Feature and Follow Friday [10]

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - This week's feature is: Consuming Worlds and Take Me Away
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book? 

I have a few favorite series...

If I woke up in the Harry Potter world, I am praying that I have magic or what's the point? I would want a house like Molly Weasley with her clock and the magic in every corner and the gnomes in the garden.

If I woke up in The Hunger Games, I would be one sad Momma. Since I'm 30, I would no longer be eligible for the games. Thankfully, neither would my son yet, but I couldn't even imagine the worry of a parent for their child going through that.

If I woke up in The Hollows, I would want to be living in the church with Rachel and Jenks and hopefully have some mad skills in order to protect me and those I love. I would have to be a witch, pixie, or elf to be happy in that world, and most likely would be making a play for Trent.

Waiting on Wednesday [10]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill

Publisher: Harper Voyager February 26, 2013
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Goodreads Summary


There is another world than our own, as close and intimate as a kiss, as terrifying and haunting as nightmares, a realm where fairies and djinns, changelings and angels, all the stuff of which dreams are made is real...and where magic awaits in the shadows, just a hidden step away. Between this realm and that other lies a veil, a gossamer web that muddles the vision of mortal man and keeps him from seeing what is all around him. Sometimes, someone pierces that protective veil. But one glimpse of this world can forever transform lives. Just ask Ewan and Colby...

Once upon the time, the pair were once bold explorers and youthful denizens of this magical realm, until they left that world behind them. Now, Ewan is a musician living in Austin, and has just met the girl he wants to marry. Colby is still coping with the consequences of an innocent childhood wish that haunts him all these years later. While their time in the Limestone Kingdom is little more than a distant memory, this supernatural world has never forgotten them. And in a world where angels relax on rooftops, whiskey-swilling genies and foul-mouthed wizards argue metaphysics, and monsters in the dark feed on fear, both will learn that fate can never be outrun.

The many fans of Neil Gaiman, Lev Grossman, Erin Morgenstern, and Kim Harrison will love this fabulous debut tale of the magic and monsters in our world...and in ourselves.

Teaser Tuesday [9]

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) by Ilona Andrews

Teaser:

"I have a brown belt in karate," he said. I decided that he found my tough woman persona amusing. "I might put up a fight."

This was actually fun. I gave him a full blast of my psychotic smile and said, "Brown belt? That's impressive. But you have to remember, I break legs for a living while you..."

"Fix noses?" he put in.

"No, I was going to say stitch up corpses, but you're right, 'fix noses' would've made a much better retort."

Goodreads Summary:


Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic…

One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy…

Review: Ever After (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison

Publisher: January 22, 2013 Harper Voyager
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased

*Please note that it is very hard to review books past the first one in the series without having any spoilers at all. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as I can. The review for the first book in the series is here.

Goodreads Summary
The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing... for the worse.

While saving the world is important, it isn't Rachel's only motivation. There's also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It's also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He's already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn't give herself up soon, they'll die.

But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frightening skills of her own, and she isn't going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She's also got a surprise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she's going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones... and prevent an apocalypse before it's too late. Or, at least that's the plan...

Trouble with the Cute Socks

WOW...This series is definitely one of my favorites and this particular book topped the list of favorite in the series.

The Good

Rachel is growing into herself and making much better decisions. Since I'm in her head, it's nice to hear her think to herself that in the past she would have gone about a circumstance in a different way than she is now. She exhibited even more power than I have seen before. This girl has skills! And friends...which brings me to...

Trent..I don't know exactly what to say about him, except for the fact that I loved him in this book. There was even a situation that went down where he made a choice that looked similar to something he used to would have done, and it ended up being someone else's idea and was initially against his better judgement! Every single scene with the two of them in it was an exceptional back-and-forth.

The action was paced very well. The book is very exciting. Yes, it does slow down at times, but those parts are all necessary to see the decision-making processes and understand what will be happening next. This read was so fun to follow.

The characters were all enjoyable to me reading this time around...even the ones I can't stand. Jenks calls a demon that can walk under the sun and is more powerful than any of them, Cute Socks.  I think maybe my favorite part was that this was set so much in the Ever After and I did get to see much more of the demons. Al and Newt are back in full force with their personalities shining through, and I also got to see more of Al than I have before. That was exciting, and I hope I learn even more about them in future books.

The Bad

Bad? I really have to wrack my brain to come up with anything wrong with this one! I devoured it. I guess I would have to go with some of the choices that Harrison had to make to move the story along. However, since I understand everything behind those decisions, I don't really consider them as bad just a sad part of the story.

The Romance

A ton of tension and emotions flying around! I don't really want to say much to spoil this so I will just say that I am a FAN.

Conclusion

This was my favorite in this series so far. I thought it would be hard to beat Pale Demon, but Harrison has done it. The story moves along at a great pace, is in a setting that is different and exciting, shows new sides of characters, and the ending absolutely doesn't disappoint. Oh, I just figured out what the bad thing is...that I have to wait another year for the next one.

Excerpts

“Holy crap, did you get Ceri pregnant again? Congratulations! You old dog! But what do you need me for? Babies are good things!"

"Hurry up, Jenks. I'm no good at monologues."

"I never liked the move Titanic," I said, and he grunted, his gaze sharpening on me. "They both could have gotten on that damn door."

"What are you doing now?" Al questioned, listing heavily as he tucked another one of those bottles under his arm and staggered for the cot half hidden behind the curtain. "Seeing if your circumcision is gone? It is."
My expression went blank, and Trent hesitated, a silk sock in his hand as he felt the underside of his big toe. He looked at me, and I put a hand to my mouth, face flaming. "Oh. My. God. Trent. I'm sorry." Crap on toast, could I screw this up any more?
"Um," Trent said, clearly at a loss.
"Call me tomorrow," Al said seriously, pointing at him with a bottle as he reclined on the cot. "I've got a curse that will take care of that."

Review: The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: August 1, 2010 Harlequin Teen
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased

*Please note that it is very hard to review books past the first one in the series without having any spoilers at all. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as I can, but if you haven't read the first book in this series, you may just want to read that review instead of continuing with this one.

Goodreads Summary
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart. 

I am a cat

I have to say that I am not a fan of the 2nd book in most series. I do not read to make myself want to cry, feel sad, or live through heartache until the end of a book. This book is undoubtedly one of those kinds of 2nd books in a series and that is why my rating is not very high.

The Good

Grimalkin and Ironhorse joined the list of my favorite side characters in a series. "I am a cat" is the perfect answer for being able to do random things that you shouldn't. Then there is Ironhorse with his constant yelling at me that makes it so easy to tell him apart from other characters even without the labels. I am not sure how I would feel if he just whispered at me all of a sudden. "I THOUGHT THE CAITH SITH HAD HONORABLE INTENTIONS. I WOULD NOT HAVE PEGGED HIM A COWARD." These two are fantastic!

Then there is Puck whom I have loved since the first book. He is handsome, loyal, powerful, and mischievous. Meghan is blind as a bat concerning him but I will leave that one alone. Ash is the other guy on the scene and he has a lot of problems to deal with in this story. He has to make some hard decisions and I believe they are good ones (maybe up until the end). I also got to meet his brothers and his mom was a force to be reckoned with so I look forward to learning more about Ash and his world.

Leanansidhe and the rats are pretty mysterious. We got a good juicy tidbit of information that I know will have some repercussions in future books somehow. Throw a unicorn and wyvern in to the story and you definitely have my attention.

The Bad

Meghan was so annoying that I really wanted to jump out of her head and into someone else's. I understand crying over a broken heart but there comes a point when it has to stop and you have to stand up and get your dignity back, and frankly I felt like it took her way too long for her to get a hold of herself. Not to mention, I am wondering how she loved Ash more than life itself...I must have really missed something in the first book.

The Romance

There was not much on the romance front other than a kiss and a Winter Formal.

Conclusion

I loved everything about this story except for the main character. Unfortunately, she is a huge part of it, so I had to take off quite a bit. The story was very interesting, and I continue to be enamored with the world that is being created and the other characters involved. I am looking forward to the next one in the series as I have a feeling it will be very good.

Excerpts

“They will lead you on, with games and pretty words, and they will take pleasure in your misery. Don't let them get to you. And don't trust anyone," He paused, and his voice went even lower. "Not even me."

"Riiiight, you just sleep with your light on to scare away roaches."

"Great. That was all I needed, another faery queen who was out to get me. I must hold some sort of record."

"I would kiss you, cat," Puck said as we crowded through the doorway, "if we weren't in such a hurry. Also, the hairballs could be unpleasant."

"Well, Meghan Chase. Congratulations, you've managed to give me a pounding headache."

Sunday Cover Scramble

Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until the end of the day to let you know if you are right, allowing other to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Here we go:

Here it is a little clearer:

OK you can comment with your guesses.

Review: A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows #4) by Kim Harrison

Publisher: May 2007 HarperTorch
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Format: Kindle/Mass Market Paperback
Source: Purchased

*Please note that it is very hard to review books past the first one in the series without having any spoilers at all. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as I can, but if you haven't read the third book in this series, you may just want to read that review instead of continuing with this one. The review for the first book in the series is here.

Goodreads Summary
The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses -- savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary.

Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake.

Focus, Four-Legged, Fudge and Fangy

This is a series that I really love. This is a re-read in anticipation of the newest in the series being released...all books will be rated on each book's merit.

The Good

I learned a lot more about the Weres and their culture. I have to admit that at first I thought they were boring because I learned so much about the vampire culture through Ivy and knew next to nothing about the Weres. This book helped me realize how much more complex they are than I first assumed in The Hollows and I really enjoyed getting to know more about them and how they tick.

I was so glad to see Jenks returned to Rachel's side. I didn't like him being gone. I also was thrilled with the changes that he underwent in this one and the new way that I got to see Jenks. Also, Rachel has grown in her powers and it was fun to see her be a mo-bad heroine. She may not make the best decisions in her personal life all the time, but it's fun to watch her work.

The story of this one was a great one to read. It was incredibly interesting and kept my attention. I met a few new characters along the way, including Marshal who is a diving instructor with his own business.

The Bad

I could go without reading any more of crap-for-brains. Harrison did a fantastic job of really making me dislike Nick. Unfortunately, he is in this book quite a bit and he doesn't deserve the page space to say most of what he gets to say.

The Romance

Rachel left her beau behind in this one so there isn't much on the romance front other than some bad decisions. However, I didn't really appreciate the fact that Rachel and Jenks callously talk about her dating other men while she is supposed to be in a relationship. It makes me feel like she doesn't think a lot of the one that she is in.

Conclusion

Another great story by Harrison in The Hollows series. It had a great story, a lot of action, new power and growth among characters, and interesting information that wasn't in previous books. I definitely recommend this book.

Excerpts

“He might still love me. Do I still love him? Did I ever love him, really? Or had it just been that I loved his acceptance of me?"

"You're an attractive man, and any other time I would be salivating at the idea of a private lesson at your pool...pooal...but I need your help."

"It's hormonal," he said, and I drew away, affronted.
"I think I saw som alcohol in here," I muttered, flipping the tackle box open.
"I meant between Matalina and me," he said, the rims of his ears reddening. "I feel bad for you, 

Sidekick Saturday [7]

Sidekick Saturday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted here by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in this week's type
• Share a picture and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• Put your link in the Linky thing and comment

This week's sidekick type is - Yummy:

My choice is Adrian Ivashkov from The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Gage Skidmore [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I have never been a fan of the love triangle really. I realize that it is necessary to cause friction and move the story forward at times, but I feel like the third point on the triangle always gets the shaft. So while I loved Dimitri, Adrian stole the show quite a bit in The Vampire Academy. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I found out that he would be moving on to the new series Bloodlines.

Adrian has a reputation of being a bit of a playboy and is described as being very handsome with carefully messed up hair and green eyes. He doesn't take things very seriously but he is extremely loyal and trustworthy. He is a Moroi and wields spirit magic meaning he can do things like walking in dreams, convice people to do things, and some healing.

“I know how devastated you must be to miss me, but leave a message, and I'll try to ease your agony”

---

“Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection." He paused to reconsider that. "Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try."

---

“Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot. Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be overkill. But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.”

---

“You look confused," said Adrian.
I shook my head and sighed. "I think I'm just overthinking things."
He nodded solemnly. "That's why I try to never do it.”

---

“They’re waiting for you. Go on in.” Adrian leaned close to Keith’s ear and spoke in an ominous voice. “If.You.Dare.” He poked Keith’s shoulder and gave a "Muhahaha” kind of monster laugh.”

---

“I need you,ʺ said Lissa.
ʺI hear that from women a lot,ʺ said Adrian.”

Week-long Blog Friend Celebration, Spotlight, and Giveaway #5

Hey everyone! This week I will be spotlighting 1 blogger friend each day and giving away 2 favorite picks of theirs. I really wish I could highlight everyone, but I could only do 5 this time and will choose different ones the next time I do this giveaway. Be sure and come back every day to read the new interviews and see which books I'm giving away that they have chosen. Here was the Giveaway from Thursday with Blkosiner's Book Blog.

Today's Celebrated Blogger is:

Liesel from Musings on Fantasia:

I am a writer of many genres. My blog is geared toward the genres I write (for this one, science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia) and I focus on tips for writers, reviews, interesting factoids, and pop culture.

What character from a book is your absolute favorite? Please tell us about them without being spoilery.

It's SO hard to pick just one, but I think my all-time favorite is Nynaeve al'Meara from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. She's very flawed and I know that many people (especially men that read the series) don't like her, and I totally understand why. She can be very self-centered, sexist (she slams men all the time!) hypocritical, has a temper like a volcano, etc. But I like her in spite of all this. Her flaws often make her the comic relief but she also has a pure heart and is by far one of the bravest female characters I've ever found. It doesn't hurt that she has awesome powers and the guy she's in love with is all kinds of studly. :D

If you could have one superpower, which one would you pick?

It's hard to describe a specific one, but I think I'd want some sort of offensive power, like Marcus's in Persistence of Vision or Thor's hammer. Just something I could keep my enemies at bay with and protect my family.

What is your favorite mythological creature?

This was asked in a blog hop I did just last week and I was so mad at myself because I didn't think to put dragon, so that's what I'll say today. Love dragons. Even working on a high-fantasy series about them! :D

What book did you love that everyone else hated or hate that everyone else loved?

This doesn't happen to me as often with books as with movies, as I tend to not read a book unless I read a handful of glowing reviews about it. I will say that I absolutely cannot stand Steinbeck. I know, I know, sacrilege and all that. Before you judge me, know that I happened to get teachers in high school that loved him, so I've read almost all of his works. He just takes such a pessimistic attitude about the human condition. He tends to glorify a very ignorant, backward lifestyle. Though I would never judge anyone for a lifestyle they couldn't help, I prefer stories that elevate the human race through education, technology and hope. Even writing dystopia as I do, I always write it with an eye toward a hopeful future. I just don't feel that from Steinbeck's work.

What are some of your quirks?

My quirks...I'm not really sure. I'm someone who plays with my hair a lot. Is compulsive story-writing a quirk?

What is your favorite website to visit?

I've got way too many websites I visit regularly to pick a favorite. I have a couple handfuls of bloggers I visit almost daily, plus I'm big on the social platforms, including Pinterest. I'm a huge Wheel of Time fan and with the release of the final installment, there's been a lot of hype around the story so I've been on dragonmount.com and encyclopaedia-wot.org a lot.

What tips or tricks would you pass on to fellow bloggers?

The best advice I could give would be to learn, learn, learn everything you can about blogging. I learn new things to better my blog all the time. Just absorb and make use of everything and your blog will grow by leaps and bounds. And post as often as you are able!

What 2 favorite books do you choose for me to give away?

I'd say Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Book 1 of Wheel of Time, which I talked about a bit) and perhaps Cormac McCarthy's The Road, because it's classic dystopia, and in my book you haven't read dystopia until you've read The Road.

OK, your choice of what I list from The Book Depository (please make sure they deliver to your country first) or an e-book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

Eye of the World (Book 1 of the Wheel of Time) - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

The Road - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Liesel, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and joining me for the interview! I look forward to reading Persistence of Vision and enjoy chatting books with you :)

Feature and Follow Friday [9]

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - This week's feature is: Sugar & Snark and Books are the Only True Magic
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?

I promise after the review of this one you won't see any more Hollows stuff from me for a while. My fix has been filled...for now.

Ever After by Kim Harrison

The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing... for the worse.

While saving the world is important, it isn't Rachel's only motivation. There's also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It's also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He's already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn't give herself up soon, they'll die.

But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frightening skills of her own, and she isn't going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She's also got a surprise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she's going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones... and prevent an apocalypse before it's too late. Or, at least that's the plan...


Please be sure and stop by my Week-Long Blog Friend Celebration, Spotlight, and Giveaway for 5 great interviews and giveaways that were done this week!

Week-long Blog Friend Celebration, Spotlight, and Giveaway #4

Hey everyone! This week I will be spotlighting 1 blogger friend each day and giving away 2 favorite picks of theirs. I really wish I could highlight everyone, but I could only do 5 this time and will choose different ones the next time I do this giveaway. Be sure and come back every day to read the new interviews and see which books I'm giving away that they have chosen. Here was the Giveaway from Wednesday with My World...in words and pages.

Today's Celebrated Blogger is Brandi from:

I am a stay at home mom and I blog at Blkosiner's Book Blog when I get a few minutes to spare. My blog focuses on YA and Teen books especially contemporary, paranormal and dystopia. I have been blogging in earnest since summer of 2010.

What character from a book is your absolute favorite? Please tell us about them without being spoilery.

I like Hermione from Harry Potter because she is clever and book smart. I like Rose from Vampire Academy because she knows how to kick butt, and she is street smart.

If you could have one superpower, which one would you pick?

I would like to be able to manipulate time, so I could have more time to read, spend with my kids and family.

What is your favorite mythological creature?

Dragons are pretty awesome.

What book did you love that everyone else hated or hate that everyone else loved?

I am in the love Twilight camp... Does that count.
I think though that a few of my favorites are just not as well known, like The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs, or Minder by Kate Kaynak.

What are some of your quirks?

Um. I don't like it when sites besides youtube plays music at me.
When I am eating, I have to have a bite ratio, so that I can have a little bit of each of my favorites as my last bites. I don't like spoilers to books, and I can't stand when my husband tries to get me to open presents early.

What is your favorite website to visit?

Besides email and blogs, I do a lot of facebook. I also like to frequent my local Mom's forum.

What tips or tricks would you pass on to fellow bloggers?

When someone comments on your blog, visit them back, it creates friendship and conversations. When possible, schedule posts in advance, it has saved my sanity. As well as keeping a word document or calendar with a rough reading schedule so that you know which arcs you haven't gotten to, and when they should be reviewed by.

What 2 favorite books do you choose for me to give away?

Let's go with the two lesser knows I mentioned earlier,  The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs, or Minder by Kate Kaynak. I am cool with sequels if the reader has read previous books.

OK, your choice of what I list from The Book Depository (please make sure they deliver to your country first) or an e-book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

The Light of Asteria - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

Minder - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brandi, thank you so much for taking the time to do the interview and answering my questions! I enjoy reading your reviews at Blkosiner's Book Blog and discussing books with you :)

Week-long Blog Friend Celebration, Spotlight, and Giveaway #3

Hey everyone! This week I will be spotlighting 1 blogger friend each day and giving away 2 favorite picks of theirs. I really wish I could highlight everyone, but I could only do 5 this time and will choose different ones the next time I do this giveaway. Be sure and come back every day to read the new interviews and see which books I'm giving away that they have chosen. Here was the Giveaway from Tuesday with a GREAT read.

Today's Celebrated Blogger is:

A bookkeeper by day and fantasy reader by night (and when can slip into books on lunch hour) with a family who shakes their heads at me, as I always have my nose buried in a book, and two German Shepard's that relax with me (most of the time).  I enjoy visiting my own version of the world, no matter how weird and distorted it may be -- there is always magic there to explore -- hence the blog name My World...in words and pages.  http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/

At My World...in words and pages is a little blog I started at the end of July 2009 to document my reads, and it became much more than I ever expected.  I found many great new friends who share the same love in books and the genres I read.  Hard for me to believe I'll celebrate four years of blogging this summer.  I review Fantasy - Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and even touch on Science Fiction and Steampunk as well.  I love sharing the books and pieces to give people different views on them.

What character from a book is your absolute favorite? Please tell us about them without being spoilery.

Oooh, you ask hard questions!

Absolute favorite...Well, I have to talk of a fantasy character.  I fell in love with the whole cast actually.  But Jimmy the Hand is one I loved.  He's a thief who is much more and really top of the thieving kids.  But he becomes much more with things that happen in his life and a royal he meets.

Then the children and their children...just a great legacy created with him.

He's a special talented man I can't seem to forget.  Well written, along with all in the cast of characters with him in Magician.

If you could have one superpower, which one would you pick?

Hmm, this is hard.  They all have their benefits and downfalls.  Today, I think I would go with time control.  I would love to have spare time to read all the books I have here!  And the ones I want!  Along with everything else in life I want to do.

What is your favorite mythological creature?

Growing up I was all about the horses - unicorns and Pegasus.  But now, I have to say Dragons.

What book did you love that everyone else hated or hate that everyone else loved?

I have to say I've been fortunate to enjoy pretty much all the books I read.  I try to keep a variety of different genre so I don't get bored with one.  I hate to touch on the negative side of things but that's what's jumping in my head.  I've started the Dresden Files and I seem to not see the strong attraction yet.  Now, I'm only three books in and everyone says the fourth is the one that it should grab me, so I'll give the fourth a try and see what happens.  Believe me, it's not a bad world or story.  Very good.  I just don't see the strong attraction yet.  It could be me being the oddball, but...*shrug shoulders*

What are some of your quirks?

I have to have a schedule, and I don't like getting mixed up.  Like in the evening, I come home, eat, maybe read or talk with kiddo, (or on workout nights - rush in change, rush out) then by a specific time I'm on the computer respond to comments on my blog and visit others.  I get off the computer at a designated time too.  This is now my down time, to read and relax - readying for bed.

I, um... I use colored sticky notes in my books.  I'm a note-taker.  I love noting everything so I can go back later.  People laugh at my books as they have a rainbow sticking out.

What is your favorite website to visit?

Hmmm, that is REALLY! hard.  I have several I visit, and all for different reasons.  I'll go with my favorite and the one that got me into the online book community, Barnes & Nobles forums. They have chat forums for Urban Fantasy/Paranormal and Science Fiction/Fantasy.  Of course for many other genre as well, but those are the genres I read.  The people are amazingly kind, and so many new books I found talking with them.

What tips or tricks would you pass on to fellow bloggers?

Hmm, tips and tricks...well, I would say talk, or comment.  Talking is part of why I started, and many others, blogging.  We want to interact with others who enjoy reading and share books with each other.  We all find something different and want to show others.

As for blogging, do what *you* want.  Share what you want, not always what others want.  It will keep you enjoying what you do.  Also, take breaks from blogging.  It's needed.  Really.  You start to think you aren't reading enough, take a week and just read.  Or go on vacation with your family, don't blog!  You need that time away.  Blogging can start to feel like a job after a while, that's when many get burned out from it and quit.  Don't let it become all you do.  You do want to read and watch tv and have fun with friends and family.

And keep a variety in your reading stack.  You don't have to try something way out there, but after a while you get bored with the same idea books and can see what's coming.  Try to mix up your reads some, but don't go way out of your favorite genre either.  Like me I can't read straight fiction, I like my fantasy blended in.

What 2 favorite books do you choose for me to give away?

Two books... Hmm, All the books from Ilona Andrews are amazing, starting with Magic Burns.  I'd say Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews is my favorite.  Then I loved meeting Zara, a rough snarky vampire in Bloodlines by Skyla Dawn Cameron.  I think many who enjoy Jaye Wells Sabina Kane series and Sabina will enjoy Zara in Bloodlines.

OK, your choice of what I list from The Book Depository (please make sure they deliver to your country first) or an e-book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

Magic Strikes - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

Bloodlines - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

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I would really like to thank you, Melissa, for taking your time out and answering my questions! I enjoy chatting with you about our shared book interests on our blogs and following your passion for books on Twitter :)

Waiting on Wednesdays [9]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Natural Born Angel (Immortal City #2) by Scott Speer

Publisher: Razorbill (April 23, 2013)
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy

Goodreads Summary


Life turned upside down for Maddy Montgomery when she found out she was half-Angel and was catapulted into the scene of flashbulbs, paparazzi, and the fervent adulation that comes with being in the celebrity Angel world. She's trying to juggle her ordinary life—high school, family, friends—with the intense demands of being in the public eye as heartthrob Angel Jackson Godspeed's girlfriend.

And now Maddy must face the most difficult choice of her life. She's been offered the chance to become a Guardian. This means entering into dangerous and high stakes training, with no guarantee that she can succeed. But more than that, it would mean leaving her mortal life behind—forever—and allying with the Angels at a time when their relationship with humans is heading for war. . . 

Week-long Blog Friend Celebration, Spotlight, and Giveaway #2

Hey everyone! This week I will be spotlighting 1 blogger friend each day and giving away 2 favorite picks of theirs. I really wish I could highlight everyone, but I could only do 5 this time and will choose different ones the next time I do this giveaway. Be sure and come back every day to read the new interviews and see which books I'm giving away that they have chosen. Here was the Giveaway from Monday with Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

Today's Celebrated Blogger is:

Well, my blog actually started on the basis of a contest one late January day in 2009. Rachel Vincent, one of my favorite authors was having a contest to win her series so far all signed copies. What you had to do was post a review of her books in some online media format. Amazon, Borders, B&N, Facebook, a blog. Well, at the time all I had was an Amazon account and a Borders account. I am not a Facebook person, so I decided to try the "blog" thing. Joined up with Blogger since it was free and posted my review.

Little did I know how addicting blogging was about to become for me! It was a slow start. I was learning things as I went along, following other blogs with similar bookish interests. And then my followers started to grow, which as any blogger knows, is a happy feeling. I just kept writing reviews. I still don't have a specific knack for how I do them. I just try to write them to be engaging and talk about things I would want to know a book is about, things like characters, pacing, the romance element, and other things here and there. It's been really fun and I am hopelessly addicted to blogging now!

What character from a book is your absolute favorite? Please tell us about them without being spoilery.

What comes to my mind first is Maria V. Snyder's Study Trilogy; Janco! Janco was a side character, but he was totally fun and funny! When I read her books, he would make me laugh out loud! I think he was the first character in my reading days that did that.

If you could have one superpower, which one would you pick?

To me, superpowers go along the line with superheroes. No supernatural type powers basically, so I would want to stop time. True flying does come to mind, but if I had the choice, I would so stop time and just read all day, every day and totally annihilate my TBR pile!

What is your favorite mythological creature?

I guess I'd say the vampire. Because my paranormal obsession started with a vampire book, Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. She was about 13 when the book was published and it inspired me to want to be a writer as well. So, while classic and I know some are tiring of, the vampire would have to be my favorite. It's definitely evolved a LOT over the years!

What book did you love that everyone else hated or hate that everyone else loved?

I can't always remember when people say they hate a book I liked. Usually it wouldn't be a popular one. I guess I am one of the people who can't stand Twilight. These days it is about 50/50 with us bloggers about who likes and who hates that book. I read all the books, but by the end, I couldn't stand it. And then people were going vampire crazy and I had already been reading vampire--and other supernatural creature--books at the time and wayyy since before the first book, I felt like people thought I was just another Twi-fan. Luckily, the majority of close friends already knew I was vampire crazy before that book became so epic.

What are some of your quirks?

I feel like I am a totally weird chick. I love to read these paranormal books with the dark, gritty monster characters--who can also be oh-so-sexy!--and I like a lot of rock music, classic and some of the hard stuff. Yet, I am still a Disney girl at heart! I totally look like a sweet innocent girl--even though I am 25, I can so pass for a teenager--yet I end up surprising people sometimes, because I can have an attitude and be very vocal about some things. But then again, I can be totally shy in the beginning with new people and what all. So, yes to sum it up. I am a totally weird chick. ;)

What is your favorite website to visit?

Well, I don't have just one favorite website to visit. I like visiting the blogs in the vast blogopshere! I love visiting author's blogs and websites scouring for new book info or book tour info. So really anything book related I guess!

What tips or tricks would you pass on to fellow bloggers?

I guess I would go with saying something like one of my teachers said to me. I can't remember what my teacher said, but I reworded it a bit: "Write the review you want to read." When it comes to reviews and getting comments, try to write a review the way you would want to read it. Which is how I try to format my own, and try to be engaging. Unless I am coming off as something else! I don't know really! No one's ever said in comments! ;)

What 2 favorite books do you choose for me to give away?

Despite mentioning other books, I feel like giving one of my older magical books a go. Old Magic by Marianne Curley! It was one of my fave re-reads back in the day when I needed to re-read books. It's an incredible book about magic and time traveling! Seems fitting since the author is releasing a new book this year after a very long absence in the publishing world due to her getting cancer and then battling it!

For the other, how about one of the first adult books I read in the paranormal genre: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison.

OK, your choice of what I list from The Book Depository (please make sure they deliver to your country first) or an e-book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

Old Magic - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback from The Book Depository

Dead Witch Walking - e-book from Amazon/Barnes & Noble, paperback or hardback from The Book Depository

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Jessica, I really appreciate you taking your time to answer my questions! You were one of my very first followers and visit my blog all the time, and I won't forget that. I love a GREAT read. Thank you again for being a part of my Giveaway :)