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Girls*Heart* Books: February 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Bunheads by Sophie Flack



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB atShould Be Reading. Anyone can participate! All you have to do is:


Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My teaser is from Bunheads by Sophie Flack. I am really enjoying this novel! Very funny, and realistic. But before I digress further: 


Jacob shrugs. "What better way to see your city than from the top deck of a carbon monoxide-spouting behemoth?"


Seriously. I am loving this book. I definitely recommend it (and also wish I had more than two sentences to share. Hehe)

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Many Lives of Avery Snow by Christy Sloat: Review

Avery Snow led a boring, no thrills life. After her father left the family when she was young, Avery’s mother died when she was only twelve, leaving her all alone except for her Aunt Paulina. Now, at twenty-six, Avery is very used to being lonely.

She enjoys her job at Sunrise Estates, it’s the one place where she doesn’t feel left out. Her boss, Kerri, is her best friend and Lucy O’Shea, a resident at the home, is a good friend to her as well. The night Lucy dies in Avery’s arms she delivers a haunting message to Avery. She tells her that there is a man looking for her from a past life. And he will stop at nothing to have her.

Now Avery is unable sleep for more than a few hours, her dreams are keeping her awake. She is too terrified to sleep for the dreams are too vivid and too real. The only catch? She cannot remember what they are about. Until her Spirit Guide, Ianni, comes to help. Ianni shows Avery her past lives and tells her about the man who is stalking her soul. Now Avery remembers every life she has ever lived and she remembers the man she shared them with. He will not give up until she falls in love with him. The problem is Avery is in love with someone else. Ianni must help keep Avery from making the wrong choice. One her soul doesn’t want. She also must keep her safe from the Dark Guides who are after Avery. (Goodreads)



The Many Lives of Avery Snow by Christy Sloat is the first book in The Past Lives Trilogy.  When Christy Sloat asked me to read and review the book, I was very excited and (of course) I agreed right away. I got even more excited when I read the synopsis. True love enduring through multiple lifetimes, that's fantastic; right? 

Let me start off by saying that I really love the idea behind the book. Love that can last through lifetimes and finds its counterpart again and again is very romantic, in my opinion. However, I found the narrative to be scattered and somewhat hard to follow.  The characters felt unfinished to me; they didn't have the depth to help bring their emotions to the forefront in the story. 

All in all, I think this book just wasn't for me & I'm honestly sad to say that because I was really excited to read it. 

My Rating: 



Thursday, February 23, 2012

Wander Dust by Michelle Warren: Review

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love. (Amazon)





Wander Dust is the first book in the Seraphina Parrish trilogy by Michelle Warren. I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity by the author to review this book & I’m ordering a physical copy for my bookshelf as soon as I’m done writing this.  The story takes place in our modern day world where the Normals (regular people) don’t know about the Wanderers roaming through their lives in the past, present and future.   It’s a must read, in my opinion.

The story is told from the point of view of our main character, Seraphina. She is witty, strong, independent and extremely likeable. My very favorite thing about Sera though, is that she’s unique; no cookie cutter heroine here. She very clearly is not a damsel in distress (amen!) and never wants to find herself in a situation where she needs to rely on someone else to save her.  She also manages to stay true to herself as a person while still growing where she needs to. Then we have the male lead, Bishop; he is Sera’s Protector and he is something of an enigma throughout the book. Honestly, though, the more you learn about him, the more you just love him.   

The story is fast paced from beginning to end and beautifully told. There are no lulls in the plot; it flies right on through without a wasted word.  I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book. I simply HAD to know what was going to happen next. The twists in the story really keep you guessing and I will definitely be re-reading this one before too long.   I cannot wait for the next installment! 

My Rating: 








Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Rules of Negotiation by Inara Scott

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate! All you have to do is:
Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers are from Inara Scott's newest release for adults Rules of Negotiation, and I have to say I'm really enjoying it!! So, without further ado:
"Thank goodness for Tori's chatty, nosy, inappropriate secretary. She probably would have mailed him a key to Tori's house if he had asked."

