Synopsis: Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Check out my review for

Flying Blind - HERE

How was the switch from being an adult paranormal romance writer to the YA genre for you and what obstacles, if any did you face throughout the process?

The main challenge for me was the chronological timeline of the new series. The Dragonfire series is rooted in real time – because firestorms are linked to eclipses – and Zoë was born in 2008. That meant she’d turn 16 in 2024. I had to think about what the world might be like by then for teenagers – I decided it would not be much different, but that they’d have more powerful gadgets for keeping track of each other, listening to music, etc. I also had to think about the Dragonfire world itself – in that world, the Pyr are locked into a final battle with the Slayers. That war will be over by 2024. I knew who would win (!) but the defeat of the Slayers meant that the Pyr – and Zoë – would need new enemies. Enter the Mages.

Being that your adult series is about dragons, did you know you always wanted to write a cross over of sorts for a younger audience? (NOTE there are some spoilers within Deborahs answer for her adult Dragonfire series, so proceed with caution!)

No. The Dragon Diaries (http://www.thedragondiaries.com/) grew organically out of my Dragonfire series (http://www.deborahcooke.com/). In my Dragonfire world, there is only ever one female dragon shape shifter – she’s called the Wyvern and has special powers. Well, I killed the existing Wyvern in Dragonfire #3 (KISS OF FATE) so the child conceived in that book was a girl (they’re usually boys). I assumed, along with the other Pyr, that Zoë would ultimately become the new Wyvern. It took me a few years to realize that she (like the guy dragon shifters) would come into her powers at puberty, but that (unlike the guy dragon shifters) she’d have no one to tell her what being the Wyvern meant, or even what all of the Wyvern’s powers might be. The last Wyvern is dead, after all. As soon as I thought of a 15 year old girl coming to terms with all of that, plus being in high school, I realized Zoë’s coming of age story would make a fun YA paranormal. Fortunately, my editor agreed.

From the subject of many of your books and also reading that you are fascinated with dragons, when did this start for you and what, originally, was the draw to them?

I think that my interest in dragons began with reading J.R.R. Tolkien. I always really liked Smaug and thought he got a bit of a bum rap.

Is there any other paranormal creature you’d like to write about someday?

I write about lots of paranormal creatures! I’ve written romances featuring other shape shifters – wolves and big cats – as well as a lot of stories featuring fairies. And I did a trilogy with fallen angel heroes, too. Most of these have been published under my pseudonym Claire Delacroix. I have written one vampire short story – “Coven of Mercy” – for an anthology, and if time permitted, I could see myself writing more in that series.

Can you share with us one word that best describes each of the main characters in Flying Blind?

I do think that it’s safe to say that all the dragon shifters are passionate.

Zoë – analytical. (I also think she’s funny.)
Garrett –loyal
Nick – impulsive
Liam – sympathetic
Isabelle – intuitive
Meagan - genius

Can you share with us a favorite line or two from Flying Blind?

I like that Zoë thinks about keeping an “Incinerate Next” list.

What was the hardest part in writing Flying Blind?

I loved writing this series. I think that the hardest part was the schedule, because the house really wanted to release the books at six month intervals. This is great visibility and it was great for the house to be so excited. It’s also terrific for readers because they don’t have to wait as long between books, but it has been a bit manic on my end. I’m going to take a little vacation and catch my breath!

Lastly, being that Flying Blind is part of a trilogy, will you be writing any other books for young adults in the future? And if so, can you tell us anything about it?

I don’t know. Nothing has been decided as yet, although my editor and I have bounced some ideas around. We won’t really talk about it until Zoë’s third book is completely done later this summer. It would be fun, though, so fingers crossed!

Deborah, Thanks so much for stopping by! It was great to have you here on the blog today. Feel free to stop in anytime!

Thanks for inviting me to visit!

The Second book in the Dragon Diaries - Winging It will be released December 6th, 2011 from NAL

Synopsis: Zoë Sorensson yearns to come into her powers as the only female dragon shifter. But being part of two worlds is more complicated than she expected. It’s bad enough that she’s the target of the Mages’ plan to eliminate all shifters—she also has to hide her true nature from her best friend Megan, a human. For her sixteenth birthday, all Zoë wants is one normal day, including a tattoo and a chance to see hot rocker Jared.

Instead, the Pyr throw her a birthday party but ban Megan from attendance, putting Zoë in a tight spot. Things get even worse when Zoe is invited to the popular kids’ Halloween party and Megan’s left out. Zoë knows the party is a trap laid by the host, an apprentice Mage. When Megan gets a last-minute invite, Zoë must save the day—and her best friend—without revealing her fire-breathing secrets . . .

photo credit: Michelle Rowen

Find Deborah Online:

Website | Blog | Facebook

Title: Flying Blind (The Dragon Diaries, #1)
Author: Deborah Cooke
Publisher: NAL, 336 Pages (June 7th 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: The next generation of shape-shifting dragons from the popular author of the Dragonfire novels.

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for an interview with Deborah Cooke!

Review: 4 Stars - Author Deborah Cooke has written a new generation, a younger generation within the world of her adult Dragonfire series novels with a trilogy in the Young Adult genre – The Dragon Diaries. Flying Blind is the first book introducing the YA world to her younger Pyr characters, the dragon shape shifters who live among humans in a world not much unlike our own.

Zoe is a special kind of Pyr. She’s the only female of their race. She’s a Wyvern, and has special powers to help her one day lead the whole of the Pyr race. The only problem is, her powers, including shifting into a dragon aren’t playing nice. She can’t seem to figure them out and it’s frustrating for her in more ways than one.

When something happens and she taps ever so slightly into her Pyr powers – her father, the current head of all the Pyr, sends her along to a boot camp with her friends – other teen Pyr in the hopes that she’ll be able to learn more of what her powers are and how to be able to command them at will. When trouble hits it’s up to Zoe and new friend Jared to get the others on board to save other Pyr that are in danger. And I just have to mention that I loved Jared. He might not be in the story all that much, but he’s a huge key part of things to come. I’m hoping we get to see more of him in the next two books.

This was a great start to the trilogy. Zoe is dealing with more than what a normal teenage girl has to deal with, but Cooke has done a great job in making sure that many real issues that teenage girls have to deal with are also there for Zoe. She might be able to shift into a dragon and has amazing powers, but she’s a teen girl who has dreams and crushes and worries just as any other girl does.

I liked the different sides of Zoe we get to see and learn about while reading. The lists she makes to figure things out showed a serious side to her and a need for understanding. This was a nice balancing act to make her seem older when her sometimes younger side comes out. The guys around her, all the other teen Pyr’s were hard to get to know… for the reasons why, you’ll have to read the book to find out. However, I’m sure we’re bound to learn more about them in the next two books.

The bits and pieces of myth that we learn along the way were great, but I wish there was more. I loved how Jared had knowledge when Zoe needed it and was willing to help her out when others wouldn’t or more so couldn’t. His part of the story for me was like unlocking secrets for not only Zoe, but for the reader as well.

All in all, I really enjoyed Flying Blind. Cooke’s dragon shifters are unique and extremely interesting, while her story kept me entertained and ready to read more. With characters that grow on the pages before your eyes, I’m more than looking forward to reading the next two books in the Trilogy. Winging It – book two is set to be released December 2011, with the 3rd book to follow soon after. If you are a fan of dragons or are looking for a great new take on them be sure to pick up this book soon.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Betrayal (Haunting Emma, #2)
Author: Lee Nichols
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 268 Pages (March 1st 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive—one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar—Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good. As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.

Review: 4.5 Stars - Betrayal is the second book in the Haunting Emma trilogy by author Lee Nichols. I first learned about this trilogy last year when the first book – Deception – was highlighted on a few blogs. I hadn’t heard of the book at that point, but I was more than interested in the story. I read the first book and that huge cliffhanger ending was and shocker to say the least. I was hooked from those first few pages and by the ending I couldn’t wait to read Betrayal.

Nichols story, characters and writing has made the first two books some of my favorites I’ve read this year and last. She knows how to draw you into the mystery and that of the ghostkeeper world, keeping the reader guessing just what might happen next.

Emma has so much to deal with in these first two books and if they are any indication, we know she’ll be up against even more in the final book in the trilogy. She’s still learning all that there is to know when it comes to who she is as a girl and also as a ghostkeeper. I find myself more and more drawn to Emma and her ever growing strength, especially as she continues to peel back all the layers of her present and the past. Not to mention the history of the ghostkeepers that she’s also learning about and coming to terms with. Nichols sprinkles Emma’s history and the ghostkeepers history throughout, giving you a much more rounded look at the world and her characters.

And then there’s Bennett – he has his own struggles in this book, and I have no idea just where he’ll come out after all that’s happened in this one. It was hard reading parts of the story – trying to see things from both Emma’s and Bennett’s side of things. He thinks he’s doing what’s best for Emma and the ghostkeepers in the long term, but, is he really? Needless to say, some shocking things happen, things I didn’t see coming and the only way to find the answers is in the third book that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

All in all, the Haunting Emma trilogy, for me is a must read. If you love ghosts and are looking for a good story, with great main and side characters then be sure to pick up a copy of the first two books today and keep an eye out for the third book – Surrender which will be released in December 2011. I love this series and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Publisher: HarperCollins, 368 Pages (June 7th 2011)
From: the Publisher/Amazon Vine Program - Thank You!

Synopsis: 2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

Review: 4 Stars - Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have) By: Sarah Mlynowski is one of those perfect summer reads. It’s a blend of teen angst and events/situations that the characters find themselves facing that make this a book readers will easily become absorbed in.

When our main character April gets some news she never saw coming, that her dad and step mom are moving the family away, she has the normal teen reaction. She doesn’t want to go and finds a way where she can finish out the school year and stay where her boyfriend and friends are. April has some issues to deal with; she thinks she knows what’s best and was a bit naive to many things. I was shocked she didn’t know how to run a dishwasher or even wash her clothes. Yet she found a way to live on her own with her friend Vi.

Speaking of, the two come up with a way to trick Aprils family into thinking that Vi’s mom is there as well and somehow their planning all comes together. I couldn’t believe that the two got away with as much as they did. The whole thing was pretty unbelievable, but, none the less it was an extremely entertaining story with character that’ll make you laugh and cringe.

I loved how the book was broken up into the ten things that went wrong. All the things that April and her friends shouldn’t have done. There are lessons to learn and growing pains that the characters, especially April have to go through, to grow up, and move on. Dealing with issues in their past and new issues in the present force April and her friends to come to terms with things so they can get through the year. I liked that there was more to the story, the characters had to deal with other issues and not just the ten crazy things they did.

Then we have April’s boyfriend Noah who was a huge part of the story. It’s the little things that she starts to notice that become larger parts of their relationship. We see her work through what become troubling issues, to better understand what’s happening in their relationship. I wondered about him while reading, wanting to know what was going on for April’s sake. Its stories such as this, that make you feel invested into the characters lives and how you want better for them and Mlynowski does just that with her writing and the issues within the story.

April has some great people on her side including Hudson who’s there for her when Noah isn’t, can’t or won’t. She finds herself attracted to him because he’s sweet and caring. She struggles with this because of her relationship with Noah, which make her more honest and real. I loved Hudson, he was such an easy going character.

Ten Things is a books many will easily be able to read in one sitting. It’s the highly entertaining characters, real issues and crazy events that they find themselves in that are the driving force behind the story. With moments that’ll have you ready to pull your hair out, yell “NO!” and others that’ll have you laughing out loud, Mlynowski has created characters that you’ll quickly find yourself invested in. If you’re looking for a great summer read, be sure not to pass this one by.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Just Picked" is a feature here at A Life Bound By Books. This is a place where I'll be spotlighting new (and old) childrens book or picture books for parents and new readers. It's a place to talk about books for a younger group and to try to help create a new generation of readers.

Title: Bee & Bird
Author: Craig Frazier
Illustrator: Craig Frazier
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 40 Pages (May 10th 2011)
Age Range: 2 to 6
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Things are not always what they appear to be in this mezmerizing tale of a bee and a bird's epic journey. These brilliantly hued illustrations by Craig Frazier look good enough to eat, and the simple but surprising story will entrance young readers . . . and everyone else.

Review: 4 Stars - Bee & Bird by Craig Frazier shows amazing illustrations that take on a different point of view with the turn of each page, showing that sometimes all isn’t what it seems. With brightly colored pictures, it follows a bee and a bird as they go on an adventure.

I loved Frazier’s illustrations, and the lack of words makes this a true picture book. However, words aren’t needed with a book with art such as this. You know what they say; a picture is worth a thousand words.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.