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.

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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

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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