Illuminae

Illuminae

By: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published: October 20th, 2015
Pages: 608
Rating: 4 out of 5 

Summary:

"This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again."-Goodreads

Review:
   
   I was super excited to start reading this novel. I ordered it off amazon and when it came in the mail, honestly I jumped up and down! It seemed like everyone had already read it, or received it as an ARC. Every single person I knew that had a copy already raved about how beautiful the cover was, and i'll admit I am a sucker for a gorgeous cover. The cover is unlike any other book I own, its see through, and when it comes off, underneath are words. 

   When I settled in and starting to read the novel I was a little bit of a skeptic, because the format is different to say the least. However the more I read the more I liked it. The format gave the book an edge, and really helped make the story relatable. Like you were actually there, reading the messages. I know that some people didn't enjoy the way it was written, but I feel it adds character. It's not everyday you come across a book like this. I personally like something unexpected, and rare. I found this book to be a breath of fresh air that I really needed. 

   I did have some problems with the characters, I wasn't very attached to them as I thought I would be. I felt they lacked some passion, something that made me really connect with them. I'm not saying they acted like robots, but maybe just a little flat. With that being said, the action makes up for the semi-dull characters. Man I love it when there is some action, gets my adrenaline pumping, and my eyes start reading faster and faster. It drew me in, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. 

   Overall I really enjoyed the book, I flew through the pages, and wanted more. Thats the problem when you read a book that just comes out. You have to wait a whole year or so for the next one. 

The Evolution of Mara Dyer #2

The Evolution Of Mara Dyer

By: Michelle Hodkin 
Published: October 23, 2012
Pages: 528
Rating: 

UNDECLARED 

Summary:

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can't. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't. She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She's wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?- Goodreds.com

Review:
   
   My head is still reeling from this book! I honestly haven't decided if I love it or hate it. It kept me guessing, and entertained, I just question if it left too much in the dark. I had high hopes for this book, due to the fact that the first book was amazing, in my opinion. I just don't think the second book followed the first book like I was expecting...

   I guess my biggest problem with this book, was the fact that I didn't feel like the plot was progressing very much. The structure of it didn't make too much sense. It seems like it just kind of got more confusing and more layered. I had so many thoughts, and questions that were left completely unanswered.

   I'm not the type of girl that has to have a book with a bunch of romance, but I was a little disappointed with there being hardly any Noah. Noah Hot Shaw was kind of like a ghost in the book to be honest. Which I guess is okay because there was other matters at hand, but I feel like there maybe could have been some other action. It seemed the whole book was wrapped up so tightly over one thing, and literally nothing else. 

   As I have said before, I haven't officially decided what I think of the book, on one hand I was totally hooked, and couldn't put the book down, but on the other hand I had issues with the plot base. If any of you have read this book, I would love to hear about y'alls opinions!  

Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die 
By: Danielle Paige
Published: April 01, 2014
Pages: 452
Rating: 


Summary:

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.- Goodreds.com

Review:
   
   This may come as a surprise, but honestly I could never stand watching the movie the Wizard of Oz. I'm not sure if it was because I was forced to watch it what felt like hundreds of times, or because of the movie itself. The plot was never interesting enough for me to enjoy, and I found the whole thing boring, kind of like waking up and going to school everyday boring.

   Now I'm sure you're wondering why I decided to read this book if I hated the Wizard of Oz? Well when my cell phone was revoked, and I was to spend the entire weekend with my mother, and this was the only remotely teen appropriate book left at target, I really didn't have much of a choice.

   Having said that, I'm really glad I got the opportunity to read this book! I started reading this book with a closed mind, but after about 40 pages, I was hooked. The main character Amy was witty, and different. I could relate to her, and found her to be realistic. This book is like the Wizard of Oz hyped up on Monster. I would have never thought I would have liked this book this much. If you love action, and adventure I would mark this one to read. I can't wait to see where the story takes me next.

Cover Love Thursday-4

Isnt Cover Love Thursday Button amazing??? My blogger buddy Eileen made it for me! Check out her blog ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***

The cover I picked this week is.....

Title: Invisibility

Author: David Levithan , Andrea Cremer 

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Philomel

Pages: 357

Summary:

     Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.. -Goodreads

Why I picked it:

The bright neon yellow drew me in, along with the vibrant blue. I like how the words over lap the characters bodies, and how the male's face is blurred more then the female's face is. 

MIA- Missing in Action

To all the people reading this, I am so sorry i haven't been blogging! I have been super busy, and i honestly haven't had time. that is soon to change, ill be up and blogging in March, but dont worry ive still been reading :)

                                                                                     -Kayla

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My Pick Of The Week:

Touched

by: Cyn Balog

Pages: 320

Publication Date: August 14, 2012

Summary:

 Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.

But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there? 

In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . .

Blog Tour: Guest Post

No Good Deed

Author: Bill Blais

Published: March 9, 2012

Synopsis: Kelly McGinnis has spent her adult life trying to do the right thing, but as a newly down-sized mother of twins and the wife of a man living with Muscular Sclerosis, she also knows that trying isn’t always enough.

While interrupting a scene of police brutality, Kelly unwittingly releases a real, live demon. After she manages to kill the creature through gut instinct and blind luck, she is approached to join a secret group of demon hunters who reveal an underworld of monsters and magic. Kelly’s mill town upbringing proves an unexpected asset and the pay more than covers her husband’s treatments, but the work begins to undermine her sense of right and wrong as she struggles to maintain her ‘normal’ life.

When she encounters Umber, a compelling incubus with an unexpectedly human story, Kelly learns that the truth is far stranger and more terrifying than she imagined.

Listening to the Voices in Your Head

Author Bill Blais explains how he approaches characterization and where the inspiration for the characters in the Kelly and Umber Series came from.

In a word? Listening.

For the longest time, I wrote plots to which I added characters, resulting in a whole lot of cardboard cutouts having expository conversations with one another. It took an embarrassingly long time to get over this (mostly, anyway), but the realization came during the writing of my first book, Witness.

Up to then, I had stuck with (and floundered in) short fiction, but the long form of a novel meant I was spending far longer with the characters and it quickly became apparent that they had to come first. Even in the outlining stage, I found myself stuck when I couldn't answer basic questions like what a character is afraid of, much less what he or she was motivated by.

It was about that time that I remembered something I had read years before, where Maya Angelou described part of her writing process (for the record, I may have this wrong, but it's how I remembered it and how it impacted me, so my apologies to Dr. Angelou for any inaccuracies). Before writing a word of the 'story' itself, she wrote every last thing she could think of about her characters, page after page of character traits, fears, likes, heroes, favorite foods, whatever came to her about the character in question. It was only after she did this that she felt she could properly write a story with those characters that treated them 'honestly'.

While I didn't fully follow this fabulous advice (I was still hasty and painfully over-confident in my own fledgling abilities), I did take much more time with the characters than I ever had before, and the result was stronger, more honest depictions of these characters as real people.

With the Kelly & Umber Series, I spent even more time on finding out exactly who the various characters were. For No Good Deed, Kelly was the obvious focus for this work, in order to make her voice as believable as possible, followed by Denis & team, but I found myself drawn into the lives of each of the characters in the story, regardless of how prominent they were (I still have a soft spot for Linwood, for example, and he's 'on-screen' for a single scene).

I'd be lying if I said the characters I write aren't based on people I know, but they are amalgamations rather than reproductions. As I 'listened' to the stories of these characters, I found myself referencing the gestures of this former co-worker of mine, the slang of that uncle or the hair style of the shift leader of my local supermarket. When it came to hopes, fears and motivations, though, I was finally in tune enough with the unique qualities of these individuals to hear what they themselves felt, rather than me giving them these things.

Umber was the only odd-ball in this process for me, but that itself made sense, given who and what he is. He took much longer to get a grip on, to accurately hear, than the others, because I repeatedly found myself trying to take the easy way out with him, but it never fit. In the end, he is the least 'believable' but I believe that's part of the point, providing as much draw as frustration for me as an author (and for Kelly in her interactions with him).

No Good Deed

No Good Deed

Author: Bill Blais

Published: March 9, 2012
Rating: 
 

Synopsis: Kelly McGinnis has spent her adult life trying to do the right thing, but as a newly down-sized mother of twins and the wife of a man living with Muscular Sclerosis, she also knows that trying isn’t always enough.

While interrupting a scene of police brutality, Kelly unwittingly releases a real, live demon. After she manages to kill the creature through gut instinct and blind luck, she is approached to join a secret group of demon hunters who reveal an underworld of monsters and magic. Kelly’s mill town upbringing proves an unexpected asset and the pay more than covers her husband’s treatments, but the work begins to undermine her sense of right and wrong as she struggles to maintain her ‘normal’ life.

When she encounters Umber, a compelling incubus with an unexpectedly human story, Kelly learns that the truth is far stranger and more terrifying than she imagined.

Review: 

   After looking at the cover of No Good Deed, i was a little scared i wouldn't like it, but i was wrong! After reading the Prologue i was completely hooked! Bill Blais has created a truly interesting and creative novel.

  I was so happy that the romance is this book wasn't over the top, i mean the romance isnt suppose to be the main focus, I have read a couple of novels where the romance turns into the main focus when its not suppose to be. 

  

   No Good Deed would have gotten a 5 star rating, but i did have a couple problems along the way, so i did take away one star, but I would still recommend this book!

Stacking the Shelves-8

Rules

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, blog, sky is the limit!
• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.
• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!
• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases the books that you got last week

All the books I got this week:

Books Mentioned:
Paperbacks from Bookcloseout:
Solitary
twenty boy summer
Jellicoe road
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl
Good Girls
Anatomy of a Boyfriend
Girl in the Arena
Hardcovers from Bookcloseout:
the beginning of after
So Shelly
Rosebush
Eve
The Body Finder
Desires of the Dead
Paranormalcy
Blood Magic
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
The Julian Game

Bought at Barnes and Noble
Anna Dressed in Blood
Beauty Queens
My Life Next Door

Recieved From Book Blogger Friend Eileen
Revived
The Nine Lives Of Chole King
Breathe

Cover Love Thursday-3

Isnt Cover Love Thursday Button amazing??? My blogger buddy Eileen made it for me! Check out her blog ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***

Cover Love Thursday! It's super easy and super fun!

• Every Thursday, highlight the prettiest cover you have seen for that week. It can be from a cover reveal, a book you've started reading, or a book you recently added to your TBR list.
• Add your name to the Linky list below.
• Write your own Cover Love Thursday post! :)

The cover I picked this week is.....

Title: Dark Star

Author: Bethany Frenette 

Publication Date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 368

Summary:

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight.When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves. -Goodreads

Why I picked it:

 The background is really neat, and so is the blue they used. I also like the green on the front of the cover. The font for Dark Star is really pretty, and I like that its at an angle.  

Impulse

Impulse 
By: Ellen Hopkins
Published: January 23, 2007
Pages: 666
Rating: 



Summary:

Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same.

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide.

Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.

Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.

And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.

In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place. Goodreads

Review:
   I put "Impulse" last on my list thinking I wouldn't like it. I have proved myself wrong. the swirl of emotions and the raw, bitter thoughts that travel thought these 3 characters minds are truly amazing. I kept thinking to myself I don't want it to end. I fell deep in love with this book, for it has took me on an amazing journey to somewhere I never expected to go. The pain that Connor, Tony and Vanessa all share is truly hard to imagine, that's the one thing that ties them together. What sets them apart is the difference in what pain they have.
   Connor wants to feel loved from his mom, the mom that never kissed him, the one who always compared him to his "Perfect" sister Cara. Connor feels that he will never impress his parents, that he will never be better than Cara. For this Connor pulled the trigger. Will he try again? Time will tell. 
   For Tony his secrets come out, deep dark over powering, mind blowing hidden secrets. Tony was neglected as a child, when he did what was "right" he spent most of his childhood years behind bars. For Tony being gay is what he thought he knew, being raped a 8, by Larry made him believe that. Is he really gay? you wonder, you will see. 
   Vanessa loves the control of where she can bleed, she loves the thrill. When her mom is Bipolar, and Daddy isn't around Vanessa sinks down to a hue of blue. She wants someone to care about someone to love and feel the warmth of their skin. When she loses that she cuts a little deep almost deep enough, but not quite. 
   These lives were saved, but will their minds be after they being brought to "Aspen Springs" ? one will never be home again,and that's why they did it, because they couldn't bare the thought of dealing with "home"

Stacking the Shelves-7

Rules

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, blog, sky is the limit!
• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.
• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!
• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases the books that you got last week

All the books I got this week:

Pictures:

Bloggers Mentioned:

Eileen

Identical

Identical 

By: Ellen Hopkins

Published: Aug. 26, 2008

Pages: 565

 Rating:

Summary: 

Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place? Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin. For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex. Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who?- GR

Review:

"1 egg 1 sperm, but how many souls?"  Once I read the first couple of pages there wasn't any going back, only forward. Raeanne and Kaeleigh were brought into this world by monsters. Their Mother and Father are to blame, ever since this horrible car wreck their family was never the same. At first it seems that Raeanne is the bad one of the family, but no matter what she does it will never compare to what her mother and father did.  Kaeleigh was just a child, she was to young, but did that stop her father from doing things we all know is wrong , NO! He took advantage of his own daughter, used her. Kaeleigh just wanted to make her dad happy, that's what he told her, that she was making daddy happy. You see daddy plays a game of favorites, and Kaeleigh doesn't have to cheat to win. Kaeleigh is more like her mother and Raeanne is more like her father, I'm still trying to figure out who is worse. 

Bruises. That's what Kaeleigh showed her mom, bruises that daddy gave her. Kaeleigh tried to reach out to her mom, only to be shut down. Her mother turned the other cheek, she looked away and let a monster run wild. Its not her fault what her husband did, but it is her fault that he wasn't stopped right then and there. But stopping her husband would lead gossip and a smear of the Gardella name. 

Raeanne was always second in her fathers eyes, she was never good enough for him. All she wanted was his affection, the affection that he gave Kaeleigh. The problems she has wont go away, they follow her everywhere she goes. Not only does mom and dad know about the abuse but so does someone else. We all have secrets and problems but the ones theses two girls carry on their backs is to much for anyone to handle. Their lives with rip at the seems, but the question is who will be left standing and who will just fade away. 

Author Interview and Giveaway!

Don't You Wish By: Roxanne St. Claire

Publication Date: July 10, 2012

Pages: 368

Summary:

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.  
In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilarating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.
But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.
So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think

Author Interview:

1. What's your favorite color?

I think this will be carved on my gravestone:  "You can never have too many pink sweaters."  So, I guess that answers the question.

2. Where do you do most of your writing at?

I write primarily in my office at home, but I also have three writer friends who gather about twice a week at various homes and we write in a group.  We call it "Writer's Camp" and we have pretty strict rules: we don't chat (much) about anything that isn't related to our stories (we range from erotica to urban fantasies to sweet romance to young adult) and we don't stop for lunch until we all have over 1,000 words on paper on our individual manuscripts.  Obviously, we're all working on different books, some rough drafting, some revising, some editing.  During lunch, we brainstorm.  Or gossip.  After lunch, we try to write 2,000 more words.  Not only is this a great way to be accountable, we've discovered a fantastic synergy and a way to cure the lonely writer blues. Also, we keep each other from online shopping or obsessive tweeting, thus increasing every one's productivity.

3. How come you decided to write a YA novel?

I read YA more than any other genre, and have for many years.  Pre-TWILIGHT, it was a secret guilty pleasure; post-TWILIGHT I was just another adult who loved teen novels.  But I never thought I had the voice for the genre...until my kids were teens and I became fully immersed in all things high school.  I think if you're not around teenagers a lot, it can be hard to really understand them well enough to climb into a character's head and make the story realistic and contemporary.  One day, my daughter asked me a question that really got me thinking and wham! I knew I had a story idea.  Once I started writing it -- purely for fun (we writers are crazy like that) -- I just couldn't stop.  After I'd written a synopsis and a few chapters, I sent it to my agent and expected her to ask and say, now,Roxanne, stick with what you've been writing.  Au contraire!  She sold it to Random House/Delacorte!

4. What was the hardest thing about writing Don't You wish?

Honestly, it was the present tense.  First person was the ONLY way to write that story, but for some reason, every time I tried to write in past tense, my fingers refused to cooperate.  First person present tense just felt so right for Annie's story.  So once I got used to it, I had no problems.  The first draft was accepted without revision, I'm happy to say, but then the book was optioned for film (I'm even happier to say).  When the producer began adapting the manuscript for film, he mentioned some things he wanted to change and I thought they were brilliant suggestions.  So I asked my editor if I could write another draft, just to ensure that the book was as close as possible to the screenplay.  That was a challenge, but I'm certain those changes made WISH a stronger story.

5. If Don't You Wish became a movie, who would you want to play Annie?

I certainly hope it does!  I can say that the script has been read by Selena Gomez and she is pretty much my number one choice.  But that's not in my hands! *drops to knees and prays*

6. Are you a dog or cat person?

Oh, I am a big, fat, gooey, unabashed, crazy dog person!  I am amused by cats but reduced to a baby-talking pile of mush around dogs.  I have two: a moody little Australian terrier named Pepper and a brand new (out of control) Shih Tzu named Ginger. We call them the Spice Girls.

7. Do you have a favorite author? If so then who?

I have sooooo many.  I will say that as I write this,I'm reading an early copy of Gena Showalter's next young adult novel, ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND and yowzers!  This is a great book!  So, Gena's my favorite du jour.  But I have many, many, many auto buys since I love to read as much as I love to write!

8. Did you have any say in the cover? Its beautiful :)

Thank you!  My say was pretty much limited to "Oh,I like that."  Actually, there were many, many versions, but from the beginning the Delacorte art department loved the girl with the heart-shaped glasses.  Only about two months ago, there was a late-in-the-game decision to change the cover to better reflect the parallel universe aspect of the story, so the reflection was added at the bottom, the font was changed, and the tag line was included.  I love the final cover so much!

9. How long did you think Don't You Wish was going to be from the start?

I thought it would be a bit shorter, honestly. I thought I could tell that story in about 60 - 65,000 words.  It's closer to 85,000, and I'm very happy that my publisher didn't cap me at any particular length.  In the outline of the book, I had no idea Charlie had a sister and what an incredibly important role she'd play in Annie's journey.  With the discovery of that character (and I do discover them sometimes -- as surprised as the reader!) I had to layer in quite a bit more emotion and action, and the book had legs.  But I feel like it's exactly the right length now and I hope readers do, too!

Giveaway(US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal- ReAwakened

ReAwakened
By: Ada Adams
Expected Publication: Fall 2012

Summary: (For ReVamped) 
A simple mission turned deadly.
Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same  -GR 

My thoughts: 
The first word that pops into my mind is.....WOW! I loved ReVampeds' cover, but I have to say, I love ReAwakeneds even MORE! Both of theses stunning covers were made by Juliana Kolesova @ www.julianakolesova.com so go check out some of her of work! :D 
Links:
ReVamped Website 
ReVamped Facebook Page 
ReVamped on Goodreads 
Ada Adams On Twitter 
ReVamped On Amazon 
ReVamped On B&N 

Random Act Of Kindness

COMPLETE RULES RE-CAP:
Please read carefully & follow all rules! Thank you!

• Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
• Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code is in the right sidebar).
• Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog, etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger directly for their information.
• Once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
• E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble with Nook as well.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K by making a "RAK Wrap-Up" post. This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well who you RECEIVED gifts from :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE including all our International brethren!

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Wishlist:


172 Hours On the Moon
Until I die
Revived
Shade
Anna and the french kiss

THANKS! ;)

Stacking The Shelves-6

Rules

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, blog, sky is the limit!
• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.
• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!
• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases the books that you got last week

My Books:

Bought @ Half Price Books

Books Mentioned:

Burned

Vampire Academy

Endless Summer

Die For Me

Bloodlines

All these things i've done

Leave your links below, I want to see what YOU got this week! :D

Cover Love Thursday-2

<a href="http://kismetkayla.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii483/EileenLi8/Button/CoverLoveThursday.jpg" border="0" alt="Cover Love Thursday!"></a>

Isnt Cover Love Thursday Button amazing??? My blogger buddy Eileen made it for me! Check out her blog ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***

Cover Love Thursday! It's super easy and super fun!

• Every Thursday, highlight the prettiest cover you have seen for that week. It can be from a cover reveal, a book you've started reading, or a book you recently added to your TBR list.
• Add your name to the Linky list below.
• Write your own Cover Love Thursday post! :)

The cover I picked this week is.....

Title: Ironskin

Author: Tina Connolly

Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Tor Books

Pages: 304

Summary:

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again- Goodreads

Why I picked it:

 All the smoke, and swirls make the cover for Ironskin look mysteris, and dark I also really love the background as well.The yellow makes the words "ironskin" just pop! I think that this cover fits Ironskin perfectly :D