Speaking of @mstiefvater and books... I have book envy.

Someday I want an office as awesome and book-filled as this.

http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/

Check out her batches o' books. You can enter to win some of her books on her site. Check it out :)

What just happened here @maggiestiefvater?

So I didn't want to watch the teaser until I knew there were no spoilers because I am STILL reading Linger... I am making it linger because it feels like forever until Forever comes out... see what I did there.

So anyhoo. I was promised if I skipped to 1:20 I'd have no spoilers, so I did that. I watched from there on.

WTF?!

See for yourself. And remember, no spoilers!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G9QKfR8cGc&w=480&h=390]

So what do you think? If you've read Linger, don't tell me to read. I'm reading. If you've not read Linger, skip to 1:20! Then come back and tell me what you think.

I want to finish Linger so badly, but I hate waiting!!!! Ugh!

Book Review: Betrayed by Rhianne Aile - m/m paranormal romance, fun brain candy!

Betrayed by Rhianne Aile

This was a good sequel to Cursed. I really enjoyed finding out what happened next to the Northland twins and I loved that it was fairly seamless. I liked the addition of Richard and the twin aspect he had, a lot of twins in these books. It was kind of complicated to keep everyone straight though and I found myself kind of dozing off throughout some parts. I'm guessing because there were some parts of the story that dealt with secondary characters more than necessary.
Betrayed was definitely fun brain candy and I liked finding out the ending. It was really well done and had great action as well as romance.
Fun paranormal romance with a m/m theme throughout. Mature audiences only ;)

Book Review: Cursed by Rhianne Aile

I listened to this book. My first ever audiobook that wasn't a kids' book while I was teaching. It was different being read to, but the narrator was good. He had a deep soothing voice that I loved. <3

I really liked it! It was different for sure being read to, but it was a good story!

This was a lovely little romp filled with shifters and witches and hot boys ;) Total brain candy, but it kept me totally enthralled on my drive to and from Phoenix.

I liked the characters and the story so much that I bought the second book, Betrayed, on iTunes too!

I highly recommend if you enjoy slash paranormal romance! :)

Please support @jennandtonica by buying a PB&J Bracelet from @nemlas29!!! <3

Below is my friend Crystal's post from her blog- http://crystalmicsha.blogspot.com

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

One of my internet friends, Jenny, has had a tough go of things. From dealing with infertility to giving birth to preemie triplets, I can't help but think of her as Wonder Woman.

When I found out that she was going to be participating in the March of Dimes walk held on April 30th, I wanted to help. Not only did I want to help by donating money to sponsor her, I wanted to do something more.

In the last few months I have taken up a hobby of jewelry making and even opened an ETSY Shop (FunkyPineapple Designs) so I decided I would make a special bracelet in honor of the nickname she gave her babies while they were still in the oven, PB&J.

The Peanut Butter Jelly Time bracelet (seen below) can be purchased through my ETSY shop with $10 of each purchase being donated to help Jenny and her family reach their goal of raising (at least) $1,000 for their walk.

Help me help Jenny reach her goal and maybe even surpass it. You'll not only help future families that need the assistance, but you'll have a nice little thank you on your wrist from all the people that are touched each day by March of Dimes.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time bracelets can be purchased here.
Jenny's blog post talking about what March of Dimes meant to her can be found here.

_________________________________________________________________

Please help us help our dear friend and hero, Jenny, reach her goal and support the miracles that are Calista, Eleanor, and Tobias or PB&J :)

The bracelets are for a good cause, but they're also CUTE! Purple, tan, and crystal beads to show our support for these gorgeous babies! Jenny's website is - http://jennandtonica.com/ if you'd like to see the cuties and read about Jenny and her family!

I'm getting mine today!

Beee yourself. No More Freebies.

From the Start- Written 2/9/11

Have we come to be as we are, as we have always been?

Do we have a choice to rise above or crawl from them?

Choices claw and swirl, decision drop and skewer.

You decide who you are and where you go from here.

I am my own and I will own myself,

There is no one else to blame even when you are in pain.

You allow others to hurt you, your decisions make you,

With every breath, time marches on,

With each sunrise, we see the green of another's lawn.

Within each of us is a dream, but the drive you have to find,

Just because you're born with it, does not mean you don't need your mind.

Freaks, and Fools, and Fae all dance, even it it's to their own beat,

We all must be brave and courageous enough not to retreat.

Things are tough, will always be rough,

To let go is only hurting you.

Others will come and go, rise and fall,

You are who you have, no matter what monster is down the hall.

Keeping your feet steadfast, your passion inside,

It matters not if others love you if you have your pride.

I sit here trying to find my bootstraps,

I should pull myself up perhaps.

It's always easier to remind someone else of what you should do,

It's harder to take your own advice, I've gotta get a clue.

So in the end, I bid you peace my friends,

Take care of your soul and heart,

It's what you have from the start.

I have had a rough few days and finding a silver lining can be tricky. I hope you know who you are or are at least on your way there. I am still looking for the path that will take me to complete. But as Green Day said 10 years ago, "Why isn't a question, it's a lesson learned in time."

Life can be hard and messy and unfair. I know this all too well, but when I look at my dog's big brown eyes full of love or I hear a beautiful song that calms my agitated soul... these things help me realize that it's not always roses and unicorns chasing puppies with frilly hats... wish it could be though.

Life is hard. And sometimes you don't have someone to get along the bumps with. Sometimes you are alone... just you and your bumps.

But... just think how proud you'll be once you're on the other side of the roller-coaster.

“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

Audio: Alright you baaaad boy, but no more freebies

 

I'm gonna go watch Aladdin now... good "Find yourself" movie.

Accent Vlog- @rustysgirl made me do it :)

So my friend Angel started this by sending it to me after she was saw them. Several other friends have joined in and well... I caved to peer pressure.

Here's my vlog after a few vodka tonics and an Irish Car Bomb and after I saw Bobby Long in concert. I'm special. :)

Book Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin- By millimeters or miles, you will get there in the end.

Delightful! Yeah, I think that's the right word for this book. Gabrielle Zevin creates a delightful story with a delightful yet complicated girl named Naomi.

As the title suggests, Naomi loses her memory, but with the loss of her past, she gains a future and a present.
Memoirs isn't incredibly complex, brimming with twists in turns. A lot of the story is normal, average, common... absolutely relatable. I could see myself in Naomi and I can guarantee a lot of young girls and women will be able to see themselves in her neurosis, her passion, her fear, her mistakes, and her success.

Naomi is a great character to get lost in. She's so much like us all. She struggles with being herself especially when she doesn't remember so much of herself. How many of us in junior high or high school looked around and didn't know how they got to that place or why they made the decision they had... how many of us truly didn't know who we were?

Naomi is intermingled with intriguing characters such as her father and her best friend, Will, her hero, James, and her new/old friend Alice. These people are great stepping stones along the story and you find yourself interested in their stories just as much as Naomi's.

I very much enjoyed Zevin's voice throughout the book. She has that tone that I love in YA books. Sarcastic, smart, funny, and neurotic. I guess a lot like me. I love a strong girl that can make you laugh and cry and think about who you are and where you're going. I also very much am a music buff and the conversations between Will and Naomi about soundtracks to life are practically carbon copies of conversations my high school friends and I from choir would have.

The love story or stories within the pages of Memoirs are so delicate and complex and in a way you want all of them to work out, but you know that just doesn't happen, but deep down, you do want the millimeters and the miles. You'll get that once you read!

I must say the ending was lacking, but not because I didn't like it, it was a good ending, but the beginning and middle was so compact and full and rich, you felt drawn into the details and nooks of Naomi and her struggle, then it's done. I wish there had been more... I wish we could've seen more of what Naomi found in her millimeters and miles, in her past, present, and future.

At the end, there is a note that Zevin has some deleted scenes from the book. This is genius! I absolutely love this and I will be checking the site www.memoirsofa.com to see what Gabrielle has there for us.

I'm just not quite ready to let Naomi go.

A most awesome gift from @michellehodkin via @kamigarcia :)

She got me a book. Which is awesome.
But more than just a book... she got me an inscribed book from Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl!

She had them inscribe it and I was having such a bad day with my sick puppy and some personal stress and this is what I came home to today!

Thank you Michi. Love you!