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March 29, 2013

Cover Reveal & Giveaway ~ Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe

Of Silver and Beasts (A Goddess Wars Novel)
Release Date: June 1, 2013
Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy
Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound
Cover Designed by: Steven Novak

Summary from Goodreads:
In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.


***Excerpt***

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface. But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone. “Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words. He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top. “You’re right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.” A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken. I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart. When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm. “Caben, I didn’t mean—” “It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.” “No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing him to leave my side. Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so. He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots. “I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs. Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down next to him. “Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.” A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I can remove my own—” “Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.” “Is that the rumor in Perinya?” “What?” I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.” From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not to. “Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s neck just for making an advance.” My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.” “All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.” “Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.” His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.” I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the men of Perinya.” Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in my mouth.” Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to your face?”

***GIVEAWAY***
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feature & Follow Friday #6

featurefollow

I'm so excited to finally be joining Feature and Follow Friday!! This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where they each feature a fellow blogger and ask a question which can be answered by participating bloggers. If you aren't already following the two hosting bloggers, please visit their blogs to follow them, the bloggers they're featuring, and enter your own blog in the linky. Hop around to other blogs - find new blogs to follow and gain some new followers as well. :D

Q: Tell us about the most emotional scene you've ever read in a book - and how did you react?

 This is easy for me to answer - Rue's death in The Hunger Games. I really thought she'd make it longer than she did. She was so young and so little...that was really difficult to read. And yet it was beautiful at the same time, when Katniss places the flowers around her and makes the signal to the cameras that Rue's family in her district see on the screens. Yeah, I cried for a long time over her death.

What scene has had a powerful effect on you?

Think Out Loud #5: My Little College Baby

Hey everyone! I'm now going to join the meme Think Out Loud hosted by Thinks Books. With this meme, you can post anything you want! Get to know other bloggers outside of the bookish realm. :)Click on the link to go to her blog and sign up. :) The posts go up on Thursdays. :D

Not many people know this about me, but I nearly was kicked out of college. I started skipping classes A LOT and ended up failing to complete some courses by not taking a final or not turning in a paper that was required to finish the course. I cringe when I think about the money I wasted having to take some of the same classes over again.

My husband and I met and our mutual friends all became friends my senior year of high school. It was his junior year. We were one colossal happy group, lol. The summer between my sophomore and junior years of college, my husband, Brady, and I began dating. From that moment on, we were inseparable.

In March of my junior year of college, we found out we were going to have a baby. I was working at a clothing store at the time with my husband. He worked full-time while I worked part-time due to going to school full-time. Well, you know, I was supposed to be going full-time, lol. I called off work one day, and they were worried about me because while I may have skipped classes, I never called off work. The manager asked me how I was feeling, and when I told her, she said it sounded like I was pregnant. That was the night I went home, and Brady and I took two pregnancy tests, finding out we were going to be parents.

I was a commuter student, and I'd take plastic bags, crackers and whatever else I thought would help keep the "morning" sickness away. I was so scared I was going to lose my lunch in the middle of class one day! I wasn't showing at all yet, so I always wonder if people wondered why I was munching on saltines and rattling plastic shopping bags in the middle of class. :p I write morning in quotation marks because calling it that is such b.s.! It was more like 24-hour sickness in my case. >.<

Pretty soon I began skipping my classes even more than I already had been. I was tired, sick all the time, and just generally wiped out. The thought of driving 45 minutes to class was not cool, to say the least, lol. I was placed on academic probation and dropped out halfway through spring quarter. I worked until my third trimester. I had my daughter, Janie, on December 12th. By the first week of January, I got a new job working as a receptionist, and they let me read when I wasn't busy. It was awesome!

I was determined to go back to school and finish. I fought all through January and February to be let back into school. Since I was on academic probation before I dropped out, I was told I'd have to see a guidance counselor before they'd let me back in. Even then it wasn't a guarantee. I also worked to get financial aid and any loans I could to pay the rest of my way. I spent everyday on the phone, pleading my case to various people until finally, I was let back in without having to see anyone.

At my new job, I did my homework and studied the five hours I was there everyday. It took me from spring quarter of 2003 to the end of summer quarter of 2005 to finish college, but I did it. Every class I took those two years I passed with flying colors. Straight A's all the way! I went back to college with a vengeance and kicked some major ass. :D

My daughter, my dad, and my husband went to my graduation. My daughter was almost three, and the ceremony was so long that she fell asleep before she could see me walk up and take my diploma, lol. But I had it! So many people, even some of my own family members did not think I could finish college while working and taking care of a baby, but I did it. See, when someone tells me I can't do something, it just makes me all the more determined to do it and shut him or her up, lol! ;)

I am the proud owner of a B.A. in Psychology. I've been a SAHP for the last four years, but I wouldn't have it any other way. A career can wait. Besides, I need to get my Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling before I can get a job that will fulfill me. That and becoming a published author. If I can overcome all the obstacles placed in front of me and graduate college, then I can definitely do anything else I set my mind to do. :D

March 27, 2013

Cover Reveal ~ Frigid by Jennifer L. Armentrout writing as J. Lynn

 Frigid
Jennifer L. Armentrout writing as J. Lynn
Expected Publication ~ July 30, 2013
 
For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.
 
Frigid will be available in digital formats on July 30th 2013
Print release of Frigid will be November 5th 2012
 
 
J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is a # 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.
 
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.



Cover Reveal ~ Before You Go by Clare James

Cover by PhatPuppy Art http://phatpuppyart.com
Before You Go by Clare James
Expected Pub: April 1, 2013

Forgiveness is the only option, but can she learn to forgive herself?

Paralyzed by the past and terrified of the future, Tabitha Kelly is broken.

After a public sex scandal at her college, Tabby moves to a new city with a new school, convinced she can start over. But she soon realizes the changes are not enough. Tabby must take action to help her heal and move on from the past.

And though it sounds crazy, she believes a one-night stand is the best way to take back what’s hers. If she can choose where, when, and most importantly, who … maybe she can regain control.

First, she needs a willing participant.

She finds more than that when she meets Noah Adler.

Unfortunately, she can’t go through with it. And when she tries to forget about the plan–and the guy—it becomes impossible.

Noah quickly weaves his way into her new life and her heart. But as he comes dangerously close to discovering her secret, Tabby’s at risk of losing it all.
 
Goodreads Link:
Clare James spent her childhood, writing, reading, and dancing. Not much has changed since then, except she can no longer get up on toe shoes like she once could. And don’t even ask her to go into the splits because she may never get back up.
 
A new adult and contemporary romance writer, Clare loves a happy ending. She lives in Minneapolis with her two leading men—her husband and young son. BEFORE YOU GO is her debut new adult novel.


Author Links:
 
 

Two Cover Reveals in One Day!!

Hey everyone! Guess what? Today's your lucky day because I accidentally scheduled TWO cover reveals for today! But I'm excited about both of them, and once you see them, you will be, too! :D

The first reveal will be at 7:00am EST while the second will be posted at 4:00pm EST. They're totally rad! Catch y'all on the flipside! :D

March 26, 2013

Review ~ The Infinity Bridge by Ross M. Kitson

The Infinity Bridge
The Infinity Bridge
by Ross M. Kitson
Published November 7, 2012
Publisher ~ Myrddin Publishing Group
246 pages
Genre ~ YA, Steampunk, Science Fiction
Available Formats ~ Paperback or ebook
My Copy ~ Kindle edition for review
Average Rating ~ 4.31 / 5.00
My Rating ~ 5.00
 
 
An MG/YA science-fiction/ Steampunk adventure

Sam: likes loud music, wears black eye-liner... and sees monsters.

Nick: wears Che Guevera knit-wear, big specs, loves sci-fi... and designs computer viruses.

Annie: dresses like a Sunday evening period drama, lives with her granddad... and fights like a ninja.

When Sam helps out the mysterious Annie, he and his cousin, Nick, are drawn into a world of excitement and danger. Terrifying androids roam the streets of York seeking the awesome power of the Infinity Bridge, a device that could signal the end of our world as we know it. All who stand in their way are being eliminated.

The three teenagers are propelled into an action-packed race against time, involving alternate realities, airships, clockwork killers.... and Merlin.

Sometimes the monsters are real....
 
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the Goodreads group We ♥ YA Books.

I've always wanted to read a book where characters discover alternate realities - the idea has always intrigued me and freaked me out at the same time. I've thought about it on a personal scale - do I exist somewhere else where I've made choice B instead of choice A, completely changing the course of my life? From that life, is there yet another life where I went on to make yet a different decision and son on? See how complicated it can get, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! It absolutely blows my mind! After reading this book, I've realized that if alternate realities do exist, the implications would be much larger than just changes to my own reality - entire societies would be similar yet different at the same time...it can be really fun to think about and yet kind of scary, too.

