bad boy, Cole is perfection. He's misunderstood, scary, and an all-around good guy shielded by tats and piercings. And, he has many of the answers to Alice's questions. It turns out they work well together - in more ways than one. Their connection is intriguing and sexy and exciting. When they look at each other for the first time each day, they get a glimpse of the future. Sometimes that vision is good. Sometimes, not so much. Cole and his violet eyes are absolutely captivating. 

I love Gena Showalter's writing. It's sharp and witty. Alice and Cole's banter and snark back and forth was brilliant. And, the things that have sprouted from her imagination amaze me. 

There is, of course, a larger story - a bigger plot that will carry through the series. A corporation set on experimenting on the zombies and trying to use them as weapons is trying to thwart the slayers' efforts. And, there's also a reason why the zombies are hunting Alice and why her powers are so much stronger than everyone else's. I can't wait to find out what those reasons are. I can't wait to read more about Alice kicking serious zombie ass. And I definitely can't wait for more Cole.

Book #142 - The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)

 
The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1), Gena Showalter
adult paranormal romance
379 pages
Started 12/30/12
Finished 12/31/12
4 STARS

You know how you have a favorite series, and in between the release of the books, you search high and low for a replacement to fill the void? That's what The Darkest Night was for me - my Black Dagger Brotherhood space filler. And, I got a pleasant surprise. This book ended up more than filler - I actually really loved it!

Ashlyn hears too many voices in her head, so she seeks the help of the Lords of the Underworld to help her silence them. The first Lord she meets is Maddox, who carries the demon Violence inside him. Although they try and deny their connection, it's soon too strong to sever.

My favorite part about this book was the story surrounding how the demons escaped and ended up riding on the backs of these gorgeous immortals. Such an interesting twist to the story of Pandora's box.

The insta-love that I hate so much was there, but for some reason, I gave it a pass here. In contemporary romance books, it's far less forgiveable. Perhaps since the setting here was so much more mysterious, as was Maddox with his temper and his demon, and Ashlyn with her own power, the insta-love that happened between the two of them was understandable and maybe even expected.

I liked that the bad guys were and weren't who you expected. I thought the addition of the four women were a bit distracting at times - they seemed non-essential to the story overall. I realize they will probably play a part in later books, but in this one, alone, their scenes slowed the story down.

Overall, I really liked The Darkest Night and the Lords of the Underworld. I look forward to checking out the rest of these hotties.