Get Your Cook On!!

Description Provided by Goodreads: How does Isa Chandra Moskowitz make flavorful and satisfying vegan meals from scratch every day, often in 30 minutes or less? It's easy! In ISA DOES IT, the beloved cookbook author shares 150 new recipes to make weeknight cooking a snap. Mouthwatering recipes like Sweet Potato Red Curry with Rice and Purple Kale, Bistro Beet Burgers, and Summer Seitan Saute with Cilantro and Lime illustrate how simple and satisfying meat-free food can be.
The recipes are supermarket friendly and respect how busy most readers are. From skilled vegan chefs, to those new to the vegan pantry, or just cooks looking for some fresh ideas, Isa's unfussy recipes and quirky commentary will make everyone's time in the kitchen fun and productive.

Available: October 22, 2013 on Amazon or Barnes&Noble

Description Provided by Goodreads: Everything you need to know to create delicious, healthy pizza at home without any meat or dairy products.Love a warm, crisp, chewy thin-crust pizza with creamy, melty cheese? Just because you're vegan doesn't mean that you can't bake amazing pizzas right in your own oven. Julie Hasson offers 50 deliciously innovative recipes and simple techniques that will have you making artisan-style, thin-crust vegan pizzas right in your own kitchen. Vegan Pizzais filled with 50 modern recipes from easy-to-make pizza dough (including spelt, whole wheat, and gluten-free crusts), creamy dairy-free cheese sauces, vibrant-flavored pestos and spreads, and meatless and wheat-less burger crumbles. Also included are inventive toppings and pizzas that run the gamut from comfort food pizzas like Chili Mac Pizza, Barbeque Pizza and Eggplant Parmesan Pizza, to fresh vegetable-laden pizzas like Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza, Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Pizza and Asparagus, Tomato and Pesto Pizza. There is even a chapter dedicated to dessert pizzas too, from Babka Pizza, to Berry Pie Pizza and Coconut Caramel Dream Pizza. With helpful information and tips on equipment and techniques,Vegan Pizza shares the secrets to fabulous, easy-to-make, dairy-free, meat-free thin-crust artisan pizza that tastes like it came from your neighborhood pizzeria. Now home cooks everywhere can get baking and make fabulous vegan pizzas in their own kitchens. Available on Amazon

As some of you may or may not know I recently went to Catalina for a tennis tournament. While there my team and I went to a pizza place called Pizza My Heart and one of my friends told me that I had to try the Greek Salad there while one of my other friends made my want to get a slice of pesto pizza. So when faced with the difficult decision of what to get, lol, I decided to get a combo for both the salad and the pizza. While I could only finish the delicious slice of pesto pizza, I had my scrumptious Greek salad the day afterwards on the car ride home. After trying both the pizza and the salad I really craved different favors in my pizza and salad because at home my mom would always make salad that consisted of lettuce, carrots, and no dressing and pizza toppings were the classic cheese and pepperoni. So, I decided to try and find different recipes to try and spice up my food life, which is how I happened upon these two books, "Isa Does It" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and "Vegan Pizza" by Julie Hasson.

Recipes:
"Isa Does It"- I adorned the recipes in this book because they were very unique and creative like the sweet and sour brown rice salad; however this book didn't just have recipes for salads it also had different recipes for dinner and lunch foods, some of my favorites include the cucumber-avocado tea sandwiches and the roasted butternut alfredo. Another thing that I loved about these recipes is that they were healthy and used different ingredients that were unlikely to par well, yet did.

"Vegan Pizza"- I loved the recipes in this book because they were absolutely delicious and healthy! I mean could you ask for anything more? And while I didn't try any of the dessert pizzas I did try the other ones such as the Pesto Pizza and Eggplant pizza. The recipes were fun, delicious, and healthy and I definitely found the different and delicious flavors that I was hoping to find in this book.

Tastiness:
"Isa Does It"- I thought that the recipes I tried from this book were delicious, especially the cucumber-avocado tea sandwiches, which I served with peppermint tea! I also thought that the recipe for the sweet and sour brown rice salad was delicious and innovative because I would have never thought to put brown rice in a salad.

"Vegan Pizza"- Not to brag or anything but I think my pizzas tasted pretty darn good. The pizzas that I did make, such as the pesto pizza were really tasty and even my mother and father were brave enough to try them and they said that it was one of the best things I had ever cooked. Considering I hardly cook and when I do they don't eat it, this is a big compliment.

Facility:
"Isa Does It"- I found that these recipes were pretty easy to follow; although I have to admit that I didn't cook all of these recipes by myself. My mom helped out in the kitchen a little if not I might have, as she said it, "caused a disaster or burned the food". However the parts I did contribute to we're relatively easy.

"Vegan Pizza"- Making pizza is never easy and even though I had my cousin, who works at a pizza restaurant that my mom's aunt owns, help me make the pizza it was still a struggle for a newbie like me; however it was lots of fun making the pizza. I thought that it was really easy to just put the ingredients onto the pizza.

Overall:
"Isa Does It"- I will definitely continue to use some of these recipes and hope to incorporate some of the ingredients used in these recipes in my or my family's everyday cooking. I'm really glad I found this book because it definitely spiced up my relationship with salads. (Hehehe)

"Vegan Pizza"- I was constantly hunger while reading this book and seeing the delicious pizzas! I can't wait to try all the types of pizza recipes in this book one day and I would say that this book is one of those must have cookbooks.

Rating:
"Isa Does It"- I would give this book an 8.

"Vegan Pizza"- I would give this book a 9.

About the Author:

The most important things to know about me: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, I love cats and I love to feed people, myself included. I’m a cooking show addict and I also love the Golden Girls. I try to parlay my love for the kitchen into my love for social justice whenever possible. I’m a strong believer in baketivism. Bake sales, benefit dinners, or outreach via cupcakes, I believe that tastebuds are the perfect vehicle for change.

About the Author:

Julie Hasson is the author of Vegan Diner, as well as 6 other cookbooks (and two more coming out soon). She has over 20 years of experience in the food industry, including serving as a private chef for celebrities and high-profile clients. Julie opened the original Babycakes Bakery in Los Angeles (a wholesale artisan bakery), authored 7 cookbooks (Vegan Diner, 150 Best Cupcake Recipes, The Complete Book Of Pies, 125 Best Cupcake Recipes, 125 Best Chocolate Chip Recipes, 125 Best Chocolate Recipes and 300 Best Chocolate Recipes, with Vegan Pizza and Vegan Casseroles coming out later this year and next), has contributed extensive articles and recipes to Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, and Family Fun magazines, and is also the host of the popular Internet cooking show “Everyday Dish.” Julie has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and on TV and radio across the country, including The Cooking Channel, Better, Better Portland, Good Day Oregon, Martha Stewart Radio, VegNews Magazine, Vegetarian Times. She was one of the hosts of the cooking show 15 & Done, and is the Healthy Cooking Expert on More Good Day Oregon. Julie currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she co-owns the food cart Native Bowl with her husband Jay. She has recently launched Julie’s Originals, a line of gluten-free baking mixes.

Embrace and Hold Tight! (Giveaway Included!!)

Description Provided by Goodreads: Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve. Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him. Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own. Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover. Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.


Excerpt:

He had a large mix of alternative and rap music, and mostly male singers, so when I hit a country CD with a blonde on the cover I held it up.
“Taylor Swift?” I asked.
“What?” A red flush crept into his cheeks. “I had a crush on her.”
I looked at the cover. Maybe that was his secret. Maybe he was into blondes. What if I was an experiment to see if they really did have more fun? My dark chestnut hair was about as far from Goldilocks as it could get.
He reached for the CD, but I raised my arm over my head before he could grab it.
“I was young,” he said, lunging forward and missing my hand.
“And you’re so old and wise now,” I teased, moving the CD behind my back.
He grabbed for it, his body practically on top of mine as he tried to catch my hand. I leaned back, laughing.
“Maybe we should play it,” I said, squirming to keep him from being able to reach it.
He wrapped an arm around my back, pulling me closer. “Let’s not.”
We were a jumbled mass of arms and legs. His belt buckle rubbed the bare skin of my stomach, and his neck was in perfect kissing distance. My gaze traveled to his lips. His close proximity had me forgetting I was winning the game of keep-away…