I stayed up so late at night reading - completely hooked by the story with my heart beating so fast from the suspense and action - that it took me a long time to wind down to sleep! It didn't help that I didn't want to have to stop reading in order to sleep. :) I appreciate a great solid storyline without a focus on romance. Don't get me wrong - I love romance in a book, but I was just fine with no triangle and no romantic entanglements. It was a nice change of pace for me.
 
When I began reading, I knew right away that I'd like Sam, one of the main characters. With his penchant for blasting Green Day, dressing punk complete with spiky dyed black hair, and a sarcastic sense of humor, he reminded me of me and my friends when we were that age. I love it when my favorite bands from the 90s are still mentioned in the books I read!
 
Nick, Ben, and Annie grew on me, and between these four characters - Sam, Ben, Nick, and Annie - each one had something different to offer and add to the story. I really felt a sense of injustice for Ben but gained more of an understanding of Ben's character right along with Sam as the story progressed.
 
I've only read one other book in the steampunk genre, and after reading this one, I definitely want to read more! Everything about this book was a surprise and made for a very entertaining and absorbing read. It's expanded my thinking in regards to alternate realities and the possibilities that could be out there waiting to be discovered.
 
Buy the Book:    Smashwords    Amazon    Barnes & Noble
 
About the Author
Ross M. Kitson
 
Ross M. Kitson lives in the UK with his wife and three children. He writes science fiction and fantasy novels. George R.R. Martin, Scott Lynch, and Philip Pullman are a few of his influences. Besides The Infinity Bridge, he's also the author of the Prism series.  
 
Connect with the Author
Blog    Website    Twitter    Facebook

March 24, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #3






Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews is an opportunity to show off the books we've won, bought, or borrowed. :D

Bought:

Plastic Hearts (Hearts, #1)
Recommended for mature readers due to sexual content and language.

Shooting Stars (A Surah Stormsong Novel, #1)

Betwixt
Betwixt by Melissa Pearl

Gwen Reaper
Gwen Reaper by Jaz Primo

A Timely Curse
A Timely Curse by Joseph DiBartolo

Borrowed:
Bitter Freedom: Memoirs of a Holocaust Survivor


Won:
The Mark of Cain (The Cain Chronicles: Book One)

Did you get anything this week? I tried to restrain myself after last week, lol.

March 22, 2013

Feature & Follow Friday #5

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I'm so excited to finally be joining Feature and Follow Friday!! This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where they each feature a fellow blogger and ask a question which can be answered by participating bloggers. If you aren't already following the two hosting bloggers, please visit their blogs to follow them, the bloggers they're featuring, and enter your own blog in the linky. Hop around to other blogs - find new blogs to follow and gain some new followers as well. :D

Q: What is your guilty pleasure as far as reading? Is it a genre, or is it a certain type of book?

My guilty pleasure is reading The Baby-Sitter Club books...and I'm THIRTY-ONE. :P I absolutely loved them growing up - my friend had just about every one of them. Once my daughter began reading chapter books, I happened to see a few at a garage sale, and she loves them as much as I did (do, haha). Our library no longer has them, so whenever I'm at Goodwill, Half Price Books, or a garage sale, I pick up a few for her. And me. I still can't seem to let them go. :D

How about you? What's your guilty pleasure? I'm dying to know! :)

March 21, 2013

Think Out Loud #4: My High School Anthem

Hey everyone! I'm now going to join the meme Think Out Loud hosted by Thinks Books. With this meme, you can post anything you want! Get to know other bloggers outside of the bookish realm. :)Click on the link to go to her blog and sign up. :) The posts go up on Thursdays. :D


When I was in high school, Nada Surf's song "Popularity" from their debut album High/Low came out, and it was perfection. Since junior high, the dynamics of friendships had changed drastically, and this song became my own personal anthem expressing my sadness and anger and frustration. Girls I had been friends with all through elementary school suddenly were too good to hang out with me.

I wasn't the only one this happened to, and luckily around the time this happened I began hanging out with an entire new group of friends who I'm still close with to this day. They also were ditched by "the popular" people, which we nicknamed the preps, and we ended up forming strong friendships that have lasted nearly twenty years. Much longer than those superficial people's friendships I bet, haha!

