Jillian Dodd Appreciation Giveaway

Friends of Jillian Dodd are showing their appreciation!

In appreciation for the hard work and effort indie author Jillian Dodd does behind the scenes for authors, her writing friends are offering YOU the chance to win one of her books! You can choose from one of the Keatyn Chronicles:  STALK ME or KISS ME. Or maybe you prefer one of the titles in the That Boy series: THAT BOY or THAT WEDDING. All books are New Adult contemporary romance. Good luck!

Giveaway

As said above. Please note that we're not the ones sending the prize. 

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Until the next time, 

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Blog / Twitter

Book summary: 

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

     Remember the days when the vampires were the creatures of the dark, literary. They couldn't walk in the sun and were the greatest predators. I honestly don't. I'm the "product" of the Twilight era so Buffy and the things "before" weren't part of my growing up. If you do remember then you're lucky. But so am I now, cause this book has the real vampires. But let's go from the start.

     The Hallowed Ones will probably draw your attention immediately cause where can you find a book with vampires and dystopia plus Amish people. Katie is living an Amish life and therefore she can't wait for Rumspringa to go and see the world. She made plans with her best friend and there is only few weeks left but that's long enough for "Outside" to collapse. Strange things start to happen with the "Outside" but still Amish life continues because they aren't affected. They soon find a young man who is deadly injured on their gates but elders make a rule and forbid the people to go outside and they close the gates for all the people from outside. Only Katie is not the one who can watch him die and do nothing. She breaks the rule, the first of many.

       If you like me though that all those elements can't work together in a book well you're wrong, as was I. It's magical how Laura puts all the thighs together and writes a damn good story. I was dragged into this world immediately and honestly I really enjoyed. I'm happy to see that this book will get its sequel so I'll be waiting for this awesomeness to continue.

Until the next time,

Indie Book Festival

The Post-Christmas Holiday Book Sale, hosted by the Indie Book Festival, will kick off on December 28 and run through December 31. All books will be .99!! The Indie Book Festival will be posting the participating books to their Facebook page as well. The Indie Book Festival website is the premier online website for seasonal ebook sales events! From Halloween to Valentine's Day – we'll celebrate it by bringing you bestselling books by today’s hottest Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal and Young Adult indie authors.

Indie Book Festival | Facebook | Twitter

You can also enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card now! 

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Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Blog / Facebook

Book summary:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

      Winter is coming (brace yourselves) and for me that means a lot paranormal and fantasy and books with "hard" thematic. This is my unwritten rule but I tend to like these genres more in winter while in summer I can enjoy in sweet little and romantic books. But now back to the story.

       Seraphina is nothing new in our bookish world cause many of readers have read it and enjoy it. I finally got some time to read it myself. First thing you notice it's a book about dragons and I believe they are maybe the most interesting creatures to read about. At least for me. Here we're entering the new world where people and dragons live in the same world but still in different parts of it. The it interact and live in peace but it's not the land of milk and honey. There are huge differences between them and one species can't understand the other and vice versa. Still they try to keep peace among them but recent events aren't helping them. In the middle of all that is Seraphina who has enough reasons to be on the both sides.

      I really liked the fantasy part here. I liked Seraphina as character and I won't even start about Lucian. If only I knew how to draw so I couldn't show you his picture in my head. Ah but then you'd steal him form me so this way he is on safe. I'm kidding of course, but I really enjoyed every moment in the book that had something to do with Lucian. The plot was also interesting, but the thing I didn't like was that sometimes the story went too far and it became too long and it was hard to follow. But the parts whit action were really enjoyable. All in all I'll be waiting for the next book in the series and I expect a lot.

Until the next time,

Waiting on Wednesday (#24)

Hi. As you already know it's Wednesday and it's time for another Waiting on Wednesday! It's a meme created by Breaking the Spine. Here is what we have picked this week.

Glass' pick

It's the kind of love that owns you, the kind that last forever.
Ella and Micha have been through tragedy, heartbreak, and love. When they are with each other, anything seems possible. But the days of racing cars and passionate kisses are gone now that they are thousands of miles apart.
Ella continues going to school and tries to deal with her irrevocable mistakes. She constantly worries about how her life will end up, and with her father in and out of rehab, she’s having a hard time making it through the days. All she wants is Micha by her side, but she refuses to let her problems get in the way of his dreams.
Micha spends his days traveling the country with the band, but he knows something is missing from his life. Being away from Ella is harder than he thought. He wants her closer to him—needs her with him. But he won’t ask her to leave college, just to be with him.
The few moments they do spend together are fleeting, intense, and filled with passion, but it only makes it more difficult when they have to part. They quickly learn that a long-distance relationship is challenging and it tests their love.

They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever?

Expected publication: 2013

Tanja's pick

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.
Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.
Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away

Expected publication: January 1st, 2013

We both picked 

Love. Nightmares. Angels. War. A fast-paced, compelling debut novel from a fresh new voice in YA.

It's been almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant.
It doesn't help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who's been appearing in Gaby's dreams, he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense.
Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth - and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.
Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly - who can she trust?

Expected publication: January 3rd, 2013

Until the next time,

Tanja's Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Read In 2012 - Part II

Firstly I wish you all a Merry Christmas!! 

Last week on my To Ten Tuesday the task was to pick top teen books I read this year. Well I realized that there were more than ten so why not continue the list. This week our task is freebie and that's perfect. Yes you all know that Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Here are another picks.

There is no particular order here. As always I'd like to see your picks, so link them up. 

Until the next time, 

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Buy the book at

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Autor's 

Website / Twitter 

Book summary:

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

    Few days ago I put the quotes from this book as my Quote of the Week and a lot of my friends here told me how they wanted to read the book. I was like...wait a minute I haven't even told you how lovely and heart-breaking this book is. So be ready to hear all about the greatness called  - Wonder!

     From the blurb you can see the story. We here have a story about August who well has a facial deformity and for that he has been noticed and looked at wherever he goes. Of course he knows that people are scared of him so he tries to spend a lot of time alone with his family. The things change when he starts going to the school. You can imagine how it is for a kid like him to enter the class full of "normal" kids for the first time in his life. Of course he is noticed not just by the kids but also by the teachers. He tries to cope with all that but at the end of the day he is just little scared kid who is too young to goes through all this.

      I should point out few things about this book. Firstly there are multiple POVs in this book. But don't give up on this book in case you don't like them, cause here it's done perfectly. You see the world through August's eyes and also you see how the world sees him through other characters. Another thing is prepare your heart cause some of the thing here will break it. Even thinking about this book makes me wanna cry. Don't run away if you don't want to experience that, cause everyone should read this book. A lot of people tend to judge others by their look, appearance or what not. But have you ever though how much that hurts. Cause you can't be strong enough to survive that without a scratch especially if you're just a kid.

    But you wanna know what's the most interesting thing about this book - while reading it and after that I still imagine August as a little lovely kid. With beautiful eyes and adorable smile. Even though the books starts with I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. I have met the August's personality and what a brave, shiny and beautiful character is he. You have no idea.

Of course there is the five stars for this book but quite honestly my views of the world and my thoughts have changed and there is not enough stars to give for that. So thank you (Wendy especially to you and your review)!

Until the next time,

Quote of the Week: Mumford & Sons

      I know that we usualy post quotes from books we read reacently, but today I am making an exeption. Thanks to my sister I came across this amazing band - Mumford & Sons. It was love at first hearing! So, I want to share with you lyrics of my favorite song, Hold On To What You Believe, from EP Love Your Ground.

"Hold On To What You Believe"

I, I can't promise you
that I won't let you down
And I, I can't promise you
that I will be the only one around
when your hope falls down

But we're young, open flowers in the windy fields
of this war-torn world
And love, this city breathes the plague
of loving things more than their creators

I ran away
I could not take the burden of both me and you
It was too fast
Casting love on me as if it were a spell I could not break
When it was a promise I could not make

But what if I was wrong?

But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight

And now this land means less and less to me
without you breathing through its trees
At every turn the water runs away from me
and the halo disappears
and the hole when you're not near

So what if I was wrong?

But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight

So hold on to what you believed in the light

Until next time,

Promo Tour: 99 Authors, 99 Books, 99 Cents

These prices are available on Amazon only.

For a listing of books offered and to enter to win, click here!!

 I think you understand what you have to do! Good luck and enjoy the books!

Until the next time,

A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso

Expected publication: January 29th, 2013

Author's 

Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Book summary: 

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

        It's been a while since I've read some good book about angels. It's a shame cause I really love those creatures but somehow the books about angels tend to disappoint. So I'm really happy to say that this one was good, really good.

       This is a story about Rayna the girl who sees angels. Of course no one believes her and therefore she spends some time in institution. Now she is out and she believes it's the end of her craziness. She decides to start again with the new school and job were no one will point a finger at her and laugh. For most she is happy for herself and her family cause they all need a new start. Angels don't exist in theory and she knows that, but unfortunately being gifted or we may say cursed can't be cured so easily. When she sees another angel in her class no less, all old fears are coming back to her. She doesn't believe in them and she tries too hard not to lose it but eventually she does. Now she is in the middle of something she couldn't dream of.

        I really must say that Rayna was one of these rare girls in paranormal novels that earned my respect by acting well normally. Usually when girls discover that the guy is some sort of paranormal creature they fall in love and drool all over them. Rayna is different she runs and doesn't want to believe in it. She's been told that she is crazy and it doesn't matter that she knows that those aren't hallucinations she doesn't want to accept it. So she is acting logically. There are other things in this book that I liked but as they haven't been mention in summary I'm going to leave them so you can discover them by yourselves.

Until the next time,

***Note: This book was kindly provided by publisher, Month9Books, via NetGalley. Thank you! 

I'm not paid for writing this review - I do it as a lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.

Waiting on Wednesday (#23)

Hello. It's our Wednesday meme time so here we go. Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and here are our picks for this week.

Glass' pick

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile.

And now I’m going back.

After ten years.

I hope I can explain that after all this time.

I still want her to be my forever girl.

Expected publication: December 27th, 2012

Tanja's pick

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Expected publication: January 1st, 2013

We both picked

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Expected publication: May 28th, 2013

As always we'd love to see your picks...so link them up in comments.

Until the next time,

 & 

Tanja's Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Read In 2012

Hi!! It's another Tuesday and as usual that means it's time for another Top Ten Tuesday. You know it's a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. So our task for today is to pick top ten books we've read in 2012. So here they are (in pictures).

These are my picks. It was hard to decide. As always I'd love to see your picks so link them up.

Until the next time,