Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: ReVamped (Angel Creek, Book One)

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Author: Ada Adams Website :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Goodreads
Series: Angel Creek
Publication Date: February 20, 2011
Buy: Kindle :: Paperback

A simple mission turned deadly. 

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue. 

When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

Being the only child of the U.S. Vampire President, Dawn Fairchild has been given the world. Learning to fight with the best vampires in the Scarlet House and eventually earning her place as a combat trainer, Dawn knows exactly who she is and what she wants. Being confined to practice with guards and never leaving her father's grounds, Dawn is fiending for some real action, outside of the president's watchful eyes.

When the Fab Five decide to follow their dreams of living big in Hollywood and forfeit their position as Guardians of the sleep town for Angel Creek, Dawn jumps on the opportunity to train the next Fab Five, and for the first time, is granted permission to leave headquarters. Dawn quickly realizes that her mission in Angel Creek is anything but normal, but remains completely unaware that her contentment with her simple life is about to be torn in two.

What begins as a fun adventure of a young vampire growing up, finding love and coming to terms with the pain-in-the-butt vamps she's recruited, continues pushing further into a realm of undiscovered wishes, secrets and the healing given only by friendship.

I ADORED this novel. Although a predictable beginning, ReVamped quickly continued down a path not yet trodden, keeping me turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. 

Dawn is very likable as an intelligent young vampire who has qualities that I hope to see in every heroine - resilience, persistence, thoughtfulness, honesty. She is a very rare Born vampire, one not created, and something coveted by the vampire race. With her mother passing while giving birth to her, Dawn is close to her father, although their relationship is more business-like than emotional. I loved reading through Dawn's eyes. Her character was consistent and open, very easy to read while being well-written.

The four vampires that Dawn has recruited for the job of Guardian are an unruly, various and seemingly untalented bunch. Brooke, a high school cheerleader and fashionista, hasn't had much to worry about throughout her several decades besides what color to paint her nails and if she'll ever be prom queen. Sophie is a quiet librarian who finds her nose in a book more than out. Seth is a recently-turned vamp (oops Brooke!) who is hiding his "condition" from his overtly religious parents while playing video games to pass the time in their basement. And Hunter represents the rockstar-turned-vamp-turned-druggie of the group, only concerned with his next score. Each one of these characters was enjoyable in their own right, showing redeeming qualities throughout ReVamped.

The first person Dawn finds herself undressing with her eyes is Ethan, a human bartender at the local diner. Ethan shows a fast interest in Dawn too, but there is definitely something happening that Dawn can't quite put her finger on. The fifth vampire she meets off of the compound is one that wasn't on her list, Sebastian, a seemingly rude but absolutely gorgeous specimen of a man, err, vamp, that stirs something in Dawn that seems to eclipse all else...but Dawn refuses to let some eye candy distract her from her mission.

I loved each part of this story. So much humor from the not-so-fab four, awesome fight scenes, romantic encounters, heartbreak, loss, and more. Ada Adams wrote a beautiful story and I cannot WAIT to read ReAwakened, Angel Creek - Book Two tonight! Stop by the blog on the Tuesday for my review and an excerpt from the next novel in the Angel Creek series. In the meantime, here's an excerpt from ReVamped:

Excerpt


Prologue

A sharp, searing pain pierced my chest as I watched the guy I liked—the guy I was falling in love with—kiss another girl. With every fiber of my being, I willed myself to look away, my vision blurring in a desperate attempt to escape the agonizing scene before me. My mind failed to obey, and my gaze remained firmly glued to the couple. 

Helpless, I surrendered to the nightmare, for a brief moment allowing myself to imagine that his muscular arms were, in fact, embracing me. After all, the girl’s face, with its pale complexion, high cheekbones, straight nose, and cupid-bow lips, was identical to mine. Her glossy brown hair cascaded all the way down her back, each wave perfectly matching my own. Even her slender body curved in precisely the same places. Looking at her was like gazing into the surface of a moving, breathing mirror. 

She was me. 

Or was I her? 

She fluttered open her long, dark lashes, jolting me out of the fantasy by revealing the one perceptible difference between us: her emerald green eyes. While hauntingly beautiful, they looked nothing like my pale violet ones. She stared directly at me, tightening her grip on the one person in the world I wanted to be with. Mocking me for being too late. 

“Aurora,” he whispered in her ear. 

In that instant, I knew with certainty that he was not thinking about me.

Giveaway

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About the Author

"Many people sing in the shower. I write scenes in my head and act them out." 

In her career as a writer and an actress, Ada spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the kick-butt female characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning and has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Masters of Science in Education. 

Ada began her writing career at age three with a string of short stories that only a mother could love, and has been inventing quirky characters and imaginary worlds ever since. Her readership has now grown to include people who aren't directly related to her. A passionate advocate for the arts, Ada is also an editor-in-chief of VEUX Magazine - a fashion/literary publication which showcases up-and-coming talent from all over the world. Amongst other things she enjoys are zombies, chocolate, and bubble tea.