Silver-White Book Blast

Silver-White by Shawn Underhill

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
~ Robert Frost

*Evie’s family has been holding out on her …

Big time.

On an unexpected visit to her grandparents’ house in New Hampshire’s secluded North Woods, the sixteen-year-old literally runs into the truth of the long-hidden family secrets, and finds herself thrust without warning into the clandestine world of the Great North Pack—a wild and exhilarating world of rugged beauty, heart-pounding adventures, and long nights running under a sea of stars … but as she’s set to discover, a world also fraught with potential dangers lurking in the shadows.


Praise
 "Simply put, this book was amazing. I've read more fantasy novels than than I can count, but this one is certainly one of the best. The heroine isn't some wishy-washy pansy that screams at everything, and the focus of the story isn't on some unbelievably beautiful teenage girl who suddenly becomes the biggest, baddest member of her species falling in love with some big, bad, sexy member of her newfound species. It's about a girl becoming something she never knew existed, finding her place within the pack family she values more than ever before, and an age-old feud that threatens everything she loves." ~Morgan

Purchase ~ just .99 cents

Amazon Kindle

Author Shawn Underhill

Shawn is a part-time writer from New Hampshire, where he spends his free time hiking in the mountains, camping, racing dirt bikes, or anything else that keeps him outdoors. Dogs are his very favorite people. He is also the author of the novel All Things Different.

Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

BookBlast $100 Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 2/13/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Sammy Dress Review

Recently I stumbled upon a website that I have fallen in love with. It is called Sammy Dress. It is a company based in China that sells extremely cute and affordable clothes and accessories.

 I placed an order with them for some cute earrings and 2 necklaces. The shipping does take quite a while (my order took about 2 months to arrive), as the products are coming directly from China, but at such affordable prices, I believe it is worth the wait.

Here's what I ordered:

Rare New Harry Potter Hogwarts School Badge for Children Gift - Gold

$3.47

Sweet Cute Style Angel Feather Heart Shape Rhinestone Inlaid Necklace

$3.12

The Harry Potter necklace is awesome! It's very sturdy and a lot heavier than I expected it to be. It's perfect for any fan of the Harry Potter series, as I am!

The Heart necklace with wings is so pretty. It is a lot more delicate than the Harry Potter necklace, but it is gorgeous! I love the color of it, and the wings are adorable!

Sammy Dress even has a tab at the top of their site that you can click on to view all of the items they sell that have free shipping! I love this feature as paying for shipping is one of my biggest pet peeves. I like being able to spend my money on more products rather than on shipping costs.

Here's a few more items I've found on the site that I have my eye on:

So if you have some time, I really recommend you go check out Sammy Dress and take a look around. Be patient with the shipping time, it really is worth it!

The Suburban Strange Review

Amazon

TITLE: The Suburban Strange

AUTHOR: Nathan Kotecki

PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin

PUBLICATION DATE: 10/2/2012

PAGES: 368

MY RATING:

BACK COVER BLURB: Celia Balaustine would have arrived at Suburban High for her sophmore year in no better shape than when she'd left her old school: with little confidence, no style, and a sketchbook for her closest companion. But for reasons she can't fathom, she is adopted by the Rosary, a mysterious group of sophisticated friends, and is initiated into a darkly beautiful world of alternative music, fashion, art, and literature. And when she meets Tomasi, an enigmatic boy at the nightclub she attends with the Rosary, for the first time she dares to think of romance.

But Celia discovers that nothing is quite right at Suburban. Mysterious things keep happening. Accidents plague girls on the eve of their sixteenth birthday. Tomasi has a way of appearing and disappearing. Celia's not sure who she can turn to for help, as no one else seems to notice the unexplainable things going on around her.

Soon Celia is inexorably drawn into a twisted conflict between good and evil that hides in plain sight.  At Suburban High everyone's a little strange, but being Kind or Unkind may mean the difference between life and death.

Natah Kotecki's imaginative world building and his authentic portrayal of teenage concerns coalesce to create a truly suspenseful supernatural coming-of-age debut novel in this first installment of the dynamic Suburban Strange series.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I really enjoyed this book a lot. It had a great balance between the intense, exciting parts and the normal everyday teenager troubles that everyone faces. 

I felt like all of the pieces of this book were slowly trying really hard to come together in my mind as the story went on, but I just couldn't figure it out. It was a "work-out" for my brain. It was fun and I enjoyed trying to figure out who was responsible and what was going to happen next. 

The book had a great ending. Things were cleared up and resolved, but also left in a great place for a sequel.

There's an author's note at the back of the book that says the chapter titles are all album names, so I will be researching a little bit and checking that out to see if I can discover some new music.

CHARACTERS: There are lots of great characters in this book. Celia is your typical girl who doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere, until she finds her place. My favorite character is Tomasi. I hated the parts of the book where he was nowhere to be found as I wanted to read more about him and learn more about his story.