Kindle Location 2327

If you love steamy romance novels, this one isn't to be missed, guys!


Monday, February 20, 2012

Interview: Christy Sloat


Christy Sloat is a Southern California native who now lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. She believes that reading is a passion and it should be embraced. If she is not reading or writing she is cooking or spending quality time with her children.She believes in past lives and love that can last lifetimes. She is huge Twilight and Harry Potter fan who watches the movies constantly. Some of her favorite vacation spots are Maine, Massachusetts and California. (Goodreads)


Christy Sloat, author of The Many Lives of Avery Snow was nice enough to answer a few questions for us!


Mel: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Christy: I wanted to be so many things: A palientologist, a pediatrician and then go into the Air Force. All the while I drew, read and wrote. I think all along this was my passion I just hadnt figured it out yet.


Mel: What are you reading right now?


Christy: This very moment I am reading Shiver, by Maggie Steifvater. I am really enjoying it so far.




Mel: Who is your very favorite literary character? Why?

Christy: My favorite would have to be Bella Swan. She sacrifices herself for her child in the end. That's beautiful. She is alot like me, she is clumsy and unsure of herself, but in the end she knows just what she is meant to do!


Mel: What is your favorite show on tv right now?

Christy: Its a toss up between Revenge and Once Upon a Time. They're both too good to choose just one.


Mel: What, in your opinion, is the hardest part of the writing process?


Christy: The fear of putting your book out into the world for all to read and review. It's a scary thing to expose your mind to the world and wait for them to tell you what they thought of it.

Mel: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Christy!

Christy: Thank you very much!


Interview-Carrie Jones

Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman.

The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.

Carrie has a large, skinny white dog and a fat cat. Both like fudgicles. Only the cat likes potatoes. This may be a reason for the kitty’s weight problem (Shh… don’t tell). Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award.

Here’s the lowdown about Carrie…

1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
10. Forget that. She’d still probably come. (Goodreads)

The fabulous Carrie Jones, author of the Need series (among other titles, of course) was nice enough to answer a few questions for us!!



Mel: What idea sparked the creation of the Need series?

Carrie: I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.

Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.

So, I started writing.

Mel: If you could spend one day with any literary character (yours or otherwise), who would it be?

Carrie: Oh, Doctor Who, because:
1. He is awesome
2. A day could last a million years in the TARDIS
3. I like to run away from aliens.

And, yes, he totally counts as a literary character because there are a million books about him and then of course - the fan fiction.

Mel: If you could give an aspiring writer one piece of advice, what would it be?

Carrie: Read all the time and write all the time and experience everything possible.

Or...

If a time lord invites you into his TARDIS, you should jump inside because that would make a lot of material for books.

Mel: What are you reading currently?

Carrie: BEST BRITISH MYSTERIES and a Forensics Homicide text book and a John Green book. I am also currently reading your message as I write this. Does that count? 

Mel: Do you ever get annoyed at your characters when you're writing?

Carrie: All. The. Time.

Mel: What conditions do you consider 'perfect' for writing? For example-do you prefer to write in silence or with music? Do you write mostly at home or in public?

Carrie: Oh, I will write everywhere. I write in the car when I’m waiting for my daughter to get out of school. I write in bed. I write in the red chair in my living room. I write in my office. I write on the front porch. I write in boring meetings. I like silence. I like music. I am not so good at writing when people are talking to me though. They get mad because I completely zone them out because I get focused. I don’t really hear them talking. That makes them feel ignored. Then I feel guilty. 



Mel: Thank you again so much for taking the time to answer our questions!! I can't wait to read Endure! 

Carrie: Thanks, Melissa! 

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Book Tag!

Well, the lovely ladies of The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow have tagged me to play! This looks like so much fun & I'm psyched! Here are the rules!






THE RULES:
1) You must post the rules.
2) Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3) Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4) Let them know you’ve tagged them!

And here are the questions they asked:


1. When did you start blogging?
A-I started blogging just about two months ago now. I'm still fairly new at this :)


2. What is your favorite food?
A-My favorite food...well, lately it's been pepperoni pizza and of course cheesecake is a necessity.

3. What is your favorite book from childhood?
A-I'd have to say it's a toss up between Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Both books helped me to fall in love with the written word and showed me there were others out there who didn't like to conform. :)

4. Best concert you have ever attended or what concert would you like to attend?
A-Hmm...this is kinda hard. I have to say that seeing Counting Crows with Maroon 5 & Sara Bareilles was amazing..but the acoustic set Coheed & Cambria played at an FYE store in Nyack was fantastic..plus I got to meet them after...I'm gonna say it was a tie :)

5. PC or Mac?
A-Oh I am definitely a PC :)

6. Where do you buy or get most of the books you read?
A-There is this wonderful used book store by my house, The Book Barn, & I do probably 85% of my book shopping there.


7. If you could be friends with any character from a book, who would you be friends with?
A-Oh, Jo March, hands down! You would NEVER be bored, and can you imagine the adventures you would go on?!?

8. Favorite holiday?
A-Christmas! I love giving gifts & the baking and the decorating..it's just a magical time of year for me.

9. A book you think everyone should read?
A-Oh this is hard..there are SO many! Ok, so Harry Potter, of course! That series made reading fun for kids & adults again, in my opinion and I think it really helped open the door for all the paranormal type books that are thriving right now.

10. If you could have one wish, what would it be?
A-One wish would be that I could get paid to read.. lol. There just aren't enough hours in the day and I have so so many books that I really want to read and I have this job that I really need to pay my bills..so yeah, that would be my wish right now :)

11. Favorite beverage?
A-Diet Peach Snapple Tea! I'm addicted to the stuff lately! LOVE it :)















Ok, so here are the bloggers I'm tagging:
1-The YA Sisterhood
2-The Reader's Garden
3-TheBookBind
4-Me, My Shelf & I
5-Ya-Aholic
6-Paranormal Book Club
7-Paranormal Reads
8-YA Book Lover
9-Sassy Book Lovers
10-Chicks In Lit
11-The Reading Fever



And here are the questions I'm asking!

1-If you could travel to any time period in history, which would you choose and why?
2-What is your favorite book?
3-When a book is made into a movie, do you prefer to read the book before or after you've seen it?
4-Who is your favorite actor?
5-Who would you say has been the biggest influence in your life thus far?
6-If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
7-What is your favorite color?
8-Do you prefer to shop in the store or online?
9-What's your favorite flavor jelly or jam?
10-Do you have a favorite superhero? Who is it?
11-What is the best book you've read so far this year?


Thanks for reading this guys, I hope you all have as much fun with it as I did!





Tammy's Two Cents

Interview and Review time!
The School of The Ages
Book 1: The Ghost in The Crystal

Author: Matt Posner



America's greatest magic school is New York City's School of the Ages. Simon is a teen from Queens, New York. When he answers an advertisement in a magazine, the South Wind shows up at his door to introduce him to a world of adventure, power, and tragedy that feels both strange and right: ghosts, elementals, time travel, magic duels, teen romance, sacrifice, and ultimate loss. The evil spirit of a bitter and scheming heretic from ancient Alexandria attacks him and forces him to risk everything in order to save his soul. Kids and adults won't stop reading -- The Ghost in the Crystal.

Editorial Reviews:
"There is a strong Jewish and biblical current, but it's about magic rather than religion, and the magic is impressive. I got the feeling I was attending the school by correspondence, and that the magic was authentic. A seemingly dull curriculum turns out to be otherwise. Simon has friends and enemies and aspires to romance as he struggles to make his way. This is good reading." -- Piers Anthony, world-famous fantasy author. source amazon.com

I cannot say enough good things about this book! Leicester (pronounced lester) or Simon spots an advertisement in a local mag that changes his life, literally. He is thrown into this world of magic but, the way the author weaves this wonderful world is unlike any you could imagine. There is love, loss, battles, magic, enemies (or are they), friends (again, are they) and time travel. I really like the way Matt presented his theory, the magic isn't really done with wands and spells... your defensives are your mind... very mind/body/soul... and the religous aspect is a welcome surprise; how Matt incorporates it into the story not using it or viewing it as a negative as some author's have. It is difficult for me to delve to deep into explaining this book to everyone without giving too much away. And, the author has specifically asked me NOT to give certain things away.

As an added bonus, Matt has answered some questions for us..... So, without further adieu, her is my interview with Matt Posner. Author of The School of The Ages............


*Tell me a bit about yourself.

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..

(Cough, cough. Oops. Let me start again.)

Papa was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home…

(Cough, cough. Sorry, still wrong.)

All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel…

(Harrumph!)

Okay, here we go. My name is Matt Posner. I'm a writer and a high school teacher. I work primarily in special education English right now. I decided to be a writer when I was twelve, but I was already writing for fun before I made that decision. I'm married to Julie since 1999 and we live in Queens, NY.

*Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born in upstate New York, at Glens Falls. Presently I live in Queens, as I said, and work in Brooklyn. My hometown is really Miami, Florida, but I've been in NYC for over ten years, and I doubt I will ever live in Miami again.

*What was your inspiration for The School of The Ages?
I was working in a mesivta -- a Jewish boys-only high school, and I was fascinated by the subculture I was learning there. I felt it was a little-known setting that had potential for fiction. Thus, I expanded an early plan to write about one magician and just a few teen apprentices into a whole school which would be half Jewish and half non-Jewish.

*Was there a particular person that was the inspiration for Simon?
I would say that every character in School of the Ages begins from an aspect of my own personality and is then fleshed out with additional traits that make the character more exciting. Simon is inspired by me in that he has no one ethnic identity, just as I have none. Simon has four heritages -- Asian Indian, Jewish, Italian, and British. I have only two, with a Jewish father and a protestant mother, but I have always been multicultural and non-ethnic the way that Simon is.

*What was it like when you got the call that TSOTA had been accepted and would be published?
I'm a self-published author. The last time I worked with an agent was in 1993. The overwhelming majority of my readers read my books on Kindle. My print publisher is CreateSpace, which is Amazon's print-on-demand entity.
I'm not going to say I would never work with a publisher, but I would be very very protective of my rights and prerogatives.

*Thus far we have Book 1, The Ghost in The Crystal.. Book 2, Level Three's Dream and the Christmas Novella. Are there plans for a 3rd book?
I plan to publish one novel in the series per year. This summer you should have Book 3, The War against Love. This is an epic-length novel, over 500 manuscript pages in the present draft, certainly the best novel I've written to date. It features a magical war between School of the Ages and a cabal of Nazi magicians from Europe -- as announced at the end of Level Three's Dream -- and also a love story. I will also publish two to three other books this year. The next -- code named Project X -- is set for the spring. I can't say anything about it yet. I hope to get out a School of the Ages short story book this year also. Perhaps "Tales of Summer Magic." A book of zombie stories is also under way.

*Whom in your life would you say has influenced you the most?
As a writer, I think J.R.R. Tolkien has been most motivational to me. In my personal life, that's too complex a question for the haste with which I am writing this. Like most people, I am a composite of my upbringing and my schooling.

*What has been the most interesting comment (or review) about your book?
I was recently reviewed by Piers Anthony on his blog. His unedited remarks are in my FAQ at this link: http://schooloftheages.webs.com/faq.htm. Being able to add to my Amazon profile good words from one of the world's greatest living fantasists has been some help to sales of The Ghost in the Crystal, I must say, and I am very grateful to him. Please, readers, go buy some of his books. He publishes for Kindle too!

*Tell us your latest news.
I have a week off and I will be doing a lot of writing and editing. This is good news for a lot of projects that I haven't been able to touch (see above) because of the need to focus on my high school job.

*Please, do tell why we should read your novel.
Strong characters and dialogue, intense conflict, real friendship and innocent love. Magic, ghosts, elementals, time-travel, tragedy. New York City. Multicultural values. Many surprises.