Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

"What's in a name, Shakespeare? I'll tell you: everything.

"Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her--and when he finally does, it's perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose's best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn't even stand a chance.

Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet's instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob's heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends. ~ From GoodReads

Why I'm Waiting ~ Do I really have to say anything? I mean...kissing, drama and Shakespeare sounds like a winning combination to me.

Hardcover, 334 pages

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Simon Pulse

You can pre-order WHEN YOU WERE MINE AT:

Book Depository  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

TEASER TUESDAY

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

This week's Teaser is from

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces? ~From GoodReads 

My Teaser:

"There it was, exactly as the x-ray said it would be. Even though their science couldn't explain it. Even though it was the sort of thing that only happened in sappy love songs. I peered in over my father's shoulder, over my dead body, and stared. There she was.

My heart.

Sleeping. Silent. And severed in perfect, equal, extraordinary halves."  (pg.17, ARC)


Catastrophic History was a pretty amazing book. I'll have my review up later this week.

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published February 21st 2012 by Penguin Young Readers Group

You can purchase THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU AND ME at:
Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository  |  Amazon

THE ELEMENTAL MYSTERIES BLOG TOUR ~ Review: A HIDDEN FIRE, by Elizabeth Hunter

Welcome to The Bookish Babes' stop of THE ELEMENTAL MYSTERIES BLOG TOUR! This tour is being hosted by A Tale of Many Reviews. My stop includes a review of book one in the series, A HIDDEN FIRE. You can find all of the stops on the tour here.

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series. ~From GoodReads

A HIDDEN FIRE, book one in the Elemental Mysteries series, is the story of Beatrice, or "B", and the shift her world undergoes when Dr. Giovanni Vecchio enters her world. After B becomes Gio's assistant, she learns more about the supernatural world, and her past, than may be safe. She also learns that no one's past truly stays behind them.

A HIDDEN FIRE, simply based on the blurb and cover, seems like a mystery, maybe like the Da Vinci Code. And it is. But the story is more than the mystery of stolen and lost archives and documents. It's the story of a young woman with a sad past; a mysterious man with a turbulent past; and what happens when they cross paths a forge a partnership, and a tenuous relationship.

The mystery of A HIDDEN FIRE is very creative and intriguing. Anyone who is a fan or simply interested in Renaissance Italy would love this book. The historical aspect is interwoven in a beautiful way, the backstory neatly dispersed throughout the book.

My favorite aspect was the characters. B was smart, fun, and, for all of us book lovers, a librarian! She manages to show respect for Gio and his past and his work, but she is never anyone's fool or lackey. She can dish out a snarky comeback when the situations warrants it. I also enjoyed Gio. Although, B calls him "icy", that's only a front. Gio is a man of intense emotions, namely passion and protectiveness where B is concerned.  Gio and B have a slow-building relationship. Trust must be earned on both ends. But when they are finally pushed to the edge? All bets are off. Love it.

If I had any teensy qualms about A HIDDEN FIRE, it would be that sometimes, the storyline regarding Gio's past became a little bit confusing. There were several names from the past and their roles in the mystery, and sometimes a had a hard time keeping the characters straight. The other thing is, the reveal of Gio's true nature to B seemed a little bit close to a similar reveal in a book some of us know and love. Having said that, I still highly recommend this one.

A HIDDEN FIRE is a book filled with the best of all worlds. There is romance, friendship, continuous revelations, danger, betrayal, and yes, heartbreak. A friend of mine has continued the series and professes that each book gets better and better. I am definitely going to continue with The Elemental Mysteries series.


Favorite Quote:
(My actual favorite is too spoilery. Sadface.)

"She gasped when she heard the door slam. Giovanni spun her around, pulling her into his arms before his mouth crashed down and his arm encircled her waist." (pg. 175)

Published October 18th 2011 by E. Hunter

You can purchase A HIDDEN FIRE at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Reveal and Excerpt ~ PRETTY AMY, by Lisa Burstein

Hi, guys! I'm starting to feel as if it's not Monday if I don't have another awesome cover reveal from Entangled Publishing! This time, I have a cover, blurb, excerpt and details for an upcoming contest leading to the release of PRETTY AMY. 

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.
Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

Sounds pretty great, right? I can't wait to read this one. Lucky me, I won an ARC from the author. PLUS, it will qualify for the 2012 Contemporary Young Adult Challenge and the 2012 Debut Author Challenge. Double Win!

So, if like me, you can't wait to read PRETTY AMY, I have an excerpt to share with you.
Enjoy.

I was just about to put out my cigarette and go back inside when I heard a skateboard coming down the street. It sounded like waves, like a conch shell against your ear. That full, empty sound.

Maybe it was Aaron. I conjured up my stupid daydream, the one I used to fill my head when I couldn’t deal with any of the other stuff in there—that he would find me, that he would apologize, that he would tell me that prom night hadn’t been his fault.

The difference this time was that when I looked toward the sound, he really was there.

It was him.

Aaron.

He was skateboarding down the sidewalk like it was made of water, wearing the same loose, worn jeans from his Facebook picture. He carried a backpack, like he might have been coming from the library, but I doubted he ever went to the library.

I lit another cigarette with the end of my last one; any excuse to stay put. Then I remembered I was wearing a suit.

“You got another one of those?” he asked. His eyes were blue. I hadn’t noticed that in his picture.

My hands shook as I gave him a cigarette. He brought a silver-and-black Zippo to his mouth, flipped it open with one hand, lit his cigarette, and slapped it shut. The whole thing took seconds, but it felt like he was doing it in slow motion. “Thanks,” he said.

Maybe he had just stopped to get a cigarette. Maybe it had nothing to do with me.

It probably had nothing to do with me.

“I know you,” he said. “Where do I know you from?”

I couldn’t tell him. Telling him that he’d stood me up for my own prom would have been way too embarrassing. It would tell him that I still cared enough to remember.

“I’m friends with Lila and Cassie,” I said, wishing that my hair wasn’t pulled back in a headband like I was a nun.

“What are you all dressed up for?” he asked.

Of course he didn’t know me. If he had, he would have known that I’d just come from court and that I was trying to do everything I could to forget it.

“I work here,” I said, thinking fast. “I’m supposed to be a librarian.”

“You don’t have to lie,” he said, laughing. “I’m Aaron.”

“Amy,” I said, waving hello with the cigarette in my hand.

He smiled. “Though you do make a cute librarian.”

I tried to keep myself from coughing. “This suit sucks,” I said. It seemed cooler than saying thank you. It seemed cooler than getting all squishy over what he said, even though that was how I felt.

I looked at his skateboard. “You wanna try it out?” he asked.

The deck had a mural of blue sky and white-capped mountains hand-painted on it. The wheels were covered with stop-motion birds, so that when they spun it must have looked like the birds were flying.

There was more to this boy. More that I wanted to know.

“I guess I could,” I said, but then I remembered my mother. She would come looking for me soon.

I shook my head. “I should go.”

“You got a cell phone?” he asked.

“Not that I’m allowed to use anymore.”

“Parents,” he said. He pulled a sketchbook from his backpack. Maybe he had painted that beautiful mural. He ripped out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and handed it to me.

It was his phone number.

I tried not to act surprised, tried to act like boys gave me their numbers all the time, especially when I hadn’t asked for them.

“See you around, Amy,” he said. He dropped the skateboard next to him. It landed perfectly on its wheels like a cat would on its legs.

As he skated away, I looked at his number; the paper was as soft as fabric. I folded it smaller and smaller and hid it in my bra. Maybe he hadn’t said what I wanted him to say, but he had found me.

He had found me.

Are you convinced you need to read PRETTY AMY yet?

You can preorder PRETTY AMY at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Now the details for the contest:
Entangled Publishing will be hosting a Worst Prom Photo contest in the weeks leading up to AMY's release on May 15. So make sure to dust off your old prom photos—the more tulle, bows, and big hair the better!—and watch Lisa's site, http://www.lisaburstein.com, for details on how to submit/enter to win a beauty package. Lisa was even brave/awesome enough to share her own prom picture with us.

Beware: Lisa's date's hair...well, I'll let the picture speak for itself.

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She wrote her first story when she was in second grade. It was a Thanksgiving tale from the point of view of the turkey from freezer to oven to plate. It was scandalous.

She was a lot like Amy when she was in high school.

She is still a lot like Amy.

You can find Lisa Burstein at:

Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Website

IN MY MAILBOX, #29

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a great way to put a spotlight on books received during the past week.

Books Mentioned:

(click on title to go to GoodReads page)

RETURN TO EDEN (The Soulkeepers Series, #3) by GP Ching (Thanks to GP Ching)

SKID OUT (Heavy Influence Trilogy, #0.5) by Anne Marie Frohoff (Thanks to Anne Marie)

GRAVE MERCY (His Fair Assassin, #1) by R.L. LaFevers (Thanks to HMH Publishing)

GRAFFITI MOON, by Cath Crowley  (Thanks to Shawna LeAnn @Dreaming in the Pages)

NIGHTFIRE (Protectors, #3) by Lisa Marie Rice (Thanks to Avon/HarperCollins)

MOONGLASS, by Jessi Kirby

UNBROKEN, by Laura Hillenbrand (Thanks to Random House) 

Bloggers Mentioned:

Shawna LeAnn at Dreaming in the Pages

April at Simsational Books.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a link and I will check out your IMMs.

Review ~ LYING SEASON (Experiment in Terror, #4) by Karina Halle

Ama­teur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has bat­tled ghosts, fought off skin­walk­ers and skirted the fine line between life and death. But can she sur­vive bunk­ing down in Seat­tle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girl­friend, Jennifer? And can she do so while being tor­mented by a mali­cious spirit from Dex’s increas­ingly shady past? With love and life in the bal­ance, Perry must dis­cover the truth among the lies or risk los­ing every­thing she's ever cared about. ~ From GoodReads

LYING SEASON, book four in the Experiment in Terror Series, centers around the ever-freaking-adorable Perry Palomino and her partner (and would-be love) Dex Foray. In this installment, Perry and Dex are investigating a reportedly haunted mental institution in Seattle.  Scary, huh? Turns out, that scenario is not nearly as scary as the fact that Perry is spending the week with Dex in his apartment... oh, and his longterm girlfriend, Jenn, too. Let the fun begin.

Damn. That pretty much sums up my feelings at this moment. When I finished LYING SEASON a few hours ago,  I thought I should probably sit on my thoughts for a day or two and let everything settle. But I don't think waiting will change anything.  So here goes...

LYING SEASON. What a perfect name for this book. Perry and Dex have never been wholly upfront to one another, about their complicated and turbulents pasts, certainly not about their feelings towards one another. But the level of dishonesty is ratcheted up to a new, disturbing level in this book. Like I said, Dex has never been totally honest about his history. In LYING SEASON, though, Dex's protective shell begins to chip away, and he begins to reveal pieces of himself to Perry. It's haunting, disturbing, and quite heartbreaking. I've never seen Dex this vulnerable. I don't think he'd ever been this open with anyone before, even Jenn. Only Perry does he trust. But then he reveals these secrets he's been keeping from Perry. Things that don't seem to be a huge deal to an outsider, but have a tremendous impact on her and show her how truly selfish he can be. He just... I don't know. I love Dex, I honestly do (cue the Olivia Newton-John music), but sometimes, I want to slap the literal sh*t out of him.

And Perry, sweet Perry. This girl, she keeps going, no matter what life (and Dex) put her through. She's starting to gain some much needed confidence now. And I love that. And she always acts with the best of intentions. But she turns a dark corner in LYING SEASON. What she does...it made me so disappointed in her. I still love her. I totally get why she does it, and know that she does have good intentions. But I wanted to climb into my book and shake the girl. You cannot mess with people's minds and bodies like that, Perry!

And Jenn. I gave you a fair chance. I was determined that there must be something worthy in you if Dex loves you. Screw that. For all the fans of the series who've wanted to know Jenn better. Here's your chance.

Even though the series is called Experiment in Terror, LYING SEASON is the first book in the series that made me nearly pee my pants from fright. The other books did have tense, scary moments, but nothing that compares to this scenario. What is more terrifying than a mental institution? A haunted one at that? Compound that with a ghoulish blast from Dex's past and you have a true Experiement in Terror.

LYING SEASON definitely left me with more questions than answers. The last few chapters had me reading with my eyes bugging out and my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't swear in front of my kids. The chemistry between Dex and Perry has never been hotter. The stakes have never been higher. The dialogue, internal and verbal, has never been sharper or as laugh-out-loud funny. I must give Halle some serious credit. She is a master at bringing the characters and story up to the very cusp of happiness, then pulling the rug right out from under them. She has never given Dex and Perry an easy road, or an easy out.  And I suspect that will be the case until the very end. The ending to LYING SEASON...I'm still shattered. The fact that I'm still shell-shocked is a compliment to Halle's writing. I am excited, anxious, and terrified to read book five in the series ON DEMON WINGS.


Favorite Quote:

" 'What are you saying?' I asked softly.
'I'm saying that you're like my best friend,' he said. 'You are my best friend, and I could never let pills take away what makes you, you. Your heart. And your beautiful soul.' " (pg. 213, ARC)


Published December 13th 2011 by Metal Blonde Books

My review of DARKHOUSE (Experiment in Terror, #1).

My review of RED FOX (Experiment in Terror, #2).

My review of DEAD SKY MORNING (Experiment in Terror, #3).

You can purchase LYING SEASON at:
Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository  |  Amazon

Source: I received an ARC of LYING SEASON from the author, for review purpose.

"Launch Into the Galaxy" Blog Hop and Giveaway

I am very thrilled, and honored, that author Heather Hildenbrand asked me to take part in the "Launch Into the Galaxy" Blog Hop and Giveaway. ACROSS THE GALAXY was one of the first books that I reviewed for this blog. I loved it, so much, and completely went fan-girly on Heather (poor thing!). I fell in love with the story, the unique world she built, and the characters. Ander seriously still makes my heart pitter-patter. But now I'm going to stop, and let Heather tell you a little more about the "relaunch".

This week marks the re-launch of Heather Hildenbrand’s YA fantasy, Across The Galaxy.

Here’s what Heather says about it:

For me, January marked one year as a published author and to mark that, I wanted to do something special to celebrate how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time. I can think of no better way to celebrate than to show some love to the title that got me here in the first place. Across The Galaxy was my first book and as a result, was also my guinea pig in a lot of ways. Through publishing it, I learned so much and met so many awesome bloggers and readers that I am so grateful for that story and for where it took me. For everything it’s given me, I want to give something back to it. (Yes, I realize I’m referring to my book as if it were a real person. Don’t you do that with the characters inside it? Yeah, I’m not the only crazy here.)

So, I found one of the best cover artists EVER and together we came up with a brand new cover that will basically rock your socks. Not sure? Take a minute. Go stare at the new cover and then come back and finish reading. I’ll wait. It’s worth it.

… Now, with a change this big, we aren’t stopping with just a cover reveal. That’s just not enough. So, we’re also doing an e-book giveaway here and another e-book giveaway on every site participating in the “LAUNCH INTO THE GALAXY” Hop this week so be sure to stop everywhere. In addition to THAT, I am also running a giveaway on my publisher’s site at www. Accendopress.com and another one on my personal site at www.heatherhildenbrand.blogspot.com that will include a signed paperback and a very sleek and sexy, leather Kindle cover. Be sure to check that out! And be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think of the new cover!

About The Book:

Alina Leone is in hiding.

Her parents are dead, her best friend is a horse, and she can’t return to her home planet of Gliese until the Shadows, the monsters who hunt for her, are found and destroyed.
But they found her first. The same creatures that murdered her parents and forced her to flee to Earth all of those years ago. And they’ll stop at nothing to destroy the only thing standing in their way for universal domination – Alina.
She must find the strength to defeat them, even if it means choosing between victory and the one she was meant to save…

 THE NEW COVER...

And my review...

(This is one of my first reviews, a little scary to re-post!)

I have found myself typing and erasing my opening sentence over and over. Why? Because I love Across the Galaxy so much, I didn't quite know where to start. I want to enthuse how much I enjoyed this book, but I don't want to sound like a blabbering idiot. So, I'll do my best to control myself. But I can't make any promises!

Across the Galaxy is a beautifully descriptive book. Author Heather Hildenbrand does a terrific job of placing the reader into the scenery. While reading of Arizona, I felt myself visualizing the terrain, the orange and red of the sky, the heat. As I was taken 'across the galaxy' into each ensuing world, the imagery given made each planet feel real. The animals, trees, grass, water; every detail was given its due. True escapism at its best.
Each character in the story, beginning with Alina, is set up in a realistic way. Their emotions, reactions, the conversations were all believable. I felt as if I got to be a part of the characters getting to know one another. There wasn't any of the "insta love" I've read in a lot of books. When Alina meets Ander, also a native to her home planet, they actually take the time to get to know one another in a real way. That was very, very refreshing. But as they do get to know each other, that chemistry is smoking hot!

The plot of Across the Galaxy had an excellent pace. I never felt as if it was rushed. The story was layered. Each new turn of events was a nice, new piece to add to the puzzle. The plot kept building, bit by bit, throughout the book. I felt as if Hildenbrand was constantly weaving the threads of the story together. Little things that I didn't note as tremendously important throughout the story would wrap back into it later. I constantly found myself saying "Oh, that's why she/he said or did that!" I love that the author didn't just lay everything out in a neat row.

The editing of Across the Galaxy was excellent. I'm a bit of a "grammar freak", driven insane by poor spelling or word usage. The writing was clean and conversational, never redundant.

What I loved the most about Across the Galaxy is that I never guessed exactly what was going to happen. I was just going along for the journey and where that would take me. I hope each of you take that journey, as well. You won't regret it.

Favorite Quote:
"But sitting here in the daylight, staring at the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen, I thought two things. First, I was kidding myself to even think the whole 'never left alone' rule would just wear off with Peter, and second, if my babysitter looked like this, maybe I didn't mind so much."

Okay, that totally convinced me that ACROSS THE GALAXY is due for a re-read, ASAP!

Add to your GoodReads to-read shelf.

Find Heather Hildenbrand at:
her blog | Twitter | Facebook

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

Heather will be giving one lucky winner, at each stop, an ecopy of ACROSS THE GALAXY! On the last day of the hop, she will be giving a GRAND PRIZE away at the publisher website.  Go to all of these stops to enter:

2/26/12 - Cambria Hebert, A Diary of a Book Addict

2/27/12 - Nightly Reading

2/28/12 - AwesomeSauce Books

2/29/12- Magnet 4 Books

3/1/12- Fiktshun

3/2/12- Taking It One Book At A Time, Bookish Babes

3/3/12- The Readiacs

3/4/12- Sassy Book Lovers

3/5/12- Talk Supe, A Book Vacation

3/6/12 - Accendo Press - giveaway of a Kindle cover and e-book of your choice!

The winner of the giveaway here at The Bookish Babe is :

Leanne!

I have contacted Leanne and passed her info to Heather. Thanks to all who entered!