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So many books, so little time! Here are some of the books that I really enjoyed in 2015, listed alphabetically by title. Click on the titles to read my reviews:

Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman
All the Rage by Courtney Summers
Dead Ringers by Christopher Golden
A Deafening Silence in Heaven by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Edgewater by Courtney Sheinmel
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Sounds Like Me: My Life (so far) in Song by Sara Bareilles
Tin Men by Christopher Golden
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten


Check out my full list: Best Books of 2015 - as posted at my blog, Bildungsroman.


What were some of your favorite books from 2015? Leave the titles in the comments below!

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Hot on the heels of his latest release, A Deafening Silence in Heaven, and the announcement of his next series, The Demonists, there's another Tom Sniegoski book on the horizon: Savage.

Sidney and her friends must race to find the origin of a storm that has hit their small island home - turning every animal into savage weapons - in this suspenseful thriller from New York Times bestselling author Thomas E. Sniegoski.

The future is looking bright for Sidney Moore as she as she gets ready to leave the small island of Benediction behind for one of Boston's top veterinary schools. Only a few small bumps in the road to navigate before she can go - her father's recovery from a debilitating stroke, and her own guilt for ending her relationship with her high school sweetheart. But she's always been strong willed, and she's not about to let anything stop her from achieving her goals.

Now a storm is bearing down on Benediction, a hurricane that will bring devastating winds and rain, rising tides...and something else. Something deadly; something that will transform all the things that creep, crawl, and flutter into instruments of terror and death.

The future is looking bright for Sidney Moore...if only she can survive the storm.

Savage by Thomas E. Sniegoski will be published on May 31st, 2016 by Simon Pulse.

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It's time for a new Remy Chandler novel! Here's a sneak peek of A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN by Thomas E. Sniegoski, now available in bookstore everywhere:


He was once known as the angel Remiel. But, generations ago, Boston PI Remy Chandler renounced Heaven and chose to live on Earth, hiding among us humans, fighting to save our souls...

Remy Chandler is hovering on the brink of death, surrounded by friends who are trying to ward off those who would take advantage of his vulnerability. Unbeknownst to them, the greatest threat to Remy is one they can’t fight - God himself. The Almighty dispatches Remy far beyond their reach, to an alternate universe where there has been an apocalyptic catastrophe: the Unification.

Only as he hunts down the source of this calamity, it becomes clearer and clearer that the person responsible for the tragedy may have been none other than Remy himself.

And while he searches for a way to stop his world from following in the footsteps of the doomed alternate reality, enemies are massing in his universe. For the Unification is at hand and, this time, Remy may be powerless to affect its outcome...

Read an excerpt.

A Deafening Silence in Heaven is the latest in a series. I've read them all, and I recommend them all.

Read them in order:

           

To learn more about the series, visit the website: http://www.sniegoski.com/apocalypse/

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It's time for a cover reveal for a new series: The Demonists by Thomas E. Sniegoski.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Fallen series and the Remy Chandler series comes a new dark fantasy series filled with demons, exorcisms, and the fight against the darkness.

There is more to our world than meets the eye - darker things, crueler things. Exorcist John Fogg and his wife, psychic medium Theodora Knight, know what lurks in the shadows. But even they're not prepared for the worst Hell has to offer...

It was supposed to be a simple exorcism, a publicity stunt to firmly establish John and Theodora's thriving paranormal investigation empire in the public eye. But something went wrong, leading to an on-air massacre that unleashed a malicious host of demons and left Theodora catatonic, possessed by countless spirits.

John sets out on a desperate quest to find a cure for his wife, but his obsession brings him face-to-face with an even more terrifying problem: Theodora's possession is only one piece of a deadly plot that is threatening the entire world. Because an ancient evil is about to make Earth its battlefield - and without John and Theodora's intervention, there is no chance for salvation...

Published April 5th, 2016
Available at Amazon.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
Published by Roc
ISBN-10: 0451473523
ISBN-13: 978-0451473523

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New England horror book fans should put the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival on their calendars. The event is free and open to the public! Horror and suspense authors from New England and all around the Northeast U.S. will be selling and signing books throughout the event, and participating in panel discussions in the theater about New England Horror Tradition, what makes something scary, new fears, and childhood terrors. The event will conclude with a quintet of authors doing a live reading of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

When: Saturday, October 3rd, 2015 from 1 PM until 7:30 PM

Where:
ACT Theater Company
1632 Osgood Street
Osgood Landing
North Andover, MA 01845

Who: Authors signing and speaking that day include:
Joe Hill
Kelly Link
Brian Keene
Sarah Langan
Christopher Golden
Paul Tremblay
Caitlin Kittredge
Thomas Sniegoski
John Langan
Dana Cameron
Rio Youers
Toni L.P. Kelner
Myke Cole
Mary SanGiovanni
Leigh Perry
Bracken MacLeod
Jack M. Haringa
Jason Ciaramella
Kat Howard
John M. McIlveen
Glenn Chadbourne
Mallory O'Meara
Holly Newstein Hautala
Errick Danger Nunnally
Izzy Lee
Scott Goudsward
Gardner Goldsmith
Douglas Wynne
Kristin Dearborn
Jan Kozlowski
TT Zuma

Sponsored by ACT Theater Company, Andover Bookstore, and Vicious Circle.

FREE, and open to the public!
Click here to reserve FREE tickets through Brown Paper Tickets.

Signing schedule to come. Here is the panel schedule. (M) means moderator.

1 PM: Childhood Horrors - Paul Tremblay, Thomas Sniegoski, Holly Newstein Hautala, Scott Goudsward, Mallory O'Meara (M)

2 PM: Seize the Night: New Tales of Vampiric Horror - Christopher Golden (M), Rio Youers, John Langan, Leigh Perry, Dana Cameron

3 PM: The New England Horror Tradition - Jack M. Haringa (M), Caitlin Kittredge, Jason Ciaramella, Glenn Chadbourne, John M. McIlveen

4 PM: The Anatomy of Horror: What is Scary? - Sarah Langan, Kelly Link, Myke Cole, Errick Nunnally (M), Kat Howard

5 PM: We Get the Horror We Deserve - Joe Hill, Brian Keene, Izzy Lee, Mary SanGiovanni, Bracken MacLeod (M)

6 PM: Live Reading of THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE - Jack M. Haringa, Bracken MacLeod, Brian Keene, Kat Howard, John Langan, Gardner Goldsmith

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The Raven's Child written by Thomas E. Sniegoski with art by Tom Brown flies into bookstores today!

A mesmerizing dark world filled with monsters, where humanity's only hope lies in the bravery of one woman...

When the Throng came, the human race never stood a chance. The monsters were simply too strong, too numerous. It only took a few months for them to take over and leave the few poor souls who survived cowering in terror for years to come.

But even the monsters fear something: the dark goddess known as the Raven's Child. Legend says that she alone is destined to destroy the Throng and free those under their cruel power.

And whoever wields her name and image could become the bane of the Throng and an inspiration to humankind - even if she were only a young woman, like Carissa Devin, who has vowed to reclaim the world for the human race, no matter what the cost...

Available at Amazon.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
Published by InkLit
ISBN-10: 0425279073
ISBN-13: 978-0425279076

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Looking for a new series to add to your e-bookshelf? You can now get all four books of The Menagerie series by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski on your Kindle via Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk!

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- this series rocks! If you like X-Men and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you'll enjoy the mix of mischievous, powerful characters that make up The Menagerie: each legendary character has distinct abilities and mystical, mythical, and/or literary origins. Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski have taken various characters well-known from literature and mythology and made them their own. They've got Eve (yes, that Eve - who became a vampire after she fell from grace), Ceridwen, and Doyle (what's up, Sherlock?), among others.

Again, there are four books in the series, which you can get separately or all at once. Trust me, you're going to want to have the entire series on hand once you start the first one so you can read them back-to-back.

Let me know which character or story is your favorite in the comments below.

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As revealed at Comic Con, then reported in Comic Book Resources, Tom Sniegoski is writing World of Payne, which he co-created with Frank Cho. The story centers around a psychic private investigator named Lockwood Payne, who is actually a modern day sorcerer from an ancient society of witches and wizards and his strange misadventures in the world of the occult and unrealities. Along the way, he's helped by his ever-loyal and unflappable friend, Doctor Hurt, an urgent care doctor in the strip mall next door to Payne's office, and the beautiful Michelle, a witch-in-training.

The series will be told in a hybrid format, mixing traditional comic book storytelling with prose elements. Look for the first volume, World of Payne: Book 0 - Ghost Dog, in Spring 2015. Check out these preview pictures! Click thumbnails below for full-sized images.

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Looking for an awesome YA book that will take you out of this world? Love sci-fi/fantasy series? Check out my guest post at Teens Wanna Know! 

I've recommended five fantastic stories by Christopher Golden (Prowlers), Thomas E. Sniegoski (Fallen), Scott Westerfeld (Uglies), Justine Larbalestier (How to Ditch Your Fairy), and Holly Black (The Curse Workers). These books include angels, shapeshifters, surgeries, good luck, and bad luck, among other things. 

If you haven't read them yet, you should. If you have read them, let me know which one you liked the best.

Check out my Otherworldly YA post at Teens Wanna Know and leave a comment!  

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In the world of Magic Zero, everyone and everything is magic.

Everyone, that is, except for Timothy. For his own safety, his kind father kept him hidden away for years, providing him with a safe haven and a chance at a decent - albeit magic-free - childhood.

