Cover Reveal: Mark of Betrayal by A.M. Hudson

WOoHOo. You guys want to see the cover for Mark of Betrayal (Dark Secrets Series #4) by A.M. Hudson?

It's gorgeous, just like the others. And I'm wicked excited to read it. It releases October 31, 2012.

What do you all think?

I can't wait!

Review - The Heart's Ashes by A.M. Hudson

Death never leaves us. Once it's touched our souls, it hungers for our return--waiting for us to fall. And if it finds Ara again, she will have no way to escape.

Moving on from David was hard, forgetting the abduction and torture was almost impossible, but nothing as devastating as the thought that now, because of her, David might face the horrific punishments of the Set.

No one knows where David went after he lost Ara, but she can only hope he's the one leaving subtle clues for her to discover, and it makes her desperate to find him--desperate enough that she would risk her life, hanging out with an informant who means to kill her. What truths she is told about David's dark past, though, will threaten to change her heart and destroy the way Ara perceives everything. She must ask herself if it's right to love one monster, then hate the one who tried to destroy her.

In all her searching, the promise of immortality will finally be renewed, but sold at a price Ara's not sure she's willing to pay.

Is love enough to make her submit to this new role, or will it fail her once again and leave her reaching back for the grasp of death?

First of all, stellar cover. I love, love, LOVE it. It's gorgeous. Love the font, the colors, everything. Gorgeous.

Ok... so The Heart's Ashes was sent to me as an advanced copy by the author, A.M. Hudson. And I'm really upset with myself that it took so long to read it. Because it truly is a wonderful book. I've just been in this funk which has resulted in a reading slump, so I wasn't doing much of ANYTHING. I got some reading done at my family reunion but that was about it.

Anyway... I'm not sure what I can say about this book that won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it (or the previous novels in the series)... so I will tell you there are a lot of twists and turns and TONS of surprises. This story leaves me with conflicting feelings for a character that played a terrible role in the last installment. I wanted to hate him... but I found myself liking him more than I probably should have being that he was a "bad guy".

David and Mike are true to form. Forever the gallant and chivalrous protectors. That's what is so wonderful about them, though. You don't find enough of that in real life anymore. It's nice to be able to find them in books. Emily is a tad bit different in this story, but I suppose anyone in her situation would have a little attitude adjustment. And poor Ara. There's some serious head-screwing with where she's concerned. She can't tell which way is up sometimes. Sure she has her moments... she is still a teenage girl, after all. But she goes through a LOT in this story so you've got to hand it to her.

Like I said before, I LOVED the story. Everything about it. If you've read the first two in the series, definitely grab this one as soon as you can.

Review - Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson

Blood and death aside...love is all that should matter. Tragedy brought her to a new place. Fate put her in the arms of a vampire. The truth will tear her apart. Hailed as the most inspiring read since Twilight. Take a journey of tears and heartache as Ara finds that love is a reason to live. Will the vampire be her knight, or will the truth about him finish what Fate started?

This review has been a long time coming. And I apologize for that. This is actually the second time I've read Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson. This time, though, I had the pleasure of reading the hard copy novel. It's changed a lot since the first pass through and the changes have just made it that much better.

Ara has moved to the US from Australia following the death of her mother and her little brother. Broken inside and devestated by the loss, she starts life over with her father, stepmother, and step brother in a new house, going to a new school, and trying to blend in with new people. Leaving behind everything she's ever known.

She's immediately befriended by Emily, who is spunky and cheerful and takes Ara under her wing. Not to mention she's caught the eye of the school hunk, David Knight. A mysterious, tall-dark-and-handsome boy who, at first glace, seems way out of her league.

Ara's been through a terrible ordeal. She's trying to piece her life back together and move on and that's a hard thing for anyone to do after such a tragic loss. David makes her feel whole again. And she doesn't want to let it go. But David has a secret that can't be told and Ara has to make a decision she doesn't really want to make.

I love the characters in this series. I've said before that Emily kind of strikes me as Patty Simcox from the movie Grease. All peppy and bright eyed. She's warm and welcoming and a genuine friend that would be great to have. Ara is a typical teenage girl with a broken past struggling to make her way in life. It's fun to "listen" to her inner monologues and "watch" her as she zones out while she's debating things with herself. David is very... Edward Cullen-esque but without the possessive "You have to do what I say or I'm going to take apart your vehicle to make you listen" kind of deal. He's sweet and he's sensitive and he truly cares for Ara. I used to DREAM I'd find my own David. He's just... ::sigh::

I almost want to scream at her the ENTIRE book because if it were me? No brainer. But her? Not such a no brainer. She and I have been in similar places in our lives. I found my light and I wouldn't give him up for anything. But she risks losing him because she's holding on to something that just can't be anymore. And it makes me mad.

This was a great read. Both times. I loved book two as well and book three is definitely going to follow in their footsteps. I recommend this to anyone who's read and loved Twilight definitely. Because this is, as I said in my first review long ago, kind of like Twilight but in reverse. And you'll have to read the story to understand what I mean. :-) Go check it out!

Teaser Tuesday #39

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week!
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from Knight of the Rose (ARC) by A.M. Hudson:

Like when Dorothy made it home from Oz, she learned that she was never really gone in the first place - that all the fear and loneliness she felt in that world was in her own mind. I have control over my own life, and I get to choose what it is that breaks me...

Can't wait to see your teasers!

Cover Reveal - Knight of the Rose (Dark Secrets #2) by A.M. Hudson

Loved book one in the series! Now it's time for book two!! Loved that one too but I can't wait to read it again! Knight of the Rose by A.M. Hudson is book two in the Dark Secrets series.

In My Mailbox # 24

Thanks to Kristi The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week for review I got:

The Caldecott Chronicles #1 by RG Bullet

Although the word zombie is never used in the Caldecott Chronicles the undead, the ungodly, the beef squad, and stumblers certainly are. The bizarre and gruesome details are narrated in a journal by a very Aristocratic British gent. Get a first hand look on how the Victorian upper class deal with stumbling trespassers and see how one draws ones inspiration from a teenage girl born to kill.

What did you get this week?

*Edit*

I just went out to my mailbox (against my better judgement because it's midnight and below freezing) and found a wicked cool surprise!!

Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson! I'm excited! It's beautiful!

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.

Author Interview/Giveaway - Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson

Yay! I'm wicked excited today to introduce you guys to A.M. Hudson, author of Tears of the Broken. She kindly agreed to do a Q & A with me so that you guys could get a closer look at the debut of her new book. It's completely awesome by the way. And so is she.

To prove it, I'm going to let you guys in on a little something....

Ready?

Up for grabs are not one, but TWO SIGNED copies of Tears of the Broken. How great is that? I'll post the details at the end of the entry, but I'm really excited for you guys!

So, without further ado, here's the Q & A!

*

Q. What inspired you to write Tears of the Broken?
A: I wanted to capture the elements in reading that really drew me in, basically to write something I would want to read. So, I thought about the parts in a story that make me feel things and want to come back for more, and tried to incorporate as many of those as I could. Plus, I love vampires, so it was a no-brainer.


Q. How did you come up with the title, because I know it used to be something different?
A: At first, it was called The Blood Knight series, but after seeing that so many other people were using the word "blood" in conjunction with vampires and other works of fiction, I decided it was just too cliche. I wanted something dark and deep to go with the theme, and I love anything to do with secrets, so I changed the series to Dark Secrets (because everyone in this series has one), and book 1 is now Tears of the Broken, because I love the myth behind "The Tears of the Broken" story David tells Ara.


Q. How would you describe your book in 5 words? 
A: You'll feel your heart again.


Q. Are Ara and David fashioned after anyone in particular? Or bits and pieces of different people?
A: I think all characters are fashioned from someone we've either met or seen in our past in some way. David, at first, was invented to be the kind of guy that the Twentieth century doesn't produce, but after he was "born into my imagination" I started looking for a likeness. He's been many different faces: a magazine clip guy from a Target catalogue (which I still have), Paul Wesley, Matthew Bomber...heaps.
As for Ara, she was always Ara-Rose. I saw her in a dream when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. In the dream, I turned around and looked at this girl in a yellow dress, sitting in the back seat of a car, and I called her Ara. I thought that would be my daughter, but I had a boy. However, Ara wouldn't go away. She kept popping up in my dreams and my thoughts. She was just meant to be.


Q. Who would you cast as David and Ara?
A: I've thought about this a lot. No one seems right. Eric Dane would be Mike, easy. But, I think I'd have to let the fans choose who David and Ara would be.


Q. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
A: When I was 14, but, back then, writing wasn't deemed a "decent" career. It was only once I had my 3rd child that I really got serious about it and said "Forget what is or what should be, I'm going to be what I want to be." And so I did.


Q. What's your worst habit when you're writing?
A: "Posture," I say, straightening up.


Q. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Without a doubt in the world or my mind, USA. Always wanted to go there. I'd love to see New England (anywhere in the region) during fall.


Q. What's one thing you want readers to know about you or your books?
A: I love writing, and I want nothing in this world more than for people to enjoy my novels. I write so that people can experience feelings and thoughts that would never have occurred to them before. So, when they read each line out any of my novels, I want readers to know that each word I wrote was for them. I love writing, I love spreading the emotions within the pages, and I love all my fans.

A.M. Hudson started writing full-time  after her third child.  She lives a more than ordinary life in  Australia with her husband and children.  When she's not writing, she sings in a  duo or can be found under a pile of books.

Betcha thought I forgot about the giveaway details didn't you?

Well, I didn't.

All you have to do is leave me a comment with your email address and in 7 (SEVEN) days from today, I will pick a winner! Once it's announced on the blog who the lucky winners (remember there are 2 copies being given away!) I will email you and get your info.

*Giveaway IS international!*
In the meantime, everyone go check out Tears of the Broken and the Dark Secrets Series on Goodreads, Facebook, and Amazon! And go visit the author's Dark Secrets blog!

Goodreads blurb:

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.