Vampire Crush Blog Tour + Giveaway: Violet's Quiz!

Hello there and welcome to the sixth stop in the Vampire Crush (AM Robinson) blog tour! It's with giddy-ness that I introduce this guest post to you readers - 'round of applause to the lovely Violet, easily my favourite character in the book!

Today Violet is on hand to help you ladies to deecide if turning the gentleman courting you into your eternal beloved, or if perhaps you should decline his offer. Welcome Violet!

Why, hello. Since A. M. has been writing quite a few of these “blog entries” to date, I

thought I might let her attend to what she says is the very pressing matter of “catching

up on Glee” and handle this stop on the Vampire Crush tour. I just know we are going

to have the most wonderful time! Perhaps afterwards you will come over for tea? Or

perhaps blood, if you are a vampire like me. Or perhaps another substance, depending

on what kind of monster you happen to be. I will tell you what, if you just leave a

comment informing me of your species and preferred drink I will . . .

Oh, but silly Violet! I am getting ahead of myself! I told A. M. that I would do my best

to keep to the subject, which is, of course, finding and turning your ideal vampire mate.

Or was it telling you a bit about her book? . . . Oh drat. Well, what is an eternity if you

cannot do both? Am I right? Yes, of course I am right. Perhaps I should just start at the

beginning.

Recently I was among the number of vampires to infiltrate Sophie McGee’s place

of education, a place where I was introduced to the most wonderful of periodicals,

Seventeen magazine. I confess, without its infinite wisdom concerning current trends

(“Are You Wearing The Wrong Jeans for Your Shape?”) and proper social behavior

(“What’s Your Kissing Style?”), I would have been completely lost. You see, up until

coming to Thomas Jefferson High, I had been living in a dusty old farmhouse that my

sire Vlad insisted we inhabit while he ran about the world researching an old vampire

legend. Exclusively between you and me, I think he is one embroidered handkerchief

short of trousseau, but when he came back and said that he knew where to find “the

girl” and that it would involve a foray into the real world, I was not about to complain.

The only problem is that coming here led to the heartbreaking loss of my former beau

and most recent boyfriend, James. He claims that it is just that he realized he made

a heinous mistake, but I have seen him making eyes at his childhood friend, Sophie

And yet because she introduced me to the aforementioned periodicals, I must count

her as a dear friend. Still, I have vowed to be far more discerning when it comes to

choosing vampire suitors in the future by designing this brief quiz. I have submitted it to

Seventeen for consideration and am awaiting their response.

Should I Turn Him? Five Questions Before You Give Away Your Eternal Gift

1. You spot a magnificent boy across the room. Would he look pleasing as a vampire?
Note specifically the abs and cheekbones.

A. Yes, quite! He seems to have already adopted a dramatically black wardrobe
and penetrating stare.
B. Perhaps, with some small improvements. Eternal acne is not a cross anyone
should have to bear.
C. Well, on the bright side, it would be difficult to look worse.

2. What does your prospect choose for your first date?

A. A crypt.
B. A monster movie.
C. He does not realize you are on a date and perhaps thinks that he is
teaching you the intricacies of calculus since you appeared at his tutoring
session asking him to teach you the intricacies of calculus.

3. You and your prospect have decided to watch a motion picture that features one of
the many vampire incarnations?

A. Cheers when the vampires attack.
B. Cheers when the vampires kiss.
C. Cries and/or says he is going to the washroom and never returns.

4. In your intimate moments (holding hands, speaking, filling out your dance card,
exchanging locks of hair, etc.), what does he say?

A. “Man, the only thing that would make this better is if it could last forever, if you
get what I mean. *wink*”
B. “I just don’t understand why I have to sign this card in order to take you to the
homecoming dance.”
C. “What is in thi--is this HAIR?”

5. How does he respond to the blood test? The blood test is, of course, where you
accidentally trip and spill the vial of blood you just happen to be holding all over his
lap.

A. Smiles knowingly.
B. Laughs it off. My, you are charming!
C. Demands that you pay his dry cleaning bill and get professional help,
whatever that could mean.

Mostly As: He appears to be a perfect candidate, at least from the outside. However,
beware a boy who is too eager to become a vampire; it is possible he just wants to take
advantage of your immortality. (See my next quiz, “Is He Using You For Your Bite?”)

Mostly Bs: For all intents in purposes, this prospect appears to be a nice, normal boy
who treats your vampiric oddities like the wonderful and endearing quirks that they
are. As long as you are sure that you are in a committed relationship, I do not see any
qualms in making him your eternal boyfriend.

Mostly Cs: Let us be straight with one another; from time to time we all struggle with

the blurry line that exists between those who love you passionately and those who may
think you are insane. Trust your instincts, accept that he is not interested, and dispose
of him where no one will find the body. . . I jest of course. Dispose him from your mind
only.

There! I hope that was as helpful for you as it has been for me. Now I must run; there is
a new boy in my English class and I have every hope that he will be Mister Mostly B.

*

Now that you've been well advised on the dilemma of turning your bethrothed or not, it's time for the giveaway! Remember, it's international so don't miss out!

GRAND PRIZE:

Signed HARDCOVER copy of Vampire Crush
A pair of whale-dotted pajama pants, a la Sophie.
Bat-shaped cookie cutter
Cute vampire monster mirror
"Vampire Blood" hand gel.

TWO ALTERNATE PRIZES

Signed paperback copy of Vampire Crush
"Vampire Blood" handgel

Those who have been following the blog tour should already know about this, but to those who have just discovered this tour, A.M. Robinson will be giving away three PRIZES to three different people who follow the tour. To enter, all you have to do is:

• Visit every blog on the tour (mine is the sixth stop)
• Copy the secret code
• Follow AM Robinson on Facebook or Twitter

At the end of the tour, your final stop will be Good Choice Reading where they will have a form for you to fill out and submit everything you have collected. It is not a requirement to follow my blog, but we would really appreciate it if you did. The secret code for you is -

"You, I"

Check out the next stop, http://www.darkreaders.com/ for your next secret code! Check out the video below for the rest of the stops:

Book Review: Vampire Crush (AM Robinson)

I swear, my life was always totally normal.

Normal house, normal family, normal school. My looks are average, I don't have any superpowers, no one's showing up to tell me I'm a princess—you get the picture. But when my junior year started, something not normal happened. There were new kids at school . . . new kids with a wardrobe straight out of a 19th-century romance novel, and an inexplicable desire to stay at school until sundown.

And on top of that, James Hallowell showed up. James, who stole my sandwiches in fourth grade and teased me mercilessly through middle school. James, who now seems to have the power to make my heart race any time he comes near.

But something weird is going on. Because James rarely goes out during the day. And he seems stronger than your typical guy. And he knows the new kids, all of whom seem to be harboring some kind of deep secret. . . .

First page of Vampire Crush and I was already dying of laughter - I think this very much epitomises the book, as I have found myself giggling the entire time I was reading it! Cute and light-hearted, this book is one for paranormal and comedy fans alike!

Sophie is one very entertaining narrator - she's witty, driven, curious as hell and investigative. Sophie is also competitive to a fault, and we see all these characteristics of her in the book. Funny enough, some of these characteristics drive and shape the plot. For instance, her curiosity and investigative streak leads her into discovering far more about the newcomers in her school than her getting-to-know-you article required. She diverts from a typical heroine by actually having a reason to follow the newcomers, although eventually she steps far beyond the boundary. It was quite a refreshing break, away from other 'I-have-come-for-you' vampire stories. She is actually just a bystander dragged into the whole mess by her competitiveness and curiosity and her connection to James.

Speaking of James - I adore the relationship between him and Sophie. Their affection is shown in a very non-convetional way, and as childhood friends, their history is rich, vibrant and more than full of laughs. Their antics are both funny and romantic at the same time, truly reminiscient of a best-friend-turned-boyfriend romance. Between them is a sea of endless insults and pranks, but their affection and attraction to each other is shown through each of these - and is very clear from day one! Their history puts weight on their affection, and boy does it end up being terribly romantic!

I love the general feel of the whole book - Sophie comes from a stereotypical family of four with a gossip-loving stepmother, a father in the business sector and a stepsister who can be both annoying and supportive on the same page. Her high school is just as typical, with a barmy and hilarious set of students (with or without the vampires). Take for instance Neal, who goes to school with his hamster wriggling in his pockets. Yeah, 'nough said.

There is that little bit of hesitation on my part when it comes to the climax of the book as its light-hearted tone made it difficult for me to take the plot seriusly. Despite the situation seemingly moving into intense and serious, the book never quite lets up on the humour, and so as a reader I was always expecting a prank or a joke or another - which meant I almost missed the climax as it happened. I have to say however, that Vampire Crush is definitely a light-hearted book ... that needs a sequel!

Such a charming book - I'm sure readers will love Sophie's comedic narration and step into her shoes some time. Not to mention James, the vampires and the happy-ish ending!

Four Stars.


PS - I shall leave you with a quote that made me giggle: "... Men are always difficult to fathom. One moment they want to run away and elope, and the next they leave you sitting alone on a park bench in the middle of the night, ruined and with no place to go."  Imagine that being said in a modern High school. Had me in stitches!