Bookish Delights

Review: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

2012-01-22T21:22:00.000-05:00

Title: Wings of the Wicked

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton

Release Date: January 31, 2o12

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Source: ARC Tour hosted by Momo (thank you!)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.
She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.
She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Review:

Woah. I'm at loss for words to describe this book. It was absolutely amazing, and I loved it more than Angelfire.
Wings of the Wicked is over 500 pages but it flies by so quickly. I'd sit down to read some of it, and in no time 150 pages had flown by. As soon as I started Wings I realized how much I missed Ellie's narrating (and Will). I loved being back in her world and the whole time I was reading I was fully invested in the story.
There's much more character and plot development in Wings. Ellie is remembering more of her past lives and learns more about her archangel self. Ellie is still as badass (if not more) as she was in Angelfire. She goes through so many more life changing events in Wings and struggles with a lot. And Will... throughout the novel I desperately wanted Will and Ellie to be together. It was heartbreaking that it was forbidden for Will to love Ellie. All of the side characters each had unique and memorable qualities, and were just as complex and the main characters.
Wings was unpredictable. There was so much that I did not see coming. There were many plot twists and shocking events, and let's not forget the action scenes. They were written so vividly and clearly; I felt like I was fighting with Ellie. The writing was fantastic throughout the whole novel and I wanted to savor each word.
My heart broke for Ellie so many times throughout this book. She goes through so many horrible things and I felt so bad for her. She was so strong about everything, and I admired her ability to keep up with a complicated (to say the least) double life.
The ending.... WOW. I need to know what happens next. I couldn't believe that I was left with such a cliffhanger. I need the third book now! I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to make it to 2013 without finding out what happens next.

✰✰✰✰✰

➎ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 5/5 I really like the Khopesh swords and the background.

-Brynne

Forbidden Tour: Character Interview: Levi

2012-01-16T00:06:00.000-05:00

Forbidden by Megan CurdPublished: October 22nd, 2011 Series: The Guardian Chronicles #1
Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules.
...Watch from afar....Never share your name....And above all, never touch a human.
What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?
And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?

Pink or Blue?
Definitely blue. Do I really look like a pink sort of guy? I hope not!
Chocolate or Vanilla?
I’d take either, if I could taste them. I wish I could feel anything. One of the many perks of being a Guard is the fact we don’t feel anything – the sun, taste, touch, nothing. Only pain. But now that I’ve met Hannah, I don’t know what’s going on…I feel…something. She’s different. J
Sandals or Sneakers?
I love a good pair of Nikes. Running is my favorite thing to do, and having a great pair of shoes is awesome.
Schoolwork or Homework?
I only go to school to be with Hannah, but I’d go with schoolwork. I hate having to try to focus on something when I’ve got Fallens running around trying to kill my Call. Puts a little damper on the situation, and teachers never seem to believe me when I say I’m trying to save humanity as we know it. They say I’m a little dramatic. ::grins::
Lethal Virus or Nuclear Explosion?
You’re just a ray of sunshine, aren’t you? ::smiles:: You’re making me feel right at home. Either way, I can’t feel it, but I’d vote for an option that doesn’t result in everyone turning into zombies. That just makes my job way messier. ::shudders::
Vampire or Werewolf?
Really? You think those things exist? ::smiles::
Coke or Pepsi?
Well, I can’t taste either, but Coke has good commercials around Christmastime, so let’s go with Coke.
Noise or Silence?
As long as it’s not Ethan talking, I’m all for noise…but Ethan never shuts up, so when he’s around, let’s go with silence. J
Fantasy or Reality?
Depends on the situation, but I like fantasy. Sometimes reality just sucks, and being that people think I don’t exist, I’m kind of like fantasy anyway. I get the best of both worlds, I guess. ::laughs::
Call or Text?
I don’t do either, but I would rather hear Hannah’s voice than get a text. You can take texts too many different ways…well, girls do. We guys just get in trouble. ::shakes heads:: girls are crazy, man!
Pancake or Waffle?
Can we do crepes? I’d love to taste a crepe!
Cat or Dog?
Dogs. They’re way more loyal, and I need some people in my corner besides Ethan. He’s a bit much sometimes.

The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar By Braxton A. Cosby

2012-01-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Star-Crossed Saga: ProtostarBy Braxton A. CosbyPublisher: Firefly Publishing & Entertainment Published: September 25, 2011Genre: YA Science FictionPage Count: 378 pages
On the brink of Civil War, the Torrian Alliance continues with its mission to obliterate Star-children across the universe in order to suppress an intergalactic evil. Following the recommendations of his Council, King Gregorio Derry has agreed to send his only son William, on a mission to restore honor to his family. What starts out routine, becomes a lot more complicated as an inopportune crash landing delays the assassination. During this time, William begins to form a 'connection' with Sydney that challenges his inner being. But this conflict is the least of his problems, as a conspiracy back on his home planet Fabricius threatens the lives of those he loves and his father's royal legacy. Along with that, he must unravel a hidden threat here on Earth that seeks to secure a vested interest that threatens both his and Sydney's safety. Will William be able to complete his mission or will he choose love, sacrificing everything he stands for?

Review:

YA readers, be on the lookout for this exhilarating read, cause it's going to blow you and anyone else away! At first, I was a little hesitant on Protostar, because of the somewhat familiar storyline but, the book, characters, and everything else about it was uniquely different and very special. This made the book, Protostar, worth reading.
The main character, William, is a teenage prince from the future. He is sent on a mission to kill a star-child in our time Earth, Sidney. William was a strong main character that pressed the whole story forward. Sidney also was a very likable character.
The main plot of the book like I said before is a bit predictable, but the book also has its fair share of amazing plot twists and a killer cliff-hanger ending. The whole book proved to be very interesting with all the great elements thrown into it. I applaud Mr. Cosby for writing such a great book. Though the book is targeted towards young-adult readers, other readers would probably like it as well. Protostar is an attention catching book that really did blow me away. I'm hoping that the books in the rest of the series will be a great as this one, once they are out.

Rating:

4.5/5 Stars

Braxton A. Cosby
Braxton’s fascination of science grew into an obsession for creating and exploring the untapped potential of the human spirit. On one unassuming Sunday in church, this self-proclaimed romantic heard the voice of God speak and decided to pursue a ‘calling’ to create a new genre of writing called “Sci-Fance”; merging the two genres of Romance and Science Fiction. Braxton lives in Georgia with his wife and two children. Braxton A. Cosby is a dreamer with a vision of continuously evolving and maximizing the untapped potential of the human genome. He believes that everyone should pursue joy that surpasses understanding and live each day as if it were the last. Braxton received a lot of his inspiration from watching the accomplishments and exploits of his famous uncle, comedic legend Bill Cosby.You can visit his website at www.braxtonacosbygodson.com.

This post is a part of a tour by Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

2011 YA Scavenger Hunt

2011-12-22T17:54:00.001-05:00

I'm today's hunt stop for the 2011 YA Story Scavenger Hunt!

Follow the hunt every day during the month of December! Answer the daily trivia questions from MG and YA books published during 2011 to be entered into the YA book giveaway.

Today's question is from We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han.
Question #44: What appalling thing does Jeremiah do after he apologizes to Belly for his mistake?

Remember to fill out your answer in the form at Most Important Letter here!

Remembrance Tour: Author This or That

2011-12-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

Remembrance Tour: Author This or That
New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy

Dancing or singing?
I love both, but I’m better at dancing than at singing!
Ocean or pool?
Ocean! I love being on the beach J
Snow or rain?
Rain, because I don’t like the cold weather, and if it’s raining then it isn’t cold enough to snow. Snow is prettier to look at though.
Pencil or pen?
I usually/pretty much always use pens. Although I rarely write anything longhand anymore, because I type on my computer.
Night or day?
Day because I love the sunshine! I tend to be more of a nightowl though, because there are less distractions so it’s easier to get work done.
White or dark chocolate?
Get ready for my strange answer … I don’t like chocolate! If I had to pick between the two it would be white chocolate, because it has less of that chocolate taste.
Summer or winter?
I’ve lived in Florida for the past five years, and in Florida I choose winter because it’s too hot/humid to go outside in the summer. But in a place with “real seasons,” I would pick summer because I don’t like cold weather.
Vanilla or chocolate?
Vanilla!
Truth or Dare?
Truth. I’m always very upfront and honest with my friends, so being asked “truth questions” was never hard. I hated being dared to do things though, because I don’t like doing crazy things if I don’t want to do them.
Read or Watch?
READ! (I’m an author though, so that answer was kind of a given ;)
Past or Future?
Future, because it’s full of possibilities.

One giveaway tthat runs for the whole tour:
Michelle will pick the winner herself. US Only, ends December 27.

Prize Pack:

1 signed copy of Remembrance

1 mask that resembles the one on the cover of Remembrance

3 signed Remembrance bookmarks

2 Remembrance Stickers

. Michelle Madow

Hi! :)

In the fall of 2009, I saw Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video for the first time. I thought up a story to go along with the video, and decided to write the beginning of this story as a homework assignment for class. That story eventually became my first novel, Remembrance. I'm so happy to be able to share this novel with you, and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it!

Check out my website, www.michellemadow.com, to add me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and my many other social networking sites. I love making new book friends! :)

I live in Florida, and am hard at work writing more novels for young adults.

If you've bought Remembrance, recommended it to a friend, or even marked it as "to-read" on Goodreads, then you're definitely one of my favorite people in the world. Thank you for your support -- you ROCK! =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next Stop:
Tuesday, December 13: Trisha at YA Bound (Character This or That: Drew)

2011 YA Story Scavenger Hunt Stop

2011-12-05T19:19:00.001-05:00

I'm today's hunt stop for the
2011 YA Story Scavenger Hunt !

Follow the hunt every day during the month of December! Answer the daily trivia questions from MG and YA books published during 2011 to be entered into the YA book giveaway.

Today's question is from Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Question #12: What is the punishment for failing in one’s duty as a Sentinel?

Remember to fill out your answer in the form at Most Important Letter

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

2011-12-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

Title: Fracture

Authors: Megan Miranda

Release Date: January 17, 2o12

Publisher: Walker

Source: Good Choice Reading ARC Tours

Synopsis (via Goodreads): By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening…

In a Sentence: Dark and fast paced, Fracture is a fantastic psychological thriller.

Review: Fracture was very compelling. This book had me in its grasp from the first page until the last.

Fracture had a great plot. It was thrilling and creepy and suspenseful. I liked how it was based on the question of "If you had one day left to live, what would you do?" And the ending... wow.

I wasn't a huge fan of Troy. Even when he was first introduced in the story I knew there was something off about him, and throughout the book I trusted Troy less and less. He just seemed kind of creepy to me from the start. But I can see why Delaney was interested in him. I was definitely rooting for Delaney to end up with Decker. Decker seemed like he'd do pretty much anything for Delaney. I mean, he saved her from an icy death in the first place.

I liked the winter setting. It helped set the tone of the book.

Honestly I hope that Fracture doesn't become a series. Fracture was a great stand alone, but if there does end up being a future sequel, I would read it because Fracture was so amazing.

I think if you enjoyed Before I Fall then you'll like Fracture.

✰✰✰✰✰

➎ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 5/5 I think the cover represents the book perfectly.
-Brynne

Winner and Another Giveaway

2011-12-01T19:19:00.000-05:00

The winner of an ARC of The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers and swag is Julie! Please check your emails, Julie, and congrats! The second giveaway will be the same: an ARC of SSH and swag. Here is a pic of the swag:

And here are the rules:

Winner will be randomly chosen using random.org.

US only

Must be 13 years or older

I will email the person who wins, and if they don't respond within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Comment on this post in order to enter.

Extra entries (not required):

+1 if you Tweet about the giveaway.

+1 if you're a follower. Leave your GFC name in your comment.

The giveaway will go from today until December 10.

Untraceable Release Day

2011-11-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

Today is the release day of Untraceable by S.R. Johannes!

Congratulations, Shelli!

Here is the synopsis for Untraceable:

16 year old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.
When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.
One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.
Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

You can buy the Kindle ebook here, the paperback here, and other ebooks (ePUB, iBooks, Sony, etc) here.

Here is Shelli's blog.

I'm currently reading Untraceable now and it's great. I will have a review and an interview with the author on the blog in December.

-Brynne

Review: Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

2011-11-28T21:42:00.001-05:00

Title: Love and Leftovers

Author: Sarah Tregay

Release Date: December 27, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Synopsis (via Goodreads): When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it?
Love and Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

In a Sentence: Love and Leftovers is a sweet contemporary novel told in verse.

Review: Love and Leftovers is only the second novel written in verse that I've read, and I'm so glad that I did. I loved the verse writing and Marcie's narration. The poetry flows easily and the book is very fast paced. Love and Leftovers is difficult to put down. I stayed up late reading this book. I'd think "okay I'll read one more page" but one page ended up turning into two hundred, LOL.
I liked the characters. Each one was unique and memorable in their own way, especially Marcie.
Be sure to pick this one up when it releases. Even if you're not a fan of books told in verse, I'd still recommend Love and Leftovers if you enjoy contemporary YA.

✰✰✰✰✰

➎ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 4/5 Very cute. I like the pages in the background.

-Brynne

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

2011-11-21T20:35:00.001-05:00

Title: The Future of Us

Authors: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Release Date: November 21, 2o11 (Today!)

Publisher: Razorbill

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Synopsis (via Goodreads): It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.
Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.
Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

In a Sentence: The Future of Us is a fun read with a unique premise.

Review: This book looked really interesting when I first heard about it. I read and loved Asher's first book, Thirteen Reasons Why, earlier this year, and I was curious to read his next book. Thankfully, The Future of Us did not disappoint me.

Besides The Future of Us, I've never read a book set in the 90s, to be quite honest, and I really could not imagine life without all the technology we have today. I don't even want to consider the possibility of still having dial-up internet.

I liked the alternating POV of Emma and Josh. There were many humorous moments in this book, and it was funny to see their take on Facebook. I liked how a few things popular now that didn't exist in the 90s were mentioned.

It was fascinating to see how one tiny thing Emma or Josh changed impacted the future.This book makes you think if you'd really want to know what your future is going to be like. This was, however, a lighter read, and it moves very quickly.

✰✰✰✰

➍ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 4/5 I really like this cover.

-Brynne

Blog Tour: Touch by Jus Accardo

2011-11-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

*This post was written a month ago and it is scheduled, any typos or date mistakes are because of this.*

Welcome to the November 16th stop of the Touch Blog Tour, hosted by YA Bound! At this stop, there will be an awesome review of Touch.

Book: Touch
Author: Jus Accardo
Published: Nov. 1st, 2011 by Entangled Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal Action Romance
Length: 262 Pages
Source: Publisher Through Tour

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.(Via Goodreads)

Review:

Woweeee...was that an awesome book. Sorry guys, I had to get that out of my system. Touch proved to be a fast read, but nonetheless, it was the fast read on the great end of the scale. Dez and Kale seemed to be the most kick-butt characters I've read. Jus Accardo, I got to hand it to you, you know how to write an incredible book.
The book had everything from action to a rebellious teenager to an evil dad. I loved the overall plotline though at a few times I skimmed through a few pages where the scene seemed too extended. Otherwise, the book had a great story and fun characters.
Sometimes funny, sometimes n and paranormal filled, Touch was the kind of book Maximum Ride and Cinder lovers would like. Des was the ultimate fighter, she did what she believed was right no matter the obstacles. This really created a lot of respect for her character from me. Kale was one of a kind!
What I expected from this novel was surpassed and it grew on me. Touch was an excellent read! I hope we get more from Jus really soon!

Cover Thoughts:
Wow...again...the design is way awesome. I love the color theme, it really goes well with the theme of the actual book itself.

About Jus Accardo:

About this author edit data
Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction.

A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

Her first book, Touch, is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Connect with Jus
Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads

You must visit all the posts to win the grand prize. http://yabound.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-tour-sign-up-touch-by-jus-accardo.html
GRAND PRIZE will be an ebook of TOUCH, along with a secret gift from Jus Accardo herself. Make sure you comment on all the stops with your name and email to be entered!

Review and Awesome Giveaway: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

2011-11-13T00:24:00.002-05:00

Title: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

Author: Lynn Weingarten

Release Date: December 27, 2o11

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Synopsis (via Goodreads): When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

Fans of Lauren Myracle, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Meg Cabot will love this tale of breakups, friendship, new crushes, and magic. Told with wit and charm, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers is sure to be one of this winter’s most irresistible reads!

In a Sentence: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers was a fun, lighter read with a unique magical aspect.
Review: I highly enjoyed this book. It's a fun read and I liked the magical element. This is the perfect winter read.
At first I honestly didn't really care for the protagonist, Lucy, but throughout the book she changes and by the end I liked Lucy more. It was fun and interesting to see Lucy change throughout the novel.
I really liked the writing overall. There were a few lines I found a bit cheesy but besides that the writing was very good. The concept of the SSH was very unique and a great addition to the novel.
Honestly, the last two sentences of the synopsis describe this book better than I can: "Fans of Lauren Myracle, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Meg Cabot will love this tale of breakups, friendship, new crushes, and magic. Told with wit and charm, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers is sure to be one of this winter’s most irresistible reads!"

I really hope that there will be a second book. I really enjoyed The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers and would love to be in Lucy's world again.

✰✰✰✰

➍ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 5/5 I love everything about this cover. Fits the book perfectly.

GIVEAWAY:

There will be 3 giveaways. The first one goes from today (11/12/11) until 11/25/11. The winner will receive the following:

-a metallic envelope containing 2 stickers and 5 tattoos

-A SSH button

-A cover card with a quote from the book or a picture of the SSH logo on the back

(all of these items are pictured above)

The winner will also receive an ARC of SSH from the publisher.

The second and third giveaways will be in the end of November and throughout December.

Rules:

Winner will be randomly chosen using random.org.

US only

Must be 13 years or older

I will email the person who wins, and if they don't respond within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Comment on this post in order to enter.

Extra entries (not required):

+1 if you Tweet about the giveaway.

+1 if you're a follower. Leave your GFC name in your comment.

-Brynne

Winner of All These Things I've Done

2011-11-09T20:24:00.000-05:00

Ok so I had a giveaway a while ago for All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin. I haven't announced the winner yet and honestly, I don't have an excuse for not doing it. Anyway, the winner is Vivien! Please check your inbox Vivien, and congrats!
Today I will be posting my review and giveaway for The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers (there will actually end up being three giveaways for The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers), and a review for Fracture by Megan Miranda. I'm thinking that on Thursday I'll post reviews for Shifting by Bethany Wiggings and The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler.
So... yeah. Sorry for my unexplained absence.
-Brynne

ALL HALLOWS EVE CLOSING: Jennifer Bosworth, Struck

2011-11-05T18:00:00.001-04:00

Hey guys welcome to the last and final post pertaining to the carnival! Most of the giveaways, including the Trivia and Pick Your Poison will end on November 15th! Also, November 15th is the last day to enter the Spooky Short Story and Spooky Picture Contests! (P.S. go to the end of the post for a lowdown of all the posts in the carnival!) To close up the whole carnival until next year..which we may do another...maybe...convince me.. Jennifer Bosworth, the author of Struck, which comes out in May from FSG/Macmillan, will be doing a special guest post! Thank you to Jennifer for being the closer of the carnival!

Jennifer will give us her....

Top 5 Scary YA Characters of the Last 5 Years

YA fiction is steeped in horror icons. Witches and zombies, werewolves and ghosts, vampires and vampires and vampires, and more vampires.

But, for me, the scariest characters in YA these days aren’t the usual suspects. Here’s a list of my top 5 scary YA characters and why they freak me out:

1. President Snow from “The Hunger Games” trilogy – He’s a ruthless dictator who forces kids to fight to the death, and smells like blood and roses.

2. Dolores Umbridge from “Harry Potter” – She loves the color pink and anything else cutesy, but nothing gives her more pleasure than punishing children.

3. Freddie from “The Marbury Lens” – Freddie kidnaps Jack, and proceeds to do very bad things to him. And that’s just the beginning, because an even worse version of Freddie is waiting for Jack in Marbury.

4. The Government in ALL dystopian fiction – Whether the government is banning love

(“Delirium”), forcing kids to death match (“Hunger Games”), or watching every move you make (“Little Brother”) it’s terrifying because it has ultimate control. How do you fight something as big as a corrupt government?

5. The Prophet from “The Chosen One” – Anyone who tries to make young girls marry old men is just bad. Bad, bad, bad.

There they are, folks! Not a single fang among them. Happy Halloween!

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.
Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities, populated by millions of homeless. Downtown is a wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the attendees drawn to the destruction by a magnetic force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power in the wake of the disaster, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing prophecies. They know she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the worse storm that is yet to come.
Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but he’s hiding a more sinister truth. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must unleash the full horror of her strength to save them all.

Debut author of STRUCK. Earthquakes, doomsday cults, a teenage lightning addict, and the end of the world. May 8 2012, FSG/MacMillan.

Visit her Website|Follow her on Twitter|Visit her Goodreads Profile

Here is a lowdown of all the happenings during the Carnival!

Day 1: Introduction to the Carnival
Day 2: Spooky Short Story Contest
Day 3: Spooky Picture Contest
Day 4: Bone-Chilling Story from Emily White, Elemental + Giveaway
Day 5: Halloween Trivia + Giveaway
Day 6: Pick Your Poison + Giveaway
Day 7: Grand Prize Giveaway
After Party + Specials:
Special: Suze Reese, ExtraNormal Guest Post + Giveaway
Closing: This Post! Jennifer Bosworth, Struck

I want to thank all the people that made this carnival totally awesome!
Thank you to...
Jennifer Bosworth
Emily White
Suze Reese
Jessie Harrell
Rashelle Workman

Megan Curd

Jill Hathaway

All of these wonderful authors have donated for giveaways, participated, or even both for the carnival! Give them a round of applause!

Also, all the other team members of Bookish Delights for being completely awesome during the carnival!

I hope you guys enjoyed the carnival!

p.s. Go enter the Grand Prize Giveaway...lots of prizes in it!!!!!!!!!!

All Hallows Eve Carnival Special-After Post: Guest Post, Suze Reese, ExtraNormal

2011-11-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

Hey guys sorry for the delay on posting this; I did not get Blogger to work for me and it kept going crazy on me and deleting images and full on posts. Today and tomorrow I will have a special carnival wrap-up (after party if that sounds cooler) to just give you guys a bit more fun even after Halloween!

Today, we will have Suze Reese, the author of ExtraNormal, doing a guest post! Everyone welcome Suze Reese! Also...guys you have to thank her with ALL of your heart cause...guess what? She will be sponsoring a giveaway for 2 ARCs of ExtraNormal for giveaway! Suze, you simply rock!!! Check the end of the post to enter the giveaway! I hope you all enjoy Suze's brief 'appearance' on Bookish Delights!

Hey all! I'm really excited to join this Halloween carnival! What could be better than a whole holiday that celebrates zombies, vampires, witches and monsters? I thought I'd take this opportunity to chat about a monster-type topic that's a little out of the ordinary: namely mind control.

Don't worry. I'm not going to make you do anything against your will. If I could do that, my kids would be eating their veggies.

But the premise of mind reading and mind control is a delicious one for writers. I like to think of it like this: the creepiest part of any story is just before the bad guy arrives—when the scary music starts and a door creeks and the good guy's pulse begins to race and you know something's about to happen but you don't know what.

But when mind control is involved, that monster never shows up. The hero can't stab anyone through the heart or pull a gun or even run away. Because the villain is in his head. And there's no way to fight him or even know who he is.

Mind control happens to be a major theme in ExtraNormal, where inhabitants from the planet Nreim use their own electro-magnetic energy to chat with one another in pretty much the same way we use cell phones. The problem is, we mere humans don't know what to do with someone showing up in our head to have a chat. Which means the residents of Nreim could potentially just come on in and help themselves to our puny little brains.

Not that anyone would do that, would they? Yeah, of course they would, otherwise the story would be boring. And I'm in big trouble if it's boring.

Anyway, Happy Halloween all. Peace, love and safe brains.

Now go eat your vegetables.

Thank you so much for participating in the carnival, Suze! P.S. Finally the post is up after that battle with Blogger! YAY! :)

Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she's really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated. But a series of serious accidents make it clear that someone wants to force her return. Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home. (Via Goodreads)

Author of YA paranormal romance ExtraNormal. In real life I fight pirates, travel to outer space and am trained in lethal jiu jitsu. In my imagination I sit in front a computer all day writing and eating peanut m&ms. Or maybe its the other way around. I get confused. I have published in a different genre, but this one is way way more fun. I have a degree in communications. Which I guess means I know how to communicate good.

Goodreads

Check out what you have to do to be one of the two winners of the ARCs of ExtraNormal!

-U.S. Only..sorry guys..not sponsored by me...
-13 or Older
-Must be a GFC Follower!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Thank you for viewing day one of the carnival..after party! Tomorrow will be Day 2 and the end of the Carnival as we know it...okay..so there may be one next year...but yeah... :)

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 8: Grand Prize Giveaway!!!

2011-10-31T18:05:00.046-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!!! We wish you all a night filled with frights and delights! We hope you have enjoyed the All Hallows Eve Carnival at Bookish Delights. Today is Day 8, the last day of the carnival. Today we will be having the grand prize giveaway!!! And don't forget, the final letters to the Carnival Unscramble are on the bottom of today's post!!!

Also there are only a few entries so far for the Spooky Short Story Contest and the Spooky Photo Contest, so feel free to enter those if it is something you are interested in! *Update: I will extend the deadline to enter the Spooky Short Story Contest and the Spooky Photo Contest until Nov 15 by 11:59pm PST to give people more time to enter. All other carnival giveaways will also be extended until Nov 15 by 11:59pm.
Grand Prize:

1) Halloween Candy!! It wouldn't be a real Halloween giveaway without candy!
2) A $10 Book Of Your Choice (Pre-order ok!)
3) A Paperback book of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
4) A Signed Paperback book of The Hollow by Jessica Verday
5) A Paperback of the book Immortal: Love Stories With Bite by P.C. Cast
5) An ARC of Wither by Lauren Destefano
6) An ARC of Huntress by Malinda Lo
7) An ARC of Vixen by Jillian Larkin (my favorite book of 2010)

8) Two ARCS from these four (depends on which ARC the winner of Spooky Photo Contest Winner chooses):
-Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
-Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
-Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
-Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
9) Audiobook of The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

10) Signed Destined Bookmarks from YA Author Jessie Harell
11.) Signed Slide Bookmarks from YA Author Jill Hathaway
12.) Signed Forbidden Bookmarks from YA Author Megan Curd
13.) Signed Elemental Bookmarks from YA Author Emily White
14.) Signed Exiled Rack Cards from YA Author RaShelle Workman
15.) Signed Monarch Swag including Bookmarks and Posters
16.) Some Signed and Unsigned Random Swag from Roshini

The Grand Prize Giveaway Ends On Nov 15, 2011 by 11:59pm PST
To Enter The Grand Prize Giveaway, you must do the following:
*Restrictions: US ONLY!!!!

1) Be or Become a GFC of Bookish Delights.

2) You must have entered at least one (or more if you like) of our All Hallows Eve Carnival game giveaway(s) or contest(s).
*You'll get bonus entries into grand prize giveaway if you enter more carnival giveaways/contests!

3) Unscramble the letters posted at the bottom of each carnival post to reveal the secret two word message from Bookish Delights to You on Halloween!!
(*Hint: Carnival Letters from Day 1 through Day 5 spell out the first word. Then Carnival Letters from Day 6 and Day 8 spell the second word.)

4) FILL OUT FORM BY CLICKING THIS LINK!!!

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:
1) In a comment below let us know what you did for Halloween. +2
2) Spread the word about our All Hallows Eve Carnival GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY! (*Be sure to Leave Link in FORM, Please DO NOT add link in a comment).

Thanks!!

Hope You All Have A Happy Halloween!!!!

HERE ARE THE FINAL LETTERS:

E L N A E H L W

Cover Reveal: BETRAYED by Ednah Walters

2011-10-30T12:54:00.005-04:00

Title: Betrayed

Series: Guardian Legacy

Author: Ednah Walters

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press, www.SpencerHillPress.com

ISBN: 978-1-937053-18-5 (Trade Paper), 978-1-937053-19-2 (e-book)

Release Date: June, 2012

BETRAYED

Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

I'm honored to reveal the cover for the new Spencer Hill Press novel, Betrayed by Ednah Walters! What do you guys think? Thanks to SPH for contacting me about revealing the cover!

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 6: Pick your Poison!

2011-10-29T23:52:00.019-04:00

Today is Day 6 of Bookish Delight's All Hallows Eve Carnival!

Today we will be having a "Pick your Poison" Apple Bobbing Contest!

Rules: The rules are simple, just pick an apple (either A, B, or C) from each row (there are a total of 5 rows) and hopefully you will pick the RIGHT POISONOUS APPLE. One poisonous apple in each row corresponds with a YA book about poison! You have to decide which apple the reader ate while reading a book about poison and as a result, poisoned the apple! You get one entry just for entering and trying. Then you get one additional entry for each correct answer you get. Then fill out the entry form below.

Deadline To Enter: Nov 5, 2011 by 11:59pm

Restrictions: US ONLY Giveaway

Prize: An ARC of Poison: A Novel Of The Renaissance by Sara Poole.

*Winner will be chosen by random.org, once all the entries are tallied.

Get Ready To "Pick Your Poison" From The Five Apple Rows Below! Five Readers Read A Book About Poison. Determine Which Apple Each Reader Ate And As A Result Poisoned The Apple! Submit Your "Letter Choices" From Each Row Into The Form At The Bottom. Remember you get one entry just for entering and trying. Then you get one additional entry for every correct guess.

1. Which apple did the reader of Poison eat?

Row One: A B C

2. Which apple did the reader of the Poison Study eat?

Row Two: A B C

3. Which apple did the reader of The Poison Diaries eat?

Row Three: A B C

4. Which apple did the reader of Poison Apples eat?

Row Four: A B C

5. Which apple did the reader of The Poison Eaters eat?

Row Five: A B C

That's it! Good luck!!!

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

DON'T FORGET!: TO BE ENTERED INTO THE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT, YOU MUST UNSCRAMBLE A BUNCH OF LETTERS THAT WE WILL BE POSTING DURING THE CARNIVAL! SO BE SURE TO COME BACK EACH DAY TO COLLECT ALL OF THE LETTERS!

HERE IS TODAY'S LETTER:

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 5: Halloween Trivia!

2011-10-28T00:08:00.002-04:00

How are you all enjoying the All Hallows Eve Carnival so far?!! We hope you haven't had enough spooks yet! Did you check out our carnival guest post yesterday of the Bone Chilling Story by YA author Emily White (Elemental, May 2012)?! Click Here To Read It, it will scare the socks off you! Be sure to come back daily this whole week for more games, giveaways, and guest posts from awesome authors, and our grand prize giveaway on Halloween night!Today is Day 5 of Bookish Delight's All Hallows Eve Carnival!

Today we are having a Halloween Trivia Giveaway!!

How fun is that! Learning more about Halloween!! Time to test your Halloween Trivia Skills!! Are you up for the challenge?! We hope so!

Rules: Take Our Halloween Quiz Below To Be Entered Into The Giveaway For The First Five Books In The House Of Night Series!! Each Correct Answer Gives You One Entry Into The Giveaway. There Will Also Be Bonus Entries As Well. Once You Are Done With The Quiz, Submit Your Answers In The Form Below.

Restrictions: US Only Giveaway, (sorry International folks!). Also you may only take the quiz once. No retakes.

Deadline To Enter: Nov 5, 2011 by 11:59pm

*Winner will be chosen after adding up all entries, then using random.org.

Prize: First five books of the House of Night series!!

Take Our Halloween Quiz Below. Once You Are Done With The Quiz, Submit Your Answers In The Form Below.

About Halloween History:

1. Halloween's (or Samhain's) origins date back to an ancient ___ festival:

A. German

B. Celtic

C. Jewish

D. Hogwarts

2. When Rome took over the above region, what holidays did they combine with Samhain?

A. Saturnalia (a midwinter celebration of the Solstice) and a day to honor Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom)

B. Black Day (an unlucky day) and a day to honor Persephone) (Queen of the Underworld)

C. Feralia (celebration of the passing of the dead) and a day to honor Pomona (Goddess of Fruit & Trees)

D. Festival of the New Sun (celebration of the new sun) and a day to honor Aurona (Goddess of Dawn)

3. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the(ir) _______ by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors.

A. number of children they would have

B. day they would marry

C. day Voldemort would return

D. future husband

4. By ___ and ____, Halloween had become a secular, by community centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment.

A. 1920s; 1930s

B. 1930s; 1940s

C.1940s; 1950s

D. 1950s; 1960s

About Trick-Or-Treating:

5. Trick or Treating probably dates back to the Early All Souls' Day parade in England.

True or False

6. To avoid being recognized by _____, people (back when Halloween first started) would wear masks to disguise themselves.

A. dementors

B. ghosts

C. their neighbors

D. demons

7. People would leave ____ on their doorsteps to appease ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

A. candy

B. food

C. horcruxes

D. crosses

About Pumpkin Carving:

8. _____ immigrants brought the "jack-o-lantern" tradition to America.

A. Mexican

B. Irish

C. Celtic

D. Wizard

9. According to what myth does this practice come from?

A. The Deathly Hallows

B. Jack o Lamp

C. Stringy Jack

D. Pumpkin Jack

10. In England, back when this tradition first started, they used what instead of pumpkins?

A. Pears

B. Apples

C. Beets

D. TurnipsThat's it! Hopefully you guys get them right!!

Did You Know....?

About 50% of American's decorate their yard for Halloween?

More than 35 million pounds of candy corn is sold annually. That equates to nearly 9 billion pieces--enough to circle around the moon nearly 21 times if laid end to end!!

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;ampamp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;DON'T FORGET!: TO BE ENTERED INTO THE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT, YOU MUST UNSCRAMBLE A BUNCH OF LETTERS THAT WE WILL BE POSTING DURING THE CARNIVAL! SO BE SURE TO COME BACK EACH DAY TO COLLECT ALL OF THE LETTERS!

HERE IS TODAY'S LETTER:

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 4: Guest Post: Bone-Chilling Story + Giveaway: Emily White, Elemental

2011-10-27T20:49:00.000-04:00

Hey, guys! Are you ready for Day 4 of the All Hallows Eve Carnival? I know I am so without any more delay, here is Day 4!

Today's spooky carnival treat is a bone-chilling scary story from author, Emily White (Elemental, May 2012). She has also been really sweet and offered us another treat! She will be giving a lucky winner at the end of the carnival a Pre-Order of Elemental and another lucky winner a Signed Poster!

Hi, everyone! I'm Emily White, the soon-to-be-published author of Elemental (coming out in May through Spencer Hill Press). I feel so honored to be a part of this. I just have to mention that, yes, I do believe in ghosties and demons. In fact, there's been a lot of demonic activity in my life (this story--which is very true, by the way--just happens to be the most recent one).

Enjoy!

The Night of Terrorrrrr

It was a clear, warm night. Not dark and stormy like it should have been. Not like a traditional Night of Terrorrrrr would be. But all the same, it was a Night of Terrorrrrr. And it all started in the afternoon, when the sun was still up.

My strapping husband and I prepared our sons for dinner at my parents' house. I wasn't my normal, excited self about it, though. Something was wrong. Something was off. My stomach felt heavy and my skin crawled. I was being watched. I could feel it. Even alone in the kitchen, getting my youngest son's bag ready with his sippy cup and bib, I knew I wasn't really alone.

My husband would not be joining us for dinner. He had to leave for work soon. Which meant on the night when I first felt the eyes watching me, I would be alone to protect the children.

After putting on his work boots and saying goodbye to Gabriel and Elijah, he turned to kiss me and I kissed him back, pretending nothing was wrong. And all the while, I felt the eyes watching, waiting.

The sun was still out, though. And when there's light shining through the windows, it's easy to pretend everything will be all right.

But it was dark when we came back from dinner, and as I walked up the broken, sinking steps of our covered porch with Elijah in my arms, the eyes I'd felt in the kitchen were on me again. And I hadn't remembered to turn any of the house lights on. My skin crawled with trepidation.

Just turn around and go back to Mom's and Dad's house, I thought to myself. We can sleep there tonight.

But I didn't turn around. I told myself to ignore my crawling skin and sinking stomach. I had to be crazy, that's all. No one was really watching me.

I went inside the dark house with my two boys and turned on every light. I put them both to bed. Elijah in his crib, Gabriel in his big boy bed. And then I went downstairs to watch tv and get my mind off the crazy notion that I was being watched.

It worked. While my mind was so occupied, my skin ceased to crawl and I forgot about the eyes I'd felt on my back. At 9:30, I turned off the tv and all the downstairs lights, grabbed a book, and went up to my room to read. The feeling started to come back in doses. I was still pretty sure I was crazy, though, so I snuggled into bed and read for another hour. When I decided I couldn't postpone the act of actually going to be any longer, I put my book down with a sigh and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

I cleaned my face, avoiding the mirror as much as possible. And before I could take my first step out of the bathroom into the hallway, a dark shadow passed over my eyes and my blood chilled to ice. It wasn't just my skin crawling anymore. Every molecule in my body tingled, knowing something dangerous was there. I couldn't move. I stood there for minutes, contemplating if I could make it through the hallway and if I should leave the bathroom light on.

I finally decided I needed to face this. I needed to stop showing fear. So I left the light on and stepped into the hallway. Something popped into my vision directly in front of me, and then flashed away. Whatever was watching me wanted me to know it was there. I froze again, every muscle in my body screaming at me to grab the kids and call my mom to pick me up.

No.

We would not be kicked out of our home. I walked slowly forward, my eyes wide open, and turned off the hallway and then my bedroom light before getting into bed. The moment those two lights were off, I realized my mistake. I should have turned the bathroom light off, too. Whatever was watching me would use the muted light against me. I knew this. My heart seized and pounded in my ears as I ran to my bed and curled into a ball with my blankets wrapped tight around me.

I couldn't sleep.

I knew the thing was behind me. I closed my eyes and prayed to be left alone. Something brushed my leg.

I whimpered and pulled my leg tighter against my body. Through the force of my own will (and after almost an hour of trying), I started to fall asleep. Something put weight on the bed, pushing it down. I jolted out of sleep, sweat pouring down my back and neck.

After another hour, I fell asleep again. This time I dreamed. I was lying on my bed in the dream--curled up and terrified--and an invisible force was pushing on my head, over and over again. I screamed and woke up with my head pounding.

Elijah started to cry.

Elijah never wakes up in the middle of the night. Something was wrong. I pushed my fears away and ran to him. I turned on the hallway light, opened his door, and froze. Elijah stood with his back toward me, facing the wall. It was like he was looking at something. Something I couldn't see.

I walked to him, laid him back down, and went back to my own bed (but not before turning off the bathroom light).

I fell asleep again, my skin crawling the whole time, the eyes watching me.

When I woke again, it was morning and the sun was out. The eyes were gone. I smiled as all the stress of the previous night washed away and made me feel light. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

And there on the bench beneath the mirror were the socks Elijah had worn to bed the night before.

Emily White

Emily White lives in NY, wedged between two of the Great Lakes and a few feet of snow and ice. She's spent most of her life running away from the cold, and even spent a year in Iraq, but now contents herself with writing her characters into warm, exotic places in faraway galaxies. When not tapping away at her computer keys, she can be found reading, reading, and reading some more. And when she's not doing that, she's usually playing video games with her husband, peek-a-boo with her kids, or walking through her garden, wondering why the bugs insist on eating all her vegetables. Emily's debut YA Sci-fi novel, ELEMENTAL, will be published by Spencer Hill Press in 2012.

Elemental

For ten years—ever since she was a small child—Ella has been held prisoner. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers.
Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories?
Is Ella the prophesied Destructor… or will she be the one who's destroyed?

Coming in May 2012.

Giveaway Time!

The rules will be stated in the Rafflecopter Widget! Please only US, no international, since it is sponsored by Emily and not one of us!

Prizes:

Pre-order of Elemental from Emily

Signed Poster of Elemental

DON'T FORGET!: To Be Entered Into The Grand Prize Giveaway On Halloween Night, You Must Unscramble A Bunch Of Letters That We Will Be Posting During The Carnival! So Be Sure To Come Back Each Day To Collect All Of The Letters!

HERE IS TODAY'S LETTER!:

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 3: Spooky Photo Contest!

2011-10-26T21:36:00.002-04:00

Today is Day 3 of Bookish Delight's All Hallows Eve Carnival!
Today we will be having a Spooky Photo Contest!!!

If you are visiting our YA Book Blog today for our All Hallows Eve Blog Carnival, then I am sure you love to read YA books. I thought why not do a mash up of Halloween and Paranormal/Horror books in a Spooky Photo Contest. So show us your best Bookish Halloween Photo!!!!

Photo Submission Guidelines:
All you have to do is submit the most unique, spooktacular photo of yourself dressed up in your Halloween costume holding up (or somehow include in the photo) one or more of your favorite paranormal or horror YA books. The more unique, creepy, scarier the background setting and the more Halloween props, the better! You may even want to recreate a scene from a scary book or movie, if your costume applies. So you have a lot of freedom in this photo to really make it what you want. The photo that is the most interesting and over the top by being the most creative, unique and exudes the paranormal, spooky feel of Halloween will win the contest.

How To Submit Your Photo:
You may submit your Spooky photo to the email: bookishdelightsreviews@gmail.com with the Subject Heading as "Spooky Photo Entry."
Also be sure to include in the email:
1. Your First Name & Last Initial.
2. A short description of your Spooky Halloween Photo
3. If you would or would not like your photo to be put on the winner's post if you win.
4. The photo attachment (DON'T FORGET THIS!!)
*If you forget to attach the photo, we can't judge it!

Restrictions: US ONLY!!

Photo Submission Deadline: Nov 5 by 11:59pm

Photos Judged By: Elise @ Bookish Delights

Prize: One Paranormal ARC of your choice from these:

Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

HERE IS TODAY'S LETTER!:

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 2: Spooky Short Story Contest

2011-10-25T21:59:00.002-04:00

Today is Day 2 of Bookish Delight's All Hallows Eve Carnival! Be sure to come back daily this whole week for more games, giveaways, and guest posts from awesome authors, and our grand prize giveaway on Halloween night!

Today we are having a Spooky Short Story Contest!!

The More Creative The Better!

Rules: Your Short Story Entry May Not Be Previously Published And Must Be Your Own Work. The contest is open to anyone who would like to write a short story, ranging from amateur writers to those interested in becoming a writer.

Number of Winners: Three Winners (First Place, Second Place, and Third Place).

Restrictions: US ONLY! Only 1 short story per person may be submitted to be judged.

Theme for Short Story: Paranormal or Horror or Halloween Related

Prompt: Open-Ended

Length of Short Story: 3500 words or less

How To Submit An Entry: Please Submit Your Short Story via attachment to the email: bookishdelightsreviews@gmail.com with the Subject Heading As "Spooky Short Story Entry." In the email also please state your Full Name, Title of Short Story, and whether or not you would like your short story to be publicized (if it is chosen) on the winner's post for others to read.

Deadline To Submit Your Entry: Nov 5, 2011 by 11:59pm

Short Stories Judged By: We are very lucky to have a fabulous YA Author Guest Judge, Jessie Harrell, who is the author of Destined! (Releases Nov 17, 2011).

The 3 Winners will be announced once our guest judge Jessie Harrell picks them!!

1st Place Prize: A Paranormal/Horror YA Book Of Your Choice Up To $10 USD and A Signed, Charmed, Bookmark of Destined by Jessie Harrell

2nd Place Prize: A $5 USD Book and A Signed, Charmed, Bookmark of Destined by Jessie Harrell

3rd Place Prize: A Signed, Charmed, Bookmark of Destined by Jessie Harrell

Photo of Signed Bookmarks:

Note from Roshini: The photo really does not do the bookmarks ANY justice! These things are utterly gorgeous! I have literally had to hide them from my whole family after they begged me for them! The butterfly charms at the end are incredible and the whole bookmark itself is just plain beautiful! Don't miss this chance! P.S. Ignore my laptop in the background...couldn't find any other place to set off the bookmarks' pretty lavender color. Also, for the non-writers out there, I still have a couple more bookmarks from Jessie to go into the grand prize!

Have Fun Writing Your Spooky Short Story!!!!

And Have A Happy Early Halloween!!!

DON'T FORGET!!: To be entered into the All Hallows Eve Carnival Grand Prize Giveaway On Halloween Night, You Must Unscramble A Bunch Of Letters That We Will Be Posting During The Carnival!!! So Be Sure To Come Back Each Day To Collect All The Letters!

HERE ARE TODAY'S LETTERS! :

All Hallows Eve Carnival! Day 1

2011-10-25T18:34:00.000-04:00

First of all...I want to say...

Happy Halloween guys!....err...Happy Early Halloween!

Add the button to your side bar:
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dCN-5D5_KMg/TqdN3kTPUhI/AAAAAAAABkQ/i1LO7T1U9vg/s1600/Official+All+Hallows+Eve+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dCN-5D5_KMg/TqdN3kTPUhI/AAAAAAAABkQ/i1LO7T1U9vg/s320/Official+All+Hallows+Eve+Button.jpg" width="320" /></a>

Today is also the beginning of the All Hallows Eve All Week Carnival Event! Watch out for awesome giveaways including ARCs, signed and unsigned swag, print copies, and ebooks! We will be having lots of author guests over! All week long it will be a spooktacular event until the grand prize giveaway on Halloween night! But here's the catch, to be entered into this awesome giveaway, you must unscramble a bunch of letters that we will be posting during the carnival! We will also have two contests including a Spooky Picture Contest and a Scary Story Contest judged by Destined Author, Jessie Harrell! Check out tomorrow's post for more information on these awesome contests! Since this is a carnival we will also be having some awesome games for you guys to play and win some swag! We hope you guys have a fun rest of the week during the carnival and come back for more everyday!

Thank you to everyone who agreed to be a part of this event or participated in any way to help make it a better experience! Every word counts! Here is today's letter!:

Earth by Shauna Granger Tour: Review and Giveaway

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to this tour stop for Earth by Shauna Granger in honor of its sequel releasing this Halloween! We will be having a giveaway for a ebook of Earth at the end of the post! To be entered into the big grand prize for the whole tour, you must comment on every single one of the stops on the tour!

Book: Earth, Elemental #1
Author: Shauna Granger
Published: May 1st, 2011 by Shauna Granger

Summary:
Shayna and her two best friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers, they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town. Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but then the nightmares start.
Shayna suffers nightmares of being chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it’s only a ploy to draw her out; she can’t let someone die because of her. (Via Goodreads)

Review:
Shauna's incredible novel had a mesmerizing fantasy touch to it! I loved the story in all and it was an awesome debut novel! I have to say, Shauna has some serious writing skills! Though Earth is an indie, the novel was as greatly written, and told as any other book.
What I really enjoyed reading in the book was the fantasy! I loved the "powers" and how well each went with the characters. The book had three amazingly written characters! I loved how well they went together and you could really feel each character. Shayna, the main character felt close to me and I noticed her to act sometimes like me and she grew on me a bit. Jensen, Shayna's *maybe* love interest seemed sweet and I hope to see what happens as the series carries on.
Earth had magic, a tough heroine, and well...more magic....! I fell in love with the story and its characters! This a read that I hope all of you will take the time to read.
Cover Thoughts:
The is a super-duper, awesome cover! I hope you guys notice how many times I used awesome in this review, cause the book is awesome! I loved the magical essence that model and the background had. If you can look at her eyes, they seem to appear purple like most of the cover. I love covers that pay attention to minor details like that. The eyes were the first thing that caused me to look back at the cover! The font of the title is gorgeous and really pretty!
I give this book:
4.5 Stars!

To win an E-copy of Earth,
Instead of commenting just fill in this quick, 2 entry Form! Makes things way easier for me! I hope you don't mind! This also makes it easier for you in that you do not have to put your email out in the comments and make it susceptible to spammers!

Loading...Check the for the next tour stop!

Bait-Worthy Covers #1

2011-10-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

This is a new feature that just highlights covers (and books) that I've found to be just awesome! The covers featured on this meme are covers that are bait worthy! When you cover and book fishing...these covers just make you use your bait! I know the title of the meme is a bit..corny..but my creative skills are lacking!
P.S. This meme is something I hope other bloggers will participate in every or every other Monday! Take the button at the top and make your own post! When you do make a post, please link back to me and give me credit for the button. Add your post to the linky at the end of the post and I'll come check it out! It doesn't have to be as long or hectic as mine even I one cover would be great! Just participate!

P.S.S. I know..you're annoyed but hey..it another P.S....this post was supposed to go up two weeks ago...stupid Blogger!
P.S.S.S. I'm doing this to get on your nerves..hehe...the button is supposed to be a dock with water at the edge (get it? *Bait Worthy*?) It is also supposed to look like it's painted!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Love this cover! Finished the ARC about a week ago...and wow...the cover is just like the book...incredibly-awesometasticly-incredible! Just wait for my review *Smiles*

Illuminate by Aimme Agresti
The girl's dress is mesmerizing...give it to me!!!! I want it! Grr...

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Lightning-addicted girl?! Jenn...please tell me that the release date for Struck has mysteriously moved up! Please! Do it for the bunny! Look at how cute it is! You wouldn't want to make it sad!
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Exiled by RaShelle Workman
Can't you tell the book is awesome just by looking at the girl's hair? It's decked out in butterflies...don't ask me what type though-not that butterfly-smart!

Destined by Jessie Harrell
Actually..just finished this one...but the review is going up next..or this week! The cover is soo surreal! The lavender and white go well together!

Elemental by Emily White
The font is totally mind-blowing! The colors...are great choices! How much longer must I wait?!?!?

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Werewolves....the girl's dress color and the background kinda mesh together..but in a good way!

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Another awesome mermaid cover! Ahhhh!!!! Can't wait to get this one! P.S. These mermaids are murderous AND live in Lake Superior! Got love it!

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
The cover truely is enchanted! It catches people's eyes cause of fairy-book style design! I thinking this is some what related to the Princess and the frog...cause there's a frog..on..maybe right next to...her hand!

and last but not least...

Above by Leah Bobet

The cover is gorgeous! And her wing...don't get me started! So excited to be on the ARC list for Scholastic for Above! But I can't wait!

Hope you guys have fun!

(Ignore the please leave a comment after linking thing)

Review+Giveaway: YA Debut Oct. Feature; Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout (ARC)

2011-10-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

Book Reviewed: Half-BloodAuthor: Jennifer L. ArmentroutSeries: Covenant (Book 1) Expected Publication Date: October 18th, 2011 Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Page Count: 281 Pages
Summary:The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck. (Via Goodreads)

Review:

Can I say I was blown away by this book or would that be too cliché? Well, Half-Blood was a novel I read twice this summer, waiting until its publishing date got near so that I could write a review on its absolute amazingness! Wow, I usually don't make up words to describe books but, this book was just brilliant! Flawlessly written until the last burning word, Half-Blood etched itself on to my top book picks of 2011!

Can you say breathtaking writing? Jennifer L. Armentrout's arduous work has payed off, by the millions! I was next to Alex feeling every single emotion she felt with the same kind of passion. I felt the pull between Aiden and Seth, and I felt the final battle she raged through. The places in the book were completely real to me and I even felt a strange urge to look up the places even though I knew that they were most likely made up. Over all her writing created an utmost, pure, image of the novel.

The concept of the plot itself was very different from most Greek Mythology based novels. Even though my favorite type of YA has always been mythology based novels, this book has increased my liking to higher points on my mountain of YA. Who couldn't ignore mystical words like Hematoi and Apollyon. I loved how Alex fought to be treated correctly even though half-bloods were at the bottom of the "caste system".

Aiden and Seth were the two guys in Half-Blood that were Alex's love interests. One was forbidden and the other, fate and destiny wanted them together. This impossible choice tore me apart, probably more than Alex, herself! But, I gotta say I may have leaned towards Aiden by a few centimeters....

Half-Blood was a read that was worth a sleepless night! I would take a million sleepless nights to read this book over and over again. The novel was spectacular and really did have magic in its pages that binded me to it. I recommend this book to anyone that loves an awesome love story that deals with anything mythical! The second this books come out, go buy it! Read it! Love it!

Cover Thoughts:

The cover is magical and mystical. The different shades of purple or to sound more elegant violet represented the book well. I loved the flower that looked like it was made of flames! The font they used really brought the title out well! But the one thing that imprinted itself into my mind was the question: Could you kill the one you love?

On that note...I would give this book a

.....5 out of 5 stars rating!

Order a copy

Can't wait the last few hours?

Use this to countdown!

What team are you?

Link to the series site:

Covenant Series

-Roshini

Giveaway Closed Early due to Technical Difficulties...winner: Erinberry, you have been emailed.Thank you to Spencer Hill Press and Jennifer L. Armentrout for this chance to write a review on Half-Blood and for agreeing to give the copy of Half-Blood for the giveaway.

Interview: Jennifer Armemtrout, Author of Halfblood

2011-10-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

Could you introduce yourself to everyone?

My name is Jennifer L. Armentrout, not to be confused with the other Jennifer Armintrout. I live in West Virginia, and contrary to popular belief, the movie Deliverance does not take place in WV. A lot of my time is spent writing or read. When I'm actually not doing either, I'm working out or pretending to know how to garden. I also have this soft spot for zombie movies.

Where do you usually write?

I usually write in my office or on the couch. My desk is a mess.

Was there a specific reason for the setting of Half-Blood?

Not really. I was looking for a place that was near the ocean and accessible. I sort of stumbled across Bald Head Island, and I thought, "Hmm, gods in North Carolina? That would be most unexpected." So I created a fictional island next to Bald Head Island.

When will we get to see more or Pure and Deity, A.K.A. the covers...blurbs...you know evil tormenting devices like that.

Well, I'm constantly dropping teasers on Twitter from future books. The cover of Deity would probably release sometime in early 2012 and the blurb for Deity after the release of Pure.

You can use a time machine to meet one author, dead or alive. Who would you meet and what would you talk about?

William Shakespeare. I'd ask him if he knew his play Romeo and Juliet would be seen as this epic, romantic love story. I have a feeling he'd laugh if he knew.

Pick up the closest book to you and give us a random line or sentence.

"You're the brightest thing I've ever seen, Kaylee." If I Die.

What inanimate object would you be described as? Ice cream flavor?

A book. Because most people have no idea what's going on inside me and they never know what I'm going to say.
I'm pretty boring when it comes to ice cream. I'll go with chocolate.

Flash Questions....

Are you a cat person or dog, neither? Dog person

Coke, Pepsi, or other? Root beer

Favorite Book? Right now, it's If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Stalk Jennifer:

http://twitter.com/#!/JLArmentrout
http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/jenniferlarmentrout
www.acovenantnovel.com

About Halfblood:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Press Release: The Blacksmith's Daughter from new YA Imprint of Musa

2011-10-17T03:30:00.000-04:00

Musa Publishing LaunchesEuterpe YA Imprint

An Imprint for YA Lovers in all Genres

MusaPublishing is thrilled to announce that its Young Adult Imprint, Euterpe,launches on Friday, October 21, 2011. With the growing demand for YA books,Musa is looking forward to offering diversity in genres for YA lovers from 13to 113. From Sweet Romances and fantastical fantasies, to Sensational Sci-fiand a few more thrown in for flavor, Musa will offer something for everyone’sreading pleasure.

Comeout for the launch, read about the authors, and join in the fun while pickingup some new reading material.

The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Arley Cole is the firstbook in the Euterpe imprint.
She believes she is only a blacksmith’s daughter, but he mustdiscover the truth or risk losing his land—and his life.
Acwellen Lex'Magen rules as liege lord of a small country bounded by forbiddingmountains and powerful neighbors. When the neighboring baron, allied with apowerful wizard, attempts to take over his land, first by political, then bycovert means, Acwellen finds an ally of his own in Enith Roweson, an unassumingblacksmith who possesses powers he’s only known of in legends. As he attemptsto unravel both the plots against him—including the nature of the monsters sentto assassinate him—and the mysterious powers Enith is only beginning tounderstand she has, he also finds himself falling in love with the blacksmith’sdaughter.

Checkout this book and other YA books at http://euterpe.musapublishing.com/

Followthe Euterpe Blog at http://euterpe-ya.blogspot.com/

AndLike us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Euterpe-YA-Books/154593351291764

“Hearts set upon song, spirits free fromcare”~ Hesiod

# # #

If you'd like moreinformation about Musa Publishing, please contact Elspeth McClanahan at Promotions@Musapublishing.comor go to our blog http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/

-ROSHINI

Giveaway Blitz: Diamonds and Toads, A Modern Fairytale by K.E. Saxon

2011-10-16T10:46:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Giveaway Blitz stop for Diamonds and Toads! For the rest of the Blitz schedule, please go here: Blitz Schedule

Diamonds and Toads: A Modern Fairy Tale: Onceupon a time, there were two sisters, one blessed, and one cursed by fairy magic...
      So each sister's story begins.
      Delilah Perrault is blessed withriches beyond her wildest dreams and the man she's had her eye on forages--even though he secretly has designs on her newfound wealth instead.Delilah's half-sister, Isadora, is cursed with having her every utterance come outas an obscene and humiliating quip, just when the gorgeous hunk she dumpedyears before under pressure from mama swaggers back into her life.
      If you like Bewitched, Sex and the City and GossipGirl, if you like stories with humor and sexual heat, try out this moderngirl's fairy tale.

Read an excerpt: http://bit.ly/nfUcPi

Buy the Book!

Amazon.com: http://tiny.cc/j2t6k

BarnesandNoble.com: http://bit.ly/qiQDpV

Smashwords.com: http://tiny.cc/c1c9v

About the author:K.E. Saxon is athird-generation Texan and has been a lover of romance fiction since her first(sneaked) read of her older sister's copy of "The Flame and theFlower" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. She is a member of the West HoustonChapter of Romance Writer's of America and is a devoted subscriber to theRomance Divas online forum. She has two cats, a 24-year-old cockatiel, a funny,supportive husband, and a garden that's been fried by the recent drought. Whenshe isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can find her puttering in herorganic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out a new recipe. An animal(and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made pets of all kinds ofcritters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even swears that she made apet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe her). She likes to writefunny, sexy romances. Website: http://www.kesaxon.comBlog: http://www.kesaxon.com/blog.htmlTwitter:@KESaxonAuthor

Now for the giveaway for an E-copy of Diamonds and Toads!

-ROSHINI

Author Interview: Jen Wylie...Author of Sweet Light

2011-10-15T18:48:00.003-04:00

Let's all welcome Jen Wylie, the auhtor of the super awesome book, Sweet Light.

Could you tell us a little about yourself and your book,Sweet Light?

I live in rural Ontario, Canada with my two boys, some birdsand our dog. I’m addicted to reading and writing and occasionally putter atbaking or crafts. I’m also an internet addictJ.I’ve been writing since I was in public school, but just for myself. SweetLight was actually written a number of years ago. It was the first book Ifinished (that wasn’t destroyed by some computer malfunction) A few years agomy parents convinced me to give it a go at getting my book published…and here Iam today. J

Sweet light is a fantasy (which is pretty much all I write-though in any form from paranormal to YA to urban) It is set in more of amedieval setting, though not on earth. All of my stories have a little bit ofromance too (I’m a hopeless romantic) and love is a strong part of the plot inthis book. Choices are a big thing as well, making decisions, growing up,living with them. There are some adult situations and violence, though notsevere- I don’t recommend of very young readers. It is a very emotional book(did I mention I’m a very emotional person too?) and I hope all my readersenjoy the ride and feel the story aswell as read it.

Was Shara based on anyone real?

Shara, and all my characters, are pure figments of myimagination. They create themselves and pop into my head. The strongest onesget written into stories. Sometimes one will show up late, and if they arelucky I will go back and add them in. This was the case with Dric in Sweet Light.The original first draft didn’t have his character. I had a dream about him onenight, and then he harassed me until I went and wrote him in. I’m rather glad Idid. He’s actually one of my favorite characters. J

Could you tell us about where all the writing magic happens?

In my bedroom, at a tiny desk under the window. Usually it’squite a mess J Ihave my gumballs, chocolate, notes and various other things scatteredeverywhere. My ‘Bang Head Here’ sign at the ready, and my wizard statue tocomplain to if I get stuck.

Can we expect more books from you anytime soon?

Yes indeed! First I’ll have a number of new short storiescoming out. Hopefully before this year is over the following eBook shorts willbe available: Tales of Ever #5 Dragon Rising and #6 Sanctuary, a sequel to myshort story Jump and a new Immortal Echoes short titled The Untouchable Echo.

Back to novels, at this time no new ones will be publishedin what’s left of 2011. For 2012, hopefully you’ll see the sequel to SweetLight. Currently Dark Madness is written (first draft only- so lots of workleft to do!) Also I just signed on with Hadley Rille Books to publish a YAfantasy called Broken Aro. It will be out Oct. 2012.

If you got to use a time machine to visit any author, deador alive, and spend a day with them, who would you meet, and what would you doin that day?

I would love to meetMichelle Sagara (Sagara-West) She is one of my most favorite authors, and onewho has stayed my favorite since I first read her books years ago (I change favoritesa lot!) I’d probably harass her most of the day talking about all of herstories and characters, and trying to convince to write just a little more romance into her next one :D

A book recommendation?

Only one? This is hard! If you like demons and sarcasticwit, for sure check out Origins by Sean Hayden. If you want to laugh your assoff and have your face hurt because you were grinning the entire time you werereading, then check out Marian Allen’s Force of Habit.

Grab the closest book to you and give us the sentence fromthe 25^th page, 3^rd Paragraph, 5th line.

It sounded so permanent.

Describe yourself using an inanimate object. Ex. I’m like abook…I appear like not much..but I am so sophisticated inside!

I am like a box of chocolates (the good kind- not those ickycovered cherries!) I’m not always the same, sometimes a little nutty, sometimesgooey…but always sweet! :D

FLASH QUESTIONS

Coke, Pepsi, or other?

There’s a differencebetween Coke and Pepsi?

Favorite Ice Cream?

I’m actuallyintolerant to milk products- but it used to be pralines and cream J

What power do you wishyou had?

Telepathy

Favorite cartooncharacter?

Martin the Martian

Book character?

Kaname

Thanks for visiting Bookish Delights, Jen! We hope you love this blog...okay...so maybe not love, but at least you'll visit again? :)

Sweet Light

When fate conspires against you and gives you three loves to choose from, what do you do? What if you make the wrong choice? Shara is a Healer, raised and trained from childhood until her unique gift manifests itself. When she gains the rank Journeyman she is hired to serve as the court healer for the barbaric kingdom of Glendor. Untrained for war, she is thrust unmercifully into its bloody arms when the kingdom is invaded. Ordered by her king to the front lines to tend the wounded, she is forced to flee when their camp is attacked. Happening upon a wounded soldier in the forest, every mile back to the capital is a struggle, and breaking the Healer's code, she falls in love with her charge. If Shara thought that to be the least of her troubles, the appearance of a fierce warrior captain who appoints himself her protector, teaches her differently. Trouble comes in threes at the appearance of a former love and fellow healer. Faced with decisions of the heart and the sudden manifestation of her gift, there is little room for anything else to go wrong. Or at least that's what Shara thought. (Via Goodreads)

Find/Follow Jen

Smashwords author page

Amazon Author page

blog

Come back Thursday for a review of Sweet Light!

-ROSHINI

BBI: Tawni from The Book Worms!

2011-10-15T18:24:00.003-04:00

BBI Interview #4

The awesome-tastic Tawni from The Book Worms is with us today for another incredible BBI! Thank you sooooooooooo much for visiting BD, Tawni!

Let start this!

Tell us a little bitabout yourself as a blogger and your blog.I’m Tawni from The Book Worms (http://thebookworms.org) and I’ve been bloggingfor about year now. I’ve been reading and writing stories ever since I canremember and I have my wonderful family to thank for that. When I really gotinterested in other readers hearing and reading my thoughts about these booksis when I started exploring the book blogging world. I’m so glad I did, becauseI love my job as a book reviewer and I love to discuss upcoming books!

What makes your blogpersonal to you?My blog makes me realize that others respect my opinions andthoughts about books. That feeling means a lot, especially when you can discussand meet really great people throughout the process.
How long have you beenblogging and what advice would you give to new bloggers?I’ve been blogging for about a year now, coming up in October. Ireally don’t think there is any solid advice to give in this situation. It is your blog, but of course you need to berespectful, especially if you’d like to make connections and have maturediscussions. Its important to also respect other bloggers, authors, andpublishers for the incredible work they do!
What are your favoritebooks and covers of 2011?Favorites of 2011: BooksAnnaDressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Chime byFranny Billingsley
My LifeUndecided by Jessica Brody
OriginalSin by Lisa Descrochers
Enclave by AnnAguirre
Favorites of 2011: Covers LOOK AT THE PIC :)
What is the one thingyou get really excited about on your blog? Ex. comments, followers, requests...Oh…I get excited about everything! Sometimes I may not be able torespond on another bloggers blog, but I hope everyone knows that I appreciateevery comment posted or request sent!
You are trapped on anisland, and you can only have one series of books with you for the rest of yourtime on the island, what series would you chose? Why?The Personal Demons series by LisaDesrochers. All though the 3^rd hasn’t come out yet, let’s just say Icould have it on that forsaken island! I would take this series, because itsall around AWESOME! I love every character and pretty much everything about it.Love, love, love it!
What book world wouldyou like to be in?Can you guess what my answer is to this one? ;)

Haveyou enjoyed this feature so far? Do you recommend it to other bloggers?
I like it! I would definitely recommend this feature to other bloggers. It givesyou the chance to put your blog out there and for those who already know yourblog the chance to get to know you better!
I like it! I would definitely recommend this feature to other bloggers. It givesyou the chance to put your blog out there and for those who already know yourblog the chance to get to know you better!
Wheredoes all the blogging magic happen? My kitchen table or my couch…haha! What am I do to in a small house?
Whatinspired your blog?My love for books and reading. There are definitely a few bloggers thaninspired me to start blogging.
Howdo you take care of spell checking and grammar checking on your posts?Proof-read?....Etc.I will always draft my reviews up, take a step back and do something else, thencome back to it and read it. I will mark any errors and fix them up. SometimesI might have my mom or sister give me some feedback!
Whatdo you think the perks and disadvantages are about ARCs?ARCs are amazing aren’t they? Well most importantly how amazing are thepublishers that send them out? I really appreciate all of the ARCs I receive! Theperks are that you can read it ahead of schedule and post a review before thebook comes out. This helps to build hype for a book! The disadvantages of ARCsis that sometimes (for me anyways) you can’t get to it in the time frame I wantdue to school and such. I came to the conclusion that I should be positive, ifI am going to request an ARC, that I can read it in the time frame I want. Itry to think of it this way…If I have an ARC that I requested and it just sitsthere, another book blogger can be reading and reviewing it!!! So I will mostlikely give it away hopefully beforeits release date!
Wheredid the design idea for your blog come from?I am actually a web designer, so the design for The Book Worms is alloriginal to me. I wanted a really clean look. I don’t have any illustrations toshow it’s a book blog, but I would hope the big bold ‘The Book Worms’ titleworks…? I really love my design and hope readers find it just as awesome!
Whatis the most important part of a book? Cover?The most important part of a book is its leading character. Ireally think it’s important for readers to make a connection to thosecharacters. Otherwise we wouldn’t be interested. The most important part of abook cover is its intensity and lure…like in fishing! They have to lure thefish in somehow! ;)
Whatis on your wish list?I am definitely looking forward to a few books…Crossed by Ally CondieArcadia Awakens by Kai MeyerStill Waters by Emma Carlson BerneIlluminated by Erica OrloffLegacy by Molly CochranDark Passage by M.J. PutneyAwake at Dawn by C.C. HunterAnd many, many more!
Whatone book do you really just want to read this second?I just finished Anna Dressedin Blood by Kendare Blake and I sort of want to start it all over again.One of my favorites, ever!
What are you currentlyreading?I am currently reading Cold Kiss byAmy Garvey
Cokeor Pepsi?Coke – no doubt.
Whatdo you normally do other than blogging?I work…a lot! I am a freelance web designer. I am trying to getinto book cover designs as well. So if anyone is interested in my services,please visit me! (http://foreverdesignstudio.com)Besides blogging and work I also attend school. I finishing upsome general education credits and will be transferring to _____ soon. (Inother words, I’m just not sure yet!)

Whatflavor of ice cream do you just adore?I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pistachio ice cream. I know itssounds weird, but it is so delicious. I think my favorite is the PistachioAlmond from Baskin Robbins. Hmm…now I think I want some!
Ifit was inevitable that something staining, not water, would fall on one of yourbooks, and you had control over it, what would it be?This would make me cry! But I would have to say something pale, liketea…?
Canyou show us your bookshelf?I have absolutely no more room and am now stacking them elsewhere.I need to get another shelf!
Wheredoes a blogger like you like to go on vacation?Somewhere they can read and relax. But I do however enjoy going to Las Vegas!;)
Howmuch time do you usually spend on your blog? How much time do you wish you had?I currently spend about an hour (maybe two) a day doing blog related things. I wish I had a bit moretime…either that or I need to be more organized!!

Thanks for having me, I really enjoyed answering these questions!

FIND Tawni:

Twitter*~_~*Goodreads*~_~*Blog

Are YOU a book blogger? Do you want to get interviewed?

Then sign up at this link:
Potential BBI INTERVIEWEE

Believe me...its really fun doing these interviews...at least I hope so.......

-ROSHINI

YA Debut Book of the Month: October, Halfblood by Jennifer Armentrout!

2011-10-08T17:16:00.001-04:00

October's YA Debut Book of the Month is Halfblood by Jennifer Armentrout!

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck. (Via Goodreads)

HALFBLOOD comes out October 18th, 2011

It is the first in the Covenant series! Come by on October 18th for a review, interview with Jennifer, and giveaway of Halfblood!

More about the book:

Goodreads~~~~~Website~~~~~Author

Preorder the Book:

Amazon~~Barnes&Noble~~TheBookDepository

-ROSHINI

BBI: Julie from A Tale of Many Reviews!

2011-10-08T16:29:00.001-04:00

BBI Interview #3

For the BBI interview this week, we have the wonderfully awesome Julie from the book blog, A Tale of Many Reviews! I hope all of you guys visit her blog, if you haven't already, and follow it! She has great reviews and excellent posts in general!

Now without any delay, let's start the interrogation...um...*cough*...I mean a friendly interview!

Tell us a little bit about yourself as a blogger and your blog.
A Tale of Many Reviews started out YA because I was so use to that age group from teaching. But, it started to broaden into my own personal likes as I realized this blog could be anything I wanted it to be. It grew and now we have 4 reviewers (Leisha, Jennifer, and Aaron) for the blog. We review YA and Adult in most genres but prefer elements of romance involved for the girl reviewers. Aaron prefers mystery/thriller/suspense/epic fantasies. We do book tours and book blog tours for fun and help promote books. We just like making good reader/book connections.

What makes your blog personal to you?
The blog is truly a labor of love. All 4 reviewers have an education background and all have been life long readers. We like helping get the word out about good books (and not so good books) and especially like that we review all types of published books, not just traditional. Also, I’ve known all the reviewers for a long time which makes it special. I have been friends with Leisha since elementary school, Jennifer is my cousin, and Aaron since high school. Aaron is also a distant cousin to Jennifer and me although we didn’t know that until we were already friends in high school.

If the Web suddenly disappeared, and there was only one part of your blog you could save, what would it be and why?
ALL THE REVIEWS! I can duplicate everything else, but all the review posts…no way!

How long have you been blogging and what advice would you give to new bloggers?
We’ve been blogging a little over a year, just celebrated our 1 year Blogoversary on August 30! My advice to new bloggers would be not to be overly concerned with what everyone else is doing or saying. Your blog should be an extension of you, and if you feel doing something a certain way is right for you, go for it! There are so many opinions out there, ‘you should do this’, ‘why are people doing that’, ‘I didn’t have to do…” you could start to question if you’re doing anything ‘right’. Really, manage your own blog, keep your audience in mind, and the type of audience you want to attract. There also may be a couple of blogs/bloggers you really admire. Watch them and take your lead there. More than likely those people will be similar to you. Like attracts like. Have fun, it’s a hobby, not a hardship. That advice is my opinion about life in general too. Haha

What are your favorite books and covers of 2011? All time? Top one?
I don’t have any favorites, but I seem to be partial to ones created by Phatpuppy Art. Pic-Earth

What is the one thing you get really excited about on your blog? Ex. comments, followers, requests...
I’d have to say the relationship with authors and publishers that come about. It is so neat to get to know an industry you don’t work in, in your daily life, and it’s fascinating. I’ve made some great writing friends, not to mention other bloggers with similar taste in books. So, I guess for a lack of better explanation, I really get excited about the networking side of blogging. I guess this makes sense since I do a fair amount of networking in my day job as an education consultant.

You are trapped on an island, and you can only have one series of books with you for the rest of your time on the island, what series would you chose? Why?
I don’t think I can choose. I don’t really like to reread anything. I guess if I were trapped on an island I’d think differently though. Hmmm…maybe I’d trade a series for indefinite paper and I’d write my own stories to help me not go insane on an island! Seriously, the movie Cast Away is good, but the idea freaks me out!! I’m a people person. It would take more than Wilson to keep me going.

What book world would you like to be in?
I think I’d choose one created by Lori Foster. She always has gorgeous men, strong family values and very committed once they commit, and the men are physically strong no matter the profession. That is only if I get to be one of the females they fall in love with. Haha No one wants to be the girl on the side lines pining after the guy. She writes great contemporary worlds with enough excitement to not get bored in life.

Have you enjoyed this feature so far? Do you recommend it to other bloggers?
Absolutely! This has been great. It makes you think about why you do what you do. We get to do a lot of interviews of other people and rarely get to talk about ourselves. I think this is something I’d like see on more blogs and may do it from time to myself now that I see how fun it is for the blogger. Thank you for having me!

Where does all the blogging magic happen?
Ha! Wherever the laptop happens to be. Usually either in my office, on the couch in the entertainment room while my husband is on the xbox, or in the living room to be near my husband while he works. Yeah, we’re weird ones and like to be around each other a lot. J

How did you find the virtual and not so virtual world of book blogging and vlogging?
I participated in a twitter chat with Amanda Hocking and Alex Bennet from Electrifying Reviews (although not the same blog name then I don’t think.) I really didn’t know much about book bloggers until then and started investigating. I had recently left working in a school system as a district administrator and former language arts/social studies teacher. I REALLY missed talking books with students and teachers, reading to my classes, etc. Book blogging became a way to fill that void and create a new group to talk books with.

What do you think the perks and disadvantages are about ARCs?
The perks are you get free books before anyone else does and can help influence future readers. If it’s a great book you can help get people excited. If it’s not so great in your opinion you may save someone with similar taste some money and time. The disadvantage may be if the book is in a series, it is even longer before you will get to read the next installment.

What is the most important part of a book? Cover?
To me it’s the plot and characterization. I do like romance but not just for the sake of romance. I like a strong plot as well. I’m a character driven reader though and need to connect and empathize with the characters. THAT being said, on a first impression basis, yes, the cover is very important! If the cover doesn’t grab me the description better be darn good if I’m going review it and especially buy it.

What is on your wish list?
Gosh, lots of titles. Right now though I’m more into contemporary romances, so you’ll find several of those.

What one book do you really just want to read this second?
Lola and the Boy Next Door. TOO many people talking about how good it is!! HUSH already. haha Also, one coming out soon by Abbi Glines called The Vincent Boys. It is set to release in October 2011.

If there was one author or any person for that matter you can meet through a time machine, dead or alive, who would you meet and what would you talk to them about?
Mine is a non-book person. I’d like to meet Diana, Princess of Wales. I was infatuated with her and all things royal from the time of her 1982 wedding. I was a little girl and remember laying on the couch in the early morning watching her wedding. Then I made scrapbooks of her from all the magazines growing up. I even received a letter from one of her ladies-in-waiting on Buckingham Palace stationary! It was one of the famous ones too talked about in the news. I still have all my books and everything. A biography of Diana was the first non-fiction book I can remember choosing on my own to buy and read. I thought she was just gorgeous and captivating.

What are you currently reading?
At this moment it is Ember by Carol Oates. We are part of her book tour.

Grab the book closest to you, close your eyes, open a random page and give us a quote from that page.
‘Candra blinked when he directed his smile to her again. She was staring. Her cheeks flushed, and she was relieved when he turned his attention away from her and toward Brie.” ~ Ember by Carol Oates

Coke or Pepsi?
Ugh. I’ll take Dr. Pepper thank you. Preferably Cherry Dr. Pepper

What do you normally do other than blogging?

Aaron, Julie, and her husband playing Rockband

I like to play xbox RPGs. My favorites are Fable II, Oblivion, and Borderlands co-op. I do play Call of Duty co-op but I die A LOT. I get a potty mouth then and it’s not pretty. I also breed Siberians cats (picture attached of me with Dimitri named after Vampire Academy Dimitri Belekov) but I’m going to ‘retire’ from that spring 2012.

Can you show us your bookshelf?
You would get lost if I showed you my bookshelf. We wouldn’t want that to happen!

What is your blog’s button?
A new one is being made along with our new blog design.

Where does a blogger like you like to go on vacation?
I prefer warm places with clear water and history if at all possible. For example, when we vacationed in Cozumel, we had the weather, the water, and Mayan history to explore.

How much time do you usually spend on your blog? How much time do you wish you had?
Oh gosh, I probably spend way too much time on blogging. Fortunately, I work from home and I don’t have to work every day, so I do have the time. I post at least 4 times a week. Doing weekly memes help with that, not to mention, there are 4 reviewers. Not all the reviews are mine, but I am the one who maintains the blog and creates the posts. I’d say I’m doing something on the blog every day. Maybe 30 minutes when creating a post. I also do the book tours, which takes time for scheduling, getting things ready for the tour, etc. That adds more time and connected to blogging. I recently organized how we handle review requests because it was just getting too time consuming for me as the main hub. But, the other reviewers are great and I couldn’t do it without their help.

Thanks for doing this incredible interview, Julie! I had great fun! I hope all of you guys visit Julie's blog!

Visit Julie's Blog, A Tale of Many Reviews!

http://www.ataleofmanyreviews.com/

Twitter: @Tale_of_Reviews

Are YOU a book blogger? Do you want to get interviewed? Then sign up at this link:

Potential BBI INTERVIEWEE

Believe me...its really fun doing these interviews...at least I hope so.......

-ROSHINI

Tour: Guest Post by Aurora Lightbourne, Author of Brasshearts

2011-10-06T22:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 6th tour stop of the Brass Hearts tour! Aurora Lightbourne, author of the Brass Hearts will be doing a guest post today! She will discuss the pretty opinionated topic of Love Triangles in books! Now to hand this post over to Aurora! Thanks for doing this guest post! Come back on Saturday for an awesome review of Brass Hearts!

To Love Triangle, or not to Love Triangle? That is the question.In my writing I tend to always put in at least a love triangle, if not an octagon, because isn't that the way it usually works in real life? You like someone but they either don't notice you at all or are already interested in someone else?

When an Author includes that sort of everyday occurrence in the lives of their characters the readers tend to relate more to the players, either as the lover or lovee, thus emotionally involving them in the story. If someone feels they have a stake in the lives of your characters they are more likely to finish, and enjoy, the book you have created.

As a writer I feel the triangles and unrequited love can add to the depth on the storyline. They can allow you to show more feelings in your characters as well as showcase their good qualities, or lack thereof. After all, the one longing from a distance can remain loyal and hopeful, or decide 'this is going nowhere' and move on. They can wait patiently and remain a background support character for their love, go on a jealous rampage, or start flirting with everyone they see and rub it in. It all depends on the character and his/her personality and depth of devotion.

Putting in a triangle also provides an obstacle to overcome/contend with during the story line. Another layer to weave through the main plot. How does it affect their judgment? Actions? Emotional stability?

Will it be a distraction? A motivating force for good? Prove to be their undoing?

There are so many variables to work with when you add in another player or two that it can make an otherwise bland storyline really pop.

Care must be taken however, as the opposite can also be true, if all your character does is mope after someone and focus on nothing else, they can become 2Dimensional, lack luster and not only add nothing to the story but possibly even cause the reader to skip over anywhere that character appears, even if it is a main character! The story can even drag and stagnate to the point that the reader will give up altogether and not finish the book.

However, if you are careful to ensure that the plot device is a catalyst for forward movement with the storyline, and it gives your characters an interesting dimension to their personalities and emotions, then adding in a little love dilemma can be a beneficial and even necessary device.

In my book, Brass Hearts, there is a little bit of a love triangle. It is not a major, story driving one, but an underlying one where the players are not even wholly aware of the situation until close to the end. In this case the third party was necessary for several reasons; to keep the MC distracted, to give the MC a 'hopeful prospect', to add to the MC's accumulating misery. In this case, if it wasn't for the underlying triangle, the storyline would have been bland and lack-luster, too cut-and-dry.

So, to Love Triangle or not to Love Triangle? The answer depends on you, will it add to the depth of the story and prove helpful in moving the story forward, or will it bog it down and be a frustration to the reader? Only you can decide.

About Brass Hearts:

A classic Romantic tale, set in a picturesque steampunk world.

All Dulcy Spry wants in life is to inherit her father's small, family business, and help run it while she waits. But after a fateful encounter with the snobbish Mr Pridget on the roadside Dulcy's best friend, Alise, and younger sister, Rosa, drag the reluctant Miss Spry into high society, where lies, manipulations and family secrets threaten to ruin her peaceful life and cast her into the dismal prison of an unwanted marriage.
Brass Hearts is a Cinderella-esque type story. It is a sweet, old fashioned romance, complete with bad impressions, lies, misunderstandings and social divide.

I would call this a light steampunk, it does not focus on tech and gadgetry or air pirates and there are no weapons ever fired in the book. The characters live in a steam powered world that is a mix of Victorian, Early 1900's, Modern day and futuristic.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon/ Smashwords/ Goodreads

About Aurora:

I began writing stories almost as soon as I learned to write. From my 1st grade 'journal' full of tales of rabbit adventures to my first full length book at 14. I have always had a love for writing stories.
Besides words I also have a love for tech. From an early age I built 'bread boards', soldering diodes and components to create such things as a light detecting alarm clock and other such ...useless things. I moved on to building my first DOS PC at 15. I also graduated School at 15. Later on I became a certified PC tech.
I am happily married with lots of furry little 'children'. Most of which I raised by hand when a local rescue group or friends brought me orphaned babies to bottle feed.
Most of my writing is SciFi/Fantasy based, and almost all of it contains humor. I like short, fun, humorous stories.
My favorite authors are Jane Austen and Douglas Adams.
I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy writing it.

Aurora's Website: http://alightbourne.netau.net/

Brass Hearts Tour Schedule!

September 27 - Guest Blogging at www.playground51.com

September 29 - Author Interviewed at http://theawesomemagicattic.blogspot.com

October 1 - Guest Blogging at http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.com/
October 3 - Guest Blogging at ink-puddle.blogspot.com
October 5 - Author Interviewed at http://thebooksisterhood.blogspot.com/

October 7 - Guest Blogging at http://bookish-delights.blogspot.com/

THE NEXT STOP:

October 11 - Author Interviewed at http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com

October 13 - Guest Blogging at http://www.librarianmouse.com
October 17 - Author Interviewed at http://thefairytalenerd.blogspot.com

October 20 - Brass Hearts Review & Giveaway at www.reviewsbymolly.com

Aurora will be having 2 prize drawings from the people who comment during her tour for a Brass Hearts themed Austrian Crystal necklace or hand beaded bookmark!

Thanks for reading this post!

Giveaway WINNER! Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle!

2011-10-06T21:53:00.002-04:00

*DRUM ROLL*

The winner of the print copy of Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle is.......

#66

noelle carey

!!!!!

Congrats! Bookish Delights hopes you enjoy the book!

We will contact you shortly by email. You have 48 hours to respond, with confirmation of the mailing address, which will be sent to the publisher! That time starts now at 10P.M. October 6th, 2011. If you do not respond within the given time, a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks for participating! If you haven't won, don't worry, there are and will be more giveaways for lots of prizes!

Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

2011-10-06T21:09:00.001-04:00

Title: Don't Breathe a Word

Author: Holly Cupala

Release Date: January 3, 2o12

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Synopsis (Via Goodreads): Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.
Joy can take his cruel words until the night they go too far.
Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.
Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the hurt of bullying, family strength and endurance, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

In a Sentence: Don't Breathe a Word was gritty and heartbreaking, but also an amazing book that should not be missed.
Review: I love contemporary novels, and it's no surprise that I loved this book too. The cover is what attracted me to this book, I mean, just look at that cover, but the story was even better.
I felt so bad for Joy, and I honestly can't blame her for running away. Her boyfriend was abusive and possessive, her parents were too overprotective, and she could hardly breathe--literally and figuratively. Joy made a huge decision to leave everything behind and live on the streets, and I admired her strength and her willingness to do what she needed to to survive and try to create a better future for herself. Speaking of characters, each character is crafted wonderfully. You can see each person's struggles and inner demons throughout the book, and why and what they left behind in order to live on the streets.
The writing was beautiful and real. Cupala doesn't sugarcoat the characters she's created or the harsh reality they live in. I especially loved the flashbacks and seeing how everything developed just to have it all unravel, leading to why Joy ran away.
The only thing I think I didn't like about this book was the ending. It just seemed a bit too... perfect. Granted, I like happy endings, and I wanted the characters to have endings to be on the happy side, or at least leaving hope that things would be better soon, but I think the ending should have been a bit different. Besides that, I really can't complain about anything else in this book.
Overall, this was a powerful contemporary, and don't forget to pick it up in stores in January.

✰✰✰✰ and ½
➍.➄ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 5/5 Beautiful. Love the font, the bokeh, the girl's face.

All Hallow's Eve Carnival: Sign ups and Info!

2011-10-06T04:30:00.000-04:00

Elise had this incredible idea! An ALL HALLOW'S EVE BLOG CARNIVAL!!!!!!! Though she may not be able to do much cause of some personal issues, I have volunteered to take most of the weight off her shoulders and do the event for Elise!!!!

See, I've always wanted to host on of these types of features, something to do with a holiday that contains awesome fun filled games and contests!

The Carnival will go on from October 24th to October 31st, Halloween. What the general idea of the carnival is to have multiple blogs sign up to host little posts that maybe games, contests, giveaways....a clue to a bigger giveaway...etc.

There will games for blog readers like name that book...where you are given a small part of a cover... of multiple books and you must identify the book. The contests will include stuff like short stories, fun questions, and cover retakes that will be judged by guest authors. Almost all games and contests will have a swag prize sponsored by the BD team.

There will be a bigger giveaway at the end of the carnival which readers must collect clues or letters to find the bigger meaning and be entered into. We will also feature some great authors that have novels which will in some form, link to Halloween. We already have some great prizes from us and authors who have graciously donated items for prizes and giveaways:
4 Signed Bookmarks of Slide by Jill Hathaway
6 Signed Bookmarks, 3 Signed Small Posters, 1 Signed Large Poster of Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle
5 Signed Bookmarks of Forbidden by Megan Curd
Some Signed Swag from my Personal Collection
.....And lots more coming through the mail from some other authors that will be posted soon.

But we still need more for contests and games! :(

We are still lacking in the ideas for some general posts themselves, so if you have any ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to send them here:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="https://roshini.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k1/" title="Ideas or comments?"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;If you want to sign up to be one of the guest authors, have a post on your blog, contests, ideas, have a book featured in the carnival, use this form:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

If you want to donate swag, books, or other prizes, please use this form:

-ROSHINI

Signed up for My Bookworm Santa!

2011-10-06T00:14:00.003-04:00

I signed up for My Bookworm Santa over at Michelle's blog, Book Briefs! The whole event sounds really great and you get to make new blogger friends! Sign up now: http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-bookworm-santa-sign-ups.html

And don't forget to write Roshini down for Reference!

It would do me a big favor?

-Roshini

Review: Nightshade by Maryrose Wood

2011-10-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

Title: Nightshade

Author: Maryrose Wood

Release Date: October 25, 2o11

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Once Upon a Twilight ARC Tours

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.

The latest book in the grippingly dark series, The Poison Diaries.
Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reunite with her true love, Weed? Find out in this thrilling story where poisons, darkness and horror are a part of everyday life, and love is the only cure.

In a Sentence: Nightshade is a fantastic sequel to this unique, dark series.

Review: Nightshade was an amazing sequel to The Poison Diaries. In many ways I think Nightshade was different than the first book, but a good kind of different. It's darker and more fast paced than the first installment, and Jessamine has changed quite a bit since the first book and still continues to change--not only as a person, but also she changes her hair and how she dresses--in Nightshade.
I wish Weed and Jessamine were together more in this book, but I understand due to circumstance that they couldn't, so I'm hoping in Book 3 there's more romance between the two.
Like I said, the plot is more fast paced in Nightshade than the first book. I think the first book dragged a bit in a few places, but Nightshade moves quickly throughout the whole novel.
Jessamine's character is almost completely opposite to her character in the first book. She's much more dark and secretive in this novel, but also more independent and confident. She still has the piece of her that knew how to cure and kill with plants, but then again, Oleander is partly to blame for that. Speaking of Oleander, I definitely didn't see that ending coming. I can't wait to see where this series is headed, and I can't wait for the third (and sadly, last) book in this series.

✰✰✰✰
➍ STARS

Cover Thoughts: 5/5 Love this cover. Very dark and mysterious. It sets the tone of the book nicely.

-Brynne

IMPORTANT

2011-10-05T19:35:00.001-04:00

To the one person who submitted a comment on the Carnival Post.
Could you submit the form again or send me an email to: roshiniatbookishdelights@gmail.com

So I can get you more info on the guest post?

The form malfunctioned and didn't show you any email box when you filled it up. Fixed now.

-Roshini

Giveaway: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

2011-10-04T20:32:00.000-04:00

Hey! It's Brynne. Sorry for my lack of posts this month. Anyway, I finished All These Things I've Done earlier

today, and I have to say, this was an amazing book. I'd like to giveaway my copy (it is an ARC; gently read). Here are the rules:

Winner will be randomly chosen using random.org.

US only

Must be 13 years or older

I will email the person who wins the ARC, and if they don't respond within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Comment on this post in order to enter.

Extra entries (not required):

+1 if you Tweet about the giveaway.

+1 if you're a follower. Leave your GFC name in your comment.

This giveaway will end October 18.

By the way, look for my reviews of Nightshade by Maryrose Wood and Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala tomorrow, and Frost by Mariana Baer later this week!

-Brynne

Giveaway News!

2011-10-04T18:24:00.000-04:00

At first I was going to do a swag giveaway for the 800 followers giveaway, but since I didn't have the chance to do it and such, I will be adding the swag: 4 Signed Bookmarks of Slide by Jill Hathaway and a whole bunch of swag from Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle to the October Carnival the Bookish Delights team has been planning.

An awesome giveaway:
http://omgitsfishy.blogspot.com/2011/10/200-follower-giveaway.html

Fishy, is celebrating her 200 follower giveaway! She will have 9 winners! 9! Go support her1

-ROSHINI

BBI: Alex from Electrifying Reviews

2011-10-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

Today for the second interview of BBI we have the awesome book blogger, Alex from Electrifying Reviews.

Thank you sooo much for doing this interview, Alex! I know that everyone who reads this post really appreciates it! I know that what you have to say shocks us all....! Yep, he came up with that not me...I'm not that smart!

Tell us a little bit about your self as a blogger and your blog.

Well, I'm fifteen. I'm a guy. I'm an aspiring YA author, and I also intern for two publishing companies. I started Electrifying Reviews when I was thirteen. It's been up for nearly two years, and I've been putting loads of work into it since it was founded. Electrifying Reviews is a blog that has reviews, giveaways, interviews with the authors, and a bunch of other cool posts focusing on YA books.

What makes your blog personal to you?
Everything there makes it personal to me, because I essentially did everything. The design work is done by professional designers, but every word you see there was written by me, for the most part.

If the Web suddenly disappeared, and there was only one part of your blog you could save, what would it be and why?
My review archive! Then I'd have all my reviews and could just start over.

How long have you been blogging and what advice would you give to new bloggers?
I've been blogging since December 2009. New bloggers, post quality content and not just a bunch of memes every week. Also, don't tweet people or comment with things such as "Check out my blog, link...." It's annoying and people most likely won't want to check it out.

What are your favorite books and covers of 2011?All time?

Oh wow, that's tough. This year I have fallen in love with Invincible Summer, Divergent, Wither, Phantom Universe, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer... and loads more. 2011 covers I love: Switched/Torn/Ascend by Amanda Hocking. The new editions. Favorite books of all time: Harry Potter & The Secret Circle. Favorite covers of all time: I really can't choose. There are so many!

What is the one thing you get really excited about on your blog? Ex. comments, followers, requests...
I get excited at every comment I receive, because I know that people are coming to my blog and actually
caring about the stuff I post. It's awesome whenever I get a new comment.

You are trapped on an island, and you can only have one series of books with you for the rest of your time on the island, what series would you chose? Why?
Harry Potter! They're huge so they would last a while, and whenever I read them I can just lose myself in the story.

What book world would you like to be in?

The Oracle of Dating! Mostly because it's based in New York City.

Have you enjoyed this feature so far? Do you recommend it to other bloggers?
What's not to like? It's always entertaining to find out more info on the people behind the blogs we know and love.

Thanks for the incredible interview, Alex! I'm sure everyone has loved it!

Check out Alex's Blog:
Electrifying Reviews
http://www.electrifyingreviews.com/

Ask him questions on his Formspring:
AlexReadsBooks
Follow him on Twitter:
ABennettBooks
Friend him or Follow his Reviews on Goodreads:
Alex Bennett

Are YOU a book blogger? Do you want to get interviewed? Then sign up at this link:

Potential BBI INTERVIEWEE

Believe me...its really fun doing these interviews...at least I hope so.......

-ROSHINI

Extended Deadline for Giveaway!: Signs of Martha by Sarah Raymond

2011-10-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

After much thought, I've decided to extend the giveaway deadline for Signs of Martha!

The giveaway will now end October 15th!

Signs of Martha by Sarah Raymond

Sarah Raymond: Author

Martha, 16, longs to escape pressures to conform to her community and quirky family, and dreams of big-city fame as an artist. Velvet, a local signpainter for agri-business, gives Martha a chance. With an agenda of her own, Velvet urges Martha to create honest messages that will win her an acceptance into art college. To Velvet’s delight, Martha builds a collection of hand-painted, slanderous road signs that badmouth their community. But as soon as the exhibit is mounted, Velvet is gone, the neighbours are outraged, and Martha is forced to make difficult decisions about friends, family and about making art. (Via Goodreads)

Today, visiting Bookish Delights, we have Tammy Mills a character from Signs of Martha by Sarah Raymond. I am so excited to have Tammy come over and answer a few of my questions for all of you guys! I'm going to hand this over to Tammy to introduce herself! Everyone say hi!

Well hi, I'm Tammy Mills, a friend of Martha's. Actually I'm better friends with Leanne, but she likes Martha so I'm kind of stuck with both of them. Notstuck, exactly, I don't mean it that way....

So, is it vanilla, chocolate, or another?

I loveabsolutely anything cold and frozen that winds up in my mouth. You could dishup anything--strawberry, too--out of that box of neocosmopolitan icecream and I'd say thank you very much.

Enough of the food questions, let's get on to the real deal.

Why do you think you play as role in the story?

I can't say I read the whole book because I'm not much of areader-type, but Leanne gave me the main idea of what happened. I figured outright away how come I got put into the story. It's so that someone could lookkind of dumb and innocent next to Martha and Leanne. So that Martha could seeherself as smarter. But what's smart about what she did, making all them signs?Personally, I feel that keeping your mouth shut tight and going along with themain crowd is the smart thing. So if I got put in the book to show someone whojust follows the leader and doesn't think a whole lot for herself, then I don'tcare. Because I think that's the way to go. Don't you?

What type of attitude do you have and what do you expectout of others?

Attitude?I don't have attitude and I know what you mean by attitude. That girl VelvetRudder--now she's got attitude with that holier that thee or thou or whateverattitude. But I'm fine with pretty much anybody, not that I might care to go ona cruise ship and drink Margharitas with all of them. I figure people areeither "normal" or a little cuckoo. Normal is good and the others,well, they're good for a laugh, anyway.

What do you want from life, and what is your goal in the book?

Same as everybody. In life I want a job. Nothing too hard, but one that pays the billsso I can have a beer or two with the girls on Saturday night and buy some nicethings like them fuzzy slippers shaped like rabbits, which I saw and likedright away. I want to get married in a church and have about two hundred peopleand for no fights to break out later in the evening. I'm not sure who the groom would be, but let's just say there's someone at the hockey rink I don't mindlooking at.

You are stranded, on a place with no access to much of anythingexcept for water and one type of veggie. What would you have with you and why?

That's easy. I'd choose french fries. If you don't think that counts as a vegetable, then I'd drink a lot of water until maybe Leanne showedup with something decent to eat.

Thank you, Tammy! It was great to have you over to answer some questions for the interview! I know that a lot of people will want to read the book now! That's why there is a giveaway for my copy of the book I received! Since Sarah Raymond has graciously sent the book over to me to review and feature, it would be nice to help her out and pass it on. If you do win the book, please try to review it too!

Book Trailer:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4800885.Sarah_Raymond
Can't wait for it? Compare your prices here and buy it!

GIVEAWAY: ENDS ~~OCTOBER 1ST~~ !!!!!
OCTOBER 15th