While Lisa is out I wanted to talk about young adult novels and boarding schools and Parents because this seems to be a pet peeve of mine. It has grown slowly over reading many young adult books.

This seems to be a trend now with some of the books out there and many of them are paranormal issues in which a young girl has just realized something or her parents send her to a boarding school to learn more about her powers. Some examples are Fallen by Lauren Kate , Dark Elite by Chloe Neill , and Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. Another example is Simone Elkeles, Rules of Attraction.

I think that the Boarding school has to work with the story , and make sense. I think the best example of this Hex Hall. As coming as a mom, I feel that the relationships between the mom and child are short changed with the child being at Boarding school.

I understand that this is fiction , and that kids need to escape from life. I see that parents in young adult novels are non-exisistant or they help move the plot along like in Shiver/Linger.

I wanted to make an observation that goes along with the topic of parents, and schooling. Have you ever seen Hannah Montana or That’s so Raven ?? I have many times and the parents in these shows are funny , and move the plot along , and always at the end give good advice. These TV parents are really parenting the kids, and the parents are dumbed down.

I’m a parent and proud of my job in raising my 5 kids. Not everyone has money to send their kids to boarding school, but if its going to be used in plot, Please make the parent responsible and competent. Does anyone else have issues with Parents in books or Boarding schools ?? Am I the only one who feels this way ??

Thanks Lisa for having me here.

Julie, Thanks so much for taking the time to writing this guest post for me to share while I'm recovering. I really appreciate you doing this for me and reading and sharing your take on parents and boarding schools in books.

Find Julie Online:

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

It's time for another another week (and yes! it's an actual ONE week IMM this time too! Exciting, right?! lol) of In My Mailbox - here's a look at all the great books that arrived on my doorstep either by purchase, trade or for review. It's hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. As always, thanks so much for hosting it Kristi!

Sorry about not having a picture again this week. I'll resume IMM with pictures after I've recovered and am allowed to lift things again after surgery. Thanks for understanding. I'll also be doing a bookcase tour sometime in the future as well.


FOR REVIEW:

Flying Blind (The Dragon Diaries, #1) By: Deborah Cooke
Haven By: Kristi Cook
Betrayal (Haunting Emma, #2) By: Lee Nichols
Probability Angeles By: Joseph Devon

A HUGE Thank You goes out to Bloomsbury/Macmillan, NAL/Penguin, Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster, and Joseph!

PURCHASED:

Dust City By: Robert Paul Weston
The Marbury Lens By: Andrew Smith
Will Grayson Will Grayson By: John Green, David Levithan
The Lying Game (The Lying Game, #1) By: Sara Shepard
Fallen Angel By: Heather Terrell
Where I Belong By: Gwendolyn Heasley
Angelfire (Angelfire, #1) By: Courtney Allison Moulton
This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5) By: Jeaniene Frost
Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely, #5) By: Melissa Marr
Inside Out (Brown Siblings, #3) By: Lauren Dane
Betrayals (Strange Angles, #2) By: Lili St. Crow
Twenty Boy Summer By: Sarah Ockler

FOR KINDLE:

Overprotected By: Jennifer Laurens
The Emerald Talisman (The Emerald Talisman, #1) By: Brenda Pandos

GIFTED, WON or TRADED:

I've had a few gifted things come in the mail... I think I'll hold off and do a post about this stuff all at once. :) The kindness of my fellow bloggers continues to amaze me. I can't say Thank You enough...

Title: Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance
Author: Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers, 240 Pages (February 1st 2011)
From: the Publishers, Thank You!

Synopsis: Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

Review: 3 Stars - Jenna and Jonahs Fauxmance is a cute, light, fun read about two lead characters whose lives are scripted on both on and off the screen. Being stars of a hit TV show isn’t easy, especially when you’re forced to live a lie off screen to keep ratings up.

Jenna and Jonah or Charlie and Fielding might be the “it couple” both on and off the screen, but what their fans don’t know is that it’s all fake. Jenna or Charlie... and Jonah… or Fielding might seem like that perfect couple but on the inside they pretty much hate each other. With snarky comments under their breath - giving away just how much they despise each other – Halpin & Franklin take readers on an adventure fueled by the paparazzi and the two characters passion for action. Or is it?

When trouble hits, Charlie and Fielding must go into hiding until it all blows over. It’s during this time that we start to learn who they are as people, instead of the actors they are forced to be 24/7. This is where the book that somewhat frustrated me. However, after thinking about everything, how each of the characters acted during this time in hiding, I understood it more. Being so far removed from their element, I can now see why some of their faults might be even more highlighted.

The story hit a couple of other rough spots here and there, and at times I found it hard to like either of the characters. I didn’t care for the end, I felt that the last few pages were somewhat lacking… However, I have to mention that the copy I read was an ARC, which means there is always a chance for changes in the finished version.

The book was otherwise entertaining and kept me reading to find out what would happen next for each character. How they would in the end impact each other and what road they would venture down next. It was nice to see them grow and question their lives and what either of the two might tackle next. I think that was one of the best parts about the whole story. Also, I’m a huge fan of alternating character chapters, and this book is written this way. It was great being able to see the story playing out from both Charlie and Fielding’s points of view.

All in all Jenna & Jonah’s is perfect for fans who love a cute story with characters that evolve over the course of the book. Anyone who loves alternating chapters as much as I do will also find much to love about this title. 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.

"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: The Betrayal of Maggie Blair
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 360 Pages (April 18th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: In seventeenth-century Scotland, saying the wrong thing can lead to banishment—or worse. Accused of being a witch, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged. She escapes, but instead of finding shelter with her principled, patriotic uncle, she brings disaster to his door.

Betrayed by one of her own accusers, Maggie must try to save her uncle and his family from the king’s men, even if she has to risk her own life in the process.

Another cover I'm in love with - sounds more than amazing too. I love just about anything set in the British Isles. What does everyone else think of this one?

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

If you didn’t get a chance to meet NYT Bestselling Author Lauren Oliver

on her book tour for DELIRIUM, don’t miss your chance to chat

with her LIVE on Thursday February 24th from 7-8PM Eastern

RSVP for the event here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108924575852032

Learn more about DELIRIUM and read an excerpt here: http://harperteen.com/feature/delirium/

The first in a trilogy, DELIRIUM is a dystopian romance is set in an alternate present where love is a disease thought to be so dangerous it’s been declared illegal. All citizens who reach eighteen must have a procedure called the Cure, which removes their ability to love. Lena Haloway is counting the days until her procedure; she can’t wait to be cured so she can live a safe, predictable life, without feeling any uncomfortable emotions. She is evaluated by the government, which offers her three choices for her husband-to-be. But then Lena meets Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government’s radar…

Location, Location, Location
Placing Your Novel Geographically

Aspiring writers have asked me how I choose the settings for my novels, and, after pondering this question, I realize that the answer is more complicated than I’d thought because it depends a lot on the type of writer you are or wish to become.

Naturally, we can eliminate Fantasy YA from this discussion right from the get-go. In writing Fantasy you have the luxury of inventing your own setting (though I implore you not to gloss over descriptions of your setting; they’re still vitally important to the story). This is just one of the many reasons I don’t write in this genre.

I prefer existing settings, like New York for instance. Though I don’t write about New York because I have not lived there. And that brings me to my next point: I don’t think you should ever write about a place that you haven’t spent a considerable amount of time in. Trust me, it won’t fly with the readers. I’ve read many YA novels where it was abundantly clear that the writer was not familiar with the place he/she was writing about, a fatal error, in my opinion.

I think that a beginning writer might be under the impression that they couldn’t possibly write a great story that takes place in their own world when in fact the opposite is true. Being an expert on your own world, you’ve got a much better chance of writing a compelling story about your hometown than you do trying to fudge your way through a story about an Ethiopian orphan in Africa if you haven’t been there. Remember, a great story often lies in the smallest of details.

When I set out to write The Vinyl Princess, I knew that it would take place in a record store in Berkeley, CA, a smaller version of the one that my husband and I opened back in 1990 in the very same location. Describing the store and the street and even the neighborhood came easily to me. I knew it like the back of my hand. Creating characters when you know your setting well is also much easier. Again, I’ll use New York as an example: If you’re writing a novel about a neighborhood in New York, like Greenwich Village, for instance, you’ll also be all too familiar with how people talk there, how they move, and how they interact. This is essential to creating real, believable characters.

When I wrote All You Get Is Me, I spent some time on a farm in Brentwood, CA, a place similar to where I envisioned Roar’s farm might be. When I started to create characters, I based them loosely on a few of the people I’d met in the area or at least read about. I created a character named Reynaldo, an undocumented vineyard worker who eventually became a citizen and a respected winemaker. I pulled his story directly from the San Francisco Chronicle and changed his name. Roar’s house in San Francisco was set on a street I lived on myself for years. I was able to describe even the tiniest details about the neighborhood; the smells, the sounds, and even the vegetables at a produce stand in the Mission up the street and the ice cream flavors at the place Roar loves to go.

Finally, I can’t stress enough that you should also have some passion for your setting. Don’t forget, you have to live there for a very long time, so make it as interesting and multi-layered as possible for you and the reader. The less interesting a place you paint, the quicker you’ll tire of it and the harder it will be to continue to write about it.

Happy writing (and reading)!

Yvonne Prinz

Thanks so much for stopping by Yvonne! Amazing guest post, thanks for taking the time to share such great info. with us all.

Find Yvonna Online:

Facebook | Twitter | The Vinyl Princess | All You Get Is Me

Title: The Vinyl Princess
Publisher: HarperTeen, 320 Pages (December 2nd 2009)
Order here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Summer is here, and 16-year-old Allie, a self-professed music geek, is exactly where she wants to be: working full-time at Berkeley’s ultra-cool Bob and Bob Records. There, Allie can spend her days bantering with the street people, talking the talk with the staff, shepherding the uncool bridge-and-tunnel shoppers, all the while blissfully surrounded by music, music, music. It’s the perfect setup for her to develop her secret identity as The Vinyl Princess, author of both a brand-new zine and blog. From the safety of her favourite place on earth, Allie is poised to have it all: love, music and blogging.

Her mother, though, is actually the one getting the dates, and business at Allie’s beloved record store is becoming dangerously slow—not to mention that there have been a string of robberies in the neighbourhood. At least her blog seems to be gaining interest, one vinyl junkie at a time….

Title: All You Get Is Me
Publisher: HarperCollins, 288 Pages (December 21st 2010)
Order here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: A summer of love, loss, and justice.

Things were complicated enough for Roar, even before her father decided to yank her out of the city and go organic. Suddenly, she’s a farm girl, albeit a reluctant one, selling figs at the farmers’ market and developing her photographs in a ramshackle shed. Caught between a troublemaking sidekick named Storm, a brooding, easy-on-the-eyes L.A. boy, and a father on a human rights crusade that challenges the fabric of the farm community, Roar is going to have to tackle it all—even with dirt under her fingernails and her hair pulled back with a rubber band meant for asparagus.

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

It's time for another FEW many weeks of In My Mailbox - here's a look at all the great books that arrived on my doorstep either by purchase, trade or for review. It's hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. As always, thanks so much for hosting it Kristi!

Sadly, it's been a few many weeks again since I've done an IMM. Sorry about that, but real life is still getting in the way. Please see post titled Life vs. the Blog for further details.... Then you'll all understand why my head has been elsewhere. So, for now... here is everything (that I can remember at least) for the last month + that I've purchased, received to review, etc. Again, sorry for not posting a picture. Most of the books have been put away on my shelves. :)

FOR REVIEW:

The Dark Mirror (Dark Passage, #1) By: M.J. Putney
Divergent By: Veronica Roth
Saving Zoe By: Alyson Noel
Faking 19 By: Alyson Noel
Mad Love By: Suzanne Selfors (Already read... review posts this week)
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance By: Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
Inevitable By: Jason Letts (ebook to review - review recently posted)
Kiss of a Star (Artemis Lupine, #2) By: Catherine Banks (ebook to review - read, review posted soonish)
The Goddess Test By: Amiee Carter
Chasing Alliecat By: Rebecca Fjelland Davis
The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch, #1) By: Karen Mahoney
Falling Under By: Gwen Hayes
Nocturne (Claire de Lune, #2) By: Christine Johnson
Ruby Red By: Kerstin Gier
Cryer's Cross By: Lisa McMann
All You Get Is Me By: Yvonne Prinz
Pearl By: Jo Knowles
Paradise By: Jill S. Alexandra

A HUGE Thank you goes out to - St. Martin's Griffin/Macmillan, Walker Books for Young Readers/Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, Henry Holt and Co./Macmillan, HarperCollins,  HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, HarlequinTeen, Nal Trade Paperback/Penguin, Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, Flux, Jason Letts and Catherine Banks!


PURCHASED:

Across the Universe By: Beth Revis (Great book! Review to post soonish!)
Unearthly By: Cynthia Hand
Awakened (House of Night, #8) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Balefire Omnibus By: Cate Tiernan
Tenth Grade Bleeds #3: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod By: Heather Brewer
Eleventh Grade Burns #4: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod By: Heather Brewer
Sweep: Dark Magick, Awakening, and Spellbound: Volume 2 By: Cate Tiernan
My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers, #4) By: Rachel Vincent
Dragon Heir By: Cinda Williams Chima
Trapped By: Michael Northrop
The Hybrid Saga: The Coven By: Matti Snook
Tempestuous By: Lesley Livingston
Nightshade (Nightshade, #1) By: Andrea Cremer (Needed a pretty finished copy. Already read, great book - review to be posted soonish!))
Hate List By: Jennifer Brown
Falling for Romeo By: Jennifer Laurens

I've also ordered a few books on my Kindle... those haven't been listened - sorry!

GIFTED, TRADED or WON:

Nada! Well, I did win a $20 amazon gift card, but I used it for a preorder, so I haven't received the books yet.

I'll try to post these weekly again... though it might be a few weeks before my IMM's start up weekly again. Keep an eye out for a post explaining what's going on here. What all have you guys been getting?

Winner from some recent giveaways are........

Seers of Light & Whisper of Light By: Jennifer DeLucy eBooks -

Jaz Parks

Love Hop Giveaway - $15.00 Gift Card to the Book Depository -

Jamila de Godoy Pavelqueires / *Jam*

Winners of finished copies of Prom and Prejudice By: Elizabeth Eulberg  -

Angelique/Vampires and Tofu

Megan Born

A HUGE CONGRATS to each of you! Thank you to everyone who entered - Winners were all chosen at random using random.org. Each winner has been emailed and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen to take their place. Please check your spam folder OR if you did not receive an email from me, please send one asap to claim your prize!!

If you didn't win this time, not to worry - I have other giveaways still running. Please see the top center of my blog for details and how to enter! More giveaways planned as well... Good Luck to everyone!

Title: Mad Love
Author: Suzanne Selfors
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers, 336 (January 4th 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.

That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

Review: 3.5 Stars - 3.5 Stars - Suzanne Selfors Mad Love is unique in both characters and story. With mythology incorporated throughout, with the real Cupid as a main character, Selfors weaves a tale in the present, filled with an epic love in the past.

Alice, a teenage girl has a lot of issues to deal with. Thankfully she has some good people around her to help her deal. Being a teen is hard enough as it is, but to have to deal with all that she does on top of the normal everyday issues, she seems to handle it well. I did like Alice as a character, however I was sometimes confused when it came to some of the decisions she made. I guess that’s all part of being a real teen, making mistakes, so some of those decisions were more than understandable. I felt for her as a character as well and wished she let more people in on exactly how much she was really dealing with.

Alice’s mother is an acclaimed Romance author with many issues of her own. Sadly they are all kept locked away from prying eyes of the public. With her mother not in the picture, and being one of the many things Alice has to juggle, comes a small issue of her next book being due, and well, she’s not around to write it.

In comes Errol, or Cupid to you and I. He’s a character to be reckoned with and has no time to deal with Alice and her issues. I mean, I get he was on a tight schedule, which you’ll have to read the book to understand, but I didn’t care for some of the things he said or did to Alice along the way. He’s not anything like what I would have pictured “Cupid” to be, but… there were reasons and you need to read further on into the book to fully understand. It was then that he became more of a likeable character, though it was a struggle to get to that point.

It takes Alice a long while to figure out just who Errol is and if he’s real – and really, I don’t blame her at all. She had normal reactions to the whole situation.

With quirky side characters, Ms. Bobot, Tony, Realm and a handful of others, I did laugh a couple of times out loud, which further elevated my thoughts about this book. It’s sometimes hard to read a story that deals with some serious issues, as this one does and not have some lighter moments to break things up.

All in all Selfors’ writing and characters kept me reading, the mythology held my interest and a love that just was meant to be written down made Mad Love a book that many will want to read and will 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.

So, as you all might have noticed my blog has been a little lacking in content since around the first of the year. This wasn’t my intention; however, during the first week in January I was told I needed to have surgery. I thought I would have been in recovery mode at this point, but as luck would have it, bad luck that is – some of my test results came back slightly elevated and I was referred to a “specialist”.

Since then I’ve been poked and prodded and had a MRI - that turned out to be an event I never want to have to undergo again… and have since found out that while I still have to have surgery, it’s for a different Diagnosis. THANKFULLY my chances of cancer have been extremely reduced with this new Diagnosis. It was a very stressful four weeks thinking I have a chance of having cancer. There’s still a chance, but it’s really small. I won’t go into specifics, which I’m sure you won’t mind… but yeah… it’s been a horrible beginning to 2011.

By the time this posts I’ll be getting ready for my my pre-op (tomorrow morning) and getting ready for my surgery that’s scheduled to take place on the 25th. The doctor/surgeon will go in and do what he needs to do and after a possible 3 day hospital stay; I’ll be on the road to recovery and shouldn’t have any further trouble.

I’m not looking forward to any of this, but will just be happy it’s all over and done with. It’s not fun waiting, which is something I’ve been doing since all this originally stared back in mid November!

I hope you’ll all understand that the first week or two of my recovery at home I won’t be blogging. I have a few people who are writing up guest posts for me, which will be scheduled ahead of time… I have WoW’s set up as well. If anyone out there would also like to contribute a guest post, I would be more than happy to host you for a day. The more the merrier. You’d all be doing me the greatest favor ever! If you'd like to send one to help me out, please get in touch asap! I've provided a form below, feel free to use that, or email. :) I'd like to have all guest posts by Wednesday, Feb 23rd. I think on Thursday I'll be to much of a nervous wreck to function lol Thanks! And if you don’t have time, not to worry! Please just send well wishes and good thoughts my way.
I’ll try to do a quick post to check in as soon as I’m able. If you have any questions my “twin” and BFF Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic knows how to get in touch with me. Thanks for that twin!

Until the 25th, I’ll be trying not to freak out and will keep working away on my blog to see just what I can get scheduled. Everyone, I can't say thanks enough for all your understanding during this time. Each of my readers, new and old... yes ALL of you Internet ninjas out there are the best!! I might be away for a couple of weeks or so, but I’ll be far from blogging. I have TONS of great books to keep me busy when I’m not sleeping, watching TV and movies or at follow up appointments….  When I return, I have many reviews to get caught up on and I hope to add more to that list while recovering... Until then - Happy Reading everyone!

PS - I have I think one giveaway ending right after my surgery. Sorry about that guys. I set that up before my doctor gave me the date. Bare with me, that'll be one of the first things I do when I get back!

Title: Inevitable (Inevitable Trilogy, #1)
Author: Jason Letts with Amanda Hocking
Publisher: (January 27th, 2011)
From: my friend, who just happens to be the author - Jason! Thank You!!

Synopsis: Every choice is played out in a world unto itself, and so the only Nathan who needs to be saved is the only one who can’t be.

A supernatural spirit holds all of these worlds together, bending fate from her place outside of time. When eighteen-year-old Nathan Wheeler sacrifices himself to provide for his orphaned sister, this entrancing spirit goes back to when the death of his mother forced him to quit college and attempts to make his life better before his inevitable death.

But for all she knows about the future, assuming human form is not as easy as she thought it would be, and getting close to Nathan comes with consequences she could never expect.

Review: 5 Stars – Author Jason Letts has taken fate to an all new level with the first book in his new trilogy – Inevitable. It’s easy to find yourself lost within the pages as Letts paints a picture of selflessness at the hands of one eighteen year old boy.

The first chapter of the book is a doozy. I had to take a couple of deep breaths after reading it. It shows us vividly the end of the story and the fate of our main character Nathan. He’s caught in a selfless act that makes the “spirit” of fate for the whole universe take notice. She is moved by the choice Nathan makes and vows to go back and make his last year of life better.

We learn more about Nathan from the spirits point of view and see just how hard of a life Nathan has. Sadly he’s lost his mother to a horrible disease and has to take over the household, including helping raise his younger sister - Cammie. With hard times ahead of him this spirit vows to make Nathans life better. He moves back home, giving up college and takes a job working any place that would hire him. He ends up at a cement factory, with pay that makes it hard to make ends meet. He has only thoughts of his sister’s future and it’s based on this alone that he chooses to make such an overwhelming sacrifice.

So, fate knows she can help make the last year better for him… goes back and somewhat barges into his life. She shows up and names herself Apoxy – crazy I know – and takes Nathan away from his life and goes out of her way to give him a thrilling, happy and crazily adventurous - unbeknownst to him – last year.

With his families’ money troubles and Apoxy’s random appearances and disappearances Nathan’s life isn’t any better and she finds herself failing and doesn’t seem to understand why. She is drawn more to Nathan and is unable to figure out what’s not only happening to Nathan, but also what’s happening to her. She’s not use to the human body she inhibits or the human emotions she’s feeling.

Both Nathan and Apoxy are great characters. Each is different and the further I read the more I could see their lives weaving together. The romance between the two was fascinating being that the book is written from Apoxy’s view and how unknown everything is, even the human emotion such as love. Her life as a human has some twists and turns along the way that even she couldn’t see coming.

With Nathan’s fate ahead of him, I was on pins and needles to see how Apoxy and Cammie might come together to change his mind or if they could change that horrible day that was ahead of him. The ending was extremely shocking and threw me, and that last line that will leave readers more than ready for the next book.

All in All any reader will find much to love about Inevitable. With a strong story, real characters and romance, readers looking for a different take on a paranormal story should give this book a read. The next book in the trilogy – Impossible is due out sometime later this year.

THREE Winners will each receive a

ebook copy of Inevitable!

Rules and how to enter:

You MUST complete the form below to enter.
You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter this giveaway.
This giveaway is open: INTERNATIONAL!
Giveaway ends: March 16th, 2011



Good luck to everyone who enters. If you have any questions, please check my policy page or feel free to email. Winners are chosen using Random.org unless otherwise stated.

A Huge Thank You goes out to Jason for making this giveaway possible!

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: Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3)

Author: Simone Elkeles

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers, 336 Pages (May 24th 2011)

Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Title: Bite Club (Morganville Vampires, #10)
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: May 2nd 2011
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: A new extreme sport threatens both the vampire and human populations of Morganville in this tenth entry in Rachel Caine's bestselling Morganville Vampires series.

Two great additions to two of my favorite series and authors. I can't wait to read both of these books! So exciting!

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

To help celebrate the release of the fifth and final book in the Wicked Lovely series - Melissa Marr is making 1 special appearance to promote DARKEST MERCY, the eagerly anticipated, thrilling, and satisfying conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series!

The event will take place February 23rd at 5PM Pacific Time. Fans can virtually attend Melissa’s book signing, ask Melissa questions, and interact with other fans here:

http://www.vivolive.com/harpercollins/melissamarr.

RSVP for the event on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/WickedLovelyOfficial?v=app_2344061033#!/WickedLovelyOfficial?v=wall.

Melissa Marr burst onto the Young Adult literature scene in June 2007. Her debut novel, WICKED LOVELY, instantly became a New York Times bestseller, as well as a Los Angeles Times bestseller, and Marr was selected as a Publishers Weekly Flying Starts author. WICKED LOVELY also won the Romance Writers of America RITA award for Young Adult books and was named a finalist for Borders Original Voices award.

Synopsis: The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

Other books in the Wicked Lovely Series -

I was really excited when I received an email asking if I'd like to take part in this special book giveaway in honor of this amazing literacy campaign, GOOD BOOKS GOOD READS.

The Media Muscle GOOD BOOKS GOOD CAUSE campaign is all about giving people the tools they need to get reading – and the passion to stay reading for a lifetime. In a recent promotion, GBGC brought a selection of books to the Sundance gifting suites to benefit literacy. It was a great turn out! Many celebs stopped by to show their support to keep America reading. Among the books featured were WILLOW by Julia Hoban and IRON QUEEN by Julie Kagawa – two beloved young-adult authors.

To continue the celebration of teen literacy, I jumped at the chance to host a sponsored Giveaway on behalf of the GOOD BOOKS GOOD CAUSE campaign with - “Celebrity Teen Dream Book Giveaway”. The prize for one lucky winner will include: one signed copy each of WILLOW and IRON QUEEN.

Title: The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 358 Pages (January 25th 2011)

Synopsis: My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Title: Willow

Author: Julia Hoban

Publisher: Dial, 329 Pages (April 2nd 2009)

Synopsis: Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy—one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.
 
Rules and How to Enter:

You MUST fill out the form below to enter.

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.

Giveaway open to: US residents only.

Ends: March 9th, 2011

ONE Winner will receive a SIGNED copy of BOTH Willow By: Julia Hoban AND The Iron Queen By: Julie Kagawa

Check out some pictures from the Sundance Film Festival!



Left to Right - Television personality Shar Jackson, Singer Aubrey O’Day, Louisa Krause, star of Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Singer Nicole Holness.

Good luck to everyone who enters. 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.

The books being giveaway in this post were donated from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc/Media Muscle - and a HUGE thank you goes out to the authors for signing the books. :)

Title: Siren's Surrender (Dark Tides, #2)
Author: Devyn Quinn
Publisher: Signet Book, 400 pages (February 1st 2011)

Synopsis: Never embracing her mermaid heritage, Gwen Lonike lives in the human world as the owner of a Maine B&B. But when the gateway to a lost mermaid kingdom is opened, freeing its dangerous queen, Gwen can no longer hide, nor keep her secret from covert agent Blake Whittaker, who's assigned to trail a strange thread of paranormal activity.

How long can Gwen and her sisters remain safe from a destructive queen, and from Blake's superiors, whose ultimate mission could prove the greatest threat of all?

Caution: This is an adult title & this excerpt does contain some mild bad language and adult themes.

Excerpt:

Sitting shoulder to shoulder beside Blake Whittaker, Gwen sneaked another glance. He sat stone still, unmoving. In fact, he barely breathed.
        If she hadn’t been sure before, she was now. There was no missing his vibe. This man clearly had no love of the water. In fact, he was terrified.
        Sympathy welled up inside her. Everybody had a fear, some little something that sent a shiver down their spine. As the owner of her own little bag of insecurities, she could easily understand.
        Without knowing quite why, Gwen laid a hand on his arm. She leaned closer so he could hear her over the noise of the motor. “Lucky has been taking people across these waters all his life. He hasn’t lost one yet.”
        Fingers still locked in a clench, Whittaker shifted his body away from hers. “That’s good to know.”
        Gwen purposely let her hand drop. He obviously didn’t welcome personal contact. Still, she admired his determination. He was doing what his job required him to do, even if he didn’t like it. That took a lot of guts. “I take it you aren’t admiring the view.”
        His reply was short and sweet. “No.”
        Not a talky man at all.
        Heavens. He was as friendly as a rattlesnake.
        Her sympathy melted a bit. She was doing her best to be nice and all he could do was blow her off. “So are all agents trained to be rude sons of bitches or does it just come naturally to you?”
        Like a robot going into motion, Whittaker turned his head. One hand lifted. He pushed up his sunglasses, giving her a view of his eyes. “They train us to be bastards,” he answered with all seriousness. The impenetrable glasses went back down.
Then, quite unexpectedly, he grinned.
        His smile caught her unaware, and her breath caught in her chest in surprise. “That’s good to know,” she squeaked like a nervous schoolgirl. Oh. My. God. The upturn of his lips made his mouth absolutely sensual.
        She hadn’t realized until that moment how damn good-looking he was. He had a face like granite, all sharp lines and angles: high forehead, chiseled cheekbones, strong straight jaw. He wore his black hair in a short uncombed style that helped soften the severity of his face. His suit fit him well, tailored to accentuate his muscular arms, broad chest, and washboard stomach. There wasn’t a spare ounce on his lean frame.
        Now that his demeanor had lost a layer of frost, he reminded Gwen of a stallion—roped and harnessed, forced to be tame. She couldn’t help but think that a wild streak lurked beneath the surface of his calm, straining to break free and run loose. She could imagine how Mr. Straight-Laced Tight-Ass might be in other situations . . .
        Feeling heat creep into her cheeks, Gwen quickly turned her head. While she’d never admit it out loud, she’d been reading a lot of erotic romances and wishing she was the heroine, being swept off her feet by the drop-dead gorgeous hero.
        Truth be told, Gwen actually had no idea what Whittaker might be like in bed. Or any other man for that matter. Though she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she’d never found a man she would dare to be that intimate with.
        Yes, she’d dated, had even fooled around a little. But she’d never taken the plunge and moved any of her relationships to the next step.
        She was twenty-seven years old and still a virgin.
        Gwen inwardly winced. Unlike Tessa and Addison, she didn’t have enough confidence in her body to strip to the buff in front of a human male. Needless to say, her boyfriends invariably got frustrated with her inhibitions and dropped her like a hot rock. And since Mers didn’t age like humans, it was beginning to look like she was going to have a long, lonely life ahead.
        Being the world’s oldest bachelorette didn’t appeal to her one bit. And just because she’d never had sex didn’t mean she didn’t think about it. She did. A lot.
        She gave Blake Whittaker another surreptitious peek. Oh goddess, he was pure eye candy. If I were going to give it up,that man would be the one. Everything about his looks appealed to her.
        But there was no way in hell she’d try getting down and dirty with a government agent. All she really wanted was for Agent Whittaker to get the hell out of town. The sooner, the better. Until that time, she doubted she’d breathe easy.

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY!

Devyn is offering a copy of Siren's Surrender

to ONE Lucky Winner!

Rules and how to enter:

You MUST fill out the form below to enter. No entries in comments please.
You MUST be at least 17 years old to enter this giveaway.
Open to: US & CANADIAN Residents only. Sorry!
Giveaway ends: Feb. 28th, 2011

A Huge Thank You goes out to Devyn for making this giveaway possible. Good luck to everyone who enters. If you have any questions, please check my policy page or feel free to email.

"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: Ripple

Author: Mandy Hubbard

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin, 300 Pages (July 21st 2011)

Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn’t, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love—again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi meets Cole. Against her better judgment, she finds herself opening up again, falling in love when she knows she shouldn’t. But when she’s offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

In Ripple, Mandy Hubbard spins a sea-ravaged tale of melancholy beauty, and the choices one girl makes between land and waves, love and freedom, her future—and her heart.

Title: Luminous
Author: Dawn Metcalf
Publisher: Dutton, 304 Pages (July 7th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, The Book Depository

Synopsis: When sixteen-year-old Consuela discovers she can remove her skin, revealing a lustrous mother-of-pearl skeleton, she slips into a parallel world known as the Flow, a place inhabited by archetypal teens with extraordinary abilities. Crafting skins out of anything – air, water, feathers, fire – she is compelled to save ordinary people from dying before their time. Yet now someone is murdering them, one by one, and Consuela finds herself the focus of an intricate plot to end the Flow forever when all she really wants is to get back home, alive.


Title: Chime
Author: Franny Billingsley
Publisher: Dial, 320 Pages, (March 17th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: In the early twentieth century in Swansea, Wales, seventeen-year-old Briony, who can see the spirits that haunt the marshes around their town, feels responsible for her twin sister’s horrible injury until a young man enters their lives and exposes secrets that even Briony does not know about.

Three more books to look forward to. Each so different from the next. From covers to synopsis - they all sound like must reads.

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

It's time for another Giveaway Hop! And with this one, we're spreading the love of not only books, but of our followers! This one is Hosted By I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

The hop runs from Feb 8th - 12:01am and Ends on the 13th at 11:59 pm (EST)

I had a great time with the last couple of Giveaway Hop's I participated in, so I thought I'd do it again. What am I giving away this time? Well, how about the same as the last two times? Everyone seems to like it, so why not do it again?

ONE winner will receive $15.00 to The Book Depository? This giveaway is open to anyone that the Book Depository ships to!

So, here's the details and how to enter:

RULES:

You MUST complete the Form below to enter. No entries in comments please - they are loved and welcomed, but entries in comments just won't count.
You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.
OPEN International - anywhere the Book Depository Ships!
Giveaway Ends: Feb 13th at 11:59 pm EST.

Thanks to everyone who enters and good luck to each of you! If you have any questions, please see my policy page or feel free to email. As always (unless otherwise stated) winner(s) will be chosen via Random.org.

There are over 200 other blogs who are participating in this giveaway hop, so be sure to stop by each one. You can find them all using the links below.

Title: Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)
Author: C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 416 Pages (March 29th 2011)

Synopsis: Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Check out my Review HERE

Giveaway details:

On February 15, WordsNStuff  newsletter,  a newsletter put out by Macmillan/St. Martins, is hosting a giveaway of Born at Midnight and offering 25 ARCs, as well as releasing the first chapter of Born At Midnight.  To enter and receive the newsletter, all you have to do is go to www.wordsnstuff.net and register.

Then.... in the March 15th newsletter they will be announcing something special... so you won't want to miss out on that.

Yes, you are reading the title of this post correctly! Three other bloggers and myself have come together
to do a group giveaway!!

Giving ONE lucky winner a chance to win a
Kindle 3 Wi-Fi!

I have a Kindle 2 and Love, Love LOVE it, so I jumped on the chance to spread the Kindle love around and am excited to be part of such a HUGE (on so many levels) Giveaway.



About the Kindle 3 Wi-Fi -

• Holds over 3,500 books: The ultimate travel companion, Kindle weighs 8.5 ounces and holds up to 3,500 books. No longer pick and choose which books fit in your carry-on. You can always have your entire Kindle library with you.

• Get books in 60 seconds: Whispernet utilizes Amazon's optimized technology plus Wi-Fi networks to enable you to wirelessly search, discover, and download content on the go. Your books and periodicals are delivered over Wi-Fi via Whispernet in less than 60 seconds. Wireless download speeds can vary based on file size.

• Battery life of up to one month: A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off. Keep wireless always on and it lasts for up to 3 weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store, web browsing, and downloading content.
• Only 8.5 ounces: When reading for long periods of time, we know that weight matters. That’s why we worked hard to make our newest Kindle lighter than ever – only 8.5 ounces – so you can read comfortably for hours with just one hand. Kindle is lighter than a typical paperback, and thinner than a magazine. Just a third of an inch in profile, Kindle fits perfectly in your hands.
• Never gets hot: Unlike a laptop or tablet, Kindle never gets hot so you can read comfortably as long as you like.
• Screen rotation: Manually rotate the display from portrait to landscape to view maps, graphs, tables and Web pages.
• and so many other cool features and specs....

"The Kindle is Amazon's #1 bestselling item for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon. Now it's even better."

For more info. on the Kindle 3 Wi-Fi - Click Here!

The Three other bloggers I'm doing this group giveaway

with are none other than -

Mavie from The Bookologist

Aly from Kid Lit Frenzy

&

Reggie from The Undercover Booklover

The only requirements each person who enters are - that you must follow are the rules and fill out what's required on the form. Not to worry, there's not all THAT much to do to enter. We tried to keep this pretty easy and simple for everyone and I think we did just that. :)

And with that - here are the Rules, followed by the form to get your entries in now!

RULES:

You MUST complete the form to enter. No entries in comments, though comments are more than welcome, entries in comments will not count.

VERY IMPORTANT RULE: You MUST be a follower of ALL FOUR OF OUR BLOGS. (This is the only requirement to enter on the form other than Name, email address and if you are of the correct age to enter. All other extra entries are NOT mandatory.)

You MUST be at least 17 years old to enter.

Open to: US only - sorry!

Giveaway ends: March 4th, 2011 at 12:01am EST

NOTE: The Kindle 3 Wi-Fi will be ordered and shipped directly from Amazon to the ONE lucky winner.

NOTE to all who enter:

This form is the SAME form on all four blogs.
Please only enter ONCE.
Any duplicate entries will be deleted.

*NOTE: Please be sure you read all rules correctly.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and good luck to each and everyone of you who enters. Should you have any questions, please check my policy page or
feel free to email and ask away.