The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard

THE ALMOST GIRL

Author: Amalie Howard

Publication Date: 01/07/2014

Published By: Strange Chemistry

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

 

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.

Faced with hideous reanimated Vector soldiers from her own world with agendas of their own, as well as an unexpected reunion with a sister who despises her, it is a race against time to bring Caden back to Neospes. But things aren’t always as they seem, and Riven will have to search for truth. Family betrayals and royal coups are only the tip of the iceberg. Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was designed to be?

 

Picture and Summary From Goodreads

 

**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I did not get reimbursed in any way for writing this review.**

 

 

 

REVIEW

 

I feel like the summary of the book gives you a lot to work with in terms of what the book is about so I'm just going to give you my thoughts without the work up.

 

Riven is amazing.  She is kick ass and tough and has a no emotional ties philosophy.  She does pretty well with that even with Caden falling at her feet in insta-love worship.  In fact when the romance does build between the two of them I accept it because Riven has made Caden work so hard for it.  She has a lot going on and you can tell she's loyal to a fault.  I definitely loved her from the get go.

 

Caden on the other hand...yes he was super adorable and an all around good guy EXCEPT for the fact that he is a cheater (which isn't even mentioned really) and that he is like a love sick puppy for no reason.  He doesn't even really know Riven when he spouts off how he knows she can't be that bad and is totally interested in getting to know her.  Other than those two things he is an okay love interest.  But in comparison to Riven's badassery he seems pretty weak and I really don't like my guys to be weak although in hindsight it all kind of makes sense that he really had no chance in comparison to Riven.

 

The action and suspense throughout the book really kept me moving and I was constantly wondering if things were how Riven thought they were.  The twist and turns totally took me by surprise.  I will say I didn't get too emotionally attached.  There were parts that could of had me bawling like a baby but didn't even produce a sniffle.  Maybe it's because of Riven's cold demeanor.  Since she refused to let things get her down maybe it helped me stay detached, not that not crying in a book is a bad thing. 

 

The end almost left me with a sense of satisfaction.  I was totally cool with where it was going but then it ended kind of open, which I suppose gives the author a chance to do a follow up book.  But I really think this would have worked well as a stand alone if the author had added on just a few more chapters.  Either way the book was a great read and if there is a second book I will most definitely read it!

 

Overall my thoughts on Almost Girl? A pretty awesome, parallel universe, action packed story. 

 

 

 

 

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

 

 

 

 

THE AUTHOR

 

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. Traveling the globe, she has worked as a research assistant, marketing representative, teen speaker and global sales executive. In between writing novels and indulging her love of reading, Amalie is also a books review editor for TheLoopNY, and blogs at amaliehoward.com. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency.

Her debut novel, BLOODSPELL, was selected as a Seventeen Magazine Summer Club Read. She is also the author of The AQUARATHI series from Harlequin TEEN (WATERFELL Nov 2013 and OCEANBORN Aug 2014), THE ALMOST GIRL from Strange Chemistry Jan 2014, and ALPHA GODDESS from Skyhorse/Sky Pony Press Mar 2014.

 

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Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

BEING SLOANE JACOBS

Author: Lauren Morrill

Publication Date: 01/07/2014

Publisher: Delacorte

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Sports Fiction

 

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

 

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

 

**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I did not get reimbursed for writing this review.**

 

REVIEW

 

Being Sloane Jacobs is basically the parent trap only the Sloane's don't share a parent.  While the premise behind the book is not wholly original the author puts a sports twist on it making it into a new-ish idea, one that appealed to even a nonsports fan like myself.

I'm not big into hockey or ice skating (or any sport to be truthful), though I have been known to watch ice skating back in my younger years, so it was fun to read about what it's like to train for the sports the girls are involved in.  The POVs switch between Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon which gives us a good glimpse into both characters thoughts, feelings, and interactions.  Unfortunately I personally don't do well with multiple POVs so I really didn't feel that connected to the characters but I really think that's more a personal issue than an issue with the writing.  In fact the characters are really well developed.  Each Sloane has a family life they are looking to get away from which makes the idea of switching places that much more appealing to them.

There are bonding moments between the Sloane's and the people they meet on their adventure.  Each Sloane ends up with a love interest, of course, but Sloane Devon's lover boy turns out to be from her past(which almost blows her cover).  The relationships between the characters come across believable and natural and each person has their own quirks.  My personal favorite was Andy (Sloane Devon's friend and figure skating partner) he has so much attitude!

There WAS one line that made me want to stop reading immediately.  I actually rolled my eyes at it.

 

 

Sloane Emily describing Matt upon first meeting him:

 

He's got shaggy chestnut hair that, with some styling product and half an hour with a blow dryer, could be sculpted into a decent-looking Bieber.

-p.58 eARC



I literally said "SERIOUSLY!?" Out loud.  Luckily it was more than a few pages in so I was already interested.  I can say that there are no more mentions of said pop star.

Overall, Being Sloane Jacobs is a light hearted, fun and easy read.  While the idea isn't original and is somewhat predictable the way it is executed makes it heartwarming and enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

 

 

 

THE AUTHOR

 

Lauren Elizabeth Morrill is many things, including, but not limited to, a writer, an educator, a badass roller derby skater, a former band nerd, an aggressive driver, and a die-hard Mac person. She also watches a lot of TV, eats a lot of junk food, and drinks a lot of Coke. It's a wonder her brain and teeth haven't rotted out of her head.

Her first novel, Meant to Be, sold in a two-book deal to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte for Paper Lantern Lit.

 

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Stacking The Shelves 12/28/2013

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews It's a way for us to showcase the books we have received, whether they be bought, gifted, or borrowed. If you click on a books title it will lead you to Goodreads.       FOR REVIEW  

 

The Second Sign The Second Shadow Where You'll Find Me Contributor     Thanks to the publishers for giving me the chance to read and review these books!         PURCHASED  

 

The Fault In Our Stars

For Darkness Shows The Stars  Dare You To In The Shadow Of Blackbirds Stripped Storm Warning Insanity    

Aaah so I am seriously kicking myself right now!! I did not realize that DARE YOU TO was the SECOND in a series (I hate when this happens)!! I know, I know, how did I not have any idea??  Probably because I'm not that huge into contemporary (even though my stack seems to say otherwise) but I've heard that Katie McGarry rocks and thought the book sounded good so I bought it.  Can someone please tell me if it's necessary to read the books in order?  Or do they not really tie into each other?  The summaries for both of them sound like their about different people...

 

Aside from my rookie mistake, I'm pretty excited about my haul!  What have you added to your shelves?

   

 

   

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

THE IMMORTAL RULES BLOOD OF EDEN #1 Author: Julie Kagawa Publication Date: 04/24/2012 Publisher: Harlequin Teen Audience: Young Adult Genre: Dystopian, Paranormal

 

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.

 

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

 

REVIEW

 

I loved this book!! It was another great vampire book with your mostly scary vamps but some that have a non beating heart. 

 

Our street rat MC Allie is left with two choices after being attacked by the rabids and stumbled upon by a vampire who goes by the name Kanin;  die a quick death where he guarantees she won't come back as a rabid or allow him to turn her and live the rest of her immortal life as a monster.  I liked that the choice of becoming a vampire wasn't sugar coated like "oh you get to live forever, it's so awesome!" Kanin always called it the life of a monster, even from the get go.  But I also loved that Allie's reasoning behind wanting to become a vampire was the pure selfish desire to stay alive.  I mean really most of us would do whatever we could to not die.  We do see Allie struggle with the new life she leads and what she learns from Kanin.  About a third of the way into the book Allie sets off on her own and learns how to take care of herself.  While out in the wilderness she stumbles upon a band of humans who are working their way to a "promised land" free of vampires and the rabids.  There are surprises along the way and the suspense of if the humans will discover Allie's secret was high.

 

The world building was well done.  The character development was extensive although I feel there may still be secrets we don't know about.  There is a hint of romance between Allie and Zeke (the second in command of the human group)  I don't know how they will make it work but I look forward to reading more about them in the next book.  I also look forward to finding out more about Kanin, I think he has a lot of secrets to tell.

 

Overall it was a fast paced, action packed, exciting read.  One that I highly recommend!

 

 

 

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

 

 

THE AUTHOR

 

Julie Kagawa, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey and Blood of Eden series was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

 

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

 

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full time.

 

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon.

 

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"Waiting On" Wednesday:

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It features books we are eagerly anticipating getting our hands on. My Pick This Week:   THE HERE AND NOW Author: Ann Brashares Expected Publication Date: 04/08/2014 Publisher: Delacorte Press Audience: Young Adult Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Time Travel  

  Meet seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. But everything changes when she falls for Ethan Jarves.   Mark It TBR   ~ Goodreads ~

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

  MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!   Hope Santa found you all this morning/last night and that you got everything you were hoping for!   Enjoy your day with family and friends!   Remember the reason for the season!

     

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

HEARTBEAT

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Pulication Date: 01/28/2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Loss

 

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

 

** I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I received no compensation in return for this review**

Checklist for reading Heartbeat
-Tissues
-A whole day to devote to reading uninterrupted
-Tissues
-Chocolate
-Did I mention tissues?

First I want to mention my shock when I went onto Goodreads to prepare for this review and saw that Heartbeat has an average of only 3.77 stars!!  WHAT?!  I think some people might have missed the point of the book, especially the ones stating they hated the MC because they found her to be selfish in the way she thought and acted.  I'm not one to argue with another's opinion of a book but seriously?! This book is about loss, when people deal with loss they don't always react in the nicest, selfless ways.  Sometimes they are a bitch.  It's only natural.  Maybe if these people had finished the book it all would have made sense to them.  I'm just sayin..

REVIEW

I don't think I have ever cried throughout a WHOLE book.  I am not kidding this book has some serious feels.  I feel like everyone needs to read it.  It's about loss and hate, forgiveness and love.  About letting go and moving on.

Our MC is Emma.  At the start of the book her mother is brain dead but her body is kept functioning by machines in order to support the baby growing inside her.  Over time we find out how her mom died and the reasons for Emma's hate towards a stepdad (Dan) she once loved.  During her journey through grief she is reintroduced to Caleb, a boy from her class who once was very popular but now is known for his drugged out ways and car stealing tendencies.  Turns out Caleb and Emma have common ground when it comes to living with overwhelming sadness and guilt, through this they grow closer and become a lifeline for each other.

This book touched on something really sensitive for me.  Being a mother myself my biggest fear is dying while my kids are young.  I think this caused me to feel really sad that Emma has to go through this whole ordeal.  She feels guilty because of wasting time studying instead of being with her mom right before her death.  I just wanted to tell her that her mother understood and knew Emma loves her.  I really hated that she was so alone afterwards, that Dan abandoned her emotionally when she needed him the most.  I loved that she had such an awesome friend in Olivia.  Without question if Emma called or even just gave her a look, Olivia was there to help any way she could.

This book held so much depth, how could it not, and the characters came alive from chapter one.  I cried for Emma, I cried for Dan, I cried for Caleb (whose parents I would love to shake some sense into) but the best part for me was the end.

Although there was so much sadness in this book it was handled beautifully and when the end came around it felt perfectly wrapped up.  I don't mean things were perfect, with this type of book you can't have perfect endings, but I felt like everyone would be okay and that was good for me.  When I set the book down I took a deep breath and smiled.  It's a story that will stick with me for a long time.

 

 

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

 

 

THE AUTHOR

 

Hey there, I'm Elizabeth. I write young adult novels. I live just outside Washington DC with my husband and dog, and am unable to pass a bookstore without stopping and going inside.

All right, and I can't leave without buying at least one book.

Usually two. (Or more!)

 

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Unearthed by Rebecca Bloomer

UNEARTHED

Author: Rebecca Bloomer

Publication Date: 07/02/2012

Published By: Odyssey Books

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Science Fiction

 

If you’re going to colonise a planet, you’d better be willing to fight for it.

Within Anphobos, there grows a new race. The first generation of humans never to set foot on Earth. They are pale skinned, large eyed and worship no god but science. They possess technological skills and processes Earth has refused to acknowledge. Until now…

“We are Martian. Your religion isn’t ours. Our god is Mars. Our religion is science. Anything we do in the service of Mars, is good. Make no mistake, Earth girl, we are both right and good.”

Fresh off Earth, Jodi Scarfield doesn’t really care for Mars or its politics. Still, accusations of treason will get a girl’s attention...

**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I did not get compensated in any way for this review.**

REVIEW

 

My thoughts are a jumbled mess when it comes to thinking about Unearthed, much like the book itself was. For being such a short read (right around 100 pages) it took me THREE days to finish it!   There were some ideas that I liked; life on Mars, along with space travel, Jodi's hacker skills and the technology spoken about were all pretty fascinating but that's where my interest ended.  I feel like those ideas along with the governmental issues should have been explored more in depth. The characters felt flat and I was constantly wondering why Jodi felt a pull to her new "friends" Astrid and Jules.  What led up to the ending was the only excitement I felt during the book but even those events came out of nowhere.  I'm left feeling like there was no plot and I'm asking myself what the point of the story was.

One thing that drove me absolutely NUTS was Jodi's nail biting/chewing/picking habit.  It's so gross and every time she mentioned tearing a sliver of a nail off I wanted to hit her upside the head.  Ok so you want your character to have a nervous habit?  Fine.  Mention it once or twice, maybe three times but constantly describing it through the whole book is really too much.

Overall I feel like if the book had been a little longer we would have had a chance to get more details and character development.  The story has a ton of potential it just needs...more.

 

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

 

 

THE AUTHOR

 

I'm an adventure junkie who likes to write. I collect pretty things - baubles, phrases, people - and write them into stories so others can adventure with me.

I have never, to my knowledge, used the word 'boring' (unless it pertained to what small animals were doing to my woodwork) and hope I never will.

 

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BOOK BLITZ and GIVEAWAY: Insanity by Cameron Jace

  Cameron Jace?  Why does that name sound familiar?  Oh Yeah!! I just did a book blitz for his book Pentimento!  That book sounded like an awesome read and the book we are featuring today sounds just as good!   Make sure to check out the giveaways at the end of this post!   Insanity Author: Cameron Jace
Publication date: 12/20/2013 Audience: New Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal

 

 

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll’s paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland’s real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

 

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~

 

 

 

Excerpt from

Chapter One of Insanity

The writing on the wall says it's January 14^th. I am not sure what year. I haven't been sure of many things lately, but I’m wondering if it’s my handwriting I’m looking at.

 

There is an strange key drawn underneath the date. It's carved with a sharp object, probably a broken mirror. I couldn’t have written this. I'm terrified of mirrors. They love to call it Catoptrophobia around here.

 

Unlike regular patients in the asylum, my room is windowless, stripped down to a single mattress in the middle, a sink, and bucket for peeing--or puking--when necessary. The tiles on the floor are black-and-white squares, like a chessboard. I never step on black. Always white. Again, I'm not sure why.

The walls are smeared with a greasy pale green everywhere. I wonder if it's the previous patient's brains spattered all over from shock therapy. In the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, politely known as the Warneford hospital, the doctors have a sweet spot for shock therapy. They love watching patients with bulging eyes and shivering limbs begging for relief from the electricity. It makes me question who is really mad in here.

 

It's been a while since I was sent to shock therapy myself. Dr. Tom Truckle, my supervising physician, said I don't need it anymore, particularly after I stopped mentioning Wonderland. He told me that I used to talk about it all the time; a dangerous place I claim I have been whisked away to when my elder sister lost me at the age of seven.

 

Truth is, I don't remember this Wonderland they are talking about. I don't even know why I am here. My oldest vivid memory is from a week ago. Before that, it's all a purple haze.

 

I have only one friend in this asylum. It's not a doctor or a nurse. And it's not a human. It doesn't hate, envy, or point a finger at you. My friend is an orange flower I keep in a pot; a Tiger Lily I can't live without. I keep it safe next to a small crack in the wall where a single sun ray sneaks through for only ten minutes a day. It might not be enough light to grow a flower, but my Tiger Lily is a tough girl.

 

Each day, I save half of the water they give me for my flower. As for me, better thirsty than mad.

 

My orange flower is also my personal rain check for my sanity. If I talk to her and she doesn't reply, I know I am not hallucinating. If it talks back to me, all kinds of nonsense starts to happen. Insanity prevails. There must be a reason why I am here. It doesn’t mean I will easily give in to such a fate.

 

"Alice Pleasance Wonder. Are you ready?" the nurse knocks with her electric prod on my steel door.

Her name is Waltraud Wagner. She is German. Everything she says sounds like a threat and smells like smoke. My fellow mad people say she is a Nazi; that she used to kill her own patients back in Germany. "Get avay vrom za dor. I an coming in," she demands.

 

Listening to the rattling of her large keychain, my heart pounds in my chest. The turn of the key makes me want to swallow. When the door opens, all I can think of is choking her before she begins to hurt me. Sadly, her neck is too thick for my nimble hands. I stare at her almost-square figure for a moment. Everything about her is four sizes too big, all except her feet, which are as small as mine. My sympathies, little feet.

 

"Time for your daily ten-minute break," she approaches me with a straitjacket, a devilish grin on her face. I never get out. My ward is underground, and I take my break in another empty ward upstairs, where patients love to play soccer with a hedgehog’s head.

 

A big muscled warden stands behind Watlraud. Thomas Ogier. He is bald, has an angry-red face and a silver tooth he likes to flash whenever he sees me. His biceps are the size of my head. I have a hard time believing he has ever been a 4-pound baby.

 

"Slide your arms into the jacket," Waltraud demands in her German accent, a cigarette puckered between her lips. "Slow and easy, Alice," she nods at warden Ogier, in case I misbehave.

 

I comply obediently and stretch out my arms for her to do whatever she wants. Waltraud twists my right arm slightly and checks the tattoo on my arm. It’s the only tattoo I have. It’s a handwritten sentence that looks like a thin arm band from afar. Waltraud feels the need to read it allowed, “’I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.’” I was told I have written it myself while still believing in Wonderland. “That Alice in Wonderland has really messed with your head.” She puffs smoke into my face as she mocks me.

 

The tattoo and Waltraud’s mocking is the least of my concerns right now. I let her tie me, and while she does, I close my eyes. I imagine I am a sixteenth century princess, some kind of a lucky Cinderella, being squeezed into a corset by my chain smoking servant in a fairy tale castle above ground, just about to go meet my Prince Charming. Such imagery always helps me breathe. I once heard that it was hope that saves the day, not sanity. I need to cool down before I begin my grand escape.

 

 

THE AUTHOR

 

Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales. I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.

 

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THE GIVEAWAYS

 

One winner will receive an eBook copy of Insanity by Cameron Jace.

Contest open internationally.

Prize will be sent out by the author after 01/12/2014

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blitz Wide Giveaway

Open Internationally

 

Prizes:

A Kindle Fire or Paperwhite

10x ebook of Insanity

2x 10$ Amazon Gift Card
 

 Rafflecopter giveaway

Blitz Organized By:

 

BOOK BLITZ and GIVEAWAY: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Welcome my stop on the Book Blitz for Heartbeat!  Is anyone else as excited about this book as I am?!?  Make sure to enter the Giveaway at the end of this post for a chance at 1 of 5 ARC's of HEARTBEAT!

 

 

HEARTBEAT

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Publication Date: 01/28/2014

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

Praise For Heartbeat:

“An intense examination of a family coping with grief, this absorbing character study easily keeps pages turning.” 

 

— Kirkus on Heartbeat

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THE AUTHOR

 

 

ELIZABETH SCOTT grew up in a town so small it didn’t even have a post office, though it did boast an impressive cattle population. She’s sold hardware and panty hose and had a memorable three-day stint in the dot-com industry, where she learned that she really didn’t want a career burning CDs. She lives just outside Washington, D.C., with her husband, and firmly believes you can never own too many books.

 

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