THE TAKING GIVEAWAY

    Giveaway Time, Yay!

If you've seen my review of THE TAKING by Kimberly Derting, then you know I kind-of-sort-of-maybe think it's, oh, you know, only one of the BEST releases of the year so far. I met her on one of the stops of the Dark Days Tour earlier this year, and we have a little something for you. How about a giveaway, huh?
     One lucky winner will receive a SIGNED hardback copy of THE TAKING as well as a swag pack! If you've been wanting to read this one, then here's your chance!

Visit Kimberly's Website

Check Out THE TAKING on Goodreads

See My Review of THE TAKING

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Cover Reveal: CEMETERY BOYS by Heather Brewer

     Okay so as you guys know, I am a HUGE fan of Heather Brewer, and have been for several years. She's an incredible author, and a lovely person (I met her, if you recall, last February). Being totally honest here, that night was probably one of the best of my life so far. Now, Auntie Heather already has an amazing collection of books out (Look out below)

(From left to right: Book 1/5 of  THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD 

See the Goodreads Description HERE

Book 1/3 of THE SLAYER CHRONICLES

See the Goodreads Description HERE

and Book 1/? of THE LEGACY OF TRIL

See the Goodreads Description HERE)

So I am more than pleased to announce that her new book, due for release in March of 2015, had it's beautiful cover reveal yesterday on Tea Time (Which I missed *Cries forever*) Without further ado, here it is. The highly anticipated CEMETERY BOYS:

Here's the description, courtesy of Goodreads 

When Stephen is forced to move back to the nowhere town where his father grew up, he’s already sure he’s not going to like it. Spencer, Michigan, is like a town straight out of a Hitchcock movie, with old-fashioned people who see things only in black-and-white. But things start looking up when Stephen meets the mysterious twins Cara and Devon. They’re total punks–hardly the kind of people Stephen’s dad wants him hanging out with–but they’re a breath of fresh air in this backward town. The only problem is, Cara and Devon don’t always get along, and as Stephen forms a friendship with the charismatic Devon and something more with the troubled Cara, he starts to feel like he’s getting caught in the middle of a conflict he doesn’t fully understand. And as Devon’s group of friends, who hang out in a cemetery they call The Playground, get up to increasingly reckless activities to pass the summer days, Stephen worries he may be in over his head.

Stephen’s fears prove well-founded when he learns of Spencer’s dark past. It seems the poor factory town has a history of “bad times,” and many of the town’s oldest residents attribute the bad times to creatures right out of an urban legend. The legend goes that the only way the town will prosper again is if someone makes a sacrifice to these nightmarish creatures. And while Stephen isn’t one to believe in old stories, it seems Devon and his gang might put a lot of faith in them. Maybe even enough to kill for them.

Now, Stephen has to decide what he believes, where his allegiances lie, and who will really be his friend in the end.

CAN YOU JUST FEEL MY EXCITEMENT?

YOU TOO SHOULD BE EXCITED, READERS!

Super stoked for CEMETERY BOYS because I know it's going to be amazing. All of Auntie Heather's books have taken over my life at some point or another, so I have some high expectations for this one, especially since she's so excited about it. More news on the way!

I was going to post links to her website, but it is currently under construction (Auntie's getting a new site, yay!) so I'll post a Twitter link and her Goodreads profile link instead. Sound good?

Click HERE to see Heather Brewer's Goodreads Profile

Click HERE to see Heather's Twitter Profile (Follow Herrrr)

Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare CAUTION-- COLS SPOILERS

     Need I give this book an introduction? If you've immersed yourself in Cassandra Clare's writing before, then you were probably hooked immediately. And from then on out you (Like me) probably binge read every book you could find of hers. And IF you did that, then you waited, and waited, and waited for May 24 so that you could find out what happens in the highly anticipated conclusion to the Mortal Instruments series. I too counted down the days, and saved up money, and drove my family and friends crazy with my theories and excitement. When I bought my copy, I nearly killed myself from holding it and not being able to start it. But I had a reading buddy and we were going to read this one together. And we did. It made the book last so much longer than it normally would've, and I enjoyed every second of getting to fangirl with someone who I knew was on the same page with me. Literally. Thanks for that experience, Wishes (Follow him on Twitter if you'd like, @TitansonFire)
     We were left off in CITY OF LOST SOULS with Jace having the Heavenly Fire inside of his body, preventing him from touching people for very long without burning them. Seb was still on the loose, probably cooking up some sort of evil plan, and all ships but Malec were intact. CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE gives us everything we need to be satisfied with an ending to our beloved Mortal Instruments. This conclusion follows our Lightwoods, Fairchilds, Herondales, and Morgensterns, as well as our favorite Downworlders, on their mission to do what needs to be done to track down Sebastian and get things settled once and for all. That's all I'm going to say about it, as I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, but if you have already read it and want to talk about CoHF, you know where to find me!
     CoHF is unlike any finale book I've ever read. Not one page, not one sentence, was I bored and thinking "Come on, when is something good going to happen?" The twists and turns in this book were incredible, and once again, the attachment Cassie made me feel to some of the characters was stronger than is probably healthy. Everything gets turned upside down in CoHF. Like... everything. Ships sink, lives are lost, tears are shed, laughs are released. And may I add that Alec is downright hilarious in this book? Because he totally is. You're lying if you disagree. Ten of five stars to the beautiful book that is CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE, and a round of applause for Cassie. Never have I read such an engaging series. Thank you Cassandra, for giving the YA world this extraordinary gift that is TMI.

Ave atque vale, Mortal Instruments.

BLOG TOUR: Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

Review

     I found BOYS LIKE YOU on Netgalley and was interested immediately, so after finishing up my stack, I finally got to read it. It's quite a change from my typical picks, what with it being a contemporary YA with no monsters and demons. Of the physical type, anyway. Though it wasn't as great a read as I expected, I did still enjoy it!

     Monroe blames herself for what happened. It was her fault. After depression and visit after visit to a psychiatrist, her family sends her to Louisiana to spend the summer with Gram, hoping the change of pace would bring her back to the girl she used to be. That's when she meets Nathan- a boy who has his own dark past, and understands her pain. As the summer flies, Monroe and Nathan become closer as they try to help each other with their overwhelming baggage. It's not always easy, either, but they do what they can. When you're as badly damaged as these teens, life is anything but peachy.

     BOYS LIKE YOU is all about living with your mistakes and learning to move on. The characters and their problems make you want to continue reading, even if for no other reason than to see how they end up dealing with their consequences. The romance was a bit on the heavy side- The amount of sexual references were too much for my taste- but the plot and depth to the characters were fantastic. I rate the book a 3.5/5 stars. 

                            

              Click Here To Check Out BOYS LIKE YOU On Goodreads

About the Author
Juliana Stone fell in love with her first book boyfriend when she was twelve. The boy was Ned, Nancy Drew's boyfriend, and it began a lifelong obsession with books and romance. A tomboy at heart, she split her time between baseball, books, and music- three things that carried over into adulthood. She's thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance, and does so from her home somewhere in Canada

Click Here To Follow Her on Twitter
Click Here To Visit Her Website

Interview With Juliana Stone

     Q1.) Monroe and Nathan have made their own mistakes. How did you come up with their individual problems?

     A1.) Nathan's issues were actually inspired by a young kid in my home town. I tend to write what I know and I'm always leaning toward the dark side, the angsty side so I focused on that and knew I wanted to write about a kid who'd made this huge mistake and was dealing with the consequence. As for Monroe, I'd initially had her dealing with something even darker than what ended up in the book, but I thought it might be too heavy, so I came up with this alternative and of course, it still provided something hard for her to deal with.


     Q2.) What is one thing you want readers to take away from BOYS LIKE YOU?

     A2.) I want readers to know that it's okay to make mistakes. It happens not only to teenagers but to adults as well. BUT life goes much easier if you learn from your mistakes, if you own your mistakes and deal with them.


     Q3.) The acknowledgements say "This book is for my daughter..." Did Monroe share any attributes with her? 

     A3.) Monroe and my daughter are a lot alike in that they're both a bit reserved, but that's about as close as the two get!


     Q4.) Which do you enjoy writing most: YA or Adult Contemporary?

     A4.) I love writing both, to be honest. They're different because even though teens and adults can go through the same situations or problems, we handle things differently and that (for me) is where it gets interesting. 


     Q5.) What was your favorite chapter to write in BOYS LIKE YOU?

     A5.) I think my favorite chapter was the one that took place at Baker's Landing when Monroe and Nathan go for a swim. I love the anticipation of blooming romance and it was a lot of fun to write.


     Q6.) If you could bring one character from BOYS LIKE YOU to life, but for only ten minutes, who would you choose, and what would you do with those ten minutes? 

     A6.) I would bring Gram to life. I loved writing her and I would just like to sit on her porch, have an iced tea, and talk about life.


     Q7.) Where were you/what were you doing when you got the idea to write BOYS LIKE YOU?

    A7.) I'm sure I was sitting at my desk or out walking the dog!


    Q8.) In the book, Nathan mentions arpeggio scales the first time he and Monroe meet, as well as once more later on in the book. Even though she doesn't know what it means, he never explains the term. If Nate were to explain it to her, what would he say?

     A8.) An arpeggio scale is a scale that you run on your guitar. It's classical and my husband (who is a guitarist) uses it to warm up his fingers before a performance.


     Q9.) What is your one bit of advice to aspiring authors?

     A9.) The best piece of advice ever is to FINISH YOUR BOOK. Too many people start a book, they may even write the best chapter ever written... but they never finish the book. And that's sad. It does take a lot of discipline, however, if you stick to it the best feeling in the world is typing THE END.


     Q10.) Gummy bears-- Love or Hate?

     A10.) Hate. I'm a Swedish Berry kind of girl! 

Giveaway!

Do you want to win a copy of BOYS LIKE YOU by Juliana Stone? Here's your chance!!

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