Thursday, August 30, 2012
Seventeen years old and
agoraphobic, Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué
photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them
ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown. Now everyone—especially
her dad—can see it. And yet, somehow, those are the mundane things in
her life because she is about to fall unexpectedly, head-over-heels in
love with Erik, a mysterious young man who rescues her from a crowd of
admirers, and who she’s never actually seen because…he can make himself
invisible.
As strange as this may seem, it’s about to get even stranger. Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Overtaken, intrigued, and still not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche is going to have to decide if she can love him blindly; because if she can’t, she may lose him forever
As strange as this may seem, it’s about to get even stranger. Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Overtaken, intrigued, and still not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche is going to have to decide if she can love him blindly; because if she can’t, she may lose him forever
Inky's Blurbings:
So to tell the truth I didn't know what this book was about the first time I saw it or heard it and even started to read it. When I found out it was a retelling of the Greek myth of Pysche and Eros I was intrigued. I didn't know much of the myth but the idea was very interesting. Not being able to see the guy you might be in love with? Coolness. But as I was reading there were hints at the fairy-tale East O The Sun, West O The Moon. So I don't know if they are just similar or something like that. Or the same.... either way it was cool.
Pysche, and interesting character with an interesting name. Seriously, I mean I get this a retelling, but who names their kid PYSCHE?! It's not even a nickname, just Psyche. Overall she was a pretty good character, but I didn't feel as connected to her as some characters I've read about. First off we have....the risky-porn-photo that her big secret from her modeling shoot over the summer. She can't let her dad see that or she's dead. What happens? It's the new National Billboard. Whoopsies. Honestly, if you didn't want anyone to see it, why take it in the first place? Oh right, dough. Lots of dough. So that first thing wasn't too impressive in my head.
Then we have Erik. This mysterious invisible guy who shows up and starts being friends with her. If you read the synopsis you'd know why. It was an interesting romance I'll admit. Not being able to see this guy who you're attracted to? HARDNESS. It felt like it was a little too fast when they started k-i-s-s-i-n-g, but I liked him and how they still developed. Thought I didn't get as in love or connected to Erik as I like in good boys. Psyched kind of just fell in love and that's what we see. The romantic side of him for the most part. At least her best friend had a head of reason though. Haha. Yeah I liked Savannah. Cool name to.
So maybe it sounds like I was just annoyed with this book. Sure somethings got to me, but I do owe some goodness to it. The writing was fantastic. Michelle did a great job of making it run smoothly as well as introductions and details where necessary. And reading it wasn't a pain. It was enjoyable and fun. It's the after-thoughts that got me. :D Maybe it's just me, but if you like Greek retellings and neat romances then this book might be for you!
Content - Mild
(light language a few times, kissing, laying on bed, mention of feeling hands on chest, etc, a couple moments of innuendo)
3 Stars
~About the Author~
~Find Michelle~
~Giveaway~
As part is this totally fun tour US residents have a chance to win a signed paperback of Painted Blind! Good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for stopping by! Cya next time!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine
Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
Why I'm Hyperventilating.....When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
If you've stared at the cover for more than 5 minutes and then gone to add it on goodreads where you stare at it again for five minutes and then finally read the synopsis, then I can stop here. I don't really need to explain why I've been hyperventilating for this book over and over!
I mean SERIOUSLY. Do you see that G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S cover? Read that crazy good premise? Can you spell H-Y-P-E-R-V-E-N-T-I-L-A-T-E?!!! Sure, I've always thought the Alice and Wonderland story a bit weird and strange, but sometimes I'm willing to look past that for the sake of a crazy-good-awesome-sounding-BEAUTIFUL-looking book!
Wow, breathtaking.
Okay enough, so be it then. Let all OZ, er Wonderland, be agreed I'm in love with this book and will be bugging the publisher till I get some kind of ARC for this book!
What Are You Waiting/Hyperventilating On?
Link Me Up!
Hey everyone! I've been thinking that with my new level of 360 followers
(WOOT! You guys rock.) it was time for another celebration! I love
parties, don't you? ;) So let's rock it away with a GIVEAWAY!!
The Rules
-Please by 13yrs, or have parents permission
-The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as the Book Depo ships to your country.