Description Provided by Goodreads: What’s one little spell? When you’re new to magic, one spell can be the difference between getting what you want...and ruining the lives of everyone you love. Sixteen-year-old Madison has just embraced her magical powers. The trick now is learning how to control them. She and her boyfriend -and fellow witch- can’t even enjoy a simple kiss without getting shocked when their powers collide. Instead of mastering her new skills, though, Madison is stuck watching her kid brother and doing chores. But being a witch does have its benefits. With a simple spell, Madison instantly conjures the help she needs around the house. Or so she thinks. Her idea of “help” invites trouble of its own as a pair of dangerous yet enticing beings enter her life. When a classmate disappears soon afterwards, Madison discovers she's the next victim of a threat she's powerless to resist...and there’s nothing it won’t kill to make her surrender. Caught in the crossfire between two dashing but deadly creatures, Madison must figure out which one to trust and how to rid her world of the other—before one of them destroys her and everyone she cares about.

Excerpt:

“Does it hurt?” My fingertips lingered on the smooth, pearly white scar on Isaac’s chin.
We sat on the couch in his family room, me straddling his lap. He brushed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes with his thumb.
“No.”
“It’s cold,” I said, amazed that the skin there never warmed to match the rest of him.
“You really want to talk about my scars? I have one on my side too.” He lifted his shirt, revealing a salmon-colored blemish along his lower ribcage. “I got this one jumping a fence
when I was nine. Didn’t quite make it.” He pulled the waist of his jeans down next, just low enough for me to see the rope-like muscles that ran alongside his hip bone. “And I got this one when I was eleven. Tried jumping my bike over one of those workhorses. Back tire caught on the orange light. Bike stopped; I didn’t. Flew right over the handlebars. I have another one on my thigh.” His fingers went to the button on his jeans.
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said, my hand catching his.
My cheeks grew warm, and his gaze moved to my lips.

GIVEAWAY:

$20 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

A little about myself: I write young adult and middle grade novels. I love finding new stories that keep me up late reading. While my favorite genre is fantasy, if the book is beautifully written with characters that come alive I’m all over it. My debut novel EMBRACE is now available from Omnific Publishing.

Dangerous Curves Ahead

Description Provided by Goodreads: Ellis Garrett is dumping her critical boyfriend, opening a plus-size clothing store, and starting a blog—all to spread the word that fashion shouldn’t require a size-two body, and happiness should allow for the occasional cupcake. Or two. But is indulging fantasies about her sister’s long-ago ex, the still-hunky Michael Edwards, biting off more than she can chew?

Mike must be losing his detective’s touch. He doesn’t recognize Ellis when he bumps into her at Size Me Up, and he certainly doesn’t remember his ex-girlfriend’s outspoken sister being so irresistible. Her curves are indeed dangerous—and so is her wit. Could it be that Ellis is his Perfect Fit? One thing’s for sure: Mike will make it his sworn duty to find out…

Story Line:

I loved this story line! From the beginning, this book pulls you in with the encounter between Ellis and Mrs. Toomey. Then Mike gets added into the picture and it all turns amazing, oh and all of this is just in the first chapter! I loved the struggles that this couple had to face because as the story line progresses we see the complications start to have deeper meanings and the secrets behind the struggles come out. One thing that I would have to comment on would be that due to the multiple struggles Mike and Ellis faced it almost seemed as if the book took longer to finish than other book. I would say that it seemed a little dragged out; however, there were other times when I felt the time fly while reading the book.

Characters :

Ellis: Ellis's character is extremely witty and spunky. I loved her character because she seemed very human like, she faced everyday struggles because she wasn't a size 0 or -1; however, what I really liked about her character is her confidence and that fact that she stopped caring if she wasn't a size 0 and she learned to embrace and love her body. 

Michael: Michael, Mike, was AMAZING!!! I loved the mystery behind his character and I also loved the whole reformed playboy thing that his character had going on. I loved how his character experienced insecurities and other emotions, just like Ellis's character. This made Mike even more of a lovable character, at least to me.

Overall:

I loved how Ms. Jamison didn't write about perfect model characters and how her character, Ellis, learned to love her body, even after everything she had experienced. Her characters had complexity to them and lots of mystery, which added to the overall success of this book. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to read another book by Ms. Sugar Jamison especially if it involves Colin, like Thrown for a Curve.

Rating: I would give this book a 9.

About the Author:

Sugar Jamison is a southern belle trapped in a New Yorker's body. With a love of big hair and high heeled shoes, she spends her day at her very normal day job and night dreaming up sweet but sassy romances.

