2013 in Review

2013 was a big year for me. Even though I started blogging in 2012, I didn't really get into it until this year. Over the course of the year, my reviews got longer, posts got noticed, I got a Twitter account, and so much more. I've met authors, held giveaways, and made blogger friends from all over the place.  For the most part, 2013 has been pretty cool.

In honor of it's awesomeness, I'd like to do a couple top tens. Top ten books I've read, top ten releases, top ten blog posts, top ten Facebook posts. I hope you have fun checking out my top tens, and please, leave yours in the comments! Please note that I read almost 200 books this year! Having to pick only ten is one of the hardest things to do!

Top Ten Books I've Read:

Books in this category are ones NOT released this year.

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth

4. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

5. Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout AKA Woman-Who-Can-Do-No-Wrong

6. Legend by Marie Lu

7. Crave by Melissa Darnell

8. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles AKA Magic-Fairy-Goddess

9. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Top Ten Books Released in 2013

Books that have been released in 2013 ONLY!

1. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

2. Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

3. Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter

4. With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

5. Apollyon by Jennifer L Armentrout

6. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

7. Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

8. Crown of Midnight by S.J. Maas

9. United We Spy by Ally Carter

10. Endless by Jessica Shrivington

Top Ten Blog Posts

1. Authors Are Rockstars Blog Tour Featuring C.C. Hunter!

2. The Blog is One Year Old!

3. Thanksgiving Giveaway!

4. Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter

5. Series Sunday: Ruby Red Trilogy

6. With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

7. If I Should Die by Amy Plum Giveaway

8. Blog Tour: Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes

9. Happy Birthday Giveaway

10. Blog Tour: Godsland Series by Brian Rathbone

Top Ten Facebook Posts:

1. For those of you who missed it last night, I'm about to start two new giveaways! One is for Facebook and one is for Thanksgiving.So, today, I'll try to put up the Thanksgiving one ASAP! The winner gets a signed copy of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas!

The Facebook giveaway will take a little more time. As of right now, the Facebook page has 43 likes. This contest depends on YOU! When you can get the page to 100 likes, I will giveaway a signed Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett AKA Author Anna Banks booklet and bookmark!

So get cracking! As soon as the page reaches 100 likes, I will select a winner from one of those likes. Most likely, I will set up a post that you have to comment on, so keep your eyes open and the likes coming!

2. It's that time of year! Thanksgiving and then the winter months are fast approaching! In celebration, I'm running a Thanksgiving Giveaway! What can you win? Well, a signed copy of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas! Check it out and share with your friends for chances to win!

http://www.tween2teenbooks.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-giveaway.html

3. So, I've been thinking about giveaways. So far, I've had two. I like giveaways, you like giveaways, and I have a boatload of stuff to giveaway. At this point in time, I have two giveaways in mind. First, I want to do a Thanksgiving giveaway for a signed copy of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I also have a collection of signed Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett, AKA Author Anna Banks booklets and bookmarks. So, when this page reaches 100 likes, I will giveaway one of eight Degrees of Wrongs booklets and bookmarks. I also have copies of Carrier of the Mark, Shadow of the Mark, and leftover exclusive Amy Plum bookmarks to giveaway in the future! So, when this page reaches 100 likes, check back for a giveaway!

4. I've heard a lot about these books and how amazing they are. So, one day, I decided to pick up the first one and see if it lived up to the hype. It wasn't as good as I'd been told it was, but it was better than I expected. Which is always a good thing. Both book one and book two I had trouble getting in to. They would start off slow, but then about halfway through, they'd pick up and I wouldn't be able to put it down. Skimming became a very close friend of mine, as I struggled through POVs that I didn't enjoy. And yes, there were multiple POVs.

http://www.tween2teenbooks.com/2013/12/double-review-raven-boys-and-dream.html

5. Just got signed copies of Carrier of the Mark and Shadow of the Mark byLeigh Fallon as well as a signed ARC of The Offering by Kimberly Derting! So excited to start reading!

6. If the page can get the 100 likes by the end of December, I'll give away a second Degrees of Wrong signed booklet and bookmark!

7. Check out Deadly Crush by Ashley Stoyanoff - The Soul's Mark! I don't know about you, but I'm dying to read it!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Crush-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00EPX8NPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388278931&sr=8-1&keywords=deadly+ashley+stoyanoff

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadly-crush-ashley-stoyanoff/1116758451?ean=2940045223379...See More

8. It has been brought to my attention that I have not reviewed The Hunger Games. I plan to remedy that now. I first discovered the books at my birthday party a few years ago. My friend had brought over the first book, so I 'stole' it since it looked good. Before that, I had never heard of the series. So, that night, I read a good chunk of book one. I flew through the rest of the books afterwards. At the time, I was in love. Now? Not so much. Looking back, I see many faults with the Hunger Games that I missed before.

http://www.tween2teenbooks.com/2013/11/series-sunday-hunger-games-by-suzanne.html

9. Here's one for the best books of 2013! Which ones have you read?

10. What do you think?

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog, whether via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or right here! Thank you to all the people who share my posts and follow the blog, you have no idea (or maybe you do) how amazing it feels. The blog has grown tremendously. From 100 page views a month to 100 page views a day. As of now, the blog has almost 1800 page views total, 60 likes on Facebook (remember, if you can reach 100 likes, there's a chance to win a signed Degrees of Wrong booklet and bookmark!), 237 Twitter followers, 18 Instagram followers, and 15 followers via GFC. It's amazing to know that people are looking at my insane ramblings about the stuff I love most.

