Giveaway: Designer (Birdie) Stacking Mugs

My new blog is still underway and the lovely designer, Gisele, just happens to be having a giveaway of some adorable stacking mugs with her too cute Birdie design!

She has quite a few designs available too.

You can enter too. Just post about this giveaway. Visit her lovely blog for more information and an extra entry. Enter by April 16th, midnight in Norway (+1 / CET time).

You might want to follow her because she sometimes has design giveaways! She’s  super busy chica so winners of those are lucky.

I can’t wait to show off her skills on my new blog.

Let her know I referred you! (Maybe she’ll give me a discount!)  ;)

Cover Art: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (An Eclipse Novella) by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie disclosed this new release she’s putting out, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, releasing June 5th.

It was supposed to be included in The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide but it was too long, over 200 pages once typeset.

 

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

Stephenie has arranged for The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner to be free from June 7th to July 5th on www.breetanner.com.

If you decide to buy it $1 from each book will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Sounds pretty cool. But I can’t recall who the heck Bree is. :( Sad face.

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Followers: Winners! You picked her prize!

A huge thank you for everyone who entered my 400 Followers Giveaway Love! There were a total of 466 entry points, 109 valid entrants and 4 winners! Here they are and the books they have chosen.

HOWEVER, two gave me quite the list and I want you, my followers, to pick their prizes, so please vote on which book they should get. Voting is now closed.

Winners were selected using BuzzMyBlog.com Contest Winner Picker.

And the winners are…….

Stella (Ex Libris)

She picked 4 books so help me pick the one she receives. I know which one I’ll vote for but it’s all about the followers on this one! Per Stella’s request, Iron Kissed and Before I Fall have been removed from the voting as she’s already purchased them!

I’ve decided to declare Soulless the winner!

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Kelsey

She selected Breaking Dawn (paperback) by Stephenie Meyer, which releases in August.

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer

Jessica

She selected The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Briana (The Book Pixie)

Briana picked 5 different books. You chose which one she gets! Please note that she’s read the last two but doesn’t own a copy. I’d like to see her get something new but that’s just me.

The voting has closed (early because the winner was very apparent).

Briana has won…..

Incarceron (Incarceron, Book 1) by Catherine Fisher

 

Congrats to all the winners. You have 3 days to email me your shipping information. Once the voting is complete orders will be processed!

Thanks again to all my wonderful followers!

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Cover Art: Pray for Dawn (Dark Days, Book 4) by Jocelynn Drake

Jocelynn has revealed the final cover for Pray for Dawn (Dark Days, Book 4), which will release June 29, 2010.

She also shared the description:

Pray for salvation… Pray for daylight…
Murder has pulled Mira out of the shadows and back into the living world…
As the fire-wielding enforcer of the Nightwalker Coven wrestles with the mind-destroying ghosts of her dark past, the slaying of a senator’s daughter in Savannah threatens to expose her kind to the brilliant light of day. The dawn of chaos has come. The naturi have broken free of their eternal prison to feed on the defenseless and unbelieving of an unprepared Earth.
Mira and Danaus—vampire and vampire slayer—must unite to prevent the annihilation of their separate races. But for Danaus the challenge is intensified, for he must also fight the bori who covets his soul. And Mira, the Nightwalker he must protect—whose power is the Earth’s last hope—is rapidly going insane.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Book 3 but I’m soooo excited to hear that this book will be from Danaus’s point of view. Man I’ve wanted in that mans head for a long time now!

Haven’t read the series? It’s a pretty kick ass vampire Urban Fantasy with an intense sexual tension relationship all wrapped up by some awesome writing.

Series

Nightwalker (Dark Days, Book 1)

Dayhunter (Dark Days, Book 2)

Dawnbreaker (Dark Days, Book 3)

Pray for Dawn (Dark Days, Book 4)

Wait for Dusk (Dark Days, Book 5)

My Reviews

Nightwalker (Dark Days, Book 1)

Dayhunter (Dark Days, Book 2)

Dawnbreaker (Dark Days, Book 3) I apparently never posted my review. :( Oh well.

Will you be reading this upcoming release? Like the cover?

I think the cover is okay. He looks like his pants are a little droopy in the front and I don’t mean in a good way. :(

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Winner: Need & Captivate by Carrie Jones

A winner has been selected by random.org/lists and the winner is…..

Chloe Palka!

Congrats Chloe! Boy does she have good luck here or what!? Chloe was the winner of the Hex Hall t-shirt giveaway.

I already have Chloe’s info so I’ll be mailing these out today!

Thanks again to everyone who entered. I’m off to generate some winners for my 400 Followers Giveaway! Good luck to those that entered!

Review: Hourglass (Evernight, Book 3) by Claudia Gray

Hourglass (Evernight, Book 3) by Claudia Gray

352 pages, Young Adult, series

HarperTeen (March 9, 2010)

$9.93 (Amazon, Hardcover)

Procurement

Purchased on Amazon.com.

My Grade

Plot: 3

Setting: 4

Writing: 3

Originality: 4

Characters: 4

Passion: 5

Overall: 23/30 = 76% C

Cover/Title Bonus: 3

Do you Glue?

I’ve been using Glue for quite a while now. I have the add-on installed on Mozilla Firefox and I have my blog enhanced by Glue.

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Go to GetGlue! Or here’s a brief explanation, What is Glue?

Glue is a service that helps you find your next favorite movie, book, music album or other every day thing (here's a list of supported categories). Glue shows you things that you'll like based on your personal tastes, what your friends like, and what's most popular on Glue.

For me, Glue is a supplement to my general internet browsing. I don’t use it exclusively for internet notations etc. It’s just a cool thing to use. I love rating the books I’ve read with a thumbs up or down and even adding a quick note about it, which can be posted to Twitter and Facebook should you chose.

Glue is pretty cool because it monitors what you visit, what you like/dislike, provides suggestions, allows others to “follow” you, and you get cool stickers!

And you can even become a Guru of things, which has it’s perks because Glue now has Guru giveaways. I’ve won two! I won some movie tickets ($20 of Fandango Bucks) and I just won The Poison Eaters by Holly Black this week.

The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories by Holly Black

All-in-all Glue is pretty cool. So, do you Glue?

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

In My Mailbox: Week 11

I love books. Just in case you forgot. ;)

I bought a few this week!

Bought

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers. Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman "Where are they taking me?" "It's for your own good, Brit," Dad said. I was shoved into a small, stuffy room, and the door was locked behind me. I waited for my dad to realize he'd made a terrible mistake and come get me. But he didn't. For sixteen-year-old Brit Hemphill, it's hard to know who she can trust. Convinced she's out of control, her father has sentenced her to Red Rock: a center for supposedly rebellious teens, where the therapy consists of name-calling and the girls who get privileges are the ones who rat out their peers. But then Brit meets V, Bebe, Martha, and Cassie—four girls who keep her from going over the edge. Together, they'll hold on to their sanity and their sisterhood despite the bleak Red Rock reality.

Sold by Patricia McCormick Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.  He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope.  But she soon learns the unthinkable truth:  she has been sold into prostitution.

Review

And received a few review copies!

Tsunami Blue by Gayle Ann Williams With her badass rain boots, her faithful dog, and the ability to predict the monster tsunamis that have reduced the US to a series of islands, Kathryn O’Malley isn’t afraid of much. Cut off from all society, she takes to the airwaves as Tsunami Blue, hoping to save something of humanity as the world around her crumbles. But Blue should be afraid—because her message reaches the wrong ears. Now she’s the target of ruthless pirates known as Runners who want to use her special talents for their own profiteering—as soon as they can find her. Blue’s only shot at survival lies with the naked stranger who washes up on her rocky beach. A man who might just be working for Runners himself. Torn between suspicion and attraction, the two will have to navigate a surging tide of danger and deceit if they hope to stay alive.

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman The hero, Zan-Gah seeks his lost twin in a savage prehistoric world, encountering suffering, captivity, conflict, love, and triumph. In three years, Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a position of leadership among his people. Themes: survival, cultures, gender roles, psychological trauma, nature's wonders and terrors.

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman The prehistoric saga continues in Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, the sequel to the award winning Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure.

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell In the thrilling, underground world of bohemian post-war London, Lexie Sinclair is making an extraordinary life for herself. Taken up by magazine editor Innes Kent, she learns to be a reporter, to know art and artists, to embrace her life fully and with a deep love at the center of it. Later, in present-day London, a young painter named Elina dizzily navigates the first weeks of motherhood. Her boyfriend, Ted, traumatized by nearly losing her in labor, begins to recover lost memories. He cannot place them. But as they become more disconcerting and happen more frequently, we discover that something connects these two stories--these two women--something that becomes all the more heartbreaking and beautiful as they all hurtle toward its revelation.

IMM is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

So, what did you get?!

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Cover Art: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Kiersten White debuted the cover to her upcoming release, Paranormalcy, over on the 10’ers blog.

Releasing on September 21, 2010.

Summary (Goodreads)

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.

I really like the cover. I’m also loving the attitude I’m seeing off of this summary. I like me a strong willed female lead character. :)

What do you think?

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Sneak Peek: 13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Shannon visited Daily Dose today and she submitted an excerpt of 13 to Life!

It was pretty cool and such a tease! I can’t wait to read this book!

13 to Life: A Werewolf's Tale by Shannon Delany

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

320 pages, Young Adult

Simon Pulse (May 4, 2010)

$12.23 (Amazon, Hardcover) (as of 03/10/10)

Procurement

I received an ARC of this from Simon Pulse for review.

My Grade

Plot: 5

Setting: 5

Writing: 5

Originality: 5

Characters: 5

Passion: 5

Overall: 30/30 = 100% = A+!

Cover/Title Bonus: 3

Cover Art: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Andrea Cremer debuted her cover for her upcoming release of Nightshade, releasing October 19, 2010, over at the 2010 (10’ers) blog!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

And there’s a trailer too! Check it out on her site!

The premise of this book sounds super cool! I love me anything shape shifting and wolves hold a soft spot in my heart. :) And witches too? Hmmm.

I really like the cover. The yellow eye screams wolf eyes. And blood splattered lilies? Dangerous and action packed. All things I enjoy in a shifter book.

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Winner: Hex Hall T-shirt!

Thanks to random.org/lists a winner of the Hex Hall T-shirt has been selected!

Chloe Palka

Chloe please respond to my email by Monday, 3/22!

Thanks to everyone who entered! If you haven’t read Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins yet you should! :)

Hex Hall (Book 1) by Rachel Hawkins

Open Giveaways

Need and Captivate by Carrie Jones(3/26)

400 Followers Giveaway Love (you pick your book!) (3/28)

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.

Contest Alert: Juiciliciousss Reviews Box o’ Books!

That’s right! Two people will win a box of books! Head over to Juicliciousss Reviews and enter! She’s always reviewing some great books so I’m positive the winners will be very happy! I’d be happy!

Ends 4/21!

Let her know I sent you! :)

Good luck!

WoW: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate, Book 2) by Gail Carriger

If you’ve been a follower of my blog for a while then you know how much I adored Soulless, Book the First, by Gail Carriger.

It was the perfect blend of setting, paranormal and the amazing writing skills of Gail. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I am WoWing Changeless, which will be out in two weeks! March 30 couldn’t get here fast enough!

If you haven’t read Soulless or have no idea what it is I’d suggest checking out my review.

I’m posting the summary for Soulless and NOT Changeless because I don’t want to ruin anything for readers who haven’t (YOU SHOULD!) read Soulless yet. :)

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she is being rudely attacked by a vampire to whom she has not been properly introduced!
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire, and the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible.
Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

I cannot wait for my copy of Changeless to arrive!

Series

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Connect with Gail Carriger

 

What are you waiting for?

Disclosure:
Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to Book Reviews by Jess.