COVER: The cover of this book is a little weird for me. I'm not a huge fan of it. It's not something that pulls me in and makes me want to pick up the book to find out more about it. 

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Freak of Nature Book Blast

Freak of Nature

Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

Purchase

Amazon

Author Julia Crane

Julia Crane is the author of the YA paranormal fiction novels: Keegan's Chronicles, Mesmerized, Dark Promise and Eternal Youth. Julia was encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she's believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.

Julia Crane has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Links

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Book Blast Giveaway Details

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/27/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Authors Kindle Fire Giveaway

20 Amazing Authors plus more than 100 of the Best Bloggers have joined together to bring you 1 Amazing Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

This giveaway is sponsored by these Awesome Authors:




The Essence by Kimberly Derting
Alaina Claiborne by MK McClintock
Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out by Pandora Poikilos
Uncontrollable by S.R. Johannes
Hunted by Ednah Walters
Cliffhanger by Amy Saunders
I Was Here - Before You Came by Camelia Miron Skiba
Everlost by Brenda Pandos
Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke
Reaper's Novice by Cecilia Robert
Bulletproof by Jeff LaFerney
Lancaster House by Taylor Dean
Two Halves by Marta Szemik
Murder on Potrero Hill by M.L. Hamilton
Bellyache by Crystal Marcos
Kill Shot by Anne Patrick
Skid Out by Ann Marie Frohoff
Between by Mary Ting
Dragon Stones Saga by Kristian Alva
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett


Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends 1/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Fall To Pieces Review

Amazon

TITLE: Fall To Pieces

AUTHOR: Vahini Naidoo

PUBLISHER: Amazon Children's Publishing

PUBLICATION DATE: 9/2/2012

PAGES: 314

MY RATING: 

INSIDE COVER BLURB: When your best friend dies, you're supposed to know what happened. You're supposed to know why.

But Ella has no idea what happened the night Amy jumped to her death. She has no idea why Amy would want to die.

Ella's other friends Mark and Petal are hiding something. Ella thinks they know exactly  what happened that terrible night. But they're not talking. Instead, Ella, Mark and Petal play Pick Me Ups -- a game in which they jump from dangerous heights. And every time Ella falls, she begins to remember pieces of that night...

It's still not enough. So Ella brings a mysterious new guy into the group, hoping to shake things up and unearth the truth. But Ella's "Explosive Boy" has secrets of his own.

In the end there may be some secrets that Ella doesn't want to face. The truth -- the real truth -- about Amy's death might just be more than she can handle.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I didn't really have any expectations when I picked this book up, I just liked the cover. It's extremely dark and covers very intense topics. I would caution parents and tell them to make sure they either read all or some of it before deciding if they think their child can handle reading it.

I really enjoyed this book. I think the profanity was a little unnecessary at times, but I found myself needing to read just one more chapter, which ended up being five more, which really was me staying up way later than I should have to finish the book -- even though I had to get up early for work the next morning.

CHARACTERS: My favorite character is Tristan. I was drawn to him the moment we met him and as the story progressed, I became more interested in him and wanted to know more about his story.

COVER: I like the cover. I like the girl's hair and I like the way she fades away at the bottom of the book.

*I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Grimm Chronicles Book Blast

The Grimm Chronicles

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world. Literally. Now the characters of the Grimms' stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can stop them.

For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local library, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are.




This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series:
Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die!
Episode 2: Happily Never After
Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

Additional features for this special edition:
- An introduction
- Two special "Lost Diaries"
- A behind-the-scenes interview
- A collection of original Grimms' Fairy Tales

The Grimm Chronicles is intended for Young Adults aged 13 and up. The goal is to provide Young Adult readers with a strong, charismatic young woman in the role of the hero and provide readers with a positive protagonist who uses her brain to overcome obstacles life throws in her way.

Praise

“5 stars!” ~ Bookies Book Blog

"Highly recommended for all who love fairy tales and the YA genre." ~ My Cozie Corner

"All in all the books were excellent." ~ LilyElement

"If you love fairy tales and them being turned into modern day stories you will love these short stories." ~ Mom With a Kindle

5 stars (out of 5) ~ I Am, Indeed

“Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky’s incredible talent for storytelling takes the reader on an amazing action-packed ride fueled by endless creativity and limitless imagination. TGC is like a high-stakes version of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets a contemporary, above ground Alice in Wonderland. “ ~ Bookfetish

“I absolutely loved this book! No, let me rephrase that, I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK! Nope, that doesn't even do it justice. Vol. 1 has the first three stories from the 12 that will ultimately make up the chronicles.” ~ Jesse Kimmel-Freeman

Purchase:

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 1

Book 1: Prince Charming Must Die!

Book 2: Happily Never After

Book 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

Book 4: The Orphanage of Doom

Book 5: Blood and Thunder

About the Authors
Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.

Website * Facebook

Book Blast Giveaway Details

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/11/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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