When his father passes away, Timothy is flung back into the world. Now everyone knows he exists. Who can he trust? Where can he go? He must decide who his allies are - and quickly, because assassins are coming for him.

The books are packed with action, fantasy, and drama. Timothy is surrounded by intriguing, strong characters: a warrior who can blend in with his surroundings; a robot buddy of his own creation; firebreathing, war-torn dragons; a talking raven named Edgar; and Cassandra, a girl who may or may not be on the same side as her power-hungry grandfather.

You simply must put Magic Zero in the hands of kids who love magic and fantasy series. There's something here for everyone, whether you like the otherworldly creatures in The Spiderwick Chronicles or the battles and tribunals featured in Star Wars. This is a great introduction to the works of the imaginative and prolific authors Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Each author has released a multitude of titles individually, including Golden's chilling Shadow Saga (thankfully, these vampires do not sparkle) and Sniegoski's best-selling teen angel series The Fallen. Older readers (meaning teens and adults) should check out the pair's dark fantasy series The Menagerie, which I often compare to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and give to fans of the X-Men.

Back to Magic Zero: Is this for the Harry Potter crowd? Yes, no doubt about it. At the core of the story, you've got a boy who becomes an unlikely hero in a world filled with magic. The really cool flip in Magic Zero, what sets it apart from other books starring a Young Boy on a Magic Quest, is that Timothy's the only person who cannot wield magic. Also, we know this going into the book, rather than being a loss or gain of powers somewhere along the way. Magic Zero is inventive, the premise well-developed and executed. Just wait 'til you see what happens when Timothy approaches a door protected by magic. Also, there are dragons, robots, talking animals, and more, more, more. Steampunk aficionados, check out the alternate sources of energy used in these books; Star Wars fans, prepare thyself for a battle of epic proportions.

Here's the official book flap summary:

Timothy has great potential for power - no magic necessary - in this start to an action-packed fantasy series from two New York Times bestselling authors.

In Timothy's world, everyone has magical powers. Except him. He has spent his entire life as an outcast hidden on a remote island. When he is finally taken back to the city of his birth, Timothy is fascinated by the current of magic that fuels the world and mesmerized by the buildings and orbs that hang weightlessly in the sky. But he is also marked for death.

Assassins are watching his every move, and some very powerful people want him destroyed. Timothy can't imagine what threat he could possibly pose; after all, he wields no power in this world. Or does he?

The Magic Zero quartet, originally known as the Outcast series, features an unforgettable adventure. Read the books in order:
Magic Zero - available today, April 2nd!
Dragon Secrets - available today, April 2nd!
Ghostfire - coming in June
Battle for Arcanum - coming in August

Get the Magic Zero series online now!

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Kelly from the Stacked blog rounded up a bunch of bloggers, booksellers, and librarians and asked them to list the YA novels they'd recommend to someone who is just starting to dip their toes in the waters of the Young Adult bookshelves. When she asked if I'd like to kick off this round, I replied, "Twist my arm!" Here are a dozen books to get you started.

Body Bags by Christopher Golden begins with the line: "It was a beautiful day to grow up." Body Bags is the first in a line of ten novels - collectively known as Body of Evidence - which follow Jenna Blake as she begins college and starts working as an assistant at the Medical Examiner's office. I highly recommend this series. Both adults and teenagers will discover plenty to relate to and enjoy in this line. Readers will find Jenna visiting crime scenes and autopsy rooms nearly as often as she's in her dorm. Her relatives, friends, and studies factor into the books just as much as serial killers and detectives.  Throughout the series, Christopher Golden - and, later, collaborator Rick Hautala - created characters who are believable but anything but cookie-cutter. The quality of Body Bags is above and beyond most suspense novels, and it continues throughout the series, versus other series which lose the momentum after a few books, or series in which the books become carbon copies. If you enjoy medical thrillers with great characters, especially if you watch(ed) television series such as CSI or Profiler, or read or watch Rizzoli & Isles, then you need to read these books right now. You won't be sorry.
Read my review of the book, and the entire series.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart is, dare I say, a coming-of-age story. It's not about breaking the rules, nor it is about controlling others. It's about daring: daring to be yourself, daring to stand up for yourself, daring to step outside of your comfort zone, daring to change the world. This novel possesses all of the elements necessary for a good bildungsroman, following the protagonist's journey through her formative years. Both snarky and serious, this History is written by the victors: the memorable narrator and the author. Frankie is smart, grounded, and direct, but she also has a quirky side. Author E. Lockhart (The Boyfriend List, Dramarama) writes with heart and authentic feeling. History has an incredible conclusion, and Frankie becomes a remarkable young woman.
Read my full-length review of the book.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen is about grief, acceptance, and everything in-between. It's about running - running for fun, running out of fear, running from yourself, running from the truth. It's also about to-do lists, kitchen messes, and really good waffles. It's about long conversations and comfortable silences. It's about forever, which is yesterday, today, and tomorrow - and forever is never long enough. Dessen is always good, and this is Dessen at her best.
Read my reviews of all Sarah Dessen's novels.

Deb Caletti writes really fantastic realistic novels. My favorite Caletti novel to date is The Nature of Jade, about an overachiever who has developed panic disorder. Jade doesn't know yet that she wants something more out of life - and that she is about to meet someone that will change her life.
Read my reviews of all of Deb Caletti's novels.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is an absolute staple of modern YA fiction. This story is an example of how to use first-person narration to connect readers to a largely silent and introverted protagonist - and how to reveal things slowly, to connect actions and emotions. This book is gritty and real without being gritty for the sake of it. Often imitated, never replicated, this book is what inspired the wave of YA books that tackle tough issues.
Check out my Speak playlist.

The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark. Wow, wow, wow. After her mother passes away, Alison is reluctant to confide in anyone other than Laurie, her long-time best friend. She pulls away from pretty much everyone else and decides to quietly lives by the rules she's made for herself. Read it, then share it.
Read my full-length review of The Alison Rules.

I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak, which you should go into completely spoiler-free, so I'm not going to tell you anything about it. Go read it, and when you're done, tell me what you think, because you will definitely have a reaction to how this story unfolds and how it turns out.
Check out my interview with Marcus Zusak - and then read The Book Thief.

Feathered by Laura Kasischke tells the story of two best friends who travel to Cancun for Spring Break. After an auspicious start, the unexpected happens, and their dream vacation turns into a nightmare which they can't simply escape by waking - which, perhaps, they cannot escape at all. Feathered wonderfully captures that feeling of freedom one gets while far from home, when it's possible (easier?) to be uncharacteristically impulsive. Fueled by the toxic intensity of perfect strangers, fast friends, and foreign cultures, the girls find themselves in an extremely dangerous situation, and, in the blink of an eye, everything changes. Every high school student who is planning a big-deal trip for Spring Break (or for any break) needs to read this book - and so do their parents, teachers, and chaperones. So do writers who aspire to craft stories with alternating points of view.
Read my full-length review of the book.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is not your typical boy meets girl story. Sure, it starts when boy meets girl - but then boy asks girl to pretend to be his girlfriend for the next five minutes, and girl agrees. Over the course of one night, two perfect strangers fall in and out of love with life, music, friends, cars, food, the city, and maybe - just maybe - each other. This book definitely popularized multiple narrators in modern YA fiction.
Read my review of Nick and Norah - Check out my own Infinite Playlist

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers shows that sometimes, what you don't do can be as consequential as what you do. Parker was a good girl. A nice girl. A cheerleader. A straight-A student. Then something happened. Something which changed Parker completely. Something she wishes she could change. Her mood, her grades, and her spirits have all plummeted. Haunted, Parker is no longer the girl she once was - and she doesn't want to be, not anymore. Courtney Summers' debut novel is not to be missed. When the characters speak, they sound authentic: some kids swear and some kids laugh while others toss out a word or two while swallowing down what they really want to say. Adult readers will quickly be transported to the halls of high school and feel as if they never left. Pick up Summers' other novels while you're at it, but start with this one.
Read my review of the book.

The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski led the pack of immortal/angel fantasy/action stories that now line the YA shelves. The premise: Aaron has always known that he was adopted, but he never suspected he was half-angel - or that he could be a hero in the ultimate fight between good and evil. Fun fact: Before he portrayed Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, Paul Wesley starred as Aaron Corbet in the film adaptation of Fallen - and Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad played Lucifer!

Check out the Fallen website.

Looking for Alaska by John Green has energized a new generation of readers, writers, and all kinds of people searching for their great perhaps. It's thought-provoking, poignant, and lovely. Please read it.
Here's my Looking for Alaska playlist.

Bildungsroman: A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character. (dictionary.com)

Looking for additional YA staples and recommendations? Click through the blog and the corresponding archive for reviews, exclusive author interviews, and more. I have a slew of booklists I hope you'll check out, including:

Tough Issues for Teens
http://slayground.livejournal.com/74061.html

Coming-of-Age Novels
http://slayground.livejournal.com/178045.html

Transition Times / Set in School
http://slayground.livejournal.com/78353.html

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The Fallen: FORSAKEN by Thomas E. Sniegoski now available in stores!

Half angel and half human, Aaron holds the weight of the world in his hands in the fourth book of the New York Times bestselling The Fallen series.

The war between Heaven and Hell rages on. The devil has possessed Lucifer's body and is intent on unleashing unfathomable chaos in the world. But no matter the cost, Aaron and the other Nephilim are determined to protect humanity.

As the casualties mount around them, Aaron and his beloved Vilma's loyalty and faith will be tested. And in this next installment of the The Fallen series, they're out to prove that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

The Fallen 4: Forsaken
Paperback published by Simon Pulse on August 14th, 2012
ISBN-10: 1442446994
ISBN-13: 978-1442446991

Read all of the Fallen books to date:

Learn more at The Fallen website.

Did you know... Before he portrayed Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, Paul Wesley starred as Aaron Corbet in the film adaptation of Fallen - and Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad played Lucifer!

Click here to learn more about the movie.

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IN THE HOUSE OF THE WICKED
A brand-new Remy Chandler novel by Thomas E. Sniegoski

PI Remy Chandler has always been able to rely on his angelic powers when the situation called for it. But now his human and angelic natures are sharing the same space, and Remy can feel himself becoming more and more volatile.

Then Ashlie Berg, a young woman who is like a daughter to him, vanishes without a trace. A once-formidable sorcerer has taken her. The man wants vengeance against those he believes wronged him - and Remy will be the instrument of his wrath - or Ashlie will most certainly die...

If you like Supernatural, Fallen, and good ol' detective stories, then you should dive into this series! I love it, Publishers Weekly praised it - what are you waiting for?

IN THE HOUSE OF THE WICKED by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Trade Paperback Published August 7th, 2012 by ROC
ISBN-10: 0451464567
ISBN-13: 978-0451464569
Visit the website

Check out the previous books in Sniegoski's Remy Chandler series:

      

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TONIGHT, Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
Three signings tonight - one in Los Angeles, one in Framingham (MA), and one in Doylestown (PA) - to celebrate the publication of 21st CENTURY DEAD.

Los Angeles -- Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, 7 PM
featuring Amber Benson, John Skipp, Cody Goodfellow, and S.G. Browne

Framingham, MA -- Barnes & Noble, 7 PM
featuring Christopher Golden, Caitlin Kittredge, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Rio Youers and John M. Mcllveen

Doylestown, PA -- Doylestown Bookshop, 6-8 PM
featuring Jonathan Maberry and Stephen Susco 

21st CENTURY DEAD The editor of the acclaimed, eclectic anthology The New Dead returns with 21st Century Dead, and an all-new lineup of authors from all corners of the fiction world, shining a dark light on our fascination with tales of death and resurrection... with ZOMBIES! The stellar lineup of contributors for this new volume includes: Orson Scott Card China Mieville Simon R. Green Daniel H. Wilson Elizabeth Hand Dan Chaon Jonathan Maberry Duane Swiercyznski Caitlin Kittredge Brian Keene Amber Benson S.G. Browne Thomas E. Sniegoski and - with his first published prose - Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. Published by St. Martin's Griffin ISBN-10: 0312605846 ISBN-13: 978-0312605841

http://www.christophergolden.com
http://www.sniegoski.com
http://www.amberbenson.us

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A boy. A raccoon. A shapeshifter. A warrior. Two Rat Creatures. Three bears. Three Bones. These are the characters continuing their daring journey in Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book Two by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith.

The second volume in this awesome trilogy continues the story presented in book one: 12-year-old Tom, along with his talking pet raccoon, some unlikely allies, and some daring adventurers, must find the missing pieces of the Spark in an attempt to re-awaken the population and defeat the evil.

As they did in the first volume, author Tom Sniegoski and artist Jeff Smith (with color by Steve Hamaker) deliver an action-packed story that will delight new and old Bone fans alike. With snappy dialogue, good guys, bad guys, dragons, a flying ship, a well-paced plot that is interesting and easy to follow, and at least one full-color illustration per chapter, even so-called reluctant will be drawn in.

By the end of this book, things are really ramping up, and I can't wait to see what happens in the third and final volume of the series!

My two favorite illustrations in this volume appear on page 11 (featuring the sleeping Rat Creatures) and page 158 (accompanying the scene in which Tom comforts Abbey).

My favorite passage in the book appears in Chapter 7, when Tom reminds his ragtag group that each member has been chosen for this quest for a reason, and each of them has a special talent or trait. Here's what Tom has to say about his raccoon, my favorite supporting character:

"Roderick knows a lot about the Valley and is very small and sneaky."
"Sneaky in a good way," the raccoon added.

Watch the trailer for Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book Two by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith.

Read my review of Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book One by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith.

Additional Details
February 1st, 2012
Published by Scholastic Graphix
240 pages in length

Paperback edition
ISBN-10: 0545141044
ISBN-13: 978-0545141048
$10.99

Hardcover edition
ISBN-10: 0545141036
ISBN-13: 978-0545141031
$22.99

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Ever want to peek inside your favorite author's writing space? Check out Write Place, Write Time to see who populates the office with bookcases, pets, kids, and/or toys, who embraces technology, who is a fan of beanbag furniture, and who admits to being messy. Recent contributors include Tom Sniegoski (author of the bestselling series The Fallen) and Christopher Golden (prolific author whose works include the spine-tingling zombie novel Soulless).

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Before The Fallen was an ABC Family television mini-series starring Paul Wesley of The Vampire Diaries and the legendary Tom Skerritt, it was a four-book series by best-selling author Thomas E. Sniegoski. The premise: Aaron has always known that he was adopted, but he never suspected he was half-angel - or that he could be a hero in the ultimate fight between good and evil.

The first four books have been re-released in two volumes, each of which contain two books, omnibus-style. These trade paperbacks became New York Times bestsellers. The next volume, The Fallen 3: End of Days, will be available on September 6th, 2011. Take a peek:

Victory is fleeting, but defeat is eternal. The war between Heaven and Hell rages on. Aaron, half-angel and half-human, commands the Fallen in their quest to protect humanity. But evil forces gain strength at every turn. And lurking somewhere in the shadows is Archangel Gabriel's instrument with the power to call down the End of Days.

Aaron draws confidence from the girl he loves as he struggles to make peace with his legacy as Lucifer's son. These are desperate times, and Aaron knows the Fallen will need to forge new, unlikely alliances to survive.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Aaron will stop at nothing to defend civilization - and the girl who holds his heart. Even if it means venturing to Hell and back.

Visit the official website for THE FALLEN.

If you can't see the trailer at the top of this post, click here to watch the End of Days trailer at YouTube.

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I was recently interviewed at The Book Base. Thanks for reading!

How long have you been a blogger?

I’ve been blogging at Bildungsroman for close to 8 years now.

Approximately, how many books do you read every year?

I average about a book a day, so I read around 300 books a year, more if you count scripts and screenplays.

What were your favourite books as a child?

My favorite books as a child included The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I was also a huge fan of The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin.

What are you reading at the moment?

I recently finished My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher, her inspired follow-up to her wonderful debut novel The Opposite of Invisible. I am about to begin Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald, which I picked up because, like the protagonist, I am a vegetarian and environmentalist (though she is even more “green” than I am!) I am also reading, re-reading and memorizing three scripts as I prepare for projects which are about to go into production: a webseries, a short film, and a world premiere play. (I’m an actress.)

If you had to pick one, what’s the best book you’ve read in the last twelve months?

To name only one book I’ve read this year as an overall best would be like a parent trying to pick a favorite child and feeling as those she neglected the others. The only way to make it easier is to categorize:

Juvenile fiction, realistic: The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt

Juvenile fiction, fantasy: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Detective mystery meets mythology: A Hundred Words for Hate by Thomas E. Sniegoski

The paranormal meets mythology: Spirits of the Noh by Thomas Randall (The Waking, Book Two)

Historical fiction meets the paranormal: The Secret Journeys of Jack London, Book One: The Wild by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

Realistic teen fiction: Doggirl by Robin Brande

The end to a series, realistic teen fiction: Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart (the fourth and final Ruby Oliver book)

Non-fiction: Self-Management for Actors by Bonnie Gillespie

Who are your three favourite authors?

Christopher Golden, Thomas E. Sniegoski and Lewis Carroll.

Which book has had the greatest impact on your life?

You pose another difficult question! It would probably be any and all of my favorite childhood books: The Westing Game, The NeverEnding Story, Anne of Green Gables, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Also, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Each reflects a different part of me, as a person and as a writer. Each holds a piece of my heart because I connected to them so strongly, and those connections remain strong to this day.

Which books are you most eagerly anticipating?

The Fallen 3: End of Days by Thomas E. Sniegoski, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: Emerson Blackwood’s Field Guide to Dangerous Fairies by Christopher Golden and Guillermo del Toro, The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Sea Wolves by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, The Waking: Winter of Ghosts by Thomas Randall. Also, The Lost Crown: A Novel of Romanov Russia by Sarah Miller, which was released last month and is patiently waiting for me to read it on a day with no interrupt

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Very exciting news for my pals Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski: Universal Pictures has hired Zack Whedon to adapt Talent, a comic miniseries created by Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, and Paul Azaceta, which was published by BOOM! Studios.

The adaptation news was officially broken today, thanks to Variety, ComicBookResources.com and other entertainment websites and news providers.

The premise: When flight 654 goes down, it takes 148 souls with it. But not Nicholas Dane. How did the 34 year old college professor survive -- was it a miracle? Now Nicholas finds that he has the memories and skills of one of the passengers from the flight -- a boxer -- and he's got to use them to survive!

Talent was originally released as a four issue mini-series from BOOM! Studios. All four issues were later collected into a trade paperback, which you may order directly from the publisher by clicking here.

Learn more about Talent.

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Saturday, May 7th, 2011 is Free Comic Book Day across the nation!

If you love comics, then you probably already have your calendar marked for Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic shops all around the U.S. allow patrons to pick up a free comic book.

Different stores have different rules, of course, so please observe them! Many places have designated comics which are free, while other items in stock are still regular price, so ask before you grab.

Not really into comics and/or have a reluctant young reader in the family? This could be a great time for you to venture into a comic book shop and pick up a little something.

Free Baltimore!
Rumor has it you can pick up Baltimore: A Passing Stranger by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola for free at ANY comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day. YES!

NHFCBD
If you live in or near New Hampshire, you should visit Jetpack Comics on Saturday, May 7th, where you can meet a plethora of comic book artists and authors including but not limited to Tom Sniegoski, Christopher Golden, Ed McGuinness, Joe Hill, Rich Woodall, and Jason Ciaramella!

Superpowers and Spandex
Superhero films always have a lot of build-up and anticipation, and many have been box office blockbusters. Now, when a film based on a novel is announced, I always encourage folks to read the book before they see the movie. I say the same for comics and graphic novels. For more of my thoughts on movies and book-to-movie adaptations, click here to jump to my blog.

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Saturday, May 7th, 2011 is Free Comic Book Day across the nation!

If you love comics, then you probably already have your calendar marked for Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic shops all around the U.S. allow patrons to pick up a free comic book.

Different stores have different rules, of course, so please observe them! Many places have designated comics which are free, while other items in stock are still regular price, so ask before you grab.

Not really into comics and/or have a reluctant young reader in the family? This could be a great time for you to venture into a comic book shop and pick up a little something.

Free Baltimore!
Rumor has it you can pick up Baltimore: A Passing Stranger by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola for free at ANY comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day. YES!

NHFCBD
If you're live in or near New Hampshire, you should visit Jetpack Comics on Saturday, May 7th, where you can meet a plethora of comic book artists and authors including but not limited to Tom Sniegoski, Christopher Golden, Ed McGuinness, Joe Hill, Rich Woodall, and Jason Ciaramella!

Superpowers and Spandex
Superhero films always have a lot of build-up and anticipation, and many have been box office blockbusters. Now, when a film based on a novel is announced, I always encourage folks to read the book before they see the movie. I say the same for comics and graphic novels. It's always better to read the original source material so you know what the author (and, in the case of comics, the artists as well) had in mind before you venture into the movie theatre.

That being said, yes, there are some movies that, in my estimation, improve upon the source material, but that's another post for another time. (Read my posts tagged as "movies" for a little more about that!)

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A HUNDRED WORDS FOR HATE
A brand-new Remy Chandler novel by Thomas E. Sniegoski

As an Angel, Remy possesses powers and skills only to be used if the situation calls for it. And the sudden reappearance of the Garden of Eden is just such a situation. Two opposing forces of immortals want the Key to the Gates of Eden, so Remy must turn for help to a fallen angel who is sometimes friend, sometimes foe - and always deadly.

Publishers Weekly declares:
"Sniegoski nicely juggles a large cast and throws in some touching moments (Remy's conversations with his late wife, Madeline, are especially sweet) and humor (as always, provided by Remy's dog, Marlowe) to balance the epic violence. There's more than enough nonintrusive exposition to let new readers jump into the story, while longtime fans will appreciate the development of recurring characters such as fallen angel Francis."

A Hundred Words for Hate by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Trade Paperback Published March 1st, 2011 by ROC
ISBN-10: 0451463773
ISBN-13: 978-0451463777

Read all of the books in Sniegoski's Remy Chandler series:
      

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Are you ready to go on the adventure of a lifetime? The first volume in a new trilogy, Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book One follows 12-year-old Tom and his faithful raccoon Roderick on an amazing journey to stop the spread of evil. Along the way, they make some unlikely friends, including three members of the Bone family, two Rat Creatures, a Veni Yan warrior, and a woman who is a cross between Mother Earth and a shapeshifter.

Written by Tom Sniegoski and illustrated by Bone creator Jeff Smith, with color by Steve Hamaker, this book is sure to please fans of adventure stories. It has all the elements which make a journey great: friends, foes, unlikely allies, transportation contraptions, food, good intentions, and sheer determination. Really, all that's missing is a mix tape. When surrounded by all types of beings and personalities, our protagonist, Tom, remains unshaken, making him a wise choice to lead this crazy band of travelers. Mal from Firefly would be proud of this young man.

On more than one occasion, author Tom Sniegoski has reduced me to tears - because he makes me laugh so hard that I cry. The man puts me in stitches when we're talking face-to-face. Now it's your turn, gentle readers. Between Roderick's blunt declarations to the bumbling Rat Creatures (who, in my mind, sound an awful lot like Lurky from Rainbow Brite), this may be Sniegoski's funniest book to date. It blends comedy and action effortlessly. It also has great pacing. The different characters' plotlines are balanced, then become interwoven, bringing to mind Neil Gaiman's Stardust.

The Bone graphic novels have a large following, and those dedicated readers will love the new stories. Thanks to Smith, Hamaker, and Sniegoski, the first installment of Quest for the Spark wholly captures the spirit of the Bone series in both picture and text. This trilogy will surely spark the interest of new readers as well.

While you are waiting for the second volume in the trilogy, you ought to pick up the original Bone graphic novels as well as Bone: Tall Tales, also by Sniegoski & Smith. (Sniegoski & Smith... Hmm... Kind of sounds like a famous pair of spies or secret agents, doesn't it? Watch out, Scarecrow & Mrs. King!)

On a personal note: I cried when I read the book's inscription. Sniegoski dedicated this book to his faithful dog, Mulder. We miss you, buddy.

Additional Details

Paperback edition
ISBN-10: 0545141028
ISBN-13: 978-0545141024
$10.99

Hardcover edition
ISBN-10: 054514101X
ISBN-13: 978-0545141017
$22.99

This review was cross-posted at GuysLitWire.

Visit Tom Sniegoski's official website.

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Before he portrayed Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, Paul Wesley starred as Aaron Corbet in the telefilm adaptation of Fallen, which aired on ABC Family in 2006-2007. If you missed the series when it aired, have no fear: The DVDs were released by Image Entertainment on May 4th, 2010. Also starring Tom Skeritt and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad). Learn more about the show & the DVDs.

It's the eve of his eighteenth birthday and Aaron is experiencing dreams of a disturbing nature. In the darkly violent and chaotic dreamscape, Aaron is an armor-clad warrior in the midst of a bloody conflict. He can hear the sounds of weapons clanging, the screams of the stricken, the pathetic moans of the dying, and another sound he cannot quite discern. But as he gazes upward, he suddenly understands, watching as hundreds of armored warriors descend on the battlefield from the sky above. It is the sound of wings beating the air unmercifully.

The flapping of angels' wings.

The Fallen.

Orphaned since birth, Aaron is suddenly discovering newfound -- and sometimes supernatural -- talents. But not until he is approached by two men does he learn the truth about his own destiny, and his role as a liaison between angels, mortals, and Powers both good and evil, some of whom are hell-bent on his own destruction...



This four-book series by Thomas E. Sniegoski was originally released in 2003-2004. The books have been reprinted with new photo covers. Each of these new editions contains two of the books, compacting the original quartet of stories into a new two-book set. The first volume, The Fallen Omnibus 1: The Fallen and Leviathan, is now available. The second volume, The Fallen Omnibus 2: Aerie and Reckoning, will be published on July 20th, 2010.

If you like the tales of fallen angels, if you watch the TV series Supernatural or the film Legion, you have to read these books - as well as Tom's series of novels for adults about Boston P.I. Remy Chandler, who just so happens to be a fallen angel.

For more information, please visit The Fallen website.

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Boston P.I. Remy Chandler has many talents. He can will himself invisible, he can speak and understand any foreign language (including the language of animals), and if he listens carefully, he can hear thoughts. Unusual, to say the least - for an ordinary man. But Remy is no ordinary man - he's an angel.

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD
by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Now available!

Six-year-old Zoe York has been taken and her mother has come to Remy for help. She shows him crude, childlike drawings that she claims are Zoe's visions of the future, everything leading up to her abduction, and some beyond. Like the picture of a man with wings who would come and save her-a man who is an angel.

Zoe's preternatural gifts have made her a target for those who wish to exploit her power to their own destructive ends. The search will take Remy to dark places he would rather avoid. But to save an innocent, Remy will ally himself with a variety of lesser evils-and his soul may pay the price...

More about the series, in my own words:

If you like supernatural detectives, then you're going to love Remy Chandler. His stories have action, adventure, fallen angels, mythology, and a lot of heart. Remy Chandler is a man grieving over the loss of his wife. He's also a guy who thinks a dog is a man's best friend, so he takes wonderful care of his dog, Marlowe. He also just happens to be a fallen angel.

If you read and enjoyed Sniegoski's series The Fallen (which you may have seen as a limited series on ABC Family, starring Paul Wesley before he took a bite out of The Vampire Diaries) or like the angelic storyline on Supernatural, you're going to love Sniegoski's Remy books.

Where Angels Fear to Tread is the third Remy Chandler novel. A Kiss Before the Apocalypse was the first; Dancing on the Head of a Pin was the second. Sniegoski is currently working the fourth full-length novel in the line. I recommend reading the books in order.

The supernatural private investigator anthology Mean Streets, published between the first two novels, included a short story entitled Noah's Orphans which featured Remy.

Where Angels Fear to Tread: Publishing Details
March 2nd, 2010
ISBN-10: 0451463145
ISBN-13: 978-0451463142
$14.00
Trade Paperback
304 pages in length
Published by ROC

Learn more about the books at the website:
http://www.sniegoski.com/remy/

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sniegoski

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