Stacking The Shelves #36

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.

So, last week I got the Alice in Zomieland books to listen to. So far…. Meh, I just had a hard time getting into it. It is probably just me so I decided to put them down for a minute and try something else Wonderland inspired.

I got

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Goodreads – Amazon

An original ebook-only novella in the Splintered series, told from the points of view of both Jeb and Morpheus. Morpheus wants to know more about his rival for Alyssa's affections, so he digs into Jeb's memories of his time in Wonderland. But he may be surprised by what he finds.

This brand-new story and perspective from A.G. Howard's dark, magical world stands alone, but also provides a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come in Unhinged, the sequel to Splintered.

Goodreads – Amazon

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Goodreads – Amazon

I have started Splintered and am loving it so far!

Can’t wait to see what you got this week!

I’m a Giver!

I got the word last week that I would get to be a giver once again this year!

If you don’t know what World Book Night is you can click this link, or watch the video below.

I had such an amazing time last year giving out The Lightning Thief, and spreading my love of Percy Jackson to some awesome middle school students.

 

That’s me in the middle of the table.

This year I get to give away a book that I love and have featured on the Spine many times. In fact I just finished the graphic novel version and the review will be up soon. This year I will be giving…

…

…

…

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

 

As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather— were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

 

I can’t wait to give Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children! I think this year I am going to look into getting in touch with the high school counselor of my old school to see about giving books there.

 

Have all of you heard about WBN before?

Are you going to be a giver this year? Or do you plan on applying next year?

Happy Reading & Book Pushing

Stacking The Shelves #35

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.

 

What I got this week

 

To listen to

 

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

Goodreads – Amazon

Zombies stalk the night. Forget blood and brains. These monsters hunger for human souls. Sadly, they've got mine...
Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends. A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.
After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and the whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.

She's never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her...from everyone. Now, with her best friend Kat at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole's secret and learn to fight the darkness.
But the clock is ticking...and if she fails at a single task, they're all doomed.

Goodreads – Amazon

I have been wanting to read these for a while. I am going to finally listen to them in the next two weeks.

To read

 

A Prince Charming meets his match...

Self-made shipping magnate Christopher Black first spies Rebecca Bailey at a masquerade ball and is captivated by her refreshing naivete and sparkling beauty. She's a stark contrast to the hollow behavior of the tonand the guile of his former fiancée, but the closer he gets to her secrets, the further she pushes him away.

A Cinderella with a secret...

Rebecca is drawn to the charismatic Christopher from the first, but she cannot risk him discovering that she is really a housemaid impersonating an heiress. Her father's life depends on it.

A Happily Ever After that could never be...

When Christopher's investigation of the murder of his best friend leads him straight to Rebecca, he fears his ingenue may be a femme fatale in disguise. Now he must decide if he can trust the woman he's come to love, or if her secrets will be his downfall.

Goodreads – Amazon

I had Tamara on the Spine yesterday for an interview and giveaway for this Cinderella retelling. Y’all know my weakness when it comes to fairytale retellings. I hope to get to this soon. 

Can’t wait to see what you got this week!

Interview & #Giveaway ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE

To visit other tour stops click image above.

 

 

Once Upon A Masquerade
EBook: 293 pages
Release Date: February 10, 2014
ISBN: 978-1622664511
 
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

New York City, 1883
A Prince Charming meets his match…

Self-made shipping magnate Christopher Black first spies Rebecca Bailey at a masquerade ball and is captivated by her refreshing naiveté and sparkling beauty. She’s a stark contrast to the hollow behavior of the ton and the guile of his former fiancée, but the closer he gets to her secrets, the further she pushes him away.

A Cinderella with a secret…

Rebecca is drawn to the charismatic Christopher from the first, but she cannot risk him discovering that she is really a housemaid impersonating an heiress. Her father's life depends on it.

A Happily Ever After that could never be…

When Christopher’s investigation of the murder of his best friend leads him straight to Rebecca, he fears his ingénue may be a femme fatale in disguise.  Now he must decide if he can trust the woman he's come to love, or if her secrets will be his downfall.

 

Interview

 

1) Hi Tamara! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview :)
Thank you so much for having me! This is awesome!
How did the idea for Once Upon A Masquerade come about?
 

I’ve always loved Cinderella stories. There’s something uplifting about seeing someone rise out of a bad situation to get their happily ever after. But I wanted a twist on the story. No evil stepmother or mean stepsisters. Instead, I decided on a murder mystery – the murder of the prince’s best friend (Okay, he’s not really a prince). And to make it more interesting, what could be more fun than having Cinderella as the prime suspect?

 
2) Are your characters based on anyone you know?
 

I’m always nervous making my characters too similar to people I know because well-rounded characters aren’t all pretty and nice; they have flaws. Ironically, the flaw of my Cinderella is that she’s too nice. She’s willing to give up everything for those she loves, even her life. That said, anyone who suspected I used them for a character…well, you never know what their reaction would be. And I’m all for love, not war. Of course, I do use small tics and habits that I see from anyone around me, for fun and to make the characters more realistic.

 
3) What is your writing process? (Do you write outlines? Do you know how a story is going to end when you start it? Is it harder to write with someone or alone?)
 

For Once Upon a Masquerade, I was a total pantser (I wrote by the seat of my pants). But this book has gone through so many rewrites and revisions I don’t think I really consider it a pantser effort anymore. Now I’ve been trying to plot my books. So I usually start out with a kernel of an idea, maybe a scene or two, probably the beginning and the end. I play with the idea to see where it takes me as a concept, then I cast my characters.

I literally look for pictures for each of my significant characters so I have something to look at when I describe them in the story. From there I do what I call character sketches. I answer a series of questions about each character, from their likes/dislikes, their habits, to their history.

Then I plot the book, scene by scene if I can, attempting to pull all the threads of the story (internal character growth, external plots, relationship of the two main characters from attraction to love) from beginning to end. That’s when I finally sit down to write the first draft.

As for writing as a team or alone, I’ve never written with anyone, but I do have a critique partner who goes over ever chapter I write to help me figure out if there are places I need to change or expand on.

 
4) What is your favorite genre to read?
 

I read mostly romance: historical, paranormal, YA paranormal, and some contemporary.

 
5) What are you reading right now?
 

Because of my book release, sadly I haven’t been reading much, but I do have a few books on my TBR pile just waiting for when I have a spare hour or two: Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas, Rescued by a Stranger by Lizbeth Selvig, and Tempt Me by Tamara Hogan.

 
6) What can we be excited about that is coming from you in the future?
 
I’ve written three more books since Once Upon a Masquerade. They are all the beginning of series. One is historical, a pirate book, tentatively titled Pirate’s Paradise. The other two are paranormal romance: Bewitching The Beast and Finding Ambrosia. None of these books are under contract yet, but I’m really hoping they’ll be the next ones out. We’ll see.
 
Those all sound exciting!
Thanks so much, Tamara. And Happy Valentine’s Day.
 
You too!
 

About Tamara

 
 

A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com. You can also find her on:

 
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

 

Giveaway Details:

 

1 $25 Amazon Gift Card US Only

3 eBooks of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE International

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck and happy reading!

The Queen of Zombies by Gena Showalter Cover Reveal!!!

Today is the day! The cover of Gena Showalter's THE QUEEN OF ZOMBIE HEARTS is here! We're so excited to be able to share this with you as it joins an already stunning set! Ready to see it? Not quite yet lets take a look a the first two covers in the series!

First there was ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND...

Then came THROUGH THE ZOMBIE GLASS...

Now get ready to EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT!!!

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Official White Rabbit Chronicles website

On-sale date: Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Add it to your TBR!  Goodreads

Pre-order your copy! Amazon, Barnes & Noble

        

         

  Official book description:

I have a plan.
We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.
Either way, only one of us is walking away.
In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.
As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

About Gena:
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, the Angels of the Dark, the Lords of the Underworld, and the Otherworld Assassins series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, and have been translated in multiple languages.  She lives in Oklahoma with her family and menagerie of dogs, and truly believes love conquers all.
Website/Twitter/Facebook/The White Rabbit Chronicles Facebook

Giveaway Details:

1 complete set of The White Rabbit Chronicles (first 2 sent as soon as the giveaway is over and the winner will get the first hardcover of book 3 when it's available!) US/Canada Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt: Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire and Flood
Victoria Scott
Series: Fire and Flood #1
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: February 25, 2014

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Goodreads – Amazon

OK y’all, Victoria says this is the final excerpt release before Fire and Flood comes out in just a few weeks.

Excerpt

“If you are hearing this message, then you have successfully completed the Pandora Selection Process. It also means you are now at the official starting line.”

Around me, Contenders whoop with excitement. Seriously? They’re about to plunge into a wild jungle, and that brings them happiness? Once again, I realize how out of my league I am. I don’t even have a change of clothes, for crying out loud.

“As you may have realized, you are on the outskirts of a rain forest. This will be the jungle part of the course. You will have two weeks to arrive at the jungle’s base camp. You will find this base camp by following the path of blue flags.”

