August 31, 2011

CLP Blog Tour: Guest Post with Author Denise Grover Swank

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.


Today I was lucky enough to have Denise Grover Swank stop by my blog with a guest post. I absolutely adored her book you can find my review here.

Thanks Denise for taking time out of your busy day to stop by.



Now on to the Guest Post:



In my novel, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes, my main character Rose lived her entire life under her Momma’s iron clad rules. When she sees a vision of herself dead on Momma’s sofa (Rose sees visions, just usually nothing very bad) she realizes she’s been frittering her life away and decides to do something about it. Her first option is to never sit on her Momma’s sofa again, but her second is to create a list of the things she always wanted to do but never thought she could, or dared to try, under her Momma’s watchful eye.

In truth, I think most people have their own Wish Lists, or Bucket Lists as some people call them. Maybe they don’t actually write them down but they rattle around in our heads, popping up every so often to grab our attention.

I’ve never made a list but there’s plenty of things I’d like to do before I die. One is travel all over the world, particularly Italy. (Rose wants to do this, too.) I’ve been fortunate to see some amazing places including China and Vietnam while adopting three of my children. Another “wish” was to complete and publish a novel. Check. :)

But hello, everybody has these kind of “normal” entries on their lists. What about the more unique? Come on. You can admit them. Surely, I’m not the only one with odd things on their list. Or maybe I am.

The one that’s been on my list the longest is I want to be in a parade. I have no idea why. I don’t even like parades. What will I do in this parade? Beats me. Let’s hope it doesn’t involve juggling, baton twirling or fire. Or any combination of the three or I might make YouTube. And nobody wants that.

Years ago, I learned how to decorate cakes. I took the Wilton classes at Jo Ann Fabrics and had a lot of fun learning to make daisies and roses. I had the bright idea of making cakes for other people. And it was fun, for the first two or three cakes. Then I realized that the decorating was only a small part of the cake making. I still had to make all the frosting. And color it. And then clean all that greasy mess up.
But in spite of all the mess, I still had it in my head I wanted to make a tiered cake. I finally did for my first husband’s parents wedding anniversary. I decorated three layers with white frosting and pink roses. I set it up on white pillar columns and it was gorgeous, if I do say so myself. That night at the party as someone was admiring it, they asked how difficult it was to put the dowel rods supports inside the cakes.
What dowel rods? Thankfully, the cake didn’t topple over.

For the longest time I wanted to be on The Amazing Race. Seriously, how could it get any better? Travel combined with good old fashioned racing. That was my idea of heaven. The problem was who in the world would I take? I told my husband he was out. When he was stressed he’d yell. No way was I letting him chew me out on international television.

I briefly considered Survivor as a substitute. Pros: Travel, game playing, effective weight loss system. Cons: Bug bites and the potential to eat the bugs that bit you.

In the meantime, my oldest son turned twenty-one and became eligible to enter TAR, as we fanatics call it. We discussed how to make our interview tape which demonstrated how we worked together as a team. Which basically boiled down to:

Me: Trace, I said to go right.
Trace: No Mom. You said left.
Me: I KNOW I SAID RIGHT!!!
Trace: *throwing hands into air* Oh, Mom.
Okay, forget The Amazing Race.

In the end, I don’t think it matters what our list is or even if we complete all of them (some of mine dropped off, like TAR). What’s important is that we’re living life. And we’re enjoying it.


Thanks again for stopping by.

You can purchase a copy of Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.





You can find the author on her website, twitter, or facebook.

Review: Twenty-Eight and a half wishes by Denise Grover Swank

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.




Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank
Published: June 29, 2011

Source: I received this book from the author/CLP Book Tour in exchange for an honest and thoughful review.
Purchase:
Amazon, Barnes and Nobles


My Thoughts:


Rose Gardner has visions of things that would be considered useless, she can’t control them they just happen in the presence of the person who will be affected. But, this time she sees a vision of herself murdered on her mother’s sofa.

Rose decides that she needs to take life into her own hands, she finally stands up to her mother who is  ruthless and controls everything about Rose’s life. Rose decides to make a wish list or bucket list of sorts with things that she would love to accomplish before she dies, twenty eight and a half wishes. You can’t imagine the things that she puts on her list; this girl has not lived at all.

I loved Rose, yes she was kind of naïve and had no clue about the simplest things but that was part of what endeared me to her. She has lived such a rough life and endured so much. When she finally finds her voice and decides that she will stop being a doormat for everyone she finds herself as the prime suspect in her mother’s murder.

The story is nonstop action from here as Rose unravels hidden secrets of her past, tries to live each moment of her life as her last, and figure out who really murdered her mother.

The writing was engaging; the plot had a few twists that I wasn’t expecting although there were others that I figured out early on. This book was definitely a page turner as I wanted to know what would happen next. I loved the story and it had everything that I could want in a book. A strong main character, mystery, and romance.

This is definitely a book you should check out and I look forward to the next book in The Rose Gardner Mystery series.




August 29, 2011

It's Monday, What are you reading?

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wondeful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.


My life has been chaotic lately so I haven't done much of anything blog wise and I feel bad. Hopefully I can find some quiet time this week to write a few reviews because i'm probably 5 or 6 reviews behind right now.
Anyways, this is what I read last week, what I am currently reading, and what I hope to read if I can find the time.



Read:
Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, #1) My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life? ~ Goodreads




Twenty-Eight and a Half WishesFor Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.  ~Goodreads




Currently Reading:



The Girl of Fire and ThornsOnce a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do. ~ Goodreads



Next:




The Vampire Relationship Guide, Volume 2: Secrets and Trust (VRG #2)Josie’s come a long way from being an average human chick who just wants to sex-up a vampire. She’s dated, mated, and killed one of the world’s richest vamps and is currently seeing a mysterious, blood-slurping hottie named Walker.

Now, Josie must adjust to the realities of a steady relationship with a vampire, which isn’t all exciting parties, hot sex and moonlit walks. And with a vamp who’s anxious to push their relationship to the next phase as mortality bears down on his human’s fragile body, the pressure for Josie to commit is on.

Can their night-day romance survive leaving Josie’s character and individuality intact, or will the secrets of the supernatural community crush her spirit and her chance at a permanent vampire mate?





Succubus Revealed In Georgina Kincaid, succubus and she-demon, #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead has created one of her most enticing characters. But with a shot at love, and maybe even redemption, is the ultimate seductress finally going soft? Like hell she is. . .
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations. . .to Las Vegas.
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . . ~Goodreads


So what are you reading this week, anything you are super excited about reading? Leave a link and I'll check it out.

Happy Monday!

August 22, 2011

It's Monday, What are you reading?

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wondeful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.




Last week I didn't get much reading done since I was recovering from my weekend trip to NY.  But, I'm hoping that by listing what I hope to accomplish this week will help me keep on track :)


Read:


Lola and the Boy Next DoorBudding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. ~Goodreads

Currently Reading:


Do Not Lick The PhonesThe True Confessions of a TV Psychic!

A sparkling romcom based on the true life adventures of Britney Bronte, hapless wannabe celebrity psychic.

Meet Britney, a girl with a pack of cards and almost no ambition, who finds herself jetset to stardom on psychic Television. Will she find fame? Inner meaning? True love?

Crazies and conmen, angels and aliens, predictions and porn, they're all to be found in this whistleblowing romp through the New Age. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll howl... but whatever you do, remember please, DO NOT LICK THE PHONES!





Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, #1)My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?




Next:



Twenty-Eight and a Half WishesFor Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.



So what are you reading this week, anything you are super excited about reading? Leave a link and I'll check it out.

Happy Monday!

August 20, 2011

In My Mailbox(12)


In My Mailbox is hosted weekly by The Story Siren.  We highlight books we have received  for review, purchased, borrowed, or Won. You can find out more here.


It has been a few weeks since I've posted an IMM. My life has been so hectic that I haven't been home or had time to put together a Sunday post. Below is a few books that I've received/purchased in the last few weeks.


BOUGHT:

The Demon Trapper's DaughterRiley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself – and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on…
Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart – and her life?





Crave (Crave, #1) Shay could never do the things her friends could--never try out for sports, never go to parties, never fall in love. Because of the mysterious and incurable blood disorder she was born with, she can barely make it through three days of school a week.

But now, her doctor-turned-stepfather has a brand-new treatment that he thinks will change everything. And it does. As soon as the new blood starts pumping into Shay's veins, she has visions of a different life...Gabriel's life. She sees an orphanage, loss, fangs, blood, and lust that she can't explain.

Is Gabriel real? And if he is, could he really be what she thinks he is?



Crash Into Me Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides...and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living—or if there's no turning back.



Stay Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....





 Review:



The Vampire Relationship Guide, Volume 2: Secrets and Trust (VRG #2)Josie’s come a long way from being an average human chick who just wants to sex-up a vampire. She’s dated, mated, and killed one of the world’s richest vamps and is currently seeing a mysterious, blood-slurping hottie named Walker.

Now, Josie must adjust to the realities of a steady relationship with a vampire, which isn’t all exciting parties, hot sex and moonlit walks. And with a vamp who’s anxious to push their relationship to the next phase as mortality bears down on his human’s fragile body, the pressure for Josie to commit is on.

Can their night-day romance survive leaving Josie’s character and individuality intact, or will the secrets of the supernatural community crush her spirit and her chance at a permanent vampire mate?





Do Not Lick The PhonesThe True Confessions of a TV Psychic!

A sparkling romcom based on the true life adventures of Britney Bronte, hapless wannabe celebrity psychic.

Meet Britney, a girl with a pack of cards and almost no ambition, who finds herself jetset to stardom on psychic Television. Will she find fame? Inner meaning? True love?

Crazies and conmen, angels and aliens, predictions and porn, they're all to be found in this whistleblowing romp through the New Age. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll howl... but whatever you do, remember please, DO NOT LICK THE PHONES!





Twenty-Eight and a Half WishesFor Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

What did you receive this week, leave a link and I'll stop by.

August 18, 2011

CLP Blog Tours: Guest Post Author Britney Bronte

PhotobucketThe True Confessions of a TV Psychic!

A sparkling romcom based on the true life adventures of Britney Bronte, hapless wannabe celebrity psychic.

Meet Britney, a girl with a pack of cards and almost no ambition, who finds herself jetset to stardom on psychic Television. Will she find fame? Inner meaning? True love?

Crazies and conmen, angels and aliens, predictions and porn, they're all to be found in this whistleblowing romp through the New Age. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll howl... but whatever you do, remember please, DO NOT LICK THE PHONES!



Today I have a the fabulous guest post by the author of Do Not Lick The Phones, Britney Bronte with me. Thanks Britney for stopping by!




Can Guys Write Chicklit?

Course they can. There, that was a short guest blog! More seriously, the requirements for a chicklit author have nothing to do with gender. It’s about personality. If there was a questionnaire entitled What Kind Of Novelist Are You it would only need one question; ‘What do you like to read?’ That’s the kind of stuff you should try to write, even if it’s just once in your whole life.When the Bronte sisters got their books published, they had to use male pseudonyms. Take Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights. How would you define it? A gothic novel? A psychological horror? A family drama? Most would agree that it’s some kind of romance. But at the time, it was considered so brutal, so shocking, that a woman couldn’t possibly have written it.

Things have changed; now we must wrestle a perception that women can’t write anything else, that boys write the action stuff, girls write the weepies. Female writers have already put the boot into that idea in the fields of crime writing and murder mysteries, children’s fiction and fantasy, though perhaps we are still struggling against a popular sense of women writing ‘soft’ science fiction while anything with technical description comes down to men; boys with toys and all that. Anyone remember a comic called Misty? It was full of tingly spooky stories for girls…but they weren’t written by girls. The guys who wrote them went on to write for comics like 2000AD, all ray guns and axes.

