Weekly Repot May 20-26 Awesome Authors & Epic Bloggers

The Weekly Report is my way of sharing not only what I received for books this

week but also what is going on, on the blog!! So you can find my giveaways and also 

what was reviewed/posted this week.

For Books:

I want to say some serious THANK YOU'S to these authors!!

Nancy Straight was awesome and sent me a signed copy of Meeting Destiny!

I seriously enjoyed her book and after chatting with her and the winner from 

my blog giveaway I received this!! THANK YOU!! 

Ada Adams is epically sweet and sent me a signed physical copy of her book as well!!

To be honest there was another book and some swag in the package that she sent me

but it has been sent off to the first reader on the Bastians Babes team!! Ya we are up

and running!!! A post will be put up on Tuesday with an update list!

For Review: Kailin Gow's Loving Summer

If you know me, follow me or just see me around you probably know

that I LOVE Kailin Gow!! I am the first stop on this tour and am 

also hosting an e-book giveaway for this book for the tour!! 

DON'T MISS OUT!! Post goes up on Monday :) 

I bought Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins.

I love the UK covers for these books!! It isn't very often that I choose

anything that is Paperback if there is a Hardback available but I couldn't resist!

I Won The Summer of No Regrets from Tiffany (Love her name ;p) at 

For Those About to Read

Thank you to Source Books for sending it out to me! I visit this blog daily/bi-daily 

and enjoy the reviews and posts!! Please go and check her out!! 

Bought both of these awesome books!! Well I know Until I Die by 

Amy Plum was on my Weekly Report last week but certain circumstances

lead me to having a 2nd copy delivered.  Meaning the 1st had some bent pages

(which have been fixed mostly) and some small tears in the dust jacket. Giveaway

for that one will be posted on Monday/Tuesday so look out for it!! 

I have already read and reviewed A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young.  The

review link is below and I seriously loved it and am glad that I got a copy of A Want

So Wicked waiting to be read! 

Last but SO FAR from least I got this from the wonderful, amazing

and basically all around EPIC Jessirae from Words, Pages and Books.

I seriously hope that you are following this girl!! If not please head over 

there and follow her/stalk her.  Honestly she will rock your world and 

I love her guts!! lol

Reviewed:

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young HERE

Angels & Demons {Stoker Sisters book 2} by Kailin Gow HERE

Driven by Lisa Nowak HERE

Cicada by Belle Whittington HERE

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout HERE

Giveaway(s):

Swag Giveaway of Epicness HERE

(Random Winner 1 has been picked: CONGRATS Marla)

Cover Reveals, Meme's, Releases and Random Stuff:

Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn Launch w/ Bonus Content HERE

Waiting on Wednesday HERE

LACRIMOSA Paperback Cover Reveal HERE

PLEASE LEAVE ME A LINK TO WHATEVER KIND OF POST 

YOU WRITE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GOT OR DID

THIS WEEK!! I LOVE TO VISIT!!! 

*REVIEW* A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

***********

  So much to love about this book and so little to complain about.  The story was captivating and original from the start.  I had thought that it sounded like another twist on the angel thing but as I read the book I found myself leaning away from that theory.  What is it about?  The Forgotten...  I know the description says "a kind of angel on earth" but she seems like so much more and so much less at the same time. 


  Charlotte wants to be normal but life isn't always fair.  When she feels "the need" she is basically helpless against it.  It doesn't matter if she wants to do it or not, her body compels her to move and help.  I really don't want to give a lot away about what she does but I can only imagine how hard it is.  Resisting is next to impossible and has horrible consequences.  Throughout the book you can't help but feel for Charlotte for all the stuff she has to do and go through.  Helping people and spreading love and kindness is wonderful but sacrificing everything to do it... Such a hard thing to think about and choose willingly to do.


  The romance between Harlin and Charlotte is nothing short of steamy and true.  The feelings that those two have for each other and the love is honestly one of the most well written and beautiful relationships I have read.  I really wanted more of it to be honest.  The scenes with the two of them aren't long but what you do get is high in intensity.  The way that the author even describes the way he looks at her and how she feels about him will seriously make you melt everytime.


  With all good there is bad.  All the high intensity romance and feelings are balanced out by the overall feeling of dread.  The thought of being forgotten, of leaving everyone and everything that you know behind to go to the unknown.  To be honest with you at times it really pulled at my heart when Charlotte was forced to choose between what she wanted and what she had to do.  In these moments I really wished that I had been given a little more background on who/what the forgotten really were and how they came to be.  One particular moment with her best friend Sarah just about broke my heart.


  This book was nothing short of wonderful to me.  It isn't a long novel but what is packed into the 267 pages is powerful.  I know that 267 pages isn't exactly short but it feels that way when the book is gone in under a day.  There were many moments that I loved but also some that made me want to scream.  That's the best kind of book though right?  The ones that evoke every feeling as you read.  I had moments when I couldn't help but laugh out loud and moments when it was all I could do to hold the tears back.  I strongly recommend this book if you are looking for an original read.

FREE THIS WEEKEND!!

Paul was kind enough to let me know that this weekend (Today through Sunday) his book is

free for Kindle!!! 

A Tormented Boy Embarks on a Profound Journey of Extraordinary Healing and Enlightenment.

Joseph Connell is a gifted high school athlete, loved deeply by his family, yet tormented by nightmarish visions he can neither explain nor escape. After a horrific accident forever alters the course of his life, he travels to the remote Himalayas of India in search of a mystical old wise man alleged to possess supernatural healing power. The man he seeks, however, will not so easily reveal what he truly knows, for he alone knows Joseph's true destiny...and that the secret he is searching for resides within the heart of each and every one of us.

This will be your last chance to pick this book up free until the official launch 

in September!! 

Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Lifting-Wheel-Karma-ebook/dp/B006FYE3G2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337818361&sr=8-2

Want to find him?! You can find him on his new website: 

www.paulhmagid.com

Now go forth and get free stuff!! 

*REVIEW* The Stoker Sisters: Angels and Hunters book two by Kailin Gow

Torn... Between two sisters...mere rivalry has become deadly. Between two loves...one will be the key to redemption, the other will destroy them. The battle has begun... Angels and Hunters










  




  This book really isn't missing anything!!   It continues right off from where the last one ended and moves right on into more action.  The sisters are as different as they have ever been but now feel that they have a little more in common than originally believed.


  The romance is as twisted and intense as in the last book, if not more and I love every single moment of it.  There is now two guys in the picture but really there always has been hasn't there?  Each guy has his appeal but their intentions are completely different.  Both sisters feel strongly for both of the guys and sometimes it's hard to decide what one I like more.  Sometimes I am not sure who to trust to be honest.


  Sadie is just as sweet and naieve as ever but there is more to her.  With two guys in the picture and both seemingly reaching for her she will have to make a choice between the two.  That is about where my only minor issue.  Sadie's weakness and strength is her kind heart but it is easily swayed.  It seemed that only seeing the guy made her connection stronger and forget about the other.  In moments where she did think of the one she felt she truly wanted I felt like she justified it by being actually physically with the other one.  However her emotions are very human and I know I would be torn between the guys myself so who am I to talk.


  Alexis is changing.  She is still her strong, sexual self in many ways but she has a little more doubt in this book it seems.  So much seems to be going on and even someone as strong as her is bound to break.  Both of the guys she loves seem to be more pulling toward her sister and for someone that always gets the guy it's not easy to watch.  Despite everything I believe that she would do anything for Sadie and I actually grew closer to Alexis in this book.


  This novel was fast paced and I could not get enough of it.  The characters are interesting and the story is original, what more could you want.  From start to finish the book just drew me in.  Kailin has a way of drawing you in and absorbing you right into the story.  This one was no exception.  If you are a lover of Vampires and want something a little different this series is for you! 

{Blog Tour} Driven by Lisa Nowak *REVIEW*

The last thing on 16-year-old Jess DeLand’s wish list is a boyfriend. She’d have to be crazy to think any guy would look twice at her. Besides, there are more important things to hope for, like a job working on cars and an end to her mom’s drinking. Foster care is a constant threat, and Jess is willing to sacrifice anything to stay out of the system. When luck hands her the chance to work on a race car, she finds herself rushing full throttle into a world of opportunities—including a boy who doesn’t mind the grease under her fingernails. The question is, can a girl who keeps herself locked up tighter than Richard Petty’s racing secrets open up enough to risk friendship and her first romance?






  This book starts just before the last book ends.   We meet Jess and start to get a feel for who she is.  Not the kind of girl to push  to be in the light but mold into the background.   She takes a step into the pits for the first time.  She had paid the extra to be there and didn't plan on being there long but Teri Sue's drawl drew her in.  That's where our story starts but far from what it is really about.


  Jess our protagonist is somewhat of a tom boy.  She lives and breathes to work on cars.  Not that she had ever worked on a race car but she dreams of it.  The one time she takes a chance everything seems to settle right into place for her.  Living the life she has though , she has many worries.  It's hard to keep all your secrets locked up when your employer is as friendly and as straight forward as they come.  When she lands not only 1 but 2 of her dream jobs life seems almost perfect.  Life can never be that perfect though can it. I seriously feel for her so much through out the book.

  "Prob'ly too busy stuffing big engines in little cars," Teri Sue 

said giving me a grin.

  Cody is back in this book as well.  He is not the main but his and all the characters from the last book are a big part of this one as well.  Still dealing with everything that he had to before but now he is trying to catch Jess as well.  The connection that the two of them have is something.... What it is I wont say but there is really a lot that they can relate to and because of that Jess may just find someone that she can trust.  As much as she likes Teri Sue there just isn't that kind of connection there.  I must mention that Cody's shirts also make some appearances in this book.

"Ham and eggs- A days work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment

for the pig."

  I am once again completely in love with Lisa Nowak's novel.  This book isn't just about a tom boy that wants nothing more than to work on cars but so much more.  It's has some down right real life issues that people deal with every day and struggle through themselves.  This novel shows the problems that people have with opening up and getting the help they need.  The most important thing though is that it shows up that there is hope.  No matter what happens there is always someone that cares and there is always hope.  I look forward to reading anything else that Lisa puts out!! 

{Blog Tour} Cicada by Belle Whittington *REVIEW*

Summer time for Blair Reynolds and her friends had always been care free and fun... until the summer they happened upon something that was not human. As they band together in a fight for their lives, Blair's true love becomes something more than human. Something unnatural. And their survival depends entirely upon their ability to keep a secret.












  This book was surprising in so many ways.  I have a very fragile relationship with the entire not human thing.  However Belle Whittington has created a well written and intriguing story.  There wasn't a point where I felt it was too much or got board with the story.  The characters were so realistic and believable and to be honest the story was more about them than anything.  I think that was one of the biggest things for me, that the story wasn't just about "It" but about the secrets and what was going on in their lives.  That's not to say that "It"didn't make the story but more so that it didn't run it.

  "This story takes place in an outwardly unimportant little town.

Looks can be deceiving."

Blair is the baby of the group. She has always hung out with her older brothers friends and this summer everyone is getting ready to say good bye.  That's kind of how everything starts.  Being out on Blair and her brothers grand parents farm when things take an odd turn.  Blair is having nightmares and you only get bits and pieces of what they are but they are a piece of the puzzle that I grasped every time.

"I woke up screaming. Not because of the dream, but because someone

was shaking me and telling me to wake up."

  You can't help but feel a little of what each of the characters feel.  I would like to be like Everett but I think my reaction would be to freak out  like Natalie.  I honestly love that these teens are just regular teens.  They aren't the rich and famous or the popular people, they are just a tight group of friends.  There is a little bit of everything in the group and everyone seems to support one another for the most part.  I would like to say 100% of the time but when you read it you will understand why in certain moments they don't.  The summer leaves them all changed and really there is no way to go back.  

"I've been thinking about something," she checked her makeup in the

mirror.  "I've been wondering which one of us is the real Cicada."

  Biggest thing with this book is that I wanted more at times.  By this I mean I wanted a little more in way of explanations for things.  For the most part I was good but the things that I felt were missing could have changed this into an epic book.  With that said I must mention that I had no desire to put this book down and got irritated when I had to put it down to do things.  I can't wait to get Firefly and continue on with this sci-fi/paranormal/mystery. 

Closed Hearts Launch by Susan Kaye Quinn: BONUS CONTENT

Mindjack BONUS CONTENT: Jackertown Slangby Susan Kaye Quinn [Ed. Note: In celebration of the release of my novel Closed Hearts, I've created bonus content that relates to the Mindjack Trilogy. This bonus content arises from the story time between Open Minds (Bk#1) and Closed Hearts (Bk#2) - it's not terribly spoiler-ish, but you'll enjoy it more if you've read Open Minds already.]

Sometimes all that fantastic worldbuilding you do in the course of writing a novel never makes it into the story. Hopefully this happens a lot, because otherwise your story will be padded with worldbuilding that only peripherally relates to the story and bogs it down. In Closed Hearts, I created a slum-like place where displaced mindjackers gathered on the outskirts of Chicago, called Jackertown. It is a society of Clans, in some ways reminiscent of the Camp in Open Minds, and there's a delicate power balance between them. Most are involved in some way in jackwork - the trade of mindjacking favors for cash, often facilitated by a contractor, someone who travels between the two segregated worlds of mindreaders and mindjackers. Jackertown isn't as brutal as the Camp, and is more business-oriented. But that doesn't mean it's a safe place to be. :) Here are some slang terms I created while monkeying around with creating Jackertown. Many of these terms (jackworker, contractor, wetjack) made it into the story, but some did not. (They may or may not be used in Free Souls (Mindjack#3).) When creating slang, I usually come up with several variants for a particular term, only settling on the final one in later drafts.

someone who does mindjacking for hire, usually jacking mindreaders, but potentially up against mindguards or other jackers. (early version: jobber)

someone who facilitates contracts for hiring jackworkers. The contractor "rooks" or passes for a mindreader in the general mindreading society, then dons a mask when traveling to Jackertown, so that his identity is unknown there. (early versions: runners, bonders, jackmailers, bloodrunners - for those who traffic in the deadly jacking arts)

mindjackers who pretend to be mindreaders so that they can hold normal jobs in larger mindreading world.

mindjackers who kill for money, usually through a contractor. (early version: wetjobbers)

a mindreader who pays for jackwork.

a mindreader who still lives in Jackertown, running businesses or convenience stores useful to the jackers. Not directly under mindjacker control, but "owned" by a Clan.

a mindreader who is captured and turned into a slave in Jackertown. (early version: pawn, puppet)

a mindjacker who brings in mice (mindreaders) for trade to jackers - either for ransom (they get a cut) or for a puppet. Trades mice for cash or favors.

the act of kidnapping a mindreader and bringing them to Jackertown for human trafficking.

jackwork, or the contracting to exchange mindjack favors for cash.

a group of jackers working together for particular jackwork jobs.

a more permanent group of jackers, gathered together for protection and support.

I'm sure I'll be crafting new slang for Free Souls. After all, what's the fun, if there's not new stuff to play around with?

~~*~~

Closed Hearts (Mindjack #2) $2.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble (ebook and print)

When you control minds,only your heart can be used against you.

Bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts has just been released. Susan Kaye Quinn's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

CLICK HERE to join the Closed Hearts Virtual Launch Party(with more bonus Mindjack Trilogy content and guest posts) and/or ENTER TO WIN PRIZES

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