Contestants glance around, immediately looking for the first blue flag. As for me, I’m watching the taillights of the semi and having a massive coronary.

“If you are the first to encounter a blue flag, you may remove it, but you may not remove the stake it is attached to. Doing so will result in immediate disqualification.”

I wonder why anyone would want to remove the flag to begin with. No one else seems concerned by this.

“While the Cure will be awarded to a single winner at the end of the last ecosystem, we will bestow a smaller prize for each leg of the race. The prize for the jungle portion will be monetary.” The woman pauses dramatically. “I’d like to officially welcome you to the Brimstone Bleed. May the bravest Contender win.”

That’s it? That’s all she’s going to say? Because it seriously sounds like she’s wrapping up. So why aren’t I running after the trucks? Why am I not chasing after my only way out of this jungle like my life depends on it? I know the answer — though I wish I didn’t. Cody would do this for me. I am his only hope. I have to believe his cure exists. My only other option is to return home and watch my brother die. If I could even get back home.

I glance around frantically, looking for someone to tell me what to do. The Contenders have formed a long line, the kind you see at the start of a marathon. A few yards down from where I stand — I see him. My throat tightens when I realize his cold blue eyes are locked on me. It’s the guy from the Pandora Selection Process. The serial killer–looking dude who I thought was going to kidney punch me. He glares in my direction like he might take this opportunity to finish what he never started. I raise my hand in a small wave, hoping it says something like: See? Look how friendly I am!

He lifts his own enormous hand. For a moment, I brighten. I think maybe that — even though it looks like he hates every fiber of my being — he’s going to wave back. But he doesn’t. He holds up two fingers — his pointer and his middle — places them under his eyes, and then points in front of us.

Oh no, he didn’t. I think he basically just told me to pay attention. I’m still processing this when the woman’s voice rings in my ear.

“Go!”

So what do you think?
Are you excited that Fire and Flood will soon be here?
Happy Reading

Booked Beautiful: Bookish cuff bracelet

Booked Beautiful is a weekly post dedicated to all things crafty, decorative, or fun that has been made of or inspired by books.

I originally found this project idea from the blog Word Up, Nerd Up. She does an amazing tutorial on a book page rose ring. As much a I LOVE rings, well OK, I love all jewelry. I found this awesome Cuff at Michael’s craft store and thought it could work beautifully with the same bookish concept.

What you will need

In case any of you are wondering I got all of my supplies at Michael’s.

Supply list:

• Old book you don’t mind tearing pages out of.

• Mod Podge, or a glue water mixture.             

• Scissors                                                     

• Some type of paint brush.                            

• Hot glue gun                                               

• Paint in the color you want.                         

• Cuff bracelet form.                                     

How do I make this thing?

Cut your book page into a square. Take your mod podge and coat both sides of the page. Technically you don’t have to do this step, but through trial and error we discovered that it really does turn out better if you do slap that mod podge on that book page and let it dry all the way before you start cutting out your rose.

Cut you dry square into a spiral… Me and my stupid self forgot to take a picture of this step. I just cut the corners off first to make it a rounded shape, then continued to cut in a circular motion until I got close to the center. leave a small circle at the center. this is what you glue your spiral rose to, and the base that attaches to your bracelet.  

 

Taking the outside edge of your spiral begin to wind. The tighter you wrap your rose the smaller it will be. Don’t feel like this has to be perfect! I did mine like three times before I reached for the glue.

Once you have gotten a feel for how you want your rose to look it’s time to grab the glue gun. If you are more confidant than I am you can use the glue gun from the beginning of winding your rose up and just glue a little as you go. As you can see in the picture above I got mine the basic form I wanted, and my husband grabbed the glue gun and glued it from the bottom to make it stay. Then glued the last few wraps of my paper spiral to lay how I wanted them.

This is what my flower looked like after gluing it together.

You can skip this step if you are happy with your book rose at this point. I thought mine could use a little bronze color just around the petals edges. I mixed a little brown and gold paint and with a light hand brushed just the flowers edges.

After your paint is dry it’s time to dress this naked cuff up. After making sure my flower is big enough to cover the round center of my cuff bracelet, I cover the round surface with hot glue. Then I center my book rose above the cuff and press down quickly making sure to attach my rose securely.

 

I am so happy with how this project turned out! I can’t wait to wear my new bracelet this week. It is so supper cute, and this really was pretty easy to make.

These book roses would also be perfect on hair clips and headbands.

Do you think you will try this bookish DIY out in some form?

Do you have any Booked Beautiful ideas to send my way?

I am very excited to show you what I made for next weeks post:)