WINNERS!!

Hey all! I have here the winners to the I'm-Cleaning-Out-My-Closet Giveaway!!

And they are:

Donna Simmonds

Marlene Howard

Jessica Dixon

Angie

Emails have been sent and winners have 48 hours to respond to my email with their requests. 

Books will be given out on a first come, first served basis, so please list all the books in the order you want them so I can give you what you want first, if it's available!

Again here are all the books that are up for grabs:

 Signed to Jessica:
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Possession by Nancy Holder (this one actually has a signed bookplate, made out to Jessica)
Shade (Hardcover) by Jeri Smith-Ready
Shade (Paperback) by Jeri Smith-Ready
Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge (Signed by both authors!)
Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry
Sacrifice by Dakota Banks
Blue Diablo by Ann Aguire
Night Betrayed by Joss Ware
Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge
Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding
Dawnbreaker by Jocelynn Drake
Wait for Dusk by Jocelynn Drake

Just Signed:
White Cat by Holly Black
Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Outlaw Demon Wails (Hardcover) by Kim Harrison
Radiant Shadows (Hardcover) by Melissa Marr
Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur
Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost
Tale of Two Demon Slayers by Angie Fox
Abandon the Night by Joss Ware
Demon Bound by Caitlin Kittredge
Dark Time by Dakota Banks
Almost to Die For (ARC) by Tate Hallaway

Old ARCs of:

Dead Iron by Devon Monk
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Shadowman by Erin Kellison

Follow Friday

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers

3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!

8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: Happy Mother’s Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

MY ANSWER: I guess I too loved Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter! She was so kind hearted and just lovable!

 

Cover Art Reveal--Allegiant

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
               












OMG! It's the final Divergent cover for Allegiant!! I think it's awesome! Totally fits with the first two books and I can't wait to read it! Of course I still need to read Insurgent, but if I play my cards right, I can read these two back to back! No cliffhanger waiting involved!!


Allegiant releases October 22, 2013

Random Thursday

Success!! Photos are loading!! Just had to take a million snapshots and send in feedback, but it's working!! Yay!
 

Meet my vampire bear. I named him Vlad, original I know. ;) I made him at Build a Bear a few years back. He was an "adopted" bear because I saw the vampire costume and wanted to see if this particular bear looked cute in it or not. He did, so I just bought him! In a way, you almost feel bad for all those teddy bears that are the "example" bear. They sit there. But then, where do they go? Do they ever get homes? I hope so. (Yes, I'm still a child at heart!)

He was the old velvet bear that was good for kids with allergies. But it's still really soft. I've had him on my shelf ever since dressed in his outfit! Because naturally, vampires are an all year round thing and not just for Halloween!

RT 2013!

Kansas City from the Skywalk

So I am still trying to catch up on my Zzz's from last week! To top it off, I still feel like I am riding what was the slowest elevator rides ever!! Seriously, the things moved slower than molasses! And they got really testy if you tried to hold the doors open for a long time to let other people in. I know, because I held it open when I could hear other RT peeps talking/walking down the hall when I was headed down. The thing buzzed at me! And yet it still moves so slow!

Yeah, elevators are always something to talk about after RT!! I loved the hotel last year because my room was on the lobby level and then the floor or two below it was where the action happened, so I could easily take the escalator! No elevators involved! And I hate elevators, they totally mess with my head and give me the worst case of vertigo ever! As I said, I still have that vertigo now and it's Tuesday!! Doesn't help that I still need to use one at my work, we're on the 7th floor and I can't climb that many floors in heels.

Anyway...the convention was awesome!! I am always tickled with joy when an author recognizes me! Granted they cannot always remember names and frankly I can't either, for I did see quite a few familiar faces from convention goers last year. Thank goodness for the name tags!! But still, it's always nice to be recognized by authors, because to me, they're my celebs! Or as my one t-shirt says, Authors are My Rock Stars!

There were a lot of good panels, I had to do some panel hopping! The authors occasionally do giveaways at these and not only did I score a lot of books, I also won an e-gift card to B&N from Jeaniene Frost!! Yay! One of the best prizes besides books is money for books!

I went to a few of the parties, but I am more of a morning person, so by 9pm when they open the doors, I am about wiped out! But I attended one of them for awhile. I was going to go to the Friday one, got my costume on and everything, but after all that, I was wiped. So I made it an early night.

I also did one agent appointment this year. It went pretty good I think. I need to write up a new query letter and send it to the agent. I am always so nervous when talking about my book because I can never quite tell how much to tell and when I try to shorten it, I still have to backtrack and explain the why and reasoning behind Action A and why it's so important and how it led to Action B. So going to try working on that letter this week and then send it to the agent. She requested the first 5 chapters which is good, because I think it's chapter 5 in my book that's my favorite because it's when my heroine first learns that vampires exist and I feel her reactions are very realistic, and yeah, kind of funny too!

CONTEST TIME!!!

There will be 4 winners, each choosing their choice of 3 books from below. One winner will get one extra book, and that will just be the first winner that comes out of the hat. Also included but not shown, SWAG!! I have lots of swag and then some. A few extra pieces that I got that weren't necessarily from RT either but will be gifted among the winners!

Due to shipping costs, I have to restrict this contest to the US residents only. Sorry!

Books shown:

The Selection by Kiera Cass (SIGNED)
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (SIGNED UK EDITION!!)
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (SIGNED)
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Possess by Gretchen McNeil (SIGNED)
Haunted by Jeanne C. Stein (2 copies)
Born of Illusion by Teri Brown (SIGNED ARC!!)
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason (ARC)
Teardrop by Lauren Kate (ARC)
A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard (ARC) (2 copies)


For the bonus question, here is a better picture of the shirt I was wearing in the picture with Jenna Black!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review--Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson

Have you ever heard of a Bludman?

They're rather like you and me--only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible.

(They're also very good kissers.)

Delilah S. Dawson's darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that's part paranormal, part steampunk...and completely irresistible.

When Tish Everett forces opens the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy's electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fater with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a tracherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she's coming to love?

I finally got around to reading Delilah S. Dawson's Wicked as They Come! One I've been dying to read but kept having other books get in the way. So I snuck this one in before I tackle the ARCs I have piling up! And it was an amazing read!! Talk about thrilling and just enchanting!!

I loved the idea that Tish goes to this other world where Criminy awaits her. It sounded like a grownup Alice in Wonderland and Criminy is the mad hatter since he wears the hat--which immediately brought to mind the mini series Alice, where the Hatter is this incredibly hot guy!!

But here in Sang, the world is far different from Tish's normal one. Nearly everyone here is a Blud-something, aka vampire, but they don't use that term. In fact, Criminy didn't know what a vampire was until Tish told him. But there are creatures here that drink blood and have abilities that normal people...and animals don't. Criminy is the exception to the rule for he is also a magician. He runs the traveling carnival where he and his band of misfits stay under the radar of the Coppers and all the suspressing rules.

Sang isn't necessarily a cheerful world to live in, but everyone gets by. There are your good guys and bad, the corrupt and corruptable. That sort of thing. Things are harder for Tish since she's a Pinky, aka human. But for some reason, when she comes to this world, she develops a super power of sorts. With a simple touch she can see a person's future. Nothing is set in stone though, things can still change, but it's a talent she didn't have before coming to Sang and it's one that allows her to join Criminy's carnival as the fortune teller.

This was such a remarkable world to visit. I found the setting curious, the rules a bit daunting and the characters were just spectacular! They were different from your standard paranormals, but still maintained some similarities. Tish is able to go back and forth between this world and hers with the help of the locket, but when the locket goes missing she becomes trapped in Sang.

The traveling bit took getting use. Apparently when Tish is sleeping in her world, she was awake in Sang and the same applies vice versa. She learns a few other tricks of the necklace as the novel moves along as well.

The romance aspect between Tish and Criminy was a bit sudden. Criminy is instantly attracted to Tish and can come off a bit possessive for having just met her. But it wasn't in such a way that gave me the creeps. It was more like over protectiveness or something like that. I didn't feel like Tish was in danger when with him. Tish has just gotten out of a scary relationship like that and she never once worried about Criminy's behavior, so perhaps that's why I felt like Criminy wasn't being all he-man scary!

The pacing to this one was very good! I was excited the whole time when reading, because Sang was such an intriguing place. Beware the bludbunnies! The secondary characters cast were also entertaining, they tend to take you by surprise sometimes. And the villains were those downright creepy ones who think that their heinously evil plot is for the good of mankind. The crazies are always the scariest!

Wicked as They Come was a delectable read that sweeps you off into another world that while similar to our world, is far, far more different. This is definitely one series I will be sticking with!! I look forward to seeing what other adventures Tish will be having in the future.


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing.

On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

I soooo cannot wait for this one!! I looooved reading Marianne's earlier books when I was a teen! So looking forward to her new series!


TITLE: Hidden
AUTHOR: Marianne Curley
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
GENRE: Fantasy/Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2013

    

GRRR!!!

Okay, here I was trying to create my RT wrap up post, but Blogger is acting so wonky! It will not allow me to upload my photos. And I really need them too!! Two are for the contest I want to hold and therefore are necessary.

Any chance anyone knows what's up with Blogger? I know people always seem to have one issue or another with it and is the reason behind people moving to Wordpress or having their own domain. I generally don't have too many issues with Blogger. With the annoying occasion where none of my blogs I follow pops up in the little feed on my dashboard, this is the second critical issue I've had!

And it is still soooo aggravating!! Why can't I upload photos? I've done it dozens of time before. But every time I got to do that, the photo block sits there and the progress bar shows Uploading 1 of 1 and NEVER MOVES!!!!

So does anyone know what's up with this or how I could possibly if at all, work around it? I've tried copying and pasting a photo in there and Blogger did not like that at all! I've also tried uploading photos through the html code and got the EXACT same results. 

So yeah, I am completely aggravated and frustrated that I finally find the energy to do all this and have nothing work at all. Hence the GRRR!!! title!

SALE ALERT!

Hey all! I just wanted to let you know that Delilah S. Dawson's Wicked as They Come is on SALE!! You can buy the Kindle book for a mere $2.99!! I am actually reading this one now and am just shy of the halfway point and I am really enjoying it!! It's a fabulous read with quite a few twists and turns that is making it oh-so-incredible!!

Act fast, not sure how long this sale will go on!

Here's the link to Amazon.

Teaser Tuesdays

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"'It's not funny!' he says. 'Some people hate spiders, I hate birds. Get over it.'

'Sorry,' I say, still laughing. 'It's just...you're a cat...'" p 169*

*This page comes from the ARC copy, therefore it and the page number are not final

TITLE: Phoenix
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Richards
PUBLISHER: Putnam Juvenile

GENRE: Paranormal YA

RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2013

No top 10 for me this week. I couldn't think of any examples because I am always reading something different. And my "light and fun" usually leads to something dark and creepy, ie paranormal!

  

Oi Vey!

I got back from RT yesterday morning and I am still exhausted! Spent half the afternoon unpacking and I only got the basics put away, ie: everything I brought with me. All the new goodies are still sitting on my floor. I plan on doing an RT post eventually, still need to decompress or whatever and then I have a few other post-RT things that need to be done.

A contest is definitely among them! So keep an eye out for whenever I get an RT post up! The contest will likely be in there or shortly after!

Cover Copy Reveal--Black Heart

As a former Agent of Death, Madeline Black is no stranger to witnessing violent ends. But being the one to cause them is an entirely different story…


Despite her having saved Chicago from a vampire invasion, the Agency wants to get Maddy off their payroll—permanently. With the deadly Retrievers hot on her trail, she has no choice but to trust Nathaniel to port her to safety. But even the exotic and dangerous world that she winds up in is not as peaceful as she would have hoped. Caught in a turf war between a group of fae and a disturbingly familiar foe, Maddy soon discovers that the twisted plots of her grandfather, Lucifer, and his brothers extend even into this unknown realm.

Now, with enemies gathering on all sides, Maddy’s fate is looking darker than ever. And to protect her unborn son from her adversaries, she may have to tap into a power she hoped never to access…

Yay!! Cover reveal! I find myself both liking this one and yet not. I think my only problem is that Maddie looks a little pale. I haven't read Black City yet, so I cannot read this one's description to see what it's all about. But I do like how Maddie looks on the cover! She looks fierce and ready to kick some butt! Plus I really like the colors, they're so bold and fierce!

Black Heart releases October 29, 2013

ARC Review--School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

I received this e-ARC from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


Rachel Hawkins' School Spirits was a ghoulishly fun read! (Haha!) And it was a one day read too! Whohoo Starring Isolde Brannick, the young monster hunter from the final Hex Hall book, Izzy is a sixteen-year-old trying to prove to her mother and herself that she is a true hunter.

I can't quite remember how old Izzy was when we first met her, but I know it wasn't Sophie's age, and since Izzy is now 16, it's safe to say some time has passed since we last saw her. And a lot has happened to her since. Such as her older sister, Finn, going missing after working a case. She literally just vanished. Now a year later, her mother and her have stopped actively looking for her, yet it's still always on their minds.

Izzy and her mom have moved temporarily to Mississippi so Izzy can work a simple ghost case at a local high school The ghost is a haunting and people are getting hurt. To make matters worse, complicated? difficult? devilishly fun?! the school has its own ghost hunting club called Paranormal Management Society, or PMS. Yeah, that's what the school ended up calling them! Romy, Anderson and Dex are the only members, soon to be joined by Izzy.

This motley trio soon become the best friends Izzy has always wanted to have, but would never admit to wanting! Romy is a spunky, carefree kind of girl that I took an instant liking to! Anderson, is the "reformed jock", having to give up basketball after a knee injury and has been friends with the duo for a few years. He also has a not-so-secret (only to Romy) crush on Romy! It was rather sweet! And then of course there's Dex! Man, is he freaking awesome or what! He's a different sort of guy, dressing in fancy-ish clothes like one would wear to family get togethers or something fancy like that. Not necessarily suits and ties, but corduroys and pinstriped pants! He reminds me of my cousin who wears the fancy things like that, apparently it's more of a trend than I thought!

Dex was truly remarkable, he's sort of the geeky outcast, yet he was hilarious! Lots of the things he says were just LOL worthy! In one review I read, she compared Dex and Izzy to Archer and Sophie, I find it to be a good comparison. There's differences obviously, but it's the camaraderie or just the way they act around one another or with one another, that seemed so relaxed and familiar. It was quite fun.

I also liked how there wasn't an instance romance between the two. It was a gradual thing, and sure it might have happened a tad fast, but attraction is like that. The "love" part, takes time and that's what I enjoy seeing!

The actual mystery part of the book was phenomenal! I truly didn't see this coming! Izzy is definitely coming into her own and learning how to do things herself. She's a very strong heroine in some ways, yet she's still vulnerable. I like the vulnerability because it makes her more relatable, rather than having a kickass heroine who can do it all! Albeit being a teenager, but YA reads these days are taking massive turns! I didn't have too many of these as a teen so I am eating them all up now!

Izzy definitely grows on you! Her enthusiasm for this case is enjoyable. For in order to infiltrate the high school she must go undercover...as a high school student! It was fun to see Izzy get a taste of what the average teenager experiences. Everything was new to her. Her only knowledge of what normal teens do is based off one of those cheesy teen soap opera type shows! Some of the episodes or events she described happening were pretty hilarious because it was so ridiculous!

The ending was fabulous!! Total shocks and surprises were to be had! And many more to come! I am most interested in learning about what's happened to Finn. That's bound to come up in the next few books--guessing this is another trilogy! It baffles me as much as Izzy as to what happened to her sister! There's definitely an unsettling feeling to the ending, but nothing too drastic. It's only the precursor to what's sure to be another awesome series by Rachel!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

 Last Week I Read:

The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams (5 stars)

Review that was Posted:

Dead Man's Deal by Jocelynn Drake (5 stars)

About to Start Reading:

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards (ARC)

What I Hope to Read This Week:

Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser Tuesdays & Top Ten Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday 

Random Thursday 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

This weekly meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!


Well this is what I got pre-RT this week. At the time of this post I just ordered one keeper copy and that arrived in the week sometime while I was gone.

I bought:

 The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (My review is here)

Random Thursday

Thinking back on other minis series I've enjoyed, does anyone else remember the not-too-old mini series Alice? It was on the SyFy channel in 2009!

I thought it was pretty awesome. A modern day woman getting sucked into Wonderland, but it's not the Wonderland we all know. Naturally this woman is named Alice, and everyone in Wonderland wonders if she's the same Alice that visited them many years ago.

It starred Caterina Scorsone, Andrew Lee Potts, Kathy Bates, Tim Curry, and lots of other actors.

Personally I LOVED Andrew Lee Potts who played Hatter. His character acted as a guide for Alice while she's in a very different Wonderland and helping her to find a way home. Although, he begins to not want her to go home... Also, he was pretty hot!

Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

Keri Arthur's explosive Dark Angels series is packed with everything you could want: a feisty heroine, witches, vampires, werewolves, demons, angels of death, suspense and a whole lot of sexy action.

The sexy, exciting, suspenseful adventures continue in New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur's Dark Angels series, starring Risa Jones, a half-Aedh/half-werewolf. She can speak to the souls of the dying and the dead, and can see Reapers, the collectors of souls.

Shortly after her fight on the astral plane, Risa receives a phone call from Madeline Hunter, the leader of the vampire council, ordering her to investigate the death of Hunter's close friend and lover - Wolfgang Schmidt. His body has been discovered wrapped in a web-like substance and has been completely drained. As the body count continues to grow, Risa must summon her gifts to find the dark spirit before it strikes again.

Meanwhile, as the search for the keys that keep the gate to Hell closed grows more intense, Risa begins to unravel mysteries that will have startling consequences for her.

I am so behind in this series! Still need to read the last two books!! Eep!

TITLE: Darkness Unmasked
AUTHOR: Keri Arthur
PUBLISHER: Signet Select
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2013

JUST BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR THE DEAD DOESN’T MEAN YOU WANT TO JOIN THEM.

Drew has just started her second year on the Isle of Night, and the weather isn’t the only thing changing drastically. She has ascended to the rank of Initiate. She’s also found an intimate love in the handsome vampire, Carden. But most of all, she no longer dreams of escape. She dreams of vengeance.

Her friend, Emma, was brutally wounded by the savage vampire Alcántara, and may have been taken to the dreaded castle, from which none of the living return. But there are so many different stories from so many people with so many of their own deceits and machinations, Drew can’t be sure of anything—except that she must find a way into the castle to discover the truth and take down Alcántara once and for all.

But Drew isn’t the only one out for revenge. Someone very dangerous on the island is also out for blood…

I loooove this series! And yet I am still behind on 1 book! At least that's not too bad, but my memory of what's gone down is fading. Better up that one in the TBR mountain soon!

TITLE: The Keep
AUTHOR: Veronica Wolff
PUBLISHER: NAL
GENRE: Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2013