Splintered by A.G Howard

Guess what ladies and gents?

The cover for Splintered by the amazing A.G. Howard is HERE!! Not only that, but there are some fantastic giveaways…and who doesn’t love giveaways? I know I do.

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell — the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers … the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

How AWESOME does this book sound? Not only does this book look fantastic, but the author is a rock star and I urge everyone to check it out and her, because I love supporting awesome authors and she definitely is one.

Want to know more about A.G Howard?

Check out her Website, Blog, and Twitter

Oh, contests, yes.  She is giving away some fantastic goodies. Go Here for more information on how to win a white rabbit journal, white rabbit bookmarks, and an autographed bookplate.

Before you leave, hop on over to Amazon and pre-order SPLINTERED.

Well, that’s all!!

Have a great Tuesday.

Ciao <3

 

 

Catching Jordan

“I didn’t know crushing on a guy would require me to up my calorie intake.”

― Miranda Kenneally, Catching Jordan

Last night, while the husband played the new Zelda game, I decided to start reading CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally. Needless to say, I started around 9/10pm-ish and stayed up till after 2am because I literally could not put it down. I heard about the book how I hear about most amazing books—from other writers on Twitter. And when an author I love says, “everyone should read ____ book” then instantly I’m on it. 98% of the time I love book too.

Here is some information on it from her website:

What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though—she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team…and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

There are few things I love more than a good football read…and that is a girl QB1. I’ll admit, when I started reading I was thrown off by it being present. Some of my favorite authors—Simone Elkeles, Mandy Hubbard, etc—write in present tense and it always throws me off a bit because I really don’t like it. That’s the beauty of a good book, after the first few pages you forget the tense and really just fall into the story. This book is another exception.

CATCHING JORDAN was an easy book to fall for. Immediately I fell in love with Jordan and Henry (Sam). I felt for Ty but also had my uneasy feelings about him just as Jordan does. Jordan’s voice is fun, bold and on target. The action scenes are clear and concise and just written flawlessly. The book takes interesting twists and turns and while I didn’t anticipate where it was going, it went where I wanted it to.

If you haven’t done so, put CATCHING JORDAN on your Christmas list…or just hurry into a bookstore (or whatever you buy books) and pick it up. If you are in love with the show Friday Night Lights this will curb your football cravings.

With all the amazing new authors out there, I have added a new favorite to the list. I can’t WAIT to see what she writes next!

Books I’ve Read Recently

After reading Dawn Kurtagich’s blog post about books she’s read I decided to do my own considering i’ve been a reading machine these last two months!

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it’s a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy’s car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend’s attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players’ girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won’t get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don’t count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

 

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

The greatest love story ever told is a lie.

Juliet Capulet didn’t take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn’t anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light.

For 700 years, she’s fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she’s forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

 

 

Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

Katie Ellison is not a liar. It’s just that telling the truth is so . . . tricky. She knows she shouldn’t be making out with a drama club hottie behind her football-player boyfriend’s back. She should probably admit that she can’t stand eating quahogs (clams), especially since she’s running for Quahog Princess in her hometown’s annual Quahog Festival. And it would be a relief to finally tell someone what really happened the night Tommy Sullivan is a freak was spray-painted on the new wall outside the junior high school gymnasium—in neon orange, which still hasn’t been sandblasted off. After all, everyone knows that’s what drove Tommy out of town four years ago.

But now Tommy Sullivan has come back. Katie is sure he’s out for revenge, and she’ll do anything to hang on to her perfect (if slightly dishonest) existence. Even if it means telling more lies than ever. Even if, now that Tommy’s around, she’s actually—no lie—having the time of her life.

 

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren – a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves.

But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi’s curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she’s ever had to make: the life she’s always longed for – or the love she can’t live without?

***

I JUST finished Shut Out and it was flipping awesome. I’m about to dive into Getting Caught by Cyn Balog and Mandy Hubbard.