-There will be ONE winner who gets their choice from the selection. HOWEVER, if I reach 500 followers, I will add a second winner! If I get to 750, I'll add a 3rd, and so forth. Basically every 250 followers!
-The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or else a new winner will be chosen
-Book will we shipped from BD, and I AM NOT responsible for any lost or damaged packages.
-Do not cheat in entries. I will check and remove invalid entries. If you have problems, comment or contact me (ie. button clicks before you finish putting in info) with name and entry #.
-Giveaway ends October 31st.
P.S. You can find a hint in the Terms & Conditions part of the Rafflecopter!
And that is it! You're in! Thanks for being so awesome! Have a good one! If you have any giveaway thoughts let me know in the comments!
The Rules
-Please by 13yrs, or have parents permission
-The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as the Book Depo ships to your country.
-There will be ONE winner who gets their choice from the selection. HOWEVER, if I reach 500 followers, I will add a second winner! If I get to 750, I'll add a 3rd, and so forth. Basically every 250 followers!
-The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or else a new winner will be chosen
-Book will we shipped from BD, and I AM NOT responsible for any lost or damaged packages.
-Do not cheat in entries. I will check and remove invalid entries. If you have problems, comment or contact me (ie. button clicks before you finish putting in info) with name and entry #.
-Giveaway ends October 31st.
The Prize Puzzle
So to twist things up a bit I thought it would be totally fun to have a puzzle! I've taken little clips of each cover for the books I'm giving away. They are all numbered. Guess the covers IN THE RAFFLECOPTER (please not in the comments). Every guess will be an extra TWO entries. You can guess however many you like. When the giveaway ends I'll go through and accept the correct ones. No pressure. ;) Winner will pick from the 13 listed books. I hope you have fun!P.S. You can find a hint in the Terms & Conditions part of the Rafflecopter!
The Button
Grab the buttons in my sidebars for more entries.
GIVEAWAY FORM
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And that is it! You're in! Thanks for being so awesome! Have a good one! If you have any giveaway thoughts let me know in the comments!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Published: 6. 7. 11 by Little Brown
Each night at precisely
4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of
that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events
from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a
trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a
new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd
easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her
memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.
Wow. This was one interesting book! The premise of the novel is thie totally crazy one that I found very neat. I mean a girl whose memory is reversed? Um how wacky is that? Haha.
Let's take the plot. For as long as she can remember (pardon the irony) London's never been able to know/remember what happened in her past. She can only see the immediate present day and snatches of future happens of herself and other people. She doesn't know how this happened or why. Honestly it was a very interesting predicament to find a character in. I really liked how it was portrayed, and I could see London's personal struggle dealing with the challenge. I can only imagine how hard it would be not to be able to remember some people that you met the day before. Having to rely on your notes which are mere descriptions. It was all quite fascinating.
So we have this bizarre situation, and in the midst of it all, London falls in love. Now I tell you, how is this possible? She can't remember! It was crazy interesting! She read her notes and tried to re-meet him everyday. It came back to her most of the time. And so it wasn't too awkward. But I did find the whole deal a little funny. Luke did live up to my quota of a good boyfriend, though he was a little on the perfect side. However he does have a big secret that ties into the story and that was cool and added that good twist in the romance. But that's all I'm gonna say on that.
One little side-track plot that I enjoyed was the BFF-spat. Jamie knows that London has her power and she gets all mad at her for trying to warn her to be careful in her future. When they essentially "break-up" it added a new traumatic level to London, and then as she wants to help her friend for the better we get this other side of her, the compassionate, helpful London. The girl who wants the best for people. I really liked that.
Throughout the story she starts noticing how her mom is being secretive and lying to her about things, and she also starts having these little flashbacks from the past, that built up into a plot twist I never could have seen coming! It was so interesting when it was all revealed and things took a new turn. But then the book wrapped up way to quickly! It wasn't like the snap of your fingers, but it seemed we missed some scenes that should have been put in rather than mentioned in two sentences. And I really would have liked a few more chapters, but I'm not complaining. It was still a really stunning book.
So in conclusion, I liked it. It was a fun read and had a very unique premise. Cat told a good story and kept me entertained on the edge of my seat, even if I would have liked a little more. I'm for sure eager to read her other book Revived.
