Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #8

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 8 and congrats for finding the 8th clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #7

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 7 and congrats for finding the 7th clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

Happily Ever Endings: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Happily Ever Endings is a synopsis of the ending of a novel that is part of a series. It is so that you can refresh yourself as to what happened in the last book so that you can be ready to read the next in the series! Is this not the HEE you need? Check out the master list here.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Click "Read more" to read the ending of Beautiful Creatures so you'll be ready for the next installment of the series!

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #6

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 6 and congrats for finding the 6th clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 563 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (December 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316042676
ISBN-13: 978-0316042673
Series: Beautiful Creatures #1
Source: Bought at Books-A-Million
Cover: This is cover love for me. Ever since I saw this first cover, I've been smitten with these novels, especially since they work so well for the Gothic Southern feel of the books. However, I wish the font were purple since this is narrated by a boy and yellow and green are so important to the story. But those angry grey tree silhouette are a little slice of heaven!
First Sentence: There were only two kinds of people in our town.

Mini-Review: A delightfully Southern Gothic read that is intensely romantic and hard to put down

Summary:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. 

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. 

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review:

Beautiful Creatures is a delightfully Southern Gothic read that is intensely romantic and hard to put down. I didn't expect to write that a book told solely in a male's point of view would be romantic but by the end, I was a complete believer. With a setting that oozes mood and charm, a cast of finely tuned and wildly interesting characters and a plot that keeps plenty of twists in its pages, it is one hard book to put down.

I've read other reviews that have had a real problem with the main character Ethan. They state that he just isn't believable because of how crazy he is for Lena, how polite he is to grown ups, how interested he is in what Lena wears and how he spends his Saturdays helping out with his trio of crazy old Aunts. I can understand this point of view, I just don't agree with it. Boys don't have to just like sports and not notice what a girl is wearing. They come in a variety of flavors and I loved that Ethan was so varied. He was a pretty good basketball player though he wasn't in love with the game but he also liked to read classic books. Yeah, he noticed what Lena was wearing sometimes but he also realized that she dressed to match her mood. I think that these things made him special and allowed girls to relate to him as easily as men. So I had no problems with him. He was from the South and he was bred to be a well mannered Southern boy who respects his elders and says "ma'am".

I thought Lena was just as good of a character though I did have a few problems with her. I understood that she'd been bullied her entire life but a lot of the time, she got mad or upset and I had NO clue why, I was just as baffled as Ethan. I just had a hard time understanding her motivations. I did love all of her corky characteristics though. I thought her necklace full of junk and the way she loved to play with the clouds was brilliant.

The authors did an awesome job really making Gatlin seem like a character in the book. It felt alive and breathing to me. Sometimes it was way too small with its one stop shop and how everybody knew everyone else's business but then we'd get a little chapter about the scenery and I'd be blown away but just how beautiful and mysterious it was. It really was the perfect setting to add mood to the book. I could picture all the hanging moss and Ravenwood as if I drove past it every single day. All of the Southern food and customs  really helped bring it to life. How everyone knew their family tree, referred to the Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression and were more interested in how the North was unfair than what really happened in history. I felt like I lived there with Ethan.

That's why finding out about Lena and her families' power felt so magical. People often criticism Twilight for being long and showing mundane things about Bella's life but without knowing those, we wouldn't fully appreciate how amazing and magical The Cullen's existence was. This goes the same for the setting in Beautiful Creatures. We saw the Gatlin Ethan grew up in and felt as it shattered away into something all together magical when he met Lena. We saw that right below the streets and houses was a vast Caster library. We saw that Ravenwood may look like a dump but that it's really enchanted. And we were just as enchanted with everything else as Ethan.

The entire Casters system was pretty neat. I read a lot of paranormal so it wasn't completely unique but it was fun. What made it really special and stand out for me was the curse on Lena's family. You get no say whether you go Light or Dark. The power just takes you on your sixteenth birthday. I loved the idea that one day, someone could be as sweet as pie and the next they went black. It made for such an interesting concept and it was for that reason I kept reading so intently.

I think the plot was really well done. I wasn't expecting the ending AT ALL so that really shocked me. What I was expecting was a re-incarnation story. With all the flashback to the past, I was sure that was the way this book was going and I kind of wish it was. The flashbacks were revealed to be important but I'm not sure they were important enough to warrant so much intention. Having it be a re-incarnation story would have really made those flashbacks vital. This is just a personal preference though. I liked how the past and present and even the future never felt too far away. They all sort of blended into one thing. For me, that is a lot like the South so it was perfect.

I was also really impressed that this novel was written by two authors. I can't tell where one started and the other took off. Their voices blended perfectly to create Ethan and I never noticed the writing getting too different. I thought I might and I really did try but it never got to that. I will say that I did think this novel could have been cut down. There were places that really drug for me. I know it's nice to know that they spent a lot of time looking for answers but right before it got to Lena's birthday, I almost lost interest. I felt it could have been trimmed there and a few other places to help with pacing but by the time I got to the end, that didn't really matter for me.

Beautiful Creatures really does weave the magic the South offers into one hell of a debut. Blending the past, present and future into the novel really creates a sense that anything can happen and the sweet romance between Ethan and Lena is guaranteed to make you smile. Dripping with charm and chills around every page, Beautiful Creatures is one book you won't mind if it "ma'am"'s you!

Rating:

Favorite Sentences:

When she was in one of these moods, my mom used to call it going dark--religion and superstition all mixed up, like it can only be in the South.

--Pg. 8 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I felt a steamroller plow into my back. and Emily pushed through the doorway as if I wasn't standing there, which was her way of saying hello and expecting me to follow her to the back of the room...

--Pg. 34 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

When I looked at her, I was farther away from Gatlin than I'd ever been.

--Pg. 53 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I tried not to look surprised , but I'm pretty sure it gave me away when I almost jumped out of my skin.

--Pg. 120 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

"You can't jump  off a cliff when you've already fallen off a bigger one." (Ethan)

--Pg. 183 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Old paper, which my mom used to say was the smell of time itself.

--Pg. 224 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Darkness, real darkness, was something more than just a lack of light.

--Pg. 295 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

It felt like the Book was stealing a little bit of my breath each time I inhaled.

--Pg. 350 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

It wasn't my mother's smile, but it was one of my mother's favorite smiles.

--Pg. 423 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

"I have never loved you any less than I do, right this second. And I'll never love you any less then I do, right this second." (Ethan)

--Pg. 561 of "Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Book Trailer:


Movie Trailer:

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #5

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 5 and congrats for finding the 5th clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

In My Mailbox 107

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren that encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!

From Simon and Schuster:

• What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis

From Books-A-Million:

• The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard
• Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

I got three awesome books this week and I can't wait to read them all. I've been waiting like a mad person for my bookstore to get in a copy of Through the Ever Night and they finally did this week! I did a little happy jig right then in the store.

What did you get in your mailbox?

Saturday Discussions: Do you go for the sweet or heat?

I posed a question on Twitter yesterday and I thought it might be fun to get as many responses as possible. So let's get on with it. My question is when you are reading, what type of kissing scenes do you prefer?

Are you all about the sweet? The googly eyes, the slow moment before the kiss actually hits and you know it's about to happen, the sweet moment when that kiss changes both characters?

Or are you all about the heat? The frantic touching, the need to be closer, ever closer, the rolling around on the ground, can't-wait-to-rip-your-shirt off, tongue and exploration type of kiss that leaves you breathless.

When I asked on Twitter, I got 5 responses. Two people were all sweet, two were all heat and one loved them both.

For me, I think I like sweet kisses better. I like when the characters have a little bit of trouble finding their rhythm, when it is slow and oh so sweet. When the kiss is slow enough that the character can really understand what it is doing to them. I love when best friends fall for each other. I think those are the relationships that really make me smile and genuinely start with a really sweet kiss.

Don't get me wrong, I love it when they kiss again and it is a lot hotter too but I think first kisses are always better when they are sweet and the character learns something about the person they are kissing and about themselves.

What about you? Are you all about the sweet or heat? And can you think of any good examples for both? I could only think of a few.

For sweet:

• Rachel and Logan in the lake in Defiance by C.J. Redwine

For heat:

• Mara and Noah on the beach in The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
• Adam and Juliette in the shower in Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I'm looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions!

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #4

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 4 and congrats for finding the 4th clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

An Awesome Gift Idea

I posted about my husband doing shadow boxes before on the blog when he first started out but I wanted to do another post now so you can see just how beautiful and versatile they are.

Basically what he does is takes an image, simplifies the style and then proceeds to cut that image out of paper card stock from scratch. All his computer mock-ups are free so you will get a pretty decent idea of how your box will look before he starts.

For a regular box (not too advanced in design) he is charging $45 plus shipping. This includes the frame.

For a premium box he is charging $60 plus shipping. Also includes the frame.

Here is his commission info so you can see how awesome they are and how exact the digital mock-ups are to the finished product:

Here are a few of my favorite boxes he's completed so far:

Bumblebee:

DJ Pon3:

Princess Celestia:

Princess Luna:

Twilight Sparkle:

Harry Potter:

He can pretty much do anything at this point. Maybe you are a Whovian like myself and want him to do an awesome Dalek or you love Supernatural and want one of the brothers leaning against their car. I'm still holding him to his promise to make me one of Toothless from How to Train You Dragon or perhaps you want a custom mockingjay from The Hunger Games. The possibilities are endless and it is sure to be something unique that no one else will have.

These all look even better in person with the definition popping off the wall. I highly suggest snatching up one for yourself and if you are feeling particularly generous, you might even want to get one for a friend. Bumblebee up there is going out as a Valentine's Day gift. That is one lucky guy!

Anyway, I wanted to update you all and hope you'll take a look around his gallery. I am so proud of him right now that I could burst!

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #3

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 3 and congrats for finding the 3rd clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Dollhouse Asylum

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to. This is a wonderful chance for blogger to show off what's coming out soon that they are excited about! Every week my wishlist balloons thanks to this awesome meme.

The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival. 

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world. 

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along. 

If they play it right, then they'll be safe. 

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

The Dollhouse Asylum is out October 22nd 2013 by Spencer Hill Press.

Super high stakes combined with an interesting plot have me dying to read this one. I love the concept. Sounds so intriguing. This is a must read for me!

What are you waiting on this week?

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #2

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

Welcome to day 2 and congrats for finding the 2nd clue! Here's your clue today:

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

Who Is Marcus Finch? Clue #1

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So let's get to work detectives!

To kick things off, first here is some info on the book:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

And here is the first of 16 clues for us all to discover once and for all who Marcus Finch is!

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

See you tomorrow detectives!

In My Mailbox 106

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren that encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!

Brought from the bookstore:

• The Archived by Victoria Schwab
• Everbound by Brodi Ashton

From an event:

• An ARC of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

That it for me this week! I was super happy to find an early copy of The Archived at my bookstore. Made me feel sneaky like I was carrying illegal contraband. 

What did you get in your mailbox?

Saturday Discussion: How do you review?

This week I want to talk how you review books. After doing it for almost three years now (holy cow!), my review methods have definitely changed and I wanted to take you into my process and would love to learn about yours.

DawnFire84

When I'm reading:
I used to read and pray I'd remember my favorite spots in the book but as I kept reviewing, I got a little smarter about the whole thing. Now I have little post-its on my bookmark and as I read and find a sentence I like, I pull the sticky tab off and stick it to anything that catches my eye. That way I can mark my favorite lines!

I also make sure to read the book all the way through and try not to make up my mind until I've read ever single word.



~MissUnfortunate

 After I've read:
The most important thing for me to do after I shut a book is to wait a few days. I need some time to form an opinion about the book. My gut reaction is good but sometimes as the story settles with me, I end up drawing new conclusions I hadn't been able to see before.

After a couple of days, I go to write my review.

While writing:
When I form my review, I make sure I have all the info on the top. Over the years I've added my opinion on the cover and I always include the first line since that usually sells me on a book I'm purchasing. Then I dive into the meat of the review. I like to start with a "catch-y" first paragraph that summarizes my feelings on the book in two or three sentences in case people just want a snap shot of what I thought about the book.

After, I write about my opinions of the characters, the plot and the writing. If I have anything negative to say, I add it at the very end. But if I didn't like something, I try to be respectful about why I didn't like it and I was state that it is only my opinion and others might havr a different opinion. After that paragraph, I do another paragraph that summarizes my thoughts and all the points I made in the meat of my review and add the rating.

I always make sure to add my favorite lines and check to see if they have a book trailer.

The result:
I end up doing pretty long reviews. I like to dissect characters and my reactions to the novel in depth because it helps me understand what I like about novels and what I don't. I know long reviews are harder to read. I even did a poll and most said they prefer four paragraphs for reading reviews but I just can't make them that short.

So that's my process for reviewing. It isn't the "only" way to do it but it is working for me.

I'd love for you to take me through your review process! Do you do anything different? Anything I do that you might steal or do the same as me?

WriteOnCon Midwinter Pitchfest!

I was approached by Carrie Harris about an awesome event that is going to be held in March called the Midwinter Pitchfest hosted by WriteOnCon. Not only does this sound like a great event to participate in but it is also really good timing for me since I just finished editing my WIP and will be hitting the querying circuits soon.

Here's more info on the event from the people at WriteOnCon:

We here at WriteOnCon have decided that we sleep too much. To rectify that, we're organizing a mid-winter "Luck 'O the Irish" pitch-fest, where agents, book bloggers, and authors will team up to read and vote for the best pitches of 2013.

You read that right! A pitch-fest! At WriteOnCon!

But you won't need a pot 'o gold--or a lucky leprechaun--to participate, because our goal is to make sure you're well prepared. After all, we have bonafide literary agents coming to this thing! Yes, they will be reading the pitches, and yes, they are looking to sign clients. It could be you!

Not a writer? WE STILL NEED YOU! We're recruiting book bloggers and readers to spread the word and to vote for their favorites. Advocate for the books you want to see published--contact us at writeoncon@gmail.com to become an official WOC 2013 Pitch-Fest Blogger. You'll even get a special button. Ooooo. Shiny buttons.

The details:
--Pitch-fest runs from March 18-22. Authors, book bloggers, readers, and our fabulous literary agents will be voting on the pitches. The favorites in each category will win prizes, including some great agent feedback or membership in the official WriteOnCon mentorship program!

--There will only be a limited number of pitches accepted. That number is unknown at this time, because it depends on how many agents attend. We're still recruiting agents and will let you know the final numbers as soon as we do! Pitches will be selected randomly, so it doesn’t matter what time zone you live in.

--The agents have selected their top three genres, and pitches will ONLY be accepted in those genres. Again, all genres are unknown at this time as we're still finalizing agents, but don't worry. We will make announcements about genres and numbers as things solidify (sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss a thing!). At this time, we are only focusing on the children's market, so you can know now that this pitch-fest will focus only on middle grade and young adult genres.

--We're announcing this now, before all details are finalized, because we're running a "perfect your pitch" workshop in February. This will take place in the WriteOnCon forums, and will work much the same as the query critique boards do during the annual WOC. You will post your pitch, and your peers will critique it. We will have posts from industry professionals on writing pitches and genre classification.

We're doing this for a good reason. We want your pitch to be as perfect as possible once the submission window hits in March. We will only be accepting your entry for the pitch-fest one time. We will not change your genre or edit your pitch after it has been submitted. This workshop during February is the time for you to fine-tune your pitch and get feedback about which genre your novel really belongs in.

--Only one pitch per person. Put forth your best work.

--Pitches should be for polished and query-ready novels only. That means if you haven't finished your novel yet, you shouldn't pitch. Still revising? Don't pitch. The agents attending are looking for material, and when they request, you want to be ready to send out your novel. We're announcing early to give you time to finish!

Dates to know:
February 18-March 10 - Forum peer pitch critiques (Carolin has the forum boards built! Check them out HERE)
March 11-13 - Submission of final pitches (this will be done through a Google form, NOT in the forum--details to come!)
March 14-17 - We build the boards in the forum (they will be hidden until March 18)
March 18-22 - Voting and commenting by literary agents, mentor authors, and book bloggers

We can't wait to see you at the Luck o' the Irish Pitch-Fest! Watch the WOC newsletter and site for more updates as we get closer to liftoff. Yeah, that was totally a mixed metaphor.
I know I'm going to be there! Will you?

Happily Ever Endings... Envy by Elizabeth Miles

Happily Ever Endings is a synopsis of the ending of a novel that is part of a series. It is so that you can refresh yourself as to what happened in the last book so that you can be ready to read the next in the series!

Envy by Elizabth Miles

The Furies are back in the second book of a chilling paranormal trilogy where revenge rules the day—and “sorry” isn’t going to cut it. Spring is coming, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath. 

Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her. 

Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all… 

It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

Click "Read more" to read the ending of Envy so you'll be ready for the next installment of the series!

Top Ten Tuesday: 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, they post a subject and the goal is to answer the question with your top ten picks. Once you've done it, link back to The Broke and the Bookish and check out what other bloggers have to say!

Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

This list is pretty easy to make with the DBA challenge. I went through there and snatched up a few I'm really excited for!

1) Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans- Not only is the author a fellow blogger but the premise is killer.

2) Taken by Erin Bowman- Love that it is written from a boy's POV and the concept sounds amazing. I want to find out the secret behind The Heist.

3) Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke- The devil as a love interest? This is so going to end badly. I can't wait to see if I'm right!

4) City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster- A murder mystery set in a fantasy backdrop? I'm so in love with this premise!

5) The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett- This cover is just gorgeous and the premise sounds awesome. I want to know what a Nightmare is and how the story is going to unfold!

6) The Collector by Victoria Scott- With a cover like that and a name like Dante Walker, there is no way I'm not looking forward to this book! 

7) Pantomime by Laura Lam- If it's Strange Chemistry, I know I'm in for something this special and this just screams amazing. I love a story that combines magic with a circus!

8) Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland- It describes this novel as "Goddess Test and Dexter". Like the t.v. show Dexter. I am so there!

9) Dualed by Elsie Chapman- This is such a cool concept. Two of you, one arena and only one comes out the survivor. Yes, please!

10) Red by Alison Cherry- I had to add in a contemporary and didn't have to look much further than this one. Sounds like a really funny and awesome read!

I'm always on the look out for new debuts. Which books made your list?