Oracle of the Delphi Blog Tour: Prophecy of Solstice's End by Diantha Jones

Prophecy of the Solstice's End (Oracle of the Delphi #3)

By Diantha Jones

Release Date: July 15, 2013

Summer Solstice is here. Let the games begin.

Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front...until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story...

But that’s not all.

As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core.

And it’ll all happen before Solstice’s end... --Goodreads

Purchase Prophecy of the Solstice's End here: Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Nobles (Nook) 

4.5 Stars

Review:

Wow... This was a seriously epic roller coaster...

Let's just say a ton of stuff happens in this book. It's massive! Everything is ginormous and ridiculously insane, but this book rocks. So many secrets are revealed and so many more clues are given for future secrets. Clearly, Diantha knows what to give her readers, but unfortunately rations her servings. There was so much that I wanted and received, but just felt needed more by the end. It has been some time since a book has consumed my soul like this. I NEED MORE!!!

We begin with Chloe attending the Solstice's Olympic Games with many of the gods and demigods in attendance. With parades, parties, chariot races, and bonanzas, the Solstice's Olympic Games is an event that is rivaled by no other. However, underneath all of the fanfare that comes with this event, there are secrets lurking awaiting discovery. Each god has a hidden agenda just ready to send the world into oblivion. Cheery, isn't it? 

Plot-wise and action-wise, this book rocks the world. There are so many conflicts and plot twists that occur that make Prophecy of the Solstice's End like no other. Chloe is constantly tested by the gods, who are the most irritating and beautiful people to ever exist. Constantly, the gods come in as the pretty and the soap opera characters. It's quite humorous, but also quite irritating. We get it, they have sex appeal. No need to keep repeating how magnificent they are. My new goal is to find one ugly thing in Olympus.

But really, the best aspect of this book would have to be the character relationships. Constantly, so many characters, whom we have deemed as the best buds that could never be torn apart, are forced to question their bonds with one another. Ace, who is extremely close to Strafford and Swindle, starts to question them when they start hiding secrets from him. Additionally, Chloe finds herself becoming best buds with Strafford's sworn enemy, further testing the bonds between Strafford and her. It's crazy, but so emotionally investing as a reader.

This book would probably have to be my favorite book yet of the Oracle of the Delphi series. Although this book received a lower rating than Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise, Prophecy of the Solstice's End was a fantastic book that is so unbelievably exciting and enjoyable to read. There definitely could have been less pretty descriptions, but thankfully they did not take away from the primary focus of the book: the impending doom of the world.... Dun dun dun...

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Nissa by Bethany Lopez Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Nissa by Bethany Lopez

Publish Date: April 23, 2013

Purchase: Amazon (Kindle) / B&N (Nook) / Smashwords
AToMR Tour Schedule for Nissa ARC Blog Tour

At 900 years old, Nissa is finally ready to follow her mother's path and become the best Fairy Godmother she can. She’s not thrilled when her first assignment turns out to be a teenage human girl with self-esteem issues, but she knows she has to start somewhere. Her assignment has dealt with bullies since her freshman year and they haven’t let up. If Nissa can’t help her regain her self-confidence her future is bleak.

To complicate matters Nissa experiences all the signs that she's met the being fated for her. This impossibility distracts her from her purpose. After all, fairies and humans aren't meant for each other. How can her heart believe otherwise? Can Nissa successfully complete her first assignment as a Fairy Godmother? Will the fates allow Nissa and Levi to be together? And even if they do, will Levi believe Nissa once she reveals the truth?

3 Stars

Review:

Let me completely honest: I only chose this book because it had the words "a contemporary fairy tale" on the cover. The whole godmother thing didn't really sound too exciting and girls with self-esteem issues tend to be bleh. It's all about "she's so pretty, so I'll bully her" sort of thing that is so irritating. This does happen, but probably not to the extent that writers tend to exaggerate in their books. However in Nissa, the primary focus is not Vicky and her issues, the priority is Nissa; Vicky's brother, Levy; and their romance.

I think the biggest problem that this book was its length. Usually a book's length is only a problem when the book is too long and unnecessary with details, but in this case everything felt a little too rushed. Immediately from the very beginning, we skim through Nissa's childhood within a few pages and jump immediately to her mission to help Vicky. It would have been nice to have an elaboration on the fairy world, which is infinitely more interesting than the human world. 

The length also unfortunately contributed to the completely rushed romance. Once again, hormones have overwhelmed the brains of our poor, innocent protagonist and her lover. I admit that their little dates and talks were cute, but they came entirely too soon! There was an excuse for this Romeo and Juliet-esque, minus their deaths, romance in that fairies have soul mates. Still that is not any reason to just have them going from formal greetings to kissing within the next dozen pages. 

Keeping with the length problem, the main characters felt somewhat lacking. Nissa and Levy were just two hopeless fools in love, and somehow the supporting characters were the ones who shined the most. Vicky's unjustly pushed-off character arc was really sweet and cute after the bullying crisis was over. The redemption of one of her bullies was also adorable because his apology was so sincere and just ah!!! Even though he was a vile character initially, his extremely long and heartfelt apology just stood out so much. In fact, it was my favorite moment of the book. I kind of want to see a spin-off with Vicky and the guy getting together because he became my fave character of the novel.

Despite its somewhat undeveloped world and romance, Nissa was an enjoyable read. The writing was not completely solid throughout the entirety, feeling a bit childish at some points. However, the story was able to effectively move along, which is definitely more important. There was a lot of potential in this book in spite of its faults, so I do look forward to Bethany Lopez's future works.

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Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman 

Where in Series: Blood and Snow #1-12

Released: 2013 

Type: eBook

Pages: 518 

Purchase: Amazon (Kindle)

Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White. Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet.

When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire.

With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter. Or, a human.

She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister. And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires. --Goodreads

3.5 Stars

Review

Usually when I try fairy tale retellings these days, I try to grade them harshly because the original content is usually at a bare minimum for them. So do not be surprised with this harsh rating and review because there are probably plenty of other people with higher ratings than mine. They are probably also better at figuring out ratings for fairy tale retellings as well... Anyway...

This book or bundle, which it really is, is a series of twelve novellas that tell the story of Snow and her hunky dory life when she discovers that she is a vampire. To make it worse, the Vampire Queen wants her body, which is so wrong on so many levels, but we won't get into that. Prince Charming, or Hunter as he is referred to as, marks Snow as the Queen's next chosen body. 

However, Snow isn't alone in trying to discover herself as well as the world she lives in. There is the amazing Professor Pops who is a hilarious father figure to Snow as well as the her seven boy friends. Note the space between 'boy' and 'friends.' Then again, it should probably be six boy friends and one boyfriend. Here is a spoiler, Snow and Gabriel, one of the seven 'dwarfs' that need to shrink a few feet to be a dwarf are going all gaga over each other. It's kind of creepy and gross because Gabe is aggravating. 

The story that Blood and Snow tells is a fresh, original one that completely deviates from the actual Snow White story, including the very original that wasn't told by Disney. So many characters were added or rewritten in as completely different people, making it so much more exciting to read. For example, Snow White is now a complete tomboy klutz in this new version. This change was somewhat clichéd and unoriginal, not to mention unbelievable because Snow was way too clumsy. Still, it was just one of the cute, fluffy changes that were made to make Snow not see the beauty within her.

The thing that truly kept me drawn to this series was the writing. The plot was topsy-turvey because while some books were solid reads, others felt lacking in certain respects. Of course, this series progressed in plot and in writing as each novella was finished. The only thing that aggravatingly stayed constant was the description of the smells. It is incredibly unrealistic for a character to notice each little scent that passes by them because people tend to focus more on the visual things, rather than the little odors that come out here and there. 

Blood and Snow is a series that is hard for me to judge. Each little novella had its own little successes and failures, so it is difficult to decide on the entire series as a whole. Characters either shined or spiked at many points, but Dorian, one of the seven 'dwarfs' shall stay in my heart forever because he is awesome! 

Otherwise, I wasn't a huge fan of anyone else because they weren't consistent in their beliefs. I was a big fan of the author's writing though, so even though I am a bit iffy on certain aspects of this book, I am still planning to check out the spin-off that will be written for Cindy, Snow's obnoxious and annoying friend. She is a person that I don't really want to understand, but I am willing to give it a go just for more of Rashelle Workman's works.

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Vain Blog Tour: Review and Character Interview and Giveaway

Vain (The Seven Deadly #1)

by Fisher Amelie

Published: December 24th, 2012

Publisher: Fisher Amelie

Kindle Edition, 355 Pages

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.--Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review: (Warning: May Contain Spoilers!)

May contain run on sentences! I have this thing where if I really liked a book I tend to blab on about it and it really shows in my writing. 

Even though I already predicted how the story will play out, it was still a really good read. There were a lot of twists in this novel that you don't want to miss. 

At first I disliked Sophie for being such a rhymes-with-witch, but then I felt sorry for her. In a way when someone acts the way Sophie Price does, you kind of have to feel a bit bad for them because they  don't have any real friends and no one to care for them, at least no one that they know of. Except in novels and on TV, the spoiled, mean people usually have that one person who is usually their servant who cares about them. In this book it was Pembrook. Although we didn't get to see much of Pembrook, the parts about him made him seem pretty awesome.

What drew me into reading this book was definitely the summary (see above). And because I have never read a YA novel that didn't have a romance aspect to it, I was intrigued by this book that claimed that it did was not a love story. But it actually was a love story, but I wasn't at all disappointed about that because once you got the love part of the novel, you were already rooting for Ian and Sophie. Even though I was rooting for Sophie and Ian, what happened to Spencer? We met Spencer at the beginning of the book and it seem like he and Sophie were going to be a thing, but NO! The weird thing is that the more Ian was featured in the book, the more I forgot about Spencer... :/ But I would love to read a book on Spencer. 

The majority of the novel takes place in Africa and I liked how the setting was important to the book. You know how sometimes a novel takes place in an uncommon area, but it seem like the novel could've taken anywhere and you even forgot where it was suppose to take place anyway?...Yeah I hate when that happens! But it didn't happen in this novel! Maybe it was just me but it seem like some of the things from the book seem to be alluding to the Kony disasters in Africa. hmmm...

Some advice: don't start this book if you can't finish it in a day! I started this novel pretty late at night, so like 10pm-ish and I couldn't stop reading it! Vain was one of those novels where you knew you had to do something else, like sleep, but you just couldn't until you finished the book. I finally finished the novel around 2am, but I had school the next morning, so I went to school on about 4 hours of sleep. BUT it was time well spent! 

My only (small) complaint was that the ending seem a bit unrealistic and rushed compared to the rest of the story, but it was still a great story! 

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Author Information:

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Character Interview: Sophie Price

Did you think you believe in true love before Ian?

Great question. Absolutely, unequivocally no. I didn’t even know what love truly was until Uganda. I learned to love in Masego. I learned to love myself when I fell in love with the children. I learned I was worth being loved in return by the way Ian treated me. True love comes in many shades and my favorite color is Ian.

Why do you think you never thought of Spencer in a romantic way? He seems to be the only boy who cares about you besides Ian.

Spencer is simply not my fate. I knew that immediately. I tried to push it but even at my absolute lowest, I couldn’t commit to using him because he was so kind to me. Also, Spencer cares for me deeply but I don’t think he realized that, even to him, I was only meant to be his friend.

Why do you think your dad was so big on appearances? Do you think that was indirectly a way of taking care of you?

My father was the ultimate in selfish. Appearances to him were everything because it kept up the façade that our family were composed, stable and well-adjusted. It gave the impression that he made no mistakes.

Unfortunately it was not his way of taking care of me, which is sad. His motivation was nothing but selfish and my mother followed along because she wanted only to please him and him alone.

If you hadn't grown up rich, and thus get exiled to Africa, do you think you would've turned out the way you are today?

It’s hard to say. If I hadn’t been wealthy, I can’t imagine my parents would have focused so zealously on themselves so I might have had a somewhat normal upbringing but then again, that’s a game of ‘what if’s’ and I’m afraid of that game because, now that I’m at Masego, I couldn’t imagine a better place to end up.

After returning to the States, you realize that you were now very different from your old friends. Do you think you will still be friends with them?

They’ve made it quite clear that they wanted nothing to do with me. My old world is a fickle place. One small mistake and your group status can come toppling down. When your entire existence is about looking good, owning everything and comparing yourself to those around you, that becomes your life’s goal. So you can only imagine when their queen bee returns to them sans couture, sans attitude, sans an ego that you have a recipe for the gossip of the century. In other words, we will never be friends again unless they make a dramatic change within themselves.

Do you have any advice for our readers?

I’ll leave you with this quote.

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” - Mother Teresa

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Date Me Blog Tour: ARC Review and Giveaway

Date Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #3) 

by Jillian Dodd 

Released: April 9th, 2013 

Publisher: Bandit Publishing

Event organized by: AToMR Tours 

I’m not scripting my life anymore.

I’m living it.

I’m done with the God of all Hotties. 

I’m going to give my heart to the boy who I think deserves it.

The boy whose kisses are hotter than molten lava. 

The boy who offered me the key to his heart.

The boy who asked me to Homecoming in a big, sexy way. 

There are so many things to look forward to. 

Parties at the Cave. Homecoming festivities. Drama Tryouts. Shopping trips to NY. 

But things aren’t always as perfect as they seem. 

I find out that my best friend has been keeping a secret from me. 

Not that I can blame him. 

I have secrets too. 

But, for now, I’m going to pretend I’m just a normal girl. 

I’m going to pretend he’s not still out there. 

I’m going to pretend he’s not getting desperate. 

I’m going to pretend I’ll never see him again. 

But, I will. And this time, I might not get away.--Goodreads

4 Stars

Review:

Ok. It's officially, the Keatyn Chronicles are like Gossip Girl, but boarding school edition! (Note: I love GG!) Keatyn is like Blair and Serena all in one person! The scandalousness of the book keeps you on your toes and wanting more. Also you get to meet the rest of the Dawson's family! 

The book starts of where the last book, Kiss Me, ended. ugh... I just realized that I have to wait months for the next novel. :( Ok so back to the review. Actually this novel is so hard to review because 1.) it's the third in a series and 2.) the series is basically like a TV show, I feel like I'll just be blabbing on about a show no one knows about.  Solution: Read the whole series! 

There's a love triangle in this novel and I hate how, even on the third book, Keatyn can't make up her mind! Arghhh ughhh! This is why love triangle frustrate me so much! #TeamAiden

My only complaint about the novel is that Keatyn has become a bit whiney since the last few novels. 

Check out my reviews of the series: Stalk Me review / Kiss Me review

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N

About the Author:

Jillian Dodd grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She has drank from a keg in a cornfield, attended the University of Nebraska, got to pass her candle, and did have a boy ask her to marry him in a bar. She met her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children, a Maltese named Sugar Bear, and two Labrador puppies named Camber Lacy and Cali Lucy.

She is the author of the That Boy Trilogy and The Keatyn Chronicles Series.

Jillian Dodd | Facebook | Twitter

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Twisted Tales Blog Tour: With a Kiss by Stephanie Fowers

With a Kiss (Twisted Tales #1) 

By Stephanie Fowers 

Released: March 15, 2013 

Publisher: Triad Media and Entertainment 

eBook, 282 pages 

Faerytales. They're real . . . they just haven't happened yet. Halley Starr finds this out when she loses her heart to a terrible curse. Now she has to get it back from that dirty faery who stole it from her. But first she must fight against the seven rules of the faery kingdom that mortals must never break:

1. No trespassing sacred faery territory

2. Don't ever say thank you

3. Using a faery’s given name is a no-no

4. Resist all faery music

5. Never break a promise to a faery

6. Reject all faery food

7. And never, never fall in love with a faery

But if Halley wants her heart back again, she can’t worry about the rules.

"With a Kiss" is the first book in the Twisted Tales Series.

3 Stars

Review:

With a Kiss by Stephanie Fowers is a cute, fun fairy tale retelling that is similar to Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series, but has more heart and teenage angst to draw readers in. Although this was far from being perfect, there is so much packed into the book that makes it enjoyable to read.

We are introduced to Halley Starr, a girl born with literally no heart. By no heart, she doesn't love anyone, even though everyone loves her. When she is forced to bring a baby back to her mother with a fairy gang, she learns to love and discovers who she truly is. Despite the straight forward summary, this book seems to ramble off on several points. It makes it extremely difficult to follow certain events and to gain a full understanding of the plot. At several points, I was a little confused on where the author was trying to lead the reader to in the beginning. Once the action begins in the Sidhe world, the action and humor picks up a bit. Still, the slow beginning was rather trying at times.

Even with the awkward beginning pages, With a Kiss manages to pull of the journey to giving the baby, called Babs, back to her mother. With the help of Hob, a mysterious stranger and a silent, but snarky leprechaun, Halley faces the strange, eerie Sidhe world. The problem was that there were so many unexplained plot devices that kept on adding on to my mental list. While a few of these questions were partially answered, there was still a bulk of the questions that I am still trying to answer by sorting out the book. For example, I am still wondering exactly why Halley is sent off by the mother to return Babs to her mother. Hello! Babs' mom sent Babs to Halley herself, so why does she just ship Babs something off, expecting someone else to return her to her. It is somewhat unpractical, even with the answer offered at the end. Also, why is Halley have a crown stuck to her head that tells her things? These were just the tip of the many puzzling problems that I came across.

Although I was confused for a majority of the book, the reading experience I had with this book was spectacular. Halley and her gang's conversations were cute and witty, and could draw the reader in easily. The romance in this book was pleasantly sweet, even if I didn't like the people in the couple in general. Halley was somewhat flat in characterization. She begins as an "ice queen" and immediately after being kissed, feels the emotion love for the first time. However, she does not really ever reveal it to anyone else besides Babs, making it hard to be empathetic with her. Hobs was so mysterious, annnoyingly so. If there was one character I could shoot first in the world, it would be him. I am telling you dude now that your secrets are not furthering your cause or saving the world. Go join the CIA if you wanna become in charge of classified information.

Regardless of its several faults, With a Kiss excels in painting the picture of a journey to the unknown. Unfortunately, the details of the journey are somewhat muddled, which makes it difficult to root for. Initially, we are told that Halley needs to return Babs to her mother, or else she will die, but then the objective seems to shift somewhere else. The three stars I give as a rating is what I believe that With a Kiss deserves, but my enjoyment of this book surpasses five stars because it was a new twist on the fairy tale retellings that are typically offered. 

Purchase With a Kiss here: Amazon (Kindle)

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Things I Can’t Forget Blog Tour: Review of Things I Can’t Forget plus a Bonus

Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3) 

By Miranda Kenneally

Publication: March 1st 2013 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Format via NetGalley

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Some Rules Were Meant To Be Broken.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…--Goodreads

Note: Mature themes, sexual situations, religious discussions.

4 Stars

Review:

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel! Everything in this review are my own opinions.

I HATED Kate. I know this is an incredibly negative approach to writing a review, but just deal with it for now and let me explain. It took me most of the book to like her. I thought she was judgmental and she wasn't open to things. For Kate, everything can only be seen and done one way. I kept reading this book mainly because of the other characters, like Matt and Parker and Will. (BTW Parker and Will are from Stealing Parker, which is my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series:) But the more I read, the more I hated Kate. There were parts were I liked her, but for the most part she wasn't a likable person. Then I got towards the end and really started to like Kate.

Ahhh Matt! All the guys in Hundred Oaks are awesome. But some of the guys stories I want to hear are Ryan's (Parker's older brother), Brian's (The coach from Stealing Parker. I wonder what happened to him), and Brad (from Things I can't Forget. Is he with Andrea now? I thought we didn't like her). Matt didn't judge Kate and did the cutest things for her, such as sleeping outside her cabin when she didn't want to sleep with everyone else at Dogwood. I really liked how Matt and Kate went to camp together when they were 11 and now found each other again! I'm such a sucker for cute things like that. :)

I love how Miranda Kenneally's novels are all about finding yourself and truly thinking about what YOU believe in. Kate was just trying to listen to what she was taught and when she didn't, she thought she sinned. Unlike the other Hundred Oaks novels, you might not like the protagonist right away, but she does make you think about your life and what you believe in.

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

About the Author:

Miranda Kenneally writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. She is also the co-creator of the website DearTeenMe.com. You can visit her at www.mirandakenneally.com or @mirandakennealy.

BONUS Part of the Post!

Top Ten Secret List - Learn about ten upcoming characters from THINGS I CAN'T FORGET and RACING SAVANNAH (Dec. 2013)

1. Kate Kelly: Kate is the heroine of THINGS I CAN’T FORGET. Kate is 18, a recent high school graduate, and she’s working as the arts and crafts director at a summer camp, where she meets up with Matt Brown, the boy who gave her her first kiss.


2. Matt Brown: Matt is the love interest in THINGS I CAN’T FORGET. Matt is 20, in a fraternity, and plays the guitar. He’s also training to run a marathon barefoot! He’s getting over a bad breakup with his ex-girlfriend when he meets Kate. Is Kate really the girl for him, or will dating again just lead to more heartbreak?

3. Emily Mansfield: Emily is Kate’s former best friend. They got into a fight after high school, and without her, Kate doesn’t know who she is anymore.

4. Ian Hot Boy With No Last Name: In THINGS I CAN’T FORGET, Ian is the wild crazy guy who cracks me up. He likes to fool around with his girlfriend in inappropriate places and refers to many people as “douches,” but he has a big heart and a soft side. I never gave him a last name, but I love him. Ha!

5. Parker Shelton: In STEALING PARKER, Parker doesn’t have many girlfriends. In THINGS I CAN’T FORGET, she doesn’t get along with Kate at first, but as they get to know each other, is there a chance for a real friendship?

6. Savannah Barrow: Savannah is the heroine of RACING SAVANNAH. She’s 17, a senior in high school, and she works at a high-stakes horse farm, doing everything from hauling hay to shoveling manure to mopping floors. She’s been living in the servants’ quarters all her life, but she wants nothing more than to become an exercise rider and work with the horses that compete in big races like the Kentucky Derby.

7. Jack Goodwin: Jack is the farm owner’s sexy son. Jack is being groomed to take over the farm one day, so his father makes him manage the estate and staff. Even though he’s attracted to Savannah, Jack knows he won’t be considered a responsible, gentlemanly farm owner if he goes after a member of his staff.

8. Marcus Winchester: Marcus is the villain of RACING SAVANNAH. Marcus is a rival farm owner’s son, and he has a past history with Savannah, which doesn’t make Jack too happy.

9. Rory Whitfield: Rory works on the horse farm in RACING SAVANNAH. He’s the younger brother of Will Whitfield (Corndog!) from STEALING PARKER. Rory lives next door to Jack and Savannah and he’s Savannah’s closest friend. Rory is in the drama club and wants to sell a screenplay to Hollywood.

10. Vanessa Green: Vanessa is the younger sister of Ty Green, the love interest from CATCHING JORDAN. Vanessa has a thing for Rory Whitfield… and is rather shocked that Rory has Star Wars sheets and sleeps with a Chewbacca stuffed animal.

Kiss Me Blog Tour: Review of Stalk Me by Jillian Dodd and Giveaway

  Stalk Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #1)

by Jillian Dodd
Published September 1st 2012
Publisher: Bandit Publishing
Kindle version, 365 Pages
Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Gossip girl meets Hollywood in this new series by That Boy author, Jillian Dodd.

Keatyn has everything she ever dreamed of. Her life is following the script she wrote for the perfect high school experience. She’s popular, goes to the best parties, dates the hottest guy, and sits at the most coveted lunch table.

She’s just not sure she wants it anymore.

Because really, things aren’t all that perfect.

Her best friend is threatening to tell everyone her perfect relationship is a scam. 

Her perfect boyfriend gets drunk at every party they go to.

It’s exhausting always trying to look and act perfect.

And deep down, she isn’t sure if she has any true friends.

To add to the drama, her movie star mom’s long-time fan has turned stalker.

An older man is flirting with her and telling her they should make a movie together.

And she’s crushing on an adorable surfer. Dating a guy like him would mean committing social suicide.

So she writes a new script. One where all the pieces of her life will come together in perfect harmony. But little does she know, there’s someone who will do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.--Goodreads

4 Stars

Warning: This review might be long!

So I decided to do something different. I saw Rosie, another of our YAN bloggers, do this update thing, where she would read then wrote what she thought about the book from what she had recently read. I decided to write my review of Stalk Me that way, so this review is longer than other reviews...

Day One: 17%
The beginning is really slow and I don't really like the voice of the main character. She mentally writes a screenplay of possible scenes that she wants to happen to her in her real life. At first it was cool and different from other novels I've read, but then it kind of got on my nerves. It wasn't that the scenes she imagined were weird, they just came off (at least to me) as vain and a bit obsessive. Ahhh it looks like bad news!

Update: But it wasn't!

Day two: 27%
As a character, Keatyn is really starting to grow on me. I realize that is the case for most of Jillian Dodd's novels, at least for me as a reader. Like in That Boy, I didn't like the novel right away, but since everyone was saying how they adored it and how it was one of the cutest novels that they have ever read, I decide to stick it out and finish the book. ( Note: Even Angie (fellow YAN blogger) liked That Boy and she hates contemporary, so Jillian Dodd's novel MUST have something spectacular about it.) I was really glad I did because all the characters grew on me, until I loved each and every one of them. That Boy got a 5 star rating out of me. LOL:) I'm hoping that it would be the same way with the Keatyn series. So far, Keatyn has been involved with two guys: Cush and Brooklyn. So far, I like both, but I like Cush slightly more.

Note to Keatyn: If an (more than 10 years) older guy is hitting on you, that SHOULD raise red flags!

Day three: 74%
Once you start really getting into this novel, you can't stop! By now, I like all the characters. Her parents are especially awesome! I really hate love triangles in novels. Keatyn and Cush or Keatyn and Brooks? Ok, a guy can't tell you what to wear and what not to wear! If he calls your outfit skanky, then obviously something is wrong in that relationship. I was so mad and annoyed that Keatyn was so indecisive and it kind of seem like she was stringing along the two! Ahh this is why I can't stand love triangles!

Keatyn's girlfriends were jerks through and through! I don't understand why she needed their "friendship."

So by now, I've gotten to the big conflict that gets Keatyn sent away. I have to admit everything in this novel is moving quite fast, almost like watching TV fast. I'm about 3/4 done the book and I like it.

Day four: 100%
My only complaint was that the book introduces so many new people. It wasn't that the new people didn't fit into the book, there were just so many people that I needed to know. As you can see from my reading process, it took me awhile to read the book, but once I got into it, I read pretty fast. If you find yourself not really liking the book, stick it out until about 40% through the novel because that's when I found myself liking the characters, and thus liking the novel. Overall, I liked this book, even though Keatyn was a bit of a frustrating protagonist.

I'm beginning to read the second novel to this series, Kiss Me, so look for that review soon-ish!

Purchase this novel: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Enter the Giveaway(s):

International:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US/Canada ONLY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:


Jillian Dodd grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She has drank from a keg in a cornfield, attended the University of Nebraska, got to pass her candle, and did have a boy ask her to marry him in a bar. She met her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children, a Maltese named Sugar Bear, and two Labrador puppies named Camber Lacy and Cali Lucy.
She is the author of the That Boy Trilogy and The Keatyn Chronicles Series.

Jillian Dodd | Facebook | Twitter

Social Media links:
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facebook fan page
goodreads
amazon author page
Keatyn Chronicles fan page
Keatyn Chronicles on Twitter

Follow the rest of the Blog Tour HERE.