March 2013 Wrap-Up

This month has been a bit crazy for me. I am in my second semester in my Master and things have been getting harder and harder and that means more studying and less time for reading. Especially since a couple of months ago I picked up a stray puppy and she's been with me ever since and I love her to death even though she drives me crazy. Anyways, besides my super busy life I still managed to get some reading done.

Books I read this month:

Click on the images for the reviews.

March was a pretty good reading month. Most of the books got 4 stars, with the exception of a 5 star review for Jimmy and the Crawler, a 3 star review for The Second Evil and a 2 star one for Ashuliya.

Books I will read next month:

These three are the ones I have to read this month. Besides these I have no idea what else I am going to pick up.

Leave links to your Wrap-Ups or just comment with what you read this last month.

Unpack This [Mar.25 - Mar31]

Unpack This is a meme I started instead of my usual IMM. It was inspired by my love to open boxes, yes I love doing that.

Last week I only received one book and it's a review book. I am waiting on a few more books to arrive but they are a little bit late. Hopefully they'll be here next week.

Call of the Vampire: This is a short vampire story which I hope will be good. I am not the biggest fan of vampire stories but sometimes they surprise me. Like the Vampire Academy or A Shade of Vampire.

What did you Unpack this week?

The Second Evil (Fear Street Cheerleaders #2) by R.L. Stine

In The Second Evil the story of Corky and the rest of the cheerleaders picks up a few weeks after the events of the first book. Corky has lost her sister and is now struggling with nightmares of her ghost. She has left the cheerleading squad but the rest of the group wants her back. Once they finally manage to do so the weird events come back. Screams coming out of nowhere, people losing control of their bodies, things moving on their own. It's obvious that the Evil Spirit never left, but who is it this time?

I didn't enjoy the second books as much as the first one. Mostly because Corky seemed to be a bad version of her older sister Bobbi, she even dates her dead sister's boyfriend, that's creepy. Anyways, there were also a lot of things left unanswered and there not many clues as to who the evil spirit was this time.

I did love the background story on Sarah Fear and her family. Definitely one of my favourite parts of the whole story. I also enjoyed the addition of the new characters, even though we didn't get to see much of them.

Anyways, I hope the next one gets even better and we get more on the evil spirit's history.

★★★☆☆

Beneath (Heven and Hell #3.5) by Cambria Hebert

In Beneath we learn Gemma's background story. A lot of things were mentioned in Tirade about the man she loved and how she then fell and he turned into a hell-hound but this time we get to actually hear the story from Gemma's point of view.

I really enjoyed her time in paradise and all the mentions about the different angels, I honestly wish we could see more of that. I also think that her first human love wasn't anything more than just love about earth and human kind, because once the past part was over and we came back to present where Cole is there was a huge difference. Now, Cole she loved. Really loved. It was heartbreaking to see those two together trying, Gemma trying to fight her attraction to him and Cole trying to fight his way in Gemma's heart.

This was sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. I was surprised to see that the story at the end was after the events of Tirade but that's always a good surprise.

★★★★☆

Get Beneath: Amazon | B&N 

Joining Bloglovin

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Yes, that's right Mostly Reviews is joining in the new Bloglovin family. I never used me Google Reader, I always check my emails one by one, but Bloglovin seems really nice. So you can all now follow my blog there. :)

Unpack This [Mar.18 - Mar.24]

Unpack This is a meme I started instead of my usual IMM. It was inspired by my love to open boxes, yes I love doing that.

Hello everyone! Welcome to this week's Unpack This. It has been kind of a slow week for me both in reading and doing anything else. That's all because I have too much to study and I just tend to be ignore it. So I doubled my dog's walks and decided to start watching a new (old) show. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, I know I am a bit late but I was really curious about it. I am still in the first season but so far I love it. It gives off a Charmed feeling, and I am a huge fan of Charmed, and I love Buffy she is kick-ass, oh and Angel...so hot and strong and silent. I release he is not going to stay till the end of the series though (I might start watching Angel, the show, too).

