31 December 2012

Review: Beneath The Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler

Beneath the Glitter by Elle Fowler & Blair Fowler
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Book Format: ARC
Number of Pages: 288
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received Beneath The Glitter from the publisher for my honest review.

Beneath The Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler is such a great novel. On the back of the book it says if you liked the L.A. Candy trilogy you’ll like this book and that was so true, I loved that trilogy and I loved this book as well. The story is about two sisters, Ava & Sophia and they have moved to L.A. in search of fulfilling their dreams of starting a makeup company type thing. Throughout the book we see the sisters struggle with guys, sister fights and many other things but it ends up being very interesting and impossible to put down.

One of my favorite things about this book was that while reading it, I kept connecting some of the things in the story back to the two authors. A few of those connections are that the authors are sisters who moved to L.A. to fulfill their dreams and this is the same thing that happened in the book. Another connection I mad was that Sophia’s cat in the book is just like Elle’s cat in real life. I’m not sure why this fascinates me but it does!

Another thing I really enjoyed is that in this book their wasn’t really any “mean” people. In the L.A. Candy trilogy their was the mean girl Madison but in Beneath The Glitter their were just crazy obstacles not really mean people and that was good because I hate mean people in stories.

Characters lets talk about characters for a second. We have Ava who is a bit stubborn but she really does love her sister and animals. Sophia who is a bit I don’t think you would say controlling because that’s to big of a word well go with protective, and she has a heart of gold. You definitely have to read the book because reading about these two characters and all the sub characters was so fun! Watch out for Dalton he’s my favorite J

I’m trying to think of at least one thing I didn’t like about the book but I really can’t think of anything. Well actually I lied I can think of something, I hated that cliff hanger! What the heck! I need to know more!! Anyways J This story definitely gets a 5 out of 5 stars, I’m in love with it.


View all my reviews




30 December 2012

December 2012 Wrap Up



Hello everybody! I was bored and then I remembered that I needed to film my December 2012 wrap up! so here it is :) Click on the titles below and you will be taken to my written reviews. I haven't done any video reviews yet but like I mentioned in the video leave me comments below and tell me if there is a particular book out of the 4 that you want to be reviewed first!

Books mentioned:
1. Finding Mia by Rachel K. Burke
2.  Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
3. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
4. Fang Girl by Helen Keeble
5. Undead by Kristy McKay

Happy New Year!
(even though were not quite there yet)

29 December 2012

In My Mailbox e-book edition 6 + Weekly Wrap Up

Before we start I need to inform you! I do have a lot of books to show off from christmas but since I am at my grandparents house I don't have those books with me so I will do that huge hall next week and this week will be an e-book haul!
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, and it is a weekly bookish meme where we show our followers all the books we get each week!








Weekly Wrap Up:

Reviews:


Memes/Posts:
None :)

Blog Tours/Hops:

Giveaways: 
None this week :)






28 December 2012

Review: Undead by Kristy McKay

Undead by Kirsty McKay
Publisher: The Chicken House
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Book Format: ARC
Number of Pages: 272
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received Undead by Kristy McKay from the publisher for my honest review.

Undead is about a group of students who live in the UK and they are on a school field trip. During this field trip they decide to stop for something to eat but little do they know most of them are going to turn into zombies. So the few students that are left have to find out a way to get themselves safe and away from the zombies.

I’ve never read a book about zombies before but I knew that I wanted to try one out so I thought what better then to try a new one that just came out. Something that was unique about this was that the zombies turned because of some sort of carrot juice. I thought that was so weird but hey whatever suits you.

The characters were really something else but that’s enjoyable in a book like these. If your going to have a group of random students of course there are going to be disagreements and things like that which is one of the best parts about the book. The reason I say this is because if your reading a book with a bunch of different people and they all get along perfectly you’d be bored, so with the fights and crazy things the book was entertaining.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was that the main character was originally from the UK but she moved to the US and then back to the UK so she still had an accent but not a flow blown English accent anymore so she was kind of the odd one out but that’s also something that made her unique.

The plot was pretty cool, it ran back and fourth between the place they stopped to eat the road and a few other places which was good because you didn’t get too confused about where you were. Overall the book gets a 4 out of 4 stars it ended up being very enjoyable.

View all my reviews




27 December 2012

Ellie James Tour: Interview



Shattered Dreams (Midnight Dragonfly, #1)Shattered Dreams by Ellie James
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.

Meet The Author:

Ellie James believes in dreams, destiny, and possibility. A native of south Louisiana, she grew up immersed in legend, surrounded by history and drenched in mystery. She penned her first work of fiction at six, turning to suspense three years later with Jacquie and the Swamp. Even before graduating from the LSU Manship School of Journalism, Ellie always had a tragic poem, tender story, or intriguing mystery for her friends, a trait that has continued as her fascination with danger, adventure, love, and the unexplained has grown.

Ellie now splits her time between exploring story worlds and creating her own adventures with her husband and their two children.

Interview:

P: How long have you wanted to be an author? 
E: Always. Forever. I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember. I think I wrote my first fan-fic before I was five!  I would fall in love with characters and not want their stories to end, so I’d keep them going. It wasn’t just fan-fic, though. I had my own creations, such as the saga of a family of monsters, followed by star-crossed cats.  Then came a girl named Jacquie and her terrifying flight through a sinister swamp, with a mysterious guy racing to help her. I had no choice but to write the stories down. It was the only way to get them to leave me alone. In middle school and high school I was always the girl writing little poems (and even songs!) for my friends, usually about something romantic, and something dangerous!  Being a Louisiana native, my stories always took on a mystical feel, featuring ghosts and danger and all sorts of things that couldn’t be explained, and always, always a healthy dose of star-crossed lovers. 


P: What was your inspiration for the Midnight Dragonfly series? 
E: It was one of those bizarre, unplanned things. A few years ago I wasn’t getting much sleep and woke up one early one morning from one of the most incredibly detailed, vivid dreams I’d ever had. I’d more than just seen a group of teen sneak into an old abandoned mansion--I’d been with them.  I’d gazed into the darkness, and smelled the decay. I’d felt the fear, and the crazy blast of excitement at the prospect of a game of truth or dare.  My heart was still racing when I woke up. The images lingered. I kept thinking about what I’d seen, and from the questions came: What happened next? What if one of the teens was a psychic? What if she saw something…something bad? What if she had a premonition? What if what she saw actually happened?  What if no one believed her, or at least, no one but the last guy she should let herself begin to fall for?

As I answered those questions, the Midnight Dragonfly books were born! 


P: What advice would you give to aspiring authors? 
E: Oh-h-h-h, I could do an entire interview on this!!!!  But for now, let me give a one-word answer: BELIEVE.  You have to believe. In yourself. Your story. Your dreams. Your vision. Everything. If you don’t believe, no one else will. But if YOU believe, that’s when magic happens. 

Each of us has stories to tell, and only you can tell them. The writing life can be incredibly hard. You spend tons of time alone, creating, and then you toss your creation out to the rest of the world, to see what they think. Some will love it, some won’t. That can take a toll of your confidence and your dream. But I have a plaque across from my desk that reads, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” and I essentially live by those words. You have to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. It’s the only way they’ll come true. 

Oh….and one more thing, and this is important: write what you love—what intrigues you, fascinates, terrifies you, melts you, etc.  That way you’ll always be excited about diving into your story world

P: Do you have a favorite place to write? 
E: Believe it or not…no! I do most of my writing at my laptop, but it doesn’t really matter where my laptop is—my office, the kitchen table, the library, sometimes even my neighbor’s couch (when they’re at work and my house is too noisy!)

Where I tend to have preferences (quirks?) is more about how. All brainstorming occurs with a pad and pencil—always. I cannot brainstorm at the computer. Raw, fresh writing, however, happens at the computer. If/when I get stuck on a scene, a character, motivation, etc., then I leave the (sterile environment of the) computer and return to my pad and pencil. I interview myself. I interview my characters. Sometimes I rant a bit. And I write it all down, as if I’m an interrogator. I write and I write and I write, until finally that breakthrough happens—and it always does. THEN, I return to the computer. Every morning I edit my work from the day before, via the computer, but once I finish the manuscript and sit down to edit, that has to be hard copy with a bright purple pen, on the sofa. I think there’s just something different cognitively about holding a pen in your hand versus tapping keys!!

Oh, I’ve also been known to whip out my phone and make oodles of voice recordings while I’m driving. For some reason, walking, running, driving (and even, get this, sweeping), trigger all kinds of great snippets of dialog or description!!  And if I don’t capture them while they’re there, they (sadly) vanish.


P: What can we expect from you in the future? 
E: Presently I’m working on a new project, which is transitioning between germination and full blossom. It started with a simple, one sentence, “What if” idea, and from there it’s spinning into something that leaves me kinda breathless. It’s too early to say anything, but I can promise you my favorite concoction: action, adventure, mystery, and romance, plus a healthy does of the Unexplained!


And this picture…..this is the only hint I can give you 




Thanks for stopping by everybody! and again I'm very sorry that this is going up so late. I've been having some technical difficulties lately. 

26 December 2012

Review: Fang Girl by Helen Keeble

Fang GirlFang Girl by Helen Keeble
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Book Format: ARC
Number of Pages: 352
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received Fang Girl by Helen Keeble from another blogger for my honest review.

Fang Girl is nothing what I thought it would be but I mean that in a very good way. This story is about a girl named Xanthe Jane Green who wakes up randomly to find out that she is in a coffin and she is indeed a vampire. Now the cool thing about this is that previously when Jane was alive she was a total vampire freak so she sort of thinks its cool that she’s now a vampire.

One thing that I loved about this book was that it had the ability to make me chuckle so much and not many books have been able to do that. Something that a lot of books do not have the ability to do is keep a mature normal story but also able to throw in some laughs. I also like that the author did a great job balancing a quiet romance and the adventure of the novel, I enjoyed having both in the story.

Jane is a very fun character, she’s able to bring humor into some weird or very situations which I like about her. She is very prepared for what has happened to her she’s read all kinds of books watched all the movies and shows on vampires so she’s ready to be a blood sucking vampire but being a vampire isn’t all what she thought it would be.

The other characters were very interesting. At first I though Ebon the vampire that is supposedly sent to protect Jane would be more then what I thought he was but he ended up not, but he was still a loyal friend to Jane throughout the book. Van who was the crazy vampire hunter described in the synopsis had a very cute/strange personality. There is apart in the book when he’s drugged and I can’t help but crack up at the whole scene.

Overall the book gets a 5 out of 5 stars. It kept me interested and giggling throughout the book and I enjoyed that. I’m trying to figure out it there’s a sequel, I don’t think there is but either way I’m good J

View all my reviews



24 December 2012

25 Authors of Christmas Tour


 
Hello everyone! It is Christmas Eve as you all know and today I'm taking part in the 25 authors of Christmas tour hosted by Brandi @ Bound 2 Astound! Everyday this month there was an author interview/giveaway on all kinds of different blogs you can find that list here!
 
Today I am interviewing the lovely Natasha Deen, author of the True Grime series which currently has two books in it. True Grime & True Grime 2: Angel Maker click on the titles to the left to be taken to the goodreads page where you can check out Natasha's books.
 
 
Meet The Author:
 
When I was little, there was only one thing I wanted to be when I grew up: a superhero. Sadly, this goal was made moot when I realized that being a klutz was not in fact, a super power, and my super-weakness for anything bright and shiny meant that a magpie with self-control could easily defeat me in a battle of wills. Hence, the turn to writing as an occupation. I don’t get to live on a secret space station orbiting the earth (and thank God, because I get motion sick on a merry-go-round), but I still get to wear leotards, a cape and say things like, “STAND ASIDE! THIS IS A JOB FOR WRITING-GIRL!”
 
Interview:
P: What is your favorite thing to do to get ready for christmas?
N:  I love putting on Christmas music sung by the classic guys (Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby), curling up in a blanket, and watching the snow fall outside.
 
P: Do you like to read christmas themed books when christmas is near? If so what are you reading this year?
N: Actually, I’ll read Christmas book through the year—for me, it’s the story not the time setting. As for this year, I’ve been appointed as the 2013 Regional Writer in Residence for the Metro Edmonton Library Federation, so most of my reading has been perusing calendars & booking workshops. :D
 
P: What are your favorite foods to eat around christmas?
N: Mandarin oranges, candy canes, & homemade Christmas cookies.
 
P: What sorts of traditions do you take part in every year?
N: Ha ha—does chocolate shopping after Christmas (when it’s all at 50% off) count as a tradition?
 
P: What is your favorite thing about the holidays?
N: Honestly, my family & I are so busy through the year that shutting down computers & cell phones, laying work aside so we can spend time together is my favorite thing about the holidays. J
 
Thanks for stopping by everyone! I dont have the code for the giveaway but up at the top where I said click here for the page you can find the giveaway there :)
 


23 December 2012

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither (The Chemical Garden, #1)
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: March 22, 2011
Book Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 358
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought Wither to put an honest review of it up on my blog.

Wither is a story of a 16 year old girl named Rhine who is captured by the society I guess you would call it, and she’s thrown in a van with a bunch of other teenage girls who could possibly be wife material for Linden Ashby. Her and two other girls are picked and moved to the mansion to be married and to live in the mansion with each other as sister wives.

When I first read the back of this book I was very intrigued by what it said. They die at young ages and their involved in polygamous marriages. It sounds so crazy and weird but this book had no problems holding my attention especially once it started getting towards the end I couldn’t put it down.

Rhine is such a strong girl. She’s torn from her life forced to leave her twin brother alone all by himself and forced to marry this older guy whom she doesn’t even know. But the whole time she stays calm because she knows in her heart that she is going to find a way to escape. Her other sister wives though are very different from her. The oldest Jenna resents everything she doesn’t like her husband she hates living in the mansion she even hates her sister wives for awhile and this doesn’t really change but I can understand why. Cecily the youngest sister wife is the complete opposite of Jenna. This is the life she’s always wanted to live in a mansion and to be married to a rich older man and she loves every second of it.

This society is so crazy, I can’t imagine living in a world where boys die at the age of 25 and girls die at the age of 20. We just wouldn’t have lives and it so sad, I mean these young girls are being forced to have babies only to die before these babies can even recognize their mothers. That’s one reason why this book is so intriguing I loved the mystery of if they are going to find the cure to this curse.

In the end I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars it was incredible but some of the scenes dragged on for a bit long. But don’t fret because I will be reading the second book! I need to know what happens next J

View all my reviews

22 December 2012

In My Mailbox 62 + Weekly Wrap Up

 


In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It's a weekly bookish meme where we show off all the books we get each week! Here are my books and my Weekly Wrap Up.

Given:
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
Violin by Anne Rice

Won:
The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

For Review:
The Holders Dominion by Genese Davis


Weekly Wrap Up:

Reviews:
A few coming soon!

Memes/Posts:
Cover Reveal: Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn
Waiting on Wednesday


Blog Tours/Hops:
Dead Heart Tour: Interview + Giveaway
Fang Girl Book Blitz

Giveaways:
Dead Heart Tour: Interview + Giveaway
Fang Girl Book Blitz


20 December 2012

Fang Girl Book Blitz


 
 
Fang Girl by Helen Keeble
Synopsis: Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin:

1) A twelve-year-old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie.
2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires.
3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead.
4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets.(Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you many friends.)
5) A pyschotic vampire creator who’s using her to carry out a plan for world domination.

And finally:
6) A seriously ripped vampire hunter who either wants to stake her or make out with her. Not sure which.

Being an undead, eternally pasty fifteen-year-old isn’t quite the sexy, brooding, angst-fest Jane always imagined....

Helen Keeble’s riotous debut novel combines the humor of Vladimir Tod with Ally Carter’s spot-on teen voice. With a one-of-a-kind vampire mythology and an irresistibly relatable undead heroine, this uproarious page-turner will leave readers bloodthirsty for more.
 
Meet The Author:

Helen Keeble is not, and never has been, a vampire. She has however been a teenager. She grew up partly in America and partly in England, which has left her with an unidentifiable accent and a fondness for peanut butter crackers washed down with a nice cup of tea. She now lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, daughter, two cats, and a variable number of fish. To the best of her knowledge, none of the fish are undead.

Her first novel, a YA vampire comedy called FANG GIRL, is out 11th Sept 2012, from HarperTeen.

She also has another YA paranormal comedy novel (provisionally titled NO ANGEL) scheduled for Sept 2013.
Giveaway:

 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

19 December 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where we show our followers the book(s) we cannot wait to release! Here are my books :)


Fractured Soul (Fractured Light, #2)
 
Synopsis: Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
 
Thanks for stopping by my Waiting on Wednesday! Leave me a link in the comments if you do one :)


18 December 2012

Dead Heart Tour: Interview + Giveaway


 
Dead Heart by R.L. King
Synopsis: Would you give someone your own beating heart so they may live?

That is the question Doctor Paul Vieyra will have to ask himself as his world comes crashing down around him, and the ghost of those who died on his operating table haunt his mind.
When Dr. Vieyra sister’s heart begins to fail and her life fade away, a new heart or surgery are her only chances for survival—a chance no doctor is willing to take. Dr. Vieyra will risk everything he has and more for his sister. He will need the help of both old and new friends along with his mental ghosts if he is going to overcome the incredible obstacles that stand in his way.
The clock is ticking. Will he be able to save his sister’s dead heart? What is he willing to risk?
 
 
Interview:
 
 
P: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
R.L.: No, it had never really crossed my mind until I was twenty-seven. I had a lot of other big dreams though. At one time, I wanted to be a singer, at another, a professional boxe; but none of them involved writing. I remember a teacher once said I showed amazing potential in high school, the senior English class focusing on horror and we studied Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe. I thought I would be getting an easy grade because I had already read most everything they had written, but the class dealt with why and how fear was applied to the rules of writing, and until then I was only a reader. I remember it was so advanced it should have been a college course. It wasn't until ten years later I was writing a letter to my best friend and he asked me to write a short story, I think it was for Halloween, but I am not sure. I began writing what I thought would be at most two or three pages, but it took off on its own, and it grew into a full grown novel of almost four hundred.
 
P: Do you like to write at night or in the morning?
R.L.: I like to write at night, for a couple of reasons. The most important reason is that I am not a morning person. Writing at night also reduces your chances of interruptions. Another reason I like nights is because it is easier for me to transfer a story into words when I am tired. It is almost as if part of my brain is dreaming, watching a story in my head, and my hands are doing the translation onto the keyboard. I have tried writing at different times, but for me, the best time is after midnight.
 
P: Do you have a favorite place to write?
R.L.: I like a small place to write. When I started, I was in a tiny one bedroom apartment, and I had to put my computer in the corner of the kitchen/dinning room space. Since then, I have upgraded to writing in a two-car garage that I have made into my Man-Cave. Some day I would like to get snowed in for a winter in a small cabin over looking a mountain lake. I have found that winter is the season for writing, and since I am not a fan of the cold, I would stay indoors and focus on the story.
 
P: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
R.L.: Be your own editor and never give up. I wish someone would have told me that when you submit a story, the person reading it is also looking at the amount of editing it will need. Also on the editing process, they will only tell you if something is wrong or to re-word something, but there will be no creativity coming from the editor, only facts. Finally, never give up. You have a lot of competition, and if you want to be a writer, consider it your second job. Remember, you and your friends and family have to make sacrifices, but it is all worth it when you can finally call yourself a published author.
 
P: What can we expect from you in the future?
R.L.: Long term answer; a lifetime of book, I will continue to write all my life. It is a part of my life now, and I don't feel right when I am not writing, editing, revising, or somehow creating a story. Short term answer; I am outlining my next novel, and I should have a first draft finished by late January or early February.
 
**Speed Round**
1. Cheez-It or Goldfish? Goldfish
2. Paper or Lap top? Laptop
3. Pen or Pencils? Pens
4. Male main character or female? Male
5. Night or Day? Night
 
Giveaway:
 
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

15 December 2012

Cover Reveal: Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn

Hello everybody! Today Comfort Books is participating in a cover reveal for Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn which is the 3rd book in her Mindjack trilogy I believe. I haven't read any of them yet but I hope to start checking them out very soon because I recently got them :) Here's the cover!


Free Souls (Mindjack Trilogy, #3)
 
Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn
Synopsis: When your mind is a weapon, freedom comes at a price.The final installment of the Mindjack Trilogy is here!

Four months have passed since Kira left home to join Julian’s Jacker Freedom Alliance, but the hole in her heart still whistles empty where her boyfriend Raf used to be. She fills it with weapons training, JFA patrols, and an obsessive hunt for FBI agent Kestrel, ignoring Julian’s worries about her safety and repeated attempts to recruit her for his revolutionary chat-casts. When anti-jacker politician Vellus surrounds Jackertown with the National Guard, Kira discovers there’s more to Julian’s concerns than she knew, but she’s forced to take on a mission that neither want and that might be her last: assassinating Senator Vellus before he can snuff out Julian’s revolution and the jackers she’s come to love.
ENTER TO WIN one of FIVE ecopies of the Mindjack Origins Collection
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox 61 + Weekly Wrap Up



In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme where we show off all the books we get each week. This was created and is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren! Here are my books this week and my weekly wrap up below!

Won:
The Farm by Emily McKay

Weekly Wrap Up:

Reviews:
Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Finding Mia by Rachel K. Burke

Posts/Memes:


Blog Tours/Hops:
Finding Mia Tour: Review

Giveaways:
Finding Mia Tour: Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by everybody! Don't forget to leave me links to your book hauls, STS, IMM's etc I'll be sure to check them out :)

13 December 2012

Finding Mia Tour: Review

 
 

Finding Mia
 
Finding Mia by Rachel K. Burke
Synopsis: Intelligent and fiercely independent, sixteen-year-old Mia Marchette has never had a childhood. After her father’s disappearance when she was six, she has alone borne the burden of her mother’s bipolar disorder.

When her mother is institutionalized after a failed suicide attempt, Mia is abruptly forced to live with the estranged father she has not known for ten years. She is shocked to discover that he has created a new, picture-perfect life for himself, and is now living with a stepmother and a half-sister Mia never knew she had. Together, Mia and her new family must face the bitterness, mistakes, and long-hidden secrets that threaten to destroy their precarious happiness.

Finding Mia follows Mia's journey as she searches to find the unanswered questions from her past, leading to her own self-discovery.

Ultimately, this is a story of confronting pain and finding freedom, of letting go and learning to search for love in unexpected places.
 
 
Meet The Author:
Rachel was born and raised in Boston, MA. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
She graduated from Bridgewater University in 2011 with a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies.
Rachel's work has appeared in Prevention Magazine, Worcester Magazine and Starpulse News Entertainment.
 
My Review:

I received Finding Mia from the publisher for my honest review on a book tour.

This book started off in a weird way. With Mia in class and then her and her friend Gretchen smoking in the bathroom. So that kind of confused me I wasn’t sure what to think of her as a character but by the end I knew who she was and what kind of person she was.

The story is about a girl named Mia who lives at home alone with her bipolar mother, and this is hard for her because she doesn’t really know how to deal with her mother while she’s like this. Mia is 16 and she really shouldn’t have to take care of her mother like a child but her father gave up a long time ago which means it falls on her shoulders.

One day Mia comes home to find her mother close to death in bed. So she freaks out and calls 911 just in time to save her mother. One other problem now is she is underage with no legal guardian. This is where her father comes into the picture. She hasn’t seen him since he left when she was 6. This is where I’m going to stop before I get spoilery!

I could not get over some of the characters in this book because I literarily loved most of them! Mia was so strong and well put together. Then their was her dad Keith who I was ready to hate because he left but he ended up being a sweet guy and I forgave him. Then we had Suzanne which is Mia’s step mom, Everybody knows how evil step parents can be so that’s what I was expecting in this story but it wasn’t like that at all.

Lets talk about the boys for a minute shall we? First we start with Ethan! He started off to die for. Everything he said I was like aww he’s so sweet and I was kind of bummed with what happened to him but I’ll get over it because the next guy Josh was so much sweeter. Josh is Mia’s childhood friend and you know what people say about childhood friends! <3 <3

Overall the plot was fantastic I loved how the author integrated Mia’s hobbies like writing into the book and I love how she scaled happy times with sad times very well, so you weren’t overwhelmingly happy at one point or really depressed at another. 5 out of 5 stars is a understatement! I wish I could give it a 10 out of 10!
 
Giveaway:
 
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09 December 2012

Review: Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan


Spark (Sky Chasers, #2)Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: July 17, 2012
Book Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 309
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: I received Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan from the publishers for my honest review.

First let me start of by saying that Spark is ten times better then Glow. So if you are reading and a little skeptical about reading this one because Glow wasn’t amazing I’m telling you right now it was so much better. It kept my interest throughout the whole book and I couldn’t stop turning pages!

Usually I start off my reviews with a little bit about the book but since this is a sequel I’m not going to do that because it might give off spoilers to the first book, and I don’t want to do that to the people who haven’t read Glow yet. In this sequel we are back on board the ship in outer space dealing with problems that never seem to end. Fighting, distrust, sickness, and many more. But can the ship pull through to fight off their enemies? This is what we find out in book two of the Sky Chasers Series!

Okay so in every book there is sides right? We all know that but my sides have significantly changed in this book which is so strange. The reason being is because when I read books I very rarely change sides but this case was very different. We know of Seth and Kieran from book one. Both of these two are in book too as well but this is where my side change occurs, but that’s where I’m going to stop talking about that.

Somebody I liked in book one I absolutely hate in book two and that person is Waverly. I never thought I would say this but she was a complete and utter bitch in this book and I get that she’s gone through a lot and she’s heart and she’s scared but in reality she is the only one that really didn’t lose what she had before all of this happened. Which confuses me as to why she has changed so much.

Again I really enjoy the plot of these books, I mean come on they are in outer space fighting for their lives on two different ships. How awesome is that? Overall it gets a 5 out of 5 stars and I’m left dying for the third book to figure out what happens to a certain idiot who I’ve recently fallen for.


View all my reviews



07 December 2012

In My Mailbox e-book edition (7) + Weekly Wrap Up


In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It is a weekly bookish meme where we show off all the books we got this week! This is my favorite part of the week you guys so lets get started, here are the e-books I've gotten this week.


Mind Games (Mindjack Origins, #1)
Mind Games by Susan Kaye Quinn
Synopsis: Raf, a regular mindreader, is in love with Kira, the only girl in school who can't read minds. Raf struggles to keep his thoughts about her private, but secrets are something that only zeros like Kira can keep. As he works up the nerve to ask Kira to the mindware Games, his friends have other games in mind for him.











Open Minds (Mindjack Trilogy, #1)
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
Synopsis: When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.






Closed Hearts (Mindjack Trilogy, #2)
Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn
Synopsis:
When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber for jackers.

The Handler (Mindjack Origins, #2)
The Handler by Susan Kaye Quinn
Synopsis:
SHORT NOVELLAIt's time for Julian Navarro to fulfill the mission left to him by his dead parents: to spark a revolution that would allow mindjackers to live freely in a mindreading world. While his ability allows him to mentally control the instincts of others, Julian wants to win jackers to his cause with words, not weapons. But when his first recruit has a secret--and bloody--history, Julian has to decide how far he'll go to ensure his revolution isn't snuffed out before it starts.






The Scribe (Mindjack Origins, #3)
The Scribe by Susan Kaye Quinn
Synopsis:
SHORT NOVELLA

Twenty-three-year-old Sasha is in search of a mindjacking Clan that won’t force him to use his unique skill—he can’t face the prospect of erasing any more souls. A revolutionary Clan leader offers him a chance to serve a higher purpose, but Sasha’s wary that it’s only a trick to use his ability. When a beautiful female jacker seeks refuge with them, and her former Clan leader wants her special skill back at any cost, Sasha has to decide if there are any causes worth the cost of using his ability one more time.







I pretty much scored this week with some Susan Quinn books! I hope you all enjoyed the books I got this week. Click on the title to go to the goodreads page, and don't forget to leave links to your IMM's below!

Weekly Wrap Up:

Reviews:


Posts/Memes:
November 2012 Wrap Up


Blog Tours/Hops:
Derailed Tour: Guest Post
Betwixt Tour: Excerpt

Giveaways:
Derailed Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway
Betwixt Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

05 December 2012

Betwixt Tour: Excerpt



Betwixt by Melissa Pearl
Synopsis: Beautiful, wild-child Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well. 

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?



Meet the Author:
Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan... not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. "Best. Year. Ever!!" She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November, 2011. Since then she has produced three more books with her fifth novel, Betwixt, due out in November 2012.

Where to find Melissa:
Twitter: @MelissaPearlG

Excerpt:

Am I a ghost? Have I died already?
No, I can't have. It was like this this morning. It all feels the same. Maybe my mind's left my body. Maybe I'm caught in this weird sub-reality, half-dead half-alive.
A shiver races down my spine. Half-dead... and probably not that far off fully dead unless I find help.

"Mom." I stand right next to her. Maybe if I'm super close she'll be able to hear me. "It's me. It's Nicole. I need your help. You have to find me. I'm hurt. I don't know where I am or what's happened to me, but I need you to keep trying. Please, call someone else."
I reach for the phone and my fingers pass straight through it.
Gross!
So not loving the ghost thing.
"Mom, please." My voice quivers.

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