Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-September 29

I picked up a few super cool looking books this week! Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.


Bought:

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

For Review:

Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch

The Gathering Darkness by Lisa Collicutt

Feature and Follow Friday-September 28

Happy Friday all! Have an amazing weekend!

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Q: What is the BIGGEST word you've seen used in a book lately - that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition & book too.

There's a few terms I've never heard of being used in The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. A couple that I had to figure out included ley lines and dowsing rods. The gist of the terms are they're related to finding spiritual energy.

Notes on New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two

After a long process, New Revelations is ready for previews. I'm really happy with how the book came out and my first reader (my husband lol) enjoyed the story immensely. Right now, my unofficial release date is October 9. This may be sooner or later depending on the hard work of my editor Trisha =)

I'm hosting a boatload of giveaways. Besides the eARC copies I'm giving away on my blog, I have giveaways on both LibraryThing and Goodreads. The LibraryThing and Goodreads giveaways are featuring the paperback ARC of New Revelations and a paperback of the first novel in the series First Visions: Second Sight Book One. 

I'm also planning a blog tour TBD. I love freebies, so expect more giveaways in the coming weeks =)

Review: Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

Book Description:

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . .

If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

After shying away from vampire novels for awhile, I decided that the description of Incarnation was intriguing enough for me to give it a shot. Blending elements of gothic fiction, steampunk and mystery, the story is an intriguing look at the “real” Lucy from Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

What I Liked: The prose is amazingly descriptive. I felt myself transported to Victorian England and I could tell the novel was well researched. The world building was so exceptional, I find myself inspired to learn more about the time period.

Lucy’s characterization was well done and I loved the duality of her personality. You could really feel her struggle between her human and vampire sides. The secondary characters were also interesting and I enjoyed how you were never certain who the good guys and who the bad guys were.

What I Didn’t Like: The only thing I didn’t totally fall in love with was the romance in the book. I would’ve enjoyed it more if the relationship was a little more developed. The beginning was also a little slow-going. However, by the mid-point, I couldn’t put the novel down.

Overall, a vampire novel with depth and beauty. Fans of historical fiction and steampunk will especially enjoy this book.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Top Ten Series I Haven't Finished

The topic for this Top Ten Tuesday from the Broke and the Bookish is the list of series I have not gotten around to finishing. For the most part, I haven’t read the subsequent books because of time constraints. In very few cases, I just couldn’t get into the series at all and only read the first novel.

Heather Wells by Meg Cabot-I was sent the latest for review without having read the first three. It was such a cute story! I want to get to the others eventually.

Women of the Otherwold by Kelley Armstrong-I only read a collection of stories from this series. It was really good! I think the main reason I’ve procrastinated is because there are thirteen novels altogether.

Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole-This is another example of me procrastinating on the series because of the number of books. I read Lothaire, which was number 12, and would love to go back and read the preceding novels.

Fifty Shades by EL James-When everyone and their mother are talking about something, I have to see what all the hoopla is about. After the first novel, I just couldn’t go any further. I heard some readers say the series improves, so who knows? Maybe one day.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare-The reason I haven’t read past book one is because I’m afraid I’ll get sucked in and have to read the others back to back.

The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine-These books are amazing, but I have a couple to still catch up on.

Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich-I’ve read as far as seven and hope to eventually finish the rest.

Providence by Jamie McGuire-I didn’t love Beautiful Disaster, but got sucked into this paranormal story about angels and demons.

Pulse by Kailin Gow-The first book in this series didn’t flow well and the plot was too reminiscent of several YA vampire novels.

Fall of Angels by Keary Taylor-The premise was good, but the plot and dialogue became too cheesy for me to continue.

Giveaway-Advanced Reader Copy of New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two!

Giveaway has ended! Winners have been notified by email. If you didn't win, no worries. I am still hosting giveaways on Librarything and Goodreads.

Enter my giveaway for an advanced copy of New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two! Five winners will be selected. Giveaway starts today and runs through September 30.

The paperback ARCs are not going to be ready until next week. However, I am able to distribute the ebook versions-hooray!

Winners will receive an uncorrected proof of New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two. Proof is not for sale and has been created for promotional purposes only. Winners will be notified by email (pdf/epub/mobi/doc versions are available).



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Ceaseless by Abbi Glines

Goodreads Summary:

Can he make her fall in love with him… again? 

When Pagan Moore proved worthy of Death’s devotion, he was given the gift of getting to keep her. 

But Dank was never promised that Pagan would keep him.

When a soul is created, so is its mate. In every lifetime those souls find each other. They complete the other’s destiny. It’s time for Pagan’s soul to choose if she truly wants an eternity at Death’s side or if she wants the mate created just for her. 

Dank didn’t think he had to worry about her choice. He knew where her heart belonged. Until he realized that every kiss, every touch, every moment of their time together would be washed from her memories. He would have to win her heart all over again and prove to her soul that he was where she belonged. 

If only her soul’s mate wasn’t right there standing in his way.

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Oh Dank Walker, what an emotional roller coaster you have put me through. As one of my favorite book crushes, I was quite sad to see the series end. As much as Dank was still a drool-worthy male anti-hero, the novel fell short in a few ways for me.

The novel is kind of a do-over for all of the characters. Pagan has no memory of Dank because the Deity wants her to choose fairly between Dank and her soulmate Jay. Dank has to figure out how to make her fall in love with him again without their shared history. Since Dank is amazingly hot, a rock star and a perfect gentleman, it's less of a challenge than it sounds.

Glines is very talented at writing steamy scenes. I had to literally stop and fan myself in a few parts. Her descriptions were amazing and really brought the characters to life for me.

My main problem with the novel is that there didn't seem to be any major conflict. The plot never felt suspenseful and besides a couple of random twists thrown in at the end, I knew what would happen early on.  Spoiler Alert Jay was never a true rival to Dank. He was bland from the moment he was introduced and you couldn't exactly cheer for a guy who asked out another girl right before he was supposed to go out with Pagan. How could he be her soulmate when they had zero chemistry? End of Spoiler

After finishing the trilogy, I would say the second book was my favorite. If this novel had more of Leif and a baddie that added more conflict,  then it would've been elevated for me.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-September 22, 2012

Is it just me or was there a crazy amount of great books released this week? To keep my book budget under control, I had to seriously force myself not to go on a novel buying binge.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.

Bought:

Ceaseless by Abbi Glines

For Review:

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Naturally Charlie by S.L. Scott

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed

Friday Book Blog Hops-September 21, 2012

Happy Friday all! Have an awesome weekend!

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Q: What hyped up book was worth all of the fuss?

Jeez, I can't wait to read the responses to this question! Jennifer Armentrout's Obsidian is the first book I thought of when I read the question. The Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong and Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas are other buzzy books that were truly amazing.

What to Do:
1. Post on your blog answering this question:

Blogging Question: What is one thing that your blog readers probably do not know about you?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name, Genre you review, and direct link to your post answering this week’s question; failure to do so will result in removal of your link).
3. Visit other blogs in the list, spending quality time getting to know the people you are visiting. Don’t just visit the post with the question, but click around and read some of the blogger’s other content, too! This Hop isn’t about the number of people you can visit, but the quality of each visit. Readers – find a new blog to read by clicking through the links in the list!

Blogger Question:

Blogging Question: What is one thing that your blog readers probably do not know about you?

Hmm...I don't think I ever shared how my husband is the motorcycle cop for our town. We've been married for eight years! (so crazy how quick it went, we just celebrated our anniversary on September 17)

  

Teaser Thursday-New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two

Sorry if I've been MIA lately, but I've been working like crazy to do the first round of edits on the next book in the Second Sight series-New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two. I finished last night and after doing the next round, it should be off to my editor by the weekend. In the meantime, here's a excerpt from the next book. This scene is when Kate meets the new psychic Declan Brayden for the first time.

“You have ten seconds to explain why the hell you’re following me before I scream rape and give you a mouthful of mace,” Kate threatened. Her breathing came out ragged and she could not stop the trembling as she gripped the container.  

The boy frowned and did not meet her eyes. “I'm so sorry I scared you. I guess I went about this whole thing the wrong way,” he mumbled.

Kate looked him over while still keeping her finger on the trigger. He was definitely rough around the edges and she felt she had just cause to be alarmed. A few scars were visible on his neck along with one at the edge of his full lips. Besides a tribal band on his left bicep, she noted a scorpion tattoo on his forearm. He was super muscular and she guessed he could easily knock her out before she even had the chance to think about making a run for it. She hated to judge a book by its cover, but this dude looked like he should be serving ten to twenty at the state pen.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded when he didn’t elaborate on his statement.

“I’ve been following you.”

Kate fought down the urge to vomit when he uttered those words. What the heck were the chances she’d end up being targeted by another nut job in a month’s time? Did being psychic send out a mix of pheromones that attracted all the crazies in the Franklin area?

Before she could demand more answers, he continued, “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I’m like you.” Relaxing his stance and placing his hands in his pockets, he shot her a sheepish smile. It was crooked and certainly had the effect of reducing his threat level in her mind.

Her hazel eyes locked with his onyx eyes. “What do you mean you’re like me? You’re also obsessed with The Bachelor and have a fear of public restrooms?”

He let out a low chuckle. “No Kate, I’m psychic.”

Review: The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Goodreads Summary: 

The new guy at Tracy’s school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help—but there’s something about him that isn’t quite right
 
High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can’t help but feel he watches her too closely. Then one day Brad confides in Tracy a horrible secret: His little sister Mindy has been kidnapped by his stepfather, and he needs Tracy’s help to get her back. But even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.
 
The Twisted Window is a zigzagging thriller that keeps readers guessing up until the final page. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Duncan including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

Publication Date: August 28, 2012 (Original Publication May 1, 1987)

When I was in middle school and high school, I loved the novels of Lois Duncan. Since it's probably been fifteen years since I last read one, I was curious to see how well the story would hold up. The copy I read for review is the updated ebook version published this year by Open Road. There were some aspects of the novel that kept me reading while others that really left me wanting more.

What I Liked: The characterization of Tracy and Brad was done very well. The alternating point of views were enjoyable and I liked the characters different takes on the same situation. Tracy is sympathetic and I could see how she uses Brad as a way to escape her own problems at home. Brad creeped me out from the get-go. Duncan describes him as an attractive golden boy, but he was too overeager and stalkerish to be considered normal. Although there was a certain level of predictability, the novel had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end. The final showdown was especially tense and I read the last half of the novel in a single sitting.

What I Didn't Like: The novel was obviously written in the 1980s. The slang is dated and many of the characters use landlines and paper phone books. To update the novel, there were these random cell phone references thrown in. It distracted from the plot and felt really forced. I think the publisher would have been better off just setting the plot in the 1980s and leaving the novel as is. The ending was also very frustrating. There were too many questions left unanswered and readers weren't given a satisfying conclusion to the events that took place over the course of the novel.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!

New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two Summary

Today I'm sharing the summary for the next book in the Second Sight series. Hooray! I've been working hard on the sequel to First Visions and hope you guys enjoy it.

Life should’ve been perfect. Kate Edwards had won the heart of police detective Jared Corbett and was coming to terms with her psychic ability. Things were blissful—until the day she met Declan Brayden.

Declan also has psychic visions and wants to work alongside Kate. Kate doesn’t trust the damaged and arrogant seer, but she knows combining their abilities would allow her to help more people. This becomes vital when visions of a missing fitness instructor turn into a race against time to save the girl’s life. 

Current release date is still October 2 (pending my final round of edits). The title is uploaded on Goodreads if you want to save it to your TBR piles =)

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-September 15, 2012

Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.

Bought:

Ephemeral by Addison Moore

For Review:

Chasers by James Phelan

The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney

Ever by Jessa Russo

Friday Book Blog Hops-September 14, 2012

Happy Friday all! Hope everyone has something fun planned for the weekend=)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Q: What hyped up book do you think was not worth all the talk?

I had heard a ton of hype surrounding the Premonition series by Amy Bartol, but I just wasn’t a huge fan. I found the accents and slang overdone and distracting and I hated the male lead. Fifty Shades of Grey was another novel that I thought I would love, but I just couldn’t get into the series at all.

What to Do:
1. Post on your blog answering this question:

Highlight one of your favorite reviews from the past month!

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name, Genre you review, and direct link to your post answering this week’s question; failure to do so will result in removal of your link).
3. Visit other blogs in the list, spending quality time getting to know the people you are visiting. Don’t just visit the post with the question, but click around and read some of the blogger’s other content, too! This Hop isn’t about the number of people you can visit, but the quality of each visit. Readers – find a new blog to read by clicking through the links in the list!
 

Blogger Question:

Highlight one of your favorite reviews from the past month!

One of my favorite reviews was Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett. What stood out to me about this novel was that I felt the author portrayed teens realistically and I really enjoyed the protagonist of Rose.

 

Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

 Goodreads Summary:

What's Left of Me tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl fighting for her right to survive in a world where two souls are born into each body and one is doomed to disappear. Pitched as The Golden Compass meets Girl, Interrupted.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t…

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything

 Publication Date: September 18, 2012 

What’s Left of Me is one of those stories that will definitely stay with me for a long time. Although it fell short for me in a few areas, it was overall an enjoyable read with probably one of the most unique perspectives I’ve ever read. It reminded me in some ways of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, one of my favorite books of all time.

The narrator of the novel is the “recessive” soul Eva. Each person is born with two souls. By the age of ten, the dominant soul is supposed to take over while the other soul should disappear. However, in some cases, the soul does not disappear and the people become the much maligned hybrids. This happens with Addie and Eva.

It was interesting to be inside Eva’s head. Since Addie was dominant, it became frustrating to Eva that she was not able to control her body’s movements and the words coming out of her mouth. Addie’s frustrations were also clearly felt. Although she loved Eva, Addie only wanted to be “normal.”

Kat Zhang is an obviously talented writer. Her prose is clean and the pacing was crisp. Her characterizations of Eva and Addie were done well along with the secondary characters of Devon/Ryan and Lissa/Hally. As you can imagine, the dual soul thing was confusing at times, but Eva was able to tell the differences quickly. The book never explained how she developed the knack so quickly and I felt like maybe it was done to help move the novel along.

The world building was just okay for me. There were so many things unexplained that I felt it took away from the rest of the plot. It was not detailed how the dual souls came to be and why society was so terrified of them. The government is spending all of this money and resources to eradicate hybrids without a convincing reason.

I was on the edge of my seat for the second half of the novel. The book kept me guessing and I was pleased with the ending. Zhang is definitely a writer to watch and I look forward to subsequent novels.   

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for review!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Jo Michaels tagged me to participate in this super fun blog hop. The gist of the hop is you'll be able to hop through to other blogs and find out what other authors are working on.

Stop by the blogs at the end to pop in on some other awesome writers I follow and admire.

My Questions and Answers:

What is the working title of your book?
New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two

Where did the idea come from for the book?
From Book One of course, duh! Just kidding, I actually had psychic Kate's story in my head since I wrote the first book.

What genre does your book fall under?
New Adult (Upper YA) Paranormal Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Jake Gyllenhaal or Henry Cavill for Jared, Leighton Meester or Anna Kendrick for Kate and Tom Hardy or Adam Levine for Declan.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Kate Edwards attempts to have a normal relationship with new boyfriend Jared Corbett while dealing with visions of a missing fitness instructor and meeting a cocky psychic named Declan.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Three Months

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
My grandma =) She had saved all of my old stories at her house and after she passed I was able to revisit them and feel inspired to write creatively again. I miss her every day and I'm dedicating this novel to her.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Kate will continue to grow in the sequel, but her trademark snark will still be present and accounted for. She butts heads with Declan often and I found the scenes of them together were particularly enjoyable to write.

Five Authors to Check Out:
Be Not Afeard
J.J. Bonds, YA Author
Jennifer Comeaux
Carrie Butler 
Magic in the Backyard 

Top Ten Books That Make You Think

On today's Top Ten Tuesday, the Broke and the Bookish is asking what books made you think (about the world, people, life and so on). Here is the top books that came to mind when I read the topic (in no particular order).

 My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult-Although I don’t love every Picoult book, I think she does have a knack for tackling topics that make you take a closer look at your feelings about issues such as genetic planning, adoption and the death penalty.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee-Yes, I was the geek quoting this book after reading for Freshman English.

 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon-I’ve probably talked about how much I love this book. My son is being screened for Asperger’s and this book really changes your perspective on autism.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover-The story of an Evangelical minister and his family trying to fit in post-colonial Africa is eye-opening.

Columbine by Dave Cullen-This was probably one of the most terrifying books I ever read. I was horrified over the type of violence children are capable of.  

Speechless by Hannah Harrington-This made me take a closer look at bullying and how much being careless with your words can cause harm to others.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith-An insightful coming of age novel about growing up poor and learning the art of survival from a young age.

Good Grief by Lolly Winston-This touching novel makes you think of how precious life is and how easily loved ones can be taken away from you before you’re ready for them to go.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner-This book definitely doesn’t have mass appeal, but the story of the tragic Compson family stayed with me for years.

102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn-A must read about the September 11th attacks.

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-September 8, 2012

Sorry for being tardy with my weekend posts. I had my book signing yesterday and have been recovering from the celebratory dinner last night (which really means I've been nursing a killer hangover today). Book signing was super fun and I met some really awesome people yesterday =)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.

Bought:

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

For Review:

Dead Girl Moon by Charlie Price

Ten Days by Janet Gilsdorf

Friday Book Blog Hops-September 7, 2012

Happy Friday all! Today, I’m participating in two of my favorite Friday blog memes.

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Q: What are you reading right now? How do you like it?

I usually read a couple of books at a time, but right now I'm only reading What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang. It's okay so far, a little slow moving, but it seems like it should pick up soon. Up next is Bronya by Jo Michaels and Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa.

What to Do:
1. Post on your blog answering this question:

What book series do you never want to see end?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name, Genre you review, and direct link to your post answering this week’s question; failure to do so will result in removal of your link).
3. Visit other blogs in the list, spending quality time getting to know the people you are visiting. Don’t just visit the post with the question, but click around and read some of the blogger’s other content, too! This Hop isn’t about the number of people you can visit, but the quality of each visit. Readers – find a new blog to read by clicking through the links in the list!
 

Blogger Question:

What book series do you never want to see end?

Wow, that's a tough one since I usually like series to have a finite beginning and end. Did the Babysitter's Club ever have a final book? My other thought would be maybe the Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine.

 

Results of KDP Select Promotion

Crazy busy week guys! My oldest started kindergarten yesterday and mom cried enough tears to fill up a couple of buckets. On top of that, I’ve been trying to get ready for my book signing on Saturday. Flyers are printed, prizes have been purchased and books are ready to go. Now it’s just time to hope that the weather is nice and I have some visitors to my lil’ old stand. If you’re in the central NJ area-come on out to see me! Here’s the link with the info.    

Well, I wanted to talk today about KDP Select. I actually did it. I drank the Kool-Aid. And although it’s killing me to admit it-my first experience with Amazon’s program has turned out pretty fabulous.

When I first published First Visions, I decided against KDP Select. It just seemed to make more sense to offer up my novel on as many platforms as possible. However, each month that went by, I found it hard to ignore my sales figures. I sold at least ten times the amount of books on Amazon as Smashwords and Barnes and Noble combined. After I ran into a distribution issue on Smashwords, I decided to give KDP Select a shot.

To sign up for KDP Select, you have to offer up exclusive rights to the ebook version of your novel for 90 days. During the 90 days, you are allowed to choose five free days to promote your book and the book is placed in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

To prepare for my free day, I submitted my book to sites that advertise free Kindle books. I did this about a week before my scheduled promotion. This included Pixel of Ink, eReader News and Digital Book Today. These sites did not charge a fee for submission. Keep in mind though that free submission sites do not usually guarantee your book will be listed. If you want more of a guarantee, you may want to go for a paid advertising option like Kindle Nation Daily. On the actual promotion day, I announced my book was free via my blog, Facebook page and Twitter. I also tagged my book as free on Amazon.com that morning.

When I checked in the morning of my free promotion day, I had a very modest number of downloads. I was still thrilled though because even if I had a handful of downloads, it still means more people are reading my book. Then, suddenly by the afternoon, the numbers of downloads were steadily climbing to crazy high numbers. I’m definitely not the most confident person in the world, so of course I thought it must be a glitch in the system and the numbers couldn’t actually be accurate.

KDP Select has some rules about releasing sales information, but I can tell you that downloads went well into the five figure range. And here’s the screenshot of First Visions when it hit #3 in Amazon’s Top 100 Free!

It’s been a little over a week since my free promotion day and sales have been really great. Through the Labor Day weekend, First Visions stayed within the top 500 to 1,000 on Amazon. Today, I’m around 2,500 in the Kindle Store and still in the Top 100 for Teen Love and Romance. By the way, if you want access to a great tool for authors, check out the free ebook tracker from Kindle NationDaily. It monitors your rank so you don’t have to keep logging on Amazon.com every hour.

Not only did I sell more copies, I’ve made some new fans =) New ratings and reviews have popped up along with a handful of emails from readers who really enjoyed Kate’s story.

I know this is only one experience, so I’m curious about how other authors have fared. Would you renew enrollment? How did subsequent free promotion days go?    

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Goodreads Summary:

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Publication Date: August 28, 2012

 

Speechless is one of the better young adult novels I’ve read lately that deals with teen bullying. I believe the author successfully captured the voice of high schoolers and the mistakes you can easily make when trying to fit in with the popular crowd.

Chelsea is certainly unlikable at the beginning of the novel. It reminded me of Mean Girls in a way. Chelsea is pretty much the mouthpiece for best friend Kristen and has no problem taunting others to stay in Kristen’s good graces. After a pretty heinous incident that involves a boy almost being beaten to death because of Chelsea’s big mouth, she takes a vow of silence. Since Chelsea turned in the boys involved in the attack, she’s ousted from the popular crowd and becomes the target of bullying.

Chelsea’s refusal to speak makes for an interesting set-up. I inwardly cringed at many of the scenes where her former group of friends harassed her and she had to remain silent. I loved how this vow and her downgraded status led to her friendships with Sam and Asha. Another thing I loved about the novel was the strong characterization of the secondary characters.

The romance between Sam and Chelsea was adorable. It felt like a realistic progression and not instantaneous love between the two after meeting. I liked how the diner crew took Chelsea under their wing. It was good to see her grow as a character and wait for the moment when she would finally decide to speak again.

My only fault of the novel would be that the character who prompted her silence was not given more of a voice. I would have loved more about him and his relationship with Andy.

The prose was clean and pacing was well done. I breezed through the novel in only a couple of sittings. Chelsea’s journey is an emotional one and I think most people will be pleasantly surprised by this novel.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel for review!  

Top Ten Book on My Fall TBR List

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic from the Broke and the Bookish is the top books on your autumn TBR lists. I honestly feel a little sad when I look at my upcoming titles. There are so many new releases I'm excited about and I don't know how I'm going to have time to get to them all. Between writing, editing and marketing, I think I"ll have to pull some all-nighters to read many of these on my list.

Promised by Caragh O'Brien- The conclusion to the Birthmarked trilogy. WHAT WILL HAPPEN? Will Gaia and Leon live happily ever after? Will she take down the Enclave? Will she find a plastic surgeon to get rid of that pesky scar? Can't wait to find out =)

The Crown of Ember and Thorns by Rae Carson-Girl of Fire and Thorns was so good that I hope the sequel is just as great. Elisa was a fabulous protagonist and I can't wait to read more about her journey.

Eve by Anna Carey-I feel so lame for not getting to this series earlier.

Ceaseless by Abbi Glines-Another final book in a trilogy I've been reading. Will Dank and Pagan (great story but I hate the names) have their happy ending?

Wasteland by Lynn Rush-Very cool author who writes books in the new adult genre. I can't wait!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa-Just finished the first novel in the Iron Fey series and now I'm officially obsessed.

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang-I have an ARC of this one and the description reminds me of The Host, one of my all-time favorite books.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare-I liked the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, but to be honest the end threw me off. However, the word on the street is this series only gets better and better.

Breathe by Sarah Crossan-This new dystopian release sounds like an interesting entry into the somewhat crowded  genre. The world is dead and survivors must rely on a corporation that manufactures oxygen.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn-I have to see what all the buzz is about.

Review: Blink Once by Cylin Busby

Goodreads Summary:

West is a high school senior who has everything going for him until an accident leaves him paralyzed. Strapped down in his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, West is terrified and alone. Until he meets Olivia. She's the girl next door-sort of. A patient in the room next to his, only Olivia can tell what West is thinking, and only Olivia seems to know that the terrible dreams he's been having are not just a result of his medication. Yet as West comes to rely on Olivia-to love her, even-certain questions pull at him: Why has Olivia been in the hospital for so long? And what does it mean that she is at the center of his nightmares? But the biggest question of all comes when West begins to recover and learns that the mysterious girl he's fallen in love with has a secret he could never have seen coming.  

Publication Date: September 4, 2012

 

I love when you find a book that has the ability to surprise you. Blink Once was definitely that kind of novel for me. It was a refreshing change for several reasons and I am curious to see what else the author has written.

The first thing that I liked about the novel was the POV. It was done in first person with the narrator being a 17 year old boy who has lost the ability to speak due to a serious biking accident. Most of the novel features his inner thoughts as he relays his horrifying dreams and the conversations he overhears while recuperating in a rehabilitation center.

The previously athletic West lies paralyzed with only the ability to communicate through a series of blinks. His frustrations are apparent and his only respite is through visits with another patient named Olivia. He falls in love with the mysterious girl and she helps him through his harrowing ordeal. Their scenes together were touching even though I wasn’t a huge fan of Olivia’s character.  

The twist was a surprise and not one I completely expected. I felt like a few questions were left unanswered after the reveal, but it did help explain a lot of the odd observations made by West during the first 3/4 of the novel.   

The ending was a mixed bag for me. It wasn’t exactly happy, but I thought it had a hopeful message. It dragged a little too at the end which was strange since I found the rest of the novel’s pacing was done very well. It was also nice to read a standalone novel after reading so many series lately.  

I would highly recommend this novel. The prose was beautiful and West was a captivating narrator.

Rating: 4/5 Stars 

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review!

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-September 1, 2012

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.

Bought:

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Bronya by Jo Michaels

For Review:

The Smart One by Jennifer Close

The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell