WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!

First off, a big CONGRATULATIONS! The winner of a signed copy of Hex Hall has been selected, and it is...

INA WARREN!

I sent the winner an email, so if you could respond with your info ASAP, that would be great :)


I'd like to thank everyone who entered one more time! I wish you could have all won! :)


(:D)
~Mag

Review: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Yikes, it's been a while since I've posted a review! Don't worry, though, there are lots more coming soon :) Starting with this one, about Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey!

[And don't forget, today (March 15th) is the last day to enter my GIVEAWAY for a signed/personalized copy of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins!]

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey 

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger 

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries. 

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon. 

------ 

Let's play a game of What-If.


Imagine, for a moment, that you're a teenage girl with a schizophrenic father. He had terrible hallucinations that eventually drove him to take his own life. And then you suddenly begin hallucinating, too.


That's exactly what's happening to Lenzi. She's scared to death because of it, and it doesn't exactly help that her mother has her own issues and her boyfriend Zak just keeps trying to shove pills down her throat.


And then Alden shows up.


Alden, who claims to know what's going on. Alden, who claims to know Lenzi. Alden, who calls her by a different name and doesn't know why she doesn't remember him from her past lives. Yeah, past lives. Lenzi and Alden have known each other for centuries, because in each of their reincarnations they join together to help lost souls resolve their problems and move on "into the light".


This is such a cool thing, I've gotta say. I know that ghost-whispering isn't precisely an uncommon occurrence in YA paranormals these days, but Shattered Souls was still unique and very cool. I fell in love with Alden from the beginning, and I definitely felt sad for him at points. (If you've read SS, you probably understand why.) I never liked Zak, though. Maybe it's because he's not the type of guy I like, or maybe just because I instantly liked Alden so much more, but I never really connected with his character. For me, he as just a roadblock for Alden and Lenzi. But then, so was Lenzi herself--that is, her past selves. (Make of that what you will.)


I loved, loved, loved watching Alden and Lenzi helping ghosts pass on, from sweet little girls to disgruntled old ladies. That, plus a mysterious "bad guy" and Lenzi's unexplained memory loss, makes for a twisty, turny, actiony book of AWESOME! 


Altogether, Shattered Souls definitely gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag

Waiting on Wednesday: A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "Ooooooooooooohhhhhhh look, a book!" is the sequel to A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies: A Fractured Light!


As it's the sequel to ABD, beware of spoilers for the first book in the synopsis!

When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. But it’s not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories of Devin and his shocking betrayal come flooding back.  

Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she’s capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can’t forgive the Order for nearly killing her, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.  

A Fractured Light picks up right after A Beautiful Dark's shocking cliffhanger ending and is perfect for fans of Lauren Kate’s Fallen and Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush saga. 

I really, really liked A Beautiful Dark. (By that, of course I mean I utterly love Asher.) So I'm really eager (and honestly, kinda nervous) to see what happens next! And even though love triangles and I are not on the best terms lately, I'm pretty confident that Skye will make the right choice. Right?


Right?


What are you waiting for this week?


(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

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!

Today's teasers come from the second book in the Tiger's Curse series, Tiger's Quest. I totally love this series so far, even though there's some stuff going on in this one that makes me sad :( Anyway, check them out:

1.
     "Iadala, you will never lose me. I'll always be near you. Give me a chance, Kells. Please."
     -Page 73
2.
     No girl in her right mind could look at him--even without knowing everything I know--and think he was average.     -Page 73

(:D)
~Mag 

Cover Reveal: My Super Sweet 16th Century (Plus an excerpt!)

Hey guys! The cover has been revealed for My Super Sweet 16th Century by Rachel Harris! Check it out:

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.  

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.  

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Sounds pretty cool, right?


And, I have an excerpt from the book to share with you guys!

I hear their muffled whispers and understand every Italian word. Every witty comment made at my expense.

It’s like my brain is automatically translating.

I bunch the soft fabric of the dress in my hand and then reach up to feel the ribbon in my hair. I lightly skim my fingers over my chin and feel my lack of zit. I take in the costumes of the crowd, the stench of the animals, and the Italian I can now speak and understand. And suddenly it hits me.

Reyna must have pulled some kind of gypsy mojo.

Maybe this is one of those nifty “change your life” magic scenarios like in the movies. I mean, mostly I’m still expecting to blink and be right back in the midst of overpriced, gaudy tourism, but for now, the gypsy-time-warp explanation is infinitely better than thinking I’ve lost my mind. As I decide to go with that option, I feel my frantic tension melt away.

The growing crowd seems to notice my change in demeanor and begins shooting one another amused looks, but I don’t care anymore. A smile stretches across my face. Evidently, I was wrong earlier; Reyna is a psychic mind reader, because if this is her special brand of bibbity-bobbity-boo, then she made my exact daydream from earlier in the courtyard come to life.

The long red gown, the braided hair, the Italian merchant’s daughter, the time period. I am in Renaissance Florence.

I stare dumbly at the ground, the words and reality sinking in.

I’m in Renaissance Florence! 

There's another excerpt floating around, too, but I shared this one because I didn't see it anywhere else. If you'd like to see the other one, one place to find it is HERE! 

My Super Sweet 16th Century, by Rachel Harris is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

(:D)
~Mag

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!! (Hawkins+Hex Hall!)

I'm so excited, you guys. In a couple weeks I'm going to see Rachel Hawkins on her Spell Bound tour. Yeah, RACHEL HAWKINS. I can't even tell you how awesome this is for me. I absolutely adore the Hex Hall series, so this is a very big deal.


And I'm spreading the awesome!


Because Rachel is going to be signing books at this event and I want EVERYONE to know about this series, I'm going to get a copy of Hex Hall (the first book in the series) signed for one of you guys! I can even get it personalized for you if you'd like! Interested? Enter the Rafflecopter below and please spread the word!!

This book here! SIGNED!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



*EDITED TO ADD*


Okay, guys, the giveaway is now closed! I'm off to pick a winner and whoever it is will be announced soon. 


Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I really do wish you could all win! (:D)


The giveaway ends on Friday, March 16th. One (1) winner will be randomly selected and will be announced the next day, Saturday the 17th. Winner will be contacted by email and must respond with their details within twenty-four (24) hours or another winner will be chosen :) Thanks for entering!

(Oh, and check out all Rachel's tour details at readingwritingrachel.blogspot.com)
(:D)
~Mag

Waiting on Wednesday: Predestined by Abbi Glines

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS HAVE YOU SEEN THIS??" is the second book in the Existence Trilogy by Abbi Glines: Predestined.

(Watch out for Existence spoilers in the synopsis!)

You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder. 

The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited. 

Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on.

I only just read Existence, like, two days ago, but I thought it was awesome! (Review coming soon.) And I loved Dank from the very beginning. I'm totally excited to find out what happens next for Pagan and Dank. And I love the last line in that synopsis--so Dank :)

What are you waiting on this week?

(:D)
~Mag