Gossamer: Bookmark Blitz Tour

I'm so so so excited to take part in the Bookmark Blitz Tour for Gossamer by Renita Pizzitola!! Why? Well, as far as first impressions go, take a look at that title and cover. COULD EITHER OF THEM BE MORE FANTASTIC OR GORGEOUS?

And beyond that, Gossamer sounds like an AMAZING book. Not willing to take my word for it? Check it out!!

Blurb: 

Shouldn't all faerytales end with happily-ever-after? 

Kyla Ashbury is nearing her eighteenth birthday when a mysterious boy appears at school. Her instant attraction to him inexplicably awakens something inside her and she discovers her true identity.

Now, armed with the knowledge of her past, she is forced to leave behind the life she has always known for a new one filled with temptation, faery charm and magic, and a future she wasn't prepared for.

Kyla is left with a difficult decision…but no matter which path she chooses, someone will get hurt.

A Lyrical Press Young Adult Paranormal Romance

------ 

 Still not convinced by that fantastic synopsis? Check out an excerpt!!

“It’s kind of ironic our rendezvous point is at the corner of Magnolia and Pansy.” I chuckled. Grant looked at me and arched an eyebrow. He was so cute when he did that. “You know Pansy.” I got nothing. “It’s a joke. You know we are making our great, big, daring escape from Pansy Lane.” He still looked confused. I shook my head. “Never mind.” He didn’t press for an explanation. I shot him a sidelong glance. “Are all grants as serious as you?”

The corner of his mouth tugged up. “I can’t say all, but most grants are guards. Serious comes with the job.” 

“So, you’re a guard?” He nodded. “Hmm.” 

“Hmm, what?” A smile still played at the corners of his mouth. 

“I’m not surprised. You’re observant and cautious. Protective. But, I guess that comes with the job, too.” 

“Protective?” His tone doubtful as he repeated my word choice. “I don’t know about that. My job is to sense danger and act upon it if necessary. Safety--I provide safety. I think protectiveness is fueled by emotions, typically, and that goes beyond my job description.” 

I was taken aback by Grant’s comment. It seemed almost cold. “But, you told my parents you’d protect me?” 

We finally arrived at our destination and I could see Conor already waiting. Grant stopped and looked at me. 

“And I will,” he said and walked away. 

I was locked into place. My brain incapable of processing his comment and walking at the same time. Was that his way of saying he cared about me? Which really didn’t mean much. I cared about my friends, too. Oh, but I really wanted him to mean something more. Don’t read too much into it. I forced my mind to clear and approached the guys. 

Grant filled Conor in on Lexie’s plans to pick us up. He seemed to like the idea of not having to walk the entire way and I could have sworn he liked the idea of seeing Lexie one last time. 
The three of us stood silently waiting for her. The humid night air left my skin clammy. A few minutes later a black car pulled up alongside the curb. The tinted passenger window glided down and Lexie peered out at us.

“Need a ride?” She asked with a wicked grin. I grinned back. I was going to miss her. I opened the door and decided to let the boys fight over who got the front seat. Grant stopped me and told me to sit in the front. Although I’m sure he was being a gentleman, I had a strong feeling they didn’t want to deal with the onslaught of questions she was sure to have. 

They squished into the back and I climbed in. I pulled my seat up as far as possible, feeling sorry for Grant as he tried to contort into such a small space. I felt bad for Conor too, of course. 
As soon as we were buckled, Lexie’s car coasted onto the quiet street.

“Okay, first where to?” She looked at me expectantly. I glanced back at the boys. Grant spoke up giving her directions. She nodded, not even caring that we were asking her to drive us practically out of town. 

She laughed. “It’s pretty funny you’re making your big getaway from Pansy Lane.” 

“Thank you!” I over exaggerated my words and rolled my eyes at Grant. “See. Joke. Funny.” He grinned and shook his head. I faced front again as my heart fluttered from the adorable way he looked at me. 

Isn't that fantastic? I can't wait to read the whole thing!!

Renita Pizzitola writes Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. An avid reader herself, she has always enjoyed stories with witty humor, romance, and fascinating characters. Renita lives in Texas with her husband and two children. When not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and playing referee to her two typically adorable children.

Find Renita online:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Lyrical Press

Book Trailer

Buy Gossamer:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

(:D)

~Mag

Destiny: Bookmark Blitz Tour

Today's post is all about Destiny by Laura DeLuca! I have the cover, synopsis, and an excerpt right here...so check them out!!

Blurb: 

Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds. 

There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.

------ 

Witches? Check. Repressed memories? Check. Evil warlock? Check. Hot guy with magical powers? CHECK. Need more convincing? Here's an excerpt!!

Her eyes scanned the room, from the pale blue sofa to the bloody dent in the wall. But she didn't need her eyes to know Darron was there. Her heart sensed his presence before her eyes saw him lying in a heap on the ground. His body shuddered with occasional spasms, and even though he wasn't fully conscious, his lips were twisted in a grimace of pain.

Uttering a gasp of surprise, Gabriella flew to his side. She knelt beside him, and choked back a sob as she took his hand in her own. She saw his chest rise and fall and was glad to know was alive, but she felt helpless as she watched his face contort in pain. She noticed something wet and sticky on her fingertips. She gently titled his head and saw a large gash that looked like it needed medical attention. The skin around the gash was so deeply bruised it looked almost black. 

"Darron, what happened to you?" 

He didn't move or reply. Gabriella moved her hand from the cut on his forehead, and her fingers dripped with blood. She bit her lower lip with fear. She knew enough about head injuries to know that the wound could be serious. She grabbed a few tissues from a box on the coffee table, and tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it was useless. The tissues were soaked through in seconds. 

"Darron?" She squeezed his hand, and fought back tears of fear and frustration. "Darron, please open your eyes. Please be all right!" 

He squirmed and groaned a little in response. Looking at his contorted features, Gabriella felt incompetent and useless. She didn't know what to do to help him. The cut must need stitches. The blood was gushing through her fingertips, and she was sure his life was slipping away just as quickly. 

More than anything, Gabriella wanted to help Darron, to end his suffering. Her thoughts, her desperation, caused something deep inside of her to stir. Something that had long been napping was awoken. The power she had fought so hard to deny was forcing its way to the surface. This time she didn't struggle against that power. Her instinct to hide from it was finally overcome by the thought of losing someone else she cared about. 

Gabriella was pulling strength and warmth from the earth, as though her legs were tree roots taking nourishment from the element. A tingling sensation began in the tips of her toes and spread slowly though her body as she breathed in the essence of the element of air. Her blood flowed and grew warm, the element of water, bringing the power to the surface. She was overcome by a vigorous strength as she envisioned her spirit encircled by the element of fire. She felt so powerful that she thought she could stop the world from churning if that was what she wished. Gabriella focused the power, remembering for a moment her mother's lessons. She looked down at her battered friend. She willed him to open his eyes and look at her. She demanded it of him. 

Gabriella would have thought it was impossible, but she felt herself grow warmer. Her face dripped with perspiration. The power within her reached a climax. Then finally, when she thought she might burst, she felt the energy release. It seeped through her fingers, and shined with an illumination that only she could see. She heard herself chanting unfamiliar words, and scarcely recognized her own voice. 

"By the power of earth, water, fire and air, 
Heal this man who's in my care.
Goddess, hear your daughter's plea. 
As I will it, so mote it be!" 

Gabriella repeated the words three times. Three was the number of power. Then she watched as the wound on Darron's forehead healed before her eyes, becoming smaller and smaller, until finally it was gone. The blood was still warm and sticky, but beneath the blood, the skin was smooth and unmarred. Even the horrible bruise had vanished. Gabriella stared in open astonishment, marveling at the work she had done.

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband 

and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it 

keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the 

sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an 

active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca 

for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny 

Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan and Player.

Find Laura Online! 

      Website 

     Facebook

      Twitter

    Goodreads

      Book Trailer

          
         Buy Destiny!
           Amazon
         Barnes & Noble

           Smashwords

(:D)

~Mag

Review: Pitch by Jillian Eaton

I know a lot of you are probably sick of "vampire novels." Or at least on the way there. But if you like amazing books with amazing writing, amazing characters, and overall AMAZINGNESS, you will LOVE Pitch by Jillian Eaton. Action-packed and thrilling, with just the right dash of humor, you'll be captivated from start to finish.

Pitch by Jillian Eaton
Released May 19th, 2012
Source of my copy: the author

Sixteen-year-old Lola is a daredevil. She likes playing hooky, making out with bad boy Everett James, and stealing cars. The reason behind all of her rebellious antics? Because she can. But what can one girl do against a horde of murderous vampires? 

Aided by her sometimes sober father, her best friend Travis, and Maximus, the mysterious stranger who appeared out of no where to save her life, Lola must accomplish what the rest of the human race has failed to do in the aftermath of the world wide massacre: survive. 

But how do you survive when everything you know has been destroyed... and the one person you thought you could trust ends up being the most dangerous person of all?

------ 

The story opens with a chilling statement: “I can smell the blood.” But from there, it only gets more intense. With a thrilling, time-flash prologue to start it off, this fast-paced novella doesn't take any breaks.

We’re introduced to Lola, a tough girl with a not-so-great life. We get to come along for the ride as her already crappy life literally becomes a living hell. Because the apocalypse? It seems to have arrived. And it brought—get this—vampires. The vicious, non-sparkling sort.

Lola is a brave, strong heroine who won’t lie down and die, and won’t leave behind those she loves. Everything in her life may have changed, but Lola remains firm in her determination to stay alive, whatever the cost.

I loved every instant of Pitch, from the beginning straight through to the jaw-dropping, heart-pounding, soul-crushing ending. If all of Jillian Eaton’s books are this well-written and exciting to read, I’m certainly going to check them out!!

Thank you, Jillian, for the review copy, and for your patience waiting for the review!

Altogether, Pitch gets <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Cover Reveal: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Hello hello everyone! Today I'm delighted to share with you the cover of Leah Rae Miller's upcoming book: The Summer I Became a Nerd! (And let me just mention how much I LOVE that title!)

Do you want to see it? I BET YOU DO!

Okay, okay, I'll stop stalling. Here it is:

Isn't it lovely? I totally love it.

And, of course, the blurb:

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way. 

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

I don't know about you, but this sounds like my kind of book! THERE IS A CUTE NERD BOY. WHAT MORE CAN I EVEN SAY?

The Summer I Became a Nerd comes out May 7th, and I, for one, am counting down already! Don't forget to keep an eye on Leah's blog, because there will be a chance to win a copy!!

Born and raised in northern Louisiana, Leah Rae Miller still lives there on a windy hill with her husband and kids. She loves comic books, lava lamps, fuzzy socks, and Cherry Coke. She spends most of her days reading things she likes and writing things she hopes other people will like.

Find Leah Online!

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14744489-the-summer-i-became-a-nerd

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LeahR_Miller

Website/Blog - http://leahraemillerblog.blogspot.com/

Buy The Summer I Became a Nerd!

(:D)

~Mag

Morrigan: Bookmark Blitz Tour

Hey everybody! Today I'm very excited to be participating in the Bookmark Blitz Tour for Morrigan by Laura DeLuca!

Blurb: 

Shuffled from place to place in the foster system, Morrigan doesn't know the meaning of home. Plus, she is different. She has power over fire, the ability to move objects with her mind, and glimpse into the future. Just when she believes her life can’t get any stranger, she discovers her true identity. 

Filtiarn, a knight with a dark past and a surprising secret, has been tasked with guiding the heir of Tír Na NÓg through countless perils to be returned to her family. Once Morrigan has been reunited with her mother and grandmother, their triad can save the forgotten land of magic from being devoured by an ancient evil.

------ 

Doesn't that sound awesome? Plus, I ADORE that cover!

And now, an excerpt from Morrigan!



“Guardians!” A low snarl emanated from the back of his throat. “What are you doing with Guardians?”

“Stop it! Sit down!” Morrigan wasn’t sure who she was addressing, the man or the animals. Luckily, they both obeyed her command. She stepped in between them to avoid any further confrontations.

The cats took a seat on either side her legs, but their posture hardly relaxed. They still glared warily at the newcomer, even though their hisses died down to an occasional soft growl.

“Dirty, filthy beasts!” Tiarn snarled as he climbed to his feet. “I hate Guardians.”

“They’re just little cats,” Morrigan told him. “What’s the big deal?”

“Just cats! Hah!” He was standing at a careful distance, even though they had started licking their paws nonchalantly. “They are much more than simple cats! Though even those I find distasteful.”

Morrigan narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind. It does not matter.” Tiarn dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. “They are not coming with us."

“They most certainly are coming!”

Tiarn growled again. “I beg to differ with you, Your Highness. They would only get in the way. Possibly even get killed.”

Danu raised her head from her grooming to hiss at him again, as though she had taken that last statement as a personal threat. The strange reaction of her faithful sidekicks made Morrigan wonder again just how much Tiarn could be trusted. She also wondered why, when she wasn’t sure she could trust him, she still felt the undeniable urge to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. “If they stay here alone, they’ll definitely get killed or at least sent to the pound,” Morrigan told him. “I can’t let that happen. So, they’re coming. End of story.”

Tiarn’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it. “Very well, Princess. Bring your mongrel felines. Just keep in mind that Guardians and lycans do not mix well.”

“Lycans?” Morrigan repeated. A sick feeling started to settle in her stomach, as the truth of his words sunk in. It all started to make sense—his hairy arms and chest, his reaction to the cats, even his earlier comment about smelling her out. Her dark knight had a much darker side than she had ever seen in her dreams.

“Why yes, Your Majesty. Did you not realize? You are a witch and a sorceress. And I, your faithful traveling companion, am a lycan—a werewolf.”

Isn't that so cool??? I cannot WAIT to read it :)

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. She is the author of four young adult novels including: Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, and Morrigan and has many other works in progress.

Find Laura Online!
Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Buy Morrigan!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

(:D)
~Mag

Cover Reveal: Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

It's no secret that I absolutely adored Unraveling, Elizabeth Norris's debut novel. (I'm lucky enough to have a signed copy, and it's one of my absolute favorite books I own!) Ever since I finished it--like, literally THE MOMENT I finished it--I've been dying to read Unbreakable. 

And now, the cover and description have been revealed!

(Warning: description is kinda spoilery if you haven't read Unraveling--and if you haven't, you should. Now.)

Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days. 

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

Isn't it gorgeous?? And that description...well, I'm now even more desperate to get my hands on this book!

Unraveling is available now, and Unbreakable releases April 23, 2013. Check out Elizabeth Norris's post about it HERE and the official cover reveal for Unbreakable, plus a mention of its potential to become a TV show is HERE.

(:D)
~Mag

Review: Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle

When I heard about Kissing Shakespeare, I thought it sounded great—a modern day actress who loves Shakespeare going back in time to save his life…by getting him to fall for her.

Well, I’m pleased to say, once I got past the abrupt and slightly confusing start, I loved it as much as I hoped!!

(Please note that while this book is released, my review is of an uncorrected advanced copy :D)

Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle
Released August 14, 2012
Source of my copy: NetGalley

A romantic time travel story that's ideal for fans of novels by Meg Cabot and Donna Jo Napoli--and, of course, Shakespeare. 

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide. 

Fellow cast member Stephen Langford has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she'd like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he's a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16th century England—the world Stephen's really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lost its greatest playwright.

Miranda isn't convinced she's the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help, knowing that it's her only chance of getting back to the present and her "real" life. What Miranda doesn't bargain for is finding true love . . . with no acting required.

------

The curtain opens on Miranda, a teenage girl who’s just played Katherine in the Taming of the Shrew. She’s obviously distraught and bitter over her performance, knocking over props and throwing things around. She’s angry at herself, angry at everyone expecting her to be her mother, who is a famous actress herself.

Enter another actor, Miranda’s classmate, Stephen Langford.  He’s dressed up in what looks like a Shakespearean reenacter’s outfit, spewing crazy talk and dragging her up to the roof. Finally, he does the unthinkable, the unimaginable: He takes her back in time.

Once they arrive in 1581, Stephen explains to Miranda that young William Shakespeare is in grave danger—and she needs to help save him, by seducing him. Yeah.

Though reluctant and disbelieving at first, Miranda eventually agrees to help. After all, what could be cooler than kissing Shakespeare, her idol? But danger threatens more than just Will. Getting involved with Shakespeare and the possibility of his death could get Miranda herself hurt—or worse. And the mystery, the plot, and those involved are more complicated than Miranda or Stephen saw coming.

The characters were fantastic—Miranda was realistically freaked out and angry without being annoying, and she was brave and smart without being unrealistic. Stephen, though unbelievably infuriating a lot of the time, grew on me easily. He was smart and brave and, in his best moments, wonderfully sweet. The others, like Stephen’s aunt and uncle, Jennet, Thomas, and yes, Will, were all interesting, real, and enjoyable to read about.

As far as the romance goes…it was certainly romantic! If you know me, you know that I adore a good love story—not to mention a good kissing scene ;) And the flirting, kissing, and romantic tension were excellently put together. But even though the novel is entitled “Kissing Shakespeare” and its incarnation of Will Shakespeare was certainly kiss-worthy, I personally was more inclined to want to kiss Stephen…and I may not be the only one.

Kissing Shakespeare receives <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Hello Everyone!! (I'm baaaack!)

Let me start out by saying: Yes. I am still around. I'm so sad that I haven't been posting AT ALL in the last month. My mini-hiatus turned out to be a full sized break, didn't it? There are reasons for this, of course. I'll talk about a few of them, just so you know, but if you don't want to read a whole long, rambling post, I don't blame you, and you should just know that I'll be starting back up posting again--maybe not quite every day, but far more than this past empty month!

Anyway, as you know, my bad blogging habits started with some internet outages, and my family's move, which meant no internet at our house at all. There were also some bad cases of writer's block when it came to reviews, and a feeling of a lack of time in general, or maybe just laziness where I decided I'd rather read books than write reviews of them.

Now school has started up. Here's a little fun fact for you guys: Ever since halfway through second grade, I've been homeschooled. My family has moved every couple of years my whole life, and it became easier to homeschool me and my siblings than have us switch schools all the time. This year, however, my junior year (11th grade), I decided that I wanted to go to public school (cue the shocked gasps).

See, I've wanted to go for a while. Homeschooling definitely has its good points, but it is sorely lacking in social interaction with kids other than my siblings--and if you have siblings, you know that as much as you can possibly love them, sometimes you just want to punch them have other friends.

Which brings us to now, with the days of early mornings and homework-filled afternoons. But, I think I'll be able to overcome that and make the time to keep up my blog. I know I will, because this blog--and YOU GUYS--make me so incredibly happy and excited and are just so much fun! 

For the record, I'm making no promises that I'll be posting six-or-seven times a week like I used to be able to. To start off, I'm going to be shooting for at least...let's say three posts a week, and two of them reviews. If I have more, great. If I have less...well, I'll have less! Just so you guys know, I do have a couple of review requests queued up, some great books by some great authors, so keep an eye out for those requests! (And to those authors, thank you so much for your patience in waiting for these reviews to be up! I appreciate it so much :D)

Anyway, to finish up, I just want to say how much I love you all, and can't wait to start chatting and hanging out with you again!!!

(Also, is it just me, or does the second part of that title sound kind of creepy? I seriously wasn't trying to sound like some demonic crazy with an evil grin trying to steal your soul. At all.)

(:D)
~Mag

Author Are Rockstars Tour: Kim Harrington

I'm so UNBELIEVABLY excited to be a part of the Authors Are Rockstars tour being put on by the ultra-awesome Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books!! And I'm even more excited to be hosting the fabulous, fantastic, super talented Kim Harrington!!

As a huge fan of both music and books, I'll be the first to agree that authors most certainly are Rockstars! And as a huge fan of books featuring mystery, romance, humor, and kick-butt protagonists, it's no surprise that Kim Harrington is one of my favorites! Her books Clarity and Perception are some of my top mystery picks for ANYONE!

Clarity's heroine, Clare Fern, is a normal teenage girl...except, you know, she's psychic. In Clarity, she uses her extra sense to try and help the police solve a murder, bringing danger, murderers, and potential love to her doorstep.

I haven't read Kim's series for kids, Sleuth or Dare, but they look absolutely fantastic, as does her upcoming YA title, The Dead and Buried! I can't wait to read it!

For a book to really hold my attention and gain my absolute adoration, the author has to be really awesome at mixing action-packed adventures that make my heart race, mysteries and questions that make me think, humor that keeps me giggling, and yes, a good-sized dose of romance--and Kim, I feel, has found the perfect balance!

In case I haven't gushed enough here, be sure to check out my reviews of Clarity and Perception!

Now, without further ado, I'm very pleased to introduce you to Kim Harrington and present an interview with her!

About Kim: 

Kim Harrington is the author of the Clarity series for teens and the Sleuth or Dare series for kids. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son. When not writing, she's most likely reading, watching one of her favorite TV shows, or fantasizing about her next vacation. Her first book, Clarity, received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, was a 2012 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, sold to nine countries, and was optioned for television by Warner Brothers.

 ----------------------------------------

Interview

 ----------------------------------------

Q. What was your inspiration for becoming an author? Have you always wanted to write or is it a passion that developed later? And what was the first story you’ve ever written about?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since I could read. The first works I remember creating as a little girl were a poem about my dog and a story about a house that swallowed children who walked by. The main character in the story was named Shelly because I was looking around my room trying to think of a name and saw a seashell on my desk. It was far from genius. But I was seven, so there’s that. ;)

[Mag says: THAT SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A COOL STORY (:D)]

Q. What is your favorite part about being a writer? Is it creating the characters or world? Is it being able to get lost in your imagination? Or is it something else?

I love writing a first draft. Getting lost in the setting, daydreaming about the characters. That’s my favorite part of writing. I also love, love, love getting emails from readers. Sometimes it can turn a terrible day into a wonderful one.

Q. Both your Clarity series and your Sleuth or Dare series mix mystery with the paranormal/supernatural. And your upcoming title, The Dead and Buried also seems to incorporate both. What is it you most like writing about these types of stories? What do you find challenging about adding the paranormal/supernatural into your books?

I might not always write paranormal—Sleuth or Dare has none—but there will always be a mystery element to everything I write. However, whether it’s psychics (Clarity) or ghosts (The Dead and Buried), I find the paranormal intriguing and fun to write. What’s challenging is balancing out the supernatural with the rest of the plot. Especially when paranormal abilities are involved. I want them to be keys to solving the mysteries, but I don’t want them to be cheats. I still want limitations, hard work, and regular brainpower to come into play.

Q. You mention on your website that both you and Clare share a few quirks and both of you enjoy sarcasm. Would you mind sharing what those similarities are? And what traits of Clare’s are all her own?

Clare’s food likes and dislikes are basically mine. I don’t eat seafood, like Clare, and it’s strange to grow up in Massachusetts and admit that you’ve never tried lobster, clams, shrimp, etc. Also, I love horror movies like she does. And we both love our family LIKE WHOA. For differences, while we’re both sarcastic, Clare actually says the things that pop into her mind. I keep most of it inside. She’s also much braver than me.

Q. Your upcoming book, The Dead and Buried is due out in January. How would you best describe it in 10 words or less? And is there anything you can reveal about the book now?

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost.

(That’s 11 words, but I didn’t want to cut the “very.” Because, yeah, she’s very angry.)

The full cover and synopsis are up on my site! http://www.kimharringtonbooks.com/Books.html#Dead

This or That questions

Disneyland or Disney World? Disney World! I’ve been to Walt Disney World seventeen times, but I’ve never been to Disneyland.

Lost: Jack or Sawyer? Jack. I almost always go for the “good” guy.

Pizza: By the slice or the whole pie? THE WHOLE THING. Nom nom nom. Pizza is my favorite food.

[Mag says: Pizza is the greatest food that was ever invented. And chocolate.] 

Write at night or write during the day? During the day. My brain is fried by nighttime.

Write in silence or write with music? Silence, though sometimes I can write with instrumental music on. I love Explosions in the Sky. They’re great writing music.

Write by hand or write by computer? Mostly by computer, though I write by hand sometimes when I get stuck. For some reason, it helps me get unstuck. ;)

Yellow cake with whipped frosting or chocolate cake with traditional icing? Neither. Yellow cake with traditional icing!!!

Happily ever after or happily never after? Happily ever after. :)

Thanks for having me!

[Mag says: Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!]

website - www.kimharringtonbooks.com

facebook - www.facebook.com/kimharringtonauthor

twitter - www.twitter.com/kim_harrington

blog - http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/

So there you have it, folks! Kim Harrington is awesome, supercool, and a TOTAL ROCKSTAR!! If you haven't yet, be sure to check out her books! You won't be disappointed!

Thank you so much to Kim for stopping by my blog, and to Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books for putting this whole thing together!!

Also, don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour!! There are so many great authors and bloggers participating!

(:D)

~Mag

Mini Hiatus

Okay, so, some of you may have seen this coming. I was hoping to avoid it.

I'll be taking mini-sorta-half-hiatus for a little bit.

I have some Things going on right now--I won't go in to the internet deal, as I've talked it to death in previous posts, but that's still one issue. I'm also starting a new school in September and have to take some entry-tests I'm nervous about, so I need to study. A lot. (Your thoughts/prayers/good vibes would be awesome on that front, by the way!) Plus, I don't really talk about it here (I've mentioned it on Tumblr and Twitter if you follow me there) but I'm writing a book. Sort of. Trying to. So I like to spend some time working on that.

Anyway, with that and some other stuff, I'm finding I have less and less time to get on here, and write reviews, and post memes, and that makes me sad and stresses me out because I really want to post every day. So I'm going to take a little break.

But I'll be back.

No, scratch that--I'm not even leaving. I'll still be reading and I'll post the occasional review and other post (my Authors Are Rockstars post is going up soon!), but I'm not going to freak myself out about posting every day for the next couple weeks, especially until those tests are done.

I'll still be around--don't stop talking to me! I'll keep answering comments and tweets and tumblr stuff, so PLEASE KEEP TALKING TO ME! I love love love talking to you guys and I couldn't stop if I wanted to--which I DON'T!

Anyway, that's about it for now, just don't be concerned if the blog is quiet!

You guys are awesome! I love you all!!

(:D)

~Mag

Geek Chic This Week (8/6/12)

Geek Chic This Week is a feature here at Geek Chic to talk about the books I received this week, whether bought, borrowed, or fallen from the sky! It's inspired by the Story Siren's In My Mailbox.

Okay. So. I said we had an internet fix. And we kind of do. But basically, we bought our own "hotspot" thing from AT&T, which is, on one hand, great, and on the other hand, has limited data. So we're still working on getting LEGIT, ACTUAL internet at our house. That hasn't happened yet. But I've been making it work. (I spent several hours at Panera the other day--FREE WIFI!!) And the hotspot works as well, so at least I can update some :)

Anyway, I highly doubt you care that much about my internet problems (I wouldn't blame you one bit if you skipped over these paragraphs once you realized they were super boring ;D), so...

ON TO THE BOOKS!

FROM THE LIBRARY

-Falling in Love With English Boys by Melissa Jensen. I've already finished this one and I thought it was fun and cute--I loved the flips between Katherine and Cat :)

-The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. Just started this one today, but I've been DYING to get it for AGES, obviously! I've heard nothing but good things. I'm like two pages in and very much enjoying it :)

-Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham. This one looks so fun :)

-Timepiece by Myra McEntire. I love time travel books, and I LOVED Hourglass, so I was so excited to FINALLY get to read Timepiece. I loved it, and I adore Kaleb now (I didn't feel too strongly about him one way or another in Hourglass, to be honest). KALEB <3

FROM NETGALLEY

Because I'm weak, I got another NetGalley book. I HAVE TO STOP.

-Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle. I don't know much about this novella (I'm not even sure it's YA, actually) but it looked interesting...I also don't know anything about the series it apparently relates to. If any of you know anything about this book (especially if it's YA, ha!) let me know?

FOR REVIEW

-Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman. THIS LOOKS SO COOL! I'm really looking forward to reading it. Thanks Jody!!

So what's in your mailbox this week? Leave me links to your book-sharing posts!!

(:D)

~Mag

Dante Walker website password!!

Hey guys! I'm sure most of you (well, at least, a lot of you) have heard about Victoria Scott's upcoming book The Collector, and her...unique...character, Dante Walker.

Well, Dante now has his own website! It launches throughout the world on August 8th, buuuuut if you want to get on there early...like, RIGHT NOW, early, you can--IF you have the password.

A password I happen to be able to share with you!

That's right! All you have to do is scroll down ;)

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

The password is...

CHARLIE

So go! Go check out DanteWalker.com and enter the password, then HAVE FUN!!

If you want more information about Dante, the Collector, or the site, check out Victoria Scott's blog, especially THIS and THIS. 

(:D)

~Mag

Authors are Rockstars Blog Tour

Have you guys heard about the Authors Are Rockstars blog tour being hosted by Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books? Basically, it's going to be AWESOME.

With bunches and bunches of authors signed up to participate and lots of bloggers ready to gush about them, for the month of August the blogosphere is going to BLOW UP with authors who are rockstars and we readers who love them.

And I'm happy to tell you guys I get to host the fantastic Kim Harrington here on the blog! I looooove her books Clarity and Perception, and I can't wait for The Dead and Buried--but I'll save the rest of my gushing for August 13th, when my post goes up :)

So check back then, and check out all the other stops on the tour!!

(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: The Agency series by Y.S. Lee

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Geez, it feels like it's been FOREVER since I've done a Teaser Tuesday. Anyway, since my current read is on my Kindle and getting TTs from Kindle books is INCONVENIENT and I am LAZY and it is already LATE IN THE DAY, I'll just grab a teaser from each of the last two books I read--they're both from the Agency series by Y.S. Lee.

This series is awesome, you guys! Basically, it's about this girl in Victorian-era England who works for an Agency (shocker) made up of women who are spies.

Woman. Spies.

It's kind of like a Victorian-era Gallagher Girls deal. And very cool. I highly recommend them if you like mystery-spy books and/or historical fiction, and also a hot guy.

1.
     Ignoring his extended hand, she vaulted into the carriage unassisted. James sprang in after her. There was no need to thump the roof tonight; he was still closing the door as the carriage sprang into motion. He fell into his seat with an amused grunt. At least the girl wasn't dull. 

     -A Spy in the House (book 1), Page 124

2.
     It was a long way from telling the truth, but it might satisfy him for the moment, even if doing so made her feel wretched. Spying was all very well. She loved disguise and acting and all the covert skills in which she'd been trained. Yet she hated this sort of duplicity, lying to someone whom she-- 

     -The Body at the Tower (book 2), Page 153

What are you reading this week? Leave me your Teaser links!!

(:D)
~Mag

Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

From the second I read the Assassin's Curse synopsis, I thought it sounded awesome. I was sad to find I didn't looove it as much as I'd hoped, but I did think it was worth a read!!

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clark
Releases October 2, 2012
Source of my copy: NetGalley

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. And when Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn’t really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together.

To break the curse, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks—all while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic, and the growing romantic tension between them.

 ------

Awesome things about Assassin's Curse:

Girl pirate? Check.

Kick-butt assassin? Check.

Mysterious curse that forces the assassin to protect the pirate girl he's supposed to be killing? Check. Check. Check.

All in all, it should have added up to an awesome, five-star story, but there were just some things that fell flat for me. I expected Ananna to be...I don't know...more...awesome? I couldn't find any way to connect to her character. I didn't feel as interested in her story or her mind as I could have been. There was also the problem of strange grammar and inner dialogue. Ananna being a pirate, she has some serious grammatical issues that, even though I understood were intentional, bugged me as I read.

Then there's Naji, the assassin. He wasn't as awesome as expected, either. He was supposed to be this amazingly deadly and skilled assassin, but, as I saw another reviewer mention (I'm sorry, I can't remember who), he seemed weak, and it seemed more like Ananna was protecting him than the other way around. He didn't do anything spectacular, or anything that made me particuarly enjoy his character. He was not what I was expecting, and another disappointment.

Then there was the romance--or the lack of it. I know every book doesn't need romance, or a lot of romance, but I was expecting more. I don't know if it was the synopsis or something else, but something made me expect Naji and Ananna's relationship to blossom more than it does. Besides a few hints and some events at the very end of the book, they barely even seem to scrape the stage of friendship.

That's not to say this book isn't worth reading, however. I was interested enough in the plot to continue reading, and I am curious to see what happens next to Ananna and Naji. That said, I really don't consider this book one of my favorites.

Assassin's Curse gets <*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag