Saturday Spotlight!

Saturday Spotlight is a brand new meme started by Lori where each week bloggers will have a chance to showcase something new. It will be the place to gather, talk and shine the “spotlight” on all things book related. Not to mention a place to discover new to us authors, characters, series and places.

Each week, Lori will pick a new theme for us to share our favorite of, and every once in a while she'll make it a “reader's choice” week where you can spotlight whatever you want.

This Week's Spotlight: Favorite MALE Mystery Author

I would first like to give a huge thanks to Lori to was gracious enough to let me know the topic ahead of time so I could type this out and schedule it to post while I'm away. So, thank you Lori!

I have to say that as soon as I read what the topic was going to be ... I almost flipped. I have one who holds a very special place in my heart that I've absolutely loved over the years ... even before I was introduced to Stephen King! My grandmother loved him, my father loved him, and I think I can safely say that he's the reason I have a slightly morbid interest in anything dealing with psychology - fears, phobias, serial killers ... all of it intrigues me!

Curious as to who it is? I'll tell you!

It's Dean Koontz! And I can tell you the first book I ever read by him ... Night Chills. I actually snuck it from my parents' room when they weren't looking. I think I may have been eight, but I could have been younger. All I remember about it was being absolutely gripped by the story and my adrenaline stayed through the roof through most of it. It never scared me, the part that I feared was the "what if" of it. What if that actually happened? Thinking of that kept me up at nights. However, I never had nightmares and I never had to sleep with Mommy and Daddy because of it - it just intrigued me. After I read that, I confessed to my parents what I had done. Mom was horrified and thought I'd be traumatized for life. My Dad looked very proud of me - and, as a Daddy's Girl, that was the best reaction I could ever ask for! Instead of banning me from the books, they allowed me to read more if I promised to drop them if they got too scary. I promised, but I never stopped reading them.

So, there you have it ... my favorite mystery writer. Who's yours?

Weekend Hiatus!

Alright guys, I'm off for the weekend! I'm packed and driving down to see my parents. Since my parents aren't big on the internet thing, it's doubtful I'll have any access to it until I get back here on Sunday. However, I have typed out a couple posts that are scheduled to be posted tomorrow and Sunday. Hopefully, that will be good until I get back. Then, I have reviews to do and maybe a little something extra. I'll let you know more when I get back.

Feel free to post any news on here that I may miss while I'm gone.

Love!

Review: Catch A Mate, by Gena Showalter

*Disclaimer: This book contains graphic sexual situations and, therefore, will be rated as such. Any time you see the pretty pink "M" sign up there, then you'll know I'm not exactly reviewing a YA read.*

Title: Catch A Mate
Author: Gena Showalter
Pages: 378
Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: June 1, 2007; Reprinted May 1, 2010

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Keywords/Themes: Girl v. Guy, Dating, Romance, Chick Lit.

Jillian Greene is always getting caught in the act--it's her job! Working at Catch a Mate, Jillian gets paid by suspicious wives to smile, flirt and prove that no man can be trusted around the opposite sex. But she never gets physical--until a heart-stoppingly gorgeous male walks in....

Marcus Brody has just been hired to test female fidelity. But the last thing Jillian needs is a partner...especially an infuriating, irresistible man who's got her fantasizing about tearing off his clothes!

Can a savvy modern woman find happiness with the most tempting man she's ever known? Is there such a thing as a totally monogamous male?

My Review: I'll start by saying that, besides her paranormal Lords of the Underworld series, I've never read any of her other works. If you've read any posts on my blog the past few weeks, you'll know I've mentioned LotU a few times - even in comments on other blogs. Why? I abso-freaking-lutely love the Lords series! I picked up the first one on a whim and haven't looked back since.

But I was always hesitant to read any other type of romance books other than paranormal. I don't really have a problem with other people reading them, I just always associated them with middle-aged housewives who read while tanning and drinking mixed cocktails. Nothing wrong with that - my mom and aunt fit under that category - I just didn't think it was for me. I was wrong!

Like the Lords, I picked this one up on a whim. The cover got my attention, along with seeing that it was written by Gena Showalter. I loved her writing style in LotU, so I assumed her writing would be similar with her other books. A few hours later, I started reading and didn't stop until I was done. I was absolutely hooked!

The premise of the book from the blurb was promising enough. A girl, Jillian, who was paid to go flirt with men and catch them trying to cheat on their wives. She's good at her job and, given her history, it's a nice perk to catch them in the act so she can tell their wives what kind of men they really are. Enter Marcus, Jillian's male counterpart. From the very beginning, it's bad blood between them - spoiler ahead! - and even worse when Jillian finds out Marcus is her new boss. Throughout most of the book, their relationship can best be described as love/hate, kiss me/I want to kill you - type relationship. But, then again, I think that's what makes a great story.

As mentioned earlier, I love Showalter's writing style. It's nice and smooth, just the way I like it. The characters have their own unique voice and personality, which is a big plus for books. I also loved the character interactions, mainly Jillian and Marcus - the witty dialogue made me laugh out loud many times ... much to my husband's dismay, who was playing video games at the time. The ending sealed up the package nicely.

Rating: ½ - I'm a little hesitant at giving it a perfect score as I am pretty new to this contemporary romance thing, but it IS one of the best books in its genre that I've read ... and, since this book, I've definitely read more! That's right, thanks to Gena, I've gone over to the dark side.

More Books By Author: Gena Showalter has many books out in both contemporary romance and paranormal romance. Lords of the Underworld, Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, and the Atlantis series being three of my favorites. She also has a few YA novels out as well, which I will be reviewing on this site very soon! For a complete list of her books, please visit her website!


Sidenote: I did give a small spoiler about the book, so I tried to censor it for you guys that didn't want to read it. If you do want to know what I said, just highlight over the white area after the spoiler warning.

Used Bookstore Booty

So, I just got back from the used bookstore. I know I told you guys about it before, but I lurve going there. It's book love to the millionth degree. A lot of books that I can't find in my retail stores, I end up getting there. Because I have been out of work, I haven't been going lately because I feel guilty to using my husband's money for my obsession. I know, I know ... when you're married, it's both of your money, not just one. I've been working and supporting myself for over a decade now - old habits die hard. ;) Anyway, we ended up getting our refund check in the other day, so I took the money I've been hoarding since the last time I went to the used bookstore, and took it and spent some of it.

This is what I came back with.

In their efforts to wreak original variations on the vampire theme, the writers represented in this collection have imagined ingenious new means of vampire disposal, envisioned vampires interfacing with computers and piloting time machines, and even proposed more than a few reasons why people might want to be a vampire--or at least have one as a close friend. (Not that there aren't a few traditional vampires lurking between these covers.)

Readers will also find that beyond the classic bloodsucking vampire who lives off the life force of his victim lies the more sinister type of vampire: the one who feeds on the sympathy rendered by unsuspecting caregivers, on the affection of incautious lovers, on the tithes donated by the religious faithful.

Expanded with great new stories, this is the biggest and best anthology of ghostly hauntings ever. Over 40 tales of visitation by the undead—from vengeful and violent spirits, set on causing harm to innocent people tucked up in their homes, to rarer and more kindly ghosts, returning from the grave to reach out across the other side. Yet others entertain desires of a more sinister bent, including the erotic.

This new edition includes a selection of favorite haunted house tales chosen by famous screen stars such as Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. In addition, a top ranking list of contributors includes Stephen King, Bram Stoker, Ruth Rendell, and James Herbert—all brought together by an anthologist who himself lives in a haunted house.

This is the collection that true fans of horror fiction have been waiting for: sixteen of H.P. Lovecraft's most horrifying visions, including Lovecraft's masterpiece, THE SHADOW OUT OF TIME--the shocking revelation of the mysterious forces that hold all mankind in their fearsome grip.

"I think it is beyond doubt that H.P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the Twentieth Century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale."
Stephen King

After the tales of horror that took place in Harrow House in The Infinite and Mischief, this book takes a look back to tell the story of how the sinister house was built.

Harrow is haunted, they say. The mansion is a place of tragedy and nightmares, evil and insanity. First it was a madman's fortress; then it became a school. Now it lies empty. But an obsessed woman and a ghost hunter want to bring the house back to life to find out what lurks within Harrow. Together they assemble the people who they believe can pierce the mansion's shadows.

Pretty awesome, right? Want to know how well I did purchasing?

100 Vicious Little Vampire Stories: $4.00
The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories: $3.50
H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror...: $2.50
Nightmare House: $2.00
Infinite: $2.00

With taxes and everything, I spent just a hair over $15 -- $15.09 to be exact. And I'm really excited about it! She had a ton of books in there that I want, but I try to limit myself to a $20 budget each visit. I don't want to go completely overboard and go in debt! Plus, this'll occupy my time for the next week or two while I catch up on reviews anyway. ;)

And before you ask ... no, it was not my attention to get all horror books. I was just in one of those moods and this is how it turned out.

Breaking Dawn [Movie] Gets A Release Date!

From HitFix:

A Summit Entertainment spokesperson has confirmed to HitFix that "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" will open nationwide on Nov. 18, 2011. It's still officially unknown if "Dawn" will be broken up into one or, as rumored, two films. Stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are all expected to return.

Directed by Oscar-winner Bill Condon, the fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's popular series chronicles Bella's most advanced initiation into the vampire world to date, but is also seen by many as the most difficult to adapt of all the best-selling novels. Melissa Rosenberg, who adapted the first two novels, would continue in that role for "Dawn."

"Breaking Dawn" will face off against "Happy Feet 2" and the Hugh Jackman Sci-Fi thriller "Real Steel." Even with the lucrative Thanksgiving weekend the following week, expect at least one of these films to move their release date to avoid going head-to-head with the "Twilight" franchise.

The third movie in the series, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," will debut in theaters on June 30 nationwide and in IMAX.

Look for more updates on "Breaking Dawn" as news breaks on HitFix.

Who's excited?! I am!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 21, 2010

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.

For more on the author Kiersten White, as well as information on her other books, you can visit her site by clicking here.

Review: Fade, by Lisa McMann

Title: Fade (Dreamcatcher, Book 2)
Author: Lisa McMann
Pages: 272
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: January 5, 2010

Genre: Young Adult
Keywords/Themes: crime, dreams, love, paranormal, series.

(From Goodreads) SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

My Review: I will not, for the sake of everyone's time and opinions on the matter, go back into the rant about the writing style. Everyone has their own thing, I should just except it - even if it does irk me to no end and ultimately make me read a book slower from frustration. Having said that, since I read Wake before this, I knew what I was getting into by continuing with the series - so it was a little easier this time around to get over it.

This book basically picks up where the last book left off. In this one, Janie actually starts working with Cabel's boss to help bust some pretty foul things going on in their school. In the midst of that, Cabel starts to get a little distant as Janie is learning more and more about her abilities. Like all good things, her "gift" comes at a very high price, and Janie's having a very hard time dealing with her fate. Like any girl who has a mission, Janie sucks up her emotions and puts them aside while she goes undercover at her school - as well as slipping into dreams, obviously.

The storyline to this one, in my opinion, was a lot heavier and had more meat to it. While I did enjoy Wake, I thought this one was better for the simple fact that you had more to the story than just Janie going around and getting into peoples' dreams. The relationship between Janie and Cabel grew beautifully throughout the book. It was very believable and I'm also impressed with how the author dealt with the sex issue between the couple in the book - it was more implied than getting too graphic with it. I would have liked to see a little more interaction between Janie and Carrie though, it seemed like Janie was a little too focused on the case. A good friend always makes time for those that have been there for her. ;)

Rating: ! The writing still made me hesitate a little. I'm sure for those that can look past that (probably everyone but me, lol), this would be a super quick and easy read. The plot keeps you hooked to continue to the end. There was definite growth to all the characters, especially when it came to Janie accepting the consequences of her ability AND Caleb accepting her for the way that she was. The ending was wonderful as well. Fade was a wonderful follow-up to Wake.

Source: Public Library.

Other Books By Author: If you haven't, be sure to check out the first book of this series, Wake [my review here]. McMann also has written the third and final installment to the Dream Catcher series, Gone, that was published February 9, 2010.

Bloody Bookaholic's Ridiculously Awesome Contest!

Alright, I guess by now you guys have figured out that I make individual posts for incredibly awesome contests and giveaways. Why? Because they're worth it and I think they need to be recognized individually - not to be mixed in with all the others. Again, here's another example of an exceptionally great contest for everyone to enter!

**Ridiculously Awesome Contest!**

Taschima's Words:

You REALLY want to read this, if you don't, well, your inner book lover will never forgive you.
Ive been thinking about this... a lot.

At the beginning of February I reached 700 followers and had my Blogaversary. And both things went kind of unnoticed because I wasn't in conditions to celebrate (no money or energy). It sucked. But now I am ready, and it's going to be better than ever.

As of now there are going to be 7 winners and up to 28 books. It is big, it is weird, it is awesome!

Winner number 7 gets 1 book.

Winner number 6 gets 2 books.

Winner number 5 gets 3 books.

Winner number 4 gets 4 books.

Winner number 3 gets 5 books.

Winner number 2 gets 6 books.

Winner number 1 gets 7 book.

This one is the biggie. When we get all the way to 7 YOU get to choose your books and not from the list, but from either The Book Depository or Amazon. (There's a limit of 10 dollars per book).

And there's more! If I get to 800 followers I will add books (the amount will depend). Same as if I get to 850 or 900.

Also I will be emailing the winners and they get to choose the books. I will email winner number 2 give him/her the list and then with whatever is left I will give that list to winner number 3 and so on. You must answer within 48 hours or your name gets scratched and I go for another person.

**Edit: The last book is whatever book you want. Say whatever book you have been wanting for a while. There are no restrictions like theme, genre, books Ive reviewed, nothing like that. Just pick a book.

In order to enter:

1. You must be a follower. Please make sure that the Show Sites I Follow is checked on your Blogger Profile so I know that you are following.

2. You must fill out *The Form.*

3. You must love books.

4. Give your opinion as to which book should be the last one to be added. Aka leave a comment on this post.

5. You have till April 18 May 14 at 11:59 to sign up and win.

There are also a TON of ways to earn extra entries. I recommend going over to the post (click here) and reading over everything. It's definitely worth your time!!

Teaser Tuesdays!

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading.

· Grab your current read.
· Open to a random page.
· Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
· BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
· Share the author and title, too, so that the other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!


Hex Hall, by Rachel Hawkins

"It's okay, baby!" he shouted after her. "I don't need eyes to see you! I see you with the eyes of my heart, Felicia! My HEART!"
Great. Not only was my spell too strong, it was also lame.

Prolific Blogger Award!

Woohoo! Thanks so much to Anne over at Potter, Percy, And I for finding my blog deserving of this award!

A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs.

Alright, so now it's my turn to pass this on to seven others, which is going to be heart-breaking considering there are so many blogs out there that I think deserve this. But they're so awesome, I'm sure someone will pick them - unless they already have been!

My Seven:

Larissa @ Larissa's Bookish Life
Missie @ The Unread Reader
Donna @ Bites
Emily @ The Ninja Librarian
Christina @ Insert Book Title Here
Kelly @ Midnight Glance
Dawn @ Dawn Hullender's Southern Musings


Congratulations guys and remember to pass it on!!

Saturday Spotlight ... on Monday ...

I know I am a few days behind on this, but I blame it on ignorance for not knowing about Lori's Reading Corner until last night. When I did find out about it, I was too tired to post. So, I left it for this morning. Now, here we are. All caught up. ;)

Saturday Spotlight is a brand new meme started by Lori where each week bloggers will have a chance to showcase something new. It will be the place to gather, talk and shine the “spotlight” on all things book related. Not to mention a place to discover new to us authors, characters, series and places.

Each week, Lori will pick a new theme for us to share our favorite of, and every once in a while she'll make it a “reader's choice” week where you can spotlight whatever you want.

First Week's Spotlight: Ourselves!

So, here's things that you may or may not know about the girl behind Missy's Reads & Reviews.

I'm 26 years old and I live in the wonderful state of North Carolina. Since the day of my birth, I've moved a total of five times - and there are no plans of making a sixth move, as my husband and I are buying this one. =) As you just figured out, I'm married. I've been with my husband since I was 19 and, on May 25th, we'll be celebrating three years of wedding bliss. Nick (husband) is my absolute best friend and he is my heart's obsession. We have no offspring, but we are the parents of three absolutely spoiled animals - a cat named Stormy that I brought with me, and two absolutely adorable chihuahuas that we adopted together, Quesadilla (Dilla, for short) and Optimus Prime. Dilla is a princess and Optimus Prime has the biggest ears that you've ever seen on a chihuahua. I guess I should go ahead and warn that my whole family (in-laws included) are obsessed with chihuahuas - my parents having two and my in-laws having three in total - and I'm sure that, somewhere down the line, there will be many photos shared. I literally have albums full of photos of just the dogs.

Besides my dogs, my other two desires are reading and writing. Reading was one of the very first thing my parents taught me after the basics (potty, talking, walking, etc), and I've been doing it ever since. I have no siblings and I was painfully shy in school - so all of my free time was always taken up by books. My friend actually nicknamed me the "genre slut" because I've never really settled with just one genre of books as my favorite. I will say that I prefer a lot of young adult titles because I am very young at heart. I also love mystery, horror, romance, historical, sci-fi, chick lit, true crime and I even read educational materials for fun. One of my favorite subjects is paranormal. Vampires, werewolves, witches, faeries, mermaids ... it all intrigues me - vampires definitely topping the list. I guess you could say that my preference would be "dark" materials, even if I do like it light sometimes.

Yes, I do adore the Twilight series. I've read them more than four times each. Yes, I love the movies as well. No, I'm not completely obsessed with it like everyone else.

One of my dreams is to become an author. I have made up imaginary worlds and told stories all of my life, but it was just more recently that I thought of making the idea of becoming a writer more of a reality. I have over a dozen (probably closer to twenty) works in progress, but have recently cut down to working seriously on two stories that I would absolutely love to see in print one day. One story is a romance, but has more to do with a person overcoming a phobia and accidentally falling in love. The other story is my own dark story which will be a murder/mystery type. Like I said, they're my babies. I'm actually pretty self-conscious about my writing because I am so new to the whole ordeal, but my best friend is my critique partner and she is the best! She's very honest and always eager to read my newest creations. I don't know what I'd do without her.

I started this blog on a whim one day because my husband was tired of hearing me talk endlessly about the novel(s) that I had just finished. I live about an hour and a half from my closest friends and family, so I really just have Nick and his family out here. Since the dogs don't talk back, he's stuck with my mindless banter most of the time. However ... for as much as I love books and writing, he loves video games with an equal amount of passion. Missy talking about books means his concentration has to be between the game and his wife, and he absolutely NEEDS all of his attention for his gaming. I had seen book review blogs in the past, but the idea of actually starting one never really came to me. Then one day, Nick was completely ignoring me, my best friend was at work, and I was itching horribly to tell someone - anyone!- about the book that I just read. The book review site popped in my head. So I did a little research, and here we are! I'm still getting the hang out if, but this blog is quickly becoming its own obsession for me and I treat it as though it's my baby. =)

2010: May Book Release Calendar

May Book Releases

May 03, 2010 (Monday)

• Fire Will Fall, by Carol Plum-Ucci
• Jekel Loves Hyde, by Beth Fantaskey
• The Lonely Polygamist, by Brady Udall
  
• Zen and Xander Undone, by Amy Kathleen Ryan

May 04, 2010 (Tuesday)

• After The Kiss, by Terra Elan McVoy
• Blue-Eyed Devil, by Robert B. Parker
  
• Compromised, by Heidi Ayarbe
• Dead In The Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel, by Charlaine Harris
  
• Friend Is Not A Verb, by Daniel Ehrenheft
• Innocent, by Scott Turow
  
• Lies: A Gone Novel, by Michael Grant
• Shade, by Jeri Smith-Ready
• Spells, by Aprilynne Pike
• Tell-All, by Chuck Palahniuk
  
• The Prince of Mist, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Princess and The Snowbird, by Mette Ivie Harrison
• The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1), by Rick Riordan
• White Cat (Curse Workers, Book 1), by Holly Black

May 11, 2010 (Tuesday)

• Fever Dream (Pendergast), by Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston
  
• Fifteen Candles (Amigas 1), by Veronica Chambers
• Folly, by Marthe Jocelyn
• For The Win, by Cory Doctorow
• Heart of The Matter, by Emily Giffin
  
• Hell's Heroes (Demonata 10), by Darren Shan
• Little Blog On The Prairie, by Cathleen Davitt Bell
• Lost For Words, by Alice Kuipers
• The Beautiful Between, by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
• The Cardturner: A Novel About Imperfect Partners and Infinite Possibilities, by Louis Sachar
• The Enemy, by Charlie Higson
• The Not-So-Great Depression, by Amy Goldman Koss

May 13, 2010 (Thursday)

• Faithful, by Janet Fox
• God Is In The Pancakes, by Robin Epstein
• Illyria, by Elizabeth Hand
• Jump, by Elisa Carbone
• My Double Life, by Janette Rallison
• Restoring Harmony, by Joëlle Anthony
• Somebody Everybody Listens To, by Suzanne Supplee
• The Best And Hardest Thing, by Pat Brisson
• The Outside Of A Horse, by Ginny Rorby
• The View From The Top, by Hillary Frank
• Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me, by Kristen Chandler

May 18, 2010 (Tuesday)

• 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher), by Lee Child
  
• Love Bites (Vampire Kisses, Book 7), by Ellen Schreiber
• Pucker Up, by Rhonda Stapleton
• Something Like Fate, by Susane Colasanti
• Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5), by Richelle Mead
• Storm Prey, by John Sandford
  
• The Demon's Covenant (Demon's Lexicon Trilogy), by Sarah Rees Brennan
• The Kings of Clonmel (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 8), by John Flanagan

May 25, 2010 (Tuesday)

• Blockade Billy, by Stephen King
  
• Brilliant, by Rachel Vail
• Drama High: Cold As Ice, by L. Divine
• Early To Death, Early To Rise (Madison Avery, Book 2), by Kim Harrison
• Finding My Place, by Traci L. Jones
• Princess of Glass, by Jessica Day George
• She's So Dead To Us, by Kieran Scott
• The Demon Princess: Reign Check, by Michelle Rowen
• The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larrson
  
• The Lighter Side Of Life And Death, by C. K. Kelly Martin
• The Necromancer (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel), by Michael Scott
  
• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, by John Grisham
  
• This Gorgeous Game, by Donna Freitas

May 27, 2010 (Thursday)

• Invisible Girl, by Mary Hanlon Stone

Happy Blogoversary!!

Congratulations to Melissa over at Must Read Faster on her one year blogoversary! Exactly one year ago today, she started her blog and aren't we glad she did! If you've never checked out her blog, you definitely should. She does a lot of blog tours, memes, and general posts. When you read her blog, it's not just about books ... it's about getting to know her as well.

And, like any generous book blogger, she's doing a giveaway. Two winners, 5 book choices. All you have to do is click here to visit and comment. I'd suggest following her. You won't regret it. ;)

Links: Contests & Giveaways

This is a list of contests and giveaways that I come across over the past week. Deadlines will also be posted, if noted. This post will be updated throughout the week, so be sure to keep tabs on it!

• Fantastic Book Review: Giving away a copy of Prophecy of Dreams, by Christy Raedeke, as well as signed bookmarks. One winner. (Ends 5/20)

• The Eager Readers: Fill out the form to enter to win a copy of Chasing Brooklyn, by Lisa Schroeder. (Ends 5/31)

• Books At Midnight: Get a chance to win a hardback copy of Mistwood, by Leah Cypess, along with Mistwood bookmarks. (Ends 5/10)
  
• Good Golly Miss Holly: Comment for a chance to win a pack of 10 books! (Ends 6/5)
  
• Sara B Larson: Enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of Wings, by Aprilynne Pike. (Ends 5/13)
  
• Chick Lit Teens: 5 copies of Shade to be given away. (Ends 5/18)
  
• Rachel Vincent: Win a signed copy of My Soul To Keep, as well as a tee shirt! (Ends 5/24)
  
• YABookNerd: Win a Cinderella Society glass slipper bookmark. (Ends 5/11)
  
• All Things Urban Fantasy: Enter to win a SIGNED copy of Hunted By The Others, by Jess Haines. (Ends 5/15)
  
• Reading With Tequila: A chance to win any or all 3 books that were reviewed. (Ends 5/31)
  
• Ellz Reads: Win your choice of Chick With A Charm or Blonde With A Wand, both by author Vicki Lewis Thomson. (Ends 5/17)
  
• Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf: A chance to win The Highest Stake, by Emery Lee. (Ends 5/21)
  
• Tera Lynn Childs: Three contests for three chances to win ARCs of Forgive My Fins, by well - Tera Lynn Childs. (Ends 5/8)
  
• The Bookologist: Win 1 of 5 copies of Gone, by Lisa McMann. (Ends 5/27)
  
• Bloody Bookaholic: A contest of epic proportions with 7 winners and too many prizes to mention in this small summary!
  
• The Neverending Shelf: Another contest with a chance to win 1 of 5 finished copies of Shade, by Jeri Smith-Ready. (Ends 5/12)
  
• The Story Siren: Win 250 hang tags from UPrinting.com. (Ends 5/11)
  

• Pure Imagination: Opportunity to win 1 of 5 copies of Shade, by Jeri Smith-Ready. (Ends 5/18)

• Larissa's Bookish Life: Win a SIGNED copy of The Wish List, by Gabi Steves. (Ends 5/10)
  
• Luxury Reading: Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Rumor Has It, by Jill Mansell. (Ends 5/18)
  
• A Hidden Haven: 100 Followers Giveaway. Win Ice, by Sarah Beth Durst. (Ends 5/15)
  
• Steph Su Reads: Enter for a chance to win 5 ARCs, 2 SIGNED books, and a bunch of swag! (Ends 5/7)
• Bites: Win an ARC of The Gardener, by S.A. Bodeen. (Ends 5/24)
• Good Golly Miss Holly: Win a copy of Saving Maddie, by Varian Johnson. (Ends 6/4)
• Wondrous Reads: Win SIGNED bookplates from Michelle Harrison. (Ends 5/14)
• Vampire Wire: Win your choice of Book 1 or Book 2 of the Strangely Beautiful series. (Ends 5/10)
  
• Smexy Books: Win a copy of Hunted By The Others, by Jess Haines. (Ends 5/6)
  
• A Writer's Mind: Win an e-copy of Sweet Temptation and a $4.50 gift certificate to The Wilder Rose Press.
• Donna Grant: Win a copy of Patti O'Shea's In The Midnight Hour.
• Sisters In Scribe: Enter for a chance to receive a SIGNED hardcover copy of Radiant Shadows, by Melissa Marr.
• Pop Culture Junkie: Fill out the form for a chance to win the ARCs of Nightshade and The Eternal Ones. (Ends 5/10)
• A Good Addiction: Win a signed copy of Addicted to Her, by Janet Nichols.
• Frenetic Reader: A chance to win Season One of Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
• Margaret's Book Blog: Enter to win your choice of one of five books. (Drawing is win she reaches 100 Followers.)
• Simply Stacie: Enter for a chance to win one of three copies of The Cradle, by Patrick Somerville. (Ends 5/7)
• Book Faery: Win a copy of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, by Leanna Hieber. (Ends 5/14)
• Just Your Typical Book Blog: Win ARCs of Brightly Woven, The Cinderella Society, Scones and Sensibility, and The Dark Divine.
  

Contest: Birthday Phenomenon!

Apparently, I've been living under a rock. This contest is too good not to tell you about!!

Liz at Cleverly Inked is going to have a huge contest. 57 books ... 9 winners ... lots of swag. Exciting, right?? So, click here and enter! Don't just go for the contest, check out her blog, too. The contest is just a wonderful perk of finding her blog. ;)