February Giveaway! Winners

Here is the list of books:
1. The Sinner by Margaret Mallory 

Winner- GraceShell24

2. If you give a girl a Viscount by Kieran Kramer (Signed)

Winner- Tanya G.

 
3. Desired by Nicola Cornick (Signed)

Winner- Shelby2021
 
4. On the First Night of Christmas by Heidi Rice (Signed)

Winner- Jenna F. 


Winners have 72 hours to reply to the message I sent them..
I'll mail the books as soon as you reply..:D
International winners - please give a couple of weeks for the books to arrive..
Thank you everyone for participating and keep visiting this blog for more giveaways..:) 


Proceed here to see the post for this giveaway! 

Book Review:Insight

Insight by Diana Greenwood

• Reading level: Ages 15 and up
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310723140
• ASIN: B005K6FUDG

Fourteen-year-old Elvira Witsil lives in a remote area of Wisconsin with her mother, Connie, who acknowledges Elvira only when chores need doing; her grandma, a cantankerous woman who can't hold her tongue; and her baby sister, Jessie --- who, the family discovers, is a seer.

Along with the burdens of a difficult family, Elvira also bears a daunting secret --- she encouraged her father to enlist in WWII. Ever since he was declared missing in action, Elvira has felt responsible for his presumed death. But Jessie also carries a secret about the father she never met --- a secret so powerful that when her mother, Connie, learns of it, she sends the family on a journey to California with a traveling preacher.

This powerful teen manuscript tells the story of a family's journey toward forgiveness and a young woman's journey toward faith.

I enjoyed this book a lot.

The cover of this book doesn’t really have anything to do with the story-my own opinion-. It suggest a paranormal one, while actually even if there is some supernatural things in the book, it doesn’t deal mostly in it. But I loved the cover just as well. It’s eye-catching and interesting.

This book is about self-discovery, love and loss, life and death, acceptance and understanding, past and future, hope and faith, forgiveness, healing and God's love. This is a complete journey into the lives of ordinary people who found themselves and God along the way.

With the author’s writing, I found myself in the road in 1940’s with the main character Elvira. I really empathized with her. I cried and laughed along, carried and felt the guilt she have over her father’s presumed dead. I also felt her mother’s neglect and meanness towards her. I struggled with her in her transformation toward a woman of faith.

Ms. Greenwood brought her story to real life and inspires readers like me a lot. Her characters are developed well-enough that they’d stay in the reader’s hearts even long after reading Insight.

This book wonderfully stated the thoughts and feelings every teen and to-be-teen experienced. It’s a hard thing turning from a child to a teen, but it’s much harder when there’s no one to guide you, especially when you needed the most your parents.

Insight is a great reminder, that we don’t only have problems to worry about. We have blessings and every little thing we should be thankful for. Faith and the questions that comes along with it are detailed without really making the reader uncomfortable with the religion-subtext.

All in all, Insight is a fast-read, all-pack book I would recommend to kids, teens and adults 9 and above. INSPIRING. Highly Recommended. :)




View all my reviews

Z 2 A

Z 2 A by Eva Dillner

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Divine Design (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9197823139
• ISBN-13: 978-9197823135

In the West, we know how to achieve - in spades! We know how to plan and execute. We know how to set goals and objectives. We know how to live life from A to Z. But how do we get from Z to A? What do we know of navigating that space in between? When life as we know it ends, before we see a new beginning, there is a creative void where all things are possible. That’s what this book is about. I call it Z 2 A.

Sometimes it takes an ‘earthquake’ in our lives to make the change happen that is good for us. I’ve had many discontinuances in my life. Perhaps the universe thought I should have more practice than most, so I’d know what I was talking about in writing this book.

Z 2 A is ever so much about the unexpected. New solutions. A different path. Seldom the one logic dictates. Not a straight line, but more a connect the dots experience where you have no idea what you are doing as you mosey from point to point. (To read more of the description..click here)

“We live and learn. Might as well roll with the punches. Put another way, you can’t force your will on the universe.”

A phrase from the book which made me paused and smiled.

I didn’t thought that I would love this book even better than her other books nor on any other philosophical ones.:)

We know how to get from A to Z. But what happens when life goes out of order, before we move on to a new day, there is a void we need to think about. This is what the book teaches us, living from Z 2 A. –the space in between-.

This book is about positive attitudes and actions. The author admits this weaved in and out, dealing with different aspects of life. Her last chapter talks about letting go and trusting the higher power.

The place described in the book is the author’s travel through Delhi (India). She wonderfully wrote that experience and inner thoughts in this book.

This was a fast read, plus a gallery of her paintings. Which at first glance would seem confusing, but if you actually focus on it, you’ll find its beauty between the strokes.

Z2A is a rich spiritual book helping the reader in the entire process of transformation. In this book, I find myself actually listening to the author and not merely reading. The message she sends are clear this time.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it considering this is not a genre I normally read. It made me stop and think about taking time for myself. Truly Inspiring. Highly Recommended to anyone who doesn’t mind reading philosophical books..:)




View all my reviews

Secrets of Transformation

Secrets of Transformation by Eva Dillner

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Divine Design (November 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9197630993
• ISBN-13: 978-9197630993

It Started like a Fairy Tale... He was Prince Charming. At first. The abuse came later, when he thought he owned her. It started with verbal attacks. She had done something wrong, he screamed. She couldn't do anything right, it seemed. Other days, Prince Charming was back. One day he raped her. On two occasions he tried to kill her. She survived. She went on a quest to heal, to understand, to gather the pieces of the puzzle, to make whole. Her inner and outer journeys took her deep into a chain of ancestral pain. Along the way she learned the secrets of transformation. She left the past behind and changed her life. 

Are you tired of tripping over your past? 

Do you keep repeating the same relationship scenarios over and over again? 

Do you wonder why some people manage to move past the dreadful things that have happened to them? 

Find out how to quit your whining, leave your baggage behind and create a new you. 

Eva Dillner is a writer, artist and teacher working with creative and therapeutic processes for inspiration and transformation. Originally an engineer, she turned to alternative therapies when life skidded to a halt in the early nineties. She trained with the best in the business from Seattle to Edinburgh and beyond. In the last five years she's published five books and has toured Europe and the United States to hold Eva Parties - instead of Tupperware, you get Eva live and in the moment.

I would like to thank Ms. Dillner for sharing her story with us in this book. She bravely presents issues of addiction, abuse, neglect and how these changed her life. Her story is really heartbreaking, personal and everything you just don’t wish to experience.

The best part of this book is the “Secrets of Transformation” section which is the last section. I even grabbed a pencil and wrote down the inspiring phrases I found in there which appealed to me greatly.

Two things I learned from this book is: 1) if you have a problem you have two options -Avoid or resolve. 2) You have the ability to change your own life but you can’t just change someone else’s.

There are actually a lot of good points in the book, but it would take me awhile to put it all in here. So, you just have to read it and discover for yourself.:)

One negative thing about this book is her writing style. One thing you’re into her story, the next she jumps to a new territory. She spoke of her therapies, her life, feelings and everything she’s been through, but it mixed with one another at some point. It might get confusing. But with proper editing and proofreading, this book would be a truly good one.

“Secrets of Transformation” is a very honest book, with all the author’s emotions laid in the open. I would recommend to anyone who experienced similar situations. This book would help you. Also to those who wants to understand situations like these, find their personal healing and how these affects people.

Thank you Ms. Dillner!




View all my reviews

Meandering Mind

Meandering Mind by Eva Dillner

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Divine Design (July 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9197823120
• ISBN-13: 978-9197823128

Like a walkabout of the mind
To become whole we need to bring out what is inside of us. We have to risk going out on a limb, to express our inner selves, to share our gift with the world. What we hold inside is our salvation if we bring it out, if we lock it up inside ourselves it is our destruction. The energy must move and flow freely. It is why we are here - to dance in the energy of life.
Come have a cup of tea as we ponder the meaning of life. Come walk with me in the woods as I tell you about my life. Come into my office and I'll share the secrets of organizational change. Come discover my views on relationships... (See whole synopsis here)


This book is another one I’ve read which is far different from the YA books I usually submerged myself into, even different from novels. So to anyone reading this review, this book is fiction and I’d based my review like on every other fiction book I’d read.

This is the personal views, thoughts, experiences, beliefs, insecurities, and actions of the author about self-discovery, and descriptions of social organization. But most of the topics are about self-respect and achieving personal happiness, which anyone could really get into.

The best thing I liked about this book is that it gives you priceless advices here and there which are lessons from life that the author experienced herself. I found myself realizing- “hey, that’s awfully right”. These are thoughts none of us would have given second thought, but it’s perfectly portrayed in this book.

I didn't feel this book was written for me though. This was too mature in a good way. But I found this easy to read through, and comprehend. The writing was well, even if there are some sentences which are stated awkwardly.

This book would be improved if the author wrote like she’s directly speaking to her readers. And avoid jumping into various topics. Her book has potential, it just needs a little editing I guess.

Meandering Mind is a thought-provoking and enlightening book that I would recommend to anyone who feels unsure of themselves and needs someone to talk to with their struggles. Or those who deal with people. :)




View all my reviews

Cover Unveiled: Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos

Title: Out of Reach 
Author: Carrie Arcos 
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: October 2012

When Micah disappears from home, his sister Rachel decides to secretly take matters into her own hands. Armed with Micah's best friend Tyler, she travels from the hazy, lazy suburbs of Southern California to the seedy side of San Diego's beach communities following the clues that Micah left behind. As each lead arrives at a dead end, she is left to piece together the puzzle that is her brother's life. And the sketchy characters Rachel and Tyler encounter make Rachel wonder if she can reach Micah before it’s too late.

Cover Unveiled: The Unfailing Light by Robin Bridges

Title: The Unfailing Light 
Author: Robin Bridges 
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She's about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia's arch nemesis--who she thought she'd destroyed--is still alive. 

So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She'll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina's horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in.

Cover Unveiled: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Time Between Us 
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone 
Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, TIME BETWEEN US is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction.

Cover Unveiled: Defiance by C.J.Redwine

Title: Defiance 
Author: C. J. Redwine 
Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Release Date: August 28th 2012

           Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

    At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

  As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Cover Unveiled: Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Title: Hanging by a Thread 
Author: Sophie Littlefield 
Publisher: Dela Corte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 11th 2012

Summer is the best part of the year in Winston, California, and the Fourth of July is the highlight of the season. But the perfect town Clare remembers has changed, and everyone is praying that this summer will be different from the last two—that this year's Fourth of July festival won't see one of their own vanish without a trace, leaving no leads and no suspects. The media are in a frenzy predicting a third disappearance, but the town depends on tourist dollars, so the residents of Winston are trying desperately to pretend nothing's wrong.

And they're not the only ones hiding something.

Clare, a seamstress who redesigns vintage clothing, has been blessed—or perhaps cursed—with a gift: she can see people's pasts when she touches their clothes. When she stumbles across a denim jacket that once belonged to Amanda Stavros, last year's Fourth of July victim, Clare sees her perfect town begin to come apart at the seams.

In a town where appearance means everything, how deep beneath the surface will Clare dig to uncover a murderer?

Update:Hunger Games Mall Tour

The cast of The Hunger Games is heading around the country for a national tour before the movie premieres!

Saturday - March 3rd
LOS ANGELES: Westfield Century City
Gary Ross, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth

Tuesday - March 6th
ATLANTA: JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
Liam Hemsworth, Leven Rambin (Glimmer), Dayo Okeniyi (Thresh), Amandla Stenberg (Rue), and Jack Quaid (Marvel)

Wednesday - March 7th
PHOENIX: Scottsdale Fashion Square
Liam Hemsworth, Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi, and Jack Quaid

Wednesday - March 7th
CHICAGO: Westfield Fox Valley
Josh Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove), and Jacqueline Emerson (Foxface)

Thursday - March 8th
MIAMI: Westfield Broward
Jennifer Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig (Cato), and Amandla Stenberg

Thursday - March 8th
DALLAS: Galleria Dallas
Josh Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman, and Jacqueline Emerson

Friday - March 9th
MINNEAPOLIS: The Mall Of America
Jennifer Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig, Amandla Stenberg, Josh Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman, and Jacqueline Emerson

Saturday - March 10th
SEATTLE: The University Village
Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson

Cover Unveiled:My Heart be Damned by Chanelle Gray

Title: My Heart be Damned 
Author: Chanelle Gray 
Publisher: Knight Romance Publishing

Release Date: July 15, 2012

If you're a Hunter, there are only three things you must know about the Damned. The Damned can't lie, can't live without a body, and can't leave you alone.

