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Review: Secret Letters

Monday, June 25, 2012


Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 336
Buy The Book: Amazon


Secret Letters
Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin's ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devastating news: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Her dreams dashed, Dora is left to rely on her wits--and the assistance of an attractive yet enigmatic young detective--to save her cousin's reputation and help rescue a kidnapped heiress along the way.


Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this gripping novel heralds the arrival of a fresh new voice in young adult literature.

I love a good who done it! Add in the fact that this book takes place in the victorian era, and you have a total recipe for success! I absolutely adored this book. It is as cute as it is cunning. It was such a cute and fun read, and I adored every minute of it! If your a fan of  Nancy Drew books, you will love this one!

Dora has some crazy detective skills and an eye for detail. She is plucky,  full of life, adventure, and just a tad bit nosey! She is also a bit midguided at times, and totally accident prone. Her character had me laughing out loud, and smiling the entire way through the book! She was a very entertaining main character, and I adored reading about her adventures and wild antics!

I thought the story was very well done. It was a really refreshing read for me. Well paced, and easy to read. It was full of heart, mystery, lively character's and witty banter. I was sad when the story ended and I am really hoping that there will be a follow up to this! I'd love to read more about Dora and find out what other adventures she gets herself into.

Overall, this was a really fun read and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this one! Despite her lineage, Dora is a character all her own!

This Week In Books (4)

Sunday, June 24, 2012


Hello Everyone and Happy Sunday!

This Week In Book's is a weekly feature from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie in which we share all the awesome bookish related items we got "this week"!

I haven't done a vlog in FOREVER!!! YouTube semi sort of co-operated. In other words, the video drags and looks horrible BUT my voice is in synch and my face isn't frozen in some ridiculous pose. YES!!! FINALLY!!! lol

Even though I wasn't able to make it to BEA this year,  I had some awesome friends who made me feel like I was there. You guys are amazing, thank you so much!!! 




Gifted
Thank you Rebecca!! You are awesomesauce! Don't forget to check out here blog HERE

Thank you Margie! You rock my socks! Check out her super cute and amazing blog HERE

Thank you Angela!! :)

For Review



Bought

I had a totally epic week in books yet again! Thank you so much to my amazing friends Rebecca and Margie for making me feel like I was at BEA! Thanks to Angela and also MacMillan, you guys are always a pleasure to work with!

I hope you had a fantastic week in books and don't forget to leave me a link so I can stop by and drool over all the lovelies you got! :)

Happy Reading!

Review: My Life In Black and White

Thursday, June 21, 2012

My Life In Black and White by Natasha Friend
Release Date: June 28, 2012
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 304
Buy the Book: Amazon


My Life in Black and White
What if you lost the thing that made you who you are?

Lexi has always been stunning. Her butter-colored hair and perfect features have helped her attract friends, a boyfriend, and the attention of a modeling scout. But everything changes the night Lexi's face goes through a windshield. Now she's not sure what's worse: the scars she'll have to live with forever, or what she saw going on between her best friend and her boyfriend right before the accident. With the help of her trombone-playing, defiantly uncool older sister and a guy at school recovering from his own recent trauma, Lexi learns she's much more than just a pretty face.



I'm always interested in books that deal with some sort of a trauma that changes your life forever. I think it's because I always wonder, "how would I act if I were in the character's shoes?" So naturally this book really attracted me. The main character Lexi is gorgeous from head to toe. Everyone loves her, and the girl's all want to be her! But then one night she get's into a terrible car accident and her entire life changes!

Lexi survives the accident, which is the most important part! But her face went through the glass windshield and it's safe to say that it will never be the same. Lexi's face isn't healing properly and she winds up getting a skin graft. They wind up taking the skin from her butt ( eww gross!) and grafting it to her face! This was seriously one of those "what would I do?" moments for me! Okay in the grand scheme of things, she is alive! She has no long term effects other than some obvious scaring and *ahem* butt skin on her face! If I were in her shoes, I'd totally be glad to be alive, don't get me wrong! But...seriously...did they HAVE to use butt skin???

Lexi wasn't necessarily a character that I really identified with. Ya, know, with me be stunningly gorgeous and all! (insert sarcasm here) But I totally felt for her and wanted desperately for things to turn around for her. She's just been in a bad wreck, her face is changed forever, and on top of that she finds out some terrible things about her best friend and her boyfriend. Her world is literally shattered! I could really identify with not wanting to go back to school, sleeping late, vegging out in front of the tv and befriending a new ice cream flavor or two!

This story is all about Lexi and her journey of self discovery. I loved how while most people let her beauty define her, she didn't let it define HERSELF! Sure, she was lost at first. But in the end she truly found her inner self, butt cheek and all!

All in all this was a really solid book for me that I enjoyed. I liked the character's, and the plot. It was a super fast read. I couldn't put it down and I'm betting you won't be able to either!

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012



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


The Turning by Francine Prose

The Turning

Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he?

Where does reality end and insanity begin? The Turn of the Screw reinvented for modern-day teens, by National Book Award finalist Francine Prose.

Who's excited for this?? I'm EXCITED!!! This book sounds phenominal!!! Seriously! This makes me want to turn out the lights, grab my flash light and hide under the covers with this book. In fact, if I get my hands on a copy of it, I just may do that! Look for this in a bookstore near you on September 25th!  

What books are you looking forward to? I'd love to know so leave me a comment!

Happy Reading!

Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop

Tuesday, June 19, 2012


Hey Guys!

It's time for another fun giveaway hop! This is the Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. I am having a blast with these hops, getting to know all kinds of new people, and giving away awesome books!

Storm (Elemental, #1)

I will be giving away a finished copy of Storm by Brigid Kemmerer. This contest is only open to US mailing addresses.  The contest starts now and ends June 26th. Just enter the rafflecopter below and goodluck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to stop by the other blog's participating.


Nail Your Books (4)


Nail Your Books is an original feature that I created to show off off some awesome book related nail ideas! It can be anything from a book inspired design to a really cute matching nail polish. This feature combines my love of both books and nail polish. Some people match their nails to their outfit, I match mine to my books!


My Life in Black and White


Hello Lovelies!

This week's edition of Nail Your Books was inspired by My Life In Black and White by Natasha Friend. This book caught my eye with the unique and gorgeous cover. So of course I had to do an amazing mani to match this epic cover!


The Supplies



Seche Clear, Crystal Clear Base Coat
Essie polish in Marshmallow
Konad Stamping Polish in Black
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Nail Stamper (any brand will do!)
Konad Nail Stamping Plate #M73


As always you want to make sure you start out with a good clear base coat to protect your nails. Then apply your white polish. I used Essie ( my fave!!!) in Marshmallow. I just purchased this polish, and it wasn't quite as opaque as I was hoping it would be, so I had to use 2 coats of it here. After this dries, the fun begins!

I have been debating about buying a nail stamper for a few months now. And I am so glad I finally bought one! For those of you not sure of what a nail stamper is, or does, let me explain. A nail stamper gives you cute nail designs with no fuss! You simply apply polish to the stamping image plate, scrape off the excess polish, use your stamper to stamp the image. The polish image transfers to the stamper, you then stamp your finger and voila! You are done!

I am no stamper pro, but I have heard Konad is the best stamper on the market. I am a huge fan of MASH products so after reading reviews that it was just as good as Konad at a fraction of the cost, I invested in it. I am so glad I did! At only $4.99 on amazon it was a steal! So back to the mani...

After your coat of white polish dries thoroughly, you can begin to stamp. For this particular mani you will want to use Konad's image plate in M73. You then apply Konad's stamping polish in black to the image, scrape off the excess polish. Stamp the image with your stamper, once the image has transferred to the stamper, stamp your nail. The image should transfer to your nail with no trouble. Finish off with a good top coat and flaunt your new snazzy nails!


This mani turned out beautifully! I love how it perfectly fits in with the story. The main character Lexi, who is gorgeous, get's into a car wreck and her face goes through the windshield. Changing her life forever! I really love how this looks like shatter glass, and it mirrors the black and white shattered images on the cover perfectly! I adored this mani and got quite a few compliments on it. 

So what do you think of my book inspired mani? Will you be trying this one out? I'd love to know! So make sure you leave me some comment love and don't forget to stop back by on Thursday for my review of My Life In Black and White.



Happy Reading!

Blog Tour Review: Cicada

Monday, June 18, 2012



Cicada (Cicada #1) by Belle Whittington
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Create Space
Pages: 220


Cicada (Cicada, #1)






Summertime for Blair Reynolds and her friends had always been carefree and fun... until the summer they happened upon something that was not human. As they band together in a fight for their lives, Blair's true love becomes something more than human. Something unnatural. And their survival depends entirely upon their ability to keep a secret.

You guys know I am a sucker for an amazing cover. So of course I was immediately drawn to Cicada. The cover is stunning and the synopsis was really intruiging. I knew right then and there that I had to check it out!