Wherever stories come from is a strange place inside each of us, hard to define. Pink for girls and blue for boys has nothing to do with it. In Do Not Lick The Phones, my heroine will tell you that the book she detests most is John Grey’s best seller; Men are from Mars Women are from Venus. This book could almost be treated like a chicklit manual if you’re looking for easy clichés: Woman loves shoes and chocolates, Man can’t bear to ask for directions, that kind of thing. Like any stereotype, it can be funny, but it’s not real, so don’t let it limit your story. Whether you’re a member of the Women’s Institute/the Froufrou Club/the League of Crazy Catwomen , if you want to write a western or hard scifi or whatever, go for it. And guys, join the legions of men out there already writing chick lit and romance. Anybody, everybody, if it’s what you love, it’s the story you were meant to create. Write it and be proud.


You can find Britney on Twitter, Facebook, or on her website.


You can purchase her book on Amazon.

**All proceeds for Do Not Lick the Phones will be donated to helping the London communities get back on their feet.**





August 16, 2011

Tune in Tuesday (6) 90's Edition

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This meme is hosted by Ginger at GReads & showcases music that you love and would love to share with everyone. Each week you can post an old or new song so that it gains more interest! So if your a music buff like I am you should head on over to her site and link up.



This week I chose two songs and then had to go back and research if they were really released in the 90's. My years are slowly starting to merge into one big time span. haha! What songs did you choose this week?












August 11, 2011

Giveaway Winner! Zach Vs. Jace

The Winner is.... #13 Donna @ The Happy Booker.

Congrats! Throws confetti!






Donna, I will be sending you an email shortly. :)

August 10, 2011

YA Crush Tournament Finals: Zach Vs Jace & Giveaway


So everyone probably already knows how crazy the YA Crush Tournament hosted by the YA-Sisterhood has gotten. I mean it's been all over twitter and competitions that one competitor should of won they didn't. This tournament is all about who is your favorite male character from a series.

We are down to the final two Jace Wayland (The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassie Clare) and Zachary Moore (The Shade Series by Jeri Smith-Ready) one will go home victorious (*cough Zach cough*).

I have to admit it I do love Jace but I love Zach more have your read the series you will totally get why :) Check out the amazing authors blog for more info on the books. Anyhoo, today is the big day the polls will be open at 8am CT for 24 hours, this will give you plenty of time to vote.

Each IP address is unique so you can vote from your phone, house computer, neighbors computer, apple store, library, school, friends house.

Today I will be rallying for Zach and #TeamKilt, the awesome Amy and Jen from Fictitious Delicious are the advocates for Zach in the competition. You can help spread the word around by tweeting (use hashtag #teamkilt), facebooking, posting your own post or anything else you can think of.



Just in case you needed a visual (kilts=sexy) (Scottish Guys= drool & maybe a faint)




Ed Westwick


HAVE I WON YOU OVER YET?


TEAM KILT - VOTE 8/10/11



Description of Zach:

Gorgeous, dark wave of hair with bangs, broad chested and large hands :)
Scottish accent and has no shame wearing a kilt

And for your listening pleasure:

A Scottish lad who can sing :) Paolo Nutini




HAVE YOU SEENT THE INCENTIVES THE AUTHOR IS OFFERING? Check it out here.



SO IN HONOR OF ZACH BEING IN THE FINAL ROUND OF THE COMPETITION. I AM HOSTING MY FIRST GIVEAWAY EVER.

I am giving away a copy of Shade & Shift to one lucky voter. All you have to do is VOTE FOR ZACH here.

Leave a comment below letting me know that you did and a way to contact you.

Must be 13+ to enter.
Giveaway will end August 11, 2011 at 12am EST.
Winners will be chosen by random.org.
Giveaway is open Internationally. (Will use the Book Depository)










August 9, 2011

Tune in Tuesday (5) 90's Edition

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This meme is hosted by Ginger at GReads & showcases music that you love and would love to share with everyone. Each week you can post an old or new song so that it gains more interest! So if your a music buff like I am you should head on over to her site and link up.
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Thank you Ginger for hosting this great meme, I am an 80's baby so the music in the 90's reminds me of school dances, hanging out with friends, and just growing up.

Early 90's Freestyle music was all the rave in Miami, you turned on Power 96 (local station) and all you heard was this music from Timmy T, TKA, Stevie B, Lil Suzy. I LOVE this music, I currently have a freestyle mix on my Ipod.

I chose Debbie Deb's When I Hear Music because I use to roller-skate to this at Hot Wheels, which was an indoor skating rink circa 1995.  :)





August 5, 2011

Blog Hop (2)


Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books. This is also a great way to meet new people and socialize with existing friends.


This week's question: What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?


Do I really have to choose just one? Okay, so i'm going to cheat I'm picking two books that I am dying to read. If I got my hands on an ARC I would probably scream, do a happy dance, and then faint out of pure blissful happiness. LOL



Anyways, I am dying to read Shine (Shade #3) By Jeri Smith-Ready. Also, since we are talking about this great series. Sorry there is no book cover or synopsis out yet. (Scroll to bottom to see how you can win and ARC of Shine)

And

Shadow Heir (Dark Swan bk. 4) by Richelle Mead


Shadow Heir (Dark Swan, #4)




So what ARC are you dying to get your hands on?



TEAM KILT August 5



So if you have already read the first two books of this series, you already know how swoon worth Zach is, and your probably dying like I am to get my hands on an ARC of Shine. Well you can help Zach out and win a copy. Go to Fictitious Delicious and follow the instructions on how to score a copy. Also, can you vote for ZACH while your at it, here's the link to the #YACRUSHTOURNEY. PLEASE GO VOTE! POLLS ARE OPEN UNTIL 9am EST.


Thanks!

August 3, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday(16)




Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcase upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.



So one of my all time favorite authors is Rachel Vincent. The first book of her's that I read was in the Shifter's series, it was the second PNR series that I picked up after being on hiatus and not touching a book in  over 10 yrs. I loved the heroine, Faythe and everything about the world that Ms. Vincent built. Around the time I found the series, I also realized it was the ending of it, which had me completely bummed out. I wrote to Ms. Vincent  to find out if there would be another adult series, and to my surprise she actually responded *it was totally a fan girl moment with tons of jumping and screaming*.

Anyways, I found out about a new adult series that she was writing. My year long wait is almost over, on August 23rd  Blood Bound will be released *Squee!*.





Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special – a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner...every touch...every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over.

You can read the first chapter here.


Trailer:




Doesn't it sound great? What are you anxiously waiting to read? Leave a link in the comments and I'll check it out.

August 2, 2011

August Reading Goals

Seriously, I think I fell down the rabbit’s hole last month. I found myself burned out and I didn’t feel like reading, blogging, or anything else for that matter. I think I read a total of 4 books for the month. Do you ever feel like that? What do you do to get out of the hole?

Anyways, since today is a new month (new beginning). I’ve decided that I’m going to set a reading goal and try to stick to it. Other than two weekend trips I’m taking this month, things should be fairly quiet in my world.

Below is a list of books I would love to actually get around to reading, in no particular order.


Divergent (Divergent, #1) Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances. ~Goodreads Synopsis



Summer FriendsIn this compelling novel set against the beautiful backdrop of Ogunquit, Maine, the bestselling author of Tuscan Holiday and One Week in December portrays an unexpected friendship, and its consequences for two very different women as time inevitably sweeps them into adulthood. . .
Over the course of one eventful summer, nine-year-old native Mainer Delphine Crandall and Maggie Weldon, a privileged girl "from away," become best friends. Despite the social gulf between them, their bond is strengthened during vacations spent rambling around Ogunquit's beaches and quiet country lanes, and lasts throughout their college years in Boston. It seems nothing can separate them, yet after graduation, Delphine and Maggie slowly drift in different directions. . .
With her MBA, Maggie acquires a lucrative career, and eventually marries. Delphine is drawn back home, her life steeped in family and the Maine community she loves. Twenty years pass, until one summer, Maggie announces she's returning to Ogunquit to pay an extended visit. And for the first time, the friends are drawn to reflect on their choices and compromises, the girls they were and the women they've become, the promises kept and broken—and the deep, lasting ties that even time can never quite wash away. . .~Goodreads Synopsis


Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid, #6) In Georgina Kincaid, succubus and she-demon, #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead has created one of her most enticing characters. But with a shot at love, and maybe even redemption, is the ultimate seductress finally going soft? Like hell she is. . .
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations. . .to Las Vegas.
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . .~Goodreads Synopsis

HushCross Your Heart
In the summer before their senior year, Coby Rendell and her friends take a beach trip together. Around a campfire on a foggy June night, Coby, Rhiannon, Yvette and the others share their darkest secrets, before a tragic accident shatters the bond between them . . .
And Hope
Twelve years later Coby attends a birthday party reunion that ends in horror when Yvette's sister's lifeless body is discovered in a hot tub. Soon others in the original group of tale-tellers begin meeting similar fates-unfortunate "accidents" shrinking their numbers one by one . . .
To Die
Conflicted by her growing feelings for Danner Lockwood, the investigating detective, Coby races to unravel a mystery buried in the past. But someone is watching her every move-someone prepared to kill again and again to protect a shocking truth.~Goodreads Synopsis


The Unbecoming of Mara DyerMara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong. ~Goodreads Synopsis







The Near WitchThe Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget. ~Goodreads Synopsis


Do you set a reading goal for yourself every month? How do you tackle your reading pile?

August 1, 2011

Guest Post & Giveaway: Amy M. Jones Author of Soul Quest

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Today I am very fortunate to have Amy Maurer Jones, Author of Soul Quest on my blog today with a guest post.

Soul Quest is the first book in The Soul Quest Trilogy, which is currently available with the second book, The Guardian of Souls being released later this month. Please stop by later this week to read my review of Soul Quest also, after you read the guest post there is information on how you can receive a copy of Soul Quest.



The Creative Process of Writing

What does the author of a story do first in her writing adventure? Does she draw up the plot or create her characters? Stephanie Meyer once said that her idea for Twilight blossomed from a dream. She dreamt about a beautiful, magical boy who fell in love with a lovely mortal teenage girl. She envisioned the two star crossed lovers in a quiet meadow. In the same interview she mentioned that the famous meadow scene from Twilight was the first scene written even though we all know it didn’t take place until close to the middle of the story. If this is true one could make the argument that Stephanie Meyer created her characters before she whipped up her plot. Personally, I find this very difficult to do. While I do feel strong characterization is the key to a strong story or dramatization I have to know the world and circumstances the characters exit in before I can really develop them. For this reason I begin my writing journey with a loose plot. For example, my loose plot for Soul Quest went something like this:
A God – like being discovers demon - like creatures on Earth. The demons are trying to kill human kind and take over the world. The God’s resolution is to empower four teenagers with supernatural abilities in an effort to save the world from disaster.

This scenario actually evolved from a dream I had. So, it must be a common strategy for authors to literally dream up their stories. From this loose plot I immediately knew I had to create at least six powerful characters. I needed to create a God – like being, four teenagers who possessed supernatural abilities and a demon. Before I could begin to develop these characters I realized I needed to know or decide why the demons were attacking the Earth and why the God – like creature cared about what they were doing. Once I achieved this I was able to flesh out the characters I’ve come to know and love in The Soul Quest Trilogy.
What is my process for developing characters? There is a science to my madness. I start in the magazine isle at the grocery store. I swear to you I am not bluffing. All of the paranormal excitement begins on isle six at Food Lion. Seriously, magazines are a great tool for character development. I use the same technique with my theater arts students in the class room. A snap shot of a woman in a field of flowers could be a character in a play or a book. Who is she? What is she doing? Why is she there? When did she go there? How long has she been there? How does she feel? Why does she feel that way? You can grasp a million ideas from a single picture. You know what they say… a picture is worth a thousand words. Magazines are helpful when you are researching characters of any age but I find them particularly useful when writing about my younger characters. I am a young adult writer so I have to know what types of people my readers will relate to and truly believe to be teenagers in my story. This can only happen if they fit into the current popular culture. I flip through the popular teen magazines to see who young people find cool, handsome and interesting. I want to know why they feel that way about them. I’m especially interested in their appearance and attitude. What do they look like, what do they wear, what is their style and personality? From this I can create my character’s physical appearance, personality strengths and weaknesses, their objective or goal in the story, the obstacles that stand in their way and tactics they may use to resolve their problems (… and you thought I was crazy for doing character research in the grocery store). Of course, magazines are just a starting place. Most of my character’s emotions and feelings stem from my own experiences and perceptions in life. My main character in Soul Quest is Liv Glyn. Liv is a smart, sweet and outgoing girl with a lot of common sense and good ideas. She is incredibly perceptive and humble and she believes overly impulsive, boastful people are naïve and careless. Many of Liv’s feelings and views on life are similar to my own. I named her after my daughter, Olivia and gave her similar physical attributes to define her beauty. The name Olivia is Latin in origin and means olive tree or branch of life. It is from this meaning that I came up with the idea for my teenage Oracles to possess affinities for Earth, fire, wind and water.

Whether an author begins with an idea for a plot or character first doesn’t really matter. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Each person is different creatively and so creativity is going to manifest itself in a unique way in all of us. When I choreograph a dance I rarely start at the beginning, I usually begin somewhere in the middle. I don’t know why exactly, I just know that when the piece starts I like to know the direction its taking and when it completes itself I need to understand where it evolved from. Similarly, when I am directing a play I will not necessarily begin with scene one. Instead, I will analyze the script and determine what scenes prove to be the most difficult. In most cases these scenes are at the heart of the story where the characterization and plot are the most complex. If I can effectively direct these scenes the rest of the play should naturally lead up to them and wind down to a resolution. Writing isn’t any different. Begin with a plot or a character. Flesh out your storyline and invent your characters later. Write about your character’s feelings and interactions with one another first and then build a plot to support the scene. It is simply a matter of what process works best for you or your current work in progress.

- Amy Maurer Jones, author of The Soul Quest Trilogy




Soul Quest (The Soul Quest Trilogy)
Do you remember how horrified you were about the idea of attending high school? I remember ticking off those last miserable days of my summer vacation following my eighth grade year. Maybe you don’t, maybe you were one of 'those people.' You know who I’m talking about, people like Melissa Small, the distinguished District Attorney, Larry Small’s daughter, popular, gorgeous... and absolutely terrifying to someone like me, Liv Glyn. No, I am far from measuring up to the standards required to make Melissa’s crowd. I’m not even close. I’m just a simple man’s daughter, mostly tolerated by my peers with average looks. If this isn’t depressing enough for you, stay tuned, it gets worse. I was commanded with Spirit at birth by the Great Spirit, Hala. I know, it sounds crazy but it’s true. If you think it's difficult being a teenager, try being a teenager who was born destined to save the world from soul sucking Daevas and their mutant progeny Aengels. There are four of us. My companions of Spirit are Laith, Brayan and Meena. Melissa Small is Laith’s step sister and she is always meddling where she doesn’t belong, further complicating our lives. To make matters even worse, my best friend Jedd is apparently aware of things that are typically undetectable to ordinary humans. So, I have to lie to Jedd, the boy who has been my constant standby since the third grade, to shield him from the horrible and very dangerous truth. Did I mention that I think I’m falling in love with him? The term awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it, trust me. Welcome to the mess that is my life.


Would you like a free electronic copy of Soul Quest? Amy Jones invites you to follow this link to get your free copy now!
 
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