Waiting on Wednesday #6

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
This week I am waiting for -
Author - Jaime Reed
Release Date - December 27th, 2011

He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

Why Living Violet?
The cover got me at first site, the synopsis sounds interesting and I've heard some great reviews about this book!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link so I can check it out!

-Shellie

Support Four Authors

Support Four Debut Authors and Snag $125

Four Books - Two Days - Great Prizes

With this contest, there is something for everyone and it's SO simple to be in the winning!

On November 28th and/or 29th, purchase 1 or all 4 of the debut authors' books listed here. Then forward proof of purchase (the receipt Amazon sends you will do just fine) to: motionsrider@yahoo.ca and get up to 4 entries into a draw for a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

It's that easy, no reviews, no hoops to jump through. Just a great .99 book or two. Or three, or four. AND, if the person who wins the $100 Amazon Gift Card has purchased all 4 books, an additional $25 Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to the winner!

Review - Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Author - Hannah Harrington
Publisher - Harlequin
Release Date - November 22nd, 2011, 336 Pages

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

*Copy provided by Harlequin through NetGalley for review*
This is a heartbreaking story of 16 year old Harper who has just lost her sister June to suicide. June didn't leave any note or tell anyone what was bothering her, she just ended her life. Harper was the one who found her and now she is trying to give June the one thing that she always wanted, going to California, even if it's just her ashes.

Harper and Laney, her best friend, set to embark on taking June's ashes to California to spread them after learning that her divorced parents are going to split them between the two homes. Jake was at June's memorial and later offers to take Harper and Laney...and if Harper denies him then he will tell her parents ruining her plans. They go from Michigan to California making all sorts of stops along the way, seeing different tourist sites, going to punk concerts, and the whole way Jake is giving Harper little blurbs of music history.

In My Mailbox #6 & #7

This is a weekly event held by The Story Siren where we show what we have recieved in the mail, borrowed, got from the library, or to review. This weeks post is for the last two weeks. Last week I was in bed pretty much all weekend due to sciatic nerve issues, I have 4 crushed disks in my lower back and when my heat wave frequency wears off it feels like I'm being electrocuted...not fun! So here is what I have gotten since my last IMM. =)

Purchased-
Soul Screamers Volume 1 by Rachel Vincent
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Received for review-
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Received from NetGalley for review-


A special thanks to NetGalley, Tor Teens, Harlequin, Harper Teen& Zondervan for the copies to review!

What did you get this week? Leave me a link so I can come check it out!

-Shellie

Follow Friday Blog Hop #6

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -

Review - Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Author - Liz Reinhardt
Publisher - CreateSpace
Release Date - September 6th, 2011, 466 Pages

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

Recommended Age Group: Older YA

                            *Copy was provided by Liz Reinhardt for review purposes*

Brenna, her mom, and step-father have just moved back to their old home in the States after living in Denmark for a year. Brenna has that nervousness we all get when starting a new school, good thing is she knows a couple people. She has taken on a hefty load this year after being home schooled when she was in Denmark. During the first half of her day she is in regular High School with some AP/Honors classes and the second part of her day is spent doing Share Time at the Tech School doing Graphic Design. She thought the only thing that she had to worry about was making friends, blending in, and doing good in school but there are more pressing issues that she has to deal with...Saxon and Jake.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today will be a busy but very enjoyable day. My husband and I will be going to my parents where my brothers will be. My oldest brother has a job where he is overseas in dangerous locations 3-4 months at a time, comes home for 2-4 weeks then he's back off again. Then we get to go to my husband's side of the family...and they are a huge bunch. We have so much fun going back and forth between our families but it's exhausting at the end of the day! I just wanted to make a small (ok maybe a bit long) post of the things that I am thankful for each and every day!

Things I am most thankful for and couldn't live without:

Waiting on Wednesday #5

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on -
Author - L.A. Weatherly
Publisher - Candlewick Press
Release Date - January 27th, 2012

In Book Two of L. A. Weatherly’s wildly romantic, action-packed trilogy, the angels are back with a vengeance . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.

In the wake of the Second Wave, the angel menace has exploded, and Alex and Willow are on the lam. Willow’s prophetic dream points them to Mexico City, where they connect with a fledgling group of angel killers led by the exotically beautiful Kara, an Angel Killer from Alex’s past. But the team remains suspicious of Willow, even after the more-experienced Alex takes over as leader, training them hard for a rush attack on the Seraphic Council, or “The Twelve.” This elite group of all-powerful angels is also under the scrutiny of Willow’s angel-father, Raziel, who has his own sinister plan to defeat them.

What Willow hasn’t told Alex is that there was also a mysterious boy in her dream, one she felt overpoweringly attracted to. When brooding, gorgeous Seb shows up in the flesh, he turns out to be another—possibly the world’s only other—half angel. He’s been searching for Willow all his life, and when Alex enlists this rival to help keep Willow safe, he can’t predict what chemistry will pass between them . . . or how far Willow might go to keep Alex safe. Will their love endure or spell doomsday for the human race?

Why Angel Fire you ask?
Well Angel Burn was uber awesome, it was a completely different take on Angels altogether! I can't wait to read more about Willow and Alex and everything that this book will hold for them, with the addition to a few new characters!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

-Shellie

Teaser Tuesday

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 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!

Here is my Teaser for this Tuesday -

He could have melted. Disappeared down the drain. Aftershocks sparked the tips of his nerves and made him shiver.
Pg 160 Hushed by Kelley York
What is yours, leave me a link so I can check it out!

-Shellie

Review - Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Author - Patrick Carman
Publisher - Harper Collins
Release Date - November 1st, 2011, 336 Pages

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?
Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book, I had read so many great things about it and it lived up to them. You get to experience what it’s like to face your fears through some traumatic ways and then be ‘cured’ from them after leaving Fort Eden.

Follow Friday Blog Hop #5

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -

Q: Letter to Santa: Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas!

A: Oh wow Santa you are going to have a LONG list my friend!
Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Crossed by Ally Condie
Passion by Lauren Kate
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle
Dearly Departed by Lia Habel
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Shine by Lauren Myracle
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Hate List by Jennifer Brown

I could go on and on about what I would like Santa to bring me this year but you get the jist LOL.
Welp I am uber tired, it is 3:45AM, I was standing/sitting in 38 degree weather to see Breaking Dawn. I LOVED it!!! Many many props to Bill Condon, however I feel that if you haven't read the book then you won't get the full experience of what it is, but you will still enjoy the movie. Leave me a link to your FF so I can follow & comment back (after I get some sleep LOL) =)
-Shellie
P.S. Don't forget to enter my 100 Follower Giveaway here =) Have a great Friday everyone!

Cover Reveal - Michael by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

Ok...are you guys ready for this?!? This is an awesome cover! It's breathtaking and oh so sexy (just look at those eyes!!!). I have a small sneak peek to what is in between the covers to share with you but it's unedited so things may just change.
Authors - Aaron Patterson and Chris White
Release Date - Amazon has it set to May 1st, 2012 but not 100% on that I'll let you know!

Michael and Kim talking:

“That is messed up, you know that right?” Kim scoffed.
“It is just life. I grew up being taught that the fallen orSons of God were to be banished from the earth. El gave it to the brotherhood,not the Sons of God. The reason is not important right now, it is how itworks.”
“Go on…”
“The point is, my bloodline and the bloodstone somehowinteract with them—her kind. It can activate them but only in the teen years.The brotherhood hunt them, and when they think they have found one they send inteams. I was one team, me and my father. Always two, and James was my brother.I would go to the area, try to get close and let the stone do its work. Once Iwas sure a change was going on we would take care of it.”
“By take care of it you mean kill them? You killed otherpeople?” Kim had a horrified look on her face. She did not understand that thiswas normal for him.
“Look, I don’t know what to think anymore. I grew up thisway, I have been like this for a very long time. You have no idea what it islike so don’t judge me.”
Michael turned and walked back to the window. A bald eagleflew back and forth catching the updraft the valley naturally made.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to judge, but it is hard, I mean youkilled people. Really killed them!”
“Yes, I did. But I killed things not people.” Michaelregretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
Kim stood up in a huff. “Fine, then you can forget about anyhelp from me. I am going to see how IT is doing!”

This is the 2nd novel in the Airel series. If you have not read it, it's a good read. You can check it out here on GoodReads and if you've already read Airel, awesome! You can pre-order Michael here.
If you wanna stalk the authors of this awesome series on twitter here is his info - @mstersmith
and here is his site to follow.

Thanks Aaron for letting me be part of this, and again I LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover!!!

So what do you guys think?

-Shellie

Waiting on Wednesday #4

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on -
Author - Michelle Zink
Publisher - Dial Books
Release Date - March 20th, 2012, 400 Pages

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance...

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.

Why you ask am I waiting for this?
For one the cover is just stunning and the synopsis has me intreged. I haven't read any of Michelle's work but I definitely want to, they all look good!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link so I can come check it out =)

-Shellie

Remembrance Tour - Interview & Review

Hi everyone! Today I have the honor of having Michelle Madow here on the blog for a interview about her wonderful novel Remembrance. After the interview there will be information on the other blogs doing this tour, my review, & ways to win some goodies from Michelle. Alright now on to the interview -

1) As we all know Remembrance was inspired by Taylor Swifts "Love Story" music video. When you watched it did everything unfold in your head for Remembrance or was this hard to make into your own story?

After I saw the “Love Story” music video, the story for Remembrance started to piece together easily in my mind. It was similar to watching a movie. Before I decided I would write the book, I turned in the first chapter as an assignment in my Intro to Creative Writing class. My teacher and classmates loved it, and encouraged me to keep writing. After hearing how enthusiastic they were about the story, I decided to try to complete the novel. The first thing I did was outline everything that was going to happen, and then I wrote the novel!

2) What was the best thing about writing Remembrance?

The coolest part for me was completing the first draft, because it proved to me that I could write a full story from beginning to end.

3) What are a couple random things that us readers don't know about you?

·         I have a guitar, and can kind of play, although I’m not very good. I haven’t played it in forever though.

·         My favorite types of food are Italian (pizza!), Indian, and Tex-Mex.

·         While I was in middle school and high school, I was in a very intense pre-professional dance program that I went to nearly every day after school and all day on Saturday. Now I realize that dance is a skill I didn’t need after high school, and I wish I had spent that time working on my writing!

You can purchase this awesome novel @ Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & The Book Depository.
Don't forget to check out her site here to follow her on all the media sites that she is on. Michelle has an awesome contest going on here on her blog. For a list of all the bloggers on this tour & dates you can go here. AND there is a giveaway on her blog here just for this tour. Isn't that awesome?! Now on to my review of Remembrance -

Twilight Tuesday - Breaking Dawn

Ok so I'm super super super excited...why you ask...well after tomorrow I will be sitting outside in the freezing cold waiting to watch Breaking Dawn! Now I'm not super super super excited about the sitting outside freezing part, I think it'll be in like the 50's, but at the time that I purchased the tickets (October 2nd) I was thinking of the last Twilight midnight showing I had went to which was Eclipse, and thought "hey it wasn't that bad then, I'll be fine"...it so slipped my mind that Eclipse came out in JUNE when it was still warm and cozy outside...not uber cold like it is in November. I live in FL so anything under 75ish is just way to cold for me! So here is to the last installment of Twilight, well for Bella/Edward/Jacob's story anyway...or for now atleast since we never know what Stephenie may do in the future!

Author - Stephenie Meyer
Publisher - Little Brown and Company
Release Date - August 8th, 2008, 756 Pages

Twilight tempted the imagination. New Moon made readers thirsty for more. Eclipse turned the saga into a worldwide phenomenon. And now, the book that everyone has been waiting for---

Breaking Dawn, the final book in the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga, will take your breath away.

Bella and Edward have went through so much to get to the point where they are now. They are finally able to start their Happily-Ever-After right?! I had so many emotions reading Breaking Dawn, at times I wanted to put it down but I went through it. I didn't like it being switched from Bella's POV to Jacob's but after I was finished with it, it all came together. The conversations that Edward & Jacob had, Edward's emotions...all that couldn't have been told from Bella's POV because Edward was putting a mask on to make her not feel so bad.

Review - Matched by Ally Condie

Author - Ally Condie
Publisher - Penguin Group
Release Date - November 30th, 2010, 366 Pages

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

I loved the world the Ally Condie has created in Matched. Here we have Society that pretty much does all the major decision making for us. We don't have to worry about finding a good working life, a spouse, how many kids we will have, where we will live, what we eat...stuff like that. You are matched with your one-day-spouse sometime after your 17th birthday & for Cassia it actually happens on her birthday & to someone that she never thought possible.

100 Follower Giveaway

Hi guys! I can't believe the time has come that I'm already doing my 100 follower giveaway yet here it is! Thank you for following my blog and listening...well reading what I have to say. The fact that people are out there that enjoy what I post makes me smile, I love reading your comments. Alright to the giveaway part, here's the deal. I will be giving away a copy of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, that will be releasing this week. If I go over the 200 mark I will add another book (Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare) to the giveaway. This will be an international giveaway as long as the Book Depository ships to you. Again thank you guys so much for following, much love!

-Shellie

In My Mailbox #5

This is a weekly event held by The Story Siren where we show what we have recieved in the mail, borrowed, got from the library, or to review. This week has been a huge blessing to me! I am so lucky to have my blogger friends out there, without you guys to chat with I may have just went crazy. Being in the house by myself majority of the time due to my husbands schedule is hard and you guys have helped me so much over the last month, you really don't know how much I appreciate your friendships.
So with that said here is what I got this week -

Borrowed from Savannah - Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Sent to me from Amanda - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Received for Review -



Special thanks to Entangled Publishing & Harper Collins for allowing me the opportunity to review these!

Leave me a link to yours so I can see what you got this week =)

-Shellie

Follow Friday Blog Hop #4

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -

Q: In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran’s Day tell us about your favorite solider and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.

A: I would have to say that my older brother Richard would have to be mine. He is now out of the services but he served for 8 yrs. He was in the USN and worked on a Nuclear Submarine. He was the one with the code to deploy one of those bad boys if need be. Thankfully in all his time he never had to use that code.

For my fictional solider that would have to be the amazing, super sexy Jasper from Twilight. I love his background information that comes to light in Eclipse.

Leave me a link with your info so I can follow/comment back =)

-Shellie

Review - Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Author - Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher - Entangled Publishing
Release Date - December 6th, 2011, 266 Pages

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

     * A copy was provided by Entangled Publishing through NetGalley for Review purposes*

Oh. My. God!!! I have been anticipating reading this for so long & Jennifer did not disappoint, yet again. I was grabbed by this & never put it down (well except for doing the normal life events like sleeping, eating, getting a job…). There are so many things that I loved about this book. What really gets me when I am reading is the characters. I have to know about them, to be able to relate to them & my-oh-my did I relate with Katy on more than one thing. Of course the plot is also extremely important, and I haven’t read anything like Obsidian! I haven’t read much of Aliens really but I love Jennifer's take on things.

Waiting on Wednesday #3

Author - Cynthia Hand
Publisher - HarperCollins
Release Date - January 17th, 2012, 416 Pages

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Why Hallowed you ask? I just finished Unearthly & WOW!!! It rocked my socks off. I cannot wait to dig more into the story behind Clara, Tucker, Christian, Jeffery, & Maggie. I absolutely loved Unearthly so I can only imagine what is in store in Hallowed!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

-Shellie

P.S. I have over 100 followers now so I will be doing a giveaway soon. I'll probably have it posted this coming Sunday so check back =)

Twilight Tuesday - Eclipse

AHHHH!!! Breaking Dawn will be out next week!!! Ok had to get that out of my system! I can't wait to see it & hope that it doesn't stray to far from the book but we'll see. I really can't answer which book was my favorite out of the series, each of them have their own standing point that makes them great books to read. The whole series is just amazing to me, I know that there are some out there that don't like it & that's cool but this will always be my series because it is what got me back into reading!

Author - Stephenie Meyer
Publisher - Little Brown & Company
Release Date - August 7th, 2007, 629 Pages

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob —- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

It seems that there is always something or someone getting in between Bella & Edward. In Eclipse Bella has to make some hard decisions. We get to see the battle that is brewing in Bella herself as she see's the life that she could easily have with Jacob, but the love that she feels for him isn't the love that she feels for Edward.

A special thanks!

So if you all haven't noticed the blog has went through some changes yesterday. I have my friend Liza to thank for this. She is the one who made the header, button, and pretty much all the goodies that you see here on my blog. I'm so grateful that she has done this. If you aren't following her your missing out here is her link - Liza's blog. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning discussing things & then spent yesterday goofing around. There were alot of headers that she made but this is the one that finally stuck. On that note, in the event that a Sparkly Edward shows up...I didn't do it! LOL! Thank you again Liza...for everything!!!

-Shellie

Review - A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Author - Jocelyn Davies
Publisher - Harper Teen
Release Date - September 27th, 2011, 390 Pages

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites;like fire and ice;Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

This was an amazing read. There was mystery throughout the entire book that kept you guessing right along with the main character, Skye. I read this in just hours, I couldn't put it down. I love the spin that Jocelyn brought to the characters that are as Skye calls them angels. They aren't from Heaven or Hell, they are from The Order & Rebels, they're 2 sides with power on each going after the same thing...Skye.

It all starts on Skye's 17th birthday. She is with her close friends Cassie, Dan, & Ian (who works at the coffee shop that they are having her birthday party at) when she has no choice but to  notice two guys that she has never seen before.

In My Mailbox #4

This is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren. I didn't get much in this week but I did get some things =)

Here is what I got in the mail from Amanda

And I purchased -
The Marked Son by Shea Berkley
Out In Blue by Sarah Gilman
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Here is a pic of Sadie telling me in her own way to stop reading Unearthly -

What did you get this week?

-Shellie

Follow Friday Blog Hop #3

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers & you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week & this one is a bit different from the others in the past (from what I've seen, this is only my 3rd week doing this). But here it is:

Q: Today’s Question is something new, an activity. We want to see what you look like! Take a pic with you and your current read! Too shy? Boo! Just post a fun pic you want to share.

So here is mine...it's horrible! I saw the post, grabbed my book, cell phone, hubby, and off to the craft room we went. I can't take pics of myself they always come out crooked....always! I won Matched earlier this week, I got it today & can't wait to get more into the world that Ally Condie has created.

Leave me a comment with your blog address so I can follow back or comment back =)

-Shellie

Review - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Author - Michelle Hodkin
Publisher - Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date - September 27th, 2011, 452 Pages

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

I have to again thank my friend Amanda for sending me this awesome awesome book, I absolutely loved it!!! If you are one that likes mystery, suspense & a oh-so-sexy character then this is definitely the book to grab. It grabbed me from the beginning to the very end. I absolutely loved the mystery & the suspense that you get throughout the entire book. I absolutely loved the fact that your learning everything at the same time as Mara, you are constantly trying to put everything together in your head to see where the story is going. I could never predict what was coming next. If your looking for a complete mind-blowing, crazy in detail read then this is it!

Mara wakes in the hospital to find that her best friend Rachel, along with Claire & Jude (friend & ex-boyfriend) died the night of the accident. She however lived through it and cannot remember anything about it. She pleads with her mom to move away because she cannot handle living there anymore. They move to Miami, FL & start life over.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Author - Kristen Simmons
Publisher - Tor Teen
Release Date - February 14th, 2012

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police — instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior — instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested don’t usually come back.

17-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different.

In the three years since the war ended, Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the Federal Bureau of Reformation. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

I stumbled across this when I was browsing through Amazon last week & it immediately caught my attention. This just sounds like it will be a great read. I can't wait for February when it's released. I know that some have ARC's of this & to those that do your so uber lucky!!!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?!

-Shellie

Twilight Tuesday - New Moon

K, So 2 Twilight Tuesday's down, 2 more to go. That means that we have 17 days left until Breaking Dawn Part 1 (uber excited about that!!!). I know some out there aren't Twilight fans but this is the series that got me reading again.

Author - Stephenie Meyer
Publisher - Little Brown & Company
Release Date - August 21st, 2006, 563 Pages

Shoot, I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.It all happened very quickly then.Edward threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table...I tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. I felt the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm-into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

There are alot of changes in this novel. Bella turns 18 & Alice throws her a birthday party at their place. After a small incident Bella now see's what Edward has been fearing this whole time, that a small accident or slip around around his kind can lead to the worse ending of her life.

Edward thinks that the only way to keep her safe is to leave & so that is what he does. The whole Cullen family just up & leaves. Bella is so destroyed by this that for months she didn't talk to anyone really or go out with any of her other friends. After a threat from her dad she finally ventures out with a school friend, Jessica. She thinks that she is losing her mind whenever she starts to hear Edwards voice in her head, but it only happens when she puts herself into stupid or dangerous sitations. So Bella finds some dirt bikes & reaches out to Jacob for help.