I feel like the post wouldn't be complete without a few resolutions for 2014. One, I hope to review not necessarily all, but more of the books I read. I've posted about 84 reviews this year after reading almost 200 books. Not exactly an awesome ratio (though better than I expected). So lets get reviewing! This is something more out of my control, but in 2014, I hope to get to 100 Facebook likes and 50 Instagram followers. Think we can make that happen? I am also a writer. In 2014, I hope to finish the first draft of one novel and edit the heck out of another one. Just because that was my resolution last year doesn't mean I won't accomplish it this year instead! So thank you again for checking out my measly little blog amongst the sea of other bloggers. I hope that you like it and continue to come back!

What about you? What are your top tens of the year? Any New Year's resolutions?

Novella Review: In Time, Bittersweet Love, and The Moth in the Mirror

I realized that I read a large number of novellas via eBook and don't review them. Since they're shorter, they also might not need as much of a review. So I figured that, every once in a while, I'd make a post with reviews of novellas I have read recently.

Title: In Time
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Hyperion
Series: The Darkest Minds
Release: July 16, 2013
Pages: 190
Review: 3.5 Stars

While I loved The Darkest Minds, In Time just didn't do it for me. I got it when it released, but couldn't get past the first chapter. I would read bits and pieces at a time, resulting in hazy memories of what it was about. When I finally reached the halfway point, I got drawn in enough that I finished the book. I think it was partially because the main character was not the one I was used to. It was a guy (who's name I'm blanking on) instead of Ruby, the heroin of the series. He just wasn't as interesting. The plot was slow building, and I don't know what repercussions it will have on the series. I've heard it had important ones though. After reading it, it made me realize that I need to actually read book two, Never Fade. The book was good, nicely written, but not my style. I give it 3.5 stars. *wanders over to bookshelf to read Never Fade*

Title: Bittersweet Love
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: The Dark Elements
Release: December 1, 2013
Pages: 167
Review: Five Stars

It is an undisputed fact that Jennifer L Armentrout can do no wrong! I have twelve posts about her books that can prove it for you. I have read all but one of her YA's, and they ROCK! Bittersweet Love is a prequel novella to White Hot Kiss, the first book in a new series. This also marks Jennifer's first publication with a big publisher. What is the series about? Demons and gargoyles, that's what! Have you ever seen gargoyles as both the good guys and lead creatures in YA? I think not. It's a new frontier that Jennifer conquers brilliantly. The main character is Jasmine. The novella takes place over the course of a few days, where she is deciding if she wants to give in and become the mate of Zayne or make or own path. In the end, she does a bit of both. The novella was amazing and I couldn't put it down! Read it now and you will NOT regret it! I give it a full five stars!

Title: The Moth in the Mirror
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books
Series: Splintered
Release: October 22, 2013
Pages: 88
Review: Four Stars

This one was good. The only reason it took so long to read was because it took me a while to pick it up. The Moth in the Mirror is book 1.5 in the Splintered series. It's from the POV of one of the male leads, Morpheus. In it, he's trying to figure out what he needs to do to win the heart of Alyssa and 'defeat' Jeb, the guy who currently has it. Morpheus is an interesting character. I believe that he is good at heart, and I definitely like him more than Jeb, but he's not afraid to fight dirty. To be fair, it's in his nature. He lives in a twisted Wonderland, and everything from the original story is dead wrong. Emphasis on the dead part. I liked the story, but I wish that there'd been more from his point of view and less of just viewing Splintered through Jeb's eyes. Overall, the novella was good and is a great lead in to book two, Unhinged, which comes out in January. I give it four stars.

Series Sunday: Revenants Trilogy by Amy Plum

Titles: Die For Me, Until I Die, If I Should Die
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Revenants
Review: Four Stars

*Sigh* I can't believe this series is over! Confession time, I got the final book on release date but didn't read it until winter break. Why? Because I'm the master of procrastination. That said, I LOVED it! The ending was just so perfect... *whimpers* I almost cried when it ended, not because it was sad, but because it was so right. I really enjoyed the first two books, but, if memory serves, they just didn't do it for me. If I Should Die swept them off their feet and now I'm dying to reread the entire series.

The main character is Kate. Before the novels start, her parents are killed in a car wreck. She and her older sister, Georgia, move to Paris, France to live with their grandparents. And yes, this takes place in France! There, she meets Vincent. He's handsome and kind, everything you could want in a guy, except for the fact that he happens to be an immortal revenant. Kate manages to deal with this amazingly well. And when everything stands in her way, Kate simply doesn't give up. How her plot line ended for me wasn't much of a surprise, but I liked it. Kate is incredibly selfless. She is ready to sacrifice everything for those she loves. She always manages to fight for what's right. She also makes mistakes. Instead of being 100% right 100% of the time, Kate messes up. She makes inaccurate assumptions. But then she fixes it. Kate cleans up her own messes, and needs no one to do it for her.

The overall plot of the books was good. I feel like book one and part of book two didn't tie into the end plot, but then again, I also haven't read the books in months. I remember bits and pieces. There's definitely romance. Like, the completely swoony kind. There's actions, I distinctly remember explosions and, at one point, someone gets chopped to piece. (Don't worry, he'll just come back, revenants tend to do that) There are so many amazing characters that I couldn't list them all if I tried. There's Charlotte, another revenant who is like the kick-butt girl of the group. Ambrose, the only American revenant in the France, is like the awesome big brother you never had. The list goes on and on. I love each and every character to bits, flaws and all. This trilogy is definitely worth the read! I give it four stars.

P.S. Be on the lookout for Amy Plum's new book, After the End, coming this spring!

Blog Hop: What's In the Snow Featuring Leanna Renee Heiber

What is a blog hop? You ask. Well, let me explain. There are a total of thirty-four stops. Each one has a clue, which will be entered into a Rafflecopter form for a chance to win some awesome stuff! The tour goes from December 15 to January 15, so make sure to check out all the other stops which can be found at the bottom! On my stop, I have winter themed book covers as well as an excerpt from Leanna Renee Heiber!

Covers:

First off is Endless Knight by Kresley Cole. In the background, you can see snow and barren trees, much like a tundra landscape. The main character Evie (on the right) is wearing a cloak like one might in winter months.

Honestly, all the books in the Shadowcry series by Jenna Burtenshaw have winter themed covers. In this one, snow is falling and it's much like how it looks in winter in a city. The main character is also wearing a cloak and is dashing through the tunnels.

Any CS Lewis fan knows that when the first book came out, the land of Narnia was in a period of eternal winter. While there are many covers, this one shows the White Witch's palace and the effects of the winter that she's placed on that land.

First of all, Ash. *swoons* The background of the cover is a sheet of ice. Which makes sense, since he's the winter prince. He has a coat on that looks perfect for going out in a snowstorm. And his icy blue eyes, yet another swoon.

At this point in the series, it's the dead of winter. Everyone at Mythos Academy heads off to none other than a ski resort. The cover model has snow all over her face, which creates a really cool effect. And she looks like she's about to blow snow in all the reader's faces. Her makeup adds to the effect and makes it an overall icy looking cover.

This book was amazing. Each cover has the same general design, but it changes like the seasons. In this one, the eyelashes, aka woods and waterfall, have frozen. The cover is an icy blue, and the sky looks like that of one ready to dump snow on those beneath it.

Just look at these covers! The left is the paperback and the right is the hardcover. The paperback has eyelashes covered in snow, which is much like the cover of Unravel Me. Between Shades of Gray takes place in Siberia, and that's the setting of the hardcover. The chains around the corners show that the main character is kept in a camp of sorts, and the green sprig is her hope. There's a barren wasteland of ice behind it. All in all, very wintery.

The cover of After the End by Amy Plum is simply amazing! The main character is walking across what appears to be a snowy waste that leads to a city on the horizon. Plus, she has wolves. Somehow, I always associate wolves with winter. They are easily my favorite type of animal, and make me squeal every time I see them.

The cover isn't exactly wintery. Or, at least, not like the others are. But I couldn't not post this one. It's a winter sweater where all appears normal, except for the fact that one of the moose on it is being hung. The book comes out January 7, and I am ecstatic to read it!

Excerpt:

From THE DOUBLE LIFE OF INCORPORATE THINGS (Magic Most Foul #3) by Leanna Renee Hieber

England now was closer than it was farther, and I allowed myself a bit of excitement about docking. I'd be seeing Jonathon, surely. Somehow, I'd find him; I knew names and locations, and perhaps, once we were there, he could take a moment to show me his world, his city, a place I'd always yearned to visit.
A part of me was sure he'd be slightly angry for my making the journey. The rest of me was sure he was absolutely expecting it.

But still, I had to let him know, and as he'd given no itinerary, no specific instructions, I was left to my own devices in terms of communicating with him. So, I used our unique and unparalleled connection: our meeting of the minds and entwining of the souls.

Thusly, I forced myself to dream of Jonathon, and thankfully, enough of me knew my life was on the line to agree to a subconscious demand.

Shockingly enough, no corridor in this dream! I almost didn't even know I was dreaming. I was presented with an entirely literal dreamscape, at least at first, a desperate telegraph from a desperate woman.

I was standing on the deck of a ship, this ship, the one I would remain on until we arrived to port two days or so from now. There was a great gale around me. I was wet, struggling to stand, hearing the crash of waves upon the steel hull, the splash of water across the deck, feeling the sting of whipped moisture across my cheek, but I held to a rail and shouted into the storm, for there before me, a few paces away, stood Jonathon. He was turned away from me, but as always, distinct.

I knew it was him- black frock coat, black shoulder-length hair whipped back in the wind, his frame, his stance, his height, and the way my heart pulled towards him like a magnet.

"Jonathon, I'm coming for you," I called.

He whipped around as if he were tossed by the gale, his bright ice-blue eyes luminous in the moonlight, ethereal and otherworldly. His expression was pained.

"That's what the demon said to you. Do you say that to me… because you have been compromised, my beautiful girl?" he asked, calling across the gale, anguished.

"No… Those were the demon's words, but that's hardly what I mean," I protested, reaching out to him, trying to move forward to him, but the pitch of the ship nearly made me lose my balance. Jonathon reeled a bit and regained his footing, still space between us. "I hope you know I'd never let anything within me hurt you…"

I hated that space between us. I needed to be in his arms, to prove what my words only hinted at. I needed his body fully against mine. I needed to kiss him. To go even further. To accept his proposal and act like the betrothed, with certain permissions… I felt a wave of heat radiate down my body. We were not meant to be so separated. Not in spirit, not in body.

"I am coming to England," I clarified. "I must help you. Because I need you. I want you."

He let those words settle in, in the myriad ways I meant them. A lady could say this to the man who was her hero and partner. I could not be ashamed of what neither my body nor my mind knew was right and true.

"Why, Natalie, of course I want to see you. Of course I feel the same. But we don't know what we'll face, this was foolish—"

"You know me better than to think I won't come for you—"

He laughed wearily. "That I do. But take care. People may be on to us. I am not sure when or where we can meet, safely, there is so much sniffing about. We're trying to be the bloodhounds, but there is an arsenal of similar dogs trying to out us. We've tried to play our cards brilliantly, but we maintain constant vigilance."

"How shall I find you?"

"I will find your steamer. Do you know what day you arrive?"

"Dusk. Two days hence. Lavinia is with me."

"Oh, is she?"

"She planned this, separately. She'll not allow Nathaniel to slip away any more than I will you."

Jonathon smiled. "He'll be glad to hear it—"

"So he is with you?"

"I seem to attract the best company. Don't find me, I will find you. And when I do, just… You’ll have to trust me. Do you trust me?”

“I do,” I cried, wishing that were another proposal if not a wedding vow.

He grinned. “We are so lucky our dreams are like letters and telegraphs. Only better, because I get to see you… And oh, look at you, you're all wet…" His noble voice descended in pitch, to a purr that somehow still carried across the storm.

And suddenly he was the one to close the distance between us. He seized me roughly and drew me into a furious kiss, the saltwater of his lips crashing over mine like the waves upon the ship.

Clue:

No here's the important part. You need to go here to put in the answer to the clue. My clue is clue #10. No two ______ are alike. To get a chance to win, put the answer to the clue over at the site! And don't post it here! We don't want to spoil the other entrants! Below is Leanna's special giveaway and the rest of the tour stops! Good luck!

Giveaway:

Swag Pack (please note that this giveaway is US ONLY!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other Stops:

December
15th--Read Books and Live Green; Reviews Abound (Intro Posts ONLY)
16th--The NerdHerd Reads; Musings of a Blogder
17th--The YA Book Butterfly
19th--BooksForBirds; Fiction Is the New Reality
20th--Book Loving Hippo; My Nook, Books, and More
21st--The Sarcastic Palm Tree
22nd--Icy Cold Reads
23rd--Reading Is My Treasure
26th--The Observant Girl Book Reviews
27th--Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews
28th--Friction to Fiction
29th--In Italics
30th--My Nook, Books, and More

January
1st--Reviews Abound
2nd--The Lovely Grace
3rd--Lost In Ever After
4th--Just Another Teen Reading
5th--Forever Literary
6th--The Book Aviary
7th--The Bibliophilic Nerds
8th--The Bibliophilic Nerds
9th--The Bibliophilic Nerds
10th--The Bibliophilic Nerds; Beauty and the Bookshelf
11th--The Bibliophilic Nerds
12th--Book Loving Hippo
13th--Read Books and Live Green
14th--Christiney Reads
15th--Reviews Abound; Read Books and Live Green (Wrap Up Posts ONLY)

Book Blitz: Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Title: Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic

Author: Meghan Ciana Doidge

Release: December 27, 2013

Publisher: Old Man in the Crosswalk

Pages: 300

Synopsis:

Three months ago, I lost my foster sister, Sienna, to the darkness. As in blood magic and chaos and general mayhem. No one saw it until it was too late, but I should have. Now, I have a wounded heart and soul that I can’t even reveal to anyone around me, because I’m supposed to hate Sienna with the fiery passion of the justified. And I do. I just wish I didn’t feel so lost without her, so unsure of the path I thought I had carved for myself, and so outclassed by the powerful Adepts constantly by my side these days. I’m not even sure if they’re with me for my own protection or because my shiny new powers are rare and valuable. Assuming I ever figure out who or what I am, and how my magic actually works.

Even chocolate can’t save the day every time … just most of the time. At least I’ve got that going for me.

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads

Author Bio:

Meghan Ciana Doidge is an award-winning writer based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has a penchant for bloody love stories, superheroes, and the supernatural. She also has a thing for chocolate, potatoes, and sock yarn.

Novels – After The Virus, Spirit Binder, Time Walker, Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic – Dowser #1, Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic – Dowser #2

Novellas – Love Lies Bleeding

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Extracted by Tyler H Jolley and Sherry D Ficklin

I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour today! And, I have an interview with the authors! Also, if you scroll to the bottom, you'll find a giveaway! And keep an eye on the blog, I should have a review of the book going up in the next few days!

Interview:

1. What is the most difficult part about writing?

Sherry- I think it’s a toss-up between staying focused on a project all the way to the end, and editing. Editing is hard, but at least you have a finished product to work with. But I have a dozen or so story starts on my desktop that I either lost interest in or just haven’t gotten back to yet.

Tyler- A big hurdle for me is finishing the story to completion beginning to end. I truly think getting the whole story down is a huge accomplishment. Lately I've been editing a lot. I can't say I love it, but I've found a way to get through it without completely wanting to slit my wrists and do push-ups in a bathtub.

2. What helped to inspire Extracted?

Sherry- I’m inspired by a million little things. With Extracted I had this voice (character idea) knocking around in my head for months. Then I was watching a tv special about the Romanovs and it all clicked into place.

Tyler- A little man from the past came to me one night…actually the primary inspiration came from Sherry. Once she had the idea I started creating the world around that idea.

3. What's your favorite part about writing?

Sherry- My very favorite part is when people read it and it becomes real for them. It’s like inviting people to peek inside your head (in a non-creepy way).

Tyler- The most fun I have writing is when I get to world build. Being able to create the world the characters live in comes easy for me. In fact, most of my stories I think of the world comes to me first.

4. What do you do in your spare time (when not writing)?

Sherry- What is this spare time you speak of? LOL. I read a LOT, go to movies, do nerdy things like cosplay and LARPing. Pretty much anything that strikes my fancy.

Tyler- I mountain bike and bird hunt. Oh and work full time as and orthodontist and periodontist

5. How has your life influenced your writing style?

Sherry- I think a person’s writing is always, at least a little, inspired by the people and places around them. Even in a book like this, which is 99% insane fiction, there’s still this little bit of me in there. As I change and grow, so does my writing.

Tyler- I have to say every book has some experience I've had or person I've met in my life. It's just those experiences or people have an unrecognizable twist to them.

6. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Sherry- I was pretty sure I wanted to read books for money. Writing is the next big thing. But yeah, I always knew I would write, I didn’t expect to be a published author though.

Tyler- No. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's going through dental school. I was stressed out of my mind and writing was therapeutic for me.

7. Describe Extracted in five words each.

Sherry- Firefly + Doctor Who +Teens = Extracted

Tyler- Steampunk + heroic + time travel + teen= Extracted

8. What are the easiest and hardest parts of writing a book together?

Sherry- Easiest is having a built in critique partner. Hardest is staying on the same page with the story.

Tyler- I agree with Sherry. It's like having a built in beta reader. But there is a lot of compromising which Sherry and I have become experts at.

9. Who was your favorite character to write?

Sherry- I like writing all of them, but my favorite is probably Ethan. He’s very confident, I dig that about him.

Tyler- I like Nobel. He brings back all the cool MacGyver episodes with a steampunk twist.

10. What interests you most about time travel?

Sherry- I like the complexity of it. We had to be SO careful with the plot, making sure every possible tangle was addressed. It’s also very flexible because literally anything is possible.

Tyler- I like the idea of being able to go forward in time to see what life has in store for me. Not to change anything but maybe because I'm too impatient.

Book Blitz: Siren's Song by Heather McCollum

Title: Siren's Song
Author: Heather McCollum
Release: February 18, 2014
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Synopsis:

Jule Welsh can sing. She enthralls people with her bel canto voice. But it takes more than practice to reach her level of exquisite song; it takes siren's blood running through her veins. Jule is starting her senior year at Cougar Creek High when her relatively normal world begins to resemble a roller coaster flying through a carnival scare house. Her mother is diagnosed as insane and committed, a psycho-stalker is snapping pictures of her to put into his homemade Jule-shrine, her voice is suddenly putting people into comatose trances, oh and the gorgeous new guy in town, Luke Whitmore, is interested in her . . . but also wants to kill her.

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads
Amazon
B&N

Excerpts:
#1: “You and I,” he shakes his head, “we shouldn’t be together. I’m…dangerous.”

#2: The light that’s captured with the shadow and white space on the picture gives the skin a soft, smooth look. The model’s face is obscured, off the page, yet she’s turned so that her left breast shows. My eyes run down her neck to a little smudge. I peer closely at it. It can’t be. It really…can’t…be.

#3: There he stands. Dark, blue-black eyes so deep I feel almost sucked toward them, like they are black holes in the universe.

#4: “Your voice.” His smile fades and a crease pinches his eyebrows briefly. “It caught me off-guard.”

My voice. Really? “Yeah, it surprises people,” I say, “but they don’t usually look like they’re going to reach down my throat and rip my voice box out.”

I watch him swallow, and he inhales as if the visual might be too much for him. I raise one eyebrow. He doesn’t look like the type who shies away from graphic violence.

#5: “I am battling hard enough to keep my temper in check,” Luke says as he glances at Matt, his grin gone. But then he looks quickly back to me. “I don’t have any remaining strength to stay away from Jule.”

#6: “You won’t hurt me.” I take a step closer so that I’m mere inches away, showing him that I trust him. I breathe him in, and I realize that I do.

Giveaway:

US Only!

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The Offering by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Offering
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: McElderly Publishing
Release: January 7, 2014
Series: The Pledge
Pages: 286 (ARC)
Review: Five Stars!

I did a short review for this book in the October Wrap-Up post if you want to read it here.

I can't even tell you how amazing this book was. I got the ARC from YASH this year. When I'd heard that I'd won it, I went around my house happy dancing the rest of the day! I love this series SO much and I can't believe that it's over. Seriously, I just want to go up to Kimberly Derting and say "Write more books!" Luckily, she has a book coming out this summer called The Taking! *happy dance* So yes, when The Offering comes out, read your heart out!

The main character Charlie goes through so many changed in the book. As of the end of book one, she's the queen of dystopian country Ludania. In book two, she faced hard ships from her people as well as the fellow queens of neighboring countries. The Offering takes off where The Essence left off-one of her fellow queens has declared war on Ludania. I feel like Charlie finally accepts her role of queen and leader of a whole lot of people in this book. Before, she's always lead grudgingly, but now, she's prepared to go all-out. Each of the characters had their own agenda that was very similar to all the other character's agendas. They were all trying to do the same thing, but didn't realize it. It made for a lot of near-misses that drove me insane, but in a way that kept me turning pages. Oh, and the romance between Max and Charlie is practically sizzling. It makes me smile just thinking about it. We become familiar with characters that, before, were names that were mentioned in passing.

Okay, how do I go about the rest of this providing no spoilers for the book? Well, I've already told you it was awesome and amazing and spectacular so... The book has action people! Remember how amazing book one was? Now amp that up by a million. The days of standing by in book two are over! Death, destruction, overall mayhem and chaos, it's all there! Oh, and romance! I'm pretty sure anyone that reads it will swoon for Max. Besides the action, there's also the touching family/tender moments. A character saying goodbye to a loved one, either permanently or temporarily, always breaks my heart. If you have any doubts, throw them away. I read this book right after Allegiant, which shattered my heart in two. The Offering managed to mend it right back up in only 24 hours! I've faced many disappointing series endings recently, but this is not one of them! The book is perfect, from page to shining page. This is one book that should be on everyone's to-be-read list! A total five stars!

Excerpt: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

So, today I was sent an excerpt from Heartbeat to share with you! Since I've already posted my stop on the tour and it's a fairly long excerpt, I decided to make it it's own post. So, read on and enjoy!

Title: Heartbeat
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: January 28, 2014
Pages: 256

Excerpt:

HEARTBEAT excerpt from Chapter 3

“Hey,” Olivia says, and I know it’s her because I would know her voice anywhere. We’ve been friends since fifth grade, and we’ve been through period trauma, boy crap, bad hair, her parents and their ways. And now Dan and his baby.

“Hey,” I say. I wipe my eyes and look at her. “How’s the car?”

Olivia makes a face at me but also wraps an arm around my shoulders, steering me toward our lockers. Her parents gave her a fully loaded convertible when she got her license, one with a built-in music player, phone, navigation system—you name it, the car had it. Could do it, and all at the touch of a button.

Olivia sold the car—through the one newspaper left in the area, which is basically just ads—and bought a used car. It’s so old all it has is a CD player and a radio. We bought CDs at yard sales for a while, but all we could get was old music, which we both hate, and the radio is just people telling you that what they think is what you should think, so we mostly just drive around in silence.

It used to bother me sometimes but now I like it. The inside of my head is so full now that silence is…I don’t know. There’s just something about knowing Olivia is there, and that we don’t have to talk. That she gets it. Gets me and what’s going on.

Her parents were unhappy about the car, though. Really unhappy, actually, but then there was a big crisis with one of their server farms at work and by the time they surfaced for air they hadn’t slept in four days. And when they said, “Olivia, that car was a gift,” she said, “Yes, it was. A gift, meaning something freely given, for the recipient to use as she wanted to, right?”

As we hit her locker, we pass Anthony, and he says, “Ladies,” bowing in my direction. A real bow too, like it’s the nineteenth century or something.

“Ass,” Olivia says.

“A donkey is actually not as stupid as people believe. However, you are entitled to your own beliefs about asses. And me.” He looks at me. “Hello, Emma.”

I sigh. “Hi, Anthony.”

“If you ever want to talk about your grades, do know that I’m here.”

I can’t believe I ever thought the way he talked was interesting. It’s just stupid, like he’s too good to speak like a normal person. “I know, Anthony.”

“I really would like to be of assistance to you. I believe in helping everyone. I’m talking to Zara Johns later. I think she feels threatened by the fact that I’ve been asked to help her organize the next school blood drive.” Translation: he’s butted in, and Zara’s furious.

“Either that or she just doesn’t like you. Emma, let’s go,” Olivia says, slamming her locker shut, and we head for mine.

“You okay?” she says, and I nod. Anthony doesn’t bother me at all anymore, just like Mom said would happen. I look at him and feel nothing. Well, some annoyance, but then, who wouldn’t after listening to him talk?

Of course, I didn’t always think that he was annoying. I open my locker, deciding not to go down the Anthony road, and hear the guy next to me say, “No way! I mean, everyone knows what’ll happen to Caleb if he steals another car.”

Olivia and I glance at each other. If Anthony is the ass end of the smart part of the school, Caleb Harrison is the ass end of the stupid part. He’s a total druggie and three years ago, when we were freshmen, he came to school so high he couldn’t even talk. I heard that stopped last year, but then, as soon as school got out, his parents sent him off to some “tough love camp,” which is rich-people code for boot-camp rehab.

He came back seemingly off drugs but newly into stealing cars. He started by grabbing them at the mall and parking them in a different spot, but then he stole a teacher’s car.

And then he graduated to a school bus. It was empty at the time, but still, I heard that got him a couple of weeks in juvie, or would have except for his parents, who intervened. I guess now he’s taken yet another step forward and by lunchtime, I know what Caleb stole.

His father’s brand-new, limited-edition Porsche. And he didn’t just steal it. He drove it into the lake over by the park, drove right off the highway and into the water. The police found him sitting on the lake’s edge, watching the car sink. They were able to pull it out, but water apparently isn’t good for the inside of a Porsche.

“You think he’ll go to jail this time?” Olivia asks as we sit picking at our lunches. I love that we have lunch together this semester, but it’s the first lunch block, and it’s hard to face food—especially cafeteria food—at 10:20 in the morning.

“I guess it depends on his parents,” I say. “Last time they talked to the judge or whatever. They’ll probably just ship him off again. He must hate them, though.”

“Yeah. To sit by the lake and watch the car sink like that—”

“Exactly.”

“Even when my parents are sucking their lives away with all their computer crap, I’d never do anything like mess with their stuff,” she says. “How can you hate someone who raised you, who loves you so—” She breaks off.

“Dan didn’t raise me,” I say tightly. “And he doesn’t love me. Or Mom.”

Olivia nods and I think about hate. I understand what can make someone do what Caleb did, although I don’t think a bored, rich druggie really gets hate. Not real hate.

Promo Tour: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

I am happy to be part of the promo tour for Heartbeat! It's a book that I've been really excited to read, and keep your eyes open for a review coming shortly!

Title: Heartbeat
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: January 28, 2014
Pages: 256

Synopsis:

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can’t tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn’t have interested Old Emma. But New Emma—the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia—New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge. Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death—and maybe, for love?

Praise:

“An intense examination of a family coping with grief, this absorbing character study easily keeps pages turning.”
— Kirkus on Heartbeat

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Indiebound

Author Bio:

ELIZABETH SCOTT grew up in a town so small it didn’t even have a post office, though it did boast an impressive cattle population. She’s sold hardware and panty hose and had a memorable three-day stint in the dot-com industry, where she learned that she really didn’t want a career burning CDs. She lives just outside Washington, D.C., with her husband, and firmly believes you can never own too many books.

You Can Find Her At:

Website
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Tumbler

Giveaway:

10 ARCs of Heartbeat

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: The Romeo Club by Rebekah L Purdy

Check out the cover reveal of The Romeo Club by Rebekah L Purdy!

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Title: The Romeo Club

Author: Rebekah L Purdy

Release: March 25, 2014

Genre: YA CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 

Synopsis:

THE ROMEO CLUB is Hitch meets The Secret of My Success.

What happens when you agree to help your brother “de-nerdify” so he can catch the attention of the popular Chloe Anders, and to everyone's surprise, he actually lands her?

And what if his equally geeky friends come running with girl wish lists of their own, offering money for your services?

Well, if you’re sixteen-year-old, Delyla Denson, then you start The Romeo Club. A secret club where she’ll teach these guys how talk, act, and be cool around girls. It’s a win-win situation. 

She’ll get enough money for the awesome prom dress she’s had her eye on, and the guys, well, they’ll get dates and maybe learn how to do something other than beat the next level on their video games.

There are only two problems with this plan. One, her quarterback/track star boyfriend is getting jealous of how much time she’s spending away from him and decides to try and figure out what’s going on. And two, Delyla is kind of falling for her brother’s BFF, Trey who she’s been hanging out with a lot more. And who thanks to her help, has caught the attention of the beautiful, perfect, and popular, Portia Rickard. With Portia and Trey heating up, Delyla realizes that maybe the person she’s meant to be with has been in front of her all this time.

But falling for Trey means she’ll have to take drastic measures including sabotage, with a capital S.

You Can Find it At:

Author Bio:

Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate…

You Can Find Her At:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Cover Reveal: Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher

Today Erin Fletcher and Entangled Teen are revealing the cover for WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME, releasing in early 2014! Check out the gorgeous cover, exclusive excerpt, and enter to win an eARC!

On to the reveal!



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Synopsis:

When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods—vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn't happen—are more traditional, but who is she to judge?

Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley¹s trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate¹s recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn't sure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.

You Can Find it At:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes

Exclusive Excerpt

Nate looks me over, from my jacket to my favorite pair of jeans, to the shoes that are bonfire-worthy but still cute. My hair, with the help of a straightener, is so silky that my dark bangs fall into my eyes even more than usual. My eye makeup is amped up. Whether all of this is because of the bonfire or because of who I hoped I’d run into before leaving is open for debate. He reaches up and brushes my bangs away from my face. The split-second touch makes me crave more. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you.”

“Where are you headed?”

Though staying here in the garage might be a better option, I say, “A bonfire.”

Nate studies me again, but this time it feels like he’s looking for something deeper. “Don’t you ever get tired of sneaking out?”

“Not really,” I say with a shrug.

He tugs on the zipper of my fleece, lowering it slightly and pulling me closer. “What are you running from, Hanley?”

It feels like my secrets are written all over my face, but I say, “Nothing.”

When he smiles, it’s almost sad. “I don’t buy it.”

I lean in, putting both hands on the car behind him, one on either side, trapping him. “You tell me why you’re living in my garage and I’ll tell you what I’m running from.”

He gives a sly smile and doesn’t budge. “Secrets it is.”

“Secrets it is,” I echo. And even though the small space between us is electric and threatening to disappear, I push off the car and step away. “I’ll see you later,” I say as I open the door.

“Hanley,” he says before I can get too far. “Be careful out there, okay?”

I don’t make any promises.

Double Review: The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Titles: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Review: Four Stars

I've heard a lot about these books and how amazing they are. So, one day, I decided to pick up the first one and see if it lived up to the hype. It wasn't as good as I'd been told it was, but it was better than I expected. Which is always a good thing. Both book one and book two I had trouble getting in to. They would start off slow, but then about halfway through, they'd pick up and I wouldn't be able to put it down. Skimming became a very close friend of mine, as I struggled through POVs that I didn't enjoy. And yes, there were

multiple POVs.

The main character (more or less) is Blue. She is pretty awesome. She lives with a bajillion aunts and cousins, all female. And of course, her mother. Her house is a crazy, fun, loving environment that any kid would want to grow up in. The thing is, everyone in her family is physic. Except Blue. But what she doesn't have in magical powers, Blue makes up for in complete and utter spunk. She is kick butt with words, and doesn't back down. She the POV I most enjoyed reading from, but the reader got so little of it with the amount of others. Blue also has a secret, all her life, she's been told that if she kisses her true love, he'll die.

Another character I really enjoy is Gansey. He character is Blue's true love, but she's in denial about it. She doesn't want to like him. Instead, she wants to like Gansey's friend, Adam. Which might have had me screaming at the book. Seriously, we'd be in the middle of lunch at school, and I'd just burst out "Die Adam, die! You can just, spontaneously combust or something!" I'm pretty sure I said those exact words. There's also Ronan, another one of the gang. I don't mind his character, but I didn't need so much of his POV either. We also get a lot of time with a man known as The Gray Man in book two. His POVs is where I had to do the most skimming. I simply did not find him interesting and could not sympathize with his problems. Also, I really don't want to see into Blue's mother's love life.

That right there is my review of book one via text to a friend. Not much more than that is needed. The book was well written. It had way too much description, but the writing itself was well done. Not every aspect made sense, though that might be partially because of my skimming. I have to say, after the end of book two, I NEED book three! I looked it up, and how does it not have a release date yet? It comes out next year! I want the date, cover, and synopsis now! I'm really hoping the tension between Blue and Gansey will rise in the next book. The one relationship that I really want that probably won't happen? Ronan and Gansey. Why? Read book two and you'll see. The books overall were really interesting. I give them four stars! *sits back and stalks computer for updates on book three*

Book Blitz: Death of the Body by Rick Chiantarette

Today is the release day of Death of the Body by Rick Chiantaretto! Please note, I do not read New Adult books, even though I am taking part in the book blitz for one.

Come celebrate the release of Death of the Body on Facebook on Saturday  December 14, 2013!

Title: Death of the Body (Crossing Death #1)

Author: Rick Chiantaretto

Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:

I grew up in a world of magic. By the time I was ten I understood nature, talked to the trees, and listened to the wind. When the kingdom of men conquered my town, I was murdered by one of my own—the betrayer of my kind. But I didn't stay dead.

I woke to find myself in a strange new world called Los Angeles. The only keys to the life I remembered were my father’s ring, my unique abilities, and the onslaught of demons that seemed hell-bent on finding me. Now I must learn who I really am, protect my friends, get the girl, and find my way back to my beloved hometown of Orenda.

You Can Find it At:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo

Blog Tour: Godsland Series by Brian Rathbone

 

Welcome to my stop on the Godsland series blog tour!  This is a YA epic/high fantasy adventure series by Brian Rathbone.  The tour consists of reviews of all of the books and the audiobook, as well as guest posts, interviews and more. Be sure to check out the tour page with all the tour information and additional tour stops.

The books in the Godsland series:

Call of the Herald (Book One) - FREE

Inherited Danger (Book Two)- FREE

Dragon Ore (Book Three)

You can also find it in one bind up called The Dawning of Power Trilogy Omnibus.

Find the full list of titles and links at http://brianrathbone.com/ As this is only the first trilogy in the World of Godsland series.

Review:

Okay, so, I have a confession to make. I didn't get quite as far into the books as I meant to. That said, I have read the first book and have a review for you! Compared to other books I've read, I found that the book was a little slow. The story was interesting, but it took some time for me to get into it. The world was very complex, which made the story a little confusing, but I got used to it. The story was simply one that is not my favorite style, but that I still enjoy. But! I have a brother who enjoys stories exactly like this, and I whole-heartedly plan on shoving this in his face and making him read it, because I know he'll enjoy it.

There were a lot of characters. Catrin, Benjin, Peten, and about a bajillion more that I can't remember.  The names are all complicated and obviously say 'high fantasy!' Catrin was a cool character. I liked that her powers grew, but I wish they'd played into the story more. She's a character that goes from fairly weak to very strong in a matter of chapters, which is always fun to see. Maybe it's that the book is aimed at a slightly younger audience (does anyone know the age range?) but there was no romance. It wasn't bad, a nice break actually, but it was different. Catrin is a pretty cool chick to say the least. She has a bunch of people who have her back and a hundred times more that are trying to kill her. Not the best situation to be in, but she dominates it.

The plot of the book was slow bits with a little bit of intriguing mixed in. The underlying story was interesting, but I could skim it at points and still get it. To be fair, I've been crunched on time with school and the holidays, but skimming is one of my best friends with all books at the moment. The story idea is definitely original. I don't read a whole lot of high fantasy, but I haven't seen this before. I really like, that even though she's on the run for her life, every second isn't action and drama. And honestly, in her situation, something like romance would be one extra tangle-ment to get into, which Catrin would not enjoy. Overall, the story was good, and I give it four stars.

Character Interview:

This is an interview with the main character, Catrin.

1. Describe how your life has changed in five words since Peten first attacked.

I had always thought my friends and I could find a way to live peacefully with Peten and the others, but now I know there are times we have no choice but to fight for what you believe in. I lost a piece of myself that day, but I gained some things that were entirely unexpected. Still, I’d go back and change it if I could.

2. How does it feel to have Istra's power flowing through you?

Sometimes it's wonderful and exhilarating, but other times it feels like getting mule-kicked in the guts. It tempts me and yet frightens me. I can do things I never dreamed of but can never predict all the consequences.

3. What do you see yourself doing next?

There is no safety. I cannot go home. My options are limited and unappealing. I must go to the only place that offers any hope. The Cathuran monks know more about Istra's power than anyone. I will seek them out even though it means traveling into the lands of my enemy.

4. What would your future have looked like if you had not become the Herald of Istra?

My father, Benjin and I continued the most robust and strongest equine bloodline the Godfist had known, outside of the Arghast desert. I had planned to build my own barn to replace the one my great grandfather built. It was good, hard work. I miss it.

5. Having your friends at your back must be really helpful, what's the nicest or best thing any of them have done for you?

They mean so much to me. My friends motivate me, even if they sometimes do it by picking on me. I don’t always like it, but I'm usually better for it. But I can give as good as I get, and I'm not afraid of those boys. Mostly though, I appreciate them standing beside me when the world turned against me. That was when I knew who my true friends were.

6. What's your worst fear and your biggest hope?

My worst fear is that people I love will get hurt because of me. My biggest hope is for peace. And pie. I like pie.

I like your answer. Pie is always good. :)

7. Which of your abilities do you like/hate the most?

I love the ability to communicate directly with nature and animals--it's so beautiful. The ability to cast a wave of destruction in every direction without meaning to has caused me more than a little lost sleep.

8. Life has been hard for you, what inspires you to keep going?

Love. The love I feel for my family and friends and the love they give back to me. It's more than that though. I care about the people of my world and feel deeply responsible for them. Sometimes it is too much, and I want to run away and hide. But then I think about what my mother would do, what my father or Benjin would do. They give me the strength to go on.

9. What is one power you wish you had?

The power to undo my mistakes.

10. If it comes to it, are you willing to fight the Zjhon in a war?

If they leave me no other choice, I will destroy them.

Thank you for visiting Catrin!

Read on for the book information, the author bio, and TWO giveaways!