The wonderful Keary Taylor is here to share with us some news about her book Eden, the bind-up of her Fall of Angels series, and her newest book being released soon!

She has also offered up a copy of Eden for one lucky winner!

1. You've had some fabulous news lately. Would you like to share that with everyone and tell us what your first reaction was after you heard?

So, that fabulous news is that KK&P has acquired the film rights to my dystopian EDEN! Mark Morgan, who produced The Twilight Saga is the producer as well as Kami Garcia, co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series! It was amazing to hear from them and that they loved Eden! It all just didn't feel real when they first contacted me and said they wanted it! I kept waiting for someone to say"Just Kidding!", lol! It's all an amazing time, and I couldn't be happier with how things have been progressing toward the big screen!

2. Your Fall of Angels series has been very popular and is now available as a bind-up of the entire trilogy. What do you think was the biggest key to your success?

Oh man, honestly I don't really know! I want to say it's because I've written a fantastic story, but really it's my readers who have to say that! I think I just published at a great time, e-readers have gone crazy and the genre I write in is huge right now. And I just have some really fantastic readers who are incredibly supportive.

3. Your new book What I Didn't Say is very different from your previous novels. Can you tell us a bit about the book and the characters Jake, and Samantha?

It really is a lot different for me. I'll be honest, when I got the idea for it, I was terrified to actually write it. It's a YA contemporary that's based on a boy who becomes mute after an accident. It's a story that has to be handled very carefully because it is based on a lot of real experiences and stories, many of them my own. It's also different for me considering it's told from the point of view of a 17 year-old boy, Jake Hayes. He's a really great kid who has a lot of amazing support around him during this difficult time, and Samantha Shay is a part of that. Maybe after all that's happened to him he'll have the guts to tell her what he didn't say before the accident; )
4. Do you have any other projects you are currently working on?
How do I answer this… umm… maybe? Haha. I have a few things that are really up in the air right now, depending on how things play out. I'm afraid I can't say anything more that than. How's that for cryptic? But I do have an idea for a YA science fiction I hope to start on once I finish What I Didn't Say. Not dystopian, but very hard core sci-fi. Think along the lines of The Matrix. I am beyond excited to start on it! As of right now I'm thinking it will be a trilogy.

Eden by Keary Taylor Published: June 6th, 2011 Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 408 pages Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

Fall of Angels: The Complete Trilogy by Keary Taylor Published: November 29th, 2011 Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 752 pages Plagued by nightmares of angels all her life, but left with the scars to prove they’re more than dreams, Jessica has hidden herself away from the world on the shores of Lake Samish, Washington. But when caring but almost too-perfect-to-be-true Alex, and beautiful yet terrifying Cole enter her life, everything about Jessica’s world is about to change. She’ll learn that the angels aren’t content to stay in her dreams any longer and they’ll do anything to drag her into their world. The lines between right and wrong will be blurred as she fights to cling to the life she’s built and the love she’ll find.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a copy of EDEN.

• You must be at least 13 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US Only and ends March 7th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

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BRIDAL BONES

(a juvenile ghost story by Linda Joy Singleton )

THE SCAVENGER BRIDE

Magician's Muse by Linda Joy Singleton Publisher: Flux (October 1st, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Series: The Seer, book #6 The Final Book in Linda Joy Singleton's Popular Paranormal Series, The Seer

A whisper, too soft to swirl wispy candle smoke, carried across time, beyond life and death—and was heard."Our bargain is sealed. My secrets will be yours-when the girl dies."

In the thrilling climax to The Seer series, Sabine's psychic abilities, sleuthing skills, and courage are pushed to a dangerous edge as she deals with the mysterious disappearance of her ex-boyfriend Josh, a new threat against her boyfriend Dominic, evil magicians (both living and dead)—and a coldblooded murder.

- Thank you so much Linda for allowing me to share your short story on my blog.
To find out more about Linda Joy Singleton Linda Joy Singleton / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase Magician's Muse Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

*Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.

I'm so happy to have 2 of my favorite characters, Alexis and Tristan, from Purpose here with me today. Thank you both for being on my blog.
I have some questions for you.

What was the first word that popped into your minds when you first saw each other?
Alexis: Beautiful. Tristan (raises an eyebrow): I don’t think it’s appropriate to say. What’s the rating on this blog? Alexis (blushes): And you say I’m incorrigible?

What are some of your favorite memories from when you were dating? Alexis: Cooking together. Tristan: Cooking? Really? Alexis: Yeah. What’s wrong with that? Tristan: It’s just so… domestic. Alexis (with a slight smile and a shrug): I think it’s sexy. Especially with you. Tristan: Hmm… I’ll have to rethink my favorite memories then. (Pauses) Nah. Still on the beach… on the boat… pretty much any time you were in a bikini. Maybe you can cook in a bikini… Alexis: Can you be serious? Tristan: I am. Alexis: (glares) Tristan: Okay, if you really want to know… darts. Alexis (blushes again): Next question, please.

You've had some hard times together as well, what advice would you give couples for ways to overcome that? Tristan: I’m not exactly the right person to be giving relationship advice. I certainly don’t deserve what I have because of anything I’ve done right or well. Alexis: Yeah, me either. It’s not like either of us have much experience. We’re still learning what works for us. But, I think, trust is a big thing for every relationship. You have to be able to trust each other. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but I think it’s necessary.

Tristan, when you first met Alexis when she was young, did you ever think you'd be where you are now? Tristan: Not at all, but not because of her age or anything else so irrelevant. For me to have a relationship with anyone was at one time unbelievable, but with someone like her… with Alexis, who she is and who she’ll become… I never expected it would come to this between us. I never knew happiness before, let alone love. And now look at us.

Alexis, you are an amazing writer. Can you explain to us what writing does for you personally? Alexis: It’s always been an escape for me, really. I’ve never felt like I belonged in this world. In my writing, I get to be someone else, feel like I’m living a different life. It’s like reading a really good book with a story that’s exactly what you want to read… but no one else has written it, so you get to.

Tristan, what did you think when Alexis finally allowed you to read one of her stories? Tristan: Well, I knew when she would finally let me read one, it would mean she really trusts me. That’s what I care about, more than anything. Alexis: You care about more than that. You read it. And admit it… you liked it. Tristan: Yeah, I did, but I’ve always known you were talented. Of course I’d like it. Alexis: Even though it’s about witches and werewolves? Tristan: You are, obviously, weirdly infatuated with the monsters. But, it’s your thing and I’ve come to accept that.

Alexis, how difficult was it to learn the truth from your mother after all these years? Alexis: I still don’t know everything. In fact, I feel like I hardly know anything at all. But what I do know… it was pretty shocking at first. To the point that I had a hard time really grasping it all as real. I mean, Tristan showed me some of his abilities and told me what he was he able to, what he’s not bound to keep secret, but it still didn’t feel real… not until Ian showed his disgusting self, anyway… and then Edmund and that… thing. I guess that’s when it really hit home that not all things in this world are as they seem.
Do you still worry that she may be hiding important things from you about your history? Alexis: Ha. Of course, she’s still hiding things. I know there’s much more to everything about us. But as I’ve been told repeatedly, I have to wait until the Ang’dora. It’s frustrating and annoying, but even Tristan won’t tell me, though I know he would if he could. They’re bound too tightly and nothing I do can break that bond, apparently. Besides, right now, I’m just concerned about us… being safe… staying together… maybe living a somewhat normal life while we can.

Tristan, what was the worst part about keeping secrets from Alexis early on? Tristan: I was trying to earn her trust. It’s kind of difficult to do when you know yourself that you’re untrustworthy. The only thing I had going for me was that she kept secrets, too. I hoped she’d understand.

Did you expect to feel so connected to Alexis immediately or did it come as a shock to you? Tristan: She definitely shocked me. Alexis (with an embarrassed giggle): I did shock you! Or you shocked me. Tristan (chuckles): Yes, that is the right word… in so many ways. I really didn’t expect anything at all, especially anything so strong, except maybe immediate abhorrence. If you look at it the way some of the others do, it all makes sense. But I, personally, don’t understand it. Our connection doesn’t make sense. Alexis: Of course it does! We’re meant to be together. That’s just how it is.
Be honest, what bugs you the most about each other? Any pet peeves? Alexis: Actually, Tristan’s so dang beautiful, it can be annoying. We can’t go anywhere without all the females gawking, like animals in heat. Between him and my mother… I don’t know who’s worse, men or women. And then everyone looks at me and you can tell by the look on their faces that they’re wondering how the heck I’m with him. Tristan: Because you deserve better. Alexis: And then there’s that. It’s like he doesn’t even notice. Sometimes I feel like he puts me on this pedestal and I’m the last person who deserves to be there. One day he’ll open his eyes and see exactly how wrong he is – about me and himself. Tristan: Oh, my eyes are open. I know what I see. But you don’t see yourself clearly, either. You have no idea what you do to people, especially to me. And your potential… I guess you’ll just have to wait and see for yourself. Alexis: And that’s another thing. How he knows things I can’t know yet. That bugs the crap out of me. Tristan: You’re talking about me like I’m not here. Alexis: Huh? Tristan: That’s one of the things about Alexis that can get to me. She can go on such a rampage sometimes, words spilling out of her mouth without realizing how absurd she’s being. It makes me laugh, though. Alexis: I’m not being absurd! How can you— Tristan: And defensive. She can be quite defensive. Alexis: (crosses her arms, opens her mouth, then closes it again) Tristan: See, she doesn’t know what to say because she knows I’m right. I like how she does that, though. It’s kind of cute. So is this. (winks) Alexis (eyes glaze over for a moment and rendered speechless) Well, this has been such a fun interview! I am so glad you could be here today Tristan *wink* … oh… and you too Alexis *clears throat* … anyways, I have a friend over at A Life Bound By Books and I know she would love to get a chance to talk to you too.
Think you can pay her a visit soon?

Alexis: Of course.

Tristan: Anything for you. *wink*

(Okay, okay… so maybe Tristan didn't actually say that last part)

Don't forget to check out the Re-Cover contest of Promise and Purpose. Entries must be in 12/18.

Find Kristie Cook Kristie Cook / Promise / Goodreads
Purchase Signed Copies of Purpose

Today I am participating in the blog tour for Bullet by Jade C. Jamison. Check out the exclusive excerpt below!

Bullet by Jade C. Jamison
Release date: February 18th, 2013
Reading Level: New Adult
eBook: 451 pages
An Epic Rock Star Novel

What if you discover the man you want is toxic?

She tasted a little bit of heaven with him, and now they’ve gone through hell and back, but can their relationship take anymore?

Valerie Quinn is a naïve college freshman when she meets on-the-rise rock star Ethan Richards. He’s an idealistic, handsome, reckless young man, but he’s captured her heart. She doesn’t give up on him and eventually his walls crumble down. By the time Valerie has given herself to him completely, she discovers he’s damaged and may be beyond help. Can she save Ethan and their relationship before he implodes, or will he self-destruct and take her with him?

Excerpt from Bullet Jade C. Jamison
I let out the breath I’d been holding in as Ethan rolled onto the bed.

I just lay there, concentrating on my breathing, focusing on relaxing. He removed his condom and then rolled on his side to face me, so I rolled on my side as well. That felt like fresh hell, but I tried not to let it show on my face.

And the look on his face was rare and… beautiful. He looked happy, and that wasn’t a typical look for Ethan. He looked peaceful. He stroked my hair with his hand. “You okay?”

I nodded. The way he was looking at me made everything okay. I smiled at him, letting him know I was fine. “Yeah. Had to be done, right?”

He grinned. “No, not really. You could’ve decided to become a nun. They don’t have to do this, you know.”

I smiled again, sliding my arm under the pillow. “I think in the long run that’d be more painful.”

