A Little Pick Me Up

It's only Wednesday and it has already been an immensely long week. I know I shouldn't complain, I did get a week off and was able to be extra productive with my editing, but let me tell you, I'm making up for it now.

So I was up for some inspiration...a way to ease into the day. If you find yourself in need of a smile or a little lift read on. I know when I stumbled onto these amazing quotes they helped me.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
— Eleanor Roosevelt

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde

"Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results."
— Albert Einstein

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
— C.S. Lewis

"It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities."
— J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
— Marilyn Monroe

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
— J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Okay so that last one I just had to throw in...have a great day everyone.

Possession by Elana Johnson

So Friday afternoon I have to admit I was feeling bummed out. I had a super productive yet relaxing week, but Spring Break was sadly coming to a close.

Yuck.

My day took an abrupt turn and was instantly fabulous when the mail arrived and much to my surprise in my mailbox was my very own ARC of the amazing Elana Johnson's debut novel Possession.

Yeah, I about passed out. I'm pretty certain that my neighbors are now close to having me committed. Oh well.

So the rest of the day went like this.

Put daughter down for her nap. Read Possession. Had dinner with my parents. Read Possession. Got the kiddos to bed. Read Possession.

You get the idea.

I could not put it down and when someone made me, it wasn't pretty. Needless to say I finished it last night and it was amazing. If you follow Elana's blog you know she has a free spirited voice like no other. That very same voice shines through in Possession.

Possession is a must read, get your hands on a copy ASAP kind of book. I became an instant fan of her MC Violet/Vi...her quick wit and no-nonsense attitude won me over in a heartbeat. And her leading men? Well I won't ruin any of the well played surprises there. The characters in combination with the beautiful clean writing of Elana's created a fabulous story. It will leave you breathless until the very end.

But don't take my word for it...check out the description from Goodreads:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Okay....I don't want to be selfish. Though it pains me to part with it, I am giving all of you a chance to win this ARC. It's so good that I just have to share it!

So, I think we all know the drill by now. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post, follow my blog and of course Elana's. You can also get points by helping me spread the word about this amazing book by blogging, tweeting etc...just let me know in the comments.

Thanks for helping me support Elana and good luck!

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City. It's where you can list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

This week on my wishlist:


Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan

Goodreads Description:
To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls #1) by Tera Lynn Childs

Goodreads Description:
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Fins Are Forever (Fins #2) by Tera Lynn Childs

Goodreads Description:

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams?

If this inflates any of your TBR piles, I apologize. I guess since mine is already out of control I need to help everyone else out. Do you have any upcoming books that you are just dying to get your little hands on? I'd love to hear about them. Have a great weekend everyone!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursdays is a meme hosted by Oasis For YA, an awesome blog run by some fabulous writers. These wonderful ladies know that taking a minute to think about the good things in life that you already have is a sure-fire way to lift your spirits and get those creative juices flowing.

Care to try it for yourself? For all of the details visit and follow their blog here. Aside from this fabulous meme, they have some great posts.

This week I am thankful for...

Spring Break! There I said it. I just have to get through today and tomorrow and I have one whole week off. And I am so very thankful for that. This has been a very long week. I'm excited to say that I am moving back into my renovated classroom. The moving part isn't much fun...for those of you unaware, teachers tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. One doesn't realize how much until they have to move. Yikes! On the bright side my room looks great and this is my last move! (For those of you who missed my earlier pitty-party, I had to move over Christmas break as well.)

I have also been on lock down editing mode all week. I've had tunnel-vision working on this most recent draft, whatever number it is. So I apologize for being scarce this week.

So next week I plan to polish up this manuscript of mine, do some beta reading for the wonderful Lindsay and visit all of your amazing blogs. I cannot wait! So go ahead and spill...what are you thankful for?

It's Lovely To Be Wicked...

It all started with a few simple rules...

RULE 3: NEVER STARE AT INVISIBLE FAERIES.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world.

RULE 2: NEVER SPEAK TO INVISIBLE FAERIES.
One of them, a beautiful faery boy named Keenan, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

RULE 1: DON'T EVER ATTRACT THEIR ATTENTION.
Now it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King and is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost. Without her, summer itself will perish....

And that was just the first book...
Throughout the entire Wicked Lovely series, Melissa Marr has crafted masterpiece after breathtaking masterpiece as she brings to life an entirely new world of Faerie.

From the first book I was hooked, right up until the very end with Darkest Mercy. It was a beautiful finale with wonderful surprises and of course a little heartache. As with any series that a reader falls in love with, it was hard to see it end.

If you haven't had a chance to peruse the pages of this particular series, you have to. Melissa Marr creates nothing less than stunning beauty with every word.

And just in case you haven't seen the covers...Prepare to drool:

Wicked Lovely

Ink Exchange

Fragile Eternity

Radiant Shadows

Darkest Mercy

Like I said, if you have not read this series for yourself, you absolutely need to. Go out...buy it today. You will not be sorry.

