March Madness! My Picks of the Week! (March 6th)

Howdy, everyone!

I can already tell that March is going to be a crazy month. But for the good, I believe :) Before I continue on with "My Picks of the Week" (which starts off with some bangin' releases!) I wanted to give everyone a brief look at what you can expect to see at The Muses Circle in the upcoming weeks.

Wednesday I will be posting Guest Blogger Brian Warriner's book/movie comparison & analysis of Prayers For Bobby. If you haven't checked out his Guest Blogger Intro, please take a moment and check it out HERE!

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed JC Andrijeski's book called Rook: Allie's War Book 1. If you haven't read my review, go HERE. JC and I have been keeping in touch with each other and I am absolutely honored that she is willing to not only do an Author Q & A, but a Giveaway as well! I am super excited since this will be my first Author Interview/Q & A and Giveaway! So if all goes well, I should have all of that posted by Friday! :)

Next week I plan to post my review for Katana by: Cole Gibsen. So far the book is surprisingly good-- not that I expected it to be horrible-- in fact I didn't go into it with any expectations. It's a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer (minus the vampires) and Samurai Girl so if you like strong female characters and the kind of love that lasts centuries, then this may be a book for you. Stay tuned :)

I might have a treat at the end of the month depending on how burnt out I am. But for now, here are "My Picks of the Week". I noticed that many of the book releases are sequels or continuations of specific series, so just keep that in mind as you peruse my list.

Hope everyone is having a great start to the week!

_______________

BOOK RELEASES (March 1-6th)

ADULT

Dire Needs (Eternal Wolf Clan #1)
By: Stephanie Tyler

The full moon is their mistress. They are predators of pleasure and pain. Feared by humans, envied by werewolves, the Dire Wolves are immortal shifters, obeying no laws but their own bestial natures. Once they were many, but now only six remain, a dangerous wolfpack forever on the hunt…

Rifter leads the pack, embracing the lifestyle and ethics of an outlaw biker even as he battles an ancient enemy who has become a new, powerful force. But with his Brother Wolf raging inside him, howling to be unleashed, he needs to satisfy his hungers. And when he meets a drop-dead gorgeous blonde drinking alone in a bar that caters to both human and inhuman, Rifter’s primal instinct is to claim her.

Gwen has her own desires, long unfulfilled. She hopes a passionate night with the leather-clad, Harley-riding biker will ease her suffering. The seizures that have wracked her body her entire life are incurable—and they’re killing her.

But none of that will matter if Rifter can’t stop the growing threat to them all–trappers who are determined to enslave humankind and use the Dire wolves as part of their nefarious plan.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Dying Wish (Sentinel Wars #6)
By: Shannon K. Butcher

Jackie Patton has been rescued by the Theronai from her captivity and torture at the hands of the Synestryn, only to learn that she’s a potential match for the Theronai warriors who need a woman to literally save their lives.
Forced to choose, she unexpectedly selects Iain, a cold-hearted warrior who doesn’t want to be saved. Iain is convinced that it’s too late—that his soul is already as dead as his former betrothed, killed by the Synestryn. Still, he is the only man Jackie feels a measure of peace around and the only one she wants. But is Iain indeed beyond saving?

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Eventide (Dark Ink Chronicles #3)
By: Elle Jasper

Newly-bitten tattoo artist Riley Poe feels herself changing in unimaginable ways. Eli Dupre, her vampire lover, has seen the change in her and fears for her humanity. His rival, Victorian, tells her she must see the patriarch of the vampire cult that attacked her to save her soul. In the vampire cult's fortress in Romania, Riley will face her worst fears-and the dark powers threatening to destroy her. And she'll have to do the one thing she's been determined not to do—put her trust in Eli.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Protector (Dark Ops, #4)
By: Catherine Mann

After barely surviving enemy torture, Captain Chuck Tanaka doesn’t trust himself to do more than ride a desk—but new orders leave him no choice. Assigned to the investigation of a mob boss whose luxury cruise ship is reportedly a hub for terrorist activity, Tanaka goes undercover. His target: JoLynn Taylor, the mob boss’s daughter.

As a child, JoLynn saw her beloved uncle murdered. Since then, she’s stayed far away from her father’s crooked empire. But when he falls ill, she returns, hoping to mend the gap between them. Instead, she finds herself on the run, one step ahead of unknown enemies. The only thing keeping her alive is the man she knows as Charles Tomas, the only man she’s ever been able to trust.

Unfortunately, he’s also the man determined to destroy her family...

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

YOUNG ADULT

Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters, #1)
By: Jessica Shirvington

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Illuminate (Gilded Wings, #1)
By: Aimee Agresti

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
By: Jesse Andrews

Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time—when not playing video games and avoiding Earl’s terrifying brothers— making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don’t make them for other people. Until Rachel.

Rachel has leukemia, and Greg’s mom gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must abandon invisibility and make a stand. It’s a hilarious, outrageous, and truthful look at death and high school by a prodigiously talented debut author.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Perception (Clairty, #2)
By: Kim Harrington

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared?

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Soul Bound (Blood Coven, #7)
By: Mari Mancusi

Sunny McDonald and her vampire boyfriend Magnus are on the run—accused of treason and wanted alive…or undead. And her own twin sister is the slayer sent to track them down.

Rayne would do anything to save her sister Sunny from the Vampire Consortium dictator who wants her dead. Instead, she’s been commissioned by Slayer Inc. to bring her twin back for justice…which Rayne knows means certain death. She also knows that if she and her boyfriend Jareth go against orders, they’re not only signing their own death warrants, but those of every vampire in the Blood Coven.

As a rival slayer with a personal vendetta moves in, Rayne and Jareth know they must do something to stop her. So they embark on their most dangerous journey yet, deep, down beneath the streets of New York City and through the Gates of the Underworld itself. But when a greedy god demands the ultimate sacrifice, will Rayne be forced to choose--between her sister...and the vampire she loves?

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Vampire's Kiss (The Watchers, #2)
By: Veronica Wolff

IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE PARTNERED WITH A VAMPIRE, YOU HAVE TO WORK THE NIGHT SHIFT.

By her wits, blood, and sacrifice, so far Drew has survived the intensive training on the Isle of Night. As a second-year Acari, her ultimate goal is to become a Watcher, and now she has a shot at her first mission. Except nothing is as it seems. The vampire Alcántara is as sinister as he is sexy, Ronan is more distant than ever, and it turns out there are other vampires out there. Bad ones.

Ancient, bloodthirsty, and powerful, these undead are really old school. They’ve captured one of the Watcher vamps and are torturing him for information. The only chance to save him is to infiltrate a major summit the baddies are holding on their own island. There will be mortals there, serving as butlers, maids, and various hired help. Drew had better brush up on her skills as a serving girl, because she’s about to go undercover…

But, when their vampire prisoner turns out to be a gorgeous bad boy, Drew’s first mission quickly turns into more than she bargained for...

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

MOVIES & TV SERIES (March 6th)

MOVIES

Footloose
Directed by: Craig Brewer

Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough

Writer/Director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) delivers a new take of the beloved 1984 classic film. Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont's local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister's troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Immortal
Directed by: Tarsem Singh

Starring: Henry Cavill, Luke Evans, Mickey Rourke

The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army are rampaging across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king's mission. As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother in one of Hyperion's raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto), her disturbing visions of the young man's future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final desperate battle for the future of humanity.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Jack & Jill
Directed by: Dennis Dugan

Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes

Jack and Jill is a comedy focusing on Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler), a successful advertising executive in Los Angeles with a beautiful wife and kids, who dreads one event each year: the Thanksgiving visit of his identical twin sister Jill (also Adam Sandler). Jill's neediness and passive-aggressiveness is maddening to Jack, turning his normally tranquil life upside down. Katie Holmes plays Erin, Jack's wife

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

Like Crazy
Directed by: Drake Doremus

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones

A love story is both a physical and emotional tale, one that can be deeply personal and heartbreaking for an audience to experience. Director Drake Doremus' film Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin) they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

The Skin I live In
Directed by: Pedro Almodovar

Starring: Antonio Banderas

Banderas plays Dr. Robert Ledgard, a plastic surgeon who has invented a type of fake skin that is more durable than real skin. But he achieves this breakthrough with the assistance of Vera (Elena Anaya), a young woman he's keeping locked up in his mansion. The only person who knows about this unusual arrangement is his maid, Marilia (Marisa Paredes). But his secret, as well as additional sins of the past he's desperate to keep hidden, bubble to the surface when Marila's criminal son shows up with a gun, forces his way into Vera's room, and attempts to rape her.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy

TV SERIES

Game of Thrones: Season 1
Starring: Sean Bean, Lena Headey

Author George R.R. Martin's Locus Award-winning fantasy saga is adapted for the screen in this HBO series. Long ago, in a distant land where summers span decades, and winters reach into infinity, the cold winds begin to blow through the seven kingdoms of Westeros. In the cold seasons of past, the Starks of Winterfell Castle relied on their fierce resiliency to survive the harsh conditions. But this winter, supernatural forces are preparing to launch a devastating attack. A great battle is brewing, and whoever emerges the victor will ascend the throne.

Release Date: 6 March 2012
Website | Buy