What have you been reading??? I urge you to post about it as well and tag me!

Ciao~

Angela

Angel Burn by L.A Weatherly

Sixteen-year-old Willow is a gifted mechanic and psychic living in upstate New York. When she does a reading for her classmate Beth, who is planning on joining the cultlike Church of Angels, Willow becomes scared; Beth thinks she’s been blessed by an angel, but Willow sees that the “angel” feeds on humans’ life force, poisoning bodies and damaging minds while leaving the victim euphoric. At 17, Alex has been an angel assassin for years, but when he receives orders to kill Willow, he’s confused–she’s not his typical target, and he’s suspicious about why she’s been marked for death. Looking for answers, Alex rescues Willow and takes her on the run, trying to foil the angels’ plans before all of humanity is lost.

Angel Burn is a very solidly well-written book with an epic plot. My best friend recommended this book to me a couple of weeks back. I bought it last week and instantly I was hooked. Weatherly’s writing is captivating and adrenaline-fueled. It alternates POV, mostly with Willow (first person) then to Alex (third person). I thought it was very creative to only do first person from Willow’s POV.

My first instinct when I learned that Angel’s weren’t good…was…whoa, that’s different. It wasn’t even as if they were fallen angels that rejected the good life, the Angels were like vampires, feeding off the energy of humans. At first I was a little guarded because of my beliefs and I could see if some didn’t like the book due to the twist on the church. It was the line, God might not be there for you, but the angel are (something like that). It kind of lurched in my throat a bit, but it washed away quickly. It’s a book for goodness sake, but it doesn’t talk badly about Christians, so it shouldn’t really upset anyone.  Since the spectrum of Christianity is not really mentioned at all, it didn’t bother me that the angels are evil. The angels actually reminded me more of aliens than angels.

The character development was so strong and solid. I loved Willow as a strong female character. Alex is strong and kick-butt and sorrowful all at the same time. Their relationship has strengths and weaknesses like any other. I will say though, that I felt their relationship was a little too much, “I’d die without you” but then again, she’s 15/16, so what can you expect. I’m a little over that theme in books.

I’ll admit that I was let down by the ending. The book was so amazing and the end, in my option, didn’t live up to my expectation. Still, I’d recommend the book and I’ll read the next two in the trilogy. They are captivating, and beautifully written, but if you aren’t into mushy stuff, don’t read it, by the end it’s all mushy. A little too much for my taste and I LOVE mushy YA romance.

Bottom line: this is a long book, and reading each and every page was pure addiction.

Trailer Park Dreams

Reposting some of the trailers for COLLIDE that I did last summer. check them out. I had an amazing cast  and crew. (FYI, I did the voiceovers)

Reminder, these are PG-13

“Nobody Needs to Know”
Lucas’s dark past doesn’t stop Madison from falling for him. Regardless of how her friends try to reach out to her, she can’t turn back now. She trapped, suffocated by Lucas. Maddie fears there’s only one out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNxpkGoxfs

“Truth or Lies”
All-Star athlete, Lucas Valentino has his eye on Madison, the ‘drama freak’. But he has a reputation, one Madison is well aware of, plus, her best friend has had a thing for him since elementary school. Against her better judgment she finds herself curious about him, but is it all a joke, like the ones he used to play on her in middle school?

Watch past credits for a suprise…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piuUmrp-gns

“Ever-Changing Moments” - MY FAVORITE
There aren’t too many moments in a lifetime you can honestly say, that’s when it all changed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v_vX-WNoh4

“Sleeping Awake”
Some things aren’t what they seem. Madison and Lucas are one of those things. For years, Drew was the only man in her life, and with the dangerous arrival of Lucas, Drew finds out some unsettling news. Madison is faced with a tough decision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOvmserm3fk

 

 

Shout out to my crew

Dustin Holton
Torrey Taylor
Christina Johnson
Jordan Weber
Savannah Fuss
Austin Hammesfahr
Candice Brown

StandAsOne Productions
SBN Studios

Hope you enjoy!

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

ABOUT: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

MY THOUGHTS:  I can’t count how many times I’ve seen THE DUFF while browsing books in Borders and just passed it by. Designated Ugly Fat Friend? I was that girl in high school, why would I want to read about it? So I passed by it, not even bothering to read what it was about. But then I read someone’s review on a blog posting and I actually saw what it was about. After I read the synopsis, the book was all I could think about. I had to get it NOW. So, on my lunch break I went to Borders and snatched the last copy.

I literally read this in one sitting—well, on the car ride, during lunch break, on the way home, and finished it at home. That counts, right?

I LOVED it. I laughed, cried and more than anything, Kody’s writing is raw, and right on target. If you don’t want to read about sex, don’t touch this book with a ten foot pole, but if you want honesty, this is it. She hits it right on the nose. I knew a Wesley, heck, everyone does and most girls have messed around with one. Kody may or may not like hearing this, but from one young person to another, (I may not be 17 and publishing, but I’ve been in entertainment since I could open my mouth) but the fact that she’s her age and published is pretty awesome.

This is an amazing breakout novel. It’s real and heartwarming, and funny as hell. Bianca is hilarious and her interactions with Wes always make me smile. Plus, it’s awesome to see a guy like him and how he isn’t as perfect as people think.

If you’re not a big ‘reader’ than you’ll love it. It’s smooth and quick and a pure addiction. I want to read it over and over.

Go out and buy it, don’t wait—you’ve waited long enough if you still haven’t read this book!

For more information on Kody Keplinger, visit her website: www.kodykeplinger.com  

and blog: kodymekellkeplinger.blogspot.com  

Next review will be on Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Ciao, 
Angela

The Show is Better…

There’s always a huge difference when a book is adapted to a movie or television show. Some do it better than others. I’ve made an effort to read a lot of the books (Mostly YA) that have recently turned into series or movies.

Most of the time I’ll agree that the book is better than the movie/show. I’d rather read a book than watch the show,  but this list is the opposite.

Gossip Girl
I’m on the second book in the Gossip Girl series, and I’ll admit…I’m not really a huge fan of it. I started watch GG on TV first, and I like it a lot more. Reasons? I love Penn Badgley, always have. And in the books Dan is such a creeper. He writes obsessive poems about Serena and their relationship just isn’t as captivating as on TV.  I’m glad they made him more…appealing and less stalker/psycho in the show. Serena and Blair seem the same character wise, and Nate seems more like a golden boy in the show. Plus, I love Chuck Bass, and he is in the show a lot more than the book. At least from my two books I’ve read.

Dead Until Dark/Sookie Stackhouse Series
True Blood. I can’t get past the first book. It almost is just like the show, which is nice, but I know it’s not the case as the series goes on. I found the book slow. It didn’t capture me right away, but I hear they are better as you go along. I love what HBO has done with the show, and it has such a sexy edge. That’s expected with HBO series.

The Vampire Diaries
I actually LOVE this series and the show is completely addicting. But since the book is just a skeleton for the show, it’s not far to say which is better. They are awesome in different ways. But since I finished watching after reading, I had to add it to the list.

Pretty Little Liars
I haven’t watched the show yet, waiting for it to come out on DVD. I love the books and have read them feverishly! Can’t wait to see what the show is like.

Twilight books are pretty awesome. The movies? Not so much. If the books weren’t around the first movie would have bombed. I watch them just to see how it’s adapted, but have yet to really feel like they are amazing. But I’m an actress, and judge harshly on bad acting…aka Kirsten Stewart.

Well, that’s it. Any thoughts?

Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad

An L.A Candy novel by Lauren Conrad.

The only reason I picked up a copy of L.A Candy was because Lauren Conrad, LC as I know her, wrote the books. I wasn’t too fond of the first novel (read that review for more information). But it ended on such a cliffhanger, I couldn’t resist reading the next, Sweet Little Lies (see review).

That led me to Sugar and Spice. It was pretty great. A typical YA read. If you are looking for something insightful with similes and reflection and deep intellectual thoughts, then this book isn’t right for you. What drew me to these books, and why I think its popular–beyond LC herself–is what it would be like to be on a ‘reality’ show.

Lauren really takes you on an adventure, exposing what’s true and what’s false. It makes you really reevaluate what you see on television. Did that really happen, or did someone set it up. I related with Jane when she (spoiler alert) found Trevor’s book. I thought  that was great especially how well he knew the girls and predicted everything before it happened.  Lauren knows what she’s talking about, she knows what she is writing, and furthermore she has developed very interesting characters.

You get to see a side of both Scarlett and Madison that you hadn’t seen before, even Gabby, though she kind of takes a backseat. It was nice to see Jane grow up more and open her eyes to the world around her. I was pleased with her boys decisions at the end. Nice goin’ ,Conrad. lol.

This book definitely isn’t for everyone, but I do believe it is great for young adults. In this day and age, so many people are out to take advantage of you, and though I really don’t believe ‘Trevor was purposely taking advantage of them, you find a joy in watching Jane stick up for herself choosing between fame and some kind of normalcy.

I’d be interested to hear what others who read the L.A CANDY series thought.

Ciao
Angela Francis

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal

 

 

Firstly, I’ll say, this was a bleeping amazing book!! From the second you crack the spine, the opening line hooks you in. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I bought Paranormalcy. Getting the book wasn’t too easy. Borders had two copies, which they couldn’t find, but I HAD to read it, and I had to read it right away.

I wasn’t sure why I was so excited, maybe because it’s Kiersten White’s debut, and as a writer, that holds a soft spot in my heart. And secondly, she has an awesome agent and publisher, plus a killer cover? It screams bleeping awesomeness.

Anyways.

From the first tagging, I knew I was reading something special. The imagery is captivating. The characters are stunning. I fell for Lend from the beginning, and found him to be a breath of fresh air in a world obsessed with vampires and werewolves.  This book was written with such creativity, such imagination, it’s truly one of a kind.

Instantaneously, Paranormalcy became the best young adult book I’ve read. I love how real Evie is, how she aches for a normal life, and how she is so confident. Some might say she’s foolish, but to me, she’s fearless. Reth and the faeries were so vivid. White portrays faeries unlike the world sees them. No longer sassy and Tinkerbell-like, White’s view of faeries has me stating that faeries will be the new vampire. Trust me, they are bleeping awesome and wicked.

White ends it perfectly. I hope there’s a sequel.

I highly recommend this book. It’s the best young adult book I’ve ever read. With that being said, if you haven’t already, go out and buy it!! Support new authors, especially ones as awesome as Kiersten White!!

Did you read Paranormalcy? What did you think?

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk and crashed into Maggie Armstrong. One year later, both teenagers have become outsiders in their small community. Pigeon-holed as “criminal” and “freak,” Caleb and Maggie end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

Changing between Maggie and Caleb’s point of views, Leaving Paradise was a slow read. In fact, a book that length usually took me less than a day to pound through. Instead, I shuffled through it for a week or so, bored and not pulled in. I did like Caleb’s point of view though. I enjoyed Ms. Reynolds, and how she forces Caleb and Maggie to face their demons.

Simone does an amazing job creating sympathy for both Caleb and Maggie. I never really saw him as a bad guy. I wanted him to have peace, and still hope he finds it.

Despite not being too crazy about this book, I will read the sequel. The way it ended wasn’t how I wanted it to, but I guess that’s the point, right? To make me come back for more? I’d recommend this one for you to read and make your mind about.

What did you think?

Ciao
Angela Francis

Next Book review….Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick