The Goddess turns a year older: A Birthday Giveaway!

Bring out the balloons and confetti, I'm a year older today!

(But don't ask how old I am, please.)

So I scoured my shelves for some books I can give away, and viola! Here's what I'm giving away. Check it out, sit tight and see how you can win them!

If you're a follower of this blog, my Twitter account or my Facebook, you know that aside from books, I am a big fan of anime and manga. So I figured, why not try to give away books while satisfying my need for manga/anime?!

Here's what you need to do:

- Find the hottest picture of Akashi Seijuro that you can find and send the link to me. (If you don't know who he is, read here.) It can be a fanart, a manga cap (spoil me, I don't mind!) or a screenshot from the DS games or anime. He can be shirtless, or looking like an Angel like the photo below. It will totally depend on what picture you think is HOT. :)

- Or if you read fanfics, give me some recommendations. Akashi + Akashi or Akashi + MiraGen or Akashi + Momoi, I don't really care as long as it's Akashi.

I will be picking 3 winners!

Another note: If you're from the Philippines, please enter giveaways 1 and 2 only. The last giveaway is for International entrants only.

Here's what you can win:

PH ONLY

Ripper by Isabel Allende (ARC)
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman (Hardback)
Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
The Cabinet of Curiosities Sampler
Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav

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A copy of Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins *

* I will be buying a finished copy of this book and I will ship it to one winner. Note that I won't get it until after release date, which is August 14th, so you'll have to wait a little while to get it.

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INTERNATIONAL

$5 Amazon Gift Card

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Woop woop! Go forth and join the giveaways!

Our Broken Sky by Sarah Harian Cover reveal + giveaway!

Hi folks! I am here to share with you the cover for the novella in the Chaos Theory series by the fabulous and wonderfully talented Sarah Harian! I've been talking to Sarah on Twitter recently and I'm suffering from a bad case of The Wicked We Have Done withdrawals. But never fear! While we wait for September to arrive for the sequel, A Vault of Sins, to come out Sarah has a novella coming out in August and I am proud to share the cover for the novella in Valerie's POV called "Our Broken Sky" and a little excerpt to tide us over!

Release Date: August 19th, 2014
Series Info: Chaos Theory #1.5

In The Wicked We Have Done, readers were introduced to Valerie Crane. But you don’t know her the way you think you do. This is her story…

Valerie has always been different from her identical twin Veda. Tattooed, fiery, and foul-mouthed, Valerie acts on instinct, getting even with anyone who wrongs her passive, and sensitive sister.

At twenty-two, Veda doesn’t want to seek revenge against the three young men who raped her. As for Val…
Val never could manage her anger well.

As far as Val sees it, the Compass Room is simply a quicker way for her to die—payment for the crime she feels no guilt over. There isn’t a reason to fight, not until a girl as broken as she is reminds Val of what it’s like to hope…

EXCERPT: 

Her name and crime come back to me… 

Jacinda Glaser. Her suicide attempt killed a family.

“I feel alive here,” she says. “If I’m going to feel alive, then I want to stay alive.” Her face scrunches up, and another tear slides down her cheek. “The waiting is the worst. And now I don’t know why they’ve put us here of all places. Like they’re teasing us with something beautiful we could live for before they take it away.”

I can’t help it. I laugh.

Behind all of those tears she shoots me a dirty look. It’s sincere. I’ve angered her to all hell.

“I’m sorry. This place isn’t beautiful to me. It’s torture.”

Her cheeks puff out and she blows air out of her lips, glancing back toward the trees. It’s a ‘fuck off’ gesture if I ever saw one. I didn’t mean to insult her… not really.

“I hate waiting to die,” she says.

“Then don’t. Go out partying hard. Don’t wait for anything.” Hell knows that I never did.
I hold out my hand. She looks at it reluctantly before finally taking it, but then quickly drops it like she touched fire. “Jace,” she mumbles.

“Hi, Jace. I’m—”

“I know who you are.”

