Simon & Schuster Blogger Event - 3rd December 2011

I'm incredibly behind with my event write ups but I'm going to do my best to catch up over the next couple of weeks.  Back in December I was very excited to be invited to Simon & Schuster's Christmas blogger event.  S&S always publish a fantastic selection of books so I was keen to find out more about the treats they have in store for us this year.  Quite a few of the titles mentioned on the day were already included in my S&S Publisher Spotlight post so I'm not going to talk about those ones again, instead I'll focus on the books that I haven't highlighted on the blog before.  Make sure you check out the Publisher Spotlight post though as there are some fantastic books included in there that should be on your wish lists!

Before the event started I got to meet up with Sammee, Kirsty, Carly & Matt for a coffee and a little bit of book swapping.  It's always great to spend time with other bloggers and we never run out of things to talk about!  When we arrived at the S&S offices we were greeted by Kat & Catherine and spent time mingling with them and lots of other bloggers.  It was lovely to see so many familiar faces there and catch up with people who have become good friends since I started blogging two years ago.  When everyone arrived it was time for the book presentation so here are some of the books we talked about:

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith.  Life for her is an endless expanse of time - until her brother Obie is kidnapped, and Daphne realises she may be partly responsible.  Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying.

With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts.  As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way.  But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be . . .

Smoulder was actually released in the UK on the 5th of January and I've already posted my review here this is quite a dark urban fantasy story and one I enjoyed reading.  Please note that this book was released in the US in 2011 with the title The Space Between.

Ellie is staying with her maternal grandparents for the summer, while her recently bereaved dad takes off on holiday with his new girlfriend. Upset by his apparent callousness, missing her mother, and jealous for her dad's attention, she begins to spiral into depression. Her grandparents suggest she joins a local theatre group, to meet people her own age and get away from the dark thoughts that threaten to engulf her. But then she gets roped into a seance at the theatre, and is the only one who actually sees a real ghost. Now a spirit is contacting her from beyond the grave - and as the dead boy's story unfolds, Ellie finds herself falling in love with him. But if she solves his mystery and helps release his soul, will he be lost to her forever? (Description taken from Amazon UK)

Dark Storm by Sarah Singleton will be released in the UK on the 29th of March.  It was described as a very dramatic and creepy ghost story with a bit of romance and sounds like it will be a fab read.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenceless, alone and at the mercy of her sworn enemies - the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn't as confident. Sophie's bound for one hell of a ride - can she get her powers back before it's too late? Because this time it's her life, and the lives of everyone she loves that are at stake.  (Description taken from Amazon UK)

Spellbound is the much anticipated finale to Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall trilogy.  I really enjoyed Hex Hall when I read it (you can find my review here) but although I've got Raising Demons on my to read pile I haven't got around to reading it yet.  I really must do something about that though, especially now that I won't have a massive wait between installments!

There is currently no cover image available for Michelle Harrison's next novel Unrest but here is the description:

Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn't slept properly for six months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Now he is afraid to go to sleep. Sometimes he wakes to find himself paralysed, unable to move a muscle, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around, while his body lies asleep on the bed. According to his doctor, sleep paralysis and out of body experiences are harmless - but to Elliot they're terrifying. Convinced that his brush with death has opened up connections with the spirit world, Elliott secures a live-in job at one of England's most haunted locations, determined to find out the truth. There he finds Sebastian, the ghost of a long-dead servant boy hanged for stealing bread. He also meets the living, breathing Ophelia, a girl with secrets of her own. She and Elliott grow closer, but things take a terrifying turn when Elliott discovers Sebastian is occupying his body when he leaves it. And the more time Sebastian spends inhabiting a living body, the more resistant he becomes to giving it back. Worse, he seems to have an unhealthy interest in Ophelia. Unless Elliott can lay Sebastian's spirit to rest, he risks being possessed by him for ever, and losing the girl of his dreams...  (Description taken from Amazon UK)

Unrest is a sinister and creepy ghost story that will keep you awake at night and we were told to read it with the lights on.  Knowing what a complete wuss I am I expect I'll only want to read this one in the daylight but it sounds fantastic and I can't wait to give it a try!  This will be available in the UK on the 26th of April.

Rosaline has been best friends with Rob since they were little kids. Recently, something deeper and more electric has entered their friendship, and when Rob returns after the summer break and asks Rosaline on a sort-of date, it seems they are destined to become a couple, just as Rosaline always knew they would be. The next day at school, a mysterious, beautiful girl arrives: Rosaline's long-lost cousin, Juliet. And suddenly it looks as if Rosaline might be about to lose her best friend AND her new boyfriend...  (Description taken from Amazon UK)

Also available on the 26th of April will be emotionally intense debut When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle.  I love the story of Romeo and Juliet and am really interested in the idea of seeing things from Rosaline's point of view so this is definitely on my wish list.

Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. The only remaining humans, or hepers as they are known, are housed in domes on the savannah and studied at the nearby Heper Institute. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors whose suspicions about his true nature are growing.  (Description taken from Amazon UK)

Last but by no means least on the 10th of May we can look forward to Andrew Fukuda's debut novel The Hunt.  I think this was the book that got the most excited squealing of the day - especially when we were all presented with an early copy!  It's a fast paced, terrifying thriller and I can't wait to pick it up.  There was a lot of discussion about the cover - I think most of the girls swooned over the hunky guy but Matt agreed that the cover is manly enough to appeal to boys too.

So as you can see Simon & Schuster have some fantastic books lined up for the next couple of months.  It's hard to decide which one I'm most excited about but if I had to pick one I think it would be The Hunt.  So many of the others are on my wish list though - it's a tough choice!  After the presentation we had time for more mingling while S&S spoiled us with mince pies and gingerbread men.  There was lots of squeeing over books and animated conversation but sadly we had to leave eventually.  I can't believe that I forgot to take any pictures at the event - I had my camera with me but totally forgot to get it out of my bag!  I have to confess that I've been a bit useless with my camera over the last few months.

I'd like to say a massive thank you to Kat, Catherine and everyone at S&S not only for hosting a fabulous event for us but for all the fantastic books you are going to be publishing this year!  I can't wait to carry on reading them :o)

After the event a few of us had made plans to go out for our own blogger Christmas lunch.  Kirsty, Sammee, Carly, Lynsey, Becky and I met up with Caroline (who hadn't been at the event) and spent a lovely afternoon eating, drinking and generally being merry.  Someone had even bought Christmas crackers so there were even silly hats.  A fab time was had by all and I was very sad when it was time to go home.  I have to say I love these girls!!

Sammee, Lynsey, Carly & Kirsty

Caroline & Becky

Kirsty & me

I apologise for the poor quality pictures, yes my camera was in my bag but again I forgot to use it!  At least I thought to take a couple with my phone though :o)

Who Was There:

Kat, Catherine, Venitia & Jane - Simon & Schuster

Alice - The Reader Room

Ana - The Book Smugglers

Becky - The Bookette

Carly - Writing From The Tub
Caroline - Portrait of a Woman

Dwayne - Girls Without a Bookshelf
Jennie - Bookbitz
Jo - Once Upon a Bookcase
Kirsty - The Overflowing Library
Leanne - District YA - Event Report

Liz & Mark - My Favorite Books

Lynsey - Narratively Speaking
Matt - Teen Librarian
Sammee - I Want To Read That