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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Top 10 Tuesday (1)- Top Ten Covers I Wish I Could Redesign


So I've never done a Top 10 Tuesday before but I saw the topic and I was like... Oh I have to do this one! There are so many epically bad covers out there and it's time I share the ones that make me cringe the most! Thanks to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting Top 10 Tuesdays!

#1 

White Cat by Holly Black actually the whole series. I adored the first cover and the books and then Simon & Schuster made this disco ball 70's theme with the series and all I want to do is vomit!

#2


Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I adored the very first cover! This series has had so many makeovers I actually got whiplash!

#3

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. Another series I love and I loved the original cover!

#4

Crewel by Gennifer Albin. I loved the original cover it was so vibrant and colorful!

#5

The Shade Series by Jeri Smith-Ready. Another series I adore and I loved the original covers. I think this was another fail from Simon & Schuster.

#6
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. The original cover was so stunning! I'm still scratching my head as to why Penguin Teen changed this one.

#7

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey. This book was an ok read but it did deserve a better cover. They tried with the paperback edition and it is a bit better. But still not great.

#8

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. I really, really loved the first cover and this was an epic fail in redesigns.

#9

Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Hated this revamp the original was soooooooo much better!

#10

The Hollow by Jessica Verday. I actually still have this one on my bookshelves and it reminds me of the Pretty Little Liars opening scene she looks like a doll. I also have the new paperback that was for once in my opinion the right redesign from Simon & Schuster.

So what do you think? Do these make you cringe as much as me? Let me know!

This was kinda fun I may have to do Top 10's more often!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Review- REVELATIONS by J.A. Souders


Title: REVELATIONS
Author: J.A. Souders
Pub. Date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: TOR Teen
Pages: 352

ISBN:  978-0765332462
Source: ARC from the publisher
Rating: Loved!!!!!!!!!!!
Find it: AmazonBarnes& Noble, Goodreads
Six weeks after her arrival on the Surface, Evelyn Winters is no closer to unlocking the memories lost in her subconscious than she was when she first came. Isolated in a strange new society, Evie has only Gavin Hunter to remind her of who she once was.

But even with a clean slate, it’s easy to see that Evie doesn’t fit in on the Surface. And as her differences make her feel more and more alone, she can’t help but yearn for that place she doesn’t remember: the isolated city hidden in the depths of the ocean. Elysium. Home.

But she can’t exactly tell Gavin what she’s feeling. Not when he’s the one who helped her escape Elysium in the first place, and has the scars to prove it. Though the doctors say otherwise, Gavin believes that Evie just needs time. And if her memories don’t come back, well, maybe she’s better off not remembering her past.

But the decision may be out of their hands when Evie’s ever-elusive memories begin to collide with reality. People and images from her past appear in the most unlikely places, haunting her, provoking her…and making her seem not only strange but dangerous.

Evie and Gavin can’t wait around for her memories to return. They’ll have to journey across the Outlands of the Surface to find help, and in the end, their search may just lead them back to the place it all started…

Ok I loved RENEGADE with a fiery passion and dare I say it but I think REVELATIONS was EVEN BETTER! J.A. Souders has created one of the creepiest villains I've ever read. Mother is crazy! I will admit I kind of missed her in this second installment in the Elysium Series but we got to meet a new possibly worse bad guy jury's still out on that...

I was so happy to get back into Evie and Gavin's story and it was so cool to be on the surface for this one. We get to see where Gavin lives and meet his family and his friends. There's one person in particular that we meet whom I fell head over heels in love with too! His name is Asher and Gavin hates him but, he helps out with Evie in ways that Gavin just couldn't and I love that instead of being overbearing and shielding Evie from things he was honest and a bit of a smart ass. He made me smile and laugh even during some tough situations.

J.A has written another book that will make my top 10 list of the year and I highly suggest if you love a Sci-Fi that has an awesome villain and a great love story you should read this series!

I chose an Asher excerpt well because I love him lol

"Weak?" He laughs. "You think you're weak? You totally kicked ass! The way you took care of those vulture-hawks was like something out of a comic book."

I lift my brows at him. "You make that sound like it's a good thing, when all it does is make me a...freak." That was one of Gavin's little brother's words. It was a word he liked to use. A lot. I'd made him tell me what it meant and, ever since, I'd known it applied to me.

Anger flashes across Asher's eyes and he takes my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "You are not a freak. You hear me? 'Different' doesn't make you a freak. 'Different' makes you special. And special is good. Special is what makes you 'you'. That's who Gavin loved. He thought you were amazing and wonderful and...perfect just the way you are."

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Dying to Read (43)- SWEET RECKONING by Wendy Higgins

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Hey y’all thanks for stopping by to see my Dying to Read post and of course as always I have to give credit to the lovely Jill over at Breaking the Spine for the Waiting on Wednesday Meme!

This week the book I’m dying to read is SWEET RECKONING by Wendy Higgins!!!!! I have been a huge fan of this series even before the first book had even come out. I made all of my friends read it and while I’ll be sad to read the end of this amazing trilogy I truly hope Kaidan and Anna get their happy ending!!!!!!!


Sweet Reckoning
Wendy Higgins
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 978-0062265975

It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

So what do you think? Will you be adding this to your pile? What are you dying to read this week?

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Blog Tour- REVELATIONS by J.A. Souders and a Giveaway!


Hey y'all! I'm so happy to have J.A. Souders here today it's launch day for REVELATIONS so make sure you tell her Happy Book Birthday!! I loved her book RENEGADE and I'm almost finished with REVELATIONS and loving it even more! I had originally asked for a guest post from Gavin the love interest in the books (he was on my Top 10 Book Boyfriends of 2012 list), then I met Asher in REVELATIONS and yesterday I tweeted this to J.A. 



She of course said yes so now you all get to meet Asher the new love of my life (at least in this series lol).

Haven't heard of REVELATIONS? Check it out! 
Title: REVELATIONS
Author: J.A. Souders
Pub. Date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: TOR Teen
Pages: 352
Find it: 
AmazonBarnes& Noble, Goodreads
Six weeks after her arrival on the Surface, Evelyn Winters is no closer to unlocking the memories lost in her subconscious than she was when she first came. Isolated in a strange new society, Evie has only Gavin Hunter to remind her of who she once was.

But even with a clean slate, it’s easy to see that Evie doesn’t fit in on the Surface. And as her differences make her feel more and more alone, she can’t help but yearn for that place she doesn’t remember: the isolated city hidden in the depths of the ocean. Elysium. Home.

But she can’t exactly tell Gavin what she’s feeling. Not when he’s the one who helped her escape Elysium in the first place, and has the scars to prove it. Though the doctors say otherwise, Gavin believes that Evie just needs time. And if her memories don’t come back, well, maybe she’s better off not remembering her past.

But the decision may be out of their hands when Evie’s ever-elusive memories begin to collide with reality. People and images from her past appear in the most unlikely places, haunting her, provoking her…and making her seem not only strange but dangerous.

Evie and Gavin can’t wait around for her memories to return. They’ll have to journey across the Outlands of the Surface to find help, and in the end, their search may just lead them back to the place it all started…

Now on to the guest post I introduce you all to Asher!


Oh, wow. I’m so excited to be here today! It’s LAUNCH DAY!!! Finally! I’m still in shock my 2nd book is coming out. I’m multi-published now. Whee! J  LOL. 

Originally I was supposed to write a post about Gavin and the Surface here for you, but Jaime kind of fell in love with another character that is introduced in REVELATIONS. So she asked if I’d write about him instead.

And that would be Asher. 

I can’t blame her though. Asher’s awesome. I love him a lot myself.   Originally when I was brainstorming ideas with my crit. Partners about what would happen in book 2 we knew we needed to introduce more characters. Specifically someone that would clash with Gavin. So we started tossing around ideas and pretty quickly I thought I had him pretty well figured out.

Of course, Asher had plans of his own and he didn’t agree at all with what I wanted from him and he told me, quite LOUDLY I might add, that he wanted to be someone else.  Asher, to me, is just that happy go lucky guy friend that you find in the strangest places when you’re not looking and whom you can share anything with.  He’s just one of those people you can’t hate, because he’s not fake. He’s genuine and loving, and just simply awesome.


On the surface, he’s hot as hell, maybe a little shallow, all male, completely confident with who he is and knows exactly what to say and when, to get the ladies to like him. Underneath though there’s this really deep, smart, funny and caring person, who isn’t really all that confident in himself at all. He has to constantly live up to his Father’s (who is the mayor of Black Star cove—Gavin’s village) expectations and is constantly having to prove himself.  He sort of reminds me of the male version of Evie.

His motivations for a lot of what he does in REVELATIONS are simple, but I can’t really say why he does them without spoilers so I’ll just say that he has his secrets, some that Gavin knows, some that Gavin doesn’t know, but thinks he does, and some that no one knows at all—maybe not even Asher himself. A lot of his motivations throughout though stem from his insecurities in himself and who he is and pleasing his father, but also in what happened between Gavin and Asher a long time ago, changing them from inseparable best friends to hated enemies on Gavin’s side and regretful resignation of losing his only friend on Asher’s side. 


Asher was only meant to be a device to spur Gavin’s story on, but he turned into this totally awesome character that ended up not just being 2nd string like Macie’s BFF, but a full blown main character with his own story and strengths and weakness and secrets that just simply endeared him to me, and obviously Jaime too, which I’m so glad to hear.  I was so worried that when I introduced him people would hate him on principle, but from what I hear that’s not the case. I’m so super glad and excited and I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks about him.  Hopefully, you all will love him as much as I do. J

YES I KNOW THEY WILL!!! Thanks so much Jess!


 About J.A:
J.A. SOUDERS is the author of the Elysium Chronicles and lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and two children where she spends her time writing about the monsters under the bed, day dreaming about living in an underwater colony, and failing miserably at playing video games.
Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Pinterest



Giveaway Details:
 
Revelations Giveaway (All US Only!)
Grand Prize- 1 Signed set of Renegade and Revelations, 1 scrabble tile pendant with covers of both books, and a $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N!
Second Place- 1 Signed set of Renegade and Revelations and 1 set of scrabble tile pendants with covers of both books.
Third Place- 1 set revelations themed swag

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Check out the Tour Schedule for more awesome posts and reviews!

Week One:
10/28/2013- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post
10/29/2013- Katie's Book Blog- Interview
10/30/2013- The Book Life- Review
10/31/2013- Curling Up With A Good Book- Guest Post
11/1/2013- That Artsy Reader Girl- Review

Week Two:
11/4/2013- Bookish- Interview
11/5/2013- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
11/6/2013- Supernatural Snark- Interview
11/7/2013- Book Haven Extraordinaire- Review
11/8/2013- Jenna Does Books- Review

Friday, November 1, 2013

Blog Tour- SENTINEL by Jennifer L. Armentrout it's APOLLYON Day and an awesome Giveaway!


Wow! I can't believe it's almost over! I've loved this series so much and I'm going to be sad to see it go :( Jennifer has made me fall in love with so many of the characters in this series and I don't want to say goodbye. Yep that's a Boys II Men Video of "It's So Hard The Say Goodbye to Yesterday" this pretty much sums up how I feel about this series ending :(


Everyone is probably going to be featuring Aidan, Seth, and Alex in their posts so I wanted to focus on a character that is near and dear to my heart and has an increasing role with each book in the series and that's why I chose Apollyon and Leon to feature. I interviewed him back during the Deity blog tour but I wanted to re-post his interview since I love him so much! Here it is!


Jaime- Why are you so darned competitive?

Leon- “I don’t think I’m competitive,” he says. “At least, there’d have to be someone of my skill and talent to be competitive with and that has yet to happen. So how could I be competitive?”

Jaime- What do you think of Alex’s relationships with Aiden and Seth?

Leon- He snorts. “I am the last person to think about or render judgment on other people’s relationships.”

Jaime- You have a secret are we going to find out what it is soon? Any hints?

Leon- “I did have a pretty big secret and yes you find out soon and no I will not give you any hints.”

Jaime- What’s your ideal woman like?

Leon- “Breathing,” he replies.

Jaime- If you weren't a Sentinel what would you be doing?

Leon- Leon laughs. “Oh, that’s a loaded question.”

Jaime- What do you think will happen when Alex comes into her Apollyon powers? Do you think she’ll be able to handle them?

Leon- There’s a pause. “Alex is a very strong girl, but we’re dealing with absolute power, and throughout history, the kind of power has proven to be nearly impossible to control.”

So if you've read Deity you now what Leon's secret is and if you haven't I'd say why not? Now's the time to catch up!

Also I didn't post a review on my blog for Apolloyon because I am an idiot but here's what I said on Goodreads......

"I swear to the gods Jen if you don't stop writing books like this I will wait until the whole series is over before I start them! Waiting for Sentinel is going to effing suck!!!!!"

Hehehehe love you Jen and the books but I swear I will wait until a series is over if you keep killing us with those cliffies ;) ;)


Apolloyon (Covenant #4)
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
ISBN: 1937053164
Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

 About Jennifer:

# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.


Giveaway:

Spencer Hill Press is giving away a $200 gift card to Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository or any indie bookstore of the winner's choice to not only stock up on amazing books, but to perhaps buy a Nook HD or Kindle Fire. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's the full tour schedule!


November 2nd - Sentinel (limited)

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Blog Tour- UNHINGED Halloween Post and Giveaways!!!!!


Ok y’all! I’ super psyched because today is my favorite holliday and one of my dear friends and favorite authors is here today for her UNHIMGED Blog Tour!!! Yep A.G. Howard the amazing author of SPLINTERED is here with Jeb (swoons), Alyssa, and Jenara to talk about their Halloween Memories! Also make sure to check out the TWO awesome giveaways I have going on!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN and welcome to stop #10!

Memories play a pivotal role in the Splintered series. Though they are as unique as the people they belong to, one universal thread binds them all: emotions.
Today, Jeb, Jenara, and Alyssa are sitting at a table and sharing some past Halloween memories and what they felt while experiencing them.
*****
*Jenara flips through a scrapbook and settles on two pictures*

Jenara: Okay, Bro. The directions were to pick a costume that had an impact on you. I don’t remember it saying anything about choosing two.

Jeb: *frowning* That’s weird, I just picked the foil mask. I don’t know how that other one got--

Alyssa: Uh, I chose that one. It impacted me. I bent the rules a little. *twines red strand of hair around a fingertip*

*Jeb studies Alyssa, intrigued*

Jenara: Well, I can’t blame you, Al. It was a masterpiece. Even if I do say so myself. My artistic prowess must’ve imprinted indelibly on your mind that day.

Alyssa: *snorts* Pretty sure it imprinted on Jeb’s butt even more than my mind.

Jeb: *scowls at his sister* No kidding.  I hated that tail. I asked you to make a black devil costume, and you used a feather boa to skimp on sewing. Nice. *clenches jaw* I almost got the crap beat out of me for wearing that trick-or-treating. Those two older guys kept calling me a kitty cat.

Jenara: The way I remember it, the words ‘kitty’ and ‘cat’ never figured into the equation. And you’re the one who had them both pinned to the ground and wouldn’t let them up until they gave over their candy.

Alyssa: Yep. Shiny black fabric, stretched across straining muscles in the moonlight. Enough said.

Jeb: *slants a gaze at Alyssa and grins a sexy smile, hot enough to scald her cheeks* I really am a kitty cat. If you pet my belly, I purr.

Alyssa: *holds his gaze* Don’t I know it.

Jenara: *fakes a yawn* Getting back to the one you picked, Jeb. Fill us in on the deets. The aluminum foil musketeer. How could you even see out of that thing?

Jeb: *taps a thumb against the table* I didn’t want to see. Dad had given me a black eye. 

Alyssa and Jenara: *silence*

Jeb: I made a mask like the one Leonardo DiCaprio wore in that movie to cover it up. Kept telling myself that somewhere I had a twin brother who would take my place so I could take his, even if it was in a dungeon.

*Alyssa weaves her fingers through Jeb’s*

*Jeb squeezes her hand back*

Jenara: *gulps and turns pages* Sorry, Bro. Let’s move on to something happier, okay?  Mine and Al’s costumes.

Jeb: *tilts head in agreement*

Jenara: I chose my Tinkerbelle costume from when I was thirteen. It was the first one I ever made, and after that I knew I wanted to be a designer.

Alyssa: And I can’t wait for you to rock the fashion world.

Jenara: *grins* Thanks, bestie. So, give us the deets on your pink ghost.

Alyssa: It was a popsicle.

Jeb: *wraps an arm around her waist* Your mom?

Alyssa: *nods*

Jenara: What am I missing?

Jeb: She used to make Al Jello popsicles when she had a sore throat.

Jenara: Gah. You two are such downers.

Alyssa: *smiling* It’s not a bad memory. It’s a good one. And pink was her favorite color. That’s why I wore it that year. To remember her even when she was away. I think I was eight at the time.

Jenara: * dabbing her eyes* You guys are going to make me ruin my mascara. Stop it.

*Alyssa and Jeb exchange smiles*

*Jenara flips pages*

Jenara: Okay, last, we were supposed to find two memories we share. The worst and the best of our Halloweens together. I think we can agree on these. Definitely, those random clowns at that park next to our duplex rate as the most disturbing memory. Even though later we found out it was a publicity stunt by that ice cream place … Creamery Carnival.


*Alyssa shivers*

*Jeb’s hold tightens around her waist*

Jenara: Dang guys, it was four years ago. You’d think you just saw it two seconds ago.

Alyssa: For some reason it feels like yesterday. *her eyes meet Jeb’s*

Jeb: *lifts Al’s hand and kisses it reassuringly* Al doesn’t like clowns. Let’s get to the puppy picture, J.

Jenara: *brow wrinkling in confusion* O-o-o-okay. That was the year the local ASPCA had a Halloween parade pet adoption and Al and me fell in love with the pirate Weiner puppies.

Alyssa: And we sent Jeb to buy them for us while we filled out the paperwork.

Jenara: But he used our money and bought the dogs for those two little foster girls instead.

Jeb: *shrugs* You would’ve done the same thing if they’d looked at you with their sad eyes. Plus, they were sisters, which meant the puppies got to stay together, too. And you both loved watching them get their faces licked.

Alyssa: Yeah. I’ll never forget those sweet smiles. *sighs*  Puppy-breath fixes everything.

Jenara: Ain’t it the truth? *smiles*

Jeb: *grinning* They should bottle the stuff.


 *****

In Unhinged, there’s a memory keeper and a magical place where lost memories are stored, much like we store our memories here in scrapbooks or journals to preserve them. In honor of that, today we’re offering this Alice in Wonderland journal as a prize. Simply enter the rafflecopter below, and leave one of your favorite Halloween memories in the comment section.

PLEASE NOTE: Keys not included
*****

Tomorrow, be sure to stop by for tour post number eleven when Morpheus will share the origins of dressing up at Halloween and the Dos and Don’ts of entertaining when your guests are of a netherling persuasion. If you have any costume party plans this weekend, you’ll want to be sure to take notes.

Also, if you haven’t entered the giveaway for a chance at one of the 12 Unhinged ARCs, check out the rafflecopter below.


Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

 About A.G. Howard
A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Details:


12 ARC’s of UNHINGED Domestic Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule: All dates have amazing Guest Posts with a shared rafflecopter. A few stops have an extra contest or a giveaway.

10/21/2013         Pages From My Thoughts            
10/22/2013         Fiction Freak      
10/23/2013         The White Unicorn
10/24/2013         Icey Books- Character Naming Contest          
10/25/2013         The Cover Contessa        
10/26/2013         Book Hounds      Extra Giveaway
10/28/2013         Reading Teen     
10/29/2013         Book Haven Extraordaire   Extra Giveaway
10/30/2013         The Lifelong Bookworm                
10/31/2013         Two Chicks on Books       Extra Giveaway
11/1/2013            Fiktshun               
11/2/2013            I am a Reader     Extra Giveaway
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