REVIEW The Conduit (Gryphon #1) by Stacey Rourke

THE CONDUIT (GRYPHON #1) BY STACEY ROURKE

All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.

While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

As always, let's start with the cover. The cover intrigued me as it's very different from covers I am used to seeing with a photograph of a person in them. This one has a drawing on some type of parchment! And a spooky drawing  of a shadow person, at that! I wanted to know who this creepy shadow-y person/creature was! 

The characters right away touched my heart. Celeste, Gabe, and Kendall are siblings who are forced to move in with their grandma in a different state due to the declining safety in their hometown. I immediately enjoyed the ease of which their family was. All three of them were fun, quirky, all around loving siblings. 

Celeste, from the start, seems to be the glue that holds everyone together, and she definitely proves that role to be true throughout the entire book. She's a quiet observer though, only  laying down the law when necessary. That all changes when she becomes somewhat of a superwomen when her and her siblings come into magical powers so-to-speak. You watch her transform from wallflower to kick-butt hero! I loved that about her. I'm a sucker for strong female characters, what can I say?

The plot and action were very easy to follow but wasn't lacking in the interest department. I always wanted to know more about the magical world that they were kicking butt to save. It was a breath of fresh air reading this light hearted, funny, but action packed story! Stacey Rourke has a way with words that makes everything flow together easily and sucks you into the story. I can't wait to read Embrace (Gryphon #2) next! 

I GAVE THE CONDUIT

FOUR CUPCAKES

CHECK IT OUT

You can find The Conduit by Stacey Rourke on Amazon and Goodreads.

Visit Stacey Rourke and like her on Facebook.

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

COVER REVEAL You Got Me by Mercy Amare

Well Sarah Hanson does it again! Looks at this beautiful cover. Maybe it's just the country girl in me that is screaming I WANT TO READ THIS NOW, but I really do. And she has some awesomely pink and purple color streaked hair. I know someone else like that who's super awesome. Must know more!

YOU GOT ME BY MERCY AMARE

Roxy is broken

Aiden wants to fix her

No matter how hard Roxy tries to overcome her past, she can't. She writes on her arms to escape the pain, but nothing can sooth the ache that she feels.

Aiden didn't go to college to meet girls, he came to play football. Too bad that it is impossible for him to stay away from Roxy.

After meeting on the roof, they instantly feel connected, but neither of them are ready for love.

You Got Me is a story about new beginnings, and finding love when you least expect it.

 

YOU GOT ME WILL BE RELEASED ON FEBRUARY 8, 2013! 

Check out You Got Me on Goodreads. 

WHERE TO FIND MERCY AMARE

BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS 

IPSY BAG January Edition

I'd like to tell you all that I "really wasn't a make-up person." But then, that would mean I wasn't being honest with you all, and let's face it, I really try to be. Let's just say, I'm not as big of a make-up person as I was when I was in younger(gosh am I really that old?). However, I still love make-up. I normally only wear some foundation, blush, and mascara for my everyday wear. I really, really, really wish I could be one of the lucky ones and wear just a tinted moisturizer and call it a day, but I can't. My hormones hate me and it plagues my face wtih...dun, dun, dun....horrible acne. Well, not horrible all the time, but most of the time. I have good days. But my face problems is a whole different post.

The point was that I still love trying new things and new make-up. When I'm going somewhere or have a few extra minutes in the morning, I'll throw on some eyeshadow. But most mornings, I'll take ten extra minutes to sleep over some colored eyelids.

I discovered Ipsy from some friends a few months ago. I think this is my third or fourth bag. I love them. The best part is the price. It's a $10 monthly subscription. TEN DOLLARS PEOPLE! Each month you get a make-up bag, and five to six items(most of them are full size, too! No stingy samples!). This is most comparable to Birchbox, who although I've never been a subscriber, I stalk intagram for comparison shots each month and, to be honest, I've never been impressed. Go with with Ipsy! They're awesome!

I get so excited every month when this amazingly awesome bright pink package shows up in my mailbox. I may or may not stalk the mess out of the tracking number they send out. (Oh, I promise you I'm not smelling this bag, even though it looks like it. So much for being coy, right? Be sure to say hi to Cupcake in the background, that little nugget.) Want to see what came inside my bag for this month?

THIS MONTHS BAG

PACIFICA TUSCAN BLOOD ORANGE MINI BODY BUTTER -2.5 OZ
 The infusion of sparkling, juicy blood oranges that are highlighted with notes of red raspberry and spicy sweet Italian Mandarins take you to the beaches of the Mediterranean. Made with nature’s best moisturizers - Shea butter, almond oil and safflower oil - Pacifica’s vegan, paraben and gluten free Body Butter is a skin must have.

SEXY HAIR SPRAY & PLAY VOLUMINIZING HAIRSPRAY - 1.5 OZ
Your everyday spray for BIG volume! Spray & Play is a humidity resistant, flexible hold hairspray that provides fullness, lift and incredible shine! Perfect for all hair types. 

NAILTINI STRAIGHT UP COLOR NAIL LACQUER IN BLOODY MARY 

JOSIE MARAN 100% PURE ARGAN OIL - .17OZ
This 100% Pure Argan Oil is a legendary oil that's rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and grown organically in Morocco. It can be used for many areas including hydrating and nourishing skin as a daily moisturizer, skin treatment, treating spilt ends, and softening cuticles. It's gentle enough to use on all skin types and is known to help with skin conditions including acne, eczema and rosacea. Argan Oil easily absorbs into skin to give you a youthful, dewy glow, and has astonishing healing, conditioning, and antiaging properties.

SOHO GET A GRIP CONCEALER BRUSH
Cover up little flaws and dark circles using the Get a Grip Concealer Brush. Start with the inner eye area, working down around the eye, dabbing lightly until completely blended.

WHAT I THOUGHT

The item I was most excited for was the Pacifica lotion. I love the smell of oranges/citrus so I knew I would probably love this item. And I was right. It's delicious. It's like summer in a bottle. I tried some on my hands and it left them really soft. There was no greasy residue.

I also painted one nail to test out my Nailtini color. I got this brand in a previous bag, but it was a glitter, not a regular color. I'm VERY impressed. It dried right away, within a minutes. And not just kind of dry make sure you don't touch anything too hard dry. It was push your fingernail into the new polish and no mark left behind dry. I can't wait to see how it lasts. I'm awful with keeping nail polish on for more than a few days.

I've never used argan oil before, but apparently my mom was pretty excited for this! I'm going to take a shower after this and try it out in my hair. All the bleach sucked a good portion of my hairs healthiness out, so cheers to argan oil! 

I'm a fan of Big Sexy Hair to begin with, so I'll be trying out this hairspray tomorrow. I don't really use any hair products except a heat protectant for when I straighten my kinks, but when I do actually make my hair into something other than a ponytail, I get some rouge hairs that need tamed! 

As for the concealer brush, I'm going to try and trade it for an eyeshadow brush, since they sent out three different kinds of brushes. I already have an awesome concealer brush from Sephora, so I'm not switching it up anytime soon. 

REVIEW Legacy of a Dreamer by Allie Jean

LEGACY OF A DREAMER BY ALLIE JEAN

Chantal Breelan has spent most of her childhood as a ward of the state. She has a mysterious past and the foster system provided her with no answers. At the age of fifteen, she begins to have horrifying dreams: images of violence and death that haunt her during her waking hours. Anxious and afraid, and with no one else to confide in, she finds comfort in her imaginary friend, a shadow in the shape of a man who stands sentinel over her. She tells him of her dreams and her fear of an unknown future.

On her eighteenth birthday, she’s forced out of her foster home, but the stress and demands drive her to the edge, making her see things. A boy from her nightmares appears in a subway station, sending her life in twists of truth and lies, and darkness surrounds her from all sides. But is it only evil that hides in the shadows, or are the answers to her past lingering just beyond?

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

What initially drew me to this book was the cover and title combination. The cover is simple and leaves a mystery to who the girl is. You can't see her face, and I like that, because you can still create what you think she would look like in your head to your minds pleasure. The title also got me. A book about a dreamer leaves a lot to be imagined. Is she a dreamer in the sense that she's always wondering about bigger ideas or is she an actual dreaming when she goes to sleep? What's her legacy that's so fantastic? I obviously wanted to know all these things, which is what led me to the book!

You start off meeting Chantal, a young girl who has been tossed around in the foster care system until she  lands in a modern day Cinderella-esque situation. She has obscene nightmares that started as far back as she could possibly remember, but she finds comfort in the imaginary friends she has created over the years. She's on the brink of turning eighteen and being thrown out in the real world with no help from anyone. She moves to New York, hoping to start a new journey in her adult life, but her past of nightmares and imaginary friends follow her into her life there as well. From there, she's thrown deep into a world she never knew existed, a world where she was on of the main warriors fighting in an age-old war. Chantal learns about what exactly is hiding in the Shade, or the shadows as we know them, but she also learns about who she really is on the inside.

I really liked Chantal. She was a very strong female character right from the start, and that's something I also admire in books. Even if it was due to her rough start in life, she never felt the need to depend on anyone, even after she met her warrior, Mathias, she learned to trust him, but she still held her own when she needed to. She was never completely helpless. Girl power - WHAT! I also loved that she never questioned the crazy world she got thrown into. She accepted it with grace and stepped up and exceeded every ones expectations, caring for everyone she encounters almost unconditionally. She's one the first known adult Oracles, and I can't wait to see what else that means for her in the next book.

Then there's Mathias, Chantal's warrior. What a chivalrous man he is!  You can tell from the very beginning his feelings for Chantal are real and pure, but he doesn't know what to do with them and how to react to them. Their relationship throughout the whole book is very sweet. It was never in your face romantic(which don't get me wrong, I do love that, too!) but instead, sweet and dripping with romantic tension! I could feel it through the book! But with their every little touch and whispered conversation, you could feel their attraction to each other, and it made it all the more sweeter to read.

The other thing that really made the book for me was that it wasn't your typical good vs evil/angels vs devils story. This is a whole different realm of that and one that I really want to read more about. You won't find any creatures with wings or devil horns in this book, but it's worth your time to find out the good and evil that lurk in the pages.

I GAVE LEGACY OF A DREAMER

 FIVE CUPCAKES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Allie Jean was born with an overactive imagination. At a very early age, a child, her days were spent inventing stories, directing her sisters in made-up plays or telling elaborate ghost stories. Her mind never took breaks, or shutdown, even when she slept. When her eyes shut at night, she would have vivid dreams complete with extensive, elaborate plot lines, and good overcoming evil villains. She was encouraged by her parents, even at a young age, to write down her tales, and it has remained a somewhat secret hobby. It became a means to escape from the drama of real life into one of the many worlds she created.


Now, living in California with her husband of ten years, her love of storytelling had taken a back seat with the arrival of their four children. Though, she always found time to write down her thoughts on whatever was handy, including a stray diaper or two while rocking a sleeping child in the middle of the night when her character's begged for attention as well. As a busy wife, mother and working full-time outside the home, somehow she has been able to write down her relentless character's story. Her once secret hobby and private world, is now released for other's to enjoy. Nothing would make Allie happier that to continue writing and spend more time at home with her family on a more full-time basis.

EXTRA GOODIES

Good news! If you were looking to pick up Legacy of a Dreamer for yourself, there's a giveaway going on right now! You can win a signed copy AND a ebook of a chic lit novelette by Allie Jean that has yet to be released. The giveaway runs until Valentines Day so get in while you can!
To enter the giveaway, visit Allie Jeans website.   

CHECK OUT LEGACY OF A DREAMER ON AMAZON AND GOODREADS.

CHECK OUT ALLIE JEAN ON FACEBOOK. 

A big thank you to Allie Jean for giving me an ARC and the chance to read this book! Although I received this book to review, it did not influence my review in any way.

 

 

Fab Friday

So I'm going to try and do this as many Friday's as I can remember! I love that it's looking at the positives in life, as sometimes with all the stress and awful stuff that comes along with being a grown-up can be overwhelming, it's nice to remember the little, positive moments. So here it goes, my fabulous moments from this week!

LET'S TALK ABOUT MY FAB THINGS

• I got to spend some with one of my very best friends, Katie, before she officially moved back home. She's one of my very first friends I made after I moved here from California and I couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime! She's also the first friend that the Army has moved away from me. Super sad face, She has an adorable little girl named Tatum who is always cracking me up! I am sad Tatum couldn't make it our on this trip, but it was nice to be able to have one last grown-up hoorah with Katie! I know that's it's not "goodbye," it's an "I'll see you later." (But I'm still pretty sad over it.)
   
•  My husband sent me music! He recorded himself playing guitar and singing. I mentioned this before, but I love hearing him sing, even though he doesn't think he sounds very good. I think he sounds fantastic! Although he's catching on. He made me promise not to post it anywhere. I guess he knows me too well.
  
• I got my new camera in the mail! I am so excited. I got a pink Cannon Elph. It's a pretty basic and small point and shoot camera, but it's perfect for me. It also shoots HD movies, so maybe I can get onto the YouTube train here soon.
  
• One more thing! I've been having more ideas for book writing. Aren't you excited? I am! Now if I can actually sit down and crank some words out, it will be even more fab!

WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHAT WERE YOUR FABS FOR THIS WEEK?

BOOK TRAILER REVEAL Mindjack Trilogy by Susan Kaye Quinn

I'm super excited for the release of this book trailer! I read Open Minds and Closed Hearts sometime in the very beginning of last year and I was hooked. They were those books that I constantly checked up on waiting for the very last book to be released. Finally, I didn't have to wait any more! Free Souls was released and I was sold. One of my very favorite male characters, Julian, is a part of these books! I highly suggest you check them out. I think once you see the trailer for yourself, you will want to anyway!

 

 The Live-Action Mindjack Book Trailer Reveal

(from the bestselling Mindjack series by Susan Kaye Quinn)

With the help of over 20 cast and crew members, award-winning director Beth Spitalny has brought the concept of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy to life on the screen.

When everyone reads minds,

a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

WAYS YOU CAN SHARE THE TRAILER

1) WATCH THE TRAILER ON YOUTUBE (or on here)! 

2) POST TO FACEBOOK: Check out the live-action Mindjack Book Trailer (from the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy by Susan Kaye Quinn): When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. http://bit.ly/MindjackBookTrailer 

3) POST IT TO TWITTER: When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Watch the live-action Mindjack Book Trailer http://bit.ly/MindjackBookTrailer

4) SHARE ON GOOGLE+, PINTEREST, AND MORE: Go to the trailer on YouTube and click the "share" button. Click the arrow to expand and see all the options. Easy peasy. (While you're there, click "like" on YouTube, or leave a comment! 

5) POST THE BOOK TRAILER ON YOUR BLOG Grab the embed code from YouTube ! 

TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF THE TRAILER 

OPEN MINDS IS ON SALE FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!

  Get it now for $0.99 (regular $2.99)!

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can't read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can't be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf's mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she's dragged deep into a hidden underworld of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

THE MINDJACK TRILOGY IS ALSO ON SALE FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!

Get it now for $7.99 (regular $9.99)! 

This digital set gives you all three Mindjack Books in one (Open Minds, Closed Hearts, and Free Souls). 

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SHARED THE TRAILER!

An EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to everyone involved in making the trailer a reality, including Director Beth Spitalny, Producer Angel Acevedo, Director of Photography Lance Kaplan, lead actor Nikki Flemming (Kira) and the many fine actors, crew members, and post-production staff who donated their time and talent to the project.
For the making-of the trailer, see the Mindjack Trilogy website. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Series, which includes three novels, three novellas, and a trailer. She's currently writing a steampunk fantasy romance, just for kicks. When that's out of her system, she has ambitious plans to embark on a series about the Singularity (the time when computers become more intelligent than humans) that should appeal to fans of the Mindjack novels. Or possibly play on Facebook all day. Could go either way. 

REVIEW Stolen by Ella James

STOLEN BY ELLA JAMES

With Cayne's fate in the hands of his enemies and Julia spirited away to the covert Stained compound, the two are separated by impenetrable walls and a gulf of unanswered questions. Soon Julia learns the truth about the Stained and the plans they have for her, the compound is attacked, and a new group is running from an unwanted destiny, searching the globe in pursuit of the knowledge that just might save them all. 

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

Cayne and Julia's story continues! We find them both at the Chosen compound, painfully separated from one another. I was very intrigued by this compound and all the new characters that we get introduced to. It was eerie and awesome all rolled up into one big unknown sandwich. I mean come on, they can float through walls! And bam! There's the giant, creepy illuminated pyramid we saw in the cover(and in Julia's dreams) in the previous book.

I enjoyed all the time it took to learn about The Chosen and their "rank" structure and beliefs. I felt like it was going to be really important since we follow Julia through the group meditations and learned all about being a candidate. I think that's my only disappointment with this book - I felt this huge chunk of the book was kind of lost after the big break out. I'm really holding out hope it will all come together in the next book!

Cayne kind of is put on the back burner while Julia discovers her place in the Chosen world. I'm a hopeless romantic, so I secretly wanted everything to magically be alright in their world. But I'm glad it wasn't. I'm glad Julia didn't cave and forgive him right away! Hold your ground girl!

Cayne is also changing as well. His visit towards the end of the book really pus things in perspective for him about what Julia is to him. And it also opens up a whole new can of worms of unanswered questions! What happened in Scotland? What's going to happen with the leash? And I still don't know what's up with the freaky, giant pyramid!

 I GAVE STOLEN BY ELLA JAMES

FOUR CUPCAKES

YOU CAN CHECK OUT STOLEN ON AMAZON AND GOODREADS.

REVIEW Stained by Ella James

STAINED BY ELLA JAMES

Seventeen-year-old Julia is finally living the good life. She's traded a hard cot in a Memphis orphanage for her very own room in a perfect little house, on a perfect little street, with a perfect set of parents who picked her to be their daughter.

But Julia is hiding a secret - and one fall night, she returns home from a friend's house to find that her secret has found her. Her 'forever home' is ashes. Her parents are dead. And, in the sky above the flames, a winged creature hunts her.

The Nephilim King, Samyaza, has taken everything from Cayne. After struggling in the darkness for years to piece together his shattered life, Cayne is finally ready to confront his past and avenge the loss of everything he loved. He tracks Samyaza to a Memphis warehouse, where he winds up flat on his back, in the healing hands of a beautiful, dark-haired girl he doesn't need to know.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they are already bound. Cayne's past holds the answers to Julia's future. But what will pose the greatest threat to her? The bounty placed on her head by the leaders of two Celestial realms, or giving her heart to a man who is bound, by birth, to break it?

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

Lets talk about the cover first, since I'm a total visual person. I was really drawn to this cover. The girl in the front, who I assumed would be Julia, has a very angelic glow along with the creepy pyramid in the back. I wanted to know more about the girl and the pyramid right away! So much in fact I almost overlooked the star-like mark on the girls shoulder! Definitely loved this cover!

Once I started reading, I'm not going to lie. The first thing that had me super excited was the fact that this all took place around Memphis. I just kept thinking, I've been there! I live three hours away. I know Beale street! I know the Peabody Hotel! That was so very awesome for me.

Julia won me over almost immediately with her broken past and pink chucks. When she is forced to run away, I could feel how scared and alone she was. Then comes Cayne and her world changes. Julia is instantly drawn to help him, which I think is just a part of who she is. She seems to always try and find the best in people and try to push out an bad feelings she may have. She's too trusting, maybe? A curse and a blessing!

Cayne is stoic and doesn't show any feelings, which drives Julia crazy. She wants to know more about him and he just keeps pushing her away, or so, he pushes her away with his words but when things get tough physically when Samyaza threatens to harm Julia, he shows a different side of him with his actions. This was my favorite part of Julia and Cayne's chemistry. The push and pull of their affection with each other is overwhelming -in a good way. There were times I wanted to yell at both of them and reach through my Kindle and shove them together so they would finally kiss! I loved this about them though, because it made it seem as though you never knew what the future was going to be like for these two.

Ella James writes a great introduction to this new adventure and life for Julia and Cayne. Both seek revenge and they seem to be stronger together. I can't wait to find out more answers about Julia and Cayne's fate!

I GAVE STAINED BY ELLA JAMES

FOUR CUPCAKES

YOU CAN CHECK OUT STAINED FOR YOURSELF ON AMAZON AND GOODREADS!

New Years Resolutions for January

I don't know if many of you remember my New Years resolution post, but I had said I was going to try something new every month. This stems from my anxiety, which gets particularly bad in social situations. If you don't have anxiety, it's pretty hard to explain the way it feels. Mine for me, is completely subdued(for the most part) when I am with or in the company of people I know or am familiar with. For example, if I go to the mall with my husband, I'm okay. I feel at ease. If I go to the mall by myself, it's miserable. I've got to the point where I can handle going places alone. I've had to suck it up and deal with it. But I don't like it still.

When I am alone, it's a constant battle inside of me. It's my brain telling me everyone is looking at you. Everyone is starring at you. They are watching your every move. Don't look awkward. Don't trip. Is there something on my shirt? And my heart is telling me you're okay. Nothing is wrong with you. No one cares about you walking through the mall. No one is thinking about you. You're fine. But the feeling I get in the put of my stomach flying every which way and attempting to shove its sour taste and stinging needles up my throat so I can't breath. It makes me nervous and I shake. The feeling is making me not look people in the eyes. It's making me walk faster, which is making me more clumsy, which is making me even more nervous that everyone is staring and me and ultimately thinking something is wrong with me.

 Whew. Okay, now we all need to sit down and breath. That's what it feels like for me. Not just when I'm alone, but if I'm nervous about something that's coming up in the future. Or if I have to make a big decision. Or if I am uncomfortable. Or if I have to talk in public(oh lord. Public speaking in college. A whole new experience for me!). So, back to the New Years resolution! I made the decision to do something new every month. So here's what I did this month.

 I was waiting to pick up one of my very best friends at the airport in Nashville. While waiting I had to use the restroom and when I was finished I washed my hands(hopefully just like everyone reading, right?). Now, if you've never been to the airport in Nashville, they have the new Dyson hand dryers. They look this this.They're really cool for a super nerd and super eco-freak like me. You don't have to touch anything at all! And they don't use ungodly amounts of paper towels. The only awkward thing is you have to move your hands in an up-and-down motion. Now this is nearly impossible to do without looking silly. I could feel the feeling starting to make its way through my stomach of looking stupid and I was alone. So I took advantage of it and turned that feeling around. While moving my hands around I started to dance. There was probably five other people washing their hands at the time and I was groovin. Complete with the booty shake and everything. I danced until my hands were beyond dry. Then I just packed up and went on my merry way. Afterwords, I thought...January's try something new - COMPLETE!

Musings with Mom - Inescapable by Amy Bartol

Everybody, meet my mom, Patti . Mom, meet everybody! I am one of those lucky people in the world. You know, where your mom is one of your best friends.Yeah, that's my mom. We've been through our fair share of difficult times, but one thing is for sure, she's always there to cheer me on from the sidelines and it's something I truly cherish. And this time is no different.

Mom got to play around with my Kindle when I went home to visit in November and pretty much decided she had to have one. So we picked out the Kindle Fire HD. So naturally, I had to give her book suggestions to read. She kind of already knew which ones she wanted to since on Facebook, I pretty much gush about every new book I read.

I got her reading Inescapable by Amy Bartol, first. She would send me text messages along the way while she was reading. It was so much fun to be able to share this passionate part of me, reading. Then I had a brilliant idea when we started talking about the book. I should record it and include her in this here blog! Well lucky her, she gets her very own little section on here now. I'm not sure whether she knew I was recording her or not. If you don't hear from me in a few days, she didn't know and she killed me! Just kidding! She'll probably just yell at me later. Just kidding again. Kind of.

Want to know what my mom and I thought of Inescapable? We start off talking about the where she left off after we talked last. What did she think of the ending? Who were her favorite characters? Is she Team Reed or Team Russell? (Just and FYI, she calls Russell a country bumpkin!!) She even gets crafty and turns the tables on me and starts asking me questions!

WARNING. CONTAINS SPOILERS.

CHECK OUT AMY BARTOL!

COVER REVEAL - Raksha by Frankie Rose

Raksha by Frankie Rose 

Cover designed by Chelsea Starling

Publication date: March 1st, 2013

She has no name.

She has her knives; her training; her halo.

The first and second give her the tools and the skill to defeat the opponents she is pitted against each month. The third frees her from pain and fear. From any kind of emotion at all. Everything is as it should be. Everything is as it should be, until…
FearPainAngerHappinessDesireGuilt

Love.

When a newly-named Kit escapes the Sanctuary after killing her best friend, the last thing she needs is another knife in her hand. Or Ryka, the damaged, beautiful blonde boy, who she refuses to let save her. Still learning how to process the onslaught of her new feelings, the sights and sounds of Freetown are overwhelming and strange. There are a hundred differences between her old home and her new one, but one thing remains starkly similar: the matches. Yet where the blood in the Sanctuary landed only on the colosseum floor, Kit will quickly learn that a river of red runs through Freetown’s very streets.

Freed from the oppression of a society who stole her right to feel, the true horror of her old life leaves Kit wondering if she really has been freed at all. Would she be better off without the crippling horror of all the blood on her hands, or is the love of one boy worth living through all the pain?

Raksha is the call of the dead. It is the rumbling chant for fresh blood from the other side, the demand for sacrifice. The colosseum is behind Kit. The fighting pits await. 

CHECK OUT RAKSHA ON GOODREADS

'

AUTHOR BIO

Frankie Rose:

Frankie Rose was born in the United Kingdom, but now lives with her husband in sunny Australia.

She officially makes things up for a living, and when she's not doing that, she is generally making paper birds out of receipts and old lists or taking photographs that make her smile. 

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It's time for a good time

Well 2013 is officially here. I made it through my first New Years Eve alone. In reality though, I didn't spend it alone! I haven't talked about it yet, but my hubby is currently overseas. He's been gone since June and we still have a little over half a year left. We don't get to talk on the phone much since his phone doesn't work over there. Well, it does work, but I'm not cool with spending $300 extra a month to pay the roaming charges. So he just uses his wifi and we FaceTime a lot. It's about fourteen hours time different from here to there and he surprised me me by FaceTiming me right before midnight my time so we could kiss at midnight! Oh yeah, did I mention he's a keeper? Yeah, he is! I even caught his kiss on camera. But what he didn't know was he was in for a surprise, too. I dyed my hair recently and put some pink in and didn't tell him. I wanted to see his reaction when he saw me. And oh boy! He couldn't tell me enough how much he loves it. I'd say that was a success, no?

And here's the big pink hair reveal!

After I got my NYE kiss, my mom called me to wish me a Happy New Years from California! You're probably going to be hearing a lot about her, too. She's one of my best friends and for Christmas she got a Kindle Fire. So naturally, I lent her some of my favorite books for her to read and I hope to get her to review some books as well. So be prepared guys. If you think I'm a firecracker, I get it from my mama! She's currently reading Inescapable by Amy Bartol. Oh yeah, she says "She's loving it!" You'll love her, too.

Another fun thing about this year is I finally got my custom made charms for my charm bracelet. I found someone on Etsy who made the cutest clay cupcake charms and made them into characters. So, since we all know my slightly mild obsession with cupcakes in general, I ordered one that also looked like Indiana Jones. Then I got a brilliant idea to order some that had to do with my favorite book series. So I started off with the amazing author mentioned above, Amy Bartol. I got a red wing, a charcoal grey wing, and a set of vampire teeth. When I opened them in the mail, they were everything I could have hoped for and more!

I guess I should also mention, I'm a total emotional hot mess. If I'm too excited, I cry. If I'm too happy, I cry. If I'm really nervous, I cry. You get the picture, right? I started tearing up when I opened this. Especially over this cupcake. If you haven't read my about me, then you don't know that my husbands name is Indiana and our last name is Jones. So, he is, essentially, Indiana Jones. He even has an Indiana Jones tattoo. But you will see me refer to him as hubby on the Internet. So my love for my husband and cupcakes came clashing together in the beautiful handmade work of art. You're dying to see it, I know. Just wait. I can't wait to add more charms onto this bracelet, but I think I need to find a thicker bracelet. This one seems pretty thin for having such big charms on it. That's going to be a quest in itself.

I think I'm going to try something tomorrow and see how it goes. It'll be a weekly posting event. Hopefully it goes over well.