“How?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t want to tell him what I was thinking. But I knew now. I’d been experiencing some kind of awakening, and for all I knew, all girls went through it, but maybe I was a late bloomer. Whatever the case, there was a sexual creature inside me that had been trapped, and once she’d discovered there was an escape, she would have pushed to get out. I knew sex wouldn’t ever hurt like tonight again. I knew there was some sort of sensual nirvana waiting for me, some revelation I had yet to discover. Inside, I realized that. And to deny that to myself my entire life would have hurt far worse than the temporary pain I’d endured to pass into womanhood. And I wasn’t kidding myself either. I knew I’d be hurting all night long, but it would soon pass. I looked in Ethan’s green eyes, softer than I’d ever seen them before, and maybe that was due to the shitty lighting in the motel room, but he seemed open and vulnerable then. Part of me wanted to tell him all my thoughts, but I too felt too exposed. And after all we’d been through, another part of me felt like I couldn’t fully trust him. Oh, I wanted to. After all, I’d trusted him with one of the most sacred parts of myself that night. But I wasn’t ready to tell him of my growing self-awareness, of my awakening identity. I didn’t know that I wanted to tell anyone, because I didn’t fully understand it yet. My smile was shy. “I dunno. Could you imagine spending your whole life not having sex?”

He stroked my hair again. “Yeah, but my first time was nothing like that.” He got closer and kissed me on the forehead.

“I’m okay.”

He rested his hand on my neck. There was something in his eyes, but I just couldn’t read it. What the hell was he thinking? “I love you, Val.”

Oh. Oh, wow. Yeah, I loved him back, but for him to say it… and to say it first. Holy crap. Everything I’d ever heard about dysfunctional relationships (which I’d suspected we had) had made me believe I’d be the only one to ever say it, to ever really feel it. But there it was. He’d said it, and it took my breath away. I don’t know that I was able to smile because I was so overwhelmed. But I said it back. “I love you too, Ethan.” And then, seeing how his eyes lit up, I did smile.

He pulled me closer then, holding me in his arms, and after a while, I heard his breathing grow quiet but rhythmic. His chest rose and fell slowly at the same intervals, and I knew he’d gone to sleep. I shifted, but just a little, because every motion below my waist reminded me of the pain that was still with me. I wished he was still awake, because I wanted him, needed him. I wanted to talk to him, but then I realized I also just needed time for me.

I was overwhelmed with so many emotions, the first of which was my feelings of love for this man that had intensified. Before, yes, I had felt love for Ethan, but nothing like this. It was multiplied now and heavy, stretching into the deep caverns of my soul. I wasn’t sure how to process it.

And then I was also almost giddy that I had just made a passage. I was no longer a girl. Truly, I’d been moving to womanhood already. I’d been responsible for my own care for more than a year, what with living on my own at school, but somehow losing my virginity not only symbolized that process but affirmed it.

Lying there thinking about that, I then thought about my dad of all people. I was no longer daddy’s little girl. I was no longer his precious pearl, and he could no longer protect me from the world, from the beauty and wonder nor from the pain and torment. I wondered what he and my mom would think if they knew. I knew from the experiences over the past summer that they trusted me. Whether that was due to realizing that they had to let go and let me make my own mistakes or if they just thought I was a young woman of incredible self-restraint, I didn’t know.

There was no clock in that hotel room, so I had no idea how long I lay there. Ethan rolled over after a long while, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Between them and the pain, I lay awake until what I was sure was early morning… all by myself.

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It's official. I've caught the bug. Only took me a day to finish this (started around 6pm and stayed up all night then read the final four chapters in the morning — always a sign of a good book). Beware of mild spoilers.

From Amazon.com...

"Recovered from the vampire attack that hospitalized her in the conclusion of Twilight (Little, Brown, 2005), Bella celebrates her birthday with her boyfriend Edward and his family, a unique clan of vampires that has sworn off human blood. But the celebration abruptly ends when the teen accidentally cuts her arm on broken glass. The sight and smell of her blood trickling away forces the Cullen family to retreat lest they be tempted to make a meal of her. After all is mended, Edward, realizing the danger that he and his family create for Bella, sees no option for her safety but to leave. Mourning his departure, she slips into a downward spiral of depression that penetrates and lingers over her every step. Vampire fans will appreciate the subsequently dour mood that permeates the novel, and it's not until Bella befriends Jacob, a sophomore from her school with a penchant for motorcycles, that both the pace and her disposition begin to take off. Their adventures are wild, dare-devilish, and teeter on the brink of romance, but memories of Edward pervade Bella's emotions, and soon their fun quickly morphs into danger, especially when she uncovers the true identities of Jacob and his pack of friends."

I know I kind of threw a Twilight fit a week ago — but here I am the prodigal reader. I read and liked Twilight when it first came out. Then I tried to read New Moon, but for some reason (that I can't think of now), I just hated it. I was mad at Bella and I was furious with Edward — so I abandoned it... only for it to become a phenomena years later. In 96 hours I picked up Twilight and finished it, then I watched the movie, and finally I read New Moon. I think it's safe to say I caught the bug.

I don't quite now how to compare Twilight to New Moon — probably because I read them so close together that they kind of bleed together (haha — pun). New Moon was... oh wow, I can already tell this isn't going to be a very good review!

What I didn't like was that I felt like Bella was purely using Jacob and then all of a sudden he's her best friend? I feel like that relationship wasn't built strong enough for me to believe. He was her crutch — we've all had one. I felt bad for Jacob — because Bella was so clearly not over Edward. Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it's in the next two books, because from what other readers have told me — Bella and Jacob are a big deal. And I just didn't get that from New Moon. I think it would have made a difference if Bella could have stopped pitying herself all the time and would have been more attracted to Jacob right away rather than RIGHT before all heck broke loose.

Again, wow I seem to be a Bella hater, it bothered me how Meyer constantly had to remind us that Bella is a klutz. I gotta ask, why is this so important? Her character is built on her 'attracting trouble' and being uncoordinated. In my opinion, that's all her character is good for — getting into trouble and then being saved by Jacob or Edward. This damsel is getting on my nerves. Also, now I can't say I've ever been in love — but people move on from loss everyday. I think about the little old man who sits in the second pew at church who lost his wife fifteen years ago (made up story, but still — you get my point). Life goes on. Is Bella's love for Edward more than the love he had for his wife? I just can't fathom living in a shell and ignoring everyone for that long! Yes, a couple weeks, maybe a month, for the sake of argument let's say two months — but really four months and you're still catatonic? I just... I can't imagine.

But really, that's all I disliked — well and the whole Edward bit. I loved how Alice played such a pivotal role. Like I mentioned before, I love the Cullens. While I love that Alice has a bigger role — I am sad that the other Cullens are almost nonexistent. Sad day. This will depress me when I go to the movie — I've already mentioned my slight crush on Jasper.

I absolutely loved the Romeo and Juliet analogy — I mean, wow! Stephenie Meyer definitely thought that one out — perfect!

And while I didn't totally buy into the relationship between Bella and Jacob — I really liked Jacob (and think he could do SO much better than Bella). Even when he's tortured, he's a great guy. Edward's attitude, behavior, and down right demeanor gets kind of 'glum' after while — reminds me of Eeyore. So Jacob brought a great fun and lightheartedness to Bella's life (and in case she didn't notice, to my reading experience). It's hard to constantly be reading about how depressed and angry Edward is. But anyway — Jacob was just a fun character to read. Bella was kind of... coquettish with Jacob — holding his hand etc. And the boy didn't even get a kiss!

I liked how it expanded on the Vampiric history and what not. Although, those last four chapters (I'll admit) I did a lot of skimming to find out what happened. I also liked how it ended — with the vote. And Bella's epiphany — that was a very honest part of the book. Despite how I feel about Bella — I know what it's like to know that you don't deserve someone and then have him leave you. A guy can tell you he loves you a million times, but it takes just one sentence for you to see that it was a lie. Wow — I'm getting depressed.

Again, just for good measure — I loved the Romeo and Juliet analogy! Just loved it!

I've got to read a couple ARC books and slim my library pile down a bite... I mean bit... before I pick up Eclipse. But hopefully by Monday I can start back in with my 'recreational' reading!

Thanks everyone for taking the time to fill out my blog survey. First, I'll go over the feedback then announce the winners below.
Overall, you all said you really enjoy my blog. THANK YOU! That means so much to me!

REVIEWS — All responses were either great/average.which is wonderful to me. I sometimes struggle with reviews and, oddly enough, the more I liked a book, the harder the review is to write. I feel like I'm not doing it justice. I had some people say they wished I'd add a section to my reviews that said if I recommend the book or not, or who it would be recommended for. That is a great idea! I will start doing this. I'll try to either add (Recommended for ALL/PARANORMAL/CONTEMPORARY fans), something like that and I'll add an age range when needed.

INTERVIEWS — Most of you enjoy my author interviews. Some said they didn't read those, which I completely understand. Typically, I add interviews when I'm giving away a book by that author. I feel it's a way to explain the book better to the readers and introduce them to the person who wrote it. I always alter the questions to fit the author/book. Sometimes they are the same questions you will see on another interview, but I try really hard to not just use the same questions over and over. I'm still trying to expand on this and come up with new post ideas for authors.

GIVEAWAYS — Responses ranged on this question. A majority said the giveaways were great, some said average, and a few said bad. Which is fine. I wanted honest opinions. According to blogger (and this number isn't completely accurate), I've hosted around 193 giveaways. Most of the time these giveaways are made possible by the author or publisher. I try whenever possible to include International readers by giving away ebook copies. Giveaways are one of my favorite parts of blogging because it's nice to give people the chance to read a book they may not have been able to pick up. I would love to host giveaways more but it is expensive to package and ship the books. People may not realize it, but many times bloggers do pay for those things (any time it doesn't come directly from the publisher/author). I'd love to have more giveaways, open to everyone, but it just isn't possible. Even an event like Haunted Halloween costs us (Lisa and I together) about $400 for shipping and supplies alone during that 1 month.

EXPLORING NEW YA — This was a new feature this year and I wanted to know if people liked it. The reason being because it takes an incredible amount of time to set up: ) I post it twice a month. Some people said they haven't seen it, and others said they read it, but normally don't add any of the books to their lists. Just a note, if you haven't seen the feature at all, you can click on FEATURES then EXPLORING NEW YA at the top of the blog. Lots of people said they love it and do use it for book recommendations too. I do enjoy having a place where new releases can be featured. I'm just glad most people do see it and may find some books they'll enjoy.

MOVIE REVIEWS — This part was kinda even around the board. Some liked it, some didn't, some didn't care.: ) This is a new feature that I do think I'll have on, but only occasionally. Maybe 1-2 posts a month related to movies. I liked this idea because we all watch movies. Sometimes these movies will be related to books (like Water for Elephants). When I got the opportunity to review movies for Fox Entertainment I didn't want to pass that up. Especially since they do offer giveaways for many of these movies. This is something I'd really like to offer to readers. Plus, I really need more features on here. I know people get tired of reviews and interviews so this will give me something to break that up. Hopefully people like it!

LEAST FAVORITE POSTS — This one had a wide range of answers but a majority picked either YA NEWS, INTERVIEWS/GUEST POSTS or IN MY MAILBOX. YA News is something I post occasionally just to highlight some things going on in the YA book world. Sometimes it's cheap books/ebooks, author news, book covers, or other bookish news. It's sort of a"misc." place to put things. I would like to make it a more enjoyable thing to read, but it all really depends on what's going on right at that time. I'll try to include more interesting things as we go along. Interviews/Guest Posts are kinda part of the norm for bloggers. I mentioned interviews above and I do want to make these posts more interesting as well. Sometimes these posts are part of a tour so they are out of my hands but I do want people to enjoy what they read. In My Mailbox will be mentioned below.

FREE/CHEAP EBOOKS — Most of you said you do want to know about free or cheap ebooks. This is something I've had in YA News most of the time. I'm going to keep a look out for these books and hopefully post about them more frequently. For now, they will be with other YA news though. I don't find out about them enough to have a separate thing so be on the lookout for those.

