CONTEST FEATURE FRIDAY: Deadly Mondays!

WELCOME!!  Thanks for stopping by to visit this weeks CONTEST FEATURE FRIDAY!!
This is my way of sharing all of the awesome contests going on in the blogging community

that I have seen/entered.  Well Sharing 1-3 per week :)

This week I am sharing 2 blogs that I seriously LOVE!  One I have followed for quite some time and the other is more recent but she rocks!!!

#1

Deadly Destinations with All Things Urban Fantasy

This is a seriously awesome compilation of giveaways!! They range from US only to US/CA to International!!  There is a mix of YA & Adult with a little bit of something for everyone.  I seriously suggest that you stop by and check them out while they are still running!!  You can't win if you don't try.  Oh, and don't forget to follow this blog because it is freaking awesome!!!!!!!

#2

Magic Mondays with Sparkles and Lightning

Ok so I am just going to come out and say it:  Annabelle is freaking EPIC!  She is a seriously awesome blogger that speaks her mind and does not hold back.  She is not all rainbows and butterflies (well she is but she is honest and doesn't sugar coat) and her reviews will totally blow you away.  Anyway...  She does this thing called Magic Mondays and it's super awesome!!!!!  Just be a dear and check out her giveaway policy.  There are so many disasters you can avoid by just checking out that one page.  Oh and make sure you follow the blog because you wont want to miss out!

Well you know the deal.  Click the giveaway picture to be rushed straight to the giveaway 
and click the blog name just to go visit and follow because these guys are AWESOME!!!  If you have a giveaway you want to share post it here or let me know and I can put it in a post :)

**REVIEW** Fated by Sarah Alderson

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?
When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.
But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.
If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

  Well this book just blew me away!  I seriously need to stop reading descriptions for certain books and just let them show me their magic.  I had won this one awhile back and although I did read the description then I didn't when I picked it up now.  The reason behind that being that I LOVED Hunting Lila and Alderson's writing style, so I figured this one would rock no matter what.  Basically I was right about it rocking and when it comes to Sarah Alderson I will blindly pick up any of her books from here on out.

  There is so many things to love about this book but once again it is the amount of detail that goes into the characters that i really love.  It's not like there is thought only put into one or two of them either.  Evie and Lucas are superbly done and the others don't leave you wanting either and it's not like there are only a few generic characters beyond the mains.  There are other hunters, Mixens (poison skin), Scorpio Demons (razor sharp tail)  and many more.  The fact that all of these characters are really brought to life does wonders for the novel.

  Evie is AWESOME!  I mean she doesn't skip a beat for the most part.  I would be lying if I said she was perfect but she is the next closest thing to it.  She was raised not knowing what she really was and still manages to totally kick butt.  Not only that despite some obvious attraction to the new guy that moved into her houses spare bedroom, she refuses to just give in and fall for him.  Even if he is undeniably attractive and everything about him seems to call to her.  She is far to focused on the task at hand... Avenging the parents she never knew and busting her behind to be a part of the hunter community!

The romance is freaking awesome.  Never does it over power the book but it stays as a nice second to everything that is going on.  It is very clear that both Evie and Lucas are attracted to one another but the serious amount of conflict in their relationship cause both of them to try and keep the other at arms length.  The tension was absolutely perfect and it gave everything a shot at being a built thing not just love at first glance.  I guess the best way to describe it would be great chemistry.

  This book will not disappoint.  Between its fast paced story and its developed romance Sarah Alderson has created a strong and addictive novel.  Everything about this book drew me in and I seriously hope there is more to come soon!  Sarah does such a wonderful job creating characters and a world that you feel you become a part of.  I could recommend this one to anyone and be confident that they would enjoy the read without hesitation!

Quotes & Such

God, it was like living in a goldfish bowl without even a stone or some fancy plastic plants to hide behind.

Was he joking?  Had he forgotten that she'd been there last night?  That she's come face to face with terrifying and his best friend horrifyingly deadly?

  And then he pulled away and walked off down the porch steps and she realised, as she watched him go, that she had just kissed her past goodbye.

{Review & Giveaway} Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts- Tour Stop

Today I have the honour of being a part of the Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

Blog Tour hosted by Simon & Schuster Canada!!  I am so excited to have been 

able to interview Michael and get to hear how he thinks.  You are going to love what 

he has to share but don't take me word for it read on!

Interview with Michael 

Thanks for taking a minute to chat I know how precious time is with all the baggers running around so we will get straight to it.

Me-  How are you holding up?  

Michael- I mean all things considering, I’m doing ok. There are bad days and good ones, you know what I mean? I still have a lot of ‘what ifs’ going on inside my mind. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself but I’m trying. Helping out with this new group really gives me something to look forward to.

Me- With all that you have been through I know there must be regrets.  If you could go back and change one moment in your past or relive one thing before all of this what would it be? 

Michael-  There are always regrets in life. What if we’d gone right instead of left? What if we’d never gone inside that home? What if I’d been more awake and hadn’t fallen asleep. What if I wasn’t a coward? I’m going to be honest. I don’t think you can ever go back and change things, even in your mind. Everything I’ve done, good and bad, has made me the man I am. I’ve learned from my mistakes. Some things will always be there when I close my eyes. I can’t take it back. But I can try and never make that mistake again.

But yeah, I wish we’d never gone in the house.

Me-  That being said there is so much to worry about now and so little want to relive.  What is your greatest escape from all of that? Basically what keeps you sane? 

Michael-  Clementine. Seriously, she keeps me sane. There’s something about her that makes me feel safe. Something that makes me want to keep her safe. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’m helping her look for Heath. She’s pretty cool. She's got a way of making you feel important, no matter how much of a loser you think you are.

Me-  What do you miss the most from before all of this?  If you could pull just one thing through from your past like running water, electricity, something that you took for granted that you would savour now.

Michael-  I miss my iPhone. Man, I miss tunes. Music. Rock and Roll. I swear, every time I come across a discarded mp3 player, I have to check it out to see if there’s still a charge. I’ve got a couple of them under my bed. It would be nice to have a generator so I could try and hook a computer up to get a charge. But that’s a luxury no one can afford these days.

Me- Since meeting a certain someone would you say that you have changed? 

Michael-  Oh yeah. He really helped me on a grocery run the other day. What? You meant Mason, right? Kidding! Clementine. She’s amazing. She’s so bad ass. And an ex-cheerleader! Never thought I’d go for a girl like that. But yeah, she rocks my world.

 I guess we are pushing our luck with the time we have been here so lets ask one last question and I will let you get back to surviving.  Don't need to draw the Baggers attention too much.

Me- What is your idea of paradise now?  We all used to see sand and blue waters, is that still what you see? 

  

Michael-  I still see sand and blue waters. Would be cool to have a little cabin on the beach where I can go surfing every day. A sweet girl by my side. A Gibson guitar. A dog would be cool too. I don’t think the end of the world has anything to do with paradise. Surviving the game only gets you so far. The only difference now is staying alive as opposed to winning the lottery. Same odds these days.

Well good luck to you!  Thanks again for taking the time to talk and I hope it doesn't cost you your freedom or friends.

REVIEW

  I seriously can not get enough of these books.  First I was blown away and left needing more with Dark Inside and now Rage Within has managed to make me love this series even more.  There is something to be said about a book that you could honestly read over and over again and not get board with it.  There is not one aspect of this book that let me down.  It was just as creepy and fast paced as Dark Inside but with a little more suspense.  If you read the first book I know you are thinking how could there be any more suspense?!  Well read on my friend because this series just seems to be getting better!  

  The book starts prior to the earthquakes that seemingly started everything.  Though you don't really know who the original guy that the book speaks of is you defiantly get a super creepy feel from him. It's actually kind of awesome to see all the events that lead up to the end.  You also get to see Daniel, Mason and Aries prior to all of the events.  Some of the scenes here a fair intense and give you a glimpse into who they were before it all started and maybe a sneak peak into what is so important about each of them...

  The story continues on with Aries, Clementine, Michael and Mason, who are now official together and in Vancouver.  However they all seem to still have independent goals as well as the one common goal: STAYING ALIVE.  Aries is still trying to keep it together and lead everyone while keeping a clean conscience but her thoughts always seem to be with  Daniel.  Clementine and Michael are off looking for her brother and the two of them seem to be growing closer and closer.  On top of that Clementine is becoming a stronger and more determined character (she was never weak but she is more outspoken now).  Something about her partnership with Michael seems to be making her grow and become someone that I love even more!!  I think the biggest thing is you get so much more on Mason in this one.  You get more on his background and more on his thoughts now.

  I love how Jeyn writes from the four different POV's.  It give the books a unique and different edge. This also gives you insight into each of the main characters.  Normally you get one or two POV and kind of have to put who everyone else is with what you are given.  Also I find you normally loose something when an author uses multiple POV but even with four Jeyn Roberts nails it!!  Not only that her characters aren't perfect.  They have secrets, some darker than others but they all have them.  Not only that but they make mistakes, life altering mistakes that change not only their lives but those around them.  This makes the more real to me, easier to relate to and most importantly human!  

  The twists that this book takes will keep you glued to the pages and know this: no one is safe.  The Baggers are becoming more organized and everything is starting to look a little more bleak.  I seriously can not get over all of the growth and change that has happened between the start of the first book and the end of the second.  They are both in my top reads and are not to be missed!  They will have you holding on to the edge of your seat and your heart beating rapidly in your chest!!!  I am going to have some serious issues waiting for book 3!

Jeyn Roberts (pronounced Jen - the Y is silent)grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and started writing at an early age, having her first story published when she was 16 in a middle-grade anthology called LET ME TELL YOU. 
When she was 21, she moved to Vancouver with dreams of being a rock star, graduating from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Writing and Psychology. For the next few years she played in an alternative/punk band called Missing Mile before moving to England where she received her MA from the prestigious Creative Writing graduate course at Bath Spa University. Jeyn is a former singer, songwriter, actress, bicycle courier and tree planter. 
An avid traveler, she’s been around the world, most recently, teaching high school in South Korea. 
A lover of animals, Jeyn volunteers regularly with helping abandoned and abused animals, especially cats.

**Author bio taken from Good reads**

Learn more about Rage Within.
Follow Jeyn Roberts' blog.
Visit JeynRoberts.co.uk.
Like Jeyn Roberts on Facebook.
Follow @JeynRoberts on Twitter.

Follow Jeyn on Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!!

Simon & Schuster Canada has graciously offered up an ARC copy 

of Rage Within for one lucky reader.  This is a Canada only giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure you stop by the other Tour Stops:
Aug 27 – Blog tour kick off at yasimon.ca
Aug 28 – Lost in the Library blog - Q&A with Clementine
Aug 29 – Escaping One Book at a Time blog - Q&A with Michael
Aug 30 – The Bursting Bookshelf - Q&A with Mason
Aug 31 – Book Nerd - Q&A with Aries

Blog tour brought to you by :

(EARLY) Waiting on Wednesday: MASSIVE EDITION

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

This is being posted early because I have my RAGE WITHIN by Jeyn Roberts tour

stop going up tomorrow and it is going to be EPIC so I wanted to make sure

I got to share my WoW post when people would see it :)

This week I am kind of doing a blow out sort of deal... Next Tuesday is my birthday

 so with that comes a LOT of new releases that I can share the glory or the day with and

 I am excited for EVERY SINGLE ONE of them!!  Some of these were featured before

 and some weren't.  I hope you enjoy all the beautiful covers & wonderful books that 

I am excited for!!!!!

CARNIVAL of SOULS by Melissa Marr

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.
All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.
From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

 Aries, Clementine, Michael, and Mason have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world’s population and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now they’re hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of fellow teen survivors, trying to figure out their next move.
     Aries is trying to lead, but it’s hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it’s impossible to know where he’d be, assuming he’s alive. Michael is haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends.
     As the Baggers begin to create a new world order, these four teens will have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama 

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.
Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago. 

 Origin by Jessica Khoury

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.
Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.
Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters--after all, she's spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss--but that doesn't mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes.
Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won't leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.
Grace has worries closer to home--like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He's hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce 

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.
Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.
When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Outpost by Ann Aguire

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.
To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.
Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Well this is what I am waiting on this week!! What do you think?  Any of these you are
waiting on?!  What are you waiting on this week?!  LINK ME UP!!!

{Tour Stop Review} Their Promise by Brina Courtney

Welcome to my stop on the Their Promise by Brina Courtney Blog Tour!

One moment can change your life.

One moment to find love.

One moment to lose it.

Book Trailer:

**REVIEW**

**WARNING: TISSUES WILL BE NEEDED FOR THIS READ**

  I have no idea where to start with this book.  I can't say that I have ever and I mean EVER gotten so emotionally invested in a book.  Now don't take that statement lightly as I used to be an avid reader of Nicholas Sparks and that man can write romance.  However Brina steps on the scene with this novella and blew every other romance I have read out of the freaking water.  I mean The Notebook (book NOT movie) had me crying and a little worked up but Their Promise had me full out bawling and I think my heart may have just broke a little in the process of reading this.  Brina Courtney has such a way with her characters I have yet to find one that I don't love but the ones in Their Promise just blew me away!  The emotions that they felt and all that they went through just poured off the page.

  Hannah and Chase were essentially the perfect couple.  The kind that you see walking down the street holding hands even when they are 80 because they genuinely love each other.  This is a a pure and devoted love where the both love each other so completely that they honestly complete each other.  There was no question in my mind that these two were meant to be.  The way they are and how their world just seem to fit, even though they are from two different worlds is just awe inspiring. However it is the tragic happenings that will move you.  What it is I wont say but the moment it happens you will know because that is when you feel everything shift.  That is when I started to bawl my eyes out.  There were many moments after that but the one moment just about killed me!

  Brina Courtney is brilliant.  She shows me time and time again that she is talented and this one has quickly worked its way into my favourite romance.  Although it is short "Their Promise" packs an emotional punch like nothing else I have ever read.  Even through the tears I didn't want to put the book down because I had to know.  I had to know how it all turned out and how everyone made it.  This is not a read to be taken lightly.  Although it is a quick read it is anything but light.  This is a deep and meaningful read that you touch you and leave you breathless!

BUY IT @

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

  

About the Author

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

  

Stalk Follow Brina

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Website

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**REVIEW** Enclave by Ann Aguirre

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.
As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.
Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.
As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

*TRAILER*

This trailer is EPIC btw!

**REVIEW**

  There is absolutely nothing that I didn't love about this book.  Every page, every word had me glued to the pages and I just didn't want to put it down.  Maybe this was because the book is so fast paced that I was worried if I put it down I would be lost.  Not that it was too fast but I didn't want to be left behind in this well written and riveting novel.  This is a world where living over the age of twenty makes you old and only at a certain age do you get a name, before that you are a brat with a number.

  Deuce is a Huntress.  This means she patrols the tunnels with a partner to collect whatever kills they can and also kill the freaks that may be lurking around along the way.  This is a title and job that she has craved since she was small and a great honour to have made it there and be considered one of the best.  However when she gets paired up with Fade an outsider that was taken in, she's is none too impressed.  But you have to trust your partner because in the end they can keep you alive or kill you.  Deuce gives it her all and trusts Fade but this leads her into a world that she never dreamed existed and opens her eye to the way she has been living her entire life.

  I loved Deuce.  She is everything that you want in a heroine and then some.   Due to the way she was raised and the world that she lives in there is no time to be a whiner.  So what you are left with is a strong and independent kick ass chick.  I really admire her devotion to her friends and her enclave, even if it is a blind devotion.  When it comes down to it though she can see through what she has been taught.  She learns that not all is what it seems to be and when the elders of her Enclave wont listen she fears the worst but tries to slip back into what she was lead to believe.  Her colours shine when she truly see what they elders are capable of and steps up to save her friends and is sentenced to leave the enclave to face whatever she must without any hesitation.

  The surface is crazy and you have to question if it is better there or in the tunnels.  It is here that Fade and Deuce develop into more than a hunting pair but you also meet Stalker.  I know what a name right?!  He kind of drives me nuts because to start I thought that he was strong but there are times that his self preservation  drives me through the roof.  How he even manages to become a love interest is beyond me but I will admit that there was time that he captured my attention.

  The story itself is amazing and something that I totally loved.  There is always something to keep you wanting and no down time where you just want to put the book down.  There is some serious gore but the action/fights that go on will absolutely entrance you.  There were times I think that I may have even held my breath while I was reading some of the scenes, just because I had no idea what the turn out would be.  I mean no one is ever really safe right.  This to me was the perfect amount of suspense and I loved that the romance that was throw throughout the novel didn't overrun the rest.  When you are living in an apocalyptic world living comes first and romance is something you only have time for sometimes.

  Enclave was an epic and riveting read.  There is no time to be board but you don't feel overwhelmed either.  There is no question in my mind that I will love the next instalment of this series Outpost.  I am eager to dive into it and see how everything continues.  The ending of Enclave left you feeling like you had a false sense of security and that something was coming.  If you enjoy a post apocalyptic read or love dystopians you will not be let down by this one.  I can say with certainty that Ann Aguire has created a terrifying yet addicting read.  I personally would not want to be caught up in this world.

Quotes & Stuff 

I was born during the second holocaust.  People had told us legends of a time when human beings lived longer.  I thought they were just stories.  Nobody even lived to see forty in my world.- Deuce

We left three corpses.  Horrible as it sounded, other Freaks would eat them.  They had no care for their dead. 

 "I have your back.  I didn't mean only when it's easy. All the time"- Fade

Before he bent his head, I knew what he was going to do.  Touch his lips to mine.  Oh, I wanted him to. 

WEEKLY REPORT: Slow Edition

Weekly Report is my way of showing you from week to week (most of the time) what 

new books I received and what has gone on in the past week.  So basically it's a 

report for all the awesome that I got and shared!

This week was SUPER slow for me...  Like run to the mailbox to find nothing but look

again just in case kind of deal :)  However due to an anniversary I did receive a Gift Card for 

Chapters allowing me to make an order.  With my obsession with Mermaids of course those

topped my to-buy list.  Sadly most were a pre-order and wont show until later next week or

early the one after as they are Birthday releases YAY!!  The one book I did get this week I 

am super excited for though as it was a Mermaid one :)

So this is my precious for the week:

Sea Change by Anne Friedman

Now I know my picture is a little on the glare side of things but I liked how it 

looked and felt it suited it :)

Also I forgot last week to post the awesome pack that I got from Nely Cab!!

Isn't it awesome?!  THANK YOU NELY <3

For all you that didn't see Nely writes Cretura witch is an amazing read that will have you 

begging for more!!

For happenings on the blog there was actually quite a few!!  

REVIEWS

Nocturnal & Nightmare by Chelsea Cameron HERE

Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan HERE

Arson by Estevan Vega HERE

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay HERE

GIVEAWAYS  (anything current may not have been posted this week)

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray HERE

For Ever by C.J. Valles HERE

OTHER

Waiting on Wednesday HERE

CONTEST FEATURE FRIDAY (3 giveaways) HERE

NAME THE BOOK EXTRAVAGANZA HERE!!!!!!!!!

(if you are a blogger please check this out! It is going to be a lot of fun and I want 

to make sure everyone gets a chance to make it!!!!!)

Well that is it for this week!  What did you get?! What did you do?!

Comment, leave a link or whatever it takes to share!! I love hearing from 

you and  love visiting!!! 

*REVIEW* Arson by Estevan Vega

ARSON GABLE FEELS LIKE A FREAK. HE CAN CREATE FIRE. HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT. HE NEVER WANTED IT. BUT HE CAN'T SHUT IT OFF.
Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl--who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin--moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. After years of living in fear, he will be forced to confront his haunting past and embrace the unknown as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Edgy, realistic, and breathtaking, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated teenager with unimaginable ability, is set to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

  Not what I expected.  That is actually being quite gentle about it.  A certain part of me felt like I had been blind sided but the start was nothing if not full.  Full of what Arson's world was and is.  You get things not just from him but his grandmother, Emery and her parents.  This was almost overwhelming to start and a couple of times I had to find myself and who I was reading but that didn't last long.  Estevan has a way with words and once you read a little from each person you get who is who and the importance of why they get their own moments.

  Arson is unique but his uniqueness seems to have stripped everything from this poor boy.  He has no confidence and lives feeling guilty because of his ability to start fire with only a thought or emotion.  There were moments that I really loved Arson but many moments were I wanted to tell him to be a big boy and suck it up but then if he did that I guess he wouldn't be a different type of character.  I am really hard on whiners and at first I thought that Arson fit that category but he doesn't.  He has had a horrid and loveless past that has been filled with all kinds of venom but somehow he looks past that and still loves the one that hurt him.  There is a certain strength in his weakness, I know that's confusing.  Instead of lashing out and blaming everyone else, he hopes.  He hopes for things that may never be attainable because the fire within him hinders him instead of freeing him.

  Emery was a beautiful character.  She really made the book for me and rescued Arson from himself.  She has a horrid and tragic past and hides herself away from the world behind a mask.  It is pain that she hides behind the sarcasm and snarky remarks but she is really just masking up more than she lets on.  Despite all that she has been through she still wants to try and attempt to be normal because really under it all she is just a normal girl.  A normal girl with a very strong will and messed up parents.  For all I disliked Arson's grandmother, Emery's parents drove me to the brink of madness.  There were times that I wondered how Emery didn't just break down and scream at them.  Instead she blocks out her mother and continues to adore her father, protect him even.  I don't know if this made her a stronger person to me or weaker.  That is yet to be determined.

  I think the biggest issue that this book and I had was the slow start.  It felt like a long prequel in ways.  The detail and background that you get is wonderful but almost too much as it slowed the real story down.  We always say that we would have liked to see more background but I found the background in this book almost too much at times.  Estevan Vega was however just doing what we always ask for so I can't really fault the entire book for it.  The book despite its slow pace keeps you interested because you want to know what is going on.  Need to know what lays just below the surface of what you see.

  Overall I did enjoy this read.  Will I read book #2?  Yes.  In fact I have a feeling that the second book will be awesome.  This is because of how everything ended in this book and now you have all the info that you need to go on.  Well not all but most and with that I think there is so much room for the action packed and wonderful writing of Estevan to shine and dazzle us all.  Pick this one up if you have the patience to make it through the slow start to find the action and excitement that follows it! 

CONTEST FEATURE FRIDAY: Single Blog AWESOMNESS

WELCOME!!  Thanks for stopping by to visit this weeks CONTEST FEATURE FRIDAY!!
This is my way of sharing all of the awesome contests going on in the blogging community

that I have seen/entered.  Well Sharing 1-3 per week :)

This week I am only featuring 1 blog.  I know crazy right!  I always give you lots to chase and

enter and fear not I still am!!!!  This blog has many awesome giveaways going on.  Ones I would

LOVE to win (1 in particular) and not only that the blog is just all around AMAZING!!!!

I have something in common with the blogger that runs the blog as well.  We both have the 

beautiful and wonderful name Tiffany!! I know awesome right :)  Well on to the giveaways!

This week let me introduce you to the awesome that is

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO READ

#1

So as the picture shows this giveaway is FULL of awesome!  The winner will receive

Sweet Evil, Dreamless, Ten Things We Did (and probably Shouldn't Have ), Hemlock

 and an ARC of  The Selection!!!

You can not tell me that you aren't excited about this!!!!

INTERNATIONAL!! *Squee*

#2

Winner receives ALL 3 books!!! Can you see just how beautiful they are?! My 
gosh *sigh*.  Anastasia Forever is just stunning.  I am such a sucker for red covers!
This is a US/CAN only giveaway but stop by it to check out the wonderful guest 
post that is posted with this giveaway!!


#3

I am VERY excited about this read.  I was lucky and won an ARC (it's now in 
the mail on its way I hope!!) and I want you guys to have the same chance because this
one looks so promising.  I read the prequel and can barely contain myself while waiting!!
US only


Well you know the deal.  Click the giveaway picture to be rushed straight to the giveaway 
and click the blog name just to go visit and follow because Tiffany and her blog are AWESOME!

**REVIEW** Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan

A thought-provoking and courageous new novel by National Book Award winner Han Nolan. Nobody gets away with telling Eleanor Crowe what to do. But as a pregnant sixteenyear-old, her options are limited: move to Kenya with her missionary parents or marry the baby’s father and work at his family’s summer camp for overweight kids. Despite her initial reluctance to help out, Elly is surprised that she actually enjoys working with the campers. But a tragedy on the very day her baby is born starts a series of events that overwhelms Elly with unexpected emotions and difficult choices. Somehow, she must turn her usual obstinance in a direction that can ensure a future for herself—and for the new life she has created.

  This is a hard one for me and I really did enjoy it but due to having lived some of this I think I was a little more critical and emotional.  Teen pregnancy is such a hard subject and  Han Nolan not only does good job with it but also touches many other hard subjects while she is at it.  The book was well written and doesn't waste a minute.  Right from the start you are thrown into what is basically every parents fear and every teens worst nightmare.  Finding out that the one moment you never expected is right upon you and you have to face the music and grow up now.  It's not an easy thing to face and to be honest with you many people just can't do it but it's the choice in the end and when you make it you live with it.

  Eleanor is what I would call your typical stereotype of a teen that ends up pregnant for the most part of it.  She is rebellious and spiteful despite coming from a well rounded and loving family.  She wasn't trying to get pregnant to tick anyone off or to spite her family but it happened and now she is terrified.  Not that she lets on to anyone because she still shows them all her stone exterior and makes out like she is okay with her decision.  When you look under all of that she is still scared and her sand for brains boyfriend/husband is about as supportive as a sack of rotten potatoes.  This does absolutely nothing to make her life any easier.  Although her blessing in disguise is really the marriage and neither her nor Lam really wanted but this is how she ends up at the camp.  This is also where I started to actually fall in love with Elly.  It's where she learns to actually grow up.  Not just the quit the drugs and drinking grow up but realize that it isn't a game and start to figure things out.

  The characters are all extremely well done from Elly to her IL's (In-laws) and the campers that you meet.  I was surprised at the amount of detail that Han put into the campers actually.  It was really like being there and watching all of it.  Ultimately this is what really made the book for me.  Banner who was sad and almost always whiny really tore at my heart.  It was the connection and effort that Elly put into her that one little girl even when she made it hard that warmed me and had my hopes up that she would keep her baby.  I know that she is only 16 but things happen and if you can step up and be responsible then I believe you should and without any crapola guy Elly could do it.

   Though there was much grief and hardship that passed within the last 100 pages, this is where I felt the most truth was.  That being said there's a lot of parts that I feel the emotion fell short.  Many times I was frustrated with how Elly let everyone walk on her.  Her parents, her in-laws, her husband and for awhile the campers.  Let me tell you no matter the circumstance a person in her situation can only put up with so much(remember been there done that).  I wish that Elly had stood her ground or showed more emotion towards her straying husband the most.  Young or not I felt that Elly's emotion level could have kicked it up but really rather than that she was awesome.

  Han Nolan did an overall wonderful job with this novel overall.  There was a clear and emotional point to the story but I think she lightened the emotional load just a little too much on the pregnancy front.  This was made up with all of the other hard to chew subjects and emotions that will both pull at your heart and leave you feeling like you could burst.  If you are looking for a good contemporary book this is one that you need to seriously consider.  After reading this one I will be looking into anything else that Han has written!

Book Moments I Loved or Noted

My mom's calm reaction hurt as much as my father's rage, maybe even more. I knew she had grown used to my terrible surprises, maybe even board with them.

A lot of the other counselors, especially the girks, and even the kids, are always either making snide remarks or asking me stuff like is it a boy or a girl, or aren't you kind of young to have a baby, or are you going to keep it or give it up for adoption?

It couldn't be for real, because we come from two different places-two different soul places. I would ruin his life. I know that.

The tear jerker for me because it is so honest:

If I give this baby up, I don't want to make it harder on myself than it already is, but this baby has already been better company than most people I know.  Does that even make sense?  Probably not.  I just know I feel this love, this protective love for what's growing inside of me.

I would underline that last line a million times over if I could!!!