I am increasingly being drawn to sci-fi books. They are my latest love. And I have always adored alien movies and shows. So I was really excited to try this one out.

I loved that this was a short book, just over 200 pages. Whih made it a really quick read for me. Yay! I am all about a quick read! The beginning was a little slow to me. But by the middle of the story things really heated up and I got sucked into the story.

As far as the character's go these weren't my fave, even though I really enjoyed the story. Blair, the main character, was hard for me to identify with. And there was just something about her that didn't quite appeal to me. Everett was my favorite character in the story. He was a total bug loving nerd and I really liked him. But then again, I'm a huge Hodgin's fan (BONES!!!) so it's of no wonder that Everett was my favorite character.

Overall this was an easy read. It started off a bit slow but it really picked up half way through. I loved the sci-fi feel and the extra terrestrial elements of the story. The last half of the book really picked up and I'm excited to see where the story goes in the next book.

If your a fan of aliens, sci-fi or just need a "different" read, I recommend that you check out Cicada by Belle Whittington!



I am so happy to be a part of the Cicada Blog Tour. I hope you guys will take some time to check out the other blogs participating in the tour.

CICADA Tour Schedule
Click here to see the full participant list...

Make sure you enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win one of 12 ebooks. Open internationally!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The author is giving away a grand prize of an electronic firefly in a jar in honor of the sequel to Cicada called Firefly. How cool is that! Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win the cool prize. US only


a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Week In Books (3)

Saturday, June 16, 2012



Hello Everyone and Happy Saturday!

This Week In Book's is a weekly feature from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie in which we share all the awesome bookish related items we got "this week"!

It's been a while since I've done one of these.  I went on vacation for 2 weeks, and came home to all kinds of awesome stuff! I think I seriously ran around the house screaming and clutching books for an hour! haha

No vlog this week because I'm lazy and don't feel like fighting with YouTube to co-operate. I'll try to do one next week if I get anything in. I had a blast on my vacation, and I came home to some amazing things!

I hope you had an awesome week in books as well. Don't forget to leave me a link so I can stop by your blog and visit. And stop back by tomorrow to see some awesome vacation photo's! 

Bought
While on vacation, it is a family tradition to stop at a bookstore and load up on books, magazines, cds and all kinds of fun stuff. As soon as we got to our vacation home, we unpacked and headed straight for B&N. You guys know I am totally addicted to their Leather Bound Classics Editions. And they had a great sale! Buy one get one for $10! Eeek! I couldn't pass that up! With a $5 off coupon and a 20% off coupon I got these for a total steal! I was able to snag The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll and the Complete Works of Hans Christen Anderson to add to my collection. And they look GORGEOUS on my bookshelf next to my Grimm's fairytale book! :)



For Review
Nerve by Jeanna Ryan
I will be participating in the blog tour with Penguin books for Nerve in September. Jeanne sent her book and an awesome postcard note. I already devoured this and it was sooo amazing!!! I can't wait to share my thoughts on it with all of you! 

Swapped/Gifted
One thing I love about the blogging community is how sweet and generous everyone is! I got several books from quite a few bloggers. And I am super excited about ALL of them! 
Shadows by Ilisa J. Bick it's the second book in the Ashes Trilogy
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Over You by Emma McLauglin and Nicola Kraus
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe
A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young
Velveteen by Daniel Marks
Hourglass by Myra McEntire (signed!!!! Eek!)
Live Through This by Mindi Scott
Secret Letters by Leah Scheier

Thank you to Michelle from Window Pane Memoirs, Lindsay  Cummings, Nikki, and Megan for the signed copy of Hourglass! You girls rock my socks! And also a HUGE thanks to Jeanne you are so sweet!

I hope you guys had a fantastic week in books! This is 2 weeks worth of books for me since I was on vacation. So hopefully next week's edition won't be so long. I hope you guys are having a fantastic weekend with your friends, family and loved ones. I look forward to seeing you again next week!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway

Thursday, June 14, 2012



Hello Lovelies!

I am back with another epic giveaway! Can you tell I am a little addicted to giveaway hops right now? HA! This one is perfect because my shelf is over flowing and YOU my dear readers, get to benefit from it!

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway is hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer. It's a chance for us to clear some space on our bookshelves and give our books a great home!

I will be picking 2 winners, who will each have their choice of ONE of the following arcs

When You Were MineUnraveling (Unraveling, #1)ReunitedMiracleJust FlirtIrisesThe Catastrophic History of You and MeThe Boy RecessionBitterblue (Graceling Realm, #3)


This contest starts at midnight and ends on June 20th. Rafflecopter will randomly select two winners who will have their choice of one of the arcs pictured above. This contest is open to US residents only. Sorry guys! I can't afford to ship internationally at this time. 

Check out the rafflecopter below to enter the contest. And don't forget to stop by and visit some of the other great bloggers participating in the hop!



a Rafflecopter giveaway



Review: Just Flirt

Just Flirt by Laura Bowers
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 325
Buy The Book: Amazon

Just Flirt
It’s summer, sweet summer! Self-proclaimed Superflirt Dee Barton can’t wait to spend it practicing her Nine Rules of Flirting on all the cute guys who come to stay at her family’s campground. Why not? Flirting is fun and makes everyone involved feel good—which is pretty much the exact opposite of her relationship with her toxic ex-boyfriend, Blaine.

Sabrina Owens’s summer plans include keeping her over-the-top karaoke DJ mother in check, maintaining her status as the queen of the popular crowd—and being the perfect girlfriend to Blaine. Both girls see each other as the enemy. But when a secret blog embroils them in a frivolous lawsuit, they must team up and embark on a risky, flirt-filled plot to set things right again…and maybe prove they’re not so different after all.

Laura Bowers’s new novel is a heartfelt and hilarious story of friendship, family…and flirting!

This book sounded like a really cute summer read, and that is exactly what it is! It was cute, fun and exactly what I needed to bring me into summer! Bring on bikini's, snow cones, cute boys and let the games (ahem!) I mean flirting, begin!

One of the things I loved most about this book were the fun loving characters. The story takes place on The Barton Family's Campground. Now that Dee's father has passed away, it's up to her and her mother to make things work. There are quite a few quirky characters at the campsite and I adored them!

The main character Dee, was a lovable character. She's a dedicated daughter, friend and superflirt! After a relationship that ended sour, and an embarrassing experience, Dee has vowed to never fall in love again! She becomes an expert at fun, and harmless flirting. But all of Dee's harmless fun may just get her in more trouble than she ever dreamed of!

All in all, I really loved this book! I smiled, I laughed, and I gasped. It was a well written, fun and flirty book that would be a great addition to any girl's beach bag this summer!

Review: My Life Next Door

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Release Date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Pages: 395
Buy The Book: Amazon

My Life Next Door
A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time. ”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.


My Life Next Door was one of the best YA contemporary books I've read to date. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it is by far, my favorite YA contemporary book EVER! Yep, there it is. I said it! This book was the perfect combination of love, family, friendships and it all felt so real and gripping!

Samantha was a main character that I think a lot of people can identify with. She lives with her up tight single mother, and her older and wilder sister. She lives a comfortable life, including dinners at the country club but everything in her life is about to change. For as long as she can remember, Sam has watched her neighbors the Garrett's. A family of 8, full of life and love, so different from her own life with her up tight Mom. She watches their lives, and imagines what they are like. But everything changes when Jace Garrett, the boy next door, climbs her terrace. Okay first of all, I gotta LOVE Jace for this! What girl totally wouldn't swoon when the hot buy next door climbs up to her window? If you just answered no, you are CRAZY!

Jace *sighs dreamily* if I were 10 years younger I would totally be all up in his koolaid! Jace was such a great character. He was caring, kind, loving and gentle. He had a great sense of humor, he was responsible and balanced,  working, spending time with his loved ones and helping out his rather large family like a pro! On top of that he had crazy good looks that would melt a stick of butter. The only problem is Samantha's mother can't stand his family, or him!

I loved the Garrett's crazy big family. I loved the way they interacted with each other, and helped each other. They were amazing and some of my favorite parts of the story. Especially Jace's little brother George. He totally stole the show!

I liked how there was more to the story than just fluff. There were some real challenges and dilema's that these character's face. All in all this book was incredible! I couldn't put it down and read the entire book straight through. It captivated me and stole my heart.

My Life Next Door is a wonderfully done contemporary that will make you laugh, cry, and smile. This book will capture your heart and leave you wanting more!

Cover Reveal: The Cadet of Tildor

Monday, June 11, 2012

Hello Lovelies!

I am really excited to be participating in the cover reveal for The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell. This YA fantasy novel sounds amazing and I can't to read it! But for now I will have to be content with staring at the cover and imagining the adventures that lie within the pages!


The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell is set to be released on January 10, 2013 by Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin)

You can find more information about the book at Goodreads . And don't forget to stop by Amazon to preorder your copy of this epic title!

Now on to the fun stuff! There are 2 awesome swag giveaways for this book. One is for Teachers and Educators only. Both contests start on June 15th, and are open to US residents only. Don't forget to scroll down and enter the rafflecopter to win an awesome swag pack!



a Rafflecopter giveaway



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Transcendence (Review and Interview)

Sunday, June 10, 2012


Transcendence by C.J. Omololu
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Walker and Company
Pages: 336
Buy The Book: Amazon

Transcendence
When a visit to the Tower of London triggers an overwhelmingly real vision of a beheading that occurred centuries before, Cole Ryan fears she is losing her mind. A mysterious boy, Griffon Hall, comes to her aid, but the intensity of their immediate connection seems to open the floodgate of memories even wider.

As their feelings grow, Griffon reveals their common bond as members of the Akhet—an elite group of people who can remember past lives and use their collected wisdom for the good of the world. But not all Akhet are altruistic, and a rogue is after Cole to avenge their shared past. Now in extreme danger, Cole must piece together clues from many lifetimes. What she finds could ruin her chance at a future with Griffon, but risking his love may be the only way to save them both.

Full of danger, romance, and intrigue, Transcendence breathes new life into a perpetually fascinating question: What would you do with another life to live?

Transcendence is such an addicting story. I got hooked from the beginning and stayed up way past 3 am reading it. The story starts off in London with an encounter with a couple of cute boys, a few strange flash backs, and then the story begins to unfold.

The main character Cole, is a cello prodigy. This girl is seriously world famous! She has a lot of drive, and total dedication to her craft. She spends hours practicing, teaching,playing at concert's and that's in addition to her schooling. While in London, she meets Griffin, a total hottie, and begins to have some rather odd flash back's. After she returns home, Cole begins having an increased amount of flash back's that don't seem to make any sense. When she runs into Griffin, she begins to wonder if this is more than just a coincidence.

Griffin was a really great character. He took Cole under his wing, and taught her everything he knew about the "Akhet". He explained what all the weird feelings she was having were. He did his best to make her feel at home in her own skin, and like this was all normal. Or could eventually feel normal anyways. Griffin was her night in shining armor, protecting her and fighting for her. I adored him!

Overall, I really enjoyed Transcendence. It's a really great story with a dash of romance, and a lot of mystery at the heart of it! It was completely addicting and I was so engrossed in the story that I couldn't stop reading until I got to the very last sentence!




Interview with C.J. Omololu

Transcendence is so different from Dirty Little Secrets. How did you come up with the idea for your book? 

They really are different books. I started thinking about death and the afterlife when a friend’s son died unexpectedly and came up with the idea of a group of people who could remember all of their past lives as a way of dealing with it. I read a bunch of books on reincarnation and took the parts of it that I liked and made up other things as I came up with the ‘world’ of the Akhet.

In your book, the main character is a very talented musical prodigy. Do you play any musical instruments? 

Sadly, no. I did play cello in the school orchestra in sixth grade, so I had a super basic knowledge of how it works. My grandfather was really musical and could play the piano insanely well and my son plays guitar and everything else he can get his hands on, so it skipped my generation. Somewhere out there is a photo of me in ninth grade wearing a band uniform and holding a clarinet. I was a ‘faker’ for our school’s award-winning marching band. They needed people to fill out the ranks in the things the band did during halftime shows and it was either band PE or swimming at 7 o’clock in the morning. I even got to go to the Rose Parade and fake my way marching down the street without playing a note.

In the story, Cole, gets to travel to some pretty amazing places! What's the most exotic place you've been to? 

I’ve been to Nigeria, in West Africa – my husband’s family is still there. We didn’t really go outside of the big city, but it was a culture shock all the same.  I also spend a good deal of time in a small town in central Texas, which is exotic in its own right.

If the Akhet were a real group of people, would you want to be one of them?

Yes! Being Akhet isn’t without its drawbacks as people will see in the book, but I’d jump at the chance.

The way that you wrote Transcendence, there is definitely 
room to do more with the story if you chose. Will there be a sequel in the future? ( please oh please!)

 That makes me so happy! Yes, we’re just putting the finishing touches on the sequel which will be out next year. Most of the characters are back and there are some intriguing new ones as well – I loved writing it and I think it came out really well. I’d love to do more, but only time will tell.

Thanks for letting me come by your blog!

Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you her today! :)

Debut Author Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, June 6, 2012



Hello!

This week I am participating in the Debut Author Giveaway Hop. I am stoked! I love participating in the Debut Author Challenge each year. It's a fantastic way to find new authors and support them! So of course I am super excited for this Debut Author Giveaway. Eeek!

I will be giving an arc of one of the following books to ONE lucky winner!

Unraveling (Unraveling, #1)Pretty CrookedThe Catastrophic History of You and MeHemlock (Hemlock, #1)ReunitedRevived

This contest starts today and will end on the 13th. Rafflecopter will randomly select one winner who will have their choice of the arcs pictured above. This contest is open to US residents only. Sorry guys! I can't afford to ship internationally at this time. 

Check out the rafflecopter below to enter the contest. And don't forget to stop by and visit some of the other great bloggers participating in the hop!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting On Wednesday (25)



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


Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Lucid

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts.

I am so excited for this book it is ridonkulous! Seriously! I am a HUGE fan of that tv show Awake and I am devastated that they cancelled it! Anyone else? Your furious too right?!?!? I know you are!

Anyways... I am sad that there won't be anymore Awake in my life. *sniff sniff* But I am hoping Lucid can fill the void. It sounds epic! And totally gorgeous cover! Can't wait to snag a copy of this when it comes out October 22nd!

What books are you looking forward to? Leave me a comment, I'd love to know!

Review: Lies Beneath

Tuesday, June 5, 2012


Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1) by Anne Greenwood Brown
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Delacourt Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303
Buy The Book: Amazon

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

I have always been fascinated by mermaid tales. I blame this on Disney's the Little Mermaid which totally enchanted me. This is my first mermaid book, and I am completely hooked! Lies Beneath was unique, original and totally captivating!

I don't have a lot of mermaid books to compare this to, but it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. I guess I was expecting a more fun and light read ( again think Little Mermaid minus the singing) and was pleasantly surprised. This book was more dark, dramatic and full of intrigue and plot twists and turns. I got hooked immediately from the first few pages and the story totally sucked me in.

The story is told from Calder's point of view. A lot of time's, male POV's can be really hit or miss for me. They are either not manly enough, or way over the top. The author did a superb job of writing and it was perfectly done! The story itself was incredible! I was totally engrossed from the very  beginning and could not put this book down until I finished it.

The character's really came to life for me! There were some I loved, others that scared me, and some that just made me cringe. And at times, okay if I'm being honest, pretty much the entire book, I wished a lovely mer-man would come for me! tee hee

All in all this I loved this one! It was perfectly done and I can't wait to read more about this story and the characters. There will be sequel right? Someone...please tell me there is a sequel! Anyone?!?!?

Nail Your Books (3)

Monday, June 4, 2012


Nail Your Books is an original feature that I created to show off off some awesome book related nail ideas! It can be anything from a book inspired design to a really cute matching nail polish. This feature combines my love of both books and nail polish. Some people match their nails to their outfit, I match mine to my books!


Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)


Hello Lovelies!

This week's edition of Nail Your Books was inspired by Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown. This was my first mermaid/merman book and it totally captivated me! Just look at the gorgeous cover!

The Supplies

Seche Clear, Crystal Clear Base Coat
Elle Nail Lacquer in Seaside Chic
Sinful Colors in Nail Junkie
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Make sure you start with a good base coat. It will help your mani last longer, plus, it keeps darker colors from bleeding onto your nails! Then once this dries the fun starts! Paint one to two coats of Seaside Chic onto your nails. This is a new polish line by Elle and  its sold exclusively at Kohl's. They have loads of fabulous colors, I've already bought 4 and want so many more!!! After you let this coat dry, apply Sinful Colors in Nail Junkie. You can snag this at Wal-green's for $1.99! And if you watch for sales, you get this for 99 cents! Nail Junkie is a pretty dense glitter polish, so you only need to apply one coat of this. Once this dries, apply a good top coat to seal it all in. And voila!



Pictures do not do this one justice! The combo of the two polishes is stunning! The top coat really catches the light, and sparkles, just like the ocean. I got many compliments on this mani and I for sure will be wearing it again!



This one perfectly matches the cover to Lies Beneath, which is gorgeous! The light totally plays off of the glitter polish and sparkles just like the cover of this incredible novel! 

So what do you think of my book inspired mani? Will you be trying this one out? I'd love to know! So make sure you leave me some comment love and don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for my review on Lies Beneath.

Happy Reading!

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  • Hi! My name is Cristina, I am 29 years old and from Texas! I love my bunnies, books and blogging about my favorite things!
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Cristina

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