I cock my head. The tone of her voice is dark and a little vicious—at least, as vicious as I can ever imagine coming from her.

I should probably stop judging people so much on looks. Jesus.

“That so? Then who am I?”

Her courage falters a bit. I can see it in her eyes. She bites the corner of her lip and looks away again.

“Triple homicide. All of those boys. They say that the evidence partially clears you because you couldn’t hang them all by yourself.”

“Partially clears me.” When I lean toward her, she doesn’t back away like I’m expecting her to.

“What doomed me?”

“DNA. And the news… some of the news debates say that you… umm….”

I grin deviantly, and she finds the words.

“Have a psychotic personality.”

News to me. I just thought I was aggressive.

“And what do you think?” I take a step toward her, closing the space between us, and she looks up at me, her eyes narrow lines.

“You’re the kind of girl that parties hard on her deathbed, Valerie.”

She says my name like it’s sugar-coated toxic waste. I fucking love it.

-----

About the author:

Sarah Harian grew up in the foothills of Yosemite and received her B.A. and M.F.A. from Fresno State University. When not writing, she is usually hiking some mountain or another in the Sierras, playing video games with her husband, or rough-housing with her dog.


Website: www.sarahharian.com
Goodreads: www.sarahharian.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarahharian
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Harian/e/B00J4XHFI4/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0


And because I love this series a whole lot, I'm giving away a copy of The Wicked We Have Done to one lucky Kindle owner. You must have a Kindle (or at least be able to accept Kindle ebooks from Amazon) to join!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

WIN A (Kindle) COPY OF THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE!

Rules:

Must be at least 13 years old to enter

Open to EVERYONE

Ends 4/30

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Author Interview: Jen Minkman + Giveaway of The Island

It's the 2nd day of Dystopian Domination 4! Having fun so far? We have another author for you who will share some information about her lovely book, The Island. Check out my interview with Jen Minkman below!

What inspired you to write The Island? (novel)

Initially, the fact that I wanted to participate in a dystopian writing contest in my home country inspired me to come up with something original that would fit into a 20,000-word novella without feeling too rushed. This meant I had to cut back on the character development but created a 'hook' - the WTF moment in this book has to do with the famous story of Star Wars. Want to know how that could possibly have a place in a dystopian story? Read the book!

Where does the idea of the Island (the place) came from?

For my plot idea, I needed a secluded place where my dystopian society could develop, and an island was the best choice.

What's life like in The Island? (is it possible to describe this without spoiling any part of the story?)

Life on the Island for the Eastern Islanders is as follows: at age ten, children are supposed to move out and live in the mansion (a place where everybody between 10 and 18 lives) and leave their parents behind. Once they decide to marry, they come back to their native village (called Newexter) and start their own families. They don't stay in touch with their parents at all; dependence on parents is seen as a sign of weakness.
On the western part of the Island is a different society of people and the Eastern Islanders call them 'the Fools'. They never encounter these people, because there is a wall separating one part of the island from the other. Everybody knows that Fools don't believe in their own power; they don't feel the Force within, but they rely on a savior coming to them from the World across the Waters. The people from Newexter thinks the other people on the western part of the island are deluded and, you guessed it, foolish for thinking so.

Why write dystopian?

Because of the writing contest :) but ever since reading Hunger Games and re-reading Fahrenheit 451, I was playing with the idea of writing a dystopian story. I just think the genre is so interesting because you can link up theories about what the future will be like with current world issues and make people think: what if..?

World building is important especially for dystopian novels. What do you think makes people love this particular genre? How hard is it to build a dystopian world?

If you want to build a dystopian world, you have to create a believable reason as to why the world came to be like that. However, I think it is even more important to make sure you understand your characters and give them a suitable life philosophy. The way people in your story act builds the most convincing world of all.

Can you tell us what it's like to be an indie author? A lot of readers have certain misconceptions about indie/self published books, some are reluctant to try them, what's it like? How hard/easy is it?

Well, in my home country, I am a trade-published author. That has its advantages (such as people taking care of promotion for you) but also some drawbacks (traditional publishing is slllooooww...) . I enjoy being an indie author abroad. I translate all my Dutch books into English for publication on Amazon. I can do whatever I like, so no one will ever tell me that I can't publish a particular book because it doesn't match up with the genre I write in - I have total freedom. So that is the easy part. The hard part is that you have to do all the promotion yourself, and it takes a huge amount of time. You want to make sure people discover your work, so you have to work on visibility, and that is tough.
I can totally see why some readers/bloggers are reluctant to try indie authors. While some dedicated indie authors really take the time to double- and triple-check their work and hire an editor as well, some others don't bother and just publish books with bad grammar, spelling mistakes and incoherent storylines - books that would never make it past the gatekeepers of big publishing houses. While some people might not mind reading books with spelling mistakes, I am always irked by it (maybe because I am a teacher of English myself so I have developed hawk eyes for mistakes! I have to stop myself from getting out the red pen sometimes ;)

What's the best part of being an author?

The best part for me is the process of writing. Just sitting down with some cool music on (right now I listen to Sting's 'The Soul Cages' a lot while writing the sequel to The Island) and creating a world from scratch and not worrying one bit about whether people are gonna love the stuff I write. I love writing it, and that's the most important thing at that moment.
The worst part is getting really bad reviews from people who somehow didn't 'get' the story. This has been kind of an issue for The Island, actually, because some Goodreads reviewers accused it of being Star Wars fanfic, which is absolutely, certainly, definitely isn't. I would hang my head in shame if I had to steal characters from other stories to populate mine! There is a clear definition of what fanfic is, and if people claim I wrote that and published it under my name to make money from, it tarnishes my reputation as a writer. But at the end of the day, I can't do anything about it - every reviewer is entitled to her/his own opinion, even if it is based on a false assumption or misunderstanding.

Is there anything you want to say to the readers?

Yes! I love reading as much as I love writing, and so I know that a lot of people are hungry for good books with original ideas that are well-executed and told with a great attention to detail. I vow that I will always try to bring something to the reading world that is new and different, so it adds something fresh and vaulable to what is already out there.

The Island (The Island #1) by Jen Minkman
Published June 1st 2013

‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

(Please note: this novella contains a few references to the famous sci-fi movie Star Wars which are pivotal to the plot. None of the characters in The Island are in any way related to the characters in the movie. Leia is named after one of the ancient heroes of her culture/religion.)

Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the author:

Jen Minkman was born in Holland, in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn. When she was 19, she moved between The Hague, Salzburg (Austria), Brussels (Belgium) and Cambridge (UK) to complete her studies in intercultural communication. She is currently a teacher of English, career counsellor and teenage coach at a secondary school in Voorburg, Holland. She tries to read at least 100 books a year (and write a few, too!). She is a published author in her own country, and translates her own books from Dutch into English for self-publication.
In her spare time, she plays the piano, the guitar and the violin. For every novel she writes, she creates a soundtrack.

Follow her: Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN A PAPERBACK COPY OF THE ISLAND BY JEN MINKMAN!

Rules:

Open Internationally

Ends 7/18

Must be at least 13 years old to enter

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Looking for more giveaways, nterviews and other awesome dystopian feature? Check the list below!

Current contest:
Character Interview with Josh + Giveaway: Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Cover reveal: The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe + Giveaway!

You guys! I am so so so so so excited to be a part of the cover reveal for Stasia's new book! I loved Audition so much and I didn't even know she had a new book coming out, so it was such an awesome surprise when I found out that The Sound of Letting Go exists!

When I first got a peek at what the cover looks like I sighed. It's beautiful. I loved it!

And now I get to share it with you all!

But first, check out what the book is all about.

The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

February 1st 2014 by Penguin Group (New Zealand)

For sixteen years, Daisy has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her brother? How do you know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

And now you get to see the gorgeous cover!

You can find the author on the follow sites:

Stasia on twitter: https://twitter.com/swkehoe
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Stasia-Ward-Kehoe/480528638649616
At Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/125253.Stasia_Ward_Kehoe
At her blog: http://swardkehoe.blogspot.com

GIVEAWAY ALERT! WIN Signed copy of AUDITION, an ARC of THE SOUND OF LETTING GO and awesome SWAG from tons of amazing authors!

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The Truth or Dare Challenge: Play and win a copy of Jacqueline Green's debut YA thriller!

Hello lovely readers!

I'm sure you've heard of this book! Jacqueline Green's suspense filled novel, Truth or Dare, releases less than a week from now and as part of a challenge, I was asked: What's the most dangerous Truth or Dare game you've ever played?

My friends and I, stupid kids that we were, dared each other to go explore an unfinished house one night. Aside from pretending and putting up a brave face in front of each other, it was dark, and scary inside. One kid decided to amp up the challenge and asked which of us was willing to walk across a narrow ledge at the second floor. My ten year old self wanted to prove I was fearless, so I agreed. I started walking through when I peered down and with the moonlight shining down on us, found that if one of us slipped, we'd fall down the first floor filled with steel bars, concrete and a few broken bottles. I looked at my twin brother then, we were the last to walk, and he suddenly burst into tears, crying and begging me to stop. I realized how dangerous it was then, and that I was better off being called a coward by kids than doing a stupid dare and possibly dying. So we both ran for it, and the next day, we found out that one of the kids actually fell from the ledge and was sent off to the hospital.

Scary huh? It did happen though. I got so scared when I saw my twin brother cry. I can't believe how foolish I was to agree on that dare.

And speaking of truths and dares, Jacqueline Green has a book coming out soon that sounds SO good. I'm reading it right now and it's good! Want to read it? YOU CAN! Just answer the same question I answered above and you can win a copy of this YA thriller!

Truth or Dare (Truth or Dare #1) by Jacqueline Green
May 14th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

In this highly charged debut thriller, perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, an innocent game of TRUTH OR DARE spins out of control for three girls who find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.

It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

Paranoia builds as each little slip of paper taunts the girls with dares that threaten not just their reputations but also their lives. How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?

GIVEAWAY TIME!
DARE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AND WIN A COPY OF TRUTH OR DARE!

Rules:
Open to US residents only (Sorry international readers, publisher's request!)
Must be at least 13 years old
Ends 5/15

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I'm very curious to know what your answers are!

ARC Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa + Giveaway!

Woman, what have you done to me?

I was literally grabbing the edge of my seat at the last few pages of the book and I completely fell off it after turning the page over and realizing it was the last one. A scream followed soon after.

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 30th 2013 (US) / May 3rd 2013 (UK)
Published by: Harlequin Teen/ MIRA Ink
Source: Publisher (Thanks Lisa & Elise for giveaway copy!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

I should not be surprised of the unexpected twists and turns a Julie Kagawa book presents, but it still gets to me, every single time. In this action packed sequel, Allison is on a race against time to save her sire, Kanin. Trapped in the hands of a psychotic vampire named Sarren who will do anything to inflict the same pain he has felt when Kanin betrayed their race, Allison is on a desperate search to find him, but she won't be able to do it without enlisting the help of an unexpected ally. As they track Sarren, Allison comes face to face with something much worse than the Red Lung virus, and it's infecting everyone, including vampires. Now Allison had the seemingly impossible task of finding Kanin, and stopping the virus before it kills everyone.

I've said this before and I will say this again: Allison Sekimoto might be small, petite to some, but she's never to be underestimated. She's got a heart bigger than anyone, and she's not afraid to do anything in order to protect the ones she loved. Her struggle to not become the monster she fears will drive away the people she had learned to care about is the main conflict for her in this book, and my admiration for her just grows. I agree with what Jackal and Kanin says: it takes a certain strength to become a creature of the night, and Allison got through it. There's a lot going on inside her head as she was wondering if embracing who she has become was the right thing to do, and what does becoming a vampire has in store for her in the future. What about her and Zeke?

Am I crazy, or am I just reading too much into Kanin and Allison's relationship? I never, not once, did I feel, that his actions were fatherly towards her. Not once. Granted he might be her sire, but I felt there were moments where they were just connected in a way Zeke and Allison will never be, and it's not just the call of blood. There was one particular moment where I still wonder if it was punishment and cruelty that Kanin wants to show or was it something leaning towards something more. This part of my review just confirms how I secretly will not object if Kanin and Allison will ever have that 'something'.

Trust Julie Kagawa to mess with my mind as I struggle to make sense of Jackal's true character. Even after the end of this novel I am uncertain if he's one who hides under the facade of evil but has something inside of him that might make him a little good, or if it's the reverse. Some of his intentions were good, and according to Kanin he's lost, but can someone who lost his way be redeemed? Jackal is a fun vampire to read, and though I hated him in Immortal Rules, he's showed sides to him in The Eternity Cure that can't be overlooked. Also, Jackal took over the limelight and stole it away from Zeke. Although Zeke's character tends to fade in the background a little bit because of his kind nature, he's shown flashes of strength and leadership that gives his character room for potential growth. I just hope he's able to withstand whatever the story throws his way especially with the trials he went through in this book.

The plot is nothing short of brilliant! I've always had high praises for Julie Kagawa for being such an imaginative writer and The Eternity Cure just takes me into a world unlike anything I've read of before. If you think Immortal Rules was a high octane read, The Eternity Cure was filled to the brim with action scenes one after another. Be prepared to plunge in to the fast paced story from page one because it doesn't stop until the end. And the best part is? You'll want more even after you're finished reading. It's a dark, bloody world and Julie Kagawa did a great job building it and creating characters who can kick butt and still manage to be complicated and deep at the same time. If you think the story ends when the race to find Kanin comes to a close, you have a new type of plague, Bleeders, deranged vampires and the potential threat of all life on earth ending to keep you going. An explosive story with rapid pace, highly volatile characters and unexpected plot twists, Julie Kagawa had the recipe for an amazing follow up down a tee in The Eternity Cure. I cannot get enough of this series!

Now when can I please have the next book?

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

As a reader, I know how hard it is for a story to sustain its "life" especially when it comes to sequels as it is often a hit or a miss, but not Julie Kagawa. She's just a brilliantly awesome and a highly talented writer, and she's also my favorite. Will 5,000 butterflies do as a rating? :)

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

I love it! And then I just realized, are those the capillaries in the lungs? I thought they were tree roots.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!
WIN AN ARC OF THE ETERNITY CURE BY JULIE KAGAWA!



Because I want you all to read this stunning book, I am giving away this ARC to one lucky person!

Rules:

Open internationally
Must be at least 13 to enter
Ends 5/20
No cheating! I will check the entries and I WILL DISQUALIFY you if I find you cheating.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recap: Tahereh Mafi in Manila book signing (with Ransom Riggs) + Giveaway!

A little over a week after and I still have a serious hangover for this seriously AMAZING book event.

At the start of this year, I got wind of a great news that Tahereh Mafi was coming here to Manila for a signing, and when we got the specifics (March 2nd, Powerbooks Greenbelt 4) I was so excited to attend. But I was in for a surprise since I got an invite from National Bookstore, the bookstore chain bringing Tahereh here in Manila, for a very exclusive bloggers Q&A with the author. Of course we didn't pass up the chance and together with my Filipina blogger friends, we were there!

While we were waiting for Tahereh...

I had to wait for two of my friends (Precious of Fragments of Life and Dianne of Oops I Read Again) and we arrived at the venue just in time. It was so nice to meet fellow bloggers, especially since 15 out of the almost 20 bloggers there are my friends.

Tahereh answering some questions!

By the time the signing started, I was a bunch of nerves. We were given numbers (I was #13) and we can ask 1 question to Tahereh. Coffee and Muffins (Cupcakes?) aside, my question was this: "Since readers who read your book tend to focus more on the characters, tell us something about the world in both Shatter Me & Unravel Me as I feel there's somewhat an environmental significance for it. Why is the world like that?"

Her answer was, Tahereh wanted to create a world where the worst possible things that could happen in it has, indeed, happened. The world was so devastated and destroyed even the birds couldn't fly anymore. Tahereh got the idea for it when she was watching a documentary about the genes of a male fish altering to become female all because of the pollution in the environment. (Yes, at that point we were talking about fishes :P)

Other information from the Bloggers forum were:

- Kenji was based on Tahereh's older brothers. There was a scene in the book (I forgot which one) that really happened in real life. Tahereh had to write it down when it happened and told her brother that she'll include it in her book.
- The original title for Shatter Me was 'Touching Juliette', which Tahereh herself suggested (LOL!)
- Tahereh's doing the final edits for the 3rd book (!!!!!)
- The new covers for both Shatter Me and Unravel Me, the eyes, represents the metaphysical growth of Juliette as a character.
- As of the moment, the 3rd book is called 'Untitled Me' (meaning it still has no title yet!)
- There will be an e-novella after Unravel Me, which Tahereh hasn't written yet. She didn't confirm if this novella is about Kenji.
- Tahereh was very surprised when she found out that most of her readers were on Team Warner. And yes, Tahereh created Warner that way, with a little bit of bad and good inside of him, someone broken.

Q&A with Ransom as well

We also had a chance to ask Ransom Riggs, who was there at the back snapping some photos of us during the blogger forum for Tahereh, and who came up to the stage afterwards!

- The sequel for Miss Peregrine will be published 2014.
- Yes, Ransom is Ransom's real name. It's what's on his birth certificate! He once had an amazon 1 star review where the reader said he had the worse pseudonym ever.
- The Miss Peregrine movie will be directed by Tim Burton (WOAH!)

It was the best Q&A ever! Since we had some time before the official signing starts, us bloggers had the chance to have our books signed BEFORE anyone else could. Ransom signed some books too!

Ransom had to take a photo because he liked the name of Dianne's blog so much!

Tahereh signing books!

Us bloggers lining up for our own signing!

You wouldn't believe how much gift both Tahereh and Ransom got! Some gave cupcakes, some gave cakes, some gave souvenirs, someone gave Tahereh a Jane Austen lipbalm! and some gave them dried mangoes (because you had to eat it when you're in Manila!) and some AMAZING fanart for Shatter Me & Unravel Me. Us? We gave Tahereh our own version of a defaced copy of Shatter Me, thanks to Louisse from The Soul Sister's AMAZING idea!



I didn't get to take a photo of Tahereh the moment she saw the book, but it was such a priceless moment. Throughout the signing, dirty jokes were made, bad puns were flying everywhere, and we all had a great laugh. Both Tahereh and Ransom were so so funny! Tahereh was late for the official signing (which we didn't get to check out that much) and there were TONS of people. Our friend was 194 and the signing hasn't even started!



We didn't stay until the end of the signing, but I heard it went on until 8PM. Yes, Tahereh signed books for 4 hours! Ransom also announced that he will sign books, so copies of Miss Peregrine flew off the shelves faster than you can say 'what?'. I heard copies were sold out!

Me, Precious, Dani, Lyra, Kate, Dianne and Leslie bonded a bit more while eating these fab banana chocolate chip cupcakes that Dani (of Book Whales!) baked. They were YUMMY!

And yeah, me and my new BFF Tahereh Mafi. I was so surprised when she recognized me. When she said "Glad to finally meet you." I almost underwent spontaneous combustion (if it was even possible) right then and there. And some more group pictures!




It was such a fine event! Met awesome authors, bonded with my blogger friends, and had my books signed. Thanks so much National Bookstore for the opportunity! Until next signing! :)

Sorry for the really long recap! And because you, my readers, are awesome enough to read this to the end, I have a giveaway for you!

GIVEAWAY ALERT! WIN A SIGNED ARC of UNRAVEL ME BY TAHEREH MAFI!

I asked permission from the organizers if I can have my ARC signed by Tahereh since I didn't buy the book, and they said yes! The ARC had a scribble of the same words tattooed on Warner's hips: "Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.". Yes, those words. And also, it's signed by Tahereh. And since I hated dogearing my books, I used a lot of post-its to mark the passages I really liked. I didn't remove them, so if you win this book, you get it signed, with the post-its. I promise the scenes I marked are all awesome!

Rules:

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

Must be at least 13 to enter

Ends 4/14

No cheating! I will check the entries and I WILL disqualify you if I find you cheating.

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Giveaway: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

One of the few YA contemporary books I'm really excited to read this year, we're putting on the spotlight to debut author Emily Murdoch's novel, If You Find Me.

Title: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Release Date: March 26th 2013
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

PRE-ORDER HERE:
Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go…

IF YOU FIND ME by Emily Murdoch has already received amazing early reviews! Here's what they have to say about the book:


“Murdoch’s debut is beautifully written. The deep bond between the sisters is almost physically palpable, as is their intense longing for love and acceptance; they will quickly endear themselves to readers.”

-School Library Journal Starred Review


“This deeply affecting story is made all the more so by Carey’s haunting first-person narration… A compelling narrative that is both unflinching about life’s pain and hopeful about its possibilities.”

–Kirkus Starred Review


“Murdoch has written a painful, hopeful, surprisingly quiet book that charts the best and worst of humanity. Her narrative is full of unique yet breathtaking similes, detailed descriptions, and unflinching dialogue... she validates the courage and ingenuity of young people the world over for whom survival is instinctive; protection of siblings is nonnegotiable; and love both a right and a gift bestowed upon those fortunate enough to find it.”

–Booklist Starred Review


VOYA MAGAZINE also gave IF YOU FIND ME a rave review. Check it out below:

“The book is a page-turner. Murdoch has created a moving, riveting read that will have teens staying up late to finish the novel.”


The folks over at St. Martins are generously offering ONE finished copy of If You Find Me we can giveaway to one lucky reader of our blog. I don't know about you, but if I can only enter this contest myself, I probably would because this novel just sounds SO amazing!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Open to US/Canada only

Must be at least 13 years old to enter

Ends March 15th

No cheating! We were pretty lax with giveaway entries before, but this time we will check!

Winner must respond within 48 hours

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Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison Publication Day + Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

Visit Kate's blog: http://kateellison.com/index.html

The AMAZING Kate Ellison's new book, Notes from Ghost Town, releases today! I've had the opportunity to read Kate's book and I enjoyed it a lot. Needless to say, a lot of tears were shed that day. My review will be posted soon, so watch out for it!

Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison
February 12th 2013 by EgmontUSA

They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it's only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death.

There's a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there's a good chance she's losing her mind completely--just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn't really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It's the only way she can save herself.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY HERE: BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | INDIEBOUND

And The Butterfly Clues paperback also publishes today! How cool is that? And guess what? It also has a new cover! Behold the gorgeousness!

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
February 12th 2013 by EgmontUSA

Seventeen-year-old Penelope "Lo" Marin has always collected beautiful things. Since her brother's untimely death, her collection has become an obsession. When she finds an antique butterfly necklace that belonged to a murdered girl at a flea market, she impulsively steals it and becomes fixated. As Lo delves deeper into the life of this girl she feels an otherworldly connection to, she finds herself in the middle of a violent underworld of crime, drugs and sex. But the more questions she asks, the more danger she is in. Can Lo uncover the killer's identity, or will she become the next victim?

In celebration for this double header releases, EgmontUSA is giving away 1 HARDCOVER copy of Notes from Ghost Town to one lucky winner. But wait, there's more! We're also giving away 1 PAPERBACK copy of The Butterfly Clues with the new cover!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!
WIN NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN AND BUTTERFLY CLUES!

Rules:

Open to US and Canada only

Ends March 15th

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