Content: Mild
(3 instances of language (bi***, he**) Some kisses (a couple heated ones-shirts off) and innuendo)
4 Stars
Host: Imaginary Reads
Prize: ARC pack, SIGNED pack, Back-2-School Pack, Choice of Book
Open To: INT
Ends: Sept. 10
Host: Incandescent Enchantments
Prize: Book of Choice from List
Open To: INT
Ends: AUG. 28
Hosted by Auntie Spinelli
Prize: Iron Fey series Box Set
Open To: INT
Ends: Sept. 11
Host: Fiction Freak
Prize: Book of Choice from List
Open To: US
Ends: Oct. 1
Hope you have fun entering these giveaways! Know any other great ones going on? Feel free to share/link up below! And keep an eye out for my upcoming Follower Appreciation Giveaway! Loves!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
~Book Blurb~
Since the car crash that
took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky —
and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken
priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days
taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a
boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest
ache and her head spin? Not an option.
It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.
It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.
~About The Author~
Tara
Fuller writes novels; some about grim reapers
and some about witches. All
of course are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing. Tara grew
up in a one stop light town in Oklahoma where once upon a time she
stayed up with a flash light reading RL Stine novels and only dreamed
of becoming a writer. She has a slight obsession with music and a
shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater, and
black and white mochas. Tara no longer lives in a one stop light
town. Now she lives with her family in a slightly larger town in
North Carolina where they have at least three stoplights.
~Find Tara & Emma~
Twitter / Website / The Book Depo / Barnes & Nobles / Amazon
~Giveaway~
As a part of this fabulous tour, Tara has generously offered one signed copy of this book to a US resident! Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a fab day!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Published: 2.8.12 by Sweetwater Books
Llona Reese is used to living
on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would
eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she
starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless
and lets her guard down. Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
Inky's Blurbings:
Wow. I really enjoyed this book. Going into it I was exited for a fun book but this was so much more that I expected! Intense too! But really well written. For starters Llona was a very intriguing character. She's been guarded for most of her High School years, ever since her parents were killed. Seeing her change and develop relationships with friends and other people was well played out. It wasn't rushed at all. It took time and trust.. I liked seeing those developments.I liked May and Christian. Christian of course was the mysterious stranger who doubles as romantic interest. I really liked him. He was somewhat aloof. I don't know why but I"m always a sucker for those guys. But it wasn't just that. The more you get to know him he's more a real guy. He had weaknesses, he cared about people, and he had interests! I really liked him.May was also a great supporting character and I felt she was real and not just a person in the scene.
I'm surprised how much I liked the plot and paranormal aspects. Maybe it's just that it was easy to understand and clearlydefined from the beginning so I wasn't guessing! That's always big for me. Honestly somethings were a little too easy to guess but it didn't necessarily take away from the book. I liked how Llona developed herself in this regard, and how the book progressed at a good pace. With down time and some intense moments.
So without saying to much I'd say that this is a really fun enjoyable novel with a good combination of intense suspense, character development and romance. Very well written and easy to get sucked into. It is also a clean read.
4 Stars
~About The Author ~
~Find Llona & Rachel:~
Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget to enter the awesome INTERNATIONAL giveaway and stop by all the other blogs! TNT!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, August 23, 2012
~~~~~
Today on CD I'm doing a special feature for one new cover....Timeless by Michele Madow. This is the third book in the Transcend Time series! Woot! I hope you like it! 
Timeless by Michele Madow
Gorgeous isn't it? It's beautiful! Also don't miss Michele's RAD celebratory giveaway on her blog!
Any thoughts on the Timeless cover? Have you read any of the books? I'd love to hear!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Woot! I'm simply thrilled to be hosting a stop on this totally rad blog tour hosted by Shane @ Itching for Books you really don't want to miss this one! Find the complete Tour Schedule HERE.
~About The Book~
On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.
~Find The Book~
~About Rachel~
As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels. As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively, rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends. When she's not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find her homeschooling her two beautiful princesses, hanging out with her amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate. MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is her debut novel. She did have her own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn't televised.
~The Interview~
What inspired the idea for this story? Was is totally random or based on something? My
first ever book was finished and in the query stage, and you know the
saying that you should just keep writing, so I did. I’d just read a
couple historicals and wanted to try my hand at it with the magical
realism twist of a modern-day girl experiencing it, and shortly after
getting the initial idea for the Renaissance and the title, I saw the
video for Taylor Swift’s Love Story. That definitely added some
inspiration.
If you had to rename your book what would you name it? Honestly,
this has been the name of the book from the very beginning, even before
I started actually drafting, and I think it fits so perfectly. It’s one
of the things that got me so excited to tell this story =)
Idea of a perfect dinner? Anything
my husband cooks so I don’t have to LOL. No, seriously, I actually like
cooking, but there’s something about someone else doing it, or going
out, that just makes it taste so much better. And actually, you’re
catching me in the middle of a diet right now, so absolutely EVERYTHING
sounds amazing. Chinese dumplings, chicken fajita nachos, shrimp
po-boys, lasagna……Sigh, it all sounds so good.
M&M's Or Skittles? M&M’s!! Peanut, please =)
When did you know you wanted to write? Growing
up, I always wrote short stories or on-going sagas that eventually
ended around chapter thirty because I had no idea where it was going,
but I always expected it to take the shape of writing voice-overs for
television programs or possibly magazine writing. It wasn’t until two
summers ago when I read Twilight and fell back in love with YA
literature (to the point that it’s now an obsession lol), that I
actually thought, hmm, maybe I can try this. That led to I must try
this. And that quickly led to plotting and drafting four different
stories so far and daily saying, ‘hey, that would make a great story!’
Was there an author that inspired you to write a fabulous book? Someone you look up to? Besides
Stephanie Meyer getting me to want to write, my first book (now out on
submission, fingers crossed) was really influenced and inspired by
Lauren Barnholdt and Jennifer Echol’s writing. My Super Sweet Sixteenth
Century was inspired by Sarah Maclean’s The Season and an adult title by
Vicky Dreiling. And as for authors I look up to, I love Gayle Forman
and Tammara Webber. Those women kill it!!!!
Who was the most supportive in your writing process? My
husband is amazing. He comes up with a lot of my titles or at least
helps, which he loves telling people lol. He also helps me in plotting a
lot. He’s very understanding when I need to be on the computer and even
gets me hotel rooms for a weekend when I just need to hammer words out.
My daughters are my favorite publicists….don’t get me wrong, my
Entangled publicists Heather and Tara ROCK soooo hard, but my daughters
go up to everyone—and I mean everyone—to tell them about my book, when
it’s coming out, and the title. And I wouldn’t be anywhere without my
critique partners! For My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, Shannon Duffy,
Trisha Wolfe, and Victoria Scott went above and beyond. They are so
gifted themselves, that they make me stretch to keep up, and their
constant faith in me makes me want to believe it, too.
Is there a Theme Song for the book? Playlist? I
make big playlists built around each plot point and where the
characters are in their arc, but overall, the main theme song was Love
Story by Taylor Swift because when I would listen to it, I’d picture the
video which is the perfect setting, and it also represents a certain
transition in my main character’s arc. I sometimes drop hints about my
playlists into my story, and Cat’s ring tone started with Poker Face and
ended with Love Story—that is a character arc if I ever saw one LOL.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Ice
cream? Vanilla, with chocolate chip cookie dough (again, I’m on a diet
so this is killing me lol). But I love me some chocolate in anything
else.
What's your Favorite Color? Purple. It’s my “signature color.”
What are your Favorite scenes to write? Kissing
scenes!! I love the romantic stuff…OH and I also love the banter when
the characters don’t really like each other yet, but you know they will.
That’s fun.
How much is your MC like you? Hmm,
well she is funny, which people now tell me I am, but I never thought I
was. I didn’t know where her humor came from (ha!). She has a problem
trusting people at first based on her past, where as I tend to go too
far in the other direction, trusting too easily and too quickly. But
even though we are different in many ways—not to mention our lifestyles
(she’s rich)—underneath it all, Cat is a softie who wants to be liked
for who she is, something I think all of us want. Yeah, she’s like me in
lots of ways….and I wish I had her quick wit!
Favorite fictional crush? Oh
again, there are so many good ones to pick from! I mean, hello, Mr.
Darcy has to be at the top, but let’s stick with YA to help me limit it
LOL. I love Adam from Gayle Foreman’s If I Stay series, and Avi from
Simone Elkeles’s How to Ruin series…..and I’ll stop there before I keep
staring at my bookshelf and get lost in memories. I love my book boys!
Best part so far about being published? The
readers for sure….getting to talk to them, putting that smile on their
face that so many authors have given me? Yeah, that is amazing. And also
meeting other authors. Everyone I’ve met has blessed or inspired me in
some way for sure.
Any advice to Aspiring Authors? Read.
Read as much as possible and as widely as possible. You want to write
YA paranormal? Read that genre, and also read YA Contemporary and maybe
adult mystery or paranormal. Want to write YA Contemporary? Read that,
and YA Paranormal, but also adult romance. Pay attention as you read,
make notes or dog ear pages or words that speak to you, jot them down
for inspiration. Analyze your favorite books, too. Like break them down
in whatever way helps you learn this novel writing thing. I did this a
few times in the very beginning, making notes about how many chapters
there were, the ratio of dialogue to narrative in each chapter, what the
main goal of each chapter and scene were so I could see how they built
the story…..it taught me more than any writing book could.
Has being a writer changed the way you read and perceive literature? Ha,
good tie in from the question above! Yes, it has in some ways. The more
you write and learn about the craft, the more you appreciate amazing
writing when you see it, or maybe notice when you might’ve written
something differently. We all have our own writing patterns and habits,
ways of telling a story that we gravitate toward, and they all change
the more we write and read. I can’t read my older stuff without
flinching, wanting to rewrite it in some way. BUT what hasn’t changed
has been my pull to a good core story or amazing characters—if a book
has those things, it doesn’t matter if I would’ve gone a different way
with the story or if I’m in so much awe of their writing that I’m
grumbling the whole time because I’ll never be as good as them LOL. I
appreciate the severe amount of work it takes to bring a story to
completion, and each book is an amazing accomplishment in some way.
Favorite breakfast Food? When not on a diet? Honey butter chicken biscuit from Whataburger LOL. On a diet? A smoothie =)
Organization or Messes? Organized chaos lol. Hey, I know where things are…..
What made you want to write for YA? I
love the teenage years—filled with so many changes and uncertainty,
friendships being tested and a string of heartbreak. Everyone always
says the college years are the best times of your life, and yeah, they
were amazing….but I think I’ll forever be 17 in my heart. By
writing YA, not only do I get to embrace that side of me, I get to
create (hopefully) good stories that will inspire and entertain the next
generation of girls. The girls going through the things that shaped who
I am today, letting them know that they aren’t alone, that things do
get better or that others have been there. And I hope I can lighten
their week with humor or give them a smile with a swoony scene to take
away the stress of a biology exam. Many YA stories are called Coming of
Age and it’s because it’s during this time that we reach milestones and
make huge changes and decisions. Capturing that in a book is not only
powerful, but it’s fun.
Why time-travel? I
love historicals, but when I’m reading it, I always view it through my
own lens of a twenty-first century girl. I wanted to write a book that
let me dive in and experience the past, but embracing that lens. Making
it more accessible to readers. Cat’s voice is totally modern and she
sees everything with the same eyes most of us do, probably voicing the
same questions or doing the same things we would. It also allowed for a
lot more humor than a traditional historical would have provided. Cat
makes LOTS of mistakes LOL.
How did you pick Renaissance Firenze as your historical era? I’d
just read a ton of Regency books and I love them, but I wanted to
challenge myself by picking another era so I could research like crazy.
I’m an oddity in that I love research. I grew up loving the Renaissance
but other than learning broad concepts, I never really explored all the
ins and outs like fashion and food and class relations. So this let me
do that….and come on? Italy? The chance to write about that setting for
two months and pretend I live there myself was too good to pass up! The
food, the architecture, the art, the accents, the history, the
guys…..who doesn’t love Italy? =)
Any upcoming projects we should look for? A
TALE OF TWO CENTURIES is the companion novel to MY SUPER SWEET
SIXTEENTH CENTURY and will be out in June 2013. Then in December 2013
will be REARVIEW MIRROR, which I’m working on right now. I have a few
other projects I’m eagerly looking forward to starting next year, but
that’s all for now!
That was so much fun! Thanks to Rachel for being willing to interview! You sound like someone I totally want to meet! Haha! We'd totally get along! Well, moving on, I got the fantastic opportunity to read an ARC of this book! So here is my review.
