Recreate A Cover Contest (Princess Bookie)

Right now I'm really busy with school and I just got a new job (my first job) so I'm pretty busy. But I took some time out of studying to recreate a cover for Princess Bookie's Contest Craze. I love doing these, and so I came up with a cover design for: Everneath by Brodi Ashton.

Here is the original cover:

And then here is the cover I created (I hope you like it!):

photo credit: http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=boy%20and%20girl&order=9&offset=48#/dzpjcl

I hope everyone is having fun with Contest Craze!

Prizes for Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon

Here are the prizes for the Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon (this list may change at any time):


1.) Pure by Julianna Baggott (ARC) + swag
2.) Fracture by Megan Mirandad (ARC) + swag
3.) Across the Universe by Beth Revis (ARC) + swag
4.) Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (paperback) + swag
5.) Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston (paperback) + swag
6.) Never Bite a Boy on the First Date by Tamara Summers (paperback) + swag
7.) Dark Guardian #1: Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne (paperback) + swag
8.) $10 Amazon.com e-gift card
9.) $10 Amazon.com e-gift card
10.) $10 Amazon.com e-gift card

Here are the blogs signed up to do mini challenges for the Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon (this list may change at any time):


1.) Memrie @ DarkAngel88
2.) Alexa @ Pages of Forbidden Love
3.) Jess @ From Me to You...Video, Photography, & Book Reviews
4.) Zoey @ Zoey's Uncreatively Titled Blog


The Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon starts on October 7th at 5pm (central time) and will end on October 9th at 11:59 pm (central time). This will be a 55 hour event with many giveaways and mini challenges. For more information and to sign up to participate go to this BLOG POST. To participate, all you have to do is add your blog link to the linkey on the BLOG POST. And if you want to host a mini challenge during this read-a-thon you can fill out the form on the BLOG POST.


Thank again everyone! I will be posting further information about the Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon when the date comes closer.

Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon Sign Ups

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and Read-a-Thons are one of my favorite blog events. So, I am putting them together and hosting the...

 Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon

October 7th - October 9th

This read-a-thon will start on October 7th at 5pm (central time) and will end on October 9th at 11:59 pm (central time). This will be a 55 hour event! I hope everyone signs up and has a wonderful time.

There will be lots of giveaways and mini-challenges!

Rules:

1.) Sign up using the linkey below with your name and blog

ex: Morgan @ Smitten With Books

2.) You must create a starting post (on October 7th) before you start the read-a-thon stating which books you hope to get through.

3.) You must create an Update post after each day. There will be 3 total (one for Friday night, one for Saturday Night, and one for Sunday night). The one for Sunday night will also be the read-a-thon ending post where you can state which books you have read.

4.) You don't have to read Halloween influenced/scary books. You can read anything you want, but if you want to stick around the Halloween theme, go ahead!

You can also create a blog post right now, letting everyone know you will be apart of this read-a-thon! 

Just grab the button and post it in your blog post or on your sidebar. Here is the Scaredy Books Read-a-Thon button:

I will be hosting many mini challenges where you can win books and swag. I am also giving the opportunity for those interested to host mini challenges on their own blogs. I just ask that those of you who do sign up to host a mini challenge on your blog, to please supply the books, swag, or giftcards for the mini challenges.

SIGN UP HERE TO HOST MINI CHALLENGES ON YOUR OWN BLOG!!!

Sign up using the linkey below to participate in this read-a-thon! Thank you everyone who participates and/or hosts a mini challenge on their own blogs. I really appreciate it. I will be updating about the read-a-thon when the date becomes closer!

Contest Craze Mini Challenge: Top 5 Books

Contest Craze (Hosted by Princess Bookie) has finally started and today marks the day for the first mini challenge!

2012 Releases That I'm Most Looking Forward To

1. The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting 

This is the third novel in The Body Finder series. I can't wait to find out how Violet and Jay's relationship continues! 

2. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

This is the second novel in The Delirium series. The ending of Delirium had a super duper cliff hanger so can't wait to see how everything pans out.

3. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

I love Kimberly Derting (see number 1) and am excited to read a book that isn't in her Body Finder series.

4.) In Too Deep by Mandy Hubbard (written as Amanda Grace). I'm in love with Mandy's You Wish novel, and haven't gotten an opportunity to read any of her other published work. I think I'll kick it off with this one.

5.) Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard. I love bad boys and this sounds like a bad-boyish novel, so what's not to love? Very excited for this release, out in the summer of 2012.

Squeaky Books Giveaway! Birthday Bash 2011!

I'm hosting a contest as part of

Enna Isilee's Birthday Bash 2011

Presented by Squeaky Books



From August 22nd until September 22nd Enna Isilee at Squeaky Books is having a HUGE bash to celebrate her birthday! There’s a giveaway nearly EVERY DAY, tons of author interviews, and guest posts from a bunch different YA book bloggers. And I get to host a contest!



I get to give away a copy of Plain Kate by Erin Bow! Entering is simple, just fill out the form (with optional bonus entries). You have until September 21st at 11:59 MST to enter. All winners will be announced on Enna Isilee's birthday (September 22nd) on Enna Isilee's blog (Squeaky Books). And today, Ennalee interviewed Erin at Squeaky Books. You should totally go check it out.



Want to know more about Plain Kate? Click here!



Without further ado, enter to win! Click below.






Open To US Only
Click here to enter

Snapped by Laura Griffin

Snapped by Laura Griffin
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Pocket Star
Versions: paperback kindle
Received from: publisher

Summary (from back of book):

Sophie Barrett thinks she's lucky to be alive. 

She may be dead wrong.

On a sweltering summer afternoon, Sophie Barrett walks into a nightmare. A sniper has opened fire on a college campus. When the carnage is over, three people-plus the shooter-are dead and dozens more are injured. Sophie escapes virtually unscathed. Yet as details emerge from the investigation, she becomes convinced that this wasn't the random, senseless act it appeared to be. No one wants to believe her-not the cops, not her colleagues at the Dephi Center crime lab, and definitely not Jonah Macon, the homicide detective who's already saved her life once.


Jonah has all kinds of reasons for hoping Sophie is mistaken. Involving himself with a key witness could derail an already messy investigation, not to mention jeopardize his career. But Sophie is as determined and fearless as she is sexy. If he can't resist her, he can at least swear to protect her. Because if Sophie is right, she's made herself the target of a killer without conscience. And the real terror is only just the beginning...

This was my first Laura Griffin book, and it won't be my last. Sophie works as a secretary at the Dephi Center crime lab. But she wants a more meaningful and important job, so she visits a college to take a few classes. While in the parking lot, a person shoots from the top of a tall building, killing people. They think the shooter is a man who has done crime before, but Sophie knows the truth. And they choose not to believe it, especially Jonah-who she has hot chemistry with. Will they be able to stop the person from killing more people...or will Sophie have to take things into her own hands?

Lauren Griffin writes well, and her stories are full of action packed scenes. I really enjoyed reading about Sophie's story. And Jonah is hot! I couldn't help smiling whenever he entered a scene, and Sophie felt the same way about him. They have a lot of chemistry that continues to build until it explodes.

Will I reread it?
Yes, I really enjoyed this novel. I will also watch out for other Laura Griffin novels so I can continue with this author's great sense of style and voice. I recommend to fans of Stephanie Plum.

UPDATES

I just wanted to take the time to let everyone know a few important things...

1.) Reviews will be a little slow for the next week or so-I started college three weeks ago and am still getting used to the change from highschool. I have a lot of studying to do and a lot of reading in textbook form (even though I'd rather read novels). So just keep that in mind.

2.) All prizes were shipped out today-whoever has won a recent contest/giveaway will soon receive their prizes. But, I won a giveaway three weeks ago. I know, I'm sorry-read 1.) again.

3.) I have recently joined Romancing The Book to be a reviewer. I love my blog, Smitten With Books, but I also love romance novels (for older audiences) so I decided to review for another wonderful blog so I can read and review them as well. You can go over there and see my reviewer page HERE

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start of the school year!

Bright, Young, & Luxe Giveaway Hop!

Today, September 10th, is the start of the Bright, Young, & Luxe Giveaway Hop! This event is hosted by Lea from (LCs Adventures in Libraryland) and Tiffany from (For Those About to Read...) There are 14 blogs participating in this wonderful event and each giveaway revolves around Bright Young Things and/or The Luxe (historical young adult romance novels).

The Bright, Young, & Luxe Giveaway Hop runs from September 10th to September 20th so make sure you visit all the blogs before then.

One person will win:

Hardcover Copy of The Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Rules: 

Must live in the US

Must be 13 years or older

Ends September 20th



To Enter: Leave a comment with your name and email address
If you are a follower of my blog place +2 in the comment as well

Here are the other blogs that are participating as well:

I hope everyone enjoys this giveaway hop!

The Predicteds Tour: Teenage Garage Sale

I am so excited to be apart of The Predicteds by Christine Seifert blog tour which is hosted by The Teen Book Scene 

Christine is here with us to do a Teenage Garage Sale post. For those of you who don't know, a Teenage Garage Sale is an author guest post about items you'd find at their garage sales/items from their teenage years. So take it away Christine...

If you happened upon a garage sale filled with memorabilia from my teen years, you'd find plenty to laugh at. Come on in and take a look around:

1. A Toni home perm
I was a teenager in the late 80s and spiral perms ruled the world. Salon perms were the best, but home perms were cheaper. The only problem was the horrible smell and the awful feeling you got when your scalp began to burn. Price: $8.99 (Warning! May cause your hair to fall out of your head.)

2. My awesome stretch pants and oversized shirts
Before leggings were called leggings, they were stretch pants (or stirrup pants if they had those weird foot stirrup thingies), and we wore them all the time in the 80s. Big, baggy shirts were the best, preferably in neon colors. When the early 90s hit, we swapped the neon cotton for worn-out flannel. Price: $25 (Hey, these are collector's items.)

3. My cassette collection
Before CDS, we had tapes, which we played on walkmans and ghetto blasters. I didn't have an extensive music collection, but the ones I had, I loved to death. Favorites included Whitney Houston, Madonna's True Blue album, El DeBarge (won it from a radio station), Bon Jovi, and Poison. I listened to all of them a million times. Price: FREE! (You'll never find a place to play these things.)

4. My Judy Blume book collection
I've always been an avid library patron, but I had a few books that I owned and cherished. Judy Blume was a childhood favorite. Blubber (I read it until the cover ripped off) and Superfudge were my absolute favorites. Even after I grew into a be-permed and neon-clad teen, I turned to these books often. They are still comforting to me. Price: On Display Only (I couldn't bear to part with those.)

5. My swimming suit
I've always loved to swim. Back in 1988, when I was in junior high, I spent every glorious summer day at the pool. My swimming suit was basically my uniform. I got a new one every year (a beginning-of-summer rite of passage), but I was in love with the one from 1988: It was a purple one-piece with black polka dots, but it had a section cut out of the middle. It was almost a bikini, which made me feel very sophisticated. How I loved that thing. Price: Seriously? You want to buy my old swimming suit? Gross.

6. My 80s-tastic hair assessories
I don't have long hair anymore, but when I did, I spent a lot of time selecting just the right hair accessories. Scrunchies were an absolute necessity; they were especially good for holding side pony tails. Primary-colored clips were really popular for a while (they basically looked like the clips you use to keep your potato chips fresh.) You wore them on one side of your head, so you looked like you had a giant plastic tumor. Banana clips were awesome because they showcased perms so well-it looked like a beautiful curly horse's mane down your back. All of this required loads of hair spray. Price: $1 (This stuff will come in hand for your next 80s-themed party).

7. My Cabbage Patch Kids
Okay, so I wasn't a teen when I got my first Cabbage Patch doll. I was probably six. It was the year that everybody was fighting for these ugly little dolls (which were later featured on stamps), and I didn't think I'd get one. And then there it was, under the Christmas tree, my very own baby from the cabbage patch, complete with a birth certificate. Her name was Inessa Bella. She had red hair and wore a beautiful yellow dress. I still have her. Price: $10 (Just give her a good home. She lives in a box in my basement now.)

8. My Kmart name badge
I got my first job when I was sixteen. I was a checker at Kmart. I was pretty impressed with myself. I mean, running the cash register felt so grown up! I saved my name badge because it was the beginning of my working life. Years later, I still credit that job with teaching me a lot about what it means to be a part of a team. Price: $2 (I won a customer service award, indicated by the name tag, so I have to up the price. This is valuable, people!)

9. My friend Camille
The primary staple of my teen years was my friend Camille. She's still my bff even though we live a thousand miles away from each other. I know you can't really sell a friend at a garage sale, but the garage sale wouldn't be complete if you didn't get a chance to see Camille, truly the most important force in shaping my teenage self. You should go up to Camille and ask her about the real dirt on me. Price: Priceless

Thank you so much Christine, you make the 80s sound like so much fun! I grew up in the 90s and am still living my teen years but I will always remember those snap bracelets and plastic chokers.

The Last Rising Release Day Blitz+Giveaway!

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