tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57854525818591720742024-03-05T17:51:59.554-05:00smiling_ina's bookish cornerA place where I show my love for books...smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-14302472893989972282016-08-12T12:04:00.000-04:002016-08-12T12:04:11.611-04:00COVER REVEAL: THE GOAL by Elle Kennedy<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am so excited to be part of this cover reveal. The <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">OFF CAMPUS</span></i></b> series in one of my absolute favorites and I cannot wait for the fourth book, </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="color: #990000;">THE GOAL</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, to be released on September 26th. Everything Elle Kennedy does is simply amazing. She is wicked awesome and if you haven't checked out any of her work yet, you are so missing out!</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">BLURB:</span></u></b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She’s
good at achieving her goals…</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US">College
senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college,
kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her
path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey
player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and
surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes,
one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But
the game just got a whole lot more complicated<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Tucker believes being a team player is as
important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the
spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of twenty-two, he
refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his
child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is,
Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to
accept his help. </span><span lang="EN-US">If
he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that
some goals can only be made with an assist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase
Links</span></span></span></u></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://amzn.to/2aI6DAx" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2aNXrhC" target="_blank">Nook</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/2aW2hIK" target="_blank">Kobo</a> <a href="http://apple.co/2b2IaKb" target="_blank">iBooks</a></span></b></i></div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-16324826872578069532016-01-11T07:25:00.000-05:002016-01-11T08:05:24.749-05:00Review: THE SCORE by Elle Kennedy<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">About the book:</span></i></b></h4>
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<b><u><span style="color: #20124d;">GOODREADS SUMMARY:</span></u></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252717-the-score" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi74dmNojeXiPWUfu5i33B1Pj11TAqeqsExD1UmEpo9lxdYi05zdhI87svZTCUwvw9dDgsY88gABR493ydcRzpbQmz1KJbsO6sTxwk2bMCsvpzODnWXS8vot0vv5uomEipaM-1Rk0U2I/s320/The+Score.jpg" width="206" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">He knows how to score, on and off the ice</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">girls</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">friends</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B016VQCFO0/ref=x_gr_w_visstd_sin_t1_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_visstd_sin_t1_control_bb_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-score-elle-kennedy/1122824500?ean=2940152679663" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/the-score-10" target="_blank">Kobo</a></i></b></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">MY REVIEW:</span></i></b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsrjSHAG9ne9sePV-PXNHU_OEYEcMAdyTnsTPVu5Cs0-xrnGqZIOlNoYgDitsRawpRWL5gb5vKvzzwPla2HfSnz2SK_zge-5ZCEp5Z6TEKscYKOwdeGDDTSXuoASsvKyJePpSPa6aSz0/s1600/what+I+want.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsrjSHAG9ne9sePV-PXNHU_OEYEcMAdyTnsTPVu5Cs0-xrnGqZIOlNoYgDitsRawpRWL5gb5vKvzzwPla2HfSnz2SK_zge-5ZCEp5Z6TEKscYKOwdeGDDTSXuoASsvKyJePpSPa6aSz0/s320/what+I+want.jpg" width="260" /></a><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I received an e-ARC of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252717-the-score" target="_blank"><i>THE SCORE</i></a> a few weeks ago and, needless to say, I couldn't wait to start reading it. It's the third installment in Elle Kennedy's OFF-CAMPUS series which is one of my absolute favorite series EVER since I am a huge hockey fan. The only negative, and really, it's not even a negative at all, but I'm a die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan and Boston is one of their biggest rivals, so yeah, GO HABS GO!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Anyway, I read both, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24920901-the-deal" target="_blank">THE DEAL</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25564665-the-mistake" target="_blank">THE MISTAKE</a></i>, several times last year and know I will be reading Dean and Allie's story more than once as well. Elle Kennedy just has this way with words that keeps you glued to every page and you simply can't put her books down. Sleep is highly overrated, anyway, right?! Seriously, though, this book was like a rollercoaster at times. I had ALL THE FEELS!!! There was everything from complete happiness to utter sadness and heartbreak, and every other possible emotion in between. Elle Kennedy threw me completely for a loop and I'm still reeling from it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Dean and Allie are such an adorable pair and all the bickering back and forth between them was so much fun to read. I laughed out loud on way more than one occasion which might have earned me a weird look from the husband.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Instead of reading any more from me, though, everybody should go and grab their copy now and dig in. You won't want to miss this one!!! The to-buy links are just above.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><b><i>My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars</i></b></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">About the author:</span></i></b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1Tc5FdO7UdSeSJedhCSeCZOh4SAM2ItxyXdR8zU5TqXzgsqxezaSSjm1jDpDpug3t_dAUgddOqX1Dp9cgcCXr7YLJVnIi6ho4hYQqvXIDBykQBnpl7pdg-WpmxFfARkmbzs59NN9PEo/s1600/Elle+Kennedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1Tc5FdO7UdSeSJedhCSeCZOh4SAM2ItxyXdR8zU5TqXzgsqxezaSSjm1jDpDpug3t_dAUgddOqX1Dp9cgcCXr7YLJVnIi6ho4hYQqvXIDBykQBnpl7pdg-WpmxFfARkmbzs59NN9PEo/s200/Elle+Kennedy.jpg" width="150" /></a><b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1935000.Elle_Kennedy" target="_blank">Elle Kennedy</a>:</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!</span><br />
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-73280214080509213132015-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-25T00:00:00.757-05:00Top Ten Books I'm looking forward to in 2016Today is the last day in the Best Of week and it was definitely the toughest list for me. It's all about the books we are most looking forward to in 2016. I actually had to do some research because I don't usually look way ahead unless it's a sequel I'm dying to read. I tend to just read whatever catches my eye or I happen to hear about. Most of my picks don't have covers yet, so you'll only see a few.<br />
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Thank you again to the amazing hosts Rachel from <i><a href="http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/" target="_blank">Fiktshun</a></i>, Jaime from <i><a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Two Chicks On Books</a></i>, Mindy from <i><a href="http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/" target="_blank">Magical Urban Fantasy Reads</a></i>, and Nancy from <i><a href="http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/" target="_blank">Tales of a Ravenous Reader</a></i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WUnowFzm1Qxu2DFzHbS171chVPUSxx5HKtNkHwDWDJJoG-H1TSsjJgFY8VpYyw2itoqLuB3_9WRa5hLKsiQm_BWy5vWnocvLiK4W0XhmXtjRqeacBJ5iQ0SoHf03KpBpF5SNoSA6404/s1600/Never+Never+Part+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WUnowFzm1Qxu2DFzHbS171chVPUSxx5HKtNkHwDWDJJoG-H1TSsjJgFY8VpYyw2itoqLuB3_9WRa5hLKsiQm_BWy5vWnocvLiK4W0XhmXtjRqeacBJ5iQ0SoHf03KpBpF5SNoSA6404/s200/Never+Never+Part+3.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
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1. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26806765-masquerade" target="_blank">Masquerade</a></i></b> by Rachel Vincent (September 2016)</div>
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The wait is excruciating! It's not supposed to be released until SEPTEMBER 2016! How am I ever going to make it that long???</div>
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2. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27797842-us" target="_blank">Us</a></i></b> by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen (March 8th, 2016)</div>
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It's releasing in March and I cannot wait for it! I'm really excited to see what they do with the cover since they haven't released one yet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK41qlw_KjLGJ1zGTGz_ec9qeAjvTsjnyFXxH0mVtLbvJGtj01WuSTwY5eBFjVuemkftkSbiWUAxQTE7B4RUiRqY7Qi5PYlq0dg0iW-J_K7f_uO5Pz6X3pZufcm3d8hUBEd-YeHGbfzAk/s1600/The+Year+of+Falling+in+Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK41qlw_KjLGJ1zGTGz_ec9qeAjvTsjnyFXxH0mVtLbvJGtj01WuSTwY5eBFjVuemkftkSbiWUAxQTE7B4RUiRqY7Qi5PYlq0dg0iW-J_K7f_uO5Pz6X3pZufcm3d8hUBEd-YeHGbfzAk/s200/The+Year+of+Falling+in+Love.jpg" width="132" /></a>3. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27362503-it-ends-with-us" target="_blank">It Ends With Us</a></i></b> by Colleen Hoover (August 2nd, 2016)</div>
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OK, here is the thing. I have no idea what this book is going to be about, but I love Colleen Hoover and the title alone draws me in. So yes, I'm stoked about it.</div>
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4. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25454883-never-never" target="_blank">Never Never: Part Three</a></i></b> by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher (January 26th, 2016)</div>
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5. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27863344-midnight-lily" target="_blank">Midnight Lily</a></i></b> by Mia Sheridan (March 2016)</div>
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It's MIA SHERIDAN, people!!!</div>
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6. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26245953-the-year-of-falling-in-love" target="_blank">The Year Of Falling In Love</a></i></b> by Jessica Sorensen (January 6th, 2016)</div>
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I haven't read <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26106502-the-year-i-became-isabella-anders" target="_blank">The Year I Became Isabella Anders</a></i></b> yet, but they are both high up on my TBR list. Plus, I've loved everything I've read by Jessica Sorensen so far. Can't go wrong with this choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFpR_BT1kn6_sArx51vJc80rkCo0Az2HQTutK8rOYwBNHfqZwN0AFlDRopuys7UtM1t_MCeFcigKeXxMaWj0qYlzKicqa88LbVbvibxQLzqpEtBsy2gx36siaiagbzqyAXATWRABhN10/s1600/Firstlife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFpR_BT1kn6_sArx51vJc80rkCo0Az2HQTutK8rOYwBNHfqZwN0AFlDRopuys7UtM1t_MCeFcigKeXxMaWj0qYlzKicqa88LbVbvibxQLzqpEtBsy2gx36siaiagbzqyAXATWRABhN10/s200/Firstlife.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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***</div>
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7. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27190530-rookie-move" target="_blank">Rookie Move: A Brooklyn Bruisers Novel</a></i></b> by Sarina Bowen (2016)</div>
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I love her The Ivy Years series and this is a spin-off series, so I know it's going to be awesome.</div>
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***</div>
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8. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25785357-firstlife" target="_blank">Firstlife</a></i></b> by Gena Showalter (February 23rd, 2016)<br />
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This book sounds so fascinating, I will definitely have to try and get my hands on it once it releases.</div>
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***<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0k8sLRN234eLvzulTmT7MJwplimO4euqdmJDSw8_r_l8F5xE9kqh5Y4ZJeNvjxKlwd3Z1aQl3Kyg9PaolPTzZlggO2ChUTeO4MValQVQTzHuV7GKJ4OPtpGIGviJVNmK1bU29fUWvso/s1600/This+Savage+Song.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0k8sLRN234eLvzulTmT7MJwplimO4euqdmJDSw8_r_l8F5xE9kqh5Y4ZJeNvjxKlwd3Z1aQl3Kyg9PaolPTzZlggO2ChUTeO4MValQVQTzHuV7GKJ4OPtpGIGviJVNmK1bU29fUWvso/s200/This+Savage+Song.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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9. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23299512-this-savage-song" target="_blank">This Savage Song</a></i></b> by Victoria Schwab (June 7th, 2016)<br />
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I love Victoria Schwab and this story sounds super intriguing. I can't wait to find out what she came up with this time.</div>
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***</div>
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10. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252717-the-score" target="_blank">The Score</a></i></b> by Elle Kennedy (January 11th, 2016)</div>
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This one is releasing in January, but I actually already got to read it. I got an ARC and it was so awesome. I had to put it on the list, because even though I already read it, I want others to know about it. The whole series is one of my favourites.</div>
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What are some of the books you are dying to read in 2016?</div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-36670883441245915362015-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-24T00:00:04.835-05:00Best Book Boyfriends of 2015Today is day four of the Best of 2015 week and it's all about the book boyfriends. The books have to have been released in 2015, so since most of the books I read were released before 2015, it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a list. You will see some names from my Best Couples list from yesterday, but these boys - or men - are just too delicious. ;)<br />
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Thanks again to Rachel from <i><a href="http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/" target="_blank">Fiktshun</a></i>, Jaime from <i><a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Two Chicks on Books</a></i>, Mindy from <i><a href="http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/" target="_blank">Magical Urban Fantasy Reads</a></i>, and Nancy from <i><a href="http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/" target="_blank">Tales of a Ravenous Reader</a></i> for hosting this event! You ladies rock!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnbyCMBRPzDNwQf1uWlfRsQRoVdSOzc7AU78J8kUJ5dNyQyBdX6h2ZU1ymJQIn4HNsGCLAeKLbKPF8Oi2i6LQqCLSRRyG7ytmNLFvaWwFD3NxcNrZepjAFxRWaTJp346R31mR4I-ILds/s1600/Menagerie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnbyCMBRPzDNwQf1uWlfRsQRoVdSOzc7AU78J8kUJ5dNyQyBdX6h2ZU1ymJQIn4HNsGCLAeKLbKPF8Oi2i6LQqCLSRRyG7ytmNLFvaWwFD3NxcNrZepjAFxRWaTJp346R31mR4I-ILds/s200/Menagerie.jpg" width="131" /></a>************</div>
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1. Gallagher - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18350798-menagerie" target="_blank">Menagerie</a></i></b> by Rachel Vincent </div>
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***</div>
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2. Garrett Graham - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24920901-the-deal" target="_blank">The Deal</a></i></b> by Elle Kennedy</div>
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***</div>
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3. John Logan - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25564665-the-mistake" target="_blank">The Mistake</a></i></b> by Elle Kennedy</div>
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***</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQYz8lweL54rt43Z4MIlxLkbLf6YE-V30qzJb-mVFG6zCjbDYKoQRqolkyFS72q3aXjHamnrpwBglY611RIwFeAOPLLuGdmsmuFvxFIk51q4U7pKEPNuKkvYSuoAvj1U1n5yEZBnrNZU/s1600/The+Fifteenth+Minute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQYz8lweL54rt43Z4MIlxLkbLf6YE-V30qzJb-mVFG6zCjbDYKoQRqolkyFS72q3aXjHamnrpwBglY611RIwFeAOPLLuGdmsmuFvxFIk51q4U7pKEPNuKkvYSuoAvj1U1n5yEZBnrNZU/s200/The+Fifteenth+Minute.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
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4. Rafe - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23346876-the-shameless-hour" target="_blank">The Shameless Hour</a></i></b> by Sarina Bowen</div>
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***</div>
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5. Daniel "DJ" Trevi - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26720038-the-fifteenth-minute" target="_blank">The Fifteenth Minute</a></i></b> by Sarina Bowen</div>
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***</div>
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6. Owen Gentry - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609310-confess" target="_blank">Confess</a></i></b> by Colleen Hoover</div>
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***</div>
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7. Kyland Barrett - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23637440-kyland" target="_blank">Kyland</a></i></b> by Mia Sheridan</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6bkN2EG2MKYrDbMdj-x7IzCbqiVUoHjELxwxuhmU-wM6JWZ1HTA7VUOG_afEz3O63kzN-Gr2Vf6-RyoEyDl7RxI9EK0Ej5UiNvsP81oyXQV_WwOYpBYm3araitYJLYxl6PMBbFZkA0s/s1600/Sweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6bkN2EG2MKYrDbMdj-x7IzCbqiVUoHjELxwxuhmU-wM6JWZ1HTA7VUOG_afEz3O63kzN-Gr2Vf6-RyoEyDl7RxI9EK0Ej5UiNvsP81oyXQV_WwOYpBYm3araitYJLYxl6PMBbFZkA0s/s200/Sweet.jpg" width="133" /></a>***</div>
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8. Boyce Wynn - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24283222-sweet" target="_blank">Sweet</a></i></b> by Tammara Webber</div>
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***</div>
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9. Jordan Garrison - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25163020-one-more-shot" target="_blank">One More Shot</a></i></b> by Victoria Denault</div>
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***</div>
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10. Ryler - <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24025830-untamed" target="_blank">Untamed</a></i></b> by Jessica Sorensen</div>
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************</div>
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Who were your best book boyfriends of 2015?</div>
smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-53998984246900322812015-12-23T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-23T00:00:12.041-05:00Best Couples of 2015Today's topic is whatever you want it to be, so I picked the Best Couples of 2015. I will probably just end up listing them all and not going too much into detail why with most of them. I loved the chemistry between all these couples. It's what kept me hooked. This year, there were a couple of books I started reading and just couldn't finish because I either couldn't relate to the characters very well or I just plain didn't like them and their supposed connection. I have a really hard time putting these in order, so I'm just going to put them the way they pop into my head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gU7BeLoIl4FoOtKReFoXiRbJfuAdgcLfLUckZzLqNVcealnQYmA9DOXxPq6uu0INEShDHM5yhmr_LVNAKDdp5rn0e5PjDxEPftc-7TR8W0GrXNnP1IKSsV7yT3kylBfgu3MHVHT3QR8/s1600/The+Deal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gU7BeLoIl4FoOtKReFoXiRbJfuAdgcLfLUckZzLqNVcealnQYmA9DOXxPq6uu0INEShDHM5yhmr_LVNAKDdp5rn0e5PjDxEPftc-7TR8W0GrXNnP1IKSsV7yT3kylBfgu3MHVHT3QR8/s200/The+Deal.jpg" width="132" /></a>1. Hannah and Garrett - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24920901-the-deal" target="_blank">THE DEAL</a> by Elle Kennedy</div>
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These two are just so much fun.</div>
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***</div>
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2. Graham and Ricker - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22701480-the-understatement-of-the-year" target="_blank">THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR</a> by Sarina Bowen</div>
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The book was a first for me and I absolutely loved it.</div>
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These two were just so perfect and left me with so many feels.</div>
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***</div>
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3. Jaime and Ryan - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25686927-him" target="_blank">HIM</a> by Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA30zZxM3MHjqohGXDTHH9J3GG_xioceHa5XX_R7rENLfhw6ThTO3AZGlzFhg-DX4njQa-PYymUsWR_7FyCk25QvaZgfpjL52OuweA4klzsMnOnGle94MwzLZdSBG7Xgeeg-OxphX5Fho/s1600/Breaking+Nova.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA30zZxM3MHjqohGXDTHH9J3GG_xioceHa5XX_R7rENLfhw6ThTO3AZGlzFhg-DX4njQa-PYymUsWR_7FyCk25QvaZgfpjL52OuweA4klzsMnOnGle94MwzLZdSBG7Xgeeg-OxphX5Fho/s200/Breaking+Nova.jpg" width="129" /></a>***</div>
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4. Nova and Quinton - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/108279-nova" target="_blank">NOVA</a> series by Jessica Sorensen</div>
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These two broke my heart more than once. The relationship between these two ripped me apart on so many levels. Sometimes it was super hard to keep reading, but man, what a journey they take, all the things they have to overcome. Wow.</div>
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***</div>
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5. Bree and Archer - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20639274-archer-s-voice" target="_blank">ARCHER'S VOICE</a> by Mia Sheridan</div>
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I have so, so much love for them. Sigh.</div>
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***</div>
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6. Emery and Ryler - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22072059-unbeautiful" target="_blank">UNBEAUTIFUL</a> by Jessica Sorensen</div>
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***</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xXnyEBHG2uHPAVUr74KtXY7YBcwU1xIquX2u_u3M97AOL4Q6Tv3CSfUlt0KibtGeLxF9B4dZI3JmM573HqI0KxvWTnqk-FD3CVpdAjdydNDCleppqopKJyJNsMrFvKQ2GJcWkGcVLgw/s1600/Maybe+Someday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xXnyEBHG2uHPAVUr74KtXY7YBcwU1xIquX2u_u3M97AOL4Q6Tv3CSfUlt0KibtGeLxF9B4dZI3JmM573HqI0KxvWTnqk-FD3CVpdAjdydNDCleppqopKJyJNsMrFvKQ2GJcWkGcVLgw/s200/Maybe+Someday.jpg" width="128" /></a>7. Callie and Kayden - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/93159-the-coincidence" target="_blank">THE COINCIDENCE</a> series by Jessica Sorensen</div>
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***</div>
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8. Kelsey and Jackson - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16172638-finding-it" target="_blank">FINDING IT</a> by Cora Carmack</div>
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***</div>
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9. Sydney and Ridge - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17788403-maybe-someday" target="_blank">MAYBE SOMEDAY</a> by Colleen Hoover</div>
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***</div>
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10. Corey and Adam - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20896313-the-year-we-fell-down" target="_blank">THE YEAR WE FELL DOWN</a> by Sarina Bowen</div>
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*****</div>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Honorable Mentions</span></b><br />
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Grace and Logan - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25564665-the-mistake" target="_blank">THE MISTAKE</a> by Elle Kennedy<br />
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Violet and Luke - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/93159-the-coincidence" target="_blank">THE COINCIDENCE</a> series by Jessica Sorensen<br />
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Ella and Micha - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/88616-the-secret" target="_blank">THE SECRET</a> series by Jessica Sorensen<br />
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Jessie and Jordan - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25163020-one-more-shot" target="_blank">ONE MORE SHOT</a> by Victoria Denault<br />
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What topic did you pick for today? Are there any couples you loved reading about this year?</div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-87752469819900943462015-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-22T00:00:09.498-05:00Best Book Covers of 2015OK, first of, I forgot to mention two of the hosts yesterday and I am so, so sorry about that! It's not just Rachel of <i><a href="http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/" target="_blank">Fiktshun</a></i> and Jaime of <i><a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Two Chicks On Books</a></i> hosting it, but also the wonderful Mindy of <i><a href="http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/" target="_blank">Magical Urban Fantasy Reads</a></i> and the lovely Nancy of <i><a href="http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/" target="_blank">Tales of a Ravenous Reader</a></i>.<br />
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Today's topic is Best Book Covers of 2015 and let me tell you, this was a tough one for me. I haven't read all of these, but I definitely want to read the ones I haven't gotten around to yet.<br />
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1. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22253643-marrow" target="_blank">Marrow</a></i></b> by Tarryn Fisher</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3LrhBQn09DHd1QcAlZX5W571On2phjO4ex2mvxZ7_HZ4ATtX3rv08tgnWlzrSLGvCgFXN2cecjhBKAud4Mv0-lbZeHrJldzJSgUmxaAqkG-FpIb1EsavavDQiWEMsrKtqnXYp86nKxY/s1600/Marrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3LrhBQn09DHd1QcAlZX5W571On2phjO4ex2mvxZ7_HZ4ATtX3rv08tgnWlzrSLGvCgFXN2cecjhBKAud4Mv0-lbZeHrJldzJSgUmxaAqkG-FpIb1EsavavDQiWEMsrKtqnXYp86nKxY/s200/Marrow.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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I absolutely love this cover and this book is at the top of my to-read list. I mean, just look at this stunning picture. How could anyone not love it?</div>
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***</div>
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2. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23310749-hellraisers" target="_blank">Hellraisers</a></i></b> by Alexander Gordon Smith</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPQAwW0-QRtlrGpz1vZTC2buX3KuHNOjCYwPbexhOw5PLML_AoK95oz6k2ynsPM_Enu8yFtHQ7iC9TybyQP72xoZrqS9ubYWDr4nM44YjIbvJHowMnYm19BCOyzLDnqTAcT7307b2KyU/s1600/Hellraisers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPQAwW0-QRtlrGpz1vZTC2buX3KuHNOjCYwPbexhOw5PLML_AoK95oz6k2ynsPM_Enu8yFtHQ7iC9TybyQP72xoZrqS9ubYWDr4nM44YjIbvJHowMnYm19BCOyzLDnqTAcT7307b2KyU/s200/Hellraisers.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Alexander Gordon Smith is one of my favourite authors ever and this book just sounds so incredible! I want it so, so bad.</div>
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***</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0S7EaavcMgE-qKjinDQ0efnavqmbfeML_UA4lLqAtHxoEnVMn6kcX3Tm6twETD2tZD0pRRG_1SFK9Wwpu6Wn3-IZe1bJACPoI_nAG3lxrvxPcq0bDPYvIuC9YW9VQe2kIo4RLAGoxLSE/s1600/Beautiful+Redemption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0S7EaavcMgE-qKjinDQ0efnavqmbfeML_UA4lLqAtHxoEnVMn6kcX3Tm6twETD2tZD0pRRG_1SFK9Wwpu6Wn3-IZe1bJACPoI_nAG3lxrvxPcq0bDPYvIuC9YW9VQe2kIo4RLAGoxLSE/s200/Beautiful+Redemption.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxpYQ1Izl6oASMp1-e7cLmyoXazi4Xh1RHMWRH00Ms3IZI24aXugujIcEbjUv0AzJ0pem7QRUjzzNLeX0OvudF82pK0wioelS6Wrc015g1xGxmkbYemkHCIv9K5Y6LX7YkOgjvCr392A/s1600/Beautiful+Sacrifice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxpYQ1Izl6oASMp1-e7cLmyoXazi4Xh1RHMWRH00Ms3IZI24aXugujIcEbjUv0AzJ0pem7QRUjzzNLeX0OvudF82pK0wioelS6Wrc015g1xGxmkbYemkHCIv9K5Y6LX7YkOgjvCr392A/s200/Beautiful+Sacrifice.jpg" width="128" /></a><br />
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3. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23714532-beautiful-sacrifice" target="_blank">Beautiful Sacrifice</a></i></b> by Jamie McGuire</div>
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4. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22717015-beautiful-redemption" target="_blank">Beautiful Redemption</a></i></b> by Jamie McGuire</div>
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I absolutely love this series and these covers are sooo gorgeous.</div>
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***</div>
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5. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18350798-menagerie" target="_blank">Menagerie</a></i></b> by Rachel Vincent</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx0I5ZvRECy2pYq9-TkW9_k0nkzm3px7GcVKPyYKuDUoqVE9vxykMZ6RV6_YGc5QTmTkbPR9EZlInmzbwsEqMwSNvxf1XUoRfnk7QuWZ5kyib-mkLBt09Uqb-hldU79SIBRUCnS5CKds/s1600/Menagerie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx0I5ZvRECy2pYq9-TkW9_k0nkzm3px7GcVKPyYKuDUoqVE9vxykMZ6RV6_YGc5QTmTkbPR9EZlInmzbwsEqMwSNvxf1XUoRfnk7QuWZ5kyib-mkLBt09Uqb-hldU79SIBRUCnS5CKds/s200/Menagerie.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Simple, but fitting and beautiful.</div>
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***</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELFjdTvmMKjto5GRpQK21JscWeaHiOqSt-HkwTNs9EcH4C8hWAJYG2j1p_thYhcXr9HC_rmYZqmorDqM_vCwBuXEO4_2aFopbLwCeQ1NJHfagD9x3wds2-Fxvz2JqQ_bLIeUeoRkhdqk/s1600/Unbeautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELFjdTvmMKjto5GRpQK21JscWeaHiOqSt-HkwTNs9EcH4C8hWAJYG2j1p_thYhcXr9HC_rmYZqmorDqM_vCwBuXEO4_2aFopbLwCeQ1NJHfagD9x3wds2-Fxvz2JqQ_bLIeUeoRkhdqk/s200/Unbeautiful.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCbtI8GKrReYIB5-h1xULyUE0ytvwt2Q6M1vEUnyNoXkjAi2EzuUyt3qFIxkang_YiU1n5zxqFQClz9mhMmEMWvyMilYh-zdAn_AQOjhPb2v9mvvHXskqlMuLT_a8CQdfTL3BelAtqHc/s1600/Untamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCbtI8GKrReYIB5-h1xULyUE0ytvwt2Q6M1vEUnyNoXkjAi2EzuUyt3qFIxkang_YiU1n5zxqFQClz9mhMmEMWvyMilYh-zdAn_AQOjhPb2v9mvvHXskqlMuLT_a8CQdfTL3BelAtqHc/s200/Untamed.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
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6. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22072059-unbeautiful" target="_blank">Unbeautiful</a></i></b> by Jessica Sorensen<br />
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7. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24025830-untamed" target="_blank">Untamed</a></i></b> by Jessica Sorensen</div>
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Love these, that's all.</div>
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***<br />
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8. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16151178-the-sea-of-tranquility" target="_blank">The Sea of Tranquility</a></i></b> by Katja Millay<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyFy2aO9AMnOpTzzwmLIL-h90qNR3J13piToyuWZ_Ct4yZi4DEKzhiYF9nrDClRpmFXo4UGyaJ-7eOhE1xauD2TKrqSjYy7zozbY3BqRkE5EmodH2UZ9FuBQiIZVMI2HwDAywNrmAQrw/s1600/The+Sea+of+Tranquility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyFy2aO9AMnOpTzzwmLIL-h90qNR3J13piToyuWZ_Ct4yZi4DEKzhiYF9nrDClRpmFXo4UGyaJ-7eOhE1xauD2TKrqSjYy7zozbY3BqRkE5EmodH2UZ9FuBQiIZVMI2HwDAywNrmAQrw/s200/The+Sea+of+Tranquility.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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I mean, just look at it. Beautiful.<br />
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***</div>
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9. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25111004-november-9" target="_blank">November 9</a></i></b> by Colleen Hoover</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5Lw3ermTWJXwYB0pcvimgz0t52SkHYFLn6LZBbDrRR6wTOFiIci6IQt8iT4e2GnJvnrg2a6eO7PHnH-MZpchVrB77Rs01sP6TxGIownGBUibm0dw_5577h23Vo4rzYxOhhH8qaFY08c/s1600/November+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5Lw3ermTWJXwYB0pcvimgz0t52SkHYFLn6LZBbDrRR6wTOFiIci6IQt8iT4e2GnJvnrg2a6eO7PHnH-MZpchVrB77Rs01sP6TxGIownGBUibm0dw_5577h23Vo4rzYxOhhH8qaFY08c/s200/November+9.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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Sometimes simple is the best way to go.</div>
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***<br />
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10. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16081272-the-edge-of-never" target="_blank">The Edge Of Never</a></i></b> by J.A. Redmerski</div>
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This one is a bit older, but I only got to read it this year. I love the colours and tones. So pretty.</div>
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Phew, this one was a lot harder than I thought it would be. What are some of your favourite book covers of 2015?<br />
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-24338515804597780612015-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-21T00:00:00.215-05:00Best Books I've Read in 2015I know I haven't posted anything on here in over a year, but when I saw that Rachel from <a href="http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/" target="_blank"><i>Fiktshun</i></a> and Jamie from <a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/" target="_blank"><i>Two Chicks On Books</i></a> are hosting the "Best of" week again, I just had to join. If you would like to know more about my picks, simply click on their title and it will lead you to their Goodreads summary. Coming up with a top 10 list for today wasn't hard at all, what was hard was putting them in order. Oh boy. Well, here goes nothing.<br />
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1.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20639274-archer-s-voice?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"> <b><i>Archer's Voice</i></b></a> by Mia Sheridan</div>
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My number one goes to Archer's Voice, hands down. This story gripped me from the very first page. It is so beautifully written and the story is so captivating. It's definitely one of those books I would recommend to just about anyone who will listen.<br />
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*****</div>
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2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24920901-the-deal?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"><b><i>The Deal</i></b></a> by Elle Kennedy</div>
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I have read this book three times within less than two months, so I had to put this as my number two book of the year. It's such a fun and fast read. Plus, all the hockey talk doesn't hurt either.<br />
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*****</div>
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3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17672770-breaking-nova?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Breaking Nova</i></b></a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18210225-saving-quinton" target="_blank"><b><i>Saving Quinton</i></b></a> by Jessica Sorensen</div>
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I discovered Jessica Sorensen for myself at the end of last year and her books are in a class of their own. The two books I picked are the first two in a series and I couldn't mention one without the other. They are so dark and gritty. Saving Quinton was at times really tough to read because Jessica Sorensen just has a way with words that makes you feel like you're right there in the middle of it all. With this tough topic it just squeezes the breath right out of you and leaves you gasping for air.<br />
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*****</div>
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4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18350798-menagerie?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Menagerie</i></b></a> by Rachel Vincent</div>
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Of course, I can't have a list of favorite books and not mention one of my absolute favorite authors. Menagerie was fan-freakin-tastic! So different and unique than anything I had read in awhile. She described everything so vividly, you could imagine all the different creatures as if they were standing right in front of you.<br />
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*****</div>
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5. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16151178-the-sea-of-tranquility?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">The Sea of Tranquility</a></i></b> by Katja Millay</div>
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I read this book at the beginning of the year and I'm still thinking about it from time to time. It's a story that sticks with you.<br />
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*****</div>
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6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17254035-foreplay?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Foreplay</i></b></a> by Sophie Jordan</div>
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This was another fun read which I have read three times this year as well.<br />
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*****</div>
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7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17788403-maybe-someday?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Maybe Someday</i></b></a> by Colleen Hoover</div>
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I have read a few of her books this year but this one seems to be my favorite still. The way she integrated the songs into the story was amazing. I still listen to Griffin Peterson's songs every now and then.<br />
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*****</div>
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8. <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/123211-the-ivy-years" target="_blank">The Ivy Years</a></i></b> series by Sarina Bowen<br />
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This series is amazeballs! I read all five books within three weeks, which, for me, is super fast. My favourite would probably have to be <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22701480-the-understatement-of-the-year" target="_blank">The Understatement of the Year</a></i></b>. It took me a bit by surprise since I didn't look at the summary at all. It was a first for me in that particular genre but I loved every second of it.<br />
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*****</div>
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9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15717943-hopeless?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"><b><i>Hopeless</i></b></a> by Colleen Hoover</div>
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I actually just finished this book two days ago and it impressed me so much, I had to add it to the list.<br />
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*****</div>
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10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16182304-her-dark-curiosity?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Her Dark Curiosity</i></b></a> by Megan Shepherd</div>
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Last, but definitely not least, on my list is Her Dark Curiosity. This series is wicked and I desperately need to get my hands on the last book in this trilogy.</div>
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What were some of your favourite reads of the year? I would love to hear from you.</div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-8261769929002831822014-07-10T16:52:00.001-04:002014-07-10T16:52:28.112-04:00CHAPTER BY CHAPTER BOOK RAVE - Host: JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWRiDIpTDddOrumloO57x6fyxXUZmGs2lNJwgCFLQzwABNZ9a18q0tPoon3QSCMr1E8CONDg9lAMFRrI4gg3bwWkbDWZFTCHsHmyfqlKGGc5jAuAprygNm4pUOc5LAt2p_9Hx6Eup1WKW/s1600/1420315_10200541551651562_1545897211_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWRiDIpTDddOrumloO57x6fyxXUZmGs2lNJwgCFLQzwABNZ9a18q0tPoon3QSCMr1E8CONDg9lAMFRrI4gg3bwWkbDWZFTCHsHmyfqlKGGc5jAuAprygNm4pUOc5LAt2p_9Hx6Eup1WKW/s1600/1420315_10200541551651562_1545897211_n.jpg" height="153" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>ARE YOU GOING?</b></div>
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Chapter by Chapter Book Rave is only two months and a half away!</div>
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It's going down!</div>
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The day kicks off with a book signing from 11 AM to 3 PM. </div>
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If you are a V.I.R Pass holder you get to enter the signing area at 10:30 AM and meet & greet with some of your favorite authors before the doors open to the public. There are 50 passes available, 28 of which have already been reserved! </div>
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Not only do you get to enter the signing area early, you also get a special VIR bags filled with books, swag, and more that no one else attending will have! :) </div>
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After the signing, you can bowl with some of your favorite Young Adult authors from 4 PM to 6 PM. </div>
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You can find the teams here: <a href="http://www.cbcevent.com/2014/06/cbcbr-ya-bowling-teams.html">http://www.cbcevent.com/2014/06/cbcbr-ya-bowling-teams.html</a></div>
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You will get the chance to choose which team you would like to be on. It is first come first serve, so if you are attending make sure to stalk your inbox for the sign-up form! </div>
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Then the evening will end with a billiards party featuring some of today's kick-butt New Adult/Romance authors! </div>
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The party kicks off at 7 PM and ends at 9 PM. </div>
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There will be giveaways running during both parties & lots of raffles! </div>
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You will also receive a little goodie bag for attending. (Limited)<br />
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-88231540754130399952013-10-21T00:00:00.000-04:002013-10-21T00:00:10.261-04:00RED DIRT ROAD Blog Tour: Michael Roberts Interview + Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">Today the tour for RED DIRT ROAD by Annie Rose Welch stops by my little blog.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">Here's is an interview with the boxer himself, Michael Roberts. He seems to be quite the charmer. ;)</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Interview
with Michael “Nonpareil” Roberts</span></b></i></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The
last time I did one of these interviews, it was requested that I
travel to Ireland. This time the setting is much different. The
subject, or shall I say the person, is much different. I was asked to
travel to a small gulf town in the south, Waveland, Mississippi. Not
far from New Orleans, Waveland is just a few blocks from the
coastline. As I drove the streets, I could smell the salty water,
feel the rumble and bass of a passing train, see the leftover
destruction from a devastating hurricane. I could imagine the
strength it took to rebuild. And I’m not only referring to the
city. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I
was asked to come here to do an interview with Michael Roberts. Yes,
the famous boxer who men admire because of his strength, his swift
uppercut, his lethal right hook. The same famous boxer who women have
dubbed “one of the most beautiful boxers in the world.” Both are
very serious titles, I can assure you. This was not the first time I
met the champ, but this was the first time that he and I were going
round for round in the question ring. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We
agreed to meet at the Smoked Hog, a family-owned bar that is only a
few blocks from the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a real comfy place, dim,
and smells of peanuts and beer. A jukebox plays softly in the
background. Keith Urban. Two of the bar’s most notorious patrons
are sitting on stools, nursing drinks and gossiping about the old
man’s nephew, who was jailed and is, they agree, one of the
stupidest criminals in history. From what I gather, he stole
someone’s ATM card, smiling at the camera as he withdrew the
woman’s money from her own bank. People are steadily coming in and
out. Some eye me with suspicion. Some just nod and then go on about
their business. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I
hear the rumble of the train as its whistle sounds, feel its massive
girth as it shakes the earth beneath the bar. Not long after, I hear
the growl of a fast car as it pulls closer to the entrance. Willie,
the bar’s owner, smiles and says, “Young gun is here. ’Bout
damn time.” The woman sitting next to the old man smiles, her
cheeks flushed, and I wonder what she’s thinking. The door to the
bar opens and a bright light cuts through the darkness for a brief
moment. I turn too quickly to see who it might be, and my pen and
paper go flying to the floor. I bend to retrieve them, picking the
paper up, but before I can get to the pen, I’m greeted by a warm
smile, the brightest and bluest of eyes, and a laugh you’d wish was
contagious. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I
stare for a moment. Seeing him is almost like experiencing the worst
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">déjà
vu</span></span>. His
presence in a room is like a wrecking ball. The air whooshes and
people move out of his way; he owns every inch of space he steps
through. For another moment I just stare. He pushes the pen at me.
When I don’t take it, he laughs and then makes some quip about
laying off the booze this early in the day. For one of the most
celebrated boxers in the world, he sure does have a good sense of
humor. Seeing as I have no control over my brain to hand
coordination, he rests the pen on the table and takes the seat
directly across from me. He smells like the coming of fall, and I
catch myself sniffing the air in his direction. He has broad
shoulders, and when he crosses his arms across his chest, the tendons
in his arms flex. He is, for lack of a better word, dazzling. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (grinning) How long have you been drinking? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span>
Excuse me? </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(I
have to be honest here. That was probably one of the most pathetic
comebacks I’ve ever had.) </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (laughing so loudly, I’m startled back to reality) You
have to watch out for Willie. He’s like the chameleon of the bar.
You don’t even realize he’s refilled your glass so much until he
hits you with the tab. He fades and then comes back. Fades and then
comes back. (He pauses) Then, boom, here’s your tab. And you’re
too drunk by then to even care. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(Willie
says something gruff in the background and then throws a dish rag at
Michael’s head. He dodges and laughs.) </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> So, you came here to ask me a few questions?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Yes, um… (I fiddle with the papers and prepare to write) I thought
you could answer a few questions for me. It won’t take long. I just
have a few things to ask you. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> I don’t mind. Take your time. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(As
I circle the pen around the paper, making sure it’s going to write,
he hums the tune playing in the background. I look up and our eyes
meet. We both smile and I relax a little. But Jesus, he’s nothing
but rugged beauty.) </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> By the way, happy belated birthday.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Thanks. Another year older, another year wiser. Hopefully.
(He smirks)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Tell me Michael, what have you been doing since you retired from
boxing? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> I was working here at the bar for a while. But I’ve
started a new chapter of my life, a new journey, and I feel like I’m
headed where I should be. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Can you tell me where that is?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (staring intensely for a moment, biting the side of his
cheek) You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you? You know
if I tell you, I’m going to ruin the surprise. There are just some
things in life worth waiting for. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> All right then. Let’s try something easier. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> I know you. You are a sneaky woman. You are going to try and
weasel it out of me.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Not I. I’d never do such a thing. What is the most surprising thing
that has happened to you this year?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> There you go again. (He wags a finger at me) I’m not
biting. But I will say that I have uncovered a lot of secrets. I have
met people I never thought I would. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> You’re dangling bait in front of a fish, you know. You know I’m
going to bite. What secrets have you uncovered? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Secrets of the past that will forever change our future. If
it wasn’t for Layla, I would have never known. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> What sort of people have you met?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> People who belong.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Of the famous sort?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (shrugging and then growling a little) Do you want to tell
them? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> (thinking for a moment) Maybe not. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> I didn’t think so. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Let’s do a top-ten speed round. You ready?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Speed away. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Favorite song?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> “If I Should Fall Behind.” That song has special meaning
to me. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Favorite place in Ireland? </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Apart from my home in Donegal, Dunluce Castle. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Chicken or Beef?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (He laughs) Pork. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Favorite thing to do in your off time?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Woodworking. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> What is your favorite meal?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Pizza.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> The fight of your career—the one opponent you’ll never forget. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Layla. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> (throwing a piece of paper at him) Be serious!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (dodging) I am. She’s brutal when she gets mad. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Your idea of the perfect date.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> My idea of the perfect date would be pizza, moonlight, an
old red dirt road, and my favorite girl beside me. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Sounds familiar and nice. Who inspires you?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Layla. She’s my biggest challenge and my biggest reward. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Most overused saying.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Bible. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> Where do you see yourself in ten years?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> (becoming silent, his face softer in thought) A house full
of kids and laughter. Layla singing in one of the rooms, humming some
beautiful song. I see myself older, hopefully wiser, and a bit
stronger. I see a man who is perfectly content with who he has and
what he has achieved. All I’ve ever wanted was to put down roots,
find my best friend, and live our eternity together. I have that.
It’s all I’ll ever want. Now, I have a question for you. Where
have<i> you</i>
been? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> And I’m the weasel? You know what you’re doing. I’ve been
around. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> I do, and that’s why I’m asking. Have <i>you
</i>made any new friends
lately?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ARW:</b></span> I’ve been in Nashville, mostly. And yes, yes, I have. I take it
you’ve met?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>Michael
Roberts:</b></i></span> Of course. We had to find out why you haven’t been around
for a while. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I
smile and he laughs. I prepare to pack up my things and head out of
the sleepy gulf town when he stops me. He asks if I’d like to join
them for dinner. I agree and we ride together in Layla’s Mustang. I
spend an evening talking, laughing, and reminiscing. And when I
leave, I remember why I came in the first place, and I know without a
doubt that part of my heart will always remain with them. </span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><i><b>About the Book</b></i></u></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9UvdzGk746dzyFuiDPrg8JRWb0VAQfGvsHX-RVOr_YeAqByWVUT1WrAIuHMWRDA3Rt6q2ALQaNtlCxI2tGbAy2z6koPUMpOpnbAM_9NnGEpHcZH2xYNIwUa2FwPGfGYbGAhaXoC9TM0/s1600/Red+Dirt+RoadD3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9UvdzGk746dzyFuiDPrg8JRWb0VAQfGvsHX-RVOr_YeAqByWVUT1WrAIuHMWRDA3Rt6q2ALQaNtlCxI2tGbAy2z6koPUMpOpnbAM_9NnGEpHcZH2xYNIwUa2FwPGfGYbGAhaXoC9TM0/s320/Red+Dirt+RoadD3.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<blockquote>
The Saving Angels Series continues…<br />
<br />
A new cast is introduced, while journeys already taken start to merge with the present, leading you down the old Red Dirt Road.<br />
<br />
Death has always seemed just one step behind Layla Hill, taking almost everyone she’s ever loved. After she loses the love of her life, Layla vows to never love again—how could she, when she’s a death magnet?<br />
<br />
Trying to outrun fate traveling with her uncle Willie and his band, Layla meets Michael Roberts, a beautiful Irish boxer as gentle on the piano as he is brutal in the ring. He proves as relentless in life, fighting for a place in her world even as she pushes him away, trying to protect him from her killer tendencies.<br />
<br />
But neither foresees the sinister presence waiting for Layla at the end of the Red Dirt Road.</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u><i><span style="font-size: large;">About Annie</span></i></u></b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZKXo9gqae4mGYKhs3D0GHE4FTdSTB0mnZdoJnyeaYwsZPZ_BvnEBIUdDAp1VPxoP1o-9fpaybl78QIDc5DuTuTl5QOnfGFfFx3QdPB5BbgxH7uAouHiahy1n5vj_M5Ld6C9EPCbIGgU/s1600/AnnieWelch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZKXo9gqae4mGYKhs3D0GHE4FTdSTB0mnZdoJnyeaYwsZPZ_BvnEBIUdDAp1VPxoP1o-9fpaybl78QIDc5DuTuTl5QOnfGFfFx3QdPB5BbgxH7uAouHiahy1n5vj_M5Ld6C9EPCbIGgU/s1600/AnnieWelch.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<br />
Born and raised in New Orleans, Annie has a habit of shortening her words and telling long stories. She speaks with a southern flair and cooks with it too. At the tender age of twenty- one, she hitched up her wagons (took her first plane ride) and moved out west to the big shake (California). Her writing career began one sleepless night when she imagined a gorgeous woman and a man with maniacal hair floating above her like lightening bugs falling from the sky. Curious about them, their story, and why they were floating around in her head, she sat down and penned (typed) her first novel, Marigny Street. A dream come true for her, she hasn’t stopped writing since. She loves a damn good love story, always has, no matter what the genre. She is particularly moved by imperfect love that in its own unique way is perfect, the notion of love at first sight, soul mates, and things that are generally out of the norm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When she’s not writing she enjoys dabbling in photography and finding new, inspirational music to add to her collection. She currently (still) resides in the big shake (although her southern roots are calling her home) with her husband, daughter, and their two peculiar dogs, Boudreaux and Tabasco (who, call her crazy, bark with an accent). </blockquote>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px;">For lagniappe (a little extra), a virtual cup of café au lait and beignets, please visit Annie’s </span><a href="http://www.annierosewelch.com/" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">website</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px;">She can also be found on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnieRoseWelch" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">Facebook </a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px;">& </span><a href="https://twitter.com/angelwriter11" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px;">.</span><br />
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-31375345072949991892013-10-08T09:55:00.000-04:002013-10-08T09:55:00.936-04:00Book Blast: PHANTOM EYES by Scott Tracey<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHHInb8QUtOPUFecWqrPsOnT2GY3oLPi997W8d3XSSYrnnB1cUvDeagEXObp0JILoIIJ0_9ZuyCZBIzGlT-40xNwfa8UJBRmC4ZJQUHvhB-7P5DlnBDds6ReGnwz_m41EAzrJKL-xF0/s1600/WitchEyesBlast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHHInb8QUtOPUFecWqrPsOnT2GY3oLPi997W8d3XSSYrnnB1cUvDeagEXObp0JILoIIJ0_9ZuyCZBIzGlT-40xNwfa8UJBRmC4ZJQUHvhB-7P5DlnBDds6ReGnwz_m41EAzrJKL-xF0/s320/WitchEyesBlast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today, I have the absolute honor to be a part of the book blast for Scott Tracey's PHANTOM EYES, the third and final installment in his WITCH EYES series. This series is absolutely incredible and I cannot wait to see how everything will end. If you haven't already checked these books out, go do it now! What are you waiting for? Believe me, you won't regret going on this journey!!!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1381191117035_2738" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dXrvH0FAqXAe82ZHyF2I2QAvpQsXe_7UDtpgeeKMi9HoIXlVwBYfnVAm0nlduTZBuPjDcPMa9Wmslr-eRCAqg-jAIfoiZXLum2JD0seo-aoOkHHXgg_fPCWtGIVN7uQifFDorcm0DQc/s1600/12923534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dXrvH0FAqXAe82ZHyF2I2QAvpQsXe_7UDtpgeeKMi9HoIXlVwBYfnVAm0nlduTZBuPjDcPMa9Wmslr-eRCAqg-jAIfoiZXLum2JD0seo-aoOkHHXgg_fPCWtGIVN7uQifFDorcm0DQc/s320/12923534.jpg" width="206" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1381191117035_2737">Synopsis </b></span><br />
</div>
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1381191117035_2450" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1381191117035_2452" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Every child in Belle Dam is taught about the feud from an early age. There are ‘our’ people and ‘their’ people. Friends and enemies. Associates and strangers. It’s the kind of town where eyes are always watching, and you don’t need a reason to sell out your neighbors.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /> <br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1381191117035_2451" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">But the feud is a lie. As a new wave of fury sweeps through the town, creating a third front to an already overtaxed war, Braden has been broken worse than ever. His innocence? Shattered. His heart? Crushed. His magic? Gone. His new life? Ruined. And this is only the beginning.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /> <br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1381191117035_2449" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Beneath the city lay deep wellsprings of power. The one who controls them is the one who will win the feud. In a city filled with puppet masters, Braden must elude their strings and end the feud once and for all. But first, he must outsmart his father, evade Catherine’s dark magic, regain what was stolen from him, trick a phantom who refuses to die, and foil a demon’s master plan.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /> <br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Even then, he may not survive. Because power is a problem, and victory comes with a cost…</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12923534-phantom-eyes?from_search=true" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Eyes-Witch-Scott-Tracey/dp/0738736597/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380739966&sr=8-1&keywords=phantom+eyes" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phantom-eyes-scott-tracey/1114856266?ean=9780738736594" target="_blank">BARNES & NOBLE</a></i></b></span></div>
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>About the Author</b></u></span><br />
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<i><u>Where to stalk Scott Tracey:</u></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/scott_tracey" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/witcheyesbooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.scott-tracey.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">GIVEAWAY</span></b></div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-22941574818013314332013-08-22T00:31:00.000-04:002013-08-22T00:31:30.103-04:00AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS TOUR: ALEXANDER GORDON SMITH INTERVIEW + GIVEAWAY<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I never thought there would be a time where I would go completely bananas and have an extreme fangirling moment. Well, ladies and gents, the time has come and you have none other to blame than <span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>ALEXANDER GORDON SMITH</b></span>!!! Today, I have the absolute pleasure of hosting this incredible author on my little blog as part of the <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763;">2ND ANNUAL AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS TOUR</span></i></b></span>!!! He is one of my favorite authors ever, and I still can't believe I got to interview him. For any of you who don't know him yet, here is why I think he is a world class ROCKSTAR!!!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">In his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lockdown-Furnace-Alexander-Gordon-Smith/dp/B0052HL88E" target="_blank"><span style="color: #073763;">ESCAPE FROM FURNACE</span></a> series, he built a world so unique and full of terror, you can't NOT get drawn in. He has the ability to simply grab you and pull you right into the world with his characters. You FEEL like you're standing right there with them, living through every horrible thing they experience.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">He created one of my all-time favorite characters! Donovan will forever have a place in my heart!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">He has the ability to scare the living bejeezus out of me with nothing more than a short sentence. The only other author who's ever been able to scare me like this, is Stephen King.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">He chats with his fans and is very generous, giving away books and bookmarks.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">He holds writing seminars and goes to schools to share his knowledge.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">He is just an un-freakin-believably talented author who will drag you into his worlds with every word you read, and even if you tried, you could not escape the grip his astonishing stories will hold on. If you haven't pick up any of his books yet, you are SO missing out big time!!!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Now, I could go on and on, but I know you guys didn't come here to listen to me. Just a quick note, though - you can find my review for FUGITIVES, the fourth book in the ESCAPE FROM FURNACE series right <a href="http://smiling-ina.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-fugitives-by-alexander-gordon.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Well, but enough from me, it is time to hear from the man himself, so I give you...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">T</span></b></i></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>he Interview</b></i></span><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i> </i></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome and thank you so much for stopping by my blog today, Mr. Smith. I feel so very honored that you're taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few of my questions.</span></i></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hi Ina, it’s awesome to be here, thanks so much for having me! :-)</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;"><i>1. For readers who might not know you yet, tell us a little bit about yourself and your most recent book, THE FURY.</i></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">My full name is Alexander Gordon Smith, but call me Gordon (my parents switched my first two names around so my initials wouldn’t spell GAS). I guess I’m best known as the author of the Escape From Furnace series. My new stand-alone novel, The Fury, has just been published! The Fury is a nice, gentle, relaxing, romantic story about what would happen if one day, without warning, every single person in the world tried to kill you. Everybody you go near – your mum and dad, your friends and teachers, brothers and sisters, strangers in the street – tries to tear you to pieces. The twist of the story is the main characters essentially turn people into zombies just by being near them, but as soon as these characters die, or get away, the ‘zombies’ go back to normal, they just go back to being mums and dads and friends and so on. So the story follows these teenage characters who have absolutely no idea what’s going on, who trigger ‘The Fury’ in everyone they meet, and who discover it all ties in with something much, much bigger. It becomes this huge, epic, relentless, supernatural nightmare of a tale. I really hope people enjoy it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i> [</i></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Ina: I am in the middle of reading The Fury right now, and boy, is it intense, especially since you started it right off with a bang! I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. :)]</i></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;">2. Has writing always come easy to you, or have you ever suffered from writer's block where you just didn't know what to do? If so, how did you manage to get out of it?</span></span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I’m not sure if it has always come easy to me, but I have always enjoyed it. As a kid I would sit and write stories for hours at a time. I loved that every story you started was like opening a door onto an unexplored world where anything could happen. I was hooked on exploring those worlds, and I still find it addictive. I think as long as you’re writing a story that you enjoy then you want to keep going with it, you want to find out what happens. For me, the only way of doing that is writing – I don’t plan stories at all – I have to keep writing or I’ll never know what happens to these characters. That need to know kind of blasts away writer’s block, you just smash through it in your desperation to get to the end of the story! But yes, there are definitely times when the writing is tough, when nothing seems to gel. I think it’s because your brain is struggling to find its way into a scene. The trick for me is to stop writing and do something else related to the story – draw some pictures, make a map, take some photos, do some character studies. This gives your brain a chance to work its way around a block. But as long as you’re enjoying what you’re writing, you’ll get through it!</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>[Ina: That's a very good point. I imagine you doing other things related to your story, would give a different perspective of it all, as well.]</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">3. When writing a story – whether it's a sequel in a series or a completely new project – what is the most important part of the process for you? Is it outlining the plot, developing characters, etc.?</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Like I say, I never plan a story – I just don’t have the patience for it, and I always think that if you know what’s going to happen, so do your characters, and they have this safety net to fall back on, so their actions are going to be different than if they had no idea what was going to happen. It sounds weird, but that’s definitely the case with me – if I know where the story is going my characters become a little cocky because they know their fate already. The most vital thing for me is to get to know the characters – if you know everything about them, and I mean, then they come alive in your head, they become real people. That sounds like such a cliché, but it’s a cliché because it’s true. If you know them well enough they start making their own decisions. Alex in Furnace was definitely like that – I’d have a rough idea about what he might do, and he’d say, ‘Are you kidding, that will get me killed!’ And he’d go off and do something else, but it worked because it was his decision. So yes, I’d say getting to know the characters is the most important part of the process for me. Saying that, the most vital stage, and the most fun part for me, is simply sitting down and starting – if you throw yourself into a story hard and fast enough, that momentum keeps you going right until the last word.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">[Ina: Haha I could totally see Alex arguing with you about what he should be doing at certain times during the series. He does have a mind of his own after all. ;)] </span></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">4. Your characters never seem to have it easy. Something terrible and frightening seems to be lurking behind every corner. While reading your ESCAPE FROM FURNACE books – especially, SOLITARY – I found myself fighting for air, feeling as if I was right there with Alex and his friends. What is it that draws you to write books that are dark, and somewhat disturbing?</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Thanks! :-) I love horror for a number of reasons. The main one is that I love to be scared, and when you’re in the middle of a story like Furnace or The Fury, and you have no idea what’s going to happen to these characters that have become your friends, that’s genuinely terrifying. You really feel like you’re writing to survive, like you’re living the nightmare, and I love that feeling. I also love horror because it’s the only genre where there are truly no rules, literally anything can happen, and as a writer that gives you unlimited freedom to just go anywhere with it! Mainly, though, I love to write dark and disturbing stories because I honestly think that when things are at their worst you see people at their best, people fighting tooth and nail for their friends, families, beliefs. Horror for me is all about heroism and humanity and hope. I’m a massive optimist at heart, and even though terrible things happen in these books, there is always a brilliant, bright streak of hope blazing through them. I think that relentless, unbreakable hope – the knowledge that people have what it takes to survive – is the reason I love writing horror so much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>[Ina: This might sound silly, but I find when reading a darker, edgier story, I tend to connect more with the characters because they seem more vulnerable, at times. It's like you get to know them better than you would in any other circumstance, if that makes sense.]</i></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">5. Out of all the books you have written so far, which one is your favorite? Which one has been the most fun to write? And, do you have favorites when it comes to your characters?</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">That’s a really difficult question – it’s a bit like asking a parent to pick their favourite child! :-) I like all my books for different reasons. The Fury, I think, is the best book I have written, because I put everything I had into it, blood, sweat and tears. But the story I’m proudest of is definitely the Furnace series. It was an incredibly personal story to write, partly because Alex is based on me when I was a teenager, and my own rocky experiences. When I look back, that story feels completely real to me – I wasn’t an author writing books, I was stuck inside Furnace. Seriously, I don’t remember much at all from my own life during the years I was writing these books, but I remember every second inside Furnace, every sight and smell and sound. Those are real memories to me, they always will be. I like to think I’ll be writing books for the rest of my years, but Furnace will always be incredibly special to me, it will always be my story. And as for characters… I think I’d have to agree with you and say Donovan, from Furnace. I’m the oldest of four siblings, and he is the big brother I never had.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>[Ina: You did an incredible job with Furnace. Even I thought I was down there with all the weird smells and terrifying noises. It still makes me cringe and shiver just thinking about it. And YAY for Donovan!!! I absolutely LOVED what you did in SOLITARY!!!]</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">6. In your latest book, THE FURY, the whole world – even their own parents – turns on three teenagers, trying to kill them. What inspired you to write this particular story?</span></b></i></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The main inspiration was actually a game that we had to play at school. It was called Murderball, and it really lived up to its name! Our sadistic PE teacher would give you a rugby ball and a five-second head start, then he’d send the rest of the class after you. It was terrifying, because you could hear them coming, they’d be howling and screaming and if you ever looked over your shoulder (always a fatal mistake) you’d see thirty people who looked like demons. They were feral. All they cared about was catching you and killing you. I could never outrun them, so after a few seconds I’d be on the floor with thirty people – thirty <span style="font-size: small;"><i>friends</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> – piled on top of me punching and kicking and biting and strangling. Every time it happened I honestly thought I was going to die! And the weird thing was that when it was my turn to do the chasing, all I cared about was catching the prey, something happened inside my head. It was frightening. Years later I must have still been scarred by this, because I remember asking what would have happened if one day everyone had come after me – not a game, but literally so they could tear me to pieces. And the idea for The Fury was born!</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>[Ina: Wow, Murderball?! I would be surprised if there was a person who hasn't been scarred by this kind of an experience. But hey, in the end you are the one who won the game since you turned around and made it into an amazing story. Murderball 0, Gordon 1. :)]</i></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">7. What is the best and/or most rewarding part of being an author for you, personally? Is it writing your books, sharing your finished work with readers, sharing your knowledge with others during seminars?</span></b></i></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This is a great question, and a tough one to answer. In some ways, the writing is reward enough in itself. I always said that even if I wasn’t being paid to write these stories I’d be writing them anyway, because I absolutely love it. For me, it’s like sitting down to read a book or watch a really great television series, only you get some say in what happens. I would happily spend all my time in these worlds with these characters, it’s like having a never-ending adventure! It feels like the absolute polar opposite of work. Having said that, the most rewarding part has to be interacting with the fans. I have the best fans in the world, they are so awesome. That’s the thing that has blown me away, the emails and letters and messages and fanfic and fan art I get every single day, people telling me how much they enjoyed the books and how much the stories mean to them. It’s astonishing, and humbling, and something I never really imagined would happen. I’ll never forget going to one signing in Seattle where two awesome fans were dressed up in Furnace outfits and one had even brought along her puppy, which she’d named Zee after one of the characters in the book. That was so awesome!! It means so much to me that people take the time to get in touch. And it’s something I actually said to the fans in a letter at the end of Execution (the fifth Furnace book): I never would have been able to finish the series without all that support. Those letters kept me going, gave me strength. They still do. That’s why I always say that the books I write aren’t just my stories, they belong to the fans, they are their stories too.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>[Ina: Wow, I just got goosebumps! Oh, I remember the dog! You had a picture of him on your facebook. He looked so cute!]</i></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">8. Is there a book out there you wish you would have written? Some brilliant storyline you wish you would have come up with?</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I think just about every good book I read I end up wishing I’d written! I’m always hearing of book and film ideas and thinking “Noooooooooooo! I should have thought of that!” Sometimes it's almost heart breaking, because you've just had this experience with a book and you want it to be your story, and you're seething with jealousy and you just want to kill the author… Anyway, best not go there. :-) I think all authors are quite insecure and a bit jealous at heart. Every time I read something by Stephen King, or Clive Barker, I get that 'I want to be you!' feeling. And certainly with Something Wicked This Way Comes, which is one of my favourite books of all time, and which I have decided I did actually write, whatever anyone else says. :-) But the jealousy is a good thing, I think, because it stops us getting laid back, keeps us on our toes. I mean, every time I read a good book I feel like I have to up my game, I have to be a better writer.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>[Ina: It's definitely a great motivatio. Unfortunately, I'm not a writer, but there are a ton of books out there I wish I would have written. ;)]</i></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">9. OK, well, this might be a tough question. If you had to live one of your protagonists' life for one whole day, which one would you choose? Would you rather be trapped deep below the earth with The Warden and Wheezers breathing down your neck? Or would you prefer to live in a world where every single person was out to kill you?</span></b></i></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Ha, this is an awesome question!! :-) It’s a really tricky one to answer, too – I tend to come up with ideas based on my own worst fears, so both scenarios would be an absolute nightmare! Part of me would rather be in The Fury, because of what happens to those main characters – I can’t say too much without spoiling it, but having those abilities would be kind of cool. I think I’d pick Furnace, though. I feel like I have already survived that story once, and I think I could do it again. Weirdly, I get nostalgic for Furnace Penitentiary and the Wheezers and the Warden and all the people I met down there. I pine for it, sometimes. Despite the horror, those were some amazing times. Living out Alex’s life there for another day would be a great chance to catch up with everyone – I miss you guys!!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">[Ina: Aw, I miss them, too! I think there might be a re-read in the near future. ;)] </span></i></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><i><b>Quickie questions:</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite childhood book: </span></i></span></b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tintin, I absolutely loved them!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite author:</span></i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, a little obvious maybe but certainly true, it has to be Stephen King (with Clive Barker coming a close second).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite place to write and/or read:</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">In my house – I have a very short attention span and can’t handle any distractions!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> <span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite thing to do when you're not writing:</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thinking about writing, and playing video games. So many video games.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite style of music (I love music, so I just had to squeeze this one in):</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hans Zimmer when I’m writing, rock when I’m not.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite thing to do to find inspiration:</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love to go on long walks with my iPod on, listening to movie soundtracks. The ideas just pour into my head. I’m so lucky to be able to call that my job!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you again so, so much for being on my blog today, and for spending some of your precious time answering all my questions. And another HUGE thank you for creating one of my favorite characters in Donovan “D”!</span></i></span></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has been a real pleasure, thank you! :-)</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>About the Author:</b></i></span></span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA2FSLbWwsmlXpUGXS2ejmTHvCvZeznUHmI5OwOe_e3duW7c9UlCUoutJTowpQ-co4XpyfWQhUoHFu6Fv3xQw2RBpSUoSUqdyvOdSYQHLwD3PugK37MI-xdUBnxXnWLNAdf-cJ29v5Do/s1600/IMG_1511.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA2FSLbWwsmlXpUGXS2ejmTHvCvZeznUHmI5OwOe_e3duW7c9UlCUoutJTowpQ-co4XpyfWQhUoHFu6Fv3xQw2RBpSUoSUqdyvOdSYQHLwD3PugK37MI-xdUBnxXnWLNAdf-cJ29v5Do/s200/IMG_1511.jpeg" width="133" /></a><span style="color: #20124d;">Alexander Gordon Smith, 33, is best known as the author of the <a href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/books.html#furnace" target="_self">Escape From Furnace Series</a>, made up of <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/furnacelockdown.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="Lockdown<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">Lockdown</a>, <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/furnacesolitary.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="Solitary<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">Solitary</a>, <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/furnacedeathsentence.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="Death Sentence<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">Death Sentence</a>, <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/furnacefugitives.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="Fugitives<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">Fugitives</a> and <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/furnaceexecution.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="Execution<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">Execution</a>.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span style="color: #20124d;">His new series, <a href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/fury.html">The Fury</a>, has just been released in the UK and comes out in the States in 2013.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;">He also wrote <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/inventors.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="The Inventors<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">The Inventors</a> - which was runner-up in the national Wow Factor Award - and <a class="lightbox" href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/popups/inventors2.html?lightbox[iframe]=true&lightbox[width]=800&lightbox[height]=600" title="The Inventors and The City of Stolen Souls<br />CLICK FOR DETAILS...">The Inventors and the City of Stolen Souls</a>, both of which were co-authored by his eleven-year-old brother Jamie. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;">He is the author of two creative writing handbooks, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inspired-Creative-Writing-Brilliant-Wordsmiths/dp/1904902693/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304688696&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Inspired Creative Writing</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-bestselling-childrens-books-brilliant/dp/1905940076/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304688766&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Writing Bestselling Children's Books</a>, a number of screenplays that are currently in development, several non-fiction books and hundreds of short stories and articles.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span style="color: #20124d;">Gordon is the founder of <a href="http://www.eggboxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Egg Box Publishing</a>, an independent, non-profit imprint designed to publish and promote talented new writers and poets, and is the co-owner of <a href="http://www.feardrivenfilms.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fear Driven Films</a>, a production company filming its first feature in 2013.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span style="color: #20124d;">He is also the founder of <a href="http://www.inklingstudios.co.uk/" target="_blank">Inkling Studios</a>, a brand new venture which specialises in creating books, films, television programmes and computer games for children and young adults. He actively encourages people of all ages to read and write, and runs creative writing talks and workshops across the world. In 2009 he was named by the Courvoisier Future 500 as one of the most promising young entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: small;">To find out more, check out his full biography on his <a href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/blog/?p=148" target="_blank">website</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><u><b><span style="font-size: small;">Where to stalk Gordon:</span></b></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/index.html" target="_blank">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gordon.smith.7982?sk=wall" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AGSmith_Author/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderGordonSmith" target="_blank">LOCKDOWN on Facebook</a></b></i></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></b></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16075923-the-fury" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NEHieOzj0CxYgpUZtp2NXlIXp-NdpbGA79XoBIX680naFZlQt6IskMApUCnBVCj0yFEjh_zXCQlqZICr1fvS_yWdxif2oYn_RA-HZqpRZnnCipVhFPS7ecBom0KmgeXbhhPW0SGjuJg/s1600/16075923.jpeg" /></a></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>About THE FURY:</b></i></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><u><b>Goodreads Description:</b></u></span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText4117599837433323878"><i> <b>From the creator of the Escape from Furnace series, a ferocious epic of supernatural terror, perfect for Stephen King fans</b> </i><br />
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Imagine if one day, without warning, the entire human race turns against you, if every person you know, every person you meet becomes a bloodthirsty, mindless savage . . . That’s the horrifying reality for Cal, Brick, and Daisy. Friends, family, even moms and dads, are out to get them. Their world has the Fury. It will not rest until they are dead.<br />
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In Alexander Gordon Smith’s adrenaline-fueled saga, Cal and the others must uncover the truth about what is happening before it destroys them all. But survival comes at a cost. In their search for answers, what they discover will launch them into battle with an enemy of unimaginable power.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>THE FURY is available NOW!!!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Fury-Alexander-Gordon-Smith/dp/0374324956" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fury-l-j-smith/1100042245?ean=9780374324957" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Fury-Alexander-Gordon-Smith/9780571276165" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>*****</b></span></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>GIVEAWAY</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The publisher,<b> </b>Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), is so generous as to offer up a copy of THE FURY (unsigned) to ONE lucky winner! To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!</span></div>
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-43222180943527845882013-08-13T00:00:00.000-04:002013-08-13T00:00:09.695-04:00Blog Tour: MADE TO FORGET by Samantha LaFantasie - CHARACTER TEASER + GIVEAWAY<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQs22A4Q4gi9AbNKpMjSdksxBmfoSxG5Cn2DoHIgD2W20hxNl4j6tys6-ftsCg_srpvc9rlGf8KgW1OQJmHn8enqck02ieFzNGG3hVUmFp3RdK_gcSd1iPYHSaw2s9w3e5YZglDe_zMI/s1600/Made+to+Forget+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQs22A4Q4gi9AbNKpMjSdksxBmfoSxG5Cn2DoHIgD2W20hxNl4j6tys6-ftsCg_srpvc9rlGf8KgW1OQJmHn8enqck02ieFzNGG3hVUmFp3RdK_gcSd1iPYHSaw2s9w3e5YZglDe_zMI/s400/Made+to+Forget+banner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have the pleasure to be a part of the MADE TO FORGET blog tour. Today you will get a teaser of the main character ELSABETHA. Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY!!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><u><b>ELSABETHA:</b></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>“Don’t let that wound your ego.</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>I’m practically a stranger to myself.”</b></i></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>About the Book:</b></span></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfX-PvmC9mJ3Il_dGgv1VZ4Y2PaESkkbZ1iLWXfedlYgh9GyuO4ajHP7zU0qQ6kIcx0lTTCMUbly15woVvK37zEOdGEDRvru2QUuS1_wa8PK4Au_v9FUk-g7mXNYQ2p_yPWNAVC1s3O0/s1600/Made+to+Forget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfX-PvmC9mJ3Il_dGgv1VZ4Y2PaESkkbZ1iLWXfedlYgh9GyuO4ajHP7zU0qQ6kIcx0lTTCMUbly15woVvK37zEOdGEDRvru2QUuS1_wa8PK4Au_v9FUk-g7mXNYQ2p_yPWNAVC1s3O0/s320/Made+to+Forget.jpg" width="204" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>There’s something that lies within my memory. Hidden in the dark. Something that can kill me and those that I love. But I was in an accident, covered in mystery and deception. And my memory…was lost. There are those who want me to remember. I don’t trust them. And those<br />
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I do trust…are fighting for me to forget. <br />
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Elsabetha Ellery wants to get her memory back, even if it kills her. <br />
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After waking up in a hospital with no memory, Elsabetha quickly learns those who claim to be her friend are anything but. And those who are her true friends keep themselves unseen.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span>Stuck with piecing together her broken memories alone, Elsa struggles with having faith in those she trusts and heeding the warnings of the dangers in recovering her memory. Ignoring them, she faces heavy consequences. Ones she doesn’t see until it’s too late, and a life is lost.<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17661438-made-to-forget">Goodreads</a> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9acUGlbtp0YHOPSVJ21rGeBu7WQhIYZpf77Qat8bGzVYf6sfAyYSCSAAkgxs2iiautMHwez7Pgna7eVp2Qc2stFW6JXSiI1r4aLAFCaTqrYi9p-CixDXVQr7fYRoBiO5geBeH8_of8w/s1600/Author+photo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9acUGlbtp0YHOPSVJ21rGeBu7WQhIYZpf77Qat8bGzVYf6sfAyYSCSAAkgxs2iiautMHwez7Pgna7eVp2Qc2stFW6JXSiI1r4aLAFCaTqrYi9p-CixDXVQr7fYRoBiO5geBeH8_of8w/s200/Author+photo.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>About the Author:</b></i></span></span><br />
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A Kansas native, Samantha LaFantasie spends her free time with her husband and three kids. Writing has always been a passion of hers, forgoing all other desires to devote to this one obsession, even though she often finds herself arguing with her characters through much of the process. She’s primarily a fantasy writer but often feels pulled to genres such as sci-fi, romance, and others. <br />
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Among her writing credentials, she’s a board member of the Kansas Writer’s Association and has founded her own critique group, lovingly named, The Fighting Hamsters. <br />
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Samantha loves to take time to enjoy other activities such as photography and playing her favorite game of all time, Guild Wars 2.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Want more from Samantha? Keep up with her at any of her digital hangouts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6518186.Samantha_LaFantasie"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">Goodreads</span></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-LaFantasie-Fantasy-Writer/196389220375499"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">Facebook Fan Page</span></a> | <span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-S.-LaFantasie/e/B00B9ZBFNQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5?qid=1365982680&sr=8-5">Author Central</a> </span>|<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"> <a href="https://twitter.com/SamLaFantasie">Twitter</a></span> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/115867265831696431192/posts"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">Google+</span></a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/samlafantasie/"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">Pinterest</span></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY</span></u></span></b></div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-11560938365629542302013-07-25T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-25T00:00:05.171-04:00Cover Reveal: DREAM GIRL by S.J. Lomas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gf7ec2NGhNKuLBzxvOaMm6lI9xFdJFWeS-q2m7JPEgTPcl6FSuhUyNTd9f3E012au6cPfudHr9kQkthir-n0P-0jJC67Dz0zCavvHndlEtdBVVn0Y-8P2dEoUaEwenMO2jMJbh2GXJ8/s1600/dreamgirlcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gf7ec2NGhNKuLBzxvOaMm6lI9xFdJFWeS-q2m7JPEgTPcl6FSuhUyNTd9f3E012au6cPfudHr9kQkthir-n0P-0jJC67Dz0zCavvHndlEtdBVVn0Y-8P2dEoUaEwenMO2jMJbh2GXJ8/s400/dreamgirlcover.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<i>Blurb:</i></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For Christine, dreams have never meant much. Until she meets Gabriel. Everyone thinks Christine should stay away from her new coworker at the library—thanks to his bad reputation—but when her dreams grow more vivid and she becomes entangled in a dangerous dream world with Gabriel every night, she can’t stay away. Soon it’s clear there is far more to dreams than Christine ever imagined, and now she’s on the path to making the biggest, and strangest, decision of her life. </blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18133040-dream-girl"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkllzRXf3ud5IkJipnXyPRC7DJ787FJiVgDhUjOLV2GVqIOZRZyCquILOZZr53jyWWu0ZGwRRXQRVbLPfhnSgBairGiux34Ae2uMlh9DPDT9Geb15fs97k-1guEtF1v5D8VrZYt_oc2YU/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Look for it in November 2013 from Scribe Publishing.</i><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"An intriguing debut, DREAM GIRL introduces a world where simply falling asleep can bring you anywhere – including into danger. Readers will never think of dreams the same way again!" - Laura Ellen, author of BLIND SPOT</blockquote>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7fb83c1/" id="rc-7fb83c1" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-33123224172148033532013-06-12T00:00:00.000-04:002013-06-12T00:00:07.700-04:00Book Blast: ENDURE by M.R. Merrick + GIVEAWAY<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7;">Oh gosh, I am so, so super excited to be a part of this book blast!!! M.R. Merrick's The Protector series is a-freakin-mazing, and everybody should go and read it right now!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the fourth book, ENDURE!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">*****</span></div>
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<b>Available NOW </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n-Z5-gZwCFZcErRjfLtWfp7vEWvSm-tW855XAZ2G9EpyrvLStIslBpB82tPdKhhwFKPzTfswPF__K1l64ZHUx2V24nA0-ZLBpmW5Vuu9QswHIg9kr3hJzu4Yz0kHl5zl9h2qgD9RxRY/s1600/EndureSmallJune+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n-Z5-gZwCFZcErRjfLtWfp7vEWvSm-tW855XAZ2G9EpyrvLStIslBpB82tPdKhhwFKPzTfswPF__K1l64ZHUx2V24nA0-ZLBpmW5Vuu9QswHIg9kr3hJzu4Yz0kHl5zl9h2qgD9RxRY/s400/EndureSmallJune+(1).png" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17673337-endure">Endure (The Protector, #4)</a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span id="freeText10247179763817494075" style="font-size: large;"><b>Book Description: </b></span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText10247179763817494075">Wrapped in darkness and woven with defeat, every action Chase has taken since being exiled from the Circle has been met with a devastating response. Now he's been
burdened with a quest that seems impossible, and he needs to evolve into something more, something greater than he ever thought he could be.<br />Armed with magic, friendship, and an unbreakable will, Chase must build an
army and find a weapon capable of defeating the ultimate evil. But he knows that nothing great comes without sacrifice. Blessed by the very gods who have abandoned him and carrying the fate of all the worlds on
his shoulders, Chase Williams is about find out just how much one man can endure.</span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17673337-endure"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AZh43wBnaG4OgAtNRtK50fmEFJ6_Kd-2iRCTAI51xr_SC5vrS3kRIykaPXtUQdUV86e_5oQ9N2lfpOlA0EXmSk_fUDIKQF-Hd5568PgEOyRxBZPZhN0Hm-KnvleJ-gD9wSzexDdP6RQ/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcFl-kqGDDooLH7hLovd0od0a_18Tha-HCjz9RwlcqnEf_0czFgWvXb_rysYAZF4MCJmydoYvHbmrDsdKU2dWumNOhj7I1uYbFPSbKe_Ig2KLVmtj70ZHRAi3XAaQSwToKepzhWosfkk/s1600/Endure_COVER_finalLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcFl-kqGDDooLH7hLovd0od0a_18Tha-HCjz9RwlcqnEf_0czFgWvXb_rysYAZF4MCJmydoYvHbmrDsdKU2dWumNOhj7I1uYbFPSbKe_Ig2KLVmtj70ZHRAi3XAaQSwToKepzhWosfkk/s320/Endure_COVER_finalLarge.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Excerpt:</b></span></span><br />
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I jerked up from the couch, but the repercussion that came with the motion made me curse. My chest heaved and sweat dripped down my face.<br />
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"Chase?" I heard a voice say, but it was groggy. I wasn't quite in reality yet.<br />
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I cleared my throat and threw my legs over the edge of the couch. More pain came, but I didnÕt care. I needed to touch the floor. I needed to ground myself.<br />
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"Chase, are you okay?" It was Rayna's voice and she ran down the stairs.<br />
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I screamed as the scabbed over skin on my back tore open when I attempted to stand. I fell to the couch and beat my fists against the cushions as though that could alleviate the pain.<br />
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"Chase, hey...calm down."<br />
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Rayna's voice soothed me. She crouched in front of me and carefully touched my shoulder. Calming energy emanated off her body and soaked into mine. The adrenaline and pain faded, leaving an empty pit stirring inside me. I went completely still. The green cat eyes staring back at me had stolen my words and my breath. Swelling had formed under Rayna's right eye and she looked tired, but she was as striking as ever.<br />
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"Are you okay?" she asked.<br />
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<b>About the Author:</b><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainerauthor4968404">M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer, and author of Exiled, the first installment in The Protector Series. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he's usually found at the computer, between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="freeTextContainerauthor4968404"><a href="http://mrmerrick.net/">M.R. Merrick</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4968404.M_R_Merrick">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MRMerrick">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMRMerrick">Facebook </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="freeTextContainerauthor4968404"> </span></span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12688952-exiled">Book #1, Exiled is currently FREE</a></div>
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<span id="freeText2576734063977539582">Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his
fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped. <br /><br />Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a
portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna - a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. <br /><br />In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the
middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.</span> </div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-66458526206161192512013-06-01T09:10:00.000-04:002013-06-01T09:10:52.479-04:00Armchair BEA: Genre: From Picture Books to Young Adult<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTYfKAz6mRtnqoZddDaqFL6WXo5L5a60KvylgVfxvYYJen45PvE0oNCdQt9btBAdb_GcH8rHEoerXY5-JfhKpxM-MWWIKO26eeyNSTuFDRLkVxAOa04jBw0NjQ2ptfk9Idc0mr4jyra4/s200/ArmchairBEA.jpg" width="191" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Design credit: Emily of Emily's Reading Room</td></tr>
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Oh, how I love today's genre!!!<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">From Picture Books to Young Adult</span></b></i></span></div>
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I really, really do love today's pick!!! The Young Adult part is probably pretty obvious since my blog is geared mostly toward YA books, but I also can't get enough of children's books.<br />
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I have a four year old son and he has the same love for books that I do. He can spend hours and hours at the library, picking 10 to 20 books every time. There are so many amazing books for little kids - whether they're fiction or non-fiction - it's hard to get them all read.<br />
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Here are some of my son's favorites:<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23772.Green_Eggs_and_Ham?ac=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6JwslU0Fiz917ciuElzT1VYQNo7XpmGyq_C4tAQnd17xm3iTWpgqb3gg5QSqz4tsFgiRqj6ZSrAtKaoDLyl80I5mTODA-j5rVpXeNowRuhnUMvaP7yY8B6L3uE_2IotW4Pv02V8GiyE/s200/GreenEggsAndHam.jpg" width="145" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12875557-pete-the-cat-and-his-four-groovy-buttons" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupLtQ9hQGpcwSQaECyqGEVHnINi-2OOHIxh2vhAk4stRFEUsv2hNuYsqcLa_V9dDywH0kuUUHIdM67SjAOdOsamlulut9co5rOH9ATqWH8xgO1m5So9MidOJQ8AnRB7TI6VSfiL1liyA/s200/PeteTheCat.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/447166.Grumpy_Bird?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbFvqDfqy0thGM9VWJo39TbpQ0hyGoRk908yrOMbScrRyQgIWPpmIjsOA5Bmi30a9V_d5BCV908OF731ETQfdCCK2Q-7XDSwbm6b4GaG8UT4P7HTiWucW_L-Shwjie0apG6k4aDCgNi8/s200/GrumpyBird.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/770040.Llama_Llama_Mad_at_Mama?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZemuowC5sptFC-3hTnUNonBHyfdIQUPvuOwVqd1yTl12ZnkJxdQHcwBru8ivPQM1v_PhNaRNjxYYNAjumHBhvH6Q0pN7TN2I5FWq2iJf5GV6vfHeSRfRcyY_QagC-jjjCqD6Aje2zoA/s200/LlamaLlam.jpg" width="191" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/191113.Don_t_Let_the_Pigeon_Drive_the_Bus_?ac=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicByi-VXi_VPKpg-pIZbOuhlceuO0XOeb9j73qcRfDLOuanUuPLvhhyphenhypheniCfIT89rcP48DPV1Szdz-HAIDZmnG6WZKVnOBVzAMq-p9xO2sxGyDaj23nLOLIYJADXVQYi1qQ8-_CMxvNUTa4/s200/Pigeon.jpg" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7869879-meet-the-super-hero-squad?ac=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c48-YsCUcFKsOHFoR0vpw6Qa_c_qVI37WWID0JKD8swpzySMXGxIX0DBXtHgh-QlA3cknBqSZFRRTq1SnuXJdEO-9iB7wi5WZTeauNVTSH80SVySgRT08LL2fs8-eJ9RFArTY2mf-lc/s200/SuperHeroSquad.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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***** </div>
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The genre I read the most is definitely Young Adult. There's just something about it that keeps drawing me back. There are so many incredibly talented authors there who come up with these amazing stories and characters. It's definitely my favorite genre and I can't see that changing any time soon.<br />
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Here are some of my favorite YA books/series:<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428050-a-touch-mortal?ac=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2IxcfB6QbWxxTlqdZh_okVwDIShfC_w5sNiRBenJBVc9YecpMEOw5LUOycEWb61MOydW-N4jVbnkCZQmIHKxpYQVG-ggLrr5BUqpbTN26cvja0wzb0z0dI-opHA4qbd0QDcxQ5z3uuQ/s200/ATouchMortal.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11569419-soul-screamers-volume-one?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmlp_sAqo7wikuJtziuyYOnyj0Ng9THSZqeSWL_KfvsVJDPj3exuISvuAXOum_0hjZNydJWNUSgUfbFH77IXMfkuflaDwaX2e-C_N1Tm0q_wlfLLIdFrVYF60-5okX4oerwUPrakR_G8/s200/SoulScreamers.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9378297-anna-dressed-in-blood?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMMUoEbcJC_6-VuLYYGa5ZgegZbfsLdqKenFKjIfriMelUVNmgmnT_X0CL3X5Hp2-nd76_QUGfs-IGfAC6YwpWmPkWsQnibt0Zj4NW_ymfLYRBEjvnDOEM0r9lM4wuotNFx5CspPfEOU/s200/AnnaDressedInBlood.jpg" width="137" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414964-velveteen?ac=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZrLl8PmQdJDGDRKPYZ-aTcZCvedqV61Xjcj13BseWb7rx8daRqMBbneEusr-rHZQnmwn2t76FOR1hrOIdsGsRgOUAicizizZztIsSfJqmHUoJIZEIRxWY104S0ljhRqyom2ZhvuSeOQ/s200/Velveteen.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11958033-ten?ac=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiUMS63Wt1tFCXzetVkNVvx1jORonukAsKJ3COaiBEIp-r4iG0GHTuasV9PaUI-ZO1dyELnqQxp46xZcZD3AS86Ajf9KtPvRijU2NxSttgtzhBMxhwd94WVIBUNA5K3KfbQWkRN7SKQk/s200/Ten.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/345627.Vampire_Academy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpglVELWwDKyKfQNiDwhJv2681bmp55We1EDkBUyNe5E8XgpuDq-UO0CF-Z5Sfk0fur5enCjbE781JePkSxd8IObWcmGrjBgXutih9mJ3Y2ReS220OfpGpHd2eE2hylY_e4YQmaFec96I/s200/VampireAcademy.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6571723-the-morganville-vampires-vol-1?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hxKrv3NEDIHztBJ35my1-XibUX_FNEpwc7AhSrj3euFW52xamxiRCV1meytdchJmUCG68UqZ6JU0pehNInMq0XWa-x9efBGhuJuo6ypXJgQIF3n837PJ_LfQD2IhGK4uTxJJb9uCV2E/s200/TheMorganvilleVampires.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6420846-lockdown?ac=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GrNimFR1o0xro4Rh1mYS59H4BB_m9M3zNrWQ_AQ-X5Y03itX9g9IAdqK6WZnP_wMmdNu5NJtpx2RCHajjbyo1v8dOKG4jeCWU4BROy3kuILjvjlxCo1tcHUqYZuCIXlmkdy8WEsO9kU/s200/Lockdown.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">What about you? Do you enjoy reading Young Adult books? Do you have a little one who has you reading one picture book after the other? Are there any books you would recommend as a must-read for everyone? I would love to hear from you!!!</span></div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-63036290794490202622013-05-30T08:25:00.000-04:002013-05-30T08:25:03.746-04:00Armchair BEA: Genre: LITERARY FICTIONIt seems I completely missed day two of Armchair BEA. Well, I guess that happens when you don't do everything straight away. Anyway, I'm here today! :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-o2KApaeNLQcHqQVP-1qWqOQ8pXfXJ_0vfmaAYGIHYFdOP7fR5vLzAtrLv25fn6XXeMRF0ebbzBw1E8RjLtt8pRgxmHIYtJvveVzzBtMME580a7WQgTysEnm5PYjAlgRNyfbpTGVwn4/s1600/ArmchairBEA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-o2KApaeNLQcHqQVP-1qWqOQ8pXfXJ_0vfmaAYGIHYFdOP7fR5vLzAtrLv25fn6XXeMRF0ebbzBw1E8RjLtt8pRgxmHIYtJvveVzzBtMME580a7WQgTysEnm5PYjAlgRNyfbpTGVwn4/s200/ArmchairBEA.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Design credit: <a href="http://emilysreadingroom.blogspot.com/">Emily of Emily's Reading Room</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Today's genre is:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">LITERARY FICTION</span></i></b></span></div>
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OK, first of, I feel a little bit embarrassed that I actually had to look up what exactly literary fiction means - the difference to all the other fiction genres, I mean - and I'm simply going to blame the fact that English is not my mother tongue. ;)<br />
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So, anyway, after looking it all up, I actually realized that I have read some literary fiction books, and I have really enjoyed some of them as well. Now, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's something I would just pick up everyday, because it definitely isn't. They are the kind of books I would have to be in the right mood for.<br />
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Here are two books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/959742.Lord_of_the_Flies" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwO-YBGiODhZIGBEUN4UUhSS57KS0NIZhmFZQW4B68yiUz5oe2gjk_XVDgeCoVn94VG-jLiSBfGLk46u5vM8sMFujMHNmP0WiYr25SAvqUMkRQLxbeVt_Ajpngzz-UUzh6ej1HRHgxoM/s320/LordoftheFlies.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Goodreads description:</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span id="freeText8029904686331982670">William Golding's
classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked
on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it
was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate,
attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires.
Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy,
Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come
in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and
delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather
swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's
rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist
is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure
away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation
deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away,
until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have
become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and
became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel
explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on
the brutal playing field of adolescent competition. <em>--Jennifer Hubert</em></span></i></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/816815.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfgFiQcKnL9e88AgEM4c0SgHsNghRXRXxI8KlaUGsd-BTFx7OM7c1hK6jJQ-OrhUum33ZVoPhBm5sAxutaKPbfHZvEnIuyApXro0bK1ptzpjiCoksQrdCUgEwTWyW50HmuwAND6oBkM0/s320/ToKillAMockingBird.jpg" width="193" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Goodreads description:</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><span id="freeText6357546220827174942">Harper Lee's Pulitzer
Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South--and
the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred.<br /><br />One of the best-loved stories of all time, <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>
has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than
thirty million copies worldwide, served as the basis of an enormously
popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the
twentieth century by librarians across the country. <br /><br />A gripping,
heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South
poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and
savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father--a
crusading local lawyer--risks everything to defend a black man unjustly
accused of a terrible crime.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
What about you? Do you love literary fiction books? Are there any books you would recommend to someone who hasn't read a lot of books of this particular genre? I would love to hear from you!</div>
<br />
<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-81725850953828948172013-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:002013-05-28T00:00:10.337-04:00Armchair BEA: IntroductionI can't believe it's already been a year since the last Armchair BEA. Where has the time gone?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvciGTTvSRktCqJn_hmRLhtWwBHeY-OyYdjt-21ZzcENbsRI6XjVc-t8aX1XenB_Lbhsbi1zKg-0q3Lfy8ht1TA-mGDziZY5EDGPsSLYtcWVneWOO34xmSTLFP38sMTva-NwRvZ3GGyes/s200/ArmchairBEA.jpg" title="" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Design credit: <a href="http://emilysreadingroom.blogspot.com/">Emily of Emily's Reading Room</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, today is all about introductions, so I won't bore you with any more chitchat, but give you my answers right away. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself! Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?</i></span></b><br />
<br />
Hi, I am the mom of an amazing four year old boy. Technically, I've been blogging for almost a year and a half now, though it's been more sporadic than anything else over the last six months or so due to some personal issues.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>2. Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year?</i></span></b><br />
<br />
Yes, I participated last year and absolutely loved it, which is why I am joining in again this year. I discovered so many amazing blogs and I, especially, loved all the awesome twitter parties. I'm a little bit anti-social when it comes to twitter and all that. I'm way too shy to just start a conversation with anyone really, so having those parties and being able to just chime in and not feeling stupid about it, was a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to those again this year.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>3. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?</i></span></b><br />
<br />
I'm still reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7148738-beautiful-creatures" target="_blank">BEAUTIFUL CREATURES</a> by Kami Garcia. It's pretty good, though at times a bit slow.<br />
<br />
There are two books I've read this year that I absolutely loved. The first one was released in 2012 and is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414964-velveteen?ac=1" target="_blank">VELVETEEN</a> by Daniel Marks. I had been wanting to read it for months and then stumbled across it while searching through my local library's ebooks. Of course, I had to borrow it right away and devoured it in only a couple of days. The whole idea with purgatory and the way Daniel Marks described everything, was simply fascinating to me. I'm still hoping that there might be a sequel. This book also helped me get out of my reading funk which is yet another reason why I loved it so much and would recommend it to anyone who would listen to me.<br />
<br />
The other book is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13508069-with-all-my-soul?ac=1" target="_blank">WITH ALL MY SOUL</a> by Rachel Vincent. This was a bittersweet read for me. I was excited and terrified at the same time when I picked it up to read. It's the last book in her Soul Screamers series and since it's one of my all-time favorite series, I was really sad it was going to end. I've also found the premise of her books surrounding bean sidhes, reapers, and hellions to be absolutely fascinating and unique. I adore her story telling. Plus, Tod Hudson is my favorite fictional character EVER! :)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>4. Name your favorite blog(s) and explain why they are your favorite(s)!</i></b></span><br />
<br />
First of, there's <a href="http://cuddlebuggery.com/" target="_blank">Fiktshun</a>. It was the first book blog I ever came across. The design is absolutely gorgeous and Rachel's voice draws me in every time. Her reviews are amazing and I can never get enough of her "rambling" posts. She is also a very genuine person who is always willing to help you.<br />
<br />
Another blog I love is <a href="http://cuddlebuggery.com/" target="_blank">Cuddlebuggery</a>. I love their unique and hilarious voices. There never seems to be a dull moment, and their author interviews are epic. They don't shy away from negative reviews either - they say exactly what they think. <br />
<br />
Other blogs I follow regularly are <a href="http://bookpics-reading2alba.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">BookPics</a> (love you, Alba girl!), <a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">YA Sisterhood</a>, <a href="http://parajunkee.com/" target="_blank">Parajunkee's View</a>, and <a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Two Chicks On Books</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>5. What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?</i></b></span><br />
<br />
Definitely The Shire or Rivendell from J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Both places seem so beautiful and peaceful. I could just wonder around and enjoy the nature. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">What about you? Is it your first time participating in Armchair BEA? What do you like most about it? Do you have any questions for me? I'd love to hear from you! Happy reading, everyone!</span></div>
<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-17229319929158071382013-05-22T00:53:00.000-04:002013-05-22T00:53:34.339-04:00HELP get #TeamTOD a spot at the YA Crush Tourney 3.0<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello, hello, hello,</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5tqnOeUGGuASpWbGRRDS4DZ-mAJt3_Fn31zc3uU0wXm6vZEGA2l5LenzA_lasGFfBQ7zp8ENyvFj64LkFs1qL7DuoRmKh4nNzXuq33ABAfKmhm32b51lFJynwYJ-BPPoTshgZ_cyFP0/s1600/TeamTod-ApricotJam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5tqnOeUGGuASpWbGRRDS4DZ-mAJt3_Fn31zc3uU0wXm6vZEGA2l5LenzA_lasGFfBQ7zp8ENyvFj64LkFs1qL7DuoRmKh4nNzXuq33ABAfKmhm32b51lFJynwYJ-BPPoTshgZ_cyFP0/s1600/TeamTod-ApricotJam.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I have some super important news today! Some of you might still remember last year's amazing <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>YA Crush Tourney</b></i></span></span> hosted by the awesome girls over at <a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><i><b>YA Sisterhood</b></i></a>. Well, it's back again this year and I, personally, think it's going to be better than ever - more diverse with a lot more authors/books and new crushes to discover. Last year, I was an advocate for the always hilarious and gorgeous reaper <span style="color: #274e13;"><b>TOD HUDSON</b></span> of Rachel Vincent's <span style="color: #274e13;"><b>SOUL SCREAMERS</b></span> series. He is still my absolute favorite fictional character and with the new rules to the tournament, I figured he could use a little bit of early support to, hopefully, ensure him a spot in the final 28.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For all the tournament details, go and check out YA Sisterhood's post right <a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.ca/2013/05/ya-crush-tournament-nominations-begin.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As I said, there are new rules this year, with one of them being that the tourney is going to be divided into four categories and the one that my favorite reaper fits into, happens to be the toughest of all - with A TON of competition. So, which is why I am writing this post today because I really, really truly believe that there is no one quite like TOD HUDSON and he most certainly deserves to be in this tournament.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please, please, please, peeps, GO <a href="http://www.fantasybookaddict.com/2013/05/19/tourney/" target="_blank">HERE </a>and NOMINATE the BEST REAPER there ever was, you all know you want to!!! Nominations are ONLY OPEN until MAY 25th at 12:01AM!!!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4c2k6i3ut9_nhISexfLylIPOH_yg39zZ0T-WPv0FyXHIDlsZpWiSPeg184Fyx9eei1RXqO_s5ok8W6WLX9eoWXU1NbL4qaBj0UwFn0vyUHL6d4vO3HMTWJPdoOR3_5UD7bNVq8zr2Ow/s1600/Team-Tod-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4c2k6i3ut9_nhISexfLylIPOH_yg39zZ0T-WPv0FyXHIDlsZpWiSPeg184Fyx9eei1RXqO_s5ok8W6WLX9eoWXU1NbL4qaBj0UwFn0vyUHL6d4vO3HMTWJPdoOR3_5UD7bNVq8zr2Ow/s200/Team-Tod-3.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Need any more proof to convince you to go and nominate him? How about some quotes?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">“So, 'reaper' is really just a nice word for 'covert pervert?' Is that what you're saying?”</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">***** </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">“So you’re saying the afterlife is hard on the libido? FYI, that’s
probably not a good bullet point for your recruiting brochure.” </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> *****</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #38761d;">“Uh, yeah, I do. The scythe was a little tricky at first, but—much like golf—turns out it’s all in the swing.”
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">***** </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> “I'm dead, not impotent. Nasty rumors like that must be squashed before
they gain momentum. Feel free to emphasize how very functional I am.”
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">***** </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">“As a matter of fact, I was going to offer you something.” <br />“What did you have in mind?”<br />"A field trip. You interested in doing something dangerous, and possibly illegal?”<br />“Does it involve underage girls, broken curfews and assorted fruit toppings?”
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">***** </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">“You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away.
I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else can reach us.” </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> ***** </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> “<span style="color: #38761d;">There's a good kind of crazy, Kaylee," he insisted softly, reaching out
to wrap his warm hand around mine. "It's the kind that makes you think
about things that make your head hurt, because not thinking about them
is the coward's way out. The kind that makes you touch people who bruise
your soul, just because they need to be touched. This is the kind of
crazy that lets you stare out into the darkness and rage at eternity,
while it stares back at you, ready to swallow you whole."</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">***** </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This last one is one of my absolute favorites, but since some might consider it a bit spoiler-y, you have to highlight it to see it - at your own risk if you haven't yet read the series - or at least, past IF I DIE.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">“You're the brightest thing I've ever seen, Kaylee. You're this
beautiful ball of fire spitting sparks out at the world, burning
fiercely, holding back the dark by sheer will. And I always knew that if
I reached out -- if i tried to touch you -- I'd get burned. Because
you're not mine. I'm not supposed to feel the fire. I'm not supposed to
want it. But I do. I want you, Kaylee, like I've never wanted anything.
Ever. I want the fire. I want the heat, and the light, and I want the
burn.”
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There you have it folks! I really hope you'll show your support for the incredibly charming TOD HUDSON!!! Seriously, when else could you ever call a reaper "charming"??? He really needs your help, so PLEASE hop on over to <a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.ca/2013/05/ya-crush-tournament-nominations-begin.html" target="_blank">Fantasy Book Addict</a> and fill out the form. It will only take you a minute, I promise!!! Thank you so much!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-77372118338708279072013-05-21T00:00:00.000-04:002013-05-21T00:00:01.677-04:00BLOG TOUR: Broken Gates by D.T. Dyllin BOOK HIGHLIGHT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7R0ylyBZ9fFSLgy45eBtmsO0li41dpXTpQKm2slNGUatne7MYGBkk1dg3wskgpzAnFfRMOF3Z4nRGpMmyCnmGi1MAjVbrNHH9Y55halchJ26WSkJZxVoyFMs-F1zshZ4LowAG7VvL_uM/s1600/Broken+Gates+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7R0ylyBZ9fFSLgy45eBtmsO0li41dpXTpQKm2slNGUatne7MYGBkk1dg3wskgpzAnFfRMOF3Z4nRGpMmyCnmGi1MAjVbrNHH9Y55halchJ26WSkJZxVoyFMs-F1zshZ4LowAG7VvL_uM/s400/Broken+Gates+Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mPo113oTrJpomNdkJpBLSYMerP6zTWSELIWd4CxiFENkI23DnB7lRjJGZ_c9kzfHHlEwJKzYwB_sn_yfx65qAz8fVRSk6DTR2NFeAmjhQ4JKYsoh23wEc-XlFhqk_AujYBDHJylK4QY/s1600/Broken+Gates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mPo113oTrJpomNdkJpBLSYMerP6zTWSELIWd4CxiFENkI23DnB7lRjJGZ_c9kzfHHlEwJKzYwB_sn_yfx65qAz8fVRSk6DTR2NFeAmjhQ4JKYsoh23wEc-XlFhqk_AujYBDHJylK4QY/s400/Broken+Gates.jpg" width="257" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"> </span><a class="greyText" href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/89597-p-j-stone-gates-trilogy">(P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #2)<br />
</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Expected publication:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">May 24th 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">by Dragonfairy Press </span></div>
<div class="row" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span id="freeText17988462980327269044">***Genre - New Adult Paranormal Romance. <br /><br /><span style="color: #674ea7;">P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late.<br /><br />In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of<br />
changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world.<br />
As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save<br />
humanity before there’s nothing left to save. <br /><br />After choosing a<br />
mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with<br />
everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows<br />
what the future will bring?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText17988462980327269044"> </span><a class="greyText" href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/89597-p-j-stone-gates-trilogy">(P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #1) </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">299 pages</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Published</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">February 28th 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">by Dragonfairy Press</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText7940370931389909735">***Genre - New Adult Paranormal Romance<br /><br /><span style="color: #351c75;">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated<br />
enough, P.J. finally receives a vision—of a threat to her world that<br />
only she can perceive. But no one will believe a fledgling Seer’s<br />
warnings. With nowhere else to turn, she may decide to trust a stranger<br />
with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart.</span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*****</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Author</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://mykindofquirky.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/dsc4159_1.jpg?w=288&h=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="D.T. Dyllin" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359578673p5/5763250.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span id="freeTextContainerauthor5763250">Cynical-Optimist.<br />
Chocolate-holic. Sarcasm Addict. Paranormal Believer. Romance Junkie.<br />
Self Imposed Insomniac. Animal Lover. Writer.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span id="freeTextContainerauthor5763250"><b><a href="http://dtdyllin.com/">W</a><a href="http://dtdyllin.com/">ebsite</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-T-Dyllin/258426047570107">F</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-T-Dyllin/258426047570107">acebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/DTDyllin">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763250.D_T_Dyllin">Goodreads</a></b></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Check out what others say about </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">BROKEN GATES on the tour page <a href="http://gcrpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/05/broken-gates-blog-tour.html">HERE</a>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1hjzK_5KbNErCMWACZoy_gmJzksXx5EBn2hRbiSkUc3ZeNeqWDMRPoh8gN3T6K6UdKLJLTSCbEkz_I_6HxAAmDaSc0pgV141U2ggcknJn0HqLfab82-EBPaVfU5u62kWYqfekuvm9dTH/s1600/GCRP+Button.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1hjzK_5KbNErCMWACZoy_gmJzksXx5EBn2hRbiSkUc3ZeNeqWDMRPoh8gN3T6K6UdKLJLTSCbEkz_I_6HxAAmDaSc0pgV141U2ggcknJn0HqLfab82-EBPaVfU5u62kWYqfekuvm9dTH/s200/GCRP+Button.png" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-67388220287967956992013-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:002013-05-07T00:00:09.677-04:00ECHO Blog Tour - Alicia Wright Brewster's TOP FIVE AUTHORS + Giveaway<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fFNlpsETvWhHK953zScQXOz_Ntt-agZPGktZ3UQ7oA7AFAxOmFpbEFjw1jr0i1TMX8RXpi6RGwRyUXnL92he0RRv6bUgDVyBzMGi1Xu8pbhhf-_QWTmPFB2slj23xURf5-1OqCj0SHI/s1600/EchoBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fFNlpsETvWhHK953zScQXOz_Ntt-agZPGktZ3UQ7oA7AFAxOmFpbEFjw1jr0i1TMX8RXpi6RGwRyUXnL92he0RRv6bUgDVyBzMGi1Xu8pbhhf-_QWTmPFB2slj23xURf5-1OqCj0SHI/s1600/EchoBanner.png" /></a></div>
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I have the absolute pleasure of welcoming Alicia Wright Brewster, author of ECHO, on my blog today. Before getting to her guest post, here is a little bit more about her.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><u><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></b></i></u><i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7716"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7715" style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRw5gCzPgFEOXoWIL57eyDdUvpJBtDVtNDlNlpBQQIFQ2kxM3heiQqkGz-NtuLVUAxSWCliWBSzb8abrBNpHJaqdSeMehVG_wsfq4Z3kYufQXti0-rvxYlmlxak9UEFOZN2MyqgNxXrgY/s1600/awb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRw5gCzPgFEOXoWIL57eyDdUvpJBtDVtNDlNlpBQQIFQ2kxM3heiQqkGz-NtuLVUAxSWCliWBSzb8abrBNpHJaqdSeMehVG_wsfq4Z3kYufQXti0-rvxYlmlxak9UEFOZN2MyqgNxXrgY/s200/awb.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="color: #073763;"><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7716"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7715" style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Alicia Wright Brewster is a mild-mannered lady of average height and above average paranormal obsession. By day, she works in an office. At night she is an author, an electronics junkie, and a secret superhero. (Please don't ask what her superpower is; that's not very polite.)</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /> <br style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7721" style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">In her virtually non-existent free time, she loves to read, watch movies, and eat food. She is particularly fond of the food-eating and makes a point to perform this task at least three times per day, usually more.</span></i></span></div>
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<b><u><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7721" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">W</span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_7721" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">here to stalk her:</span></u></b><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.aliciawb.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aliciawrightbrewster" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aliciawbrewster" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>GUEST POST</b></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>~*~ Alicia's <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Top Ten (FIVE) Favorite Authors ~*~</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">T<span style="font-size: small;">his is actually a Top Five list. I hope that’s okay. If I write about ten authors, I could ramble on for ages! And my “top” five probably change on a daily basis, so let’s call it a Top-ish Five list.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now that I’ve completel</span>y changed your post topic (I know, I know: I’m the worst guest ever; it’s like I came into your house and propped my dirty shoes on your coffee table), here are my top-ish five authors in no particular order:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Laini Taylor:</b> This woman makes me swoon with her words. Each word is the carefully placed stroke of a master painter. She makes me <i>see</i> not only her settings, but also the feelings, with just the way she crafts her words. Daughter of Smoke in Bone may be my all-time favorite young adult paranormal romance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Brandon Sanderson:</b> He builds worlds and magic systems that are completely unique and original. On top of that, he can craft the most amazing action scenes that utilize his unique settings. This man is a genius. Sometimes, I consider dropping by his house to sing him a special selection of my favorite songs. He deserves it! Of course, I wouldn’t want him to have to take out a restraining order…</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>J.K. Rowling:</b> Speaking of world building, I must give a shout-out to the queen, Ms. Rowling. She created a magical world that could so easily fit into our world. Who’s to say whether there are magical creatures, witches, and wizards hiding among us, and we mere muggles are ignorant of it all?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Michael Crichton:</b> My freshman year in high school, Crichton introduced me to speculative fiction in the book medium. His novel Sphere was perhaps the first science fiction book I ever read that wasn’t assigned to me at school. Crichton will always have a special place in my heart. Rest in peace.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Ilona Andrews:</b> The Ilona Andrews writing team authored one of the first urban fantasy books I ever read, Magic Bites. Although I was on the fence about this first book in the Kate Daniels series, I’ve continued to read and each book amazes me more than the last. The way Andrews took Atlanta and morphed it into a destroyed, magic-ridden version of itself awes me—especially since Atlanta is my home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">See how much I wrote about just five authors? Now aren’t you glad I didn’t do a Top Ten list? Thank you so much for having me on your blog today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;">~*~*~*~*~*~*~ </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">For the record, you definitely are NOT the worst guest ever!!! I am almost embarrassed to admit I haven't read a single book by J.K. Rowling, and right now I feel like I should go and hide in a corner somewhere. I have read a few of Michael Crichton's books, however, and have thoroughly enjoyed them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Thank you so much for sharing your Top Five Authors with us today, and I would be more than happy to welcome you back on my blog any time. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13445008-echo?ac=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpu7EgpFjdBmYd-ejKP17U2MfHcHWHspmvQ_LjZeEW9LHLzqITx1IT7OwnWY22W0DG6iIMP-Svc10tkdu4xvFXQ-yKNBPBhHtqdjVaRotCkos7HLCcWJIAHBO8C73dZinj8Vro_MamCc/s320/EchoCover.jpg" width="206" /></a><span style="color: #073763;"><u><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">About the Book:</span></b></i></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><u><b>Goodreads Description:</b></u></i></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText4021967404222232133">The countdown clock reads ten days until the end of the world. The citizens are organized. Everyone's been notified and assigned a duty. The problem is . . . no one knows for sure how it will end.<br />
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Energy-hungry Mages are the most likely culprit. They travel toward a single location from every corner of the continent. Fueled by the two suns, each Mage holds the power of an element: air, earth, fire, metal, water, or ether. They harness their powers to draw energy from the most readily available resource: humans.<br />
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Ashara has been assigned to the Ethereal task force, made up of human ether manipulators and directed by Loken, a young man with whom she has a complicated past. Loken and Ashara bond over a common goal: to stop the Mages from occupying their home and gaining more energy than they can contain. But soon, they begin to suspect that the future of the world may depend on Ashara's death.</span></span></span></blockquote>
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ECHO is available NOW:</b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Alicia-Wright-Brewster/dp/0985023023" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echo-alicia-wright-brewster/1108563273" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b></i></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>*****</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><u><i><b>GIVEAWAY</b></i></u></span></span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9722f5115/" id="rc-9722f5115" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></b></div>
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Check out the tour schedule below for all the other stops:<br />
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<b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8392"><u id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8391"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8390" style="color: #c00000;">April 29<sup>th</sup></span></u></b></div>
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Good Choice Reading - <a href="http://www.goodchoicereading.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.goodchoicereading.com</a> <i>Character Highlight</i></div>
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Curling Up with a Good Book, <a href="http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Interview</i></div>
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<b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8382"><u id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8381"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8380" style="color: #c00000;">April 30<sup id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8395">th</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8376" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Must Read Faster, <a href="http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8421" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8420" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Review</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8374" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
A Dream Within a Dream, <a href="http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8418" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8417" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8415">Excerpt</i></div>
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<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8370" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 1<sup>st</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8368" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Paulette’s Papers, <a href="http://paulettespapers.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8398" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8397" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://paulettespapers.com</span></a>: <i>Guest Post</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8366" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Frankie Blooding’s Bookshelf, <a href="http://frankieblooding.wordpress.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8412" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8411" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://frankieblooding.wordpress.com</span></a>: <i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8365">Character Highlight</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8363" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Zach’s YA Reviews, <a href="http://zachsyareviews.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8401" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://z<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8403" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">achsyareviews.com</span></a>: <i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8409">Guest Post</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8360" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8405">A Book Lovers Review - Teaser</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8423" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 2<sup>nd</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8425" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Reads and Thoughts, <a href="http://karlaamaemaglaoy.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://karlaamaemaglaoy.wordpress.com</span></a>: <i>Review</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8427" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Bookish Things & More, <a href="http://www.bookishthingsandmore.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">www.bookishthingsandmore.com</span></a>: <i>Teaser</i></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;"></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8431" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 3<sup>rd</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8433" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Finding Bliss, http://<a href="http://www.laurahoward78.blogspot.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8504" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8503" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">www.laurahoward78.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">,</span>: <i>Interview</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8437" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
A Bibliophile’s Thoughts on Books, <a href="http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8436" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8435" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Review</i></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;"></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 6<sup>th</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8443" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Cherie Reads, <a href="http://cheriereads.blogspot.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8500" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8499" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://cheriereads.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Character Highlight</i></div>
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Reading Under the Stars, <a href="http://readingunderthestars.blogspot.co.uk/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8497" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8496" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://readingunderthestars.blogspot.co.uk</span></a>: <i>Review</i></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 7<sup>th</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8451" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
The Solitary Bookworm, <a href="http://thesolitarybookworm.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8494" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8493" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">thesolitarybookworm.com</span></a>: <i>Teaser</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8453" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Smiling_Ina’s Bookish Corner, <a href="http://smiling-ina.blogspot.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://smiling-ina.blogspot.ca</span></a>: <i>Guest Post</i></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 8<sup>th</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8459" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Deal Sharing Aunt, <a href="http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Review</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8461" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Shortie Says, <a href="http://www.shortie-says.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">www.shortie-says.com</span></a>: <i>Excerpt</i></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 9<sup>th</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8485" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Turner’s Antics, <a href="http://turnersantics.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://turnersantics.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Guest Post</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8483" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Good Choice Reading: <i>Interview</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8479" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<b><u><span style="color: #c00000;">May 10<sup>th</sup></span></u></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8477" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Turning the Pages, <a href="http://www.turningthepagesx.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://www.turningthepagesx.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Review</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8475" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
I’m Luvin’ Books, <a href="http://ya-im-lovin-books.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://ya-im-lovin-books.blogspot.co.uk</span></a>: <i>Character Interview</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8473" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Musings of a Blodger, <a href="http://www.novacritiquesebooks.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">www.novacritiquesebooks.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Interview</i></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1367672979261_8471" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Books and their Worldly Realm, <a href="http://booksandtheirwordlyrealm.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">http://booksandtheirwordlyrealm.blogspot.com</span></a>: <i>Excerpt</i></div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-294339174321006062013-05-01T09:36:00.000-04:002013-05-01T09:36:17.147-04:00Cover Reveal: ENDURE by M.R. Merrick<div style="text-align: center;">
I am so, so excited about today's cover reveal!!! M.R. Merrick's THE PROTECTOR series is amazing, and I just know that ENDURE will be just as incredible as the previous three books in this series. Just look at this cover! Isn't it stunning?! I LOVE it!!!</div>
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Do you want to know another awesome thing??? EXILED, the first book in the series, is available FREE right now!!! </div>
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For links check below. </div>
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*****</div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Available June 5th </b></span></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcFl-kqGDDooLH7hLovd0od0a_18Tha-HCjz9RwlcqnEf_0czFgWvXb_rysYAZF4MCJmydoYvHbmrDsdKU2dWumNOhj7I1uYbFPSbKe_Ig2KLVmtj70ZHRAi3XAaQSwToKepzhWosfkk/s1600/Endure_COVER_finalLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="751" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcFl-kqGDDooLH7hLovd0od0a_18Tha-HCjz9RwlcqnEf_0czFgWvXb_rysYAZF4MCJmydoYvHbmrDsdKU2dWumNOhj7I1uYbFPSbKe_Ig2KLVmtj70ZHRAi3XAaQSwToKepzhWosfkk/s640/Endure_COVER_finalLarge.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17673337-endure">Endure (The Protector, #4) by M.R. Merrick</a><br />
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Cover by <a href="http://parajunkee.net/">Parajunkee Design </a></div>
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YA Urban Fantasy<br />
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Final book in <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/70107-the-protector">The Protector Series </a></div>
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Wrapped in darkness and woven with defeat, every action Chase has taken since being exiled from the Circle has been met with a devastating response. Now heÕs been burdened with a quest that seems impossible, and he needs to evolve into something moreÑsomething greater than he ever thought he could be.<br />
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Armed with magic, friendship, and an unbreakable will, Chase must build an army and find a weapon capable of defeating the ultimate evil. But he knows that nothing great comes without sacrifice. Blessed by the very gods who have abandoned him and carrying the fate of all the worlds on his shoulders, Chase Williams is about find out just how much one man can endure.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17673337-endure"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AZh43wBnaG4OgAtNRtK50fmEFJ6_Kd-2iRCTAI51xr_SC5vrS3kRIykaPXtUQdUV86e_5oQ9N2lfpOlA0EXmSk_fUDIKQF-Hd5568PgEOyRxBZPZhN0Hm-KnvleJ-gD9wSzexDdP6RQ/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolZh3v6vhnmBFf9RUnDN1wEegCUXaFONsL6vaKt-GeZQi4zOcfWrkMh49HdTU-5-PYE9ewC6OBHBI5cNq330dV0ajiDCUDkqBU_qe1sm1kaB7TH3zsjBChZjFmxJfjV9fPVWE7ig2iTQ/s1600/PROTall_four_banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolZh3v6vhnmBFf9RUnDN1wEegCUXaFONsL6vaKt-GeZQi4zOcfWrkMh49HdTU-5-PYE9ewC6OBHBI5cNq330dV0ajiDCUDkqBU_qe1sm1kaB7TH3zsjBChZjFmxJfjV9fPVWE7ig2iTQ/s400/PROTall_four_banner.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Book 1 - Exiled is FREE!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/M.R.-Merrick/e/B005AN8Z18/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1367041606&sr=8-2-ent">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/m.-r.-merrick">B&N</a> | <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22M.R.+Merrick%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both">Kobo</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYt9bZX0EG37d8nRVVutKnvUxs1muQDRo3cB4S8FOlMwBii6pbSgYKnpbGOysLjEGIiDSlplt4TM5_mBxW0gNLh_8O4h5gGV9mcSkE0qGKghjicL25owOfLeHbWUwWVrLCF-kNZ2TuvZo/s1600/MRMerrick2-221x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYt9bZX0EG37d8nRVVutKnvUxs1muQDRo3cB4S8FOlMwBii6pbSgYKnpbGOysLjEGIiDSlplt4TM5_mBxW0gNLh_8O4h5gGV9mcSkE0qGKghjicL25owOfLeHbWUwWVrLCF-kNZ2TuvZo/s200/MRMerrick2-221x300.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>About the author:</b></span></span></i><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainerauthor4968404">M.R. Merrick is a Canadian <br />
writer, and author of Exiled, the first installment in The Protector <br />
Series. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through <br />
his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and <br />
proud breakfast enthusiast, he's usually found at the computer, between a<br />
pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.</span><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainerauthor4968404"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mrmerrick.net/">M.R. Merrick</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4968404.M_R_Merrick">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MRMerrick">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMRMerrick">Facebook </a></span></span></div>
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<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-26495809346598440242013-04-30T22:36:00.000-04:002013-04-30T22:36:32.758-04:00Review: WITH ALL MY SOUL by Rachel Vincent<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13508069-with-all-my-soul?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtV3eyY6wSl-yfTBC9xlh6on0q8TdQZEbjciLOQWd0qHb2kMUgo9TlX9Hym38WpaCWaRYRaEHrGM8hdKMceb7U5-HXcUVtlSKXi3vEITrrPaiX3y-7Fvh8FS1Bc1MrmfDUocKKlCyG2M/s320/WAMS.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><i><b>Goodreads description:</b></i></u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span id="freeText2315375980231667900">What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...<br /><br />After
not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as
survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the
hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the
incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to
protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.<br /><br />But
then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than
she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee
realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything
she has....</span></i></span></span></blockquote>
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*****</div>
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I am writing this with somewhat of a heavy heart since I still can't seem to be able to wrap my head around the fact that my favorite series has come to an end - that I won't be able to escape into this world again (unless it is during a re-read). I can never again pick up another novel in this series with the same first time anxiousness and excitement and with adrenaline pumping through my veins at the pure thought of what Rachel Vincent could have possibly done to/with my favorite characters.<br />
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Having said this, I couldn't be happier with the way she ended Kaylee, Tod, and everybody else's story. Not surprisingly, this is another gripping book full of action, surprise, twists and turns. You cannot miss the, sometimes subtle, humor we have all come to love. Those snarky and cheeky comments from the people I have become so attached to, as well as those vicious and vile remarks from the hellions I love to hate.<br />
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Rachel Vincent is a master at drawing such vivid images with her words, you can't help but feel like your standing right there next to Kaylee, Tod, and everyone, staring straight into the eyes of the evil that is Avari and all other creatures of the Netherworld.<br />
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After <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11418574-before-i-wake" target="_blank"><i>BEFORE I WAKE</i></a> had been so devastating for me that I hadn't been able to pick up another book for about six months, I was very, very scared what WAMS might do to me. Luckily for me, I never felt as devastated as I did during BIW, but that doesn't mean that this book wasn't intense on all sorts of levels - not at all! I went from happiness to pure terror in a matter of a few pages. I felt all the emotions anyone could possibly feel. There was never a dull or quiet moment because you never knew what would come next. I was sitting at the end of my seat until the very end.<br />
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Since I don't like giving anything away, I will stop myself here before I accidentally spill the beans about one thing or another. The only other thing I just have to add is I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new character!!! I would definitely want to read more about them. <br />
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***** </div>
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Now to my favorite passages, and there a lot of them. It is really hard for me to just pick a few, but I will try my best. Unfortunately, I won't be able to share one my absolute favorites, since I believe that it's too spoiler-y.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Avari</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"> <i>"I want your anguish, both mental and physical. I want to take you apart and see what biological pumps and vessels make you bleed and what psychological gears and levers make you tick. Then I want to put you back together and begin again. I want to hear you scream. I want to see you writhe. I want to taste your flesh, and your blood, and your fears. I want to savor your ill-fated dreams as they burst like berries between my teeth, then melt like sugar on my tongue."</i></span></div>
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*****</div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Kaylee </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><i>Tod blinked at me. His arms rested against his legs, his hands hanging between his knees, and his eyes were</i> so still<i>. Still like true death. And for the first time since I'd met him, he looked like I might have expected a reaper to look. Like death itself, he was both the object that could not be moved and the force that could not be resisted, and the longer he stared at me without reacting -- without showing a single ripple of emotion beneath his frozen-lake eyes -- the deeper my heart ached, until I thought it would split open and fall apart.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">***</span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><i>That damn mara was an emotional ninja, sneaking up on your heart when you least expected it.</i></span></div>
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*****</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Tod</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"I may be physically younger, but -- much like a sweet, golden apricot -- I was plucked from life at the peak of perfection."</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>*** </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"Some decades from now, when you and Sabine are hobbling around in your old-people pants and orthopedic shoes, yelling at grandchildren and reminiscing about the days when you could still see your feet, unimpeded by the view of your gut, I will still be basking in the glow of eternal youth, forever young, forever golden, forever-"</i></span></div>
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<i>*****</i></div>
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Reading WITH ALL MY SOUL has made me want to read all seven books, three novellas, and two short stories all over again, and as soon as I have a little free time on my hands, I intend to do just that.<br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: Glorious 5 out of 5 Stars</span></i></b></span></div>
<br />smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-53697583133019847872013-04-26T10:35:00.001-04:002013-04-26T10:35:48.948-04:00Book Blast: ECHO by Alicia Wright Brewster + Giveaway<br />
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<blockquote>
The countdown clock reads ten days until the end of the world. The citizens are organized. Everyone's been notified and assigned a duty. The problem is . . . no one knows for sure how it will end.<br />
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Energy-hungry Mages are the most likely culprit. They travel toward a single location from every corner of the continent. Fueled by the two suns, each Mage holds the power of an element: air, earth, fire, metal, water, or ether. They harness their powers to draw energy from the most readily available resource: humans.<br />
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Ashara has been assigned to the Ethereal task force, made up of human ether manipulators and directed by Loken, a young man with whom she has a complicated past. Loken and Ashara bond over a common goal: to stop the Mages from occupying their home and gaining more energy than they can contain. But soon, they begin to suspect that the future of the world may depend on Ashara's death.</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Purchase</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Alicia-Wright-Brewster/dp/0985023023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366777683&sr=8-1&keywords=Alicia+Wright+Brewster" target="_blank">Amazon</a> - <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echo-alicia-wright-brewster/1108563273?ean=9780985023027" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>About Alicia Wright Brewster</u></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwlkSvaZmiug6iKaCbQ2VBhMsKap21LGIOXMgxzAezYldFZIpZhysG3DLF1rgu3a05jGF8u5sgwEaFmrlZ5tmhzHue-1qzd0IlcvJSM-osxNqW7xyZgmexX3m-MXTdhDpY0a5A7ico11C/s1600/awb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwlkSvaZmiug6iKaCbQ2VBhMsKap21LGIOXMgxzAezYldFZIpZhysG3DLF1rgu3a05jGF8u5sgwEaFmrlZ5tmhzHue-1qzd0IlcvJSM-osxNqW7xyZgmexX3m-MXTdhDpY0a5A7ico11C/s320/awb.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">Alicia Wright Brewster is a mild-mannered lady of average height and above average paranormal obsession. By day, she works in an office. At night she is an author, an electronics junkie, and a secret superhero. (Please don't ask what her superpower is; that's not very polite.)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">In her virtually non-existent free time, she loves to read, watch movies, and eat food. She is particularly fond of the food-eating and makes a point to perform this task at least three times per day, usually more.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.aliciawb.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Home</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aliciawrightbrewster" rel="nofollow" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/aliciawbrewster" rel="nofollow" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Make sure to check out the blog tour kicking off on Monday! You could win an awesome prize pack!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://gcrpromotions.blogspot.com/">http://gcrpromotions.blogspot.com</a></b></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SNEAK PEEK of ECHO...</span></u></b></div>
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A metal plate occupied the wall to the right of the door. Loken pressed his hand to it. The door slid away and disappeared into the left side of the doorway. Loken stepped through and down the stairs on the other side. His footsteps clanged against the metal steps as he descended.<br />
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Unlike in the overly bright training room on the other side of the building, dim lights filled this room with shadows. The team clustered at the bottom of the steps, blocking my view. As they shuffled slowly out of the way, I caught sight of what had stopped everyone else in their tracks.<br />
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A glass wall separated us from what looked like a large cell. The only entry point into the cell was another thick metal door with a security pad next to it. Behind the glass, three people stood as far away from one another as they could possibly get within the enclosed space: a hugely tall man, a woman with blond hair that hung past her waist, and a smaller man. All three were nude.<br />
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They looked human but . . . wrong somehow. Despite their lack of clothing, they made no effort to cover themselves. The larger man’s muscles bulged in odd places. While the woman wasn’t as massive, her body was more toned than any woman I’d ever met, more so than even Elder Ethereal.<br />
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From across the room, their black eyes cut through the darkness. A chill raced up and down my back like icy fingertips.<br />
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I stared at the smaller man. His eyes bore through me. I wondered if he saw me at all, or if he just happened to be looking where I was standing. At first glance, I’d thought him to be relatively slight. Although the other man dwarfed him, his thin arms were as tight as a predator’s, coiled to strike. The sharp planes of his face only emphasized the eerie black of his eyes, sunken into their sockets.<br />
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Loken’s voice startled me from the man’s hypnotic gaze. “In case you haven’t guessed it, these three are—”<br />
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“Mages,” I whispered.</blockquote>
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-78253237055131772662013-03-28T00:00:00.000-04:002013-03-28T00:00:02.972-04:00Cover Reveal: BROKEN GATES by D.T. Dyllin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/89597-p-j-stone-gates-trilogy" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">(P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #2)</a></span></h1>
by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763250.D_T_Dyllin" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">D.T. Dyllin</a></div>
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<b>Paperback</b></div>
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<b>Expected publication: May 24th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press </b></div>
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<b> </b><i><b>***Genre - New Adult Paranormal Romance</b></i><br />
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<i>P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late.</i><i><br /></i><i>In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world. As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save humanity before there’s nothing left to save.</i><i><br /></i><i>After choosing a mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows what the future will bring?</i></blockquote>
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<i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15714640-broken-gates?ac=1" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><br /></a></i>
<b><u>First Book in this series</u></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16062807-hidden-gates?ac=1http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16062807-hidden-gates?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IohDMGv5078/UVOfCLKT6ZI/AAAAAAAALj4/SAvkmG0QR34/s320/Hidden+Gates.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<i>Click on the photo above to learn more.</i><br />
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smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785452581859172074.post-18527256661034415362013-03-27T00:15:00.000-04:002013-03-27T00:15:59.550-04:00Cover Reveal: FRIGID by J. Lynn<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. <br />
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Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. <br />
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But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: small;">Frigid will be available in digital formats on July 30<sup>th</sup> 2013</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: small;">Print release of Frigid will be November 5<sup>th</sup> 2012</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16122034-frigid?ac=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;">About the author </span></i></u></span></span></b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxYmSHUTzq3-fbSGOowzljzefgABx_BRPA4TSx0_SMRbIcUbrzIMQaqioArJ6IIebDlAX5_sGFA3fUJiowLmrmyfWXUMfvn4EqSQnfjsZKutDjtrgTGSlQ58xYDIKumc4lVtbKkfWvho/s1600/155589_293900127378223_1768916845_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxYmSHUTzq3-fbSGOowzljzefgABx_BRPA4TSx0_SMRbIcUbrzIMQaqioArJ6IIebDlAX5_sGFA3fUJiowLmrmyfWXUMfvn4EqSQnfjsZKutDjtrgTGSlQ58xYDIKumc4lVtbKkfWvho/s320/155589_293900127378223_1768916845_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is a # </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><i>1 New York Times</i></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><i>USA Today</i></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> Bestselling author. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5785452581859172074" name="_GoBack"></a> <span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><b><u>Places to stalk the author: </u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/" target="_blank">Website </a></b></i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span>smiling_inahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164346705071427911noreply@blogger.com0