Being Fearless

We all have fears. No one wants to freely admit it. We like to go about our day, pushing through. Never dwelling on the negative, always remaining positive right? Well, like it or not the fear is there...lurking in the corners, waiting to strike. It snatches our ideas and siphons our creativity. So how do you go about being realistic while battling this invisible foe all at once? Here are a few tips:

1. Allow yourself to be afraid: Yes, you heard me right. You have to face your fears. Its not pretty, but I promise you will feel better. Others are scared too. And it is okay to admit it. There I said it. Now that we all know, we can deal and move on. Once you admit to the fear, you can mute it, set it aside and get your story on paper. And that's the important thing. To be able to tell your story.

2. Ask for help: The hardest thing to do is let others read your work. The first time I sent chapters off to a beta I nearly gnawed my nails into nothing. But everything turned out to be fine. Sure she may have had a lot of notes, but I was able to fix what was wrong and make my ms even better. Writing my very first query letter seemed impossible, but I sought out help. Places like Query Tracker are amazing resources for writers. Go there. Get help! I promise you won't be disappointed.

3. Put Others First: Help out your fellow writers, you'd be amazed at how good it feels. I haven't met a fellow writer yet that wouldn't bend over backwards to help someone out. It's what we do. Become a beta, get on those sites and help proof a query letter or even just offer a sympathetic ear.

4. Cheer Up: You're not in this alone. It may seem that way sometimes when you're in your little writing cave and the doubt creeps in. But it is far from true. I have met so many amazing people in this blogging community. We may all be at different stages of this long journey, but at some point we all have to face the same hurdles. It helps to know that someone else has been where you are.

5. Relax: It terrifies me when my ideas for my current ms run dry. But I've learned through several trips to Starbucks and countless amounts of chocolate that stress is not my friend. So when you feel the fear creeping up take some time for yourself. Take a walk, watch a movie, or my personal favorite, go shopping! Whatever you do, make sure its something that relaxes you. The ideas will come. Trust me.

These tips may not be foolproof, they are what they are, suggestions. I'm not saying I'm completely fearless yet, but I'm working on it. Bottom line when it comes to writing...you just need to sit yourself down and write what comes to you. Block out everything else and write. The rest will fall into place.

Now that we have all that out, it's time to share. What scares you the most about writing? Or have you made it to fearless?

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City. It's where you can list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

This week on my wishlist:

I was actually going to skip my wishlist this week. Then I saw this...
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

From Goodreads:
A romantic sci-fi novel set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.

And for fans of Vampire Academy...
Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Description:
Bloodlines is a spin off of the series "Vampire Academy." It centers around Sydney, a human alchemist. Jill, a Moroi Vampire will also have a key role. The male lead will be a love interest from Vampire Academy.

Bloodlines takes place at a high school in California. We're still in the same universe and with the same rules as Vampire Academy.

Wither (Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano


Goodreads Description:
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

That's it for this week. I apologize in advance for possibly adding to your TBR pile. I know mine is already out of control. So what books are you dying to get your hands on?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thankful Thursday

Over at Oasis For YA, an awesome blog run by some fabulous writers, they have started a new meme. Thankful Thursdays.

So why are they doing this? These wonderful ladies know that taking a minute to think about the good things in life that you already have is a sure-fire way to lift your spirits and get those creative juices flowing.

Care to try it for yourself? For all of the details visit and follow their blog here. Aside from this fabulous new meme, they have some great posts.

So this week I am thankful for...



Of course, my kids. I have been blessed with two amazing kids that keep things lively. There is never a dull moment at my house. My son is thirteen and my daughter is four. You can imagine how well they get along. He's into sports and X-box, she loves ballet and anything princess.

Oh yeah, they clash.

But I wouldn't have them any other way. They are the best inspiration whenever I hit a mental block. Listening to their banter, watching my daughter play dress up and dance around her room. They give my mind that little bit of a break it sometimes needs to let that last idea slip in. It honestly never fails.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the day to day tasks, we forget to step back and just observe life. I advise trying it. You'll be amazed at what you see. I know I am. Each and every time.

Sorry for the syrupy sweetness today, but it is what it is! And now it is you turn...so what is it that you are thankful for this week? I hope everyone has a great day, tomorrow is Friday and I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for that as well.

Pink Anyone?

Perhaps you have heard of a little book debuting today by the name of The Liar Society. A book by the sister team of Lisa and Laura Roecker.

Well if you haven't...well seriously where have you been? Totally kidding. Well maybe a little, but really have you missed all the pink hair flying around the blogosphere? I love it!

Anyway some fabulous writers by the names of Elana Johnson, Shannon Messenger, Suzanne Young, Kimberly Derting, and Beth Revis, got together and decided to promote this fabulous book.

It all began with a series of fantastic videos. Haven't seen them? Watch them here.

And if that wasn't enough they went even further by putting together a little contest.

They will be giving away 10 (TEN) signed copies of THE LIAR SOCIETY all this week! The contest started Monday, February 28 and runs through Friday, March 4.
For details go here.

Can't wait that long to get your own copy? Buy it here or here.

Have a great day everyone and Happy Book Birthday to The Liar Society!