Review Copy Clean Up Challenge Wrap Up

 

This month I took part in the Review Copy Cleanup Challenge hosted by Vicky over at Books, Biscuits and Tea an Celine over at Nyx Book Reviews. 

This was the second time that the #RCCleanup challenge was hosted and the first time I did not do very well. Well I was determined to do better this time around... and I did.

My RCCleanup Goal Was: 10 Review Books

I managed to read: 15 Review Books

I surpassed my goal! WOOHOO!!!!

The Review Books I read this month were:

Books:

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry - From Netgalley and MiraINK Publishing

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (Sixteenth Century #1) by Rachel Harris - From Entangled Publishing

The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh by Ros Clarke - From Entangled Publishing

The Star Dwellers (Dwellers #2) by David Estes - From David Estes

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa - From Netgalley and MiraINK Publishing

His Unexpected Family by Robyn Thomas - From Entangled Publishing

Neophyte by Emmalee Aple - From Emmalee Aple

Seducing Cinderella by Gina Maxwell - From Entangled Publishing

The Selection (The Selection #1) by Keira Cass - From HarperCollins Publishing

Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter - From MiraINK Publishing

Tall Dark and Divine by Jenna Bennett - From Entangled Publishing

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire - From Netgalley

Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood #1) by Heather Hildenbrand - From Heather Hindenbrand
Blood Bond (Dirty Blood #3) by Heather Hildenbrand - From Heather Hildenbrand
Wrong Bed, Right Guy by Katee Roberts - From Entangled Publishing

I participated in this challenge for the first time. I challenged myself to read 5 review books. I only managed to read 1 of them that I actually planned to read, but I got more review books during this month and in total read 5 review books this month. So all in all it was a good month. Here are the review books I have read this month:

Eden-West (Eden #2) by Janelle Stalder - From Janelle Stalder
After Dark (the 19th Year #1) by Emi Gayle - From Taylor Publishing
The possibilities of Amy by Jaye Frances - Self Published
Untouched (Denazen # 1.5) by Jus Accardo - From Entangled Publishing
Initiation (Bonfire Academy #1) by Imogen Rose - From Imogen Rose

Seven Brave Women

Hearne, Betsy. Seven Brave Women. Ill. by Bethanne Andersen. New York: Greenwillow, 1997.  (ages 4-8)

 
A young girl tells the story of her female ancestors. They did not fight in wars like the men did, but they all had some achievement of which she could be proud. The stories are told in a manner in which a child would enjoy. The biggest problem that I have is with the timeline for the ancestors. For a young girl reading this book in 1997, it is more likely that a female ancestor living in the Revolutionary War era would have been a 5 or 6 great grandmother rather than a 3 great grandmother. It is more likely that the female ancestor living during the War of 1812 would have been a 4 or 5 great grandmother rather than a 2 great grandmother. The 20th century generations are closer to reality in terms of their relationship to the child. Some of the illustrations were better than others in the story. My favorite illustration is probably the one of the Mennonite ancestor crossing the Atlantic with her children. It is perhaps not a very realistic illustration and glamorized the trip, but it was a beautiful one. This is a book that could be used with children to show that although there are fewer records for female ancestors, they still played important roles in the family. If the child is old enough to understand the problems with the timeline, I would discuss that problem with the child. It might be a useful book for discussing how some published trees sometimes leave out a generation or two.

Cover Reveal: Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)

I know I already did a cover reveal last week, but that was for a short story. This one is for the third book in the Heven and Hell series. If you missed my post last week then I will say it again, this is a great series and everyone should read it! Okay you have been waiting long enough, here is the cover for Tirade (Heven and Hell #3):

I have to say I like this cover, but it's also a bit creepy and mysterious. And I really can't wait to read this book.
And to make everyone looking forward to this book even more, here is the blurb of Tirade:

Betrayal burns. Death hurts and the clock ticks…

Minutes and hours stretch into days. How long can Sam survive being confined in Hell? I have a plan… a plan with a lot of holes. I need someone who can make up for my weaknesses, someone who possesses the power that I lack. Riley is supposed to be off limits. He’s dangerous, he’s mean and he’s not to be trusted. But I do.

Beelzebub is on a tirade, bent on revenge. I took what he wants and sent him into the flames. I will wear the scars of his punishments forever. But scars don’t scare me anymore.

On my way to free Sam I find my true path, a secret place and new allies. But in Hell nothing is easy… and everything is cruel. The only thing left to do is survive.

A little more information about this book:

Title: Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)

Genre: YA paranormal

Publisher: Cambria Hebert

Release date: November 30, 2012

Format: Ebook and Paperback

And here is the book trailer:

Are you all as excited for this book as I am? I really loved Charade (Heven and Hell #2) and I can't wait to read and see what happens in Tirade!
 

Early Review: Blood Bond (Dirty Blood #3)

Blood Bond (Dirty Blood #3)
Heather Hildenbrand

Publication Date: August 31, 2012
Date Read: August 30, 2012
Genre: YA - Paranormal/Werewolf
Source: Review Copy from Heather Hildenbrand
Format: E-Book

From Goodreads:
Hybrids.

If I had to choose one word to sum up all of my problems, this would be it.
Without hybrids, I wouldn’t have to watch my best friend slowly becoming a monster. Without hybrids, I could let go of the mentality “hunt or be hunted.” CHAS wouldn’t be scouring the Earth, intent on slaughtering and using Alex to do it. Without hybrids, I wouldn’t have to be on guard that losing my temper meant losing my shape. There would be no monster inside me, struggling to get out.

Then again, without hybrids, I wouldn’t have Wesley St. John.

"Doing something just because you feel like you have to or you're supposed to, that's not destiny. Destiny is doing something because you know you couldn't do anything else."

Woah! I am not really sure whether this review will actually make sense because I am still reeling from this book. It was just phenomenally good.

Left reeling from the discovery of the Hybrid werewolves Tara, Alex, Wes and The Cause must band together to try and sort out the mess that Miles left behind. But things are never as easy as they seem. Tara's wolf side is starting to emerge, will she fight it or embrace it? And will the team be able to save Tara from the Hybrids AND CHAS?

This book was just phenomenal and without a doubt the best one in the series so far. I am just completely and utterly in love with this series and it just gets better and better with each book. Heather is just a phenomenal author that throws so many twists and turns in there you feel like you are the one experiencing it all and cannot sit still as you are panicking about what is going to happen next.

Tara is awesome in this one. We definitely see a different side to her. We've seen her embrace her Hunter side of her but when her Wolf side starts coming out we see Tara going through a struggle. She is convinced that by embracing her Wolf she will be a monster so to see her going through this identity struggle we definitely see a different side of her. She's always been this incredibly strong heroine who takes everything on board and battles through it. In Blood Bond we see the more vulnerable side of Tara and I really loved that. She is in no way weak like some YA heroines but she is just human and we see everything taking effect on her.

Wes is just... *sigh* PERFECT! I know a lot of people turned to Team Alex in the previous book and Wes wasn't in the previous book very much. Well he is back and he is ready to fight for his girl and steal every female readers heart along the way. He is so much more swoon-worthy in this one and he is perfect and supportive. In the previous two books Wes was very much overbearingly protective in Tara and came across as if he didn't believe in her abilities. Well he is pretective but he's also supportive and it's clear he does truly believe in Tara he just wants her safe because of the amount he loves her. I am totally and utterly head-over-heels in love with him. So... if things don't work out with Tara and Wes just so Heather knows I'm fine with being written into the series and taking Wes off her hands ;)

Alex... Well I have mixed feelings about him in the book. Don't get me wrong I still love him and all but he is definitely no Wes and all the way through the book I just got the feeling he was keeping secrets from everyone and plotting something. I'm not sure about him and not sure I really trust him. I seriously hope I'm wrong but we'll see what happens in book 4. I will make up my mind about him then.

This book had so many twists and turns I'm pretty sure I have whiplash from this book. It's phenomenal and so many things happen that I did not see happening at all. I was completely shocked. Everytime I was sure I knew where the story was going I was left open-mouthed, jaw-on-the-floor shocked. I just couldn't believe what was happening and ended up just freaking out for the whole last 40%. Endings of books do shock me quite a lot but none actually literally leave me speechless. Blood Bond did! I just literally couldn't speak... okay that's a lie I could say three words... WHAT! JUST! HAPPENED! I was so shocked by the ending of this book I was just like OMG WHAT?!?! And now I am freaking out over what on earth will happen with these characters next... the wait for book 4 is going to be torturous.

For somebody who isn't a big fan of werewolf stories I am completely and utterly addicted and obsessed with this series. Its just phenomenal and would recommend this series to everyone. The first book is great and they just get better and better with every book. Blood Bond was phenomenal and I would give it a million stars if I could. I cannot wait to see what Heather does with this series next and I will definitely be waiting very impatiently anxiously awaiting the next installment. It was just freaking epic!! Phenomenal!!

"Being in love with you is more than I ever thought possible. You're my family, my soul mate, the one I was made for. I'm not going anywhere."

ФОКНЪР: Ако не бях съществувал, някой друг би написал мен, Хемингуей, Достоевски, всички нас

Уилям Кътбърт Фокнър (William Cuthbert Faulkner) е американски писател-романист от щата Мисисипи и носител на Нобелова награда. Два пъти награждаван с "Пулицър", той е смятан за един от най-влиятелните белетристи на Америка.


Господин Фокнър, преди известно време вие казахте, че не обичате интервюта.
Причината, поради която не обичам интервюта е, че както изглежда аз реагирам бурно на въпроси от личен характер. Ако въпросите засягат работата, аз се опитвам да им отговарям. Ако касаят мен, аз може да им отговоря или не – но даже и да отговоря, ако същият въпрос ми бъде зададен утре, мога и да отговоря по различен начин.
Какво ще кажете за себе си като писател?
Ако не бях съществувал, някой друг би написал мен, Хемингуей, Достоевски, всички нас. Доказателство за това е, че има около трима кандидати за авторството на шекспировите пиеси. Важното обаче са Хамлет и Сън в лятна нощ; не кой ги е написал, а това, че някой го е направил. Артистът не е от особено значение. Само онова, което той създава, е важно, тъй като няма нищо ново за казване. Шекспир, Балзак и Омир – всички те са писали за същите неща, и ако биха живели хиляда или две хиляди години по-дълго, издателите не биха се нуждаели от никой друг освен тях.
Но дори ако изглежда, че няма нищо повече за казване, не е ли все пак индивидуалността на писателя важна?
Много важна за самия него. Всички останали би трябвало да бъдат достатъчно заети с творчеството му, за да се интересуват от индивидуалността.
Съществува ли някаква възможна формула за това как човек да бъде добър романист?
Деветдесет и девет процента талант… деветдесет и девет процента дисциплина… деветдесет и девет процента работа. Той никога не трябва да бъде доволен от онова, което прави. То никога не е толкова добро, колкото би могло да бъде. Винаги мечтайте и се прицелвайте по-високо, отколкото знаете, че можете. Не се задоволявайте само с това да бъдете по-добри от съвременниците или предшествениците си. Опитвайте се да бъдете по-добри от самите себе си. Един артист е същество, обзето от демони. Той не знае защо са го избрали и обикновено е прекалено зает, за да се пита защо. Той е напълно аморален в смисъл, че ще ограби, вземе на заем, изпроси или открадне от всекиго, от когото и да било, за да си свърши работата.

Интервюто води Джийн ван ден Хойвел, 1956 г.

Източник: ЛИБРЕВ.КОМ

Spotlight On: Dirty Blood Series by Heather Hildenbrand

Hey guys,
So a few weeks ago I was approached by awesome author Heather Hildenbrand. The third book in her Dirty Blood series Blood Bond is due for release tomorrow and she asked me to help spread the word by posting something on the blog today.
I had never read anything by Heather but had had her series on my Wishlist for a while so when she offered the first book for me to review I jumped at the chance. I am now thinking what on earth have I been waiting for? She is amazing and fast becoming a favourite author of mine. I was completely blown away by Dirty Blood, the first in her paranormal series that involves werewolves. I have never really been a fan of werewolf books. I have liked them but not loved them. This series is amazing! As soon as I had finished Dirty Blood I had been on amazon buying book 2 Cold Blood for my kindle and starting it straight away.

So in preparation for the release Blood Bond I am sharing my reviews of Dirty Blood and Cold Blood book 1 and 2 in the incredible Dirty Blood series. But not only that I also have a interview with a very important character in the series.

Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood #1)
Heather Hildenbrand

Published By: Accendo Press
Publication Date: April 28, 2011
Date Read: August 24, 2012
Genre: YA - Paranormal/Werewolf
Source: Review Copy from Heather Hildenbrand
Format: E-Book

From Goodreads:
I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.

Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.

"Responsibility and visions have nothing to do with it Tara. You are my destiny."

Wow!! I am completely and utterly blown away by this book. When Heather emailed me asking me to review this book I instantly said yes. This is one of the books that had been sat on my wishlist for months but I had never gotten around to getting it. One of the reasons for that is that I haven't read many werewolf books that I have loved. Sure, I'm liked them enough but I had yet to read a werewolf book that I fell in love with. Now I have! I think this is the first werewolf book that I found unputdownable and I am so glad I read it.

Tara is just a normal girl. She goes to school, hangs out with friends and has boy drama along with all other normal teenage girls. But suddenly she is thrown into this supernatural world and discovers she is anything BUT normal. She is a Hunter... destined to hunt Werewolves. Yea you heard right Werewolves Little did Alex know that they do exist. But if she is destined to hunt them why is she starting to grow feelings towards Wes... a very hot, incredibly sweet and overly protective Were? Is everything as black and white as they seem or is there a way for sworn enemies to actually be together?

I love this book! It was so damn good! I was a little skeptical about it at first as like I said very few werewolf books completely capture me so much I can't put them down. I have found the first werewolf book that I love! Right from the start I was completely captured and transported from my house to this addictive world of werewolves and hunters. What I really love about this book is that this is possibly the most original werewolf book I have ever come across. It's not just a case of someone was bitten, turned into a werewolf and had drama joining a pack or something like that. I have found a lot of books like that. But Dirty Blood was completely different. Bites to not equal turning into a werewolf and this world of were's is definitely more complicated that other werewolf books. There is more than meets the eye for sure and there are twists and turns all the way through the book.

Tara is such an awesome character. I really love her. I think she is such a strong character and you really see her go through a journey throughout the book. At the beginning of the book Tara freaks out... a lot when she finds this hidden world of the werewolves but by the end she is a strong kick-ass heroine who will put herself in danger to protect her friends and family. I love her. She is definitely my kinda girl who won't sit back while others take care of the problem. No she is right in there in the middle of everything and that's what I love about her.

Wes... oh Wes. I am absolutely 100% head over heels in love with Wes. He is just all kinds of yumminess. Right from the start I was in love with him. He is so awesome and made me laugh so many times. He is just everything that every girl wants wrapped into one very hot package. He is hot... and I mean HAWT! He is funny and thoughful. He is so sweet and very protective and just thinking about him makes me sigh! I am in love.... again!

This book has everything... hot werewolves... did I say that already?!?! Oh... I did? Guess I should move on from the hot werewolves then.
There is none stop action and twists and turns at every turn. It had me guessing right till the very end and had me sat on the edge of my seat not able to turn the pages fast enough. I am just completely in love with this book and can't wait to read book two to find out what happens next. If you like books with lots of action plus heartwarming romance this is definitely the book for you.

"I was stubborn and unwilling to admit I was falling for you, even when I already knew I had."

 Cold Blood (Dirty Blood #2)

Heather Hildenbrand

Published By: Accendo Press

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

Date Read: August 28, 2012

Genre: YA - Paranormal/Werewolf

Source: Bought

Format: E-Book

From Goodreads:
Wood Point Academy is not at all what I expected. For one thing, it looks like a cross between military school and Buckingham Palace. Everyone stares, the floors shine so bright you can see your reflection in them from a mile away, and no one smiles. Unless they're kicking your butt in the process.

At least I've got plenty to take my mind off the fact that my psycho cousin, Miles De'Luca, keeps calling and declaring his love and promising to come for me just as soon as he's destroyed anyone standing in our way. Wes isn't going to like that idea. So between Miles, Wood Point's evil welcoming committee, and the drill sergeant hottie trainer from hell, I just keep asking myself, how did I end up here?

"You don't disgust me, Tara. You amaze me, impress me, surprise me, and entertain me. You definitely don't disgust me."
     - Alex 

Wow! Just when I thought it couldn't get any better Heather blows me away again. I absolultey adored Dirty Blood, the first book in the series and just had to read book two straight away as I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. In no way did I think Cold Blood could beat Dirty Blood. I was wrong! Cold Blood was phenomenal and I am coming to the conclusion that Heather cannot write a thing that I am not going to love.

Tara is devastated to be shipped off to Hunter boarding school away from her friends and Wes. Add that to the fact that almost everybody there hates her because of her heritage Tara hates it! But then Tara meets Alex, her trainer who she recognises but also seems to hate her. But there is more to Alex that meets the eye. Can she continue to learn to be a great hunter and deal with her growing feelings for Alex when she's supposed to be with Wes?

I loved this book a lot more than I actually thought I would. I had heard about this 'other guy' before I started reading it and it didn't make me happy. I am a Wes girl! I love him and nobody else in this series could ever beat him. So when Alex first made his entrance I instantly disliked him. Not only was he not Wes but he was a total ass! But... the more I read the more I started to see a different kinder side to Alex. By the end I really did love him... but he's not Wes and I am still firmly planted to Team Wes.

There was definitely not enough Wes for me in this book and I missed him a lot. I wanted to slap Tara so bad for pulling away from him and not talking to him but I understood why she did especially when she feels like everyone is keeping secrets from her. This book is definitely a big journey for Tara. She goes through so much and finds out so much about herself I really felt like she grew into a much stronger more capable character that before. I love her and she is definitely one of my favoruite YA heroines ever.

This book is just full of twists and turns and just when I was sure I had figured out what was going to happen I was completely shocked and blown away. I think I spend that last 40% of the book with my mouth hanging open as I couldn't believe what was happening. This is just a phenomenal chapter in the Dirty Blood series and I was left hanging going OMG I need the next book right now. I think I loved this book ever more than the first one. I adored every second of it and couldn't put it down at all.

Its so difficult to talk about this book without spoiling anything because it just completely blew my mind. This is without a doubt my favourite werewolf book of all time and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

"It's partly my fault for not being around more. If I want to keep you, I guess I'm going to have to fight for you."
     - Wes 

And now please welcome Elizabeth, Tara's Mother, to the blog to talk to us about her intentions.

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for agreeing to talk to us here on K-Books today.  

*crosses legs, tugs on skirt* Thank you for having me.

My first question is why did you keep Tara’s heritage secret from her?  

The decision was not an easy one, but then none of my options would’ve led to “easy.” Not for her. After her father was killed, I knew whomever was responsible wouldn’t stop until they’d destroyed Tara as well. The safest way to hide was to keep the truth from everyone, including her. You can’t give away what you don’t know.

Did you not think it would have been better if she had known from the start so she could have learned to protect herself better?  

Yes and no. Our safety hinged on remaining undetected by the supernatural community. The more Hunter-like qualities Tara exhibited, the easier it would’ve been to unknowingly give herself away. Unfortunately, the cat’s out of the bag now. I’ll admit her lack of knowledge is a hindrance. *lifts chin* But I did what I thought best at the time.

You seem very against Tara being involved in the Werewolf/Hunter world yet you sent her to the Hunter Boarding School. Did you want her to go or were you just conforming to the fact that it was better for her to learn to protect herself?  

I want her safe. Wood Point provides safety for now and the tools she’ll need to remain safe later.

You seem very against Tara and Wes’ relationship yet everything Wes has done has been to protect her. Why do you not approve?  

I do not doubt that he cares for her. Or that he will protect her. But she wouldn’t need so much protecting if his very existence didn’t draw danger.

I know firsthand the sort of danger and complications a relationship like theirs holds. When Jeremiah and I … when we got together, it was hard. Even with my family accepting us, there were moments I struggled to see past the differences. Many of our friends turned against us. Death threats, fights—*smiled wryly*--and not all of them were fought by Jeremiah. It was worth it, because I loved him. But … it’s not a life I’d wish on another. Especially my daughter. Wes isn’t a bad person, he’s just not good for her.

You seem to be against The Cause yet you used to be a part of it. What changed?  

The Cause was once a promise of hope to me. To be a part of a group that would finally bring peace… how can you say no to that? But … then, the attack happened. *tears up* I lost Jeremiah, my home, my friends, everything I knew. The Cause promised hope and it lied. Instead, it took all hope from me.

Is there any chance you might once again become a part of The Cause or let Tara become a part of The Cause to help bring peace? 

If it were up to me, I would move us as far from The Cause as possible. Somewhere without phone or internet. Somewhere we could be safe. But I’m not so naïve to think Tara would come. I could drag her but I can’t hold her forever. When she’s no longer a minor … I guess I’ll have to accept her choice. Until then, I will align myself with them as long as it’s what’s best for Tara.

Thanks you for taking the time to talk to us.  

Thank you for having me. I know I must come across as overprotective or well, mean, even. I don’t try to be. I just … when you have a daughter, you’ll understand. A mother’s love is all-encompassing. It means your own life no longer matters unless you’re using it to protect theirs. I would do anything for my daughter. Anything.

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In the Kiamichis, What a Wonderful Time . . .

Today would have been my mom's 88th birthday. I offer this post in her memory.

When I was growing up, one of the family vacations we took was the same each year. We would go to a little town in southeastern Oklahoma called Honobia that most people don't know exists. Why in the world would anyone ever go there? We attended a family camp there each year sponsored by the Kiamichi Mountain Christian Mission. It was always held the first full week of August. (When school didn't start until after Labor Day, you could do this.) There were lots of other families who did the same thing. It was a pretty cheap vacation when you thought about it. You could park free on the grounds. While there were hookups available, you had to make sure you were near them.

On the way to family camp, we would go through Hot Springs, Arkansas. I loved looking at the beautiful hotels on "bathhouse row" in that city. We'd venture a little further down the road and have a picnic lunch at one of those little roadside parks beside a creek. Something out of a can like SPAM or Vienna sausages was usually on the menu. We'd make a stop at Lum and Abner's Jot-em-down store.

The first year that we went camping, we had a tent. We were also glad that my dad had been thoughtful enough to purchase cots for the tent. When it began raining and the water was coming down that hill, we didn't get wet, unlike my newly found friends the Simmons who were camping with their grandparents, the Van Zyles, who were missionaries for the mission. The oldest daughter Robin was my age. Her sister Karen was a year or two younger. There was a younger brother named Bucky, but I don't think he was there the first year.

Many of the families ate in the "dining hall", but we had purchased a Coleman stove and brought a grill. We always stopped in Mena, Arkansas to do our grocery shopping before heading in to the campground. During the week, we usually went into the town of Talahina to do laundry and to do additional grocery shopping. (Food only kept so long in a cooler.)  You could buy ice at the campground which was called "Christ's 40 Acres" (although I was told it had grown to more like 100 acres). There was a little store in Honobia, that in later years we called "the Mall."

In the mornings, the kids went to sessions especially designed for them. These were held in a building called the Memorial Chapel, but it was a big white building with a dorm above it. I don't remember the names of all the faithful ladies who worked with us, but I do remember Janet Hudson would always lead the singing. I believe she taught one of the elementary groups also. She came from Ohio and later on Kentucky to do this each year. Mark Layman, the son of one of the missionaries, usually did the sessions for the teens. The teen sessions moved around the campground over the years, but there was a big metal building where they were held for most of the years. The adults had two morning sessions -- Devotions and a "Faith and Freedom" session. The adult sessions were held under the "Big Steel Tent" which was a steel framed building with canvas sides in places to allow air to flow. (You needed to stock up on those funeral home fans before you went.)

We had the afternoons free to do whatever we liked. There was usually horseback riding available in a little ring up by the old post office which was on the grounds of the mission. There was a donkey wheel for the younger ones. Some people went swimming in one of the nearby creeks. I don't remember what the name of the one we usually swam in was. We called it the "Honobia swimming hole" or the "Honobia Municipal Swimming Pool" if we were trying to be cute. It was about a mile down a dirt and rock road behind "the mall". Some people went swimming in Cucumber Creek, but it was much shallower, and the rocks were pretty sharp. I remember one of my friends cut herself on the rocks there one year. They had to take her all the way to Mena, since it was the closest hospital. As a teen, I walked a long time to get there with the Godfreys from Florida and some other friends on our "Honobia Platform Shoes" (which were cola cans that fit under the heels of our shoes). (Needless to say, this was back when cola cans were a bit heavier than they are now.) Of course, one day would be taken up with the laundry and other duties. We'd sometimes take a scenic drive. Then there were softball games on a field near the canteen and an 18-hole hand golf course. The balls were more or less the size of croquet balls, and you would throw them. One of the missionaries, Paul Cook, always had a game going, but a lot of us joined in the fun and got our own games together. They had balls available in the office that you could check out. Dad would nearly always beat me and Mom, but I got better as the years went on.  There was one other thing to do. Some of us decided to go sliding down the red clay hill next to the bathhouse. I didn't realize this was the red clay hill that mom had told me not to slide down. You see, it wasn't really big enough to be called a hill. To me, a hill was much larger. This was more like a "ditch" with sloping sides. Needless to say, all of us got in trouble that first year because we didn't think that was a hill. We would always take a few watermelons with us to cut throughout the week. We'd share them with all our friends.

In the evenings, there would be an hour of music or a program put on by one of the mission churches followed by an evening service complete with preaching and a choir of campers. The choir practiced at 2:00 in the afternoon, and I began participating in it when I was a teen.These were all held under the "Big Steel Tent."

The second or third year, we had a small pop-up trailer. It really only slept 4 people and had room for nothing else. It basically kept you a little higher off the ground than the tent, but offered no real amenities. We only had that one for a year, I think. Then we got a Starcraft pop-up. It slept 6 (because the table folded down). It had a little sink which made it easier for mom than always trying to lug water up a hill to wash dishes. We still used the Coleman stove. We always parked in about the same place. The Crowe family from Memphis, the Smith family from Arkansas, the Daniel from Memphis, the Kingsley family from Kansas, and the Godfrey family from Florida were always camped nearby. There were kids close to my age in each of these families so we did a lot of things together. After the evening service, we would all gather around a campfire. Mr. Daniel would get out his guitar, and we would sing. It was a fun way to end the evening.

Eventually we got a Coachman travel trailer that could be pulled behind our vehicles. We'd take along my nephews when they got to an age they could enjoy camping. I think some of the older nieces may have gone in the mid-1980s when I was no longer home.

Oddly enough, when I was in college, one of the college musical groups with which I traveled was assigned to the Kiamichis to work in one of the youth camps. I was already very familiar with the place.

There was a song which I still remember as being #50 in the Kiamichi songbook which was written by the founder of the mission that was sung a few times throughout the week.

In the Kiamichis, what a wonderful time
On Christ's Forty Acres beneath the pines.
God sends down blessings for you and me.
We'll love and serve him eternally.

Initiation (Bonfire Academy #1)

Initiation (Bonfire Academy #1)
Imogen Rose

Publication Date: 23 Novembre, 2012
Finish Date: 29 August, 2012
Format: e-book
Source: Review copy from author

From Goodreads:  Welcome to Bonfire Academy. Set in the foothills of the alpine mountains in St.Moritz, this exclusive private school caters to a special kind of student. Enter at your own risk... but if you are human, you may not want to enter at all.

I did enjoy this book, but I also had some issues with it. What made me wanted to read this book, is the fact that it was about a boarding school in st Moritz (a place I once visited when on vacation in switzerland). It sounded like a good read and I was really glad when I got asked to review it.

The story is pretty interesting, but also full of holes. Maybe that book 2 will give some more answers, but there where some things just missing. The story itself has an interesting premise and there are quite some plot lines which interested me and I wanted to see what would happen. On the other hand there was a bit too much "unprovoked" aggression and it seemed a bit strange that fights could so easily happen in such a big school and the staff acted like it was a very big deal or even unusual. What bothers me is that the aggression seems unprovoked, there is hinted at a reason, but at first sight it just doesn't make sense and if there is a reason it isn't in this book.

Also beware that while this book is YA, it deals quite freely with sex. In this world apparently sex is quite common and having sex with someone who isn't you boyfriend isn't a big deal. There are no explicite scenes in this book, but there are many obvious hints without details. Accept for those complaints I did enjoy the story and was curious about what would happen. The book was overal quite predictable, but there were some surprising turns. The writing style flows quite nicely and even though I had some issues with this book I did enjoy reading it.

I did liked the characters, especially Faustine. She is very innocent and doesn't seems to fit in the school at first, but she changes quite a bit in the course of the book. Most side characters could've used a bit more explanation and there were some actions or lack thereof of some characters that really bothered me. I really liked seeing Faustine develop and it's obvious that this book is actually about her instead of the main character, but I did like the fact that it was told from another pov instead.

The world building or actually lack thereof was what really bothered me. The world that get's introduced in this book is really interesting, there are some supernatural species and there are also hybrids possible. I liked this idea, but what bothered me was that at the end of the book I still have no idea what all the supernatural species in this world are, while I assume this is something the lead character should know, but if she does she never telt this knowledge to the reader. Also we learn only little bits about the world, it felt like I was missing huge parts. Just to state a few simple things: what powers do each supernatural have? How can hybrids be formed? why are shifter so aggressive? Why are vamps so uncontroleable that they like to snack on every human? Why do these schools exist? What is synching with someone and what consequences does it have? I was quite frustrated by the lack of world building. The world was interesting enough, but it just lacked enough explantion for me to really enjoy it. And even though some issues got attention, like the synching thing, there wasn't an explantion of what it was and what happenes when you're synched with someone.

To conclude: I liked the story and most of the characters, but everything could've used a bit more explantion. The book lacked a bit concerning world building. Nevertheless I did enjoy reading it and I am interested to know what happens next.

Waiting on Wednesday (#4)

 

PODs
Michelle Pickett

Due For Release: June 4, 2013
Published By: Spencer Hill Press

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it’s in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it’s a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That’s the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

I am so freaking excited for this book!! When I first saw that cover my first thought was Wow... that is one awesome cover... and then I read the blurb and I think my eyes may have popped out of my sockets and my jaw may hit the floor. It is no surprise to anyone that I freaking love dystopian and post-apocalyptic books. Most of my favourite books fall into that genre. I just cannot get enough. I am obsessed with them so instantly this appealed to me. I am also completely obsessed with zombie books. I adore them and cannot get enough of zombie books... zombies are awesome!!!
So PODs sounds pretty dystopia/post-apocalyptic to me... so I was like yea this sounds awesome... and then I read the 'virus mutatues MONSTERS' sounds kinda zombie to me. At that point I started jumping up and down in ym seat I am soooooooo psyched for this book! It is just filled with awesomesauce and I cannot wait to devour this book!

Boundless (Unearthly #3)
Cynthia Hand

Due for Release: January 22, 2013
Published by: HarperTeen

I have no idea why, but there is not yet a blurb on Goodreads for this book.

So that means that I have more space to gush about how much I want this book! Well let me start by stating the fact that this is the best angel series I have read so far. I am not a big fan of angels, but this series is so good. It is my favourite angel series, so far. Book 1 and 2 in this series where both very good and had many twist and turn, book 2 also was a very emotional read. And after that I just can't wait to read and see what happens in book 3. Although it is still a long time before this book will be releashed. I am really looking forward to it. Well there is no blurb yet so I have no idea where this book will be about, I guess we will learn even more about angels and see relationships develop. Furthermore I have no idea, but I am sure that it will be as good as the first 2 books. I can't wait to read it! And ofcourse the cover is very beautifull too!




What's your Waiting on Wednesday?

Giveaway Winner

Hey guys
So there's been quite a few Giveaways on the blog lately so I thought I'd just do one blog post with the winners.

E-Copy of The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Shiekh by Ros Clarke
- e-book provided by Entangled Publishing

Donna from Book Passion for Life

E-Copy of His Unexpected Family by Robyn Thomas
- e-book provided by Entangled Publishing

LS Murphy - can you please email me (k-books@hotmail.co.uk)

E-Copy of Seducing Cinderella by Gina L Maxwell
- e-book provided by Entangled Publishing

Zrink A

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout
- Print copy provided by Entangled Publishing

Jolene A

E-Copy of Inbetween by Tara Fuller
- e-book provided by Entangled Publishing

Whiteworlfreads

Congratulations to all the winners and a big thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing the prizes.
Everyone has either been contacted or their details been passed onto Entangled Publishing so they can send out the book other that LS Murphy. If I don't hear back from her in 48 hours another winner will be selected.

„Смуглата лейди“ от сонетите на Шекспир се оказа проститутка

Британски литературоведи са намерили потвърждение на това, че „смуглата лейди" в сонетите на Уилям Шекспир е Черната Люси - проститутка, живееща в лондонския квартал Клеркенуел, съобщиха британските издания, цитирани от КРОСС.
Да установи прототипът на героинята от сонетите на писателя е успял професорът от Чичестър Дънкън Солкелд. При него попаднал дневникът на съвременник на великия поет - Филип Хенслоу, известен елизабетински театрал. Това се оказало златна мина за изследователя, тъй като там професорът открил данни, които му позволяват абсолютно сигурно да назове историческата личност, стояща зад образа на „смуглата лейди", която се споменава от 127-и сонет нататък.
„Става въпрос за Черната Люси, която е живеела в лондонския квартал Клеркенуел и е била проститутка. Тя е била широко известна в театралните кръгове, тъй като живеела в бордей, собственост на Джилбърт Ист. Той е бил собственик на лондонския театър „Роуз", конкурент на театър „Глоуб" в който е работил Шекспир.

Редактор: Калина Здравкова | Източник: АКТУАЛНО.КОМ


УИЛЯМ ШЕКСПИР

Очите ѝ не са звезди, не може
устата ѝ с корал да се сравнят.
Тя няма бяла като перла кожа,
а гарванови плитки, смугла гръд.
Не бели рози — пищни и богати —
не алени са нейните страни,
ухае тя, но с нежни аромати
едва ли би могла да се сравни.
Страните ѝ не са като жасмини,
не бих сравнил челото й с цветя.
Не знам как шестват нежните богини,
но знам, че стъпва по земята тя
и буди по-сърдечни възхищения
от много други, лъгани в сравнения.

Превод: Владимир Свинтила

Removed Cousins

Happy Birthday to my distant cousin Jacob Yoder who was born 29 Aug 1841. Now, I'm at a loss to tell you what degree of kinship we share.  That's the way it is with my Amish families. I seem to be related in multiple ways to many of them.  This Jacob Yoder is the son of Jonathan Yoder and his wife Catherine Yoder (and, yes, that is supposed to have been her maiden name also). I guess she could be called Catherine Yoder Yoder (or Yoder squared - with apologies to Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak for the use of the squared terminology).

My relationship calculator in my RootsMagic software tells me that Jacob is my:
1st cousin 3 times removed through Jacob Yoder & Mary Keim
3rd cousin 3 times removed through John (Hans) Reichenbach & Anna Rupp
4th cousin 3 times removed through Heinrich "Henry" Reichenbach & Barbara Thommen

The first one is, of course, the closest connection. His father Jonathan Yoder and my great great grandmother Barbara Yoder Lantz were siblings. Their parents were Jacob Yoder and Mary Keim.

Now, I'll try to explain the two through the Reichenbachs. I am descended through three different children of of Heinrich "Henry" Reichenbach and his wife Barbara. I suspect that this Jacob Yoder had multiple connections to the ancestor as well. That's why it is showing up multiple times and skips the generation of John Yoder and Barbara Reichenbach (the parents of Jacob Yoder, spouse of Mary Keim). We ended up having multiple relationships through some of these individuals.

Stop E-Piracy Blog Tour

Hey guys,
I'm so glad to be a part of this blog tour to stop E-Piracy.

This is a matter very close to me. I am not a writer, I'm a reader but I have many friends who are authors and I know e-piracy hurts them. They work so hard to write these books for us readers to enjoy and illegally downloading them is hurting them. I really hate e-piracy. You wouldn't walk into a store and steal a book, dvd, clothes or anything would you? Well that is what you are doing by illegally downloading e-books. This is a very important matter that happens often and it needs to be stopped.

I have a special guest-post from author Ninfa Hayes, author of Bites, to talk about the issue of E-Piracy.

"Piracy...but not the 'Aaarghhh' fun kind"

by Ninfa Hayes

I'd just like to start by saying these are only my opinions and thoughts, and by all means, everyone is entitled to their own :)
A few weeks back someone close to me told me she had found a site with some free books available to download. Being the total bookaholic I am, I asked for the website address and proceeded to have a look. I wasn't in for ten seconds before I realised the site was full of illegally downloaded material...
My first reaction? Well, a few months ago I'd have closed the window on my laptop and wrote it off as "another pirate website". But I am an author now. And I panicked. Why did I panic? Mainly because I didn't want my book to be included in those illegal downloads. So I contacted my publisher who dutifully checked the site out, and reassured me my book wasn't there.
But many others were, and it really upset me.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love a freebie as much as the next person and my shopping list has priorities just like anyone else's, but there's a limit to what I will do to save money, and downloading illegally is definitely out of the question for me!
I have bills to pay, rent, food, clothes, nursery for my daughter...the list is endless! I work full time and then I come home and work, sometimes until late, on my stories, out of love and the hope that eventually they will be enough to pay the above list, so I won't have to work two jobs, because let's face it, I have two jobs at the moment: the one I have to do, and the one I want to do but that wouldn't pay my lunch for one day, right now.
So yes, once upon a time I would have turned away from that site and shrugged. Today, that site is potentially stopping me from realising my dream of becoming a full time writer.
Exaggerating? Maybe, but let's face it, royalties aren't high, and unless you're J K Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, you ain't swimming in gold in this business.
I love writing, and the only way I can get to do that all day is by selling enough books, so if someone is downloading them for free that takes me a tiny step away from achieving my goal.
Let's put it this way: If you're a baker and make a cake, you want to sell that cake so you can buy more ingredients to bake more, and eventually sell enough of them to make a profit so you can support yourself and your family. Someone steals that one cake, you get no money for ingredients and no more cakes, or not enough to make that profit that will pay for your expenses and necessities and allow you to keep baking.
Now let's transfer it to a book.
You're a writer, you spend time (months, sometimes years) thinking up a story, writing it down, perfecting it, chasing agents, publishers, or self publishing it, which means you have to do your own marketing, pay editors, beta readers, contact reviewers etc, etc, etc. When that book is finally ready and for sale you wait for that money to come and allow you to take some more time off to write your next project, but someone puts it on a website for free and you have no idea, but people actually aren't paying for that book you worked so hard to publish, and you worry that your royalties aren't much but there's nothing you can do. Not enough money, no time for writing. No books for those readers that support you and are the reason you so badly want to write that next project.
To those that would say writing should be done for passion: I agree, in an ideal world we would all be able to do what we want and not worry about tonight's dinner. But we don't live in that world, and writers are just like any other worker out there, or like that baker, only instead of making cakes we make books, we cook up stories that we hope will entertain and inspire, sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail horribly, but we carry on and endeavour to become better.
You want to read? That's amazing! Can't buy a book? If you're lucky to have an e-reader, Amazon have free books EVERY DAY! And online shops all over the web for most world countries. Smashwords is also a brilliant site with many a free story.
You don't have an ereader? Visit your local library, swap books with a friend, ask for books for your birthday or for Xmas or other festivities from your friends and family.
Still not able to get your hands on a book? Contact authors. Yes, you heard that right! Most Self published and Independently published authors will be happy to provide you with a copy of their book in exchange for an honest review posted for free on Goodreads, Amazon and other online places. If you can download a pirated ebook from the Internet, you can definitely take 10 minutes to write a review and post it up on a few sites. Can't write reviews you say? Take a look at some formats from Bloggers around the web and adapt your feelings and opinions to that format.
Afraid you won't like the book? Most online retailers offer sample chapters and so do publishers; or walk down to your local book store and sneak a peek ;)
Still not enough? Giveaways! Follow a few publishers on Facebook and Twitter and you'll notice they have giveaways EVERY WEEK! That's right, every week they give away one or more books! Free! And legally! And guess what? Authors do the same! Why? Because we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our readers and want more! We want to spoil them, we want more of them, because without them what we do would be useless :)
So the next time you're about to download a pirated book, just remember this: what would you do if your favourite author, that little self pubbed writer you discovered by chance for example, couldn't finish telling you the story you so love? How would you feel? And the same goes for that mega famous author you adore, believe it or not. Would you steal their food? Their car? What about their CDs? That one book you're illegally downloading might be paying for tomorrow's lunch!
Would you go into your local store and steal that book? No? Then don't do it online ;)
If you don't care about it, fair enough...press that download button and I hope you enjoy your read...

Thank you so much for being on K-Books to talk about the issue.