Anyways, back to the books. This week I only got two new books but I was very excited about both. Especially the next one.

Jimmy and the Crawler: I had this one on pre-order for a few months now, that's how much I wanted it. And then it finally arrived, even if it was a little bit late. I am a huge fan of Feist's books and needless to say I already read and reviewed it. You can read my review here. Can't wait for the next and last one to come out in a couple of months.

My Fair Godmother: This one was in Amazon's Daily Deals yesterday, I think, and ever since I read a sample of it I wanted to get it. Finally did and I am so happy. It seems so hilarious.

That's all for me. I hope you had a great week. Don't forget to leave me links to your new book hauls.

What did you Unpack this week?

Jimmy and the Crawler (The Riftwar Legacy #4) by Raymond E. Feist

This was the most tiny book by Raymond E. Feist I've ever read. I want more. It wasn't enough to fill the void I have waiting for his next (and last one) in the Riftwar Saga.

This was the conclusion of the Krondor series. It was good to finally see what happened cause there were hints on the (chronologically) next books but not many details, and I was really looking forward to find out who the Crawler was.

I wouldn't recommend this book to be your first try on Feist's world cause it's right in the middle of the overall story. But if you love epic fantasy you need to read the Riftwar Saga, starting from Magician.

I am really glad this book was published right before Magician's End (two more months for that one) cause it reminded me where it all begun, the characters that made me fall in love with the world of Midkemia. I can't wait for the end, although I am afraid it's going to be heart breaking.

★★★★★

Unpack This [Mar.11 - Mar.17]

Unpack This is a meme I started instead of my usual IMM. It was inspired by my love to open boxes, yes I love doing that.

Hello guys, I hope you had a great week. I know I did. I've been watching all the last seasons of Sons of Anarchy and I can officially say I am hooked.

Anyways for my bookish news. Last week I got two books that I was really excited for.

EDEN-SOUTH: This is the third book in the Eden series. So far I adored everything I read about Eden and I honestly can't wait for more. There is a tour coming up in a week or so, so make sure to follow up for more of Eden.

Touch of Death: I heard some amazing things about this one and it was on Amazon's Daily Deals a few days back so I grabbed it without a second thought.

That was it for me. As you can see I try not to buy get many new books each week cause I really think it's time to read all the books I already have or at least some of them.

What did you Unpack this week?

Dead Is the New Black (Dead Is #1) by Marlene Perez

Dead is the New Black is the beginning of Daisy's story in Nightshade. A town different from the others, since its inhabitants are not only human, but vamps, werewolves, banshee and more. But Daisy and her family are not normal either. Rose, her oldest sister can read peoples minds, Poppy, the middle sister, is a telekinetic and her mom is a psychic. But Daisy has no powers...yet.

Daisy's mother is helping the local police with a case of a dead girl and Daisy decides it's her time to show her family that even without powers she can help solve the case. With her friend, that she sees like something more than just a friend, she brakes in the morgue to she the dead girl. A few days later the body is missing and more and more girls are targeted and this time from her own school and everyone suspects a vampire. Daisy decides it's time to join the cheerleading squad to keep a closer eye on the captain, Samantha, who had returned from her summer vacations looking a bit dead.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and fast paced. I especially loved the sisters and how the interacted and then there was the town, yes the town. I fell in love with it. The way we got to drive around it and learn some parts of its history and well whatever memories Daisy and her sisters had of it. It was very entertaining.

Now, the love interest, Ryan, Daisy's friend. He was cute and adorable, but I felt like one minute they were having their first kiss (just to cover what they were really doing, sleuthing) and the next they were dating. It was a bit fast for me.

Also I just wish we learned more about Rose and Poppy, especially Rose and her hot boyfriend/werewolf. Now that is a love story I would love to hear all about. And finally there is Samantha, who seems to have all these secrets and be so much more than she originally appeared to be. Can't wait to learn what is going on with her either.

Anyways, I am definitely going to read the rest of the series. I couldn't help but fall in love with Nightshade and now I want more.

★★★★☆

Blog Tour: The Faith and Fate of David Ghent‏

In the Lucen city dwell the descendants of Righteous and Fallen angels. Kept hidden from the rest of Earth and governed directly by Heaven, each descendant is given a chance to prove themself loyal to Heaven, and obtain salvation. For most, the task is encouraging and fair, but for David, it’s devastating. 

David Ghent has waited twenty-one years to fulfill a prophecy foretelling the destruction of Lucifer’s power on Earth and Heaven, saving himself and the entire world from Hell’s power. His training is complete, the city prepared. As the battle commences, the city’s most beloved daughter, Layla, suddenly appears at the Hellgate. David is then faced with an impossible choice: fulfill the prophecy, or save her life. The consequences David faces after choosing Layla force him to question his entire life, and his loyalty to Heaven. As the aftermath of failure unfolds, David discovers that the real battle against Lucifer has just begun.

Buy the book at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords

About the Author

           Maren grew up in Rochester, NY, which is why much of her work is set in the East. She moved to Provo, UT to attend Brigham Young University in 2004. Meanwhile, she received a license in cosmetology in 2006, and graduated with a B.S. in Home and Family Living-Clothing and Textiles in 2009. After graduation, Maren worked as a cosmetologist/barber, while her husband finished his own degree in Special Education. After he graduated, they settled in Spanish Fork, UT, where they plan on staying for a long time.

Now Maren is a stay-at-home mom, part-time piano teacher, cosmetologist, and writer. Amidst the buisiness of being a housewife, she loves reading, writing and playing music, vacationing, going on dates with her hubby and friends, throwing dinner parties, and sewing. She enjoys collecting books, and hopes someday to have a library big enough to fit all of them. Currently, her two pretty-enough-to-be-displayed-bookshelves are overflowing, and she's got books stashed all around her house. Open a random drawer, you'll probably find one.

Maren's previous work includes a short comedy, "A Tale of Two Cemeteries," and a middle-grade reader, The Treehouse. The Faith and Fate of David Ghent is her first published novel. Find out more about Maren at www.marendille.com, or on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

INTERVIEW

1. Describe your book in three words.
Intriguing. Emotional. Satisfying.

2. What inspired you to write about angels?
Honestly, "angels" was a secondary concept. I wanted to write foremost about David, and his evolution as a hero. His fight needed to be epic and have huge consequences. What better setting is there than a Heaven/Hell context? Thus came David's world, where angels and demons are just a part of his life.

3. If you were an angel would you be Righteous or Fallen? And Why?
Hopefully Righteous! According to the novel, you're considered Righteous if you're loyal to Heaven and its mandates (being a good person, being moral, honest, etc...) I try to be loyal to the type of Heaven that I wrote about.

4. Where do you usually write?
Sitting sideways on my couch, so that my dogs have room to cuddle with me while I type.

5. What is the one thing you always need with you when you are writing?
My water bottle. If I sit down without it, I have to pop up ten minutes later because I'm so thirsty and too distracted from my work.

6. What are your top 3 favorite books/series of all time?
The Hiding Place, To Kill a Mockingbird, and the Harry Potter series.

7. Your favorite movies or tv shows?
Nothing can top Frasier for me as far as television goes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes in at a close second. Movies? I hate having to pick! What's Up Doc, and Pride and Prejudice.

8. What should we expect from you in the future?
I'm working on an adult novel that chronicles the lives of two childhood friends from abusive homes. It's deeper than anything I've ever done before, so it might take some time to perfect. I'm shooting for a release date of January 2014. I also want to write a novella sequel to my comedy, "A Tale of Two Cemeteries," and have it ready for Halloween. I also outlined a prequel to The Faith and Fate of David Ghent, though it might be a while before I'm ready to dive back in David's world.

GIVEAWAY

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Unpack This [Mar.4 - Mar.10]

Unpack This is a meme I started instead of my usual IMM. It was inspired by my love to open boxes, yes I love doing that.

Welcome back to another Unpack This. Finally the Fire & Ice blog hop is over and I can relax a bit. So, this is what I got this week.

Books:

Now You See Me: I got this one after Vicky's review @ Books Biscuits and Tea. I am a huge fan of serial killers (as weird as it sounds) and especially Jack the Ripper.

Lover Eternal: I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book, Dark Lover, I gave it 3 stars, but still I really enjoyed the brothers and want to read more about them. Hopefully this book will be better than the first one.

What did you Unpack This week?

First Evil (Fear Street Cheerleaders #1) by R.L. Stine

I should begin this review by saying that I've been reading RL Stine's Goosebumps growing up, they were the first books I ever read and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I've never read any of his other series though and seeing that Fear Street Cheerleaders had more of a YA feeling to it was a welcome surprise.

Corky and Bobbi are the two sisters that are the main characters of this book, 16 and 17 years old. They move in their new house on Fear Street and decide to join the Cheerleading squad of their new school. Even though most of the team members don't want them they manage to join in. During a bus trip to an away game a terrible accident occurs and the captain of squad ends up in a wheelchair. After that everything that the two sisters though as normal changes. Weird noises in the locker room and hallways, more mysterious accidents and finally someone ends up dead.

I loved the two sisters from the beginning, especially Bobbi since we got to see more of her. But what the character I enjoyed most was Kimmy, the jealous cheerleader that hated Bobbi's guts. I wanted to bitch slap her through out the whole book but the story wouldn't be the same without her. She gave a spark to the whole book.

So if you are a fan of RL Stine and in need of a creepy YA read this is the book for you.

★★★★☆

Ashuliya by Sabine A. Reed

I received a copy of this book for review and since I really enjoyed Black Orb by Sabine I thought this would be another great and epic story. But unfortunately it wasn't all that.

Jaelyn is the heir to the throne of Ashuliya and when her father mysteriously dies she suspects foul play. With the help of one of her father's advisers they escape into our world, gathering their forces until the day of their return.

The book started off good, with the whole conspiracy to get the throne and Jaelyn traveling all the way to our world, that was a surprise, but after that it kind of went south for me. Months started passing by with nothing much happening. There was no big plan for their return until the very last minute and it made me wonder why they had escaped in the first place.

There was also a romance factor in this book, that wasn't in Black Orb, which it felt kind of forced to me. I didn't get to know the characters all that much and in the end I didn't really care about them. And while in the Black Orb there were tons of action in Ashuliya everything went so smoothly that I didn't even get excited about a battle or something.

You see that I am comparing the two books a lot. But Black Orb was the book that made me accept this one for review and since I loved it I was expecting something even bigger from this one, but it never came.

So, all in all, I was an OK book. Great writing but the story and the characters didn't really captivate me.

★★☆☆☆

Cover Reveal: GAME. SET. MATCH. by Jennifer Iacopelli‏

GAME. SET. MATCH. is a new adult novel by Jennifer Iacopelli and it's about an academy of tennis players. Cool right? So here is the cover...

Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16082871-game-set-match

Synopsis:
Nestled along the coastline of North Carolina, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the best elite tennis training facility in the world. Head Coach, Dominic Kingston has assembled some of the finest talent in the sport. From the game's biggest stars to athletes scraping and clawing to achieve their dreams, OBX is full of ego, drama and romance. Only the strong survive in this pressure cooker of competition, on and off the court.

Penny Harrison, the biggest rising star in tennis, is determined to win the French Open and beat her rival, the world’s number one player, Zina Lutrova. There’s just one problem, the only person who’s ever been able to shake her laser-like focus is her new training partner. Alex Russell, tennis’s resident bad boy, is at OBX recovering from a knee injury suffered after he crashed his motorcycle (with an Aussie supermodel on the back). He's hoping to regain his former place at the top of men’s tennis and Penny’s heart, while he’s at it.

Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. Her parents have seven Grand Slam championships between them and she’s desperate to live up to their legacy. Her best friend is Teddy Harrison, Penny’s twin brother, and that’s all they’ve ever been, friends. Then one stupid, alcohol-laced kiss makes everything super awkward just as she as she starts prepping for the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic.

The Classic is what draws Indiana Gaffney out of the hole she crawled into after her mom’s death. Even though she’s new to OBX, a win at the Classic is definitely possible. She has a big serve and killer forehand, but the rest of her game isn’t quite up to scratch and it doesn’t help that Jasmine Randazzo and her little minions are stuck-up bitches or that Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and oldest brother, is too hot for words, not to mention way too old for her.

Who will rise? Who will fall?

Told from rotating points of view, GAME. SET. MATCH., is a 'new adult' novel about three girls with one goal: to be the best tennis player in the world.

Giveaway

There is also an awesome giveaway to celebrate the cover reveal.

Enter your info to the rafflecopter below.

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Unpack This [Feb.25 - Mar.3]

Unpack This is a meme I started instead of my usual IMM. It was inspired by my love to open boxes, yes I love doing that.

This week I decided I needed to start reading some Agatha Christie books again so I went over to awesomebooks.com and pick up a couple for under 3 euros.

Dead Man's Folly           Hallowe'en Party

Also a few weeks ago I received a book for review, which just recently was added in goodreads and I can finally link to it.

I am currently reading this one, but still don't know how I feel about it. I am just waiting for the action in the end to decide. 

What did you Unpack this week?

Take Control of your TBR Pile - Sign Up

After the Review Copy Cleanup I joined in last month I think it's time for me to join a TBR pile event so that I can finally read some old books that had been staring me for a few months (years) now.

Click on the image to learn more and sign up if you want.

I have no idea which books I will be reading but after I finish the ARC I am currently reading I will jump into my pile and grab whatever book I feel like. My main goal is to just read at least 4 books.

Speak No Evil (Gifted #6) by Marilyn Kaye

A great ending to a series that kept my attention till the very last page.

In the final book of the Gifted series we finally get to learn who Carter Street, the kid that never speaks and has no memories, truly is. After he is sent to Harmony House he starts some sessions with Dr. Paley who eventually helps him remember who he is and figure out his gift, which by the way was very unexpected.

Besides finally being in Carter's head we get to see through the eyes of Amanda who finally finds a way to get rid of her gift and a way to get closer to Ken who also doesn't want to be bound by his.

In the final book it's all about the kids learning to accept themselves and their gifts as they are. They are finally learning that maybe their are not cursed but they had potential. I was wondering if we would see more of the villains from the previous books but we didn't. And the book could have been just another chapter in the middle of their stories. It didn't really feel like the ending. But it is. I love when I read a whole series.

★★★★☆

Fire & Ice: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels

Today's Giveaways:

Vicky @Vicky Thinks: Romances that Melt the Ice

Today I am welcoming two amazing authors Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels to talk about co-writing.

Thank you for allowing us to do a guest post on your blog Veronica! We were excited when you invited us and even more thrilled when you gave us an awesome topic to talk about. We've been asked in interviews what it's like to co-author a book with another author, but we haven't really dug in deep and written an entire post on it.
As you can see from our six books, the two of us only write together. This would seem odd to some people, but for us it works. Many people have asked us when we are going to write on our own, but at this point we don't have any plans to do so. Why fix something that isn't broke? We write well together and as far as time efficiency, we can write more with two people as well. It has worked great for us so far. After all, we've only been writing for a year and a half and have already published six novels. That's equal to one book every three months. Also, a big perk for us is the fact that we are both there to spur each other on, to hold each other accountable and to challenge each other to push our writing further. It's like the buddy system when you choose to start working out. You need that buddy to tell you to get off your booty when you are being lazy and trying to cop excuses.

Now, co-authoring a book isn't for everyone. You have to have a high level of trust to share your creative outlet with another individual. You also have to have an even higher level of honesty and willingness to cooperate. When you are a co-author, you are instantly a team and you have to be a team player. You have to both be willing to put in equal effort and you have to both be willing to compromise on ideas and blend writing styles. We can't emphasize the trust factor enough either, because you will technically be going into business together. You will be sharing the profits equally with your co-author and the last thing you want is any hostility when it comes to the percentage of payment each person gets or any hard feelings about one person doing more work than the other. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about this on our end as we have been best friends since the sixth grade and would trust each other with our life. We also think on very similar wavelengths when it comes to writing. When it comes to the technical and marketing aspects of putting a novel out there, we both take on equal rolls in the areas we are strongest in. So it's a win, win situation for us.

So how do we do it, how do we work together to produce a novel? Honestly, everyone has a different method for how they would write a book. Some have extensive outlines mapping out every twist and turn of the novel. Then on the other side of the spectrum there are writers like us, who really just go with the flow and wing it most of the way through. We also have multiple Skype dates throughout the writing process to get a grasp on where we want the book to go. We live close enough that we can get together in person, but sometimes it's nice to just sit there in your pajamas with no makeup on and brainstorm without either of us leaving our homes. On our Skype dates, we usually hash out ideas and nix others until we have that OMG moment that inspires us to snap into a writing frenzy.

Our writing ends up being a lot like creative writing where you are given a prompt and told to run with the story. Essentially, when one of us writes a scene and sends it to the other, the other will edit what was just written and then take up where it left off. Then we go back and forth, back and forth until the book is done. At the end, before we send it to the editor, we do one final read through to make sure that everything made sense and didn't get lost in translation. One tool that has been priceless to us is the review plane in Microsoft Word. By turning this on in the document, we can see what has been added and what either party has deleted. We also love to add comments to our document. We will insert a comment when there is an important piece of information that we need to remember, when there is a quote worthy sentence, to encourage each other or to simply make fun of each other. We have a lot of fun with our writing relationship. Here are some screen shots of memorable outtakes we've had while writing:

(This was too good not to add to our Night Marchers Special Edition as a blooper!)

(This one is from when Courtney was describing the underground pool of water in the shelter of Project ELE. Thank goodness Willow and Alec didn't go swimming in that cesspool! LOL!)

As you can see, we have a blast sharing our creativity with each other and our fans. We hope you've enjoyed this guest post about the world of Co-Authoring. We'd love for you to check out our books too. If you have any questions or comments for us, we'd love to hear them!

Thanks for listening to us!

~Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels

http://www.eleseries.com
http://www.nightmarchersbook.com

Co-Authors Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels

Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels are down home country girls powered by chocolate and other random late night cravings. Coined in southern twang, they bring new meaning to the word y'all. BFI's since the 6th grade, with a knack for getting into sticky situations, has resulted in countless ideas to write about for years to come.

Rebecca and Courtney co-authored their first book, a young adult paranormal romance: Night Marchers in October 2011. They released their second book in The Night Marchers Series: Redemption, in February 2012. Since then they have gone on to write a new young adult apocalyptic series called The ELE Series. Currently there are three books published in The ELE Series: Project ELE, Finding ELE and Exposing ELE. They just released the fourth book in the series, Surviving ELE, in February 2013.

When not writing, Rebecca and Courtney spend time in their Texas homes with their families and their oversized dogs who still think they are puppies.

Where can readers check us out?
Blog: http://nightmarchersseries.blogspot.com/
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/nightmarchers

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/eleseries
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5308881.Rebecca_Gober
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5308882.Courtney_Nuckels
Twitter: MidniteBeckie and NuckelsC

The Books

ELE series

Night Marchers series

The Giveaway

Two winners will get free digital copies of Finding ELE and Exposing ELE (Book 1 in The ELE Series: Project ELE is currently Free)

Two winners will get free digital copies of Redemption, A Night Marchers Novel. (Book 1 in The Night Marchers Series is currently Free.)

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