Happy Release Day!

While there are many books coming out this week, there's one that I'm particularly excited about. It's a 2011 debut by author Bettina Restrepo called Illegal. Please be sure to check out all of the information below. There will also be links to purchase Illegal online.

Illegal
by Bettina Restrepo
Hardcover, 256 pages
Katherine Tegen Books

A promise.
Quinceañera.
A promise that we would be together on my fifteenth birthday . . .

Instead, Nora is on a desperate journey far away from home. When her father leaves their beloved Mexico in search of work, Nora stays behind. She fights to make sense of her loss while living in poverty—waiting for her father's return and a better day. When the letters and money stop coming, Nora decides that she and her mother must look for him in Texas. After a frightening experience crossing the border, the two are all alone in a strange place. Now, Nora must find the strength to survive while aching for small comforts: friends, a new school, and her precious quinceañera.

Bettina Restrepo's gripping, deeply hopeful debut novel captures the challenges of one girl's unique yet universal immigrant experience.

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CSN Review: Coming Soon!

As you know, the primary reason for me to start this blog was to talk about books and give my reviews of them. I think I can safely say that it's expanded to a little more than that. Promotions - especially when it comes to book-related things. I promote books a lot because that is my number one love. I should also promote other things that help with books. What more is there to books? Well, how about lighting? And where do you put the books? There are bookcases, shelves .. maybe even on a table? You need a light to read. Do you take books with you when your leave your home? What do you carry them in? And where do you read your books when you ARE at home: a comfy chair, a bed, a place on the floor ... maybe a hammock outside? Things like this should also be promoted and reviewed.

I thought about all of this when Sean from CSN Stores contacted me and asked if I would like to do a review for them. Looking over their site, I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the things that they provide, as well as free shipping on most of their items. So, I'm happy to say that I will be reviewing a product for them and I will have a post up as soon as possible. Until then, why don't you check out all that CSN has to offer you?

Contest Winner! (+ 10% off @ Book Depository)

First, a HUGE thank you to everyone that participated in my first contest. Even though there were over a thousand points to verify and total up, it was completely worth it. I only wished my internet would have been completely cooperative through the verification process to get to this sooner. But, we're here now and we have a winner. According to random.org, the lucky number was 17. Going back to the sheet, the winner is ....

Jennifer!

An e-mail has been sent to her, so she'll be getting her book as soon as I get the e-mail. Again, congrats Jennifer!


Now, the second part to this ... which is a nice little perk to being with the Book Depository. I got an e-mail to refer ten friends to receive a 10% off voucher. If you'd like to receive this, shoot me an e-mail at missyreadsreviews@gmail.com with the subject title, "Voucher". The first ten people will be signed up, and anyone after that will be first in line for the next offer I receive!

The Dark Divine Trailer

In case you guys haven't checked this out yet, Bree Despain is having an incredible contest to help promote views for her trailer for The Dark Divine. The winner will receive a book-bag with potentially up to eleven books filling it - including an ARC copy of The Lost Saint, which is the sequel to The Dark Divine. Go here to check out all of the great prizes.

What do you have to do in order to be entered into this fabulous contest? It's easy - promote the trailer. Post it on your blog or Facebook, link to it on your Twitter ... promote, promote, promote. The more you post, the more chances you get. Hurry! Today is the last day!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Special Edition

The Thirteenth Chime
by Emma Michaels
Bokheim Publishing
[Released on] August 13, 2010

No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies.

I was going to wait to post this next week, since I already had a Waiting on Wednesday choice picked out for this week. However, for some reason, I'm extremely anxious about this book ... so I had to post it. The author, Emma Michaels, actually contacted me via my blog about a week ago to tell me about her novel (this one) being published. Talk about exciting ... I was excited for her! Unfortunately I was out of town and couldn't do much ... but now, I'm at home. This is just one post that I am doing, and you'll see more in the future because I do plan on promoting this book a lot!

Back to the book ... I'm truly excited about it. Not only is the cover AMAZING (look closely at the eye!), but it's a storyline that I haven't heard of much at all. Originality = major points! I could go on, but I'd like to save a little for other posts.

Check out Emma's blog HERE!

Shadow Hills: The Book, The Trailer, The Contest

Alright, so it was just a few short weeks ago that I featured Shadow Hills as my pick for Waiting on Wednesday. Can you believe that it is now only ONE SHORT WEEK away from the official release date of the book?! It's on my BlackBerry countdown - it's that big of a deal!

Now? We have more to look forward to. Anastasia Hopcus is holding a contest on her blog for a finished copy of Shadow Hills! Head over to THIS POST for your opportunity to enter for a chance to win one of S-I-X finished copies of the book. However, you DO have to hurry ... as the contest ends tomorrow (July 6th) at 6pm CST.

Don't know what Shadow Hills is? First, you've lived under a rock. ;) But have no fear! I've decided to post some information on the book here.

Synopsis:

His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her.

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

Book Information:

Shadow Hills
by Anastasia Hopcus
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published by Egmont USA
[To Be] Released On Tuesday, July 13, 2010

• ISBN-10: 1606840835
• ISBN-13: 978-1606840832

Book Trailer:




Additional Information:

The first chapter of Shadow Hills has been published on the world wide web. Please click HERE to read it!

Need a reminder of the release date?

July 13, 2010!!

Any questions??

Gena Showalter's Bus Tour Starts Today!

If you're lucky enough to live in the following areas, (1) I hate you because I am extremely jealous, and (2) you should take the time out this weekend to go see one of my favorite authors, Gena Showalter.

Gena Showalter is the author of my guiltiest pleasure, The Lords of The Underworld series. And then there's the other series she writes as well, including Alien Huntress, Atlantis, Imperia, Intertwined, and Tales of an Extraordinary Girl. She also has stories in anthologies, as well as other YA, paranormal, and romance novels that are not in a series.

I'll save you the whole spill that I always give about how much I love Gena and I'll just skip to the part where I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO GO SEE HER!

Below is her bus schedule!

Friday, June 25:

10am-12pm: Meijer in Highland, IN. 10138 Indianapolis Blvd.

2-4pm: Kmart in Tinley Park, IL. 16300 Harlem.

6-8pm: WalMart in Joliet, IL. 2424 W. Jefferson Street.

Saturday, June 26:

10am-12pm: Kmart in Naperville, IL. 1199 E. Ogden Ave.

2pm-4pm: Kmart in Bloomingdale, IL. 156 Gary Ave.

6pm-8pm: WalMart in Gurnee, IL. 6590 Grand Avenue.

Sunday, June 27:

10am-12pm: Kmart in Racine, WI. 2211 South Green Bay

2pm-4pm: Kmart in Brookfield, WI. 18200 W. Bluemound Rd

What are you waiting for? Go go GO!

Cover Art: Darkness Eternal by Gena Showalter

Darkness Eternal (Compilation: Young Adult Alien Huntress Books 1 & 2)
by Gena Showalter
528 pages
Published by MTV
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Red Handed (Young Adult Alien Huntress 1)
Previously released June 19, 2007

She's been chosen to fight the elusive enemy among us....

Phoenix Germaine has been trying to earn back her mother's trust after going into rehab and kicking Onadyn -- the drug of choice for New Chicago teens. But when a party in the woods turns into an all-out battle with the most ferocious aliens Phoenix has never seen, she's brought home in what appears to be an Onadyn-induced state. Hello, reform school.

Except, what her mother doesn't know is that Phoenix has just been recruited to join the elite Alien Investigation and Removal agency, where she'll learn to fight dirty, track hard, and destroy the enemy. Her professional training will be rigorous and dangerous, and the fact that one of her instructors is Ryan Stone -- the drop-dead gorgeous, nineteen-year-old agent she met in the woods that night -- doesn't make things any easier. Especially when dating him is totally against the rules....

Wildly imaginative, action-packed, and thrilling, Red Handed launches Gena Showalter's stunning new alien huntress series.

Blacklisted (Young Adult Alien Huntress 2)
Previously released July 17, 2007

Alien hunting can get a girl killed. It can also get her a date.

High school senior Camille Robins and her best friend are determined to snag the attention of their crushes before graduation next month. Armed with red-hot outfits and killer hair, they sneak into the hottest nightclub in town -- which caters to the rich and famous, both human and alien. They end up following Erik (who is human) and Silver (who isn't) through a guarded door and are soon separated and under attack...and not the good kind.

Bad boy Erik spares Camille's life, but the two are soon being chased by gun-toting Alien Investigation and Removal agents. Camille's more confused than ever because Erik's finally showing real interest in her, but the agents are accusing him of dealing Onadyn -- a drug that ruins human lives. Suddenly, with the heat of his kiss lingering on her lips, Camille has to decide whose side she's on...and whether she's willing to put her life on the line to save Erik's.

Gena on the W.W.W.
Website | Blog | GoodReads | Twitter

Things of Note

Note #1: Missy's sinuses are kicking her tail right now and the medicines are NOT kicking in.

Note #2: I'm not reviewing it, but if you like the sexy time books, Anchor And Storm by Kate Poole is a sweet little read. Definitely not approved for the younger audience, but it's good for the older demographic.



Like the tweet-a-thon for Jackson Pearce's Sisters Red, we are going to be promoting #sealove for Heidi R Kling's release of Sea tomorrow. If you're on Twitter, please join in and help promote a wonderful author and book! You don't even have to go all out, but adding #sealove to the end of each post would really help out. My goal is to see #sealove as a US trending topic. It's something I didn't see with #sistersred, and I'm still slightly bitter about it. Want to know more about Sea, by Heidi Kling? I'll post some information for you!!




Sea
by Heidi R Kling
336 Pages
Published by Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: June 10, 2010

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

And Sea’s real adventure begins.

You may or may not have also noticed that I have FINALLY started to update my sidebar for contests and giveaways that I have seen around the web. Even if you may have some of the books, I still urge you guys to check out the blogs. These bloggers are all very wonderful and put a lot of effort into everything they do for their readers. To make the update a little easier for you guys, I thought I'd go ahead and post the contests here as well.

Contests/Giveaways

Insert Book Title Here is moving, and CSN is helping her give away a $100 gift card to one lucky follower. I don't see an end date, so enter immediately if you want a chance!

I Should Be Writing is having a massive birthday extravaganza and you have several chances to win! Ends 6/10

The Book Butterfly is giving away a signed copy of 'Jekel Loves Hyde' by Beth Fantaskey. If you loved 'Jessica's Guide...', I think you'll love 'Jekel Loves Hyde' as well. Only one way to tell -- enter! Contest ends June 10!

Smitten with Books is celebrating 200 Followers with a Jennifer Echols contest. Ends 6/10

Trisha's Book Blog is offering one lucky winner the first two books in the Possession series by Nancy Holder. Ends 6/11

In part of the Blog With Bite 500 Followers celebration, Tina's Book Reviews is having a YA Giveaway at her blog. Ends 6/11

Confessions of a Wannabe Scribe is giving away a *signed* copy of 'The Body Finder' by Kimberly Derting, along with some swag. Ends June 12, so go enter today!

Sophistikatied Reviews is having a Random ARC giveaway, and she just added more ARCs. Contest ends 6/14.

Parajunkee's View is giving away four books to four lucky winners. Ends 6/18

Help Out! Chances To Win Prize Packs!

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that I've been tweeting a lot about following Jackson Pearce on there - as well as helping to pass the word about Sisters Red. I'm making this post to urge you guys to go over to Twitter and do the same. Not only do you get the chance to win prize packs, but you also get the chance to help promote a really awesome author -- which is really the whole point to book blogging and following book blogs, right? I don't think that authors get nearly as much publicity as they need, and this is a way to change that, no matter how small it may be.

Information on Sisters Red, by Jackson Pearce.





Sisters Red (Sisters Red, Book 1)
by Jackson Pearce
346 Pages
Published by
Released on June 7, 2010

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Twenty-five-year-old Jackson Pearce delivers a dark, taut fairy tale with heart-pounding action, fierce sisterly love, and a romance that will leave readers breathless.