{Blog Tour} Falling for Summer by Kailin Gow

Falling for Summer
Series: Loving Summer #1.9
Author: Kailin Gow
Release Date: December 12, 2012
by, TheEdge Books
Source: *a review copy was provided for review purposes*
Format: Ebook

Love hits you when you least expect it, grabs you, sucks you in whole, and twists you around until you could hardly breathe. Love hurts like a sucker punch, that’s both glorious and beautiful. Falling for Summer was like that for me, every time. – Nat Donovan

The Donovan Brothers

Two brothers as gorgeous as they are dangerous.

Nat Donovan, the older more responsible brother with the passion of a starving man. Knows what he wants, but knows he can’t have it without giving up everything.

Drew Donovan, the really bad boy, the black sheep, the one who has a devil-may-care attitude, wants what he wants, but knows he would have to go through the ones he loves to have it.

Nat and Drew Donovan has known Summer Jones since they were kids. She had always been the girl next door who was best friends with their little sister Rachel and was cool enough to play with the guys. Now Summer is all grown up, gorgeous, and scorchingly sexy without even knowing it. Responsible older brother Nat, who had always tried to keep their friendship platonic, now can’t stop thinking of her and wanting more. Carefree Drew, who had always had a crush on Summer, but knew Summer’s heart was already taken, can only fall further for her. But no one had anticipated what would happen between the time the Donovan brothers fell for her and now. No one knew how hard they would fall.{Goodreads}

~Review:

  Lets start out by saying I have yet to read Loving Summer. When I got the invite for the Falling for Summer tour I was informed that you did not have to have read Loving Summer in order to understand Falling for Summer. Its true. I wasn’t completely lost when reading it but I have to admit I felt a tad out of the loop. (The author) did a good job filling you in about the past events and the characters involved. I have to say that I still recommend you reading Loving Summer. I think I might have enjoyed this book a hell of a lot better if I had. Now, this does not mean I didn’t enjoy it cus I did. A lot. I just felt as if I was missing that personal connection that is loved when reading a book. It was talking with two people that share too many inside jokes. I was missing those mere details that would provide that tie with the characters and their story. I had questions like what happened last summer!? The most important one of all. Other than that Falling for Summer carried its own story and I enjoyed it. If anything it made me want to read Loving Summer that much more. I have kept my eye on it for a while now but just haven’t found time to just yet. Looks like I will be pushing some books behind for it huh? ;D

  (The author) has a nice writing style. It all kind of just flows and makes you sit back and enjoy the words on the screen (or pages). I will admit that at times I caught grammatical errors but hey, she is an indie author and I find with most indie books there are bound to be mistakes and heck! Even the published books have their mistakes. These mistakes never hindered me from loving this book though. The characters, even though I didn’t have a deeper connection with them due to not reading the first book, grew on me. Summer is a strong, independent girl I came to enjoy. I was kind of surprised when the book had chapters from her point of view. I expected it to just be Nat’s book which obviously added to the surprise of having Drew’s point of view too.

  Now, lets get down to the nitty-gritty shall we? ;) Boys..to be more clear…the Donovan boys! O my! These boys are hot. Seriously. At times I felt as though some of Drew’s sexy dialect was a bit awkward but at others…holy smoking cows!! Ya, he had me drooling. That said, I think my heart belongs to Nat. He is totally hot and completely and entirely sweet. He is strong, courageous and would do anything for Summer. That really really shined through in this book. Again, I have no clue what happened that summer but I know I love Nat Donavon. Let’s see if that changes when I read Loving Summer. (I hardly doubt it but…I do have an act for falling for the “Drew” types).

  All in all I am so glad I got to participate in the Falling for Summer Tour! It was a super cute read and I can’t wait to read more. I totally recommend this book if you are a fan of cute beach reads with a horrible (meaning you have two boys that have you doubting the team you are on with every line of theirs) love triangle, some drama, emotion, and a little bit of inspiration. This book was totally worth the read. I feel that if I had read Loving Summer this book would be getting a better rate so based of of that…. 

This review was apart of the SupaGirls Tour....

~Rating:

4 out of 5 stars!!

~Author:

Contact her at: ~Website~Blog~Twitter~Facebook~Goodreads~

Kailin Gow uses her author platform to bring awareness to issues affecting young adult and women. She has appeared on national radio as a regular guest on topics such as body image, self-esteem, dating and sexual relationships, bullying, and more; often brought up in her fiction books for young adults and women. She has won multiple awards from the International Book Awards and the Green Book Festival. Selling over half a million books, Kailin Gow has been a bestselling author of over 100 distinct books which includes the Desire Series, PULSE, Wicked Woods, and the Frost Series. She has been professionally published since 2001. She was one of the first authors for young readers to write books for girls with supernatural elements. Her first book series about extraordinary girls guided by an angel in 2001, was a success, selling thousands of print copies in days, and inspiring girl book clubs around the U.S. In 2003, she came out with more series, including The Fairy Rose Chronicles, about fairies in Feyland. Her books have been recommended by PBS Kids, US Mental Health Association, the PTA, and homeschooling associations in the United States.