~Inky's Blurbings~
For starters, I LOVE this book. Major swoony, hyper, awesome kind of love! It's so sassy, fun, romantic with lots of awesome historicalness + twenty-first century wrapped in one! I love all things historical Italy so this was just perfect for me! I absolutly loved Cat,. She was easy to connect with and full of 21st century fun. Her character change, which goes from being guarded to open was fantastic. She learns so much about life in fun ways and I loved the end result.One of the things I loved, was that when Cat first realized she had gone back int time was her thought process. One of the most logical realistic ones I've seen. Haha. She has great throught processes! She's funny and smart and overall just so loveable. Rachel really captured teen girls at their heart. 
Of course you can't have such a fun book like this without an Italian hottie can you? Lorenzo was super fun. Hot, artistic, with quite a sense of humor. It's hard not to love him in all his persistent, flirty glory. The romance was so cute, but with the whole ending I sure hope it's the last we see of him! (NO SPOILERS-Don't Worry) So much fabulousness! 
As for other fabulous supporting characters, I loved them! (if you couldn't tell by now) Alessandra, Cipriano (I think?) and Reyna, the mysterious gypsy. I'm sure hoping we get to see more of her in the next book! She was really quite interesting and played her role well. I'm sure hoping for more! Alessandra was really sweet. Seeing her connect to Cat and react to all of her little surprises was joyful. And seeing her develop into who she was, was rad. It was all just so fun and flirty and well written that I just had a blast reading it all. One of those books to enjoy when you need a pick me up! I can't wait for A Tale of Two Centuries! I'd totally recommended this to fans of the incredible River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren.
Content: Very Mild (Light language once or twice, a couple kisses and moments of innuendo))
5 Stars
Note: All character buttons from Rachel Harris Blog. I do not own them.
~The Giveaway~
As part of this fantastic blog tour, you could win a SIGNED copy of this Italian delight as well some fun swag! Don't miss this chance!
a Rafflecopter giveawayThanks so much for stopping by my tour stop! Have a super sweet day!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.
But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.
Why I'm Waiting:
*cough * cough*...............underwater utopia known as Elysium..........Gavin Hunter...........a lie.........memories have been altered.......Mother is a monster..............her own mind is a ticking time bomb.......and this book sounds EPIC! Holy Cow! There are too many books that aren't out yet! I need to get my hands on this book! I sounds genius, gorgeous, well the cover TOTALLY looks it, and I just sounds awesome. The guys name is G.A.V.I.N.
I've a soft spot for Gavins. :D AAACK! Please tell me I'm not the only one hoping an ARC magically shows up on my doorstep! Beautiful, tragic, romantic, this book looks like 352 pages full of awesome-sauce! So why is the release day in NOVEMBER!!!!
What Are You Waiting/Hyperventilating On?
Link Me Up!!
TB Published: 8. 28. 12 by Harlequin Teen
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret. Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast -- and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea's has taken a vow of silence--to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting everyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets if hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse. But there's strength in silence, and in new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way. People she never noticed before. A boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself
Now Chelsea's has taken a vow of silence--to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting everyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets if hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse. But there's strength in silence, and in new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way. People she never noticed before. A boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself
Inky's Blurbings:
I wish I could give this book more than 2.5 Stars. I've had to many of those lately. But I just can't give five stars to a book that spitting cursings and innuendo every other sentence. (see content) There were a few redeeming qualities about the book, so I'll try to do the book justice.When I started this, I knew practically nothing about this book. All I know was that I was reading it for a blog event I was asked to participate in. So I'm planted headfirst in this story I don't even know the subject of and right off we have this party with drunk high-school kids, gossip, curses, and other stuff I don't tend to relish in. I was a bit skeptical and then we get Chelsea discovering a secret, and since she apparently can't keep them starts blurbing to everyone. (Ever heard of Self-Control?) Of course it results in her humiliation, outcast, and almost killing the person she blurbed about. In one chapter we have set up the plot for the redemption-forgiveness plot.
What happens next I actually found very well done and interesting. I liked the process that Chelsea went through to forgive herself and apologive for the wrongs she caused. Seeing her change was probably one of the only things I liked about the book. She was a very interesting character and well developed. You get a lot of her thoughts since she's not speaking. Seeing the world from her head and position was well written. That and her new best friend Asha. Rock on girl. You are the bomb.