Amerie Carter has the blood of a Hunter, unfortunately. She is one of a rare line of women who, upon her sixteenth birthday, will come into extraordinary powers used to hunt the Damned; escaped souls from Hell who take up residence in human bodies. It's supposed to be her sweet sixteen, but Amerie has never dreaded a day more, and her worst fears are confirmed as the celebration turns tragic when her mother is killed.

Grief-stricken, Amerie vows to never hunt a day in her life. She's determined to hide behind normalcy, attending school, hanging out with her friends and working an after-school job at The Hut. All Amerie wants is to be left alone. But try telling the Damned that. The harder Amerie tries to ignore her powers, the more the Damned come looking for her.

When an attack leaves one of Amerie's friends in the hospital, and endangers the lives of her fellow students, she knows she has no choice: Hunt or Be Hunted. Thankfully, the gorgeous, secretive, and so-off-limits Marshall offers to train Amerie to take out her supernatural enemies. But training with Marshall means leading lying to her friends, her family, and confronting the mysterious circumstances surrounding her mother’s death.

Amerie soon discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide, Marshall's secrets might kill her before the Damned get the chance.

Official Safe and Sound Video (Hunger Games)

So, I was watching Taylor Swift's new music video for The Hunger Games called 'Safe and Sound' and I I love it. It made me feel goosebumps all-over. Such a wonderful song.

According to MTV, Taylor said, "'When I got the call, I thought from what I'd heard about the movie, 'It's an action movie, right? We're probably going to be writing a song that's like, "We're going to win!" ' And then I read the book,
and I thought, 'No, we're going to have to write sort of a death lullaby, it's so different from what I thought.' "

Taylor is so beautiful here, perfect even withour make-up.
The only thing I would want to be added, is a clip from the movie, and this music video would be perfect.!

To read more, click here: MTV.  You can buy the soundtrack CD here too.
The full list of the songs are here.
 

We're up to 8000.. I'm so thankful to everyone..This February, this blog reached pageviews from 5000 to 8000 yesterday. Thanks so much..:)

Continue to visit this page for more reviews, giveaways, freebies, interviews, and anything about books..

Free Read: Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 3 2011

 In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Harper Teen is offering it free here

Cover Unveiled: Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Title: Hidden 
Author: Sophie Jordan 
Publisher: HarperTEEN

Release Date: September 11, 2012

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

Cover Unveiled: Taste by Kate Evangelista

Title: Taste

Author: Kate Evangelista

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Release Date: not set

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

I actually saw this cover in LibraryThing (2010) as one of the profile pics of the users there. Since then, I always love this picture, I never thought this is a cover art of a book..

Embrace Trailer

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (March 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402268408
• ISBN-13: 978-1402268403

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…” 

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before. Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. 

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Free Excerpt: Witchful Thinking by HP Mallory

title: Witchful Thinking

author:H. P. Mallory

publisher: Bantam

release date: February 28th 2012

This book is obviously based on the personal views of the writer- what she thinks and have experienced but the best part is that it gives you small invaluable advices here and there which maybe no one can give you 'coz they are so trivial but they mean so much in real life. 

Since they have come with life experience so they are something definitely to look forward to from someone like me who has in her early 20s.  Witchful Thinking: A Jolie Wilkins Novel by H. P. Mallory (Free Excerpt)

You could buy this here! enjoy!

Review Copy Cleanup Challenge: March 2012

 

Nyx Book Reviews and Books, Biscuits & Tea are hosting a wonderful Challenge in March called the Review Copy Cleanup.  Like many reviewers, I always get a high pile of to-be-reviewed books. I signed up, since I think this would help me, manage  my reviews and actually be motivated! :)

Challenge guidelines:

✦ This challenge runs from 1 to 31 March, 2012
✦ Sign-ups are open until 15 March 2012. After that the linky list will be closed and participation in the challenges and giveaways won't be possible for anyone who hasn't previously signed up.
✦ To sign up, just fill in the Mister Linky form below. Link to your sign up post directly, please! The Linky is the same for both our blogs, so you only have to sign up once.
✦ When you post your sign up post on your blog, either include the challenge button with your post or link it back to this article so that people know where to sign up. Thank you!
✦ Every book you received for review counts towards the challenge, both ebooks and hard copies, including all genres and lengths.
✦ You don't need to follow the two hosts in order to be able to sign up for the event (although it's appreciated), but you do have to follow us in order to be able to enter our giveaways. In order to be entered in the giveaway, simply complete the given challenge and add the link to your post in the linky list.
✦ Challenges will be posted every week on Fridays and will last throughout the week until Thursday the next week. Every challenge ends with a giveaway. To enter in the challenges and giveaways, simply add the link to your challenge post in the Linky list in the main challenge post. It will be posted on both blogs.
✦ At the end of the event we will host our Massive Giveaway. This contains tons of prizes donated by awesome authors. All you'll need to do in order to enter this giveaway is to fill in a Rafflecopter form - as simple as that. :)
✦ Most of our giveaways will be open INTERNATIONALLY but you'll find all the relevant info about each giveaway when we post the challenges.
✦ Feel free to use the #RCCleanup hashtag on Twitter for your RCC related tweets or join in the Twitter party at http://tweetchat.com/room/RCCleanup and meet lots of lovely bloggers :)

Challenge schedule:

✦ March 2 - Show Off Your Pile
✦ March 9 - Cuddle Up With a Book
✦ March 16 - Don't Be Such a Tease!
✦ March 23 - Mysterious Meet-up
✦ March 30 - Love Will Find a Way

Cover Unveiled: Inbetween by Tara Fuller

Title: Inbetween 
Author: Tara Fuller 

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Release Date: August 7th 2012

One Girl. Bound by Fate. Breaks Free

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left...his soul.

Hunger Games Soundtrack

The Hunger Games movie has released the soundtrack list. So far it looks pretty awesome! Here it is:

1. Arcade Fire "Abraham's Daughter"

2. The Secret Sisters "Tomorrow Will Be Kinder"

3. Neko Case "Nothing to Remember"

4. Taylor Swift "Safe & Sound ft. Civil Wars"

5.  Kid Cudi "The Ruler and The Killer"

6.  Punch Brothers "Dark Days"

7.  The Decemberists "One Engine"

8.  The Carolina Chocolate Drops "Daughter’s Lament"

9.  The Civil Wars "Kingdom Come"

10.  Glen Hansard "Take The Heartland"

11.  Maroon 5 ft. Rozzi Crane "Come Away To The Water"

12.  Miranda Lambert "Run Daddy Run ft. Pistol Annies"

13.  Jayme Dee "Rules"

14.  Taylor Swift "Eyes Open"

15.  The Low Anthem "Lover Is Childlike"

16.  Birdy "Just A Game"

The soundtrack compose of varied artist..but Taylor Swift is my all-time favorite..:D

Have you seen Safe and Sound's music video.. totally awesome..though I would love it more, if they include the movie's trailer there too..:)

What do you think about the soundtrack list?Who are your favorite artists included in this? What do you think about the movie?..I'm super excited!>>

Burden of the Soul Free Ebook

This weekend, Amazon and author Kate Grace bring you free downloads of the new YA hit that's got people talking. Burden of the Soul, heralded as "urban fantasy at its best", will be free to download on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19 through the Amazon Kindle Store.

Help us get the word out and share it with all the YA Paranormal/Fantasy fans you know. Don't have a Kindle? Download the free Kindle App to your phone, tablet or computer.

Download it, read it, then share it! Join other Burden of the Soul readers on Goodreads or Facebook and share your thoughts.

Enjoy 

Download it here!

Cheers!
This blog reached 7000 last week..Just an update...:)
Thanks so much everyone!

Cover Unveiled: Gravity by Melissa West

Title: Gravity 
Author: Melissa West

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC

Release Date: October 2012

In the future, only one rule will matter: Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed--arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know--especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

My favorite boy hottie so far that live in a book other than Edward Cullen is -Alex MacDonald from The Sinner by Margaret Mallory..

Alex is a Scotland Highland Warrior,  he may seem a bit annoying and a woman-heartbreaker but once he found his true love, he stick to her and do his best to be loyal and loving to her wife.. his finesse in fighting and warrior sills is a plus, and another thing that makes him outstanding is his bravery, his green eyes, and his sun-like hair... of course I won't forget his humor, and many tantalizing tales of the old ..:)


I have a giveaway running for this book.. check it out here:


This is a blog hop:

Unbreakable Love

Unbreakable Love by Angela Carling

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Acacia Publishing, Inc. (November 21, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935089471
• ISBN-13: 978-1935089476

Jennie Townsend is unlucky in love, so she is immediately suspicious when a mysterious new student named Nate tries to gain her friendship. But there is something special about Nate, and in spite of her best efforts Jennie finds her feelings for the boy growing deeper every day.

In fact, Nate is more special than Jennie can even imagine. He is a guardian angel, sent to protect Jennie during a most dangerous time in her life. To do so, he must first become close to her – but not too close. The rules for Protectors warn against physical contact and strictly forbid falling in love. But the more time Nate spends with Jennie, the harder the rules are to follow. Will Nate be able to save Jennie from a premature end, or will his own emotions – and Jennie's – get in the way of completing the task for which he was specifically chosen?

Ok, this book really didn’t have to be labeled a paranormal romance, the angel theme is just a subcontext, for me this book is a young adult in itself needing no angel-theme attached…

The angel story isn’t really talked detail by detail in the book, it adds spice and keep you reading.. it points why Jennie and Nate’s love is forbidden, but what captures me is the fullness of the characters and the flow of the story itself… it doesn’t delve deep into the paranormal thought, which makes this book real, and made you wish for this kind of love to exist.

I especially love the ending, it’s a rather weird for a story to end, but I smiled and fell in love with them both. And Ms. Carling wonderfully showed us the reality of life that we should let go of some things which are not meant to stay and deal with the consequences of our decisions.

This book, put me in a roller-coaster of emotion, one time I’m laughing with them, another I’m annoyed at fate, and there’s times I cried, and felt goosebumps all-over..

Unbreakable Love, is a love-story anyone would dream of, it’s an amazing story of love that would stand even fate and heaven itself… I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed sweet romance with bits of an angel!..:)



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The Other Guy's Bride

The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway

• Paperback: 386 pages
• Publisher: Montlake Romance (December 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1612181449
• ISBN-13: 978-1612181448

Determined to prove her worth as a budding archeologist, Ginesse Braxton vows to solve one of the world's greatest mysteries--to find the location of the lost city of Zerzura. Unfortunately, no man dares take the risk of escorting the resolute young scholar across the open desert. But on her way to Egypt, Ginesse engages in a daring deception: She will switch places with Mildred Whimpelhall, who is traveling to meet her fiancé.

Cynical adventurer Jim Owen will do anything to escape the dark secrets of his troubled past. Betrayed by the woman he loved and scorned by proper society, he agrees to carry out a danger-fraught task: escort Mildred Whimpelhall across a lawless desert to her intended. But Jim is about to learn that "Mildred" isn't exactly what she seems...and the dangers they face together are eclipsed by an even greater peril: falling in love, against all reason, with another guy's bride.

The other guys bride, as the title suggest is a story of a guy who should protect and guide the bride to her rightful groom but unexpectedly falls in love with her in the process.

I usually read historical romances set in a palace, a countryside, ballroom parties, and anything that suggest old-fashioned ways of romances—never thought I end up in Egypt!..:)…but absolutely I can say I enjoyed reading this book every bit along the way.

I’d like to give kudos to the book for the cover, it isn’t by any means wonderful or anything, but there’s something in it that made me pause and sigh, the woman is amazingly beautiful there and-well, I just loved the cover!

It’s quite fascinating to find myself in a quest for a lost-city in Egypt, and more, engage in a complicating romance between Ginesse and Jim,.. These 2 characters are annoying sometimes, but totally lovable..I find myself saying to both of them to finally wake up and be themselves..:D… The heroine is feisty, outspoken, stubborn and intelligent, and the hero is handsome, mysterious, independent, yup sexy..but both of them have one weakness in common, love, they live through their brains, but when they finally met, their hearts begin to take over, so, what more can you ask for?!…

I enjoyed so much Ginesse’s character, she might not be a really wholesome woman in our society today, but she’s prank and the words that come out of her mind are both funny and real..:D

I love the ending even though other readers said it’s unreal, but for me it’s not bad to believe that fantasies happen once in a while, Jim’s declaration of love is totally romantic…

The Other guy’s bride is a well-researched tale of finding the lost city of Zerzura in Egypt with mistaken identities, adventure, hot romance, (witty and totally funny dialogues and realizations about love and life)… Read this book and be transported into a world of historical romance..:) highly recommended!



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Tempest

Tempest by Julie Cross

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Book Club (BCE/BOMC) edition (January 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312568894
• ISBN-13: 978-0312568894

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

I’ve always been a paranormal romance fan, but I think with Tempest, I might be changing gears into sci-fi..:D

Ms. Cross did a wonderful job of weaving a time-travel concept which is both engaging and thrilling, living in the present, while discovering the past to save the future, it’s an awesome experience, jumping from time to time, a well-written book…straight to the point, and I didn’t lost myself nor confused the dates..:D ..

A real-page turner, I finished this one, just in one sitting.:D I loved reading Jackson’s journals about his adventure, everytime it turns up, I read it hungrily, but it only appeared a few in the book… it is especially new for me since the point of view is written in a male’s perspective, but I enjoyed it thoroughly, what’s going on in Jackson’s head is real and

The characters too, have their own personality, which makes Tempest more endearing, each of them is unique, I love Jackson, the nerd Adam, Jackson’s dad, Emily (I have my theory who she really is lol), Holly ,everyone, even Courtney. It seems I too, don’t really know who is the good guys, and which one to avoid…

What I loved about this book is the ideas/plot isn’t that overwhelming to the readers, some sci-fi books would make my mind ache but with Tempest, I easily grasped the storyline and the characters, I even formulate my own theories with them. A lot of things are going on in the book, but I really loved each of it, I was not bored even in a second, as the book unwinds, new mysteries unfold, new questions arise, which makes the readers, wish for more…

if you’re not into sci-fi, don’t worry, it’s not the only thing that defines Tempest, this is a fast-paced, action-oriented, young adult (new adult) novel that would easily grip you from the very first page…pack with romance, time-travel, mystery, action and suspense..what more can I ask for? The second book!


A cliff-hanger, I can’t wait for the sequel, which sadly will be released on 2013… almost a year of waiting (sigh)





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Halflings

Halflings by Heather Burch

• Reading level: Ages 15 and up
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (January 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310728185
• ISBN-13: 978-0310728184

Split.

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings.

Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret---and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls.

As the mysteries behind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

First and foremost, I really loved the cover..:)

Another angel book, which I may say is very different from others I’ve read… but I enjoyed nonetheless..

I loved the boys, they’re brothers, halflings, but each of them is totally different…. I don’t even know which one Nikki should really be, I loved Mace, his kindness and sweetness, but I also loved Raven, his mysterious and dangerous feel…(sigh- really engage in their love triangle..)

As for me the good is book, it’s a good prequel for the next book which I’m sure would really be great… Halflings talks about the theme of the book, it’s a good preparation for a big story..this isn’t boring at all but quite enlightening, I loved how Ms. Burch made her own version of Nephilims, not much action on the book, just enough to keep you reading..

What I loved most about the book, is it’s Christian sub-theme, there are a lot of phrases which I memorized and locked in my heart..there are times I cried with the characters…

….“If you choose anger as your path, you will not hear the quiet voice. When heaven whispers, I hear. But I see through a dark glass. To utter the images and echoes that before my eyes would only muddy your path. Clarity is in faith. And despite your guise, faith is an attainable for you as the next breath”…-Will

..”you know, sometimes I get sick of living for the day ahead. Sometimes I just want to live for right now”…-Raven

“As do all”,…. “There is no crime in that. To feel that way is human. To act upon it is sin”…-Will


I totally loved the book, and I admit the end would keep readers hanging, but I guess, I’m not that satisfied with the book, Nikki had finally chosen whom to trust, but it lacks action there, maybe I was just expecting some action at that part, wherein the halflings and that man( not yet revealed what he is) would fight over for Nikki… well, maybe this was due to the fact that it was written in Nikki’s viewpoint, which was pure inner turmoil…there we read about the halflings that had come for her and Damon urging her to take his hand… other than this, I really enjoyed and loved the book, maybe the prologue of the next book would show this in a more-action packed prose…

All in all, a must-have book, pack with wings(:D), romance, an interesting story, and to-love-for characters… Recommended to everyone..:)!



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