Meeting Trish Doller & the Something Like Normal Release Party + Giveaway!

On Satuday my friends Shanon, Olivia, and I road tripped to Ft. Myers for the release party of Trish Doller's phenomonal book, Something Like Normal. We met up with Jenna and Nanci, and got some food before heading over the Barnes & Noble where the party was being held. Courtesy of of Tropical Storm Debby, we got pretty wet going to and from the car, but it just added to the road trip adventure.

Shanon, Me, Nanci, and Jenna

The Barnes & Noble that Trish had her party at is also where she works, and it is a great store. It's so big and there was so much to look at. I think we probably circled the store a few times just checking everything out :0)

Shanon and Me

We got there early, but once they had the chairs set up and Trish arrived we all got to sit and chat for a bit before the party officially started. Trish is so cool and it was a blast just hanging out and talking with her. They had a table set up for her to sit behind, but she decided she'd rather sit on the table, which made everything feel so much less formal and just a fun experience.

Jenna and Me

Trish told us about her first book that was supposed to be published in 2010, but because of some changes at the publisher, it never came to be. She said she thinks it was supposed to happen that way, though, because she's not sure Something Like Normal would have become what it is if the other one came out first. That's such an awesome attitude and I'm so glad Something Like Normal exists, so I think I'll agree with her :0)

She also told us a lot about a Marine that helped her throughout her writing process. She said she couldn't have finished the book without him and I think it's really cool how close of friends they've become. She also revealed what Harper's tattoo is and it is really cool! We also got a small snippet from the project she is currently working on and I'm sure it's going to be an awesome story. It's not a book yet, though, so we'll have to wait for that one.

 

Trish and Me

She read some awesome excerpts from the book, and talked about Charlie and how she really wanted to make sure he was a character in the story, even though he is dead. If you haven't read it, Charlie had so much personality and definitely brings a lot to Travis' story. Then it was time to get our books signed! And of course take pictures!

Getting my books signed!

Trish showing her love for Miranda Kenneally's CATCHING JORDAN :0)

This was definitely my favorite of all of the author events I've been to and I am so glad that we made the trip! There is no doubt that I will be at the one for her next book and any of the ones after. Trish is so cool and if you get the chance to attend one of her events, or if you are stalking her and "run into" her in public, definitely make it a point to meet her :0)

Shanon, Trish, Me, Jenna and Nanci

And! I picked up an extra signed copy for one lucky person! All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below and keep your fingers crossed, because you WANT this book :0)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

Release Date: July 3rd, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: ARC
Age Group: Young Adult


Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity.

I’ve been slowly dipping my toes back in the vampire genre and I was really intrigued by the premise of Team Human. Vampires and humans co-exist in the world, but our narrator isn’t in love with one of the undead, in fact she is pretty much against them. When her best friend falls in love with a vampire, as far as Mel is concerned, it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen.

Mel is a pretty awesome character. She’s opinionated, so funny, and fiercely loyal to and protective of her friends. I liked her right from the start and I really enjoyed seeing everything unfold from her point of view. The vampires here are pretty typical. They can’t go out in the daylight and they drink human blood, but they also try to co-exist with humans peacefully. There is even a vampire police force. So cool. One thing that sets them apart, though, is if the transition to vampire doesn’t work some people turn into zombies. Shuffling, mumbling, and decaying zombies. A Terrible side effect of trying to become a vampire, but a seriously cool aspect to the story.

This book isn’t really action packed, which I was concerned about when I first started read, because I wasn’t sure how it would hold my attention. The thing is, before I realized it, I’d read a hundred pages and it had felt like twenty. It’s so well written and full of so much humor, I just kept flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen next. The mystery that drives the story is a good one, and while I pretty much had it pieced together before it was solved on the page, I still wanted to see how the characters solved it and what the ramifications would be.

As far as I know, this is a standalone, and it works perfectly that way. Everything is wrapped up nicely and the mystery has a satisfying end. If you are someone who loves the vampire genre, someone who doesn’t really care much for it, or someone who is trying to get back into it, I think this book is perfect. It’s just a cool book that was so much fun to read, whether you’re Team Human or Team Vampire :0)

Kowalski Family Series by Shannon Stacey

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

I am an absolute sucker for love stories, especially those about high school sweethearts reconnecting later in life. Joe and Keri's story fit the bill perfectly. Joe still pining, Keri in major denial, a couple of weeks in the middle of nowhere with his whole family, and wild things are bound to happen.

Joe was positively swoony and so good at pushing Keri's buttons. She was relentlessly snarky at first, but I loved that Joe wasn't willing to give up so easily.

I also really liked the secondary story in this one, revolving around Joe's sister Terry, and her fledgling marriage. I loved control freak Terry and I really enjoyed watching her realize some truths about herself. I also really liked how Terry and Keri's pasts were connected. It added another awesome level to the book.



Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey

The second book revolves around youngest brother, Kevin Kowalski, and his one night stand with Beth ending up with her pregnant. I think Kevin is my favorite Kowalski (don't tell the rest of them) and I was so excited to get to know him and his bar a little better.

I wasn't completely sold on Beth at first, her independence wasn't as endearing to me, as I think it was probably supposed to be. I totally get that she doesn't know this man who has all of the sudden become a part of her life, but her constantly pushing away his offers of help was just silly. Of course, as the story went on and she warmed up to Kevin and his family, I warmed up to her.

The secondary story in this one was about Kevin's bar manager, Paulie. She is the kind of gal you want to hang out with on the weekends. Loud, crass and all kinds of attitude, not to mention so much fun. It was great reading about how she dealt with her past walking through the door of Jasper's.

Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey

The third book about the Kowalski's has my favorite story line. I'll let you in on a little secret, if a book features a scenario where characters have to live together and pretend they are a couple, I will read it. No questions asked. These stories give the best kind of background for blossoming love and plenty of lust, too.

Sean Kowalski is definitely a little rough around the edges, having just gotten out of the military. Considering a complete, and possibly crazy, stranger knocked on his door and let him know that they have a fake future together and then asked him to move in with her and pretend for her gram, he handled it all pretty much in stride.

This one was just so much fun. The teasing and bickering between these two was so good and the sexual tension was through the roof.

And Emma's grandmother, Cat, was the kind of lady I hope to be at that age. She had all kinds of spunk and was as smart as a whip.

Shannon Stacey and her Kowalski family have completely won me over. The books are smart, funny, hot, and so romantic. I devoured these three so quickly and I can't wait for more from Shannon. I definitely think these are worth everyone checking out. Excellent love stories with just enough steam to keep things interesting :0)

Top Ten Reads for the Summer :0)

I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday they post their top ten lists on different bookish topics.

This week we're sharing the top reads on our TBR lists for this summer. I am such a fan of summertime reading and there are so many good books on my TBR, but I'll try to narrow it down :0)

The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond - I've heard some good things about this one and it sounds like the perfect kind of contemp to read at the beach.

Dualed by Elsie Chapman - This one actually just popped up on my radar last week and I was able to snag it off of NetGalley right away, so now I can't wait to dive in. It sounds extremely cool. Fighting yourself to the death, um, yes please!

Daisy's Back in Town by Rachel Gibson - I have been devouring adult contemps like they are iced tea on a 90 degree day, and this seriese sounds so darn adorable. I've actually got the rest of the series to read this summer, too!

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobahn Vivian - Okay, so Jenny Han's summer series is one of my favorite contemp series. When I got this in the mail it immediately went on my summer TBR. I am always down for some revenge girl bonding.

While He Was Away by Karen Schreck - I don't really know what to expect from this one. I've heard so many great things, but people have also said it isn't what they thought it was going to be. Intriguing.

Over You by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Krause - I'm off and on w/ these authors, but this one sounds so darn cute and fluffy. Another beach read!

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis - Who doesn't like fairy tales? After many, many recs I decided to finally pick this one up.

Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery - Yet another adult contemp series I am looking forward to starting.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil - This book sounds creepy as hell and I can't wait to read it with all of the lights on...haha. Who am I kidding, I'm definitely reading this one during the day!

Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire - I love books that toy with memory or living a different life and this one sounds fab.

What are you guys reading this summer?!?

Today I am so excited to be participating in the cover reveal for Cindi Madsen's ALL THE BROKEN PIECES!! The book sounds fab and has an absolutely gorgeous cover!

Scroll down to peep at this excellent cover and then scroll a little further to read an exclusive excerpt of ALL THE BROKEN PIECES before it hits stores in Decemeber :0)

What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

SO GOOD!

Exclusive Excerpt of ALL THE BROKEN PIECES:

Olivia reached up, feeling the tender spots on her head. Her fingers brushed across a row of—were those little ridges made of metal?

            “Careful. The staples are almost ready to come out, but it’s still going to be sore for a while.”

            Staples?!Her stomach rolled. I have staples in my head? She lowered her now-shaking hand. “Can I get a mirror?”

            Mom looked at Dad, then back at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until you’ve healed a little more.”

            Mom patted Olivia’s leg. “You just relax. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

            The two of them left the room, but when Mom swung the door closed, it didn’t latch. Olivia could hear their voices in the hall.

            “I still think we should…” She couldn’t make out the rest of Dad’s muffled words. “…know if I can do this.”

            “…late for that,” Mom said. “We’d lose everything, including…” Her voice faded as they got farther away. “…have to move.”

Olivia could tell the conversation was tense, but the words were impossible to decipher now. Holding a hand in front of her face, she turned it back and forth. A plastic tube ran from her arm to a machine next to her bed. She peeked into her nightgown and stared in horror at the long red stripe running down her chest.

            Sick.

            You’re alive. You shouldn’t be thinking about looks.

            Lowering her hand, she scanned the room. I wonder how my face looks. From the way Dad stared at me, plus the fact Mom won’t let me see a mirror, it must be bad.

            Brains are more important than looks.

            That’s what ugly people say.

            Olivia put her hands on her head and squeezed. “Stop it,” she whispered to her arguing thoughts, hysteria bubbling up and squeezing the air from her lungs. What was happening to her? Why didn’t she recognize her parents or know where she was? Who she was? Tears ran warm trails down her cheeks. “Just make it all stop.”

All the Broken Pieces, by Cindi Madsen is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

And make sure to find Cindi online:

http://www.facebook.com/CindiMadsenBooks
https://twitter.com/#!/search/cindi%20madsen
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1029223.Cindi_Madsen
http://cindimadsen.com/

Endlessly by Kiersten White

Release Date: July 24th, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: ARC

Age Group: Young Adult

Try as she might, Evie can’t seem to escape her not-so-normal past. And what was supposed to be a blissfully normal school break is ruined when a massive group of paranormals shows up at her house, claiming that Evie is the only one who can protect them from a mysterious, perilous fate.
The deadly war between the faerie courts looms ever closer. The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its future rests solely in Evie’s hands.
So much for normal.

Evie has never had it easy. From tagging and bagging paranormals for the IPCA, taking on an evil minded girl who can suck the very soul from a paranormal, dealing with a possessive ex, to being messed with by a crazy kid who can do things he shouldn't be able to. Life's an adventure, or something. All Evie wants is to be normal and she's finally getting it, because she is %100 percent done with IPCA and faerie paths. She's going to live her normal life, at her normal school, with her not quite normal boyfriend.

Except the knock on her door from a strange women, who claims to be in charge of her assignments at the IPCA, gets her thinking that maybe normal was too much to hope for. When she meets with Raquel to get things straightened out, things aren't right and she starts to worry.

I am an Evie fan through and through. She is what keeps me coming back to this series and I will definitely miss her now that the books are done, but boy did I love her in this last book. She's struggling with who she is, what she can do and what she wants to do, but through it all she is still the Evie I've grown to love and I was always in her corner. I loved the main conflict in Endlessly. There was so much going on and the story would turn a corner where you least expected it. Definitely kept me on my toes. And that ending, I won't give it away, because you really need to experience this book for yourselves, but it was such an awesome ending. After all of the back and forth within herself, and from others, Evie finally figured out what she needed to do. I cheered for her. I think Paranormalcy  will always be my favorite of the series, but this is defiintely a close second and such a great ending for our characters.

If you haven't picked up the first two books in this series, get on it! Kiersten writes with so much humor and heart, you'll be turning pages like crazy. If you've alread read the first two, then definitely pick this up as soon as you can on release day. You won't be disappointed :0)

*Cover photo and synopsis from Goodreads*