Glittering Ashes Review

Hello all!

I wanted to let you know that the awesome Melissa Bradley has reviewed my book Glittering Ashes, and I wanted to send y'all over there to have a look. Let me know what you think, won't you?

And just to let you know, I tend to put Amazon links to my book within some of the posts, but if you're interested in getting Glittering Ashes from a different vendor, feel free to look at the "My Books" tab above, where I have several links to other places for purchase.

Okay, enough plugging, how are y'all doing? Like always, it's been so many moons since we've spoken. Let me know below so I can blog hop easier!

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Oh Darling" by Plug in Stereo. It's cutesy and indie sounding, no?

Happy Reading and Writing, y'all!

Lola and the Boy Next Door: A Review

 Picture from Goodreads; I do not own it, just using it for review purposes only.

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher:  Dutton Books/Penguin

Publication Date: 2011

Source: Library (sigh, mine’s amazin')

Blurb from Goodreads (which I do not own but am using for review purposes only):

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance. Swoooon worthy. So well done it borders on ridiculous. So if you’re looking for a no magic, lovey-dovey romance with some edge (just a slight one), then this is the book for you.

Cover: I like it. You know I normally detest covers with real people on them with this unbridled fiery passion. Well this one is okay. The people look how they’re supposed to look, give or take, and it definitely captures the feel of the book and Perkin’s style.

Plot: The book sounded good to me right off the best. Wacky want to be costume designer in a love story? Sign me up. But then I read a little more about it and was slightly worried about it maybe not being my style. But it was. The pages practically turned themselves, after the first few chapters, and I willingly went along for the ride. Put it this way, I started it last the night before last and had it done by 3PM the next day, and that’s with work in between.

Romantic Element: Yes, there is a love triangle, but this one seems authentic, even though I know that love triangles may be a little overdone for some of you. I still like them IF they’re done well, not just thrown in for some oomph. This one was authentic. Very, very well done. And yes, if you have a hankerin for some Anna and St.Claire (from Anna and the French Kiss), they’re in there, but I felt like they weren’t necessary but nice to have, you know? As far as the guys themselves go, there’s a bad-arse rocker boy, my normal type, and a dorky lovable, dorky, did I say dorky?, adorable guy who is just…adorable. So, I was happy. Perkins went light on the rocker boy, but I still say he was there almost the perfect amount.

Overall: if you even remotely like contemporary romance, Stephanie Perkins should be your go-to. I’ve made her officially mine. I didn’t think I’d heart contemporary romance, but Perkins has made a believer of me, yet again, I might add. 

Sooo, have you read it? Are you dying to? What’d you think? Let me know below!!! 

Oh, and if you're wondering how my Nanowrimo experience is going, I'm hear to tell you, it isn't at the moment, lol. But I have faith, and there's still time in the month. Miracles have happened before with others I've heard. Let me know how you're doing! (i.e. guilt me back into this thing) :)

Psst: I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this review.

Nanowrimo Update: Day Two

Hello peoples!

I've just finished my Nanowrimo requirement for the day, again using Write or Die, the online version, which I can't fully explain the awesomeness of.

If you all haven't tried it or heard of it, it's basically a simple online text program where you set the parameters (how many words and how long of a writing period you want), and then you click "write." Basically, depending on the options you chose, you write in this little text box for the period you've set, and if you stop writing for a period of time, the screen turns from pink to red and then (also depending on your settings) a noise will blare loudly from your speakers, encouraging you to continue writing (or you could choose kamikaze mode which will then delete a word for every second you don't write---SCARY, I know). But it does put the "prod" in "productivity" as the site says.

So, I've used that so far (yesterday and today), and today's total: 1724 in 36 minutes. Woot. For some reason, I can really write fast with that thing. We'll see how much I end up keeping, but that's another story. lol. Y'all's comments were awesome! I'm so glad to have blogger buddies doing this with me. And WOOHOO major for Miranda Hardy. 4350 words on day one? ROCKSTAR status! :)

Let me know how y'all are doing thus far in this craziness we call Nanowrimo, and be sure to add me as a buddy if you haven't already (I'm Writtled on there too...)

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Way Back Into Love" from the movie Music and Lyrics, because it's friggin adorbs. :) This one is Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant, sigh. (as opposed to the other one from this movie with a singer named Haley and Hugh Grant)

Happy Reading and Writing, everyone!

Nanowrimo Update #1

That little button there should have said "Write or Die: I wrote 1709 words in 40 minutes," but it doesn't because it has lost its widgety brain right now. Please excuse it. 

I feel pretty good. I didn't think I'd get anything done today seeing as I normally work in the morning and not at all. So yay for me. lol. How are you all doing with Nanowrimo? Let me know below, and yay for everyone doing it general. I <3ed the comments, and I should be able to blog hop soon. Right now this is just me popping in! 

Psst, in case you were curious. It's not sci-fi. It's a "contemporary romance, who knows what" thing. Haven't done contemporary before. Hmm. We'll see how it goes :)

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "I'm Not Dead" by Pink :)

Happy Reading and Writing, y'all!

Happy Happy Halloween

Hello, everybody :)

To those who celebrate it in some fashion or another, Happy Happy Halloween (Super Station, as my Dad would sing, in reference to some old scary movie I know nothing about....).

If you don't celebrate it, Happy Monday to ya :) I think that covers everyone.

What have I done today? Work related business, took my brother to school, felt guilty about random writing related things (but not guilty enough to rectify those situations...). As you can see, I'm one busy lady lol.

I planned on scrounging up an outline for this Nanowrimo business. If you don't know what it is, it's basically people promising to write a complete (ish) novel from beginning to end within the month of November. I've never done it before. I've lurked on the forums, though, which I have already said on here are made of amazingness. And Awesomeness. With.A.Capital.A. It's just all so inspiring, but this time I'm doing it, with no forseeable plan as of yet.

But all of that could change when I get off of here. It totally could. I have a hankerin to write the Sci-fi ish book that's been catching my eye on my big ol' list of things, but then again, winging it sounds fun. So, after I get off here, I'm going to look around the forums, get inspired, and make a decision to wing or not to wing. lol.

I am excited about it, though. And I want more writing buddies on there, so add me if you haven't already: Writtled :)

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Ohio Is for Lovers" by Hawthorne Heights. Why? Because I used to run to this song, and I like it, and that's all the reason I need :)

Happy Reading and Writing, y'all :)

Nanowrimo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol. Okay. I did it. I signed up, y'all. My name is Writtled on there too, because I like to be all consistent....I can't believe I signed up, but I have to believe it because I've announced it to the world and all of you awesome blogger friends that I've neglected. I know. I need to work on that.

But other than the awesome news that is Nanowrimo, I have some book reviews coming out soon. One romance of the adult variety that I'm finishing up now, some YA (duuuh), and 2 YA book review requests I've received. [As a side note, I am open to review requests; just check my review policy before you ask :)]

And for anyone who's interested in what I'll be writing for Nano---I'm not sure yet. I might wing it for fun, or do one of the many plots I have a plot list. I'll,  of course, let you know about my progress, and look forward to the book reviews and hearing more from me soon. Let me know how all of y'all are doing below. I miss everyone!!


Now to leave you with a song to write by, because it's soooo overdue, "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People. Why did I choose this song? Because I just asked my fiance for a song to post, and he responded with that one, his current fave. :)

Psst, don't forget about my baby, Glittering Ashes, which I am recovering soon, after I make the new cover and get y'alls votes, that is....

Happy Reading and Writing, y'all!

The Sky Is Everywhere: A Review

   

  I do not own this cover from Goodreads; I am using it for review purposes only. Click cover for link to Goodread source.

 Blurb from Goodreads (which I do not own but am using for review purposes only):

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

Title: The Sky Is Everywhere

Author: Jandy Nelson

Publisher: Speak/Penguin Group

Publication Date: 2010

Source: Library

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Hobby YA. Lennie is a musician, of the clarinet variety, as well as a poet extraordinaire (the book doesn't say that; I did.).

Cover: I got the green/nature-heavy cover, but I prefer the cover I've usually seen with it, the heart in the sky that is everywhere. If I hadn't seen the sky cover, I wouldn't have been as eager to read the nature version, personally. Also, I feel that the heart/sky cover is more fitting for the book than the nature.

  I do not own this cover from Goodreads; I am using it for review purposes only. Click cover for link to Goodread source.

Plot: The pacing was good. If the text ever bogged you down (so rarely did that happen, that I'm pretty much going to say it doesn't happen), you get a breath of fresh air with Lennie's poetry at the beginning of each chapter. And the poetry is good and informative-- not just pretty for pretty's sake, but the poetry actually furthers the plot, i.e. gives back-story and such.

The Romantic Element: AWESOME POSSUM ALERT! There's a love triangle, but done SO well. It doesn't seem forced; because it was too busy seeming awesome. AWESOME. <3

Overall: Get. This. Book. I really dug it. You know when you read a book that's done so well it seems like it's its own reality? This book achieves that. Maybe that was a confusing way to say it…What I'm trying to say is that the characters are super authentic; the grief is really real; the romance is kicking in full gear; and it's literary enough to give you a satisfied feeling. High marks all around. I mean, I had heard it was good, so obviously I was distrusting, but it has been confirmed, people. It has been confirmed. :)

Did you read it? If so, what'd you think? If you didn't, do ya' want to? I HEARTED it. :)

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "5 o'clock" by T-pain feat. Lily Allen and Wiz Khalifa. How in love am I with her voice? The answer is very to undenyingly.

Happy reading and writing, y'all! And of course, I'll be sure to keep the reviews coming, and I'll update on my WIPs as the updates come! (That includes whenever I make those Glittering Ashes covers!)

I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this review; however, I do have an affiliate link in this post.