Cover Reveal - Faking It by Cora Carmack

Faking It (Losing It #2) by Cora Carmack
Expected Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow Paperback

Book Blurb:

Mackenzie "Max" Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they're expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he's kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take center stage. When Max approaches him a in a little coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, her agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they're forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

About the author: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something year-old write, who like to write about twenty-something year-old characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life - boring jobs (like working a Target), fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She loves theatre, travel, and anything that makes her laugh. She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. It is also releasing in paperback on February 26, 2013

Links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Cover Reveal - Shooting Scars by Karina Halle

Shooting Scars (The Artist Trilogy #2) by Karina Halle

Expected Release Date: May 2013

Publisher: Metal Blond Books

Link: Goodreads

Cover Artist: Najla Qamber Designs

Purchase links for Sins & Needles (The Artist Trilogy #1):

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

Summary: A second chance at first love.

There are few things worth risking everything for - even your life. For Camden McQueen, this is one of them.

Shooting Scars is the second book in The Artists Trilogy and is told from the dual POV of Camden and Ellie.

About the author:

The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabble in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing, and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).

Karina holds a screenwriting degree form Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she's preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter 

Swoon Thursday (#4)

A weekly meme from YA Bound.

From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What  got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog. The awesome girls over YA Bound and I want to know!

Hi Swooners!

I have been busy getting ready for this Saturday and the baby shower that I'm hosting but I've also been busy reading Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. Now, if you've been following along this blog and on Twitter, you know that I just love this series and I think Tahereh just have a wonderful way of writing and that I would read her grocery list just to get more of her words. So, with that, I want to say that I'm still reading Unravel Me and that I'm just going absolutely crazy loving this book. And I wanted to share just a little bit of the swoons that I've been reading; this book has me swooning like a loon. Here we go:

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

"He tortures me sometimes, smiling as he takes too long to bridge the gap between us, reveling in the sound of my heart slamming against my chest, in the sharp breaths I fight so hard to control, in the way I swallow a hundred times just before he moves to kiss me. I can't even look at him without reliving every moment we've had together, every memory of his lips, his touch, his scent, his skin. It's too much for me, too much, so much, so new, so many exquisite sensations I've never known, never felt, never even had access to before."

~~

"I catch him looking at me, looking like he might inhale the length of me in one breath."

Now, this is just Juliette talking about Adam but I'll be doing some swoons from Warner as well. But that will be next week, after I've had some time to process everything and be able to catch my breath.

What are you swooning?

Cover Reveal - Trust In Me by Bethany Lopez

Trust in Me (Friends & Lovers #3)

by Bethany Lopez 

Release Date: 02/28/13

Cover designed by: B Design

Summary from Goodreads:

This is a New Adult Title - Meant for Readers 18 & Older.

Roni’s dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer were smashed under the brutal rage of her ex-husband's fists. Getting divorced and starting over at the age of twenty-two was never her plan, but maybe in Texas, she'll find her path. When the town's local player, Rich, opens a Rec Center, she sees a way to rekindle her dancing dreams...and maybe have a little fun with her sexy new boss.

Rich never expected to fulfill his dreams in the town he planned to leave behind, but that's just what he's doing. His reputation as a noncommittal ladies' man might make it challenging to earn respect in the business world, but he's willing to prove that he's serious. In fact, when it comes to pursuing Roni, he's more than willing. But she's taking a page out of his book, not wanting to risk another relationship. Can he convince her that his playboy days are over and that she can trust him with her heart?

***

About the Author

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult series. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her novels through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

Cover Reveal & Giveaway - Volition by Lee Strauss

Hiya lovelies! Today, I have the cover reveal for Volition by Lee Strauss. It the second of the series Perception and it is slated to be release on April 16, 2013.

Links: Goodreads 

Links for Perception: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Volition is the exciting continuation of PERCEPTION.

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody. 

They're in love.

Or at least that's what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike - thin and fleeting.

Her heart can't be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.

Senator Vanderveen's new tea, of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.

Giveaway!

To celebrate, Lee is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or iTunes gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author, Lee Strauss:

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff unders the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her Facebook page. Follow her on Twitter to find out about new releases and sign up for newsletter www.ellestraussbooks.com.

Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Cover Reveal - Forty Days by Stephanie Parent

Forty Days (Neima’s Ark, Book One)

By Stephanie Parent

Release Date: 02/12/13

Genre: YA

Cover Artist: Najla Qamber

Summary from Goodreads:

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman.  For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth.  He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge.  But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts.  And doesn’t stop. 

Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril.  Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, Forty Days is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

Forty Days is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story.  It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that Forty Days may not appeal to them.  The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

About the Author:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Author Links:

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Review: Broken by A.E. Rought

(source)

Broken by A.E. Rought 
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Source: Strange Chemistry through NetGalley
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / IndieBound

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein where a young couple's undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claim the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely...familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even with his hazel eyes his brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of a mangle but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

           I found the premise of Broken to be quite intriguing. In fact, throughout the whole story, I found myself curious of what really happened to Daniel and the secrets Alex Frank's dad was hiding. It was because of that that I continued to read until the end.

The position that Emma is in really made me connect with her and I found myself being torn and heartbroken just like she was. I felt her grief and her pain as she dealt with the death of her boyfriend, Daniel. I have to give the author her credit for doing such a great job in portraying Emma's grief so well.

However, I wasn't so surprised when Emma found out about Daniel's ex-best-friend's secrets. I managed to pick up on the hints that were scattered all throughout the book. One of the things that really bothers me when I read is that sometimes somethings happens and "somehow" the characters doesn't pick up on it but the reader does. It makes me wonder whether the author is undermining their reader's intelligence or not.

There was also something about the way the author wrote some parts that had me a little confuse and quite honestly, distracted me from the story. I'm not sure whether that was intentional or not but I'm sure that being pulled away from the story because you're trying a unique way of writing and saying this is not what you want your readers to experience.

Overall, I found the book to be an enjoyable read and full of suspense to keep you turning the page.My only issue with the book was how everything was wrapped up nicely in the end. It was too much of a perfect ending which makes it unrealistic for me. Because of that, I can't give this book a higher rating than 2.5 stars.

Cover Reveal - The Only Exception by Magan Vernon

Morning Swooners! Today I have the cover reveal for The Only Exception by Magan Vernon. It is slated to be release on April 9th, 2013

*ahem* Love the cover

Link: Goodreads

Summary: Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape - before she finds out that her next door neighbor is the uber conservative governor son, Trey Chapman. 

No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under skin. Monica can't stand his crisp white shirt or his staunch views on women. But she can't help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would be like to have him to stop talking politics and kiss her.

A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey's politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

Author's Bio: Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He stills refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.                                                                 Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Stacking the Shelves (#20) and Meeting Gayle Forman

Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This mean you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks.

Morning Swooners! I hope everyone been having a great week and that you got some new pretties. I went to a signing a week ago and I was able to meet Gayle Forman(!) and she was able to sign all my books from her.

 

It was so awesome meeting Gayle and chatting with her. She understood my love for Adam and how I was so sympathetic towards him in Where She Went. Here's some pictures from that night:

Cheesy smile with Ms. Gayle Forman

Signing some books

Answering questions from fans

It was such an awesome night and meeting Ms. Forman definitely made my month!

I also got some ebooks that were on sale such as:

Waking up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly

It was free on Nook and Kindle

 Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

This was also free on Nook and Kindle

Eve by Anna Carey

This was on sale for $2.99 for all of December

Annabel by Lauren Oliver

I have some super awesome bookish friends and I was given some eARCs of some very much anticipated books coming out in the upcoming weeks/months.

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Taken by Erin Bowman

And Dare You To by Katie McGarry

That's it for me. I have a lot reading to get done. I love my TBR pile right now =D

What did you add to your shelves?

Mini Review: Radiant by Cynthia Hand

Radiant (Unearthly #2.5) by Cynthia Hand
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen Impulse
Source: Personal Copy
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / HarperTeen

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.

Clara is desperate to get away - from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face - and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend Angela, should be the perfect escape...

For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or it telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.

Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspective, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.

          Radiant was a quick read and it got me even more excited Boundless' release for today. It satisfied my missing Unearthly-world as well as piqued my curiosity about Angela.

I was never a big fan of Angela since I never fully trusted her and was always wary when Clara would share personal information with her. I was always suspicious of Angela and feared what she may do with that information. And after learning what happens in Italy, I just don't trust her at all.

Angela always preached that there be no secrets between Clara and her, and in Angel Club as well. She was always focused on learning everything about everyone but never once volunteering information about herself.

Now, I'm off to start Boundless. I'm super sad to see the series come to an end but I can't wait to see how everything plays out. (And maybe see some sort of happy ending for Tucker? I'm a sucker punishment, I know.)