Guardian by Heather Burch

GUARDIAN by HEATER BURCH

Movie Rating: PG for some scary images
Book Rating: @@@@@
Swearing: None
Inappropriate Scenes: None
# of Pages: 309 (hardcover)
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Zondervan

Back Blurb:

VIGILANCE

The mission to safeguard Nikki Youngblood depends on the fragile alliance of two half-angel, half-human guardians, both struggling with intense feelings for the girl who
has been assigned to their care. Mace, steadfast and deeply in love, wants to protect Nikki at all costs, while Raven's loyalty to Nikki finds him advocating for her 
independence and battling his own darker inclinations. At the same time Nikki finds it harder and harder to choose between the two heavenly beings she may never
have.

Dangers intensify, and tensions between Mace and Raven flare as the purpose of their mission becomes clear. Can their defense hold up to master manipulator Damon
Vessler and the powerful secret he holds regarding Nikki's heritage? Can anyone protect Nikki from her true purpose and destiny?

They chose to protect her but forgot to guard their hearts.

My Review:

*may contain minor spoilers*


Ba-da boom Ba-da bang Firepower..... (what movie? :) Has anyone heard that song by Jeanelle (i think that's how you spell her name....) You're so Amazing? (if you haven't you totally need to!) Well, I've been going around my house singing my own version of that song. It goes something like this: This book's Amazing. :-) Better than the first! (if you can believe it) I was so happy to get this book. I've been waiting for it to release for, like, 4ever. The Halflings series has to be the only paranormal book about angels I have ever enjoyed. And boy am I hooked. Have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you were depressed because you finished it?  Well, that's exactly how I felt. I was so disappointed I didn't have anymore of Guardian to read I moped around the house for a couple of days desperately wishing
that an extra 400 pages would magically appear at the end of the book. And the super duper surprising twist!!!! It was awesome!
And now on to more tricky matters, I'm in serious denial about Nikki's parents being alive. They can't be. (I'm going to sound like a jerk) But I really hope they're not alive. I think that would just take away from the reality factor a little. It would make it to happy, I think. But I'm warped that way)
And now I'm torn. In Halflings I was desperately hoping that Nikki would dump Mace and get together with Raven but now I'm not so sure. I think I'm warming up to the idea of Nikki&Mace. (although if I was Nikki I would totally go for Raven.....)
Guardian is the long-awaited sequel to the awesometastic book Halflings! Do NOT Miss This Series!!! I am just tickled pink (and well, every other color of the color spectrum too) to have this awesome book on my shelf! Thank you very very very very much Ms. Burch! You ROCK! <3 p="p">
I spy with my little eye something Green, Awesome, and On My Bookshelf:

Heather Burch Interview!!!

So what happens when you like a book? You talk about it over and over and over driving your mother, father, brother, and all faithful blog readers batty with it, right? Well, what happens when you like the book's author as much as you liked the book? You sing her praises to everyone you meet, tell everyone about her book, and yes, host her on your blog over and over and over. (But hopefully I'm not driving you batty because today she's back and better than ever! With all new interview questions and answers.)Please give a big roaring round of applause to welcome back the one and only..................

HEATHER BURCH!!!

(yes, confetti's falling from the sky, fireworks are booming, and the crowd can't stop cheering.)

" Thanks Brenna for asking me to stop by!"

1: What or Who was your inspiration to write the Halflings series?
The idea just came to me. Then, it wouldn’t let me rest. I thought about those winged teenagers day and night. So I started telling their story. And I still haven’t stopped. :)

2:  Tell us about your newest book Guardian?

Guardian releases in October and continues Nikki’s struggle to learn who she is. Dangers intensify and Nikki must use her ability as a seer or countless lives will be lost. Tempers flair between Mace and Raven causing Nikki to run from the very people keeping her alive. When she lands in the hands of the one man able to destroy her, she may pay for the mistake with her life.
As you know, Halflings ended on something of a cliff hanger. Guardian answers a lot of questions and there’s a HUGE reveal at the end. I absolutely can’t wait for people to read it. It was so much fun to write!

3: If the Halflings series was made into a movie who would you want to play Nikki, Mace, Raven, and Vine?
I recently got to meet Sierra Sable—the cover model for Halflings, Guardian and Avenger. She is super sweet and spending some time with her, I realized … she’d be a great Nikki. As far as the boys, wow. I don’t know. Their characters are so larger than life. Do you have any suggestions? Maybe people could comment with suggestions too. I’d love to know what everyone thinks!

4: What would you want the Halflings theme song to be?
Something haunting and cool, but a little bit sad. There’s an old song by Bad Company. It goes, “Seagull you fly across the horizon into the misty morning sun. Nobody asks you where you are going, nobody cares where you’re from.” It always makes me think of the Halflings.

5: Where do you get the ideas for your characters?
Mace and Raven are carbon copies of my two boys. One is an athlete and totally an in charge leader. The other is a free spirit musician. It’s funny because they are total opposites … and best friends.
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Okay! Thank you so much for dealing with me again, Ms. Burch! :D Any suggestions for the smokin' hot bad-boy Raven? Or how about the quiet relaxed Mace? Tell me in the comments! I would love to hear them!

Also, Ms. Heather Burch will be at the Edison Mall, October 19, in Ft. Myers, Florida, signing her books!!!! Please be sure stop by if you are in the area and be sure get a book signed for me please!!! My address is....oh, never mind. I'll just have to wait until Ms. Burch comes to my state. Bummer I hate waiting.

And don't forget:


Check out my review for Halflings here: Review for Halflings
My cover convo. (including the newest cover): Cover conversation

You can preorder Guardian here: Guardian

And you can get your totally wonderful copy of Halflings here: Halflings
Visit Heather Burch's website for news, events, and more: http://www.heatherburchbooks.com/

Oh and Ms. Burch, if you're reading this: If Halflings is ever made into a movie could I be an extra? I don't want a big part I just want to meet Raven in person. *sighs dreamily*

Thanks again! Have a great weekend guys! :-P

Avenger Cover Convo!

So coming out April 2013 is Heather Burch's new book (Halflings #3) AVENGER!!!! And o.m.g is the cover just amazing! (btw, Guardian got a new cover too check it out in the cover convo page) That has got to be the coolest shade of purple I have ever seen! Wow. :) And Nikki looks kick-butt baby! Oh yeah! :) She kind of reminds me of Black Widow in the Avengers. With the way she standing and all. So, Ms. Heather I have no idea who your cover designer is but he/she needs a raise because this is just amazing! I'm so excited to read this book!

And for a little refresher here's the first two covers in the series:

(Halflings: available now)

(and the new cover of Guardian: available October 2012. pre-order on Amazon today!)

And here 6 questions on Heather Burch's author interview:

1: How long have you been writing?

Forever, I think. I wrote my first story at about age six. My mom sent it into the newspaper and they printed it. But until I got the idea for Halflings, I wasn’t writing YA although my books seemed to always have teenagers in them.

2:Was there a specific message you wanted to get across in Halflings?

I wanted to write a story you couldn't put down. Halflings is all about sacrifice. The deeper the sacrifice, the more haunting the story. I've watched people make incredible sacrifices—life changing ones—and I’m humbled by that. Sacrifice is beautiful.

3:Who was your favorite character in the book?

Oh, that’s so hard to say. I can tell you this, I really have a soft spot for Vine. Everything he’s discovering in book one paves the way for his own story later on.

4: Who was the easiest to write?

Raven. Always Raven. He’s an author’s dream because he keeps things interesting and churned up.

5: Who was the hardest?

Mace. He’s so stoic and strong. Hard to find a lot of flaws with wonder boy. I love him. But he didn’t make my job easy.

6: Are you working on another book now? If so, would you like to tell us what it is about?

Book 2, Guardian, is complete and will release in October. I’m so excited to share the next installment of the Halflings Series. Book Three,Avenger, is also done and will release next spring.

Here’s a little about Guardian: The mission to safeguard Nikki Youngblood depends on the fragile alliance of two half-angel, half-human guardians, both struggling with intense feelings for the girl who has been assigned to their care. Mace, steadfast and deeply in love, wants to protect Nikki at all costs, while Raven's loyalty to Nikki finds him advocating for her independence and battling his own darker inclinations. At the same time, Nikki finds it harder and harder to choose between the two heavenly beings she may never have. Dangers intensify, and tensions between Mace and Raven flare as the purpose of their mission becomes clear. Can their defenses hold up to master manipulator Damon Vessler and the powerful secret he holds regarding Nikki's heritage? Can anyone protect Nikki from her true purpose and destiny?

Thank you guys for stopping by! :D

Author Interview with Heather Burch!

If you're a regular reader on my blog a few months I blogged a review for Halflings by Heather Burch (click link to see review) and also did a cover conversation on her new cover Guardian (although I heard it'll subject to change) so here's the link to see my Cover Convo: http://themaniacalbookworm.blogspot.com/2012/05/cover-conversation-4-guardian-by.html

And now after endless harassment I finally got Heather Burch to do an interview with me! (btw, I was kidding about harassing her. well, maybe....)

A look at Heather's book covers:

And now, take a bow Ms. Burch because the spotlight is on you!

"Thanks for the chance to talk about the Halflings Series." :)

1: How long have you been writing?

Forever, I think. I wrote my first story at about age six. My mom sent it into the newspaper and they printed it. But until I got the idea for Halflings, I wasn’t writing YA although my books seemed to always have teenagers in them.

2:Was there a specific message you wanted to get across in Halflings?

I wanted to write a story you couldn't put down. Halflings is all about sacrifice. The deeper the sacrifice, the more haunting the story. I've watched people make incredible sacrifices—life changing ones—and I’m humbled by that. Sacrifice is beautiful.

3:Who was your favorite character in the book?

Oh, that’s so hard to say. I can tell you this, I really have a soft spot for Vine. Everything he’s discovering in book one paves the way for his own story later on.

4: Who was the easiest to write?

Raven. Always Raven. He’s an author’s dream because he keeps things interesting and churned up.

5: Who was the hardest?

Mace. He’s so stoic and strong. Hard to find a lot of flaws with wonder boy. I love him. But he didn’t make my job easy.

6: Are you working on another book now? If so, would you like to tell us what it is about?

Book 2, Guardian, is complete and will release in October. I’m so excited to share the next installment of the Halflings Series. Book Three, Avenger, is also done and will release next spring.

Here’s a little about Guardian: The mission to safeguard Nikki Youngblood depends on the fragile alliance of two half-angel, half-human guardians, both struggling with intense feelings for the girl who has been assigned to their care. Mace, steadfast and deeply in love, wants to protect Nikki at all costs, while Raven's loyalty to Nikki finds him advocating for her independence and battling his own darker inclinations. At the same time, Nikki finds it harder and harder to choose between the two heavenly beings she may never have. Dangers intensify, and tensions between Mace and Raven flare as the purpose of their mission becomes clear. Can their defenses hold up to master manipulator Damon Vessler and the powerful secret he holds regarding Nikki's heritage? Can anyone protect Nikki from her true purpose and destiny?

And now, back to me. :)

Thank you Ms. Burch for that wonderful review! I am pumped for Avenger to come out! :D And can I just say, "Raven is the bomb! He's like Gale Hawthorne, Finnick Odair (both from Hunger Games), Tobias/Four (from Divergent), and Fang (from Maximum Ride) all rolled into one really awesome character! I drool on my book every time his name is on the page!" ;)

Guardian is on pre-order at Amazon.com: Pre-order Guardian on Amazon If Ms. Heather gets enough pre-orders she'll be sent on a book tour around the U.S.! So please pre-order because I really want to meet her! :)
But don't forget to read the first in the series too, Halflings is also available on Amazon (on Kindle too!): Halflings on Amazon

Heather Burch will be at the ICRS (international Christian retailers show) July 17 in Orlando! 

Check out the book trailer!

*Want more updates on more author interview, book reviews, and movie ramblings? Follow my blog by email or GFC!*

Cover Conversation #4: Guardian by Heather Burch

I got a message from Heather Burch asking to if I wanted to be an influencer for Guardian. This, of course, means that I get a copy of Guardian before it even comes out to the store. So in appreciation of this kindness, I decided to do a Cover Convo. for Guardian and Halflings. :)

Halflings' Cover:

This cover was eye catching. The dark sinister-looking woods in the background. The wings above her head. Yes, this cover definitely caught my eye. So I picked up the book and read it. I LOVED IT!!! Seriously, the only paranormal book that I enjoyed was Halflings. (Check out the review here: Halflings) So I immediately went to GoodReads and added Halflings #2 to my to-read shelf. This is the cover that I saw......(ready to see it?)........

Guardian's Release Date: October 2012 

I have to wait 5 MORE MONTHS for this book!!! :O So not fair! So we still have the dark and sinister-looking trees, the wings above her head, but we now see the other two main characters: Mace & Raven. (Let me just say, for all you chicks who dig bad boys, Raven is the Bomb! Seriously, who cares about Gale Hawthorne from Hunger Games or Tobias from Divergent? Raven beats them all hands down.) And the main character Nikki looks more kick-butt than she does on the Halflings cover. Which I'm really happy about. :) And the tagline is making me bounce in my seat in anticipation! "They chose to protect her but forgot to guard their hearts." *squeeeeeeeeeeeeee* I'm hyper ventilating. October. Come. NOW! Please! *pathetic whimper* Please? So if you haven't gotten the point that I'm super excited to read this book and I just adored Halflings then you need to read the post again. : ) And as a parting statement: Go buy your copy of this spectacular christian paranormal romance novel: Halflings!

Halflings Review by Heather Burch

Wow! Can't believe it's time for another review! Anyway, sorry it's going up so late my wonderful parents took the fam. to watch the Hunger Games (how cool is that! thnx mom & dad!) and we didn't get home till about 5 o'clock. (i know what you're thinking--"Yeah, Yeah. Excuses! Just get on with the review already!" Well, here it is......)



 HALFLINGS by HEATHER BURCH

Movie Rating: PG-13 for scenes of peril and scary imagesBook Rating: @@@@@ Genre: ParanormalSwearing: NoneInappropriate Scenes: NoneNumber of Pages: 286 (hardcover)Publisher: Zondervan

Back Blurb:

        After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves Halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret-and the wings that come with it.
        A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the earthly world.

What if following your heart meant losing your soul?

My Review:

        Now, I'm not big into paranormal so I only picked this book up for 2 reasons: (1) I fell in <3 with cover. It's amazing. and (2) the publisher. Zondervan is a Christian publisher and all of their books are clean. So I checked Halflings out of my library. It was Awesome! I really liked Nikki. She had some issues like the faint-every-time-I-see-you issue but she was still cool. And well let's face it. Mace and Nikki are a perfect match. (although I personally <3 the dark and mysterious Raven *drool*) Oh, and Damon Vessler seriously creeped me out. I did not like him at all! Perfect book for all you clean paranormal lovers! :D I seriously cannot wait to read Guardian!