2nd Annual Lunar Love Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is...

Julia Rain Wellman!

Congratulations, Julia!

Thank you for participating, everyone!

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop!

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

March 8th through 13th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookworm Lisa

I'm giving away a paperback copy of Marissa Meyer's Cinder in celebration of lunar love (though readers shouldn't love the Lunars represented here!)

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Be sure to check out all the other blogs participating in the hop!

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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Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is...

Carrie L!

The winner has been confirmed.  Thank you all for participating!

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop!

It's that time of year again!  Time for clearing off the bookshelves to make way for the new books in the coming year.  This month for my readers, I have THREE books to give ONE lucky winner.  Why three books?  Well, because it's a trilogy, that's why!

Up for grabs is Maria V. Snyder's Glass Trilogy!

1 paperback copy of Storm Glass

1 paperback copy of Sea Glass

1 paperback copy of Spy Glass

Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below to enter, easy as pie!

Rules:

- Must be 13 or older to enter
- Open to US residents only
- Winner will be contacted January 11th and must confirm win within 72 hours

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Good luck everyone!

Remember to check out all the other participating blogs!

In Celebration of December 12, 2012

Welcome to the final triple date digits, everyone!  This is the last year of this century that we will ever see the same digit in all three slots of the date, namely 12/12/12.  In 2007, this was really big especially for brides wanting to get married on 07/07/07.  Can you imagine the total amount of weddings scheduled for that day?  Holy schnikies! 

Anyway, in honor of 12/12/12, I'm giving away an ARC copy of:

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

And what makes this copy extra-special?  It's signed!  This contest will run until the day after Christmas, 12/26/2012, so good luck everyone!

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Rules:

- Must be 13 years or older to enter

- Must live in the US

- Winner must respond to confirm their win within 72 hours

YA Mythology Hop

Hosted by For Those About to Read &

I Am A Reader Not A Writer

Mythology has always been a fascinating area of literature for me, especially Greek mythology.  For the YA Mythology Giveaway, I have a hardcover copy of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini for ONE lucky reader.  

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck everyone!

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Banned Books Week Giveaway

Hosted by the ever-amazing I Read Banned Books & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

September 28th through October 6th

Banned Books Week is a yearly event celebrating the freedom to read.  This event is usually held during the last week of September and highlights the value of free and open access to information.  Banned Books Week brings together librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, and readers to show their support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, though they might be considered unorthodox or unpopular.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools.  It's amazing at how these books have been criticized and scorned yet they still remain available to the public thanks to the work of librarians, teachers, students, and members of the community who support the freedom to read. 

Below are three of my favorite banned/challenged books:

To find out more frequently challenged titles, please go here.

While I own these three (and others that have been challenged or banned), I'd like to give my readers the chance to select their own banned or challenged book with a $15 Barnes & Noble gift card!

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway!

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Review: Anew + Giveaway!

Title:  Anew (Archers of Avalon #1)
Author:  Chelsea Fine
Pages:  378
Genre:  Paranormal Young Adult
Publisher:  Acacia Publishing
Obtained:  From Publisher for Blog Tour
Summary:  Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery... until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out her her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past... might just be the death of her.

The Dish:  Oh my... I want more!  That's how I felt while reading Chelsea Fine's Anew.  I'll admit I had a completely different story in mind when I first read the summary, and Fine definitely delivered a heart-pounding story.  And when I say "heart-pounding" I mean literally in our heroine's case.

After waking up two years prior with no recollection of any memories, Scarlet has been living as normal a life as she can manage in Avalon, Georgia.  She has a guardian who provides for her every need, a best friend who brings her happiness, and she has just started seeing one of the most gorgeous of guys.  Despite these things, Scarlet wants to know about her past, about who she is and why she would have been left in the forest alone without anyone coming to look for her in the past two years.

Scarlet is an amazing character.  With all that she has been through in first trying to figure out who she is and then in dealing with the fact that she is living with a curse that forces her to die, I would have freaked out a lot sooner than her.  She's a strong person and an admirable girl.  What confused me was after she found out about Gabriel and Tristan and how she couldn't understand why she was so drawn to one brother.  Granted, with the way one treated her versus how the other treated her, her confusion was rather justified.

I was very intrigued and smitten with both Gabriel and Tristan Archer, but at the same time, the mystery behind their curse was a factor that really pushed me through the story.  There was one brother that really caught my attention, and I'm very curious to see what will happen in the next book.

While some of the questions put forth in the story were answered, there were others that had yet to be resolved.  Readers will love the dynamic between Scarlet, Gabriel, and Tristan as well as the mystery behind their curse, though I highly recommend having Awry, the second book, on hand.

Thanks to Acacia Publishing, I have one physical copy of Anew for US residents and one ebook copy for International residents!  Enter below to win a copy of Anew by Chelsea Fine!

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Time to Clean My Shelves

Taking a page from Books of Love as well as the arrival of my beau, I think it's time to clean my bookshelves.  Below are 5 titles I'm giving away to 3 winners.  The first winner will have their first pick of TWO titles, the second winner will have their pick of TWO of the remaining titles, and the third winner will win the remaining title.  Sound good?  Yay!  On to the books!

Crave by Melissa Darnell (Paperback)

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane (Paperback)

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (Hardback)

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (Paperback)

Violins of Autumn by Amy McAuley (ARC)

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Rules:

Giveaway will run from 12:00 am EST 9/4/12 to 12:00 am EST on 9/18/12
First winner will win TWO books (out of FIVE)

Second winner will win TWO books (out of THREE)

Third winner will win ONE book

US entries only, please, sorry but postage is a bear.

Must be 13 years or older to enter.

You don't have to be a follower to enter.

Good luck everyone!

The Dark Unwinding Tour: 10 Pieces of Advice that Worked for Sharon Cameron

First off, thank you to Hannah for allowing me to participate in the blog tour for The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron.  I would also like to thank the amazing people at Scholastic for giving me the chance to read this unique young adult novel, and you can check out my review here.  Now, please welcome Sharon Cameron!

What are the top ten pieces of advice you can offer to aspiring writers?

Every writer is different, Amy, so much so that I always hesitate to say “go do this!” or “do that!” Writing is not a “one size fits all” business, you know? So instead of advice to aspiring writers, I think I’ll call this “The Top Ten Things That Worked for Sharon When She Was an Aspiring Writer.” (And yes, since I totally cheated, it’s really more like twelve things.)

So without further ado, here are the top ten (or twelve) pieces of advice that worked for me:

1. Read books, tons of books, in and out of your genre, new and not so newly published. And when you really, really love a book, read it again, this time with the eye of a writer.

2. Discover what is about that favorite book that truly moves you. Is it word choices, character development, setting, theme, or a certain issue? Delve deep, and know what lights your own inner fire. (For me, it was grim, gloomy houses and secret passages. Who knew?)

3. Experiment. Find your own unique way to incorporate that “inner fire” and write about things that make you passionate. If you are moved by what you’re writing, then there’s a good chance someone else will be, too.

4. Finish your project, especially when you’re uninspired, tired of it, hate it, and wonder why you ever started the thing in the first place!

5. When it’s complete, read your story start to finish, this time with the eye of a reader. (Yuck. Painful!) Revise.

6. Find a committed, professional, and honest critique group of writers working in your genre. A wonderful critique group (like mine!) is pure, unadulterated gold.

7. Give constructive critique on the work of others (and note the emphasis on “constructive!”). Critiquing constructively was hands down the best writing education I ever got.

8. Consider each and every criticism without taking offence, weigh it in the balance, and then learn to filter out the advice that doesn’t resonate.

9. Revise. Set your story aside and help others revise. Then revise your story again. (Yuck again. Painful!)

10. Treat yourself as a professional long before you make any money. Join organizations like Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, go to conferences and workshops and network, network, network! There’s nothing like the love and support of your book tribe.

Thank you, Sharon!  As you said, while there is no set way for a writer to become an author, it's always fascinating to see what works for each individual writer.  I'm sure your advice is a great boon to some aspiring writers.  (I know it is for me!)

About the Author:

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing, Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages.

Find Sharon On:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
{Photo credit to Rusty Russell 2011}

About the Book:

The Dark Unwinding begins when seventeen year old Katharine Tulman is sent to her uncle's remote and bizarre estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, she finds a child-like, genius inventor with his own set of rules, employing a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London. Katharine is torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving her uncle's peculiar world that she has come to care for deeply, a choice made complicated by a gray-eyed apprentice, and the strange visions and nightmares that have her secretly fearing for her own sanity. 

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Visit other Tour stops!

 August 26 Hannah @ The Book Vortex
Guest Post - Introduction

August 27 Marielle @ Book Thoughts by Marielle
Interview with Sharon

August 28 Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter
Guest Post: Favorite Real Life Mystery

August 29 Amy @ Denim Jacket Librarian
List: 10 Pieces of Advice

August 30 Lauren @ The Housework Can Wait
Interview with Sharon

August 31 Tirzah @ The Compulsive Reader
Character Interview: Mary

September 1: RELEASE DAY!

September 2 Alli @ Magnet 4 Books' Reviews
Guest Post

September 3 Emily @ The Ninja Librarian
Interview with Sharon

September 4 Christina @ A Reader of Fictions
Character Interview: TBA

September 5 Jessica @ Wastepaper Prose
Guest Post

September 6 Sara @ Through the Looking Glass
Interview with Sharon

September 7 Katie @ Katie's Book Blog
Character Interview: Lane

September 8 Jessica K @ The Cozy Reader
Guest Post: A Discussion on the Novel's Setting

September 9 Linda @ Mission to Read
Interview with Sharon

Summer Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & 

Mary from Bookhounds and Forever Young (Adult)

While I'm more of a fan of the cooler seasons, summer definitely has its perks. You can go swimming, wear sundresses, and read on a blanket under a tree (or from the comfort of your home in the A/C).  But most of all, I love the new releases.  More than that I love new releases by Texas authors, and so I'm giving away a copy of Anastasia Forever by Joy Preble to one lucky winner. ^_^ US entries only please.

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Winter in July Giveaway!

I love winter.  It's my favorite time of year when you can bundle up in a cute sweater or cuddle under a blanket with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.  While we don't get snow in my state (we view it as a miracle when we do since it's a rarity), there's just something enjoyable about the crisp, cold days and nights of winter.  Why am I talking about winter in the middle of summer?  Well, you could say I'm feeling a little winter-needy, thanks to my beau who is also feeling winter-needy.  So in honor of our winter-neediness, I'm going to snow all of you with a giveaway!

I will be giving away to one lucky reader:

A signed ARC of Anna Banks' Of Poseidon

AND

(Image borrowed from Bookhounds)

Three mystery 2012 YA/MG ARCs!!!

But wait there's more!  If I reach 400 followers during the giveaway, I will add a finished copy of: 

Julie Kagawa's The Iron King

Edit: Since it is currently winter below the Equator (slight season envy going here), this contest is open internationally.  Good luck to everyone!

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Small Blogs, Big Dreams Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by Forbidden Passions Reviews & Walking on Bookshelves

April 16th-21st

We all start out as small blogs, and it's only over time that we are able to expand through meeting other bloggers, readers, and anyone who just loves books.  One of the books I was thrilled to receive after ALA last year was an ARC of The Scorpio Races signed by Maggie Stiefvater.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but now that I own my own copy (also signed by Maggie, thanks to the wonderful sponsors of Teen Book Con), I would like to pass it along as bloggers should do with ARCs.  Good luck, everyone!

And the winner is....

Froggarita!

Congratulations!  And thank you everyone for entering.  

Be on the lookout for another giveaway soon!

Texas YA Author Love Giveaway Winner Announced!

Since the annual Texas Library Association conference is just around the corner, I'm hosting a giveaway to show all of our Texas YA authors just how much their readers love them.  You can win TWO paranormal books of your choice from the list of titles below. 

Congratulations to Natasha! 

She has chosen Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter and Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey as her prizes.

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop Winner!!!

 

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest, and definitely be on the look out for another giveaway next month!

We have a confirmed winner of The Savage Grace by Bree Despain!

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop: March 8th to 13th

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

March 8th through 13th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookworm Lisa

Being a fanatic of werewolves, who are true lunar lovers, I think it only right to offer a copy of The Savage Grace by Bree Despain.

100 Follower Giveaway Winner!

I'm so excited with my first giveaway and will definitely have more in the future! ^_^ First off, thank you to everyone who participated to make this giveaway a great success.  A special thanks goes to Carmel from Rabid Reads for posting about the giveaway during her Rabid Bites (18).  Once again, here is the prize, a brand new copy of C.C. Hunter's Born at Midnight.

And the winner is...

Denise Z!!!


Congratulations!  I have sent an email notifying her of her winnings.  If I receive no response within 24 hours 
I shall choose a different winner.


Update: I just received Denise's response, so congratulations to her!


Be on the lookout for future giveaways, everyone!  ^_^

Review + 100 Follower Giveaway: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Title:  Born at Midnight
Author:  C.C. Hunter
Summary:  One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls--a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren't just "troubled."  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side--learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie's never felt normal, but surely she doesn't belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn't complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek's a half-fae who's determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin' hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn't be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear--Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs...

The Dish:  It seems I'm giving a lot of love to Texas authors, and I'm happy to continue that love with C.C. Hunter's Born at Midnight.  Kylie Galen has just been sent to a summer camp for supernaturals, and she definitely has something to say about that.  Namely that she's at the wrong camp.  She's determined to prove to the camp leaders that's she's not one of them, but everyone seems to believe the opposite, especially when she keeps seeing the ghost of a soldier always following her.  Hard to argue with that logic that she is indeed supernatural, which makes her stuck where she is.  With a vampire and a witch for roommates that always seem to bicker with each other along with a half-fae who's very interested in her, a werewolf who knows Kylie from the past, and a sneaky shape-shifter, life at this camp is far from ordinary.

Readers have to look at Born at Midnight as an introduction to Kylie's life and the supernatural world that Hunter has created.  The story is about Kylie's journey in finding out just who and what she is as a supernatural along with meeting those who will help her in discovering that truth.  Fortunately for Kylie, she has many people who not only assist but to just have time to be a teenage supernatural.  Take Della and Miranda, the vampire and witch that she rooms with.  While Della can be a bit cold especially when it comes to Kylie's aversion to even saying the word "blood," the vampire is willing to stand up for her roommate against a troublesome she-werewolf.  Miranda is a boy-crazy witch with dyslexia that always seems to be "in-the-know" on camp news.  Readers get insight into how the vampire and witch dynamics work in this world, and despite their constant arguing, Della and Miranda are there for Kylie when she needs friends most.

Then there are the two males vying for Kylie's attention namely in Derek, the half-fae who has the ability to sense others' emotions and Lucas, the werewolf who knew Kylie from when they were children and whom she thought did a great misdeed to her.  Their dynamic in the story is...interesting to say the least.  When one is not spending time with Kylie, it seems the other is.  It doesn't seem that their "conflict" is as realized save for one confrontation when Derek and Kylie are on a "Meet Your Campmates Hour" activity when Lucas comes out of nowhere after Kylie screams when she sees a water moccasin.  As characters both males intrigue me since you have Derek's almost "boy-next-door" charm and then there is Lucas's "mysterious-speak-only-when-necessary" demeanor.  However, on a personal note, werewolves tend to trump fae with me (apologies to those who favor the fae, it's just my preference).

When you get to pacing of the story itself, it is a steady flow of Kylie's experiences both at camp, coming to grips with her parents in their divorce while she's trying to prove she's not supernatural, and also when dealing with the ghost, "Soldier Dude" as she named him.  There is a LOT going on in her life, so it's understandable that the story have a more relaxed yet inquisitive feel to it.  I definitely did not feel rushed though I did want to learn more of the different situations at Shadow Falls and involving Kylie's parents, determining whether they were supernaturals or not.

Most of the action doesn't get going until close to the end of the book, but as I mentioned before, readers should look at this book as an introduction to Kylie's world.  With Born at Midnight being the start of The Shadow Falls series, the main conflict cannot be revealed nor can the climax come at the beginning of the overall story.  Lucky for readers, Awake at Dawn is coming out in October of this year, and I'll be looking for that in stores to read more of Kylie's story.

UPDATE: The Giveaway is Closed! Check back for future giveaways!

Giveaway Time:

Now for the fun part!  To celebrate both reaching 100 Followers and also to show my love for Texas author, C.C. Hunter, I'm giving away a new copy of Born at Midnight to one of my awesome readers.  Rules are as follows:

1.  To enter please leave a comment with your paranormal of preference (werewolf, vampire, witch, fae, shapeshifter, etc.) along with your email address.

2.  You don't have to follow my blog to enter, but if you are a follower (old or new) please leave a second comment.

3.  The winner will be chosen using a random number generator on July 31st.

Good luck, everyone! ^_^