Some of her top favorite things are: 

1. Shoes I can't walk in

2. CHOCOLATE

3. The Rock (Sigh... nearly as yummy as chocolate)

4. Romance Novels

5. Tropical locations

P.S.- Can I just say that Ms. Jamison and I might be twins because I love shoes I can't walk in, chocolate, romance novels, and tropical location!! (LOL!)

Secrets of the Moon

Description Provided by Goodreads: Teenager Marjorie Emery eluded death. As she struggles to get her life back on track, she believes her efforts are paying off. Yet, when a black dressing, unfriendly, and incredibly handsome hottie walks into her classroom, she’s forced into a tailspin. Marjorie has no idea how much his presence is going to shatter what little tranquility she’s achieved.

Kyran Rousseau’s gloomy nature has a name, one that is potentially fatal under the right circumstances. His family harbors secrets and does everything to protect Kyran. While, he doesn’t want to ruin Marjorie’s normal life, love has a way of changing his plans.

Falling for Kyran is the least of Marjorie’s worries. With a faceless threat hunting her and a boyfriend who's as dangerous as he is good looking—how can Marjorie and Kyran keep all hell from breaking loose before it’s too late?

Story Line: Since I read the description of this book I was hooked. However, I have to say that this book...COMPLETELY lived up to my expectations!!! I loved the mystery behind Kyran and his family, it just made me want to read the book even more to find out what's going on with them. Then, when I find out one of their secrets Centeno throws another secret surrounding a certain character and it raises the stakes that much more. 

Characters:

Kyran: OMG!!! He is sexy, mysterious, haunted, charming, brooding, funny, drop dead gorgeous, charismatic, and everything perfect!!! I couldn't have ask for a better leading character to balance out Marjorie. I loved how haunted and tormented his character was and even through everything he is faced with he's still charming, funny, and lovable. You'll want to read the book to find out his big secret that you'll never see coming. (P.S.-Read the excerpt below and you'll know why I'm gushing and fangirling so much over Kyran!!! P.S.S.-HE'S A TWIN!!!!)

Marjorie: I really enjoyed reading about Marjorie's character because she makes an almost 360 turn around from the person she used to be in the first couple of pages of the book. When I first started reading about her character I didn't think I would enjoy it that much but as the book progressed I started to enjoy her character more and I loved the ass kicking heroine she turned into. In all the thing that would describe her the best is one phrase: she won't go down without a fight.

Alexis/Josephine/Gage/Tracy: These were some of the supporting characters but they sure had their voices heard, especially Alexis. I have to say there there might be a Wendy Higgins Love Triangle going on with one of the supporting characters. I absolutely love the little competition even though it's all harmless, it just adds some spice, hot sauce really (lol), to the book and keeps it interesting. These supporting characters help the book come together and I love them as much as I love the main characters.

Overall: In all I loved the characters, their personalities, and the mystery surrounding this whole book. I would definitely recommend this book if your into mystery, paranormal, romance. It's a definite must read and I'm so glad I got to read it.

Rating: I would give this book an 9.

Excerpt:

The bat connected with something solid, and a soft grunt escaped the man’s lips, followed by a

soft oath that would’ve put even the meanest of sailors to shame. 

“Are you trying to kill me? What the hell are you doing?” 

Wait just a second, I know that voice. 

“Kyran? Kyran!” I couldn’t believe my eyes. He really was standing there, clad in nothing but a 

pair of jeans. 

“Are you trying to behead me?” His expression was one of puzzlement and anger combined. 

“I was, actually.” He rubbed his forearm vigorously and I deduced that was where the bat made 

contact. Boy, I had the worst aim ever. How did I manage to hit his arm when I was aiming for 

his head? 

“Why?” he snapped. 

That did it. That tone he used infuriated me all over again. “Oh, hold on just a second here. I 

should be asking all the questions, not you. What the hell are you doing roaming around my 

house in the middle of the night anyway? What kind of sick pervert are you?”

“This isn’t your house. Haven’t you noticed we’re in the middle of the woods?” God, I wanted to 

slap him so bad. 

“The hell we are! This is my father’s land and you’re trespassing.” He scoffed, and I had the 

sudden urge to go for a second blow. This close, I was pretty confident I would make a crude 

indentation in his skull. 

“Do you enjoy peeping at other people? Is that, like, something you get off on?” 

Had I not been so angry, I would’ve laughed at his expression. His face registered shock, 

disbelief, and surprise all at once. 

“No! I’m not that kind of person,” he barked. 

“Really? ’Cause I’m pretty sure it was you I saw here last night, and I’m really pissed off right 

now. You better have a good excuse as to why you’re walking around on my father’s property 

half naked.” 

He turned his face away and refused to answer. 

“All right, I’m calling the police.” I didn’t have my cell, but hell, he didn’t know that. 

“What’re you going to call the police with, the bat?” 

Damn him. “No, I…have…my cell.” Somewhere out there, where it’s doing me no good. 

He sneered. “Right.” 

“You didn’t answer my question, Kyran. What’re you doing out here?” 

“What’re you doing out here?” 

“Damn it, Kyran, don’t test me because I’ll knock that pretty little head of yours right off those 

broad shoulders.” Was I giving him a compliment while simultaneously threatening to decapitate 

him? Leave it to me to come up with a sentence like that one. 

“I’d like to keep my pretty little head, thank you very much,” he said hotly. His answer, however 

sarcastic it was, almost made me laugh and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from smiling. He 

looked so cute when he was annoyed.

About the Author:

As a child, Kristy used to lose herself in an imaginary world by the means of good book. Now that she's all grown up, she gets to create her own fictional realms and make them come to life in ways that most readers might now expect. 

Writing has always been a passion of hers but she never hand the opportunity to do so until now. After trying out numerous options, she realized that writing was what she loved the most and so she decided to give it a shot. As it turns out, her very active imagination helped her achieve her goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that move the stories along in one way or another.

As she keeps achieving her dreams of becoming a published author, she divides her time in between four children and a very understanding husband. If you want to learn more about Kristy check out her websites: http://kristycenteno.com or http://booksbycenteno.com 

Sisters in Love (Giveaway Included!!!)

Description: Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister. As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.

Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.

When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn't the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.

SISTERS IN LOVE is a light, uplifting work of women's fiction and will resonate with readers who enjoy emotional journeys of the heart with strong heroines and sexy, lovable heroes. Readers of books by Jane Porter and Beth Kendrick will enjoy Danica and Blake's story.

This book seems like a really good book and I would definitely read it during the holiday season with a cup of hot milk with honey, of course. And now for the Part you've all been waiting fore...the Giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author:

Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of four International bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on  Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Join Melissa and the YaYa Writer Girls at their annual in-person event. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

If you want to buy the book you can click on the following link: Goodreads, Amazon, or B&N
Or if you want to learn more about Melissa Foster you can click the following: Twitter, or Website

American Girl On Saturn (Giveaway Included!!!)

Description Provided by Goodreads:
The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house. Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes. But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.

For more info. on the book or to purchase it click one of the following links:

Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords

Just to let y'all know it was really hard to choose just one excerpt, I hope you like it as much as I did!!:

       He reaches toward the tray and grabs the lone Oreo. “Okay, this is my last one for the night,” he says. “Half it with me?”
      Seriously? If I wasn’t the envy of every Saturnite in the world just by sitting across the table from him, I’m definitely the envy of them now because the Milo Grayson wants to half his precious Oreo with me. And the thing that sucks the most is that no one knows about it to be jealous of me!
      He holds the cookie up and waits for a response.
      “Yeah, we can half it,” I say.
      I reach across the table for it, but he jerks his arm back. The sleeve of his T-shirt hugs his bicep tightly, and oh how I wish to be that fabric.
     “Not so fast,” he says. “Let’s make it interesting.”
      Could this be any more interesting? Hello – you’re gorgeous and famous and sharing cookies with me! Any more ‘interest’ and I might burst like a firework.
      “If you get the side with the cream, I’ll give you my honest male opinion about your checkout line drama today,” he says. “But if I get the cream side, you have to tell me, honestly, who you think the best looking guy is in Spaceships Around Saturn.”
      Oh God. He’s for real. Does he know? He totally knows. He knows I’m lusting for him from behind this glass of milk and tattoo magazine. He knows that his eyes make me melt and that I clearly watch him on Twitter because I know all about amazzzzzing. Now he wants to make me ‘fess up.
      “Deal.” I say it before I can chicken out.
       I can always lie and say Benji’s name. He’s the fan favorite anyway. Benji Baccarini  is Spaceships Around Saturn for so many girls.
       He leans forward, positions himself over the table, and holds up that fated Oreo. I push my glass of milk aside because the last thing I want is to knock it over with my quivering nerves. Then I lean toward him, grip the cookie with my fingers, and inhale every scent of his body wash that I can while I twist my half of the Oreo away from his half.

And because I just couldn't decide which except to use here's an excerpt of another excerpt
(Did you really think I could choose just one? hehe):

      “You want in the loop?” I ask.
      He nods rapidly, and his smile bounces up and down.
     “Okay,” I say. “Spell ‘loop’ backward, and you’ll totally be in it.”
     I wait half a second for the word to click in his brain before I push him with all my energy into the cold water behind him. A splash of H2O floods the poolside concrete and splatters over my feet as Noah bobs to the surface. I rush to the patio door before he has a chance to climb out and throw me in.
    But Milo blocks my escape.
    “Are you free tonight?” he asks.
    “As free as I can be on a lockdown,” I reply.
   He slides the patio door open and motions me inside. “I’ll hold Noah back,” he says. “As long as you promise to meet me out here at midnight.”

This seems like a really good book and I mean come on who out there hasn't imagined what their life would be like if Nathan, Jay, Siva, Max, and Tom from The Wanted crashed at their place or Liam, Louis, Niall, Harry, and Zayn from One Direction? I know I can definitely picture Jay and Nathan at my place (lol!). So far I have big expectation for this book and I hope one of you decides to buy this book at well because it seems like a must read lough out loud kind of book and I will certainly be buying it. And now for the giveaway!!

***GIVEAWAY***

1 signed paperback + swag (US only)

3 e-book copies (INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She is slightly obsessed with rock stars and surfers. She no longer hides her love for One Direction.

***Author Links***

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6895711.Nikki_Godwin

http://www.facebook.com/NikkiGodwinWrites

http://nikkigodwin.blogspot.com/
http://www.twitter.com/NikGodwin

Sibylline Trilogy (Giveaway Included!!!)

THE SIBYLLINE ORACLE – a love more enduring than life…than death…than destiny. 

From Bestselling author, Delia Colvin, is The Sibylline Trilogy that weaves Greek Mythology with a modern tale of eternal love! 

This series seems really good and I hope to read it , especially since it has some Greek Mythology to it. I must warn you right now, before you read the rest of the post, that the descriptions for the 2nd and 3rd books are also included. If you have read the first book but not the second or want to read the series I suggest you just scroll down past the synopsis of the 2nd and 3rd books.

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The Sibylline Oracle: Book One of the Sibylline Trilogy

Can love defy death itself? When she’s rescued by handsome Alex Morgan, Valeria thinks she’s found her happy ending —but Alex knows the terrifying truth…time is running out! And unless they can discover  the source  of an ancient curse, fate will take her life…again. Greek Mythology and modern romance intertwine in this addictive trilogy.

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The Symbolon: Book Two of The Sibylline Trilogy

For 3000 years, Alex has dreamt of a life with his symbolon, his mortal soul mate. But when they 

approach the ancient council of immortals for approval of their marriage, they discover that sinister forces object to their union. Soon, they are faced with terrifying threats, including a devastating separation that neither may survive.

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The Last Oracle: Book Three of The Sibylline Trilogy

Can love defy death itself?

Alex has waited 3000 years to finally marry his soul mate…his symbolon. But as the wedding comes to 

In order to triumph over these forces, the oracles must return to the entrance to the Underworld and  revive the first oracle, Myrddin, whose jumbled mind holds the key to their survival. But that solution forces Alex and Valeria to face certain death, for the chance to change their fate!

Giveaway:
Exclusions: Must be 13+ to Enter/Shipping in the US only

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About the Author:

Delia J. Colvin is the bestselling author of The Sibylline Trilogy. While working at enhancing her writing skills, she worked in a wide range of occupations from marketing to entrepreneur, Air Traffic Controller and Russian Interpreter.  But her passion is in writing and helping people.  Delia has donated both time and money to literacy programs around the country. She currently resides in Northern Arizona, with her husband, Randy, and her two Cavalier King Charles pups.

Hollywood Homecoming

Description Provided by Goodreads: Make-up artist to the stars. The favorite aunt. Dance teacher. Baby sister. Talented musician and song-writer.
                                                 Single.

Why did that word rank above the rest? Helen loved her family and understood they wanted her to have the real love they’d all found. It’s just that she’d found her someone special and learned to live without him. She’d been too young for the quirky, idealistic doctor-off to save the world-to notice. And, really, if she had it her way, he’d never know how she’d felt. Now, he was one of her best friends, a pen pal, losing him would be too much.
Seeing him at their parents wedding, Helen realizes the horrible truth: she still loves Joseph… which wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t in the situation she was in. 
But she was. And her secret will change everything. 
Will it destroy hope for a Hollywood happy ending too?

Story line: While this is the third book in the series and I haven't read any of the other books I found it really easy to keep up with the characters and the relationships between the characters. The series isn't continuous meaning that it's not about one pair of characters, which is something that I liked in this series because you don't have to read the first or second book to be able to read the third book, as I did. Now on to the actual storyline. I really liked this story line because while reading it I could imagine it being turned into a hallmark movie, which I love the Christmas ones. There are many bumps and obstacles in their story that it makes it more interesting than your typical guys falls for girl story.

Characters:
Joseph: Gah Joseph!!!! He's amazingly sweet, romantic, heroic, humble, and just plain amazing. On the surface he seems perfect; he's a super doctor going out to help the world but he has a secret that changed him as a person but makes his character more human like, which I love to read about.

Helen: I loved Helen because she was a strong character and the inner chatter she had going on in her head was absolutely hilarious. I loved the mystery that revolved around her character and the unexpected turns that her life takes.

Overall: This was a highly entertaining book and I could definitely see it as a movie. The ending was a little predictable except for a certain twist at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to other people!

Rating: I would give this book an 8!

To buy the book click one of the following links: Amazon or Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Sasha is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, history, romance, and

travel. She writes both lyrical romantic fantasy AND steamy contemporary romance. Her

first play was written for her Girl Scout troupe. She's been writing ever since. She loves 

getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run

the dishwasher or wash socks when she's doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and 

hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.

What I've Been Up To

So school started last week for me so that's why I haven't been able to post that much lately. Also this weekend I have a tennis tournament and might not have much time to do a post. However, I have read two books recently that I'm dying to do posts for and I'm currently reading Carrier of the Mark 
and so far I love the book and I'm 100% in love with Adam and I've only read about 10 pages!!! Oh and I've got a surprise for all of you. I recently got an ARC for Dream Theives by Maggie Steifvater. So look for forward to that review, I know I look forward to reading the book!! So that's it for now and hopefully I can do a formal review soon. Later!

Awesome Authors #4

Welcome to the fourth posting of Awesome Authors where you get to learn some new and interesting facts about the people who write the amazing books you fall in love with!!

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Check out her Lux series starting with Obsidian!!!!!!!!

Jenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.

Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. Among her other experiences . . .

• Ballroom dancing.
• Traveling all seven continents. Yes, even Antarctica.
• Becoming a Life Master in Bridge.
• Singing in a barbershop chorus.

Read the true story of Jenna's first trip out of the country by herself at the age of 16: Jenna's Zaire Adventure. And remember, insanity is a good thing for a writer.

She's also a proud member of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and would love for her readers to support her fellow authors! Check out the first book in her Faeriewalker series, Glimmerglass!!!!!

My favorite hobby is traveling the world - but my biggest fear is flying.

Me, trying to look “professional” at a faculty photo shoot.

My second-biggest fear is public speaking… but I’m a college professor (who sometimes teaches public speaking!)

I have two 5-year-old kids - who AREN’T twins.

My weirdest work experience was helping to “tan” deer hides using cow brains. (I was actually writing a magazine story about it.)

I’ve only been fired once, from a job as a bookstore clerk.

My best educational experience was doing research in India on the Dalit (“untouchable”) struggle for human rights. (See maarpu.org)

My worst experience, ever, was getting food poisoning while riding my bike from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. (My friend told me the chicken tasted strange…)

Whenever I visit a new country, I try as many ketchups as I can. (Best: Poland, Worst: China)

I am an uncommonly bad volleyball player… ask the team that ALMOST won a championship.

I also suffer from mild “ichthyphobia,” or “fear or fish.” I don’t bother trying to overcome that one!

Check out Beth's book Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark side, it's AMAZING!!!!