Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday [12]


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. Each Wednesday we pick a book that we can't wait to get our paws on and share it with the rest of you!



I really love the name of my pick this week. I was always such a fan of the Velveteen Rabbit when I was little so it caught my eye and after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis I knew I had to read it.

Velveteen
Daniel Marks
Release Date: October 9th 2012
Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.
It'll be brutal . . . and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can't help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.


:Why I Can't Wait:
Ah. Forbidden Romance. You always know they are going to turn out interestingly. I'm pretty excited to see this Velveteen gal get her haunt on. Nothing like a woman scorned, or you know...killed. And Bonesaw seems like a pretty intimidating name does it not?! This book does look edgy, and I really hope it delivers on that front... But I am not going to lie, I am more drawn in to the whole off limits coworker. I love me some forbidden romance and this seems to fit that bill perfectly. And I am kinda crushing on the guy in this cover. Yeah, I have to turn my computer upside down to properly drool over his amazing face, but I am willing to do it all day long if I have to.
; ]
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Am I the only one here who made the Velveteen Rabbit connection...I was kinda obsessed with that book when I was little. I even had the Rabbit who could turn inside out...But anyway, enough with my younger years babble, doesn't this book look amazing?! If you haven't seen it before now and think it looks as great as I do don't forget to head on over to goodreads and add it to your list! All you have to do is click that gorgeous cover.

Do you have a book you can't get off your mind?! Leave me your own Waiting on Wednesday link or just let me know below!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Teaser Tuesday [10]


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from over at Should Be Reading. It is a great way to tease your fellow readers with the book[s] you are currently reading.



:Here Is How You Do It:
  • Step 1: Grab your current read.
  • Step 2: Open to a random page.
  • Step 3: Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.
  • Step 4: Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles! 

Before I get started with all the steamy teasing I have in store for you today, I want to apologize for how incredibly absent I have been these past few weeks. Being extremely tired and sick every morning are taking its toll and it seems like all I want to do is lounge on my couch and stay as far away from my computer as possible. I'm working on managing my time and I hope to be as present as I use to be here soon. THANK YOU for sticking by me through my absence and I hope you all stick around for whats to come.
[:
Now...on to the teaser!

 Forbidden Pleasure
Lora Leigh
"She's scared Mac," he said gently as he stepped to her, his hand reaching out, his fingers touching her cheek in a brief caress. It felt like flames sinking into her flesh, burning her alive.
-
"Do you want it to go away Kei?" He nipped at her earlobe as she shuddered in his grasp. "It can go away very easily sweetheart," Jethro whispered then. "It can go away, or it can turn to this."

Pg [70-71] in Ebook


So, what do you think?! I didn't want to give you toooooo much and scare you away, but hot damn this book is steamy! If you want to check it out yourself, you click on that pretty little cover you see above.
; ]

Do you all have a juicy teaser this week? Just leave your own Teaser Tuesday link or comment below to tease me so! I can't wait to see what you have in store for me.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Review Copy Cleanup--Mysterious Meetup


This is the 4th challenge for Review Copy Cleanup. This week, we get to pick a character that we would love to meet in real life. And just what would you talk about?! I may die from the heat ladies.


Okay ladies. There is just no way I can only pick ONE person to meet. I have noticed a few of you have also cheated a bit with this, so I don't feel horrible doing it! BUT I am picking four instead of 3 because, well, I can.
; ]



:Mysterious Picks:


Augustus Waters
If you have not read this epic read yet, then what the hell are you doing?! Augustus Waters had my heart the second he entered into my life. I feel like my life is forever changed because of him and his humor that I could NOT pass up a chance to meet him. What would I ask if I met him? Hell if I know. Augustus is the kind of person you don't really plan stuff with, it just happens. And I am more than willing to just spend some time with the funniest boy I will never meet.


Christian Grey
If you have read Fifty Shades then you probably have an idea of why I want to meet Mr. Grey in the flesh. He is sex on a fucking stick and I want me a bite of that stick. If I were to meet Christian I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to have a friendly conversation with him. Our conversation would happen in the Red Room, and damn it, I would probably be gagged. Is it getting a bit steamy in here to you gals...Uhm, well...what I mean to say is, I would ask him what his favorite foods were..or something like that...

Professor Gabriel Emerson
Professor Gabriel Emerson has been under my skin for awhile now. Ever since I read this book last year, I have not been able to get him out of my mind. I would definitely be scared to meet this man, since he is so educated and well spoken and I am just...well not. But if you can get on his good side, and your name is Julia, he can be one hell of a ride. If I were to ask him a question it would be about Dante's Inferno, and then I would just stare at that mouth of his while he answered. 

Kellan Kyle
Uh hello. It's freaking Kellan Kyle, you know I couldn't leave his sexy ass out. This sexy rocker is always on my mind and I probably wouldn't want to have much of a conversation with him either, though he can be quiet the conversationalist.I would probably ask him to show me his talents in the bedroom [or in a coffee house] and then we could spoon and talk pillow talk. Because pillow talk with Kellan Kyle is on my list of things to do before I die. So come on our Kellan wherever you may be, my life can't end before I get a piece of you.

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So there you have it ladies and gents [if there are any gents reading this...]. The sexy men I would love to meet. Yeah, there are no girls on here...but can you really blame me?! My list would just have to have been a top 10! And I can't cheat that much.
; ]
What about you? Who would you meet if you could and just what would you ask them?! Leave your own Review Copy Cleanup Challenge link or comment below and let me know!

Happy Friday all!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Cover Reveal: While It Lasts [Sea Breeze #3] by Abbi Glines

I am oh so happy to be here with you all today! And I KNOW you are uber excited, because well, everyone loves an Abbi Glines cover reveal! Especially if you have read Because Of Low and know the infamous Cage. So enough with all this talk! Lets get to the sexy steaminess that we all know is Cage!




...Drum Roll Please...


While It Lasts
Abbi Glines
Release Date: July 31st 2012
( Add to your Goodreads shelf )
Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it.

Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer bailing hay?

Eva Brooks had planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible.

Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows.

Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.

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Do you need a minute to collect your screaming fangirl self? It's okay, I understand. After seeing that cover I needed a moment to myself too. It's just...Cage is a sexy stud muffin! I can't wait to see if this Eva gal can tame his wild ways, or maybe she will fall victim to Cage's sexy muscles and be lost forever [exactly like I would] There is only one way to find out! Start your countdowns folks!
; ]
I can't just leave you to fawn over this book cover without a playlist to go with it now can I?! Here is the soundtrack to While It Lasts, check it out!
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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Shelf Candy Saturday [11]


Shelf Candy Saturday is a weekly meme hosted by Five Alarm Books. Every Saturday, bloggers post a cover that really caught their eye over the week for everyone to see. Judging a book by it's cover has never been so fun


My eyes kind of went all dreamy when I first saw this weeks Shelf Candy. I was instantly hooked and I know you all will be too. 
Check it out!

 Crewel
Gennifer Albin
Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

-Goodreads-


:Why It's Shelf Candy:
Do you really need to ask me that question. I mean...HELLO! Look at this gorgeous cover! And if those wisps of colorful smoke isn't enough to draw your eye in, read the synopsis! This is something in YA that we have not seen before and it has me gnawing on my nails in anticipation. Now I would like to ask you all a question. How the hell have I not seen this before?! As soon as I laid eyes on it I wanted it on my shelf, like, yesterday. I know many of you have probably fainted from shear beauty right now, so I will let you all collect yourselves, but when you do, don't forget to head on over to goodreads and add this gem to your list. Lord knows I will be fawning all over this on October 16th.
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Soooooooo......
What do you guys thinnnnnk?! Don't you absolutely LOVE it?!  Gah! Do you have something even better than this?! Leave your own Shelf Candy Saturday post or just comment below and let me know what has you catching your breath.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Review Copy Cleanup--Don't Be Such A Tease!


This is the third challenge for the Review Copy Cleanup and this week we all get to be huge teases! Show off just how great your read is.
So read below, if you dare.
; ]



I'm super excited to tease you guys with my current read. It is amazinggg!

Inhale
Kendall Grey
Release Date: May 1st 2012
Super Tease #1
"I wish you were real. The things I'd do to you..."
He took her by chin, drawing her gaze to his. God, how he wished he could show her how real he was. "I might be a dream, but when you wake up, you'll feel me all over you."
 -
Super Tease #2
  "Where are my clothes?" She covered herself with her arms.
"Freudian dream slip?" He laughed.

*Fans self*
Are you all feeling the heat?
; ]
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I hope you all enjoyed my teasers! I know I am sure enjoying this steamy book. Do you have your own teaser to share? Leave your own Review Copy Cleanup challenge link or just comment below and tease me so!
[:

Follow Friday [10]



Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Every week there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet! There is also a different blog featured every week and this weeks featured blog is Reading with ABC, so don't forget to head over there and check it out!







:This Weeks Question Is:

What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

This question is going to be super hard. I haven't read that many bad books recently, so I am going to have to go with the one I have enjoyed the least.


:Best Read:
I have to say my favorite read this month is Taking Shots by Toni Aleo. I have read both of the books in this series this month, so pretty much this is my favorite series this month. Click on the cover to check it out!


:Worst Read:
Okay, this was SO NOT a bad read, it was just my least favorite read in the past month. It was cute and fast and light, I was more than happy with the twist that is thrown in, but I have been leaning towards more racy and sexy reads, and this is not that kind of book.
Click the cover to check it out!
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Both of these books were amazing! Just, Shooting Stars is lighter than I am in to right now. What about all of you? What is your best/worst read this month? Leave your own Follow Friday link or just comment below and let me know.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday [11]


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. Each Wednesday we pick a book that we can't wait to get our paws on and share it with the rest of you!



Okay you guys, I know that you know I am a HUGE Abbi Glines fan. I practically fawn all over her books anytime I get the chance to. And this week is no different. [:


Predestined
Abbi Glines
Release Date: April 4th 2012
You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder. 

The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited. 

Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on.

-Goodreads


:Why I Can't Wait:
I have one word for you. 
Dank. 
Okay, well, I am going to tell you in way more than one word as to why I am jumping in anticipation of this book right here folks. I fell head over heels in love with Existence [More like Pagan and Dank but you know...] and I can not wait to see what is in store for these two next. What the hell is Leif?! Is Dank going to kick some dark spirit ass or is Leif going to put up one hell of a fight for Pagan?! Ah! So many questions, so much anticipation, and the teasers that Abbi Glines keeps revealing are pretty much KILLING me. Just know this readers, the day this sucker comes out, I am devouring it. And I hope I will be here to tell you how amazingly sexy Dank is, but I may be in a shocked coma, who really knows.
; ]
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Abbi! If you are reading this at all, keep those teasers coming! They may be killing me, but I would kill for them! [:
 
What do you think folks? Are you drooling with me for this book too? Or do you have something utterly amazing you are drooling over this week that you can't even worry about drooling over mine?! Leave your own Waiting on Wednesday link or just comment below to let me know. 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Where did I go?!

Hi everyone!!!

I know that is has only been a few days since I last posted but I know a few of you have been asking where I went, and I am here to tell you I am still here!! I have just been busy with a few things and had some very big news come my way in my personal life [a few of you know what I am talking about] and I have been dealing with that and just spending some time for me.

My posts will resume tomorrow and you all should see about 3 reviews coming your way later this week. [:

I am sorry for my absence but I am sure glad to know you all have been missing me! Today is also my 21st birthday so I have just been spending some nice family time and made it a bit of a movie marathon day.
[:
I will see you all tomorrow and have a wonderful Tuesday!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Shelf Candy Saturday [10]


Shelf Candy Saturday is a weekly meme hosted by Five Alarm Books. Every Saturday, bloggers post a cover that really caught their eye over the week for everyone to see. Judging a book by it's cover has never been so fun


I am excited to show you all this weeks Shelf Candy. I saw it browsing through goodreads one day and read the synopsis and I was instantly a goner. 
Check it out!
 ☟

 Drowning Instinct
Ilsa J. Bick
There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord's first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire.

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain...magnetism.

And there are stories where it's hard to be sure who's a prince and who's a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

-Goodreads


:Why It's Shelf Candy:
Did you read that synopsis?! I am going crazy over here with want. Not only do I LOVE the synopsis, but the cover blows me away. So simple, yet so dramatic and fits with the synopsis perfectly. I love the fade effect that is going on, from pure black, to blue, to white at the very bottom. Also, the water dripping off of the girls face/hair just adds the perfect touch. I can not wait to order this book and have it in my hands and I PROMISE you all, when I read this, you will get one hell of a review. Books that push the limits are always so breathtakingly amazing, that I know this will change me somehow, in someway. Ilsa J. Bick, I can not WAIT to see what kind of journey you are going to take me on with this one.
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What do you guys think? I can not believe I only saw this book this week! 
Leave me your own Shelf Candy Saturday link or comment below and let me know what caught your eye this week.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Review Copy Cleanup--Cuddle Up With A Book


This is the second challenge for the Review Copy Cleanup and this week we get to show off where we love to read the most, if you didn't notice the title, Cuddle Up With A Book!
*If you haven't signed up yet do so here.*

I love this weeks challenge within a challenge! I have to say, my favorite place to read is on my loveseat with my favorite blankets thrown across it. I sit right in the center and basically, no one else ever gets a chance to sit here.


I settle in, and get lost in a good book. I LOVE my couch, and even thought it has stains all over it, nothing beats how comfy the pillows are when they wrap around me. Sitting, laying, or somewhere in between, this is always the perfect reading place for me. You know, unless it is super nice outside and then I am sitting in a lawn chair soaking up the sun.
[:
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 So there you guys have it! My reading wonderland!!! No telling where I will be when I sit on this couch. I am pretty sad I didn't catch either of my kitties on the couch but they are usually right there with me, cuddled up on my feet, or stomach.

Do you have a favorite spot to read? Leave your own Review Copy Cleanup Challenge link or just comment below and let me know!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Follow Friday [9]



Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Every week there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet! There is also a different blog featured every week and this weeks featured blog is Hesperia Loves Books, so don't forget to head over there and check it out!





:This Weeks Question Is:

Have you ever looked at book’s cover and thought, This is going to horrible? But, was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.

Why yes, yes I have. I mean honestly, who hasn't had at least one book like that?! There are a lot of books out there and, as a big indie author fan, you come across a lot of digitally done covers. This comes to no surprise because well, you have to hire people! Covers cost money! But usually, there is always a pleasant surprise behind them.

 
These are two of the BEST books I read last year, but I am not going to lie, when I saw the covers I was NOT sure about them at all. But, since I just got done reading Thoughtless and Effortless by this same author I KNEW something amazing had to be behind those covers. And you know what? I was SO right. S.C. Stephens never ceases to amazing me and I ALWAYS know I will love her books once I crack them open. It just goes to show you, you can never judge a book by its cover, no matter how much we like to.
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Now, if you have not heard of these books, or S.C. Stephens for that matter click on these covers and go add them to your goodreads shelf!! I am telling you, once you read on S.C. book, you will want to read them all.

What book covers made you squint your eyes but in the end had your singing its praises? Leave your own Follow Friday link or just comment below and let me know!

Happy Friday all!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday [10]


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. Each Wednesday we pick a book that we can't wait to get our paws on and share it with the rest of you!



So this weeks pick totally caught my eye. Not only is the cover gorgeous but the synopsis is kick ass.


Defiance
C.J. Redwine
Release: August 28th 2012
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

 At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

 As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.
-Goodreads

:Why I Can't Wait: 
Uh hello! Look at that cover! Read that synopsis! I can not wait to read about a bad ass chick that can hold her own. Oh, and there is this guy named Logan [I have a thing for that name...I don't know what it is] that I know is going to totally and completely capture my heart. I love a chick and a guy on a journey together with a whole lot of sexual/emotional tension. Like, lets see, Meghan and Ash in the Iron Fey series. *Swoon* I can not wait to see Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, I can't wait to see how C.J. Rewine will build this Wasteland, and darn it, I can't wait to see what romance they discover! Because I am a totally sucker for a bad ass chick who allows herself to fall in love.
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What do you guys think?! Doesn't it look AMAZING?!?!?! Click on the cover to add it to your goodreads shelf! Do you have something you are waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your own Waiting On Wednesday link or just comment below and let me know!

Happy hump day all!
; ]

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Blog Tour: On The Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves [Review/Excerpt/Giveaway]


 Hello and welcome to Dreaming In The Pages! It is my pleasure to be a stop on this blog tour because, lets face it, I LOVED this book. I could honestly go on and on gushing about how much I enjoyed the book but I figured you guys would like to read my review and get a little excerpt from it instead. Who could blame you?! So if you are in the mood for a read that will definitely take you away, get to reading below!


On the Island
Tracey Garvis Graves
Released: October 11th 2011
Published by: CreateSpace
( Barnes & Noble / Goodreads )
When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter.

Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
-Goodreads
*A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the blog tour hosted by AToMR*


:Thoughts/Review:
I am not going to lie to you. When I first looked at this book and read the synopsis I did the first thing everyone who has read the synopsis probably did. I said “Wait, am I reading this right?! A 30 year old and a 16 year old?!” But readers, don’t judge a book by its synopsis…wait…I mean…well… Just take a chance and read it! While I went into it with skepticism, what I ended up with was a smile on my face that was probably ridiculously large and goofy. From beginning to end  Tracey Garvis-Graves will have you on the edge of your seat and I promise, you have never read an island story quiet like this.

Any doubt I had about this book disappeared as soon as I was finished with the first chapter. What I think first endeared me to this story was not only the characters [Anna and TJ] but how each chapter was told from alternating points of view. This gives you so much more depth to the story and really helps you identify and connect with Anna and TJ and before you know it, you are throwing age out the window. But, for those still squirming in their seats…nothing happens until TJ is old enough, you know, for it to be against the law. But really, when you read it, you wonder how it would ever be deemed wrong in the first place.

Their situation is scary, yet I wondered how I was going to stay hooked about a book of two people living life stranded on an island. Well, I was blow away at how fast I was turning the pages, and how it never felt fast enough. Frantically wanting to find out what happens next, what TJ thinks of this or what does Anna think about THAT?! I couldn’t put it down for one second. And just when you think things are looking up they go south, and when you think things really couldn’t get any worse, they totally do. You feel as though your feet are never firmly planted on the floor, which makes for one hell of a rush. And I, for one, couldn’t get enough.

On the Island is one of those stories that makes you realize love comes in the most unexpected packages. You can’t help but to fall and feel for these characters and the situation they are in. From the gripping beginning to the edge of my seat ending I knew that I was hooked on Tracey Garvis-Graves and I had to have more of her. Her writing kept me skillfully hooked the whole time and I adored how I felt complete at the end. I will tell you one thing readers, I WILL be waiting in line for Tracey’s next book. After a story like that, I would follow her anywhere.


:Excerpt:

We ate nothing but coconut and breadfruit for the next eighteen days and our clothes hung on us. Anna’s stomach growled in her sleep, and I had a constant ache in mine. I doubted the rescuers were still looking for us, and a hollow, empty feeling that had nothing to do with hunger joined the pain in my gut whenever I thought of my family and friends.
I thought it would impress Anna if I could spear a fish. I managed to stab myself in the foot instead, which hurt like hell, not that I let her know.
“I want to put antibiotic ointment on it,” Anna said. She dabbed it on the gash and covered it with a band-aid. She said the island humidity was perfect for germs and the thought of one of us getting an infection scared the crap out of her. “You’ll have to stay out of the water until that heals, T.J. I want to keep it dry.”
Great. No fishing and no swimming.
The days passed slowly. Anna got quiet. She slept more, and I caught her wiping her eyes when I came back from collecting firewood or exploring the island. I found her sitting on the beach one day, staring up at the sky.
“It’s easier if you quit thinking they’re coming back,” I told her.
She looked up at me. “So I should just wait for a plane to randomly fly overhead someday?”
“I don’t know, Anna.”
I sat down beside her. “We could leave on the life raft,” I said. “Load it with food and use the plastic containers to collect rainwater. Just start paddling.”
“What if we ran out of food or something happened to the raft? It’d be suicide, T.J. We’re obviously not in the flight path for any of the inhabited islands, and there’s no guarantee a plane would fly over. These islands are spread over thousands of miles of water. I can’t be out there. Not after seeing Mick. I feel safer here, on land. And I know they’re not coming back, but saying it out loud seems like giving up.”
“I used to feel that way, but I don’t anymore.”
Anna studied me. “You’re very adaptable.”
I nodded. “We live here now.”
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Now, if all that doesn't have you itching in your seat to read this book, I don't know what will. Should I dance around? Throw confetti up in the air for you all to frolic in?!

Oh I know, how about I tell you about the awesome eBook giveaway that I get to give to you?!
Check it out!

Teaser Tuesday [9]


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from over at Should Be Reading. It is a great way to tease your fellow readers with the book[s] you are currently reading.


 
:Here Is How You Do It:
  • Step 1: Grab your current read.
  • Step 2: Open to a random page.
  • Step 3: Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.
  • Step 4: Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles! 

 My Soul To Save
Rachel Vincent
"Just the last bit. Nash asked me to check on you." He waggled both eyebrows and donned a mischievous grin. "Don't worry, I turned around when you changed."
 -
I cocked my head at him, eyes narrowed in mock confusion. "What part of 'grounded' don't you understand?"
pg [467] from Soul Screamers Vol. 1




So, I am going to tel you guys a secret. I am kinda cheating on the Review Copy Cleanup Challenge this week. I KNOW! But I am also participating in the Soul Screamers Reading Challenge and this sucker has to be read and reviewed before the 15th! But no worries readers, I know I am going to blow through this sucker because, if you didn't know, I am now addicted to this series. Yeah, big Tod fan right here. [: 

Anyway, I hope I have teased those who have not had a chance to read this yet! And for those of you with your own Teaser Tuesday links, leave them below! I would love to see what you have to tease me with this week.

Monday, March 5, 2012

My Only Blog Tour [Guest Post] by Sophia Duane

It is my pleasure to welcome and host author, Sophia Duane, as a guest on my blog today. She is going to talk about how the transition from Adult novels to YA went for her and how sometimes, you don't even notice who you are writing for until it is all said and done.


:Adult to YA:

The shift between the adult and young adult was an easy transition. It was also not a conscious decision. When writing a story, I think very little in regards to genre until it is completed. After completing Ghosts of Our Pasts, I began to think of the next project. My Only was a novel I’d been quietly developing for a little bit, so it seemed like the most natural project to green light.

When I wrote it, I didn’t pay attention to language until I realized the story was more suited to young adults than anyone else. Then during the revision process, I took out any off-color words that were inappropriate for young people to use or read. Other than that, the transition was seamless. Well, at least I think it was.
It will be interesting to see how readers respond to it, given the shift in genre. I read a lot of Young Adult novels, so I hope that I’ve captured some of what I love about them. The best Young Adult authors don’t talk down to their readers; they craft highly emotional novels in which teenagers and twenty-somethings alike can explore and connect.

With My Only, my main concern was building a relationship between people who may seem so different on the outside, but are really interested in the same things. Olivia and Adam are both on a journey of discovery, they are just in different stages when they meet. Adam is stable and Olivia is drawn to him because of it. She is a vibrant free-spirit who possesses some deeper understanding of the world around her, and Adam is pulled to that understanding.

World-view and philosophy is something that people of the characters ages do quite a bit. When I was young, it was during my high school years that I developed my sense of my place in the world. I was drawn out of my smaller realm of family and friends and thrust into the larger landscape of what was going on in the world. Like me, Adam’s new world grows when he meets the girl across the street.

Olivia has lived a somewhat nomadic life and given experiences sheltered Adam had never even imagined. In bringing them together, my hope was to show how a friendship can change a person’s perspective. Sometimes the change can be difficult and painful, but it usually leads to something beautiful. 

Young Adult readers are very savvy these days. They see through phony relationships and plot devices in order to find the heart of the story. It is my hope that they see the heart of Adam and Olivia and can take away some part – whether big or small – of either character’s philosophy on life. Or, better yet, further develop their own.


Sophia Duane is a thirty-something writer from the heartland of America. She grew up telling stories and creating characters to pass the time. She enjoys books, movies, music, and yoga. An avid lover of history, art, and people-watching, she is interested in the study what makes people tick.
Goodreads Page 



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Thank you so much Sophia!

Now, if you readers missed my review of my only then click below to go take a look!

And if you liked that, then go click on the book cover to head on over to goodreads and add it to your list!
 I thought I would leave you all with one more temptation, the book trailer! 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Monday!
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Sunday, March 4, 2012

In My Mailbox [9]


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is the one day of the week we get to share what we have bought/received/borrowed throughout the week.



This week I am still recovering from my horrid sinus infection/Allergies so please, forgive my tired benadryl induced eyes and my stuffy sounding voice.
[:


:Books/Blogs Mentioned:


:For Review:
-Entangled by Nikki Jefford- 
-ReVamped by Ada Adams- 
-Inhale by Kendall Grey- 
-Something Like Normal by Trish Doller- 
-Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf- 
 

:Bought/Received:
-Oppression by Jessica Therrien-
-Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout-
-Anew by Chelsea Fine- 

Blogs
-Vicky @ Books, Biscuits & Tea-
-Megan @ Between The Lines-
-Andrea @ The Bookish Babes-
-Tabatha @ Insightful Minds-
-Autumn @ The Autumn Review-
-Tara @ Tater's Tall Tails-
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A lot of great books and blogs this week so make sure you check them all out! Thanks for sticking through that video where I look like I am going to pass out [baha] and I hope you all enjoyed my crazy cat at the end. OH and the second book I mentioned for a book blog stop this week I flubbed up the name on tape. It is On THE Island. Don't miss out!
; ]
Leave me your own In My Mailbox link or just drop a comment below. I would love to see what you acquired this week.