The One Lovely Blog Award

I cannot tell you how amazed I am that the lovely Tamie from Bookish Temptations has nominated me for The One Lovely Blog Award! I can’t believe it – I feel like Sally Field at the Oscars (dating myself now, lol)!

In accepting this award, it is my pleasure to complete the following:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you (tick)
2. Post the blog award image on your page (tick)
3. Tell 7 facts about yourself (see below *blush*)
4. Nominate other blogs and let the nominees know they been chosen (tick).

So I guess I have to let you know some of my deep, dark secrets…

1. Robert Pattinson changed my life. If it hadn’t been for the late lamented RAoR I wouldn’t have this blog. Or be on Twitter, Tumblr, GoodReads… anywhere online! I wouldn’t have my great new job or so many wonderful friends all over the world. So thank you, Rob

GQ Rob – my kryptonite *sigh*

2. I’ve been to only two places in the United States: LA and Hawaii. But I have been to Hawaii three times, and have been to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. I’ve also been to Australia several times, and stopped over in Fiji once (the airport had enormous cockroaches! *shudder* #notkeentogoback #notafanofmilitaryregimesanyway)

3. I can play the clarinet.

4. I regret not being nicer to the boy I learned clarinet with – he is now VERY important at a VERY big international company and has a VERY nice penthouse in New York. If I had been a better friend maybe he’d invite me to visit…

5. I used to sell children’s books by party plan – like Tupperware parties – but I never made any money because I bought more for myself than I sold!

6. I have a whole bookshelf devoted to cookbooks.

7. My favourite colour is purple.

I’d like to nominate two other blogs for this award:

Cosmopolis – The Movie Fansite and The Book Hookup. I love the girls who run both these sites, and am honoured to call them my friends. Check them out – they are hard-working and fabulous!

Thank you again, Tamie, so much for my nomination! You are just made of awesome! *mwah!*

 

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #14: Cast Your Current Read!

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that runs over the weekend, hosted by Crystal from one of my favourite blog sites, Reading Between the Wines.

Question of the Week:  If your current read was made into a movie who would you cast as the characters?

I’m a bit late with this one, but I’ve just finished reading Irish Captive Moon, by Sandi Layne (review to come), and I had definite pictures in my head as I read of who I would cast.

Set in the eighth century A.D., the story is about Charis, a pale-haired Irish healer with just a touch of magic about her, who is abducted by Vikings who raid her village.

All the way through I pictured Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones as Charis, only with her very white Targaryan hair, of course. She’s dirty in this picture, which is exactly how I imagined Charis as she is dragged off on the longboat to Norway and then forced to work as a slave.

Agnarr, the Viking who abducts her – and who I know I liked more than I should have – worshipped Thor and had a hammer charm on a rope around his neck, so I immediately saw him as Chris Hemsworth *sigh*

I’ve seen Thor a dozen times and would watch it every day – alternating with The Avengers when it comes out on Blu-ray – if I could. Maybe it was because I pictured him that I liked Agnarr so much

Finally, there’s Cowan, an Irish prince with a knack for languages who is captured but later freed by the Vikings, and becomes Charis’s friend. I know he’s not Irish, but I pictured Alex Skarsgard in this role, only with a beard. He has the height and bearing of a prince, don’t you think?

What are you reading at the moment, and who would you cast? Leave a comment below or link up HERE to follow the meme.

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Teaser: Iced, by Karen Marie Moning

You all know how much of a fan of Jericho Barrons I am – *swoon* – so I was super-excited to see Karen Marie Moning had posted a wee teaser for her upcoming continuation of the Fever series, Iced, on her Facebook page yesterday. Iced is going to be the first in a trilogy based on Dani and featuring Christian MacKeltar and the mysterious Ryodan – and I hope JZB makes lots of appearances!

Here’t the teaser:

Ryodan doesn’t like Mac. He never has. She got between him and his best boy-bud. I give him a look. “I’ll tell you a secret, Ryodan. You mess with her, Barrons’ll kill you.” I drag a finger across my neck. “Just like that. You aren’t all that. Barrons’ll stomp your ass, hand’s down.”

He smiles faintly. “I’ll be damned. You have a crush on Barrons.”

“I do not have a crush—”

“You do, too. It’s all over your face. Anybody could see it.”

“Sometimes, boss, you’re just wrong.”

“I’m never wrong. You might as well take out a billboard. ‘Dani O’Malley thinks Jericho Barrons is hot.’ My offer to teach you is still open. Save you from future embarrassment. If I can see it on your face, he can, too.”

“He never figured it out before,” I grumble then realize I just admitted it. Ryodan has a tricky way of wording things that makes you say things you didn’t mean to say. “Maybe I’ll ask Barrons to teach me,” I mutter and turn away from the stairs, heading for his office. I run smack into his chest. “Dude, move. Trying to get somewhere here.”

“No one but me is ever going to teach you, Dani.”

He touches me before I see it coming, has his hand under my chin, turning my face up. My shiver is instant and uncontrollable.

“That’s non-negotiable. You signed a contract with me that grants exclusivity. You won’t like it if you try to break it.”

Ooh, me likey Iced is expected to be published on October 30.

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #13: (Cat)Fight Club!

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that runs over the weekend, hosted by Crystal from one of my favourite blog sites, Reading Between the Wines.

Question of the Week:  Fight club! Heroine Vs. Heroine. Pick your two favorite kick-ass book heroines and pit them against each other. Who would win?

Ooh, this is a good one! Well, the first name to come to mind is Cat Crawfield, of course, from the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost, because it’s a cat fight and that’s her name! She’s a vamp, she has a kick-ass entourage (mmm… Bones, Spade, Ian, Vlad… *sigh*) and she doesn’t take anyone messing with her.

I would pit her against Payne, Vishous’s sister from J.R. Ward‘s the Black Dagger Brotherhood. She’s also a kick-ass vampire, is mad as hell, murdered her father and seriously injured King Wrath when they sparred together. She also has an awesome entourage of hot, lethal Brothers… *fans self*

In a fight, I think I’m gonna have to go with Payne. Cat would make too many wisecracks and Payne would just floor her with a roundhouse kick!

What do you reckon? Leave a comment below or link up HERE to follow the meme.

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Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

Format: Kindle Edition, 545 pages

Published: May 1, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Back cover blurb:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My review:

Wow! Veronica Roth never ceases to amaze me, especially given her young age. Insurgent is an emotional ride, and at times I had to put it down because the heartfail got a bit much. I love Tobias/Four, but sometimes I just wanted to shake him for being so clueless. Typical teenage boy, really. This book is missing the delicious UST of the first because they have become a couple, yet their relationship is seriously tested by communication issues right to the end.

Tris, although only 16, seems to get stronger as she fights on bravely to find what truth there is left in their world. I was genuinely afraid for her most of the story, but she really is a fantastic heroine. Regardless of heartfail, I could not put down the last third of this book. That ending was amazing, and I cannot wait for book three (which Roth is very amusingly calling Detergent as she is writing it). This series is a must-buy and I cannot recommend it enough!

My rating: 5/5

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18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #12

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that runs over the weekend, hosted by Crystal from one of my favourite blog sites, Reading Between the Wines.

Question of the Week:  If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go for a ‘readcation’?

My first thought was “bed” (lol!), but I guess my ideal holiday reading place would have to be Paris. I already live on an island in the South Pacific, so reading a book on the banks of the Seine sounds perfect, or like the girl in the picture, within sight of the Eiffel Tower. This sounds especially nice at this time of year, as it’s winter here. And I’ve never been to Europe. It’s on my bucket list #oneday

What about you? Tropical island or somewhere cozy? Leave a comment below or link up HERE to follow the meme.

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Cover reveal: Lover At Last by J.R. Ward

Here it is: the cover we have all been waiting for! J.R. Ward revealed Blay and Qhuinn’s book cover and title on her Facebook page today, and I think we can agree it is a winner I particularly like that arm gripping the dagger

There have been a few comments bemoaning the fact the cover doesn’t have two men on it, but Ward has said this:

“I do think it’s going to be important for people to realize the story’s going to be written as it comes (came) to me, and that they’re not getting special treatment either for or against them because of their sexuality- to me, this story has always been about Qhuinn coming around and accepting who he really is and who he really loves- so the title and the cover was always about him in my mind. This is not to dimish Blay or his journey or his role- not at all. And it is not a case of the book focusing solely on Qhuinn and ignoring Blay’s feelings (because he’s going to have some big issues to deal with, too.) I just think Qhuinn’s the one who’s fought against their HEA and is the one who has to travel the most to get there. If that makes any sense?”

Well, in any case, I’m eagerly anticipating the release of this, the 11th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, in about nine months’ time!

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18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #11

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that runs over the weekend, hosted by Crystal from one of my favourite blog sites, Reading Between the Wines.

Question of the Week: Is there a super hawt & smexy book that you’ve read and loved but would die if you ever caught your mom reading?

My mother is quite elderly, so I would have to say there are a lot of books I wouldn’t recommend to her, purely because I don’t think her heart could take it! The first one that comes to mind, though, is Fifty – of course – and my embarrassment goes a bit further than usual with that one because I was part of the editing team on the second and third books. The series got huge publicity here as a book to buy mums for Mother’s Day, but no way would I buy that for mine! And even though my name is in the front acknowledgements of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, I’m not admitting that to my mum either!

What would shock your mother? Leave a comment below or link up HERE to follow the meme.

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