Okay so I'm starting to get a little annoyed with blogger because everytime I make a post that I worked really hard on and it get's erased and it's not fun. It puts me behind on my schedule because I sit here and have to type out the post all over again! and I even saved it a couple times while writing to make sure it would get erased! Wow not a good day anyways It's Monday What Are You Reading? Is hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey where we wrap up all of the books we finished last week, currently reading now, and reading next!
Finished:
Slide by Jill Hathaway
I read this one randomly because I had just gotten it and I just couldn't wait any longer. I'm extremely glad I ended up reading it because it was such a good book! The mystery in the book was so fun to follow and it really opened my eyes to mystery again it showed me how much I used to love it and that I need to get back with it. Here is my review
The Secret of the Scarlet Stone by T.L. Clarke
I was afraid to say yes to this review request but I'm glad I did because although it was more middle grade it was quick and refreshing for us YA readers! My review will be up soon hopefully I'm still waiting for the author to get back to me about an author interview!
Shut Up by Anne Tibbets
I recieved this one for review on Friday and it sounded really interesting so I decided that since it sounded so good and it was a small book that I would read it to help with my TBR pile and I'm glad I did because although it was sad it was a really great story! My review for this one will be up Thursday probably along with an Author Interview =)
Currently Reading:
The 58th Keeper by R.G. Bullet
I got this for review back in December so I'm finally getting to it and it's great so far!
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Don't be discourged by the cover! My cover is a bit better because it has a guy in a girl laying in the grass insted of this cow lol but anyways it's really good so far also. It's about a girl who busts her butt on her families farm and then she decides she wants to be a football player for her highschool team fun right?! I think so =)
Up Next:
Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan
Got this one off of Net Galley so I figured I should read it now because my tour date is in June! It sounds really good and I can't wait to read it!
Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott
I've had this one on my shelf forever and it goes along with my theme month this week so why not finally pick it up? I'm hoping it'll be good!
Thank you for stopping by peoples! Leave me a link below to anything of yours that remotely resembles this post and I'll check it out =)
I'm planning on reading lot's of great books this month and I'm really hoping I can get to all of them! Well I'm being lazy today because it's the last day before I'm back to school so I'm not going to write the title below but watch the video and you'll find out what they are! Thanks for stopping by and leave me links to any of your TBR posts!
Hi guys! I was going to take some time to list and link up the books but I'm going to my little cousins bday party so I don't have enough time anyways this is my April wrap-up and I hope you enjoy it. If you guys did a wrap-up video or post leave me a link below and I'll check it out when I get home! I hope you all have a great saturday =)
Wow okay so this is the third time I've written this post which is really annoying considering how long it is! It keeps deleting itself I'm about to throw my lap top! Haha anyways let's get started. It's Friday which unfortunately means my week off from school has ended but I'm okay with this because we only have a month left until summer! Okay In My Mailbox is created by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show off all of the books we've gotten this week. Also this week I want to start something new! Bonnie over at A Backwords Story along with her IMM every week does a weekly Re-cap type thing and I decided that I want to do that too! So i'm going to start doing weekly re-caps along with my IMM's giving Bonnie full credit of course because thats who I'm copying from =D Here are the books I've gotten this week.
***Edited In*** After I made this video I checked my email and noticed that Shut Up was a review request that I had forgotten thats how I recieved the book. Also now that I think about it I think I put Fearscape in my IMM when I got it but I can't quite remember who knows!
Today I am very excited to share with you my review of Clockwise by Elle Strauss and a fun giveaway which you can check out below, after my review. As you can imagine I'm extremely excited because I loved this book =) So first let me give a little attention to the wonderful people who made this tour possible! The tour is hosted by Leisha who works with Julie over at A Tale of Many Review Blog Tours! (They host some awesome tours and I'm apart of quite a few of the YA ones so go check them out!) Now let's check out a little bit about the book before I share with you my review and giveaway shall we?
Goodreads Summary:
Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.
Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly†protectiveness?
When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.
