THERE’S NO HIDING FROM DESTINY…

In the final book of the Winterhaven trilogy, Violet McKenna and her friends find themselves right in the middle of a vampire war. The stakes have been raised, the danger unavoidable now. As the Warriors’ senior year draws to a close, not everyone makes it out alive. Who will be left standing at the end of it all? Will Aidan be a part of Violet’s future, or is he just a specter of the past?

How beautiful is this cover!! I think it's my favorite one yet.

What does everyone else think of the cover?

About The Author

YA author Kristi Cook is a transplanted southern gal who lives in New York City with her husband and two kids. Her YA debut, HAVEN, was released in Feb. 2011 by Simon Pulse.

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• US ONLY
• Must be 13 or older to enter
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Title: Salvation
Author: Anne Osterlund
Publisher: Speak, 288 Pages (January 10th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: A smart, unexpected romance from an award-winning author.

Salvador Resendez--Salva to his friends--appears to have it all. His Mexican immigrant family has high expectations, and Salva intends to fulfill them. He's student body president, quarterback of the football team, and has a near-perfect GPA. Everyone loves him.

Especially Beth Courant, AKA the walking disaster area. Dreamy and shy, Beth is used to blending into the background. But she's also smart, and she has serious plans for her future.

Popular guy and bookish girl--the two have almost nothing in common. Until fate throws them together and the attraction is irresistible. Soon Beth is pushing Salva to set his sights higher than ever--because she knows he has more to offer, more than even he realizes.

Then tragedy strikes--and threatens to destroy everything that Salva has worked for. Will Beth's love be enough to save him?

Thoughtful and romantic, this is a beautifully written story about following your heart and fulfilling your potential.

Salvation Character Profiles
by Anne Osterlund

I first met Salva and Beth in the middle of a collision. Papers, pencils, the contents of Beth’s backpack, and point of view everywhere! Yet neither of them bothered to introduce themselves. Oh, no; they were both far too busy telling me about each other. According to her, he was one of those “patronizing—and annoying— organized people.” And according to him, she was “the walking disaster area.”

Of course I know them a lot better now!

Name: Salva (Salvador) Resendez
Grade in School: Senior
Favorite subject: Salva doesn’t really figure this out until late in the novel.
Hobbies: Football. Student government. Reading nonfiction. Science Odyssey Team. I’m not sure you can call any of these hobbies. Salva is seriously overbooked.
Friends: Pepe & Tosa are his closest friends. Though Salva has kind of a magnetic personality, and he’s pretty good at respecting anyone’s strengths.
Favorite TV show: ROTFL. Not sure when Salva would have time to watch regular TV, but he likes a good football game when it means hanging out with his friends.
Favorite Food: He hasn’t told me this. I think it’s because he struggles emotionally with talking about anything that reminds him of his mother.
Last books read: A bio on the president’s life and a history of Chiapas.
What he had for breakfast this morning: Tacos. Salva’s not so hot at cooking, but he promised he’d make them for his younger sisters.
Weekend plans: Study. Scut work at the onion factory. Mass. Try to find time to hang out with his friends.
Future plans: College. Everything else is to-be-determined.

Name: Beth Courant
Grade in School: Senior
Favorite subject: English
Hobbies: Reading. She loves writing, but she doesn’t consider that a hobby.
Friends: Ni (Nalani) Villetti
Favorite TV show: Beth doesn’t have a TV. I’m sure she’d like Once Upon a Time if she had the chance to watch it.
Favorite Food: Strawberry shortcake & blueberry lemonade.
Last books read: Wuthering Heights, A Long and Fatal Love Chase, The Shining, Jane Eyre
What you had for breakfast this morning: Cereal.
Weekend plans: Study. Visit the graveyard. Read. Write. Try to clean the house. Spend time with Ni.
Future plans: Stanford.

Find Anne Online:

Website | Blog | Facebook

Order Anne's books Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter to win a ARC Copy of Salvation & a bookmark!

Rules and how to enter:

Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter this giveaway.
Name & Email Address must be provided. (Easy Entry, just click the form & it does it for you!)
You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
This giveaway is open to US & Canadian mailing addresses only.
Giveaway ends: February 16th, 2013 (12:01AM EST)

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Good luck to everyone who enters and please let me know if you have any questions.

Anne, thanks for visiting today and please pass along my thanks to Beth and Salva for filling out this quick questionnaire  I love getting to know characters a bit better and it's posts like this that give us a chance to maybe learn things we didn't get a chance to while reading the book or for those who haven't had a chance to read yet.

Joclyn Despain has a scar. In fact, it is almost like a brand on her skin. She doesn’t know why it appeared on her neck, but she doesn’t want anyone to see it, including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won’t let the idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to.

The scar is the reason she is being hunted.

If only she knew that she was.

If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten feet in the air.

Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart. When Ryland finds her scar; but he knows what it means, and who will kill her because of it.

Find Rebecca Ethington...

Twitter, Facebook, and Website

Books Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

GIVEAWAY: Paperback copies (US ONLY) of Kiss of Fire and Eyes of Ember, or, if you live outside the US and you win this giveaway, you will automatically win ebook copies. :) 

Good luck! 

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"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 Rules (Project Paper Doll #1)
Author: Stacey Kade
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 416 Pages (April 23rd, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: 1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

Title: The Summer Prince
Author: Alaya Dawn Johnson
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine, 304 Pages (March 1st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: A heart-stopping story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil.

The lush city of Palmares Tres shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Tres will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Pulsing with the beat of futuristic Brazil, burning with the passions of its characters, and overflowing with ideas, this fiery novel will leave you eager for more from Alaya Dawn Johnson.

This week... another two books. I can never just pick one that I'm "Waiting On". Way too many great looking and sounding books coming out in 2013. The first... Stacey... LOVE HER! She sent a copy of this for me to read and review. By the time this posts I should have read it now and it just sounds amazing! The second book, that cover is so eye catching. It sounds so different. It had me at futuristic. 

*covers are always subject to change.

Title: Mind Games (Mind Games #1)
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen, 256 Pages (February 19th, 2013)
From: Amazon Vine
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Review: 3.5 Stars - Mind Games is the first book in a thrilling new series by Kiersten White that throws us right into the lives and story of two sisters and their fight for survival in this fantastically intense page turner.

Fia and Annie are sisters that want a normal life and simple things like being able to take care of each other. They are all each other has since their parents died when they were younger. They each have a power that also makes them different from most people. Annie is also blind but she can see the future in snippets and knows that there’s something horrible to come. Fia’s power is her instincts. What her gut tells her is 100% the truth. She feels what’s right and wrong and just knows what to do in any given situation.

The story follows the two as they fight to keep each other alive. Being trapped at a school which happens to be holding leverage over the sister, they do what they are asked and live day to day never knowing just how bad things could get. Fia has it the hardest of the two. The things and areas she’s trained in and sent to do is beyond horrific.

As I’ve mentioned many times in the past I’m a huge fan of mulit points of view and White gives readers a chance to see things from both sisters during this tumultuous time. White has written a unique voice for both characters. Fia’s is so unique that I must say that that’s part of the book that didn’t work the best for me. I understand she’s going through more than anyone her age should and is being manipulated more than I could have ever imagined but her voice rubbed me the wrong way. It made me feel like I was reading someone robotic, which I guess in a way is true for her. If I was in her shoes I’d have shut down and just gone through the motions to survive as well. So I understand why she’s written as stiff and unnatural as she is, but it just wasn’t my favorite part of the book and sadly did change my overall love of the story.

There might be some slightly confusing parts, at least for me there was but the plot is fast paced and thrilling, which makes up for the bit of confusion I felt. However what the girls will do for each other is one of the strengths of the story. The other is how utterly compelling it is once you get just a few pages into reading. You don’t want to put it down; you can’t put it down because of the edge of the seat moments that don’t stop from beginning to end.

All in all Mind Games is action packed with teen sisters whose unique powers are being used against them and they will do anything to keep the other alive, creating a never ending cycle for the girls. With the future looking bleak it’s up to the two to find a way out of the school and away from those who are using them for the worst things imaginable. With an ending that left this reader smiling behind the book, I’m excited to see just what’s going to happen next for Annie and Fia and those who have been holding them captive. I recommend this title for anyone who loves a thrilling story that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat because this one does that and then some. Happy reading.

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.

On tour with Prism Book Tours

Up For Grabs? $50 Amazon Gift card, book swag, and much more!

Evie’s Knight
by Kimberly Krey
Paperback, 391 pages
Published September 11th 2012 by Kimberly Krey

Premise: When Evie falls in love with Calvin Knight, their young, virtuous romance conjures a truly wicked spell.

Evie always thought her eighteenth year would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. Calvin Knight, the object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations. Soon Calvin is forced to make a choice: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven- haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.

Evies Knight Raven Haired Ghost Excerpt

It's where Evie sees Calvin's drawing of the Raven Haired Ghost:

Just as Evie checked the clock, glad time was almost up, Calvin leaned forward onto his desk again. She brought the straight strands of her blond hair forward over one shoulder and leaned back into the seat, turning an exposed ear his way.
“You have a thing for rubber duckies?” His voice was nothing more than a gentle hush, yet the heat from his breath graced the curve of her neck, causing goose bumps to break out over her arms.
She smiled, eyeing the piece at the front. Bright rubber ducks of blinding yellow filled the canvas board. She nodded, whispering over her shoulder. “How’d you guess?”
Calvin didn’t respond, but he stayed in place, so close she could smell his delicious spicy scent once more. Evie wondered if they’d critiqued his piece yet. She figured somehow she’d know which one was his, but so far, she’d only been confident about which ones were not his.
The next canvas took its place on the easel, seizing Evie’s attention at first glance. The compelling sketch of a woman’s face seemed to rise from the thin, matted board beneath. The beauty of the subject was undeniable. The talent of the artist was beyond.
She sat up straighter. A fresh burst of interest stirred within her like a frigid breeze, awakening all of her senses. Immediately she thought of the Goth in the corner; it had to be his.
“Materials?” the professor asked, standing beside the easel.
Evie’s voice came out louder than she meant it to. “Chalk pastel. Black.”
“And what do we see? On the surface.”
“A psycho-looking lady,” the jock called from up front.
“Let’s go with that,” the professor said. “What makes the
woman in this picture appear, as you put it, psycho? She’s beautiful, is she not?”
What the professor said was true. High cheekbones, flawless skin, and lashes that put Evie’s out of the running. She couldn’t actually figure an age for the woman; no wrinkles lined her heart- shaped face, yet the depth of many years loomed beneath her eyes. Still, as attractive as each rather bold feature may have been, the whole of it created a truly fearsome being.
“Her hair is creepy,” one said. “It’s so black and wild. Like it’s alive.” Evie nodded in agreement. In fact, the twisting ropes of her hair reached all four corners of the page.
“Her lips,” another said. “They look more like thin, poisonous snakes. She’s deadly, yet she’s smiling.”
In Evie’s mind, they’d neglected the most capturing detail. “Her eyes,” she blurted. “They look back at you in the most loaded way. Like she knows you. Loathes you.”
The loud guy sitting next to her tapped her arm. “I wouldn’t want to get on that chick’s bad side.” Though the students chuckled in mumbled agreement, the distinct truth of his words bubbled within her like a venomous brew; surely crossing paths with that woman could be deadly. She kept her gaze on the image, firm and unyielding, and let the dark beauty lure her into some evil place of foreboding. A numb, almost tingling silence descended upon the room as the black, shining spheres of the woman’s eyes consumed her. Bold, ebony lengths of her hair slithered menacingly along the canvas.
A lucid thought told Evie she’d become deeply mesmerized, as if captured by some dark spell. She swallowed the dryness from her throat, working to break her gaze from the picture, when one last detail drew her in even further. The snake-like lips moved as a sharp hiss snapped two pointed words in Evie’s ear.
He’s mine!
She flinched, a slick sort of hum scurrying up her back like an electric eel, cool and jolting. Shifting in her seat once more, she let out a jagged breath, feeling as if she’d just come up for air. It took her a moment to remember that Calvin was sitting directly behind her. He’d definitely seen her jump in her seat. The whole room had probably seen it. Great. I must look crazy to everyone.
The water bottle in her bag seemed like a solid distraction. She twisted off the cap and took a swig of the cool drink, trying desperately to shake off the effects of the drawing. Evie had never seen a sketch like the one at the front of the room. Never been so affected by a simple piece of art. Mona Lisa held a secret. That woman did too. A dangerous one.
Calvin had spoken up on a few pieces, yet with this one he remained quiet and still. Or maybe he had commented on it. Perhaps she’d been so wrapped up in the haunting image she’d missed it entirely. Already, Professor Milton had removed the piece and was putting a new one in its place, which wasn’t hers, thank goodness.
She tilted her head to speak over her shoulder. “Let me guess, ex-girlfriend?”
“Yep. Not mine. My great grandfather’s.”
“What?”
“Actually, my great, great grandfather’s.”
Genuine shock gripped her as she spun around to look at him.
“That was your piece?”
He nodded, a wry smile owning his face as he huddled closer, lowering his voice even more. “Just an old family legend my grandpa used to tell. He thought the Knight men were cursed by this Raven-haired Ghost. Used to scare the crap out of us as kids.”
She eyed the teacher before responding. “I can see why..."


Get Your Copy: 

Barnes & Noble
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Amazon: ebook just $2.99 for a limited time.

Author, Kimberly Krey:

Writing Romance That’s Clean Without Losing the Steam!

I’m a reader of good, clean romance, a lover of family time and Diet Coke, and the ultimate hater of laundry.

I’m not patient enough to enjoy a yoga class, or tall enough to be great at basketball, but I do love to run – anywhere but on a treadmill. I love the sound of a rainstorm when I have no place to go, the feel of Soft Lips chap Stick on my lips, and the first peek of blue water as we round the mountains toward our favorite getaway in Bear Lake.

Find & Follow Kimberly Krey:

Twitter

https://twitter.com/KimberlyKrey

Website

http://kimberlykrey.wix.com/kimberlykrey

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527799.Kimberly_Krey

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Krey/e/B009A0350I/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Krey-Author-Page/106826456029568?ref=hl

Super Swag-a-licious Giveaway.

Grand Prize: $50 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

2^nd Prize: $25 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

3^rd Prize: $10 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

Five more winners will receive an ebook version of Evie’s Knight!

Paperback winners may choose between old cover (shown below) or the new cover, featuring Calvin Knight (shown above).

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Colorimetry & Rafflecopter as well as emailed to winners who will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Laura, Burgandy Ice, @ www.burgandyice.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Catch the Tour:

1 - Min Reads and Reviews – Blast!

1 - Passion and Life – Blast!! – English/Spanish

1 – Kelly Fox – Goodreads Review

1 – I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Clean Romance I

2 – Monique Morgan – All You Need is Love I

2 - Letters to the Cosmos – Review

3 – Getting Your Read On – Review - Clean Romance II

3 – Reading with Anacrasia - Interview

4 - Christy’s Cozy Corners – Review

6 – Passion and Life – Peaches Recipe & Excerpt – English/Spanish

6 - Paulette’s Papers – All You Need is Love II

7 - Bookworm Lisa – Review - Clean Romance III

7 – Pages of Forbidden Love – Review

8 - Proud Book Nerd – Review

8 - Vanessa Morgan – All You Need is Love III

9 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Review - 

10 - Geo Librarian – Review
10 - The Literary Forest - Review, Exerpt

11 - InfectedLoser – Review

13 - Welcome to Couch Potato Reader – Review

14 – One A Day YA – Drafts Guest Post

14 - Little Miss Bookworm – Review

15 – Musings of a Reader Happy – ART excerpt Raven-haired Ghost

15 -  Magical Manuscripts – Review 

16 – Proud Book Nerd – Ultimate Grilled Cheese

17 - Books, Books, the Magical Fruit – Interview

17 - Book Sake – Review

18 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Aromatic Noodles Recipe

20 - A Life Bound by Books – Excerpt I

21 - Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews – Excerpt II

21 - Oh, The Books You’ll Read – Review

22 - A Backwards Story – Review, Excerpt III

22 - Passion and Life – Review – English/Spanish

23 - Framed In Words – ART Guest Post

23 - Colorimetry – ART Guest Post

24 – Unputdownable Books – ART Guest Post

24 - Living a Goddess Life – Crepe Cake

25 – icultgen – Review, ART Guest Post

25 – Pieces of Whimsy - Review

27 – The Reading Diaries – Review

27 - Icefairy’s Treasure Chest – Excerpt

28 – Stressed Rach – Review

28 - Literally Jen – Review

29 – Min Reads and Reviews – Review

29 – Colorimetry – Grand Finale, WINNERS drawn

Title: Tidal
Author: Emily Snow
Publisher: 320 Pages (December 14th, 2012)
From: The Author
Format: eARC
Add to: Goodreads

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" title and is intended for readers 18 years and older. 

Synopsis: *New Adult Romance*

Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she's got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that's what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn't really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do.

When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she's tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the guy she’s falling hard for.

Review: 4 Stars - Tidal by Emily Snow is a wonderful addition to the “New Adult” category. A damaged actress and a down to earth surfer boy come together in this contemporary stand alone title.

Willow Avery has spent much of her life on the small and the big screen. With fame, money and her rebellious nature and peers it’s not hard to see just how easy she could slip into the “Party Girl” roll. As the story unfolds we learn more about just how much of her life has been a mess due to her past, her choices and the choices of her parents. When everything becomes too much she implodes before she explodes with everything that comes with the bad side of her life. Now she’s being given a last chance, a chance to act again on the big screen if she can just keep herself together and out of rehab.

Her life will never be the same after this venture or the addition of her surfing coach for the movie – Cooper Taylor. He’s everything you’d imagine a surfer boy to be… and then some. This guy is cocky, sweet, and talented and has a good head on his shoulders. However he has some issues of his own to deal with and when the two are put together to get to work, things don’t just simmer, they heat up quick and boy, oh boy, neither of them know just what hit them!

Snow tells a story extremely well and has the characters and writing to back it up. It was easy for me to form an attachment to the characters and their lives. While I was reading I felt for them and their issues and rooted for the best outcome for everyone, especially Willow. Her inner voice from the beginning of the book to the end showed how much she wanted to change and how much she worked to make her life better. So much of that was because of Cooper and that made me love the boy even more.

In the end, I couldn't have asked for a better stand alone “New Adult” title from a wonderful author. By the end of Tidal I was hoping for more of Willows and Coopers story. I’d love to see where the two are now and how much further their lives have changed. This might be the first book I've read from Snow, but it won’t be the last and I look forward to finding more hidden gems from this author.

If you are like contemporary titles or are looking for something “New Adult” then look no further! Tidal fits the bill when it comes to both and has the characters and story to make this a new favorite for others. Go and add it to your readers today!

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: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends, 464 Pages (February 5th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Title: MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0 #1)
Author: Debra Driza
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 480 Pages (March 12th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

Title: Bot Wars (Bot Wars #1)
Author: J. V. Kade
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, 368 Pages (March 21st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Trout St. Kroix has been searching for his missing father for the last two years, after his dad disappeared while fighting in the Bot Wars. The Bot Wars began after robots became so advanced that they revolted and demanded more workers' rights, causing the government to declare all robots terrorists and ban them from the Districts. Trout never questioned anything the government told him--even when his own nanny bot was banished--until a vid he posts about his missing dad goes viral and new information pops up. At first Trout is wrenched his dad might be alive, but when his brother disappears, Trout learns nothing is what it seems . . . not even his own father.

Percy Jackson meets Transformers in this heart-stopping, futuristic adventure that will make you question everything you know--and look at robots in a whole new light.

Loved Cinder, can't wait to read Scarlet! For this week, I think I did it again. Strong female characters and... Robots. I think that about says it all for this week. What do you think of my picks?

*covers are always subject to change.

Title: Up to Me (The Bad Boys, #2)
Author: M. Leighton
Publisher: Self Published (January 6th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
My Review: Up To Me (The Bad Boys, #2)

NOTE: Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance- Please be advised that this book is NOT YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category!

Synopsis: Happily ever after doesn’t come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

Excerpt:

Cash’s back is to me. I see him run his fingers through his hair and I hear him sigh again.  “I’m asking you to trust me, Olivia.”  He turns to face me.  “Trust in what you know about me.  Because I know, if you stop listening to your fear, you know who I am.  Deep down.  You know me, Olivia.  You know me.”

His voice is sincere. His expression is urgent.  I close my eyes against his face, his handsome face, the face that haunts both my waking and my sleeping world.  I open them again when I feel warm hands cup my cheeks.  Cash is a breath away, his eyes pools of midnight, drawing me in.

“It’s me,” he says softly.  “Stop listening to everything else.  Remember the way you feel when I’m kissing you and touching you.  Don’t think with your head.  You know me.  And when my lips are on yours, you trust me.”  As if to make his point, he dips his head and brushes his mouth over mine.  Sparks fly between us.  As always.  “You trust me, when my hands are on your skin.”  He runs his palms down my arms and then over to my waist where he pushes them up under the edge of my shirt.  Chills break out down my back.  “You trust me when you turn your mind off, when you just feel.”

About Michelle: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

Find Michelle Online:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Order Michelle's Books Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter to win an eBOOK copy of DOWN TO YOU!

Title: Down To You (The Bad Boys, #1
Author: M. Leighton
Publisher: Self Published (January 6th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
My Review: Down To You (The Bad Boys, #1)

Synopsis: The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not. Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white. But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.

Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her. Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them. Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire. She wants them both. And they want her. How will she ever choose between them?

• ONE winner will receive an eBook copy of this title.

Rules and how to enter:

• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter this giveaway.
• Name & Email Address must be provided. (Easy Entry, just click the form & it does it for you!)
• You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
• This giveaway is open: INTERNATIONAL!!!
• Giveaway ends: January 22nd, 2013 (12:00AM EST)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Michelle, Thank you for the eCopy of Down To You for giveaway!

Title: Up to Me (The Bad Boys, #2)
Author: M. Leighton
Publisher: Self Published (January 6th, 2013)
From: the Author
Format: eARC
Add to: Goodreads
My Review: Down To You (The Bad Boys, #1)

NOTE: Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance - Please be advised that this book is NOT YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category!

Synopsis: Happily ever after doesn't come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

Review: 5 Stars - Up To Me, the second book in the Bad Boys trilogy by author M. Leighton continues right where we were left in the first book – Down To You. With twists happening faster than you can turn the page Leighton continues her epic action and romance with characters that just keep getting hotter and hotter.

The end of Down To You had us teased with a pretty huge cliffhanger. It had my heart racing because I didn't know what was about to happen to Olivia, Cash and Nash. Dangerous people had found the twins and they were after the one person who was closest to them to take back what their father had stolen.

The plot continues stronger than ever, just as the story keeps twisting deeper and deeper. I didn't know how Leighton would keep up the pace but she did and then some. She writes a mean character and a strong story that just keeps you guessing. With the action coming fast and furious and the romance steamier than ever!

With the highest stakes on the line we see a different side to the twins; it’s more raw and harsh yet hotter than ever before. Oh to be a fly on the wall when Leighton writes… WOW!

There are new characters to shock and stun you. There’s much more drama and inner dialogue when it comes to the characters than ever before… because there’s just so much more at stake and to prove. The vulnerability takes on a whole new level from more than one person and I loved getting a chance to meet a better rounded character or two. And then there’s the dialogue these characters share is so entertaining… on many, many levels I can’t even tell you how many times during reading I would reread things because they were just THAT fantastic and then some.

All in all, the second book if I dare say is better than the first. It has everything I loved in the first and then some. Leighton writes some fantastically hot bad boy that’s for sure! With another shocking ending that left me a bit confused and stunned I can honestly say that this is some of the most entertaining stories I've read in awhile. I am without a doubt excited to talk about these two books, thrilled to read them over and over again and will be more than ready to recommend this to anyone looking for a Adult title to fall in love with. Can’t wait for book three! Bring it on and your bad, bad boys Michelle.

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: Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, #2)
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins, 352 Pages (January 8th, 2013)
From: the Publisher
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads
My review: Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)

Synopsis: It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Review: 5 Stars - Veronica Rossi, the author of Through the Ever Night, the second book in the Under the Never Sky trilogy is the epic continuation that picks up at the conclusion in book one. Without skipping a beat Rossi takes the strength of her characters and the amazing writing from the first book into the second making this installment as good… if not better!

Aria and Perry are both fighting for the same thing - a safe place to live for everyone away from the threat of the dangerous Aether storms that are growing far more lethal every day. Perry is now the Blood Lord of the Tides and has a lot to handle if he’s going to keep his people alive. Aria wants the same thing yet is being pushed harder for a different reason.

The story is told in alternating points of view, something I love and while reading I really felt for what both Aria and Perry were going through. Perry is torn and struggles to find his footing as the fledgling leader of his people and knows that Aria’s presence is going to create trouble for his status as the Blood Lord. It creates more trouble than either would have thought and Aria knows she must do something she doesn't want to do in order to save Perry and his people from any further turmoil within the Tides.

The journey they both take together and separately in the story showed just how much the characters have and continue to grow. This growth is thoroughly captivating and brilliantly written which says so much about Rossi as an author and her plans for the overall story and characters. It’s one of the many things I love about reading these utterly fantastic books.

The secondary characters have also made a lasting impression on me. Roar, what’s not to love about him. He’s funny, protective and stands by Perry and Aria through everything and always. He has his own mission and yet doesn't waver from what he’d do for the people he cares about most. And Liv wasn't in the first book, but she’s a strong enough character through the stories of the other characters to make her feel like one. And thankfully we get a chance to meet her and I love her even more. Another secondary character who has made a lasting impression on me is Cinder. He’s presence is sprinkled throughout both books and yet never forgotten. That poor guy has a role that I’m scared to see what might happen next for him.

The story and plot never let up. There’s never a chance to question anything or even feel as if there’s something missing. Rossi has found a way to seamlessly tell a story about a world with such vivid use of words that it’s without a doubt a book(s) that hands down, are a must read.

Without a doubt Rossi is an auto-buy for me. She’s got everything a good story needs and has magnified it into something so much more than a good book or story. Her characters and the world they live in have layers that she takes the time to peel back and expose for the sake of a better story and I for one am thankfully for the depth she’s provided for her readers to receive the best experience they can.

All in all, I loved it. I love everything this trilogy has to offer. It’s easily one of the best books I've read of 2013 and we’re only a few days in. I look forward to finding out the conclusion to Aria and Perry’s story to see what happens next in their quest for the Still Blue. I highly recommend these two books to anyone who’s looking for a story that has everything to make a lasting impression because that’s exactly what happened with this reader. You won’t be sorry, and come back to tell me how much you loved it later. 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: Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy, #1)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen, 464 Pages (May 1st, 2012)
From: the Publisher
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Review: 4.5 Stars - Sweet Evil, the first in Sweat trilogy by author Wendy Higgins is unique and captivating with a fresh new take on good and evil and choices and everything in between.

Anna is different. She just doesn't know how different she truly is and how far that difference run through her family. She’s shy and struggles with that ever present internal voice challenging her to take a chance – the voice that just might lead her astray and down the wrong path. We all have that voice and it just so happens that Anna’s is a bit louder that most. She struggles with always making the right choice and staying out of trouble. All because of whom she is and where she came from.

It’s not long before this teen meets the dangerously tempting Kaidan. He’s cocky, seductive and knows how to turn every good girl bad, using their own emotions against them and to his benefit. And he does it all with an English accent!  What Anna doesn't know is that he just might me the key to understanding who or what she really is.

Anna and Kaiden have a magnetic pull to each other that they try with all their might to fight off. Their relationship or lack thereof, smoldered under the surface, peeking out just to give you a taste at what these two could truly be if they let down their walls and took a leap.  Because taking that leap just might let them both be more than who they are forced to be by their parents. They really have no choice in the matter in order to survive the harsh reality of being a Nephilim.

Higgins takes angels and demons and their children, Nephilim to a whole new level. I mean talk about fantastic idea of the Nephilium’s sole purpose on earth to be bad influences over humans! I can’t even tell you how much I loved this story and the characters. With the writing I faced a plethora of emotions throughout and grew attached to the characters and even had a strong hate for some secondary characters. When an author has a talent for finding a way for me to be swooning one minute and wanting to smack someone the next, they have done their job with flying colors – Higgins fits the bill perfectly and did that time and time again.

The story flowed all too quickly for me and soon I found myself at the end of the book. I didn't want it to end and wanted to re-read to feel all the things again… not to mention maybe swoon a bit more over that amazing book boy Kaiden. Maybe.

All in all, Higgins took a book that I was eager to read and excited to experience and exceeded my expatiation in all aspects. If you are looking for a story and characters who will make you feel many different emotions while reading with a unique spin on fallen angels and then some, you won’t want to miss this one. Thankfully the next book in the Trilogy – Sweet Peril is released April 30th, 2013. Not too much longer to wait. Who am I kidding? It’s still going to drive me nuts! 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.