REVIEW Stay by Jennifer Silverwood

STAY BY JENNIFER SILVERWOOD

Sometimes, love isn’t as magical as people expect it to be…

Rona believes love is nothing more than a myth, a tale for little girls. As the oldest daughter, she knows duty and family honor as well as the difference between salt and cinnamon.

Until the immortal ruler of the seas appears from thin air and she is swept into a dark and dangerous affair. What was formerly myth soon becomes part of the everyday. And Rona believes when Seid tells her they will be together forever.

But forever is a long time and after she betrays him, what was supposed to be an eternity in paradise becomes an eternity in hell. Now she is cursed, unable to feel human emotions except through the couples she is led to save.

Two thousand years is an awfully long time to live alone. And the business of love saving isn’t what it used to be. By the twenty-first century, love has become an illusion as grandiose as magic and Rona’s ready to give up. Until the night she is seen by a human. Deep in the underbelly of the city that never sleeps, she recognizes him instantly. He may dress differently and have gained a few new scars, but she would recognize the face of her former lover in any lifetime.

Trouble is, he seems to have no memory of her and he and his ex-girlfriend are the ones whose true love she’s meant to save.
But when he starts to fall for her, she is forced to learn what it means to be human all over again.

Past and present come full circle in this tale of love, forgiveness and woe.

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

Here's another book that has a gorgeous, simple cover. The colors and tones are perfect! Excellent job!

As for the book itself, after reading the blurb, I knew I had never read anything like Stay before. I was expecting some type of cupid love triangle, but I got much more than that. This is a love story that stretches across thousands of years, yet is just as important in the present time. Rona is cursed to walk the earth as an immortal, finding couples on their last chance of love, and made to decide if their love is worth saving or not. This is all because her one true love, Seid, used his powers when he felt betrayed by her long ago.

I enjoyed the fact that Rona is so naive, despite the fact that she has walked the earth of two thousand years. She is programed to believe certain aspects of her curse and life can not be changed, but she meets Cain, who challenges everything she thought she knew about herself. 

Cain is a broken man, stuck in the normalcy of his routine until Rona comes along. She brings him back to reality and sparks a fire back in him that had been sucked dry by many devastating events in his life. It's a double edged sword though, because the more Cain comes alive, the more Rona is drawn to him and away from her task, which is to reunite Cain and his ex-girlfriend. 

Cain and Rona's story is laced with passion, love, and regret from both parties. However, their journey brings out the final fate for both of them, which I don't think either of them ever expected to see happen. Heck, I didn't! The final scenes were gut wrenching for romance lovers like me, but I was very pleased with how their story ended. 

I also loved the fact that there was a tiny snippet from Jennifer at the back of the book, explaining how Stay came to be. I don't find that often in books, but I was pleased to get a little inside information about the background story. My favorite part was "Stay was written as an answer to my own questions, whether or not true love exists, and if so, how far people are willing to go for it." I think that's the perfect testimony for Stay.

I GAVE STAY

FOUR CUPCAKES 

CHECK IT OUT, YO!

You can find Stay on Goodreads and Smashwords.

You can find Jennifer Silverwood on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. 

I RECEIVED A  COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST OPINION. 

COVER REVEAL The Truth About Letting Go by Leigh Talbert Moore

THE TRUTH ABOUT LETTING GO BY LEIGH TALBERT MOORE

Publication date: February 21, 2013 
Genre: YA Contemporary

 

 A companion to The Truth About Faking (not a sequel; the books can be read out of order), The Truth About Letting Go takes readers back to Shadow Falls, or more specifically Shadow Creek, with Ashley Lockett as she learns about real friendship, love, and letting go.

 

Ashley wants to smash everything in her once-perfect life.
Charlotte wants to walk in Ashley’s seemingly charmed shoes.
Colt wants to turn Smalltown USA on its ear—with Ashley at his side.
Jordan wants to follow his heart…
But Ashley’s the one sacrifice he never expected to make.


Up until now, Ashley Lockett’s followed the rules. She’s always done the right thing, played it safe, gone to church. Then her ideal life is  torn apart when her dad dies suddenly.

Now she’s miserable and furious, and she makes a vow not to believe in anything. She’s on a mission to do everything opposite of how she lived before—rejecting safety, the rules, faith…

And then she meets Jordan.

Jordan has big dreams, he’s a great kisser, and he wants to help her through her grief. He also believes in everything Ashley now claims to hate.

Then she meets Colt. He is not safe. And he’s ready to help Ashley fulfill her mission.

 

CHECK OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT LETTING GO ON

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

ABOUT LEIGH TALBERT MOORE

Leigh Talbert Moore is a wife and mom by day, a writer by day, a reader by day, a freelance editor when time permits, a chocoholic, a caffeine addict, a lover of any great love story, a beach bum, and occasionally she sleeps.

Leigh’s debut novel The Truth About Faking is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.
Her second book, Rouge, is a mature YA/new adult romantic suspense novel set in New Orleans. It’s available on Amazon.

 

FIND LEIGH TALBERT MOORE ON

Goodreads | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

 

GRAZE BOX My first time

Some of you may have figured out I'm kind of addicted to subscription boxes. I've had my Ipsy bag for a while and I've been looking through a lot of different food ones. I found a few but never anything I felt was worth the money. That is until my friend Susan(who is like my healthy food guru. Love you, Susan!) posted about this thing called a Graze box. I checked it out and well, I ordered immediately when I found out the details.

 The packaging is so nice! It held up really well.

Here's the rundown on what Graze is. It's a weekly subscription box that is sent to your door which four includes unique and healthy snacks. The part the I liked best was you can go through and browse all their different snack options and rate them - trash it(never send me this!), try it, like it, and loved it! There's also the options of a a nibblebox(regular box) and their lightbox(snacks that are all under 150 calories! On top of those options, you can choose to trash any food that you may not eat. There's a vegan, Celiac, and non-dairy list as well. So you get to essentially customize your entire box to your liking.

What could come in your box? Delicious, healthy, natural food like nut and seed mixes, juicy dried fruits, tasty crackers, dips and dippers, and natural treats. Some of their snacks are really unique and things I would not normally try on my own. I'm not a huge fan of nuts, except peanuts and pistachios, but I made a choice to attempt to try anything sent to me! While I'm at work, I'm usually pretty busy and on the move, so I'm always looking for quick snacks and sometimes that results in not-so-healthy options like Goldfish, chips, Cheeze-it's, etc. These are perfect for my grab and go lunch!

Here's the kicker. Graze is only $5 a week and you can cancel at any time. That's less than what I spend on snacks at the grocery store a month. If you needed anything to make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside about this company, their box is made from cardboard that comes from sustainable forests, so it's 100% biodegradable & 100% recyclable. Their snack packs are made with recycled material that can be recycled again and the  little booklet with all the vital information about your box is also made with paper from sustainable forests as well as being 100% biodegradable & 100% recyclable.You can't get much better than that. Here's what was in my box this week!

I got th egarden of england - mini strawberries, blackcurrants and apple, herb garden - herb and onion peanuts, baked herb bites and oregano rice cracker, pear tatin - pear, raspberry infused cranberries, yogurt coated sunflower seeds and almond, and hot cross yum - sponge pieces, cinnamon and honey almonds and orange infused raisins.

I can't wait to try all of them. Not one of them sounds bad to me! So do you want to join Graze? I have a few(four I believe) invite codes left! When you join, I get the options of getting a dollar off my next box or donating a dollar to the graze school of framing in Uganda. I will be donating each dollar from the referral program! Leave a comment below if you're interesting in signing up! Your first box will be free!

Sucked me in Sunday #4

This week I have a video for you that I already shared on my personal Facebook, but it's just to awesome to pass up posting for today. I'm a The Vampire Diaries FANATIC. I mean, I'm one of THOSE people. You think I fan girl hard over books, it's a whole different level for this TV show. Which, by the way, I'm team Damon and if you're team Stephan, you better be really awesome to make up for the awful sissy lala you go to bat for. Anyway, this video showed up on my YouTube suggested video and it's perfect. It's exactly how I watch this show every Friday(we don't have cable to I have to wait until Friday!).

WARNING: This may contain spoilers, so if you get your panties in a bunch about not knowing what happens(this was made during this current season) just don't watch. Or better yet, get caught up and then you can enjoy the silliness!

So tell me, do you guys shout at the TV like this? Here are some of the ones I've totally thought in my head. "Who is this Katherine?" "Crap this town has a fudge load of official gatherings." "Stop friggen whining Jeremy!" "Guys that is not Elena!" "Are you kidding me right now Stephan?" "NEVER LET ME GO NEVER LET ME GO." "JEREMY get to beep back into the motel room!"

Here's a little something I got in the mail this week. Why yes, that is signed by Ian Somerhalder. And why yes, it does sit on my nightstand next to my husbands pictures. Can't have too many hot guys on your nightstand, right? Oh boy! 

BOOK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan

Summer romance is kind of my thing. And by thing, I mean, I love them. Doesn't this book look awesome. And hello sweet and sexy cover-ness!

THE BOYS OF SUMMER (SUMMER SERIES #1) BY C.J. DUGGAN

NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

PUBLICATION DATE: December 17, 2012

It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him ... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.
To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember.

Warning: sexual references, and occasional course language.

ABOUT C.J. DUGGAN

C.J Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.
To find more C.J and ‘The Summer Series’ visit her website, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter. 

EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT

So we got super lucky and have been included in a little teaser from The Boys of Summer. Get prepared to be sucked it and wipe some drool off your face.

Moon rays filtered through the windshield, giving the cabin an otherworldly glow.
Toby’s perfect teeth were illuminated when he smiled. “You know, you are the worst
winner!” He shook his head. “Ever since you won the bet, you’ve been apologising. Just go
with it, enjoy it, because I assure you, next time …” - he leaned closer - “… you will not be
the winner.” He pulled back, smug.
I curved a brow. “Next time?”
He nodded. “I fully intend to redeem myself.”
“Want a chance to rebuild your shattered ego, do you? I bet you’re itching to fix my bike
so you can be rid of me once and for all.” I shouldered him gently, teasing him as I would
Adam. And then I realised what I had done; I had treated him like my friends. He looked
down at his shoulder, then up at me. His eyes shadowed with untold meanings that I couldn’t
read.
“What if I didn’t want to fix your bike?” he said in all seriousness.
“Why, is my company so stimulating that you can’t bear the thought of being without
me?” I teased nervously.
I was aiming for light and airy, but something must have gone wrong with my delivery
because Toby’s face went blank. He looked out into the lights of Onslow, ran his tongue over
his bottom lip and sighed.

GIVEAWAY TIME

So not only did we get a teaser, we're also pleased to announce a giveaway for an e-copy of The Boys of Summer. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Sucked me in Sunday #3

Is it already Sunday again? I feel this this week has blown by! Sheesh!

Well this week, I want to share with you one of my favorite medley's on YouTube! This one is Maroon 5 and they did an awesome job!

REVIEW Here by Ella James

HERE BY ELLA JAMES

Milo Mitchell's life used to be charmed, but that was before her family dissolved, she went a little crazy, and her best friends started acting more like strangers. Spending Saturday morning in a treehouse with a stun gun for company and a herd of deer for friends is the only exciting thing in her life...until she shoots a fawn and finds her dart stuck in a guy.

Her gorgeous victim is dressed in a Brioni tux and armed with a hanky. He has no idea who or where he is. Afraid her dart caused his amnesia, Milo takes him in, names him Nick, and vows to help him solve his mystery. Soon the pair find Nick's face in a newspaper obituary, and Nick beings to have strange, ethereal memories of Milo--who is sure she's never met him. Suddenly Nick knows things he shouldn't know and is doing things he shouldn't do. When the Department of Defense shows up, Nick and Milo run--toward a shocking conclusion that could destroy both their worlds.

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

Let me take a second to show this cover some love. It's simple, it's black and white, and it's magnificent. Seriously, how could you not be drawn to this cover and the guy with the awesome bone structure and perfectly quaffed hair?

We start off by meeting a giggling group of teen girls. Among them is Milo, who loves her three friends very much, but is starting to feel disconnected from them as their lives start taking different paths. Since I was once a teenager(not so long ago it seems), I could relate to her very much in that sense! Finding true self in high school when you have more than one friend is a struggle at times, especially when you've gone through some traumatic events such as Milo. 

She really struck me as awesome when you find out she's continued her Dad's deer tracking research and she lives out in the boondocks where they produce and sell natural energy from their turbines. Basically, Milo was who I wanted to be when I was younger! How cool would it be to grow up like that? Maybe it's just my hippie self that thinks that, but I'm already pretty jealous of her.

But her life gets about ten times more confusing when she aims for a fawn, and in its place, a handsome young man appears in a suit and tie. She handles it much better than I would have, if I would have shot someone with a dart gun. The boy doesn't remember anything prior to the moment he wakes up and sees Milo's face. She dubs him Nick, and together they set out to try and solve the mystery of his past.

I like that we get to see into glimpse of Nick's mind. He's a mystery to us and of course, I was always craving to learn more about him, but how could we when he didn't even know about himself? The connection between Milo and Nick can be seen right from the start, and I really enjoyed the innocent lust that you feel between the two of them. It was sweet and a testament to young love, one which I'm sure all of us have felt at one point or another.

My favorite part in Here was when the action finally kicked in. Nick and Milo are chased by FBI agents and Nick's 'powers' are starting to come out in full swing. I felt like I was hanging onto the back of the motorcycle with them and experiencing being hunted as well. Once they are in the underground building, I knew the book was ending, and I wasn't ready for that to happen. I wanted to know more! I need to know more! However, even though I was disappointed it ended, I wasn't disappointed in the ending, especially since I know Trapped, book two, is coming out so soon! 

I GAVE HERE

FOUR CUPCAKES 

CHECK OUT IT OUT, YO!

You can check out Here on Amazon and Goodreads!

You can check out Ella James on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog! 

 I RECEIVED A  COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST OPINION.

REVIEW Hidden Gates by D.T. Dyllin

HIDDEN GATES BY D.T. DYLLIN

For P.J. Stone, being a “Seer” who has never seen anything is less than fun. And P.J. isn’t known for her patience.

To make matters worse, she must choose a suitable mate to continue the Seer bloodline. Duty always comes before her heart…at least that’s what her parents taught her. When she finds herself wanting someone who is considered off-limits, P.J. is forced to question everything she believes.

As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated enough, P.J. finally receives a vision—of a threat to her world that only she can perceive. But no one will believe a fledgling Seer’s warnings. With nowhere else to turn, she may decide to trust a stranger with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart.

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

This one definitely surprised me! I knew I was interested, but I was suddenly sucked in when I started reading. The only thing that has be taken back was the amount of sexy time in this book. But I can't complain, because I do enjoy reading about sexy time, especially when it's well written and even sweet! Right from the start, the characters came alive with Dyllin's amazing ability to wrap the reader up in her descriptive writing.

We start off being thrown into a high school setting, but this is anything but normal for high school in a world of Seer,s Guardians, Speakers, and Gatekeepers. I really enjoyed how it didn't feel like I was reading about some strange place, everything felt like things might have changed since I've been in high school and this is really how it is now! P.J. is our main lady and right away we find out that she's shy, doesn't date, has a guy and a girl best friend,  and has yet to come into her Seer powers. Her best friends are Jenna, a Speaker, who has no shame in her love for getting her groove on with all the boys in school, and Bryn, her one day Guardian and partner in crime, but also the result of many confusing feelings she experiences.

The dynamic between these three is something else. They're quirky, fun, and free spirited! But soon not just one, but multiple wrenches get thrown into their grove, causing their world to get off kilter, opening up more adventure and magic into their already unique world. P.J. goes through a transformation throughout the book of being a shy, timid girl, to a powerful and confident young lady. Bryn, who was already a force to be reckoned with before, gets about ten times more manlier throughout the book.

I think my favorite part of Hidden Gates was the ever revealing storyline and plot twists. The story was like a good layer cake, the cake being the juicy plot twists and the icing between the layers being the new and substantial characters that get introduced along the way. Many times while I was reading I starting thinking 'NO WAY!' and I love when I can do that. I can't wait to read the second book in the trilogy and find out what fate is in store for our little band of heroes! 

I GAVE HIDDEN GATES

FOUR CUPCAKES

CHECK OUT HIDDEN GATE, YO

You can find Hidden Gates on Amazon and Goodreads.
You can check out D.T. Dyllin on Facebook, Twitter and her blog.

I RECEIVED A  COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST OPINION. 

BLOG-A-THON 2013 Fight for the Right to Read

This year is full of exciting and new things! One time, long, long, ago in a far away world in Live Journal land, I participated in blog-a-thons. This year, I will be doing it again.

This is my official announcement post for the Blog-a-Thon 2013.
You can visit the fundraising page and donate to the Fight for the Right to Read HERE.

THE SKINNY ON A BLOG-A-THON

On  Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 7:30 AM CST, I will be participating in a blog-a-thon where I will be blogging for 24 hours, posting every thirty minutes, all in the name of charity. I will be fundraising for Reading is Fundamental and their mission to motivate young children to read by working with children, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.

WHY FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO READ?

Children's literacy is something that I hold very close to my heart. I was so lucky to have a family that encouraged me to read and provided me with all the resources possible to become a strong reader and fuel my love for books from a very young age. Because of this, I have not only read over 35,000 pages of books in the past two years alone, I have started a book blog, and began writing my first novel. All of this was made possible because of the resources I was given early on.

Sadly, this is not the case for all children, even today. Thirty-three percent of 4th grade public school students are at or below the “Basic” level on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress  reading tests. Twenty-six percent of 8th grade public school students performed at or below the “Basic” level on the NAEP reading test. What's worse is that the number of high school seniors who read at or above “Proficient” has been declining since 1992, according to the NAEP reading test.

It's not just test scores that are important. Children of all ages need year-round access to books and increased reading motivation, because this is just not the case in every city in the United States. Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do and about two-thirds of the 9th grade achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college.

And families play a huge role in children's literacy. They say family dinner is important, and I believe that, but so is family reading as well. Less than half of families read to their kindergarten-age children on a daily basis. It's a fact children are sponges. When you read to them, you're opening up a world of opportunity far more vast than just reading skills.

Reading is Fundamental not only provides the resources for children to give them the confidence to become a reader, they aid the families and communities around the United States in how to encourage children's literacy to floursih. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO DONATE(AND WIN)

By donating to Reading is Fundamental, you will be providing free books to the nation’s most needy children, motivating children to read for fun, and encouraging parents and community members to become involved in children’s literacy. But as as giant thank you and maybe some incentive, you can be eligible to win prizes, donated by some amazing sponsors(and even some prizes from me, too!). For every $5 you donate, your name will be entered to win. So donate $10, you're name will go in twice, etc! I will be using random.org to select the winners and I will be added and announcing prizes as they roll in on the blog!

INTERESTING IN DONATING A PRIZE?

Not only would you be donating for a great cause, I would love to put your banner & link in the sidebar to show my appreciation! Anyone is welcome to donate a prize, businesses, bloggers, and individuals, alike! Your link would look great on my sidebar! Contact me and we will work it out!

WHEN TO GET INVOLVED 

From today until the Blog-a-Thon, of course! It's never too early or too late or donate or help spread the word!

Sucked me in Sunday #2

I missed last week! Eek! Sorry guys! This week I've got a double feature for you, instead. The first video is a gem I found from Jimmy Fallon. Did I mention I love watching his show? No, well I do! I think he's super funny and I love all the random things he gets his guest to agree to. As I mentioned yesterday, February is being dedicated to getting fit again, so here's a little inspiration from Jimmy and LMFAO. If you've ever attended a spin class, you will appreciate this!




This second video combines my love for A Capella groups and pop music, which is great to workout to! Pentatonix is one of my favorite A Capella on YouTube and this song is what made me fall in love with them! They look like they're having so much fun and it's just amazing to watch. Enjoy!

Fab Ab February

It's a new month in 2013! Can you believe it's already February? Yeah, me either. Exciting new for me because that means my husband comes home in four months! We're down to a one-hand countdown! Color me excited.

Well, with this new month comes new goals for me. I've got to get back into my healthier living routine. I was super motivated last Summer and my asthma put a screeching halt on all activity when it became out of control. But that all has got to change. It started when a page I like on Facebook posted her Fab Ab February challenge. I'm doing it! I already did yesterdays and I'm keeping people in check on my Facebook as well! Want to join in? Here's the schedule.

So any are of you with me? In addition to Feb Ab February, I plan of going to the gym at least twice a week and running again as well! Time to do this. I can do this!