Top Ten Tuesday

                                           
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists! 

This week's topic is Best/Worst Book-to- Movie adaptions

BEST
1. Harry Potter movies. Honestly, they won the holy grail

2. Breaking Dawn Part 2. *sobs* THE BEAUTY

3. The Host. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL

4. The Hunger Games. It was good

WORST
5.  PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF. No, we don't speak of it

6. Eragon, No

Waiting for!
7. City of Bones

8. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters!

That's all folks!!


Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex

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Blog Tour Stop: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

So today I am the stop for the Dirty Little Secret Blog Tour!!

     

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

So down here I have a interview with Jennifer Echols!!

What inspired you to write this book?

I grew up listening to my dad teaching himself to play banjo. I tell people that’s why I can tune out absolutely any noise when I’m writing, but I guessall that subliminal exposure to bluegrass music was going to come out in my books sooner or later!

What was your writing process like?

Nowadays my agent and editors want me to sell books on proposal, which means that I have to come up with the plot of a book before I write it. That’s what I did with DIRTY LITTLE SECRET. But I prefer to just start writing and let the book form itself. In either case, the finished product is going to be miles different than what I thought it would be at first.

What character do you most identify with?

Bailey is a fiddle player who believes she’s talented and aches to share her songwriting skills but has been forbidden to play in a band. I spent a lot of years trying to get a novel published—this was before ebooks and self-publishing—so I know a thing or two about feeling frustrated creatively.

Who were your inspiration for the characters?

There are so many stories about bands that got together when the members were still in high school—No Doubt, Nashville natives Paramore, bluegrass band Nickel Creek, and my personal favorite from my home state, Alabama Shakes.

Did you listen to music to write this book? If so, What music?

I have a fabulous soundtrack for this book on my web site. It’s filled with country and bluegrass songs I listened to while writing it, some of which are actually in the book. If you thought you didn’t like country music, I’ll bet I can change your mind. It’s athttp://jennifer-echols.com/dirtylittlesecret.html.

What was your favorite character to write about?

Sam is, as Bailey says, the “handsome devil” that so many women sing about in country songs. He’s so charming and yet so driven to succeed that keeping up with him—not to mention getting along with him—is a real challenge. But he means well, and he truly feels Cupid’s arrow through his heart when he meets Bailey.

 I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait for ya'll to read it too!!

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Blog Tour Stop: Stripped by Brooklyn Skye

Hey guys! Today I am the stop for the Stripped blog tour!!!!

“Don’t... waste those words on me.”

He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”

“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Below I have an interview with the author and my review of the book!!!

What was your favorite part about writing this book?

I think my favorite part was definitely discovering who Quinn was along the way, watching her grow from a flat idea of a girl to someone who has captured of the hearts of so many readers.

Who was your favorite character to write about?

While I loved discovering Quinn’s story, Torrin was by far my favorite character. He became such a bright light for Quinn that I couldn’t help but fall for him.

Did you listen to music while writing STRIPPED? If so, what music?

I’m not usually the type to listen to sappy music, but some of these are heart-wrenchers! And they remind me so much of Quinn and Torrin.

Stay—Rhianna ft. Mikki Ekko

I’m Not Yours Anymore—Angus and Julia Stone

Two is Better Than One—Boys Like Girls

This Years Love—David Gray

The Church of What’s Happening Now- Sia

Heartbeats—Jose Gonzales

Almost Lover—A Fine Frenzy

I’m Movin’ On—Rascal Flatts

Trust—Eric James and the New Century

I Never Told You—Colby Caillat

Won’t You Come Again—Susie Suh

Face Down—Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Hazy—Rosi Golan

Enchanted—Taylor Swift

Your Love—Emma Burgess

The Living—Natalie Merchant

Lifeline—Brooke Fraser

Unbroken—Missy Higgins

It’s You—Shayna Zaid

Lay Your Head Down—Peter Bradley Adams

Ghosts That We Knew—Mumford and Sons

 

What was your writing process like?

When I wrote STRIPPED three years ago, I had the idea of a college girl doing something extreme to pay for her education. About halfway through the draft—after a bit of market research—I discovered college-aged protagonists were sort of a no-no in the industry. Against my gut feelings of THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK, I changed Quinn to a high school senior. Once the draft was done, I hated it. Quinn was not supposed to be in high school and the YA voice just wasn’t working for me in this story. So I set it aside for two years and worked on a few other projects. About six months ago I decided to pick the draft back up and rewrite it the way I had intended. About that same time, the New Adult category was starting to emerge and several books were popping up on the Best-Selling lists which gave me a little more encouragement to go with my gut.

What did you base your characters on?

I didn’t really base my characters on anything in particular, but I did with the nude modeling aspect of the book. For me, the idea of nude modeling came from a current event article that popped up when I logged in to my email: a story about college girls modeling nude for art classes to earn extra money. At the time I was drafting another story, but was really intrigued by the story so I saved the article.

