New Update!

Hello everyone. All of my Reviews, that I have yet to write, will be posted sporadically during the summer. After the end of this summer, I will not be posting on here anymore, as you will see the info on the right side of the blog.
Thanks for your understanding.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Jillian Dodd Appreciation & Giveaway Event!

“THANK YOU Jillian for all that you do!”

Friends of Jillian Dodd are showing their appreciation!

In appreciation for the hard work and effort indie author Jillian Dodd does behind the scenes for authors, her writing friends are offering YOU the chance to win one of her books! You can choose from one of the Keatyn Chronicles:  STALK ME or KISS ME. Or maybe you prefer one of the titles in the That Boy series: THAT BOY or THAT WEDDING. All books are New Adult contemporary romance. Good luck!


Book Descriptions

Gossip girl meets Hollywood in this new series by That Boy author, Jillian Dodd.


Keatyn has everything she ever dreamed of. Her life is following the script she wrote for the perfect high school experience. She’s popular, goes to the best parties, dates the hottest guy, and sits at the most coveted lunch table.  
She’s just not sure she wants it anymore.
Because really, things aren’t all that perfect.
Her best friend is threatening to tell everyone her perfect relationship is a scam. 
Her perfect boyfriend gets drunk at every party they go to. 
It’s exhausting always trying to look and act perfect.
And deep down, she isn’t sure if she has any true friends. 
To add to the drama, her movie star mom’s long-time fan has turned stalker.
An older man is flirting with her and telling her they should make a movie together. 
And she’s crushing on an adorable surfer. Dating a guy like him would mean committing social suicide.
So she writes a new script. One where all the pieces of her life will come together in perfect harmony. 
But little does she know, there’s someone who will do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.




I've always written scripts for my perfect life.

But no way could I have ever scripted this.
My life is so far from perfect, it’s not even funny.
All because of a stalker.

I’m at a boarding school where I have to lie about who I am.
I can’t see my family.
I’m tutoring a Hottie God that tortures me with his smile.
The most popular girl already hates me.
But there’s this boy.
This hot, sweet, sexy boy.
So I’m going to stop trying to script my life and just live it.
Because who knows how long I have left.





That Boy is a contemporary romance about falling in love with the boys next door.


You know, being friends with two cute boys does have its benefits. 

There's Danny. Danny is a golden boy in every way. He has dreamy blue eyes and blonde hair that always looks perfect, even when it’s windblown or been stuck under a football helmet. He’s the boy every girl crushes on. The boy I get into trouble with, the boy I fight with, the hot quarterback no girl can resist, not even me. Being with Danny is like being on an adventure. He has a bright, contagious smile and abs to die for. He’s pretty much irresistible.

Equally crush worthy is Phillip. Adorable, sweet Phillip, who I have known since birth.  Phillip has dark hair, a perfect smile, brown eyes, and the sexiest voice I have ever heard. He’s the boy I talk to every night before I go to sleep. The boy who rescues me, the boy who can read my mind, the boy who is always there for me, the boy who tries to keep me out of trouble, the boy who irritatingly keeps getting hotter, and whose strong arms always seem to find their way around me.  And when he gives me that grin, I can never say no.

One boy will give me my very first kiss.
One boy will teach me to make out.
One boy will take me to prom.
And finally, one boy will ask me to marry him.
They will both be my best friends.
But only one of them will be the boy I fall in love with.
Only one of them is That Boy.




The gorgeous engagement ring on my finger mimics my happiness.

I feel so sparkly, glittery, and full of promise, because I absolutely know he's that boy.
The boy I want to marry. My prince. My happily ever after.

But then our pastor starts asking lots of questions.
His parents say I haven’t dealt with my past. 
I have horrible wedding disaster dreams.
I can’t find the perfect dress.
I have to manipulate him to get my way.
An old boyfriend asks me to run away with him.
My best friend says I'm going to ruin everything.
And forever starts to sound like a really long time.

Which totally freaks me out and makes me question everything I know.

Should best friends get married? 
Will my past affect our relationship?
Are my horrible dreams a warning?
Will I ever find a dress?
Could his sexiness be clouding my judgment?
Am I going to ruin everything?
Or is it just a case of cold feet?

And then I have to decide. Am I willing to give up on true love forever, or am I going to listen to my heart and marry him?





About The Author & Social Media Links

Jillian is the author of the That Boy series and The Keatyn Chronicles. She grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She lives in Texas with her family.

https://www.facebook.com/JillianDodd1
https://twitter.com/JillianDodd


Giveaway Details & Rules

- This is an International Giveaway!
- This Giveaway Ends January 5!
- The E-Book you choose will be gifted from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
- Please Be At Least 17, as there is Mature Content in these Novels
- Be honest with your Entries, as if there is one that you said you did, but did not do, then your entries will not count, so please be honest. I will be checking regularly. 
 - As you submit Entries, be sure to use an Email that you use daily, as that is how I will contact you, if you win. You will have 24 hours to Respond, or I will have to choose a New Winner!
- And Good Luck! :)





Sunday, December 30, 2012

Saving You, Saving Me By: Kailin Gow

 This is an overdue Review, but here you go :)


First, here's a Book Description Via Goodreads

18 year old high school senior and aspiring psychologist Samantha Sullivan (Sam) never thought she would fall for the one mysterious guy she has been speaking to over the phone for months, the boy the counselors called Daggers. She wasn't supposed to talk to him outside of their sessions. But as she began to peel the layers of Daggers and learn who he is, the one boy she is supposed to be saving, might just be the one who is saving her.

Saving You Saving Me inspired the Saving You Saving Me Project found at: 
http://www.SavingYouSavingMe.com


The Saving YOU Saving ME Project was inspired by the book, which tells the story of Samantha (Sam) Sullivan, who becomes a peer counselor at a teen and young adult crisis center called Sawyer House. The Saving YOU Saving ME Project tries to replicate the atmosphere of Sawyer House by allowing a place for teens through adults a place to share their issues anonymously and in doing so, might be able to help others learn from it or might receive feedback from people about what to do.




My Review

This was, all in all, a very good story. Some of it though, even though it's a sort of a different age group and does not involve many sex scenes, it just reminds me of a certain erotica trilogy; just some though, I mean the plot is essentially different and I did like, that it was authentic, in a few ways. 

There were some scenes, where I wish, there was more closure to, where there was more showing than telling. It seems like there was not that much of descriptive transitions between scenes, or chapters; this is what I thought personally. I think the characters were written all right. I think it was great that this whole story was from Sam's POV, but again, I just wish that certain scenes had more to add on, instead of abrupt closures. I also believe, there could have been more depth in the characters' feelings, to just really feel what they feel, because, it sometimes didn't seem believable; like the scene just moved too fast without really feeling anything toward the character(s). I felt like this in the beginning towards the middle of the story; I just didn't feel any sort of connection, but I do feel there was more story and more feeling, toward the end. 

I felt there was a flow, at times, but not always. I did like that Sam was interested in the psychology field and genuinely wanted to help others with their problems and there are a few scenes where you will see this. I do look forward to reading the next story, as I'm interested to see what happens next. 

My Rating: 3/5
I say a Strong PG-13 Rating (Sexual Situations & Some Language)


New Novels On My Shelf *11*

I know there are other memes, that includes where we got our books from, in the past week, and for me, back in July, I just wanted to organize my New Books, my own way, and I came up with this simple Title: New Novels On My Shelf
 
I will usually post on Sundays, on what I received this past week, including: Books for Upcoming Blog Tours I will participate in; ARCs via NetGalley/EdelweissE-Books/Print Copies from Authors for Reviews, Kindle Freebies & Books I Purchased Myself!...So here you Go :)


*Click The Covers To Check The Book Descriptions!*


NetGalley/Edelweiss ARCs
(Thanks to the Publishers for providing these ARCs)




Review Request
(Thanks to the Author for providing a Review Copy)




Kindle Freebies
(These were Free on Amazon for a Limited Amount of Time)





My Purchases This Week




**Also, want to mention these Titles I am sharing, I will Review in the future or in the upcoming months and I will give a truthful Review. I do all of this with my free time, and love it!** 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

(US) Signed Print Giveaway of Return To Arethane By: Kelly Riad (1 Day ONLY)

*This Giveaway Ends Tonight, December 30th!




Book Description
16-year old Emily has accepted her fate with each weakening beat of her heart, but after her best friend's brother and sister arrive in town and turn out to be more than what they appear, Emily's life is turned upside-down. When their friendship includes confronting wizards who harbor dark secrets and dancing with an elf prince, Emily discovers there are some things still worth living for.


Author Bio
Kelly Riad is from Texas where she lived with her husband and a house overrun by pets. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay area and is determined to bring the y'all to the West Coast.  While she published her first book - a handmade pop-up titled "The Lost Puppy" - in the fifth grade to much acclaim by the first graders, she only recently picked the craft back up. "Return to Arèthane" is her second published novel.


Giveaway Rules

- You must Be a Resident of the United States To Enter!
As you submit Entries, be sure to use an Email that you use daily, as that is how I will contact you, if you win. You will have 24 hours to Respond, or I will have to choose a New Winner!
Please Be Honest With Your Entries; I Will Be Checking!
- And Good Luck!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Holiday eBook Sale (All Books .99 cents- The Indie Book Festival) & Amazon Gift Card Giveaway


The Post-Christmas Holiday Book Sale, hosted by the Indie Book Festival, will kick off on December 28 and run through December 31. All books will be .99!! The Indie Book Festival will be posting the participating books to their Facebook page as well. The Indie Book Festival website is the premier online website for seasonal ebook sales events! From Halloween to Valentine's Day – we'll celebrate it by bringing you bestselling books by today’s hottest Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal and Young Adult indie authors.


You can also enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card now! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feature & Follow *9*


Feature & Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.


Q: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

Wow, this is pretty hard! lol Hmmm As I'm writing, I've literally come blank....I think...well, even though I want to post recent books like Thoughtless & Effortless By: S.C. Stephens, I think I'm going to go with... the Harry Potter Series by the wonderful Author: J.K. Rowling! This is an absolute favorite series of mine. You probably all have read it, so yeah, this is the one 'series' I think everyone should read, and I would gift these books to the entire population, so there :)

But...if I had to pick one, my actual favorite is: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire!




Now, What Book or...Series did You Choose?
~Marissa

Atonement By: Elle Chardou *Review*

*Click The Banner To Follow The Tour*

Book Description
(From Goodreads)

The first installment of The Atonement Series.

Deirdre Bardot is a PhD student at Harvard and on her way home for Thanksgiving when she finds out her father has been murdered in a vicious hit and run by a drunk driver.

Forced to piece her life together after such a traumatic event, Deirdre moves back to Seattle to be closer to her younger sister, Caitlyn, and their mother.

When her psychiatrist, Dr. van der Meer, suggests she needs to get away from it all and take a vacation, her best friend decides to introduce her to a friend of his who has more or less the same idea. Colin is perfect: he's good looking, self-deprecating and sexy as hell but he also happens to be the Dr. van der Meer's son.

Deirdre finds herself falling hard for a guy she barely knows and one who is equally into her as she is into him. They decide a trip to Western Europe together is the perfect way to get to know one another a whole lot better.

Then an unspeakable and random act of violence occurs one night and Colin realizes he is forced to reveal a secret to Deirdre he has been hiding...a secret that is breaking him, and in doing so to free his conscience, he just might destroy the relationship he has created with Deirdre and lose her forever.
Publisher's Note: Due to mature adult themes, sexually explicit scenes and adult language, this novel is not suitable for minors under the age of 18.




About The Author
Elle Chardou is a world traveler and author of several different series.

Ms. Chardou is the author of The Ties That Bind Trilogy, The Atonement Series, The Hart Family Saga, The Vamp Saga, The Supernaturals, Beginnings: Book I (The Plague) series.

She is currently working on Killing Me Softly, Only Love, Jenna & the City of Light, and several novellas for her paranormal series.

Ms. Chardou has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. 


Social & Buy Links
·      Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/Elle.Chardou
·      Twitter   http://twitter.com/#!/dblanchbenz007




My Review
(Thanks to the Author for providing a Review Copy)
 
This was a good story that definitely had a lot of components, including intrigue. In the beginning, there's the introduction of, really, all the main characters. We read from the main character's POV: Deirdre, throughout the whole novel. I think she's a believable character at times, but I thought there was just a bit more conversation between characters, more than I'm usually used to. I think the concept of taking a European trip was interesting and I think it did bond the soon to be lovers, Deirdre and Colin. I can tell right from the beginning, that Colin was keeping a secret from Deirdre, and you'll definitely know what it is, by the end of the story, and towards the end, it does make you question, if this couple will make it as a couple in the second book, so that will be an intense read. 

My Rating: 3.5/5
Definitely R-Rated (Strong Mature Content; 18+)



The Inadvertent Thief By: Leti Del Mar *Excerpt & Giveaway*

*Click The Tour Banner To Check Out Other Stops*

Hello everyone! On The Inadvertent Thief Blog Tour Stop here, you will see an Excerpt...& Giveaway, where the Author is giving away 1 $25 Amazon Gift Card! Check that out below, to see what you have to do, to Gain Entries. Also, The Inadvertent Thief is FREE for Download on Smashwords, until Dec. 31st, so Click Here To Go To That Site!


Book Description
(From Goodreads)

In The Inadvertent Thief, Vivien Flowers specializes in protecting fine art and her highly structured world comes to a halt when two very special paintings are stolen. In her fierce determination to get them back, Vivien learns how to become a thief. The handsome insurance agent assigned to the case is eager to help and together they unravel the clues that lead to a complicated web of intrigue.




Read This Book Excerpt

He approached me with a quick and light step.  His eyes crinkled into a smirk that looked especially prepared for me.  He was tall and had a strong muscular build that was apparent even underneath his suit and tie.  Coming right towards me, the intensity of his green eyes nearly took my breath.  I felt the need to look away but was uncontrollably sucked into his gaze.  His angular features spread into an even wider grin.
“Vivien Flowers?”  The voice was pleasant and surprisingly deep.
“Um, yes.”  My tear filled eyes quickly swept over his chiseled, razor-sharp features. 
“You’re just the person I was looking for.” Again the smile flashed and my knees weakened.  “Walter Johnson.  Pleased to meet you.” 
The insurance guy?  That was fast.  We shook hands.
“What can I do for you?” I was relived at how even my voice sounded.  Now all I had to do was pull myself out of the deep green pools that were his eyes.
“I’m investigating what security is in place, what’s been done so far and what still needs to be done on behalf of the paintings.”
“I’m afraid I’m rather new at this.  What exactly is the protocol?”
“Well, I would like to get the paintings back.  If that’s possible,” he paused and ran his hand through his dark chestnut hair halfheartedly, “or at least, I would like to ensure that the other two paintings in the series are safe from any further theft.  We insure all four, you see.” 
He continued to grin but this time I noticed the smile stopped before it reached his eyes.  Further thefts!  My career was swiftly going down the toilet.  Just hours after my first stolen artifacts, an insurance agent had been sent to make sure I wasn’t going to lose any others.
“There won’t be any further thefts.  I can assure you that the other two of the Four Seasons are safe and sound.  They won’t come to any harm.” 
My eyes narrowed as they took in his face.  He seemed only superficially placated and his expression was unbearably patronizing.  This man didn’t believe a word I said.  My checks grew warm with anger and I tried desperately to keep calm.  “As for these,” I gestured to the large empty wall, “don’t worry.  I’ll get them back.”
He first seemed surprised to find that his words brought up so much emotion.  Then my final resolve made his once contrived smirk finally brake through all the way to his eyes. 
“What makes you so sure?”  There was a curious edge to his deep voice.
“Because,” I paused and met his eyes with passionate conviction, “this is personal.”
 His eyes had a skeptic glint but he was still grinning.
“May I ask, Mr. Johnson...”
“Walter.”
“What is it you want me to do for you?”
“I was hoping you could give me some kind of proof, an assurance, that the other two paintings are safe.  I’ve been doing this for a while now, and this theft has all the earmarks of a series collector.  No other paintings were stolen and one must assume the worst to prevent any further loss of the company’s assets.” 
His voice dripped with honey over this carefully prepared little speech.  I could understand the insurance agency’s quick reaction.  Payout for just one of the paintings would mean millions, two would be double.  This grinning Apollo was more interested in loss prevention, not reclamation.  He considered Fall and Summer a lost cause.  I was still struggling to control my emotions after the painful interview with Mr. Colton and I now needed more than the usual resolve to keep my voice even.  I was determined to keep the water out of my eyes with sheer willpower.
“Look, Walter, I’m perfectly confident that the other two are more than safe.  Unlike the stolen ones,” I couldn’t even say their names, “the whereabouts of Winter and Spring are hardly common knowledge.  I’m sure that the secrecy around them is security enough for the time being.  At present, my focus is on the two missing paintings.  I’m sure you can see that.  Your company will be more gratified if they get these back instead of just preventing the loss of the others.”  I was taking deep and deliberate breaths, my words coming out unnaturally slow.
His eyes took in my face.  I saw the grin fade for the first time as he paused for a moment.  Then he came to a quick conclusion.
“Okay.  We’re going to get them back.  I’ll help you in any way I can.  I have lots of resources at your disposal and the company has authorized me to make myself indispensable, do whatever is necessary, to protect their assets.”
He must think I’m a complete idiot or a fragile mess.  How was I going to work with those penetrating and judgmental eyes following me around?  I needed every mental faculty at its sharpest.
“Thanks for the offer but I work alone.  I’ll keep you updated of course.”  I offered with an ineffectual smile.
He leaned in closer.
“I usually work alone too, so I guess we’ll both have to make some concessions.  You see, this is my job and I do it very well.  I have my instructions and Mr. Colton’s support.”  He drew in a deep breath.  “Listen, I have a feeling you are just as determined as I am and I think our best bet at getting what we want is to work on this together.  So, what’s your first step?”
“Okay.” I said with a little hesitation.  “The first step is to go to my office.  I need to go over all the data I’ve collected so far.”  
“Great, I’d love to see you work.  I’ve heard a lot about your little company.”
I took slight offense to the word little.  I may only have two employees, but my company was my personal masterpiece.  I hid my irritation and directed my attention to my caramel colored handbag.  Its over-sized leather design well hid the fact that it was a veritable tool box.  I dug around until I found what I was looking for and then handed him my own plain white card with my office’s address printed on it.  I gave it to him and he looked amused.  Surely he didn’t expect something pink with flowers on it?
“Do you need directions?” 
“No, I’ll find it.  I’ll just check in with the police before I go.  I want them to keep me in the loop.  Let’s hope they’ve found something on the tapes and solved the case for us.”  He was ginning again, widely.
“Sorry, I don’t believe in miracles.” 

About The Author
When I'm not writing, I teach Biology and Algebra to teenagers. When I'm not teaching, I'm reading, or pursuing my love of Art History, buried deep inside of a museum or traveling with my husband and daughter.

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