Waiting on Wednesday (5)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

The Best of Me
By Nicholas Sparks
Release Date: October 11th

Summary: THE BEST OF ME is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.






I am sosososososo excited for this book!!!! I've already pre-ordered it because I'm so excited to read it (and it was $10 off if I pre-ordered it :) ). Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to learn he had a new book coming out! And this one sounds so good! Two people reuniting after so many years? I can't wait to see how their relationship is rekindled! I don't know how I can even what until October for this book to come out. Hopefully time will fly so I can get my hands on this book as soon as possible!! 

Author Interview: Jessie McClain

I am excited to announce that today I have an interview with author Jessie McClain! She is here to share some about her new novel My Dearest Rose. 

What three words would you use to describe "My Dearest Rose"?  

I guess three words that I would you to describe my book is heartfelt, passionate, and real. At least that's how I feel about it. I put every bit of me into "My Dearest Rose" and I love the feel of the whole story. It's simply life. Unpredictable.

How did you get the idea of a young woman having to raise her 3-year-old brother? 

To be honest I started with just my two main characters, Iris and Jason, in mind. They were my main focus. As I was creating Iris I knew that I wanted to connect with her on a whole other level. I didn't just want to create her, I wanted to know her, and I wanted to see her. One day I was looking at my daughter, who was a year old at the time, and noticed a lot of red popping into her brown hair turning the color auburn and she has green eyes. I knew that I wanted Iris to look like Jewel (my daughter) so I took her features and made her an adult. I also wanted to put my son in the book as someone, so I created Iris' 3 year old brother Danny. I'm actually very glad that it turned out that way. It gave me so many more options for "My Dearest Rose" and I simply adore Danny! I already knew that her and her mom were on bad terms, so it just made the perfect mix for what I wanted. I'm sorry that answer took so long. I can't seem to tell a short story. No matter how hard I try it always ends up long!

If you could be one character from your book, who would you be and why? 

If I were to be any character it would without question be Iris! She is just so darn cute! I love her so much that during my writing in a lot of ways some of her likes and dislikes, personality traits, and point of views are actually based on my own. I couldn't resist, and it also made me feel more connected to her. 

Why writing? Have you always loved it or is it something new? 

I have always loved writing, as far back as my memory can go. It first started with reading though. From a very young age I just wanted to read fairytales to anyone who was willing to listen. When I hit 14 I tried my hand at some poetry. At 19 I started writing songs, and then at 22 I started my first novel "My Dearest Rose." Writing has always been something I can't really control. I'll just be out somewhere, in the middle of a conversation, or waking up from a dead sleep with another idea for my trilogy or a song. Haha!

What are your inspirations when you write? When you get stuck, what do you do?

Music, my kids, my husband, situations from my own life (embellished of course) and even my own mind are big inspirations. I often live in another world:) If I'm stuck I sit it out, quit staring at the computer screen, play with my kids and continue with life until what's going to happen next hits me (which will probably be in the middle of the night.)

What do you do when you're not writing? 

When I'm not writing I'm cleaning, or playing around on my guitar. My son and daughter is obsessed with fishing right now, so I could be spotted at the lake with them. I like to knit and I'm trying my hand at sewing. I know! I'm a nerd.

What is your favorite book/author and why? 

My favorite book is "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. It really was such beautiful work.

What's next?

What's next? Let's see... there will definately be the rest of my trilogy! I'm currently writing the second part and am at my mid mark! I'm extremely excited! Not to mention that I'm already filled with ideas for the third. I just can't let go of my characters!

My Dearest Rose

Summary: My Dearest Rose is a fictional drama based off the life of a 24 year old girl named Iris. Iris lives in the small town of Falls City Oregon where she works at a small shop and plays music on the side at a local coffeeshop. She raises her 3 year old brother and is on bad terms with her mom, whom she has never been able to get along with. Her boyfriend (who was also her best friend) had died 4 years earlier and she is still haunted by the memory. She then meets a guy named Jason (who is a roamer from Georgia) as she is performing one day at the coffeeshop and the story evolves. There are many twists and turns in the book. It's based on someones life that could be mine, your own, or a strangers. It shows that when you think there is nothing or no one left to save you, that your true salvation can come fromt he most unexpected place and that sometimes all is takes is a stranger. When all hope is lost who is it that you cling to?

I want to thank Jessie so much for being here today! For more information on Jessie McClain, check out her blog! You can find more information on My Dearest Rose here: 


Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Book Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Summary: On her ninth birthday, Rose takes a bite of her mother's homemade lemon cake. With that bite Rose tastes her mothers emotions. That piece of cake shows Rose the thoughts of despair and depression of her always cheerful mother. Stuck with this magical gift, Rose tastes the emotions of her family that they've kept hidden the most. But some family secrets are too much for even her taste buds to handle. 


Review: I've had this book out from the library for a while and I finally got to read it! The cover is so pretty and the story sounded really interesting with a girl who can taste the emotions of the person who made the food she eats. When I actually read it though, I was kind of let down. The storyline was interesting enough, but I didn't really connect with Rose. I couldn't really follow her line of thinking and why she sometimes acted the way she did. At times, I felt like she never really grew up even though more than ten years pass throughout the book. The story was often jumpy, going from the present to past events with no real transition. Rose was a really interesting character and I think she was the only character I liked, even though I couldn't connect with her that much. I had absolutely no idea what was going on with her brother or what happened to him. The explanation was really weird and I just couldn't follow what was going on in Rose's mind. This book was very unique in it's story and characters, but the interesting ideas didn't come together in the story as well as I wanted it to.

Shelf Candy (4)

Shelf Candy is a meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews and every Saturday, bloggers choose a book whose cover really catches their eye. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I always do, so I'm choosing books whose cover alone made me pick it up. So I hope you enjoy my shelf candy!

I am absolutely in love with the dress on this cover! It is honestly so pretty. Then, with the vines and leaves entwined with the dress makes it even more mythical and just plain gorgeous. It just gives off a magical vibe and makes me want to know more about the girl on this cover. I also really love the colors used on the cover. It's green because of the nature, but silver and blue add mystery and magic to it. So basically this cover is awesome and would make anyone (well at least me) want to pick it up and read it. 

Follow My Book Blog Friday (8)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet"and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real? 

Answer: 

Shadowhunters! If you've read Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, then you can understand why I would want someone like Jace to come out of the closet and into my life :)

Book Review: Dark Taste of Rapture by Gena Showalter

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter captivates with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, and a powerful AIR agent consumed by his desire for a woman he can never have. . . .

With one caress, he can give unforgettable pleasure . . . or unending pain. . . .

Hector Dean is shaved, tattooed, and totally ripped—and he has a deadly secret. He is a walking weapon, capable of killing with a single brush of his fingertips. Little wonder he’s determined to remain on his own. But Noelle Tremain is a temptation like no other. She is beautiful and rich, with a party girl smile that hides a shocking vulnerability, and from the beginning his sizzling attraction to her is undeniable. For the first time, his stone-cold resistance is tested. But to be with her, he risks destroying her.

When a wealthy businessman is murdered in New Chicago’s seediest district, the two are partnered, and there’s no escaping what they both want: each other. Yet neither Hector nor Noelle knows what to fear more—the killer case, or their own lethal desires. . .

Review: I don't know how to feel about this book. I really enjoyed it, but a lot of parts in it bothered me. First off, the beginning was really confusing for me. I haven't read any of Gena Showalter's books, so Earth with "otherworlders" and people with special powers just jumped at me and I was like, "Where did these things come from??" I enjoyed Noelle and Hector's relationship but I didn't like how a whole year went by about 80 pages in. Then, they met up again but it felt as if no time had passed and the only difference was that Noelle was now an actual agent, so the gap year was kind of a waste. Oh, that's another thing I didn't understand. Who the heck are these AIR agents? What I got was they were CIA agents for aliens, but it took a while to understand that. The technicalities of the setting really confused me, but the story was still very enjoyable! I liked how both Hector and Noelle are hot-headed but instead of hating each other, they are intrigued by each other. Their little mind games were a lot of fun to read about and their relationship was made interesting by the mystery/police work aspect that they were both a part of. So overall, the story was enjoyable, there were just one too many confusing parts that I didn't think should have been there.

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

Deadly Cool

By Gemma Halliday 

Release Date: October 11th

Summary: Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.


Just by reading the summary, I get a Pretty Little Liars vibe from the story, which is definitely a good thing! I usually don't read mysteries, but this one sounds like a really good one! And I absolutely love the cover! Her eyes are so pretty and it gives off a chilling vibe you also get from reading the summary. And I bet there's a bit of romance that is going to happen in this book, which is just what I love. I seriously can't wait for this book to come out! I hope the story is as good as the cover and summary are! 

***Giveaway Winners***

I was very honored to have two awesome books to giveaway this past week on Peace Love Books. Here are the winners! 

The two lucky winners of an e-copy of Unlovable by Sherry Gammon are: 

Donna 

Darlene

The one lucky winner of Madame Bovary's Daughter by Linda Urbach is: 

Jennifer

The winners have been notified and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Thanks to everyone who entered and I hope these winners enjoy their fantastic books! 

In My mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a meme that I picked up from The Story Siren's blog. It's where we share the new books that we've gotten for that week with our readers. These books could be from the library, the store, or from the writers/publishers for review. Whatever the reason, I will share my new books every Sunday!

HUGE giveaway 

I was sooooo excited when this package came in the mail on Wednesday. It was the day before I left for college, so it was the perfect day to come! I won this package from Ravencraft's Romance Realm during their grand opening giveaway. I got these 11 books (half of them being signed!!), Dark Chocolate Mint Godiva Pearls, and a can of Suisse Mocha Coffee. It is so awesome!! I can't wait to read these fabulous books and want to thank Ravencraft's Romance Realm for this AMAZING giveaway!! 

Other Giveaways

 

I won some more amazing books this week that I can't wait to read! I got a signed copy of An Earl to Enchant by Amelia Grey but I can't find where I got it from! I feel so bad because this was an awesome giveaway, but thanks to whoever I won it from! I won How to Seduce A Scoundrel from Book Obsessed. And last but not least, I won Wintertown from The Children's War! I want to thank these blogs for these great giveaways! 

From Publisher/Author

 

I got these two really great books from the publishers and I can't wait to read them! Both of their covers are cool and the stories seem really interesting! Make sure you come by within the next couple of weeks to check out the reviews! 

That's it! What all was in your guys's mailboxes this week? Please share! 

Shelf Candy (3)

Shelf Candy is a meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews and every Saturday, bloggers choose a book whose cover really catches their eye. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I always do, so I'm choosing books whose cover alone made me pick it up. So I hope you enjoy my shelf candy!

I really really love this cover. The girl wrapped up in the purple, lying on a purple background, really makes it look like she's "Bleeding Violet." And it just looks so interesting! It makes you wonder, what is bleeding violet? You have no idea what the story is about, yet you still want to read it because the cover is pretty awesome. Then, the little quote in red that says "Crazy never looked so beautiful" intrigues you even more. So she's crazy? I don't know! Guess you'd just have to read the book to see what the awesome cover really means. 

Giveaway: Madame Bovary's Daughter

Summary: Picking up after the shattering end of Gustave Flaubert’s classic, Madame Bovary, this beguiling novel imagines an answer to the question Whatever happened to Emma Bovary’s orphaned daughter?
 
One year after her mother’s suicide and just one day after her father’s brokenhearted demise, twelve-year-old Berthe Bovary is sent to live on her grandmother’s impoverished farm. Amid the beauty of the French countryside, Berthe models for the painter Jean-François Millet, but fate has more in store for her than a quiet life of simple pleasures. Berthe’s determination to rise above her mother’s scandalous past will take her from the dangerous cotton mills of Lille to a convent in Rouen to the wealth and glamour of nineteenth-century Paris. There, as an apprentice to famed fashion designer Charles Frederick Worth, Berthe is ushered into the high society of which she once only dreamed. But even as the praise for her couture gowns steadily rises, she still yearns for the one thing her mother never had: the love of someone she loves in return.

Brilliantly integrating one of classic literature’s fictional creations with real historical figures, Madame Bovary’s Daughter is an uncommon coming-of-age tale, a splendid excursionn through the rags and the riches of French fashion, and a sweeping novel of poverty and wealth, passion and revenge.

Linda Urbach has graciously offered a copy of Madame Bovary's Daughter for a giveaway! Thanks so much Linda!

To enter: 

-Post a comment on this interview with your email

-You do not need to be a follower, but it would be greatly 

appreciated if you were! 

-1 winner will be randomly chosen and announced on August 23rd

-The winners have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen

Extra Points:

+1 for following Peace Love Books on Twitter

+1 for tweeting about giveaway

+1 for posting about this giveaway

For each extra point, please leave another comment with a link! 

Book Review: Madame Bovary's Daughter by Linda Urbach

Summary: Picking up after the shattering end of Gustave Flaubert’s classic, Madame Bovary, this beguiling novel imagines an answer to the question Whatever happened to Emma Bovary’s orphaned daughter?
 
One year after her mother’s suicide and just one day after her father’s brokenhearted demise, twelve-year-old Berthe Bovary is sent to live on her grandmother’s impoverished farm. Amid the beauty of the French countryside, Berthe models for the painter Jean-François Millet, but fate has more in store for her than a quiet life of simple pleasures. Berthe’s determination to rise above her mother’s scandalous past will take her from the dangerous cotton mills of Lille to a convent in Rouen to the wealth and glamour of nineteenth-century Paris. There, as an apprentice to famed fashion designer Charles Frederick Worth, Berthe is ushered into the high society of which she once only dreamed. But even as the praise for her couture gowns steadily rises, she still yearns for the one thing her mother never had: the love of someone she loves in return.

Brilliantly integrating one of classic literature’s fictional creations with real historical figures, Madame Bovary’s Daughter is an uncommon coming-of-age tale, a splendid excursionn through the rags and the riches of French fashion, and a sweeping novel of poverty and wealth, passion and revenge.

Review: I wan't that big of a fan of Madame Bovary because Emma's selfish way of life annoyed me so much, but I think that's why I enjoyed this book about her daughter so much. Berthe didn't like the way her mother had lived and spent her life, so starting from right after her parents died, she decided to have a life the opposite of her mother's. I love historical romances, and this book had every aspect of historical books that I love. It had the old fashioned society with gowns and balls. There was passion, affairs, scandal, and secrets (basically everything that made the 1800s a juicy time to read about). This book had some boring moments, but I loved following Berthe's life as it passed through the four different sections of the story. I really liked how even though Berthe had no one, she wasn't afraid to put herself out there and make something of herself. Her passion for fashion (haha, that rhymed :) ) was so much fun to read about and I really admired how she loved something so much, even if her life wasn't at the best of times. Madame Bovary's Daughter is definitely a historical romance that is intriguing to read and a great, juicy follow up to the old classic.

Off to college...

Tomorrow I am heading off to college!! Woo hoo!! I'm so excited to be starting college! I'll be majoring in Secondary English Education (I'm gonna be an English Teacher :) ) and I can't wait to start school! I am going to be living in the prettiest dorm I've ever seen! Here's a picture :) 

All of my stuff barely fit into the car, but it's all strapped in and ready to go! So I'm not going to be blogging as frequently as I have been, but I'll still stop by as much as I can! Hopefully at least four times a week. So that's my life right now! I actually really can't wait for this creative writing class I'm taking! I haven't really written that much, I'm more of a reader, but my major requires this class so I'm taking it! Hopefully it can be a bit like Love Story by Jennifer Echols where I can find some cute guy to write my stories about :) 

Haha, just kidding! But I think it'll be really fun and I really can't wait! And I'm taking a literature class, so that should be fun too! Hopefully they won't keep me too busy from reading and reviewing! I guess we'll see when I get there! College here I come!