Thanks for stopping by!! 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ;D

<3 Jaiden 

{Review} Broken by A.E. Rought

Broken
Author: A.E. Rought
Release Date: January 8, 2013
by, Strange Chemistry
Source: Netgalley
Format: Kindle
Pages: 384

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.  

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.{Goodreads}

 ~Review:
  Ok....look at that cover...its gorgeous you guys! I know, I know...I start off like this 9 times out of 10 but hey! You have to give credit when credits are due....and this is due...And it totally has meaning to the story. I love the color scheme and the font and ya the whole thing is just unique and lovely!

  Now, on to the review actually for the book and not the cover. At first I was confused and I blame the synopsis. I hate the synopsis for only one reason. It gives way too much away and then you end up focusing on that one piece of information and it ruins the element of surprise....it ruins the building plot. Wait, I forgot to mention the part I mean? Oh! *slaps forehead* silly me! I mean the very beginning and I quote..."Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all. " I think they should totally delete that part. Mentioning that this book is a modern spin on Frankenstein completely ruins the book and the readers mind/thoughts going into this book.

  For one...when the story actually develops into a rendition of Frankenstein...I already saw it coming. There was no gasping and horror for me. Two...I was so focused on the Frankenstein part that I was pointing out things that related to Frankenstein and I was unable to just sit back and enjoy the developing plot. Ya, so...I hate that part of the synopsis and I wish they would have never put it on there. I wish I could have read this book over again with no knowledge of its relation to Frankenstein.

  Anyways!!! Other than my little rant on the synopsis...this book was good...no. It was better than good. It was great! I loved this book a lot. I was very pleasantly surprised. In fact, I have been "pleasantly surprised" with a lot of books lately. I don't know if it is because I don't read the synopsis right before and so I have forgotten what the book is about or cus I have become more untrustworthy in some ways. I don't know. This book wasn't at all what I was expecting. It chilled me more than I thought it would. I knew it was going to be semi-creepy because of the whole Frankenstein thing but I didn't think it would have this creepy fog hovering over it the entire book. It was like having those gloomy thunderstorm clouds with the lightening cackling every now and then. It gave me goosebumps I will admit. It also had my heart squeezing and flipping.

  If it wasn't for Frankenstein's gloomy storm hovering over the pages then I would have taken it as any other contemporary read. A girl loses her love to a tragic accident and along comes a boy who fixes her heart. Again any other mending-the-broken-heart contemporary book except...this was no ordinary contemporary book. It was so much more. Again this book would have been so much more fun if I hadn't known it was a modern spin on Frankenstein. I would have loved playing the guessing game. It would have added to the mystery, suspense, and creep factor. This book was all sorts of amazing. It totally peaked my interest in gothic novels and movies...the old ones. I want the originals baby! ;)

  Now, let me talk about Alex for a moment shall I? I mean, what kinda fictional-boy-obsessor would I be if I didn't set aside a paragraph to talk about the love interest?? Ok, so Alex is plain out gorgeous you guys! Tall, lean, hazel eyes, dark hair with natural highlights. He has scars and a wicked rumor about his past following him around like a ghost. He is mysterious, bad-boy-repped and a total charmer! And did I mention he was totally and completely smexy!? O my. I fell for Alex hard not only for his looks but his heart and words. Again, total charmer and complete eye candy. The makes of a perfect boy. His past is terrible and his father worse. He would do anything for Emma and looks at her as if she is a dream come true every..single...time. *swoon!*

  This book is very much well written. Rought has one heck of a writing hand. She damn well knows what she is doing, wants to do and how to fulfill that all to us readers. She had me feeling the creep factor, love factor, sick factor, every factor in this book. Haunting, emotional, and beautiful...those are the words that come to mind when thinking of Broken. I really did enjoy this book. Started off a bit slow but it didn't take long to get me hooked! Happy with the way it ended! ^-^ Sad too though... :( Dudes, that ending was crazy! I totally recommend this to anyone who loves gothic novels. Then to those who enjoy romance with the paranormal/gothic twist. SO good! All I got to say! Rought has officially made a fan out of me and I will be looking forward to future books from her! :D

~Rating:

4 of 5 stars!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! :D

<3 Jaiden

{Follow Friday} #41

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

~This Week's Features:
JCs Book Haven
&
Lite Rate Ture

~This Week's Question:

What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry?

~My Answer:

One thing would be that their are SO many publishing companies! Like seriously. I thought maybe a handleful and I guess techniqually there is. There are a handful of MAJOR industries but beyond Harper Collins, Random House, Penguin, Macmillan and Sourcebooks there are many upon many publishers. And then!! Upon that, there are so many sub publishers linked off the big publishing companies: Philomol, HarperTeen, etc. When I first found this out I got to admit....I was overwhelmed. I mean, how do I even begin to know you to contact!!? O.o I had to create a binder listing all the publishers and under them the sub genres...without that binder...I would be lost hahaha

What about you?
(Bonus question: for all of you overwhelmed with the overdose of publishers...how do you cope? Do you have a binder too?)

Leave your links below! :)

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!! 

~Jaiden

P.s....Don't forget to check out all the giveaways going on now! I've got signed copies, swag packs and other items all up for grabs!! Find the giveaways by checking out interviews, the giveaway pages, or the right side bar!

{Waiting on Wednesday} #37 Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on.....

Dare You To
Series: Pushing the Limits #2
Author: Katie McGarry
Release Date: May 28, 2013
by, Harlequin Teen

"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....{Goodreads}

Asdfhjkl....O. My....Wow..ya that cover...*breathe wooshes out* That cover is one HOT cover! O my goodness! And the synopsis. Everything about this book is screaming MUST HAVE!!! JAIDEN YOU NEED THIS BOOK OR YOU WILL SURELY DIE!!!!! I absolutely LOVED Pushing the Limits. It was so amazing and I just fell in love with it and Katie..she is one heck of a writer. Honestly guys...if I don't some how get my hands on a copy of this book...I won't live. This book is too good to be true and I just need it! I am SO flipping excited for this book. In fact this Wednesday is DYING ON WEDNESDAY. I am not just waiting I am dying to have it. Sorry guys. A lot of dramatics for this WOW. but Wow. Ya, you can see why can't you???

What about you?

    What are you waiting on this week?

        Leave your links in the comments!

    Have a great Wednesday/week!!
  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ;D

~Jaiden

P.S. Don't forget to check out my giveaways! There are 4 going on now! You can find them in either the Giveaways page, Recent giveaways section on the right side bar, or the top of the page! Don't miss out on these spectacular giveaways!

{Interview & Giveaway} Holly Cupala, author of Don't Breathe a Word

Its almost the end of the WORLD!!! And what better way to kick off our last week then...

Have Holly Cupala stop by and share her answers and some book love with us aye? ;)

(just kidding bout the end of the world stuff fyi! It just made for a good opener hehe ;D)

The Author:

Contact her at: ~Website~Goodreads~Twitter~Facebook~

Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. When she isn't making art and writing, she spends time with her husband and children in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope.

The Interview:

1. You write about teens and their struggles in life and finding themselves. Does some of the inspiration come from your teen years?

Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Jaiden! I would say the exact events of my novels are fictional, but the emotions are true. I have vivid memories of my high school and college years, and I tried to draw on them to make the characters and scenes as authentic as I could. My close friends know the secrets, and they’re not telling...

2. How does an author pick the title of their book? Where did you get the idea of Don't Breathe a Word?

Most of the time book titles change before going to publication, for various reasons. The original title for Don’t Breathe a Word was “Street Creed,” which didn’t really have the oooh factor of my first book, Tell Me a Secret. So we did a lot of brainstorming, (some reject titles included “Then I Disappeared,” “The Dangers of Breathing,” “Street of Ashes,”), then the final title woke me up in the middle of the night. Luckily my publisher liked it, too! 

3. What authors have you created bonds with over your years of being authors?

YA authors are a pretty close-knit and friendly group—I’ve been very lucky to get to know many. Too many to name all of them, but some of my dearest author friends are Janet Lee Carey, Martha Brockenbrough, Justina Chen, Heather Davis, Liz Gallagher, Kevin Emerson, Katherine Bond. People who have encouraged me along the way—Ellen Hopkins, Libba Bray, Shannon Hale, Laurie Halse Anderson, Deb Caletti. I’m in awe of all of them.

If you could pick two songs that would be a part of Don't Breathe a Word, what would they be?

I made up a whole playlist for Don’t Breathe a Word (you can find it here: http://pl.st/p/22567607051), but if I were to pick two songs, I would choose Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You (Into the Dark)” and Splashdown’s “Need Versus Want,” which is the soundtrack to the DBAW book trailer:

5. Don't Breathe a Word has been called a "sophomore book". Can you explain to us what a "sophomore book is"?

Sophomore is just a fancy way of saying an author’s second novel. My first was Tell Me a Secret, which came out from HarperTeen in 2010.

6. Have you got anything else planned for us? What can you tell us about it if so.

I’m working on another contemporary YA, like my first novels on steroids—very emotionally charged and suspenseful and hopeful. Four voices, four terrible secrets, one explosive murder that will connect them all… 

The Book(s):

Don't Breathe a Word

Release Date: January 3, 2012

by, HarperTeen

Buy at: ~Amazon~B&N~Indie Bound~

Pages: 299

Joy delamere is suffocating.  

From asthma, from her parents, and from her boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. She can take his cruel words, his tender words . . . until the night they go too far.  

To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, to its rules of survival, and to love--a world she won't easily let go.

Set against the backdrop of the streets of Seattle, Holly Cupala's power-ful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the secrets we keep, and the ways to redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength. {Goodreads}

(Click pic for Goodreads page) 

Extra Fun:

Thanks to Holly I got some extra's for you guys! Think of them as a pre-giveaway aye? ;)
*Two Chapter Preview of Don't Breathe a Word*
*Exclusive DBAW graphic novel chapters*
*DBAW Words Have Power, Author Addition*
*DBAW Tour of Seattle*

The Giveaway:

The Prize:

A copy of Don't Breathe a Word

The Rules:

You must be 13 years or older.

Please refrain from leaving any personal information in the comments section

There will be 1 winner (chosen randomly by Rafflecopter).

The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email/tweet. If not, a new winner will be chosen

This is a US giveaway only!

Giveaway ends January 5, 2013

Have fun!!! <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years everyone!! :D

~Jaiden

{Interview & Giveaway} Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood & Nightspell

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I am here with Leah Cypess, author of Nightspell and Mistwood, to kick off your weekend!  :D

Let's get started shall we?? :)

The Author:

Leah Cypess was born in Brooklyn, New York, and thought about careers as a researcher (this ended during her first college lab), journalist, and lawyer. She now lives in Boston with her family and a career as a fiction writer.

Contact her at: ~Website~Twitter~Goodreads~ 

The Interview:

1. How do you deal with negative reviews? What piece of advise could you give new authors about reviews (negative and positive)?  

I deal with them much better now than I used to! One of the advantages of having two books out is that there are always going to be some people who loved one book and hated the other. It really helps bring home the point that the reviews are about my books and my characters, not about me and my writing talent. In general, I've stopped reading really negative reviews, because they are not helpful. I know my books aren't for everyone, and I don't need to read in excruciating detail about why they aren't for some people. I do still read three-star reviews, because sometimes those are helpful - if someone generally liked my book but there was something that wasn't satisfying, that's good to know about, especially if a lot of people feel the same way. I can't change the book that's already published, but I can certainly work on improving while I'm writing the next book.

2. Your two books, Mistwood and Nightspell, are part of the same series but their POVs are from two completely different characters and kingdoms. Why did you decide to do that?

When I started writing Nightspell, I hadn't sold Mistwood yet, and I didn't know if I ever would sell it, so my next project had to be an independent book that could stand on its own. I set them in the same world because I kind of like that world, but I started writing Nightspell to be completely independent from Mistwood. Once I got the offer from HarperCollins for Mistwood, I was free to write in some connections, which was fun.

3. Mistwood has the character of Isabel and Nightspell has Darri. Which character do you like more? What characteristics make them different?

I think Isabel and Darri are very different. Isabel is cold, calculating, and alone, while Darri is hot-tempered and driven largely by her family relationships, especially her love for her sister Callie and her guilt over not saving her years ago. Isabel is also highly controlled and manipulative, able to out-intrigue the best of them, while Darri is kind of like a bull in a china shop. . I can't say which one of them I like more - Isabel was my favorite while I was writing her, and Darri was my favorite while I was writing her. (I know. Lame! But true.)

4. Which prince do you like more, Prince Rokan or Prince Kestin? Why? *wiggles eyebrows*

Well, Kestin is both better-looking and less flawed than Rokan. That said... Rokan. Mostly because he was a much more major character in Mistwood than Kestin was in Nightspell, so I spent more time with him.

5. What book genre do you prefer to read? Why?

Fantasy is without question my favorite. The best fantasy books have a sense of wonder and magic about them, and those are the books I read over and over.

6. What can you tell us about your new book coming 2013, Deathsworn? (AHH!! SO looking forward to this one! Assassins? Yes please!)

Deathsworn is set in the world of Nightspell and Mistwood, but hundreds of years later. The Raellian Empire has taken over much of the known world, though there are some hold-outs -- including a group of exiled sorcerers, and a cult of assassins, who live in close proximity to each other at the edges of the empire. The assassins allow the sorcerers to live unmolested as long as they send them a tutor to live in their caves and teach them magic. My main character, Isabel, has been chosen to be that tutor. Problem is, the last two tutors died under mysterious circumstances, and Isabel herself is slowly losing her magical powers - a fact that, if discovered, would lead to her immediate execution. So she has to hide the truth about her power, try to solve the murders of her predecessors, and somehow manage to stay alive in the process. Of course, there are dark secrets about both the assassins and the sorcerers (and the empire) that she's going to uncover along the way, with the help of a deadly young assassin whom she can't manage to hate quite as much as she's supposed to.

7. How does an author keep writing? There are so many books that have similarities. How does an author make their book stand out?

For me (and, I suspect, for most authors), I can't not write! Even if I knew I would never publish another book, I would still write them. It's my hobby, my passion, and my calling. As for making a book stand out, I don't really know myself why some books stand out and some don't. I read very widely, so I'm usually not in danger (I think) of writing something too similar to another existing book. Aside from that, I just try to write books that I personally would love to read.

The Book(s):

Nightspell

Series: Mistwood #2
Buy: ~Mistwood~Nightspell~

Release Date: May 31, 2011

by, HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 326

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri’s sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister... if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?{Goodreads}

The Rest of the Series:

(click pic for goodreads link)

The Giveaway:

The Prize:

A SIGNED (and personalized by request) hardcover copy of  Nightspell

The Rules:

You must be 13 years or older.

Please refrain from leaving any personal information in the comments section

There will be 1 winner (chosen randomly by Rafflecopter).

The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email/tweet. If not, a new winner will be chosen

This is International!

Giveaway ends January 3, 2013

Have fun!!! <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~Jaiden

{Follow Friday} #40

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

~This Week's Features:
My Library in the Making
&
Read, Breath, Read, Everyday 

~This Week's Question:

What is the last book that made you cry? Tell us about the scene...

~My Answer:

Ah! The last scene I cried was in The Fault in Our Stars. And it wasn't a scene...it was the whole last 100 pages. I cried like a baby. Seriously..I don't think I have ever cried so much since I was a baby. I died. My makeup was crazy and...my eyes burned the next day. I cried out all my tears. No joke. But then because John Greene is an absolute genius...I was laughing through my tears also. So basically I was a total mess that sounded like a dying moose haha.

What about you? 

Leave your links below! :)

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!! 

~Jaiden

P.s....Check out my Review of  Dizzy by Nyrae Dawn & Jolene Perry and What Kills Me by Wynne Channing!;D Interview with Ellie James, author of the Midnight Dragonfly Trilogy. A signed copy of any three of the books from her trilogy is up for grabs! Ends 12/15/12 Check out Interred's cover reveal also! A giveaway is also there ends Christmas Day! :) Also check out my Interview with Wynne Channing, author of What Kills Me. A What Kills Me prize pack is up for grabs! Giveaway ends 1/1/13. 

{Review} Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls by Tellulah Darling

Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls
Author: Tellulah Darling
by, Te Da Media
Release Date: October 12, 2012
Source: * a copy was provided by the author for review purposes*
Format: physical ARC
Pages: 244

Why the hell can’t chicks be more like guys?

That question plagues high school senior Sam Cruz. Sam is perfectly happy being a player. He just wishes girls wouldn’t change the game from sex to relationships. It makes him look like an asshole. But when Sam’s best friend, Ally Klinger, gets dumped, she begs him to transform her into someone who can screw around then screw off. No risk of heartbreak that way. It’s Sam’s chance to create the perfect female AND cheer up his best friend.Armed with Sam’s Three Step Guide to Backseat Success, Ally gets the game better than Sam thought she would and before long, Sam has his wish: the female version of himself. Too bad it’s driving him nuts. Told from Sam’s and Ally's alternating POVs, Sam Cruz’s Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is a fast-paced romantic comedy that follows these teens as they navigate the minefield of sex, love, and friendship.

This book contains strong language, drinking, euphemisms, and lots of “bow chicka wow wow.” {Goodreads}

~Review:
  This book just sounded like a bunch of fun when Tellulah offered it to me. I am a TOTAL sucker for the best friend card. Seriously. And what better plot than the player becoming the love strucked and the love strucked becoming the player...eventually settling down for well..each other!

  So here is Ally in a perfectly stabled relationship. She is a little weird and expressive. She likes hippy clothes and adores birds. She isn't on the top of the A-list if you know what I mean. Then there is Sam, Ally's best friend since forever. He is hot, charming and a total player. He has never had "stable" at least not since his mom....Then poor Ally gets dumped and she hates it. Why!? I mean, things were starting to lose their spark but...but...well I guess there was no real spark but still...if anyone should have been doing the dumping it was to be her. She hates this feeling...especially when she knows she was dumped for another girl. She never wants to feel like this again...ding ding ding! The lights go on. Who does she know who has never had to be dumped...who drops the girls before there is a second to grab on...

  SAM!!! She needs and wants his help. He is totally reluctant at first but the more he thinks about it...the more he is willing to give it a shot. Please, how long is she going to be able to go on without getting tired of the game..girls just aren't like that ya know? So Sam creates his ultimate girl. One who isn;t going to cling and expect dates or feelings..just sex. Little does he know that Ally is here to play and to dominate. Oh, and under all that hippy clothes..she is totally smoking hot!

  This book was fun and hilarious! I loved the banter between Ally and Sam and how their relationship grew. It was nice to see the guy become the girl ;) I totally give Ally props for going out and stepping out into a totally uncomfertable zone. Now, I totally don't approve the quicky pick ups...but that is just me. It works for Ally she in a way needed it. I personally find a different way to deal with the heart break..a way that didn't involve guys in the bed but like I said...me. This is a book. Be for warned though..this book isn;'t kidding when it says lots of bow chicka wow wow. That being said, it was never explicit or inappropriate. It didn't go into detail and imagery. It was as appropriate as a book about sex as revenge could be.

  I liked it. Sam was funny and omg...hot!! Man oh man...ya. Enough said. Ally was enjoyable. She was who she was. She was smart and eventually she used that smartness to realize her foolishness. She was corny and weird and totally and completely herself! I loved her. Sure she had to be someone else and dump her smarts in the trash for the games but she snapped. She was a great example...in a weird way. She got the points down about men...but not all men ya know? I really liked the alternating POVs. I have to say...as hot as Sam is..I enjoyed Ally better. She was just very likable. She grew on me what can I say. I liked that she was smart and weird. She doesn't mind being herself. She knows the stupidity of being stupid for guys and..ya I just really liked her.

