Peek Into My Postbox #2

10 Jul, 2013 by in peek into my Postbox 1 comment

Peek into my Postbox is new meme at Fire and Ice. (please do not use or copy my meme name unless you grab a badge and link back here. Thanks!) 

Let’s all share the fun things we get in your box each week. If you already participate in your own similar meme…no worries.  Link your post below to share what books you bought, checked out at the library, bought or received. Also, if you have some exciting other mail or swag to share that would be fun too.


Here’s a Peek into my Postbox this week.

BLACKMOORE!!!! by Julianne Donaldson. This was on my wish list and Deseret Book invited me to be a part of the blog tour. Squees all around.

New Zonderkids titles: Merlin’s Blade by Robert Treskillard and Season of Change by Lisa Williams Kline.

These awesome UK versions of Maureen Johnson’s The Madness Underneath and The Name of the Star that my five year old won in a spooky story writing contest. (so cool right?!)

and books one and two in the Philippa Gregory Order of Darkness series- Changeling and Stormbringers.

Thanks to all the publishers that sent us goodies!

postbox photo: Postbox! postbox.jpg

If you have something fun in your box to share this week leave your link in the linky below 🙂
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YA Content Review- Ink by Amanda Sun

09 Jul, 2013 by in urban fantasy, YA Content Review Leave a comment

Ink
by Amanda Sun
Paperback, 326 pages
Published June 25, 2013
by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Papergods #1
Book Source: BEA
3 Stars

Summary From Goodreads: I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they’ll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.


Review: I first spotted this book on Netgalley and LOVED the cover as my grandmother is a Japanese watercolor artist and I spent a summer living in Japan. But, I figured I would hold off until BEA to get a paper version and see if there were other illustrations inside. (There are a few  illustrations inside, but they were not at all like the cover…very elementary) 

I finished out my only day there and didn’t see a copy. Then Katie from Katie’s Book Blog reached into her bad as we were waiting for the shuttle and pulled out a copy “Would you be interested in a copy INK?” Can you say serendipity? Thanks Katie!

What drew me to Ink? The multi sensory writing that immerses you in the art, culture and nature of Japan.  Since I lived in a Shinto shrine I found the premise fascinating, but I wish it would have been expanded on much, much more.

The mythology of a Kami, a Japanese God that can make drawings come to life and the girl who makes the ink more powerful and dangerous by her presence.

The Japanese language used throughout the entire book which drew me back there and was authentic. However, at times it was heavy handed and would be a huge turnoff for a reader not at all familiar with Japan.

Use the glossary in the back of the book! I had no idea it was there until I was all done reading.

The characters are very multi faceted and well written. There are some magical scenes when you can just see it all coming to life. I think fans of Manga/ Japanese illustrated novels will like Ink.  

What I struggled with? The main character Tomohiro, kendo star and bad boy with a  reputation. He keeps doing things that are down right jerky. I keep thinking the relationship he has with Katie will tip his behavior to the plus side and he will become more caring. Doesn’t happen! Even at the end of the book and character arc,  I want her to stay FAR FAR away from him. Why, oh why do you see and hear him doing scary things and you keep following him?!

Katie, main heroine is drawn to Tomohiro and ditches her good friends to be with him even though there are so many red flags. She starts breaking rules and lying to her aunt and guardian, then comes back to him repeatedly when he himself warns her to stay away.

Content wise there is a lot of swearing, pretty serious violence including sword and guns, teenage pregnancy, a couple sleepover without parents, mention of a love hotel and a dark overall feel.

Would I buy it? No, this is a check it out from the library or borrow it kind of book because as you read the reviews they are very polarized… you will either love it or hate it.

Author Bio:  I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then.
​In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room.
​The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

Nice To Meet You~ New Blogroll Sign Ups

08 Jul, 2013 by in networked blogs Leave a comment

Oh my wonderful holiday! Hope you all had a great weekend full of reading and summer fun.

Now that I’m back I’ve been really antsy to meet new bloggers and authors. There are so many of you out there and so many I don’t yet know. With the supposed soon demise of Google friend connect I have also been hoping to keep in touch with all of you who I’ve met over the years and who have faithfully followed. I started a bloglovin’ account which I am so far really enjoying. As well you and I can meet up on Networked blogs.

If you prefer, there is also RSS feed, email subscriptions  and whole slew of other options on my right sidebar at the top under “find us.”

Lately, I have REALLY picked up on instagram as a whole new way to get to know fellow bloggers. I am a visual person so it is a perfect fit for me. Please introduce yourself so I can follow and friend!

Leave your link below in the linky list or in my comments and let’s meet.

What method do you prefer to keep in touch with your online friends and why?

Fabulous Finds at Fire and Ice- Ebooks Under 2.99

03 Jul, 2013 by in Uncategorized 2 comments

Enjoy these Fabulous Finds from Fire and Ice while you are traveling for the Fourth!
Click on the image to purchase. Prices are guaranteed on the day of post. ENJOY!
As an Amazon affiliate I get a small percentage of profit from each sale which goes into shipping costs for giveaways and directly to blog expenses.
Have other great ebook deals? Leave me your link 🙂

YA Review – How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

02 Jul, 2013 by in Sarah Strohmeyer Leave a comment

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Paperback320 pages

Published April 23rd 2013 
by Balzer + Bray
ISBN 0062187457
Genre: YA Contemp

Book Source: Publisher
3.5 stars

Summary From Goodreads: From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl’s summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World. 

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they’ve hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she’s assigned to serve “The Queen”-Fairyland’s boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money. 

 Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe’s job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

Review: Summer is the perfect season for Sarah Strohmeyer. Her light, funny voice carries you away to Fairyland where high school students are pushing and shoving their way to the top as interns as storybook characters at a high end amusement park. Zoe and her cousin Jess show up for their first day only to find themselves in the smelly no air conditioned dorms rather than the palatial Cinderella suites of the princesses. And to make matter worse, Zoe doesn’t even have a real place in the mayhem. She’s sequestered away to serve “the Queen”, the boss and owner of the park with her demanding little dog named Tinkerbell and obsessive rules. Zoe has to make the most of her midnight walking the dog. When one night she stumbles into “the forbidden zone”, an off limits portion of the park she’s rescued by a mysterious Prince Charming who is obviously breaking the rules!  Can she unravel his identity and serve the Queen while also keeping her heart in check?

I loved the strong character development and fun setting of How Zoe Made Her Dreams Mostly Come True. You can literally step into the craziness that is furry creatures running around in smelly costumes and princesses forced to do weigh ins. Then there is the crumbling old ladies shoe and forgotten once was portion of the park that lies beyond the perimeter. The tone is light with an underlying theme of recovering from the loss of a parent and loyalty.  The only thing I struggled with was a bit of repetitiveness in plot elements and phrases like “Dream and Do” (the scholarship they are all out to get) and “Wow TM Spirit.” There were times when I wished the story would have been a little bit more evenly paced and moving along a bit faster.

What I loved is that the story, time and place stuck with me long after I put it down. I could smell, taste and feel Fairyland. I am going to check out Strohmeyer’s other books when I need a pick me up. Thanks so much to Balzer and Bray for such a fun ride!

Content: A few minor swear words, mention of girls weight loss being mandatory for the job and one overnight kissing session.

Author Bio: After being placed on other “must read” YA lists, SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT has recently been chosen by Texas school librarians for the 2013 Lone Star Reading List, a great honor since Texas is a BIG state.Thank you, librarians!

It’s also my fourteenth novel, but my first for young adults after writing mysteries and stand alones, one of which, THE CINDERELLA PACT, became the Lifetime Movie – LYING TO BE PERFECT. Of all these, SMART GIRLS has been my favorite to write because not only was I a “smart girl,” but so were my daughter and her friends who, like me, grew tired of playing second fiddle. I figured the time had come for our kind to receive the kudos, the attention and the boys. The bad girls had hogged center stage long enough.

Before I wrote novels, I was a newspaper reporter of questionable talent for twenty years, never quite serious or responsible enough for the duty of recording all the news that’s fit to print. (My definition of what was fit to print and my editors’ often clashed. Apparently, it was not necessary to describe certain cops as “super cute.”)

Some novelists begin their careers by winning literary contests or writing their first manuscripts while pursuing a masters degree. I began mine by placing Barbie in forty contemporary and historical settings with photos taken by my friend (and awesome photographer) Geoff Hansen. BARBIE UNBOUND: A PARODY OF THE BARBIE OBSESSION became a cult hit, landed me on CBS This Morning and USA Today. It was, briefly, the most shoplifted book in America.

After that, I wrote the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series featuring a bubble-headed blonde ditzy – or is she? – hairdresser with a gift for gossip who becomes a newspaper reporter. Kind of like a memoir, sure. And then a bunch of novels about women.

Today, I live in Vermont with my husband, a lawyer, and son, Sam, an upcoming high school junior. My daughter, Anna, is a senior at Bryn Mawr College where there are A LOT of smart girls. Also, there’s Fred, my five-year-old basset hound and between you and me, the love of my life.


Summer 2013 Book Wish List- What I Can’t Wait to Read

01 Jul, 2013 by in bea 6 comments

There are so many great books coming out this year! I was able to attend one day on the exhibit floor at BEA and had a wish list of books to watch out for. Here are some of the titles that look A- mazing that are in the line up for this summer, but that I just wasn’t able to pick up. Coming soon…


by Maggie Stiefvater coming September 17th.
Second book in the Raven Boys series.


Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…



by Julianne Donaldson coming September 9, 2013


At eighteen, Kate Worthington knows she should be getting serious about marriage, but her restless heart won t let her settle down. To escape her mother s meddlesome influence, she dreams of traveling with her spinster aunt to exotic India. But when the opportunity arises, Kate finds herself making a bargain with her mother: she will be allowed to go only if she spends a season at the family s wealthy estate, Blackmoore, where she must secure and reject three marriage proposals. Enlisting the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield, Kate sets out to collect her proposals so she can be on her way. But Henry s decision to help threatens to destroy both of their dreams in ways they could never imagine. Set in Northern England in 1820, Blackmoore is a regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to listen to her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue, and devotion.




Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 
coming September 10th

In Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life–and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?



Coming July 23rd.

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

The Moon and More 
by Sarah Dessen
published June 4th.


Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.


Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo’s sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline’s mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he’s convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she’s going?

Sarah Dessen’s devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

by Colleen Gleason
coming September 17th.
Two young women of similar age and standing have disappeared:
one found dead and the other still missing. The only clue to
connect them is a small Egyptian clockwork scarab. Only Miss
Stoker and Miss Holmes are well-positioned enough—similar in
age and stature as they are to the victims—to investigate. An
unlikely pair, the fierce Evaline Stoker and logical Mina Holmes must follow in the footsteps of their infamous families—Miss Holmes has inherited her Uncle Sherlock’s keen investigative skills, while Miss Stoker has accepted her family calling as a hunter of the undead. The partners must find a way to work together, while navigating the advances of a strange yet handsome American, a clever Scotland Yard investigator, and a cunning thief, to solve the mystery of the clockwork scarabs.

Set in steam punk London, steeped in Egyptian mythology
and literary references, with a surprising time travel twist and compelling romantic triangles, Colleen Gleason has crafted a fast-paced and romantic debut young adult novel



I have all of these books pictured plus an ongoing Goodreads list for trade. If you have any from my wish list or others you think I might like, let’s swap! 

Meanwhile, I’ll be wishing for a book fairy 🙂

What books are you most excited for in 2013?

Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel- Blog Tour and Giveaway

27 Jun, 2013 by in giveaway Leave a comment

Fire and Ice is today’s stop on the Goodbye for Now Blog Tour! 
The paperback cover was just released on Monday and to celebrate we have a giveaway hosted by Mod Podge Marketing. Enter at the end of this post!

About the author: Laurie Frankel lives on a very steep hill in Seattle with her husband, her four-year-old son, her border collie, and many, many books. She’s an East Coaster originally, a fact people often guess before she’s even opened her mouth. She has written two novels, The Atlas of Love and Goodbye For Now, and is at work on her third. Laurie is a core member of the Seattle7Writers. She used to teach writing, literature, and gender studies at the college level. Now she is thrilled, honored, grateful, and occasionally terrified to be writing full-time. It’s quite something.

Learn more on goodreads/ twitter/ author’s website

The Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Peek Into My Postbox #1

26 Jun, 2013 by in peek into my Postbox 2 comments

Peek into my Postbox is a brand new meme starting today at Fire and Ice. (please do not use or copy my meme name unless you grab a badge and link back here. Thanks!) 


When I was a little girl I used to love to get letters and as an adult I still love mail! In my family we fight over who gets the mail key each day. When we hear the FedEx or UPS truck my kiddos run to the door. I would love to meet all kinds of new bloggers and see what fun things you get in your box each week. If you already participate in your own similar meme, no worries. I’m just excited to see what you get each week. Link your psot below and let’s see what books you bought, checked out at the library, bought or received. Also, if you have some exciting other mail or swag to share that would be fun too.

Here’s a peek into my Postbox this week.
postbox photo: Red Postbox Red_postbox_by_Agzy.jpg
If you have something fun in your box to share this week link up below 🙂
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YA Review- My Butterfly by Laura Miller

25 Jun, 2013 by in My Butterfly, Romance, YA contemporary Leave a comment

My Butterfly 
by Laura Miller
Paperback 355 pages
Published June 11, 2013
by Createspace 
ISBN 1481089854
Series: Butterfly Weends #2
Genre: YA
Contemporary, Romance
Book Source: author
4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: From the national bestselling novel Butterfly Weeds comes the other side of the story…
About the man behind the song.

Will Stephens doesn’t chase dreams outside of his small, Missouri town. He’s perfectly happy with his high school sweetheart in his arms, his guitar and his quiet, summer nights. But life for Will is about to change. He’s about to find out what it’s like to chase a dream—one he has loved since he first laid eyes on her.

A firefighter by day and a musician by night, Will balances his dangerous career with his weekend gigs, but his mind is never far from Julia Lang. They said their goodbyes years ago, but Will now hopes a song from their past will help Julia stop and remember a life they once shared together. His only fear is that he’s waited too long to get his song to her ears.


Review: Every once in a while a good old fashioned small town romance comes along and reminds you of the slow burning love of country life. Having not read book one in this series, Butterfly Weeds, I wasn’t sure of the other side of this story but I loved and understood every bit of book two.  Julia ad Will are childhood friends, playing in front of the local store and trying to steal rides on a tractor, but they lose track of each other until she waltzes back in to his High School and takes his heart back by storm. She’s the daughter of money, a track star and a future law student who wants to fulfill her career aspirations. Will on the other hand, is a small town boy with his roots deep in the Missouri soil. He’s not in a hurry to leave or to change his career choice as a fireman just because Julia thinks it’s too dangerous. He has the voice of an angel and a persistence that finally catches his butterfly. But she has a mind of her own and wings to fly away. Will’s life is now haunted by her face, her tough and so many memories they’ve wound together. Can Julia ever find her way back home, back to him?

My Butterfly tugged at my heart and made me long for a simpler time and place. It is a sweet, down to earth tale of love lost and the efforts to rekindle it. I enjoyed the slow, steady pace and the home spun characters that could very well be someone you know. I am definitely going to check out book one now that I’ve had a feel for Laura Miller’s writing. You’ll want to keep some tissues close at hand for the epilogue!

Content: Clean, no sex or violence, a few minor swear words.



Marc-Mayes Photography

About the author: Laura Miller was born in the Missouri River Bottoms in Berger, Mo., but grew up in New Haven, Mo., and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou). While in college, Laura was a 400-meter and 600-yard runner on the University’s track and field team. She later graduated from Mizzou with a degree in newsprint journalism and spent years as a newspaper reporter, covering government and business news, before starting to write fiction.

Laura spent some time in San Diego, Calif., and Charleston, S.C., before moving back to the Midwest in 2011. She now lives in Columbia, Mo., with her husband, a TV meteorologist and former Mizzou 800-meter runner.
Laura’s debut novel, Butterfly Weeds, hit the Amazon Best-Seller’s List in October 2012, while her latest novel, My Butterfly released in June 2013. When she’s not working on her next book, Laura can be found chasing after her latest obsession, her one-year-old nephew, or lost in a good book.

Learn more on the website/ facebook/ twitter/ goodreads/ YouTube

Purchase: