Cover Reveal: The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman

I am happy to be participating in the cover reveal for The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman. The cover reveal is hosted by AToMR Book Blog Tours This book is a Debut YA contemporary/fiction novel and it sounds really great.

A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.

When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.

Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love. The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.

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Cover design by PhatPuppy Art

Isn't that a cute cover?! I like it. I think it's very fun and has that contemporary feel to it. I think that it's going to be wonderful. It is scheduled for release August 1st 2012.

Places to find the author, Jolene Stockman:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter


There is also a really cute countdown widget for the book too. You can see it below. If you want the widget  this is the code.

<iframe src="http://totalblueprint.com/resources/jbc/jbccountdown.html" frameborder="0" width="200" height="300" scrolling="no">

<p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p>

</iframe>

Weekly Recap 4/23/12 - 4/28/12

Hey guys!! I'm sure everyone is aware of the situation that happened in the blogosphere this past week so I won't get into it, but I am no longer participating in the In My Mailbox weekly meme. Out of fear of copying anyone's idea, I am instead just going to do a generic weekly recap in which I tell you what posts I have had on the blog the past week and I will also include any bookish things I have gotten too. You can see any of the posts by clicking on the title. Clicking on the book titles will take you to the books Goodreads page. I put the recap on video, but for those of you who don't like to watch videos I put the recap below too. I am pretty awkward in videos anyways, so I am sure they aren't very entertaining lol!

Blog posts this week:

Monday:

• Review of Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater (Book #2 of the As The World Dies series)

Tuesday:

• Top Ten Tuesday (Top Ten favorite book characters) a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Wednesday:

•  Waiting on Wednesday (The Evolution of Mara Dyer) a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.
• Cover reveal for Redheads are Soulless by Heather M. White
• Review of Siege by Rhiannon Frater (Book #3 of the As The World Dies series)
• Daemon Invasion Tour News

Thursday:

• Kings & Queens Blog Tour: Interview with Courtney Vail Tour hosted by SupaGurl Book Tours
• Cover Reveal for Pyxis and Alight by K.C Neal

Friday:

• Daemon Invasion Street Team announced.

Saturday:

• Review of Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail

The books I got this week:

Bought:

• Regret by Elana Johnson 
• What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn
• Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn

Won:

• Embrace by Jessica Shrivington won from  Reading Writing Breathing 
• Three Times Lucky Sheila Turnage from Penguin/Dial (It just showed up in the mail the other day. I must have entered something for it and won.)
• Signed copy of Shadowed Summer and The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell from Mundie Moms
• The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy from Books Devoured

Thank you so much to HD from Reading Writing Breathing, Sourcebooks Fire, Penguin/Dial, Katie from Mundie Moms, Saundra Mitchell, Shannon from Books Devoured, and Walden Pond Press.

For review:

• Glitch by Heather Anastasui from NetGalley/St. Martins Press
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks from NetGalley/Random House
• Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield from NetGalley/Random House
• Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin from NetGalley/Random House
• Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan from NetGalley/Random House
• Flutter by Gina Linko from NetGalley/Random House
• The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman from NetGalley/Randon House
• Touched by Cyn Balog from NetGalley/Random House (Delacourt)
• Wings of Arian by Devri Walls from the author for blog tour

Big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, Random House and Devri Walls!!

Thanks for stopping by to see what happened the past week on Book Loving Mom. ♥

Review: Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail

Add to Goodreads

• Publisher: Little Prince Publishing
• Publication date: 1/27/2012
• Pages: 328
• Source: eARC for blog tour and review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Overview

Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.

All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubts cops will follow up on her tip since they’re sick of her coming around with notions of possible crimes-in-the-works. And it’s not like she cries wolf. Not really. They’d be freaked too, but they’re not the ones suffering from bloody dreams that hint at disaster like some crazy, street guy forecasting the Apocalypse.

So, she does what any habitual winner with zero cred would do…try to I.D. the nutjobs before they act. But, when their agenda turns out to be far bigger than she ever assumed, and even friends start looking suspect, the truth and her actions threaten to haunt her forever, especially since she’s left with blood on her hands, the blood of someone she loves.

My Thoughts

I think my first thought would be interesting, and maybe slightly confusing. I will admit that the first few chapters I was like, "What is going on?"  but after getting into the book it was great!!  I liked the mystery element to it, the twists to the story, and the characters. I am usually pretty good at solving mysteries, but I will say that this book really did keep me guessing until almost the end. Evey one seems suspect, but then you think that certain people couldn't possibly be. What's worse is the thought that it could be the people you really don't want it to be.

Majesty is quite the character. I didn't know whether I liked her or not to start. Yes, I felt bad for her a little, but I didn't know if I was going to like her or not. Of course I did end up liking her. I liked getting to know the other sides to her. She is a pretty resourceful chick. She also is not afraid to get help, even not knowing who she can really trust. I was quite surprised by how manipulative she could be though, but I suppose the situation calls for it.

I really liked both Derek and Alec. They are both great in their own ways. Derek is a broken person. Very broken...and it's sad. I couldn't help but really feel bad for him, even with some of the horrible things that happen. Then there is Alec who at first seems a little too nice, but very sweet and caring. I really adored him, but found myself second guessing myself with him at times. This is just how great the characterization is in this book.

There are a lot of other characters that really come into play in the book too. There is a lot of  stuff going on in this book, but not so much that your head is spinning. Now that I have finished it, I wish I had paid more attention to a lot of the smaller details, though I don't think it would have helped. The story is spun so well that as soon as you are almost sure you know who the crazies are, you are thrown for a loop again. I was constantly back and forth with it, but really at the end, I wasn't shocked at all. It seemed pretty obvious even though there was a lot of evidence that leads us off.

So I know that this review has pretty much told you nothing, but I am afraid to say anything in fear of giving anything away. The weird dream stuff really confused and threw me off at first, but then as the details unraveled it was crazy why it was happening. I really enjoyed the fast pacing of the book. It kept me engaged and interested throughout. If it weren't for needing sleep eventually, I would have probably read it strait through. I just felt like I needed to get that next piece of information to either prove myself wrong or right about my suspicions. It's not often that a book can keep me confused for so long. Maybe I just wasn't in my normal mind set, or it was just that good of a mystery, but either way it was great!! 3.5 out of 5 stars

Daemon Invasion Street Team

I am so exited to be part of the Daemon Invasion and even more exited to be an Elite street team member. I know a lot of you have been seeing #DaemonInvasion all over twitter and just recently found out what it's all about. If you haven't seen it, you can find my post here. It's the same one as on Jennifer L. Armentrout's blog and other street teamer blogs. I have been gathering awesome people for my street team and it is almost complete. I just need one more person. If you are interested just send me a DM on twitter @amabe421 Enthusiasm and some type of social networking a must. (twitter, FB, Tumblr, whatever) Blog not required. I need a dedicated team who will help complete the tasks we are given in a timely manner. (We will have to have our tasks done by a certain date in order to advance to the next level) The street team is complete! So I will get on with this....

Announcing Team Alien Hotness!!

@amabe421

@JenRyland

@readingrequired

@thereadinggeek

@Rawrlove_dino

@TheBumbleGirl

@taytaystalker

@Neri0724

@findingmomma

@readingcorner11

That is our awesome team!! I am so excited for this and I hope everyone else is excited too!! We will be tweeting using the #DaemonInvasion and #TeamAlienHotness hashtags. I also made a cool blog button for our team!! I have it proudly displayed on my blog sidebar!!  Here's to Team Alien Hotness!!! WOOT!!

*note that the actual image for the blog button is from the cover of Onyx. It has been modified to make the blog button. 

Cover Reveal: Pyxis and Alight by K.C. Neal

Hi guys!! Yes! Another awesome cover reveal. Have I told you how much I love doing these. Especially when it's an author who's book/books I love. Anyways... On the blog today we get to see the NEW cover for Pyxis: The Discover and the cover for Alight: The Peril, book #2 in the Pyxis series. I love them. I think they are awesome and they look great together. Now I am going to have to get a new paperback copy of Pyxis so it will match Alight. ;) Also, I would like to mention that Pyxis will be free on Amazon fro Kindle for today and tomorrow, so if you haven't read it go get it now. There is no excuse. Here are the links.

Pyxis on Amazon.com
Pyxis on Amazon.co.uk

I will start by showing you the cover and description for Pyxis: The Discovery

Add to Goodreads

Blurb

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path. Pursued by shadowy figures and a dangerous woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

 

Here are the old and new covers side by side. What do you think?

Okay, now that you have seen the new cover for Pyxis, I bet you really want to see the cover for Alight! I won't keep you waiting. Behold the awesomeness!!

Add to Goodreads

Alight: The Peril (Pyxis Series Book 2)
Anticipated release date: July 27, 2012
 

Blurb

 

When Corinne learns who the second Guardian is, she must find a way to make peace with the last person in the world she wants to deal with. As she struggles, her nemesis unleashes an otherworldly evil, and a mysterious illness strikes Corinne’s friends. Faltering under the weight of her destiny, Corinne escapes to the dream world. There, she meets Zane, an Australian guy with a hot accent and a revelation that binds them together and alters the path of Corinne’s life. She throws herself into fighting for everything she loves, but just as she’s certain she will prevail, she’s robbed of what she needs most.

And now,  side by side!!

Okay, I am really excited!! I think that they look great! I loved Pyxis and I am dying to read Alight, and now that I have seen the cover I am even more excited for it!!

Connect with K.C Neal online:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

Kings & Queens Blog Tour: Interview with Courtney Vail

Hi everyone! Thanks for coming by my tour stop for the Kings & Queens blog tour. For the full schedule click on the banner to be taken to SupaGurl Books tour page. Today I am lucky enough to have an interview with the author Courtney Vail. My review for Kings & Queens will be posted on Saturday so be sure to stop back for that. :) I will start off by giving you the basics of the book and move onto the interview.

Add to Goodreads

Available now

Purchase from:
Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Overview

Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.

All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubts cops will follow up on her tip since they’re sick of her coming around with notions of possible crimes-in-the-works. And it’s not like she cries wolf. Not really. They’d be freaked too, but they’re not the ones suffering from bloody dreams that hint at disaster like some crazy, street guy forecasting the Apocalypse.

So, she does what any habitual winner with zero cred would do…try to I.D. the nutjobs before they act. But, when their agenda turns out to be far bigger than she ever assumed, and even friends start looking suspect, the truth and her actions threaten to haunt her forever, especially since she’s left with blood on her hands, the blood of someone she loves.

 Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for me.

What sparked the idea for your book?

I wanted to have a story that incorporated a strong girl, baseball and weirdness. I had nothing but a love triangle in mind with a girl who was manager of her high school’s baseball team but I had no suspenseful angle to plunk it into. Then one night, I dreamt I was running in the woods and overheard two dudes planning a church and I escaped them in this quaint town. From there, my story was born and it grew into something totally unexpected and awesome. It surprised me, all the twists it took. I love when that happens, when your own characters and storyline surprise you.

Are any of your characters based on real people?

No, not really. One of my friends, Ken, his mom died when he was little and he was abused as a child by his dad and stepmom, and he shot his dog out of anger. That background is somewhat similar to Derek’s, but they’re totally different, personality wise. Derek is his own breed. He would smack me  upside the head or tear me a new one if he heard me saying he’s copied after anyone. That’s probably the closest I got to anyone real with my characters. Majesty shares a couple of my faves: baseball and Ben & Jerry’s.

This is the first book in a series. How many books do you have planned for it?

Right now, I only have Sapphire Reign planned, which comes out this summer through Little Prince Publishing. It opens ten years after Kings & Queens. I’m not sure about a third yet, I don’t have a plotline for it, but I do have a title just in case: Dark Empire. I’d love to see a trilogy come out of this, but I don’t know. I like for each book to be strong in and of itself and stand-alone. Maybe my readers can help me come up with direction, where they’d like to see the story go after Sapphire Reign.
Sapphire Reign is an adult novel with three adult POVs, a teen—Skye, Majesty’s sister--and an 11-year-old--Crystal, so the third book would have to include them. I know that that’s weird and unconventional, to have a series bridging an audience, but I’m weird. I can’t help how the sequel came to me. I wasn’t really sure about it at first. It’s much darker and more violent than Kings & Queens. Originally, it was just for fun, for me, and for the people who kept asking how my characters were doing. But when I had early readers giving me feedback and totally falling in love with Crystal and begging me to put it out, I stopped shopping Kings & Queens and decided to seek out a small, indie pub instead. I couldn’t risk her, it, not getting out there. I didn’t want bigwigs telling me what I already know, that series just don’t do that. And then my series would’ve suffered the fate of a business decision? Uh, I don’t think so. Why should the second book get stuffed in a drawer because of shelving confusion?
Now, if readers want to reunite with my characters and meet some kick-ass heroines in the process, they can. And there will be no one to tell them or me, “NO. Series just don’t do that.” I’m in control of what happens. The covers and layouts can have congruency. The word count can be what it needs to be. I can write a third book … or not. I love the flexibility I have! 

I think that sounds really awesome. I am glad that you can do what you want with your books and I think that as long as you enjoy what you are doing, your fans will too. 

Did you have the whole series planned out before you started, or are you just going with it?

Originally, I had just the one book. The ideas for Sapphire Reign took me by surprise, shocked me at every turn, and kept on wigging me out all the way to the end. If you end up reading Sapphire Reign, it will blow your mind. It’s braided plot is weird enough, but the plotline and events are totally insane. There’s nothing else like it. 
   
So the cover is awesome!! Did you have any input in the design for it?

I am one of the designers for my publishing company, so I designed the cover actually, it’s just credited under my designer ID rather than my pen name. I designed several covers and teen readers and my critters selected the one that sits on the book. 




What is the hardest thing about writing? Do you ever get writers block? 


The hardest thing about writing is my distractibility. I’m trying maintain my household, to market, write three other books, keep up with sports, do the design work I’m commissioned for, organize a non-profit music production company, so,  I get sidetracked very easily. I work well under pressure, so, I can handle it, I just need to economize my time better. I don’t really get writer’s block, as much as I get bored. That’s why I work on several novels at the same time. 

Wow! You have a whole lot going on. That's great though. I couldn't handle so many things.
 
How long did it take you to write Kings & Queens?

It took me 18 months to write it and almost two years to edit it. Then I shopped and tweaked it for a while. It went through two critique circles and a literal tornado to come to press. And it’s out now. Yay!

Do you have any writing habits? Music, coffee, snacks etc...?

No, not really, but I need coffee every day. 



Yeah, coffee is a must for me too. Without it I can't function. 

If you could hang out with any of your characters, who would it be and why? What would you do?

I would hang out with Warren Niles. He’s smart, has an intriguing vocabulary and outlook, and I’d like to hear his philosophies about life as we paint massive canvases.

Anything else you would like to add?

I write weird … and I can’t seem to get away from that. So, that’s how you’ll know me and my work … she’s that weird writer with those weird, weird books.

I have to say I am really enjoying the book and I don't find it weird at all, just interesting. Maybe I am weird too. Lol!!

Thank you so much for doing this interview!! It's been a pleasure.


About the Author


COURTNEY VAIL writes totally twisted YA and adult suspense. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry's, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.


Kings & Queens   ~   CourtneyVail.com  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~ 
Blog: Gotta Have YA

Daemon Invasion Tour News!!

Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve heard us talking about the upcoming #daemoninvasion and we’re so excited to finally share with you what is going on.

Really excited.

 

The beautiful and uber cool models, Pepe Toth and Sztella Tziotziosz, who grace the Lux covers, will be joining us in the United States!  You heard right.  They are flying here, from Hungary to spend a few days as Daemon and Katy! While they are here, they will be working with Vania, from VLC Productions (the team behind Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Melissa de La Cruz, Kimberly Derting, Moira Young, Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl, Hillary Duff, Lauren Destefano, and many, many more authors’ book trailers), to film book trailers for the Lux Series.

 

During the filming in Atlanta, they will be accompanying us on tour! What does that mean? You get to meet them. In the flesh. They will be participating in the signings and events. At those signings, we’ll be giving away signed posters, photos, and other swag. There will also be meet and greet events you can join in on.

 

At each signing, there will be advanced copies of Onyx given away!

 

And to top things off (as if this isn’t enough, but we don’t do anything small), there’s something very, very exciting in the works! It involves advanced copies of Opal, water, and a little destination known as the Bahamas.

 

I am not kidding.

 

This will be epic.

 

Are you excited? I am! This tour is going to be so, so much fun, and I’m so thrilled that Pepe and Sztella are a part of it. We owe them a huge thank you and a giant welcome making the 16 hour flight to meet the readers of the Lux Series.  You!

Daemon Invasion Signing and Event Schedule

June 8th
FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, GA
3:00pm

June 10th
Barnes and Noble
St Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL
3:00pm

June 13th
Barnes and Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
Orlando, FL
3:00pm

June 14th
Barnes and Noble

The Palladium at City Place
West Palm Beach, FL
4:00pm
 

There are several #daemoninvasion street teamers out there and if you want to join a team to win exclusive prizes, search down the #daemoninvasion hashtag to join one of the teams!

Don’t forget to visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s blog to win a signed set of Half-Blood and Pure in celebration of her adult romance release, Tempting the Best Man, under pen name J. Lynn. Enter by clicking here.  You can purchase Tempting the Best Man by clicking here. 

Review: Siege by Rhiannon Frater (ATWD #3)

Add to Goodreads

• Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
• Publication date: 4/24/2012
• Pages: 368
• Source: Finished copy from the Publisher for review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Overview

As the survivors continue to seek stability in their lives,
forces both inside and outside the fort walls move
them toward a final, climactic conflict between
the living and the dead.  Jenni, Katie and the others
discover that they are not alone, that there is another
enclave of survivors whose leaders plan to take over the fort.

Faced with a series of difficult decisions, each choice they
make could lead to the deaths of those they love or, if not
careful, their own demise.

Meanwhile, an army of the dead is descending on the fort.
Soon, the living will face their ultimate fear...

...a siege by the dead.

But they will fight to the end to survive...

As the world dies.

My Thoughts 

OMG! This was just friggin unbelievably epic!! I don't think anything I say could possibly even come close to how I feel about this book and series!! I will try to keep this review as coherent as possible and spoiler free of course!! I thought that the first two books were intense and emotional, but they have nothing on this one!! Of course it is the awesome writing and story telling in those that lead you to love the characters so much which in turn makes this book such an emotional ride!! I think this may be my new favorite series ever!

Intense is a complete understatement. Emotional doesn't begin to touch on how this book affected me. I don't think I have ever read a book that I actually have had to stop and regroup because I was that emotionally broken. I am getting teary eyed trying to write this review. That is how much this book, and series work their way into your heart. Just as with the previous book there is even more added threat to their survival. They are doing pretty well in the fort, but they are still in real danger. The Vigilante still hasn't been caught, there is the new military threat, there is a massively huge horde of zombies coming, and people seem to be turning on each other. We also have the added element of the ghosts who are trapped between and can't move on. It is a perfect addition to an already epic story!

The characters are just as kick ass, and we meet a few new characters. Some I loved, some I hated. (Paige would be one I hated.) Rhiannon's ability to make you feel like you personally know them is just amazing, and makes it even more devastating when bad things happen. She also does a great job at keeping the humor and touching moments in there too, which make you smile even through the tears that will undoubtedly be streaming down your face! That humor and caring makes it that much harder on you because you love the characters so much. It is great how they come together as a community and are willing to risk themselves to help others. 


This book is an amazingly awesome conclusion to the As The World Dies series. It really could not have been better. I think that when I finished the book and closed it, the pieces of my broken heart stayed scattered among the pages inside! This is one of the most heart-pounding, tension filled, emotional books I have ever read. I was sobbing uncontrollably through a lot of the book. I felt like someone was squeezing my heart, and found myself holding my breath numerous times. This series is a truly touching story about survival even in the worst of times. It shows you how selfless some people can be, and how selfish and oblivious others can be. I can't say enough how great this book is. I just want everyone to read it!! I would give this a million stars in a heartbeat! (That is if I had not left my heart in the pages of this book.) 5 out of 5 stars!!

Cover Reveal: Redheads Are Soulless by Heather M. White

I am lucky enough to be part of the cover reveal for Heather M. White's book Redheads Are Soulless and let me tell you, I love it. It was designed by the awesome Heather @ SupaGurl Books, so go check out her blog!! You can also visit Heather M. White's website by clicking here. So onto the good stuff!!



Blurb:

High School senior, Sofia Black, has had a very hard life. Since her father's death 7 years ago, she has had to look after her drug addicted, alcoholic mother. School isn't any better for her either. The other kids constantly tease, and ridicule her. All she wants is to get out of her small hometown in Alabama.

When new student, Jason, shows up, Sofia's world is turned upside down. She doesn't understand why he wants to befriend her so badly... And, just when she thinks she can trust him, trouble appears.

Jason's twin brother, Robbie, moves into town, and things go haywire. Sofia is now running for her life - and Jason is forced to share hidden secrets with her. She learns the truth about her father's death, and finds out that she may not be as "human" as she once thought. She struggles to accept her fate, while fighting for her life.

So what do you think? I think it's great and Heather did a great job with it!! It sounds really interesting too.  

Waiting on Wednesday 4-25-12

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine  to share what book you are highly anticipating the release of.

With the cover reveal yesterday of The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, I knew it had to be my pick this week. I have been dying for this book and wanting to have it be my WoW, but I mean with no cover yet that wouldn't have been very fun! Now that we have seen the gorgeous cover, I can use it for my WoW!!

Add to Goodreads

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
• Publication date: 10/23/2012
• Pages: 272

Overview

Two days after Mara walks into a police station in Miami at the close of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, she is committed for psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe is a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But she's about to discover that the price is more than she can bear.

Dark and thrilling, suspenseful and passionate, The Evolution of Mara Dyer will have readers breathlessly turning pages to find out what will become of Mara Dyer next.


I loved The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and can't wait until October for The Evolution of Mara Dyer to come out! How awesome is that cover right?!! It is going to be the longest six months ever waiting for this book!!

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by  The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a different topic for the Top Ten. This weeks Top Ten topic is:

Top Ten Favorite Book Characters

This is going to be a hard one. There are so many really kick ass book characters that I love. I am not putting them in order by favorite because I could never actually choose my top fave.  

1. Daemon from Obsidian (Lux Series) by Jennifer L Armentrout. Okay so besides the fact that he is a super swoon worthy alien with impossibly good looks, he has more depth to him than we see on the surface. So I haven't seen much of that other side of him, but it's there and I can't wait to see more of it. 

2. Katy from Obsidian (Lux series) by Jennifer L Armentrout. I couldn't mention Daemon and not include Katy too. If it weren't for Katy we wouldn't get to see the hidden aspect of Daemon. Besides, she is awesome and doesn't take people's shit. She is also a book blogger, so of course we must love her!!

3. Alex from the Coventant series (Half-blood/ Pure) by Jennifer L Armentrout. Am I making my love for JLA apparent lol!! Alex is super kick ass and I absolutely love her. No matter how much she goes through she still keeps tough. She just rocks!!

4. Mirko from Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace. Hello? Super hot!! Hell yeah! Okay, and his character is badass, sweet, and did I mention sexy....

5. Jace from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I don't even think I have to explain this one, but if any of you haven't read any of these books, *gasp* Jace is just swoon worthy awesomeness. He is so complex, but hides most of it away. And the poor boy...just one shitty thing after another keeps happening. You so want for someone to just give him a bit of a break, but that would be boring right?!

6. Magnus from The Mortal Instruments (and The Infernal Devices) series by Cassandra Clare. Oh Magus, how I love you!! He is just fabulous in every way!!

7. Tod from the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent This is one hot reaper!! He is funny, and caring, and just a whole lot of amazing!! Love him!!

8. Hermione from The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. She is, and will always be one of my favorite characters. She is smart and level headed. Don't get me wrong. I love Harry and Ron, and of course the Weasley twins, but Hermione was like the glue that always held everything together. 

9. Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Tough chick that will keep fighting until the end. How can you not love her?! She is just awesome!!

10. Jenni from the As The World Dies Trilogy by Rhiannon Frater. This is a very recent love, but I can't deny it. Jenni is so friggin kick ass and amazing. Nicknamed Loca due to her bad ass crazy zombie killing skills. I just can't say enough how awesome this chick is. 

I wish I could keep going. There are so many that I want to put on the list. Aiden and Seth from the Covenant series, Will and Jem from The Infernal Devices, Chase and Rayna from The Protectors series, Faythe from The Shifters series....I love great characters. These were the top ones that came to mind, so that's what I went with. I am no good at choosing favorites!! Link me so I can see your Tuesday post. ♥

Review: Fighting To Survive by Rhiannon Frater (ATWD #2)

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• Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
• Publication date: 11/8/2011
• Format: eBook 
• Source: Own / Purchased 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Overview

Katie and Jenni have found new lives with the survivors of their makeshift fort, but danger still lurks. Nothing is easy in the new world where the dead walk and every day is a struggle to keep safe. As the elements, bandits, and the zombie horde threaten their safe haven, Jenni and Katie join the other survivors in fighting to survive as the world dies.




My Thoughts

The second book in the First Days series could not have been any better!! OMG!! I thought that I loved The First Days, but this was even better!! They are still trying to settle into their new life in the fort, and keep safe and alive. As if it's not hard enough to keep safe from the zombies, now they have to try to keep safe from the bandits too! As they go out on rescue missions and scavenger missions, they need to keep an eye out for the crazy bandits and zombies. And let me tell you, these guys are no joke. They are smart, dangerous and completely sick in the head. Besides the threats outside of the fort, they have their issues within too. It becomes hard to know who they can trust, and how to punish people when crimes are committed. In this installment of the As The World Dies series, emotions are running higher, and the danger level is through the roof. It is an intense story that keeps you completely engaged and NEEDING to keep going until the last page.  


I have grown to love the characters so much. Jenni, Katie, Travis, Juan, Nerit...almost everyone!! I feel so close to all of them. And as much as I love most of the characters, the ones that I hate, I really hate. OMG!! Blanche is the biggest bitch ever, and Shane...don't get me started on Shane. He is awful!! I really can't say enough about the character connections though. I love how they mean so much to each other and they need each other. Katie and Jenni are just so great! They are each others strength. More than anything, the behaviors, attachments, and emotions are so real!! I feel like I am right there with them. 


There was a ball in the pit of my stomach the whole time I read this book, which admittedly was very fast for me because I could. Not. Stop. I usually go to bed pretty early since I wake up early, but I was up until 2am to finish this book while wildly tweeting Giselle @ Xpresso Reads and Rhiannon Frater the author of the series. There is so much going on in this book. They are trying to build up and expand since they are bringing in more survivors. They are planning to go out on missions to either rescue people and get supplies. Some of the survivors they have been in contact with are now unreachable. It makes the tension very extreme. People are also in fear of the Vigilante, afraid to screw up and be the next one to be thrown out to the zombies and the bandits have become a major threat. 

Without going into too much detail, this book was just freaking amazing!! I really can't even wrap my mind around what I want to say without saying something I shouldn't. I loved Jenni so much more in this book. She is so kick ass and has the best lines ever. Her sense of humor along with Juan's kept some of the more tense moments a little lighter. This book was for sure a very intense read!! I had a super death grip on my nook, especially the last 1/3 of the book. Now that was intense!! I was frantically reading almost unable to breathe at times. My heart was threatening to beat right out of my chest. So in short, just read this series!! Seriously! You need this zombie epicness in your life! 5 out of 5 stars!! 

In My Mailbox 4-22-12

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren to show what bookish things you have gotten in the past week, or month, or however frequently you would like to do it.

The past two weeks I have done a vlog, but this week is just a regular blog post IMM I didn't really get much to show on video so the picture IMM works better this week. I Actually didn't by anything this week. Well, I pre-ordered stuff, but it doesn't count since it's not here yet.

All of this is stuff I won, was gifted, or got for free.

Yay, I got business cards!! They came out really good with the exception of the font color being a little too dark and slightly hard to read. I got them from moo.com for free as a Klout perk. Thank you Klout for an awesome perk.

I won the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza giveaway from Lori @ Pure Imagination and it was a book of choice up to $15 from The Book Depository and I chose Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross because it sounds awesome!! Thank you so much Lori!!

Karina Halle was so nice and sent me an ebook of Red Fox since I couldn't get it on B&N. Thank you so much!!

I got Reverence by Shelly Crane for free on Smashwords. I really liked Significance and I have all the other books in the series, but haven't read them yet. I love Caleb, so I am interested to read this.

I also got The Infects by Sean Beaudoin for review NetGalley / Candlewick Press.

I also got a $50 Visa gift card from my husbands grandpa for my birthday that I will most likely use towards books. :) Thanks so much to lout, Lori, Karina, NetGalley and Candlewick press!! Leave me a link to your IMM and I will check it out.

Happy Birthday To Me!!

Hey guys, guess what it's my birthday!! Today I go gracefully into my 30's. Okay, so I am a bit on the clumsy side, gracefully doesn't really belong in any sentence referring to me. Anyways... Yup the big 3-0 today!! I am glad to have a great family and awesome friends. I just want to thank all of you for being great! Today I am not posting about books, or doing any reviews. (though I am picking winners for my birthday giveaway, so if they all respond I will post that later.) I just wanted to put up a post to celebrate my special day and just be happy about my birthday!! Really, a birthday is no fun without awesome people to share it with and since my blog is a big part of who I am, I needed to share my day with you. Thank you for anyone stopping by. I love all of my followers and anyone else who reads my blog whether you follow or not. Happy Birthday to me and I hope you all have a great weekend!! Now I will leave you with some really awesome cake and cupcake pics that I found online.

Those all look really yummy. Don't you agree? So that is all!! Happy Birthday to me!! Now after searching for and posting these pictures I want yummy, tasty, delicious cake and cupcakes!! *runs off to stuff myself with them* I love you all!! ♥ ♥ ♥