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Saturday, March 31, 2012

In My Mailbox: Week of March 26, 2012

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.




Bought:
Wondrous Strange - Lesley Linvinston [Goodreads]
The Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa [Goodreads]
Cloaked - Alex Finn [Goodreads]

Won:
Enemy Through the Gates by D. T. Dyllin from D. T. and YABookChat on Twitter [Goodreads] *Giveaway on Goodreads now for US/CAN*
Flings and Arrows + Pendant from Tribute Books [Goodreads] *Giveaway on Goodreads now for most countries*
Ten Tea Parties by Joseph Cummins from Quirk Books [Goodreads]
Goddess Girl Bookmarks from Joan [Goodreads]
Transfer Student Prize Pack from Laura H. Elliott [Goodreads]


So what was in your mailbox this week? :)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Fashion Friday (5)

From the Milan Fall Winter 2012 Runway - BluMarine

These fashion reminded me of futuristic-ness of Across the Universe by Beth Revis and Mermaid sparkliness of New Girl by Paige Harbison and Of Poseidon by Anna Banks.








The fur works in perfectly because space and ocean are cold, since we don't always have a hot, sexy guy to hug all the time, a fur coat gotta do it.


So what was your fashion friday this week?

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Blood Oath (A Gabby Girls Adventure Novel, #2)

Blood Oath (A Gabby Girls Adventure Novel, #2) by T. L. Clarke was published on March 6th 2012 by One Wish Publishing.

Synopsis:
Welcome to the dark and powerful world of the Eternals.

Gabrielle Martin discovers that she was born into a secret society called the Eternals—Warriors sworn through blood to annihilate dark and evil creatures that walk the shadows of the earth. Everything she has known to be true is a lie…just smoke and mirrors to disguise a deadly world filled with half-human, half-vampire Underworld Warriors with one goal—to kill all Eternal Warriors.

The battle against pure evil begins. Friendships are betrayed. Rivals bond…and powers collide.


The first book of the series, The Secret of the Scarlet Stone, was first published January 1st 2010.

Find out more about T. L. and her books here.

Winner! The Kick-Butt Giveaway Hop





Chloe R.

The winners will be contacted by email. If the winners don't reply within 48 hours, another name will be picked.
Don't be sad if you didn't win! There are still 4 giveaways going on right now on my blog~ (Links below)



Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday: Week of March 28, 2012


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to reading.

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)



Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.


Hardcover, 303 pages

Expected publication: June 12th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers


Why this book?
I am such of fan of the mermaid trend! And this book just added to my addiction,  I mean MURDEROUS MERMAIDS?! Genius!
And plus the POV seems to be a guy (WOOT! Male POV FTW!) Furthermore, Calder's name reminds me of a character in a cartoon (Young Justice) I watch, Kaldur, Aqualad. And Kaldur is an Atlantean and knows water sorcery. So I am kind of fangirling right now. And lastly, the cover looks GORGEOUS!


P.S. This is what Kaldur looks like. :)
Kaldur

So what amazing book is on your WOW this week?

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Slide - Jill Hathaway Giveaway

Top Ten Ways to Support Slide

  1. Buy Slide! (Remember, if you take a picture of your copy of and email it to me at jillehathaway at gmail, you are entered in the iPod Nano + $25 iTunes card contest! I seriously love seeing pictures of the books in their new homes!)
  2. Tweet the Slide trailer (or post it on your blog, Facebook, or whatever). 
  3. Tell a friend about the book. If I gave you bookmarks, pass them out to people or give them away on your blog and describe the hook (that a girl slides into a killer standing over a dead body).
  4. Post the Slide cover and blurb on your Facebook, blog, Pinterest, whatever (see below for images). If you want to go all out, you could change your user icons to the Slide cover for release day, but I realize this isn’t practical for everyone.
  5. Tweet one of these pre-written tweets or make up your own, using the hashtag #slideintothemystery:
  • She sees through the eyes of a killer. SLIDE by Jill Hathaway http://tinyurl.com/74adbar #slideintothemystery
  • Publishers Weekly called Jill Hathaway’s SLIDE a “gripping paranormal thriller” in starred review. http://tinyurl.com/74adbar #slideintothemystery
  • NYT bestseller Cynthia Hand thinks Jill Hathaway’s SLIDE is “heartbreaking and heart-pounding” http://tinyurl.com/74adbar #slideintothemystery
  • Sophie Jordan said Jill Hathaway’s SLIDE “consumed” her. http://tinyurl.com/74adbar #slideintothemystery
  • Jill would really love to get this hashtag going on release day, 3/27!
  1. Link to the Super Slide Book Tour: http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/slide-tour-details.html
  2. If you’ve read the book, repost or link back to your review. Post your review on Goodreads, Amazon, your blog, and anywhere else you can think of, along with the cover. If you haven’t read the book, post about why you want to.
  3. Link to the “read inside” option on the Harper website
  4. Spread the word about the Nano/$25 iTunes gift card contest
  5. Take pictures of Slide in the wild and tweet them, post on Facebook, post in Pinterest, etc.

Sliders Contest

To show my appreciation for your support of Slide, I am awarding 35 prize packs and will send personalized Slide post cards to everyone else who participates. Here’s a picture of the goodies:


List of Prizes
Prize Pack #1: Signed U.S. Slide + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #2: Signed U.S. Slide + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #3: Signed U.S. Slide + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #4: Signed U.K. Slide + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #5: Signed U.K. Slide + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #6: Signed U.K. Slide + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #7: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #8: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #9: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #10: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #11: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #12: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #13: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #14: Signed Slide cover flat + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #15: Slide purple nail polish + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #16: Slide purple nail polish + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #17: Slide purple nail polish + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #18: Slide purple nail polish + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #19: Slide purple nail polish + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #20: Slide purple nail polish + signed bookmark + postcard
Prize Pack #21: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #22: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #23: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #24: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #25: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #26: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #27: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #28: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #29: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #30: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #31: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #32: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #33: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #34: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark
Prize Pack #35: 3 Apocalypsies bookmarks + signed SLIDE bookmark

Here’s how to win the goodies:
Each of the Top Ten Ways to Support Slide is worth entries in the Slide contest. Jill had set up a Rafflecopter widget to keep track of these entries HERE

The contest will end at midnight on Friday, April 6th, and Jill will send out an email with the winners on April 7th. You will need to respond with your mailing information by April 8th so Jill can get your items in the mail before I go on tour. YES, THIS IS INTERNATIONAL, but if the winner is super far away, Jill will be picking the cheapest mailing option, so it might take a while to get there.

EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY NEED:

Picture of U.S SLIDE:                                          Picture of U.K. SLIDE:




Slide synopsis:
Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister's friend Sophie didn't kill herself. She was murdered.


Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn't actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else's mind and experiences the world through that person's eyes. She's slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed "friend" when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie's slashed body.


Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that she's been spending more time with Zane.


Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.



Jill’s bio:

Jill Hathaway was born and raised in Iowa. As a child, she loved paper dolls, Archie comics, and writing. In her adolescent years, she wrote emo poetry and produced paper zines that she sold for $1 in local comic book and record stores.


Having earned her BA in English from the University of Northern Iowa and her MA in Literature from Iowa State University, she now teaches high school and community college courses in the Des Moines area. She lives with her husband and young children.


Jill spends her free time collecting cool gear for her blood elf paladin, watching Veronica Mars, and listening to angry grrl music.

Links:

SLIDE on Barnes & Noble
SLIDE on Book Depository
SLIDE on Goodreads
Jill on Twitter
Jill’s Blog
Jill’s Website

Monday, March 26, 2012

[Cover Reveal]: Water by Shauna Granger

Shayna's first surfing session of the summer is interrupted by the screams of a mother who has lost her little boy in the water. Without regard to her own safety, Shayna swims out, rescues the boy, but must escape the clutches of something far worse than she could have ever imagined – mermaids.
Compelled to answer the sirens' call, the boys of Shayna's town are drawn to the sea, but when they return are afflicted by an unknown illness, a sickness which is draining them of their life force. Unable to tell anyone about the mermaids, Shayna and her friends are forced to solve the mystery before it's too late, and in doing so, Shayna will finally have to face the full force of her powers. Whether she’s ready or not, she will have to face her true nature.

