Ladybird Ladybird by Abra Ebner
Samantha was born under a full moon to a mother already dead. Revived by doctors and given to her unloving father, Samantha was raised a cursed child, her only friend the ghost of her mother who speaks to her through keys that open a secret box under her bed.
From the inside out, Sam burns with life, a fire so vivid it keeps her peers at a distance, all except one. Leith, a quiet farm boy with a broken heart and demons of his own, enjoys the seclusion his classmates grant him, but the seclusion is all too familiar to Sam, drawing her interest.
For the first time in their lives, fate pushes them together, but when their worlds collide . . .
. . . fires burn.
Book trailer:?
So why am I showing you this?
1. This book looks heartbreaking. And the cover’s pretty. ?But honestly – a ghost using keys to interact with the living? How awesome is that? I’m really, really excited for that aspect.
2. There’s a giveaway involved!
Crimson Oak Publishing will be giving away five $50 American Express gift cards in celebration of
Ladybird Ladybird‘s release. If you want to enter for your chance to win, go
here and for “Referred by Blogger,” enter The Grammarian’s Reviews. (Please and thank you!)
Then tweet it, retweet it, whatever you can. I’m sure a lot of people could use a $50 gift card.
• Tags: Abra Ebner, Books, giveaway, ladybird ladybird, News•
First of all, I love you guys. All of you. This past year of book blogging has been nothing but amazing, and I hope the following years are even better. A lot of you entered the giveaway, but sadly there could only be two winners. (Blame my wallet!) But many thanks to everyone that participated and commented!
The winners are …
&
Congrats! Both have already been contacted.?
• Tags: blogoversary, Books, giveaway, News•
Yep, you heard right. Today is TGR’s first birthday! I honestly can’t believe it’s been an entire year since I started this blog. But at the same time, I can. I feel much more immersed in this awesome book blogging community now. Which brings me to my next point: 400 followers! Um, WOW?! Seriously, you guys are awesome. I know 400 seems like a strange milestone, but I never expected to get so far. I can’t thank you enough.
Okay. Now the part you’re really interested in – the giveaway! Because it’s TGR’s first birthday and all, I’m honoring my favorite reads of the new year. (Trust me, if I had a copy of The Iron Knight to give away, I would. It’s been my absolute favorite read so far. If you haven’t gotten to read it yet, you should!)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (AKA Mandy Hubbard)
Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
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DETAILS:
2 winners. (1 book per winner.*)
Must be 13+ years old.
Ends Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 @ midnight EST.
You don’t have to be a follower to enter, but it’s always much appreciated, and especially since this is a giveaway in honor of my followers! So, if you could, please spread the word!
• Tags: blogoversary, Books, giveaway•
Thank you to everyone who entered!
And congratulations to
kaye @ thepapereader
for winning!
Even if you didn’t win, you should still read Playing Hurt. It’s worth your time.?
*Winner chosen by random.org.
*Please respond to my email within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.?
• Tags: giveaway, News, Playing Hurt•
*Provided by the Playing Hurt blog tour!
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Playing Hurt
Holly Schindler
FROM THE COVER:
Star basketball player Chelsea “Nitro” Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college – and everyone’s admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.
As a graduation present, Chelsea’s dad springs for a three-week summer “boot camp” program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she’s immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who’s haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain – or finally heal their heartbreak?
My rating: 5 stars.
MY THOUGHTS:?
Finally, a YA book that doesn’t shy away from mature themes! Where have you been, Ms. Schindler, and why hadn’t I read your books yet?
Yes, Playing Hurt deals with mature themes, specifically those of the sexual kind – in this instance, it’s both sex and the act of cheating. Which is not your typical YA storyline in which the main character searches for the “one” or his/her soulmate. Instead, it’s about discovering new love through rather unnacceptable means. And while I certainly don’t condone cheating, neither does the book. Playing Hurt offers a gritty, but realistic, portrayal of a different kind of self-discovery journey.
Chelsea actually grows as a character. So does Clint. They’re neither monotonous nor stationary. Aside from their cliché appearances – totally gorgeous, tall and tan – they really do mesh well together. Sure, it’s insta-love. But there’s more to it. There’s depth – something that usually gets overlooked. Their problems are entirely different from one another’s, yet they’re able to come together in more ways than one.
My only gripe is that the sports take a bit of a backseat within the plot. The story is about both Chelsea and Clint going through this boot camp program, but there’s hardly anything boot camp about it. And considering Chelsea’s self-discovery revolves around life after basketball, and Clint’s after hockey, I came to expect more of an inclusion of sports. Unfortunately, the expectation falls short. There are sports, of course, just not as much as you may think.
Other than that, Schindler’s writing is very fluid with beautiful descriptions that aren’t overdone. The pace keeps steady and the minor characters get just enough “air time.” Playing Hurt is a great rollercoaster of emotions, all neatly packaged and presented to its readers.
Love it!
—————–
As the last stop on the Playing Hurt blog tour, I have the honor of giving a copy to one lucky winner! (** Paperback, slightly worn from previous travels.)
* ENDS at midnight, 6/13/11.
* US ONLY.
* Winner will be chosen by random.org and e-mailed.
* Do not have to be a follower, but it’s much appreciated!
You can fill out the form HERE.
• Tags: book review, Books, giveaway, Holly Schindler, Playing Hurt•
My giveaway for Karen Metcalf’s In the Storm has ended, and the lucky winner is IvaliceAlliance!
*Chosen by random.org
*You have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new winner is chosen.
Thanks to everyone that entered!
• Tags: Books, giveaway, In the Storm, Karen Metcalf•
This is just a quick reminder that my giveaway to win an e-copy of Karen Metcalf’s In the Storm ends in a few short hours! So if you still want to enter, you have time! No requirements – all you have to do is fill out the form.
INTERNATIONAL!
*ENDS MIDNIGHT, TONIGHT( MARCH 10th ) !
• Tags: Books, giveaway, In the Storm, Karen Metcalf•
I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping – how appropriate! – and decided to join in on the fun.
The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you’re a new blogger like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!
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Weekly question: Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?
Occasionally I’ll come up with other names and be like, Dang! Totally should’ve used that! So much cooler! But I’m okay with what I have; it may not be a fancy shmancy, elusive and catchy one-word name, but it’s straightforward.
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———————————————— * * Remember to check out my giveaway to win an e-copy of Karen Metcalf’s In the Storm! * *
• Tags: Book Blogger Hop, Books, Follow My Book Blog Friday, giveaway•
Karen Metcalf, author of In the Storm.
I have to ask: Will there be a sequel to In the Storm? If so, will it be another novella and e-book? If not, is there anything else you’re working on?
I am honored that someone would request it, but I honestly don’t know if there will be a sequel to In the Storm. This is something I just can’t answer right now. I am, however, working on a separate piece. I don’t want to say too much, but it will be in the same genre, and longer.
Where did you get the idea for Carly’s storm world?
A storm world like that would be heavenly for me. I absolutely love thunderstorms, and have never seen any as beautiful as those on the North Carolina coast. I spent many a night as a kid on the back porch or in bed, struggling to stay awake just to watch them. I wanted to write about a place where it was like that all the time.
Naming characters can be a writer’s worst nightmare. How do you do it?
The name Mitchell came from my younger brother Michael. Richard was chosen specifically because Dick is the nickname for it. For the others, I spend a little time throwing names around in my head, but they usually just come to me.
What was it like to be e-published?
Just to say I am published is amazing! It is a totally different market for sure. There are still a lot of people who just want to hold a paperback in their hands. However, it is so much easier to go international this way. Anyone around the world can easily log in, and have it in seconds, without waiting on shipping. We were also able to sell it for a great deal cheaper than the cost of a paper copy.
What’s YOUR favorite book and why?
I am a big Stephen King fan. He originally wrote The Long Walk under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. It’s been my hands-down favorite for at least ten years now. In all honesty, it is YA by today’s standards, which is probably why I love it so much.
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I cannot thank Karen enough for giving me the chance to review In the Storm, answering my questions, and providing me with the opportunity to give one lucky winner an e-copy (in PDF, mobi, and epub formats) of the book!?
INTERNATIONAL!
*ENDS MIDNIGHT, THURSDAY, MARCH 10th.
• Tags: Books, giveaway, In the Storm, Karen Metcalf•
Time sure does fly in the blogging world. It doesn’t seem so long ago that I posted about my return from AWP, and yet about a whole week has since passed.
I apologize for my absence!
Blogging has taken a backseat on my priority list. Schoolwork and my job are kicking my butt. I haven’t had many, if any, moments to myself for the past few weeks. Every day my schedule is packed from when I wake up until when I sleep, and somewhere inbetween there I lost track of typing up my blog posts and reviews in advance. Hence the blog lull.
But there’s some good news in all of this! After tomorrow, my paper will be written, my studying will be finished, and I’ll have a brand new review of In the Storm by Karen Metcalf posted! (Be on the lookout for a giveaway to win your own copy, too!)
Thank you to all my fellow bloggers for sticking with me through the absence!
• Tags: giveaway, In the Storm, News•
