Cover Madness Giveaway Hop

Choice from below or If there is one you want not listed, and you win, as long as I think the cover is rocking, you can have it too.
  


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Giveaway: $5 Amazon Card and Persephone's Orchard by Molly Ringle

Persephone's Orchard by Molly Ringle

The Greek gods never actually existed. Did they? Sophie Darrow finds she was wrong about that assumption when she's pulled into the spirit realm, complete with an Underworld, on her very first day at college. Adrian, the mysterious young man who brought her there, simply wants her to taste a pomegranate. And soon, though she returns to her regular life, her mind begins exploding with dreams and memories of ancient times--of a love between two Greeks named Persephone and Hades. But lethal danger has always surrounded the immortals, and now that she's tainted with the Underworld's magic, that danger is drawing closer to Sophie.

Giveaway: 1 copy of the signed ebook in the winner's choice of format and a $5 Amazon.com gift card. International. You could ask them to follow molly on facebook and twitter, but I leave the choice to you on what you think is best.
Website: mollyringle.com
Twitter: @mollyringle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MollyRingle
Sale Details: From June 28 to July 12, the publisher will be offering the ebook at all major bookstores for only 99 cents!

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

"A modern young woman and man find the memories of Hades and Persephone awakened in their minds, along with dangerous magic."

--How did you get the idea for the story?

Lots of people in recent years have already realized the paranormal romance potential of the Persephone and Hades myth, but for what it's worth, I wrote my first draft of this story about 17 years ago. It's been in my head a long, long time. When I saw the popularity of such things emerge in the publishing world, I thought I might as well fix up my version and add it to the heap.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I'd most like to have Aphrodite over. It'd be fascinating to hear her insights about people's intimate lives. I'd least like to host anyone from Thanatos, the crazy murderous cult in the book. Call me unadventurous, but they don't sound fun.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

I'm working on the sequel to Persephone's Orchard, though it's nowhere near finished, so I can't estimate a release date. Perhaps we'll see it in another year--I hope.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I always wish I had more time to read, but I do make at least a little time, because it does such good things for my brain. Right now I'm re-reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, which is wonderfully imaginative and magical. I also love classics; I find myself coming back to re-read George Eliot, E.M. Forster, the Brontë sisters, and many more. And of course, plenty of new YA and NA when something fun catches my attention.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I usually write best in silence. But I do have a playlist of songs that I listened to while daydreaming about the plot and characters, and which seemed to fit especially well. For Persephone's Orchard, two of the big ones (which are almost embarrassing since they're so trendy lately) were "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers and "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine. But I also reached back into the '80s for atmospheric Greek-god mood music like Dead Can Dance.

--What is one thing you would tell your 15 year old self?

"Relax. Don't stress out so much about what people think of you. Everyone has those same thoughts and worries. You're not weird; you're normal."

Lightning round: this or that?

Vanilla or chocolate?

Chocolate chocolate chocolate!

Edward or Jacob?

For myself, neither. But when I was Bella's age, I probably would've been crazy for Edward.

Hockey or soccer?

Soccer. Easier to see the nice legs.

Ebook or paper?

I gotta have both. I like variety.

Salty or sweet?

I tend to reach for salty late at night. Tortilla chips, cheese puffs, that kind of thing.

Beach or mountains?

I'm a Pacific Northwesterner--I love both too much to choose between them!

Phone call or email?

Email. Can answer on my own time.

Early bird or night owl?

Closer to night owl, though I don't really stay up all that late.

Dog or cat?

I'm fond of both, but dogs do win my heart.

Messy or neat?

I think I'm neat, but truly neat people show me I could be better at it.

Ninjas or pirates?

Pirates, though it's hard to say how much Johnny Depp swayed my answer there.



-1 copy of the signed ebook in the winner's choice of format and a $5 Amazon.com gift card. International.
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 7/27/2013 11:59 pm EST
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.

*If, for whatever reason, the Rafflecopter widget does not appear, you can click on the link where it says rafflecopter giveaway and it will show up, sorry for the inconvenience.

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Giveaway: Infinityglass (Hourglass #3) by Myra McEntire

 Infinityglass (Hourglass #3) by Myra McEntire

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.
The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.
With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.
But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

* Follow Egmont USA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EgmontUSA

* Follow Egmont USA on Twitter: @EgmontUSA

  * Follow Myra on twitter: @MyraMcEntire

  * Follow Myra on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myra-McEntire-The-Hourglass-Books/142716365760681

 

* Follow Myra on Tumblr: http://myramcentire.tumblr.com/


- copy, open to US only
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 7/28/2013 11:59 pm EST
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.

*If, for whatever reason, the Rafflecopter widget does not appear, you can click on the link where it says rafflecopter giveaway and it will show up, sorry for the inconvenience.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Google reader ends tomorrow--what I am doing

Bloglovin is the thing of the future. It is easy to claim your blog, and you can import the blogs you followed from Reader easily too. Follow this link

Join me and hundreds of other book bloggers who have made the switch.

I keep hearing that GFC, the most common way blogs are followed is going away, but I don't have hardcore evidence, although it makes sense. I have already started bloglovin as the main follow request on my contests, and I have seen others do this as well.

Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post Mailbox Memes

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

What I read:

Breaking Glass source: spencer hill

Amowitz, Lisa *

Sleepless source: library

Balog, Cyn

Last Week on the blog:

Phoenix (Black City, #2) Review: Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Richards, Elizabeth *

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend (Confessions, #2) source: netgalley  DNF: Confessions of Almost girlfriend

Rozett, Louise*

Thousand Words source: library Review: Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

Brown, Jennifer

Asunder (Newsoul, #2) source: bought Review: Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Meadows, Jodi*

Ink (Paper Gods, #1) source: netgalley DNF Review

Sun, Amanda

• Follow Friday
• Waiting on Wednesday
• Lumberjack Blog Tour: Guest post with Sara Olds an...
• Link up your giveaways
• Giveaway: A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook, Bre...
• Giveaway: Quarantine: The Saints by Lex Thomas

My week: Exciting and bittersweet, my little girl graduated from preschool!

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.

Review: Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Phoenix (Black City #2) by Elizabeth Richards

Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.
When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.
But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.
This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.

Publishes in US: June 4th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
Genre: YA Dystopia
Source: bought
Series? Yes, 2nd in Black City. Untitled (Black City, #3) releases in 2014

Buy it:

1.  Amazon
2.  IndieBound
3.  Book Depository

Find  online: ~site ~twitter ~facebook

    Starts with a bang and it feels like I never left this dark world. Get right back into ash's head as he's forced to make an impossible decision. Natalie or his people... All while leading a revolt healing from burns and fighting nightmares of burning from the attempted execution from the first book.
    The thing that draws me most though is the romance between Ash and Natalie. I Love their chemistry, moments together, physical and the soul sharing.
      Action and complications are never far behind though so I treasured each of those moments.
     The weird love triangle type thing both infuriated me and enthralled me. I saw the appeal of Elijah and understood what he saw in natalie but i am a big ash.fan so it didn't fly for me in the end. So I am glad that there was more than what it was at the surface, and that nothing too stupid of a line was crossed. Understood why ash thought it and what he saw. His pain was so intense but still loyal... Which brings me back to the reason that I love Ash so much. Natalie was actually hiding something else, that i never saw coming and took my breath away.

   The pacing is intense and I loved the dual narration that continues in this one because I loved seeing both Ash and Natalie's perspectives.
   It ended leaving me yearning for the next book, which I will be getting my hands on the day it releases to find out what happens next.

Bottom Line:Darkly enchanting world with an amazingly hot romance and a breathtaking plot.

Books similar to :(links go to my review)

My question to you, my lovely readers:

Follow Friday

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison can read

I prefer Bloglovin for follows.



Question: What is your preferred reading format? (I think that I answered this last week because I was confused)
I like ebooks, but I love covers of physical books better.

Image from: http://onceuponayabook.blogspot.com

DNF: Confessions of Almost girlfriend by Louise Rozett and Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

 Confessions of Almost girlfriend (Confessions #2) by Louise Rozett

Rose Zarelli has big plans for sophomore year—everything is going to be different. This year, she’s going to be the talented singer with the killer voice, the fabulous girl with the fashionista best friend, the brainiac who refuses to let Jamie Forta jerk her around...
...but if she’s not careful, she’s also going to be the sister who misses the signals, the daughter who can only think about her own pain, the “good girl” who finds herself in mid-scandal again (because no good deed goes unpunished) and possibly worst of all...the almost-girlfriend.
When all else fails, stop looking for love and go find yourself.

Publishes in US: June 18th 2013 by Harlequin
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Harlequin via Netgalley
Series? Yes. Confessions #2. Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions, #1) My review here

Buy it:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble
IndieBound  Book Depository

Find Louise online: ~site ~twitter ~facebook

Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

I wrote a post awhile back about negative reviews, and how I don't review if I don't finish, and a very wise blogger pointed out that knowing what a blogger doesn't like can be valuable to publishers and authors too. Then another blogger mentioned she did a did not finish post and I thought it was a great idea. That isn't to say that the writing is poor or the characters are poorly constructed, it's personal on my end. So, here we go:

Confessions

Stopped at: 5%

   I totally would have gotten this reviewed before or on the pub date but I didn't realize the date had been changed. When I look on Netgalley first I write that date on my calendar. :)

   I just couldn't get back into Rose's head. The first bit was all about partying and  people picking on homosexuality and none of the stuff that I remember liking about the first book. I know that Rose didn't agree with what they were doing as far as gays and that she didn't like the hazing, but still, it was there. These are all important topics and I think that the author did a good job showing it wasn't okay from Rose's eyes. 

   Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for the topics or for Rose, but I just wasn't immersed into the story. I kept putting it down, and looking for other stuff to do, so maybe a reread at another time. 

Positive reviews from my bloggy buddies:

Readers Den 5/5

Pure Imagination "Loved it"

YA's the Word

Ink:

Stopped at 5%

    I think that the cultural references and the use of Japanese turned me off immediately and then I had problems with Tomohiro. He was too big of a jerk for me to even classify it as a bad boy with a soft spot. Because he was obviously hiding a lot, but just the way he was talking to and treating his exgirlfriend it was too much for me to handle. 

   I didn't connect with Katie. She was stalkerish and too impulsive for me to relate to. 

   I loved the concept and the cover, but ultimately it didn't work for me. 

Positive reviews from blogging buddies:

Fighting Daydreamer

Paranormal Pages

Books and Things

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever had an "almost" relationship? How did it turn out?