Things only became worse in high school, and the only way we were able to cope was that we had each other. We were all called names and threatened to have the crap beaten out of us, etc. One time, one of the girls who bullied us locked us in the bathroon during lunch. :P

So yeah, this song with all of its sarcasm and witty charm became my personal anthem, my big "Eff you!" complete with middle finger up to all those catty girls who wouldn't leave us alone. And it still is. :)

March 18, 2013

Review ~ Star Bright by Christina Ow

Star Bright
Star Bright
by Christina Ow
Published March 21, 2012 by 5 PRINCE PUBLISHING
332 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Formats: Ebook or paperback
My Copy: Kindle editon  for review
Average Rating: 4.07 / 5.00
My Rating: 3.00 /5.00
 
 
Goodreads Synopsis:
Star Bright….

A haunting mistake that brought them all together…

Maria’s fear and hate for men is solidified by Ricky’s abuse and his obsession to kill her. In an effort to save her son, she runs away and crosses paths with Dave, a man going through his own tribulations with his wife. He is determined to protect her, show her that not all men are evil and that true love exists. And he in turn, finds a woman worthy to be a mother to his daughter.

Maria finally finds peace in her new roles as a mother, a wife and a home maker but that dream is short lived when a ghost from her past threatens to take it all away from her in the most brutal and torturous way.

But Maria isn’t alone anymore, her father finally shows up to do what he was supposed to five years ago. Protect his daughter.

 
 
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the We Love YA Books! group on Goodreads.

Maria has been in a physically abusive relationship with the father of her child, Michael. The abuse has escalated over the years to the point where her life and the life of her son are in immediate danger if they don't leave; however, if they try to leave, that's when they're in the most danger of all. This book puts you in the shoes of Maria--many people don't understand why someone would choose to stay with his or her abuser (for the sake of simplicity, I am going to use feminine pronouns since this story is about an abused woman rather than an abused man; however, I recognize there are also men who are abused by women), especially if she also has a child or children to think about.

I've never been in a relationship like this, so I admit I'm one of those people who don't quite understand. At a previous job, I worked with abused women, all of whom had children, and some of whom, like Maria, had very visible effects of the abuse they suffered at the hands of their abuser. Looking in from the outside, it seems like it should be a no brainer, but this book will cause you to think differently. You will be inside the mind of what an abused woman feels like, thinks about, and fears. Sometimes it will be uncomfortable, but I think it's really important to be able to step into someone else's shoes without harm to yourself in order to learn about other people and their struggles in life.

This book gave me insight into what it would be like to be in an abusive relationship, and I still can't imagine what it would be like. I don't want to be able to imagine what it would be like either. Horrifying and inexcusable are two words that came to mind as I read, and the scenes where Maria is assaulted by her boyfriend had me feeling physically ill and disgusted that someone who says he loves you can treat you that way. He took his anger out on her and her son, and no one should ever take his or her anger out on someone no matter the circumstances.

Dave the second main character, and he is having issues with his wife--an incredibly selfish woman who is also a poor excuse for a mother. They have a young daughter together, but all his wife ever wanted from him was his money--he's a successful lawyer and also comes from a wealthy family. He decides to divorce her and begins the proceedings.

Every other chapter alternates between Maria and Dave's points of view, which I appreciated and felt I was able to get to know them better this way with their thoughts and motivations. The story was absolutely riveting--I had no idea what to expect next. While I was captivated by the story itself, there were many spelling and grammatical errors which normally I can overlook and for the most part I did, but sometimes the grammatical errors caused some confusion in the action. Without the confusion, I would have given this book a higher rating.

The characters were also a bit cartoonish to me--all of them were quick to anger and often made poor decisions, especially the scene when Maria, Dave, and Maria's parents are all arguing in front of the children. That was just painful and awful, and I didn't agree with their actions at all. If they had seemed more natural, with dialogue that wasn't stilted at times, then again, this would have caused me to give the book a higher rating. I also thought it would have been more believable and realistic if Maria's trust in Dave had been built up more slowly along with their entire relationship. It should have taken more time--an abused woman wouldn't just jump into another relationship. I would think she'd be too afraid to find herself in another abusive relationship and have a difficult time trusting someone.

Maria's son, Michael, doesn't speak or act like a four-year-old little boy, but I believe this was done intentionally by the author to make a point--Michael has been through too much, especially for his young age, and he has been forced to grow up faster than other kids due to the abuse he lives with. He became Maria's parent, trying to protect her from his father and make up for the love she wasn't receiving. He took on too much responsibility, and I know that's definitely something children of abused parents are prone to do. They lose the carefree nature of childhood and that is instead replaced with fear, dread, and stress, that which an adult has a hard enough time handling let alone a child.

Overall, the story itself was realistic and definitely worth reading, which kept me turning the pages until the very end.

Buy the Book:  Smashwords    Amazon    Barnes & Noble  

About the Author
 
Christina OW
Christina Ow was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Some of her influences include Stephanie Mayer, Danielle Steel, Sheldon D. Sydney, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.
 
Connect with the Author


March 17, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #2



Here's my second Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Just wait until you see what I got this weekend! You're going to be shocked, haha! All links will connect you to Goodreads. :)


by Jeanne DuPrau

I bought the first two books in this series last year at a garage sale. I found this at Goodwill. :)

 

by Simone Elkeles
I bought both of these at Goodwill today. I now own all three Perfect Chemistry books! :)

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Also a Goodwill find. I haven't heard of this one, but Ali Cross rated it five stars and I trust her opinion. It sounds really good. Are people crazy for giving this book away?!? (As in donating it to Goodwill? I sound harsh...I just have a hard time letting go of any books to be honest!)




As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

I bought both of these at Ollie's, an outlet store that sells about everything, for crazy cheap. They both look great! I've heard a lot about The Probability of Miracles from fellow bloggers, so I can't wait to dig in!




Whisper of Death by Christopher Pike

Scavenger Hunt by Christopher Pike

One of my favorite authors growing up! I've read Whisper of Death and used to own it, but I'm not sure where it is and can't live without it. I bought this at Half-Price Books today for fifty cents! Almost makes me want to cry! I haven't read Scavenger Hunt yet; it was one of his books I never saw in bookstores growing up. I got this one at Goodwill. Like I said, people are crazy giving their books away. Maybe they just don't want to be a hoarder like me. ;)



Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Both of these were bought at Ollie's today, and I've wanted to read both of them for like ever!





I've been buying books by Francesca Lia Block wherever I see them. I've heard she's a fabulous writer, and I can't wait to see for myself. I haven't seen any books except the House of Night books in stores until today and had to pick up this book by P.C. Cast. Both of these were bought today at Half-Price Books.



by John Green & David Levithan

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Both of these bought at Ollie's. I have been dying to read these! I feel incredibly lucky to have found them at such awesome prices.




I got both of these at Ollie's. :)


Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti

Both from Ollie's



Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Bought at Half-Price Books. I'm really excited for this one! :D

I won a Stitch E-Swag Pack from the "Get Stitched for Valentine's Day" giveaway! From the author, Samantha Durante, I received an ebook copy of Stitch with an Authorgraph digital signature, a Stitch bookmark, and a $5 Amazon GC! I've been wanting this book forever, and I'm ecstatic to have won it with the swag!! <3 She's super nice, and even started following me on Twitter and commented on my blog! I was so surprised and totally fangirling, lol! :D


Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, #1)

Stitch (Stitch Trilogy #1) by Samantha Durante

With my $5 GC, I bought the following three ebooks:  

Freak of Nature (IFICS #1)


Sunshine (Sunshine Series, #1)



Gravity

Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

I also received several books for review, which I will do a separate post for those since this post is already so long. :) I've also won a lot of giveaways over the last few months and have been wanting to do a post for those, too; however, I'm afraid you all might ban me from your future giveaways, lol. I've had incredible luck winning them! Just ask Shy from Doctor's Notes. I told her if I won another giveaway from her, then we oughta go to Vegas. And I then won my third one from her, so guess where we need to go? :D

How was your week in books? Did you get anything new? 

March 15, 2013

Feature & Follow Friday #4




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I'm so excited to finally be joining Feature and Follow Friday!! This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where they each feature a fellow blogger and ask a question which can be answered by participating bloggers. If you aren't already following the two hosting bloggers, please visit their blogs to follow them, the bloggers they're featuring, and enter your own blog in the linky. Hop around to other blogs - find new blogs to follow and gain some new followers as well. :D

Q: Do you have a favorite outdoor reading spot?

I love reading at my dad's house up in the "eagle's nest." It's basically a tree house without the tree and has a slide and swing set attached to it. I love climbing up there with a Diet Coke, looking out over a cornfield (lol) and feeling the breeze blow by.

Do you ever get to read outside? Where's your favorite place?

Think Out Loud #3: The End is Coming Soon


Hey everyone! I'm now going to join the meme Think Out Loud hosted by Thinks Books. With this meme, you can post anything you want! Get to know other bloggers outside of the bookish realm. :)Click on the link to go to her blog and sign up. :) The posts go up on Thursdays. :D

It's really gonna suck when The Walking Dead's season three ends on the 31st. That means there's only three more episodes! :'(  I'll have to watch seasons one and two on Netflix to survive until October. It'd be really cool if Netflix would add season three before October but...yeah, that won't happen I'm sure. :/



Can I just say that I love this man? I. Love. Daryl. Dixon. <3 It's so crazy because I really hated the character the first season. But then he went off searching for a missing little girl, and my heart thawed out. A lot.

Norman Reedus just jumps off the screen as Daryl, yet he isn't on nearly as much as some of the other characters, especially this season. I heard nothing about the character until a couple months ago. Bam! Everyone seems to love him, and it just came out of nowhere. I was really shocked because most of my friends are like, "What?! You love Daryl!?"

I think the popularity of Daryl is a testament to the acting skills of Norman Reedus. And his hotness. ;) The character doesn't even exist at all in the graphic novels. I say thanks everyday to TPTB that the character was created for TV. <3



March 13, 2013

Cover Reveal ~ Shooting Stars (A Surah Stormsong Novel #1) by H.D. Gordon

Today I have a cover reveal for you, which is absolutely gorgeous - I love it! What do you think?


Title: Shooting Stars (A Surah Stormsong Novel #1)
Author: H.D. Gordon
Publisher: ShareAread
Release Date: March 15, 2013
Format: E-book
Cover Artist: Regina Wamba
 
Shooting Stars Synopsis:
Once upon a time, a common boy fell in love with a princess. It was a hopeless, forbidden love, grown in a world where sorcery and magic rule over all. Now, dark times are brewing, and destiny will bring them together, while fate works to keep them apart. Extraordinary battles will be fought, and extraordinary choices made. Join the author of The Alexa Montgomery Saga for the beginning of a tale of star-crossed lovers and magic, of hope and love and loss, of desperate wishes made on stars.
 
About the Author:
 
 
 

March 11, 2013

Book Blitz ~ Wounded by Jasinda Wilder


~ Book Blitz ~

Title: Wounded

Author: Jasinda Wilder

Published December 16, 2012

277 pages

Available in Paperback, Kindle, & ebook 

*cover by PhatPuppy Art: http://phatpuppyart.com/*

Add to Goodreads

Purchase the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal.

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet HIM.

War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.

Now the only thing that can save me is HER.   

   Author Bio:

 Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably shopping, baking, or reading.

Author Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

March 9, 2013

think out loud #2: when i die


Hey everyone! I'm now going to join Think Out Loud hosted by Thinks Books. With this meme, you can post anything you want! Click on the link to go to her blog and sign up. :) You can also post any day of the week you want, and when you go to her blog, vote on which day you'd like her to post Think Out Loud. Anything goes. :D I personally voted for Thursdays. :)

When I die...have a party! I really don't want people to be sad and depressed, though I think that will probably be inevitable. I haven't attended a funeral that wasn't prim and proper and full of sadness. For mine,I want you to dress however you want, play loud ass rock music, and talk about funny memories. Or else I'll haunt you! ;D

March 8, 2013

Feature & Follow #3


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I'm so excited to finally be joining Feature and Follow Friday!! This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where they each feature a fellow blogger and ask a question which can be answered by participating bloggers. If you aren't already following the two hosting bloggers, please visit their blogs to follow them, the bloggers they're featuring, and enter your own blog in the linky. Hop around to other blogs - find new blogs to follow and gain some new followers as well. :D

Q: What is a book you didn't like that all your friends raved about or what book did you love that wasn't popular?

One of my favorite authors is Augusten Burroughs, and I talked my sister into reading all of his books. She liked them but wasn't in LOVE with them like I am. Running with Scissors is probably his most well known book since it was made into a movie. The book didn't really get the kind of reviews I thought it should have, but I absolutely love him and the way he writes his memoirs. I own just about all of them. :D I can't seem to talk any of my friends into trying out his books. They don't know what they're missing, lol.

How about you? I'd love to hear your answers! :D