This is an YA urban fantasy with hints of romance. The wonderful cover was designed by the talent Stephanie Mooney. The estimated release is June 19, 2012.

P.S. The Book Blog Tour will run July 23-27, 2012. Review blogs that fit the age group and genre interested in participating in the tour may sign-up here. The tour will go pubic after the cover reveal so you have the first option of signing up. You can participate even if you are not able to review the book. Electronic review copies will be provided to those interested in reviewing for the tour. If you have not read the other books in the series, the first one, Earth, can be available for you to review on this tour. The tour banner for Water is attached if interested.

Where to find the author:
Shauna Granger's Blog
Facebook: Shauna Granger

[Guest Post+Giveaways] Forgiving Trinity Blog Tour

May has so sweetly asked me to guest on her amazing blog and she asked me to write about anything…ANYTHING!! So I decided, in honor of Trinity and all her craziness, that I would write a letter to myself as a teen and give myself some really awesome advice…er, or advice. Maybe “awesome” is too strong an adjective. Thank you, May!

Dear Teenage Liz,
Right now you’re worried. I know you are. You shouldn’t be. Life is going to be fine! So fine. Stop worrying. Let me tell you specifically what you should stop worrying about.
Stop worrying about how many CDs you don’t have and how musically inept you are. One day the idea of buying a physical CD for $17.99 without hearing more than the top single or two, usually radio edited, will be laughable! You will be able to sample songs on cool sites that show official videos and ones made by fans. You will hand-select mp3s one by one from Amazon and download them to your iPod. Wait, you don’t know what an mp3 is. The only website you go to is Lycos. And you listen to music on a CD discman you really, really wish had that awesome jogging technology that will allow nothing to skip.
Cool, slick, four radical colors!
Stop worrying about Montgomery X.* and how long you’ll date and if he really loves you and if your star-crossed love will be true. He’s going to be around for a looong time. Actually, he’s going to be your boyfriend longer than either one of you want. There’s no point in yelling at Brunhilda J. for sitting in his room with him all night at his sister’s party “just talking.” And threatening to make Buffy W. digest her own teeth is just mean. Yes, they may be creepy, vile girls, but when a guy hangs with such girls, it’s actually a sign. That you should dump him. But you will. Don’t worry.
Wear it. I know you don’t like hats, but you should wear it. Seriously. Put it on. That’s a girl.
Stop worrying about math. Or, if you’re as worried as you keep pretending, do your damn homework and stop writing angsty poetry while poor Mr. Warwick tries to teach you about the Pythagorean Theorem for the third year in a row. No, you will never need it. Nor will you “need” the Women’s Studies degree you’re going to eventually graduate college with. But you’re giving Mr. Warwick heartburn and, you know what, maybe you’d like it if you tried. (Okay, that’s a lie. Probably. But still.)
Sorry, Mr. Warwick. Don’t worry. I got mine. I eventually taught grammar. To middle schoolers.
Stop worrying about being murdered. Here’s the thing. Your best friend is really sweet, but she just has gorier taste in movies than you do. Just because you happen to be a size 12 does not mean some crazy man is going to throw you down a pit and make you rub lotion all over yourself so he can make a lady-covering out of your supple skin. Just. Stop. Watching. Horror. Movies. Was showing everyone that you were cool enough to watch worth the three months of rampant insomnia? (Also, why did it never occur to you to try to cure said insomnia by doing some math homework? Just saying.)
Okay, this picture was supposed to be super funny…but now I’m creeped out. And…I’m still a size 12. Um, Jodie Foster totally killed him at the end, right? I may have been rocking back and forth and sucking my thumb by the end.
Stop worrying about the future. Because guess what? It’s going to be ten million times cooler than you thought. You’re not going to marry a guy who loves books as much as you do, and you’ll never stay up all night debating the best books in YA. You won’t have six kids named after your favorite characters in literature. You won’t earn your PhD by the time you’re 27, you won’t live in Europe for a few years, you won’t learn to walk in high-heels, you won’t ever get used to wearing lipstick like a grown up, and you won’t learn to love coffee.
Nope. Not you.
You will still be googly in love with your truck-loving, sweet, hilarious husband even a decade after you meet him. You are going to have the funniest, awesomest daughter named after your favorite movie heroine who cracks you up and makes you fall in love all over again every day. You’ll reluctantly inherit a dog that you’ll grow to love, find out teaching isn’t your thing even though you really liked the kids, Disney World will be the vacation hot spot you daydream about, and you will find so many pairs of killer flats, the perfect tinted lipgloss, and spiced cider that it will make up for the heels, lipstick, and coffee you just can’t get into. Oh, and you get to do your dream job. You will be a YA writer! I know. And, no, it’s not as cool as you think. It’s a jillion times COOLER!
Yep…a jillion times cooler. That’s mathematically accurate, by the way.

Yep. Life is going to be pretty awesome, so just chill.
Love always,
Old Liz (well, Older Liz. Not that Liz minds being old, but one day 80-year-old-Liz may want to write a letter, and it seems kind of premature to steal her thunder like that.)

*Names changed because my husband is always afraid someone will sue me. But this is all true. And Montgomery X. knows exactly who he is.





Liz Reinhardt was born and raised in the idyllic beauty of northwest NJ. A move to the subtropics of coastal Georgia with her daughter and husband left her with a newly realized taste for the beach and a bloated sunscreen budget. Right alongside these new loves is her old, steadfast affection and longing for bagels and the fast-talking foul mouths of her youth.

She loves Raisinettes, even if they aren't really candy, the Oxford comma, movies that are hilarious or feature zombies, any and all books, but especially romance (the smarter and hotter, the better), the sound of her daughter's incessantly wise and entertaining chatter, and watching her husband work on cars in the driveway.




Now to the giveaways!

Liz had been kind enough to donate an e-copy of Forgiving Trinity to one of you beautiful book lovers!


a Rafflecopter giveaway





There is also a tour wide giveaway to win physical copies of the book, but it is US only, unlike the ecopy giveaway.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Learn More About It
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Saturday, March 24, 2012

In My Mailbox (Week of March 19, 2012)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.

Won:

ARC of Buried by Linda Joy Singleton from Trini @ A Book Lovers Review
The Grimoire Lichgate by S. M. Boyce + Awesome Swags from S. M. Boyce
The Forever Girl candle from Rebecca Hamilton



So what was in your wonderful mailbox this week? :)

Friday, March 23, 2012

Casting Contest: Eternus by Kimberli Reynolds

How long is forever? Rhiannon did not ask for forever, and she does not even remember it. For this simple, humble woman, her senior year in a new town goes from seemingly ordinary to earth shattering as she unlocks all the tempestuous secrets she's kept protected in her soul, life after unremembered life. That is, until her dreams and nightmares begin to unlock the real woman she has always been destined to be. Hunted.




So below, Kimberli had included an excerpt from the book so you lovelies can cast your dream cast. :)

For hours I sat there, holding on, trying not to slip forward with the natural slope of the rock. The muscles in my back, arms, and legs had grown weak with the continuous straining to hold onto my precarious perch. The wet clothing, slightly warmed from my body temperature, now started to feel like the cold water in which I had recently been submerged. My body tired, and my mind numbed—I wanted only to sleep and have this nightmare disappear into calming dreams. But now, as the sun disappeared, tears of defeat met with the dampness of my shirt, confirming my place in some kind of hell.
I cried out loud. With complete dark around me, I didn’t think I could hold myself together, let alone the ledge. There came no response. Still alone.
My grip hardened on the rocks, as sobs loosened inside me. Desperate. How long will it take for my ability to cling to dissipate? Should I just let go and get it over with? How hard will it be to fall to my death? How long would it take to hit the bottom and not have to remember? I imagined the inviting release of all my muscles. The rushing of the wind along my face would feel refreshing. If I waited until full dark, I would not even see the ground coming. I could imagine myself bungee jumping until the end. It would not be so bad.






Comment below with your suggestions! :) + You might win a mysterious prize! :)

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Fashion Friday (4): The Hunger Games Edition

Hi guys! It is friday again! And that means it is Fashion Friday! If you don't know what it is, it is okay, just check my Fashion Friday page. :)

Okay, let's get down to the fashion and book! Maybe the title was a hint? ;)

Since today is day The Hunger Games hits the theatre, I kind of had to dedicate this post to it.

Below I had featured one of my all-time favourite YouTube beauty Guru, xsparkage! I love her dearly and just adored all the THG inspired makeup!

My favourites were D3, 4, 7, and 12 :)
D3's makeup just so tough and kickass! (Very steampunk!)
I just LOVE blue and D4's makeup looked almost mermaid-like, (which also links to the mermaid trend in YA books, but let's stay on topic :P)
I found that D7's makeup was just so artistic!
And D12 just had that little something in it, I don't know if it was the gold eyeliner or not, but I just LOVE it!
So enough of me talking, shall we get to the videos? ;)

Okay, at first, I wanted to have the 12 videos in this post but then the page will take too long to load. So I decided to just provide you the playlist link to the wonderful videos. Or if you just interested in one of the District, I had provided  the specific links to each of the Districts :) Fair?

The Hunger Games Inspired Makeup Playlist
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
D8
D9
D10
D11
D12

So what did you think? Which one was your favourite?




P.S. What do you think of the China Glaze Capitol Colours? Which ones are your favourite? Are they worth it? I want the deets :)




P.P.S: Anne had written a blog post with more THG coolness, it includes bracelets, shirts, lip balm, and even a bowl! Go check it out! HERE!

The Kick Butt Character Giveaway Hop

The Kick Butt Characters Hop is Hosted by Good Choice Reading & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.



I will be giving away a paperback copy of A Sword In Her Hand by Jean-Claude Van Rijckechem and Pat Van Beirs








Giveaway Details
  • Giveaway is International.
  • Must be at least 18 to enter (or 13 and up with parent permission)
  • One entry per person
  • Giveaway ends March 29th at 12:01 AM
  • Winner will be selected via rafflecoptor and contacted through email. The winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected.
  • Just fill out the rafflecopter below for entry!

[Review] Fables: Storybook Love Volume 3 by Bill Willingham

Fables: Storybook Love {Volume 3}
Synopsis via Goodreads:
FABLES: STORYBOOK LOVE is a captivating tale of romance and adventure. After being hunted and hounded by a savage being called the Adversary, the legendary characters of fables and fairytales were forced to relocate to a magical high-rise in Manhattan. Living in peaceful disharmony for centuries, the literary figures have forged a dysfunctional existence of tentative alliances and allegiances. But when Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf begin an improbable romance, Bluebeard enacts a devious plan to destroy his rivals. Now as Goldilocks mercilessly stalks the two lovers in the Cascade Mountains, Prince Charming confronts Bluebeard in a deadly duel within the confines of the Fables' New York condominium.






My Thoughts:
This volume is separated in distinct sections and stories compared to the first two. This destroyed the fluidity and made it hard to follow.


When the volume started, it reminds me of Supernatural with the soul trading. I was pretty amused. And it got super intense and exciting when a reporter tried to expose the fables. I love how some of the fables characters had a heist to prevent the exposure to happen, but it felt short. To me it was a silly kind of heist, nothing that made you stop breathing. You know what everyone is going to be save and sound. But the plot was pretty interesting.


I do have to say that I am not a fan of the character Snow White. Every time she appeared in the volume, it was just politics, politics, blah, blah, blah. Boring! But as the story moved on, I hated her less, perhaps it was because she became more human to me. When Snow and Mr. Wolfe was in the forest, it reminded me of Twilight mix with the action of The Hunger Game. I wanted more! I was screaming in my head to "run, run, run", and "awwwww". It definitely left me wanting to read more to see how this "relationship" turns out.


I enjoyed the last section of the distinct section about SmallTown. The drawings were more cartoon than comics. It was very rustic and less defined, kind of like children's picture books. I was a little lost from the transition because I didn't understand how this story was connected to the previous one. It seemed like who ever created this volume just put this story in to fill in the space. :S But I did enjoyed the story.





Overall, I enjoyed this volume fairly much, 3.5 out of 5.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday (Week of March 21, 2012)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To participate, simply share that book(s) you are eagerly awaiting the release of and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. Clicking the link above will take you straight to her post and widget.
Struck


Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.



Hardcover, 373 pages

Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR


Why This Books?
Okay, this might sounds crazy but I am in love with the look of lightning! Yes, I am terrified of them because I am scared of beeing zap by them but I am intrigued by their beauty. #ConfessionTime, I kind of wish I can control lightning...and that's why I am waiting for this book. :D

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Are You Ready to Embrace?: Guest Post + Giveaway

Today I have a special guest post for you lovelies. It is the wonderful Jessica Shirvington, the author of Embrace. Everyone wants true love, and everyone wants to find it fast. Well, the magic happened to Jessica; she found THE ONE at the age of 17. And here is her story...







Falling in love is easy. Staying in love … more complicated.

At 17, life is about new experiences. It is about self-discovery, friends, adventure, mistakes, career and university choices. And let’s be honest, there are not many 17 year olds out there that aren’t interested in falling in love.
But how many are truly interested in falling in love with THE ONE at 17?
I’m not sure I was. In fact, I probably wasn’t. I was planning to take the world by storm – solo. So when I met Matt, well, actually … it was pretty darn amazing. But it was a little frightening too. 
When we first got together, it was sweet and young and … perfect. I was head over heels. But things became complicated quickly. He was an up and coming athletic star and I was working in hospitality. So basically he worked hard in the day, and I worked hard at night. His lifestyle demanded routine and healthy living, mine … not so much. But we were determined to make it work.
Falling in love so deeply at a young age made it difficult to be as reckless as our friends. We watched them coast in and out of short, fun, but meaningless relationships and it just seemed so different to what we had. 





Writing the Embrace series has been an opportunity for me to pour some of the incredibly intense emotions of young love into Violet’s story. It has been important for me as a writer, and a person, to recognize that it’s completely realistic for someone at her young age to experience the full effect and heartbreak of love. Violet is one hundred percent invested with her heart. She makes bad choices, but we have to. She regrets many of her decisions, because we all do. And she fights for what she loves, because she is compelled to. Violet’s story is unique to her, I don’t pull on parallel scenarios from my own life, but I do pull on the emotion of intense love. Love that I think adults sometimes forget that 17 and 18 years-olds are very capable of feeling.
I often find one question helps a lot of adults, who maybe disagree with this view, to be more open minded: Do you remember you first true love? Do you ever wonder what your life would’ve been like if you had stayed together? For some, the answer is a resounding NOT INTERESTED, but for others … the pause says it all.

Matt and I celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary in March - I believe jewelry is in order ;)




Jessica will also be blogging throughout the tour about her conversations with all of you through the Embrace Facebook Fan Page and her website. Also, don’t forget our website: www.embracetheseries.com. Be sure to check out our gorgeous new book trailer!




Embrace
By Jessica Shirvington
Release Date: March 6th, 2012
Number of Pages: 367
Format: Hardcover

Giveaway
Okay readers, I am so jealous of you guys right now. The publisher, Sourcebook, was super generous to be able to donate one copy of Embrace! Sorry international readers, it is US and Canada ONLY. 
  • Giveaway is US and Canada ONLY!
  • Must be at least 18 to enter (or 13 and up with parent permission)
  • One entry per person
  • Giveaway ends March 31st at midnight but I have the rights to shorten or lengthen the period of the giveaway.
  • Winner will be selected via rafflecoptor and contacted through email. The winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected.

This is not mandatory but do go check out Sourcebooks!
Sourcebooks Blog
Sourcebooks Twitter
Sourcebooks Facebook



And as for the giveaway, just fill out the rafflecopter below for entry!

Monday, March 19, 2012

The Day of First Sun Tour + $450 in Prizes

The Day of First Sun
by Sheryl Steines
Synopsis:
When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun?

Please enjoy this excerpt from the urban fantasy novel, The Day of First Sun. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

Sturtagaard chose not to speak, though it was he who had called for the meeting. They both checked their watches and realized they had been sitting across from him for ten minutes, watching him sniff the air. If he wanted to play this, they would play along at least for a little while longer, though both were tired of the leering. As the vampire sniffed again, Cham finally figured out why.

"You know, you called us. We really don't have anything to say to you, so if you're just playing games, we're happy to leave. I've got other, more important things to do than watch you sniff and leer," Cham finally said, and stood up.

Sturtagaard smiled as he watched Cham open the door because he much preferred dealing with Annie, but when she stood up, too, he realized he'd overplayed his hand.

"If I talk, my employer will have me staked. I'd like some assurance that you won't do the same," he said rather quickly, before they left.

They turned and looked at him, both rolling their eyes.

"I'll have you staked if you don't talk," replied Cham, as he stood by the door.

"You're out of options if you ever hope to get out of here again," Annie said calmly, focusing on his face.

Sturtagaard squirmed a little in his seat, as Annie's expression was somewhat disquieting and unemotional. He looked at Cham, whose face was expressionless, and then back to Annie, who hadn't moved a muscle. The vampire sighed.

"You heard right. I was hired to create a zombie army to overthrow the Wizard Council," Sturtagaard said. His voice remained steady and calm with resignation.

"Who wants to overthrow the Council?" asked Cham, his hand still clutching the door.

"My employer. I've told you, I don't know who he is. I always dealt with his associate. He'd show up, leave notes, or send others with messages. I've never contacted him." He looked from one to the other, but they both remained stony and detached. "Come on, now. I can't give you information I don't have." Sturtagaard was charming.

Annie rolled her eyes again. "You really don't have any idea who the employer is?" she asked with sarcasm.

"Really, I don't," he said.

"So you're building an army of the dead. How long did you have to get this done?" Annie took out her phone and pulled out her calendar.

"He wanted it ready for September first."

Annie looked up with a grimace, and Cham looked surprised. She didn't need to mark the date on her calendar or research its significance, though neither could figure out why a zombie army had to be created for that day, the Day of First Sun. It was a very powerful and ancient day for good magic.

"So, your employer wants an army of the dead on that day? Why?" Cham asked in a flat, emotionless voice.

"He's a black wizard. What do you think he wants? He wants to overthrow the Council, take over the world, practice magic in the open. You know, the typical magical fantasy." Sturtagaard grinned because he believed that would benefit the entire supernatural world.

"Wipe the smirk off your face, Sturtagaard. Having free reign won't be as good as you think, with all the angry mobs, torches, and stakes through the heart."

Annie smirked at Cham, who shook his head and laughed. He waited to compose himself before looking back at the vampire.




As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:
  1. Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99 cents
  2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event
And I can win too!
The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR Fire Star Books!!!! So Don’t forget to say I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll. :)
 
About the book: A vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soulless zombies are par for the course for Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard. But when the non-magical princess, Amelie of Amborix, is murdered by magical means, a deeper plot unfolds. Get it on Amazon.

About the author: Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise, using her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy. Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Friday, March 16, 2012

[ARC Review] After the Snow by S. D. Crockett

Published Date: March 27, 2012
Published Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Source: Raincoast Books
Received Format: ARC
Pages: 304
Category: Young Adult
Age: 12 & +

Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Willo was out hunting when the trucks came and took his family away. Left alone in the snow, Willo becomes determined to find and rescue his family, and he knows just who to talk with to learn where they are. He plans to head across the mountains and make Farmer Geraint tell him where his family has gone.

But on the way across the mountain, he finds Mary, a refugee from the city, whose father is lost and who is starving to death. The smart thing to do would be to leave her alone -- he doesn't have enough supplies for two or the time to take care of a girl -- but Willo just can't do it. However, with the world trapped in an ice age, the odds of them surviving on their own are not good. And even if he does manage to keep Mary safe, what about finding his family?


Book Trailer:


Review:


To begin with, I chose this book from the wonderful Raincoast Books because it reminded me of one of my sister's favourite series: the Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness. And guess what? The first page seemed like a twin copy of the plot from the Chaos Walking Series. The main character is a guy with a dog. The book is written in slang/weird dialect. The dog talks to him like Patrick Ness' book. But this dog was a formless dog. It never really been described. Its thought just come into Willo's mind. The only time it was described as a real dog was when the family first found it, when it was a broken and mangy.

Format:
The slang and the intentional grammar errors will not sit well with everyone. But without it, the character really don't have a feel to it. With the slang, it seemed like there is something tangible with the characters.
Setting:
The setting reminded me a lot of a scene from the TV mini series Pillars of the Earth, where the family is walking in the frozen forest. At least that is what I thought of it. And as the novel went on, it kind of reminded me of the Relic Master Series by Catherine Fisher. I don't know why it reminded me of it but I just had the same feelings that I had with Catherine's series.
Audience:
It was very disturbing to see that a fourteen year old girl has a baby with a old man but I guess that is the whole point of dystopian. Plus all around the world, stuff like this happen. Very disturbing! There was gory stuff in the novel. And it did feel more of a boy-ish type read (which I love).
Plot:
I started to like the book more and more as I read on. The suspense was amazing. I wasn't breathing because I was scared that I would change that fate of the characters.

The government in the novel was very secretive. The author painted a vivid and imaginary picture of the government and it seemed very dystopian and very interesting. I couldn't wait to learn more about the government. For most of the book, I wish Willo could just hurry into the city and told me more about the government.

I did enjoy how the novel did not focus mainly on romance. In fact I don't think there was 5% of it in the book.

I do like fairly short chapters but the thing is that the story moved too slow. In the beginning,  I felt the magic here and there but it didn't spark me. The reason I read on was that I wanted to see what the government was like. If the author cut the first 40% of the book down to 10%, we got ourselves a good book. I mean the beginning of a book is VERY important. Most people would give up a few chapters in. I say the fun starts on pages 100 and onward. And the thing is that most people give up a book on page 100 or lower. But when you hit part 2, that's when the fun started to party :)
And as part 3 hits, "OH MY GOD! Please readers! Don't give up on this book! There are some great actions, some great secrets, some great unexpected things in this book. I am SOOOO glad that I didn't gave up on this book." Yup that was what I typed frantically on my iPod as notes when I read into part 3.

Final thoughts:
This book is not like the nowadays YA dystopian, it is like 1984 dystopian, but of course for YA. there is no guys fighting for a girl. It is refreshing and kind of bring me back the love I had for 1984.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to lovers of the Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness and boy-ish book lovers out there. Just bare with the story a little in the beginning, and when you get to part 2 and 3, you won't regret reading the book.

So since the book wasn't perfect, I am going to give this book a 4 fire babies out of 5.

In My Mailbox (Week of March 12, 2012)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.



Won:
Ghost Stories box set from Petra @ Hazel the Witch
Slide by Jill Hathaway from Jill's blog
Under My Skin (Wildlings #1) by Charles de Lint from Razorbill Canada


Review:
Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow from Heather :)
Kings and Queen by Courtney Vail from Heather @ SupaGurl for Blog Tour



P.S: Charles will be doing a chat on the Razorbill Canada website on March 27, at 8pm EST. Join Us!


So what was in your mailbox this week?

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Fashion Friday (3) Special Edition

This week's Fashion Friday is a special one. I am not blogging about any books. I am blogging about something that is fashion related and of course somewhat book related. Below you will see a photo, a gorgeous one indeed. She is my friend's friend. :) And she is trying to be on America's Next Top Model. I think she should be on top! I mean look at those eyes; she is SMIZING, smiling with her eyes.


So help her out and vote for her. It is so simple! Just click Save Vote, and you are done! You don't need to log in or register, just click and bam!
You can vote ONLY once, so don't waste your time click Save Vote over and over again, I appreciate the effort though :)


Vote for her here: CLICK ME

So I will leave you more photos if you are not convinced! Like Tyra always said, she is modeling from H2T (head to toe)!





If you want to see more of her gorgeous model pics? Click the link below: MORE PHOTOS HERE

But PLEASE don't forget to vote for her!
Vote for her here: CLICK ME



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