Launch Party Wrap-Up

What a fantastic week it's been!

I want to thank everyone involved:

Momo @ Books Over Boys
Valerie @ Stuck in Books
Jennifer Armentrout
and last, but not least
Kate Kaynak & the fabulous people at Spencer Hill Press.

They are all truly awesome people here, and I'm so honored to get to work with them.

Also, a BIG thank you to all who visited, followed, subscribed, commented, & tweeted this week. I hope you stick around because it's only going to get better. Don't forget to spread the word!

So how did you like the party?!

Things are going to start being more "fansite-ish" from now on, so expect to be updated with the latest news, photos, and all things JLA & especially Covenant-related. I can't wait to get started!

Btw, I've got something AWESOME planned for next week already! You don't want to miss this EXCLUSIVE thing I've got in the works. I'm so excited I'm practically jumping up & down right now, LOL!

A couple things to keep in mind:

- The giveaways for a Covenant SWAG pack & PB copies of Half-Blood & Pure are still going on (link on the right sidebar)
- JLA's latest release, Tempting the Best Man, is ON SALE NOW as an ebook, and trust me, YOU WANT THIS BOOK! Loved it! (It's #18 on Barnes & Noble right now, too, which is incredible. Congrats Jen!)

- JLA's other popular series - The Lux series, is undergoing a HUGE promo event cleverly titled the #DaemonInvasion, so awesome. If you haven't read that series, you definitely should because it's great! Check out the details here and if you've read the book & want to join in on the fun, you can join my Elite Street Team - #Daemonized! Oh yea!

Author Interview - Jennifer Armentrout

Welcome to Day 5 of the Deity Island Launch Party!

Of course, this site would not exist without our leader and inspiration, Jennifer Armentrout. Such a fabulous writer, hilarious lady, and and kickass creator - she has easily become one of my favorite authors EVER! I honestly can't stop talking about how much I love this lady. From the very first page of Half-Blood, she sucked me in and I haven't been the same since. I was blown away by her second book, Obsidian (Lux series), and floored by Pure - Book 2 in the Covenant series.

She's got 5 books in this amazing and unforgettable series, a stand-alone named Cursed, 3 books in the Lux series, a new book deal with Disney Hyperion Books for her title Don't Look Back, & SO MUCH MORE! Seriously, this lady is a book pumping machine!

You would think that since she's done so much in such a short amount of time, her books wouldn't be that great. Well, you'd be wrong. She's awe-inspiring, talented, and downright unbelievable. Her books will leave you begging for more every time. Only bigger and better things are to come for this incredible author, and I can't wait to share it all with you.

Welcome Jennifer!

1. You just announced that there will be a 5th book in the Covenant Series titled Sentinel. Congrats! I'm so excited! How are you dealing with all the excitement and news? When will you be officially done with this fantastic world you created (production/writing/editing-wise)?

 I'm very excited, because initially I'd planned to end the series with Apollyon, but once I started writing Apollyon, I realized that the story needed more room to get the ending I think it deserves and the readers would want. I will probably be done by the end of this year or early next year.

 2. I know you can't pick a favorite series, but what was most interesting/fun to write out of all your books? Most difficult? Which book took you the longest to develop? 

I think whatever series I'm writing at the given moment is my favorite or most interesting to write. And it's funny, because when I'm nearing the end of a book, I am so ready to move on. So it works out. The Covenant Series took me the longest to develop, because the world is more complicated than what you currently see in the Lux Series. Pure was the hardest one to write. I had many false starts on that book. 

3. If the Covenant Series was made into a movie, who would you pick to play Alex, Aiden, & Seth? 

I am terrible at picking those kind of things. So I'm not even going to try, lol.

 4. There has been a TON of buzz over you in the last year, and it's well-deserved, believe me. How have you handled all the fame and success so far? Did you imagine/hope for all this when you first started out? 

Haha. Thank you! Fame? I don't know about that, lol. At least I don't see it that way. I'm an author. I write books about Greek gods and aliens. Not changing the world over here. I think the thing that most people know about me is the AMOUNT of books I've written. What a lot people don't realize is that Half-Blood was written in 2007/2008 and I didn't stop writing. A lot of contracts came through at one time. Do I write fast and a lot? Yes. But most of these books have been written over a span of a time. And I'm really happy with everything. I'm not sure what I was hoping for when I started out, but I'm glad that people are reading my books and enjoying them.

 5. What's next for you? Working on one of your 50 books that are coming out in the next two years (LOL)? Got something new in the works? Taking a break at all? ;) 

Haha. I have a few projects I need to finish and I'm currently finishing up a sekrit project that honestly is just for the fans. It's something a ton of people have requested, so I figured hey, why not? Hopefully I can share more on that soon.

My Favorite Pure Reviews - Guest Post by Stuck in Books

Welcome to Day 4 of the Deity Island Launch Party!

You knew I had to have Valerie @ Stuck in Books make a guest appearance here at Deity Island. Truly a diehard fan, she hosted the Pure Blog Tour, spews love for JLA like it's nobody's business, and runs an amazing blog to boot! She's definitely your "go-to" girl for all things JLA & Half-Blood and I'm so happy to welcome her the blog today.

Welcome Valerie!

Hey guys!  This is Valerie from StuckInBooks!

Got a little trip planed for ya today!  It's a trip around the internet to soak up the passion from some very excited bloggers talking about Pure, by Jennifer L. Armentrout (JLA).  She's such an incredible YA author and man can peeps get excited about her books.  I know I do!!!!
 

So first stop on this little adventure is Word Spelunking, where Aeicha reviews Pure.

Now check out the first line of this review!!!!

THREE WORDS: Holy Hotness Batman…three more words: all mah cries ;_;

I mean I can just feel her passion here, can't you????  AND I couldn't agree more!

Then there's this line that just sums everything I felt when I was finished with this book perfectly.

Breathless. Aching. Captivated. Desperate for more…this is how Pure left me long after closing the book.

Yep, think that about says it all.

What to check out the whole review, of course you do.  Find the whole fabulous thing here. 

 Next stop on our little road trip is Creative Reads where Shellie is a little exited. =)

Gotta love it!

Oh My Gods! I absolutely loved this book. I’m still stunned…and in awe. Aiden, Seth, Aiden, Seth, Aiden, Seth, Seth, Aiden?! Jennifer has, yet again, blown my mind with Pure.  I mean Holy. Hot. Damn! There is so much that happens that I was left speechless and yearning for Deity. Alex has some difficult choices to make, will she make the right one and what does it mean if she chooses wrong?

I think she liked the book, don't you?  Yep she does.  Check out the rest of her review here.

So the next of is a little shameless self-promotion on my part - well I didn't write it but it was on my blog, StuckInBooks.  One of my students wrote this one.  She is an 8th grader and her favorite author is absolutely JLA.  She bought Half-Blood and Pure with her grade money and then she walked around with them for weeks afterwards.  I noticed one day when she was having a hard time that she picked up one of JLA's books and hide for a while.  Made me happy.  That's how I feel about books - they're good friends that make me feel better.  That and I may have been the one to turn her on to JLA.

Enough from me - check out my girl Cora.

As I was reading Pure, I kept telling myself that I was just going to read one more chapter then return to reality but once I started it, I was sucked in. It’s impossible to put down.  I read Pure straight through in about ten hours.   This book kept me captivated.  There just wasn’t a boring page in the whole book.

Yeah, she's fabulous! Want to read the rest of her review? Find it here.

What's next?  Well only the queen's of the tourney - none other than YA Sisterhood.

What did I LOVE about this review?  Well, it's the mention of my boy Deacon - who I love.  He makes the number 9 of the top 10 things they love about Pure.  Check it out.

9.  Deacon

Aiden’s too cute little brother that follows in Aiden’s heartthrob footsteps.  We don’t know much about Deacon so far, but what we do know, we like!  He’s broken, just like Aiden, and keeps himself in a slightly drunken oblivion so he doesn’t have to deal with the loss of his parents.  Besides his heartbroken demeanor, we love that he stands up for Alex, refusing to treat her like a half-blood.

You want to know what the rest of the 10 were? You can find the complete list here.

Finally, I have this fab review to share from Book Passion For Life.  They quoted one of my all time favorite lines from Aiden. *SIGH* I just love Aiden and for the record - I am TEAM AIDEN NOW and FOREVER!!!!

“Ever since I’ve met you, I’ve wanted to break every rule.” Aiden turned away, the muscles in his neck tensing. He sighed. “You’ll become the center of someone’s world one day. And he’ll be the luckiest son of a b*tch on this earth.” – Aiden

Yeah, he's so ....perfect.  Those silver eyes and the way he tries so hard to do what's right and it's all to protect Alex.  He'd do anything for her.  That is love.

There was more to their review, of course, and you can read it here.

So there is so much LOVE for JLA's books and Pure had rave reviews!  Hope you check it out, cause it's epic!!!

As for me, well JLA has become my FAVORITE author.  The more I read from her the more I NEED to read from her.  It's a happy addition that I think she's pretty willing to feed!  If you want more about my thoughts on this book, you can read my review here.

Haven't started this series?  What?????? Well check it out here on Goodreads.

Editor Interview - Kate Kaynak

Welcome to Day 3 of the Deity Island Launch Party!

I'm so VERY pleased to welcome Kate Kaynak, the editor of JLA's books - the Covenant series & Cursed (JLA's stand-alone due this Fall).

Kate recognized a star when she "saw" it, and she definitely found one in Jennifer Armentrout. As an editor, you work closely with the author to perfect their book and help in the process of creating masterpieces. It's a pretty important job!

Welcome Kate!

1. What first attracted you to Half-Blood?

The first thing I ever read from Jennifer was a query she submitted for a contest on Disgruntled Bear (the book in question eventually became CURSED, but that's another story). Her submission didn't win the contest, but I was intrigued enough by her writing to ask if she'd written anything else. She sent me HALF-BLOOD, which I read in a single sitting (I'm amazed my children are still alive--I really wouldn't have noticed if the house was being attacked by daimons). I made her the publication offer the next day, which NEVER happens in publishing. But it was Just. That. Good.


2. What is it like working with JLA? Editing? Deadlines? The process, etc.

Jennifer is one of my favorite authors to work with. Every book she sends me is an absolute gem--wonderful characters, perfect pacing, amazing twists, etc.--so the "big picture" edits I usually suggest to authors are almost nonexistent. And as for deadlines, she's a wicked fast writer, so that's never a problem. We usually talk and email about any possible changes, and we pass a single manuscript back and forth a couple of times going from the big picture edits (pacing, character development, scene expansion, etc.), to line edits (word choice, continuity, etc.), to proofing.


3. What is your favorite book of the series? Favorite character?

I'm not sure I have a favorite book--I love the series as a whole. But as for favorite character, I smile every time Seth enters a scene, because I just KNOW things are about to get even more interesting. Seth never just shows up to grab a sandwich and leave.


4. Any teasers you can give us from Deity?

Well, it's called "Deity" for a reason, so you *know* you're going to be meeting a Big Kahuna or two.


5. Team Aiden or Team Seth?

Team Aiden all the way. I adore Seth, but I like my leading men the way I like my coffee--hot, strong, and sweet.

Thanks so much!

Launch Party Event: Giveaways!

Welcome to Day 2 of the Deity Island Launch Party!

I've got some amazing giveaways for a few lucky fans to celebrate the launch of #DeityIsland.

How about some swag? A BIG Thank You to Spencer Hill Press for providing the amazing swag. It's so awesome, trust me, you want to win this one!

My Favorite Half-Blood Reviews - Guest Post by Books Over Boys

Welcome everyone to Day 1 of the Deity Island Launch Party!

I thought I'd start things off right with a fantastic post from Momo @Books Over Boys. When I think of Diehard fans of JLA & Half-Blood, Momo always comes to mind. She rocked the #HalfBloodLegion and supported Alex through and through during the YA Sisterhood tournament. Always ready to talk your ear off over anything HB-related, she's here today to tell you about her favorite HB reviews and more.

Welcome Momo!!! ^_^

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by this awesome site put together by the even more awesome, Vivian! Also, another thank you to Vi for letting me guest post today about some of my favorite Half-Blood reviews!

I'm sure it's no surprise that I am a ginormous die-hard fan of the Covenant series and JLA! Her writing is easily relate-able and it's just a whole lot of fun to read! While reading her work, there won't ever be a dry moment because there's humor in everything...even some of the sad moments! I'm not quite sure how I found out about Half-Blood (read my review) and JLA but I'm just glad I did because the series has quickly become one of my most favorite! Like I had already mentioned above, I love JLA's writing; something about it makes it really easy and fun to read. She's a great storyteller and her protagonist, Alex is - omg, kickass amazing! In my life, humor is a huge thing and the Covenant series is packed with an arsenal of laugh out loud hilarity! That's gotta be the number one reason why I love it so much! Alex is definitely a strong character - no doubt about that - and she stands out to me among many of the other characters I've read about because she's just so funny and she's easy to relate to! Being a fan of this series has been so amazing and uber awesome! Being able to work closely with the author to reveal exclusive things about the series and getting to read stuff before everyone else has been one of the greatest privilege! Also, the fanbase for these books are...no words can explain it! The #HalfBloodLegion is amazing! Their love for JLA always warms my heart and man...you guys don't wanna mess with Half-Blood because they'll be on you like aether-hungry daimons! ;) Needless to say, JLA has made a fan out of me for life so whatever she writes from here on out, I will read it, always!

1st review: Jenuine Cupcakes

The heroine is Alex, this total badass girl who doesn't take junk from anyone yet she still has a girlie girl side to her. She's incredibly brave, knowing she was born to rid her world of evil no matter the cost, even if it means possibly losing her own life. She challenges authority, breaking lots of rules but not just because she's trying to be difficult, but because those rules are wrong and unfair to begin with. She's witty and sarcastic, with a great sense of humor and while she knows she's not riding the ugly train, she has no idea just how beautiful she really is.

The two main guys, Aiden and Seth agree she's the most beautiful girl they've ever seen and are constantly having "words" with each other. Their exchanges are very entertaining and create quite the interesting love conundrum. Why didn't I say love triangle? Wellll, because it's complicated.

(If Alex had a Facebook profile, her relationship status would totes read: "It's Complicated")

So, I've come to the conclusion that Jennifer L. Armentrout is made of awesomesauce and her books are like dessert for me - just the right about of decadence and deliciousness and if given the choice, I will read them first. ;) *licks fingers*

To read the rest of this really entertaining and awesome post, click here.

2nd review: Creative Reads

Ah, what to say about this absolutely amazing debut?! Well for one it will rock your socks off, two is uber fantasic, so much so that you can't put it down & third it's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (yep, I went there)! Alright now that I have that out of my system on to the actual review of Half-Blood.

I was first grabbed by the Prequel & couldn't wait for the release of Half-Blood, book #1 of the Covenant series.

The love in this novel is heart wrenching, it's not the instalove that some characters have & I love that about it. Here we have 2 people who love each other but know the consequences of showing that love, or letting anyone find out about. The mythology that is tied into this is amazing. The names all have a special meaning to them that relate to the storyline. The cover art on Half-Blood has a big meaning behind it, as soon as I saw it I knew why it was that way. If you haven't, read Daimon & you'll understand.

The way that Jennifer has written this is like you are right there along with Alex throughout her journey, in training, fighting, & her feelings about love. Half-Blood brings you an action packed, love swooned, & emotional story. I absolutely cannot wait for Pure to be released.

To read the rest of this review, click here.

3rd review: Emilie's Book World

So Jennifer L. Armentrout is kind of amazing and I'm kicking myself for not having picked up Half-Blood sooner. But when I did pick it up I pretty much fell in love. With the book, with the story, with the characters, with the world. Basically I fell in love with everything about this book. The mythology was interesting and was in large part what drew me in to the book at first. Jennifer L. Armentrout wrote an incredible story that captivated me completely from start to finish. Every time I tried to put the book down, I found myself reading just one more chapter. The next thing I knew, I had read the entire book in one day. So yeah, all that to say that the book was amazing.

I loved Alex right from page one. Though she appeared just to be your typical sarcastic teenage girl, she turned out to be so much more than that. Every page I turned I discovered something new about her and I loved her even more. It was great to see her come into her own as the story moved forward. 

Half-Blood was an absolutely wonderful book. I cannot wait for more in Pure and from now on I will make sure to read everything written by the fantastic Jennifer L. Armentrout.

To read the rest of this review, click here.

4th review: Shortie Says

Firstly, I love the cover art-work for this series. They are all absolutely beautiful! I love how they are more design oriented. Plus, Half-Blood is a purple (my favorite color) hibiscus... how gorgeous! Second, this book is one of the best debut books I've read. I absolutely loved every part of Half-Blood. From the opening, intense chapter to the final touching pages. It has compelling characters, an intense story line, plenty of laughs, irresistible romance, and so many great morals.

The characters I have to say I loved them all in some sort of way, even the evil ones. One thing I love is when you at first detest a character but then you realize you missed something and grow to like them. I've always been fond of the name Caleb and in Half-Blood, I completely fell for his character. He's the perfect, good-looking, guy best friend and he can come be my friend any day of the week!

To read the rest of this review, click here.

5th review: The Book Basement

Half-Blood completely blew me away. I didn't really expect much from this book and I was incredibly surprised at how much I loved it. Half-Blood is about a girl named Alex--a half-blood--who's been running with her mother for the past three years, as opposed to living safely in the Covenant. But daimons are chasing her down and her mother gets killed, which means that Alex is taken back to the Covenant.

From the get-go, I got sucked into Alex's story. This book is very fast-paced and hilarious! The plot was always so spellbinding and the characters were totally amazing.


Alex is seriously my favorite heroine ever. She is so kick butt and freaking hilarious. I loved her. She was very snarky and stubborn, but also extremely strong and feisty. Alex was basically the epitome of an awesome protagonist.

To read the rest of this review, click here.

Of course, I couldn't really just choose five so here are two more that I really, really, really like. Almost love, even. :)

6th review: Stuck In Books

The characters in the book are dynamic and real. 


Alex has a very strong personality. She doesn’t do well with rules yet she lives in a situation that could blow up in her face at any moment if she doesn’t follow those rules. Despite this, Alex remains a strong, reckless, and compelling. 


Aiden is super hot. His pure blood status keeps him off limits to Alex but that doesn’t mean she isn’t looking. He is strong, mysterious, wounded, and determined to help her. I love his fierce patience with her and his quiet manner. 


Caleb is the biggest supporting character and he is a great friend to Alex. At first I thought he was a love interest but it became clear quickly that he is just a very supportive friend. 


Seth comes into the story mid-book and is quite the mystery. He is the Apollyon, a half-blood who controls all four elements and more. There certainly is some strange connection between Alex and him and I love how he gets under Alex’s skin.

To check out the rest of Val's review, click here.

7th review: [Fikt]shun

I was blown away by this book – clear across Lake Lure and right onto Deity Island. I knew from reading Daimon that I would be. I could just tell that this author knew how to grab readers from just how ensnared I got reading that short story.

But when it came to Half-Blood I was more than grabbed. I was transfixed. The first time I read it I did not put it down. Not for one single second. I was so totally caught up in that world that I never wanted to leave.

And when I had to, after that tiny glimpse into Pure, the next book in the series, it was like waking from a dream and all I wanted was to go back to sleep and return to the enchanting world she created.

Alex is seriously one of the fiercest heroines I’ve met. She can take a kick, punch or total beat-down and barely flinch. But she’s not so super tough that you can’t feel her pain and despair as she fights to escape the terrible situations she’s put in.

To check out the rest of Rachel's fab review, click here.

• • • • • • • • • • •

These are just a few reviews among the thousands and thousands of reviews out there that highly praise Half-Blood...and they're high praises for a reason: because Half-Blood is seriously that amazing! I hope you guys stick around and make yourself at home here at Deity Island because there will be lots of fun things coming up!

Also, check back tomorrow and...the rest of the week as we celebrate the launch of the first official fansite for the Covenant series!

Deity Island Launch Party Details

Yes! It's almost time for our very special Deity Island Launch Party!!!!!

Woohoo!!!

We've got some great things planned and so much more in the future. I hope you all have fun here, grab a button, subscribe via RSS, GFC, or email and show your support for the #HalfBloodLegion & #DeityIsland!!!!

Here's what's going down starting Monday (links will be added accordingly):

Monday, 4/23: 5 Favorite Half-Blood Reviews from a Diehard Fan (Guest Post featuring Momo @ Books Over Boys)
Tuesday, 4/24: SWAG Pack & Book Giveaways
Wednesday, 4/25: Interview with Spencer Hill Press Editor - Kate Kaynak
Thursday, 4/26: 5 Favorite Pure Reviews from a Diehard Fan (Guest Post featuring Valerie @ Stuck in Books)
Friday, 4/27: Interview with Author - Jennifer Armentrout

Buttons! I've Got Buttons!

I just totally toiled and slaved away at making blog buttons, lol. Okay, not really, but I went a little button crazy!

Don't you just LOVE it?!

There's more here and I added some HB Legion badges, created by the lovely Momo from Books Over Boys.

I love how things are coming together nicely and I'm getting more and more excited for the BIG Launch Party coming soon!

First Post! Things Are Under Way!

I'm so happy, anxious, excited, giddy, crazed and about a million other emotions over this BRAND NEW fan site for the Covenant Series. I kept wondering what the first post was going to be - an intro, news, photos, etc - and decided to just do an intro/update of how things are coming along in the background.

As you can see, I just created a nice (at least I think so) little header featuring the cover of Book 3 in the Covenant Series - Deity; pretty convenient since this is Deity Island! ;)

I think I'm going to stick with this look for awhile until things start picking up and I see where I want to take this.

I am slowly filling up the sidebars and footers on the blog and all the pages have been fully updated, but I'll continue to work on them as needed and I'll let you know if something new comes up! In case you have no idea what's going on, check out the Books section to familiarize yourself with this amazing series of books. And, honestly, if you haven't read any of these books you really don't know what you're missing!!! It's. So. GOOD.

Anyways...

I'll be doing an official Launch Party post/event thing once I set the date and have all my affairs in order. I don't know what I have planned just yet, but there will be prizes, that's for sure!

For now, I'd love a follow, by any of the lovely ways made possible via the left sidebar, and be sure to check back often for lots more goodies, news, and fun things here on Deity Island! (I feel like I should have a sound fx button every time I say that, kind of like Law & Order, LOL!)