CONGRATS!! Here's some winners of contests that have recently ended!

The Ylem ebooks - 2 winners

Shaiha

Petra Sýkorová (Syki)

Tempest Rising ARC

Briana (The Book Pixie)
already won a copy.

NEW WINNER of TEMPEST RISING ARC

CrystalGB

Sarah Dessen Four Pack of Books

Sophia L.

Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE Congrats to all the winners. Each have been emailed and has 48 hours to respond or new winners will be chosen. If you haven't heard from me and see your name in the list, please check your SPAM folders or email me to claim your prize! If you have any questions, check my policy page or feel free to email. All winners were chosen via Random.org.

More winners and giveaways coming soon, so keep an eye out!

Hey everyone! Just a quick post to say that for the last few days/weeks blogger has been giving us all trouble with various different things. The most recent trouble I've been having has been with comments.

After changing things up a bit, I think the problem has been fixed!

I'm sorry if you've been trying to leave a comment. It's all back to normal and ready for whatever you have to say.

Thanks for understanding, happy read & commenting!

Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 400 Pages (May 24th 2011)
From: the Publisher/Amazon Vine Program, Thank You!

Synopsis: From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.

Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to email. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

Review: 4.5 Stars - Beauty Queens by author Libba Bray was unexpected in its complete wackiness. It’s a punch line in 400 pages, with a huge heart. I laughed out loud with the turn of just about every page. Bray has a knack for writing over the top characters with some real issues, melding the two together to crate a book I’ll never forget.

When a group of teen beauty queen’s plane crash lands on an island on their way to a pageant, they are left to fend for themselves. It’s a group of girls who have pageant life in common and just about little else. They each bring some kind of knowledge to the table and somewhat work together as a group to survive. Each of the girls has their fair share of issues, and working through them while stranded on a desert island without any of the pressures of everyday life, proved to be some major growing moments for each of them.

Enter into a world that’s pretty much run by “The Corporation” and it’s products that’ll make you sometimes laugh and sometimes shake your head to - it’s unbelievable commercials and TV shows… to the Dictator and his obsession with Elvis, to the band of Pirates from a reality TV show that take their job to the extreme… to the female grooming product “Lady ‘Stash Off” and it’s use as a high explosive once one of the chemicals is changed… what can I say, it’s a wild, wild read.

Insane comes to mind when I think of the plot and each of the characters. From the first few pages to the last I often thought that this was a joke on me because of how witty and magical Bray’s writing is. Seriously, Bray’s writing is magic, characters over the top, all rolled into one making this, hands down one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. I don’t even feel I’m able to do this book justice with this review. It’s just something you need to experience for yourself. Being that this is my first book by Bray, I can’t wait to read her other titles and then to see what comes next for this imaginative and vastly creative author. What can I say, I’m a HUGE fan. Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy #1)
Author: Lani Woodland
Publisher: Pendrell Publishing, 298 Pages (August 20th 2010)
From: the Author, Thank You!

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

Review: 3 Stars - Intrinsical by author Lani Woodland has stepped outside the box when it comes to YA paranormal with the first book in the Yara Silva Trilogy. This might be a story that includes ghosts, but it’s so much more than that, making this title one fans of the genre will enjoy.

When Yara is talked into attending a boarding school with her best friend, she’s happy to start new, away from her family… especially her grandmother who can talk to and interact with the dead. She loves her family, but wants nothing more than to start over without anyone thinking her family is, well, lack of a better word crazy. Yara is scared that she might become like her grandmother. She’s also caring and finds herself in some trouble when faced with the fact that her families’ genes that she’s so scared of are closer to her than she thinks. When a black mist attacks a fellow student she knows she’s the only person who can see it and saves him from the attack.

Brent was a great character. The budding relationship between the two was entertaining. The verbal sparing back and forth felt spot on for each and never felt out of character, which leads to many funny moments in the story. One thing I loved about Brent is that he never faltered in what he believed in and what he thought was best for Yara and everyone involved. He was extremely endearing and, well, I pretty much liked everything about him.

While for me, there were a few lulls to the story, the rest of the book held my attention throughout Woodlands tale of good vs. evil. From the great relationship between characters, writing that will have your imagination running wild and twists and turns cropping up, some when you least expect it, Intrinsical was a great read, leaving me ready for book two. I recommend this title to fans of the YA paranormal genre that are looking to change things up with a good ghost story.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

ArmchairBEA, Day 5: Today is the last day of a great week. It's been amazing to be part of ArmchairBEA 2011! So many people worked like crazy to make this a fun week for all of us who weren't able to make it to NYC for the Expo. I can't thank them enough for all they have done.

Today's topic is all about blogging about blogging. Some of the best advice I can give anyone is, if you're thinking about starting a blog, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. What are the right reasons you ask? Well, in my honest opinion, one main reason would be to make sure you're doing it for you and your passion for books. Share what you love about books and authors in honest reviews and content that means something to you. If you're honest and excited about what you choose to talk about on your blog, people who visit will see it all come through loud and clear. Because in the end that's a huge part of what book blogging is all about.

Honesty, excitement and passion over reading.

Another thing is not to get discouraged. I think we've all been through that from time to time. While it's a huge, EPIC community to belong to and you'll meet amazing people, far and wide, it takes time and sometimes hard work to be a book blogger.

None of us are paid for what we do. Well, in a way we are. We're paid in comments and friendships and the excitement when we find a new book or author... we're paid in the chance we get to have with talking and sharing about a book with others. Because, lets get back to basics here... book blogging is all about just that, the books. Your love of books and it's where it should stay the whole time you continue to be a book blogger.

Sorry if' I'm sounding preachy here, it's not my intention at all. It's a truth you'd hear from a majority of bloggers out there.

Now, I do have something else I'd like to talk to you about. This is something I've talked about before and to me it's something I'm sure not everyone who's a blogger knows about.

Comments! Yep, let's talk about comments. We all love them. Yes, we sure do. I'm a lurker, I'll admit it, but I have plans to change that. I need to come out of my shell more. But, I'm getting off track here, sorry!

So, comments. I have them emailed to me, whenever you leave me one. It's through those emailed comments that I respond. Yes, you can respond that way, but only if the person who's commented has done a couple quick steps to make it all work. Magic, right? Yes, I think it is. Here's how you fix your blogger and or google account so I can respond to YOU! First, here's an easy fix for my fellow bloggers out there.

Step to you need to know:

Go to your dashboard, and then to Edit Profile.
You'll see there, Share My Profile - click that box.
Then click on the box for - Show My Email Address.

Just remember it does NOT show your email address anywhere on your blog. You must have both of those boxes checked for this to work. HOWEVER, if you don't want a "Profile" or "About Me" section to your blog, then this isn't for you because it will add a profile section to your blog to make this work. So, just keep that in mind.

If you DON'T have a blog:

You need to be sure that you have your email address added to your Google Account and then make sure it's in your profile page as well.

Having your comments that are left to you on your blog emailed to you is easy. Here's how to make it happen for you:

In your Dashboard, click on Edit My Profile.
Scroll down a bit and you'll see Edit My Identity
You'll see where it says Email Address. Enter in there what email you'd like your comments sent to and it'll happen.

A couple of quick tips about comments: If you're worried about Spam, moderate them. It happens throughout everyone’s blog, some more than others. If you moderate them it gives you a chance to delete them before they post to your blog. It doesn't take long at all. I moderate mine here. Word Verification is up to you. I don't use it because I figure having moderation set kind of takes care of that. Word Verification can be a HUGE pain in the rear, so think about it and choose what’s right for you. It's all a matter of what you want in the end.

Another thing I use here with my comments, I have them Embedded in the post. All that means is that you won't get a separate pop-up window when you want to leave a comment here. Again, it's all what works for you and how you want YOUR blog to run.

I think that's all for me for now, hopefully this was all easy to follow and someone learned something new. I might post some other tips and tricks for bloggers in the future, so keep an eye out. If anyone has any questions, I'm always more than willing to help you out - feel free to email.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by. Thank you to everyone behind ArmchairBEA 2011. You guys ROCK! A Hello and welcome to all my NEW and OLD followers. If there's something you'd like to see here on the blog, drop me a comment or email and I'll see what I can do to continue to add new and exciting things here.

When I first started blogging I had no idea what I was in store for. I visited/lurked around a few blogs back then and finally thought I'd give it a try.

Since the start of my blog, I have met some amazing people. I've had people come to my aid for various things, big and small. Each person I've met through my blog has been left a mark in one way or another. Some of those people have turned into great friends.

Books, book lovers and blogging all go hand in hand for me. We're a group of people who are passionate about books and the authors behind them.

Some bloggers who have made a difference in my life are...

Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic - She might as well be my twin. We're very much alike in just about everything. She's my partner in crime and quickly has become my best friend. She's there for me and listens to everything from books to life and without her, my blogging life not to mention life in general, would be lacking. Her blog is a favorite of mine. We co-host events together and without her I don't know what the blogging world, or my life would be like. Now, to find houses to buy side by side to each other and all will be right in the world.

Natalie from Mindful Musings - Natalie's been a friend from pretty close to the beginning and last summer I had the chance to get to know her better. She's such a sweet and caring person and has truly made my almost two years of blogging better because of her friendship. As for her blog, I have to say that you can always count on her for honest and extremely thoughtful and well written reviews. Love her blog, so check it out!

Brianna from The Book Vixen - Soon after I started my blog I found hers. She was right there offering some amazing tips and tricks. Not only did she go out of your way to help out a fellow blogger when I was in my infant stages, but she did it in a way that made me feel welcome. She has always been so great to me and I can't say thank you enough for all you give to the book blogging community and to me as a friend. Being that she's "local", I hope that someday we're able to meet at a book event and hang out. Her blog is one of my favorites and if you haven't stopped by, be sure to head on over soon.

Julie from My 5 Monkeys - What can I say about my friend Julie? She's kind and caring and makes time for everyone. Her "Get to know bloggers" feature has been fun and I'm always excited when she sends out a new set of questions. Being part of that has made me feel like I'm even more part of the blogging community and I can't thank her for asking me to be part of such a great group of bloggers for it. With her blog you can find a large variety of things, from books to her kids. She always has something great, so visit today.

ReaganStar from Star Shadow Blog - We've been affiliates for awhile now and just recently We've started talking more. I'm thankful for her friendship and I hope we continue getting to know each other for a long time to come. It's great making new friends and I'm happy to call ReaganStar one. Check out her blog for great reviews!

Pam from Midnyte Reader - Pam is another new-ish friend. We've bonded over things and have recently been emailing and chatting on twitter more. She's so sweet and really, I feel like I've known her forever. Her blog is pretty great too! Check it out, leave some comments for her soon.

Nikki from Wicked Awesome Books - Nikki... I have to say that this is a girl who went out of her way to listen to me and talk to me about something that I was going through not to long ago. It says a lot to go out of your way for someone who you only know in passing. She went above and beyond and I can't tell her thank you enough for that. Not to mention she has a pretty blog with some "Awesome" reviews too, so what are you waiting for?

Aly from Kid Lit Frenzy - Aly is a very recent friend that I've met through, what turned out to be, crazy circumstances. I'm thankful for finding her as a friend and I can't wait to someday meet her in person at a book event. It's always great having/knowing there are fellow book bloggers who you can meet up with and she's one I look forward to seeing. She has a great blog and goes out of her way to talk about books for teens and kids of all ages.

Tons of friends on Twitter - you are all highly entertaining people!  When I ramble, you are always there to listen or, well, just let me ramble. Either way, thank you for that. Twitter, I feel is a huge part of the Book Blogging Community in how it has found many ways to bring us all closer and share in the many epic book and author events that happen throughout the country and sometimes the world.

My followers, old and new - without you... things would be quiet around here. I blog for myself, but having you there, with me... along for the ride makes the time I put into things here so much more worth it. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.

Blogs I love - besides the blogs already mentioned, here's a few others you should stop by soon: My Overstuffed Bookshelf, Book Obsession, The Fiction Enthusiast, I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read, Dreaming of Books, Pure Imagination, Electrifying Reviews, LA FEMME READERS, Good Choice Reading, Teens Read and Write, The O.W.L.,  and so many others! Just check out my Blog Roll or my scrolling Blog Buttons for even more!

Reviews: The Key to the Reader’s Mind

Reviews are a mixed blessing for me. I admit I get excited when an alert for one pops up in my e-mail, but I also click on it with trepidation. Did they like my book? Did they say nice things? Did they hate it and the review is terrible? I never know and anything can be waiting for me.

Naturally, I wish every review was filled with glowing praise, but a book can’t please every reader. And negative comments in reviews can be useful if you know what to look for. Good or bad, I try to understand why someone felt as they did -- and what I might want to do about that:

Personal Taste Comments
Sometimes a book just doesn’t click for a reader, and that’s okay. We all like different types of books. If a comment is clearly a personal taste comment, like, “I’m not a fan of first person, so…” there’s nothing I could have done to make the book better for that reviewer. (Aside from changing my choice of point of view.) But if the comment makes sense and I agree with it, I’ll take that into consideration on the next book.

Confusion Comments
These I take very seriously, same as I do in my critique groups. Confusion is bad, and if I’ve lost a reader on something, I pay close attention to clarity on the next book. You can’t always catch these things, (the author knows what everything means, so it’s hard to see where something doesn’t make sense) but you can add a word or detail here and there to help clarify things without banging the reader over the head with it.

Character Comments
These can go either way. How someone feels about a character varies wildly, and I’ve gotten reviews on the same day where one reviewer loved a character and the other disliked them and thought they were flat. I consider these comments on an individual basis. If I agree with what the reviewer has said, or feel they have some merit, I’ll pay attention to that on the next book. If I can’t really pinpoint or understand why they felt this way, there’s not much I can do to fix it.

Premise Comments
If a reader doesn’t like or believe my premise, I can’t win them over. Sometimes these are the most frustrating comments of all, especially if a reviewer says, “I wish they’d done more with X.” Doing more is subjective, and I can’t know what someone would have liked to have seen more of. It’s great when they give examples, but a lot of times someone knows something didn’t live up to their expectations but can’t say why. An as author, it’s very difficult to know how to improve based on a comment like that. All I can do it try to dig deeper into my premise next book, think broader, consider more options and ideas, and hope I do more with my story. Sometimes it comes down to just not pushing yourself or your story far enough.

Great Comments
When someone raves about my book and gives details as to why, it’s incredibly helpful to me (and pretty darn gratifying). Then I know what I’m doing right and what my readers are enjoying. I can incorporate those strengths into my next work and build off of what I was successful at. I just need to make sure I don’t go overboard and do too much of what folks loved. Having a triple fudge banana split for dessert might be wonderful, but having one with every meal for a week can make you hate banana splits.

I find reviews of all kinds helpful, and feel they’re a valuable way for me to judge if I’ve accomplished what I set out to do with my book. While I don’t try to satisfy every reader, or try to fix every negative comment (I’d just make a mess of the story if I tried to please everyone) I do look for areas where I can improve as a writer and a storyteller.

Because that’s my ultimate goal. To tell a great story and entertain my readers.

Janice, Thanks so much for the guest post! It's always great to hear what other people, including authors look for when it comes to reviews.

Bio: Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, and BLUE FIRE. DARKFALL, the final book of the trilogy, is due out October 4, 2011. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel. You can visit her online at www.janicehardy.com, chat with her about writing on her blog, The Other Side of the Story ( http://blog.janicehardy.com/ ), or find her on Twitter @Janice_Hardy.

Order all THREE books in the Healing Wars Trilogy:

Amazon | Borders | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this post.

ArmchairBEA Day #3 - Time for Interviews! Since I was late in signing up to interview and be interviewed by a fellow blogger, I thought I'd still like to take part in today's event/post and tried to come up with a different idea.

I was excited with what I came up with and couldn't wait to get started.

So, take a look... see what you think!

Today, I'm being Interviewed by friend and author, Kristie Cook. She has two books out in her amazing Soul Savers Series - Promise (Book, #1) and Purpose (Book, #2). I figured we usually interview authors for our blogs, why not turn things around and have an author interview me for my blog?

Here's what happens when an author asks the questions!

KC: Where is your favorite place to read?

I have a few places. If it’s raining, I like to lay/sit on a couch under one of the bigger windows here so I can enjoy both the book and the weather. Then I have a chair here that’s pretty comfy and in a quiet room… though my favorite place to read would have to be in bed.

KC: How many books are on your TBR pile/list?

I really can’t say. I don’t… or won’t count the books in my TBR pile/list. The number would be horrible and shocking I’m sure. I’m addicted to books and the ones I own on shelves and what I have on my Kindle totally reflect it lol. Very much an addict when it comes to books and I’m SO glad I know I’m not alone.

KC: How do you choose the next book you’re going to read?

Sometimes I close my eyes and grab something off the shelf, other times I have a stack of maybe 10 set aside and will read through that first… or if I have books for review, I’ll try to read and review going by release date. Then there are times when a book I can’t wait to get my hands on shows up on my doorstep and I drop all things and read it in one sitting.

KC: What book are you most anticipating the rest of the year?

WOW, great question. Here’s a few, totally off the top of my head. So here goes:

The Scorpio Races By: Maggie Stiefvater
Forever By: Maggie Stiefvater
Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles, #1) By: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Legend (Legend, #1) By: Marie Lu
Tris & Izzie By: Mette Ivie Harrison
Shattered Souls By: Mary Lindsey
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer By: Michelle Hodkin
Every Other Day By: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Lola and the Boy Next Door By: Stephanie Perkins
Haunting Violet By: Alyxandra Harvey
Supernaturally By: Kiersten White
Touch of Frost By: Jennifer Estep
A Need So Beautiful By: Suzanne Young

And sooooo many others, I could go on and on and on. Some other titles would be the books I have featured in my Armchair BEA giveaway.

KC: What one author would you love to interview for your blog that you haven’t interviewed yet?

I would LOVE to interview… well, the most obvious would be J.K. Rowling, but we all know that sadly, that’ll never happen. Suzanne Collins would be amazing, so would Cassandra Clare… there are SO MANY AMAZING authors out there, that if I’m being totally truthful, I’d love to host interviews with so many of you!! I haven’t really touched the surface when it comes to interviews here, so if you’re an author I’d love to have you stop by.

KC: What character would you love to interview for your blog and why?

Another hard question, Kristie, you’re good! Lol I’d have to say… hmmm, Tris from Divergent, Peeta from The Hunger Games, Owen from the Soul Savers Series *coughs*, Joe & Lennie from The Sky Is Everywhere… Adrian from The Vampire Academy… this list could go on and on, so I think I’ll stop there for now.

KC: What’s your favorite TV show(s)?

A few I LOVE would have to be- True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Haven, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Being Human (UK Version), Supernatural… and a few others.

KC: What’s your favorite musician(s)?

I tend to listen to more Alternative and Rock and some of my favorites (in no order) would be – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Muse, Jimmy Eat World, Incubus, The Killers, Arcade Fire, She Wants Revenge, Raconteurs, 30 Seconds To Mars, Panic! At The Disco, Kate Nash, Gomez, Florence and the Machine, The Cure, Lady GaGa,…. Bang Tango, Blackboard Jungle, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses (old), Pantera… and many, many others.

In my opinion, the best radio station we have here is KROQ – which brings you Love Line with Doctor Drew.

KC: Say you’re stranded on an island and given a stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator. You can pick 5 foods you can have and they will be replenished as needed, but always the same 5 – you can’t change your choices. What 5 food items would you choose?

This is harder to answer than you think. How about - Microwave/Oven pizza, chicken, flower tortillas, homegrown tomatoes and chocolate eclairs! I figured we would get fish, etc from the ocean and there would be some kind of fruit on the island, so I didn’t add either of those two to the list.

Ask me this same question tomorrow and it would probably change.

KC: What 5 books would you have with you on the island?

Great question! Other than your two books I think I’d take – again in no order – Divergent By: Veronica Roth, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Sky Is Everywhere By: Jandy Nelson, Just Listen By: Sarah Dessen, The Hunger Games. Those are the first five YA titles that came to mind. For Adult titles… it would be a totally different list.

KC: If you could have 5 people, real or fictional, famous or not, currently living or not, join you on the island, who would they be?

WOW! Sky’s the limit here! Hmmm, let’s see. I take it I’d have my husband there, so since I’m assuming that, I won’t count him in my 5 people. Gosh… this is really hard! I have so many people I’d want to bring with me, family, friends, authors, characters, etc that I’m not sure I could really pick here. Great question though!

If you’ve read the interview this far, Thank You! Maybe you could answer this question in comments? Who would your 5 people be and why?

KC: What would be the first thing you would do once rescued from the island?

Well, I’d hope there would be a HUGE party with refrigerator cake, yum and food from our favorite restaurant, with everyone around us we love and care about. Throw in a shower and a nice bed and it would be the perfect homecoming. Books, TV, movies, music and everything else would come later.

Thanks so much for interviewing me today Kristie! It was fun to have the tables turned on me and have an author interview me, for my blog.

Find Kristie online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Order Kristie's books online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Drink, Slay, Love
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry, 320 Pages (September 13th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble,
The Book Depository

Synopsis: Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire, fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.


Her Family think she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's Family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the king's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends -- especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache -- to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her Family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

Title: Once Every Never

Author: Lesley Livingston

Publisher: Penguin Canada, 336 Pages (June 14th 2011)
No links to order yet.

Synopsis: Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager. On the surface. She’s smart, but a bit of slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker… but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes. Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.

Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there’s still time—literally—maybe even get a date.

This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every… never.

Is it wrong to say that a book about Vampires sounds cute? Because Drink, Slay, Love sounds... well, yep I'm going to say it - cute! Excited for this one. Then we have Once Every Never. I am a huge fan of Lesley Livingston's Wondrous Strange series and I'll say right now that I'll always be eager to read more from her. Sounds action packed and I mean the tagline alone has me hooked - "Can history be changed forever with a kiss?". Right now this is only a Canadian title, but I hope for a chance to read it soon. What does everyone else think of either of these?

*covers are always subject to change.
*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this post.

Happy Splash into Summer Hop! Thank you to both I'm A Reader, Not a Writer and Page Turners Blog for hosting this event. It's always fun to be part of something like this and I'm excited to be giving away two things this time around. I know I always love something for free, I'm sure you guys do too.

So, lets get to the good stuff - what's up for grabs this time?

How about my usual!

A $15.00 to the Book Depository!!

It's open to anyone The Book Depository Ships to, so enter and Good Luck!

I'll also be giving away a second item this time around. How about a book?

A finished copy of City of Fallen Angels

By: Cassandra Clare!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This part of the giveaway is open to US residents only, so be sure you read the form carefully and let me know if your eligible for this extra giveaway!

Here's the rules and how to enter:

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.
Please fill out the form provided for your entry to count.
$15.00 to the Book Depository, OPEN TO EVERYONE. City of Fallen Angels OPEN TO US ONLY.
Giveaway ends: May 31st, 2011 - 11:59PM EST.

Thank you for entering and Good Luck! As always winners will be chosen at Random, via Random.org. If you have any questions, please check my policy page or feel free to email.

I do have a couple other giveaways running that are easy and quick to enter. Just check the top center of my blog where you will find all the details and links to enter.

>>If you're looking for other blogs participating in the Splash into Summer Hop, just Click (HERE), Visit and Enter today!<<

Day #2 of Armchair BEA is GIVEAWAY DAY! I'm excited about giving something away, are you? DUH! It's FREE stuff, of course you're excited! Since this is BEA week and all, I thought I'd offer a giveaway to help celebrate authors and books that will be featured this year at the event.

ONE lucky winner will get a chance to choose a book from the list below. This giveaway is open INTERNATIONAL! YAY, right?! lol I figured there were many of us bloggers/book lovers out there from other countries who can't attend, so I wanted to spread the love to everyone far and wide. If The Book Depository Ships to you - Enter!

Now, what books will the winner get to choose from? Well, check out this list and tell me you don't see something in there you can't wait to get your hands on! There were so many books to choose from that'll be featured at BEA in NYC and these are only a few, but ones that stuck out to me as just a few exciting titles I can't wait to get my hands on.

The Scorpio Races By: Maggie Stiefvater
Original Sin (Personal Demons, #2) By: Lisa Desrochers
Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) By: Richelle Mead
Legend By: Marie Lu
Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Jessica, #2) By: Beth Fantaskey
Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3) By: Maggie Stiefvater
All These Things I've Done By: Gabrielle Zevin
First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles, #1) By: Heather Brewer
Blood Wounds By: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Never Eighteen By: Megan Bostic
Crossed (Matched, #2) By: Ally Condie
The Faerie Ring By: Kiki Hamilton

Rules, How to enter and the Form:

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.
To enter, please fill out the form provided.
Giveaway open: INTERNATIONAL! If the Book Depository Ships to you, feel free to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 14th, 2011

Thanks for stopping by and good luck to everyone who enters. Keep checking back all week long as I continue to Armchair-it through BEA from the comfort of my own home.

As always, unless otherwise stated, winners will be chosen via Random.org. If you have any questions, be sure to check my policy page or feel free to email.

Title: Shadowspell (Faeriewalker #2)
Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 295 Pages (January 4th 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

Review: 4 Stars - Shadowspell, book two in the Faeriewalker series by Jenna Black was a thrilling read, to say the least. Its action packed with huge twists and turns you won’t see coming. Glimmerglass was a great first book, but Jenna did an amazing job with this sequel.

Picking up, just about where we left off in Glimmerglass – Dana’s dad has moved her deep underground, within the maze of tunnels under the city. It’s safe; it’s more than secure – especially with her bodyguard Finn – and, well boring. No one can know where she is because, well the trouble she finds herself in from the first book. With only visits from her father, Finn and Finn’s son Keane, Dana wants nothing more than to be out and about with her friends and to lead as normal of a life as possible. However, when your part Fae and living in the one place in the world where Fae and humans live together and people are after you, it’s not that simple.

Dana has grown some; she’s still the same girl from the first book, though I did find myself yelling at her internally over a couple of things that I thought she should have known better with. Sadly, she has to learn the hard way with a few things, but I guess you could say that it’s the crazy life of a Faeriewalker.

And then there’s Ethan who has some things that he needs to make up for and Dana struggles to figure out just what to do about their friendship/relationship. For me, Ethan as a character, I go back and forth on. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? I’m still trying to figure him out. And I can’t forget to mention Keane. As I said in my review from Glimmerglass, I totally love this character! I wish there was more of him in the books. He’s dark and brooding and still pretty mysterious and I can’t wait to see more of him in future books.

With additional trouble that neither Dana, her family nor the residents or visitors of Avalon need is The Erlking and his Wild Hunt. He was and wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I thought I’d have a hard time liking him as a character because of the fact that he hunts and kills Fae and all, but there’s just something about him that got under my skin and lingered there until well after reading. He’s dark and scary, but there’s just so much more about him. In the end his relationship with Dana was a shocker. And no, I won’t tell you anything that happens, so don’t worry… but wow, I didn’t see that coming at all!

All in all, what more can I say than, I’m a fan of this series. With some HUGE, crazy events that happen in Dana’s life, some that are major life changers, Jenna has written a sequel that was fast, thrilling and will leave you ready to find out just where she’s going to take her characters next. I highly recommend this series, you won’t be disappointed.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

I have to say that I feel like I'm one of a small group people who aren't in NYC right now . It's sad, and yes... I'm a little jealous, but that's where Armchair BEA comes in! I heard about Armchair BEA last year when it was a little to late to join in on things, so I'm happy that this year I was able to take part. A HUGE thank you goes out to all those involved in making the event happen again this year.

Who am I? And How do I Armchair?

Well, my name is Lisa and I've been blogging for 1 year, 8 months. WOW, I can't believe how quickly it's all gone by. I have made great friends, which includes some amazing authors... read some incredible books, and I'm really looking forward to the exciting stuff happening in the world of books throughout the rest of the year... and the years to come!

I really love my blog. It might not be perfect, but it works for me. I'll always try to keep it growing and changing and hope that others will find many things to enjoy here as well.

As for my personal life, well... I'm married to a great guy. We met 11 years ago and will be married 10 years ago this October. He's pretty amazing and puts up with my habit of books and all things reading. He's from Liverpool, England so we go over as much as possible and might be moving there one day, but we'll see how that goes. He has an accent that still makes me swoon, I think I'll keep him.

Other than reading, and, well traveling, I can be found spending my time with friends and family - we have 2 nieces and 2 nephews. We also love watching movies and during the summer we can be found lounging out by the pool. We don't have any kids of our own, but we do have one furry little thing. She was a stray cat that adopted us and has been with us for about 4-5 years now. She's a character that's for sure... her name is Gilligan (it's a long story lol) and likes to think she runs this house. I swear in one of her other lives she was a dog. lol

I'm really looking forward to this week! I have plans to try to post something each day this week... Sadly, I didn't sigh up for the interview part of things, but I'm working on something that I could do interview wise to take it's place. So, keep coming back and check out all going on here for the week! I hope to get to know more of my fellow bloggers and have a great time Armchairing it on through BEA!

Title: Laney (Brookehaven Vampires #1)
Author: Joann I. Martin Sowles
Publisher: Brookehaven Publishing, 296 Pages (October 30th 2010)
From: the Author, Thank You!

Synopsis: What would you give to be with the one you love?

Would you give it all, including your life?

In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life–that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he?

As Laney’s sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure–including a love she didn’t know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver’s love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn’t so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver’s most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn…

Review: 4 Stars - Laney, the first installment in the Brookehaven Vampires series By author Joann I. Martin Sowles was a fast paced story that easily swept me up in it’s whirlwind and dangled in front of me the promise of more. With some interesting and some fascinating characters – both human and paranormal – Sowles’s love for Vampires comes blazing through.

When Laney returns to a new college year she moves in with her long time best friend Keira. Their relationship was great and each girl had their own personality. I loved how different they were from each other; they complimented each other in their friendship making it easy and relatable. Laney is strong, independent and caring. Not to mention blunt and funny. I found myself laughing out loud here and there through the story. It’s always a plus when a book, character and writing can do just that and Sowles addition of humor was more than welcome. Another friend of the two is Carter. The relationships before the relationship faze between Keira and Carter was sweet and endearing.

When Oliver Knight walks into their lives, things start to change. Laney is instantly drawn to him and wants to learn more. As luck would turn out, he’s Carter’s new roommate. Oliver is… how do I explain such a swoon-worthy character? His relationship with Laney is slow and I could feel Laney’s frustration right along with her. While some books the romantic side of things often happens fast, Sowle’s has changed things up and let both Laney and Oliver get to know each other pretty well before moving things further.

Around the middle of the book, things fly by and craziness occurs. I couldn’t read fast enough through all the events that happened so quickly. While some aspects of the story and characters reminded me of other books, Sowles has put enough of her own twist to things, making this all her own.

All in all, I was extremely happy I had the chance to read Laney and am patiently waiting for the next in the series - Darkness. It’s the characters and Sowles twists and turns that made this an absorbing read. If you have a love for Vampires, as I do, don’t pass this great new series and author by without taking a further look.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Laney (Brookehaven Vampires #1)
Publisher: Brookehaven Publishing, 296 Pages (October 30th 2010)

Synopsis: What would you give to be with the one you love?

Would you give it all, including your life?

In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life–that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he?

As Laney’s sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure–including a love she didn’t know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver’s love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn’t so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver’s most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn…

I read that you started writing Laney to feed your appetite for your love of a great vampire story. When did you start writing it and how long did it take you to complete the first draft? Was it once you started you couldn’t stop? Or did you have to write it over a longer period of time?

From start to finish, it probably took me about nine months to perfect the story before sending it off to the editor. It took me about another three months to finish it after that. The story came easy to me. It was just a matter of having enough time to sit down and write that was probably what made it take so long to finish.

Can you tell us a bit about your characters? And have the story or characters changed much since you first started writing?

It amazes me how my characters have taken on lives of their own. I was recently going over what I had originally written about them and the story and was surprised at how much things had changed on their own. I have character profiles listed on my website and you can find that here: http://www.brookehavenvampires.com/characters.html

But beware, if you haven’t read Laney yet, there are spoilers.

More and more authors are going the self published route. How has that experience been for you and can you tell us a little about it?

It’s a lot of work and a major learning experience. My husband has helped out a great deal and I am so thankful for that. I get asked so many questions about self-publishing and how I was able to publish Laney that I’m actually working on a post for my website that details the process of how I published. I plan to address all the things that have and haven’t worked for me and what I would and wouldn’t recommend doing if you plan to got the self-publishing route. That should be up in the FAQ’s within the next couple weeks.

Being that your characters within the Brookehaven series are both human and Vampire, is there another mythological creature that you’d someday like to write about?

I would love to, and plan to, write about dragons. I have always been fascinated by those big beautiful and mysterious creatures. Actually, the first story I began writing a few years back revolves around Dragons. Someday I’ll finish that one, but Laney’s story comes first.

Since I haven’t had a chance to read Laney yet (but I will be soon!) as I’m sure some of my readers haven’t either, can you tell us how your Vampires are different from the many others out there?

My vampires even differ from each other. I have purebloods, half vampires and mixed bloods. They are all able to go into the sun and eat real food. The mixed bloods have more dietary restrictions than the others and can only each unprocessed and organic foods, but the others can eat anything. They all drink blood, some more than others, but it doesn’t have to be fresh from the source. My vampires also have heartbeats.

Can you share with us your favorite line or two from Laney?

It’s hard to narrow it down, but here is one of my favorite moments between Laney and Oliver:

“Laney, I need you to understand that there are things I can’t tell you. I wish I could, but I can’t. There is nothing more important to me than you. Please believe me that there is nothing going on with me and Julz. Never has been, never will be.”

I believed him. Despite the fact that in the back of my mind something said not to. I ignored it.

He ran his fingers up and down my spine which caused the sensations to continue. We were quiet for a while, just holding each other.

“Do you want me to leave so you can get some sleep?” he asked.

I lifted my head to look at him. “Are you crazy? I can’t sleep if you leave.”

He chuckled and hugged me tight. “No problem. You’re never getting rid of me.”

“Promise?” I whispered, resting my head against his chest again.

“Nope.”

“No?” My head snapped up; I was surprised and a bit offended.

“Promises are for those who can’t keep them,” he said, quickly kissing me on the lips.

What has been the easiest and hardest part of writing Laney?

The story itself has been the easiest part; it’s the lack of time to write that has been my biggest challenge.

When is the next book in the series out and can you tell us what we should expect from the rest of the series?

The second book in the series, Darkness, will be released sometime this summer. Darkness begins where Laney left off. We’ll get to know some of the other characters a bit more, relationships will be tested, secrets will be revealed and lives will be lost. The synopsis and the book cover will be released soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by today Joann. It was fun, I hope you can drop back in again sometime soon. Thank you for the great interview!

I would like to invite all who have taken the time to read this interview to my website to read the first 3 chapters of Laney http://www.brookehavenvampires.com/ Enjoy! ~ Joann I. Martin Sowles

Find Joann Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Order Laney Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.

"Just Picked" is a new Feature here at A Life Bound By Books. Now and then I'll be sharing with you various picture books that I've come across that I think everyone with kids, or even adults will love to read or would even make a great coffee table book.

Title: Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word
Author: Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Nancy Doniger
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 48 Pages (March 15th 2011)
Age Range: 8 to 12
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Play with your words! A brand new poetic form that turns word puzzles into poetry.

Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle—these poems capture a scene from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve. Sometimes sweet and sometimes funny, but always clever, these poems are fun to read and even more fun for kids to write. Bob Raczka is a fresh, new voice in children's poetry who knows that fun and games can turn a poetry lesson into lemonade!

Review: 3 Stars - Lemonade is more than a book; it’s filled with words made from words to create many different poems. It’s unique, interesting and extremely creative giving kids something fun to read. It might be a quick book of poems but I can see kids looking at words differently, by seeing what words they can find in other words.

I have to say that the poems might be hard to read at first due to the layout, but all you need to do is turn the page and its there, clear and easy to read. It’s the things such as where the poems originate from and how different they are displayed on the page that make this book interesting and will have readers ready to make finding words within words new and exciting.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Texas Gothic
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 432 Pages (July 12th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Amy Goodnight's family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.

Ghosts and a hot neighbor cowboy, yes please! Sounds really good!

*covers are always subject to change.
*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.

Title: Graveminder
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins, 336 Pages (May 17th 2011)
From: Amazon Vine Program, Thank You!

Synopsis: Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.


Review: 4 Stars - Graveminder, the first adult title from author Melissa Marr is a book that’ll have you sitting on the edge of your seat, drawing you in further with the unfolding story. As the creep factor escalates, the characters and their mysterious town and its past come together creating an absorbing and entertaining read.

The land of the living and the dead are twisted together in the small town of Claysville. With the town gripped within the shadow of a curse that their ancestors agreed to many years ago, a secret that only a few are able to talk about or even remember, Graveminder tells the tale of two families who’s paths are bound together to keep the town and the residents safe. It’s the job of the Undertaker and the Graveminder to tend to the dead and in many ways help them to pass on to their final resting place.

When Rebekkah is forced to come home due to a death in the family she has no idea what exactly she’s been willed. Never being able to settle in any one place coming home is welcomed, just as long as she doesn’t have to stay. Rebekkah is one of those characters who push people away. She doesn’t like to be tied down to anyone or anything. She’s strong willed and thinks she knows exactly what she wants.

Byron, also from Claysville came home to work with his families business as the Undertaker. He’s tried living everywhere, even following after Rebekkah for awhile. Knowing that the only place that feels like home is back in the town he grew up in, he went back to help out and be with his family. Byron is one of those guys who has never pushed, who has done things Rebekkah’s way. He listened and has always done just as she asked. When she pushes him away for the last time it’s a long while until the two are reunited again, when sadly she has traveled home, back to Claysville for a funeral.

The two characters push and pull each other as their story unfolds. They are pretty much in the dark as to what they are about to be faced with, as is the reader. I enjoyed taking the same journey with the characters, putting the pieces together along the way and being creeped out as the story progressed. It was a page turner from the beginning. I mean who wouldn’t want to read a book with a cover tag line such as this one has – “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Marr’s land of the dead is painted vividly, the writing and characters all meld together extremely well making it easy for me to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Marr’s previous work, or looking for something with a nice dash of creepiness. Should Marr have plans for this to be a series, I’d more then welcome it and be eager and excited to read further about the Graveminder and Undertaker. I can honestly say that anything Marr writes, I’m more than interested in reading. Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 276 Pages (May 5th 2009)
From: Purchased from Amazon

Synopsis: Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Review: 4 Stars - Jenny Han’s first book in her Summer Trilogy – The Summer I Turned Pretty was a breath of fresh air, a wonderful surprise and to be honest I have no idea why I’ve waited so long to read this book. I thought it was wonderful from cover to cover and can understand why this series is so loved by many.

This title is the perfect blend of all things summer - vacations, family, friends, the beach and oh, yeah… boys. Through Belly (I was hoping we’d learn how she ended up with such a horrible name. It did drive me crazy until I understood how it came about.), our main female character we get to be a fly on the wall as she lives through a new summer and through a flash back of memories of summers past. The flash backs made Belly and the other characters who shared each summer together into more rounded people. It gives the reader more of an idea of who they all are and what those past summer months were like.

Belly is one of those characters who could walk off the pages and be anyone – a friend, relative, neighbor. She’s real, honest and Han does an incredible job showing what it’s really like to be a teenage girl. The three boys, Belly’s brother Steven, and the two Fisher brothers – Jeremiah and Conrad were bits and pieces of boys I remember from school. I always love when a character is as realistic as those found within the pages here and Han has it down pat. With Belly growing up and teen emotions running high things were bound to change for the group.

With things changing for each character and the summer coming to an end, I wondered what would come next and am thankful that I can pick up the next two books and read to find out.

There was something to love in each of Han’s characters. Her story and writing were wonderful and I couldn’t put the book down. It’s books like this that remind me of my love of contemporary YA and fans of the genre shouldn’t pass this series up, so be sure to pick up or order a copy soon.

Check out the widget (which includes the quiz): http://dearjennyhan.com/always-summer/widget/

Take the quiz: Literary or athletic? Shaggy or clean cut? Take the quiz where, like Belly, you to can find out once and for all if it is Conrad or Jeremiah that you should give your heart to forever: http://dearjennyhan.com/always-summer/.

The book website can be found here: http://www.dearjennyhan.com/alwayssummer.html

Link to the books trailer: http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia?video=918483406001

Or, Check out the trailer here:

FTC Disclaimer: I DID pay for this book, and have NOT been compensated at all in any way or means for reading this book and or writing this HONEST review.

GIVEAWAY TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

 Enter to win a finished copy of ALL THREE books

in the Summer Series!

Rules and how to enter:

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.
Please be sure to fill out the form below for your entry to count.
This giveaway is open to US Only, sorry!
Giveaway ends: June 1st, 2011

A Huge Thank You goes out to the publisher, Simon & Schuster,

who made this giveaway possible.

Good luck to everyone who enters! The winner will be chosen via Random.org. If you have any questions please check my policy page or feel free to email.