It's Monday! What are You Reading? [5]

Happy Monday! I'm linking up over at Book Journey again for It's Monday! What are you Reading? This past week was pretty crazy for me with cheer tryouts for the girls next year. I thought since we hired someone in to teach them the tryout material that I would have some time to read while I just sat there and made sure that they didn't hurt themselves. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way. My past dance training kicked in and I ended up helping more instead. Still, I did manage to get a couple of books read this week, and I enjoyed both of them. I hope to have even more time to read this week, and here is what is on my list.

Kaleidoscope Me - Hillary K. Grigonis 
This is a book that I am reading for a review blog tour. I have already started it and am enjoying it, so I look forward to finishing it over the next couple of days. You can look for my review and blog tour post of this book on the blog Friday, April 4th.

First  Impression: A Shadow Maven Paranormal - Pauline Creeden 
This is a book that I received on NetGalley after requesting it. I liked the synopsis very much and look forward to reading it sometimes this week. Keep an eye out for a review soon enough!

The Selection - Kiera Cass
I know, I know...I have been saying I was going to read this one for awhile now. It was my March Random Reads and I am disappointed in myself for not getting it done in March; however, my hope is to be able to finally read it this week.






What do you plan to read this week?

Written On Her Heart by Paige Ryan Cover Reveal

Written On Her Heart by Paige Ryan

Publication date: April 23rd 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

To escape the ensuing media whirlwind after scandalous events in his novels were revealed to be true, big-time author Ford Delaney relocates to Callaway Cove.

When 21-year-old budding writer, Andi Callaway, returns home for college break, she discovers her literary idol – Ford Delaney, a world famous novelist – has taken refuge in her tiny hometown.

Andi determines to win a job as his assistant – but being hired by the handsome, reclusive author means competing with her friends for the job and ignoring the wishes of her longtime boyfriend.

As romantic sparks begin to fly between Andi and Ford, the heat they generate will either forge a powerful, enduring love or threaten everything she holds dear.

 GOODREADS 

AUTHOR WEBSITE

Stacking the Shelves [5]

I am joining in on Stacking The Shelves, a weekly meme hosted over at Tynga's Reviews. It is an easy way to share what books you picked up that week, and to see what other people have picked up to read themselves.

How to Participate?

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!
• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.
• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

Books I purchased/received this week: 

I hate to say it, but I did not get much in the way of books this week. It was a crazy busy week for me in fact. My cheerleaders at school have their tryouts today, so as the sponsor I was at school late every day this week so they could learn the material and practice. Therefore, adding that to my teaching day left very little time to read and pick up new books. I do hope that this week will be much better, though!

Since I did not get any books this week, what books do YOU think I should add to my shelves next week?

Happy Saturday!

Harry Potter Questionnaire

Happy Friday! It has been a long, difficult, stressful week, so I thought that I would do something a bit fun on the blog today. (or tonight, as it is almost ten and I have just found the time to post. That happens sometimes, I suppose!). I don't know about you all, but I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so I decided to complete a questionnaire. I found this one on Harry Potter Forum. Feel free to join in and fill it out as well! If you do, be sure to leave a comment so I can read through yours as well! :]

Harry Potter Questionnaire:

1. If you went to Hogwarts, which house would you be sorted into?
I want to say Gryffindor. Just because, well, you know. However, if I was going based on my actual personality and habits, I have no doubt that I would probably be in Ravenclaw. I'm very much okay with this, too.

2. Have you been to a HP midnight release? 
Yes, but only two. I went to the midnight release of the book for Deathly Hallows, as well as the midnight showing of Deathly Hallows Part 2. Both were a lot of fun and completely worth staying up that late.

3. What did you think of the Deathly Hallows?
I thought that it was awesome! It was a little hard to read sometimes, but not because the writing or storyline were not good, but because it was difficult to read about some of my favorite characters being killed. Still, it was great.

4. How many times have you re-read the books?
I actually have not re-read any of them yet. I have gotten through about half of the first book for a second time, but I do hope to eventually re-read all of the books again.

5. Whose death was the saddest?
Wow, this is so tough. So many of them were sooo sad that it was difficult to read. I think I would have to say Tonks and Lupin, though. I thought that it was wonderful when their love story came together, and it was devastating to have them both die, though I suppose it may have been more difficult to take one dying and the other not. Either way, it was rough.

6. If you went to Hogwarts would you rather have a cat, an owl, or a rat?
OWL! I absolutely love owls, and it seems like it would be awesome to have one as a pet. They can even bring your mail back and forth, and I think that is pretty awesome!

7. What do you think of the movie Half-Blood Prince?
I thought that all of the movies were very well done, so I enjoyed it very much. I feel that the movies definitely got better with each one, too, which makes sense as the actors are getting older and more confident/comfortable in their roles.

8. What do you think about the Deathly Hallows being split into two?
While I feel like this is completely unnecessary for some books (say, Breaking Dawn for example), I do think that it was something that was needed for the Harry Potter series. There was just SO much in the last book that they could not leave out, so I am happy they chose to go with two separate movies instead of taking way too much information out to make it into one. I was happy with the choice.

9. Have you read the Tales of Beedle the Bard?
I have not, but I am pretty happy with just sticking with the seven books in the series.

10. When did you first become a Potter fan?
Honestly, I cannot even remember, but I know that it was a very long time ago. I would say that it was probably in the fourth grade? I believe that was the year that my teacher read us one of the books (before they were so widely banned), and I fell in love with the story right away, though it was not until middle school that I continued reading the series myself.

Favorite:

Female Character: Hermione Granger

Male Character: Sirius Black

Professor: Lupin, but I like Snape as well.

Death Eater: Draco...he technically counts, right?

Magical Creature: Hippogriff

Spell: Lumos

Quote: "Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Movie: Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hogwarts' House: Gryffindor

Place: Hogsmeade

Weasley: Ron

Couple: Ron and Hermione

Gryffindor or Slytherin? Gryffindor

Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff? Ravenclaw

Fred or George? Both

Ginny or Luna? Luna

Butterbeer or Firewhiskey? Firewhiskey

Daigon Alley or Hogsmeade? Hogsmeade

Books or Movies? Books

Half-Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows? Deathly Hallows

Philosopher's Stone or Chamber of Secrets? Chamber of Secrets

Snape or Slughorn? Snape

Lupin or Sirius? Both ha

Harry/Ginny or Harry/Hermione? Harry/Ginny

Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil? Parvati Patil

Seamus Finnigan or Dean Thomas? Seamus

Kreacher or Dobby? Dobby

Muggleborn or Pureblood? Muggleborn

Dan or Rupert? Rupert

Bellatrix or Narcissa? Narcissa

Voldemort or Tom Riddle? Voldemort

Hedwig or Crookshanks? Hedwig

Discovery by Brina Courtney New Cover Reveal

Discoveries can be dangerous. Discoveries can be deadly. 

Nine months ago, Teagan Matthews' boyfriend disappeared and took her sense of stability with him. But when the opportunity to live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides it's time to get on with her life. A new home, new job, and new friends are adding up to a beautiful summer...

...until a young girl's body shows up one night in town, wearing a pentagram necklace exactly like Teagan's.

  Now a guy looking remarkably like her missing boyfriend has arrived in Salem along with a mysterious stranger who may have some answers that Teagan has desperately been searching for. Teagan must now decide who to trust. It's a matter of life... and her death.

About The Author

Website  Twitter  Facebook

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs. 

The Wild Hunt by Ron C. Nieto Cover Reveal

The Wild Hunt by Ron C. Nieto 
(Faerie Sworn #1)
Publication date: June 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:Magic still lingers in the mist-covered corners of the world, wherever the Old Ways are remembered. However, as civilization and reason scoff at the Fair Folk, the paths to power have been forgotten by all but a few.

Lily Boyd was meant to become a faerie doctor, a warden of humans and a keeper of balance, until disbelief and pragmatism led her away from the hidden world and into a mundane life. But truth has a way to be Heard and she will be forced to face it if she wants to save her family.

Armed with nothing but her childhood memories and protected by a debt of gratitude she doesn’t understand, Lily must decide who to trust while she navigates a world that is darker and more twisted than she is prepared for.

And should she make the wrong choice, should she mistake friend and foe… the eternal balance between the Faerie Courts may shatter, and then there will be more than Lily’s life on the line.

 

Goodreads Link

 

Author Information:

Ron C. Nieto is a fantasy and romance author who has been writing in her secluded fortress for the longest time. Recently, she had a talk with her cat and decided that she should share her creations, because it was selfish to hoard them all for herself.

If you would like to know more about her, please visit her website.

Author links: 

https://twitter.com/RonCNieto

https://www.facebook.com/roncnietoauthor

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5808445.Ron_C_Nieto

http://www.roncnieto.com/

 

 

 

 

Reveal by Brina Courtney Promo

Title: Reveal (Cryptid Tales #1)

Author: Brina Courtney

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

You think seeing ghosts is weird? Tell me something I don't know.

Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too, she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life. But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she?

Quotes

"So here I am with a dead girl in my car, in a super creepy forest, stalking a potentially dead father…yeah, not one of my brightest moments."

"She sighs, “Shay you can’t live your life in fear. If you do there’s just no point in living."

"He turns and leaves, heading towards the math building and though I hate to see him leave, I do love to watch him walk away."

About Brina Courtney

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

Links

Purchase on Amazon

Purchase on B&N

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Top Ten Things on my Bookish Bucket List

It's Top Ten Tuesday time! I am linking up for the meme over at The Broke and the Bookish again this week. This week is all about the things that we have on our bookish bucket list. This was a fun thing to daydream about, since I know some of the things are more likely than the others. It was still a lot of fun to think through it all and come up with what I would LOVE to happen/do if given the opportunity. So, here are the Top Ten Things on my Bookish Bucket List:

1. Meet John Green and Sarah Dessen, and get their autographs in person
I am sure this is one of the things that probably won't happen, unless I am able to travel wherever I might have to for author events. Still, it would be pretty awesome to meet these two authors, get a chance to talk to them, and watch them sign my books. John Green has become one of my new favorites, and I am looking forward to reading all of his other books as well. Sarah Dessen has always been my favorite, so it would be wonderful to meet her as well.

2. Publish a Contemporary YA Book
This is the kind of book that I first fell in love with (aside from the Harry Potter books, but that's not the point). I have always loved contemporary, and because of that, I think that it will probably be the first thing that I write. Well, I know that it will be one of the first things that I will write since I have actually already begun writing. Anyway, this is something that I really do hope to accomplish.

3. Write a Science Fiction Series 
I know, I know. Everyone is writing Science Fiction novels now, but I do want to jump on that bandwagon. I think that they have been completely wonderful, and I have a wonderful idea of what I want to write about. (I mean, I think that it is wonderful, but I know that I could be wrong. Who knows!). Anyway, despite all of the Sci Fi series already out there, it is still something that I would really like to do in the future.

4. Complete my 2014 Reading Challenges
Mostly I mean my reading challenge that I have set up on Goodreads. I have decided to read at least 50 books this year, and I am already up to 21, which is something I am very happy with myself about. I was in a major reading slump last year, so it is wonderful to be out of that problem and to be in love with reading all over again. I sure hope that it stays this way, too!

5. Go to an Author/Book Event 
I am super excited about the idea of going to an author or book event, and I think that I may have found one to go to! I saw about TeenBookCon on another blog, and I am super excited about it. Sure, I am not longer a teen, but I'm still pretty close, and it is all that I read! There is also a YA event in Austin later this year that I would love to attend as well.

6. Become a Librarian
Maybe this should be first on the list since it is one of the most likely to actually happen, but I think it's okay to dream and be a little unrealistic sometimes, so I will go ahead and leave things in this order. (I didn't do them in any sort of order to begin with, so it really doesn't matter, right?). I am really looking forward to starting my Masters and becoming a librarian, hopefully int the near future.

7. Have an AMAZING Library
While my husband and I do not have kids yet, we will in the future, and you better believe that my kids are going to have a wonderful library and I am going to read to them all of the time until they can read themselves. Along with that, I hope to eventually have an amazing library myself. Sure, I have a decent number of books, but I know that it could always grow by a WHOLE lot. I hope that eventually happens, too!

8. Travel to Book-Inspired Places
You know, like Forks, Washington from Twilight. Maybe not there, exactly, but it is one of the only places I can think of right off the top of my head! (That might be sad, but it's almost 10 pm and I had to work late tonight, so I think I should get a break on this one!). Still, it seems exciting to go to some places that have been talked about in books I enjoy.

9. Go to Hogwarts
While I would definitely prefer to go to the REAL Hogwarts, I have been told a hundred times now that it won't actually be happening. I guess I should have given up when my Hogwarts letter never came, but I was not willing to give up. Since I can't go there though, I will be okay with just going to the amusement park. I have heard that it is pretty great, after all!

10. Make it on Some Sort of Book Awards List
You know, like New York Times Best Selling Author, or something of the sort. That just seems like such an awesome thing to add to one's title, doesn't it? I know that I am probably a very long way away from that, but it is something nice to think about for the far, FAR future.

What things are on your bookish bucket list?

Twelve Steps Release Day Book Blitz

Twelve Steps

by Veronica Bartles

Release Date: 03/25/14

Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. There in Laina's shadow, Andi's only noticeable feature is her pretty awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina. After all, great hair must count for something.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. OK, maybe that's two steps in one.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities besides great hair. There have got to be at least three good qualities, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just her shortcomings, and break out of her shell. Easier said that done, but worth the effort in the long-run. 

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi finds that her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and realizes she may need a new program--perhaps with less steps!

As cracks in Laina’s flawless façade begin to show, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

About the Author

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy.   When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.  TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel.

Author Links:

  

***GIVEAWAY***

1 ebook of Twelve Steps & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Magic Unfolds by N.L. Greene Cover Reveal

Magic Unfolds (Book 2 of The MysticSeeker Series)

Author: N.L. Greene

Blurb: For the first time in her life, Becky had hopes of fulfilling her own dreams when Blaine Winters inexplicably arrived into her quiet life, teasing her with astounding possibilities she never thought imaginable.  Not only did he reveal that magic was indeed real, but he also stirred feelings in her that she had only read about in clichéd romance novels.  But just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone.  Then Becky’s life was turned upside down by a family emergency.  With the overwhelming demands of running an elite law firm as well as her ex becoming more of a threat each day, she didn’t have time for whimsical thoughts or personal exploration anyway.

Now that Blaine has mysteriously disappeared from her life, she can put her family first and focus on what she needs to do.  If only it were that easy.  Blaine may be gone and all of Becky’s little girl dreams of a world filled with magic with him, but that doesn’t mean all’s forgotten.  Nightmares are plaguing her, someone is watching her, and there are powers within her that she can’t seem to control.

Will Becky finally get her chance at magic after all, even if she doesn’t want it?

Author Bio: Author N.L. Greene is a writer of YA and NA Contemporary and Paranormal Romances. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two beautiful daughters. When she isn't writing or reading, she enjoys traveling around the world with her family, shopping and doing other girly things with her girls, or playing video games with her husband. She is a lover of dogs, chocolate, and anything pink!

Author Links – 

Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/N.L.-Greene/e/B00FAR0T3G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/NL-Greene/401424803313800?ref=hl

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7232704.N_L_Greene

Blog – www.nlgreene.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuthorNLGreene

Buy Links -

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords

NOTE***

Magic Unfolds is available now for Pre-order on Barnes & Noble and I-tunes and is only 99 Cents until April 20th!!

And Illusions Begin will be 99 Cents from 3-25 to 4-20 as well.

It's Monday! What are You Reading? [4]

Happy Monday! I'm linking up over at Book Journey again for It's Monday! What are you Reading? I failed pretty badly at reading over the past couple of weeks. I didn't feel very good over spring break so I didn't get nearly as much reading done as I had hoped, and this week I was too busy getting back into the swing of things at work and trying to catch up on sleep. I hope to get quite a bit more done this week, though. Here is what I plan to read this week:

Ellie Stanton by Aurora Zahni 
I believe the full name of this book is Ellie Stanton Would Like to Thank You From the Bottom of Her Heart, No Seriously. I am reading this book to review for a blog tour, and it seems like it will be very good. I have to read it from my computer though, which is part of why I have been putting it off for a bit. I am hoping to get it to open up on my iPad though so that I can read it throughout the week at work. I will have a long week with cheer clinic and everything preparing the girls for tryouts on Saturday.

TTYL by Bethany Lopez
Stories About Melissa #4 
This is another one that I am reading to review for a blog tour. I have copies of the first three books in the series as well, and I do hope to get through all four of the books this week. I know that might be a little optimistic, but I think that I can make it happen. It seems like it will be a fun series to read, so I am really hoping to enjoy them.

Immortal Sin by Julie Milillo 
I am VERY excited about reading this one. I have had it for a bit (you guessed it, to review for a blog tour). I have this one and the second in the series, and I looked forward to reading both of them. I hope to get through the first one this week so that I can read the second next weekend.






It should be a fun reading week for me. What do you plan to read this week?

Just You by Jane Lark Cover Reveal

 

BOOK & AUTHOR INFO:

Just You by Jane Lark 
(Starting Out #2)
Published by: Harper Impulse
Publication date: May 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
The morning after the New Year’s Eve before…

Waking up to a new year with a killer hangover and hazy memories of a seriously hot hook-up the night before leaves Portia in an awkward situation… Did I, or didn’t I? The only way she’s going to find out is by standing up to the guy in question.

With no regrets, Justin is willing to play the gentleman and save Portia her embarrassment. Only then he gets a text saying, come over… and he’s not gonna lie – this is friends with a lot of benefits!

But no matter how good the sex is, there’s one thing Justin’s not down with: being this shallow rich girl’s dirty little secret…

 

Goodreads

Book 1 Buy Links - Book 1 is on sale for $1.99 through the end of March!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble  

Book to is available for pre-order HERE

About the Author: 

Jane is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional Historical and New Adult romance and author of a No.1 bestselling Historical Novel,'The Illicit Love of a Courtesan, as well as a Kindle overall Top 25, bestselling author.

She began her first historical novel at sixteen, but a life full of adversity derailed her as she lives with the restrictions of Ankylosing Spondylitis.

When she finally completed a novel it was because she was determined not to reach forty still saying, I want to write.

Now Jane is writing a Regency series as well as contemporary, new adult, stories and she is thrilled to be giving her characters life in others' imaginations at last.

You might think that Jane was inspired to write by Jane Austen, especially as she lives near Bath in the United Kingdom, but you would be wrong. Jane's favourite author is Anya Seton, and the book which drew her into the bliss of falling into historical imagination was 'Katherine' a story crafted from reality.

Jane has drawn on this inspiration to discover other real-life love stories, reading memoirs and letters to capture elements of the past, and she uses these to create more realistic plots.

'Basically I love history and I am sucker for a love story. I love the feeling of falling in love; it's wonderful being able to do it time and time again in fiction.'

Jane is also a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom, and uses this specialist understanding of people to bring her characters to life.

Author links: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6884602.Jane_Lark

http://www.janelark.co.uk/

http://www.janelark.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/JaneLark