Teaser Tuesday (28)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• 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 title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

 "Well...she may have left out a few of the less important details about a certain flirting Druid. Still, once Clare got into the telling of a tale, even Al seemed to forget her righteous indignation and listened, rapt."

-Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston, p.132 (ARC)

How about you? 

Do you have a teaser you'd like to share or maybe just a comment about what you're reading?

I'm always looking for new books to add to my to-read pile...even if it is already way too long. :P

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review Only Blog Tour : Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh

================================================================

 Source: Received ebook for an honest review for blog tour.

Publisher: Revolution Publishing

Release Date: May 31, 2011

 (Goodreads Link.)

Fanfare is not a fairy tale. It's a story about a strong woman who ultimately decides that she's the one in control of her own life, and that if she wants to be happy she can be. Cris was such a strong character, and she was super feisty. She was one of those characters that I couldn't help but love. Even though I loved her, there were a couple of times I just wanted to shake her. The biggest thing that was keeping her from being happy was herself. It was one of those times where a person just brings this huge train-wreck that tears through their life on themselves.

That being said, I really liked this story. For most of the story I was impressed by Cris, and when I wasn't, I understood where she was coming from, even if I wouldn't have done the same things myself. She had a killer sense of humour, and she spoke her mind when she believed in something. I really respect her as a character, and by the end of Fanfare I was proud of her too. She stepped up and finally overcame her fears. It takes a strong person to fight for their beliefs and stand up for themselves, but it takes an even stronger person to admit they were wrong and to take risks to try and fix the things they've broken. Throughout Fanfare, Cris expressed both types of strength, and for that I greatly admired her.

Now, as you might have guessed, there is most certainly a boy in this story. This boy happens to be a celebrity, one who bears a striking resemblance to one that I'm sure pretty everyone in the world is aware of nowadays, he's been in some popular movies about a vampire and a regular teenage girl who fall in love...and if you can't guess who I mean by that hint then I'm not quite sure where you've been hiding for the last couple of years. :P Anyways, the actor's name is Thomas Abramson, or Tom, and I thought his relationship with Cris was just plain ole adorable. They complimented each other very well, and while they tended to get each other into situations that probably could have been avoided, their chemistry was palpable and their banter was entertaining and fantastic. I loved the jokes between Tom and Cris, and their email exchanges were hilarious too! :D

Along with Tom and Cris, were their fantastic friends. Cris' friends, Gita and Hana were just awesome! They're the type of friends we all wish we had, or if we are lucky enough to have them, we hold onto them for dear life. :P And Tom's friends in London were hilarious! I especially loved the scene where Cris, Tom, and Tom's friends, Ben and Philip, all played Guitar Hero World Tour together...so funny! :D There was one character that I wasn't a fan of, but to be honest, I'm pretty sure he was designed to be that character everybody loves to hate, so Renee definitely succeeded there. Cris' ex-fiancee, Ryan, who Gita called "Sergeant Killjoy" was the one who cause Cris to be so deluded when it came to love and I believe he was the main source of her problems. I'll admit, I really didn't like him, or how Cris seemed to be so weak around him, but her reactions to him were definitely understandable. I really wish I could have just punched him in the face to make him leave her alone at parts in the book, he just didn't seem to like that she was happy without out him, and the name Sergeant Killjoy did indeed suit him well. :P

 I absolutely loved the whole celebrity aspect of Fanfare, and I'll admit, that I've gone through the whole celebrity obsession myself, so it was interesting to read a story where the character got to experience being with someone who was famous, especially since she was the type of person who prefers to stay away from all of the celebrity gossip...although she did admit that it was more because she knew that she's get addicted to it, like Farmtown on Facebook (been there done that too :P haha).

I thought that Fanfare was a funny story with amazing characters, and underneath all of the laughter the message that Cris learned about controlling your own happiness and letting yourself be happy was a strong one. One that I was more than happy to learn. :)

I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to read Fanfare. Renee has a wonderful writing style and this is a fantastic debut. :)

Get yourself a copy from: Amazon Kindle Store, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble/Nook.

So...celebrities, love em or hate em? 

Are you obsessed, are you altogether anti-celebrity, or are you somewhere in the middle?

What are your thoughts on Fanfare, do you think you'd like it?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (29)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links from book titles go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh

I thought Fanfare was a fantastic story!
And I definitely recommend it!
My review's just been posted for it too, so check that out if you're interested. :)

• Flipped by Wendelin Van Draaen

Flipped was adorable! I just recently watched the movie version of this book, and when I was in a used bookstore the other day and I saw it on the shelf I just couldn't resist buying it! :D I've read one of Wendelin's other books, How I Survived Being a Girl, and I loved it, so I wasn't too surprised when I loved Flipped too, I gave a big and definitely audible "Awwwwwwww" when I finished reading this one. :D

• Between by Cyndi Tefft

I really liked Between! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading it, but I was quickly drawn into the story and didn't want to put my Kindle down to stop reading, I won't deny I read this one while eating dinner the other day. :P I'm working on the review, so that should be posted some time soon. :)

Reading Now:

• Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

I've only read one other book by Sarah Dessen, it was Along For the Ride and I really liked it. I saw Lock and Key pop up on Goodreads the other day when someone added it to their to-read list and I couldn't resist reading it myself. I'm definitely hooked, and I'm quickly becoming a Nate fangirl. :P haha

• Called Home: Two Hearts Answer by Gloria Schumann

I just started this one, and for more of a contemporary read it certainly started with a bang. :P


*I forgot Scene Immortal in the city when I went to my apartment earlier last week, so I didn't make any progress there, I was a little forgetful, the book wasn't the only thing I forgot. :P lol

Books I Want to Read This Week:

• Abandon by Meg Cabot

I didn't start this one last week, but hopefully I'll be able to start it this week. :)

• Once Every Never by Lesley Livinston

I'm really excited to start Once Every Never! I'm participating in the blog tour for it, so I need to definitely get reading! :D

And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Happy Birthday To Me by Brian Rowe

Source: Copy provided by author for an honest review.

Publisher: Brian Rowe

Release Date: Already Released.

(Goodreads Link.)

When I first read the blurb for Happy Birthday To Me and read the excerpt on Brian's website, I immediately thought of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Of course, now that I've read it, I can tell everyone that the two, while both involving people who go through some weird aging process, are completely different. But I did I thoroughly enjoy them both. :)

Happy Birthday To Me was funny, it was definitely one of those books that had me laughing like crazy, and I loved that! At the same time, this book also brought me to tears. Now I'm not saying that everyone will cry, I will admit that when I'm reading or watching TV or watching a movie, I can be rather sensitive. I get pretty absorbed into the story. That being said, the fact that this book brought me to tears is a pretty good indication that I thought this book was amazing, after all, you don't get that attached to books that you don't like. :P

Now that you all know that this book had me laughing and crying, I just have to tell you about a little bit about the story in general and a bit about the characters. Cameron, or Cam, is the main character, and he starts aging a year every single day, so in a week he ages 7 years. He goes to the doctor and they don't know what to do about his rare condition, so Cam basically just tries to live as normally as he can and enjoy the time that he has left, after all, if you age a year every day you won't exactly have the longest life span...will you? :(

At the beginning of Happy Birthday To Me, Cam is pretty much a self-centered jerk. He's dating the hottest girl in school, he's the star of the basketball team, and he treats everyone like crap. He does this thing where he goes to restaurants where he tells them that it's his birthday just to get free birthday cake, and of course, he also gets some attention. Even though he was a jerk at first, I thought he was a fantastic character. He was interesting and I couldn't help but be intrigued by his thought processes. As the story continued and Cam started aging, he changed. He became less self-involved and started to actually think about people other than himself. His growth was amazing, and I loved his transformation. He went through some of the craziest scenarios ever, and I laughed all the way through them. That being said, he also went through some heartbreaking moments, and they made me so sad for Cam. I could tell that his character was growing on me by how sad I found his situation, and I just have to give Brian mad props for making me care about his main character so much. I absolutely loved Cam's character by the end of the book, and I can't wait to read more about him in Happy Birthday To Me's sequel, Happy Birthday To Me Again! :D

Happy Birthday To Me was a fantastic book, and I absolutely loved reading it! I encourage everyone to read it, and I hope you love it as much as I did! :D

Other Links:
 Brian's Blog

Brian's Twitter

Want a copy for yourself? Here are some links: Amazon/Kindle, or Barnes and Noble/Nook

What do you think?
Does Happy Birthday To Me sound like the kind of book you want to read?
Have you already read it?
I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Source: My own personal copy/Copy I won from Beth Revis' Contest
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: Already Released

(Click this link to go to Across the Universe's Goodreads page.)

Across the Universe was an interesting mix of science fiction and mystery, and while both are genres that I don't read very often, I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of the two in this book! It was inventive, and beautifully written. I loved that the POV alternated between Amy and Elder, and I also loved the little inventions that were made exclusively on Godspeed, like floppies. They were so cool. :)

I also really loved the characters in Across the Universe, Amy especially. She was the one that was easiest to relate to because she was the only one still around from "our" time, while Elder and the other characters were from "our" future. I still loved reading from Elder's POV though because that was when you learned the crazy terms and inventions that they had, except for him it was normal, and I absolutely loved reading about the future. The futuristic parts were pretty fascinating from Amy's POV too, because for her it was all new, just like it was for us. :)

Across the Universe was a story that I was looking forward to reading. I didn't know too much about it before I read it, but I was still really excited. Once I actually did start reading, I was swept away in a brilliant story, one where everything wasn't quite like it seemed and where mystery was woven deeply within. I thought that Across the Universe was a fantastic story, and I look forward to reading more in the series. :)

You can get your own copy of Across the Universe here:


Have you already read Across the Universe? What did you think?
And if you haven't read it, does it sound like something you'd like to read?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Source: received an ARC from HarperCollins Canada for an honest review.

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: Already Released

(Goodreads Link.)

I'm a huge dystopian fan, and I'd heard amazing things about Divergent before I read it, so I wasn't at all surprised when I read it and loved it! This is by far one of my favourite dystopian stories. It was so addictive and fast-paced! I seriously sat down to read a bit and didn't even notice that I'd already read through 200 pages, it was by far one of the most enjoyable books that I have read all year...strike that, ever!

The characters of Divergent were awesome. Tris was a fantastic main character, she was brave, smart, and self-sacrificing for the people she cared about. I absolutely loved reading from her point of view, she is definitely one of my favourite heroines. One of the things I loved was the fact that I never had one of those moments where I was like "What?! Why would she do that?!" with her, which is always nice, not all main characters are that believable. She was always in character, and I never felt like she strayed from who I as the reader thought she was. Four was another amazing character, I thought he was the bomb-freaking-diggity! I could gush about Four for a while, but I think he's one of those characters that everyone will like even more if he remains mysterious, so I'll let you all find out about him for yourselves. ;) Along with Tris and Four, was a cast of  amazing and interesting characters, like Will and Christina, and even the villainous characters like Peter and Eric were so well done. I may have hated them as characters, but I must admit they were fantastic at playing their roles.

Moving away from specific characters, I have to mention the factions! I loved learning about them, and I'm excited to learn even more about them in the next two books! There are five factions, each faction believes that a certain trait leads to a problems among humans and so they each oppose the trait they feel is responsible for conflict by dedicating their lives in favour of a helpful trait. The factions are Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless, Amity and Candor. You can see their symbols in the image to the left.You can also see what they strive to be in the image, Abnegation=The Selfless, Erudite=The Intelligent, Dauntless=The Brave, Amity=The Peaceful, and Candor=The Honest. Like I said, I am so excited to learn more in the next two books. :)

I loved absolutely every moment of Divergent, and I will definitely be reading it again whenever I have the chance! I think that Divergent is one of those books that most people will love, especially fans of dystopia. I also think that if you're planning on getting into the dystopian genre, Divergent would be a fantastic first choice. And if you're not quite sure if you'll like it, or if you're super anxious to start it, you can read the first 100 pages of Divergent HERE.

I know not all people like book trailers, I like them sometimes, and sometimes I don't. I did like the Divergent one though, it was pretty exciting and it definitely makes you want to read the book, so here it is if you want to watch it. :)

Divergent Trailer:


Links:
Divergent's Facebook Page
The Divergent Trilogy Fansite
Tris' Twitter (From the Fansite)

Veronica Roth's Blog
Veronica's Twitter

So, if you couldn't tell by my review, I loved Divergent, and I definitely recommend it to pretty much anyone! What about you? Have you already read it, is it on your list, or are you not planning on reading it? I would love to hear your thoughts! :D

Interview with Erin Jamison!

Ambur:  Hey Erin! Thanks for stopping by! :) Let’s start with an introduction. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Erin:  I am a self published author that writes erotic romance stories of strong female characters who doubt themselves initially but then find their inner strength. I work full time and write part time. I’m a mother of one 11 year old boy. I was born and raised in Virginia

What was it that got you into writing?

In high school, English was my best subject and the one I was always advanced in. I had an assignment to write a short story. I didn’t put a whole lot of effort into the story but when I sat down to do it, it just poured out. I thought for sure I was just rambling. I read it back and it seemed ok. Then I was unsure. I wanted to pick it apart but thankfully, I had a deadline so it kept me from being too picky. I got back an A+. 

I remember the feeling. I thought, “Wow….I did that.” Despite that euphoria, I let self doubt deter me. I didn’t write another story until 3 years ago. When I started however, the flood gates opened and the ideas, pieces of dialogue, and concepts became a geyser that is not likely to be shut off anytime soon.

Any advice for other aspiring authors out there?

Well yeah. I’ve written about some of these on my blog (http://erinjamison.wordpress.com). There is a lot of advice out there and everybody has an opinion. The best writers are readers. If you’re not reading, you don’t take time out to read, or you don’t get back into reading after your project, you lose something. 

Take for instance my book, Better Than 8 Fantasy. I wrote what I like to read. I am the reader I want to attract. I read for pleasure but I also read for tone, technique, pacing, sensuality, build up, etc. Basically, I studied book by book. I took workshops from Savvy Authors and local workshops by RWA chapters to learn the craft from other authors. Who better to teach that the people who have been through the fire and come out the other side.

Don’t be afraid to fail. If you don’t start you can’t fail but you also never take a chance. You think you got a great story to tell? Try it out on friends. God knows my dear friends probably feel like pin cushions because I was always trying out stuff on them whether they or I knew it or not. I didn’t have a critique group; I used my friends. Wow it sounds so awful to say because I didn’t even ask them.  The same funny story that you might take 10 minutes to tell to a group of friends, take that same story and write it out. Give the story as much description and feeling so your reader can pick up on the emotion you’re trying to convey. Send it out to friends and then follow up with them. Ask them what they thought, did they think it was funny, would they like to hear more stuff. If your material is more of a serious nature, still do the same thing. Think of it as sending them excerpts. Most friends will tell that its either good or it’s a good start.

I know you like to write, and on your website it says you’re an avid reader, so what are some of your favourite books?

Are there any fellow Cellies about there ‘cause I am a JR Ward fan. I absolutely love her. I aspire one day to be able to write all those POV’s and keep track of them the way she does. The way she weaves those plot lines together is definite skill and I’m a student.

I also love Kallysten, Shiloh Walker, Rhyannon Byrd, and Larissa Ione.

What do you hope people take away from your writing?

I hope people enjoy the sense of camaraderie among the women, humor, and finding the strength to go after what you want. Nothing is out of your league until you allow it to be. Don’t’ second guess yourself. 

Any other comments that you’d like to share?

You can find me:

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/httpwwwgoodreadscomerinjamison

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/erinjamison_

Facebook http://tinyurl.com/erin-jamison-author

Website http://erinjamison.com

Thanks again for letting me interview you Erin, it’s been great! :D

I hope you all enjoyed Erin's interview as much as I did! 

Don't forget to leave her some comments. :)

 Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesdays (27)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• 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 title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Since I totally skipped Teaser Tuesday last week I decided to give you guys two teasers this week. :)

My Teasers:

"One of the things that I loved about being around those closest to me was the ability to sit in complete stillness with them and not feel an irresistible urge to fill the void with conversation. There was a closeness in comfortable silence that even the most carefully chosen words failed to enhance."

- Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh, 48% on Kindle


AND

"He mimicked the motion on his own chest, pointing out exactly where the knife should penetrate. Mustering all his courage, Willie drew himself up tall and nodded."

- Between by Cyndi Tefft, 17% on Kindle

Well that’s a tease of what I’m reading, do you have a teaser you'd like to share?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (28)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links from book titles go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• Textual Healing by Eric Smith

So, I finished this one this week! And I'm so glad I did, it was hilarious! If you're a fan of funny books, you should definitely look into this one. :D

• The Advice Girl by L.A. Shaw

I thought The Advice Girl was a great story, it was a bit rushed, but other than that I really enjoyed it. I'm working on the review for it right now. :)

• Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

I really loved Kody Keplinger's first book, The DUFF, and I loved Shut Out too! Shut Out was based loosely off of a Greek Comedy called Lysistrata  by Aristophanes, which I definitely want to check out now because it sounds pretty great, especially since it inspired Shut Out, which was amazing! I'll also be working on the review for this one, but I'm gonna hold off on posting it until the release is a bit closer I think. :)

• Romeo and Juliet and Vampires - Adapted from William Shakespeare by Claudia Gabel

I really liked this one! I've always been a sucker for Romeo and Juliet and the vampire twist on it was awesome! Since it's based off of Romeo and Juliet I expected it to be a little predictable, but it definitely took me by surprise! :D

• My Sparkling Misfortune by Laura Lond

This was another funny story that I read this week. Usually stories have heroes, well this story had a villain. ;) I really enjoyed it! I'll be working on the review for this one too. :)

Happy Birthday To Me by Brian Rowe

I absolutely loved Happy Birthday To Me, it was funny and it was also emotional, which I love. :)

Reading Now:

• Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh

I am loving Fanfare so far! It's amazing! I really like Renee's writing style, and the idea of this story is fantastic...the character of Thomas/Tom totally reminds me of Robert Pattinson. :P lol

Books I Want to Read This Week:

•   Scene Immortal by Chris Patton 

  I didn't really get to this one this week, but I'm going to definitely get to it this week. :)

• Between by Cyndi Tefft

 This is another one I got for review, and I'm looking forward to it too. :)

• Abandon by Meg Cabot

 Yet again it's another one that I'm looking forward too. :D

I've also got a concert this week, and I plan on doing some job hunting. Hopefully, I'll actually have time for all of this reading. :D

And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Textual Healing by Eric Smith

Source: Received a copy from the author for an honest review.

Publisher: AuthorHouse
Release Date: Already Released

(Goodreads Link.)

Textual Healing was hilarious! I loved the little side comments that the main character Andrew Connor, or Ace, made, they honestly made me burst out laughing so many times...which was kind of awkward when I was in the waiting room of the dentist's office, but I was okay with that. haha

I think Textual Healing is the perfect book for anyone who is in need of a good laugh, or for someone who has been annoyed by the cliches of many books and romantic comedy movies...as the characters state many times in the book...it is not a romantic comedy, but I must admit it does have some romance and it definitely has comedy.

The characters in Textual Healing were incredibly unique and they stood out to me. Ace was an awesome main character, and a pretty great guy...at one point he evens buys a sugar glider (at least it might have been a sugar glider) to impress a girl, that girl being Hannah. Hannah was one of those characters that makes you want to go outside and start skipping, she had me smiling the whole time with her lines and her quirky behaviour, I thought she was fabulous! Other notable characters were Shawn - Ace's best friend, and Brian and Valerie - both of them work in Ace's used bookstore....and of course Brave Orchid - the owner of the flower shop across the street who dresses like a ninja and speaks in haiku...which was awesome!

Overall, I thought that Textual Healing was a fantastic story, it was hilarious and had some amazing characters. I definitely recommend it to people who want to laugh out loud, and I mean that literally. :)

What do you all think? does this sound like your kind of book?

I'm also curious...does anyone out there own a sugar glider??? :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Eona by Alison Goodman

Source: Received ARC from Penguin Canada for an honest review

Publisher: Penguin Group

Release Date: Already Released

(Goodreads Link.)

I just posted my review for Eon yesterday, so today I thought I would share my love for it's sequel, EONA! I also just have to say that I love that this series only has two books, there are just so many books that have tonnes of sequels, that I found this series very refreshing. :D

Now let me just say that I really liked Eon, but I LOVED Eona! The action became more intense in this one, and since Eona could actually be Eona and didn't have to pretend to be Eon anymore the story just got even better because she didn't have to hide who she was anymore...or at least not as much. ;)

I loved Eona's character in Eon, but she was even better in Eona...she was a little lost, but I loved that she was actually growing into herself. I especially loved Kygo in this one! Kygo and Eona's relationship was one of my favourite parts of Eona, and once again, I loved the dragon parts! Ido really stood out in this book too, especially since he was the only one Eona could really turn to when it came to dragon stuff in this one. Lady Dela and Ryko were awesome in this one too! Although action is a huge part of this story, I feel like the characters are the ones that carry it, and they do a fantastic job! This book is over 600 pages long, and reading about Eona and the other characters made this an incredibly enjoyable book to read!

This book was action-packed and intense, and I know that if you haven't read Eon you wouldn't have read Eona, but even if you haven't read Eon yet, are you thinking about getting into this series? Again, I recommend this series to people who love dragons, magic, and stories with fascinating historical backgrounds!

If you like dragons raise your hand...okay you don't really have to do that, but I do suggest that you read this series! :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Eon by Alison Goodman

Source: Won in a giveaway from The Moody Teenager

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Release Date: Already Released

(Goodreads Link.)

I won this book in a giveaway a while back, and I didn't actually pick it up until I was contacted about receiving an ARC copy of the second book, Eona. This was one of those books with a cover that just didn't really wow me, and it was one that I hadn't heard of, so I didn't really think twice about letting it sit on my shelf, but I am so glad that Penguin Canada contacted me about Eona because it got me to pick up Eon, and it was amazing!

I absolutely love dragons, and I wish that I had actually looked at Eon earlier because I was definitely missing out! Alison has created an amazing universe in this series, and it comes with a vast history. I loved learning more about Eon's world, it was amazing and incredibly fascinating! If you've heard of this book, I'm sure you've also heard of the fact that Eon is actually Eona, a girl pretending to be a boy. I kinda loved that she was a girl pretending to be a boy, but I loved it even more when she just let herself be who she actually was. :)

Since I've professed my love for dragons, I'm sure you can already tell that I loved that part of this book. I loved how Eon had to go into the spirit world to see the dragons, the colours and the dragons' appearances were described beautifully and I loved those parts! I also loved the characters. Eon, or should I say Eona, was a complex character and I loved reading about her. The whole book is packed full of action, and political strife, but it's also a story about Eona finding out who she is, and that journey to self-discovery was wonderful. Lady Dela, and Ryko were some of my other favourite characters, as was Prince Kygo.

Eon was an amazing story! If you love dragons like I do, I'm sure you'll love it! Also, the history of this book is splendid, it was addictive, and I constantly wanted to know more!

Do you like dragons?
Do you like magic?
Do you like magic and dragons?

Well, then this is THE book for YOU! ;)

haha Has anyone else read Eon or are you thinking about reading it now? :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

My Birthday Giveaway - WINNERS!

Hey everyone!

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes, and thanks for participating in my giveaway! :D

I'm going to keep this post short, and cut straight to the chase...the winners are:

E-Books Winners:

Flat-Out Love - Mocha ღ Latte - Claimed.

Happy Birthday To Me - Ashley - Claimed.

Book Depository Winner:

Stella (Ex Libris)
New Winner: Meghan

Canada Only Winners:

Across The Universe - tearyeyedstars - Claimed.

The Iron Queen - Rachel Jones - Claimed.

Sean Griswold's Head - Frosy - Claimed.

Congratulations to all of the winners!


All winners were chosen using Random.org and they have 48 hours to claim their prizes. :)
I'll be emailing all of the winners in a couple of minutes, but if you're a winner and you don't get an email from me, you can email me at ambiepie_6(at)hotmail(dot)com and let me know. :)


Thanks again everyone!
Happy Reading!!!


♪♫ Ambur

Champion of Valor Blog Tour: Guest Post by Nicole Zoltack

Selkies

Seal-like creatures in the water, almost human while on land, sailors have told countless tales of sea creatures like selkies, and mermaids.

Legend has it that the sea has always been and always will be a selkie’s first love. Many stories passed through the years seem to prove how impossible love is between a selkie and a land dweller.

Gabrael the mage and Selliki the selkie know this but love each other still. Champion of Valor is their story – not of finding love but finding a way to make it last.

Haunted by dreams that seem to prove that their love is doomed to fail, Gabrael and Selliki struggle to not take their emotions out on each other while a war threatened their continent. Can love conquer one’s true nature? Or will war destroy everything the lovers hold dear?

 

Excerpt from Champion of Valor:

 Night came, and they set up camp. Gabrael closed his eyes, and sleep claimed him. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was white. Something appeared in his hands -- Selliki's seal skin. He shoved it into a trunk that materialized out of nothing and locked it.

Selliki entered a few minutes later, looking lovely in a long blue gown. "Come, dear, it's time to be married."

Days passed, weeks, months, years. The two were extremely happy together and even had two children, a precious little girl and a strong, hardy son.

One day, Gabrael practiced magic with their daughter, Yara, on the beach. "The fire comes from within, deep inside your belly. Just feel it, move it up to your throat and blow." Gabrael demonstrated as a shot of flame exited his mouth.

Yara clapped her hands. "I want to try!" She furrowed her brow and blew. Nothing happened. She opened her mouth to try again but her concentration was distracted. "Mama, why are you running?"

Gabrael glanced behind him. Selliki ran toward the ocean, something dark in his hands.

Raphiel hurried over. "I found your trunk, Father."

Gabrael muttered a curse and jumped to his feet

"What's wrong, Father?"

"Where is Mama going?"

Gabrael ran toward Selliki. He reached out with his arms to stop her, so they could talk, but his arms touched air. She had already dived into the water.

Gabrael stood there, by the water's edge, all night long and for the following day, before the knowledge came to him. Selliki had forsaken him. She was never coming back.

A single tear ran down Gabrael's face and dripped off his nose onto the sand. He turned his back on the water and cried. Maybe love isn't enough. How can I ask Selliki to abandon her very nature?

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Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win some signed post cards and magnets. Each comment during the Champion of Valor Blog Tour gives you an entry for the grand prize: a copy of the entire Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy - Woman of Honor, Knight of Glory, and Champion of Valor.

Links:

Nicole's Blog

Where you can buy this book and the rest of the series:

Woman of Honor (Book 1 - Kingdom of Arnhem)

Knight of Glory (Book 2 - Kingdom of Arnhem)

Champion of Valor (Book 3 - Kingdom of Arnhem)

Review - My Dad’s a Paranormal Investigator: Seeking Shapeshifters by Rebekah L. Purdy

Source: Received an eBook from the author for an honest review.

Publisher: Astraea Press, LLC

Release Date: Already Released

(Goodreads Link.)

Seeking Shifters was a fun story, and I really enjoyed reading it. I've always been a fan of watching shows about people investigating paranormal stuff, so this book constantly reminded me of that, and I absolutely loved it! The main character, Ima, has grown up investigating the paranormal with her dad, and after they finish the season finale of the show where they investigate Big Foot, Ima's dad moves them to Alaska, where they are investigating ghosts and...you can probably guest this one from the title...shapeshifters!

I thought the idea of this book was fabulous, and I think that other fans of paranormal investigations will agree with  me there. Even if you aren't a fan of those kinds of shows I think you'll enjoy this book. It was fun, funny and all-around enjoyable. The characters were fantastic! I loved Ima, she was a great main character, and I thought that she was hilarious. She might not have had many friends, but the friends that she did have were awesome. Her dog, Keetah, was pretty hilarious too. I think that dog had more personality than some people do. :P Matt and Brady, who both help out with investigations, and were a couple of the only friends Ima had were also pretty amazing characters. Brady didn't have a huge role, but he definitely stood out to me, and Matt was just all around awesome! He was definitely one of my favourite characters in this story! I also think that investigating the paranormal would be pretty fun with friends like that. And when she goes to Alaska she meets some other pretty crazy characters, and there's more Matt. :) Ima's dad was pretty awesome too, I think that only thing he had going against him was the fact that he named her Ima Blue Berry...which is hilarious, but let's be honest, a little cruel. :P

 My Dad's a Paranormal Investigator: Seeking Shapeshifters was an awesome story. It made me laugh, and it made me cry. I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves funny stories, especially those who also enjoy ones about the paranormal. I will warn you though that it does mention ghosts and other paranormal entities or beings so if you're super squeamish about that kind of stuff you might wanna read it when there's still daylight out. :)

Other Links:
Rebekah's blog
Rebekah's Twitter
Rebekah's Facebook

Where you can find this book:

Amazon Kindle Store
eFiction Bookstore
Smashwords

So what do you all think? Do you like paranormal investigation shows, or am I the only one with that guilty pleasure? :P

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Source: My own personal copy.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: Already Released

(Click this link to go to Sean Griswold's Head's Goodreads page.)

Sean Griswold's Head was one of those books that I was waiting for months to read. I saw the cover, title, and blurb, and I immediately knew that I just had to read it. It definitely didn't disappoint! This is one of those stories that when you finish reading you have a smile on your face that just doesn't want to go away. I finished this one before going to bed one night and I woke up still smiling. :)

I absolutely loved the main character Payton, she was a bit quirky and was a perfectionist, which I could definitely relate to. She also had a bit of a compulsive need to be organized, which I felt spoke of her need to be in control, and when she wasn't in control anymore she kind of just abandoned her whole organizational thing that she had going on. Her best friend, Jac, was pretty much her opposite in a lot of ways, but I thought that they made a grade best friend duo. Then there's Sean, the one who's head is on the cover of the book and in the title. I absolutely loved the whole Payton and Sean relationship, it was adorable. Payton's family was also pretty awesome, and the teachers were great too. I thought that Lindsey created a fantastic group of characters, both main and secondary. :)

This story isn't all about romance though, it's a story about dealing with things that you can't control, particularly illness, like Multiple Sclerosis, which Payton discovers her father has been diagnosed with. Payton goes through denial, anger and pretty much all the other stages of grief, but eventually Sean helps her move on and realize that ignoring her father isn't the way to deal with his illness. I thought that this story was absolutely wonderful, it was funny, sweet, and moving. It reminds you that you should live in the moment and that sometimes life doesn't go the way that you planned it would. I think that everyone should read this book, and that they will absolutely love it, just like I did. :D

What about you?
Have you already read Sean Griswold's Head? What did you think? Or why haven't you read it?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (27)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links for books go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
  

 I'm one of those people that likes to read books before I see the movie version, and since I really really want to see Something Borrowed I just had to read the book! I really liked it. I'm not a big reader of chick lit, but I really enjoyed Something Borrowed. Sometimes I felt like all of the drama and problems could've been solved with people just sitting down and talking, but that is always easier said than done. I really liked the characters in Something Borrowed, and I was definitely happy with reading this as my first Emily Giffin book. :)

• Something Blue by Emily Giffin

After reading Something Borrowed, I just had to read Something Blue. While the first book was from Rachel's POV, this one was from Darcy's and took place kind of near the end of the last one, it had a little overlap, which I think would've been better if I'd read them farther apart to be honest, but I still really liked it. I didn't expect to like this one as much to be honest because I didn't really liked Darcy all that much, but I was pleasantly surprised! I definitely recommend both Something Borrowed and Something Blue! :D

•  My Dad's a Paranormal Investigator: Seeking Shapeshifters by Rebekah L. Purdy

I received Seeking Shifters for review a while back, and I finally got to it. I admit, I had plenty of books to read for reviews, but I'm working on them. I really liked Seeking Shifters, it's definitely YA, and it had Shapeshifters and other paranormal creatures/entities. I loved the characters, and I had fun reading this one. It made me laugh, and even tear up at times. This is another one I definitely recommend, I mean the main character's name is Ima Blue Berry...if that doesn't tell you it's gonna be funny, I don't know what is! :P

• Bumped by Megan McCafferty

I really liked Bumped. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it because the ratings have been all over the place, but I definitely enjoyed it. I can see why some people didn't really like all the lingo, it would've been helpful to have a guide in the back explaining some of the terms, but I thought that generally the meaning was clear enough that I knew what it meant. I'm excited for the next one, I can't wait to see what happens next for Melody and Harmony! :)

Reading Now:

• The Advice Girl by L.A. Shaw
  

I'm enjoying this one, but I'm still at the stage where I'm trying to figure out what everything means and what's going on. I should finish this one pretty soon. :)

• Textual Healing by Eric Smith

I've been neglecting this poor book, I'm gonna get my butt in gear and finish it this week though! :D

• Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

I started this one last night and I'm pretty much hooked! :P

Books I Want to Read This Week:

• Scene Immortal by Chris Patton

I'm excited to start this one, it sounds like it'll be an interesting vampire story. :)

• My Sparkling Misfortune by Laura Lond

This is another one I'm excited to start, it sounds hilarious! And it's a villain's story, so that should be interesting! :D

And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur