HUGE thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Mundie Moms for organizing this awesome blog hop!!  Be sure to follow all the blogs below and enter their giveaways!!

I first would like to thank ALL our military men and women this Fourth of July Holiday.  Thank you for your everything you do!!

The Giveaway!!

I am going to offer three giveaways.  The first will be a book of your choice from the Book Depository up to $15.

The last two giveaways, will be a swag pack.  I have TONS of swag that I received from the RT convention in Chicago this year.  Lots of cool stuff and some even signed.  So please enter the rafflecopter below to enter!!  Easy Entry!!  Giveaways are international.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Have Fun with the HOP!!

Cover Reveal

Sequel to Under the Never Sky

What beautiful colors on this one!!!

COVER REVEAL

Just Love Richelle Mead!!

The Reckoning Contest

Just thought I would share this COOL contest going on...

CHECK IT OUT!!

THE RECKONING CONTEST

THE RECKONING, the second book in The Taker Trilogy, will go on sale June 19th and I need your help in getting the word out. Get your friends, neighbors, Twitter followers and Facebook friends excited about the upcoming release and you could win a NOOK tablet ($199 value), B&N gift card and even a bit of alchemy: Imp's Ears of exotic perfumes and a magician's mojo bag from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. We'll have swag for three runners-up.

And everyone who enters will get my undying gratitude.

Here's how to enter. Between now and June 30th:

1. Post about THE RECKONING on your blog, Facebook wall, or on Twitter or Pinterest and send me the web address (URL).
2. Post a review of THE RECKONING on Goodreads, Amazon, BN.com, Shelfari, LibraryThing and send me a link or a screen shot.
3. Post about THE RECKONING or The Taker Trilogy on a book forum that you frequent and send a screen shot of your post.
4. Send a photo of you holding your copy of THE RECKONING (I will repost on Facebook so please be cool with that.)
5. Have a friend write to the address below to join the mailing list and mention your name, and you'll get five entries to the giveaway. (To be clear: you get five entries in your name every time a friend joins the mailing list and says you sent her. Your friend will also be entered in the giveaway.)

All entries should be sent to mailto:contest@almakatsu.com?subject=Reckoning Contest

Multiple entries are highly encouraged.
Be creative, have fun with it!
Please adhere to all rules and laws of your state/country of residence.
Winners will be determined by random drawing.
Open to US residents only

HUGE THANK YOU

I would like to thank Pixie from PageTurners for my NEW blog Design!!

I LOVE IT!

Matched Review

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publish Date: November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile


Synopsis:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Matched was my first Audio book!!

Everyone accepts what the Society tells him or her. The Society has wiped out the old world, and has only kept 100 of everything…100 painting, 100 songs, 100 poems, etc. The Society has complete control, although the citizens seem to except this.

Cassia is excited for her match ceremony. This is where the society matches her to her perfect mate. Cassia was surprised when she was matched to Xander, her best friend. She could not have been more excited, even though this is highly unusual. However, when Cassia is watching her chip, Ky Markham’s face also appears. Now she has doubts on who is really supposed to be her match. Cassia is gradually realizing how controlling the Society is. As she and Ky hike together in the woods, she is discovering that the Society is not very great. As I was listening to this story, I wondered what it would be like to have a “Society” totally control everything in your life. Who you marry, what you do for a living, when you die…and I found this very disturbing. 

Matched is an insanely incredible story about a girl whose eyes are starting to open to all of this. And in her own way, she starts to rebel a little at a time. Her friendship with Xander starts to change, but I feel that they will always be there to support each other. Cassia starts to realize too that her father may have the same feeling as she does. I look forward to reading (or listening) to how this story progresses. I have fallen head over heals for Dystopia books, and cannot seem to get enough. Matched definitely fulfilled that hunger.



My Over All Rating: 

The Goddess Test Review

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Publish Date: April 19th 2011 by Harlequin


Synopsis:

EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED. NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN. It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess. IF SHE FAILS...

Mythology collides with this unique story about a girl who tries to do right by her mother.

Kate and her mom moves to a small town where her mother wants to be when she dies. She has cancer and was given six months to live four years ago. Kate knows she is on borrowed time. Kate doe not want to say goodbye to her mother. As Kate starts the new school, she is stared at, as all new students are. Ava is threatened by her, but still invites her to a party. However when Ava and Kate arrive, Kate discovers that Ava is playing a trick on her to send her a message to stay away from her boyfriend. After something horrific happens to Ava, Henry shows up and offers Kate a deal. A deal that will change her world forever.

I love mythology. Therefore, the Goddess Test has been on my TBR pile for WAY too long. I so loved this story and how the Greek mythology was worked into it. There were so many surprised for me, I read through this book extremely fast! It was exciting to see Kate and Henry’s relationship blossom, and thrilling too how Henry never pushed Kate into anything. The plot was so insanely cool to find out about the tests that Kate was going through, and to find out who the council actually was. It is definitely a great read and you will not be disappointed.


My Over All Rating:

Guest Post with Kristie Cook

GUEST POST  WITH AUTHOR KRISTIE COOK

Help Share the <3 with author Kristie Cook and Tristan!

Help Share the <3 with author Kristie Cook and Tristan!
Did Tuesday's tease have you wondering what "Share the <3" is? Have you seen the #TristanK3 hashtag on Twitter and buzz on Facebook and wondering what's going on? The scoop is finally here!
Let's take a step back for a minute. You may or may not remember last January when I made a pledge to donate $500 to The National Domestic Violence Hotline if any of my books made it (again) to the Top 100 All Kindle Paid titles list. You more likely do remember that just a couple weeks ago I announced that I was getting close to selling my 100,000th book and I'd be celebrating in some way or another. And if you've read Promise, you surely remember that Tristan wanted to teach a certain wife-beater a lesson.
Well, I'm rolling it all into one for something super-cool that I hope you'll help with. Rather than waiting to hit the Top 100 list again, I'm going to donate that $500 to The Hotline when I've sold my 100,000th book. Sometime this month I'll be clicking that donation button. But I'd love to make it more than $500 and this is where you can help. For every 1,000 books sold past the 100,000 mark, up until July 30, 2012, I'll donate another $100.*
Having direct experience with domestic violence in my family, this cause is near and dear to my heart. I've heard the stories from my grandmother who left an abuser in a day when women did not leave their husbands, regardless of the reason. I've seen the bruises and injuries on loved ones whose hearts fell for the wrong person. Fortunately, most were able to pull themselves out. But not all. In fact, one person close to me died before she could get out.
Not everyone can escape these situations easily. Not everyone knows how to leave with children and lives intact. Not everyone has family or friends close enough to run to. But with The Hotline, they do have a support network. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by those whose only hope is this one phone number that could save their lives.
So what can you do? Share the <3! How? Well, you can...

• Buy a book, of course, if you haven't read the Soul Savers Series. Remember, Promise and Genesis are only 99c but these purchases are going to a great cause. (And be sure to keep your receipt - see below for why.)
  
• Gift any of the Soul Savers books to someone you think would enjoy the series (again, keep your receipt - see below). All the retailers offer an ebook gifting program.
• Encourage friends to buy any of the Soul Savers books between now and July 30, 2012 (again, see below for a bonus if they do).
• Tweet, blog, Facebook and otherwise spread the word about the Soul Savers Series, the Share the <3 campaign and/or The Hotline (use #TristanK3 hashtag - I'll be checking these out and jumping in as often as possible, maybe even with goodies).

To add to the fun, I have presents!

• Email me** a receipt for any of my books with the purchase date between today and July 30, 2012, and you'll be entered to win weekly giveaways of signed books by me and various author-friends who have so generously donated, as well as to win a grand prize at the end (specific prizes TBD). Gift receipts count!
• For everyone who makes a donation to The Hotline for $5 or more and emails me** a receipt and their shipping address, I'll send you a 4-pack of Soul Savers bookmarks. For the first 25, I'll also throw in a Soul Savers can-coozie.

I'd love to see this campaign go viral to help raise awareness and funds to support The Hotline so more women and children can feel safe, something most of us take for granted. Will you please help?
*Up to a total of $2,000. Examples: If, by July 30th, I've sold 105,000 books, I'll donate an extra $500 for a total of $1,000. If I'm at 110,000 books sold, that's another $500 I'll donate, for a total of $1,500. If I'm at 115,000+ books by July 30, I'll donate $2,000!!!
**Email me at kristie (at) kristiecook (dot) com

-----------------------------------

Thank you for your time,

The Sacred Gift Tour and Review

I am SO excited to be a part of this tour!!

Please meet, C.S. Dorsey!!

Author: C.S. Dorsey About the Author:

C. S. Dorsey currently lives in Northern California. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with an Associate’s Degree in Financial Services, and is currently working for a financial institution. She never thought about writing until one day this girl started talking to her in her head and never stop.

You can follow C.S. Dorsey at all these cool places!!

Website HERE

Goodreads HERE

Facebook HERE

Twitter HERE

Now why am I so excited for the tour? Well, because I got to read The Unsacred Gift.  And WOW, was it a good read!!!

Here is my Review!!

Title: The Unsacred Gift
Author: C.S. Dorsey
Publish Date: Published April 9th 2012 by Createspace (first published March 30th 2011)

Synopsis:

When Sissy was six, she had her first vision of her sister’s (Misty) disappearance. Her mother (Tina) said she had a bad dream, but not long after that Misty vanished before Sissy’s eyes. No one believed her, so Sissy pretend to act like everyone else, like Misty never disappeared and never existed. For the past fifteen years Misty’s disappearance has haunted Sissy’s dreams. She could hear the ear piercing screams at night of her sister begging for help. Sissy tries to help her, but never succeeds. Sicily “Sissy” Monroe attends the University of Washington and is in her senior year majoring in Psychology. She has all the makings of a perfect young lady, ageless skin, flawless long black hair, full kissable lips and eyes that are shaped like almonds. She is almost where she wants to be in life. But laying deep in the pupil of her eye’s hold something that she cannot get rid of, which interferes with her plans. In addition to the nightmares, Sissy has found that as she gets older her visions became stronger and more vivid than before. Because of the first vision of Misty, and the second of a teacher in high school, Sissy wants no part in another person’s death. For years, Sissy tried to avoid having friends and relationships because she feared their fate. Most importantly she tries to avoid her family. She has no plans of ever going back home to California. When her mother calls her to tell her about her granny’s birthday party, she is reluctant to go. Going back home was not on her list of priorities, but she is going for her mother. Little did Sissy know she cannot run from her past. During her weekend at home, new developments surface. Her mother has been dating (Mark) for the past two years; her grandmother has the same gift she does; an old high school fling (Chris) comes clean about his love for Sissy; and an unknown girl from the grave begins stalking her dreams. Sissy begs for someone to admit her to the hospital, but she can’t get the words out. Her grandmother is the only one who can help her, but even then it’s too late. Two days after her birthday party, Sissy’s grandmother dies. However, it’s no shock to Sissy, because she knew death was coming for her grandmother—leaving Sissy alone once again. But she will soon discover that her sister Misty, the visions, and the dreams of the unknown girl were just a mere image of herself.

The Unsacred Gift is an AMAZING story. I immediately fell in love with it from the very beginning. Sissy’s turmoil throughout the whole story will take you for one insane rollercoaster ride.

Sissy isolates herself because of the gift, or CURSE, as she calls it where she sees people’s death. She is afraid of touch and horrified to be around her family.

I found Sissy’s character to be very strong. It would be difficult to move far away from your family because you are scared to see their death. However, I do not feel that Sissy feels that way about herself. This story has a flowing plot that will definitely grab your attention and make it quite difficult to put down. The ending of this story is “WOW, OMG, Are You Serious? I totally didn’t see that coming!!” type of ending. Yeah, all those thoughts were racing through my mind and I SO was not ready for it to end! It is definitely a great book and I HIGHLY recommend it!!





My Over All Rating:

You Can Purchase The Unsacred Gift HERE on Amazon

JUST ADDED A GIVEAWAY!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Debut Giveaway HOP

2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Non Reluctant Reader

June 7th to 13th

Featuring books released in 2012 by First Time Authors

Thanks for hosting this blog hop!!

If you didn't know, I also review for PageTurners Blog where each week, we debut new authors.  I am going to pick some of those books we have debuted so far this year, and offer a choice to the winner.  This contest is international and book will be purchased through The Book Depository.  Please make sure they ship to you!

Here is what I am offering....

Please enter my rafflecopter entry.  GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out all these other awesome blogs and their giveaways!!!

Partials by Dan Wells Review

Title: Partials
Author: Dan Wells
Publish Date: Published February 28th 2012 by Balzer + Bray (first published January 1st 2012)

Synopsis:

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out. When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask. Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

Partials is a fast pace novel that will keep you in suspense from chapter to chapter!! I seriously could not put this book down.

 Sissy is living in a world that was almost destroyed by RM and the Partials. She never really knew the world as it was before the destruction and the controlling Senate. However, she is on a mission to find a cure for RM, their only hope to save the human race.

Who doesn’t love a dystopian, end of the world story? This story has it all…love, action, survival, friendship, loyalty….the list could go on. The devotion and courage that Kira possesses throughout this whole story is incredible. You immediately fall for her drive to save the human race. The action is exciting, and you can totally envision the story as it unfolds. The Partials are an extraordinary species more complex than you can imagine. What an amazing imagination Dan Wells has.


My Over All Rating: