Another Contest

I have several links on the left hand side of current contests- I try to remember to delete them once they are closed but just check on that and what not.

Here is a newly added one though- the prize is a signed copy of Fire from Not Enough Bookshelves. This blogger does cover wars, comparing the US and UK covers which is a feature I definitely like. It is always interesting to see the different ways countries produce the same book and for this one, I think I actually like the UK cover better. While the US one does make you think that is not modern times in setting, the UK one just looks much more appealing to me. I also love the contrast between the night sky and the bright red dress on this one.

Details for the covers and the subsequent contest can be found here. Ends Nov 5.

Both images were taken directly from her blog page.

Update Time!

I realize how much I suck at regular updates of a personal nature… so, maybe not a Sunday weekly update but just a when I think of it and have time update? Yes? Well, you don’t really have a choice but to agree so here goes.

The Novel:

Chapter 3 first draft is done… And I am about 14 pages into Chap 4. I am super excited about where that chapter is heading but haven’t really looked at it since last week on Monday because first I came down with a nasty stomach bug that took me out of commission for 3 days then this weekend and early part of this week was spent visiting my parents. But, all the same, I am still liking how it is playing out because mind you, I don’t plan much. I just sit down and write and see what comes out but I was pleasantly surprised with this.

I am inspired often times by music and a 310 mile car drive each way means lots of music and lots of thinking time. I have come up with a few more ideas for things, mostly related to the characters- their back stories, who they are and what’s happened to them. Actually, the focus of the few things I have been mentally developing are more related to minor characters but I think it is still important.

Everything else:

In other exciting news… my good friend Lisa- the one who I must thank for really helping me get into all this blogging stuff- is holding a contest. She can be found here and if you follow my blog, you get extra entries. The prizes are pretty snazzy- it is a great first contest for her.

When I reach 50 followers- which might be very soon given the push of followers thanks to her help which I am undeniably grateful for, I will be holding a contest as well. It might not be as snazzy as hers, but hey, it’s a contest none the less. I just might be jacking her idea of promoting another blog but details to come.

All the same, check out her blog. I like it, but I just might be biased…

I received an email from a publisher at Random House today that pretty much made my day and had me bouncing around happily at 745 this morning and if you know me, that’s shocking. They saw a comment I left on another blog and offered to send me proofs of the related books and possibly even a proof of Fallen, which I am incredibly excited for! I am sure I will be doing another happy dance and posting an excited note when/if I do receive them but I am still kind of on a high from it so now I am telling you all and again, you have no choice really but to listen, assuming you are reading this, although I guess you are choosing to do that so maybe you do have a choice? *blink blink silence*

Currently, I am reading the Monstrumologist and I have to say, AMAZING! The dialogue and the way things are described and it is written is just… phenomenal. It is heavy on the gore factor which makes me love it even more but if you are squeamish, I still recommend this one. I am only 150 pages in but I am in love with it and even if I end up not liking how the plot pans out, I still hold complete respect for this book because of the way it is written so really, I highly suggest everyone reads at least some of it so see what I mean. More to come when I finish it and post the review but things are promising for it.

Tempted came out yesterday… my copy is on its way and somewhere in Dallas now according to the tracker. I am hoping it comes today… but, who knows. The postal service does weird things sometimes.

Also, I need a last minute Halloween costume for a party on Friday and currently have few ideas. Oops? I don’t know where this month went but it totally slipped my mind until my friend reminded me about it yesterday. Two days away, I know- fail. But what can I say? I rarely dress up and last year, I went after work which meant I was wearing scrubs already so I just was a nurse… soooo any new ideas you guys got that is something I can fashion at home? Leave comments. Who knows, maybe it will win you an extra entry or two later in my contest or something.

But on that note, I think I am out of things to ramble about. Mostly, I just felt like posting about me because, well, I can but I think we’ve established that fact. Leave me comments, make me feel special, etc. =)

Hush, Hush: Becca Fitzpatrick

SUMMARY (Courtesy of borders.com):

Partnered in biology with new student Patch, 16-year-old Nora Gray starts seeing things she cannot explain. At first she's both drawn and repelled by her lab partner, but when she sees V-shaped scars on his back, Nora learns Patch is fighting an ancient battle between the fallen and the immortal.

OPINION: 4 STARS

I've heard a lot of good things about this book and was looking forward to it but I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed. The overall idea was great- the Nephilim, the story that you get about Patch, etc. But overall, I just felt distanced from it. A lot of it did seem choppy to me. I actually finished this book a few days ago but one, have been sick and busy, and two, just wanted time to really mull it over and have finally decided that I just didn't like Nora. I think she is what really killed this for me. She had a personality that I just couldn't really place and even in how she treated Patch, she was so hot and cold. She wanted to stay away from him and I get that there was some pull towards him, but until almost the end of the book when she flat out said that, there was little explanation why she was acting like she was. Many things in the books seemed disjointed.

I did enjoy Patch's character but felt that he was really the only comedy brought into this book. He had a great sense of humor and cracked many good jokes- some of my favorite lines from this book are from him- although even the mystery surrounding him kind of faded in the way Nora portrayed everything. Many of her reactions to things seemed weird to me and made me have to stop and retrace things which took away from the flow of the book.

One thing that really irked me through much of the book was the cops and maybe its just me, but it seemed incredibly unrealistic. The first time they show up after she thinks someone broke in, they just leave her there when they see that there was no break in and just say have your mom call but don't follow up. Then when they come to question her about another event, they almost outright accuse her and question her- a minor- while her mom isn't even home. I kept wondering if they were part of something bigger and maybe that will be revealed in a future book but for how it stands now, they really just seemed like crappy cops and it just irked me personally and also detracted from the book.

Now that I've said that stuff, the overall plot- great, awesome and unique. I am very intrigued about where it will go from here and I did like the ending. It was perfect for the end of a book and it could have stood alone which means there are even more possibilities for what's next. The last 100 pages her so did draw me in and make me want to keep reading but it wasn't really until then that I did. There were a lot of things that tied together nicely at the end and the different abilities the angels have- and where all they showed up- was pretty original and fit in well.

I give this one 4 stars because I just didn't like Nora, which took away from the story as a whole, but I am sure that if I did like her, I would have loved this book. Also, I was sick this week which I think distanced me more from it and kept me from wanting to do nothing but read. Bad timing as well as the perspective of a character that I couldn't get into is what detracted but overall, it is a great world and holds promise for the future books.

Mini Contest & Big Box Contest

Princess Bookie has kept me incredibly happy and distracted today, and here is one more great thing she is doing. This one is part of the Read-A-Thon and its a mini contest:

Name 8 Of Your Favorite Things (not all books either)

Her List:
1. My Boyfriend of course
2. Books
3. Chad Michael Murray
4. Twilight
5. Chicken Lips (with ranch)
6. One Tree Hill
7. Hello Kitty
8. DVDS

You can do 5 or 8, its your choice, I had trouble narrowing it down! LOL

(mix it up, be creative)


My List:

1. My dog, Toby.
2. Books
3. The RP's I help run
4. House, MD
5. Forensics/Crime scene analysis
6. Writing, especially my novel
7. Fast cars (which I unfortunately do not have)
8. Lazy days with long naps

But the best part of this? The SURPRISE Contest aspect!!! Free books anyone? *raises hand* beacuse face it guys, I have a horrible book habit and need some other way to support it so here I am, whoring out my blog in my attempts to get them.





Also going on is a mega and huge one that requires your thinking caps and creativity, and a little animation skills to boot.

Donated by an anonymous but VERY generous author, a bundle of 9, yes NINE, as in six is afraid of 7 because 7 - 8 (ate) -9, ARCs.

Visit her site for the rules but the payoff, should you win, is amazing! Books like Fallen, Gone and The Unwritten Rule are included in this. Even if you don't submit an entry, the ones that do get entered are liable to be pretty awesome and creative so check in just to see what people can come up with!

Here are my entries into it:

This one was to recreate a cover of one of the 9 available ARCs. Chasing Brooklyn is the one I chose.

Option 2 was to make your own cover for which I used Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials. Sorry the photo is grainy on this one- for some reason it will only transfer into her from my computer small. *shrugs*

One More!

Okay guys, here is another AMAZING contest going on:

Win 4 books-

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Voices Of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

I don't know about you guys, but I have all 4 of these on my WANT list when they come out! Definitely looking forward to all of these- and if you are too, hop over to her blog and while you're there,check out all the other awesome give aways she has going on (and maybe worship her some too for setting all this up...)

Elizabeth Scott is one of my favorite writers, and Voices of Dragons had me going WHOA THAT LOOKS AMAZING from the moment I read the summary awhile ago. I want all four of these!

But hurry, the massive giveaways end tonight!

Another Contest!

Princess Bookie is having massive giveaways going on today, including an ARC for Captivate, the sequel to Need. I adored Need- I loved the more evil look at pixies, the mystery surrounding it, and even more so that the phobias was the main char's big thing. It was unique and original and I have am even more excited to see what happens next. I NEED (pun intended, duh) Captivate in advance- I have been dying to find out more and even before I realized there would be a sequel, I kept thinking about where it could go next. Plus, I want to see how many more random phobias the author can use that still are relevant to the story- that was a talent!