Twelve Steps (Giveaway Included!!!)

Description Provided by Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up.

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn’t working. Her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn’t the one she wants.

As Laina’s flawless façade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

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Excerpt:

     “I really am sorry you’re so upset. You can yell at me, if it helps,” Laina says.

     Of course I’m not going to yell at her. But obviously, I can’t tell her about Jarod’s visit this afternoon either. If she ever stopped being so clueless and realized he’s in love with her, I’d lose any hope of a chance with him.

     I swallow hard and sit up, crossing my legs and leaning against the headboard. “You should be sorry. You’d think a straight-A student like you would be smart enough to realize that Oreos cannot be properly devoured without the requisite glass of milk.” I frown and stare at my empty hands, as if waiting for milk to magically appear.

     “Oops!” Laina jumps up, giggling, and races out of the room.

     I feel the slightest twinge of guilt over manipulating her compulsive need to please people, but sometimes Laina’s neuroses totally come in handy. And right now, I really need a few minutes to plan my next move. Thomas Jefferson’s advice about being cool and unruffled is perfect in almost every situation, but sometimes life requires a little bit of carefully-constructed drama. And if I’m going to get ungrounded in time to show Jarod he’s going after the wrong sister, this is definitely one of those times.

     Laina returns a few minutes later and hands me a tall glass of cold milk. I carefully twist open an Oreo and lick out the crème filling before dunking the cookie part into my milk.

     “Okay, now will you tell me what’s bothering you?” Laina asks.

     I blink back a few well-timed tears. “Nothing. I’m fine. Really.” I dissect another cookie.

     “Come on. You can tell me.”

     I take a deep, shaky breath and set the cup and the decimated cookie on my nightstand. Then, I shrug and pick at imaginary balls of lint on my quilt.

     Laina wraps an arm around me and pulls me in for a protective, big-sister hug. “Talk to me. Maybe I can help.”

     I shake my head and pull away. “I’m just so tired of being grounded. You’d think they could overlook one silly, little D. I still have a B average, and who cares about biology anyway?” I frown and look up at her through droopy eyelashes. “What’s it like, being the favorite child?”

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About the Author:

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy. When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes. TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel.

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Review: Stained by Ella James

Description Provided by Goodreads:
After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia’s home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. 

With Julia is enigmatic hottie - Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.


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Story Line: This story line pulled me in from the very beginning! In the first couple of chapters Julia is left (again) as an orphan because of a fire, essentially leaving her homeless, and she also meets a brooding and ridiculously gorgeous Cayne! Oh and lets not forget trying to get killed (twice!!) by "the angel of death". From there the meats and potatoes portion of the book gets told to the readers in the form of question and answer style by a semi-reluctant Cayne. I thought this was a smart decision because it sets up the background of the story while keeping the readers entertained (at least I know I was!!!)

Writing: I loved that the author chose to write the book in two perspectives, Julia's and a mysterious Nathan. Julia's perspective brings humor, action, and flirty banter while Nathan's perspective adds mystery to the book because we're not told much about him.

Relationship: Julia and Cayne's relationship starts out almost nonexistent. When they first meet, he refuses to bring her with him on his hunt but she convinces him nonetheless!! As they embark on their journey, she continues pressuring him for answer, which he refuses to answer. However, as they start getting to know each other (with questions he does answer) she starts to develop feelings for him. And the cutest part of their relationship is that he feels something for her too!! He's constantly trying to protect her and is slowly starting to open up to her!

Characters:
Julia: Julia's character starts out with already knowing about and being comfortable with her healing and aura seeing powers, which I thought was pretty cool because other characters usually learn about powers that they have during the book. I loved her character because she was strong and stubborn (too bad for Cayne lol!!!).

Cayne: I absolutely LOVED Cayne!!! From the beginning, he's the mysterious yet alluring and charming protagonist!! As the book goes on, clues start appearing about a secret he has yet it doesn't take away from the fact that he's charming, protective, and tots awesome!!!

Nathan: When Nathan was first introduced with a chapter told in his perspective it came at me from left field (but in a good way!!). He's the new mysterious character who apparently knows about Julia and Cayne as well! Even though his chapters were short and scattered, it only made me look forward to them even more!!!

Overall: I was never bored once throughout this book and I absolutely did not want to put it down! The characters are awesome and the story line has some serious curveballs that kept me constantly guessing about what was to come. Plus Julia and Cayne's relationship was super sweet and just plain awesome!!

Rating: I would give this book a 9 out of 10!!!

About the Author:

I'm a Denver, Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. I am happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together we are raising two young children who will probably grow up believing everyone's parents go to war over the placement of a comma. My books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Amazon Top 100 and the Amazon Movers & Shakers List; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012. To find out more about my projects and win prizes and swag, find me on Facebook or my Website. Questions or comments? Tweet me at author_ellaj or e-mail me at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

Interested in purchasing the foreign rights or film rights for one of my books? Contact my agent, Rebecca Friedman, at rebecca@rfliterary.com.

If you want to hire my line editor, you can find her at ALDJ Editing. Her name is Ami and she is amazing.

If you want to hire my publicist, Rachel Marks, you can e-mail her at rachelmmarks@gmail.com.

If you want to hire my cover designer, Regina Wamba, you can find her at Mae I Design.

If you need help with your blog or web site and want to contact my blog coordinator, her name is Erin Gordon of Creativee Company, and you can contact her at erin@creativee.co.

And finally, if you want the names of other talented and fabulous authors, check out the women of Indie Inked.

Relay for Life

Hello!! Welcome to a very special post here at The Girl Bookaholic!! Today I'm going to let my sister take over for this post so without further ado here she is:

Hi everyone! My name is Maria and I'm Girl Bookaholic's sister. This is my first year participating in an event like Relay for Life. I lost a very special friend to cancer this year and we are dedicating the participation of our group to him. I know that everyone relates to this desease in many ways, either you’ve had it or know someone who does. This is a great way to show that together we can beat cancer! Thank you so much for your support! With your donation, no matter how small, we can find a cure. My sister had the brilliant idea of making this a book giveaway! I would love to give something back for your generosity. With every donation, you will be entered to win 1 of 3 awesome books, Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, and Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy! If you are chosen as a winner, we will contact you so we can have the shipping address for your prize. You can make as many donations as you would like. We really appreciate your support and don’t forget to tweet about the giveaway with #KickCancerButt and tag @GirlBookaholic!

Here's the link:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=35774471&fr_id=56506&pg=personal

Special Instructions:

On the gift section of the page, add your name as you want it to show in the donation wall and click yes so it can be displayed in the public donor wall. Be proud to be part of the cure for cancer!

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Eastland (Giveaway Included!!!)

Description Provided by Goodreads: WOULD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR JUST ONE DAY OF FREEDOM? 

For hardworking teen, Dee Pageau, the annual employee picnic will let her escape the drudgery of work and possibly find love with her best friend Mae's older brother, Karel. But in 1915 Chicago, girls don't go on picnics without their mother's approval. Unfortunately for Dee, Mama has had a premonition of disaster and forbids Dee from going. Forced to watch as Mae and Karel leave without her, Dee defies Mama and rushes off to join her friends. But Dee's joy soon turns to terror when the ship ferrying them to the picnic capsizes. Rescued not once but twice-by Karel and a mysterious sailor-Dee finds herself tested in unimaginable ways. What happens next turns out to be worse ... and better ... than anything Dee ever expected.

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About the Author:

Marian Cheatham lives in a suburb of Chicago with her family and their menagerie of pets. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Marian taught Special Education for many years before becoming a full-time writer.

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Road to Somewhere (Giveaway Included!!!)

Description Provided by Goodreads: New! From Bloomsbury Spark, a sunny heartwarming story of discovery and sisterhood. 

A road trip. A singing competition. And super-hot cowboys. 

What could be better? 

For Charlie, a post-high school road trip isn't just a vacation, it's life changing. While her parents think she's helping a friend move, a chance at fame is the real reason to grab her best friends and drive to L.A. But when her super annoying, uber-responsible, younger sister, Lucy, has to tag along, it isn't quite the summer of fun she imagined. 

Add in a detour to her grandparents' ranch in Texas, and between mucking the stalls, down-home cookin’, and drool worthy ranch hands, this could just turn into the best, and most complicated, summer of their lives.

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About the Author:

Jenny S. Morris is a YA author who loves all things geek, may have a Kdrama addiction, and prefers the rainy NW to any place she's ever lived. Road to Somewhere is her debut novel.

jennysimaginaryworld.blogspot.com | twitter.com/jennysmorris | facebook.com/JennyS.Morrs

About the Author:

Kelley Lynn was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands. Music plays a large role in her writing process as well as the characters and plot lines within her stories.

getbetweenthebookends.blogspot.com | twitter.com/KelleyLynn1 | facebook.com/AuthorKelleyLynn

Top Ten Tuesday #2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this is only my second post. If you missed the first one you can find it here: Top Ten Couples!!! For this week, I decided to do Top Ten Books I Want to Read During Spring Break!!!  

10) Intuition by C.J. Omololu

Intuition is the sequel to Transcendence. This series is about reincarnations and it has many twists and turn plus awesome characters!! I read the first book about a year ago and absolutely loved it and since then I've been wanting to read this book!!! So, hopefully this spring break (which sadly is in about three weeks) I'll be able to read it!

9) Reboot by Amy Tintera

I found this book through Goodreads and immediately fell in love with the story line. I found it to be really unique because rather than being simply about zombies it's about zombies who are soldiers and about a certain girl breaking the rules for an almost human zombie (lol don't know if I explained it completely well). I want to read it this break and hopefully it's as good as I think it is!!

8) Love Reborn by Yvonne Woon

This is the third book in the Dead Beautiful Series and sadly the last one as well. I'm excited to hopefully get to read this book, although it's going to be bittersweet. Since it is the last book in the series, the story line will be wrapped up and I'll no longer be able to read new stories about the characters. I hope to read it during my break but if not hopefully sometime soon!!

7) Rush by Eve Silver

I also found this book through Goodreads and wanted to read it ever since! This book sort of reminded me of the Hunger Games because the characters have to kill not people but aliens in order to survive. What really pulled me in though was the fact that in the book description it says that the character was pulled through space and time into this game; however, one of the main characters, Jackson Tate, knows that it isn't a game. I also hope to read this book and can't wait to lose myself in the story!!!

6) Teardrop by Lauren Kate

This is a new series by Lauren Kate that interested me because of the story line and the fact that I adored another series she wrote, the Fallen Series (which is being made into a movie!!!!!). This book is about a girl who's never allowed to cry, a murdered parent, a charming boy, and a tale of romance and heartbreak. All of these factors make this book one of the ones that I definitely want to read over my break. I've heard so many good things about this book and can't wait to give it a try!!!

5) Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

The first line of the book description from Goodreads hooked me onto this story. "Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal." I've been watching Downtown Abbey with my sister and I absolutely loved it. I've also read The Selection by Kiera Cass and loved it too!! Plus I enjoy reading dystopian novels that have romance and betrayals. So in all, this book pretty much has it all for me lol!! I actually have this book because I bought it on a recent trip to Portland where I went to Powell's Book Store. I'm super excited to read it and can't wait to learn more about the characters and their stories!!!

4) Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

This is the last book in the Precious Stone Trilogy and just like with Love Reborn, reading this book is bittersweet. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Gwyneth in this last book, how everything ties together, and what her relationship with Gideon will turn out to be!! After reading these books for a while, I'm really going to miss the characters but look forward to reading the end of their story!!

3) Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

If there's two things to definitely know is that 1) I HEART, ADORE, and FANGIRL for DAEMON!!!! and 2) NO ONE messes with his girl, Katy. In this book, the fourth in the Lux series, Daemon goes to rescue Katy and I know he's going to have his badass moments which means I'm going to have fangirl moments!!! I've been wanting to read this book since it came out but not until recently did I actually get the book. I'm super excited to finally have time to read it over break!!!

2) Wild  Things by Chloe Neill

Wild Things is the ninth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series and I'm as excited to read it as I was the first, Some Girls Bite. I think this is due to the author's success in keeping the story line interesting along with the characters. I can't wait to see what trouble Merit and Ethan will stir up in this new book!!

1) Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

Killer Frost is the last book in the Mythos Academy series and I've definitely put off reading this book because I absolutely DO NOT want the series to end. However, I'm super curious to find out how Gwen's story ends and what becomes of her friends, Loki, and his reapers!!! I'm definitely ready to finally read this book plus, of course, there's LOGAN FREAKING QUINN!!!

Lucky Star (Author Interview&Giveaway Included!!!)

Book Description:

In Annie, E.J.’s found his North Star. In E.J., Annie’s found someone who truly loves her for just her. Everything’s great, right? Wrong! Despite their obvious feelings for each other, somebody’s intent on tearing down the foundation they’ve built. And E.J.’s the target. First his career is derailed. Then his reputation is sullied.

Annie’s determined to find the culprit. But how’s she going to do that when, as her alter-ego Cassandra Lawrence, she has a new album to record and a tour to plan? E.J. desperately wants to prove he’s worthy of Annie. Is it even possible when every time things are headed in the right direction, disaster strikes?

Can they figure out figure out who is so intent on driving them apart and put a stop to it before irreparable damage is done? From Northern California to New York and points in between, our lovers struggle to keep their unlikeliest of relationships alive amid joy, heartache and everything in between. But it’s not until all appears lost once and for all that they learn faith–in themselves and each other–is what matters most.  

Goodreads

Author Interview:

Q) Did any event or person in your life inspire you to write Lucky Star?

A) Not specifically. About halfway through Fallen Star, book one in the North Star Trilogy, I 

realized I needed to write a three book series to be able to fully tell Annie and E.J.'s story. So, 

I'd argue that Annie and E.J. certainly inspired me to write it. On a more serious note, one of the 

themes of Lucky Star is to never give up on your dreams, so to a degree this book is inspired by 

my sons Seamus and Aidan because I'm always preaching to them to dream big. 

Q) If you could go back and rewrite it would you change anything and what?

A) That's an interesting question, especially given J.K. Rowling's recent revelation that she now 

has some misgivings about the Ron and Hermione relationship. As for Lucky Star, I don't think 

I'd change anything. I'll admit, as a story told from E.J.'s point of view, there are a few scenes I 

wrote that are important, but just don't fit into the story. That's okay, I still have those scenes and 

I'll put them to good use somewhere down the line.

Q) What is your favorite scene in the book?

A) You know, this has changed for me. Early on, my favorite scene was the Christmas gift-giving

scene. I loved the symbolism behind the crystal star E.J. gives Annie. Over time, though, my 

favorite scene has become the Valentine's Day scene when E.J. gives Annie the Claddagh. The 

Claddagh is a ring that carries great significance in my family and it was truly special to be able 

to write one into Lucky Star, especially during such a pivotal moment.

Q) What has been the funniest, strangest, or most amazing thing that has happened to you 

since becoming an author?

A) I think the funniest thing was right before the Awards Dinner at the Romance Writers of America 

National Conference last July. The dinner is a formal affair, so I wore my kilt, as any proud 

Irishman would. While the ladies in my group loved it, the husband of one of my romance writer 

friends was visibly uncomfortable at seeing me in a kilt. I couldn't let that go, so I sauntered over 

to him, sat down on his lap and put my arm around him. While the ladies howled with laughter, 

Mike's face turned fire engine red. Makes me smile, just thinking about it.

Q) Which character do you find most relatable?

A) I have to say E.J. In writing him, I've drawn on so many things from my own life; people who 

know me have asked me if he's an autobiographical character. While he is not, we do share a 

number of things, like the same hometown, the same taste in music and the same passion for 

cycling. I think E.J. is the kind of guy a lot of people can identify with or would like to be friends 

with. He's kind, loyal, but no angel either. 

Q) If you could describe your book in 3 words what would they be?

A) Heartfelt, sentimental, sweet

Q) If you could trade places with any character in any book which character would it be and 

why?

A) Oh wow! Any character in any book? That's tough. If I had to pick one character, it would 

probably Sir Samuel Vimes from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. It's been a true joy to see 

the change, for the better in him over time. He's gone from a drunk to a member of the upper 

class, but he's never forgotten his humble roots and his moral compass always pointed toward 

doing the right thing. He certainly has his flaws, but I think that's what makes him so great.

Lightning round!

Q) Twizzlers or Red Vines? 

A) Um, sorry, neither.

Q) Favorite ice cream flavor?

A) Vanilla. You can do everything with it.

Q) Best childhood memory?

A) Summer vacation between seventh and eighth grade. My family went to Disney World, and I got 

to take my best friend. I could go on and on, but will just say that we had a blast!

Q) Favorite television show?

A) Star Trek, the Next Generation

Q) White, dark, or milk chocolate?

A) Milk. I like to reserve white for special occasions and dark can be a little bitter for my tastes.

Q) Favorite book?

A) I'd have to go with Lord of the Rings. I've read it so many times, I've lost count!

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Find the Author:
Website: www.JimCangany.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimcangany
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7134508.Jim_Cangany

The Best Kind of Trouble (Giveaway Included!!!)

Series: Trouble #1 

Release date: January 20th 2014

Author: Courtney B. Jones

Description Provided by Goodreads:

Ashley Parker knows trouble. And Nathan Williams--star quarterback and charming ladies man--is trouble. She knows he'll only break her heart. But that doesn't stop her from jumping in feet first. When her whole world is flipped upside down, her guitar and her lyrics become her only solace. Along with sexy guitar player Caleb Mathews. 

Fueled by heartache, love, and lust, Ashley finds herself in the best kind of trouble. Boy trouble.

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About the Author:

Courtney B. Jones grew up in Texas where she still lives with her husband, their two kids, and two dogs. She's a recent college grad and new elementary school teacher.

Courtney loves to read and write love stories. She has an obsession with books and owns far far too many! 

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