And then a funny thing happened. In the recesses of my mind, an idea started to take shape. A girl who needed money…a girl who was so desperate for money that she’d go as far as modeling nude to get it…a girl, haunted by the sudden death of her sister and a family scandal, who would be forced to strip bare just to keep from living in the wake of her dead sister…

Thus, STRIPPED was born

REVIEW: Guys, this book was awesome!!! This was my first New Adult book and it was wonderful!!! I loved the concept and the way that the plot unfolded. Can I just say that I totally called who Torrin really was!! It was full of plot twists and real concepts. I loved this book and yes, I did sob horribly and loudly. GO READ IT!!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.

Blog: brooklynskye.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brooklyn__skye

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6967637.Brooklyn_Skye

BUY STRIPPED ON AMAZON FOR $.99

http://www.amazon.com/STRIPPED-ebook/dp/B00CR32J66/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-3&qid=1373301630

Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex

Blog Tour Stop: Identified: The Maya Price Story by Faith A. Rice-Mills

Hello, People of the Reading Universe! Today I am the stop for the Identified Blog Tour!

  Maya Price is a typical eighteen-year-old girl without much going on in her life. Her biggest problems include getting ready to leave her hometown for college, figuring out how to avoid her ever-so-strange stepmother, and trying to muddle through her feelings for her best friend, Pete. Yet, on one of her last nights in her hometown, she and Pete are in a car accident. A stranger pulls Maya from the accident, leaving Pete behind, and takes her out of this world and into another dimension.

     Maya soon discovers that she has been taken to a dimension called Leets by a group of people that call themselves shifters. Shifters are of mixed human and onyx blood and have various abilities.  These shifters are able to travel between dimensions and control the four elements (fire, earth, wind, water) and the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste). Their leader, Victoria, informs Maya that she, too, is a shifter and that she must choose to join them or risk being sought out by their greatest enemy, a shifter named Leonas.

    Maya joins Victoria and her ragtag group of rebel shifters in Leets, where she is teamed up with a group of seven other shifters. Her new "teammates" include a street-smart girl named Luz, who is especially adept at controlling fire, her twin sister Espy, and a nervous boy named Lamar, who can manipulate sound better than any other shifter. Together, Maya’s team trains for the battle that will soon be  inevitable.

     However, Maya soon learns that her purpose is not to just move the earth or send water flying into the air. There are rumors of a hidden prophecy and that the prophecy mentions Maya by name. Supposedly, the prophecy says that Maya will one day have to choose a side and will be essential in bringing her chosen ally to power...

GUYS, THIS BOOK WAS EPIC! I loved the writing and the plot. The characters were absolutely lovely!! It wasn't boring but it was a bit slow in the middle. I loved the idea of the shifters with Onyx and human blood. The journal entries were terrifying! The back and forth between the entries and what was happening was intriguing. I didn't know what was going to happen. I approve of this book!!! Go read it!!!!

NOW THE GIVEAWAYS!

First we have a tour wide giveaway of One signed copy of the book!

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Second is an individual giveaway of an e-book copy of the book

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Third is my very own giveaway of a signed paperback copy of the book!!!

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Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Faith A. Rice-Mills is the author of Identified: The Maya Price Story and a handful of short stories.  She moonlights as a Spanish teacher,  but has wanted to be a writer since she wrote the poem “The Jackowhipp’s Wail” as an eight-year-old.  Her writer’s spirit resides somewhere between Narnia and Mount Doom, but her physical body lives in Texas with her family.  Besides writing, she loves reading (and will take recommendations!), yoga, coloring with her daughter, and watching Parks and Recreation with her husband.  She dislikes snakes, the word “literally,” and teaching double object pronouns in Spanish.  She is currently working on Burdened, the second book in The Maya Price Story series and is writing whatever short story she has to get out of her brain.

Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmills514

Her Website: http://writesofwoman.wordpress.com/

Her Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6621559.Faith_A_Rice_Mills

The book's goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17261607-identified?ac=1

The book's Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=identified+the+maya+price+story&sprefix=identified+%2Caps%2C206

Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

                                                       

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

My pick this week is:


Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Expected Publication Date: October 22, 2013 by HarperCollins Children's Books

One choice will define you.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'm currently crying as I write this. This is one of the best series I have ever read. I am so sad to see it go yet I think it's good that the characters get a break. I have been waiting for this book for a year and I'm excited to dive back in. I'm afraid yet terrified! 

Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex

Scarlet Review! Spoilers

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.  

Ahh, I really love this series. I'm actually crying from the perfectness.I love how she mixed both of the characters stories perfectly while changing POV's. I loved the introductions of the new characters like Wolf. I love how the plot flowed smoothly and as usual the writing style was lovely. Though I did have some trouble with the villains, I got over it quickly!! 

Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex 

Top Ten Tuesday!!!

                                                
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!



This week's topic is Ten Books that intimidate me. Oh, this should be fun.

1. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I seriously don't feel the need to have an existential crisis today

2. The entire Little House on the Prairie series. Sorry, Carson!!! I still love you

3. Les Miserables. Heh, ahh the classics

4. Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

Well, that's all I could think of. Sorry!!!!

Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex