ARC:Awakened by Ednah Walters

Title:Awakened
Author:Ednah Walters
Pages:256
Publisher:Pill Hill Press
Source:Received from author for review
Reading Level:Young Adult
Rating:



Summary:

Most teens turn sixteen and get the license to drive, but Lil Falcon gets the license to kill demons.

Orphaned as a child and raised by an eccentric grandfather, Lil is concerned with surviving high school and is unaware that she’s a Guardian—a being with super powers charged with killing demons and protecting humanity. When she meets Bran, a mysterious boy with amazing abilities, his psi energy unlocks her latent powers.

But Bran has a secret that can destroy their growing relationship, and the truth she discovers may destroy everything she believes in unless she finds the right balance between love and sacrifice.

Review:
Awakened left me hungry for more!
Aside from the amazing cover, the story is simply memorable. While im sure we are all aware of other angel/demon books now available but Awakened was like non before it. Not only was it about angels and demons, but how Walters described them, gave them narration, gave them life was quit unique.
From the first page I was pulled in. I thought that the first chapter was an amazing start to the book. It explained all that was to happen but not to much where you already knew exactly what was going to happen. Not to mention you get to meet a very sexy, exciting boy very soon, which I appreciated very much. The detail practically runs a movie in your head as you read along. The glossary in the front of the book was very useful as you read on. Sometimes there may be a word or a character position that you may not be sure of and all you have to do is take a quick peak there and all is good. Very useful with this book.
Lil as a character was very enjoyable to read. She was like no other female character that I have ran across and probably will not run across. From her attitude, her style, to the actions she makes. There were a few times were I questioned her actions but in then end everything worked out in a fascinating way.
Bran was a boy that I admired from the very start. Aside from Bran's charming good looks, his attitude was a pleasure to read. He had that "I dont care just do as I say" kind of attitude which is always fun to read when about a male character.
While it may take some time to get used to all of the terms, Awakened was easy to follow but kept you on the edge of your seat. You may think you had an idea of what was coming up, but the Walters proved you [me] wrong.
Both Lil and Bran have a past of which they had no control over. They both lost something that meant a lot to them but one of them may have been to young to remember. But, it will alter their future with out a doubt. Are these to perfect for each other? Or are they enemies but try to doubt it, even if there are people trying to break them apart?

Awakened was a refreshing new YA story that will forever stay on my shelves. I can definitely see myself re-reading in the near future. Now, all I have to do is wait for the next book in this extravagant series!

In My Mailbox (16)

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren!

Here is what I bought this week:

Not books! Packages to put books in! Will be shipping winner stuff as soon as I can!

Books received/Goodies!


Thank you so much Artist! I loved this book so much and im so glad Artist sent me a signed copy of it with all of these awesome goodies!

Received for review:


Thank you so much Lisa/publisher for an ARC! Twas amazing, my review is up if you want to take a look!


SOO happy for Return To Paradise! Review is also up of you want to check that out as well. <3 Simone!

Also, I got Portal by Imogen Rose! Thank you Imogen! Read it, loved it, review soon!


And last, I received Awakened by Ednah Walters!!! Thank you so much Ednah!
This is an ARC believe it or not. This is the first ARC I have ever received with this binding. I adore the binding! Its just so cool!
I finished this today while at my little brothers football game, loved it! Review soon!

Thats all I got this week. I really wanted to go to Borders but never got the chance so Ill probably swing by there sometime next week.

I am so sorry for not having reviews! I have never been this busy in my whole life so I never have time! Im going to try to write them up and schedule them to post so I can have a few this week.

What did you guys get?!?!

ARC:Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

Title:Wake Unto Me
Author:Lisa Cach
Pages:304
Publisher:Speak (March 31, 2011)
Source:Received for review
Reading Level:Young Adult
Rating:


Summary:

Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It's what her dead mother's note suggested, and it's what her recurring nightmares allude to.

Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams--and her small town--she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse.

But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams?

Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever.

Review:
I want a boy from 400 years ago... As long as he is my my dreams first!
Cach really knows how to write a boy who is 400 years older than you, you can only see him in your dreams, an excellent treat!
Right after reading the Prologue, I was hooked. Like most Prologues, it left me questioning and wanting more! After Chapter 1, the book had all of my attention. I sat at my brothers football practice, reading instead of watching him as I should have. This wasn't the first time Ive seen him, nothing stopped me from reading Wake Unto Me.
The setting of the boarding school in France was well written and beautifully imagined. As was the characters of Caitlyn and her dream boy. The character of Caitlyn Monahan or as the kids of at her high school call her, Caitlyn Moan N Groan, was a pleasure reading about. Caitlyn is a girl who was the out cast at her high school and never thought she would get to have an adventure. Her dream boy was just living his life 400 years ago and thought of nothing until her met this girl who comes and goes at her convenience. What he did not know, was he was actually the dream in this story. Though he was supposed to be the knight in shining armor, but in the end, who was really saving who?

I found quite a bit of Caitlyn in myself as I continued the adventure in Wake Unto Me. I appreciated the imagery between the present and the past. While the setting was the same, the actions of the characters were very different and lovely.
Wake Unto Me was a memorable read in which I devoured at my brothers football practice. For those who may not know how long that is, it's two hours. It not only made me laugh out loud, gasp, and sigh but had my mom who was with me tempted to steal the book out of my hands and start reading herself. Cach proves that nothing can keep you away from true love. Even if you are sixteen, at a boarding school, and in a foreign country. Not only is can you fond love in a foreign country, but even in the most unlikely place.
Girls, and maybe even boys, Wake Unto Me is an eye opening love story in which you will never look at "historical" love stories the same again.

Review:Return To Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Title:Return To Paradise
Author:Simone Elkeles
Pages:312
Publisher:Flux (September 1, 2010)
Source:Publisher
Reading Level:Young Adult
Rating:



Summary:

Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She’s determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie’s accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

Review:
Return To Paradise had an extraordinary ending. Simone Elkeles had never let me down and I doubt she ever will.
For those who have read the first book, you know how Elkeles writes, magical. Absolutely breath taking. Elkeles know what real teens do. I adore the fact that Elkeles captures how teenagers really are. Not many YA authors are able to catch that without making it sound unreal or not writing about it at all. Simone Elkeles has been my favorite YA author ever since reading Perfect Chemistry especially after reading Rules Of Attraction.
Those who have read Leaving Paradise know how emotional the story of Caleb and Maggie was. How the relationship between the two of them were. Leaving Paradise was a beautiful start to a fantastic series. One that everyone should read.
Return To Paradise cut right to the chase. I love the fact that the story went right into it, it didnt make you wait. If you thought the relationship between Maggie and Caleb were confusing, the tension between them triples. While you do get reintroduced to Caleb and Maggie, you also get to meet a few new friends along the way! And possible a few new enemies. While not only do you get to meet new people, there is a bunch of new drama in this sequel.
It's hard to explain just how fantastic this read was without gushing about it in every way I can. Though you have a few more weeks until you can get your won copy, I assure you the wait is well worth it.
Maggie is an absolute wonderful character. Though she is disabled, she does not let that get in the way of her dreams. Maggie is a strong, independent girl who has a very bright future ahead of her.
Caleb makes me so frustrated I love him. While Caleb can be an asshole, he can also be a very sweet person. Though spending some time in jail and has a dark past, Caleb does not let that get in the way of what he wants. Caleb is a real teenager and I love his attitude! Except for some of his actions, they weren't very attractive. Beyond that, Caleb is a girls dream boy.
Return To Paradise was an absolutely remarkable read! The story between Caleb and Maggie was like none other. Though both characters have a dark spot in their life, they don't let that get in the way of what they want in life. The characters are strong, independent, and loving.

ARC:Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title:Beautiful Darkness
Author:Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Pages:512
Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (October 12, 2010)
Source:Book It Forward Tours
Reading Level:Young Adult
Rating:



Summary:

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful supernaturals for generations.

And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back.

Review:
I tried with this book. I really tried.
While Beautiful Creatures was not all I had hoped it would be, I though it was better than the sequel Beautiful Darkness. Though I had the privilege to meet the authors who are amazing and very sweet, their story just doesn't catch my attention as other authors have. While the idea of the books were unique, the fact that it is written in a boys point of view is very unique and very enjoyable.
Beautiful Darkness in my opinion could have been more. For those who have read Beautiful Creatures, you know exactly what I mean! In the beginning of the book, I found the characters unbearable. I understand that they had a lot on their mind and possibly even more on their plates, I was just annoyed by them. I tend to get this reaction a lot from characters but I wanted to reach in the book and slap them. Sometimes I was tempted to yell at the book for being annoying.
Now, there was a bright side to this book like all books. Because of the fact that this book contains Casters out of all the type of paranormals that could have been chosen, that was always different. Every author has a different view when it comes to paranormal creatures. The team of Garcia and Stohl definitely have a different view on their world of Casters. While I personally would have liked more of the general idea of witches stuff, they had their own idea of witches.
Some of the characters were quit enjoyable and can be related to easily. Though this is a paranormal book, the normal in this book can be easily related to for high school students. There is a bunch of relationship issues, death issues, and just personal issues.
Though the series has been a disappointment to me, I will always be a supporter of both Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, and their books.




Trailer:

In My Mailbox (15) + I need books!

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren


Hi guys! I thought I got more books...I guess not.

Sorry for the horrible pictures!

Bought:


Tour Books:


Won:

Thank you Natalie!

Book for review:


Bday book!


Special announcement with this book. This is the third book in the series and I need the first two.
If anyone is willing to send me them asap (Hardcover please!) I'd be grateful. For a last bday gift ;) Or if you want to get rid of them, id pay shipping. Whatever.
Please email me if you are interested.

Thanks guys!

Leilani and Dija's Back To School Giveaway

Hello Everyone!

Id like to welcome you to Leilani & Dija's Back To School Giveaway!

At my blog I will be hosting a...Re-create a cover contest!!
At Dija's blog, she will be hosting a fun contest! You have to be creative in answering some questions because that's what you will be judged on!

Official Rules:
You must follow both me and Dija!
August 16th to September 30th
International
Have FUN!

For those of you who can't create a re-create a cover, dont worry! Neither can I! So, both me and Dija are offering up:



Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton!
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Thats is! All you have to do to win this upcoming book is fill out this form!! This means you have 2 chances to win this book!!!!





Now, onto the Re-create a cover contest!

For this contest, all you have to do is... Re-create one or both of these covers!!
You must Re-create the cover to be entered to win the book or books!
Here they are:



A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.


There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.


And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.




Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school.

Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.

Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters make Rotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about fathers and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of mortality.
All you got to do is make a post with the new cover and link it here:





Thats it!
Enjoy!






Here is my badge! Its pink!





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Enter Dija's Here:





<center><a href="http://blackfingernailedreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/leilani-dijas-back-to-school-giveaway.html<img border="0" src="http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz276/VampireGoddess96/ContestStuff.jpg"/></a><center>

Leilani and Dija's Back To School Giveaway

Hello Everyone!

Id like to welcome you to Leilani & Dija's Back To School Giveaway!

At my blog I will be hosting a...Re-create a cover contest!!

At Dija's blog, she will be hosting a fun contest! You have to be creative in answering some questions because that's what you will be judged on!

Official Rules:

1. You must follow both me and Dija!
2. August 16th to September 30th
3. International
4. Have FUN!

For those of you who can't create a re-create a cover, dont worry! Neither can I! So, both me and Dija are offering up:

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton!

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Thats is! All you have to do to win this upcoming book is fill out this form!! This means you have 2 chances to win this book!!!!





Now, onto the Re-create a cover contest!

For this contest, all you have to do is... Re-create one or both of these covers!!

You must Re-create the cover to be entered to win the book or books!

Here they are:

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.


There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.


And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school.

Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.

Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters make Rotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about fathers and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of mortality.

All you got to do is make a post with the new cover and link it here:

Thats it!

Enjoy!

Here is my badge! Its pink!




<center><a href="http://www.leilanilovesbooks.com/2010/08/leilani-and-dijas-back-to-school.html%3Cspan%20style="><img border="0" src="http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz276/VampireGoddess96/ContestStuff.jpg" /></a></center>



Enter Dija's Here:






<center><a href="http://blackfingernailedreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/leilani-dijas-back-to-school-giveaway.html/" target="_blank" title="Black Finger Nail Reviews "><img alt="Black Fingernail Reviews" src="http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz276/VampireGoddess96/download.jpg" /></a> <center>

Bash Winners!

First of all, Id like to give all who donated to my Bash a big THANK YOU!!

Second, I want to thank everyone who participated and made the Bash successful!

I now only need 17 more followers till I reach 300!!!!!

Also, a big thank you to everyone who wished me Happy Birthday! It really meant a lot to me!

What I got for my Birthday!

• Money
• A Snickers (If you no me I LOVE Snickers)
• and The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong (I do not have the first two so if anyone wants to be wonderful and be my bookfairy for the first two I will gladly accept! Or, as a bday present or perhaps a bribe for further contests. Lol)

Once again a big THANK YOU for everything! On to the winners!!

Winner of an ebook of House Of Immortal Pleasures:

KATSRUS

Winner of ebook A Vampires Kiss:

STACEY

Winner of The Book Depository:

JORDAN

Winner of The Iron King:

DFORDARLA

Winner of ebook The Panthers Lair:

*ASTRID A.*

Winner of Design Contest:

YA VAMPIRE BOOKS

Winner of Ill Be Slaying You:

MG(LWS)

Winner of Manifest:

ASHLEY'S BOOKSHELF

Winner of Kissing Sin:

KY

Winner of Twenty Boy Summer:

LYAN

Winner of signed Linger:

ALISON

If you won an actual book please fill out this form!

If you won an ebook, the ebook will be sent to the email you entered in on Monday. You have until then to email me if you want it sent to a different email.

YA Vampire Books, please email me with what you want your new blog to look like!!! I will then forward it to Andrea and you two can work it our from there.

Thank you all and CONGRATS!

Its my BIRTHDAY!

ITS MY BIRTHDAY!

We both no its mow my birthday!

For what seems like forever you all have been waiting for my birthday! Aka, you were waiting for my birthday to no if you won any of my Bash contests.

I really want to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped me promote the Bash! Its been a big success.

On Monday there will be another big contest so look out!

I only now need 19 more followers till 300! Im super excited!

All of the contests end today so enter!

• All of the Bash!!
• Twenty Boy Summer
• Signed Linger

Signed Linger info:

Email me saying why you want Linger! Be creative and funny cause thats what you will be judged on! Email me at Leilani @ leilanilovesbooks . com US only!

Thank you everyone!

Have an amazing Friday the 13th!

And yes, I do accept gifts! Aka, books! I have a list of what I want if you want to send me a present! Lol.

Contest reminder!

Hello everyone!

Thats right, tomorrow is the last day to enter all of my Bash contests!!!!

Ending tomorrow:

• ALL Bash Contests! (Click badge above)
• Twenty Boy Summer
• Signed Linger

Thanks to everyone who helped me get this far! Only 20 more followers till I reach 300!!

Contests end tomorrow, and I will have winners up on Saturday.

A new contest will be up on Monday!

In My Mailbox (14)

Okay all! Im back!

Well, I was back on Sunday but I was way to lazy to do any posts. Still am it looks like :)

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Here I have some tour books:

Here I have some books I received. I already have a signed copy of My Soul to Keep so contest coming soon!
Here are some ARC's I traded to get:
Some swag! I forgot I have a bookmark in the book above^ The Girl Who Loves Historical Romance but I forgot to picture it.

Update:

Just got this in the mail! The next Marta Acosta's vampire book!

Im really excited! Its signed as well!

For those who havnt read it, check her books out! They are definitely vampire books with a twist!!

Camping:

Yes, I did get stranded on the lake twice, thanks for asking! Lol, but seriously. Twice. The last day the boat was okay so we went out on the lake. It smelled SO bad! All the....damn I blanked. Algae! Yes, thats it! There was HELLA algae so it smelled like cow poo. Really nasty.

Me and my family had a lot of laughs so it wasnt that bad.

How was your weekend?

Bash:Kissing Sin

Hello all!!!

This is the LAST BASH CONTEST!
Can you believe it?!?! I felt like ive been posting these every week.
All of the Bash contests end on Friday August 13th! and yes I do accept presents for bribes! LOL or just for a gift 0:)

New Contest:
Me and the lovely Khadija from http://www.blackfingernailedreviews.blogspot.com/ are teaming up for a contest! It will begin August 16th to September 30th. The rules will be listed on the post.

Al right! Here is the last Bash contest! Oh, and dont forget to click on the button above to enter the other contests! Some US only, some INTERNATIONAL.

Up for grabs:
KISSING SIN BY KERI ARTHUR!!

A special thanks to DemonLover who offered the book up for the Bash!!!


RULES:

1. Fill out form bellow
2. Be a follower
3. Click on badge above and follow rules
4. US only
5. Ends August 13th! My Bday!

Review:Ordeal by Tatyana Varenko

Title:Ordeal
Author:Tatyana Varenko
Pages:212
Publisher:CreateSpace (February 7, 2010)
Source:Received for review from author.
Reading Level:Young Adult
Rating:



Summary:

It is a verse-ornated story
About love, betrayal, wrath,
Royal vampires' bliss and glory
Bringing them straight to their death.

Luella, fierce, strong vampire,
Falls for a pretty human catch
Sent on her fiancé's desire
To celebrate they are engaged.

This unexpected turnabout
Is doomed to come to a dead end:
Her human sweetheart's dead to shroud;
Her fiancé's avenged for that;

And she is punished for blood treason,
Banished into a mortal child,
Whose human body is a prison
For all her powers to bind.

Her memories obliterated,
She is to find her love at last
Who proves to be too much related
To the misfortunes from her past.

Review:
First thing first, I absolutely love the cover! Just from the cover you can imagine just how amazing this will be.
I hate to quote a fellow author friend, but I feel I must. As Ami Blackwelder said, Ordeal is written as if "Wonderfully written and a must read for poetry fans, paranormal romance fans, and lovers of old English, Shakespeare, or Edgar Allen Poe!" This is completely true! While written poetic as Shakespeare, it has the words of an Allen Poe story.
At first, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. All I knew was what I read from the synopsis. If you keep the synopsis in mind while reading the beginning of Ordeal, you should not get that lost. Because Luella is both the vampire queen and not but a human girl named Alice, you have two stories. While the hero stays the same, the heroin is always there, just in a different body. Because of the two heroins, technically there was two wonderfully ending to the couple's story.
If you are a fan of poems, Shakespeare, and Allen Poe, Ordeal is a must read. If you're not much of a poetic person, pick it up for the simple fact that its a memorable vampire love story.

Blog Tour:Return The Heart

Hell all!
As part of the Return The Heart tour hosted over at:


Today I have author of Return The Heart T.K. Richardson!!

What if your gift was a curse?

To a casual passerby, Lilly Paige is anything but special. As a seventeen year old, she is faced with all the complications of a teenager, but deep down there is much more. Lilly has a gift, though sometimes it seems to be a curse.

Lilly can peer into the hearts of others - their deepest, darkest secrets are there for Lilly to see - but to what end? Raised by aloof parents, Lilly has been independent her whole life, but soon she will need to rely on her friends to evade an evil that has sold her gift to the highest bidder on the black market. Lilly and her four closest friends are immersed in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, that will not only reveal more about Lilly's gift, but also her link to an old Russian prophecy.

Can Lilly and her friends escape the danger that is so close they can practically feel it? Where will their perilous journey lead them - to darkness or light?

Return the Heart, by T.K. Richardson, will take readers on a wonderful adventure filled with excitement, twists, turns, and revelations that will keep you reading from start to finish.

Relationships:

Hi Leilani, thank you for having me here today. I would like to talk a little about relationships – namely the relationships we have with books. From love stories, to mysteries, to adventures, the books we choose to read can develop into wonderful friendships.
My relationship with books started years ago, but the most recent one was just a few weeks ago. I was walking down the aisle at the book store, just minding my own business. From the corner of my eye I caught it staring at me. Nonchalantly, I turned to check it out. I tried to act smooth. I knew it was staring at me, but I acted casual and just glanced towards it and then glanced away. I didn’t want it to think I was too interested. But this one caught my eye in such a way I gave it a second look. My heart started to flutter and I looked it in the eyes. I felt that spark, that little something inside that said, “I want to know you better.”
So I picked up the book and turned it over. The back cover seemed intriguing. It promised a wonderful story. It said we were made for each other. I clutched the book tighter, as though someone would pry it from my hands and declare their love for it before I could. I turned it back over to examine the cover again and sure enough I felt something inside nudging me to buy the book…
This is how most of my book relationships start. Books and I have a long history together and I have found some great friendships, read sweet love stories, and experienced more adventures than I have time to talk about. But the greatest adventure I ever had was when my passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. I wanted to create that same kind of adventure for the young adults in my life (my kids), so I sat down one day and several weeks later I held my first novel.
A whole new love affair had begun.
My relationship with books has grown and changed over the years, but the one thing that has remained constant is my respect for the written word and the writers who have inspired me. Words are powerful and have meaning and when a book is written just right it can stay with the reader for years. At least it does for me. It is my hope that Return the Heart captivates the imagination and that everyone has a great relationship with it.
Thanks again for having me here today and for featuring Return the Heart on the blog tour!

Thanks you so much for stopping by!!

Here is the rest of the tour schedule!
August:

1- YA Addict
2- Lost For Words
3- Leilani Loves Books
4- Michelle-Michelle Blogs
5- All Consuming Books
6- Truth Be Told
7- YA Urban
8- Reading Vacation
9- A Fanatic's Book Blog
10- A Book Lover's Review
11- A Bibliophile's Paradise
12- Steamed
13- Emily's Reading Room
14- Potter, Percy, and I
15- Tales of a Teenage Book Lover

ARC:Torment by Lauren Kate

Title:Torment
Author:Lauren Kate
Pages:464
Publisher:Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 28, 2010)
Source:Received
Reading Level:Young Adult
Rating:


Summary:

Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous.
What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

Review:
I was extremely excited when I got my hands on Torment.
Torment was not exactly everything I thought it was going to be but it was no disappointment. The only thing I found disappointing was the fact that most of the book was just Luce in school. Though, because this is an entirely new school and surrounding (California! YAY!!) everything is different. The kids, the teachers, the education. And if you know Lauren Kate, the education was quit...creepy. In a lovely way, keeps you absorbed, but you want something pressed against your back just so you know whats there kind of way.
While there is not too much Daniel and Cam as I would have preferred, their scenes are fantastic. While in her new school, Luce of course meets new friends, and some fantastic creatures. While everything was fine, there was one thing that made my skin crawl, and not in a good way. Some people just may not care but I cared deeply and I was irritated with Luce for doing what she did. Of course, there' was nothing I can do so I just kept reading and tried not to scream when it was mentioned. Also, as most of us had probably hoped, there is definitely a little more about Daniel's past which was quit interesting. Im not going to give anything away, you will have to find out for yourself, but his relationship with the school was a little shocking. In Torment, you do get reintroduced to some old friends of Luce's as well.
Torment was yet another fantastic addition in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. I adore the cover as I did Fallen. Torment is definitely should be on your to-be read pile as soon as its released.




Trailer:

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.
If you follow my Twitter you may be aware of me going to Borders yesterday!!!

And I got a visit from my Book Fairy!!

Bought at Borders:


From Book Fairy!!!


My trip at Borders:

A wonderful section of the YA books.


I think this is awesome! There's a cover for the hardcover book then a different picture to the actual cover. You know what I mean.

How was your week?