Breaking Point Blog Tour: Spotlight + Excerpt + Giveaway

Welcome to the Breaking Point Blog Tour! Today I have the pleasure to participate in one of Jean Book Nerd blog tours for the very first time and I couldn't be happier! For my stop I'm going to give you a short -but very intriguing- excerpt, a few ways to follow Kristen Simmons -the amazing author behind the Article 5 series- and an amazing giveaway for all of you to participate :]

Breaking Point

by Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5 #2
Release date: 12th February, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 400 (hardcover copy)

Summary from Goodreads:

The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

The Excerpt

Before I left the room I looked once more at Chase, now staring out the window alone. I thought he’d try to stop me; I wanted him to try to stop me. But he didn’t.
It probably wouldn’t have changed my decision anyway.
-Breaking Point, Pg. 73

The Author

Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She lives with her husband Jason and their precious greyhound Rudy in Tampa, Florida.

You can find Kristen Simmons here:
Facebook // Twitter // Official website

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Losing It

by Cora Carmack
Release date: 26th February, 2013
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 204 (ebook copy bought by me)

Summary from Goodreads:

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

Book Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility

by Katja Millay
Release date: 4th June, 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 448 (copy bought by me)

Summary from Goodreads:

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Librarian Mouse has a New Look!

To My Dear Lovely Mouses,

As you can all see with those beautiful eyes Librarian Mouse has a brand new look and it's gorgeous! From the beautiful header -that actually shows 5 of my six very real shelves- to the colors and font. I just couldn't be any happier.

Truth be told I loved my old design, specially because I made it myself with my husband's help! Here is how it looked like before:

Nice, right? But I like changes, I'm rebel like that xD
That's why, after a lot of research -and I mean like more than a month research- I finally decided to ask Lea from Lc's Adventures in Libraryland to make the new design because I noticed that she draws great animals and girls. And I had to had a super cute mouse here :)

I don't know about you but I seriously love it even more than the old one. It has everything I asked her. And she even kept my old mouse in the sidebar titles which is such a nice touch!

If you are planing to do a makeover please, consider using Lea's services.


She asked my opinion in every step of the design, was always very nice and polite and even had the patience to work with me and my perfectionist side, hahahaha.

So, since I'm a very happy girl right now -and I really didn't make a giveaway during my birthday 'cause Christmas was driving me nuts- I want to share my happiness with you all because, let's face it, I also made the change for you so you can enjoy my blog even more ;)

Giveaway Time!

I'm offering ONE lucky winner $25 to buy as many books as he/she wants from BookDepository which means it's INTERNATIONAL!
The giveaway begins today and will last 20 days.
There's only one mandatory entry: answer a simple question in the comments section.
And if you want to increase your chances then there will be plenty of other entries. For example, you can put my new button in your blog ;)

<a href="http://www.librarianmouse.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh627/AlaielKreuz/Alaiel%20Blog%20Design/GRABBUTTON_zps8e0936f6.png" width="200" /></a>

That's it, good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Vessel

by Sarah Beth Durst
Release date: 11th September, 2012
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 424 (hardcover copy bought by me)

Summary from Goodreads:

Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. She will dance and summon her tribe's deity, who will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But when the dance ends, Liyana is still there. Her tribe is furious--and sure that it is Liyana's fault. Abandoned by her tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.

Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. The desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.

The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice--she must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate--or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

Cover reveal: "Justice" and "Blood & Gold" by Rhiannon Paille

Justice
by Rhiannon Paille
Release Date: 22nd January, 2013
Series: The Ferryman and the Flame #2

Official synopsis:

How far would you go to destroy yourself?

Krishani always knew he would have to go to the Lands of Men, but he never thought it would be like this. Enemies everywhere, an ancestor he can't respect, elders he can't trust, a curse he can't stop and friends he can't help but hate. Desperate to end the pain, he sets out on a quest to find the other Flames and face the enemy that took everything from him.

JUSTICE: Art by Marc Wolfe (www.marcwolfeart.com) / Typography by Frankie Rose

Blood & Gold
by Rhiannon Paille
Release Date: June, 2013
Series: The Ferryman and the Flame #2.5

Official synopsis:

This is JUSTICE from the villain's POV.

The Daed are pawns to one of the most powerful members of the Valtanyana. Crestaos is insane, his hunger for the Flames insatiable. The closer the Daed get to achieving his goal, the more expendable they become.

BLOOD & GOLD: Art by Paragraphic Designs / Typography by Rhiannon Paille

You can find Rhiannon Paille here:

Facebook Twitter Official Blog

As a plus you may want to head to Rhiannon's blog (hint: look above this) and participate in an A-WE-SO-ME giveaway. You know, just if you are into that kind of thing... and I know you are ;)

I really, REALLY, want to know what you think about these pretties :]

No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop

Once again here I am participating in one of the giveaways organized by I Am A Reader, Not a Writer. Thanks a lot for your hard work :D

The only rule for this giveaway is quite simple: You need to do nothing. No following, no subscribing, just enter in the rafflecopter form and finito!
This giveaway is to thank all my followers for being there for me even when I had no time or had any energy to write more posts. Thanks, guys.

This time I'm offering $15 to 1 winner to buy one book through BookDepo. As long as they ship to your country you are free to enter ;)
You will need to fill the Rafflecopter form and... yeah, that's it xD
Oh, and BTW, I have another giveaway going on right now and I'm pretty sure you don't want to miss it so click HERE if you are curious ;)

Please, keep reading so you can see the Rafflecopter form and good luck!!! (just click on "Continue reading").

The Reckoning by Alma Katsu is being released in paperback! Giveaway + Short interview

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of reviewing The Taker by Alma Katsu (check my review HERE). The perfect book for a very promising dark series.

I already have The Reckoning, the second book, in my TBR pile but for those of you who prefer trade paperback copies -because let's be honest, they fit perfectly in our handbags- mark your calendar 01/22 -a couple of days away!- because it's coming out and it looks as amazing as the hardcover.



As a treat the author agreed not to only do a giveaway for us but also answer a couple of quick questions about 2012 and her live.

Quick Interview with Alma Katsu
*Best memory of 2012*
It would have to be going to Italy for the release of The Taker. For someone who always wanted to be a novelist, it was the kind of thing you dream about: three days of interviews with the press, having photographers come to take your picture, dinners with booksellers. My publisher, Longanesi, made sure everything was perfect. My husband came with me and we were there during Valentine’s Day, so the publisher sent us to dinner at a fabulous restaurant, just the two of us. Honestly, it couldn’t have been better.
(LibrarianMouse: Sounds like such an amazing memory. And Italy during Valentine's day is so romantic...).

*One thing you learned in 2012*
It’s going to be hard to narrow it down to just one thing because I learned a lot this past year. I returned to work fulltime after taking a year off to work on the books I had under contract. I’d left a 30-year career to do this, so re-entering the workforce was pretty daunting. Would anybody want to hire me? What if I couldn’t get a job in my chosen field, what would I do then? It was pretty nerve-wracking. But I learned that it would’ve been worse to run away from those fears than to face them. And I got a great job, and feel more confident than before, so it ended well.
(LibrarianMouse: It does sound like a difficult situation, I'm so glad everything turned out well).

*One of your goals for 2013*
To write FASTER. I have all these stories I want to write but less time than ever.
(LibrarianMouse: Yes, please! I would love to have more of your books!).

*Do you like cheese? If yes, any favorite kind or plate?*
I love cheese. Only one kind? Every year at Christmas I get some white Stilton with dried apricots in it. Yummy. In fact, I think I’ll have some right now.
(LibrarianMouse: Yeah, I think I'm going to need some of that too tonight...).

***************************

The Giveaway

In case you wonder the novels don’t fall into any one genre but are a mix of fantasy, historical, paranormal and dark love story. They’re dark and sensual but also walk the edge between literary and commercial.

To help us celebrate with her Alma Katsu has generously offered to give ONE lucky winner a copy of both books. Yes, that's right, you can win The Taker and The Reckoning and add them to your paperback collection!
The giveaway is only for US and it will end 01/23.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Death and the Girl Next Door

by Darynda Jones
Series: Darklight #1
Release date: 2nd October, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 274 (paperback copy bought by me)

Summary from Goodreads:

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

Book Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu

The Taker

by Alma Katsu
Series: The Taker Trilogy #1
Release date: 6th September, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 438 (hardcover bought by me)

Summary from Goodreads:

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . . On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.

Release Blog tour: Top Three List + Review + Giveaway

As part of this great blog tour I'm honored to have here today a Matthew Merrick, the author of The Protector series, who somehow agreed to answer a couple of questions that I'm sure you will enjoy since it goes from books to videogames and music.

And all I can say to Matthew is that I'm sure the future is in his hands. I'm sure you know that your ability to tell so many different stories at the same time is a gift that will continue to open doors wherever you go. Keep it up and help us dream with your words.

Matthew Merrick's Top Three List
*Three favorite books and reason. Any gender counts*
I absolutely adore the Harry Potter series. I’d pick all of them if I could, but to be fair, I’ll say Goblet of Fire is my favorite. I like the writing of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child as well, my favorite from them being Brimstone. And it’s been a while since I’ve read them, so I don’t know which book would be my favorite, but I loved the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton.
(LibrarianMouse:Besides the Harry Potter series I haven't read your favorite books so I'm gonna have to check them out!).

*Three games you think are a MUST for every gamer*
This is tough, because a lot of people don’t love RPGs and I do. I could pick three of those, but I’ll try to mix it up. I absolutely loved The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. I invested over 70 hours into that game. The Uncharted series is one of the best action adventure games ever made. IMHO of course :D  And I love the entire Ratchet & Clank series. It’s always on my must purchase list when a new one comes out. They’re just beyond quirky and fun to me.
(LibrarianMouse: Thanks for the tip, I'm always on the lookout for new games, hohoho).

*Three favorite monsters or creatures (mythology counts too)*
I obsess over this stuff and I can only pick three? Oh dear…okay I love the Chinese version of the Dragon, the Greek version of the Phoenix, and pretty much all Greek mythology in general. The gods and demi gods fascinate me, and I honestly could never get enough when it comes to learning about it. As a bonus, I also love the lore behind The City of Atlantis, and the Mayans.
(LibrarianMouse: I'm a geek of Mythology and my countless books on the matter are prove of it so I know it was really hard to choose three... sorry^^U).

* Three books you would love to watch as a movie*
It’s already being made, but I’m stoked to see The Hobbit. I’d love to see Kelly Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series made. Although I’ve only just started the series, I can tell I’m going to need it on the screen. I *think* they’re making a TV series for it, so maybe that will do the trick. And although it’s now out, and I own it, I have yet to watch Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, and I am beyond excited to watch it.
(LibrarianMouse: The Hobbit? Loved it! As for the other two... I must investigate xD).

*Three villains you like (or don’t hate that much)*
Although he wasn’t really a villain, but you think he is for a lot of the story, I love Severus Snape. His character was amazing, and Alan Rickman did an incredible job bringing him to life in the movies. I will forever be a fan of Captain Hook, and I love Venom from the Spiderman comics. Okay, so I’m totally veering away from books, but there are villains everywhere!
(LibrarianMouse: Snape... man, I hated him so much that I couldn't believe how much I cried for him at the end! And I know I've said it already but Heath Ledger's portrait of the Joker rocked my world!).

*Three things you learned past month*
I shower less, but shave more, now that I’m staying at home and writing full-time.
My dog takes toilet paper out of the bathroom garbage and tears it into tiny pieces, always in the same places, only when he’s mad at me.
The “I have kids so that’s why I watch cartoons,” excuse only works when you’re not watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates after the kids are in bed.
(LibrarianMouse: *laughing so much I can't write*)

*Three things you collect or would like to do so*
I’ve wanted for years to collect swords, but I don’t have the space for them right now, so I’m putting that desire off until I have my own office. I have this strange need to own hardcopies of all my movies. They take up so much space, but I love having them, even though buying them digitally is so much easier. I love to collect anything dragon/phoenix oriented: pictures, knives, lamps. I love it all.
(LibrarianMouse: I always wanted to collect swords too... but since I'm so clumsy I don't think that would be a good idea for my life).

*Three songs that have a special meaning to you*
- Otis Redding - Sitting by the Dock of the Bay
- Eminem - Going Through Changes
- Hedley - One Life
(LibrarianMouse: Curious? Click on the names to go and watch them in Youtube ;) ).

*Three things you would like to share with us*
- I have an unhealthy obsession with cereal. I don’t know where it came from or how it started, but I could eat it three times a day and be perfectly happy.
- I re-watch the movies I love over and over again, and I have since I was a child. When I was little, I’d rent a movie for the weekend and as soon as it was over, I’d rewind it and start it again. This would happen every two hours for the entire weekend. The most common one that comes to mind is Labyrinth.
- Exiled was the first thing I ever wrote. I had no intention of ever writing a novel, let alone publishing a book. It was a passion that was discovered completely by accident, and it’s one of the best things to have ever happened to me.
(LibrarianMouse: And we are thankful for that accident).

* And since my blog is called “Librarian Mouse” I have to ask: do you like cheese? If so, what’s your favorite one? Or favorite dish with cheese?*
Yes! I love cheese. Melted on everything. My favorite cheese is Marble, because I can’t decide between cheddar and mozza, and I love nachos, pizza, baked lasagna, ugh, there’s no way to pick just one. Oh, I also LOVE feta. Especially on pizza.
(LibrarianMouse: I'm sure one day cheese will take over the world... I mean, who doesn't like cheese?!).

***************************************

The Review

Release

by M.R. Merrick
Series: The Protector #3
Release date: 8th December, 2012
Publisher: M.R. Merrick
Pages: 349 (ebook copy given by the author in exchange of an honest review)

Summary from Goodreads:

After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.

Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna.

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.

Book Review: Shift by M.R.Merrick

Shift

by M.R. Merrick
Series: The Protector #2
Release date: 29th January, 2012
Publisher: M.R. Merrick
Pages: 350 (ebook copy given by the author in exchange of an honest review)

Summary from Goodreads:

Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else–a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge -- Sign-up!

And... this year I'm going to participate again! Hopefully, I'll do it better this time^^U
For those of you that haven't heard about this challenge I'm going to do a quick recap and then leave you the link so you can participate in you want.

First, this challenge is for books that were published before 2013 and that have been in your TBR pile for a while now.
Second, there's no need to have a blog to participate. You can post your reviews in Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.
Third, at the end of each month go to the host's blog and link up all your reviews.

And HERE you can find the complete rules as well as the sign up linky.

My Goal:

I'm going to begin with "A Friendly Hug" which means between 11-20 books. From that point on I'll do my best to go one or two levels up!
Since we can choose the books whenever we want I'll just list a few of them in no particular order.

Uglies

Pretties

Specials

Extras

Inside Out

Outside In

The Vincent Boys

The Vincent Brothers

The Edge of Never

Losing It

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation

How to Ruin My Teenage Life

How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation

Perfect Chemistry

Rules of Attraction

Chain Reaction

And I'll be updating this post whenever I finish a book and whenever I feel like adding more.
So, if you want to join the fun remember to sign-up ;)