tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50456260329505390712024-03-13T05:01:45.860-04:00Storybook EscapeBrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-28741256878307628802012-08-21T18:25:00.002-04:002012-08-21T18:25:51.126-04:00Blog Tour and Review: Ciao by Bethany Lopez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu2aSRQIvv8Ju35KsO8opYJfdngZUUtDT1UliZG2XcO-_KtQdWEJDJ9FVRpgrmBsoEb5UE6fz4052DuD0uadz-UryimyD2f0vt2o0HGS-okoXPE_MRa7ok5pRXXUXZjURpJlFncWcHqU/s1600/14121047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu2aSRQIvv8Ju35KsO8opYJfdngZUUtDT1UliZG2XcO-_KtQdWEJDJ9FVRpgrmBsoEb5UE6fz4052DuD0uadz-UryimyD2f0vt2o0HGS-okoXPE_MRa7ok5pRXXUXZjURpJlFncWcHqU/s320/14121047.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14121047-ciao" target="_blank">Ciao (Stories About Melissa, #3)</a> by
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5021061.Bethany_Lopez" target="_blank">Bethany Lopez</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> August 2012</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> CreateSpace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.bethanylopez.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a>
/ <a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyLopez2" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bethany-Lopez/214630865247702" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Genre:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Contemporary, Romance<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> eBook<b><br />
Other Books:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11968582-ta-ta-for-now" target="_blank">Ta Ta for Now!</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13413517-xoxoxo" target="_blank">XOXOXO</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Purchase:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ciao-Volume-3-Bethany-Lopez/dp/1477545085/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345587757&sr=8-1&keywords=ciao+lopez" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Melissa
has had a fantastic summer hanging out with her friends and making new ones.
Life as she knows it will change when they all come together to begin their
sophomore year at Dearborn High. Connections will be made and friendships will
be tested. Will Melissa’s family and friends be able to help her through the
challenges she will face in the upcoming months?</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ciao</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> is the third installment in the
Stories About Melissa series, and this book is just as fun and fluffy as the
others! Melissa still has a flair for the overdramatic, and I thoroughly
enjoyed reading about her daily life and boy problems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">My
favorite aspect about this book was how Lopez managed to blend together some
funny moments with some serious ones. As Melissa grows older, her voice also
holds a greater level of maturity, and <i>Ciao
</i>introduces more somber moments of life, from heartache to how it feels to
lose someone close to you. Through these hard times, it is easier for the
reader to really get to know Melissa, and I felt like I had a much better
appreciation for who she is and how she thinks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Melissa’s
story does not end with <i>Ciao</i>, though!
The fourth book in the series, TTYL, is due out sometime in early 2013, and I
cannot wait to read more about Melissa’s adventures. Maybe some boy drama will
finally be resolved?? :) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKD7ngJjsFnmQhUbWPMV6FezcDZoX22cH3KVp6VrwKeDryS7vGG2EF9oBIRqVsDuHGtbcW8-XOQVnn-ZWyuk9yMqpItAWjKOCXv9NGvT8XyU4-vrPQaf4qHu_BVwZ5K53xWGw_WTqlUE/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKD7ngJjsFnmQhUbWPMV6FezcDZoX22cH3KVp6VrwKeDryS7vGG2EF9oBIRqVsDuHGtbcW8-XOQVnn-ZWyuk9yMqpItAWjKOCXv9NGvT8XyU4-vrPQaf4qHu_BVwZ5K53xWGw_WTqlUE/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>A Great Escape</b></span></span></div>
Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-61863527201895120202012-08-09T12:05:00.000-04:002012-08-09T12:05:00.620-04:00Ten Fun Facts about Kailmeyra Series<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LLpWWnfWpk1KT3zFfbbR0jUup3-wozAvTG8S4mhp-AMwCZL2j9v_0mPhYZXR4m3ci59uJhusZgByKYjYLa_AcrJ9tdyZ2oM5eWXIUYYKCUhyIIN7KB1MulO4lxx3JN4-8XxVUOxmHco/s320/Banner+(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/04/17/light-of-asteria-and-the-secret-of-the-keepers/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full blog tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LLpWWnfWpk1KT3zFfbbR0jUup3-wozAvTG8S4mhp-AMwCZL2j9v_0mPhYZXR4m3ci59uJhusZgByKYjYLa_AcrJ9tdyZ2oM5eWXIUYYKCUhyIIN7KB1MulO4lxx3JN4-8XxVUOxmHco/s1600/Banner+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Ten
Fun Facts about Kailmeyra</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#10</b>:
The character Edna is actually named after my mom, but her personality and
euphemisms are <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">taken
from memories of my grandmother, and her physical features are fashioned after
my greatgrandmother. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#9:</b>
In the first draft, the beginning was darker and Nora’s home was originally
located on Black <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mountain
in Kentucky. However, after driving
through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina I <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">knew
Edna had found a new home. I loved that at dusk the mountains take on a blue
hue, which is <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">symbolic
for Nora’s energy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#8</b>: Nora’s hazel eyes are really my daughter
Kate’s. I’ve always been able to tell how Kate feels by the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">color
of her eyes. If she’s feverish, her eyes are bright green, when she’s upset
they become darker, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">when
she is extremely happy they are the most beautiful amber brown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#7</b>: The portal is a lake because biblically water
symbolizes purification. As a literary
device, water is <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">used
to symbolize change and is often present in a plot’s turning point. Between the
Biblical and literary <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">symbolism,
I couldn’t pass it up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#6</b>:
The Dokkalfar and the Alfar are a part of mythological folklore. With the obvious symbolism of dark <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">and
light, the Alfar and Dokkalfar seemed a great fit for the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#5</b>:
The explanation of how the Dokkalfar evolved came from a desire to parallel the
ramifications of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">what
happens when we blindly seek power without looking at long term consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#4</b>:
I already have Michael and Edna’s one perfect day in my head, and I plan
someday to write a novella <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">about
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#3</b>:
The jeweled-toned eyes are symbolic of the characters and their personality
traits. If you’d like to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">read
more about them, click here (http://thelightofasteria.blogspot.com/2011/10/question-of-daywhats-up-with-jeweled.html
) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#2</b>:
Rena, Corina in real life, is actually my best friend of some twenty plus
years. She is the only true-tolife character in the book. Rena’s looks,
mannerisms, feistiness, and, most of all, her ability to bring joy <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">to
the darkest of situations are all because of a spunky gal from Chicago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>#1</b>:
When I first started looking at names for the lead male character, I wanted
something that was not <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">only
symbolic for the book but symbolic for me as well. The name Gavin was perfect.
We learn the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">significance
of his name in The Secret of the Keepers, so I’ll not give it away. But,
personally, Gavin was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">the
name of my first literary crush. When I
was fifteen, I re-read Celeste De Blasis’ The Proud Breed until <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">the
pages literally fell from their spine.
It’s the only book I’ll never read again. Over the years, I’ve <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">become
afraid that life’s experiences will have tainted the way Gavin Ramsey comes
across, and I’d <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">rather
keep my perception of him just the way it is. :-) <o:p></o:p></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-28052201994302918472012-08-01T09:47:00.000-04:002012-08-01T09:47:06.732-04:00Blog Tour and Author Interview: The Light Series<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdvuQ8g_qVGw-NyldXFOAFhY6DuDP-h6iR_HE2xQ968XaWbp1ZcrmQ5iS6Dbg28CoVocB1xIdFAMCdlGvbQyYd7WDVS6W8WhKIQrmRx5JF_ahJRSzPoqCdtpjweHOqz6K8VFFfG89Xws/s1600/Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdvuQ8g_qVGw-NyldXFOAFhY6DuDP-h6iR_HE2xQ968XaWbp1ZcrmQ5iS6Dbg28CoVocB1xIdFAMCdlGvbQyYd7WDVS6W8WhKIQrmRx5JF_ahJRSzPoqCdtpjweHOqz6K8VFFfG89Xws/s320/Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/05/15/the-light-trilogy-tour-by-jennifer-delucy/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Interview
with Jennifer DeLucy</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">When
did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">JD: Ever since I was old enough to understand what
writing was, I have been doing just that. I can remember jotting out poems and
short stories from a very young age, and then attempting to write books by the
time I was a teenager.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Where
do you get your ideas and inspiration for your characters?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">JD: This might sound a bit odd, but I believe that
inspiration comes from a place we can’t even fathom, call it the universe, God,
fate, what have you, but I’m pretty sure everything we create comes from a much
bigger picture—including characters in books. So, some mysterious ethereal
force plus a lot of interesting life experiences gives birth to a character,
which is kind of a mini psyche born of your soul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Creepy, huh? *wink* Or, you know, I could just have
a reeeeally active imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">What
books have most influenced your life?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">JD: Wow. What a loaded question. It’s like asking
you to choose between children, but here goes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">As for romances, Jane Eyre is my favorite, hands
down, because it is so very real and so very heartbreaking, but the character
of Jane is so zen. She’s so wise for someone so young, but she’s not afraid to
stand up for herself, to be passionate about what she wants, and that’s a good
example of a woman for any era. As for
fantasy, Harry Potter is number one on my list. JK is tops, as far as I am
concerned, because she writes purely, authentically, from the heart. There is
no pretension in the Harry Potter Series. It’s just beautiful writing and depth
and heart, and that’s what I strive for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">What
are you reading right now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">JD: I’m reading a book about a writer on a sort of
spiritual journey across Europe. It’s called <i>Aleph</i>, by Paulo Coelho.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">What
do you like to do when you are not writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">JD: Oh, easy! I’m also a musician, and when I’m not
writing books, I’m writing/performing music. In fact, each of the three books
in the Light Series has its own soundtrack song (you hear excerpts in the book
trailers.)</span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-48962920015361277362012-07-28T10:31:00.000-04:002012-07-28T10:31:18.780-04:00Blog Tour & Review: Frost by Kate Avery Emerson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BG9MJY25IFkzUk4qbrK2crqymm7x8i24_rguDpZVq7UBn2NPlYLA1wNt54ZLAZvLMPudxwB4i68Xet1sMmbOV0UZdDhJutehw6jrY1SRaeVsTmjFIxNYRxsNo3LiW1seooiNDLhHmss/s1600/frost_LARGE_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BG9MJY25IFkzUk4qbrK2crqymm7x8i24_rguDpZVq7UBn2NPlYLA1wNt54ZLAZvLMPudxwB4i68Xet1sMmbOV0UZdDhJutehw6jrY1SRaeVsTmjFIxNYRxsNo3LiW1seooiNDLhHmss/s320/frost_LARGE_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/03/03/book-launch-party-for-frost-by-kate-avery-ellison/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJ1roOyraSjKvuooTfHC8vJ18cLPtCqWjb_pjJyLZel92gbVBVx_2EqWNmTLNtDCuEiKcrig6IfgcfVraR-4vZE_v2cYTgOxLwDOtOSKMGN5GDRoABY1D7bfL8yJmNC-FqsfR3YRUsh4/s1600/13555538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJ1roOyraSjKvuooTfHC8vJ18cLPtCqWjb_pjJyLZel92gbVBVx_2EqWNmTLNtDCuEiKcrig6IfgcfVraR-4vZE_v2cYTgOxLwDOtOSKMGN5GDRoABY1D7bfL8yJmNC-FqsfR3YRUsh4/s320/13555538.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13555538-frost" target="_blank">Frost (The Frost Chronicles, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4863270.Kate_Avery_Ellison" target="_blank">Kate Avery Emerson</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> April 18, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> CreateSpace<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/katiewriting" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance<b><br />
Available Formats: </b>Paperback and eBook<b><br />
Purchase:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frost-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B007Q4LLWE/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1343485650&sr=8-14&keywords=frost" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frost-kate-avery-ellison/1109825221?ean=2940014179591" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In
the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could
end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill
her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold
and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by
the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step
away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister
finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named
Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">She
saves his life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Giving
shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always
described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as
ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and
intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But
time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The
village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for
Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe
escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Is
compassion—and love—worth the risk?</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Oh,
hello to my new guilty pleasure. This book was everything I was hoping for and
more. Frost was a beautifully crafted dystopian tale with a light sprinkle of
darkness/grittiness that kept things interesting. With the setting being a fantastical
ice world comparable to the one found in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and
the Wardrobe, I was immediately intrigued by this new, post-apocalyptic land. Emerson
did not fail to deliver a captivating read in Frost!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My
favorite part about this book was the characters. I respected Lia and her perseverance
greatly, and it is always nice to see a girl not bow down to her fears. She cares
deeply for her family, she has a strong sense of justice, and she is willing to
help a dying fugitive. Add to the fact that she can take care of herself and
watch her own back, what more could you possibly need in a female lead? I also
appreciated Gabe’s character. He was definitely intriguing, but I really wish
we could have gotten more of a feel for who he is. His character is shrouded in
mystery from beginning to end, and while that did capture my interest (who
doesn’t love them mysterious boys?), I did not really feel like I got to know
who he was. Here’s to hoping for more of him in book 2!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
know I already mentioned the setting/world of Frost, but I am going to say it
again: I LOVED THE SETTING. Slightly magical and extraordinarily dangerous, I
loved figuring out more about this new world. With monsters lurking in the
background and never being truly safe, the world is a bleak and dark place.
Emerson describes Iceliss and the surrounding areas vividly, and her rich and evocative
writing style really helped bring both the world and her characters to life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Not
to be a Debby-downer here, but there was one issue I had with this book: it was
too short. I think that all the minor problems I had (such as the rushed
ending/romance and lack of background story) can be blamed on the length of the
book. I think this book would have benefited greatly from being slightly
longer. That is not to say that this book is not enjoyable as it (since it most
certainly is a great read!), but I think it really would have been amazing with
a few more pages and background story added in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Overall,
Frost was a wonderful read, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of
dystopian literature or just so happens to be looking for a good book to pick
up. I cannot wait to see what Emerson has for us in the next installment,
Thorns (especially after that crazy cliffhanger of an ending!). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij346aN0V3S2qbT6J9_h88fLgILlDkuBKZHcyY9o0MqSm7rxWZE9aTIkgfJZLjpJBJ4K80H9EuDJeaWWhWemJ0-6m5cGdTEyOx8JPeyJsaLoMMFHGxILcq0L6x4cjlsE37i3EQsxskDSg/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij346aN0V3S2qbT6J9_h88fLgILlDkuBKZHcyY9o0MqSm7rxWZE9aTIkgfJZLjpJBJ4K80H9EuDJeaWWhWemJ0-6m5cGdTEyOx8JPeyJsaLoMMFHGxILcq0L6x4cjlsE37i3EQsxskDSg/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-41107278568715304902012-07-23T03:57:00.001-04:002012-07-23T03:57:44.255-04:00Blog Tour & Review: Earth by Shauna Granger<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoptFWQTShv0PnPCGtZOEJRu0S4rvGXYPb0qNj9olKDRAeZzH2hOQWulOD7YR_4wDCipHi1NpJsii3uc3XiNtrqbOwryzqbYde9Oneb83VdCrVBZcAu5ctmMwFxL51AdSId3XwHu5ycZo/s1600/Water+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoptFWQTShv0PnPCGtZOEJRu0S4rvGXYPb0qNj9olKDRAeZzH2hOQWulOD7YR_4wDCipHi1NpJsii3uc3XiNtrqbOwryzqbYde9Oneb83VdCrVBZcAu5ctmMwFxL51AdSId3XwHu5ycZo/s320/Water+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/03/26/water-elemental-3-by-shauna-granger/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDtw4JOOa-7Twm7k-7aSD3Op125RUw9wvpQK7O3r8BH1PW3q4KnUPdCRU_ApnI3XxLgfnEu5MO9j9JXNKrr31q0Nl5I1t8_fy2QCvkIJSn8y_H_rGOUTiLrodsN6bNHarSYdnStmxiwU/s1600/11274597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDtw4JOOa-7Twm7k-7aSD3Op125RUw9wvpQK7O3r8BH1PW3q4KnUPdCRU_ApnI3XxLgfnEu5MO9j9JXNKrr31q0Nl5I1t8_fy2QCvkIJSn8y_H_rGOUTiLrodsN6bNHarSYdnStmxiwU/s320/11274597.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11274597-earth" target="_blank">Earth (Elemental, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4828875.Shauna_Granger" target="_blank">Shauna Granger</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> May 1, 2011<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Shauna Granger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://shaunasspot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a>
/ <a href="https://twitter.com/dyingechoes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shauna-Granger/268859386472141" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Genre:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Magic, Romance, Paranormal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Available Formats:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Paperback and
eBook<b><br />
Purchase:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Elemental-Series-ebook/dp/B004YTPBX4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343029998&sr=8-4&keywords=shauna+granger" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/earth-shauna-granger/1100261694?ean=9781463603328" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Earth/Shauna-Granger/9781463603328?id=5412350799483" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a> / <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Earth-Shauna-Granger/9781463603328" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Shayna
and her two best friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four
elements, earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing
powers, they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town.
Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small magical
community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but then the
nightmares start. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Shayna
suffers nightmares of being chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and
bruised. She thinks her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final
blood rite. When an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it's only a
ploy to draw her out; she can't let someone die because of her.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Here
is why you will enjoy Earth:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>1</b>. There is mystery, magic, and romance! How
could you not love all three of those things put together?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>2</b>. Shay is an awesome, kick-ass character who never
backs down from a challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>3</b>. There is a hot, totally swoon-worthy
character and love interest in Jensen (downside: he is not in this book <i>nearly</i> enough for my liking.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>4</b>.
Shay is not one to fall for just a pretty face, and she is not afraid to call
Jensen out when she suspects him. In fact, she makes him work for everything he
earns (her trust, etc.). Props, girl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>5</b>.
Excellent banter and dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>6</b>.
A gripping storyline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>7</b>.
One of the best self-published books I have ever read. EVER.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
know I already mentioned it once, but I will say it again:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>8</b>.
There is magic, magic, and more magic! Intense and descriptive rituals, the
calling of elemental magic, spells, this book has it all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">So
those are a few simple reasons why I enjoyed Earth, in a nutshell. I was
captivated by this story, and I am really looking forward to reading the next
installment!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHCauCJt5Oaz5sOHAVkFgQPUbWvgt6_emwj8L0vn30XkwohZFfDyCLpiR2v4YivL600QhwOegGXKzhOC33HROJSVLS16-xRWsHvwqEKElomklKP9dkWRknP1dBYKMSWPjEo64KtEIVIQ/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHCauCJt5Oaz5sOHAVkFgQPUbWvgt6_emwj8L0vn30XkwohZFfDyCLpiR2v4YivL600QhwOegGXKzhOC33HROJSVLS16-xRWsHvwqEKElomklKP9dkWRknP1dBYKMSWPjEo64KtEIVIQ/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-77518536776411494332012-07-16T08:17:00.003-04:002012-07-16T08:17:55.910-04:00Blog Tour & Review: Fall for You by Cecilia Gray<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJOX_1SRnrbFZiKQsqlLOJF2uMcOtpnHAhbPnFu7fGAaV6JufHx7Nb6eUGS6pfpwOcKFleoZVMwEXxcsEhllK-3N61eOmAe3ksXMrZx_XmGT5mCc0vLHE-YyPojMZGXzVxWvzijzdpXA/s1600/Fall+For+You+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJOX_1SRnrbFZiKQsqlLOJF2uMcOtpnHAhbPnFu7fGAaV6JufHx7Nb6eUGS6pfpwOcKFleoZVMwEXxcsEhllK-3N61eOmAe3ksXMrZx_XmGT5mCc0vLHE-YyPojMZGXzVxWvzijzdpXA/s320/Fall+For+You+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/04/08/fall-for-you/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhWdHVjOByRgsI88_K-Es0jBYuF8Nzo_Tlm3iYcxzGuu7BU5asZgb4SfkWaedl80oV8GqXf_5Q1GHTLeCMh4Vf852VX_nXrbhBzndyV0LDr_MRTj2s_V0oLKvGEUs4O59MdYxQNlbodk/s1600/13485642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhWdHVjOByRgsI88_K-Es0jBYuF8Nzo_Tlm3iYcxzGuu7BU5asZgb4SfkWaedl80oV8GqXf_5Q1GHTLeCMh4Vf852VX_nXrbhBzndyV0LDr_MRTj2s_V0oLKvGEUs4O59MdYxQNlbodk/s320/13485642.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13485642-fall-for-you" target="_blank">Fall for You (Jane Austen Academy Series, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5061397.Cecilia_Gray" target="_blank">Cecilia Gray</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">February 10,
2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> The Alpha
Division, LLC<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://www.ceciliagray.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliabooks" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ceciliagray" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Contemporary, Romance, Short Story<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> eBook<b><br />
Buy the Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Austen-Academy-Series-ebook/dp/B00785ZFUK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1342440787&sr=8-3&keywords=fall+for+you" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fall-for-you-cecilia-gray/1108810390?ean=2940014038041" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Jane Austen meets Pretty Little Liars in
this fresh, new young-adult series!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to
flirt with. Please. They need to stay focused on something that lasts much
longer: an acceptance letter from an Ivy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But
over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are
coming. And it's about to turn the Academy--and the lives of its
students--totally upside down...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">To
say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century.
He's a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She's a driven
study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It's obvious that Dante thinks
he's way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for
pushing her buttons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But
things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie's quest to
stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it,
she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his
crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets... Secrets Lizzie can't seem to leave alone,
no matter how hard she tries...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Review:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Fall
for You was the most adorable contemporary romance short story I have come
across in a while, and with the perfect dash of Jane Austen’s Pride and
Prejudice elements added, I enjoyed it thoroughly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Whether
you happen to be a fan of the wonderful Jane Austen or not, there are so many
things to appreciate about this Pride and Prejudice retelling. It was truly a
fluffy, fun read, and Gray does a wonderful job incorporating a vast amount of
emotions and drama in a 100 page story. I was captivated from the very
beginning to the very end, and I cannot wait for the second installment in this
series!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
loved all the characters. There is Lizzie (aka Elizabeth), Dante (aka Mr. Darcy-
the teenage version!), Anne, Emma, Edward, Georgiana, etc… you get the picture.
Oh, these names are so very 18<sup>th</sup> century England! Lizzie is very
much a modern day Elizabeth, with a strong desire for knowledge and success and
a quick wit. She is a rather complex character, and I loved her curiosity and
drive to know everything. Dante is very reminiscent of Mr. Darcy, and similar
to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s first encounter, Dante slights Lizzie. However, he
comes to know who Lizzie actually is, and I loved seeing him slowly fall for
her. Together, they are an adorable and squee-worthy couple, and I love them
every bit as much as I love Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Oh,
I could continue to gush and swoon about this book, but I do not think that
would be necessary. I might be a bit biased with this read since I am a HUGE
Jane Austen fan and tend to love anything that is influenced from her work
(save Pride and Prejudice and Zombies…that was just <i>bad</i>). Cecilia Gray has definitely made a fan out of me and I am
eager to see what she has in store for us next!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqgt6Pq91PqLpVU3hZn_LN1WbzwMiwAa_iPsolaOB1z-Aa361xCHYiBbUofFiXv03Afh9WYIpvCFTyONrSm6ALsuWVvauTs6wU0IOsKR7lHJC9HvqxfZg69Q8co6auEi2kElm1Xj7Asc/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqgt6Pq91PqLpVU3hZn_LN1WbzwMiwAa_iPsolaOB1z-Aa361xCHYiBbUofFiXv03Afh9WYIpvCFTyONrSm6ALsuWVvauTs6wU0IOsKR7lHJC9HvqxfZg69Q8co6auEi2kElm1Xj7Asc/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape!</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-10412926329373564912012-07-11T07:09:00.000-04:002012-07-11T07:09:33.564-04:00Waiting on Wednesday (31)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border: 1px solid transparent; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s1600/Open-book-080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #365e8f; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s400/Open-book-080.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #55d1e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">and it's a weekly meme mentioning an anticipated upcoming release</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 25px;">!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My choice:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyp6G5Iy3mQdp_R6aCGSKL_dwFyAFKFRZR54A0aGyZIJ6SiNDa1MyVcluEmt6pdWIEDH170lZMiVxV5HooqgAiwQ-RfVvRCdibfyhi_muBP0hio16c-XxmdmcxDE_-rtA0RLKKnRD3-M/s1600/11044367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyp6G5Iy3mQdp_R6aCGSKL_dwFyAFKFRZR54A0aGyZIJ6SiNDa1MyVcluEmt6pdWIEDH170lZMiVxV5HooqgAiwQ-RfVvRCdibfyhi_muBP0hio16c-XxmdmcxDE_-rtA0RLKKnRD3-M/s320/11044367.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11044367-taken" target="_blank">Taken (Taken, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4774653.Erin_Bowman" target="_blank">Erin Bowman</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> April 16, 2013<b><br />
Publisher:</b> HarperTeen<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://www.embowman.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://polishedobjects.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/erin_bowman" target="_blank">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Other Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Debut<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pre-Order:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taken-Erin-Bowman/dp/0062117262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342004807&sr=8-1&keywords=erin+bowman" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Taken/Erin-Bowman/9780062117267?id=5412350799483" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a> / <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Taken-Erin-Bowman/9780062117267" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><b><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11044367-taken" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads!</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There
are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at
midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a
blinding light descends...and he’s gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">They
call it the Heist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Gray
Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet
his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question
everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious
secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds
Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Climbing
the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he
sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">First,
I LOVE this cover. The colors, mirrored glass, and even the crazy upside-down
tree totally appeal to me! After reading the synopsis of the book, I am even
more excited. Although I am not too sure what a world without older men would
be like (I imagine there would be a lot of cat fights going on….), I am
definitely intrigued by it! I really can’t wait for Taken!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">What is your pick this week?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Send me a link, and I will be sure to check it out!
:)</span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-53725290910554844772012-07-10T07:50:00.000-04:002012-07-10T07:52:22.684-04:00Blog Tour, Review & Excerpt: Empyreal Fate by Rachel Hunter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkmkmlbuIcio_81ePbo4CmiOxMGy70HYj6TVe9awfX01ni8xBdPMIWul21Cb4H1aoKLEiAmhadq-rdjqPaHaGY4z7D7jOXjFQ01MkFrruL-9_q6ho2_b_yLyQviXf5i1z_4OWqRAG6BI/s1600/Empyreal+Fate+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkmkmlbuIcio_81ePbo4CmiOxMGy70HYj6TVe9awfX01ni8xBdPMIWul21Cb4H1aoKLEiAmhadq-rdjqPaHaGY4z7D7jOXjFQ01MkFrruL-9_q6ho2_b_yLyQviXf5i1z_4OWqRAG6BI/s320/Empyreal+Fate+Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/04/21/empyreal-fate/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8heoYhdgUth6cViH2oFTZ2sTSRSQUV1zX3qHuoBsV_o9Q0qMbb5oEEtgQpaK2ptRcTw2I2Cn0Fo2gLKWGLIS5fdKORKejQD2snkv-1v8S5_j-ZohbAq-mA91Ke2k98NQfP7msUGFHbM/s1600/13641474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8heoYhdgUth6cViH2oFTZ2sTSRSQUV1zX3qHuoBsV_o9Q0qMbb5oEEtgQpaK2ptRcTw2I2Cn0Fo2gLKWGLIS5fdKORKejQD2snkv-1v8S5_j-ZohbAq-mA91Ke2k98NQfP7msUGFHbM/s320/13641474.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13641474-empyreal-fate" target="_blank">Empyreal Fate</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762735.Rachel_Hunter" target="_blank">Rachel Hunter</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> May 8, 2012<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Hydra Publications<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://rachel-m-hunter.yolasite.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/young_author" target="_blank">Twitter</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Fantasy (Epic), Romance<b><br />
Available Formats: </b>Paperback and eBook<b><br />
Buy the Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Empyreal-Fate-Llathalan-Annal-Volume/dp/0615638589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341920802&sr=8-1&keywords=empyreal+fate" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Filled
to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair,
Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption. <o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark
history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the
past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of
mans’ mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a
hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of
the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an
elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this
forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking
them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate’s decree can
allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity. <o:p></o:p></span>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Behold:
A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate – Part One.</span></div>
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</div>
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</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Empyreal
Fate is a magical tale woven by Rachel Hunter, a teenager whose imagination
knows no bounds. (Published teenager? Color me impressed!) She far surpasses
others of her age by producing this beautiful and lyrical read, and this fantastical
story grabbed my attention immediately and continued to hold it until the very
last page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Please
pardon the following (and brief) fangirl moments! Moment #1: YAY for YA Epic
Fantasy reads! There are not nearly enough out there, in my opinion. Moment #2:
YAY for elves! I am <s>ashamed</s> hesitate to admit that whenever there is an
elf in a book, they always look like Legolas in my head, regardless of
character description. Seeing as to how Empyreal Fate is partially about elves,
I kind of conjured up a world of Legolases! (I would totally live there!) Also,
elves are also somewhat scarce in current YA literature, so that was just
another thing I ended up appreciated about this book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">*ahem*
Back to the topic at hand. There are <i>so</i>
many things happening in this book, and I was very impressed by the tone and
pacing of the story. The point of view changes multiple times, but each
character’s voice is distinct. I felt like I got to understand all the
characters, even the ones in the background. The world building was also
fantastic, and I was thoroughly captivated by this elven/human land (Legolas
land! :D) Packed full of political corruption and turmoil, epic battle scenes,
a whirlwind romance, and elves, Empyreal Fate is a book you shouldn’t miss out
on! I cannot wait to see what Ms. Hunter will have for us next!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Oxp2GKJzkH_f9B-dNNk2ufXofO1dwzzr-WMjbReq0jLNjlUBXww-L-8NJP-cGFni5pROwvKk6JCwQFqwaWZXXI7rwx30X_1MGEhxb-ii9VeLZwv47AX-UfrHchO9el7izG5ejJsA3sY/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Oxp2GKJzkH_f9B-dNNk2ufXofO1dwzzr-WMjbReq0jLNjlUBXww-L-8NJP-cGFni5pROwvKk6JCwQFqwaWZXXI7rwx30X_1MGEhxb-ii9VeLZwv47AX-UfrHchO9el7izG5ejJsA3sY/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Darrion stared, dazed, into Amarya's face as she
loomed above him, concern defining her frame. Lifting himself, he sat,
uncertain how he had come to lie upon the ground. He did not remember falling;
he had no recollection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"You did well,” the elf congratulated,
extending a slender hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Darrion rubbed his head, feeling
a tenderness that had not been there before. "What happened?" he
asked, taking her hand and rising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> "I saw not of your mind, but
from what I could figure, you gained entrance to the thoughts of a rambling
oak. I know this to be true, for I could see your eyes swimming beneath the
lids. Such does not occur unless a connection is made.” Amarya beamed, eyes
sparkling with pride despite her pupil’s faint. With eager strides, she began smoothing
the creases of his tunic. "You drifted too far, however – missing the
mark. Your focus broke upon more than a single entity; your mind roamed in
places it was not meant. As a result, your consciousness receded, and your
celestial bond forged hollow spaces to compensate. Once that barrier snapped,
the voices of many within the Illex, not merely the trees, poured through you.
It was an overload of understanding – most mortals cannot handle such. But no
need to fret; you’ve far surpassed the most capable of beginners. I am simply
surprised you made contact at all." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Darrion stepped back, feeling the
lightness of his chest. With clouded thoughts, he speculated the feat he had
barely attained. Few words could describe his awe - the confusion - that enveloped
him. Dizziness clothed him as a tumbled reed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Resting one palm against the bark
of an oak, he listened - intent - as though searching for a beating heart
against the trunk. Despite his wavering state, he was glad for Amarya’s
tutelage. This feeling… it was almost surreal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> "To my knowledge, never has a
human discerned as much as you.” Amarya’s pale hand sought Darrion's shoulder,
and he melted at her touch. "I'm uncertain what it means - for indeed,
your ability comes as no coincidence… But the mortal mind proves oft unable to
comprehend the spiritual realm. Not that it's impossible, but man forgets his
possession. He knows not of the awareness beyond material senses. You, Darrion,
are not like other men. You – you’re <i>different</i>."
She shifted her jaw, examining him as if for answers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"It’s true… I never knew the
depths to which magic strayed," Darrion murmured, almost trembling from
his ethereal venture. "I used to think it all frivolous tricks of the
tongue." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Not quite,” Amarya offered.
"Those who perform <i>incantations</i>,
as you suggest, are sorcerers - mere magicians who rely on handholds and false
words to create masked <i>illusions</i>. In
some cases – nigh, but rare - such illusions become reality. Regardless, the
art lacks in form. Words are the derivation of mortals - a human contrivance,
unnecessary for understanding. They are not <i>real, </i>as nature is real.
Nay, words are but crude concepts – trivial in the matter of divine
understanding. What is meant in one tongue may be opposite in another. How can
a concept so unsure create something so pure? The answer is simple: <i>it cannot.”</i></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-15177302138261085462012-07-09T07:48:00.000-04:002012-07-09T07:48:31.146-04:00Blog Tour & Review: Lonely Souls by Karice Bolton<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HqM6E5Z4hWXcEuNPDmcdmwhhAhh6h75N_6O8tDqDOtNwaOn_7OGQaX9jYRWQKThff_CGvtpGsod8DqjdXSe8ki_HmoHCgKIt0WPXjSQ9AhJg2iuUraa9ODz34Rp7jPXPizpSm85f4-k/s1600/Lonely+Souls+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HqM6E5Z4hWXcEuNPDmcdmwhhAhh6h75N_6O8tDqDOtNwaOn_7OGQaX9jYRWQKThff_CGvtpGsod8DqjdXSe8ki_HmoHCgKIt0WPXjSQ9AhJg2iuUraa9ODz34Rp7jPXPizpSm85f4-k/s320/Lonely+Souls+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/03/01/tour-lonely-souls-witch-avenue-1/" target="_blank">here</a> for the full tour schedule!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyAk0MqWNem_ihYGiIUhZPd6zdVKA-wZSUHfE3nTmRDH09BLsSsDebRYnVfuXNmTI3-wCNdCNK-UDBWsXWv9XGGQn2L4YHwkVy56dqGNXM34pzJlUIuwmYmrwwsakFIacP1rn5GMnRXE/s1600/13504052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyAk0MqWNem_ihYGiIUhZPd6zdVKA-wZSUHfE3nTmRDH09BLsSsDebRYnVfuXNmTI3-wCNdCNK-UDBWsXWv9XGGQn2L4YHwkVy56dqGNXM34pzJlUIuwmYmrwwsakFIacP1rn5GMnRXE/s320/13504052.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13504052-lonely-souls" target="_blank">Lonely Souls (The Witch Avenue Series, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5240334.Karice_Bolton" target="_blank">Karice Bolton</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> June 29, 2012<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Bulldog Press<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.karicebolton.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://blog.karicebolton.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a>
/ <a href="https://twitter.com/karicebolton" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karice-Bolton/218230041566833" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Contemporary, Paranormal, Witches/Wizards<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> Paperback and eBook<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Buy the Book:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Souls-Avenue-Series-ebook/dp/B008EKQUBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341834371&sr=8-1&keywords=lonely+souls" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lonely-souls-karice-bolton/1111805708?ean=2940014627597" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Witch-Avenue-Series/Karice-Bolton/9781477659182?id=5412350799483" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It’s
two weeks before Triss turns 18, and her world is about to change into the most
magical one imaginable as she readies herself to enter The Witch Avenue
Order... that is until her mother’s disappearance. Instead of celebrating her
transformation, she finds herself spreading rose petals into her mother’s empty
grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When
Logan, her best friend from junior high, moves back to town for college, he
vows to help her find the answers she so desperately seeks surrounding her
mother’s disappearance. As they begin uncovering clues, it becomes apparent
that the life of white magic they both grew up loving is not what the majority
practices, and their lives are in danger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">With
a haunting feeling that her mother may still be alive, she begins to hear a
call to the wilderness. Triss realizes that in order to find the answers she
needs, she must learn the ways of her ancestors and become the hunter, not the
hunted before it’s too late, and she becomes part of the lonely souls.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A
coven of witches. Magical mayhem. A cute boy from the past. Sprinkle in some
emotional turmoil and a little mystery, and you have yourself a rather amazing
and intriguing paranormal read!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Triss
was supposed to meet her mother at the beach, but when the only things she
finds are personal items, she knows something is wrong. Her mother has
disappeared without a trace, and she is presumed to be dead by the coven. However,
Triss refuses to believe that her mother is gone. She reacquaints herself with
Logan, a friendly face from childhood, and they slowly begin to piece together the
circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance. When some of their
discoveries leave them questioning the coven and their magical practices, what
started out as a quest to find Triss’s mother becomes something a lot more
dangerous and deadly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">While
the premise of the story was what initially peaked my interest, I found there
were many other things to appreciate about this book. The magical aspects of this
novel were fascinating, and it’s nice to see what I consider to be a more ‘traditional’
form of magic (such as herbs and other earthly elements) being used. The concept
of a lonely soul was also interesting to read about (but I will say no more- no
spoilers!). However, this book did suffer a bit from poor pacing. There were a
few moments where my attention was easily diverted and I lost interest in the
story, but then things would quickly pick up again and I would be unable to
stop reading. I think if the pace was a bit smoother and some of those
unnecessary/drawn-out moments were removed, this would have been a much more
engaging read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Triss,
the main character, took a while for me to warm up to. For the first half of
the book, she struck me as being withdrawn and slightly abrasive, and I did not
find myself really caring for her until the second half of the book. She has to
deal with a lot emotionally throughout the story, and while I understand that
and did not hold it against her when she was being prickly or rude, it just
made it a little harder for me to really get a feel for her character. Logan,
on the other hand, I instantly loved. I loved how steadfast his character was
and the depth of his feelings for Triss. It is always nice to have a boy who is
in your corner supporting you! :) (He has major swoonage potential!) The
romance between Triss and Logan was solid, and some of their interactions left
me in hysterics and were completely adorable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Overall,
this book did have a few problems, but it is a wonderful read all the same. It
provides some originality to the YA paranormal genre, and it is definitely an
interesting start to a new series. I cannot wait to see what Bolton has for us
next!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Decent Escape</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-15075894870475421942012-07-08T08:10:00.001-04:002012-07-08T08:26:51.926-04:00Interview & Giveaway with Karen Amanda Hooper!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Today I had the
pleasure of interviewing Karen Amanda Hooper, author of </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12047201-tangled-tides" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;" target="_blank">Tangled Tides</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> and
</span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13505141-grasping-at-eternity" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;" target="_blank">Grasping at Eternity</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8yrIEJ_YGeXl36AQFpNpnE0p4prrel8yVYvyAo0b6rkO55YPKJrEi1qOGmLqsHi2EyRVY8AmHI1aXF0pMgh4-1xNAa4QuH1w6W4tatvGwF4OqXFqqP4C83klWt2LxK8Hx6ru905K5n0/s1600/Hooper.full_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8yrIEJ_YGeXl36AQFpNpnE0p4prrel8yVYvyAo0b6rkO55YPKJrEi1qOGmLqsHi2EyRVY8AmHI1aXF0pMgh4-1xNAa4QuH1w6W4tatvGwF4OqXFqqP4C83klWt2LxK8Hx6ru905K5n0/s320/Hooper.full_.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I’ve loved mermaids
since as far back as I can remember. I grew up watching movies like Splash and
The Little Mermaid, and you could find me swimming around the pool in our backyard
with my legs stuck together, pretending I had a tail and fins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Fast forward a couple
(maybe a few) decades and I’m still playing make-believe with mermaids–except
now they’re in my novels instead of a toy box.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I’m a self-proclaimed
twisted little pixie. I believe that magic and true love really do exist, even
in a world that can be ugly at times. I like to dance down rabbit holes and
ride shooting stars while playing a never-ending game of “Imagine If…” Then I
write about my impossible and fantastical musings and call myself an author.
Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love storytelling way too
much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I was born and raised
in Baltimore, Maryland, but I’ve also lived in Colorado. Eventually, I had to
move to a place where I’d be surrounded by water, so I now live in Florida.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When I’m not writing I
can be found reading, people watching at Disney World, hanging with my amazing
friends and family, listening to music, dancing, traveling, pondering the
Universe, or enjoying breathtaking sunsets and a good glass of white wine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I love great food,
desserts, more desserts, movies that make me laugh or cry, thunderstorms,
butterflies in my stomach, curtains blowing in the breeze, my dogs tails
wagging because they are happy to see me, thrilling rides, books that make me
think or learn something new, Ravens football, long warm baths, smiling
uncontrollably, flavored coffee, an amazing dream that stays with me all day,
popping popcorn the old-fashioned way, jumping out of airplanes, board games, lotto
scratch-offs, and flying to Neverland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I’m a constant work in
progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Check out the teen
focused blog that I co-founded with some other awesome YA authors: <a href="http://yaconfidential.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">YA Confidential</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I’m also grateful and
lucky to be part of a talented group of authors called <a href="http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the Indelibles</a>.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Let’s get to know a
bit more about Karen, shall we? :) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">1. Favorite movie?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Oh, there are so many. Recently, I have a new
movie crush on Crazy Stupid Love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">2. Favorite candy? </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Twix. Or chewy caramels. Or York Peppermint
Patties. (I like candy.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">3. Book you are currently reading?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <i>Lacrimosa</i>
by Christine Fonseca. Love me some angels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">4. Current literary boy crush?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Gavin from <i>Inhale</i> by Kendall Grey. An Australian rockstar bad boy who saves
the world. Yum. But be warned, that book is adult and rated R.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">5. Favorite animal? </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My two sweet and spoiled dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">6. Favorite guilty pleasure? </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Drinking a cocktail on the beach of the
Polynesian Resort at Disney World. I'm there quite frequently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Now, onto some harder
questions!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">1. What is one of your favorite things about
writing your books and sharing them with the world?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Most definitely the
comments and emails from readers who love my stories and characters. They make
me all warm and fuzzy, and they inspire me to be a better writer and story
teller.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">2. Were there any differences between writing
Tangled Tides and Grasping at Eternity? Was one book easier/harder to write
than the other?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Yes, I wrote Grasping
at Eternity first. It was the first time I ever attempted a novel and I cranked
out a 150k word first (and very rough) draft in two months. I was obsessed. I
didn't write in order, I didn't know how it would end, or even if my scenes
would ever tie together to make a complete story. Somehow, magical intervention
maybe, the pieces of the story all clicked into place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tangled Tides was a
slower process and I mostly wrote it in chronological order. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">However, with both, I
never plotted. My mind works best in creative chaos mode.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">3. What is one of your happiest memories?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The day I got hugged
and kissed by a <i>honu</i> (Hawaiian sea
turtle). I was snorkeling in Hawaii and a giant sea turtle appeared beside me.
We swam side by side for a few minutes and he led me to a whole family of
turtles. I surfaced and took off my mask to talk to my friend about how amazing
it was to see so many <i>honu</i>, but
something brushed up the front of me and I squealed in surprise. I looked down
and was nose to nose with a giant turtle--so I kissed him. And I swear, I think
he smiled at me. It was very surreal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">4. What is the craziest thing you have ever
done?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Jumped out of an
airplane with no one to instruct me except a radio strapped to my chest. Except
the radio had no batteries. Of course, we didn't realize that until I landed
dead center in the drop zone all on my own. *fist pump*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">5. Being a Florida native, I just have to ask:
besides the amazing weather and beaches, what is your favorite thing about the
Sunshine State? Also, have you ever been to <a href="http://weekiwachee.com/" target="_blank">Weeki Wachee</a>, the home of the
mermaids (and my hometown!)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">So weird. We were JUST
talking about going to Weeki Wachee on July 4th, but we weren't sure if they'd
be open on a holiday. So, no, I haven't been there YET, but we ARE going this
summer. My favorite part about Florida is Disney. I spend way too much time
there, but it's my happy place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">6. Do you have any juicy tidbits from Taking
Back Forever or Dangerous Depths that you would be willing to share?? :)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ooooh, I WANT to share so much, but I can't
because then it would ruin the surprise factor.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">How about a link to my Pintrest boards? Those have
a few fun clues.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/karenhooper/dangerous-depths-book-2-of-the-sea-monster-memoirs/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;">http://pinterest.com/<wbr></wbr>karenhooper/dangerous-depths-<wbr></wbr>book-2-of-the-sea-monster-<wbr></wbr>memoirs/</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/karenhooper/taking-back-forever-book-2-of-the-kindrily-seies/" target="_blank">http://pinterest.com/<wbr></wbr>karenhooper/taking-back-<wbr></wbr>forever-book-2-of-the-<wbr></wbr>kindrily-seies/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">WOW! Thank you so much for stopping by, Karen, and
for letting all of us get to know you better! *bear hug*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, Karen, being the amazingly wonderful and super
kind person that she is, is going to be giving out one free copy of both of her
books! (Click on the cover for Goodreads info!)</span><br />
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<table><tbody>
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<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13505141-grasping-at-eternity" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Jm-4VaMRejBJPSrEp5EzW9QfuIUhvqmLE9kNUIFwh-gMGhMOEe7SZDE7WzODzGNtOsBfShi0UdC1mb9HbZzRuxV3A8XEm6yt4RIeG47UqQg-6_4SAtA3kG4rreb24I1cwvgJND5IM0c/s320/13505141.jpg" width="206" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12047201-tangled-tides" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCizIBNExTTRTUkvQ6CE-3ZYt_5cjXZiMWkCMSbYx-TeUY9xLCbFjhNfYIVQcYruxwKfRkcxD1A-3HU6MB5grT89bGcR6ryERDuCqc4ZNEoImLVi17n3uA1eGkhOQZy89sAa0LMdvOAHY/s320/12047201.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I loved Grasping at Eternity and Tangled Tides, and if you have not
read them yet, then I would definitely recommend doing so!! This contest will
be international, and just sign-up below to enter to win!</span></div>
</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b700d11/" id="rc-3b700d11" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-65547002204326443672012-07-05T08:14:00.000-04:002012-07-05T08:15:52.258-04:00Review: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBLcHRe98waH3X_2dhyphenhyphenpYfxvKCDw2Fhj57XRZm_l-Ytdc3ny-jEnHtdARBQ73HMH6Yo2x-Jeg38NQ3DPu1brRkTOWEhzjVx3ajzfbP301bYavQWBoG4TvqaXiFxAyCfc4iYwge3cVoao/s1600/11698943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBLcHRe98waH3X_2dhyphenhyphenpYfxvKCDw2Fhj57XRZm_l-Ytdc3ny-jEnHtdARBQ73HMH6Yo2x-Jeg38NQ3DPu1brRkTOWEhzjVx3ajzfbP301bYavQWBoG4TvqaXiFxAyCfc4iYwge3cVoao/s320/11698943.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11698943-the-fine-art-of-truth-or-dare" target="_blank">The Fine Art of Truth or Dare</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4432824.Melissa_Jensen" target="_blank">Melissa Jensen</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> February 16,
2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Speak<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.melissajensen.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://www.melissajensen.com/blog/" target="_blank">Blog</a>
/ <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/meljens" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-Jensen/213465748691349" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Genre:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Contemporary, Romance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Available Formats:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Paperback and
eBook<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My Shelf:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Want to Buy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Buy the Book:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Fine-Art-Truth-Dare/dp/0142420905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341490096&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fine+art+of+truth+or+dare" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fine-art-of-truth-or-dare-melissa-jensen/1103636037?ean=9780142420904" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Fine-Art-Truth-Dare/Melissa-Jensen/9780142420904?id=5412350799483" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a> / <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Fine-Art-Truth-or-Dare-Melissa-Jensen/9780142420904" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pretty
in Pink</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> meets <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i> in this
charming romantic comedy.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ella
is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. She's
got her friends - the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She's got
her art - and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing.
Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in
the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and
lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French
ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily
ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they're dating? And is
Ella going to dare to be that girl?</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
was expecting a light, cute contemporary romance, but this book ended up being
so much more. The story was moving, and there was a great deal of character
depth which is not usually found in YA contemporary romances. I was pleasantly
surprised by this book, and I ended up falling completely in love with it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
most compelling thing about this book was the characters, hands down. They were
so realistically rendered and portrayed, and I adored the main character, Ella.
She is a true kindred spirit and very down to Earth. After an unfortunate
accident as a child, she has been left with a scar that has resulted in her
having some insecurities about herself, especially her body. She constantly
wants to hide away, where no one will notice her or her scar, and where she is
free to relish her art and study more about Edward Willing, her artistic (and
dead) crush. To me, the insecurities she has with herself are what make her character
both genuine and relatable. While not everyone has a large scar, most people do
have insecurities concerning themselves and their bodies, and I loved watching
Ella slowly and realistically come to accept herself, scars and all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Alex’s
character is all about breaking stereotypes. He’s rich, intelligent, extremely
good-looking, seemingly unattainable…. You know where this story is going
already, right? Wrong! There is a depth to his character that is not commonly
found, and I enjoyed piecing together the anomaly known as Alex. When Alex and
Ella were together, they had a real connection to each other, and watching
their feelings gradually deepen was a real treat. The romantic aspect of this
novel, while it cannot compare to the romance found in Anna and the French Kiss
(but really, what book can?? St. Clair=LOVE!), was delightful and adorable, and
Alex and Ella’s relationship contained all the fluffy fun I was hoping to find.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
Fine Art of Truth or Dare is definitely a book worth reading. There were a few
facets to this novel that I did not particularly care for, such as Ella’s
over-obsession with Edward Willing and some teenage moments of angst, but
overall, this was a well-written and beautifully conceptualized novel telling
the story of how two teens found one another and learned to accept themselves.
It is a ridiculously cute and romantic read that you should not miss out on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWdYFzD7b1PE8A8tXn3D5UQJaebhb8CLk5wnA3OuXRUooiBPGabBrJlmXkdx_onOAQptNKFcIxqrMOpGI7vWucwmzI4mN6ZfR2Jq5teZctFEtBKz2i7WG5eG_hu7vifQqqUX1Vk1Z8-Y/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWdYFzD7b1PE8A8tXn3D5UQJaebhb8CLk5wnA3OuXRUooiBPGabBrJlmXkdx_onOAQptNKFcIxqrMOpGI7vWucwmzI4mN6ZfR2Jq5teZctFEtBKz2i7WG5eG_hu7vifQqqUX1Vk1Z8-Y/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-25922100451758350202012-07-04T07:41:00.000-04:002012-07-04T07:41:05.778-04:00Waiting on Wednesday (30)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border: 1px solid transparent; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s1600/Open-book-080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #365e8f; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s400/Open-book-080.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #55d1e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">and it's a weekly meme mentioning an anticipated upcoming release</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 25px;">!</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My choice:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G4gSrb9-2t2zTu6HezGsOiFH11A8hRLxh_G5Dum43k-LaPeVrzojto135EbgMJfkg7teX9ijaSwgs_Yey2p4EVxONrxZ9qL4sqUOH9YmngJrjl7LGt16rKbi04Gz-bHPiNi-dB4Eat8/s1600/13517617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G4gSrb9-2t2zTu6HezGsOiFH11A8hRLxh_G5Dum43k-LaPeVrzojto135EbgMJfkg7teX9ijaSwgs_Yey2p4EVxONrxZ9qL4sqUOH9YmngJrjl7LGt16rKbi04Gz-bHPiNi-dB4Eat8/s320/13517617.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13517617-inhuman" target="_blank">Inhuman (Fetch, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3131761.Kat_Falls" target="_blank">Kat Falls</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> March 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Scholastic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://katfalls.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> /
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kat-Falls-author/288256804889" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br /></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13517617-inhuman" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads!</a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In
a world ravaged by mutation, a teenage girl must travel into the forbidden
Savage Zone to recover lost artifacts or her father's life is forfeit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">America
has been ravaged by a war that has left the eastern half of the country riddled
with mutation. Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal
traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Crossing
from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it's necessary.
Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old
Lane's father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts--he is a Fetch. It's a
dangerous life, but rewarding--until he's caught.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Desperate
to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving
behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb--and her very DNA--in the
Savage Zone. But she's not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane
strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a
guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn't exhibit
any signs of "manimal" mutation, he's hardly civilized . . . and he
may not be trustworthy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Whoa!
There are so many things that make me excited about this book! The cover seems
very dystopian/urban fantasy-like, and I there are not <i>nearly</i> enough YA UF reads, in my opinion. Also, the synopsis has me
thinking that this is going to be Tomb Raider meets Feral/Ravaged World, and
who would not be interested in reading something like that?? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">What is your pick for this week?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Send me a link, and I will check it out! :)</span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-91822940483521522432012-07-03T07:42:00.000-04:002012-07-03T07:48:16.844-04:00100 Followers Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV5w2IK4JhqaZKxEHVglFelmb76OmnMkGbU8R_xvHsBbDuIuV6i1N_m7hOVzr4TRmq6aBGFYULhoQpx26YmarrbyIM75YAR5ypoN3BNdYcSyuKgWSVbKJyhz63TkekmyVBhyphenhypheng5yC_GORJ/s1600/Recently+Updated-0032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV5w2IK4JhqaZKxEHVglFelmb76OmnMkGbU8R_xvHsBbDuIuV6i1N_m7hOVzr4TRmq6aBGFYULhoQpx26YmarrbyIM75YAR5ypoN3BNdYcSyuKgWSVbKJyhz63TkekmyVBhyphenhypheng5yC_GORJ/s400/Recently+Updated-0032.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Wow! I have reached 100 followers! *squee* Thanks to
everyone who has followed the blog and for all of your support! Since I am so
excited about this, what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway? :) There
are many highly anticipated titles coming out in July and August, and the
winner will be able to choose one upcoming release from the following selection
(click on the cover for Goodreads info):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_811611898"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9064899-endlessly" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRW8hZiOkl-QZe7ZJanz2YycS_qQoCpRhS3y27IT1tDNTuUl0asMXfPEWW2o9ESyu5nDfSt_6doqNqKNwXHFpRUJMEY7KSazvsFMLZdga8lpTV9YEQnPG92qJTs3vVPgBwXqmetLqcohy/s320/9064899.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10535458-glitch" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcmYomvbveEn347JfspISTQ2x679rqlgd0-AYavtPbhcfxilEuk_-LhaZ7UBRSWuKlQEaccXaYxW7bBtHpsdfbW6_7OR77OECrAqUWRaZLezJ3MaBHtFpO_FGam0EenBJsD7iAmBQVKB_F/s320/10535458+-+Copy.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7896527-throne-of-glass" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDojQmdk70Wf1V1Sx-TpfLjopU7RMG5AAKshcLRg7aDk6Ydt0hpA1x2_aGbWMgR_g741mbUnCS9vi003Gp5y7mkamGvsF5UlPT_PkKj6N3QnlEQXBkgH8YoE1UVIdKSGeTANR5V416IjS-/s320/7896527+-+Copy.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9239571-enshadowed" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzBppGRPU8Eg7tXOiOAHTY8tghlPVUU2QsNe1Ngzh5sPq_qWpKaDGQ62o5qbSy9WgblUydaPiS9E0QmR-s3IWnc4dRSUcIwZ1Lu9X3SNTB7L3EAnaQZG8BJPYDQ-p59rnkaUatB5apQ8k/s1600/9239571.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9859436-something-strange-and-deadly" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWWif2uyJNSkwyNf_mnVnNs6R6vygSbhQYzjn68YxfSmP7HSF21X0y9A0AlZkaWvjug3yJ3PlOZjhyOeCv_o3su-8PVSf2b0ZhrcoydHy2NTfDAV2Sh1YeY1GxWM774_w9u0o8TCOVauh/s320/9859436.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11410430-defiance" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsXfloZNSlJQZpfY9lG65o6NOj4vriXXBHCkir6U38yfnphVgKv_KLq1REzLw-aNODkngVkcXcHScKoakDPWR2yzK3WJQ3TTaqD-1G45fEJk9fA0MlwwrTDf1KLKv81QVR1TBmKuz3rkM/s320/11410430.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11737311-the-treachery-of-beautiful-things" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMiyEodtzhcsQLCeCm4zrzdo7JoyN1dYCp_MCrW-xoTasJWLnix0n1GBkqTOj_bsHHoSpKOKqMcLyt2GhaG847eVIJOuMnunGVMiap0vvaQ06neUERE1ZFPaboCnX0ZjKhPf2lG7q6Wxk/s320/11737311.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">This
contest is international, so anyone can sign up! Thanks again for following my
blog, and happy reading!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Contest
details:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">-
Open internationally<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">-
Winner will have <b>48 hours to respond</b> or a new winner will be chosen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">- If the selected book is not out by the time
the contest ends, it will be pre-ordered and shipped to the winner’s personal address upon release<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-3b700d10">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-69925108810878488112012-07-02T09:21:00.002-04:002012-07-02T09:21:41.206-04:00Review: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXX-ZXj_GEfwUTvQoGHPhgY2Q75y9FgZMMone557V_Vu-gi8Am4M5It0joOjzo3f1PFVS-LqaMv9Op1kisAv3-IVgwunOXvCJmTXCQAGKfYEpJ4fp8YMxWZflN8n8jvevY5gGed6_AVGe8/s1600/12753231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXX-ZXj_GEfwUTvQoGHPhgY2Q75y9FgZMMone557V_Vu-gi8Am4M5It0joOjzo3f1PFVS-LqaMv9Op1kisAv3-IVgwunOXvCJmTXCQAGKfYEpJ4fp8YMxWZflN8n8jvevY5gGed6_AVGe8/s320/12753231.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12753231-monument-14" target="_blank">Monument 14 (Monument 14, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5241601.Emmy_Laybourne" target="_blank">Emmy Laybourne</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> June 5, 2012<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Feiwel & Friends<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://emmylaybourne.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://emmylaybourne.com/#blog" target="_blank">Blog</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/EmmyLaybourne" target="_blank">Twitter</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Survival, Dystopian<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> Hardcover and eBook</span></div>
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My Shelf:</b> Want to Buy<b><br />
Buy the Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312569033/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d1_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=12PK6RX0Q7SZZ5J5PCQQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monument-14-emmy-laybourne/1106910623" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Monument/Emmy-Laybourne/9780312569037?id=5412350799483" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Your mother hollers that you’re going to
miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her
and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient
mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for
the corner.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever
see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things.
Maybe even missed the bus.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But the bus was barreling down our
street, so I ran.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Fourteen
kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In
Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular,
some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped
together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While
outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm
and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they
know it—apart.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">How
can you not be interested in a story where what appears to be a normal, rather
mundane day turns into a struggle to survive with the world literally falling
apart around you? There are all kinds of crazy things going on in the beginning
of this book: deadly, destructive hailstorms, exploding cars, and buses ramming
into supermarkets, and I was immediately pulled into the story. Throw into the
mix some nuclear disasters and megatsunamis, and I was hooked (yeah, survival
of the fittest, baby!). It sounds like a great premise for a survival dystopian
novel, right? However, while the book was quite enjoyable and entertaining, it
lacked a few things that made it memorable for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">With
the beginning of the story starting out action-heavy and rather dramatic, I
expected a similar kind of tone/pacing for the rest of the story. However, once
the children get confined to the supermarket, things really decelerate and cool
down. Survival for them comes in the form of structure and order, where everyone
has chores they need to carry out, such as cooking, sorting supermarket items,
and taking stock inventory. While it was impressive to read about how these
teenagers and children were able to care for themselves, especially in such
trying times, it lacked entertainment value. The only intense moments were
intermittent fights over who would be leader of their group or relationship
drama between a few of the high schoolers. These moments helped the story
progress, but the slow pacing kept me from being fully invested. My favorite
moments were when they were able to get information about the outside world,
but unfortunately those moments were few and far between. I mean, the world is
being destroyed, I want to know what is going on! Even at the end of the book, I was uncertain
of what the current situation was and the ramifications of all the disasters,
but hopefully those things will be further explained in the next installment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
found the characters to be a tad superficial. Dean was a decent male lead, and
I like how the story is told from his perspective (yay for male POV!), but I
found his overall emotions to be rather dull and listless. There were many
times where he would be distressed or tensions would run high, but I never
really felt any kind of heightened emotions myself. Also, some of the
characters just annoyed and/or disturbed me. Two of the older teenagers, who
should be role models for the younger children, spend most of their time either
high or drunk, Dean peeps on his crush and her boyfriend getting physical with
one another (the boyfriend naming her boobs = super distasteful), and one girl
is so desperate for male attention she usually is flashing some kind of feminine
body part. While personality flaws like this worked well with creating dramatic
moments and establishing character dynamics, they did not make me particularly
care for any of the characters. To me, the characters were ordinary and… just there.
I had a pretty strong disconnect to almost all of them throughout the novel,
and I think they should have been fleshed out a bit more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">One
other aspect to the book I want to mention is the writing style. While it did
not bother me, I can see how it would grate on others. Laybourne has a very simplistic
prose, and she mainly uses basic sentence structures and does not delve too far
into emotions and explicit details. This is in no means a bad thing, and I
personally attributed her prose style to the fact that the story is told from a
teenage male’s perspective, but some people could be very turned off to this
kind of writing style. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Overall,
while this book is not perfect, I did enjoy it. The ending definitely saved the
book for me, and it left room for a lot of potential in the sequel. I liked the
idea Laybourne has about children surviving the end of the world (that actually
sounds terrible of me to say ><), and while she could have expanded on the
story and made it more action-packed/dramatic, Monument 14 is nevertheless an
entertaining read and I am excited to see where the second book takes us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA3BSxgxcrhZ48k4J1rOGtZV-esLWxusU6XT9Swez5ddLjZ7uO9XLuLa9SgQNsEpz3zU89pJhUKYubSv2CzUIRK_OvvXRNBd8xFf5g02kT0Y_o4fxP5UbKsCNVnyclYDvjLPSICMykL0w/s1600/3+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA3BSxgxcrhZ48k4J1rOGtZV-esLWxusU6XT9Swez5ddLjZ7uO9XLuLa9SgQNsEpz3zU89pJhUKYubSv2CzUIRK_OvvXRNBd8xFf5g02kT0Y_o4fxP5UbKsCNVnyclYDvjLPSICMykL0w/s1600/3+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Decent Escape</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-11212250373401005672012-07-01T08:57:00.000-04:002012-07-01T08:57:12.312-04:00New Releases for July are Up!!<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">New releases for July are now up! To see all the
releases for this month, just click on the “</span><a href="http://storybookescape.blogspot.com/p/books-to-read.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">New Releases</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">” cloud in the nav
bar! There are actually quite a few books I am looking forward to getting my
hands on. Here are my picks for this month:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>What are you excited to read this month?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-81269830923950327022012-06-29T21:45:00.000-04:002012-06-29T21:45:19.434-04:00Review: Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLOAebpEjRoMfZqS3sxxSkN6HW-q0r2iJL-2VDoPT0IEDa3bacKlmPCDCzQTVYNMlti98LGcceuF5CSncv5nCO3xJytfBDv5ylDOUb8tzn0Mn8iU2s4ZG_YGgY0-TFT9cXglf1ZUYHH6g/s1600/13505141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLOAebpEjRoMfZqS3sxxSkN6HW-q0r2iJL-2VDoPT0IEDa3bacKlmPCDCzQTVYNMlti98LGcceuF5CSncv5nCO3xJytfBDv5ylDOUb8tzn0Mn8iU2s4ZG_YGgY0-TFT9cXglf1ZUYHH6g/s320/13505141.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13505141-grasping-at-eternity" target="_blank">Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily Series, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044405.Karen_Amanda_Hooper" target="_blank">Karen Amanda Hooper</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> May 25, 2012<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Starry Sky Publishing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://karenamandahooper.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://karenamandahooper.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a>
/ <a href="https://twitter.com/Karen_Hooper" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKaren" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Genre:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Paranormal, Reincarnation,
Romance<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> eBook<b><br />
My Shelf:</b> Own (eBook)<b><br />
Other Books:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12047201-tangled-tides" target="_blank">Tangled Tides</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Buy the Book:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grasping-Eternity-The-Kindrily-ebook/dp/B0085CI5IE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341020342&sr=8-1&keywords=grasping+at+eternity" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grasping-at-eternity-karen-amanda-hooper/1110985145" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Leave
it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never
erase your memories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Before
entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen
years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for
centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have
supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan,
the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Nathan
is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his
love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes
together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He
hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who
murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">While
Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets
that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her,
Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto
the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely
eternity can be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">X-MEN
meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“A person’s destiny is written in the stars. The sky
is a storybook, and the stars are the characters in its pages.” ~pg. 69<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It
seems, however, that Maryah’s story is already reaching its end. The star that
represents her eternal life has gone out. She grows up unaware that her story
is drawing to a close, but when a tragic event strikes her biological family,
she has to move in with complete strangers who seem to know more about her than
she does herself. She comes to realize that she was once a part of their Kindrily,
a family of superpowered, reincarnated souls that have been together for centuries.
Each member of the family lives a lifetime, passes on, and then is born again
with the same soul and all their past memories intact. Except Maryah. She has
no memories of this family, or her soulmate, Nathaniel. Without her memories,
her eternal soul is in danger of being lost forever, and when a group of people
begin hunting her down for being a Kindrily, her life, and her soul, have never
been more at risk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">With
books dealing with soulmates and reincarnation gaining popularity as of late, it
is becoming hard to find a story that is unconventional. However, Hooper never
fails to deliver, and she provides a stunningly original story of love and
loss. Hooper’s expressive prose and exquisitely rendered characters makes Grasping
at Eternity an enthralling read, and the emotional intensity of this book is
gripping and heartrending. I loved everything about this story, and Hooper has
definitely become one of my favorite authors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Grasping
at Eternity is told from both Maryah’s and Nathaniel’s point of view, and this
shifting of perspectives allows the reader to really get a feel for both
characters. Their voices are distinct, and I have to admit I loved getting
explicit peeks at Nathaniel’s thoughts. With his soulmate unable to remember
him and their past lives, Nathaniel is experiencing heartbreak and emotional
pain like never before. Hooper’s vivid details made his heartache feel real,
and there were moments where I would be rubbing my chest in phantom pain. Maryah
is thrust in a new world and family, and she has no idea why everyone seems to
know who she is, or how Nathaniel knows she loves hot chocolate. Her confusion
and disorientation felt genuine, and I loved how the reader pieces the story together
with Maryah. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
most appealing aspect of this book for me was Hooper’s concept of reincarnation.
After every life, the eternal soul is given an option: retain or erase. If you
were given the choice to remember everything, both the good and the bad, and
carry it with you in the next life, would you? Or would you like to have a
clean slate and be able to experience everything again for the first time, like
your first kiss and falling in love? It is truly a fascinating idea! Hooper also
delves into the meaning of promnesia, otherwise known as déjà vu. We all experience
moments or events in life that seem startlingly familiar, but we just write it
off as one of those weird déjà vu moments. But what if one of those strange
moments is actually a recollection from a past life? There are so many stories
out there of people who believed they remember their past life, but what those
stories are actually true? Hooper’s theory of reincarnation really captured my
attention, and I loved how it made me think. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">After
reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12047201-tangled-tides" target="_blank">Tangled Tides</a>, I feel in love with Hooper’s writing, and just when I
think she could not get any better, she produces Grasping at Eternity. This
book blew me away with its excellent (and intriguing!) storyline, heartfelt
characters, and emotional turmoil. I feel like this book should have come with
a warning sign! Warning: this will put you through an emotional wringer. This
book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you experience heartache, and make
you discover the happiness and joy in finding your destined person. This book
was everything I expected from Hooper and more, and I cannot wait to see what
she comes out with next!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lastly,
I will leave you with this beautiful quote that so perfectly represents this
book:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“If you love someone, put their name in a circle;
because hearts can be broken, but a circle never ends.” ~Anonymous<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>The Greatest Escape!</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-2090188427534407132012-06-27T06:35:00.001-04:002012-06-27T07:44:34.868-04:00Waiting on Wednesday (29)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border: 1px solid transparent; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s1600/Open-book-080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #365e8f; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s400/Open-book-080.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #55d1e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">and it's a weekly meme mentioning an anticipated upcoming release</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 25px;">!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">My Choice:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2ABWXYLqSsM28LtKS3SeDd6VL4uxmaEhcWOjlkEeDQBoN9rnSpo4-K4LwX3oWAUZpTHsdioJMlqWySmzk56yU267Imk7_HqEjiOP9OBRp0JlyeEtXkxcTWZ-fCTHJoeBUjO6qQvTixFD/s1600/12411635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2ABWXYLqSsM28LtKS3SeDd6VL4uxmaEhcWOjlkEeDQBoN9rnSpo4-K4LwX3oWAUZpTHsdioJMlqWySmzk56yU267Imk7_HqEjiOP9OBRp0JlyeEtXkxcTWZ-fCTHJoeBUjO6qQvTixFD/s320/12411635.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12411635-the-nightmare-affair" target="_blank">The Nightmare Affair</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5145808.Mindee_Arnett" target="_blank">Mindee Arnett</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> March 3, 2013<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Tor Teen<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.mindeearnett.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://www.mindeearnett.com/blog-2/" target="_blank">Blog</a>
/ <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/mindeearnett" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Mindee-Arnett/215046761888669" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Other Information:</b> Debut<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pre-Order:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Nightmare-Affair-Mindee-Arnett/dp/0765333333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340791869&sr=8-1&keywords=the+nightmare+affair" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Nightmare-Affair/Mindee-Arnett/9780765333339?id=5406852851884" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a><b><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12411635-the-nightmare-affair" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads!</a></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">16-year-old
Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a
criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds
on human dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">Being
the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and
living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty
sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s
hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much
more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is
Arkwell.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">And
then it comes true.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">Now
the Dusty has to follow the clues--both within Eli’s dreams and out of them--to
stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns
what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">The
first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. It definitely stands out
amongst other YA novels! The author also posted the full dust cover, text and
all, which is just GORGEOUS! (I love the mysterious and slightly creepy vibe it
has.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WuMbPFk0RFQ90hx-5flGbyuTG26sdENx4mkMGxP-M2rUoZegrxCGqoRMLD7b5HY2T8H0NcbhnNVeNqOwpTpaEVc6s7Uy1Co4kJq4J1oOYQAukrkzsZUPYN4P_6MtWDR179mzbm_W8y6d/s1600/TNA_jacketcoverfull.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WuMbPFk0RFQ90hx-5flGbyuTG26sdENx4mkMGxP-M2rUoZegrxCGqoRMLD7b5HY2T8H0NcbhnNVeNqOwpTpaEVc6s7Uy1Co4kJq4J1oOYQAukrkzsZUPYN4P_6MtWDR179mzbm_W8y6d/s400/TNA_jacketcoverfull.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">The
premise turned out to be just as unique as the cover, which made me even more
excited! A girl who feeds on nightmares? Where can I get myself a copy of this
book? Throw in the main character straddling boys, a hot, prophetic love
interest, and a little bit of murder, mayhem, and mystery, and I am sold! :D</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">The
author is holding a giveaway to win an ARC of The Nightmare Affair <a href="http://www.mindeearnett.com/the-nightmare-affair-cover-reveal-giveaway/" target="_blank">here</a>, if you
would like to sign up!</span></span></span></div>
</div>
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</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-41933732909935721982012-06-26T08:19:00.000-04:002012-07-20T10:32:03.259-04:00HUGE Giveaway and Review for Auracle by Gina Rosati<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">*A HUGE thank you to Gina Rosati for providing me
with an ARC of Auracle to review! Thank you, thank you! *<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11362198-auracle" target="_blank">Auracle</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4851799.Gina_Rosati" target="_blank">Gina Rosati</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> August 7, 2012<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Roaring Brook Press<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Author Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://ginarosati.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ginarosati" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gina-Rosati/168090603246100?sk=wall" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Contemporary, Paranormal<b><br />
Available Formats: </b>Hardcover and eBook</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My Shelf:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Own (ARC)<b><br />
Other Information: </b>Debut<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pre-Order:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Auracle-Gina-Rosati/dp/1596437103/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340685201&sr=8-1&keywords=auracle" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/auracle-gina-rosati/1106910622?ean=9781596437104" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Auracle/Gina-Rosati/9781596437104?id=5406852851884" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11362198-auracle" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads!</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">16
year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei;
she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the
world and the far reaches of the universe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When
there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what
was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to
become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension,
Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna
back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder.
Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper
feelings that are beginning to grow between them.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I point to my chest, mouthing the word <i>me</i>.
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Me,” he says softly. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“‘That’s not me.’</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> That’s not
you? Well, then, who is it?” He looks more confused than ever. Over at my
house, the front door opens. Taylor comes out barefoot and walks slowly up the
driveway toward the mailbox. She doesn’t look over, but Rei sees her, and he
knows I can’t be here and there at the same time.
</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I mouth the word very slowly. “<i>Taylor</i>.”</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; text-align: center;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Auracle
was a real treat to read. Rosati smoothly blends vivid details and evocative
writing with an original, emotional story, heartfelt and down-to-earth
characters, and a plotline that will keep you reading until the very end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Growing
up, I watched the show <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charmed" target="_blank">Charmed</a></i>
religiously, and I remember thinking Prue’s ability of astral projection was
one of the most amazing abilities ever. To be able to escape from both your
body and life, traverse to places of unforetold wonder, experience things such
as sight, smell, and sound more intensely than in your physical body, it would
truly be a life-altering experience. While the concept of astral projection was
what drew me to Auracle initially, I quickly discovered there was so much more
to love about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
characters themselves were exquisitely rendered, each with their own strengths
and imperfections, and they felt genuinely real. Roasti brilliantly constructs
deep bonds between the characters, and portrays what it means to be a true
friend. Personally, I found the strongest and most compelling part of this story
to be the growing relationship between Rei and Anna. Having been best friends
since childhood, there were already close to one another, but I loved watching
their relationship realistically and gradually change as they became aware of
the romantic connection between them. (I was totally giggling the first time
Anna realizes that Rei has abs! Yum! :D)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Utterly
unique and emotionally gripping, Auracle is easily a book I would recommend to
anyone. It has quickly been added to my list of top favorites, and it is the
type of book you will reach for again and again. To put it simply, Auracle was an
absolutely mesmerizing read, and I hope it dazzles you as much as it did
me. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>The Greatest Escape!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Well,
if that is not enough to inspire you to read Auracle, I’ll share a funny story
from the author – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“I
was having trouble visualizing Rei, so one day while I was using my husband's
computer, I decided I needed to find a picture. Rei is half Japanese, so I
Google Image-searched "Hot Asian Guys". NEVER do this from your
husband's computer (or boyfriend or parent, etc.) because there is this little
thing I was unaware of called Google Search History. Later that night, my
husband asked me 1) why I had been Googling "Hot Asian Guys" on his
computer and 2) why his computer was infested with malware. Oops! (I now know
that <i>anything</i> Googled with the word
“Hot” can lead to big trouble!) Fortunately, my husband has a really great
sense of humor and he's a whiz at fixing computers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">As
soon as I saw this picture, I knew I’d found my Rei (although this is really
actor/singer Takeshi Kaneshiro!) And since he looks so good all drippy wet, I
felt compelled to keep Rei wet as much as possible, which explains Rei’s shower
obsession. Seriously. This is character development at its finest! ;)”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
To view the picture of Rei, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joflc/3696909465/" target="_blank">click here</a>!</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">And
now it is <b>GIVEAWAY TIME! </b>Gina is
giving away a bunch of awesome prizes: a signed ARC of Auracle, two bags of
Auracle swag, and a Swarovski crystal bracelet! (^o^) This giveaway is
international, so anyone can join! The winner will be notified by email and will have <b>48 hours</b> <b>to respond</b> or a new winner will be chosen. To enter, just sign up below!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE7vAAZAZpL-RJwky52Et9coQc8Wahjac4OufpWPwYJW51-PklH0BSGe0GrhARcdxon6QlcBIqLcYQf3hAPRZaciHzXdtybWjMZqAi47kSIcGJPm-A1AxwpKdYp287ka_rPTf-gMf9-fg/s1600/auracle+giveaway+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE7vAAZAZpL-RJwky52Et9coQc8Wahjac4OufpWPwYJW51-PklH0BSGe0GrhARcdxon6QlcBIqLcYQf3hAPRZaciHzXdtybWjMZqAi47kSIcGJPm-A1AxwpKdYp287ka_rPTf-gMf9-fg/s320/auracle+giveaway+pic.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
</td><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgXrXnIJ__skmsZLb9UUWbCdrRj2g1n5fK9f2J3Xdn7KXhdpvWMYhQOD5S0DQNbvt9DomBTkpuvv6nfyr9Uq12jaCZQCdru-z6ib1spQi8KLO9AGQUDvVnOorLw6xDO5ha4eeEOfEdEeJ/s1600/auracle+giveaway+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgXrXnIJ__skmsZLb9UUWbCdrRj2g1n5fK9f2J3Xdn7KXhdpvWMYhQOD5S0DQNbvt9DomBTkpuvv6nfyr9Uq12jaCZQCdru-z6ib1spQi8KLO9AGQUDvVnOorLw6xDO5ha4eeEOfEdEeJ/s320/auracle+giveaway+pic+2.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The prizes (detailed): Signed ARC, beaded bookmarks, buttons, magnets,
silicone bracelets, Swarovski crystal bracelet and stickers! About the bracelet: </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
center star and fastener are lead-free pewter. The blue crystals are Swarovski,
but the large clear beads are quartz crystal, which (according to newly minted
crystal geek, Gina) absorbs negative energy. Leave your bracelet on a sunny
windowsill from time to time to let the crystals clear and charge up.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The bracelet pictured measures seven inches.
If you need your bracelet bigger or smaller, let me know and Gina will restring
to fit.</span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-3b700d9">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-73540680210167245992012-06-25T08:56:00.000-04:002012-06-25T08:56:51.247-04:00Giveaway and Blog Tour: Retro Geeks by Karen Mueller Bryson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNJ3fL2for8RzE_KKu85T_n6jqx-3O-yD6wT1gLl0KHEobUxvcQvKNcOuRGR2aUArgocPzxaGLm9snMC5OLsuZ4fLD8b0ln5JpMaV03njGOnpB73hslXk1iqEx3J0XnVziDxAGSkBXPq2/s1600/13577898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNJ3fL2for8RzE_KKu85T_n6jqx-3O-yD6wT1gLl0KHEobUxvcQvKNcOuRGR2aUArgocPzxaGLm9snMC5OLsuZ4fLD8b0ln5JpMaV03njGOnpB73hslXk1iqEx3J0XnVziDxAGSkBXPq2/s320/13577898.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13577898-retro-geeks" target="_blank">Retro Geeks</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/141938.Karen_Mueller_Bryson" target="_blank">Karen Mueller Bryson</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">March 29, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> CreateSpace<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://karenmueller.homestead.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/karenmbryson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/karenmuellerbryson" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Contemporary<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> Paperback and eBook<b><br />
My Shelf:</b> Own (eBook)<b><br />
Buy the Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Retro-Geeks-Short-Time-Teens/dp/1475046707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340628127&sr=8-1&keywords=retro+geeks" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Retro
Geeks is a Short on Time Books for Teens, fast-paced and fun novels for readers
on the go. Remember when it wasn't cool to be a geek? That's so yesterday!
Retro Geeks, chronicles the (mis)adventures of two self-proclaimed geek girls,
Molly and Ally, as they attempt to land super-hot dates for their senior prom.
The 80s obsessed BFFs attempt a variety of date-finding schemes, including
spying on the popular girls for the 411 on fitting in, in their quest for
top-tier prom dates.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What
a fun, fluffy read! Retro Geeks is a nice coming-of-age story of how two girls
come to embrace their individuality. Molly and Ally are self-proclaimed retro
geeks, but being retro does not equate to being ‘cool’. Determined to become
part of the In-Crowd, they devise a series of plans to land them popularity and
handsome prom dates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
story itself is light, and there are a few fun moments that make Retro Geeks an
entertaining read. Molly and Anna have a very tightly bound friendship, and
some of the schemes they concocted together were so crazy it was ridiculous. Their
story is all kinds of adorable, and it really made me recall (and not miss) how
over-the-top and dramatic everything was in high school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Some
moments in this book were very reminiscent of the movie Mean Girls, and Elisa
and friends reminded me a lot of Regina and her crew, cattiness and all. Also,
as an added bonus, there is a guy named Tucker who just so happens to be a
cowboy, and his kindhearted personality is very similar to Unearthly’s Tucker
Avery (*swoon* I <3 Tucker Avery!). Overall, the story can be kind of silly
and juvenile at moments, and it is easy to see how the storyline will progress,
but it serves well for a short, fun read.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxekbjAlNScd7MljNVCrtlojB0vtpNutRRsBETn3NFyDj85ATCyJPGa68GXD8KbhGxnw-gaQM2VYpgXSNmEeixGSAzytS6yk36K-e-G1CNNoyGxFJzR3txtJpNYmxTOB-OZ7oqDOBtrq4/s1600/3+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxekbjAlNScd7MljNVCrtlojB0vtpNutRRsBETn3NFyDj85ATCyJPGa68GXD8KbhGxnw-gaQM2VYpgXSNmEeixGSAzytS6yk36K-e-G1CNNoyGxFJzR3txtJpNYmxTOB-OZ7oqDOBtrq4/s1600/3+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Decent Escape</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Enter the giveaway below to win a copy of Retro Geeks! (International)</b></span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-3b700d8">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-37931819083715029482012-06-24T07:04:00.000-04:002012-06-26T06:10:55.127-04:00Review: A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoCNSXjK3aRSnl7tIeXiarSR7chXHGm9Hjo95g6uzsKWE-QajXD6XOY8kIl1nuHz1wzUb3h-5_Oj3qXmfVv7nUo7FGItMYE7ebTUv-UBssPrHeNldy_Y2S91sWs5-H4JbFmVDiJOtcC3Q/s1600/12907355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoCNSXjK3aRSnl7tIeXiarSR7chXHGm9Hjo95g6uzsKWE-QajXD6XOY8kIl1nuHz1wzUb3h-5_Oj3qXmfVv7nUo7FGItMYE7ebTUv-UBssPrHeNldy_Y2S91sWs5-H4JbFmVDiJOtcC3Q/s320/12907355.jpg" width="198" /></a><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12907355-a-blood-seduction" target="_blank">A Blood Seduction (Vamp City, #1)</a> by
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/267687.Pamela_Palmer" target="_blank">Pamela Palmer</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Release Date: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">May
29, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Publisher: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Avon<b><br />
Author Information: </b><a href="http://www.pamelapalmer.net/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://pamelapalmer.net/blog/" target="_blank">Blog</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/Pamela_Palmer" target="_blank">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Genre:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Available Formats:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">
Paperback and eBook<b><br />
Buy the Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Seduction-Vamp-City-Novel/dp/0062107496/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340535613&sr=8-2&keywords=a+blood+seduction" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-blood-seduction-pamela-palmer/1106580380?ean=9780062107497" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Blood-Seduction/Pamela-Palmer/9780062107497?id=5377734930969" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a></span></div>
<blackquote></blackquote><br />
<div style="background: #e1f3fe; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Take me down to Vampire City...<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Vampires live only for lust and
pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying.
The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal
world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Quinn
Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark
otherworld that only she can see—and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo
Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave
her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can't do is forget about her—any
more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let
desire get in the way of their mission—his to save his people, hers to save
herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction,
where passion flows hot and blood-red.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Welcome to Vamp City...<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[sigh] I had such high hopes for this book. With
world building comparable to Ilona Andrew’s On the Edge series, I was
immediately taken in with the idea of a vampire city overlaying the ‘real world’
of Washington, D.C. The vampires that live in this parallel world, Washington,
V.C. (Vamp City- I kid you not), are complete monsters, where in addition to
thriving on human blood, they also enjoying feeding off the fear and pain of
humans. Humans are beaten, whipped, tortured, and enslaved, all to satisfy the
desires and bloodlust of their master vampires. There are no sparkly, loving
vampires here! I loved the rough, gritty feel to the world and all its
occupants, but the book still ended up falling flat for me. The fault lies in
the characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The main character, Quinn, has some magic in her
blood, enabling her to see into V.C. When a friend goes missing, she accidently
stumbles into the vampires’ world and meets Arturo. This is when everything hits
the fan. Quinn ran me through an emotional gamut. She would be terrified of Arturo
one minute, then desire him, and then hate him, all within a couple of
paragraphs. Her emotions and feelings toward Arturo would shift so quickly that
it was impossible for me to keep up with them. She would be scared witless but
still crave him. I thought emotions like fear, hate, and desire in a
relationship were mutually exclusive (unless someone is an extreme masochist,
which Quinn is not). Even at the end of the book, her feelings were still
ambiguous, where I was unsure if she trusted him and how much she liked him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Another thing about Quinn is she is <i>weak</i>, both physically and emotionally. Arturo
told her not to trust him, that his allegiance was to his vampire master,
Cristoff, first and foremost. However, she would believe him when he was lying
to her, expect something from him, and then cry when he betrayed her. This
happened over and over again. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. She also couldn’t
fight to save her life. I kept expecting her to pull out some big guns and show
the vampires who was really boss, but she spent most of the time cowering in
fear. It is hard for me to get behind a character like that. It also gives me a
newfound respect for other characters like Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson, who
always stay strong and fierce, regardless of what is being thrown at them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Arturo is a whole other type of monster (literally).
He lies and betrays Quinn so much throughout this book that I had to keep
asking myself, <i>Is this guy really Quinn’s
love interest?</i> I still question whether he actually cares for her. There
were a few snippets in the book where the reader knew what he was thinking and begins
understand why he did what he did, and just when I think he is about to redeem
himself in some grand gesture, he goes and demolishes any progress he made. I
am all for the dangerous bad boys or the dark, broody types, but when a guy
shows how much he ‘cares’ for you by turning you over to his master who he
knows is going to torture you, I quickly fall off that guy’s bandwagon. No,
thank you, sir. Even at the end, after he helped Quinn escape, he says that he
will kidnap her again at a more convenient time and once again give her to his
master (who has threatened to cut off appendages next time he finds her). Hmmm,
I think this guy does not understand one crucial thing….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Dear Arturo, that is not the way you care for a
lady. Allow me to help you out here. A real woman would prefer chocolates or
flowers, maybe even candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach for the more
romantically inclined, not torture and pain and death. Most women do not find physical
and mental torment romantic. Just some advice you should take note of. From a concerned bystander, Bri. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall, the world was intriguing and I loved Palmer’s
take on vampires, but the characters were lacking. I found Arturo and Quinn’s
relationship to be extraordinarily unhealthy and disturbing, making it hard to
really appreciate what this book had to offer story-wise and romantically. I
may try out the next book in the series, but I am going to be hoping it turns
out better than A Blood Seduction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild81CvJ6i-9Dd2-fU3OLDBJK04o1-McFpXa9UxEEAef_FlL0wQkdNmAv5ENvUd3mtQaUSS2hBorf-77Iu-g2O06kYe14JxOW-hGkVHYc179P59dtjCyRazgm1duLO1Qg8tIkIaPM9AlKl/s1600/2+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild81CvJ6i-9Dd2-fU3OLDBJK04o1-McFpXa9UxEEAef_FlL0wQkdNmAv5ENvUd3mtQaUSS2hBorf-77Iu-g2O06kYe14JxOW-hGkVHYc179P59dtjCyRazgm1duLO1Qg8tIkIaPM9AlKl/s1600/2+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>A Small Escape</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-57990983620083250862012-06-22T09:20:00.000-04:002012-06-22T09:20:24.660-04:00Review: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0knF6IOKTrqJn5q3ZKNYyGafPsm_WnhRaAoKTF87aw-Za8cBKIouOP5EwhCGChXFYLG97eTUyQ0eHghCqFL13lqYP7HSwIDCUyBfQnFzNro6u1NPpIu_wMl-veA35-THV16pGYmQWVDx/s1600/6329547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0knF6IOKTrqJn5q3ZKNYyGafPsm_WnhRaAoKTF87aw-Za8cBKIouOP5EwhCGChXFYLG97eTUyQ0eHghCqFL13lqYP7HSwIDCUyBfQnFzNro6u1NPpIu_wMl-veA35-THV16pGYmQWVDx/s320/6329547.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6329547-on-the-edge" target="_blank">On the Edge (The Edge, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21748.Ilona_Andrews" target="_blank">Ilona Andrews</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> September 29,
2009<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Ace<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://www.ilona-andrews.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://www.ilona-andrews.com/blog" target="_blank">Blog</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ilona_andrews" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ilona.andrews" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Available Formats:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Paperback and
eBook<b><br />
My Shelf:</b> Want to Buy<b><br />
Other Series:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40691-kate-daniels" target="_blank">Kate Daniels series</a><b><br />
Buy the Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/On-Edge-The-Book/dp/0441017800/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340370751&sr=8-1&keywords=on+the+edge" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-the-edge-ilona-andrews/1100316130?ean=9781101140376" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Edge/Ilona-Andrews/9780441017805?id=5377734930969" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rose
Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive
cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where
blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic
can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one
world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rose
thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself.
But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage,
off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a
blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her
life, determined to have her (and her power).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But
when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures
hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll
devour the Edge and everyone in it.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">How
do you know when a book is going to be amazing? When the main character has to
shot her zombie grandfather to prevent him from eating dogs’ brains, yells at
one of her younger brothers for bringing the dead back to life and tattle
tailing, and scolding the other brother, a feline shapeshifter, for constantly
chasing and eating birds. All within the first 10 pages. She then proceeds to
almost run over royalty and kill off an evil hell hound, all while getting a
pretty good deal on a new pair of sneakers for one brother. Yep, this book is
going to be a good one!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Simply put, On the Edge is pure,
unadulterated satisfaction.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> The world Rose, her brothers, and Declan lives in
is brilliantly crafted and rife with originality. I loved discovering more
about their world, and Andrews does a wonderful job in presenting it, making
the dynamics of The Broken, The Edge, and The Weird easy to understand. The
characters were also exquisitely done. Rose is prickly and untrusting, but with
her attempted-kidnapping track record, it is easy to understand why. She has
the ability to use white flash, a type of magic only used by nobles in The Weird,
and this ability makes her a valuable commodity in The Edge. Not one to be used
or walked on because of her magic, she tends to shoot first and ask questions later.
She is fiercely loyal to her brothers, and I admired her resilience and strength.
Declan is perfect for Rose. He is a noble from The Weird, a trained fighter
with white flash abilities of his own. He is egotistical (but Rose quickly puts
him in his place), infuriating, swoon-worthy, and unabashedly protective of
Rose and everyone in her life. Together, Rose and Declan make a great pair, and
I loved watching their relationship develop. To top everything off, there was
Jack and George. I LOVED THEM. If there was a way I could put them in my pocket
and keep them forever, I would do it. Even though they are young, they are
mature and knowledgeable, and despite having completely different
personalities, there is a strong brotherly bond between them that tugs at the
heart and left me grinning like a ninny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Overall,
this book was everything I expected from Ilona Andrews and more. On the Edge is
the beginning of what I am sure will be an amazing new series, and I cannot
wait to read the next installment!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgOKBbSZ_1Za0S3XJL0gELRbsrilUIOCIPEAKEQMRABNRQ1sWDBFli_zh6aqerRp2l7-7GmzN-Oj7NnzBYPqVrmD4jtpU4SXggZzj5rt9r-AjisdDjjEZOpthPAn1bPxQKewVWHkAd4Z6/s1600/5+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgOKBbSZ_1Za0S3XJL0gELRbsrilUIOCIPEAKEQMRABNRQ1sWDBFli_zh6aqerRp2l7-7GmzN-Oj7NnzBYPqVrmD4jtpU4SXggZzj5rt9r-AjisdDjjEZOpthPAn1bPxQKewVWHkAd4Z6/s1600/5+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>The Greatest Escape!</b></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-59319562196942124372012-06-21T06:58:00.000-04:002012-06-21T07:01:26.003-04:00Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEHEayG6NyhIjcQ5hgElXILDA4SUfIVFFlITBwCZrjruJgyDvp_c72qx_NdGZWlvoMzUCYRQ4goTHjUBDuxTzcjxylx794wOSuFxMYAUDRayU_pZSbGhnISNgaIM6PcBAeli0FcnGjqLT/s1600/12294652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEHEayG6NyhIjcQ5hgElXILDA4SUfIVFFlITBwCZrjruJgyDvp_c72qx_NdGZWlvoMzUCYRQ4goTHjUBDuxTzcjxylx794wOSuFxMYAUDRayU_pZSbGhnISNgaIM6PcBAeli0FcnGjqLT/s320/12294652.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12294652-my-life-next-door" target="_blank">My Life Next Door</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4660036.Huntley_Fitzpatrick" target="_blank">Huntley Fitzpatrick</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">June 14, 2012<b><br />
Publisher:</b> Dial Books for Young Readers<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://www.huntleyfitzpatrick.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/huntleyfitz" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Huntley-Fitzpatrick/160829790679936" target="_blank">Facebook</a><b><br />
Genre:</b> Contemporary, Romance<b><br />
Available Formats:</b> Hardcover and eBook<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My Shelf:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Want to Buy<b><br />
Other Information:</b> Debut<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Buy the Book:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Next-Door-Huntley-Fitzpatrick/dp/0803736991/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340275967&sr=8-2&keywords=my+life+next+door" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-life-next-door-huntley-fitzpatrick/1106649641?ean=9780803736993" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/My-Life-Next-Door/Huntley-Fitzpatrick/9780803736993?id=5377734930969" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a></span>
<blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="background: #e1f3fe; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A
gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to
one person you love without betraying another.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“One thing my mother never knew, and
would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the
time.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate.
And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes
she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her
terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family
makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of
her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect
family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A
dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story
is over.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Every
once in a while, there is a book that just grabs your attention and surpasses
all expectations. Recently, I had given up hope for a good, solid YA romance
title with no excessive teen drama, real characters and a relationship I could
invest in, and a story that just makes me smile. I am happy to say that I’ve
found a keeper in My Life Next Door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Samantha
Reed spends her time watching the chaotic Garrett family next door. Her own
life is rather lonely and solitary, with a mother who is almost never home and
a sister away for the summer, but the Garretts’ house is a flurry of activity
with kids constantly running around and squealing. The Garrett family has
everything that hers doesn’t: a fatherly presence, a mother and father with a
steady, loving relationship, and a place that can be called home, and Samantha
only wishes she could be one of them. When Jase Garrett surprises her one
evening and they start talking, the two begin a whirlwind romance that tugs at
heartstrings and shows the beauty and magic of falling in love for the first
time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">This
book thoroughly charmed me. Blissfully absent of love triangles, teen angst,
and unnecessary relationship drama, My Life Next Door casts a realistic light
on teenage love. I completely fell for Jase. He is lighthearted, easy to be
with and talk to, mature, patient, and an all-around nice guy who just wants to
make the person he loves happy. Samantha was reserved and tended to keep to
herself, but Jase slowly brings her out of her shell, and I loved watching her
undergo this transformation. In any relationship, the person you are with
should make you into a better person, helping you rid yourself of doubt and
fear, and that is exactly what Jase and Samantha’s relationship epitomizes. They
really brought out the best in each other, and watching their romance develop
was a real treat. The Garrett family, in all their craziness, was another added
bonus. With too many comical moments to count, they had me in stitches most of
the time. George is ridiculously adorable, and I would love nothing more than to
just pinch his cheeks and give him a bear hug (considering he is actually
wearing underwear/pants). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">For
her debut work, I do not think Fitzpatrick could have done much better. She
created an enchanting love story filled with practical and loveable characters
and swoon worthy moments that will leave the reader feeling so many heartfelt emotions,
it will be difficult to process them all. While the ‘incident’ at the end of
the book could have been handled a little more efficiently, this book is still
one of the best debuts to come out in 2012. I loved Jase, I loved Jase and
Samantha’s relationship, and I loved this book. I cannot wait to see what
Fitzpatrick will have for us next! <b><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape!</b></span></div>
</div>
</span></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-71376726236826353062012-06-20T09:46:00.000-04:002012-06-21T04:25:37.980-04:00Waiting on Wednesday (28)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border: 1px solid transparent; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s1600/Open-book-080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #365e8f; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s400/Open-book-080.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #55d1e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">and it's a weekly meme mentioning an anticipated upcoming release</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 25px;">!</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My choice:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEov4g9jgZHTpIyDHG_Z4O27g7oPCvSrNrgbNzyjnqUM0lsCfK-4KO62U3Lf9a_TrNbxmCvRZwmLSR4rpKp8QWxYNm_d2kOC7DFYMeLwwejRJv8U1m0aH5BHGAGyTNrqStVCeB-dvSBHHq/s1600/13445306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEov4g9jgZHTpIyDHG_Z4O27g7oPCvSrNrgbNzyjnqUM0lsCfK-4KO62U3Lf9a_TrNbxmCvRZwmLSR4rpKp8QWxYNm_d2kOC7DFYMeLwwejRJv8U1m0aH5BHGAGyTNrqStVCeB-dvSBHHq/s320/13445306.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13445306-let-the-sky-fall" target="_blank">Let the Sky Fall (Let the Sky Fall Series, #1)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5265998.Shannon_Messenger" target="_blank">Shannon Messenger</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> March 5, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Simon Pulse<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://shannonmessenger.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/SW_Messenger" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.facebook.com/shannon.w.messenger" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pre-Order:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Amazon / Barnes
and Noble / Books-A-Million<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13445306-let-the-sky-fall" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads!</a></span></b></span></div>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Vane
Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents.
Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except
one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through
his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Audra
is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on
the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also
a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When
a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their
families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the
storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the
warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between
them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Set
amongst the desert airstreams of Coachella Valley in California, LET THE SKY
FALL is about two teenagers broken by their pasts, divided by their futures,
and bound by love.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
just have to start out by saying that I ADORE the cover! Love, love, love it!! The title is also pretty epic. The premise of this story is super interesting (love the air elemental factor),
and forbidden love stories, while sometimes heartbreaking, always makes me fall
in love with the characters. I cannot wait for this one! We only have to wait….
9 months. [sigh] </span></span></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-74055162856642684982012-06-19T07:18:00.000-04:002012-06-19T08:18:45.407-04:00Giveaway and Blog Tour: Caterpillar by Kate Oliver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULZuQkn4Tp-_QD5KxBcwFJFPka1YC7foVWveSX_fJuL2-IMw-OdUgLZUErYmE8t6ljNkJXE9ygiPJ4NikbP2n_iOtJz8ohJ-Uj1T9-v1wp3JS5MTBw6YNL5Wu_dQ6oc7w29MBIEg5Soah/s1600/13597559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULZuQkn4Tp-_QD5KxBcwFJFPka1YC7foVWveSX_fJuL2-IMw-OdUgLZUErYmE8t6ljNkJXE9ygiPJ4NikbP2n_iOtJz8ohJ-Uj1T9-v1wp3JS5MTBw6YNL5Wu_dQ6oc7w29MBIEg5Soah/s1600/13597559.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13597559-caterpillar" target="_blank">Caterpillar</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5816864.Kate_Oliver" target="_blank">Kate Oliver</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> April 10, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> MAB Books<b><br />
Author Information:</b> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CaterpillarNovel" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Genre:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Contemporary, Paranormal/Sci-fi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Available Formats:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Paperback and
eBook<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Other Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Debut Work<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Buy the Book:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Caterpillar-The-Metamorphosis-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B007SVC80O" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In
a small college town in northern California, a lonely young man is working
himself to the bone to solve a sixty-year-old problem ... a stranger with a
will of iron and eyes the color of ice is searching for someone he can't
identify ... and a girl who loves plants is about to grow roots of her own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When
Cara Gallagher's parents are transferred overseas again, she's off to spend her
senior year of high school living with her sister, a graduate student at the
famed McNair University. Cara, a girl with a passion for science and an
indifference to people, hopes this move will be her first step in claiming the
independence she craves. Cara has her future planned down to the letter: her
college, her major, her career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Then
she saves Will Mallory's life, and both of their futures are completely
rewritten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
last years of Will's life have been spent shifting from one identity to the
next, dodging the FBI, and trying desperately to find a way home. But Will's
home is forty-four light years away, and to reach it he'll have to outwit the
man who's hunting him--and leave behind the only love he's ever known.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
have to admit, I was a little worried about this book once I started getting
into the story. I tend to stray from stories involving aliens falling in love
with humans (unless the story has Daemon from the Lux Series in it- I would not
mind at all then!), and seeing how Caterpillar is exactly that type of alien/human
love story, I approached it with trepidation. I ended up being worried for
nothing! Overall, the story was well written, and the romance, save for the
slight instant attraction factor, was very believable. (I did not get any
creepy alien-loves-mortal vibes, so that was a good thing!) Caterpillar was a
pleasant surprise and a wonderful debut by Kate Oliver. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I
liked Cara as a female lead, but my heart went out to Will. He is a guy who is
wracked by loneliness, has never really experienced what it means to care for
someone else or be cared for, and just seems to have an inability to connect to
those around him. He feels like he lives on the periphery, and he just ends up
feeling a large disconnect to the life he is leading and his emotions. He meets
Cara, and he is slowly able to show more of himself and find beauty and love in
the life he is leading. I loved the deep, emotional connection between Cara and
Will. Cara is also a bit of a loner, a girl who is just looking to outrun her
emotionally turbulent past and her mother’s complaints. When she and Will come
together, they bring out the best in each other, and I loved reading about
their budding relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Caterpillar
is the first book in The Metamorphosis Series, but it can be read as a stand-alone
work. There is a no cliffhanger and the conflicts with the villain were
resolved. Seeing as to how this novel can be read by itself, I am not too sure
how the series will progress. The issue with Will being basically immortal and
Cara being only human is still open, so maybe the next book will settle that? I
am not too sure what to expect, but I will definitely be checking it out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZw7MpN7xWruZ5Q2neVaf1WeQP-BXqlgLRNSTH-3GjTU9PW_onKPUZj094WtUFDGt2IVuVeVam8MCfMDGaaBlT5-y0wGr9YPP05JKUllfokVrc-L78aLkF7y0LeStQOnN2B7pCjT_sqpJ/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZw7MpN7xWruZ5Q2neVaf1WeQP-BXqlgLRNSTH-3GjTU9PW_onKPUZj094WtUFDGt2IVuVeVam8MCfMDGaaBlT5-y0wGr9YPP05JKUllfokVrc-L78aLkF7y0LeStQOnN2B7pCjT_sqpJ/s1600/4+star+rating+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>A Great Escape!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>ITS GIVEAWAY TIME!!! </b></span></span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-3b700d7">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045626032950539071.post-8300245398478319442012-06-13T09:15:00.000-04:002012-06-20T09:15:50.632-04:00Waiting on Wednesday (27)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s1600/Open-book-080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTX56PIGVirwHOwnLFXw1OzKNC4pXd7BGdG8dhoFJXnZAZCNmIr5a1wPGdYgX3NJR_hF0Zx_VFHUIkMLGHV7AYlXsT81wR6CrOFoukQ-xNObAr0jIySjeQBFEBe92wUtjmtpoMdDkk-tob/s400/Open-book-080.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #55d1e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">and it's a weekly meme mentioning an anticipated upcoming release</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5f5e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 11px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">!</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">My choice:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09xCNgaxks6jdJfJ3s1NjGKa4sgH0Dp28U0lTq2riVL3i5o2gsm9sD9jIai9Zz18xd97RD2LhPRFcAsw1-yOFcjlqDYu_hV9EVzFMjjAdM8z8udlv2qq_xvEEM7pR0Kl5gTLvYwtkhqNc/s1600/10861195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09xCNgaxks6jdJfJ3s1NjGKa4sgH0Dp28U0lTq2riVL3i5o2gsm9sD9jIai9Zz18xd97RD2LhPRFcAsw1-yOFcjlqDYu_hV9EVzFMjjAdM8z8udlv2qq_xvEEM7pR0Kl5gTLvYwtkhqNc/s320/10861195.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10861195-level-2" target="_blank">Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles, #1)</a> by
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4737695.Lenore_Appelhans" target="_blank">Lenore Appelhans</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Release Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> January 15,
2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Simon &
Schuster Books for Young Readers<b><br />
Author Information: </b><a href="http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/lenoreva" target="_blank">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Other Information:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Debut<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pre-Order:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Level-Memory-Chronicles-Lenore-Appelhans/dp/1442441852/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1340197683&sr=8-7&keywords=level+2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/level-2-lenore-appelhans/1109156397" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Level/Lenore-Appelhans/Q502071969?id=5377734930969" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10861195-level-2" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads!</a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Since
her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has
been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and
the next. Along with her fellow prisoners, Felicia passes the endless hours
downloading memories and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and the boy
she loved, Neil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Then
a girl in a neighboring chamber disappears, and nobody but Felicia seems to
recall she existed in the first place. Something is obviously very wrong. When
Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a
way out, she learns the truth: a rebellion is brewing to overthrow the Morati,
the guardians of Level 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Felicia
is reluctant to trust Julian, but then he promises what she wants the most—to
be with Neil again—if only she’ll join the rebels. Suspended between Heaven and
Earth, Felicia finds herself in the center of an age-old struggle between good
and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati
hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake…
but the salvation of all mankind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Oh
man, Level 2 has some of my favorite story elements compounded in ONE book!
Crazy! I am all for rebels overthrowing the powerful, especially when they are
ghosts/dead (but not creepy, like zombies). Also, Julian and the whole “dangerously
charming” thing? Yeah, I do not think Felicia will be the only one swooning
over him (because you know she will!). The only thing that I am not liking about
this book is the release date. Getting excited about a book only to see it will
be released in 2013 is just heartbreaking. [sigh]<o:p></o:p></span></div>Brihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522591067871645830noreply@blogger.com0