Waiting on Wednesday- 20

Hi Everyone!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and is a wonderful way to share books you are waiting on!

Today, for my last WOW of 2012, I am sharing the last book coming out in February that is a reason I cannot wait for February 2013!

Along with The Ivy: Scandal by Lauren Kunze (February 26), Cross My Heart, Hope To Die by Sara Shepard (February 5), and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (February 5), I am waiting on ...

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: February 12th, 2013

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Synopsis: 

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Why oh why?

I admire Sydney. Even though she makes some choices I disagree with, I admire her courage and drive to be herself. I am so happy to find an observer, like me, as a main character of a series. A main character who demonstrates a unique type of strength, who is loyal and creative.

I love Adrain. I love his tenacious attitude towards gaining his desires, his marvelous wit and his ability to constantly change and become stronger in the face of adversity - his bad luck and father.

I cannot wait to see what happens next in the Bloodlines series. To meet Marcus. To discover the result of Jill modeling mistake. To read Sydney and Christian's first meeting. To experience what terror Mrs. Terwilliger's sister can bring. Most of all, to enjoy Sonya's and Mikhail's wedding! 

Thanks for reading!

What are you waiting on?

Cover Reveal: Dear Cassie by Lisa Burnstein

Happy Friday Everyone! 

Today I am delighted to participate in the cover reveal of Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein. 

This is the companion novel to a book I enjoyed called Pretty Amy. 

I happy to also share an except of Dear Cassie with you!

Synopsis:

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about. 

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

An Excellent Exclusive Excerpt

We kept walking on the lake trail, the bullfrogs croaking. There was also a humming in my ears from the nicotine.

 It could only be from the nicotine. It had nothing to do with being outside, at night, alone with Ben. It had nothing to do with Ben coming to the cabin and taking me instead of Nez and it definitely had nothing to do with the stars above us shining like they were the sky’s tiara. 

I stopped on the trail and looked up, taking them in, when all of a sudden bright colored lights exploded in the sky—fireworks, one after another, on top of each other, huge kaleidoscopes of light, like sparkling rainbow spiders.

“How did you know?” I asked, my voice going softer, like if I talked too loudly they would stop. It was so beautiful, after weeks of so much ugly. 

Ben turned to look at me, the colored lights in the sky turning his skin pink, blue, green. “I’m magic.” He shrugged.

I geared up to tell him to fuck off, because that was some corny-ass shit, but then I realized that he really kind of was. In that moment he was able to actually make me forget being me.

 “I would try to kiss you,” he said, “but I’m afraid you’d kick me in the balls.”

“I probably would.” I laughed, the sky filling with noisy color like paint launching from a giant popcorn popper. “But like I said, it wouldn’t be about you.”

“I guess I’ll have to figure out how to make it about me,” he said, taking off his boots and socks and standing. “Come on.”

“There is no way I am getting near that water again,” I said.

“I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” he said, holding his hand out to help me up.

            I looked at his palm, open, waiting, just wanting to hold mine. For once, I didn’t think about anything except that there was a cute, sweet, smart-ass boy standing in front of me with his hand out.

I pulled off my boots and socks and took it.  

We stood at the lakeshore, our hands still clasped, the water licking our feet, fireworks decorating the sky.

I turned to him. He was looking up, his mouth open in wonder like he was trying to swallow the moment.

It was definitely one worth keeping.

And now. The moment you have all been waiting for. 
The cover! 

. 

About the Author:

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She received her MFA in Fiction from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. She lives in Portland, OR, with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Dear Cassie is her second novel.

Goodreads  The Book Depositary  Amazon  

Barnes and Noble  Twitter  Facebook Website

My Reaction

I love the green background of a grassy field and the use of words coming from a diary blended into the cover. 

Thanks for reading!

Blog Tour: Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole Review

Hi Everyone!

Today I am participating in the Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole's blog tour. 

This blog tour is hosted by Kismet Tours! You can check out Kistmet's website here. 

Add To Goodreads!

Rating: 3.5/5 STARS!

Synopsis:

My name is Mia Giannis. 

I am seventeen years old.

I live in Valese, Caberra. 

This has become my mantra and my lifeline, having recently lost my memory due to a scary natural disaster.Yeah. I have amnesia. Messed up, right? 

You don't know the half of it.

Not remembering anything has turned my world upside down. My parents try their hardest to “remind” me of who I was, but it doesn't feel right. Or, if what they're saying is true and that really was me, I'm not sure I like that person very much. 

And then there’s my love life. Apparently, Gavin Ariastasis is my oldest and best friend in the world. Also, apparently, we’ve never dated. But now, noticing him for what feels like the first time, he’s making my heart do somersaults. He knows me inside and out—the real me. Plus, he’s sexy and charming as hell. Sounds perfect, right? 

But then... there’s the new guy. Quinn McKeyen – tall, gorgeous and deliciously American. His mischievous grin and slow Midwestern drawl turn my insides to mush in two seconds flat making me question who I really am and what I really want. 

Seriously. What am I supposed to do with all that?! I feel torn between them, but I barely even know who I am, let alone what I want.I just hope my indecisive heart will clue me in. And sooner rather than later…before I lose what little of my mind that I have left.

My review:

“I sigh and stare out the window.

And ponder my life.

Because I live in a bubble.

A fragile, beautiful, misleading bubble.” (Mia’s Heart ARC Pg. 3)

Mia’s heart is one of loneliness, confusion and love.

From the second I read the first sentence of this book I knew I liked Mia. I connect to the line above because I constantly feel like I am living in a bubble of idealism that leaves me with being confused of what I want out of my life. My connection with Mia lasted the whole book as she changed throughout dealing with amnesia. I never experienced amnesia myself, but I believe Mia’s lost memory was portrayed in a realistic manner. I like how Cole illustrated Mia musky memories.

“I am still for a moment. My memory is a strange thing. As I think, I can remember bits and pieces of things. I see a car. A red convertible. I think it’s mine, but it ;ight not be.” (Mia’s Heart ARC pg. 34)

Mia’s heart is one of spunk, inner courage and amity.

Mia is a brave character who deals with her problem, not with ease, but with natural determination. So is her best friend Gavin. Gavin is a vivacious boy I adore, a caring friend and witty. Quinn is the new boy in this book’s setting of an island, Caberra. He is a charming guy. I applaud how Mia tried to be friends with her pre-memory lost enemy Elena now that she does not remember the cause of their animosity. Elena is the one-dimensional mean girl of the story that has room to grow. I am hoping for a book between Gavin and Elena in the future.

The plot of the book was the only unsatisfactory part in my reading experience. I enjoy romantic stories, and felt the beginning of the story was strong, especially the hilarious scene where Mia met Quinn and the crab. Sadly, the remainder of the story was a flux of Mia having feelings for Gavin and then for Quinn, and hanging out with Reese and her other friends. The plot was too repetitive for my taste and my attention drifted away from the story towards the middle of the book.

Mia’s Heart was a light, fun book with a spectacular main character. You should check it out. Meeting Mia, Gavin and Quinn is worth the read!

There is also a giveaway of Mia's Heart going on for this blog tour! Feel free to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author.

 website | twitter |  facebook | facebook fan page

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could.She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolewrites.com

Thanks for reading!

Showcase Sunday 7!

Happy Sunday!

Happy Hanukkah Leanne and my other fellow Jews! 

Lets celebrate the Maccabees, the miracle of oil and, of course, presents!

Design Credit: The awesome and hilarious Mimi Valentine. 
Oh, how much I miss Mimi.

Showcase Sunday is a weekly book haul hosted by the wonderful Vicky @ Books Biscuits and Tea. This week I am celebrating obtaining the following fantastic books! 

Won:

The Lucky Ones by Anna Godberson
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Oh, how much I adore this book! I read it all Friday night and it was an amazing experience. Thom Hale- how I love him. I am so glad he had a chance to clear the air with Cordelia about what happened in the first book. That was definitely my favorite scene of The Lucky Ones.

 Cordelia- how brave. Astrid- how spirited. Letty- how vibrant.

This Bright Young Thing series is one NOT to be missed! Especially if you love the 1920s too!

I hope to remain "Forever afloat." (Godberson 373)

Like the line above, the writing in this book is brilliant!

I won this book by participating in an amazing tea time chat hosted by the ladies behind EpicReads. This chat was on Wednesday November 28th when they were celebrating the release of The Lucky Ones by Anna Godberson through "Flapper Time." Tea Time is a fantastic way to enjoy your Wednesday afternoon listening to these two discuss books! 

I hope I have time to participate again this coming Wednesday. 

New chats happen every Wednesday afternoon.

Check out the witty video here!

Join the EpicReads Community here!

Bought:

Burned by Sara Shepard
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After years of waiting (okay, actually six months), Burned by Sara Shepard finally was released this Tuesday! It was a fun book! I am so glad Naomi was finally presented as a three-dimesional character. Every scene with her was spectacular and I hope she appears on many of the pages of Crushed and Pretty Little Liars 14. Also, Noel and Aria somehow became even more adorable and loveable. The scene where Noel teaches Aria how to swim is spectacular! Again, I hope he is a prominent character in the last two Pretty Little Liars books. Team Noel!

Thanks for reading!
What did you receive this week?

Guest Post: Welcome Faye!

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone is having a fun week! 

The new Pretty Little Liars book came out this week and I am already happily reading it! Its fabulous!

 Today, I am glad to host my first guest post. 

 Please welcome Faye from A Daydreamer's Thoughts!

She is sharing ten of her favorite book couples.

I always have enjoyed reading her blogspirations and reviews. She is a fantastic blogger and person. 

Happy reading!

Now on to Faye!

So, I would like to start this post by thanking Rachel for being kind enough to host me today. She is such an amazing blogger and it is an honour to be here. Today I have written a list of ten amazing book couples that I read about this year and instantly loved. They’re not my ultimate favourites because I could never actually choose, but they’re just some that I really enjoyed reading about and would read again in a heartbeat!

These are really in no particular order at all, they’re just in the order I thought about them.

         

Tris and Four
Divergent was one of the first books I read in January and I managed to finish the book in under two days – and I’m a slow reader – and a large reason for this was how enraptured I was by Tris and Four. I loved their chemistry, and I just felt that they were perfect for each other. Tris with her stubborn ways and Four for his admiration of it, yet he was also wary of it and wanted to warn her. He was so taken by her and I just found my heart thumping whenever they were together. Their relationship definitely gives me hope.

Jake and Harper
Saving June is one of those books that I read and instantly went into my top ten books of the year. It was absolutely amazing, with some many things to keep you going and wanting more. But it was Jake and Harper that really drew me into the story. They were the kind of couple who were never going to be together at the beginning. They had a dusty start, but then their friendship started to appear and before long, you could tell that there was something hiding just underneath it all and I absolutely loved that.


Megan and Ash
The Iron Fey series may not be my favourite series of all time but there is no denying how much I love Megan and Ash as a couple. Megan can be a slightly annoying character at times but with Ash’s winter “coldness”, he is stubborn but he also loves fully and he truly loves Megan. Their love wasn’t the kind that just blossomed from nothing, they were enemies, but they fought with each other to keep each other safe and then the emotions just followed. I love them together and I love their relationship as well, they’re just the perfect pair!

       

Macy and Wes
The Truth About Forever was my first Sarah Dessen novel and I can only really say that this book blew me away. I loved the raw emotion of it, I loved how powerful it was and I can just tell that she has a complete and utter way with words. But on top of it all, I loved Macy and Wes with a fiery passion. I wanted them to fall for each other as soon as he entered onto the page. He was so amazing and inspiring, everything that Macy needed most. I loved witnessing their relationship grow and by the end of the book, I was so madly in love with them both that I wished they were real so I could hug them and congratulate them and love them all over again!

Katniss andPeeta (I technically read this in 2011, shhh)
The Hunger Games has hit the movies, but I adored this couple in the books before it hit the screens. I loved how in the books you could tell how Katniss felt about Peeta even when she didn’t. I loved how you could feel how much he loved her when she couldn’t quite realise that he was being truthful. The way this relationship came about, the way it all came together truly made my heart beat a little faster in my chest. I adored them so much. They went through quite a bit during the trilogy but they will always be a couple I admire.

              

Chelsea and Sam
Speechless instantly became one of my favourite contemporaries of all time. Or it definitely went straight into that top ten list. It was so powerful, amazing and the entire book rendered me speechless. The relationship between Chelsea and Sam was so real. It didn’t happen straight away. Sam was wary of her to begin with, warned her to treat his friends with respect. Then a friendship came about between them, until they were spending a lot of time together and then, just as it would in real life, a relationship followed. It was so full of emotion and it was powerful and they were so right for each other. Sam helped Chelsea but Chelsea helped Sam and together they are so strong and amazing, it is impossible not to root for them.

Rachel and Logan
Defiance is a magnificent read but what I truly loved about this book was not just the dual narrative of these two amazing characters but their journey together. It was a rocky relationship for them. Rachel had admitted to liking Logan when she was fifteen and he had turned her down. They didn’t trust each other, they were afraid to admit that they even liked each other. But the emotions they felt were so real and raw and you could really feel them. You could see what Logan saw in Rachel, could feel his passion towards her and Rachel the same to Logan. A well-written couple that I can’t wait to read more of.


Cas and Anna
I have only just recently finished Anna Dressed In Blood, but I cannot deny the power that these two characters had over me. Their connection was so static. It was a sort of forbidden love and yet they couldn’t help but feel the emotions pulling their lives together. Something was showing that there was so much more between them then even they understand. I loved the way this all came about, and I just found the entire dynamics of this relationship to be very interesting and intriguing.

       

Seraphina and Prince Lucian
Now this a fairly odd couple because they’re not actually together! These two just have this amazing friendship that I admired so much and could not, not mention. Because, of course, their friendship is laced with all that sexual tension and it is so amazing. They both get affected as though they were in a relationship, they talk as though they are, argue as though they are and it made my bones chill as I read it. This is a couple that in one respect I wish were together but in another, wish that they never do become one. It was a brilliantly written relationship.

Moth and Jace
Falling To Ash is a book that I truly enjoyed. It was different, inspired and completely compelling. And the forbidden love between Moth and Jace was so gut-wrenching and heart-pounding at the same time. You wanted them to be able to work passed it all, but at the same time knew it would be impossible. I loved how they played on each other, sarcasm in full throttle and were just able to be themselves around one another. They were true and fun to read about and I totally wish they somehow manage to get passed the “forbidden” part.
So there we have it! And what a list! I hope that I may have opened your eyes up to some new and inspiring couples so that you can go and divulge into these beautiful relationships, I mean, *cough* BOOKS.

But what about you? What couples do you love with a passion unlike any you have ever known?

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Did you like this blog post? Would you like to see more posts like it? If the answer to that question is yes, then I need your help!

If you have just one minute to spare, I would love it if you could watch this video. If I get the most-watches, I may win my chance to blog for Mira INK, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

If you like the video and wish to comment, like or share it, I would be truly appreciative!

At the end of the competition on Dec 11^th, I will be choosing one lucky commenter or sharer and they will win themselves a Christmas Surprise! So what are you waiting for?

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To know more about the competition in general, click here

All interactions are truly appreciated and I want to thank you all now for the wonderful support! If you would like to get to know me better, feel free to follow my blog, my twitter, add me on facebook or goodreads, or e-mail me!

Faye

Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole Release Day Blizz!

Hi Everyone!

Today I happy participating in celebrating the release day of Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole! 
It is an adorable book set in an island near Greece called Caberra! 
This is hosted by Kismet Tours! You can check out Kistmet's website here. 

Synopsis:

My name is Mia Giannis. 

I am seventeen years old.

I live in Valese, Caberra. 

This has become my mantra and my lifeline, having recently lost my memory due to a scary natural disaster.Yeah. I have amnesia. Messed up, right? 

You don't know the half of it.

Not remembering anything has turned my world upside down. My parents try their hardest to “remind” me of who I was, but it doesn't feel right. Or, if what they're saying is true and that really was me, I'm not sure I like that person very much. 

And then there’s my love life. Apparently, Gavin Ariastasis is my oldest and best friend in the world. Also, apparently, we’ve never dated. But now, noticing him for what feels like the first time, he’s making my heart do somersaults. He knows me inside and out—the real me. Plus, he’s sexy and charming as hell. Sounds perfect, right? 

But then... there’s the new guy. Quinn McKeyen – tall, gorgeous and deliciously American. His mischievous grin and slow Midwestern drawl turn my insides to mush in two seconds flat making me question who I really am and what I really want. 

Seriously. What am I supposed to do with all that?! I feel torn between them, but I barely even know who I am, let alone what I want.I just hope my indecisive heart will clue me in. And sooner rather than later…before I lose what little of my mind that I have left.

Excerpt:

I flip over and suddenly, I’m terrified. 

I’m panicky.

The sea is so very vast. 

And I’m so very alone.

I scream.  I can’t help it.  And as I do, I accidentally gulp in a huge mouthful of water.  Everything that follows is a blur. 

I start coughing and flailing my arms and even though I’m wearing a life-jacket, I’m thrashing around like a lunatic.  I hear the boat motor start up and then I feel the wake of the boat as it crests up to me.  Gavin is next to me and before I know it, he’s hauling me over the side of The Shining. 

I’m in his lap, on the floor of the boat and he is holding me and I am shaking.

OhMyGod.

I’m such an idiot. 

I’m such an idiot.

And I must be repeating it out loud, even though I don’t mean to, because Gavin is telling me, “No, you’re not.”

But I am. 

I really am.

“I don’t know why I got so afraid,” I tell him.  “I think I had a panic attack.”  My voice sounds pathetic and I hate it.

Gavin tightens his grip on me, his strong arms are wrapped around me and I suddenly realize that his skin is pressed against mine and it feels really, really good.  I push into him harder and clutch him to me.

Because for some insane reason, I’m still unnerved.

“It’s okay,” he tells me softly.  He’s stroking my back and I’m trying to catch my breaths like a normal person.  “You’ve been through a lot. I shouldn’t have let you float like that alone.  You seemed like you were doing fine, so I climbed up onto the boat to watch you and I must have fallen asleep.  I’m so sorry.  This is my fault, Mi.”

I look up at him.  He’s so sexy and concerned and my heart melts.

“It’s not your fault that I’m insane,” I tell him firmly.  “I don’t know why I panicked. I can’t even explain it. Everything just all of a sudden felt so big and I felt so small and alone.  I guess I kind of freaked out.”

Understatement of the year.

Gavin’s dark eyes are soft as he stares at me.  He brushes a thumb across my cheek and says that he is so very sorry. 

“It makes sense, Mia,” he tells me.  “You can’t remember who you are.  So you feel sort of alone in the world.  And when you fell asleep while you were floating and woke up, the sea felt big.  And everything came down on you at once.  It’s okay. I get it.  But you’re never alone.  I want you to know that.  You will always have me. You always have and you always will.”

My heart swells until it might burst. 

It feels so incredibly, amazingly good to have this beautiful boy tell me that.  To know that he has always been my friend, that he knows me inside and out.  And then I do something unexpected.

I lean up and kiss Gavin. 

On the mouth. 

Sweet Angel of Mercy.

His lips are soft and warm from the sun.  I can taste the sea on them and I weave my hands into his hair, pulling him closer.  He tightens his grip on me and kisses me back; hard, hard, harder.  He tastes like fruit and smells like sunshine. 

It’s really nice. 

Wonderful.

Amazing. 

My heart is doing flip-flops when I finally pull away. 

Gavin stares down at me in shock.

“I’ve always wondered what that would be like,” he admits.  “Kissing a firecracker, I mean.”  I smile. 

“And?”

“It’s really too difficult to say from just one kiss,” he says, his dark eyes twinkling.  “We should try it again so that I have more to go on.”

He cups my face in his hands and dips his head, his lips meeting mine. 

He tastes of butterscotch and man.

Twenty-five beats of my heart later, he pulls away. 

“And?” I breathe. 

“You’ll do,” he grins. 

Yes, I think Gavin was my favorite character in this book.

Now for the giveaway! 

You can win a paperback copy of this books companion Dante's Girl! 

Check out Dante's Girl - the first book in the Paradise Diaries Series  
goodreads | amazon | B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author.

 website | twitter |  facebook | facebook fan page

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could.She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolewrites.com

Thanks for reading! 

Mia's Heart review coming on December 11!