Bye Bye Midnight Book Thief!

...Yes, the title says it all. And yes, I really am saying good bye to this blog.

Does that mean I've stopped blogging? Nope, not one bit. After being an irregular blogger for about 5 months, I kinda lost the will to continue. However, a really good friend of mine, Patricia, decided to continue blogging. She had been on a hiatus for the past few months as well, and just recently continued. And guess what? She asked whether I wanted to be her co-blogger.

And of course I said yes!

Having a co-blogger means twice the fun, right? ;)

So yes, this will be my last post here. Well, this blog has been a desert land for the past half year anyway. ;) But no, I'm not gonna be deleting this one, because well, it might be fun returning to it from time to time!

So question- where am I gonna be? Well, you can find me here:

BOOK EXHIBITIONISM

Stop by, okay? :) Patricia is awesome, and so are her posts! :)

Hope to see you there!

Jen

Giveaway Alerts #5

Once again, there's a lot of giveaways out there in the blogosphere! See something you want? Click the image and enter! 

Good luck!

Jen

Cover Reveal: Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe

Heeeyy, it's my birthday today! *throws confetti* Well, that year flew by fast! :P I know I haven't been posting that much, but I think I'll be taking a short hiatus until I'll be less busy. Besides, I'm gonna be getting a new blog design from Amanda, so maybe that'll inspire me to start spewing out more posts!

But anyway, here's the real reason why I'm writing this post. Today, I'm excited to be part of the cover reveal for Trisha Wolfe's Fireblood! Check it out:

 

To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father’s capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.

Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering stone walls of the Camelot-forged realm. Under the watchful eye of the prince's first knight, Sir Devlan Capra, changing her future becomes difficult.

When an unlikely rebel reveals the truth about the deadly secrets that fuel King Hart’s twisted world, Zara’s path to rescue her father becomes clouded by deception. The Rebels clear her path by forcing Zara’s hand with an ultimatum: sway Prince Sebastian to join the Rebels, convincing him of his father’s evil nature, or they will take him out.

But Zara is uncertain about a future under the Rebels’ command and where the prince’s heart truly lies. She must decide who to trust, what to believe, and what she’s truly fighting for before the king destroys all of Karm, including her heart.

Doesn't it look awesome! I love how the cover captures the book perfectly! :D Anyone else adding it to their TBR list?

Jen

The Army of TEN!

Hi guys! 

I know its been quite around here lately, since I've been super busy. But I just wanted to drop by and spread the word about THE ARMY OF TEN! It's basically a promotional thing for Gretchen McNeil's upcoming book, TEN. It sounds really awesome, so be sure to join in! You could also win a lot of prizes too, such as:

- a signed hardcover of TEN

- a signed paperback of POSSESS

- a signed copy of DEAR TEEN ME

- a signed copy of the anthology TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES

- a Barnes & Noble gift card

- items from the personal collection of two characters from the book

There's even a ranking system and all, like Major, General, Private, etc. Interested? Well, click HERE and join in on the fun! :)

Jen

Origin Olympics + Giveaway Alerts

Check out the Origin Olympics held by Jessica Khoury in honor of the nearing release date of her debut book! :) Click the banner below and join in on the fun!

And there’s a lot of epic giveaways happening too! Click on the pictures of the books to check them out!

Stacking The Shelves #10: The Vampire Academy Edition!

How to Participate?

Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

Feel free to post your Stacking the Shelves any day that fits you.

Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

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So I'm finally able to feature my VA collection! I've technically had these books for a long time now, but my friends were borrowing them, so I never got the chance to do a STS post on these books! :)

I seriously love these books. :)

I've already read them all, but I'm planning on rereading them maybe in a month or two. :) I haven't read The Golden Lily (gasp, I know) yet, so I'm planning on reading them all together! I'm seriously looking forward to returning to the VA world.

And look! My boxed set is so pretty! :) And I got it cheap at Amazon too! 

Links:

Vampire Academy Graphic Novel: GoodReads | Amazon

Vampire Academy Boxed Set: Amazon 

Vampire Academy: GoodReads

Frostbite: GoodReads

Shadow Kiss: GoodReads

Blood Promise: GoodReads

Spirit Bound: GoodReads | Amazon

And you know what? The hardcover of Spirit Bound is just $2. I kid you not. And I thought buying it at $7 was cheap! And the boxed set is around $23... so if you haven't started reading the series yet even though its been out for ages, then this is the perfect time to! 

So what did you get this week? :)

Jen

Stacking the Shelves #9: Guess the Signature Edition!

How to Participate?

Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

Feel free to post your Stacking the Shelves any day that fits you.

Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

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So here's a little game. I had won a bunch of signed stickers a while back, all by different authors. Wanna test your knowledge of signatures and guess who signed these? :) Some are pretty obvious, some I was thrilled to have, and some, to be honest, I've never heard of. But they're all pretty cool. :D So here they are:

Awesome right? I wish there were some signed by Richelle Mead, Julie Kagawa, and Rachel Vincent included, but oh well. I can live with the ones I have. ;)

And here's some more swag I forgot to include from last last week's STS! I wasn't able to participate last week since I had exams and was super busy. But's it's all over now! :)

I love them all. The Angelfire bookmarks are so cool, and I love the Slide and Fracture bookmarks too! Plus, Lisa's signature in the Waterfall bookmarks are really pretty. :)

So what did you guys get? Don't forget to leave your links- and your guesses- in the comments!

Jen

Why I Love Floppy From the Iron Fey Series

I bet none of you chose Floppy, did you? ;) But hey, I believe that Floppy is seriously under appreciated. So here's why I love Floppy:

1. Floppy is a stuffed bunny. What's not to love about that?

2. Floppy keeps Ethan company, and is a good friend to him.

 

3. His name. Come on, the name's adorable, just like he is! :)

4. He is the shortest-lived character ever. He only makes it until chapter 3 before biting the dust.

R.I.P. FLOPPY

5. Floppy can talk to you in your dreams. Now do you know any other stuffed toy that can do that?

6. Floppy remembers your birthday. Who needs Facebook to remind you when you have Floppy?

7. Floppy can protect you. He's a fey in glamour and can see things normal stuffed rabbits can't see.

8. Floppy warned Ethan about the man in the closet, probably ensuring Ethan's survival. Without him doing that, Ethan might have been hurt (or killed) by the bowler hat man. Then we wouldn't have this now, would we? 

See my point here? ;)

And that is why Floppy is awesome, and why I love him.  I mean yeah, I also love Ash, Grim, Puck, Meghan, Ironhorse, and the whole bunch, but come on- who else would pick Floppy? :)

Jen

*I don't own any of the pictures used. I got them from Google Images. Oh, and don't try this at home. While googling, I got disturbing images of raw rabbits about to be cooked, with the occasional err, playboy bunny thrown in the mix. *shudders*

Stacking the Shelves #8: The Swag Edition!

How to Participate?

Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

Feel free to post your Stacking the Shelves any day that fits you.

Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

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This time, I wanna share with you guys the swag I've gotten over the past months. I've always shared books, so I thought, why not give the swag their own spotlight? So, I got a bunch of bookmarks and postcards, both signed and unsigned, both won and requested. :)

So pretty, right? :) I personally love The Masque of the Red Death and The Temptation of the Angels bookmarks with the tassels. :) And the picture doesn't do the postcard of Shadow Bound any justice- it looks so much better in person!

So now whenever I read a new book, I also use a different bookmark! Gone are the days when I just grab a random piece of paper and stick it in my book. :P

So what did you get this week?

Jen

Knee Deep Blog Tour: Guest Post + Excerpt

Hey guys! So I'm part of the Knee Deep Blog Tour, and today, I've got a guest post by the author, Jolene Perry, as well as an excerpt for the book! Interested? Read on!

   

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long. 

Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.

Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.

Guest Post

Sometimes a story is more personal than you expect it to be.

I read an article in an online newspaper that talked about the YA books coming out that year which dealt with abusive relationships.

I'd part mapped one out a while back, and thought maybe I'd work on it - all evidence that the market had just gotten an influx of them didn't sway me the way it should have…

The more I wrote in the story, the more personal it became.

I was not ever hit by my boyfriend in high school. He never screamed and yelled at me - though I heard him trashing his room a few times when I left after an argument, and he didn't hesitate to show me when he was pissed about something.

He'd pick fights with me over the phone and hang up, knowing it meant I'd sneak out to "straighten things out."

There was one really horrible night with him that I'd blocked from my mind for a long time, that I remembered when I was writing, so I used it.

I see these cases my husband talks about with women who are beaten and bruised and making up excuses and going back over and over. One ended in murder a couple of weeks ago. A case my husband will be prosecuting when it goes to trial.

The abuse story I told is nowhere near that dramatic, but so much of Ronnie's story was mine. WAY more than I realized while I was writing it. When I got to the end, and started writing down the parts of her story that were real (I always do this for my author site), I realized more and more how much of me was in that girl.

I stared at my computer screen in shock.

I had one of my best friends, who was a guy, who I shared more with than I probably did to most of my girlfriends - (like Luke from Knee Deep) and a boyfriend I'd known since I was a kid (like Shawn from Knee Deep) And I felt this draw to my boyfriend, only because I'd known him for so long, not because we really had anything left in common.

I felt more like I was stuck in this relationship, and didn't even realize I didn't want to be there until I visited a friend in college and saw how much more LIFE was out there. It was just that the idea of this one person had been in my head for way too long.

And where did I end up? Married to the best friend.

People talk about writing what you know, and then talk about keeping yourself out of your books. But you know what? I KNEW that situation - and I know I'll get some bad reviews (like you always do - ESPECIALLY when you tackle a tough topic) that are going to say that Ronnie's actions weren't believable.

But here's the thing - I told her story, the best way I knew how. Ronnie's reactions with pieces of my truth. And there are some drastic differences, but there are also some startling similarities. So, to me, Ronnie's actions were completely and totally understandable.

And that's the story of how Knee Deep came to be.

Wow, right? I love this post- it's so emotional, and hey, I can't resist a good happy ending! :) And now, for the excerpt!

Excerpt

My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls.

“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.

Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?

Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except...I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me

knew it was weird that Luke was here without Shawn. I thought it, and did nothing. But again, it is just Luke.

“What’re you doing here?” Shawn asks. His dark eyes fix on Luke.

“I figured you’d be here, man.” Luke stands up. “It’s like we always ditch together, right?”

Romeo and Juliet kissing in the pool on the TV screen probably isn’t helping anything. Maybe Shawn won’t notice, or maybe it’s just sending my heart into crazy flutters because this tension between Shawn and Luke and, I guess, me, is happening during the most romantic scene of the movie.

“Uh, I don’t know.” Shawn’s still scowling, his brows pulled low and his jaw tight.

“You would’ve hated it,” I say. My eyes catch his, but his are as black as his mood seems to be. I’m so stupid. Why did I have to let Luke stay?

“Yeah, maybe.” Shawn’s narrowed eyes go from Luke to me, back and forth, as if judging the situation. Really? What did he think could possibly happen between Luke and I? Even if this is suddenly on my top three ‘most awkward moments’ ever. I can’t even think about what the other two might be. Maybe I’ve just found number one.

“Romeo and Juliet all day.” Luke laughs, but I know him well enough to see he’s trying really hard to be relaxed. His shoulders are too stiff, and his normal stance is too rigid. I wonder if Shawn sees it too. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Luke’s trying hard to keep his voice light.

“Yeah.” Shawn has yet to return Luke’s smile. “I almost never see my girl anymore.”

It’s like I’m on the edge of my seat, tension pinpricking every part of me. I’ve never seen Shawn like this.

“Well, I should get my ass to rehearsal anyway.” Luke gives Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading outside.

I don’t watch him go. My eyes are on Shawn, trying to figure out what to expect next.

“What the hell was that?” His sharp gaze is now pointed directly at me.

I stand up and lean to the side, trying to be relaxed. “It didn’t seem like a big deal this morning.” Maybe if I play it off as nothing Shawn won’t be so mad. He knows Luke and I are friends. No big deal, I tell myself again. But I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or Shawn.

“Was he here when we were texting?” he asks. His voice may be low, but not in a good way. It’s low in a way that makes him sound like he’s past the edge of reasonable anger.

My body’s screaming for me to take a step back, which makes no sense. This is Shawn. My Shawn. “No.” But I’m weakening by the second, almost shaking inside. His jaw tightens again.

My eyes close as I remember, and dread fills my chest. “He got here as I sent my last one.” Is that bad? Good?

“And you didn’t think to tell me? What the hell is that?”

I jump at the sharpness of his voice. Shawn doesn’t need this stress. I know this. I reach forward to put my arms around him. We just need to hold one another for a minute, then it’ll all be fine.

He stops me, grabbing my arm—hard—just above my wrist.

“This is not okay.” His jaw is set.

“Hey.” My voice shakes. My body shakes. I’m actually scared of Shawn for the first time ever. I jerk my hand once, but he tightens his grip...impossibly tight. My lungs can’t pull in a breath; there’s just not enough air in the room anymore. “Shawn, you’re hurting me.” He can’t mean to hurt me. He can’t.

His face is stuck in a sharp scowl.

“He’s your friend.” My voice is crying. I want to try and pull my shaky arm out of his grasp again, but I’m afraid to; he’s squeezing so hard. Tears are hot against the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over.

“How would you feel if I spent all day with some chick?” The words come out as angry spit from between his teeth.

I open my mouth to answer but can’t, the lump in my throat has taken over. All I can think about is that I need to find something to say so he’ll let me go. Some way to get the air through my throat to form words. “It’s just Luke,” I plead, sucking in a breath.

“Whatever.” He throws my arm back at me, turns, and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind him. My body jumps at the sound.

I stumble backward onto the couch. I’m like a leaf battered about in the wind. Nothing’s working right. I need to sit. Normally I’d run after him, but I have no idea what to expect. And I’m afraid. Of Shawn.

He’s never been that way before. Ever. He’s moody and particular, but this seems...extreme. I’m cradling my wrist with my other hand, afraid to look at any possible damage. It hurts to move it. What just happened here? How did it happen?

It’s like there suddenly must be something fundamentally wrong with the universe. But the TV’s still on. My house looks normal and quiet. I’m still breathing, but Shawn, my Shawn, just hurt me. Lying down seems so anti-climactic, but I can’t bring myself to do anything else.

When Juliet realizes Romeo’s dying the sobs take over, and I pull my knees to my chest as if making myself smaller will somehow dull the pain.

It doesn’t.

Sounds good, right? Click the cover of the book to check out its Goodreads page, where there's a giveaway for a copy! Good luck! :D

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed reading the guest post and excerpt! I know I did! :)

Jen

Stacking the Shelves #7: The Pledge Edition!

How to Participate?

Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

Feel free to post your Stacking the Shelves any day that fits you.

Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

---

The Pledge: Amazon | GoodReads

I've been dying for The Pledge for a long time now. Seriously, the premise sounds so cool, and I've always loved dystopian books, so I was so stoked when I won a copy! Not only that, I also got a bunch of really cool swag from Jessirae who happens to be part of The Pledge Street Team! :) Don't you just love the poster? And Kimberly Derting's signature is really beautiful! Love her handwriting! 

I love the bookmark and I can't wait to use it! The stickers are pretty cute too. And I also got a signed passport for Ludania, so since I'm a "citizen" of that country, I'm planning to go there next summer. Oh wait, it's fictional. Damn, too bad! :P

So, what did you get this week? Leave a link below to your post! :)

Jen

Giveaway Alerts #3

Hey guys! Once again, here's a heads up on some totally awesome giveaways happening lately! So first up, click the banners below to enter Shatterbook's 300 Follower Giveaway and 6 Month Anniversary Giveaway! There's a lot of awesome books to choose from! 

Click the book cover below to enter a giveaway for ARCs of the Fall Breathless Reads, including Falling Kingdoms!

And finally, click the pic below to enter a giveaway for a mystery box of ARCs, including an ARC of Of Poseidon and The Iron King!

Good luck!

Jen