Tuesday 30 April 2013

On Holiday! :D

Hey fellow booklovers! :D
Drumheller - 2008

As of today, I will actually be on holiday...in Mexico! That's right, I'm going on vacation! :D This is my first time going to Mexico...and going anywhere big by myself without my parents, so I'm pretty excited, and I promise to share some pictures with you all once I get back! I'm going to be near Tulum, so I'm hoping to see some runes, and of course, there will be lots of beach and poolside relaxation! And hopefully a bunch of reading, too! ;D I'll be gone from today, April 30th, until May 7th!

I haven't gone anywhere big for a long time...like Disneyland when I was 12, and in 2008, I went to Drumheller, which isn't all that far from where I live actually. :P Now, I'm almost 22...I'll actually turn 22 while I'm in Mexico. haha So, this vacation has definitely been a long time coming, and I'm excited to finally go to Mexico for the first time...I'll also be staying at an all-inclusive resort, so please don't judge if I look a bit tipsy in some of the pictures I share later. haha

I do have some posts for blog tours scheduled, and an extra special post for May 3rd, which happens to be my birthday, but I won't be able to reply to comments while I'm gone, so don't feel bad if I don't get back to you for a little bit! :D

So...I hope you all have a fabulous week, and even if you aren't in Mexico, too, I hope that you're able to squeeze in some downtime and that you get to relax, especially if you just finished school for a little bit like I did...we totally deserve it! All of us, even the non-students! So, read a book for me, and have a stupendous week! :D

If you've gone anywhere lately, I'd love to hear about it and see pictures! So, feel free to share!
And if you haven't gotten to go anywhere, where would you like to go?

Friday 26 April 2013

Review: Post Mortem (Parish Mail #2) by Kira Snyder & GIVEAWAY!

Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review.
Publisher: Coliloquy, LLC
Release Date: Already released.


Description from Goodreads:
Celia Macarty is back in Post Mortem, the second installment in the Parish Mail saga.

Autumn in New Orleans means Homecoming, romance—and murder. When a friend vanishes, Celia believes a desperate letter about an unsolved Civil War-era murder holds the key to unraveling the mystery.

As she searches for answers, Celia enlists the help of quirky witch Tilly, and either all-American boy Donovan or, enigmatic Luc–you get to choose.

As the gang follows the missing girl’s trail, danger turns up on all fronts. A vicious stranger threatens Celia’s family. Celia’s nightmares–about a shadowy, ominous villain–get worse. And a new ghost has appeared: beautiful Angelica, who shares a past with Luc.

It will take all of Celia’s will and wit, and the faith of her friends, to solve an unspeakable crime. And no matter which path Celia takes, she will discover that sometimes the past can come back to haunt you.

What’s Cool from Coliloquy:
Throughout the Parish Mail series, readers decide which clues to follow to help Celia unravel each mystery. You’ll even get to cast a vote for your favorite love interest. But remember: Choose carefully, or else the killer might just get away.

This series is quickly reawakening the mystery fan in me! I love trying to figure everything out and piece it all together as Celia uncovers different clues, and once again, I really enjoyed the interactive aspect that Coliloquy's stories bring to this type of story. I read through all possible variations, and I could see how the choices made differences in the storyline. I'm starting to notice that the version I picked first usually ends up being my favourite though. ;) haha

I loved Post Mortem just as much as I loved Dead Letter Office, and I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to know Celia and her friends. I'm also incredibly fascinated by the paranormal and magical elements that are in this series. I love all the mentions of cadeaus, and just different types of spells. Kira Snyder has made them fit so seamlessly within the story that it honestly doesn't even seem out of the norm in modern day New Orleans, and I think that's the part that I find the most fascinating about the paranormal bits...it's as if it could happen to anyone and that you could move to New Orleans and realize your unknown cadeau, too...and I kinda like that. ;D

Along with the magic, I loved the story. Celia spent a lot of Post Mortem just trying to figure out if there was an actual mystery to solve, and I always had confidence in her instincts, just like her best friend Tilly did. Although the boys were another story. Depending on the version you went with one of the boys, Donovan or Luc, were always a bit more hesitant and the other believed in her the whole time, and that was kind of interesting aspect I saw when reading through both versions because it was like one choice had rivets throughout the story.  Even with her doubts, Celia continued to investigate, and she soon uncovers some pretty crazy and intense stuff! While Dead Letter Office was awesome and exciting, Post Mortem was both of those things and also had some pretty freaky parts that kind of gave me the creeps...in a good way of course. It had even more of the paranormal and magic that I mentioned before and it made for one crazy mystery. :D

Since I mentioned the boys before I have to bring them up. Celia's got quite the dramatic love life right now. She doesn't have a boyfriend, but there are a few prospective love interests in her life. You have Donovan--the detective's son, Luc--the attractive ghost from another era, and even Sloan is kind of romantically linked a bit...he and Celia have a very strange relationship. Sloan's the resident rich boy with a bad attitude, and he has a tendency to insult her almost every time he sees her...although not always. I have to say that Donovan is my favourite though. He's just such a good guy, plus that roguish smile he has gets me every time. *sigh* I like Luc, but I'm not really digging the whole ghost relationship thing. :P Well, now that I've had a one-sided gush fest about the boys with you all, I'll just say that you'll have to read the series to find out which one you like and feel free to gush with me about them. ;)

Overall, I loved Post Mortem. :D It's a fantastic story and definitely a worth follow-up to Dead Letter Office. I loved everything about it from the truly spooky mystery, to the budding romance (or rather romances) and finally to Celia herself. She is quickly becoming a favourite of mine and really reminds me of one of my absolute favourite characters, Veronica Mars. Celia's not as snarky, but she definitely has the guts to go into some crazy situations and will follow any lead to uncover the truth just as Veronica does. I definitely cannot wait to see what happens to Celia and her friends next. :D


GIVEAWAY!
- US/Canada Only!
- 1 Winner will receive a set of Dead Letter Office and Post Mortem in the Parish Mail series in the ebook format of their choice
- Giveaway ends May 17th at 11;59 PM (MST)
- Winner will be chosen with Rafflecopter, contacted via email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Good luck if you enter the giveaway! :D
So, what do you think of Post Mortem and the Parish Mail series?

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Cover Reveal: Blue Lines (Assassins #4) by Toni Aleo


Book Title: Blue Lines (Assassins #4)
Author: Toni Aleo
Expected Publication Date: 8/13/2013
Genre: Romance

Book Blurb:
Opposites do more than just attract in Tony Aleo’s latest Nashville Assassins novel about a very bad boy and the good girl he can’t resist. 

The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him—wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lie behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she’s lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life . . . followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: two blue lines on a pregnancy test. 

Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he’s been trying to forget about her alluring body by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it’s not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn’t take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: marriage. While it’s supposed to be all for show, the second they say “I do,” the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam. 

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, and Empty Net. 
Book Links: Amazon

The Other Covers:

Series Links on Goodreads:
Taking Shots (Assassins #1)
Trying to Score (Assassins #2)
Empty Net (Assassins #3)
Falling for the Backup (Assassins #3.5) - Expected Release Date: June 2013
Blue Lines (Assassins #4) - Expected Release Date: August 13, 2013
Breakaway (Assassins #5) -  Expected Release Date: February 2014


Author Bio:

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, & Blue Lines. When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, or reading the latest romance novel. 

 Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter



Cover Reveal courtesy of IMR Blog Tours:





I actually loved Toni's newest self-pubbed covers (she had 2 different sets), but the new Random House ones are growing on me, and Blue Lines is my favourite so far. I love that you see the guy on the cover, Erik we presume, with his stick, skates, and with the rink in the forefront. I definitely like the details. :D I do kind of miss having the ladies on the cover with the sexy leading men, but as I said, these ones are growing on me, and I like that they're simple, but it's still really obvious that they're all hockey sports romances. :)

What do you think of Blue Lines' cover?

Tuesday 23 April 2013

The Assassins Hockey Hop from April 23 until May 1!

A little while back Toni Aleo, the amazing author of the Assassins Hockey Series got a pub deal! And now the first three books in the series are being re-released, and to honour that the publisher is hosting a fabulous Assassins Hockey Hop, where you can win a bunch of free prizes!!! :D As of today, April 23, the books are also officially being re-released, so enter to win some copies of the books, or get yourselves a copy today. :) I for one, love this series. :D

Giveaways include:
  • 5 sets of the series to etailer of choice;
  • 10 net galley preview copy giveaway sets;
  • $20 EGC Starbucks, the drink of hockey fans everywhere

ENTER THE GIVEAWAYS: 



The following blogs are also participating in The Assassins Hockey Hop:

I loved the Assassins series back when Toni Aleo self-pubbed them, and I'm definitely looking forward to even more of the series! :D

Monday 22 April 2013

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (101)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading.



Books I Read Last Week:
I absolutely loved this one! :D I also kind of just love that both this series and Aimee Laine's other series, Mimics of Rune, take place in Rune, North Carolina. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the same town, but I'm not positive...I'm half-expecting there to be some cross-over at one point though. ;) Anyway, I loved this one! Taylor and Ian were awesome characters, and the "echoes" in this story were really interesting. :D

I loved this one, too. :) It's been a while since I've read a mystery, so this one was pretty refreshing, and the whole active fiction aspect made the mystery even better because you got to actually be involved! It was pretty neat. :D

Deeper We Fall was also pretty awesome. :D I especially loved the relationships and friendships between the characters, and the two main characters, Charlotte (Lottie), and Alexander (Zan) were fantastic...and I loved their nicknames. :D Overall, it was a great story, and I'll be reviewing it for a blog tour later in May. :)




Reading Now:
As I mentioned in my StS post yesterday, I got a Kobo Arc HD to sample from Kobo Books, and I started reading The Raven Boys on there and I'm loving it so far! Although I didn't expect there to be so many central characters. haha I'm really enjoying it though. :D




Books I Want to Read This Week:
Now that I've read book 1, Dead Letter Office, I need to read this one! :D haha I'm gonna have to squeeze this one in between study and paper-writing breaks! I'm almost done all my school stuff though....so close! I'll be done by Thursday! :D




And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)


Sunday 21 April 2013

Stacking the Shelves (28)

Stacking the Shelves is Tynga's Reviews' version of In My Mailbox (from The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie).

Stacking the Shelves is a way to share the books that you're adding to your physical and virtual bookshelves. It's easy to participate. You just make your own post, and link it to the main post over at Tynga's Reviews. Also, in case you're curious, Tynga's post for it goes up on Saturdays, but you can post it any day that you like. :) You can find out more about participating by reading the Stacking the Shelves Launch post.

So, here's what I got this week!



For Review:

 Life's a Witch (Life's a Witch #2) by Brittany Gergotelis (from Simon and Schuster Canada)
 Game. Set. Match (Outerbanks Tennis Academy #1) by Jennifer Iacopelli (from the author for the Blog Tour)
Drowning in You (Finding Forever in Us #1) by Rebecca Berto (from Xpresso Book Tours)
 Tragic (Rook and Ronin #1) by J.A. Huss (from Xpresso Book Tours)

I've got some awesome blog tours lined up soon! :D I can't wait to read these ones! :D


Kobo Aura HD (in espresso) (from Kobo Books)

I was completely surprised this week earlier with an offer from Kobo Books to experience the new Kobo Aura HD, and I jumped at the chance. So, they've provided me with a sample! Eek! :D I was reading on it just last night (it's totally the reason I put off on writing this StS post! haha), and I'm really enjoying it so far. Once I've used it a bit more, I'll share what I think about it with you all. :)



 Bought:

The Rising (Darkness Rising #3) by Kelley Armstrong (Book Depository/pre-order)
Locked (The Alpha Group #1) by Maya Cross (Amazon Kindle Store)
The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken (Amazon Kindle Store)
If You Stay (Beautifully Broken #1) by Courtney Cole (Amazon Kindle Store)
Damaged (Damaged #1) by H.M. Ward (Amazon Kindle Store)

My copy of The Rising came! Yay! :D I meant to read it last week, but with exams I didn't really have time. I also succumbed to Kindle sales this week...but they were all around $0.99 (sometimes Kindle books end up being like $0.97 or $1.01 in Canada...I'm guessing it's the exchange rate, but I'm really not sure :P), so I don't feel too bad. :P If I'm gonna buy books, at least I'm gonna buy ones that I really wanted that are on sale...after all, 3 of these were already on my wishlist, but the last one, Damaged, was a new discovery. :)



Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada, Jennifer Iacopelli, Xpresso Book Tours, and of course, Kobo Books (thank you, Laura, specifically! :D). :)

And that is what I got this week, what did you get?
Feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll come see what you got this week. :)

Thursday 18 April 2013

Review: Dead Letter Office (Parish Mail #1) by Kira Synder

Source: Received an ebook from the publisher for an honest review.
Publisher:Colliloquy, LLC
Release Date: Already Released.
Number of Pages: 212 (Paperback)


Description from Goodreads:
When Celia’s father is killed in Afghanistan, she moves with her mother to New Orleans, the city where her father grew up. Struggling to adjust and haunted by troubling dreams, Celia finds comfort in new friends like Tilly, a practicing witch, and Donovan, the son of police detective. On Halloween, bizarre supernatural occurrences rock the city. Celia meets the mysterious Luc and finds a letter, over a hundred years old, addressed to her.

The paranormal repercussions continue when Celia learns that Luc is the restless spirit of a young man murdered in 1854, only able to assume solid form at night. And then, to her shock, Celia finds that the letter, which describes the suspected murder of a man in 1870, contains uncanny parallels to the present-day death of Abel Sims, a homeless veteran.

With help from Luc, Tilly, and Donovan, Celia races to solve the murder—and the mystery of the letter—using both magical and forensic clues.

This is an Active Fiction title
"Active fiction" is a new type of e-reading experience that allows the reader and the author to interact with each other and the text in new and different ways.

Kira has written Parish Mail like a TV series–there are over-arching mystery and romantic story arcs that extend between the episodes, while each episode has a smaller case that is presented and solved. Along the way, she asks you, the reader, to make several small decisions as you read. These choices do not impact the overarching storyline, but certain combinations “unlock” clues to the series’ mystery, which are embedded in the text. Kira also asks you to cast a vote at the end of the episode, to get additional feedback from her fans about their preferred love interests in future episodes.

I don't actually read very many mysteries, but whenever I do, I remember just how awesome they are. It's kind of neat to have everything slowly unveil before you as the main character figures everything out. :D Dead Letter Office definitely did the whole mystery element well, and the fact that it is an active fiction title made it even better! Instead of being a passive reader experiencing everything as the character makes choices, you get to make the choices for them and that was fantastic!

I made sure to read all of the possible alternatives so that I could review this title fairly, and I really liked that the differences between paths were subtle, but they also stood out and did take the story in different directions. :D I definitely loved that you get to choose how it all unfolds though because that was a really interesting experience. :)

Along with the mystery element, Dead Letter Office was also shrouded in the paranormal, and since the main character, Celia, was pretty curious, she worked hard to try and figure out everything that's going on. I really enjoyed Celia! She was curious, and I liked the honest relationship she had with her mother. :D Donovan, Tilly, and Luc were also really interesting characters. I'm gonna try to spoil too much, but there is definitely a love triangle going on in this one...and boy is it a strange one. :P haha I loved that each character provided a different element to the story through their relationship with Celia, too. Through Donovan, you get to see the whole Detective side of uncovering the truth, and through Tilly, you get to see magic and all that fun stuff! :D Luc also brings a very interesting perspective, but I'm going to let him remain a mystery until you read Dead Letter Office yourself! ;D

Overall, I loved Dead Letter Office! The active fiction aspect of the story brought a whole new element to the story, and made the mystery even more fascinating. The characters were great, and the writing was descriptive and kept me riveted until the last page...in every version of the story that I tried! I'd recommend this one to mystery fans, and even to those who aren't a fan of mysteries. I think you'd really enjoy this one if you like crime stories on TV, too. All in all, I thought Dead Letter Office was fantastic, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Post Mortem! :D

Are you a fan of mysteries?
Would you enjoy getting to choose what the narrator does in a mystery?
Any other thoughts? :)

Author Interview with Kira Snyder (author of Dead Letter Office)

Hey Kira! Thanks for stopping by my blog! :D

Thank you so much for having me!

Let’s start this interview off nice and easy. Can you share a bit about yourself with us?

I live in Los Angeles with my husband. We just bought a house and consequently are spending way more time at hardware stores than I ever thought possible (who knew one house could have so many light bulbs to replace?). My day job is writing for TV, pretty much the best job ever. I’m grateful every day. Some of the shows I’ve written for are the cult hit vampire detective show “Moonlight” and “Eureka” and “Alphas” for the Syfy Channel. I also worked in computer game design for a number of years – you can see glimpses of this in the Parish Mail interactive ebooks – and enjoy playing Xbox or PS3 when I can find the time.

Could you describe the first book in your Parish Mail series, Dead Letter Office, for those not familiar with the series yet?

In Dead Letter Office we meet the series heroine Celia, a teenager who’s just lost her father. She’s newly arrived in New Orleans with her mom and has a thousand things to adjust to: a family she’s never met, a new city, new school, new friends. On Halloween a massive supernatural disturbance rocks the city, and Celia finds a letter, over a hundred years old, apparently addressed to her and pleading for her help. Celia becomes convinced that the letter holds the key to solving the present-day death of a homeless veteran. Helping her are Tilly, a quirky witch, Donovan, the son of a cop, and the enigmatic Luc, who is much more than he first appears. The mystery deepens in Post Mortem, the second Parish Mail book, when one of Celia’s friends goes missing right before Homecoming.

Dead Letter Office is described as an “active” title. What does that means and how does it influence your writing process?

Dead Letter Office and all the Parish Mail books are interactive, sort of a next generation/2.0 version of Choose Your Own Adventure. At key points you get to make decisions for Celia, and those decisions have consequences. Some of the choices are personal: does Celia accept the popular Peyton’s invitation to attend a swanky Halloween party, or does she hang out with Tilly in the French Quarter? Does Celia choose Donovan or Luc to help her solve the mystery? Other decision points let you play detective along with Celia. Which clue should she follow? Which suspect should she chase? The choices you make determine the story for the rest of the book and also unlock clues to the overarching series mystery. The writing process involves not just a chapter by chapter outline but also a detailed flowchart like I used to make as a game designer, mapping out all the paths, decision points, and clues. Writing an interactive book is creatively very challenging, but a lot of fun.

In the description for Dead Letter Office on Goodreads, it also says that you wrote it like a TV series. What’s that process like and how do you weave all of those over-arching aspects into one story?

As the first book in the Parish Mail series, Dead Letter Office is like the pilot (first) episode of a TV show. It sets up the world including the characters and the overarching mystery, while having a specific case for Celia to solve by the end of the book. Post Mortem and the other books to come also have their own single mystery that wraps up by the end, but also further advance both the long-term story and the emotional development of the characters.

Where do you get your inspiration while writing from?

From all over, really. The city of New Orleans and its astonishingly rich history is the primary inspiration for the entire Parish Mail series. Celia herself was inspired by the strong and smart teen heroines of “Veronica Mars” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” two TV shows I’m a big fan of. But I also find creative sparks from music – I listened to Dixieland jazz and blues while writing Dead Letter Office – and books and movies.

And my final question: I’m always curious about authors as readers, so do you have any favourite authors or books that you’d recommend?

My favorite book about writing is Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, with Stephen King’s On Writing a close second. For recent YA, I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I’m currently reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and can hardly can put it down, it’s so compelling and poignant with wonderfully grounded and specific character details. And I’m biased of course, but Coliloquy’s entire catalog of interactive ebooks is terrific.


Kira SnyderAbout Kira Snyder:
DEAD LETTER OFFICE and POST MORTEM, the first two in the Parish Mail series of interactive ebooks, are now available for Kindle, Nook, Android, and Kindle app (iPad/iPhone):

http://www.coliloquy.com/products/dea...

http://www.coliloquy.com/products/pos...

Kira Snyder is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her television work includes the Syfy Channel shows ALPHAS and EUREKA and the People’s Choice Award-winning vampire drama MOONLIGHT, which aired on CBS. Kira’s plays have been performed at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Circle in the Square Theatre School, the Burton-Taylor Theatre in Oxford, England, the Bay Area Independent Theatre Fringe Festival, and Stanford University. Also a game designer with a Masters degree from NYU-Tisch’s interactive media program, Kira has produced games for Electronic Arts, Purple Moon, Microsoft, There.com, the MIT Press textbook Rules of Play, and Yahoo, including EA’s seminal alternate reality game MAJESTIC. She is a proud geek and loves sci-fi and videogames, reading and playing when she’s not writing or designing.

Author Description from Goodreads.
Author Links: Twitter | Blog | Goodreads



So, what do you think?
Does Dead Letter Office sound like something you'd like to read?

Cover Reveal: Are You Mine? by N.K. Smith

Title: Are You Mine?
Author: N.K. Smith
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Expected release date: 7 August 2013
Cover Design by Regina Wamba at MaeIDesign.com
Photography by Poly Mendes at www.polymendesphotography.com
 Book synopsis:
Human connection? Who needs it?

Ever since she can remember, wealthy but weary Saige Armstrong has felt different from her peers in Pechimu, New Jersey. With only one good friend to her name, she has navigated the complicated halls of high school and is now faced with the timeless question: Now what?

Fox Harrington, a fun-loving, socially charismatic graffiti artist uses his passions to color his world exactly how he wants it. He knows exactly where his life is headed. That is, until he meets Saige.

A summer project links the two together, making a tentative friendship bloom into romance, but despite their affection for each other, fundamental beliefs and ways of thinking threaten to destroy all they have built.

In this tender story of young love, N.K. Smith delivers a striking tale of two people standing on the precipice of adult life.

Author bio:

Based in the American Midwest, N.K. Smith is a Technical Writer for a Fortune 100 company. The author of the Old Wounds Series, Ghosts of Our Pasts, and My Only, she is a mother of two who finds the time to write very early in the morning when the rest of the world is still fast asleep.

An avid lover of history, art, music, books, and people, she is interested in telling stories that speak to the human condition.

Author contact links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
If you want to see the full book jacket, just click on the image below for a larger look:
And now that you've seen the fabulous cover, and read the blurb, here is a teaser for you!


Before she has the car in park on the curb, I jump out and go around to open her door. “You are fun, Saige. And funny.”
“You know this whole door-opening thing? It’s—”
“Gentlemanly? I know.”
“I was going to say annoying, but we make our own realities, so whatever.” As we walk up the drive, I place a gentle hand against the small of her back and try to gage her reaction, but she gives me nothing to work with.
On the porch, I hold the door open and make a sweeping gesture with my hand. “After you.”
“You really get off on this gentleman stuff, don’t you?”
I close the door behind me. “Not sure I’d say I get off on it, but I do enjoy being courteous. It’s not every day there’s a pretty girl to focus my attention on.”
These words make her blush, and her blush sets the little prickles of excitement loose over my body. Her blush means she liked the compliment. I pick my foot up to lead her out of the small cluttered foyer, but Saige’s quiet voice stops me. It’s not so much her voice, as it is her words. “Seems like you have a lot of pretty girls around, at least you did before graduating.”
“There’s a difference between pretty girls who are your friends and pretty girls who might be more than that one day.”
 


I haven't read any of N.K. Smith's books yet, but Are You Mine? sounds awesome...and this cover is gorgeous! :D I love the colouring and the text, and I really love how the guy and girl on the cover are posed! You always see couples embracing, but I have never seen a couple posed like this, with only one facing forward, and I really like it. :D

What do you think?

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Blog Tour Review: Surface by Tiffany Daune & Tour-Wide Giveaway!


Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Publisher: Noble Young Adult
Release Date: Already released.
Number of Pages: 159 (Ebook)
Purchase Link: Amazon



Description from Goodreads:
Bound to the water bound to land, a Siren’s soul will never be safe on either side of the ocean’s surface. Hidden beneath the rolling waves lies the secret to Theia’s past and as she unveils each haunting truth, she realizes the last seventeen years of her life have been a lie. Now, drawn into a mysterious new world and with nowhere to turn, Theia must place her trust in Luc, a beautiful boy who stops her heart with each dazzling smile, but even his unearthly charm can’t hide the truth—he has secrets— dark secrets binding him to his world—an underwater world where Theia will never belong—a world determined to destroy her soul.
Wow...Surface was an incredibly inventive story! It managed to completely change and redefine what both Sirens and Mermaids are...and described a completely different and mysterious species that I had never heard before! The mythology in the story was extremely well defined and was incredibly descriptive, which was even more impressive because it was a relatively short book. It was also very fast-paced and addictive! :)

The characters were wonderful, and I especially loved Theia and Luc. :) The point of view alternated quite a bit in this book, which was kind of confusing at first because I wasn't expecting the shift, but I actually grew to really enjoy getting to see so many sides of the story. The author, Tiffany Daune, handled the shifting points of view incredibly well, and it became very easy to tell whose point of view each one was. I also thought that the differing points of view made the story very well rounded, and it kept me riveted to the page. :D

The best part of Surface was the mythology though. :D I've already mentioned it a bit, but I just thought that it was amazing and that it was incredibly inventive! I loved how thorough the history of the mysterious species was, and I just thought it was fantastic...and so elaborate! :D It was wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it all! I'm really hoping there is going to be a sequel because I'm totally not ready to be finished with these characters or this new race of supernaturals...I'm not even sure if I'd define them as supernaturals, but I think that's what I'm gonna go with. ;) haha

The only thing that I kind of felt was lacking in Surface was romantic development. I loved Theia and Luc, and I did like them together, but I wish that it had been described more thoroughly and wasn't so much a case of fated love because it felt a lot like insta-love, and while I did enjoy them together, I was kind of just hoping for more. It seemed like the book was headed in the direction of a sequel, but I wasn't able to confirm that on the author's blog or anything...so I'm still hoping for more books and hopefully if there are more, we get to see the romance develop more. I did enjoy them together, and I felt the chemistry...but the whole jump to love was a tad bit sudden for me, so I would definitely like to see Luc and Theia's relationship develop more in future books.

Overall, I really enjoyed Surface, and I would recommend it for the fantastic mythology alone! I also think that fans of inventive back-stories and elaborate backgrounds will really enjoy this one, especially if you're a fan of mythologies surrounding water. :)


GIVEAWAY!
Tour grand prize (INTL):
1  E Reader (Sony or Kindle) I'm going to the states this month and will pick one up.
1  $25 Starbucks Gift Card
1  $15 Amazon Gift Card
5  Digital Copies of Surface

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:



AUTHOR BIO
Tiffany Daune doesn't get why people want to grow up or why anyone would ever stop eating candy. Her purse is filled with books, lip gloss and a few pieces of Lego bricks. She writes best with a dish of chocolate chips on hand and finds licorice makes a better straw than plastic.

She lives on an island and believes mermaids may be raiding her candy stash, thoughshe hasn't caught them, yet.

Surface is her first novel and pairs well with gummy sharks.

Author Links:Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter



Good luck in the giveaway if you entered! :D

So, what do you think of Surface?
Does it sound like something you'd like to read?

Monday 15 April 2013

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (100)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading.



Books I Read Last Week:
I finished this one late last Monday and absolutely loved it! :D Dante is one bad boy that is hard not to like. :P I can't wait to read the sequel, The Liberator!

Surface was fantastic! :D I loved the backstory and it was explained really well. I only wish that the romance hadn't been so rushed. I'm pretty sure that there will be a sequel because this one ended on a very open note, but I'm not positive yet! I'd definitely love to read more though! :D My review will be up for the blog tour tomorrow. :)




Reading Now:
I'm really enjoying this one! :D I didn't have a lot of time to read last week because I had two finals, but I was glad that I could get started more on this one. :D

I've only read the first bit of this one, and so far it sounds interesting! :) I'm looking forward to seeing where the story is headed. :D




Books I Want to Read This Week:
I'm participating in a blog tour for this one next month, and can't wait to get started. :D

Eek! :D My copy of The Rising finally came today! I'm going to definitely try to start this one soon!!! :D




And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)