Birthdays & Music

It's my birthday, and I can talk about what I want to... so we're talking music!

When this post goes live, it will officially be my birthday. I've spent some time over the past few days thinking about the music that best describes my life at this moment.

When I was younger, I remember the music I liked changing daily, depending on whether my heart was pitter-pattering in love or shattered. Outside of driving past an ex-boyfriend's house, blaring "There's Gonna Be a Heartache Tonight," my tastes in music tended to be pretty shallow. As I have grown older, I've found more meaning, more motivation, more inspiration in what I listen to. I've found a handful of songs that have stuck with me over the years, that mean something special to me, or describe certain parts of my life. Songs that aren't just guilty pleasures... of course, I have plenty of those too.

In honor of my birthday, I'm going to tell you a bit about myself. In music!

This is one song that continues to remind me to keep going, no matter what. "Sometimes goodbye IS a Second Chance" I think this one is pretty self  explanatory.  We all have our demons, right? Anyone who knows me, knows exactly why this song is on this list and we will leave it at that.
And if this isn't the exact truth about love, I don't know what is. Seriously.
Last, but not least, my usual state of mental health.
Now, this is to in no way reflect my overall musical taste. Typically, I'm a pretty eclectic listener. Some of my guilty listening or just all around get my jam on songs include:
"Some Nights" & "We Are Young" by FUN. Almost anything Bruno Mars or 30 Seconds to Mars Forever the Sickest Kids LINKIN PARK All Time Low "Unpredictable" by Jamie Foxx Post Kim-hating Eminem - Love him, Hate him, I don't really care. Green Day  Grace Potter Barnaby Saints And OH - The Black Keys
And finally is my deep fondness for classic rock. It can always take me back to a time when things were better, and make me smile or remember some stupid stunt I did.

Cursed by HM Ward

Title: Cursed
Series: Demon Kissed #2
Author: HM Ward
Independently Published
Copyright © 2011 by H.M. Ward
Demon Kissed Website
Holly M Ward Twitter
Demon Kissed Facebook

Synopsis:

CURSED is the sequel to YA best seller DEMON KISSED.

Ivy's on her way to kick ass and save Collin from the horrors of the Underworld. Along the way she discovers that the truth won't set her free. Deep-seated deception leads Ivy closer to her destiny. But, being queen of the demons is not the destiny she wants. Ivy will have to overcome lust, power, love, and an ancient prophecy if she wants to survive.

Just incase you weren’t aware, Cursed is the second book in the Demon Kissed Series and I am 100% in love with it. The first book I reviewed on my blog was Demon Kissed…you can find it HERE if you haven’t already read the book.

Cursed begins a couple of weeks after Collin threw himself into the Underworld to save Ivy. This series will leave you wondering who to trust, what is good, and is anything pure evil. So, let’s talk about the characters for a minute…

• Ivy – Ivy is the seventeen year-old girl that the Prophecy says will be the destructor of the world. For thousands of years, Martis and Valefar have hunted her, both groups believing she would be the end of the world…as we know it. The events leading up to her becoming the “Prophecy One” lend reason that she was never supposed to be inherently evil.
• Martis – are descended by the Angels, made to protect the world from Kreturus (the epitome of evil.) Martis are believed to be all good – to be the ones who will save everyone.
• Shannon – is Ivy’s best friend. She was Martis before Ivy became the “Prophecy One.” She has been taught that the “Prophecy One” must be killed. Letting her live will cause the Prophecy to happen, causing turmoil Pandora’s box could not unleash. Shannon was completely ready to do this…until her best friend turned out to be the one she was supposed to kill.
• Eric – was the Seeker, a privileged position with the Martis. It was up to him to find and kill the “Profecy One.” This had been his mission for over 2000 years.
• Al – was the local Seer. She had visions that helped guide the Martis’ mission. She believed that Ivy was good and that everyone had misconstrued the Prophecy. Maybe the Prophecy was more about Ivy finding the good in what others perceived to be evil.
• Valefar – are descended from the Underworld, sent to fight against the Martis for control over the world. They are inherently evil and have no souls. In order to live, they must perform a Demon Kiss and take a human’s soul.
• Collin – is the leader of the Valefar. It stands to reason that if he is Valefar, he has no soul, and if he has no soul, he must be evil…right? Question…would someone so terribly horrific toss himself into hell to save the girl he has been protecting?
• Kreturus – the leader of the Underworld, who was trapped by the Martis thousands of years ago. If he escapes his confines, the world as we know it will end.

So, now you have a little information about the characters and the teams they play for; however, what you don’t know is whether Ivy is good or evil. I still don’t know the answer to this.

Ivy has set off on a mission, determined to find and bring Collin home. He has saved her twice and she is convinced that he cannot possibly be evil. She must venture to the Underworld and survive many trials to save him. The things she sees on her journey are enough to drive most people insane. Ivy must keep herself together in order to complete her mission. Lucky for her, she has two friends that will accompany her to the deep dark depths of evil.


I love this series because it makes you think about the really important questions. Is life a destiny or do we truly have free will? Is any one person or thing ever completely good or evil? Should we accept things simply because they are taught to us or should we investigate and find the answers for ourselves. I think most of us believe these questions are easily answered, but perhaps this is not true.


Ms. Ward takes you on a journey into the center of hell, creates characters and places that are out of this world, and makes you think about life, love, and happiness. Aren’t these the things good literature is made of?

My only negative on this installment is that I am left with so many questions still unanswered from the first book. This book is primarily about Ivy’s journey with Shannon and Eric. It details their adventures in the hunt for Collin. And sadly, I was left with more questions than ever, but this is ok because, Torn (Demon Kissed #3) is due out this winter. I will not have to wait too terribly long.

Go read Demon Kissed and Cursed now! Go on, now!

Demon Kissed by H M Ward

Title: Demon Kissed
Author: H. M. Ward
Copyright 2011 by HM Ward
Laree Bailey Press, 4431 Loop 322, Abilene, TX 79602
Independently Published
Demon Kissed Facebook
Demon Kissed Official Website

Synopsis:

The Valefar boy tricked Ivy Taylor into kissing him, but he took much more than a kiss - he stole her soul and left her within inches of death. By surviving, Ivy is drawn into the conflict between the Martis and the Valefar. The war between these two immortal forces has raged for millennia without distraction. Until now. Ivy is an anomaly - she is the only person who has ever walked away from a demon kiss alive. Her survival gives her unique and deadly abilities. Too powerful to ignore, Ivy is a threat to both armies. These two ancient enemies will stop at nothing to kill the seventeen-year-old. Surviving is nothing new for headstrong Ivy, but her survival has never depended on another person before. This time it does. And if she misplaces her trust, she's dead.

To her horror, she starts falling in love at the worst possible time - with the enemy. He appears to be protecting her. But she can't be certain if he is trying to help her, or help himself to her power. For Ivy, trusting the right person is the difference between love and survival, or a deadly demon kiss.

I was immediately drawn into this thrilling, twisting and always surprising read from the very first page. Everything from the color and the font of the cover to the very first page drew me in. The old saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" doesn't hold true in this case. Holly Ward wrote an outstanding debut indie book. I was hooked from page one. Filled with turns, drops, and spirals; the book reminded me of a first ride on a roller coaster.

Ivy Taylor's character was dramatic and built layers deep. She struggles with problems most teenagers don't have. She has lost her sister and drowns her sorrows by indulging in random make-out sessions with anonymous boys. She trusts very few and will be forced to question the trust of everyone around her. Her life depends on it. Every character plays an integral role in this book.

Demon Kissed is a classic struggle between good and bad; however, as you read, you will find that things are rarely as black and white as they may seem. Are some things purely destiny or do we have control by the choices we make?

Cursed, the second book in this series, will be release later this summer. I cannot wait.