INDIE/SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS — A majority said yes, they do read these books. I try super hard to feature these books for a few reasons. 1- the books can totally rock! Some of my all-time favorite books are self-published or from a super small publisher. 2- the authors rock! 3- the books are normally much cheaper. This is especially true if it's in ebook form. So, an awesome book for only.99 or $2.99? Yes! And 4- because these awesome books from these fabulous authors are often overlooked. I'm not someone who will ever turn down someone just because their book is self-published or from a publisher I'm unaware of. That isn't fair. Every book deserves a chance and if it's something I think I'll enjoy, I'll read it. That's the fun part of reading. You never know where your next favorite book will come from. At the same time, it really makes me happy to know that the readers enjoy these books as well. I honestly wasn't sure if people did so I'm sure this makes a lot of the authors very pleased.

WHAT IS NEEDED? — This had a wide range of answers. CONTEMPORARY/HISTORICAL/FANTASY/MYSTERY. And this is why I loved the survey. I hadn't realized how neglected certain genre's were on here! Especially contemporary. I love contemporary books! I admit, when I first started blogging paranormal was my go-to type. Over time, I've tried to expand that a bit. This can be difficult because I'd say around 60-70% of the review books I receive are paranormal. But I will be changing this! I'm even thinking of having a contemporary week in a few months. I'm reading more and more contemp. books so you guys are in luck! I'm not a huge fan of historical and I really don't get many of those for review. Same goes for fantasy or mystery. But, I will still try to feature those books in some way. I do want to have a nice balance on here.

WHAT IS NOT NEEDED? I didn't have a ton of answers here but PARANORMAL was a common answer.: ) Sorry guys! I do have lots and lots of paranormal. Expanding my own book preferences is a goal of mine for this year. I've been surprised in the past by the books I've liked so I think it will be nice to get out of my comfort zone.

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVED? Some people commented here about the blog appearance. I do realize there is a font problem. I'm not sure why it's like that and my blog designer isn't sure either. It is small and usually I have to go back and resize each post (but then that throws the formatting off). This is something I plan to work on. Along with that, I hope to de-clutter a bit and change things around in the next few months. But it's good to hear from readers because I'm not sure how things show up or load for you guys. Others said NOTHING, so thank you!!: ) I'm so happy to see that many of you enjoy my blog and like coming here. I did see a comment about using more social media and YES, I need to do this badly. I'm naturally introverted. I do have twitter but rarely get on there. I lurk a lot: ) I do want to become more social on twitter and even have more conversations take place on the blog. Actually I'm working on this part right now (stay tuned for details on that!).

FAVORITE PART OF THE BLOG — You guys had such nice answers here! Many said reviews, that I think of international followers, that I seem to care about my readers (I do, lots!), that I'm nice (*blush*). Thank you! Sometimes it's hard to know how things come off when we are just typing them out. I never want anyone to feel ignored or like I don't care about what the majority would want. Yes, I blog for myself but I enjoy it because of you guys. Honestly, I would never do this if no one read what I wrote. The enjoyment comes from knowing that maybe at least 1 person will get joy out of a book I recommend, or out of reading about a new author. That is what makes everything worthwhile.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU COME HERE? Most said a few times a week, which is great! I know I've been slacking since October. Haunted Halloween sort of gives me a blogging hangover: ) I want to pick things back up again and I do have lots planned!

LAYOUT — Most people said they loved it or it was average. Personality, I do love the overall look of the blog but I do plan to change things up a bit because I know it can get boring. But the design will stay the same for a while, little things may change.

IN MY MAILBOX — I know IMM is something people either love or hate. Some people picked it as a favorite post and some suggested I stop doing it. I don't do IMM each week. I'm lucky to do it once a month.: ) So if you see a ton of books on here, that's why. I DO like to do IMM occasionally because it's a way to mention books that may otherwise not be noticed. I can't read everything I get, and I'd feel bad for getting a book that never gets viewed on my blog. IMM gives me a way to show the books where hopefully some people will see them and add them to their lists. I personally love seeing people's mailbox posts because I get a lot of good book ideas myself. Plus, it's nice to see an actual copy of the book (I'm all about book covers!). So I guess I'll be somewhere in the middle. IMM won't be something you'll see here each week, but I won't be cutting it out completely. But I did want to mention it so people know why I personally do it.

RATING REVIEWS — Everyone said yes or that it doesn't matter. I wasn't sure if people liked this fact or not so I was glad with the results. I pay much more attention to reviews that are rated but I didn't know if people agreed with that or hated if a book was rated. This will be staying the same. I will continue to rate books and will be adding the recommendations I added above.

Again, thank you guys so much for participating! You all had such nice comments and suggestions. Another survey will be posted in the near future related to Haunted Halloween. Lisa and I will give more information about that soon.

Also, be on the lookout for some new features coming up!: )

Winners!
US Winner (Wins Damon.uhh, I mean Vampire Diaries season 2, UNLEASHED, and AMPLIFIED) theatredreamer@…

INTERNATIONAL Winner ambiepie@…

Other Winners from past giveaways
UNTRACEABLE Kelsey D.

HUSHED Ashley
OBSIDIAN (ebook) Kristin A.

Today is the final day of my Indie/New Adult feature where I share my thoughts on some titles that have been published recently in the New Adult category. I've read so many it was just easier to do mini-reviews and bunch them together. Hopefully you have enjoyed the feature and have found several books you'd like to read. My most surprising finding with these was that most of the New Adult books we see as popular, were not my absolute favorites. Most of my 5 star reviews (which posted Monday) are more obscure titles that haven't had as much success. It really shows me that books shouldn't be judged by covers or blurbs. Some really can end up surprising you. I can't imagine the past year without having read these Indie titles. My advice would be DO NOT shut Indie books out. I'm thrilled to see that Indie authors are now having so much success and I do believe this has opened up doors for bloggers to be more accepting of these titles: )
The books featured today got a 3 star rating from me. They may not have been favorites but they were still enjoyable.

The Wild Ones by M. Leighton
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This book is about Camille and Trick. Camille is from a well-off family and Trick is not. He works for her dad but she can't help but notice how hot he is. Trust me, she mentions it a lot. Trick was okay in this book but Camille was annoying as heck. Her internal ramblings about Trick's hotness was just too much. The plot is a little too dramatic during some parts. Other parts bored me a bit. I felt that with a little more work this could have been much more well-rounded and enjoyable. I know Michelle has had huge success with her books, which is great, but this one just didn't grab me as much as I would have liked.

Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt Add to Goodreads
I really liked this book cover and that's what originally made me want to read it. The story itself, however, was a bit disappointing. There is a crap-ton of cursing in this book. I'm an adult so it's not like they are new words to me but it was just too much. I don't need to read the F word a million times. It just made the characters seem immature. Deo was an okay character but Whitley didn't grab me. Her backstory was important and heart-breaking but I just never really felt bad for her. There was something missing and the story just never really took off for me. Lots of potential but the characters and language really brought it down.

The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith
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I was really interested in this story in the beginning. I wanted to know the mystery behind Luca and I did enjoy reading about Ariel and how they were somehow connected, due to her past. This book does have quite a few surprises and twists. I would say that the first half was much better than the second. Once I stopped reading for a while I realized I had no desire to pick it back up. It took me a while to actually jump back in and see what happened. I'm not sure why that was. I even skipped a few parts towards the end. But I wouldn't count this one out. I'm a hard sale on science fiction titles so it could have just been me. I do plan to see what else this author writes in the future.

Bound Together by Eliza Jane Add to Goodreads
Such a cute cover and the summary really made this book seem interesting. It starts out with Zoey trying to escape her homelife. She takes care of her siblings and has a lot of stress on her plate. I enjoyed the whole set up to this story. I felt bad for Zoey and couldn't imagine being seventeen in that situation. She goes on a class trip and has a friends-with-benefits relationship with Matt, even though they never get along. Zoey really uses him for the affection she's missing, then she throws him away after she's done. It hurts Matt a lot. I think the way Zoey treated Matt was really the downside of this book to me. I didn't understand why she was so mean but then would mess around with him? Why not just leave him alone? Without that aspect of the story I would have really enjoyed it a lot more.

Bound Together by Marie Coulson Add to Goodreads
Yes, another book, same title. Another book that had huge potential but just fell off after a while. Here we meet Layla, an"independent" co-ed who meets rich, handsome Jared. The writing in this book was okay. The biggest turn-off for me was just how darn obsessed the characters became with each other. It was a bit scary. Layla was in a million pieces every time Jared did something stupid and Jared bought her the world to make up for it. Yes, I've read Fifty Shades and actually enjoyed the series. This felt like a sort-of interpretation of that but just not as good. I would have ran from Jared as fast as I could if I was Layla. I actually didn't want them together. I wanted her to find another guy who was actually nice and didn't try to buy her off. But again, it was much more fun in the beginning of the story when they just hated each other.

High School Hangover by Stephanie Hale Add to Goodreads
This book reminded me a lot (A LOT) of From What I Remember by Stacey Kramer & Valerie Thomas. But while I loved that story, I wasn't as fond of this one. Laney goes to a party, gets drunk on an energy drink, and ends up kidnapped. The set up for this plot was okay but parts just seems missing in it. I did really enjoy Jack, the guy who ends up on this journey with her. He was great and a fun addition to the story. I just wasn't as invested in the story as I should have been. By the end I was just waiting for it to all be wrapped up so we can see what really happened the night of the party. I would probably still see what this author comes up with in the future though.

I'll Be Here by Autumn Doughton Add to Goodreads
This book starts with Willow being dumped by her long-term boyfriend. An old friend, Alex, comes back in her life and they are able to re-connect. I would say that overall this book was cute but that's about it. A nice read that brings back all the feelings of high school and first loves. Some things got a bit repetitive with the way Willow saw Alex and she could be annoying at times, but I'm still glad I read this one. I will saw that Willow was hilarious! She really made this story for me. It would have been much better with some more plot work and edits in writing but the characters were pretty enjoyable and nice to get to know. I'll be checking out more of Autumn's work.

Everything Changes by Shey Stahl Add to Goodreads This one is hard for me to review. I loved the plot and story line. A quiet boy, races motorcycles, love it. However, some parts of the story are very, very repetitive. We are told that she is seventeen… often. Other parts just seemed to tell the same bit of story over and over. Ex: how much Ro missed Parker when he was away. There are also still quite a few errors in this story. I can overlook a few but honestly, I felt that if this book would have been edited better it may have been incredible. I did enjoy the first part much better than the last. I didn't understand their conflict completely. I felt they just needed to say"HEY, here is what I am feeling". I know they were young but it just got a little old after a while. But again, the plot was great. I loved how the characters got together and that we get to meet them years before now (90s). The first part had me completely hooked and it brought back fond memories of that first love. Ro's best friend and Parker's brother were great. I enjoyed getting to know them. It just needs some work. I'm still glad I read it though.

Rush Me by Allison Parr Add to Goodreads Ohh, I loved this book in so many ways. Truly, I did. Ryan was fantastic and his football teammates? OMG I'd marry them all! The biggest issue in this story was Rachel. She starts off by calling them all dumb jocks and then wanting to hang out with them? Umm, sorry, I'd be kicking your butt out! She was so judgmental and hard to like. But the rest of the characters? Fantastic!! Who doesn't love football players? Especially when they are so darn cute and nice. With some adjustments to Rachel's personality I would have really loved this book a lot more. Sometimes I didn't understand her decisions or internal dialogue. But I'd still like to see what else this author comes up with.

Born to Fight by Tara Brown Add to Goodreads
I reviewed the first book in this series yesterday and gave it 4 stars. I just felt like everyone was spinning their wheels in this one. The characters made very little progress with anything and there are a lot of scenes that we re-visit from book one. The biggest discovery is about Emma and where she came from. That was surprising but a lot is still the same with Will, Jack, and Anna. By the end of this book I felt they were in the same spot as the end of book one. A ton of potential with this series and I do want to know how it ends but I just hope book three gives us something new to look forward to.

ALL OF THESE BOOKS WERE RATED

Today I'm featuring Janenifer Anne Davis and her book, The Voice. As some of you may have seen, I highlighted this book as one of my very few 5 star indie/small press books that I've read recently. This book was truly amazing and I look forward to reading more from Janenifer.

She was kind enough to offer up a few copies of the book for my readers! Be sure to sign up for a chance to win.

I'd also suggest you check out the except of chapter 1 below.

1.The story in THE VOICE is so unique. What was the initial inspiration for it and the character of Audrey?

In all honesty, the story hits quite close to home. Growing up, one of my best friends was sexually abused by her uncle. Nothing ever came of it—she was too afraid to say anything. Also, in high school, someone near and dear to me was date raped. She was also too afraid to say anything and somehow felt like she deserved it. When I taught high school, one of my students went to a party and got drunk. When she woke up, her pants were off and three boys were in the room. She came to me crying, having no idea if she’d had sex or not. We went and spoke to a guidance counselor, but again, nothing ever came of it because she was too afraid to name names and implicate anyone. After this incident, I was so mad that these girls couldn’t find their own inner voice and stand up for themselves. That they were too afraid of what others might think of them so they let these guys get away with it. I wanted to write a book that empowered girls to take a stand and speak out!

2. If you had to describe Caleb and Justin in one word each, what would it be?

Oooh, that’s a hard one! Caleb = adorable, Justin = quiet.

3. This story involves the very serious topic of kidnapping. Was it emotional for you to write the story?

It was! The story is told from the first person so I had to put myself in Audrey’s position in order to write it. I had to go to a very dark place, one I hope never to revisit. Originally, I had a reoccurring vision of a girl trapped in a dog crate in a cabin. Her guardian angel came to save her. However, when I started actually writing the book, this didn’t work. The idea of guardian angels had already been done and I wanted to do something different. So the story transformed into what it is today!

4. Can you tell us what you have coming up? And, if this story will be continued?

I left Audrey’s story open so if I ever want to write a sequel, I can. As of right now, I don’t plan to continue her story. It was difficult to write and now that I have three kids of my own, I’m not sure I can revisit the subject matter. I do, however, have a three book deal with a publisher. Here’s the official blurb I’m allowed to share: “Forthcoming title news! Coming 2014, Janenifer Anne Davis' follow up novel titled, THE KEY, in a three book deal, about the return of the sole surviving heir, mistakenly left alive after the entire royal family was massacred seventeen years ago, when the kingdom fell.” It’s really a medieval story with lots of romance and sword fights. I LOVE this story and can’t wait to share it with you!! I also have something else, but I can’t say anything about it right now (and it’s killing me to keep it quiet)!!

5. Would you like to share an excerpt, or a few favorite lines from the story?

Here’s the first chapter:

The Voice Jennifer Anne Davis Copyright 2013 Chap ter 1
Lying in the dark cabin, I tried not to think about the foul smell of body odor mixed with the stench of urine. I tried not to think about how hungry I was, or when I would eat again. About the plastic zip ties cutting into my wrists, or the spider crawling up my arm. I kept trying and failing. There was nothing to do but think.
Audrey? he spoke in my mind.
“Here,” I replied, still not understanding who or what the voicewas, hoping I wasn’t going crazy. Though, after what I had been through, crazy wasn’t too far off. Instead, I focused on what the voicewas saying. After weeks of being stuck here, he was the only thing keeping me grounded and giving me hope.
I need you to do something for me.
He sounded drained. “Are you okay?” I asked.
Scream.
“What?”
I need you to scream as loud as you can. Now, Audrey! Scream!
Bill had left the cabin only five minutes earlier, and I was afraid to make any noise. What if he was still outside and heard me? Would he come back in? I was so sore and bruised that I couldn’t handle anymore.
Scream! he urged.
Finally trusting the voice, I sucked in a deep breath, closed my eyes, and screamed as loud as I could. At first I sounded like a cat that was being strangled, the sound barely audible and grating on my ears. But I kept trying, and the noise transformed into something loud and fierce. Yell the word “help.”
“HELP!” My throat was raw, but that didn’t stop me. I took all of my hurt and anger, and used those emotions for the energy needed to sustain the scream.
Then a thumping came from the other room—maybe the front door. My body shuddered. Shimmying to the edge of the mattress, I tried to stand, but my legs gave out, and I fell to the rough, wooden floor, landing on my knees. With bound hands, I inched my way to the corner of the room, as far away from the door as possible.
Keep screaming!
I wanted to curl into a ball and disappear, but I did what the voicesaid and let out a shrill, loud cry for help. The sound bounced off the walls, echoing.
Wood shattered in the other room. I kept yelling, wishing that I had the power to destroy Bill with my scream.
The doorknob twisted. Please don’t hurt me again.. please don’t touch me.. no more, please. No more.
The door exploded open. Instead of Bill, there stood three hunters dressed in camouflage and bright orange vests. One held a shotgun, and another held an axe. I froze in horror. The men looked at one another and then back at me.
Audrey, tell them who you are. Your name.
“I’m Audrey Marshall. Please help me.”
“The kidnapped girl?” the older guy on the right asked. I nodded. “I’m calling 9-1-1. You’re going to be all right now,” he said reassuringly, his cell phone already at his ear.
“Thank you,” I whispered to the voice. But he didn’t respond.

The Voice by Janenifer Anne Davis
Published: Lands Atlantic (January 29th, 2013)
Reading Level: YA/NA
Paperback: 288 pages
Summary:
During her abduction and assault, Audrey begins to hear a voice. She hopes she's not going crazy, because after what she's experienced, that's the most logical explanation. However, as she begins to listen to the voice, Audrey realizes that someone may be telepathically trying to help her.

Unfortunately, rescue isn't all she needs. In order to leave behind the constant reminders, she flees to her Aunt Kate's house in San Diego, and assumes a new identity. It works until the eighteen-year-old twin boys who live next door threaten to break through the protective walls she's worked so hard to build.
Between Caleb going out of his way to befriend her and Justin avoiding her at all costs, Audrey doesn't know if normalcy will ever find her again. But one thing is certain: When a familiar danger resurfaces, it's the same voice that she turns to — a voice that is not only real, but a lot closer than she realizes.
Gripping and tastefully told, The Voice is a story of healing, trust, and courage.

Prize:
3 winners will receive an ebook copy of THE VOICE by Janenifer Anne Davis.

Rules:

• You must be at least 13 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is International and ends June 20th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Are you ever surprised by the large book community bloggers are apart of? What part of that do you enjoy the most?

I don't think I'm really surprised that there are so many people that want to share their love of books. I really like that there are now so many other people I can look to for book recommendations!
- Kayla at Midnight Twilight's Book Blog
Books bring people together; I think that's one of the reasons I love them. Even though reading is a solitary activity, it inadvertently creates a community. I've made some good friends within the community, and it's just a lot of fun to talk to everybody. — Nicole at WORD for Teens
When I first started blogging I had no idea that there was such a large community of book bloggers. I had read a few blogs but that was it. I really didn't look in to it much! It was really overwhelming when I first realized how many bloggers were out there. I've loved getting to know people on twitter and at author events. It's so great to know others who get my obsession! — Heidi at YA Bibliophile
The book community is truly amazing to me. Every time I start to lose my faith in humanity, I can turn to them and they reaffirm how wonderful people can truly be. My favorite part of this amazing group is being able to share the worlds we read about and the discussions we can all have about them. There is nothing better than a good book and good people to share it with! — Kelli at Scarlett's Scraps
Yes, the number of book community bloggers often amazes me. I love looking through their reviews to find new books, and seeing the range of opinions about books I've loved. — Abigailann at The Story Factory Reading Zone
Yes! There's so many out there and so many that I don't know about, it's a lot of fun and they're all very supportive at least most of the ones I've talked to. I love that I met some really great friends through the blogging community and we have a lot of things in common. — Cynthia at A Blog about Nothing
Yes I am surprised I didn't realise how many bloggers there were to start of and that the community stretches around the world from the UK, to Austrailia to the US and place I have never even heard off. The part I enjoy the most is talking other bloggers and sharing are excitment of books that are out soon and being able to particpate in each other blog in some way either leaving a comment on a great post or even doing a guest post. — Megan at Reading Away the Days
I love the community that we are all a part of and proud to be part of it. I would have to say my favorite part of this community is the support system thats out there. How bloggers will pull together to help there fellow bloggers out in hard situations. It makes me very proud and happy to have been part of this and looking forward to more time with them. Reagan at Star Shadow Blog
Yes! I did not realize the community that was out there. Before I started blogging I did not pay attention to the blogging world. I love getting to know the many wonderful people out there who are all doing the same thing. We are sharing our love of reading and inspiring others to find great books. — Lisa at Bookworm Lisa
I'm always surprised and that community never stops growing. I love it. I definitely love the book discussions. I try to talk books with my friends at school and no one, except Nora (my blog buddy) knows what I'm talking about. I love it that someone knows what I am talking about. — Gina at The Bucket List
Yes, like I said, I was surprised. I didn't know this existed. The world of bo extends much further then the shelves of my local B&N and now I've found it. As for what I enjoy the most… the many bookish friends and authors I have met and all the fabulous books they have recommended to me. — Stacey at Flippin' Fabulous — A Reader's Record
I am constantly surprised at how large the book blogosphere is, and so happy to be a part of it. I don't know that I have a favorite part, but I would love to meet bloggers who are local to me and put a face to the name. I also love that I follow blogs from all over the world, but we're all reading the same types of books (in many cases, at the same time!), and we're all pa ssionate about them. I also love how *nice* everyone is--I felt so welcomed as a new blogger. -Christi at Christi the Teen Librarian Yes, I am surprised that so many people are apart of the book blogging community. I enjoy reading recommendations, reviews and author interviews. — J.L. at J.L. Jackson
Sometimes I am, I've got some book blogs I like to look at, and they make me wonder sometimes, but it's all fun. I will admit that my main reason for poking around the community, is to see what's coming up and what others think of it. There are some books that I wouldn't think twice on, that I end up getting because of what someone blogged about it. — Ellen at Silver Tabby Books
I came into the blogging community when it was already quite large. Granted, it has absolutely exploded over the past year, but I never expected that it would remain small. We all want to be heard in life, and blogging provides that forum for millions of people who used to be silent. I enjoy the sense of community and camaraderie that we have as a book blogging community. We may have our dramas and issues, but if there is someone who needs help, we will come together in a huge way and help that person. The support the community provides is amazing and never fails to perk me up on a bad day. — Michelle at That's What She Read
I was surprised at first that there were so many people online of all ages who loved reading the same books I do. I love discovering books I probably wouldn't of from other people's blogs and goodreads. — Cole at Through the Book Vine
I have been surprised with the book community, but what has surprised me most is how friendships have developed through these blogs. I posted some pictures when my grandbaby was born and received so many congratulation comments. I love that people jump in and share happy moments or offer encouragement during tough times. — Ann at Cozy in Texas
Oh my gosh I was astounded when I realized what a community this was! I love the exposure to books I might not have found on my own, or wouldn't have picked on my own, both through reviews posted on the blogs and the cool resources like NetGalley that I've discovered through other bloggers. — Cat at Cat's Thoughts
Yes! when I first started I had NO idea that the blogging community was so big, or that I would meet so many nice people who share my love of reading. — Orchid at The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
When I started, I was aware there were book bloggers out there, but it wasn't until about six months into this gig that I realized how deep and broad that book blog universe really is. So, yes, I was very surprised by all the passion that's out there. It's so gratifying to know that all around the world, people are logging on, and spending hours upon hours writing about reading. Each new blog post written about books keeps the spirit of literature alive. It's like the flame of the Olympic torch being passed from runner to runner--we'll never let the love for books be extinguished. — David at Quivering Pen Blog
Yes, all the time! I rarely knew people in real life who enjoyed reading like I do. It’s amazing getting to know so many people in the blogging community who are as enthusiastic about books as I am. Gushing over our shared love of books and swapping recommendations are my favorite parts of blogging. — Small at Small Reviews
Oh yea, I was amazed that, as much of a bookworm as I am, I had been totally blind to the vast community of book bloggers there are on the internet. What I probably like the most is the fact that it is so big. It is so easy to find new book bloggers, even if they are not new to the community, and it is incredibly easy to locate a dozen or more reviews on just about any book that I am interested in. — Rachel at Jacob's Beloved's Books
When I realized how active the book blogging community is, I was a bit overwhelmed. How can little ol' me contribute? But everyone I met was helpful and very nice. So I was inspired to take part and interact w/ other bloggers as well
as authors, which is one of the things I enjoyed the most. Next is finding good books to read and even movies and music! — Len at Musings of a Reader Happy
I am surprised every day at how big and active the book blogging community is. I love knowing that through the good times and the bad times that there is a group I can lean on for book recommendations, a listening ear or just to share the same hobby. — Kristin at Kritters Ramblings
I am actually very surprised by the sheer size of the book community! Everywhere you turn, every book you see, there's a reviewer and a blog. I love going on Twitter and seeing all the talk about this book or that movie. The community is the biggest questionaire for all things books! The part I enjoy the most is finding out that other bloggers are just like me! You know, the"I have no idea what to write about,""why is this book that amazing?,"this series rules!" kind of people! — Nora at The Bookery
I was both astounded and more than a little daunted by the large book community of bloggers. It almost made me question whether to go forward with my blog or not. But no matter what, my opinions are mine alone. And that is what I want to share, so why not make a blog? (: — Kim at Book Munchies
I am surprised. Being in a small town, only about 6 of us teens love to read. The part I enjoy the most is being able to talk about books with a bunch of people with a bunch of opinions and discovering more and more books each day. — Lindsay at Just Another Book Addict
YES! I find new blogs on a weekly basis and I love that. I love finding new ones that have a great point of view or a book taste that is similar to my own. — Shannon at Books Devoured

*Part 3 of 3 will be posted soon.
USE GOOGLE if you want to know more about the blogoversary celebration.

Today is the second day of"Indie Reviews", a feature where I give short mini-reviews of all the Indie/N ew Adult titles I've read lately. I'll have 3 days of books that received a 4 star rating from me.

Because of Low by Abbi Glines
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This is book 2 in the series but I haven't read the first one. I really enjoyed this story. Low was a wonderful character and I really felt bad for her. I loved her best friend Cage (hot!) and Cage's roommate Marcus. It was nice that these books all contain the same group of characters. I didn't feel lost even though I hadn't read the first story. I hope to read more from this series soon.
There were times when I was frustrated by some lack of communication going on, but overall it was a really enjoyable read.

This series was picked up for publication, I believe, so it has a new cover now.

Charade by Nyrae Dawn Add to Goodreads
This was an interesting story because the main character, Cheyenne, pays the guy, Colt, to be her boyfriend for a while. Cheyenne wants to get back at her ex and Colt just wants to be able to take care of the bills since his mother is sick. I enjoyed Colt the most in this story. No, he wasn't perfect, but he tried to do everything for his mother. He just didn't plan on falling for Cheyenne. Nothing really surprised me with this book but nevertheless, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing where the journey took them.

Clash by Nicole Williams Add to Goodreads
This is another title that has a new cover because it was picked up for publication. This is book 2 but I skipped book 1. I tried a sample of the first title but it just didn't grab me. I ended up trying this one out and loving it. Jude and Lucy were a great, typically, teen couple. A few parts were frustrating because of miscommunication between the two but I still enjoyed following their romance. They are dealing with a long-distance relationship now and there is a bit of adjustment going on. I do hope to read the third book in the series soon.

The Perfect Game by J. Sterling Add to Goodreads
Loved, loved, loved the first part of this book. Cassie and Jack were amazing and had such a cute story. Both characters were likable and I enjoyed the sports angle the story had. This book really had a good college vibe. Then, near the end, Jack makes a hugely, stupid decision and it was just … odd. I didn't believe he would do something like that without much thought. Some parts after that were kind of predictable but it just really took a wrong turn for me. Prepare to be angry at these characters if you read this. Overall, I'm glad I read it and truly enjoyed the first half of the book beyond belief! Book 2, The Game Changer, comes out soon and I do plan to read it.

Down to You by M. Leighton Add to Goodreads
This is another title that has been picked up. Notice a trend here? Olivia was a nice character. She is far from perfect but I enjoyed her. Then we meet Cash and Nash. Cash is the bad boy, Nash is the good guy. She knows which one she should want to be with but that isn't the case. I will say that this book throws you quite a curveball. I didn't expect that twist. On the other hand, there were still a few things that just didn't make sense to me. Like, how do you end up in bed with a guy and you're not sure which twin it is? Hmm. Up to Me is the next book in this series. I'm honestly not sure if I will read it. I don't have a strong pull to do so (unlike some other series I read) so who knows. Either way, this one is a fun story with a crazy twist and I know a ton of people who really loved it.

V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram Add to Goodreads
This is such a funny story. Val"V" is a virgin who has dis aster strike as the entire school (and beyon d) start s giving her a hard time for her choice to wait till marriage. Instead of hiding away, she starts a campaign to supp ort her cause and she's pretty surprised by how many people end up helping her with it. Then, we throw in a rocker bad boy, Kyle, who is hellbent to destroy her plan and it all creates a wonderful ly, fan tastic read. The interactions be tween V and Kyle were amazing. I loved how spunky V was and how she never backed down f rom Ky le. It was a little rushed at the end, I wanted more! But regardless, I'd definitely reco mmend this one. Great story with terrific characters.

Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters Add to Goodreads
Another great New Adult read. It may be based on the traditional set up we've seen 100 times — girl meets bad boy, falls for him, issues ar ise, blah blah. but it was well written and enjoyable. This story does involve some *gasp* cheating… which is kind of a turn off for me but it didn't ruin Jordan's ch aracter. He wa s a bit more"nice" than I expected from the cover and summary th ough. I didn't really get the bad boy vibe as much as we see in other stories. Maysie was what I'd vie w as the traditional college co-ed, trying to survive school, make money, and have some fun. This may not be one that sticks out to me a s a f avorite but I'm still glad I took the time to read it.

Rock the Heart by Michelle A. Valentine Add to Goodreads Who doesn't love rockers?? This is one of my all-time favorite rocker books. Lane broke up with Noel 4 years ago and, through her job, they end up reunit ing. Eventually, she has to go on the road with him and she learns that even though Noel has changed, he still wants only her. I loved this co uple. The whole"rock star" vibe is very much in this story as well. I am a sucker for books where we get to go on tour with the characters. HOT. T here were times where I was frustrated with the characters but all-in-all, I'd definitely continue with this s eries and see what happens to Noel's band m ates.

Foolish Games by Leah Spiegel Add to G oodreads This was a cute story about some friends following around a bad (yes, more ba nd guys) but it takes a huge twist. Joie is pulled into a plot to help the bands reputation and it ends up risking her life. Hawkins, the love interest, was wond erful. Joie and Haw k ins have a lot of chemistry together but they also were never afraid to speak their minds. T his book also involves a stalker and I loved the whole mystery of it. I thought it was very well-written even though there were times where I just wanted them to tell the frea kin' cop s! I do plan to read the next books in this series and I love that they are based on the same characters. I really want to see wh ere they end up.

ALL OF THESE BOOKS RECEIVED A RATING OF

"This novel was absolutely surprisingly fantastic: a book I couldn't put down, a world I didn't want to leave behind, and characters that I'll never forget." — Miss Remmers

Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Challenges: eBook Challenge, +75 Challenge, NetGalley Challenge

"The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there."

I found myself in several different instances, in class and at the rink, taking a huge intake of breathe in a surprised fashion (does that make sense?) — loud enough so that students and hockey parents were like "What are you reading?!" At one point in class, I had to shut the Nook and say, "Goodness that was SO romantic!" There were only a few minutes left of class so I explained to the students what I was reading and I hinted at the "romance."

Speaking of romance, was anyone else rooting for Samm? Just wondering...

I know this review is a bit "everywhere" but really — just take my advice and pick up this novel! There really wasn't a single thing that bugged/irked me about it. Despite the "heavy" overtones, Marcus brought some great humor to the story that I really enjoyed; a lot of times I feel like humor in YA is so over dramatized that I get frustrated — not so with this book! In addition to the funny, there were some great surprises and twists that I never EVER saw coming — I didn't even really have an inkling that a surprise was coming (which is probably why I can't help but gasp out loud)! I was even able to somewhat understand or at least deduce what all the medical lingo meant!

This novel was absolutely surprisingly fantastic: a book I couldn't put down, a world I didn't want to leave behind, and characters that I'll never forget. There were moments that were tear-jerking sad, laugh out loud funny, and (as I mentioned) exclaim out loud surprising! How's that for adjectives!

Favorite Memorable Quotes: page numbers are in reference to the NetGalley ebook.
"The first human to communicate with another species in eleven years and he tells me to shut up" (158).
"Well thanks for not shooting anyone, I guess. My contribution was to somehow refrain from peeing myself. You can thank me later" (251).

-Connect with the Author: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook

To the FTC, with love: eGalley from NetGalley

Courtney Cole, the author of If You Stay, is here today for an interview. You can click the banner above to see her tour stops and be sure to check out the giveaway below!

1. I have to say that the cover for IF YOU STAY is amazing. It is perfect for the book. What did you have in mind for this cover and what did you think once you saw it finished?

Well, first I'd like to say thank you so much for having me here.: ) I really appreciate it.
And my cover… I love it too. Sarah Hansen did a beautiful job. This was exactly what I had in mind. I wanted Pax to be front and center- and I wanted his vulnerability to show. I think it comes through loud and clear in this cover. And when I first saw it… I was breathless. It was perfect.

2. Pax is very strong-willed and flawed, to say the least. Was it difficult writing from his point-of-view?

He definitely is. He's stubborn, he's opinionated and he lacks the ability to be cautious or afraid of anything. He doesn't care about himself or anything else, and he definitely doesn't care how his actions affect anyone else. At least, that's how he was in the beginning. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to connect with Pax. I knew exactly how I wanted his personality to be, so I just tried to think that way too. I have a husband and two teenage boys, so I've been schooled on how men really think sometimes. And the thing with Pax is that in the beginning, he didn't have a filter. He said and did whatever he wanted to do.

3. Developing a character that could steal Pax's heart must have been hard. What qualities did you know Mila had to possess in order to achieve this?

Well, it wasn't really that hard. I knew it would take someone who was his polar opposite, but I also knew I had to put them in a unique circumstance so that he could really see her for the beautiful person that she is. I knew he would need to see that she is much more than a pretty face. A mere pretty face wouldn't have swayed him.

After she saves his life, he sees her as a breath of fresh air, something light which is opposite of the dark that he considers himself to be. He was intrigued from the start, mainly because he couldn't fathom that she would actually give him mouth-to- mouth in that circumstance. In his world, someone wouldn't have gone out of their way like that. But Mila did it without a thought. And that fascinated Pax.

4. Can you share a few of your favorite lines from the book?

Yikes. This is a hard one. Hmm. Toward the end, there is a great scene."Love never fails, Mila. And I'll never fail you again. That's a promise." I love that one because Pax had come so far.
Another one that I like is a thought of Pax's, from the beginning part of the book."She's like a breath of fresh air. I may be the big bad wolf, but even wolves need to breathe."

5. Can you give us a hint to what you will be working on next?

Yes. I'm working on a companion novel to If You Stay. It is titled If You Leave and it will follow Madison Hill, Mila's sister. Maddy is a pretty fascinating character and I can't wait until you get to know her better.

Thank you again for having me here with you today. It's been a pleasure!

If You Stay by Courtney Cole
Published: Lakehouse Press (February 5th, 2013)
Reading Level: New Adult
ebook: 220 pages
Summary:
24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole.
Seriously.

He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.

But he’s got his reasons.

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade.
So he slipped far, far from it.

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right?
Wrong.

And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila.
Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one… the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.

He knows that. And he’s working on it.

But is that enough to make her stay?

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A huge part of the curriculum in my English 9 class is Reading. Every Friday is Recreational Reading Day — this is a nonnegotiable; it's not something where if we get behind during the week we can make it up on Friday and then read. We find another time to make it up — Friday is purely reading.

Students are required to read two recreational novels a quarter and turn in literary analyses for them. So, if I have 140 students and (let's just say) the all turn in the required two analyses — that is 280 analyses. But, I also offer extra credit for completing a third! So (and this is going out on a huge stretch) I could possibly have over 400 literary analyses to look at by the end of the QUARTER and over 800 by the end of the SEMESTER.

Oh what a great life.

But really, if I had to rate all the grading I do (pun intended) grading these analyses would be my favorite. I love hearing what my students thought about what read and what they didn't like.

Last semester I sort of "dropped the ball" when it came to book talks because I didn't think they were working; I thought that the students were just sort of sitting through it to appease me and that they weren't getting anything out of it.

Boy was I wrong.

During Christmas Break I spent an evening and put all the papers together in alphabetical order by title; while doing this I saw some definite patterns — especially in regards to books on my shelves that I had talked about or pitched to students, most namely "The Hunger Games" and "Beastly."

I did book talk "I Am Number Four" at the beginning of the year and a student raced to the front of the room (no joke) to ask to borrow it first. Unfortunately, when I got it back it was in such bad shape that I took it off my shelves. Many other students asked about it, but because I didn't have it on my shelves and they would actually have to, oh I don't know, go down to the library to reserve it, not many of those interested read it. Now, you may think this ridiculous on my part — why let a books poor appearance keep me from lending it out? Well, "I Am Number Four" was one of my favorite reads for 2010, it was the first book I received at BEA10, it is signed, it is an ARC, and, again, it was a GREAT read and the kid TORE it to pieces! I mean the spine was cracked in more than five places, the pages were dog eared at every chapter (had he not HEARD of using a book mark!?!), there were BITE marks on the cover, and the back cover was torn off — you tell me, love of a book or book abuse?

Anyway, for last semester I collected 406 literary analyses (obviously everybody didn't get their work turned in). Of those analyses:

• Beastly — 9 (2.2%)
• The Hunger Games — 11 (2.7%)

"Beastly" Literary Analyses

"The Hunger Games" Literary Analyses

If you could share any thoughts or feelings with authors, what would you like to tell them?

I think its wonderful how they authors have opened up through social networks such as twitter or facebook to their fans. It shows us they care and we know they are listening. — Yara at Once Upon a Twilight
Uhmm… something along the lines of"OMGiloveyourbooksiloveyourbooksiloveyouiloveyoupleasedon'tcallthepolice" — Audrey at holes In My brain
I love you. Even if I didn't like your book(s), I still admire you in ways you couldn't imagine. As a struggling writer, I understand the work that goes into it, and I applaud you for it. — Amanda, Another Book Junkie

Other then there should be a balance of action and detail and not to much or to little of one thing I'd want to say thank you for making unbelievable stories and thanks to all those who wrote books after harry potter was over you saved some bookworms there lol (right? I mean where would we be with out say the hunger games or twilight?)
- Kate at Ghost of the still
To keep interacting with the fans. There is nothing better than feeling like an author is easy to talk to or approachable. Knowing that authors talk to fans on Twitter and blogs just makes me love them even more! — Missy at Two Readers Reviews
Thank you! Thank you for writing such wonderful stories and creating characters and worlds that are unforgettable. As a Graphic Designer I am always inspired by words and writing, which help me continue to love what I do. — Kristen at Seeing Night Reviews
I'd like to thank them for being amazing and writing some amazing books. — Darla at DforDarla's Definite Reads
I would like thank them for writing such amazing books. I honestly don't know what I'd be doing if I wasn't spending so much time reading. A book is the perfect escape from the daily life, and I couldn't thank 'em enough =) — Tynga at Tynga's Review
Come to Central PA more often, haha. — Jane at At Random
Books inspire. What you do is wonderful! I have an overactive imagination and I love how books can feed that. I love to put those feelings into words when I review a book and it really makes a blogger feel fantastic when an author comments on a review when they love it and how it makes the author feel. — Aimee at Coffee Table Press
Never ever take your book and reposition it in a bookstore display. If you really want a bookseller to display your book more prominently, all you need to do is be pleasant and polite to them. Talk about other people's books that you love. Speak to them as a fellow book-lover and defer to their expertise. Hand-selling and displaying your book is a good bookseller's reflex reaction to being treated respectfully by an author, and developing that trust organically rather than asking or forcing it will ensure a long-lasting loyalty! — Alethea at Read Now Sleep Later

Not only am I thankful for the immense enjoyment that their stories bring me, and envy their ability to write such wonderful books, but I have a strong appreciation for the level of interaction with fans that most of my favorite authors maintain thanks to blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and the like. — Jessica at Brief Book Reviews
Cut the profanity, vulgarity and graphic sex. — Shirley at My Bookshelf
If you can ever drop by a blog and say hello it makes our day!
- Jill at The O.W.L
There are a few authors who have produced some of the most amazing collections of words that have moved me so deeply, and I'd just like to tell them thank you. I'd like to thank every author for having the courage to share their work with readers, and for providing a common ground that has allowed this incredible book blogging community to come together. — Ashley at Book Labyrinth
It depends on the author. But mostly, if I like them, I want to tell them that I like them, and that I hope they keep writing awesome things so that I can keep reading awesome things. I want to tell them that I want to be like them someday, creating something that brings joy to others. I want to tell them that what they're doing is amazing, and that they're amazing for doing it. I also want to tell Mercedes Lackey that I want to follow in her footsteps, but I'm not sure if that counts as creepy or not! — Ria at Bibliotropic
Hahaha. Please excuse my sometimes immature, squealing, obsessed moments when I type in all CAPS and get all excited over your books. Oh, and no matter how well you end your books (even if everything is solved and complete and perfect), I always love sequels, no matter what. Hint hint, J.K. Rowling! — Lucia at iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books
Thank you for being so helpful in our efforts to spread the word about great books. — Rie at Mission to Read
THANK YOU!!!! Thank you for all the hard work and sweat and tears and hours of love you pour into your books! You give us a piece of you and there is no way to really ever show our appreciation properly. Just know that we love you all!: D — Lisa at BaffledBooks
Thank you for all the wonderful places you've taken me. I can't wait for our next adventure together. — Rhiannon at The Diary of a Bookworm
Hmmm, I think I mostly would just tell an author how much I loved their book, or just gush to them about their characters. If I were to actually be face to face with an author though I might just freeze up, it's like meeting a celebrity!: D — Ambur at Burning.x.Impossibly.x. Bright
Authors are the best. Seriously. Authors don't just write books that I enjoy, they help me and prepare me for situations, they entertain me, they make a bad day better. Just being able to"leave" for awhile and explore another persons life and even new worlds is so relaxing and absolutely incredible. — Katie at Books are Dreams
I appreciate the awesome support of bloggers from (most) authors. And with social media, I feel so close to the authors that I aspire to be like. — Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
If I could share thoughts and feelings with authors I would tell them how grateful I am for what they do. They do something that I would never be able to do in a million years and just that is pretty amazing. I also don't know what I would do if authors weren't there. It would mean I would have no way to loose myself in a story like I love doing so much. Basically, I want to say a BIG thank you for what they do. — Emilie at Emilie Book World
I think the main thing would be that, as an aspiring writer, I appreciate what they do. When an author nails a scene or a character, or a turn of phrase, it is incredibly satisfying to read. I often say"I want to be able to do THAT when I grow up" meaning"I hope I can pull that off one day." I also wish I could be blunt with some authors and tell them when they missed the mark. — Kim at Fresh Fish and Foolishness
I love reading your books and I love when you are so outgoing and supportive of book blogs! Thanks for all of the hard work! — Jackie at Teen Book Guide

*Part 2 of 3 will be posted soon.
USE GOOGLE if you want to know more about the blogoversary celebration.

Okay, it's official — I have pretty much caught the Twilight bug. be cautioned — there are a few spoilers in here.

So first, let's change things up. What I didn't like about it... I don't like the casting. As mentioned before, I don't think Kristen Stewart is right for Bella (although she did grow on me since the first time I saw the film). And (now, no one go crazy when I say this) but I don't know if I like Robert Pattinson as Edward either. Maybe it's not that he's wrong for the part — it could be that I just don't find him physically attractive (gasp!).

I would have liked to see more interaction between the rest of the Cullens' and Bella. Especially when they first meet her and towards the end between Bella, Alice, and Jasper. Especially Alice. I really would have loved to see Alice and Bella in the hotel conversing — I was looking forward to that. It also would have been nice to see the whole part with Alice tricking Bella into going to the Prom. And I missed seeing Eric, Tyler, and Mike fall over Bella. And it would have been nice to see Edward a little bit more jealous — you really had to look for it in the film, very subtle.

Also, I would have liked it to be more like the book when Edward shows himself in the light — he seems so angry. I didn't get that feeling from the book — it felt more like he was relieved to be able to share it with her.

And finally, I wish that they would have showed us the struggle Edward had to overcome in order to be close to Bella — like the part in the book where he rests his head of her heart. It seemed so vital in the book because it was something that Edward had to do in order to find out how strong he was. I also wish they would have at least mentioned Jasper's ability.

And now for what I liked.

I LOVED Charlie! He was the best part of the entire film! He brought the necessary comedic relief to such a heavy film. Just — AMAZING. It broke my heart when Bella said those awful things to him. That look on his face — tragic. But really — definitely my favorite character of the film.

I loved Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and Carlisle. Really — they were perfect. I think I may have a slight crush on Jasper and Emmett. I wish they would have played up Emmett a little bit, I think he would have been great comedic relief too. The baseball scene (before James) was definitely my favorite part of the film. Edward wasn't being all down and brooding and the rest of the family was having a great time.

I really liked the apple bit too — in the lunchroom.

And if you read my review from the book, you'll be glad to know that I absolutely loved that I couldn't hear all of Bella's thoughts and therefore I wasn't constantly being reminded that she's a klutz. So that was a relief.

And I'll just mention it again, I loved Charlie. And the Cullens (sans Edward). And one question: Spider Monkey? I don't remember that from the book.

Update: I just watched the extended scenes, and I think all of them should have been included in the movie except the one where they tear apart Waylon. Didn't need to see that.

I've been thinking about blogging a lot lately, you know... rather than actually doing it.

I have some confessions to make. I've been a "bad" blogger the last couple months. I got frustrated with the lack of progress my blog had made in two years and I compromised my integrity to get higher numbers.

Yes. I did.

What exactly did I do to get the numbers I wanted? Are you prepared? It's pretty awful.

I hosted several contests where you had to be a GFC follower to enter. I participated in Giveaway Hops, again, where you had to follow in order to enter. I became obsessed with Follow Friday and the Book Blogger Hop — where you follow and comment for the purpose of numbers. Yes, I did find a few (I can think of three off the top of my head) bloggers who I've actually built a relationship with.

Now, this is not a slam on those memes, but the basic purpose (as far as I can tell) is to gain followers. And... I won't lie, my blog has grown exponentially. The thought behind these memes is to meet other bloggers etc and visit new blogs, but the truth is (for me) it was about numbers, about putting forth as little effort as possible (posting a simple response to a question) and watch my follower number increase.

As part of my confession, I want to illustrate just how much participating in these particular blogging extracurriculars boosted my "numbers"; I actively began participating in January. (Note: Blogger began keeping track of stats in the middle of June).

There's no doubt about it — if you want numbers it works. I thought I wanted numbers (and I still kind of do — I won't lie).

But the fact is, if I'm going to stress about blogging (never a good thing) I'd rather stress about my content than numbers. I'm being completely honest — I blog for me and my students, I blog because I love the community, I blog because I love books, I blog because I love blogging. But honestly, I just don't think it's as fun blogging if no one reads it. There will always be those people who say "I don't care about numbers" etc (and I mean no disrespect) but generally, it seems, like the people saying that HAVE the numbers and have the niche.

It'd be easy to lie. It'd be easy to say: "No, I don't care about numbers or followers or a larger readership. I don't care about my blog being successful. I blog for me and me alone." But I'm not going to do that. Yes, I blog for me and because I enjoy it, but I do care about the success of my blog. If I didn't, I would read books and form opinions and move on without a review. If I didn't care about the success of my blog I wouldn't have taken all the steps I have to market and promote my blog. I wouldn't be spending countless hours reading other blogs, commenting, tweeting, and working on the look of my own blog. I wouldn't be so engrossed in the social media of the book blogging community.

So, what do I do? I feel like I've lost my blogging integrity and I've lost focus. I don't want my blog to be about numbers. I don't want to post memes to "fill space" and "gain numbers."
In order to gain back a bit of my blogging integrity I vow to all of you faithful (and amazing) readers:

• Never to host a contest where you must be a follower. I want my online space to be content driven, not numbers driven.
• Instead of posting mindless, contentless meme posts in hopes of adding followers, to instead visit three other blogs a week and attempt to build a real content-based relationship with them. Rather than leaving a quick comment: "New follower here stopping by for the Hop/Follow Friday/etc"
• To never (or hardly ever) feel stressed or obligated to post

I apologize for the use of parentheses.

Edit: I forgot to mention this. Thank you to all of the "content-driven" readers that I have. Besides my love of students and books, you are the reason I keep blogging. You're the reason I love hearing that little Blackberry email chime on my phone when you comment. Thanks for all you do.

I solemnly swear I will post a review this week.:)

Today is another day of the Indie/New Adult feature where I provide you with mini-reviews from the many (mostly New Adult) books I've read lately. I had a ton of books get a 4 star rating from me and this is the 3rd day I'm featuring those. Check my previous posts for the other 4 star books and my 5 star favorites that posted on Monday.

Waiting for You by Shey Stahl
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This book started out for me as a raving, sparkling 5 stars. I absolutely loved Bailey and the fact that she wanted to escape her"perfect" life. She chooses to do this by jumping in the car with Dylan, the local bad boy, and heading off to who-knows-where. I am a sucker for road trip books and this one had so many amazing parts. Dylan started out as the perfect bad-boy character and I actually liked Bailey a lot because she showed how independent and rule-breaking she could be. Then, about 2/3rds through the book it took some strange turns. I won't say what happened but I will say that Dylan did something to Bailey that raised some reg flags for me. I couldn't brush off that uneasy feeling and the book never quiet grabbed me again after that. Either way, this may not be an issue many people find in this story. Maybe it just hit a sore spot for me, but I'd still recommend people give this one a try.

The Future of Our Past by Kahlen Aymes Add to Goodreads
I'm a sucker for books that involve teenagers who have been friends forever and question their relationship. I think many girls want to have that male best friend that we adore, and then we find out that maybe that's who we are meant to be with. In this book, Julia and Ryan are at that moment and neither know what to do. Once together, they deal with typical relationship issues, like distance, and it was good to see how they worked through those problems. By the end, the drama was a bit more boring and I hated that it ended on a huge cliffhanger. I still plan to read the next book in the series soon to see what happens.

Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder
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I know so many people who just looooved this book. I enjoyed it a lot but it didn't blow me away like I expected. I will say though, the first part of this story had me in tears. It was the saddest thing ever! As with many titles I've read, the beginning was fabulous. I got the emotional connection with the characters after the accident and Nell and Colton were believable and obviously had a lot of chemistry. Towards the end I just wasn't into the story as much. I started skipping a few parts and didn't get the drama going on. But again, that beginning was insanely good and I do plan to read more from this author.

Fire Always Burns by Krista Lakes Add to Goodreads
This is a book you may not have heard of before but it's definitely worth the read. In this story we meet Holly, a young girl who lost her scholarship after too many late nights. This is something we rarely see in NA books (a person who fails at college and ends up back home in their small town), but it happens every day! She has best friends still in the town and one of them is Luke, a guy who is dealing with his parent's divorce and his little brother having to move. Then we have Andrew, a guy forced to take care of his mother after his father passed away. They all felt so stuck. I totally got these situations. They were similar scenarios but so relateable. Some parts I didn't fully understand (like how Andrew's mother was a nurse, but she was bats*it crazy sometimes), but I still enjoyed the overall story in this book.

Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson Add to Goodreads
I adored this story. Christian abandons his girlfriend, Elizabeth, after finding out she's pregnant. Now he tries to come back and connect with her and his child. I was frustrated at Christian at times because he let his families control go so far, but I felt that once he came back he really did want to try to make things work. I felt bad for Elizabeth who had been forced to raise her child with just the help of some family and friends, always regretting that her daughter wouldn't have a dad. The side characters we meet in this book are incredible. I think everyone would want to have a group like them.

Before You Go by Clare James Add to Goodreads
In this story we meet Tabby. She's had a public sex scandal that forced her to leave her college and go somewhere else. Now she wants to get back the control she felt she lost. She meets Noah and he pushes through the walls she's built up. They work on a newspaper together and slowly get closer. Noah was a sweetie. It was a bit harder for me to love Tabby because I didn't get some of her actions but I still enjoyed their relationship. This book does have some heavy issues and I liked how it showed how one single moment can really destroy a life. Tabby was faced with what happened every day and sadly, this is an issue that many teens face with social media and viral pictures/videos going out.

Wide Awake by Shelly Crane Add to Goodreads
I was a bit hesitant to pick up this one because I'm not really into the amnesia, lost memories, type of story but I'm glad I gave this one a chance. Emma wakes up from a coma as a completely different person. She doesn't know who she was before but through her friends and family she soon realizes that, well, she was a biotch! The new Emma is trying to adjust with the help of her physical therapist Mason. Their connection was great. Some things I didn't understand, like why Emma would want to join the cheer team so soon after waking up and not being able to walk? That would be the last thing on my mind. But besides the inconsistencies, the overall romance and building up of Emma was great to read about.

Promise Me Darkness by Paige Weaver Add to Goodreads
Woah, this book has the award for most surprising of the year. I was expecting what the blurb says which is that Maddie sees her childhood best friend Ryder one night and she realizes that she likes him as more than a friend now. We've seen this type of scenario often but this one adds a little more to that. It's a story that involves the before, during, and after apocalyptic setting and wow, it kept me on the edge of my seat! There is a ton that goes on in this story so the romance was just a bonus. I liked the way the world was portrayed after the attack. Sometimes I questioned Maddie's thoughts though and wondered if I'd really be that focused on a guy when the world was falling apart. Regardless, after the cliffhanger (GRR!!) I know I'll be reading the next book!

After Math by Denise Grover Swank Add to Goodreads
Scarlet is a quiet college girl who deals with a lot of social anxiety. Then she has to tutor the school soccer star, Tucker Price, and he manages to really push her boundaries. I enjoyed these characters and how Scarlet was able to see who the real Tucker was. Once they begin getting closer their affections go from zero to sixty pretty fast. It may have been a bit too fast and sometimes Scarlet got on my nerves with her constant over-thinking. But Denise is a fabulous author who really knows how to bring different aspects of a story together. Everything flowed nicely and I hope to continue with his series. The next book will focus on Scarlet's roommate.

Born by Tara Brown Add to Goodreads
I think this was even a free book when I got it but I've really been into the whole"post-apocalyptic" angle lately. When we meet Emma she has been on her own for over 10 years. Most people are dead (or, sort-of-dead) from an illness and the rest are just trying to survive. This book paints a scary picture of the world but it seems realistic for how I feel it would be 10 years after something like that took place. Emma meets some new people (Jake, Anna, and Will) plus several others along the way. She finally sees how the world has really been since she's been holed up for so long. This book has some editing issues but it didn't take too much away from it. It doesn't shy away from the gruesome parts of war, which was a nice thing. I have read the second book too and that review will be posted tomorrow.

ALL OF THESE BOOKS RECEIVED THE RATING

Hello again! It's time for another post for this months Blogger Talk! Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) and I, along with Dan have put together some of our favorite quotes from the book. Check them out and see what you guys think. We'd love to hear your comments!

Title: Partials (Partials, #1)
Author: Dan Wells
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, 472 Pages (February 28th, 2012)
Add Partials to: Goodreads
Order Here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partialsóengineered organic beings identical to humansóhas decimated the worldís population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanityís time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friendís pregnancy, sheís determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the warís origin that she never knew to ask.
Quotes from Partials:

Top 5 Favorite Quotes of Dan's -
Owen Tovar: "War, see, is when two sides fight, maybe not evenly, but at least they both get a few swings in. What we call the Partial War was mankind getting mugged in an alley."

Duna Mkele: "Let us assume, just for the moment, that whatever the Partials are planning is larger in scope than the murder of one teenage girl."

Nandita Merchant: "Each life has a different purpose, and some people can find their purpose more easily than others. The key, the most important thing you can ever know, is that whatever your purpose is, that's not your only choice."

Kira: "I don't know if 'we're stupider than they think we are' is a really great attack strategy."

Isolde: "If you can't know the truth, live the most awesome lie you can think of."

A Couple of My Favorite Quotes -
"No matter how they spun it, no matter how much they tried to focus on the positives, the ugly truth was that there simply weren't any children anymore. They were closing the school because they had run out of students. The teachers had done their job, but the doctors hadn't. -- page 12 (Kira)

"I've never been this wet in my entire life," said Kira."Even immersed in a bathtub I swear I was dryer than I am now."
"Look on the bright side," said Marcus.
Kira waited.
"This is the point," she said,"at which you would traditionally suggest a bright side."
"I've never been a real traditional guy," said Marcus."Besides, I'm not saying I know a bright side, I just think this would be a great time to look at one." -- page 45 (Kira and Marcus)

"Wake up sleepyhead," said Kira, bumping Marcus's ear with her shoulder."We're almost home."
"I didn't order sushi."
"What?"
Marcus opened his eyes warily."What did I say?"
"Nothing I have to smack you for. You're lucky you were dreaming about food instead of girls."
"I'm male," said Marcus, rubbing his eyes."It was a fifty-fifty shot." -- page 73 (Kira and Marcus)

A Couple of Lisa's Favorite Quotes -
"So tell us about yourself," said Marcus, settling into a couch."If I'm going to spend the while night waiting for you guys to stop flirting and shoot each other, I want to at least be entertained." -- page 54 (Marcus)

"Just bring something to share this time," sad Kira, turning back to Marcus and tapping him pointedly in the chest."I'm not covering for you like last time."
"That was a one-time thing," said Marcus, laughing,"and it wasn't last time, it was four times ago, and I've covered your share way more than that."
"I'm just saying," said Kira, picking him again in the chest,"I don't want my food-for-nothing, freeloader boyfriend to make me look bad in front of everybody. Again." She poked him one last time, glared at him playfully, then poked him again for good measure.
"Do you poke all the boys, or I am Special?"
She leaned closer."It's just you." She kissing him on the cheek."Until somebody better comes along." -- page 76 (Kira and Marcus)

"Wake up sleepyhead," said Kira, bumping Marcus's ear with her shoulder."We're almost home."
"I didn't order sushi."
"What?"
Marcus opened his eyes warily."What did I say?"
"Nothing I have to smack you for. You're lucky you were dreaming about food instead of girls."
"I'm male," said Marcus, rubbing his eyes."It was a fifty-fifty shot." -- page 73 (Kira and Marcus)

"Well, thanks for not shooting anyone, I guess" said Marcus."My contribution was to somehow refrain from peeing myself. You can thank me later." -- page 347 (Marcus)

It looks like this month Lisa and I managed to have one of our favorite quotes be the same. And I think it's telling that most of our quotes have Marcus in them. He was very entertaining to say the least. Also, the quote of Dan's from Isolde was one I almost used as well. That scene was a good one.
*Note: The quotes from Lisa were taken from an ARC copy of Partials.

Don't forget to check out the Interview with Dan >>>CLICKING HERE<<<
Again, we can't say thank you enough for taking the time out of your busy touring schedule to stop by a few days this week and be part of this months Blogger Talk.
Thanks for everything!

Find Dan Online:

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Check out my review of Partials HERE!

Book Trailer:

Be sure to stop by again later this week for our Partials discussion post. We hope you'll join in on to help us celebrate this FANTASTIC book and author.

Looking for a good YA summer romance?

Sourcebooks has two fabulous summer lovin' books coming out. The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond and While He Was Away by Karen Schreck are both released May 1st. Today I have a guest post from Katherine on why we crave fame.
Sign up below for a chance to win both titles!

Why We Crave Fame
“Celebrity-in-Hiding.” When I first started writing THE SUMMER OF NO REGRETS, I didn’t want to admit how much that idea intrigued me. I’m a lot like my main character, Brigitta—all about finding the meaning of life, not fantasizing over whether the guy next door is a movie star. When I bought a National Enquirer, I explained to the grocery store clerk that it was for research— that I was writing a book (“Yes,” I told her modestly, “I am an author.”) I certainly didn’t normally read that sort of thing. Of course not. Well, okay, maybe the headlines. Occasionally.

But as I read through stacks of People and Star and Us (which is a lot like eating sugar cubes all day long), and more stacks of celebrity biographies, I started to wonder what the deal is about fame. Why does it fascinate us? Why do we love the idea of either being famous or being connected to somebody famous?

I think it’s because we’ve got some interesting ideas about “being known.” If I’m “known,” people know who I am, right? Lots of people. Those people will say I’m talented and beautiful and they’ll treat me with special respect. If I’m known, I get to wear amazing clothes and ride in limousines. People will do what I want just because I’m known. If I only eat the green M&M’s, someone will pick those out of the five-pound bag and put them into a crystal dish for me. If I’m known, I am important—more important than that boss who fired me, or the teacher who gave me a C and said “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” or the security guard who threw me out of a mall in Seattle for plugging my cellphone into a floor outlet (true story!)

But is that really what being known is? Getting special treatment and being better than somebody else? Who really knows me when I’m known like that? What I crave, what I really crave, is to have a few people who will look into my eyes and know me—know how I wrinkle my nose when I laugh, and what my favorite show is, and why I’m afraid of guns. It’s what we all want, I think—people who will listen to us when we’re scared, and scream with us on the roller coaster, and trust us with their hurts. We want to know we matter. We want to have a few people we don’t have to hide ourselves from.

So is Brigitta’s next-door-neighbor a secret superstar? We can talk about that later. I need to go to the grocery store and read some headlines.

The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012)
Paperback: 290 pages
The day Brigitta accidentally flings herself into the lap of a guy she's never met, her friend Natalie is convinced he's Trent Yves, egotistical heartthrob-in-hiding. When the boy, who calls himself Luke, is nearly eaten by a cougar, Brigitta finds herself saving his life, being swept into his spectacular embrace and wondering if she wants Natalie's fantasy to be true.

As the two spend the summer together raising orphaned cougar cubs, Brigitta still can't be sure of his true identity. But then again, since her grandparents' death, her father's sudden urge to give away all their possessions and become a shaman, and her own awkward transition from girlhood into a young woman, she isn't sure of anything. What is the truth? More importantly, can she accept it?

While He Was Away by Karen Schreck Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012) Paperback: 249 pages This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say."The right thing."

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next.

All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a copy of The Summer of No Regrets and While He Was Away.

• You must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
• Name and email must be provided.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US only and ends May 9th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

Find Katherine Grace Bond Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Find Karen Schreck Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Are you ever surprised by the large book community bloggers are apart of? What part of that do you enjoy the most?

I love reading a review about a book that I didn't even know existed and thinking,"I have to read that now!" I also love sharing new releases with others in hopes of giving debut authors a boost on their"book birthday."
-Jessie at The Daily Harrell

ISALYS: Oh God, yes!! I used to think that bookworms were an dying breed and if you were lucky enough to find another one, that you had to grab them, put them in a glass bottle and protect them from the world. It makes me so happy to know that there are still LOTS of us who love to read for the simple joy of it. Hands down, my favorite is meeting new people; bloggers and authors. I love that most authors are so connected with their fans. They're not like the typical celeb that lives in this far-away land called L.A. and are completely unreachable. I love it when you chat or meet with an author and be reminded that they're a real person. Oh, and I loveee to meet bloggers that I can just gab about books with all day long: )

VANESSA: I'm amazed EVERYDAY! Especially on twitter. I've found thousands of new blogs and absolutely love browsing through them. I honestly never thought the book blogging community was so huge! — Isalys & Vanessa at Book Soulmates
The book blogging community grows everyday and with it I meet great new people all the time. It does surprise me often at how great bloggers are, with everything from coming to the aid of others, donating their time and effort and so much more… This is a huge part of what I love about the community as a whole. If not for all the kindness I’ve found from everyone it just wouldn’t be the same. I think besides all the amazing books, this would without a doubt be the part I enjoy the most. I’ve met some great people and we’ll be friends for a long time to come. — Lisa at A Life Bound by Books
All the time! I keep finding 'new' blogs, some who have been blogging for years, but because I book blog world is so big, I never found them before. — Chris at Chrisbookaram
I love being a part of the community. I love hearing about new books — bloggers often have the inside scoop months in advance, which is great. It certainly makes my TBR pile out of the world both in length and awesome books to read. — Janenifer at YA Book Nerd
Before I started blogging I had no idea such a community even existed. So I was pretty surprised that what I thought was just a little hobby of reading, was really not that little at all. I had no idea that there were thousands of book blogs out there, or that you could talk to authors and publishers, or that their were book conferences where you could go and meet all these people. I just love being a part of this community. And the internet has made it so easy to be connected with everyone, which is probably the best part. — Jessica at The Firefly Book Loft
Yes! I had no idea this community existed until a couple of months after I started blogging. What I love the most is the support, and the love that we all share. If I'm reading something amazing, and try to talk to my IRL friends, they look at me like I'm crazy. But if I blog or tweet about it, I get tons of"I know exactly how you feel" responses! I love that! — Andye from Reading Teen
I am stunned by the book blogging community! There is such a huge range of bloggers out there; I don’t think there enough days/months/years to keep up with them all! However, the ones I do follow (there’s a big list on my blog) are all fantastic. They are all so supportive and generous! — Katelyn at Kayelyn’s Blog
Yes. I thought I was one of very few who loved books as much as I did and the internet proved me wrong! I am just so thrilled that there are others out there who share my love of all things literary! — Emma at Emma Michaels
Oh my gosh, YES! I'm amazed at the book blogging community on almost a daily basis. Everyone is so wonderful and I'm honored to be a part of it. — Theresa at Fade Into Fantasy
I think at first, I was surprised, or maybe"in awe" is a better way to describe it. The community is HUGE. I enjoy getting to know other bloggers as well as the authors. — Raenice at Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication
Honestly yes I am quite surprised. I had always seen reading as unique and that kind of made me feel special, which was something that was basically shot into oblivion when I started my blog and realised how many people also blogged, even today I'm still surprised by the amount. I guess it is nice that the blogging community is so large, for me it gives me the opportunity to write a negative review without particularly feeling bad because there will always be someone who writes a good review on that particular book. — Kayleigh at OnceUponABookNerd
I was really amazed when I discovered just how vast the book blogging community is – even the number of strictly YA book blogs astounded me! I really love connecting with other readers and discussing our reactions to books (whether or not we agree!) — Danya at A Tapestry of Words
I don't think I am really. I went into blogging knowing that it was a huge community because I'd been reading blogs for a while. I'd say I'm surprised at how fast the community continues to grow. The part I enjoy most is the collective voice of bloggers, alone we reach out to the number of followers who actually read our blog, but together we make an impact on the bookish world. It's nice to know you’re a part of such a close knit community. — Khadija at Black Fingernail Reviews
I’m not really surprised by the community of bloggers but more surprised by how welcoming, kind and protective bloggers are of each other. My blog started out as a very solitary thing. I had no idea there was this community of book bloggers out there but they are my lifeline. They are a constant source of recommendations and advice. I don’t read magazines or newspapers for books recommendations, I go directly to other bloggers. They have never steered me wrong. — Grace at Books Like Breathing
The list of people I follow on Twitter grows everyday as does the list of blogs I follow. But I can't possibly keep up with all of them as well as read, write and oh yeah the day job again.
I enjoy connecting with people and the sharing of hints and tips. Sharing in people's success is fun too. One book blog I really enjoy is 'Diary of a Bibliophile' — I enjoy Jesi Lea's reviews and have purchased a number of books on her recommendation (that I hope to get around to reading one day). Also the sexy angel photos are quite nice too; o) — Kirsty from Kirstyes
Yeah, it is surprising how big it is — I didn't realize it until I started blogging myself. I enjoy the convos on Twitter the most I think — some of these bloggers are hilarious and so friendly and willing to help with anything! — Michelle at Hooked on Books
I'm surprised everyday by it. It continues to grow. I love that so many people love to read and want to share it with someone else. I enjoy discussing books with people who feel the same way I do. I like meeting with people from all walks of life.
- Page at One Book at a Time
Yes! I love that there are so many people with a passion for books. There is such a phenomenal network of book readers and writers, and I love being a part of it. The best thing about book bloggers is that they are helping authors get the word out about their book. It gives authors another (cooler) option when it comes to book marketing. Pus, it is a more personal approach to book marketing, which I love.
- Bridgid at Inky Fresh Press
I really am! I mostly enjoy the support book bloggers offer each other. I'm sure it's out there, but I have never seen anything catty or obnoxious going on. — Kaitlyn at Kaitlyn in Bookland
Oh, yes! I am very surprised at the large book community, I didn't think these many people shared the same passion that I do. Mostly, I enjoy the interaction with both bloggers and authors on media sites. I love sharing my love for books for so many people and embarrassingly having"fan girl" moments when I talk to my favorite authors. — Alex at More Than Just a Book
I was very surprised in the beginning. I attended BEA last year as a new blogger and was impressed with the amount of bloggers who also attended and the enthusiam they had for blogging and reading. I enjoy most meeting new bloggers through Twitter and/or following new blogs I find through recommendations. I also like learning more about bloggers I have already met, whether it be personal or through their reviews.
-JL at An Avid Reader's Musings
Not really, maybe at first but it's been over a year now, and although I love seeing new bloggers it doesn't surprise me at all because I can completely understand why blogging is so popular and loved by many because most of us are blogging for the very same reason. Apart from sharing my thoughts on books and movies I just love talking with other book — lovers and bloggers. Finally being able to share my thoughts on books has to be the highlight of blogging for me. — Aly at Fantasy4eva

*The second question from the authors will be posted tomorrow.
USE GOOGLE if you want to know more about the blogoversary celebration.