Getting Personal: Out of It

I've been feeling kind of out of it. I planned to have a cool post about 'real life zombies' today but life, the flu and other stuff got in the way. But I will not frown or lie down on the ground. I'll smile and go about my day. So should you. Also thank you so much everyone who signed up for my cover reveal.

Sorry about not doing my blogging comment rounds yesterday. *Whispers* The Red Lady called at a really bad time. Her plus the flu was just too much of a surprise wham this time. But I'm better (than yesterday, much better than yesterday) and ready to roll with a slight headache. But ready. Enjoy your day everyone and see you tomorrow.

Sacrifice Her Cover Reveal Sign Up

(Mock Cover)

I've been waiting to post this for a while and it's here. Last Monday I announced that Sacrifice Her will have a September 11 Cover Reveal. Today I'm unveiling the sign up link for interested bloggers. Thank you all for your support.

Book Review: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes (Goosebumps Most Wanted #1) by R.L. Stine

Planet of the Lawn Gnomes (Goosebumps Most Wanted #1) by R.L. Stine
Genre: Children/ Middle Grade Horror
Source: Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon

Summary on Netgalley: Catch the most wanted Goosebumps characters--undead or alive...

The infamous, Most Wanted Goosebumps characters are out on the loose and they're coming after you! There is no place to hide. Nothing is safe!

Jay Gardner is a mischievous kid who can't stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, Jay gets in so much trouble, his family is forced to move. But there's something odd about Jay's new town. Why does everyone have lawn gnomes in front of their homes? And why is everyone afraid to go outside at night? Jay is about to learn that mischief can lead to terror.

R.L. Stine's books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children's authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written series including: Fear Street, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, and Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and his King Charles spaniel, Minnie. www.RLStine.com.

Review

Jay's family have to move to a new neighbourhood thanks to his overwhelming mischief making. A smart kid he could accomplish so much if he wasn't such a fan of pranks. But something strange is going on in this new place. Lawn gnomes are everywhere and it isn't long before he gets suspicious that they're doing more than just sitting ugly on every neigbour's lawn. Worse no one wants to go out at night, not even the new friend he makes. Jay is determined to find out what's going on but his inquisitive ways and inability to stop pulling pranks gets him into deep trouble. And the Lawn Gnomes aren't going to just lounge around waiting for this boy to change his ways.

When I read this book I expected to get something new from R.L. Stine. And I did, a new story that kids who are fans will enjoy and nostalgic adults with me want to read. You're taken on a journey of middle grade horror that has twists and turns 'til the very end. It is an enticing read. But some poor pacing and twists that aren't properly explained will take away some of the joy. I highly recommend this to fans of child horror.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Facade by Nyrae Dawn, Happy 4th of July and GIVEAWAY - Leigh Bardugo & Robin LeFevers

Please Note: Getting Personal will be back next week. Also there will be no Friday post so see you on Saturday with my latest book review.

First Happy 4th of July!

Today I'm sharing Nyrae Dawn's newest book release Facade (NA). I've been a fan of this author for some time and whether it's YA or NA she knows how to write great books. Nyrae is also riding high after her character colt round one of #NACRUSHTOURNEY, her hashtag is #TEAMCOLT.

Summary on Amazon: "Phen-om-enal! Nyrae Dawn paints with words in a way that made me drink Facade down in one big gulp. This is one of those books you can read again and again." --New York Times bestselling author, Courtney Cole on FACADE.

From bestselling author, Nyrae Dawn, comes Book 2 in her New Adult, Games Series!

Can love save them? 

After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is alright. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she's never been--and into the arms of Adrian Westfall. 

To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.

Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate, carefree love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together, or tear them apart forever? 

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


Author:

 Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she’s a total romantic at heart and proud.

Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.

When she’s not with her family, you can be pretty sure you’ll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her. 

She writes for Entangled Publishing, Grand Central Publishing and is self-published. 

You can also buy book one in the series.

Purchase: Amazon

And as a bonus here's a super sexy graphic everyone can enjoy.

Giveaway - Leigh Barudugo & Robin LeFevers

Now moving from new releases to giveaways of books already in print. A Reading Nurse is hosting a giveaway of signed paperbacks by authours Leigh and Robvin Fevers. So if you've always wanted a copy of  Shadow of Bone, it's sequel or Grave Mercy, go check it out. Remember, they're signed. Go to EVENT RECAP & GIVEAWAY - Leigh Bardugo & Robin LeFevers to enter.

IWSG, Indie Hop and Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

On Monday I announced my plans to have the cover reveal for Sacrifice Her in September. So I'm excitedly planning for this book and my other self published books. Marketing will play a big part in how well I promote these babies. I'm actually not very insecure about it right now but that just might be the excitement. Eventually I might just be a bag of nerves. Have a great Wednesday and remember to visit other blogs for Insecure Writer's Support Group.

The Indie-Pendence Day Bloghop is going on and I'm spotlighting Cassie Mae. She is both an indie and traditional author. Her indie book Reasons I fell for the funny fat friend has had success and she is a fun and lovely person. Congrats Cassie on all your success and I hope more people will get to see your brilliance.

Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Publication Date: October 22, 2013

Summary on Amazon: What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
I am happily awaiting the final book in Roth's Trilogy. I have bought the previous two in print and will do so with the final one as well. No way is this one going to be on my kindle, I have to hold the final one with all the characters I'm crazy to read about again in my hands. October is officially more exciting than November which is my birth month. Sorry but birthdays come every year. The final book in a wonderful trilogy. Last one for me was The Hunger Games and I have those all in print too. 

Book Review: Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt

Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt
Genre: New Adult

Please Note: This is a review I've avoided for a long time. But I'm an honest person and believe all authors deserve to know what readers think about their novels.

Summary from Goodreads: Nineteen-year-old Whit Conrad leaves her conservative Pennsylvania home for sunny California, looking for independence, a fresh start, and a place to stash her grief. She promptly finds a job at a tattoo parlor, a craptastic first apartment, and one friend—Ryan—who is a little less friend, a little more benefits. 

Deo Beckett is a soulful surfer with a passion for tattoos and beautiful women. On the eve of his twenty-second birthday, he finds himself living with his grandfather, recently unemployed, and seriously adrift. He doesn’t know much about what he wants out of life, but he does know his current situation isn't cutting it. 

When Deo meets Whit, she’s all sexy makeup and fierce, smart-ass fun. It doesn’t take him long to see past her tough shell. And when he gets a good look at what's under all the superficial stuff that usually gets his attention, it leaves Deo wondering if there might be more to life than living fast and free. 

Too bad Whit has a past she doesn't plan on sharing—no matter how hot Deo is. She might want him, but she knows better than to let her guard down. 

Deo falls for Whit, and falls hard. But everything about her, down to that mysterious tattoo and the way she thrashes in her sleep, tells him that the girl he loves is hiding something. And the more he pushes for answers, the more Whit pulls away. 

Having your guard up is one thing, but are the lengths Whit goes to to protect her secret worth throwing away the second chance she has at happiness with Deo? 

LENGTHS is a Contemporary New Adult Romance to be released August 2012

Review

I tried to like this book. Really I did. Won in a two book giveaway by another author who raved about the book, I decided to give it a chance. But it wasn't happening. From the start I thought it was so-so. The writing seemed somewhat poor and the story only moving me forward because I liked the first character introduced to me, Deo. Then Whit came in. This turned a so-so book into nails digging into my eyes torture. I have read other one star reviews at Goodreads and have seen that it's not just me who can't connect with or even like Whit's character. She's a true case study of what females try to avoid being and fiction wise a poorly developed character. I truly believe if she were developed better, seemed less cowardly and self-satisfying and the writing from her perspective didn't make Deo's into a piece from Mozart, there might have been a chance for this book to get a slightly better review. Alas that was not to be the case. Plus the typos didn't better it's chances. And before you think it's the sex and profanity that turned me off, no, it was a poorly done novel.

Deo is a sexy and funny guy. He has his problems but thankfully he's not some douche only trying to get into a girl's pants and leaving her the next day. He's witty, funny, lacks ambition, loves his mother and enjoys surfing and beautiful women. His mother is a free spirit and the grandfather is one of those secondary characters who steals the show. Seriously this man deserves his own little story. Then Deo meets Whit. Whit is a girl with issues and left me a woman who had issues with her. She uses all the negative things in her life as an excuse to not only do whatever she wants but to treat others in ways that sometimes is just downright wrong. The memory of Wakefield's death was turned into an excuse to live it up hard by sleeping with men and slinking out their room afterwards. Sorry but if someone used my death as a means to live it up by some of her methods, I'd materialize out of thin air and punch him/her in the face. I'd rather someone decide my death was a reason to get better sleep than some of the stuff she pulled. Also this demeanor completely clashed with the I'm a shy girl who's never seen the ocean before side of her. I am shy by nature and know shy people. Most aint pulling her shit. One moment where I think the authors actually did a good job with her character is the part where she shows Deo her bikini for the first time. Her shyness was palpable and so was his thoughts. It meshed well with the story that was being told and was unabashed in showing this was a New Adult novel not Young Adult. Sadly it eventually went right back to the writing that I just couldn't enjoy.

So in the end I have to say I didn't like this book. And I hated Whit. But Deo was cool and so were the other characters in his life. Not recommending this book to anyone but will digress that it's quite popular and if you still want to check it out, that's your choice. But buyer beware.

Rating: 1 Star

Sacrifice Her Cover Reveal set for September

You read the title right. The cover reveal for Sacrifice Her book one in The Sacrifice Series will be September 11, 2013. I am super excited and will be posting a linky soon for interested parties to sign up.

Below are two mock covers. The first I won in a giveaway the second one is by me using a free stock photo. Enjoy.