Author Appreciation Day 1: Happy Birthday, Carrie Jones!

So Haley over at Ya-Aholic Reviews had this wonderful idea to have an Author Appreciation Month and I thought that sounded fabulous so I decided we would do it as well! Now, who better to kick it off than the lovely, hilarious, kind & oh so talented birthday girl, Carrie Jones! I think everyone who reads this blog knows how much I adore Carrie & her work..but I will remind you of why anyway! :) 

Carrie Jones

I stumbled upon Carrie Jones' Need series during a store closing sale at a local Borders. (Ah, Borders, I miss you!)  I remember I was sitting on the floor in front of a shelf in the young adult section looking at all the lovely books I wanted and trying to figure out how I could convince my husband that I NEEDED all of them  when I saw the cover for Need. Glitter always catches my eye AND it was gold, so that really caught me. Then I read the synopsis and on the pile it went!  For those of you who don't know, Need is about some seriously evil (and some ok ones, too) pixies. You MUST read these books as they are fantastic and funny and I really do love them. 

If I had to pick just one reason to love Carrie Jones' writing, I would have to say her characters. They are so well written. You want to hang out with them at your house and keep them around forever! My favorite character of hers, hands down is Zara's grandmother, Betty from the Need series. She is unflappable and hilarious and loving, no matter what. Carrie brings her characters to life with such flair, it makes reading her books a pleasure you want to indulge in over and over and over again. 

FYI, the final book in the Need series, Endure-comes out in May!! Be on the lookout!! I know I can't wait!

"Waiting on" Wednesday: Endure by Carrie Jones

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're super excited about! My pick for this week is: 

Endure (Need Series #4) 

By Carrie Jones

Publication Date: May 8, 2012 

It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .

Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers. (Goodreads)

I absolutely CANNOT wait for this book!! This series is one of my favorite and I simply MUST know what happens with Zara and Nick!! Come on May! What's your WoW pick for this week?