Tuesday, July 31, 2012

#YACrushTourney Round 2 ~ Vote for Daemon Black


 Hey guys!  It's Valerie from StuckInBooks here again to give you reasons to vote for Daemon Black, from the Lux series, in the YA Crush Tourney!

One of the things Daemon is known for PEN POKES in math class.  He does it to get Katy's attention.  Thought I'd use his approach!

 I've got some pen pokes for your to point out the reasons to VOTE DAEMON!
 
*PEN POKE* ---------------> Daemon is HOTT! 

"broad, tan well-muscled chest", thick sooty lashes fanning the tips of his high cheeks", "full, kissable lips", and eyes "so green and brilliant they couldn't be real". (Obsidian)

"Beautiful face.
Beautiful body.
Horrible attitude.
It was the holy trinity of hot boys". (Obsidian)

*PEN POKE* ---------------> Daemon loves the verbal battles with Katy.  And he brings out the best in Katy when they spar!

"I was two seconds away from kissing that pissed off look right off her face.  I wondered what she'd do.  Hit me? Kiss me back? (Obsidian - Uh-oh speghetti-o's)

Really, Daemon is protecting not only his family but Katy too when he tries to push her away but it is so fun to watch those two together and you can't help but see the chemistry between them.

*PEN POKE* ---------------> Daemon has the POWER

"Daemon threw up his hands and a great roar started under the car, shaking the road, and the trees thrashed outside. A loud crack sounded, like a blast of thunder, quickly followed by several more in succession. The earth seemed to shake and rumble....Trees were being ripped from out of the ground, their thick and gnarled roots dripping clumps of moist dirt...Oh my God, Daemon was uprooting trees." (Obsidian)

While all Lux are powerful, Daemon is the strongest of them all.  

*PEN POKE* ---------------> Daemon has a sweet side

"'I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect.' His eyes searched mine intently, and for a moment we stood there toe to toe." Obsidian

There's even more sweetness from Daemon in Onyx!!

*PEN POKE* ---------------> Daemon has the chemistry with Katy

"Daemon kissed me.  There wasn't a moment of hesitation.  His mouth was on mine, and I stopped breathing.  He shuddered and there was a sound from the back of his throat, half growl, half moan.  Little shivers of pleasure and panic shot through me as he deepened the kiss, parting my lips." Obsidian

Oh yeah, these two have it bad!!
 
*PEN POKE* ---------------> Daemon is determined to protect those he loves

"There was no doubt in my mind that Daemon loved and cherished his sister.  He'd gladly give his life for her.  The way he was always looking out for her was more than admirable.  There wasn't a good enough word for it." Obsidian

Of course, Daemon's sister isn't the only one he feels this way about.  Thinking that includes our girl Katy! 

Check out this very sexy scene from Obsidian! The yummy cookie scene!







 



VOTE for Daemon Black! He is the complete package. 
 
VOTE HERE!
 
Not that you need an incentive to vote for this amount of hotness but I'd appreciate you spreading the word so I have some incentives to spread the word.
 
First from Jennifer:

So for the sake of not going insane tomorrow and trying to keep up with two different matches, I'm combining the incentives. What that means is that each guy has to reach the set votes for the incentive. It's the easiest way for me to do this. But their winning incentive will be based on their own, individual win. 
Incentives
750 Votes:
A teaser from Deity
A teaser from Onyx
1100 Votes
A signed ARC of Onyx (signed by me, Pepe, and Sztella)
1600 Votes:
A teaser from Cursed
A teaser from Daemon's POV
2100 Votes:
A Daemon Invasion Swag pack giveaway
2800 Votes:
A small scene from Deity in Seth's POV
3400 Votes:
A teaser from Onyx, Deity, Cursed, and Unchained. 
Winning Votes:
Aiden's win: A Seth POV from Deity. (Yeah, you read that right)
Daemon's win: a sneak peek at the "Library Scene"
Remember... if Aiden or Daemon make it into the Final Four, you will get to see the uncut Laptop Scene!
To enter her giveaways, comment on her blog HERE.

From me:
 
I'll be doing the bookmark giveaways on twitter on and off all day!!!
 
Since Daemon won his first round, I've added a winner to this giveaway.


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#CuddlesByVal (WoW) 8/1/12



This is my version of Waiting on Wednesday but with more cuddles, books I can't wait to cuddle for various reasons.

This week's choice is Blaze of Winter (Star Harbor #2) by Elisabeth Barrett

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Available September 10, 2012


Winter heats up in this hot new Star Harbor romance, as another sexy Grayson brother, a wickedly handsome writer, plots his happily ever after with a sweet stranger.

Frustrated with her job in Boston, social worker Avery Newbridge welcomes the opportunity to reassess her life when family asks her to help manage the Star Harbor Inn. Trying to figure out her future is overwhelming enough, but she doesn’t count on distraction in the form of one Theo Grayson, the gorgeous, green-eyed author who she knows is trouble from the moment he saunters into the inn.

Not only does he have a talent for writing swashbuckling adventures, but Theo also has a soft spot for big-hearted damsels in distress, especially a woman who’s great at helping everyone—except herself. Avery’s demons challenge him, but for desire this hot, he isn’t backing down. With every kiss and heated whisper Theo promises her his heart . . . if only Avery is willing to open up and accept it.
Why?  Been feeling the contemporary pull lately and I just got book one of this series, Deep Autumn Heat.  Thinking I'm gonna need this one too!

What about you?  What you waiting to cuddle this week?

Summer giveaway hop


If you follow my blog, then you know that my daughter had her baby this last Friday.  During a pretty had labor, she was listening to an audiobook to help her.  Yes, I did teach her a love of reading.

She was listening to Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. (Delirium #2)



I decided that was the book I should giveaway for this hop.  Now I haven't read this book, my daughter is ahead of me in this series but she assures me that it's fabulous.

Since it was an audiobook that she was listening to, I'm giving winners choice of format.

Hardback, eBook, or audible gift audiobook (requires audible membership)

International as long as TBD ships to you or you can accept an eBook/audible audiobook.  You know the drill, follow StuckInBooks and fill out the rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now hop along to the next blog... 

Sexy One-liners ~ Blood of the Demon by Rosealine Lario #GIVEAWAY

Today I have this fun GIVEAWAY to share with you as we celebrate the re-release of 


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Here's how it works - 10 blogs have different quotes for you to consider.  Visit all 10 blogs and choose your favorite quote.  Record the quote number of your favorite in the rafflecopter to enter the GIVEAWAY.

What's up for grabs?  1 winner will receive a a swag pack including a Blood of the Demon pen, magnet, stickers, and bookmarks. The winner can also choose between an eBook copy of For Love of an Angel orAngel's Desire from Rosalie's Fallen Warriors series.

Where are the quotes?  Here's mine:

 You can find the rest here:

Quote #1 -     Book Flame   -    www.bookflame.blogspot.com
Quote #2 -     Stuck in Books    -    http://stuckinbooks.com
Quote #3 -     Once Upon a Twilight     -    www.onceuponatwilight.com
Quote #4 -     Good Choice Reading    -   http://www.goodchoicereading.com
Quote #5 -     Book Soulmartes    -    http://www.booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
Quote #6 -     AwesomeSauce Book Club     -    http://awesomesaucebookclub.com
Quote #7 -     The Book Rat   -     www.thebookrat.com
Quote #8 -     I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!   -    www.sithereandread.com
Quote #9 -     Confessions of a Bookaholic    -     www.totalbookaholic.com
Quote #10 -   My 5 Monkeys    -    http://www.tableforseven-Julie.blogspot.com 

Once you pick your favorite, fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

US/CA only
Giveaway ends August 21st

Cover reveal ~ Options by Abbi Glines

Available February 5, 2013

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Two paths.
Two completely different roads.
Each one standing before me.
Each one holding a different destiny.
 
In life you're just supposed to choose one path.  
In life you're not given the chance at choosing one specific future.
 
Until now.
Until me. 
 
Why am I different? I don't know. But I'm going to see those roads and walk down each one. When it's over I'll know which one to choose because I'll know my - options.
 

No doubt this one will go on my TBR list.  Love Abbi's books.  Love the cover and I'm intrigued by the story.  What do you think?

Cover reveal ~ Rua by Miranda Kavi

Available September 3, 2012 


A girl with an unknown destiny.


A boy from a hidden world.


When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.


The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.


He knows what she is . . .


Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist.


Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.



This cover is beautiful and the story sounds fabulous.  What do you think?

Monday, July 30, 2012

Teaser Tuesday ~ 7/31/12

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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks teaser comes from The Wild Ones by M. Leighton.  This is a new adult romance and will be available TOMORROW.

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We stare at each other for a few seconds and then, real slow, he grins.  Good God he has dimples! I might die! (Kindle location 64 or 4896)

So I stayed up reading this one LATE and holy crow bears, you need to read this one sitting in front of a high powered fan.  Expect a Swoon on Thursday from this one.  Might have a hard time picking that one.

What about you?  What do you think of my teaser?  Do you have a teaser this week?  Leave me a comment.

While it Lasts by Abbi Glines ~ Review

Available tomorrow  (but check because it might be live today)

 
Source:  Received eBook from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

While it Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)

Caution:  While the first two books in the Sea Breeze series were YA, this one is very much Adult for language and sexual content.

My Summary:

Cage doesn't do relationships, he doesn't even do seconds.  No, his life is baseball, his best friend Low and the party life.  Low is the only family he's ever had and he'd do anything for her.  But when his partying ways catch up with him, Cage ends up on Eva's daddy's farm for the summer.  And while Cage is certainly attracted to Eva, the feeling doesn't seem mutual.  In fact, she seems to hate him on sight.  There is something sad about Eva, though, and Cage's protective nature that he's reserved only for Low makes an appearance. Is it possible that Cage has found a girl he could love?  Maybe, but will she give him a chance to prove he can be more than the man whore of his past.

My Thoughts:




5 stars -  A sexy story of healing and love

I met Cage in Because of Low and I loved him.  He's this sexy guy that sleeps around A LOT but his heart was so in the right place for his best friend Low.  It was clear there was more to Cage than his man whoring ways.

I wasn't sure how Abbi was gonna tame this dude cause he just wasn't satisfied with one girl.  I just needed to trust this fabulous author because she crafted the perfect girl to do the job.  Eva isn't gonna drool openly and fall at Cage's feet, oh no.  She did her drooling privately.  Heehee.  No, this girl was broken and was really struggling to get past some hard things in her life.  She has great support but she's given up some huge parts of her life.  It takes someone totally different for Eva to start to see good things again.  I loved that about this story.  Sometimes, stepping outside your comfort zone is exactly what you need to survive the hard times in your life.  And Cage has this incredible protective nature that we saw in BoL but really that was the key to him figuring out some things of his own.   Of course I loved these characters.  Abbi makes some of the best characters, always real!  I so wouldn't be surprised to meet these two because they come alive on the pages.

There is so much twisting and turning in this one that my emotions were rocking through the roller coaster ride that was reading it.  My heart went out to Eva and I cried for her.  Then I wanted to slap her for pushing Cage away.  Oh course, I wanted to slap Cage a couple of times too but really, he's not used to this relationship stuff.  It was just so much fun to read.  I made the mistake of starting this book at 9PM and ended up staying up to finish it.  I tried to put it down and sleep but that was so not happening.

If you loved Because of Low then you NEED this book as soon as possible.  It can stand alone, but I think you'll love Cage more if you see him with Low first.  If you love the sexy romance, then this one should for sure be on your TBR list.

This one is available tomorrow, so make sure to pick it up!  

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Stacking MY Shelves 7/29/12

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  Make sure to checkout her post with links to all the other participates.

So I don't usually get very personal here on my blog but this week I really need to.  While I did get some fabulous books delivered and I will show them at the end, the most IMPORTANT delivery this week was not a book.

I've told you before that I'm a math teacher and you've met my daughter through her incredible banners and the StuckInBooks logo and design.  But I need to tell you that I have two adult children.  My beautiful daughter got married a year ago last October.  My son still lives at home and is my computer genius. 

This last Friday, my daughter gave birth to my first grandchild and I would like you to meet him.  It was a difficult labor that ended in a c-section.  Turns out the cord was wrapped around his neck twice and around his arm.  But my daughter was a rock star!  She spent 2 1/2 hours on her hands and knees during labor trying to keep the babies heart rate up.  I couldn't be prouder.

So here he is.  

Meet Sebastian Christopher.
He was born at 2:24 PM on 
Friday July 27th
weighing 7 lbs 4 ozs,  
19 1/2 inches long.  




His very dark hair and coloring come from my husbands side of the family but he has huge blue eyes.  Sure hoping he keeps those!

Mom and son are doing wonderfully.  Everyone is tired but very happy.  Here are some more pics for ya.






This one is right after he was born and brought in the nursery from the OR.













Under the warmer waiting for his first bath















Check out those eyes!!!






Meet the whole family!

Dad, baby and mom


Yes I am wearing my Madly shirt!





That's me with my boy Bastian!!!













My husband couldn't be happier!








Don't you agree that HE was the BEST delivery of the week!

So I've decided to make my boy, Bastian, an honorary reviewer here at StuckInBooks until he's old enough to tell me his opinion on books.  You know he's gonna love books with me as his Grandma.  Taught his mother to love books too.  She was listening to the Pandemonium audiobook while she was in labor - so yeah we are a reading kind of family!

Did get some books too.  Here's the list:

For review:



Purchased:
(After Daemon round with Augustus in the #YACrushTourney I felt the need to read this book.)

So what was delivered to you this week?

Saturday, July 28, 2012

And Still They Bloom by Amy Rovere ~ Spotlight

New American Cancer Society Book Explores Loss and Healing from Children’s Perspective  

And Still They Bloom: A Family's Journey of Loss and HealingWritten by Amy Rovere and Illustrated by Joel Spector



ATLANTA— July 9, 2012—More than half a million children in the United States have a mother or father who has been diagnosed with cancer. A cancer diagnosis and the loss of a parent can be especially hard on children, who often experience a range of emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety. The American Cancer Society has published a new book that explores loss and healing from a child’s perspective.  


And Still They Bloom: A Family’s Journey of Loss and Healing is a fictional story of Ben and Emily, ages seven and ten, and their emotional struggle after the loss of their mother to cancer. Author Amy Rovere relied on her personal experiences in writing the book. “The loss of my own mother to lung cancer when I was just nine years old inspired me to help children who are dealing with a similar experience,” said Rovere. “And Still They Bloom teaches families about the healing process after losing a loved one and can help adults and children find comfort, encouragement, and understanding.”

In this story, Emily and Ben deal with the death of their mother in different ways, but both have trouble understanding why cancer happens and why some people die and some don’t. The beautifully illustrated book follows the children and their father as they cope and carry on their mother’s memory through work in the family garden. Over time, the two children learn to adjust and begin to feel open to moments of joy.

“Grief can be overwhelming for any family member, and it is my hope that And Still They Bloom will help provide support in a time of need,” Rovere remarked. “Talking with children about the loss of a loved one can relieve some of the burden and help them feel less alone in their grief.”
Using nature as a backdrop for the cycles of life, this moving story emphasizes hope and healing and will connect with all readers of all ages who have lost a loved one.

And Still They Bloom: A Family’s Journey of Loss and Healing (ACS product code 975301, ISBN 978-160443-036-3, Cloth, 8 x 10, 40 pages, $14.95) 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



About the Author
AMY ROVERE is a writer, editor, and textile artist. She serves on the editorial staff of the American Cancer Society’s Books Division, helping create books for patients and families who are coping with cancer. Amy is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  More about the author here.

About the Illustrator
JOEL SPECTOR was born in Havana, Cuba, and came to the United States at age twelve. He graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Western Connecticut State University. His work has appeared in many print publications and has been shown at the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Slater Memorial Museum, and various galleries.

About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end cancer for good. As a global grassroots force of three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping you stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early, helping you get well by being there for you during and after a diagnosis, by finding cures through groundbreaking discovery and fighting back through public policy. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.8 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, an estimated 13.7 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Evy from THE ONE teaches me how to make Breakfast Tacos!!

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One of the things that I noticed when I read


was the Breakfast Tacos that Evy talks  about having in the book. I was seriously jealous of those. I've never had them but they sounded fabulous.

Well I have some connections with access to Evy so I begged her to give me the recipe. Apparently she had to hack Heather's email to get it done but my girl came through for me!!!




I give you Evy from THE ONE.

Thank you thank you Evy and yes you can call me Valerie!



Hi, Valerie! Can I call you Valerie? I feel like I know you already so I hope it's ok. I heard you've never had a breakfast taco before. I'm stunned. Shocked! Saddened that you have not taken part in this most amazing of breakfast treats. I know you want a recipe for them, but honestly, there's no wrong way to make them. It's a jumble of whatever you want on it. BUT I'll share how I like to make mine--or have my mom make them--and you can modify it to suit your tastes. So here goes:

Scrambled eggs--2 eggs will make you 2 tacos. I like my eggs cooked with fresh diced cilantro and jalepeño. You can also add those as a topping.
Bacon--1 or two slices per taco depending how much you like bacon. Liam likes his with sausage. He'll cook it first then add his eggs on top so they're all mixed together, kind of like sausage gravy but it's eggs
Shredded Cheese--cheddar jack for me but Chase likes his with Oaxaca, which is a Mexican white cheese. He'll pop down to a market in Mexico City and get a fresh chunk of it. It's not my fav but still good.
Salsa--Ok. This is the second most important ingredient because it has to be REAL salsa. none of this picante sauce or hot sauce fakeness. Check the jar and see where it's made. East coast salsa is SO not the 
Fresh Tomato Salsa
same as a Texas salsa. I've included a visual to help:  This is pico, not salsa. 

Tortillas--this is THE most important part. If you can get them, you want to use fresh tortillas. We get them, once again, thanks to Chase. But there were some grocery stores in Texas that made them fresh daily. These work great. But if you don't have a store that makes them, get the ones you have to cook yourself. These are usually in the refrigerated section. We have two Adaris in the house so they like to show off sometimes and cook them in their hands. Unless you have one of them handy, get a pan really hot and then cook on each side for like 15 seconds. This is also a good way to heat up the other tortillas. If you have no other options, get the pre-made that are in the bread section. They won't be as good--not even close--but beggars, choosing and all that.
Toppings--Toppings can be anything you want. Cinatro, jalepeño, avocado...
Assembly--Here's how it goes for me: Tortillas on the plate. Add egg cooked with jalepeño and cilantro, and bacon. Top with shredded cheese, avocado, and extra hot salsa. Fold and eat like a soft taco.

Other options--Potatoes are frequently added, but I'm too impatient to wait for them to cook usually. Beans--refried, whole pinto, black--can also be added too, though refried are usually confined to a taco without eggs. This is the great thing about the breakfast taco. You can pretty much make it with whatever ingredients you like. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Evy

PS Tell, H sorry I had to hack her email account. If the fam thought I had one I'd be toast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank Evy.  Gonna make those today!!

If you missed this awesome book, check it out.