Great Contest Alert!

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Cleverly Inked has an awesome contest going on right now. She just announced that she is adding even more to the contest to sweeten the deal even more! You really need to go check it out!
So far, this is what is included in the contest:

55 Authors have participated!
57 Books
$25 Amazon GC
Tshirt
Posters
Pins
Bookmarks
The Swag could go on for days!

PLUS 5 Extra Books to Add to the Mix for every 50 new followers!

FRESH FACE FRIDAY!!

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So it is time for week two of a multiple Blog Project called Fresh Face Friday, we are co-introducing a great new blogger that has under 100 followers. By sharing a bit on each of our blogs, as if it was a tour.. after you have checked out all our blogs.. we will link you to our new blog “Fresh Face” for a sponsored Giveaway. Hope you all enjoy!

This week we have the pleasure of Introducing  Kitty from Book Reviewologist (http://iceneko-bookreview.blogspot.com/)
She is a newer blogger who currently has under 25 followers, so lets help her out a bit.. She has some fabulous reviews up by the way… be sure to check them out as well.

9. If your life was a movie, Who would star as you and why?

 
Even though she is too old to play me I would pick Jennifer Aniston because I have always modeled my hair after her.
10. If you could pick 3 people living or dead to have over for a       dinner who would you invite and why?
1. Shakespeare  – So I could ask him why he has to kill Romeo and ask him to rewrite it, but at the same time I love how the play ended.
2. Zac Efron – I think everyone can guess why I picked this one. Also I could invite others and he could dance for them ^^
3. Abram Lincoln – To ask if he really was a vampire hunter!

11. Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Because it’s chemical enhanced and claustrophobic and can’t wait to get out.
12. Why is it that doctors call what they do practice?
Secretly they aren’t going to school, we are their guinea pig.


Kitty’s Giveaway Instructions:
So for reading all those questions about me, you get a chance to win a book! The giveaway is by Barry Pollack’s Forty-Eight X: The Lemuria Project. Here is what it is about:

On the tropical island of Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the United States has gathered together its most talented geneticists to work on the top-secret Lemuria Project. These secret experiments create a revolutionary new warrior so strong that the age of casualties of war would become only a sad and distant memory. Haunted by a dark and dangerous past, Colonel Link McGraw is the officer chosen to train these new soldiers. As a trained and commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces, McGraw knows what constitutes the perfect soldier: following orders without question. When Egyptian beauty Fala al Shodaha and Israeli Joshua Krantz, scientists in their own right, stumble across the top-secret project, they are determined to uncover its true nature and pursue their quest to Diego Garcia. Tensions mount as Krantz and McGraw clash over the project-and vie for the affection of the lovely Fala. When they discover they aren’t the only ones on the island competing for her attention, shocking truths are revealed that beg the question, Is it too late to save themselves-and the entire human race-from almost certain annihilation?
Wow that sounds awesome! So here is how you can win it. Trot over to my blog and based on my reviews (yes sadly you’ll have to read them) guess which book is my favorite. If you guess right I’ll but your name into a hat and draw the winner. The contest will end April 30 as that’s when I get back from vacation. I will be picking a winner on May 1st. Good luck!
<3 Kitty
Find out more info on Kitty by going over to Melissa @  http://spellboundbybooks.blogspot.com/ 
You can find the rest of the interview at the participating blogs:

WHITE CAT (CURSE WORKERS #1) by Holly Black

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WHITE CAT (CURSE WORKERS #1)
Author: Holly Black
Source: Simon & Schuster
* I received this ARC free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (May 4, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416963960
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416963967
SYNOPSIS:
Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.
Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a facade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.
MY THOUGHTS:
Boy, oh boy. After reading this new book by author Holly Black, I think I have been worked on by a curse worker.  The first couple chapters are great. I loved the sleepwalking scenes and the fall out from it.  After those first few chapters though, you better sit down for a wild ride. It starts to get confusing as Cassel tries to figure out what has happened to him, which in turn makes the book slow down. Why? Let’s just say that if you set this book down for even a few minutes, you will find yourself completely confused.  This book had more twists and turns than any ADULT mystery/suspense I have read.  Just when you think you have the book figured out, BAM!, the author sends you in another direction. 
Now was this a bad thing?  In my opinion, no.  Although the book did seem confusing to me at first, the author did a wonderful job with the mystery and suspense that she created in this book.  The Curse Workers are kind of like the Mob with a paranormal trick slid in there.  I loved the character of Cassel.  The book was like Chess.  Once you figure out how to use all the characters and their abilities, the game begins. By the end of the book, there is such a showdown that it leaves you with Check instead of a Stalemate.  The ending chapter, leaves you to believe that there will be more to Cassel and his families story.  I am glad to know that the story doesn’t end with Checkmate and will have future books to come!
MY RATING:




Very Good! I would recommend this book!

GUEST BLOG: The authors of The Summit Murder Mystery Series

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The Summit Murder Mystery Series
By Charles G. Irion
“Where did you get the idea for the Summit Murder Mystery series?” is a question I’m often asked. The answer: I was part of a 1987 Everest expedition. I never planned to attempt a summit but thought the experience would be one of a lifetime. I was right. I reached 21,000 feet, well below the summit, but that was enough for me. Climbing Everest, even with the aid of all the technology now available, is a daunting and dangerous undertaking. What I took away was just how dangerous high altitude climbing is and when the prospect of murder is introduced … the possibilities are immediately apparent.
 
I met Ronald J. Watkins, my co-author on the series, several years ago when he helped me structure my book “Remodeling Hell”. Since then we teamed up to pen the Summit Murder Mystery series. It’s true that two heads are better than one. Together we have brainstormed many hours and have written many drafts of each mystery in the series. The fun part is making the characters come alive on seven distinct and remote deadly mountains.
We thought  and researched much about traditional publishers. Ron had been published a number of time by them, but was never happy with the outcome. The horror stories we heard from authors  was astonishing. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, especially for my situation, we decided to self publish and start Irion Books. It has been a real learning curve, but the results are starting to pay off. My situation is unique to many writers/self publishers. I have the time being semi retired, the money to market the novels and an MBA in marketing.
Our next book in the series “Murder on Elbrus”  is set on the highest and definitely the deadliest mountain on the European continent. Ron and I had a lot of fun with this book … exciting , action packed involving many of the same characters from our coveted “Murder on Everest”. We’re in the final editing stages adding more twists and turns to make this a wild ride for the readers. Next up is “Murder on Mt. McKinley” then “Murder on Puncak Jaya”. Ron and I are weaving real facts about the area, cultures, religions and political circumstances into each mystery. As always we are making the climbing as real and authentic  as possible—you’ll believe you’re there!
Ron and I enjoy communicating with murder mystery fans and those involved in mountain climbing. There are a variety of ways to connect with us and follow the progress of the series. The best is our website http://www.summitmurders.com; it includes links to our Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Blog.

WINGS by Aprilynne Pike

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WINGS
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Source: Library
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 294 pages
  • Publisher: HarperTeen; 1st edition (May 5, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061668036
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061668036
SYNOPSIS:
Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. 
Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings. 
In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever. 
MY THOUGHTS:
I had heard about this author’s book for some time now and had even seen the beautiful cover around the blogs, but for some reason I kept forgetting to check it out at the library.  Maybe it’s because I have never really gotten on the whole fairy bandwagon before, but I am so glad I hitched a ride this time! There really is only one word that describes this book–Magical!
I loved everything about this book.  It started out with Laurel not even knowing she was a fairy.  She was just trying to fit in at a new school after being home schooled for her whole life.  She was adopted and knew nothing about her real parents. At school she meets a boy that she falls for and becomes really good friends with as well.  She feels like she gets bit on her back out in the woods and over a few days it grows into a large lump. She is thinking she has cancer or a tumor, when finally, it is gone one day. Unfortunately it grows into a flower blossom instead.  The blossom looks like wings, but are actually flower petals. She tries to figure out what is wrong with her while trying to keep the flower petals a secret.  She comes across Tamani, a fairy himself, and starts to figure out what is wrong with her.  
This book had the teen romance, the stren gth of friendship with loyalty, and suspense all rolled into one book.  The writing was great and was kept at a great pace.  I loved how the pieces fell into place and left the reader craving more.  I can’t wait to start the next novel in the series, Spells, which comes out May 4th, 2010.  A great new author for me to keep an eye out on in the young adult book world.

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!