As w/most YA books, there is romance included. It was interesting how he helped her change and was part of that process. So yes, I did like Sam (he DOES have a name!). He was fantastical and hot and developed. I liked how their relationship went from nothing to a good connection.
So honestly I didn't dump this book on the DNF shelf so that I could finish seeing how Chelsea ended up and how the romance rinalized. Other than that the content was getting to me. I can take some cursing and innuendo. I understand that sometimes characters just "need" to swear. But when the S, F and B words are being thrown out very often and sometimes casually that, to me is just a sign of bad grammar. Really? You couldn't have said that any better? We had to hear all that crap? (Please keep in mind that these are my direct opinions. I mean no offense to any who would find it.) Not to mention the innuendo, sexual and lesbian matters expressed in this book. It's all good and fine but to me I don't need all that.
So the story was disappointing on the content level but due to the redeeming qualities that didn't make it a total DNF read. I'm not sure that I would reccomend this unless you are okay with the language, content and like a nice contemporary story about redemption. That was very well told, and I do give it to Hannah (same name!) for that.
Content: Moderate-Heavy
(Rumors-gossiping-belittling of others. Drinking, getting drunk. I was surprised how centered around lesbians this book was. Character stumbles upon gays making out. It's seen a few times. Gay jokes, mention of gay characters. Innuendo, mention of slutty people. More innuendo. Two characters sleep in clothes together. SLEEP. A make out a bunch of times. Language: Sh** = 15+, He** = 15+, Deity = 35+, bit**=15+, F***=20 , As* = 15+, da**=10 +.)
2.5 Stars
Monday, August 20, 2012
Published: 1. 31. 12 by Katherine Tegen Books
New soul. Ana is
new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been
reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from
previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one
knows why.
No soul. Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart. Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
No soul. Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart. Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Inky's Blurbings:
This book caught my eye as soon as I saw the beautiful cover and fantastic premise. So when I won this in a giveaway I'll admit I was quite excited! However, this was one of those sad cases where the book doesn't live up to expectations. This book had tons of potential but it just wasn't fulfilled. Why?Well for starters, the first chapter didn't hook me all that much because the writing was kind of spacey and just HUH? And then it goes on and it's pretty good but mildly confusing. I just wasn't all that hooked on the story. I must have also missed the Fantasy memo because I start hearing mention of Dragons and Centaurs, and I was like....what? Either way the writing had it's flaws. Espescially when it came to being a little TOO poetic. PLUS, the first half of the freaking books was Way Too Slow! Talk about needing answers already.
Not to mention that Ana was a flat character. I really couldn't connect with her, I understood her problems and complaints (which happened a lot), but she just wasn't as alive and realistic as possible. Sometimes she would be fine and then seemingly fly into impulsive rages or actions. I'd be like 'where the heck did that come from?'. I can think of a few times she acted quite rashly, or didn't listen to her elders or just, was quite impulsive in a bad way. So she really could have lived up to the role of heroine and storyteller SO MUCH BETTER.
Let's take Sam, the love interest. Can anyone spell CLICHE for me? What is this? He's was P-E-R-F-E-C-T. The whole hero-who-"loved-you-from-the-moment-I-laid-eyes-on-you" kind of guy. Shut. Up. I HATE HATE HATE insta-love with a passion. I just totally didn't work. He was way helpful, and he put up with her complaints about life like it was nothing. Later in the book some of his struggles came out, but I still just felt like he didn't have enough depth. Near the end some accusations are thrown at him and even though parts of it were covered we never learn the whole truth about it all. Um can we get a resolution here?
So honestly this book really could have lived up to the potential story a lot more. I did like the best friend of Sam, who's name I forget. And I found learning about parts of the whole Reincarnating deal to be interesting. It wasn't a total slum, and had a few redeeming qualities. I mean there were scenes I liked and even enjoyed reading. But the development of characters and writing need more and now I'm not even sure if I care enough to read Asunder next year.
Content: Mild
(a few instances of substitute curses, swearing on their god Janan. Due to the fact that you could be reincarnated to the opposite gender, a pair of lovers, who have been every single life, have a special party to celebrate their love and in their current life they are both girls. some kisses. innuendo a couple times.)
2.5 Stars
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