  I mean it when I say this book was fun. I enjoyed reading it from beginning to end. And the end...it made it for me! Again, lots of bow chicka wow wow so if stuff like that offends or makes you uncomfortable then don't read...well, read at your own caution. If not, then you totally should read this. I liked Tellulah's writing style and the story and underlying meaning she may or may not have intended. Fun, flirty, and well...sexy ;) I liked this book and shall keep it on my shelf! ;D Not a favorite of mine but it was totally worth the read. It made me laugh and want to punch guys in the face...then kiss them...and punch them again. Tellulah as an undeniable charm and wit that just can't go unrecognized! When you have the time give this book a shot!

~Rating:

3.5 stars of 5!! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ;D

~Jaiden

{Cover Reveal} Interred by Marilyn Almodovar

Hey guys! So today I have a very special. VERY pretty.....

COVER REVEAL!

for....

Interred (Chronicles of the Interred #1)

by

Marilyn Almodóvar

BUT! Before we get to the gorgeous cover (trust me peeps! This cover is amazing!!) Here is...

The Author:

Contact Lyn at:

~Twitter~Facebook~Goodreads~Pinterest~Blog~ 

Marilyn Almodóvar is an American YA Author born in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. A lover of words with a penchant for Victorian novels as well as the books of Stephen King, Lyn's favorite past-times have always been reading and writing.
It was this love that propelled her to choose Theater and French as majors in University, with a minor in English Victorian Literature. Lyn lived for almost a decade in England followed by three years in France before returning home to the U.S.
A self-confessed citizen of the world, Lyn is fluent in English, French and Spanish, with basic knowledge of the Italian language. Lyn currently lives in Central Florida with her French husband, English-born eldest son, and French-born youngest son. Her debut YA Novel, Interred, will be published by Iambe books on 01/22/2013.

Now for the cover beauty...Drum roll please!!

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Interred

Series: Interred Chronicles #1

Release Date: January 22, 2013

by, Iambe Books

Time has never been an issue for Baxter Jacobs, but then she never knew she had the ability to Bend it.
As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Baxter inherits a pendant that will change her life. Connected to the pendant is a dark and mysterious young man named Declan Ashdown. Trapped in a Time loop for the past 122 years, Declan needs Baxter’s help to escape. The only problem is, she has no idea how to do it.
To acquire the power she needs to free him, she’ll become one of the Interred, those whose Magical abilities emerge as they come of age. When she does, she’ll discover that Declan isn’t the only one interested in the fact that she’s a Time Bender.
As the Interment arrives, Baxter knows this will be no Sweet Sixteen. A vengeful relative and ruthless Council are determined to control her. Declan’s powerful and charming descendant, Jack Ashdown, claims he can save her. She’ll soon have to decide who she can trust, and how to master her new abilities before Time runs out. {Goodreads}

Omg!! So pretty right!!? And the synopsis!! I am SO excited to read this one!! Tell me what you think! Tweet Marilyn (she is a sweet heart!!) And let her know of her cover's beauty!! Then let her know how amazing it SOUNDS!! Show this book some love no? ;) Add it to you TBR's yo!! haha

But wait!! Don't go just yet!

Marilyn has got a very special giveaway for you all!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Ends Christmas day!)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ya'll!!

Have a great day! <3

~Jaiden

{Interview & Giveaway} Wynne Channing, author of What Kills Me

EEP! Today Wynne Channing is on the blog you guys!!

She is the author of What Kills Me (one of my all time fav vampire books)

Not only do we have one awesome and funny interview but a really cool giveaway so...

let's get started!!

The Author:

Wynne Channing is a national newspaper reporter and award-winning young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

~Website~Blog~Goodreads~Facebook~Twitter~Pinterest~Amazon~Youtube~Google+~

The Interview:

1. Now, not only are you a YA writer you are a well known (AWARD-WINNING!!) newspaper reporter. What makes these two jobs different? The same? Actually, I started writing creepy, gory, weird, dystopian etc. fiction when I was young; so my friends thought it was strange when I decided to study journalism and write about politics, business and crime. (Though those topics can involve creepy, gory and weird elements as well.) Both styles of writing require strong story-telling skills. Both are about  observation and capturing a reader’s imagination. But reporting is about being fair and relaying the facts. Never came across any vamps on the job ;-)

2. Does your newspaper reporting get in the way with your writing..or vice versa?

Reporting keeps me pretty busy so it gets in the way by taking up all of my writing time! Being a young adult author is starting to affect my day job: since I talk a lot with my fans via Twitter, Facebook, emoticons and exclamation marks are creeping into my work emails to politicians, etc. (Hi Mr. Mayor, I’d love to interview you about the budget :-P Chat soon!) Not professional!

3. There are a lot of different vampire lore out there. What made you decide on the one you chose. What vampire legends, books, and/or movies helped influence What Kills Me?

I've always been fascinated by these lonely monsters. I loved Christopher Pike’s Thirst and my favourite show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m writing the sequel to What Kills Me and I’m having a lot of fun creating the vampire world and history. The Monarchy is a place of extreme traditional and ritual, from a vampire’s creation to its class system. The complexity is hurting my brain a bit, but it’s still fun.

4. Did you ever think that one day you would be an award winning newspaper reporter and a YA writer?

I’ve never wanted anything else but to be a writer so I feel uber lucky to have people read my work.

5. Where did the idea for What Kills Me come from?

I was living in Taiwan for a few months and at night, I could hear cockroaches scurrying around my room. Needless to say, I couldn’t sleep, afraid they’d rent out my mouth for a party. So I would lie there, thinking all sorts of crazy things: “What would happen if I suddenly disappeared?” “What if I fell into a hole? What if that hole was filled with blood?” Man, that would suck. That image, of a young woman climbing out of a well, soaked in blood, was what started it all. Yay for cockroaches!

6. Both you and Zee are from Canada. What other similarities do you have? What similarities would you want from Zee? While I’ve never been hunted to the death by every vampire in the world, Zee and I are similar in a lot of ways. We share a self-deprecating sense of humor and an openness with strangers (which is Zee’s gift as well as her undoing). Our fathers address themselves in the third person and our best friends rescued us from bullies. We both talk when we're nervous (my grade school teacher told my mother that I suffered from "verbal diarrhea"). But I’m definitely not as brave as Zee. If vampires were after me, I’d hide under my bed.

Q. And now for the question I have been dying to ask...Please!! Please!! Please!!!!! Tell me there is going to be a sequel to What Kills Me! If so, what can you tell us about it? If, not (pouty face) any new projects you have been working on? Yes! I’m working on Book Two now. At the end of What Kills Me, Zee finds herself in a very unique position. How will the Monarchy handle the startling development? Will they take her in and worship her? Or will they imprison her forever? I’m busy pinning inspiration for Book Two on Pinterest and storyboarding the plot. Zee’s powers will continue to grow. Her relationship with Lucas will evolve. You’ll meet a new cast of characters including members of the rebellion, Lucas’s brother, etc. Maybe you’ll get to meet Zee’s family and her best friend. But for sure, there will be more twists, more deceit, lots of action, and well, blood.

The Book(s):

What Kills Me

~My Review~

Release Date: June 6, 2012

by, Jet & Jack Press

Buy on: ~Amazon(US)~Amazon(UK)~B&N~Itunes~Kobo~

Pages: 209

The fight for survival begins.  

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.  

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.  

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals? {Goodreads}

The Giveaway:

The Prize:

1 What Kills Me prize pack!!

-Ebook copy of What Kills Me

-What Kills Me charm bookmark

The Rules:

You must be 13 years or older.

Please refrain from leaving any personal information in the comments section

There will be 1 winner (chosen randomly by Rafflecopter).

The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email/tweet. If not, a new winner will be chosen

This is an US/CAN only!

Giveaway ends January 1, 2013

Have fun!!! <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

~Jaiden

{Book Blitz} Fang Girl by Helen Keeble

Hey everyone! So I have an awesome Promo Blitz for you all thanks to Xpresso Book Tours!

I've got some awesomesauce things ahead for you all so sit back and scroll on!! ;D

The Author:

Helen Keeble is not, and never has been, a vampire. She has however been a teenager. She grew up partly in America and partly in England, which has left her with an unidentifiable accent and a fondness for peanut butter crackers washed   down with a nice cup of tea. She now lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, daughter, two cats, and a variable number of fish. To the best of her knowledge, none of the fish are undead.

Find her at: ~Website~Goodreads~Twitter~

The Book:

Fang Girl

Author: Helen Keeble

Release Date: September 11, 2012

Buy at: ~B&N~Amazon~The Book Depository~

Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin:  

1) A twelve-year-old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie. 

2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires. 

3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead. 

4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets.(Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you many friends.) 5) A pyschotic vampire creator who’s using her to carry out a plan for world domination.  

And finally:

6) A seriously ripped vampire hunter who either wants to stake her or make out with her. Not sure which.  Being an undead, eternally pasty fifteen-year-old isn’t quite the sexy, brooding, angst-fest Jane always imagined....  Helen Keeble’s riotous debut novel combines the humor of Vladimir Tod with Ally Carter’s spot-on teen voice. With a one-of-a-kind vampire mythology and an irresistibly relatable undead heroine, this uproarious page-turner will leave readers bloodthirsty for more. {Goodreads}

The Excerpt Fun:

“Cease!”

We all jumped, my attackers whirling round. Someone stood poised on the roof of the parked Range Rover, 

silhouetted against the starry sky. In a breathtaking arc, he leaped ten feet, landing crouched in the middle

of the road. He unfurled back to his full height, his velvet frock coat billowing around him, the moonlight 

turning his hair to pure silver. His high-cheekboned, elegant face was set in an expression of icy 

determination. As he faced my stunned attackers, his lips drew back in a contemptuous snarl . . . exposing 

jagged, sharp-edged teeth.

He was a vampire.

His pale eyes flicked to me. “Run, ma chérie,” he said. His voice was as light and golden as honey, with a rich 

French accent that made the simple phrase sound like an invitation to unspeakable immoral delights. He 

dropped into a combat crouch, empty hands spread. “I shall take care of these—”

And that was as far as he got, because as my attackers had been conveniently distracted by his appearance, I 

punted them fifteen feet down the road.

I hadn’t actually intended to do so. I’d only hoped to knock them off balance to give my unexpected rescuer 

an opening—after all, a dramatic pose was no match for two guns. So I’d kicked them, with all the strength I 

could muster.

Which, as it turned out, was quite a lot of strength.

“Quick!” I yelled as they skidded away, trailing shocked swear words. I dashed past the suddenly slack-

jawed vampire. “Get them before they escape!” One of my attackers was already rolling to his feet—without 

thought, my blood roaring in my veins, I leaped for him. We crashed back to the ground, him flailing, me 

desperately trying to work out some way to subdue him. I grabbed for his hair, yanking upward with the

vague thought of slamming his skull back down against the road—

I’d forgotten my vampiric strength again.

“AIEEEEEEEEEE!” I shrieked, reaching a high enough pitch to stun bats. I flung the severed head away 

with all my strength. “AIEEEEEEEEE!” I hopped from foot to foot, overcome with utter squick.

“Shh, hush, it’s all right!” The other vampire’s hands captured my flailing wrists. “Xanthe!” Lights were 

coming on in the nearest house; with a quick look around, he grabbed the corpse by the back of its collar. 

“Quick, back here.” He dragged us both into the shadow of the garage. After a few moments, the lights 

clicked off again, leaving us in darkness. I felt the vampire tension in the vampire’s muscles ease. “Well, that 

went . . . differently.”

I managed to get enough of a grip on myself to speak, though my voice came out in a Mickey Mouse squeak. 

“Is he dead? Is he dead?”

The vampire looked down at the headless corpse. “Yes,” he said. “He is very, very dead.” He cleared his 

throat. “You must be wondering who I am.”

My legs didn’t want to support me anymore. I sat down hard. “What . . . what happened to the other guy?”

“I believe that he has fled, rather understandably. Now, my name—”

“Oh God, he escaped?” Even though I didn’t need to breathe, I was starting to hyperventilate. “Is he coming 

back?”

“No,” the vampire said firmly, catching my hands between his own. “Because I will not let him. I’m here to 

protect you.”

I looked at him. I looked down at the corpse. I looked at him.

“Ah . . .” He appeared mildly embarrassed. “I can also help you dispose of bodies?”

“Okay,” I said, still feeling a bit shell-shocked. “You sound very useful. Um. Who are you, exactly?”

He let go of my hand and stood, clearing his throat again. “In life, I was the Comte Ebène Bellefleur. Now, I am

simply Ebène de Sanguine.” He bowed deeply, sweeping back his long, black frock coat with perfect grace, 

as though this was his customary attire. “I would be pleased if you would call me Ebon. I have come to bring 

you home.”

The best I could muster was a heartfelt “huh?” I was lagging about two minutes behind the conversation. I 

kept thinking of that horrible crunch through my hands.

“I must deeply apologize from the bottom of my soul that it has taken so long for us to send one of the Blood 

to welcome you,” Ebon said, somehow managing to enunciate the capitalization. “I must confess that we 

were unprepared for your Transfiguration”—once again I could hear the capitals clanging into place—“but I 

can assure you that you will be a treasured jewel among us. Now, ma chérie, we must make haste.” His face 

turned serious, and he held out a long, white-fingered hand. “This place is not safe. As you have 

discovered, the hunters are closing in. I will protect you with my very life, but I cannot hold this place secure 

for long. You must come.”

I struggled to get my brain to concentrate. “Come . . . with you? Where?”

“To your true home,” he said—and suddenly his face was only inches from mine. I froze, transfixed by the pale 

blue of his eyes, as clear and cool as the light at the heart of a glacier. “Come, Xanthe,” he murmured, shaping 

the hated sound of my name into something beautiful and wild. “I long to teach you. To show you who you 

are, and the power you will become. It is time for you to learn everything.”

I stared at him, and he didn’t become any less real. There was an actual gorgeous vampire aristocrat in 

velvet on his knees in front of me, vowing to lay down his life in my defense. All I had to do was take his hand.

“Okay,” I whispered, my throat dry. “First let’s hide this body somewhere, and then . . .”

“And then?” he whispered back, his breath cool on my lips. His pale eyes gazed into mine, wordlessly 

promising to whisk me away from all my troubles.

Or, to put it another way, a very strange man with predator’s teeth wanted to get me alone.

“And then,” I said firmly, taking his hand, “you’re coming home to meet my parents.”

The Giveaway:

The Prize:

*1 Fang Girl prize pack including.... 

- one signed copy of Fang Girl (can be personalized) 

- a voucher for an ARC of Helen's next book NO ANGEL as soon as they are available (likely to be Spring/Summer 2013) 

- a cheerful vampire goldfish paperclip 

- Fang Girl stickers featuring the cover and quotes from the book

The Details:

This giveaway is INT

Ends December 25, 2012

*This giveaway is a part of the Xpresso Tour Book Blitz. All additional details, rules, shipping and handling, etc is up to the Blitz host and author*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks! Fun wasn't it!?

Good luck!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! <3

~Jaiden