Tuesday, December 20, 2011

WAKE blog tour

Wake by Abria Mattina

WAKE

by Abria Mattina

Kindle / Barnes & Noble

Pages: 727
Published September 22nd 2011
ISBN: 9780986957

Eighteen isn’t too young to run your life into the ground, but it’s not too old to fix it, either. The desire for change drives Willa Kirk from St. John’s, Newfoundland back to her hometown of Smiths Falls, Ontario, away from her mistakes and the place where her sister died. She’s looking for a place to settle and rebuild, but Jem Harper just wants to get out of town, back to the life he knew before cancer. By letting the tragedies in their lives define them, they are both dying a little more every day. Welcome to the wake.

Guest Post: Abria Mattina

Author of WAKE

Reasons to Enjoy NaNoWriMo (and not look down on it)


Last month, I tried my hand at writing a thirty-day novel as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It sounded completely crazy and therefore totally fun. And in the age of the internet, it took me about five minutes to encounter party-poopers who like to look down their noses at NaNoWriMo.


Some blogs of (yet unpublished) authors disparaged the thirty-day writing ‘competition’ in which participants are challenged to produce a fifty-thousand-word novel. Their reasons for disapproving of NaNoWriMo are varied—that a good novel can’t beproduced in thirty days; that people just do it for attention; that ‘real’ publishing
professionals dread it because their slush pile increases tenfold in December, etc.


In answer to that, I’d say it’s not all about the glory of publication. For some people it’s just a fun exercise. They want to prove to themselves that they have the self-discipline and creativity to finish such a daunting and prolonged project—and their ambition ends there.


Some people like the sense of community that NaNoWriMo offers is the main appeal. They like being part of a group with a common goal, encountering the same challenges, frustrations, and successes as their peers. It can be fulfilling to participate in something that’s so much larger than you and your little writing project.


Other people just work better when they have a deadline. Certain personality types can only respond to pressure when there is a sense of urgency, and the stat counter on NaNoWriMo’s website will cause that sense of urgency.


I don’t doubt that the slush piles of publishing industry professionals increase in December, but let’s remember that the people who send out their freshly drafted manuscripts are few among many. Most Wrimos know that their thirty-day novel is nothing more than a first draft, and that the time to start querying agents and publishers is not December 1st. Don’t let a few overeager people sour your entire view of National Novel Writing Month.
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Abria Mattina's links


Follow the rest of the WAKE tour!

12/1 review @ Maria's Handmade Love
12/2 review @ Books Glorious Books
12/4 review @ Nightly Reading
12/5 review @ Aobibliosphere
12/6 guest post @ Kickin Back with Kiwi
12/7 guest post @ Aobibliosphere
12/10 guest post @ Maria's Handmade Love
12/10 review @ All things books
12/10 review @ The Book Diva's Reads
12/12 guest post @ Books Glorious Books
12/12 guest post @ Just Another Book Addict
12/14 review @ Owl Tell You About It
12/15 guest post @ Owl Tell You About It
12/16 review @ Celtic Lady's Reviews
12/17 guest post @ The Book Diva's Reads
12/18 guest post @ The Phantom Paragrapher
12/19 guest post @ Nightly Reading
12/21 guest post @ Kickin Back With Kiwi
12/22 guest post @ All things books
12/23 guest post @ Just One More Paragraph
12/30 guest post @ Celtic Lady's Reviews

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Loveswept – Holiday Hop and Giveaway




Happy Holidays to everyone – Romance At Random is celebrating their Loveswept line with a random e-book Giveaway to 25 winners plus an opportunity to win one Grand Prize from www.romanceatrandom.com. Enter below to be included in the FREE random e-book drawing (25 winners will pick up their FREE book from Net Galley) and then stop on by www.romanceatrandom.com and comment to enter the drawing to be the ”one’ Grand Prize winner, a selection of great books! Good Luck & Happy Holidays to all! INCREASE your chances to win by visiting all of the participating ‘Loveswept – Holiday Hop’ sites! Winners will be contacted after 1/10/12.
Hop Begins NOW!






Saturday, December 10, 2011

2012 Immortal Reading Challenge




Vampires, angels, demons, werewolves and fae. If you can’t pick a favourite, then that’s okay!

At UTC, we love them all! So let’s celebrate our love for all things immortal with 2012’s Immortal Reading Challenge.

Here’s the rundown:
1. The Immortals Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join at anytime from now and throughout the year. This is a 2012 challenge, so books read before January 1 will not count to your progress.  
2. You pick your goal! Read as many books as you’d like for each species. This means that you can do just one category or all five or a combination of. The choice depends on you and your reading pace.
*We have chosen to have a three book per species standard. However, if this is a breeze for you, then feel free to tackle on the additional bonus entries of two more books of the same level.
3. Re-reads are acceptable.
4. Books chosen can be of any genre.
5. To participate, copy and paste this post on your blog along with the challenge button. We ask that you provide a link back to the sign-up page in case others wish to participate.
6. Readers without blogs can still participate! Keep track of your progress with Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing.

To sign up:

1.  Make a sign up post announcement, listing the level you've chosen and a list of books you plan to read.  If you don't have a blog, post on GoodReads or another site as a thread where we can access your list of books.  Be sure to take the image code above.

2.  Come back here and using the list below, add your entry with a link directly to that post so we can see what you'll be reading.

You're done!  Every month during 2012 we will make a challenge update post where you can come and updates us on how you're doing with your challenge.

Category 1: Vampires
Some ideas for Vampire books
Read any THREE books with vampires as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with vampires

Category 2: Angels and Demons
Some ideas for Angels and Demons books
Read any THREE books with angels and/or demons as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with angels and/or demons

Category 3: Fae
Some ideas for Fae books
Read any THREE books with Fae as the main characters
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on Fae.

Category 4: Shifters/Werewolves
Some ideas for Shifter books
Read any THREE books with shifters or werewolves as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on shifters or werewolves.

Happy Reading Maidens!


Woo... Can't wait to start this one.
Category 1
  1.  
Category 2
  1.  
Category 3
  1.  
Category 4
  1.  

2012 Romance Reading Challenge





This reading challenge is for any genre of Romance with the exception of YA and Erotica. Have fun with this one peeps!

Rules:

Anyone can join
You don't need a blog to participate. For non-bloggers, please leave a comment with a link (if you review somewhere else) to the review or leave a list of the books you read on the monthly link up post.
Audio, ebooks, and bound books are ok.
No re-reads
Create a sign up post and post the link in the linky.
Challenge goes from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
Challenge Crossovers are ok.

Levels:
Level 1 - Read 4 Romance novels
Level 2 - Read 10 Romance novels
Level 3 - Read 14 Romance novels
Level 4 - Read 15+ Romance novels

Gurl please. I can have this done in a month. Level 4 FTW!

2012 Krazy Kleypas Reading Challenge





Here’s the rundown:

1. The Krazy Kleypas Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join at anytime during the year. This is a 2012 challenge, so books read before then will not count to your progress.

2. Pick whichever category you like! You can get your feet wet and just do 1-3 books or develop a full blown obsession and try and read them all! You can change your mind at any time, if 1-3 books is not enough feel free to go on to the next category.

3. Re-reads are acceptable.

4. Readers without blogs can still participate! Keep track of your progress with Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing.

To sign up:

1. Make a sign up post announcement, listing the category you've chosen and a list of books you plan to read. If you don't have a blog, post on GoodReads or other site as a thread where we can access your list of books. Be sure to take the image code above.

2. Come back here and using the list below, add your entry with a link directly to that post so we can see what you'll be reading.

You're done! Every month during 2012 we will make a challenge update post where you can come and updates us on how you're doing with your challenge.


Category One 
1-3 Books
Popping your Kleypas Cherry
*gasps* You haven't read Lisa Kleypas yet?! Start here and pop your cherry ! We promise she will handle your virginity with care...

Category Two 
4-8 Books
Komfy with Kleypas
Time to start searching the back list...she has you hooked!

Category Three 
8-12 Books
Kaptured by Kleypas
She's caught you in her web...you're beginning to not want to escape, surely one more book won't hurt...

Category Four 
12-16 Books
Kleypas Addiction
You can't seem to help yourself...you need more, all other romances just don't compare to a good LK fix!

Category Five 
16-20 Books
Kleypas Krazy
The Kleypas Addiction has full control! You find yourself thinking about the books all the time waiting impatiently for your next fix, started calling all the heroines by your own name... You are beyond saving and loving every word of it!

Category Six 
Read Every Lisa Kleypas ever published.
Lisa's Number One Fan
*moments silence* We bow before your greatness...Clearly, you are Lisa Kleypas' biggest fan!

Happy Reading, Maidens!

Thank you UTC and I will havew to go with option #1 since I do not retain the knowledge of having read one of her books. And here's my list.

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge



Challenge guidelines: 

  1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
  2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
  3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
  4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
  5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
  6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
  7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
  8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
  9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
  10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL. 
  11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!
Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Hosts:
Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions

For more info click on the button above.


I am shooting for A Friendly Hug:
Here is my list o'books.