Waiting on Wednesday -- Deep Blue

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is Deep Blue
Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1)


Deep Blue

by Jennifer Donnelly
Publication date: May 6th, 2014

From Goodreads:

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

April's Reader Interview with Eugenia, part two


Welcome to Reader Interviews, a monthly feature here at Let Me Tell You a Story.

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Welcome back to this month's reader, all the way from Australia... Eugenia from Chasm of Books! This the second of a two-part interview (click HERE to read the first half)!


I love asking readers this question: What is the first thing you read when you get a book? (Acks, blurb, et cetera.)


After the cover (obviously!), I like to read the synopsis to see what I’m getting myself into.

Are there any books not yet released that you're really looking forward to reading?

Honestly I’d have to say at the moment the second book in the Flora series  - Open Thy Heart by you! After that ending of If I Speak True I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Aw, thanks, Eugenia! I'm pretty excited about it, too! :)



You write a lot of reviews (which I think is spectacular). What is your process? Do you make notes as you read? I know a lot of readers would like to try their hand at writing reviews as well, but feel overwhelmed at the idea. If you could give them one piece of advice, what would you tell them?


Why thank you :) It depends really, sometimes I will write notes if I’m reading a paperback and there are some important points I want to say in my review which I don’t want to forget like quotes etc. If I’m on my ereader I’ll usually highlight and annotate where I feel the need. Otherwise, sometimes I’ll just read a book and see what comes to me as a write. The hardest part is always starting a review, and once that first few sentences are done the rest usually falls into place.

For those of you looking into writing reviews just give it a try and write about how you felt about the book – what you liked and maybe what you didn’t. It doesn’t have to be too long and you’d be surprised at what you come up with!

Besides books (duh), do you collect anything else?

Hmmm not really, although I do have quite a few bookmarks lying about and I do like my sparkly gel pens when I’m writing notes for reviews.


What is your favorite cover of all time, and why?

There are of course so many absolutely stunning covers out there but what took the top spot for me is The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski. The dress, colour scheme and placing of the title all work wonderfully together to create a beautiful design.

I know you've been to a few author signings now. What has been your favorite part of interacting with authors face to face?

Getting to see Gabrielle Tozer and Jessica Shirvington in person and realise that they are really down-to-earth was great. It’s so exciting to be able to tell them how much you love their work and of course get books signed which you can treasure forever!

If you could ask your favorite author one question, what would it be?

I think I would be too speechless in awe to say anything at first but what I would probably come up with is ‘How on earth do you do it?’ Authors have so much talent and I really believe it is a gift.

Is there a book you'd love to see adapted into a movie? (Doesn't have to be currently in the works.) What element would you look forward to seeing on the "big screen"?

There are always two sides to movie adaptations, because I would love to see it as a film but wouldn’t want the book spoilt by it either. I think Genesis by Lara Morgan (the first book in The Rosie Black Chronicles) would make a fantastic movie. I’d love to see how the futuristic setting and elements of space would turn out and of course the great action!

Thanks so much for letting me interview you, Eugenia! :D

Eugenia's bio:

Hi there, my name is Eugenia and - as you may have already guessed - I love books, reading and anything bookworm-related. I have two very cute little guinea pigs who love to lounge around all day and an ever-growing pile of books to read (but hey - you can never have too many books right?) I mainly read YA of any genre, from historical to science fiction and love getting to know authors to discuss their books with them. Being a teen blogger, book lover and fangirl, you’ll always find me with a book nearby!

Connect with Eugenia on Twitter | GoodreadsChasm of Books

April's Reader Interview with Eugenia, part one


Welcome to Reader Interviews, a monthly feature here at Let Me Tell You a Story.

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This month's reader is Eugenia from Chasm of Books! This the first of a two-part interview... come back tomorrow to read the second half (including advice on getting into reviewing if you've been thinking about it)!


Hi, Eugenia! Thanks so much for being this month's reader! :D

Thank you for having me! J

My pleasure! 

Along with last month's interviewee, you are also a co-blogger. Would you like to share how that came about?

Well I’d been writing reviews on Goodreads for a while and so I thought it would be a good idea to enter the realm of book blogging. Since I didn’t have any experience with it, I looked at some of the blogs I had started to follow to see if they were looking for co-bloggers, and came across the lovely Stephanie at Chasm of Books. I expressed my interest in getting involved, we started collaborating together and the rest is history!

What are your favorite two things about co-blogging?

Definitely having someone else to fangirl with over books you love and share ideas. As the saying goes ‘two brains are better than one’ and it’s great to see what the other person is posting about and you can work together to make the blog the best that it can be.

Was there a specific book or series that got you into reading? If so, what was it? Tell us what made it so special.

Ever since my parents read picture books to me as a child I had this fascination with books and the stories they could tell. I had a few different ‘phases’ of what really got me into reading, but the first set of books which I really loved was the Thora series by Gillian Johnson. I remember sitting and reading the books for hours at a time because I was so immersed in the story. After that I continued with the ‘mermaid phase’ with The Tail of Emily Windsnap before moving on to some historical fiction by Jackie French which I also really enjoyed.

I love to ask readers who their favorite male and female characters are and what made them stand out. Have you had any characters jump out at you more than usual recently, and if so, what about them made that happen?

This is a tough one! For male characters, Will from the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover is a stand-out for me. Not only can he write really beautiful poetry but he was a really caring character who put everyone else before himself which was really sweet. For females I’d have to say Penryn from Angelfall by Susan Ee – she was one feisty and witty character, and I loved how she made everyone know who was boss. Let me tell you, there were some great quotes to be found in that one!

Most recent book that made you laugh:

The Intern by Gabrielle Tozer – there were some really funny situations in that book and it was so much fun to read.

Name one character you'd never ever want to trade places with.

Liesel from The Book Thief – that book made me cry so much.

How about a character you'd hate to be stranded with on a deserted island?

Pretty much anyone from Beauty Queens by Libba Bray – I think they’d just really annoy me and not be much help when it comes to survival.

Loving your responses so far!

Come back tomorrow for advice on reviewing, Eugenia's favorite book cover of all time, and more!

Eugenia's bio:

Hi there, my name is Eugenia and - as you may have already guessed - I love books, reading and anything bookworm-related. I have two very cute little guinea pigs who love to lounge around all day and an ever-growing pile of books to read (but hey - you can never have too many books right?) I mainly read YA of any genre, from historical to science fiction and love getting to know authors to discuss their books with them. Being a teen blogger, book lover and fangirl, you’ll always find me with a book nearby!

Connect with Eugenia on Twitter | Goodreads | Chasm of Books



This week's writerly news (including an awesome find for my personal library)




 


The girls and I, after getting new carpet last week.

Whew. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I'm still trying to come to terms with what happened on Arrow Wednesday night, not because I didn't expect what happened to happen eventually, somehow, but because of the *way* it happened. I mean, wow. This was Lovemuffin and I when it happened:



Anyway. Here's a quick breakdown of the most recent happenings:

Giveaways

Both the #JLBgivesawayaDVD (Freaky Friday giveaway) and the BY SUN AND CANDLELIGHT giveaways end in just a couple of days... click the links below to enter before the time is up (and remember, you can enter daily!!!):

#JLBgivesawayaDVD 

 BY SUN AND CANDLELIGHT (and IF I SPEAK TRUE) ebook giveaway

Also, I am so, so excited about next month's #JLBgivesawayaDVD (it'll be up on the 5th). It is such a great movie, and the guy who stars in it is who I see as Rowan! (That's a perk--a big one--but really, it is a good movie, too.) 


Around the interwebs 

** Rachel at The NerdHerd Reads is celebrating her birthday blogaversary by asking, What makes you part of the NerdHerd? I thought about my answer for a while, and ended up coming up with something pretty simple.

** I have a new post up at Operation Awesome: Write What You Want 


News/Noteworthy



Loved this "drop" the best, as I got to leave a book
next to my favorite book at the orthodontist's (it's hilarious)!

#RocktheDrop was super fun! I posted photos to my Instagram account as I ran about, dropping books around town. Some people gave me the eye and I'm sure more than one person wondered why I was setting books down, taking a photo, and running off, but hey, that was the whole point! :D (A big thanks to my freshman, too, for helping me drop and run!) The only part I kinda don't like is not knowing where the books end up (I'm nosey like that), though one of my daughter's friends told me her brother went and picked one up--YAY!

** The lovely Eugenia from Chasm of Books will be here Monday for April's Reader Interview, so come on back and show her some love! :)

** On my personal Facebook account, I announced that I am wanting to find some cool, retro cards to put in the books I loan out to people, and one of my friends found this. 


Owl Library Card
via http://www.lovevsdesign.com

Isn't it perfect? The laurel wreath (just like the Flora series!!!), the owl... I am crushing on it so hard right now. AND am making them very soon. (My library late fee will probably be coffee or chocolate. I am brilliant.)

** Two of my wonderful book blogger pals, Ashley and Anna, did something really cool regarding Divergent. It was so well done that I just had to share it with all of you

** Last, I usually share my most recent (overly-eaten) snack, but instead I'm going to share a wonderful piece of advice I tweeted recently: 




Perfect info for the upcoming weekend, no? ;)


Have a blessed weekend, everybody! 


Waiting on Wedneday -- The Kiss of Deception

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is The Kiss of Deception
The Kiss of Deception (Remnant, #1)


The Kiss of Deception

by Mary E. Pearson
Publication date: July 15th, 2014

From Goodreads:

In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assasin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

Teaser Tuesday #12 -- The Wicked and the Just



This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.


To participate you:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! 
You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 
* Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday 
participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

coffe-emoticon-facebook

This week's teasers are from:
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
(Oh, this book, guys. So. Good. UGH.) 

The Wicked and the Just


Teaser #1:

There are no more gates, only hinges clinging to the walls like broken spiders.


Teaser #2: 

As if there's an English soul within a day's ride who still breathed God's air.



Add to Goodreads
** Get it for $1.99 on Kindle! 


Waiting on Wednesday -- Falling Into Place

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is Falling Into Place
Falling into Place


Falling Into Place

by Amy Zhang
Publication date: September 9th, 2014

From Goodreads:

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly narrated by Liz’s imaginary friend from childhood, a friend she long ago abandoned, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

Ull--er... I mean, Tur and Elsker cover reveal + #giveaway

Hey guys! I don't do very many cover reveals, but my pal ST is re-releasing her New Adult books, Tur and Elkser, and I had to get in on the action! I loved reading about these kick-butt protagonists... and Ull and his sweaters, well... let's just say that if you like Thor, you're going to love his step-son, Ull! :D

Here's the new covers, blurbs, and Rafflecopter! 



TUR
The Elsker Saga #0.5 
by ST Bende

Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory. 
Some things are worth fighting for. Add to Goodreads




ELSKER
The Elsker Saga #1 
by ST Bende

You don’t win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way.  Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr.  Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting.  He’s an honest to goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth.  Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.  Her orderly life just got very messy. Add to Goodreads



About ST:

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the ELSKER series. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.

You can follow ST Bende on Twitter (@stbende), and connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog.

Waiting on Wednesday -- Kiss Kill Vanish

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is Kiss Kill Vanish
Kiss Kill Vanish


Kiss Kill Vanish

by Jessica Martinez
Publication date: October 7, 2014

From Goodreads:

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

BY SUN AND CANDLELIGHT cover reveal and #giveaway

In case you missed it... Hafsah revealed BY SUN AND CANDLELIGHT's cover yesterday! I'm pretty excited about it, as it totally FEELS like Rowan. *squee* 

Teaser photo. Ha ha ha ha.
She's also giving away an ebook of both IF I SPEAK TRUE and BY SUN AND CANDLELIGHT, so head on over, and check it out! :D

April's #JLBgivesawayaDVD: Freaky Friday


Grotsky Little Biotch 


Hey, guys! Not that you need me to tell you with the post title and all, but April's #JLBgivesawayaDVD is...

Freaky Friday!!  
*cue applause* 
Cold sore! Cold sore!

Now, I know some of you are probably like, 

Channing Tatum
Yes. that *is* Jimmy and Channing. Enjoy.

...but I just want to say that if you haven't seen this more recent version (or you have, but it's been a while), Freaky Friday really is a FUN movie. And lookie here -- I'm giving one away for FREE! (For a cute, quick clip from IMDB, click HERE.)

As I've said many times, it makes me happy to share the things I enjoy with others, which is why I started doing this fun feature! So feel free to use the free entry option every time, or do a tweet here and there, too. Whatever works! Either way, I can't wait to see who wins. :D (Giveaway ends Friday, May 2nd.)

Oh yeah, and if you guys have a favorite line or two from the movie, please share them in the comments!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

This week's writerly news


Happy Friday! I'll keep this post short and sweet since my post was kind of long last week...

News/Noteworthy

Beighley let me interrogate him for this month's Readerly Interview, including questions about his favorite male and female characters, favorite series, and the condition of his books (because, you know, that is very important). (link)


Around the interwebs 

Choosing a book cover: relevance is a necessity: Tuesday I was at the Indie Ignites blog talking about book covers and how the relevance of the cover design comes into play. (link)

Greatly improving your vocabulary: Thursday I was at the Operation Awesome blog again talking about how words like great really aren't all that great when they're greatly used. (link)

This week's snack (aka, junk food):


Quaker Chewy Granola Bar Variety Pack, 60/0.84 oz

But wait... the most important part of this isn't the fact that you have to eat like ten to get full or that it's like eating cookies and the sugar low is astounding, it's this:



THANK GOODNESS THE INGREDIENTS ARE DELICIOUS! (I don't even want to think about the other options! *shudders*)

Music

Been rocking out to Skrillex whilst writing this week, including Promises, featuring Nero. (link)

Thinking...

... about sharing an occasional video after talking about it to my pal Ashley about it recently. At first I was going to do it on youtube, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that beast yet, so I might start by uploading it here and on my Facebook and Tumblr pages, and go from there. And if you're thinking, Why would anyone want to watch your stuff? I can promise you I've been thinking the same thing.


Me, in a nutshell

But... fangirling over my favorite stuff/books/movies or discussing characters or answering questions (if there are any asked) would be fun, so we'll see.

Also: By Sun and Candlelight's cover reveal is Monday (MONDAY!!!!), so this is me right now:


Image

Have a blessed weekend! (And don't forget to come back to see Rowan's cover! Woohoo!)