Which of course, she does. My Review: Wow I really liked everything about this book. The concept of time traveling? I mean come on that’s so awesome and the characters that was my second favorite part they were really realistic and I wish something like what happened to Casey happened to me =)
First I want to talk about the plot. I wasn’t sure how interested I would be because going back in time? Ehh some people might think that would be boring but it really wasn’t Casey made it fun and suspenseful every time she went back. Now It probably would be hard for her in the future with her time traveling but I feel like she’ll be okay as long as she has Nate because he really understood everything and was so sweet.
Casey was one of my favorite characters because she never took time traveling for granted she never tried to change the past even though I bet a lot of people would be tempted to try. All she did when she got there was made sure she and whoever she happened to accidentally bring along survived which I really liked about her. She didn’t really complain much but if she did a little I wouldn’t of minded because she deserved too.
At first when Casey accidentally brought Nate I figured it’d be a one time thing and Nate would think she was crazy and make her life a living hell but it was the total opposite which I’m so glad about. I loved that Nate was so worried about her when she traveled and I love that he was there every time she got in trouble when they traveled. I’m so happy they ended up together <3
I give this book 10 out of 5 stars because it was just that good! The story was very shocking and suspenseful in a really good way and I loved it! I can’t wait to read the next book.
Would you like to know where you can find the author? Of course you do because you want to get your hands on a copy of this and her second book too! You can sign up for her newsletter here and you can find her on facebook here!
Now it's time for my giveaway Woot Woot! What is up for grabs? An e-copy of Destined by Jessie Harrell thats what =) So just fill in the rafflecopter form below and you'll be entered to win! Thanks for stopping by everybody and one last thing go here to find the tour schedule for The Clockwise Tour!
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Publisher: Balzar + Bay (HarperCollins)
Publication Date: March 27, 2012
Number of Pages: 250
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jill Hathaway did an amazing job writing Slide! I knew I would love it as soon as I heard about the plot. There was no doubt in my mind at all! Slide is about a girl named Vee who has something well it's cool sometimes and other times it's plan annoying. She slides into the minds of other people, she can't read their thoughts or anything but she can see what they're doing and if she tries hard enough she can control them too. Vee has some major problems going on with her sister and her sisters friends, Amber and Sophie. Vee slides into the mind of someone who is in Sophie's room and finds her dead. Now it looks like a suicide until Vee looks down and realizes there is a knife in her hand.
Vee is a very strong character. She never really thinks about herself she's always trying to help the people around her like Rollins, Mattie, Sophie, Zane, and even her dad. It's one of the things that attracted me towards her character. When we first met Matties character I thought she was going to be some snooty cheerleader but she wasn't thank god! Mattie is just a young girl who's going through some rough times and she needs her sister to help her through them.
Some other characters I liked/fell for were Rollins Vee's best friend and Zane Zee's boyfriend for a short time. When Rollins was introduced in the very beginning and near the middle I had a couple doubts about him being the killer but those were quickly squashed and I was happy. Now Zane we met kind of in the end of the beginning and I knew right away that the two of them were going to date and I was happy because I liked Zane. But the moment he left and Zee found the red paint on the floor I was extremely sad. I'm not going to tell you what that means or what happened to Zane because that would be a major spoiler but he was a well written character.
My next favorite part of the book is the plot. One of the reason why I liked this book so much is because it sort of reminded me of the Wake Series by: Lisa McMann. The main character of that person slips into the dreams of other people which isn't exactly the same but it's really similar and the things she uses her dream seeing for are very similar. Also even though the book reminded me of that series it also stood on it's own very well which is great especially since it was Jill's first book! This one is definitely a 5 out of 5 stars!
It's Wednesday! and I'm kind of bummed because it's getting closer and closer to the end of my vacation! =( Anyways it's time for another edition of Waiting on Wednesday created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine What we do is show off the book(s) that aren't out yet but we can't wait for! I have one for you guys today that I had no clue about until the other day but It looks really good!
Over You by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
I've seen this book in a few places and I actually requested it from HarperCollins (My first book request *Crosses Fingers*) I really like the cover and it sounds like it's going to be really cute!
So which books can you not wait for!? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a link to your WoW post! I'd love to get some new book ideas =)
Good Morning Followers!! I have another surprise for you! Awhile back I was contacted and asked to be apart of the one day tour for The Light Tamer By: Devyn Dawson and I gladly accepted. So today I have an excerpt from the book and an Ebook giveaway for you!
The book sounds really interesting so I can't wait to share this excerpt with you so lets get too it!
Excerpt from The Light Tamer By: Devyn Dawson
“If you knew what I am thinking right now, you might get up and run away. So, I’m glad you don’t know,” he leaned forward putting his hands on his knees. I scoot closer to him and put my arm around his back.
The feeling, oh that feeling it slips me into a bath of warmth. “Caleb,” I whisper, “what are you thinking?”
He turned to face me, his big brown eyes heavily hooded, he put one hand on my face and we both shuddered at the same time. “I want to kiss you, I want to feel what it’s like to have your lips on mine,” he whispers back to me.
I let out the breath I’d been holding. Is he serious? Caleb, this gorgeous guy wants to kiss me. I want him to, what if I do it wrong? I’ve never kissed someone before; do I smash my face to his? What if I make too much spit and it’s sloppy? What if I don’t know how?
“Jessie? May I?”
He leaned all the way in, and I lean forward to him and our lips met. Soft and warm, sweet, with a taste of peppermint. His hand is still on my face and that warmth has taken over my soul. Two people kissing for the first time. My tummy tingled, my lips almost burn at his touch and it was then, I hear him. I heard him inside my head, or inside his, I don’t know, but I heard him. He was thinking about how soft my lips felt, and how tongues grossed him out…but not now. He thought about my hair and how pretty my blonde hair looked draped across my tan shoulders. He thought about this moment was the best first kiss ever. His first kiss. I pulled back away from him. I look at his face and can see his admiration of me. Damn, that was great!
“This was your first kiss too?” I asked. “I heard you, at least I think I did.” I scoot closer to him on the boulder, as close as I can without touching him.
“I pray that is all you heard from me,” he admitted.
“I’ll never tell,” I taunt. “What happens now? I mean, you talked about your mom and how she died. What does that do?”
“We think that having two parents somehow protects us. We also think, or actually know that we inherited the gene from our paternal side,” Caleb said.
I look at him incredulously, I leaned back and crossed my arms. “We? Who is we?”
“After we find out what we are, we seem to have the ability to spot other SLIders without a problem. I met a girl at school, Amber, she is one too. She actually found a grimoire of sorts. The book has a lot of information about keeping your light. It is believed that each family has one that is handed down. I told my dad about it and he already knew. He says he saw a book with our surname on it but he doesn’t know what happened to it. Your grandma knows too.” Isn’t this turning out to be the oddest first date? I have my first kiss, find out I’m some type of light snatcher…crazed dark things are out to get me, and did I happen to remember that Caleb is hot?
“What does it all mean though? Who are the dark? Does the book tell you how to stop them?” I ask.
Caleb stood up and offered me his hand and helps me up. “When I hold your hand, it makes me feel…I don’t know. Less empty I guess. The Dark Ones aren’t kids. We think they are former Light Tamers that either never found their mate or had their lights stolen. Dad and I think they have a leader, we’re not sure though.”
“What is a mate?” I ask as I bend over to pick up a shell.
“Well, you and I are mates. It is when two Light Tamers are bound together by an event. When you drowned, that bound us together. When my mom died, it killed off the protection that my parents gave me, making me weak. Dad does his best to protect me, but seriously he can’t be with me all of the time. We’ve realized that at the school, there are teachers that are protectors of some sort. There are several Light Tamers at the school, but not all know it. The young ones don’t seem to know, and some of the other kids don’t either. It is confusing to keep it all straight in the beginning. Stick with me kid, I’ll keep you in the know,” Caleb said.
Yay!! I loved it now time for the giveaway! The Rules will be at the bottom of the rafflecoppter form below =) Also you can find the schedule for the tour here, and you can find the book on Amazon too!
Well I just finished the book and I don't think I'm quite ready to write a review yet but I'm going to go for it anyways because I don't want to forget anything. The Fault In Our Stars is a story about a girl named Hazel who has Lung cancer I'm pretty sure it is. Well she goes to a support group for cancer patients. This support group is where she meets the love of her life Augustus Waters. Now normally I don't fall for guys in books right away and if i do I don't stay in love with them but this boy I fell for and didn't lost the feeling throughout the whole book. This book I swear was so amazing and heartbreaking. Near the end I didn't want to keep reading i had to keep putting it down to compose myself and not because it was bad but because it was so sad.
Hazel has had cancer most of her life and she knows she is dying. She doesn't know when she'll die because she has her good days and then her bad but she knows she will at some point. She is such an inspirational character all the way because she's so strong even when her life was fading away. She decides to let Augustus into her life because she knows that he loves her and that she loves in.
Augustus is a very smart, and also inspiring young man. He also got cancer when he was very young and he lost his leg. Luckily though when we met him he was cancer free. He fell for Hazel as soon as he laid eyes on her which mad me fall for him. He knew that at the time she would probably die first but he accepted it and he was there for her until he couldn't be anymore.
The two of them loved this book so much that ended randomly and they wanted to find out what happened. Together Hazel & Gus tracked down this author, using Gus's cancer wish and they fly to visit him for answers. I won't tell you what happened on that trip because of spillers but I will say jus before they left Hazel got some very bad news but in the end the two of them dealt with it together as best they could until they couldn't any longer. They were both very strong up until the end.
I give this inspirational story 5 out of 5 stars because it kept you turning pages until you couldn't anymore. It reached out and grabbed you before you even finished the first sentence of the first page. I must say i'm extremely glad that The Fault In Our Stars was my pick for my first John Green book. I hope to read more by him in the very near future.
It's time for another It's Monday What Are You Reading? created by Sheila over at Book Journey! This is a weekly bookish meme where we wrap-up the books we've read since last week, the ones we're currently reading now, and what we plan on reading next. So without further ado here is my Monday Wrap-Up
Finished:
Divergent By: Veronica Roth
Absolutely loved the whole concept of this one. A lot of people said it was a lot like The Hunger Games but I really didn't think it was. I thought it was much better then The Hunger Games. Here's my review.
The Immortal Rules By: Julie Kagawa
Julie's writing is so great. I knew I would like this one because I love her Iron Fey series. You can check out my review here!
The Fault In Our Stars By: John Green
I was afraid to read this one because everyone kept saying it's so sad, and I dove right into it because not a lot of books can make me cry but this one did it. Well technically I didn't cry because I wasn't alone while I was reading the ending but if I wasn't alone I would've balled like a baby. My review will be up later today or later this week I haven't decided yet.
Currently Reading:
The 58th Keeper By: R.G. Bullet
I promised this review awhile ago so I just started it a few minutes ago and I couldn't stop reading! I really like it so far.
Slide By: Jill Hathaway
Just got this one Friday night. Met the author and everything about to start it right this second =) Well technically you won't be seeing this post until tomorrow so i'll probably already be well into the book by the time you read this!
Up Next:
Grave Mercy By: Robin LaFevers
I got this one from Net Galley awhile ago so I figure I should probably read it right? =)
Dairy Queen By: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Bought this one at the Used Book Superstore back in December and it goes along with my first's theme for next month so why not!
Thanks for stopping by to check out what i've been up to in terms of reading. Don't forget to check out my giveaway still going until Thursday! It's freaking awesome I swear!
The Immortal Rules I have to say was very good and very interesting but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. Now wait! Before you kill me, I'm not saying that I didn't like it because I totally did. Just a few things weren't what I expected and i'm about to tell you why! This story is about a girl named Allison who lives in a world dominated by vampires. As the book starts she is an unregistered human (which is basically one of those who refuse to aid the vamps by giving them her blood every month.) Anyways she lives in an old school with her friends well somewhat friends Stick the wimpy guy who really can't take care of herself, Rat (The annoying thief who they took in at the last minute), and Lucas (Allison's could be lover and the leader). I really can't go into more depth about the story because I'd give away too many spoilers but these are the characters of Part 1
Part 2 Allison finds herself in a sticky situation because she becomes something she thought she never would something that she absolutely despises. But she deals with it the best she can. Kanin takes Allie under his wing and teaches her everything she needs to know about her knew life. She learns slowly but surely and soon enough they part ways because of some problems (Even though I really liked him and thought they would be a cute couple!)
Part 3 Allie stumbles across a young boy about 5 or 6 named Caleb and he is lost luckily they find his family relatively quickly and Allie finds herself a new home. Which is when we meet Zeeke, Ruth, and Jeb there was so many more but those were the three biggest names. At first Allison finds it hard to fit in because of what she is but she does it and she finds herself falling for Zeeke! Which i was so excited about by the way. But the one person of the whole group who really hates her guts (Ruth) finds out what she is and exposes her which means she's once again alone.
Part 4 which is our last part Allie is following her old "family" which she just got kicked out of to make sure they make it to their destination but unfortunately she hits some bumps alone the way. Thats all I can say with out spoilers.
Now let me explain what turned me off about this book. I loved the characters and the plot of the book. But the fact that the book kept changing and I don't mean little changes like it was like you were reading a completely different book every time you entered a new part and I wasn't very fond of that at all, but I did keep going because I liked Allie and Zeeke and I wanted to find out the end for them. In the end I give this 4 out of 5 stars because overall it was dramatic and intense which is a very good combination.
I'm so glad that I decided to pick this book up when I did because it was freaking amazing! I loved every minute of it! First of all let me just say It's a tiny bit like The Hunger Games but not as much as everyone says it is. Which is good because this book totally stands on its own two feet. My favorite character is probably Tris because she changed so much and for the better too!
This book is about a girl who turns 16 and she has to figure out which Faction she belongs too and which she wants to join. Here's a little bit of back story there is like 5 or 6 Factions and when the kids turn 16 they have to take an aptitude test which tells them where they'd most likely fit in and then they have to choose which faction they want. This could mean leaving there families behind and changing your life completely or it could mean staying where you've been what you've known your whole life.
Tris makes the hard choice of leaving her home faction to go to Dauntless. Which is the brave group, and let me tell you throughout the book she proves she is brave multiple times. Sticking up for her friends, being the first to jump off the building, saving her friends/boyfriend/family, and so many other things. At first Tris is not sure where she fits in. She chooses Dauntless but she's nervous she feels like she's going to fail even though she's close to #1.
I love her friends Christina, Will, Al (Before he did what he did) the reason I loved them is because they were there for her no matter what even when she could've been the reason they were faction less at first they quickly got over it and stood by her side.
Now what can i say about Four? I would call him the other name but that would be spoiler so I won't. From the very beginning of the book I fell in love with Four. He seemed like this bad boy with tattoos who had a little crush on Tris. But when he started to show his true colors to Tris, shared his fears and secrets with her I fell in love with him even more. He is definitely #1 or 2 up there on my favorite book boyfriends. So much happened in the end which is why I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on Insurgent which comes out in a few days!
Last night I got to go to my very first book signing! Woot Woot! I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Wells (Author of Partials), Kimberly Derting (Author The Body Finder Series), and Jill Hathaway (Author of Slide) I had an awesome time and you guys can hear all about it by watching my video above and below you can see the couple pictures that were taken!
I'm in such a good mood today guys! First of all, I just got back from an awesome Dark Days Signing! Which I had the awesome opportunity of meeting Dan Wells, Kimberly Derting, and Jill Hathaway! All fantastic authors. So anyways It's time for another IMM which is created by Kristi over @ The Story Siren and you guys know what to do! Leave comments/links below! (P.S. Sorry about all the ranting and Onion Rings! Which were all eaten by the time I was done with the video I only got 1! =( )
I have another fun day planned for you guys today! I was asked to be apart of The Grey Wolves Series Tour hosted by Misa over at These Paper Worlds which hosts some pretty cool tours so you should definately head over there and sign up! For this tour I have been granted a giveaway with our lovely author Quinn Loftis. Before I share the interview with you let's learn some more about the author and her books shall we?
I am a 31 year old wife, mother, nurse and author, not always in that order. I live in Arkansas with my husband, my 4 year old son, and our 7 month old Doberman Pinscher. I hope to be able to write full time one day, but right now feel very blessed to be able to self publish my books. (Taken off Amazon.com)
Now that we know about the author lets check out her three books which are apart of The Greay Wolves Series!
Jaque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer was going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis Lupus, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being denied him by a crazed Alpha. Will the love Fane has for Jacque be enough to give him the strength to defeat his enemy, will Jacque accept that she is Fane's mate and complete the bond between them? (Synopsis from Goodreads)
(Synopsis from Goodreads) With the challenge complete and the corrupt Alpha of Coldspring defeated Fane is now free to complete the mate bond with Jacque and perform the Blood Rites. Although the challenge is done, the affects are far reaching. Once it is known that Vasile, one of the strongest Alphas in the world is in America, specifically Coldspring, TX, there is one Alpha who cannot over look the significance of this. An Alpha who happens to share Jacque's DNA, but is this the one she needs to fear?
With her mom driving and her two best friends, Jen and Sally in tow, Jacque sets off for her happily ever after. She will soon realize a plan has been put in motion that will change her course and possibly tear her from Fane's grasp forever. It will take a wolf pack, her mother's love, her two best friend's unrelenting determination, her own will to survive and the undying love of her mate to bring her home. The question remains, if she fights, if she endures, who will she be, what will be left once she is back in her mates arms?
(Synopsis from Goodreads) Jennifer Adams, best friend to Jacque Pierce and Sally Morgan, spicy, out spoken, a little crazy and human...or so she thought. Jen has just found out that human DNA is not the only thing that resides in her veins, she happens to share that little pesky werewolf gene, although it isn't more than just a drop. Now that she and her friends are living in Romania with Fane's pack, she is also oh so conveniently stuck with the object of her affection, the fur ball Decebel.
Drawn to each other by something they don't understand Jen finds herself frustrated by the lack of mating signs between her and said fur ball. Not only is she dealing with that not so un-frustrating problem, she now has been informed that because of that little drop of werewolf blood in her she is now required to attended a multi-pack gathering for un-mated wolves. This type of gathering hasn't taken place in over a century but with a shortage of females among the werewolf population the males are getting worried they won't ever find their true mates.
Meanwhile Decebel struggles with the emotions he is feeling towards Jen. He tries to keep his distance but there is just something about the mouthy blonde that keeps him coming back for more of her verbal abuse that he just can't seem to get enough of...go figure.
Few, now on to the interview for those of you who are still with me!
1. When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
It really hit home when I was in high school and wrote a poem on the civil war that was published in a magazine by one of my history teachers. I realized then how much I loved sharing my stories with others.
2. What was your inspiration for writing about wolves?
Patricia Briggs probably has had the most influence on me. Her Mercy Thompson Series and Alpha and Omega Series are two of my favorite were-wolf books
3. How many books are originally supposed to be in the series?
There will be at least 7 books in this series
4. Are you a big reader as well as a writer? If so what types of books do you like to read?
I love to read. When I'm not writing I read a book a day or every other day. I read YA paranormal, Scifi, Murder Mystery, and Spooky stories.
5. Where did you get your inspiration for Jaque Pierce?
Jacque is a mixture of my personality with some mixtures of some of my high school girlfriends.
6. Where is your favorite place to write?
A quiet study room in the public library or my big soft recliner.
7. What gets you motivated to write?
Music, reading a really good book, and good reviews or emails from people with encouragement.
Thanks to all of you who stuck along for this long ride today I really appreciate it! For those of you who want to check out more of the tour you can click here for the other stops! Also you can check out the books on Goodreads and Amazon Have a wonderful weekend!
Woot Woot! It's giveaway time! Today I have the plessure of giving my awesome followers a giveaway which will contain these lovely prizes!
Beautiful bookmarks and fancy e-book card don't ya think? If you don't know what an e-book card is it's a pretty cool card that gives you acess to download all three books in The Cloud Prophect Trilogy for free! Now i'm sure this would normally cost big bucks but the lovely Megg gave up one for this giveaway! So when you go check out her blog be sure to thank her!
I have something special for you guys today! You all know about the novel Letters In Cardboard Boxes By: Abby Slovin right? Well I had the wonderful opportunity of Interviewing her and I'm sharing that here with you today! Before I let you in on the interview here is a little bit about Abby!
About The Author: Letters In Cardboard Boxes is Abby Slovin's debut novel. She was born in the summer of 1983 and lived in the same house on Long Island until attending the University of Michigan. She has a deep love for New York City, Brooklyn especially, where much of her family has its roots and loves to spend time outdoors, travel, research family genealogy, and relax at home with her husband, Dominick, and pug-mix, Grumpy. (Taken from the end of Letters In Cardboard Boxes)
Now for the Interview! enjoy =)
1. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I think I realized once it became something that was no longer a choice, when my characters took on a life of their own and it didn't even feel like I was writing them at all anymore. Sometimes, things just click like that. Before I wrote Letters, it was a hobby that I enjoyed, no doubt. But during this process, it became such a huge part of me that it was difficult to imagine a time when it wasn't a huge part of my life.
2. In edition to being a writer are you also a reader? If so what types of books do you like to read?
I'll read pretty much anything recommended to me. Some of my favorite books have been recommendations I would never have tried on my own. If I'm browsing book shelves, I tend to sway toward literary fiction, but I'll go just about anywhere so long as there's a good story attached to it.
3. Is the plot for Letters In Cardboard Boxes based on your own experience? If not where did it come from?
Although the story is completely fictional, it was inspired by a personal moment in my own life. While I was cleaning out some of my grandmother’s possessions after she had passed away, I found letters she had exchanged with my grandfather during their courtship and was hit with a lot of emotion. In particular, guilt at not having known this part of her life, sadness for not being able to talk to her about it, but also a lot of happiness that these letters breathed life into someone I loved who was no longer around. I started imagining a story with this idea at its center — of finding remnants of a person’s life after they’ve passed — and organized a fictional story around it. I named the main characters after my grandparents simply because it felt good to hear their names spoken out loud again
4. Do you have a favorite place where you like to write?
I don't usually have a lot of time to sit and write, so most of my inspiration happens outside, while I'm walking to work or on a train going somewhere. I usually send myself a text message with the idea and try to find the time later to flesh it out. So, my favorite places to write are places that are moving, the streets, a train, a car. These are the places where -- watching the dynamism of the world around me -- I get the most inspiration.
5. How long did you have the idea for Parker's character in your head? And where did those ideas come from?
The novel took me three years to write, and I began writing in the Fall of 2007, so I guess I've had Parker in my head since then. She sort of evolved around the themes I was hoping to convey -- of loss, isolation, and the power of relationships to see us through difficult times. To "channel Parker" and get ideas for her character, I tried to imagine the experience of losing the single most important person in my own life and used that emotion to write her character. Her experience, I think, is one we can all relate to. Its not the heroic side of humanity, but the real side of humanity. The part that typically doesn't get written about.
6. Lastly should we expect anymore books from you in the future?
Yes, I'm working on two new projects right now. The first is a monthly feature on a blog called the Dunce Academy about a recent college graduate searching for work (link below). The other will be my next novel, called 10:15 On A Tuesday, the story of an unlikely friendship between an upper-middle class widower and a psychic (link below as well). http://www.abbyslovin.com/jack-and-the-brick-wall/about-jack/
Thanks again Abby, for being willing to do an author interview! Thanks for having me here!
If anyone has any questions or want to know more about Abby or her writing visit her here or email her @ abby.slovin@gmail.com P.S. Thanks for stopping by!
Letters In Cardboard Boxes by Abby Slovin, was really a beautiful story about a girl dealing with losing her grandmother to Alzheimer’s disease which is a very sad thing to go to and you could see during the book that it was very hard for Parker.
Our main character is Parker and she’s had a tough life because from the age of I think 12 and on she lived on her own because her parents did nothing but travel travel travel. Therefore poor Parker was left on her own quite a bit. Luckily Parker had her grandma who was there for her all the time even when Parker was not so nice.
Parker and Dotty which is her grandma were very close which is why when she learns her grandma has this common disease it’s very hard for her because she knows that her grandma was the very last person she has left. During the coarse of the book though Parker gets two more people that she can rely on to keep her going.
Those two people are Tanya who is the young girl who Parker’s grandma mentored but when she fell sick Parker took over for her. These two weren’t close in the beginning but as time passed they were like best friends. The next person she relied on was her grandmas old friend Jerry. Jerry has lived right next door to her grandma for basically their whole life’s. Parker starts to get close to him too and they eventually start telling each other stories and Jerry is always there for Parker when she needs someone to talk to.
In the end I’ve given this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was a really touching story and even though it was hard for me to get into at first I recommend it to anyone who feels like they’re life is going nowhere because this book will help you out a lot!
I'm really excited for this edition of Teaser Tuesday because of the awesome book I get to share with you guys! So this meme is created over at Should Be Reading where we share teasers from the books we are currently reading! Anyone can join you just have to follow these rules! Rules: 1. Grab your current read. 2. Open to a random page. 3. Share two teaser sentences from somehwere on that page. 4. Be sure to include the Title and Author so we can add it to our TBR pile. 5. Lastly make sure you don't include spoilers you don't want to ruin the book for the rest of us!
Here's my Teaser:
Divergent By: Veronica Roth
Her face strikes the barrier, and she cries out. Her hands slip so she's just holding on by her fingertips. She tries to get a better grip, but now her hands are wet. Pg 101
I'm loving this book so far! It's so intense and interesting. I love the whole plot! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave your links below =) Happy Teasing!
Happy Monday guys! I'm in a very good mood because I had a pretty good weekend! I finished two books this weekend and I'm pretty proud of myself! So here is my Monday Wrap-Up! Created over at Book Journey! Where we show you awesome people what we've finished, are currently reading, and whats up next!
Finished:
The Summer I Turned Pretty By: Jenny Han
OMG! I loved this book so much! I cannot wait to get my hands on the second one. Check out my review here!
Anathema By: Megg Jensen
Glad I read this one it was really interesting because i've never really read a book about or that had slavery in it before. I'm really glad I started with this one! I can't wait to read The Prequel and the next two books in the Trilogy which I can start soon thanks to the awesome Megg! She sent me copies of the prequel and the next two =) Check out my review here!
Currently Reading:
Divergent By: Veronica Roth
I am determined to finish this one before Insurgent comes out =) Loving it so far!
The Immortal Rules By: Julie Kagawa
I absolutley love Julies writing! Thats about all I can say! Loving this one too!!!!
Up Next:
The Fault In Our Stars By: John Green
I can't wait to dig into my first John Green book!
The 58th Keeper By: R.J. Bullet
Promised this review awhile back excited to get to it!
Well thats it thanks for stopping by and leave links to your Monday Wrap-Ups below!
My name is Paige and I am 21 years old. I have also graduated from Salem High School, and I am currently studying Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. But don't let that fool you I will definitely keep Comfort Books up to date because it is my baby and there is never a time when I won't be reading!
