Blogiesta to do List

This is the first Blogiesta I’ve ever participated in, and I’m super EXCITED!! I have been meaning to get some things crossed off of my to-do list for a while but just never got around to it, well now is my chance. This weekend March 30-April 1 Blogiesta will be running. The hosts of Blogiesta 2012 are It’s All About Books and There’s a Book, thanks so much for hosting this wonderful event! There are tons of fun things going on like Mini-Challenges. My goal is to complete everything on this list, Hopefully I can do it Wish me luck guys!

1. Catch up on my reviews (Currently have 4 review books to read and haven’t finished any of them)
2. Try to get all of my followers on my OLD Twitter, to follow my new Twitter I made for my blog.
3. Update all of my blog page and sidebar links.
4. Advertise my blog posts more.
5. Make out a calendar schedule for my blog posts.
6. Organize my e-mails, and notify everyone of my new e-mail change to bengalreads@gmail.com
7. Write/Organize my TBR Lists for the month.
8. Post 40 “MEANINGFUL” Comments on blogs for Blogiesta 2012.
9. Finish reading Intangible and Revenge.
10. Complete Blogiesta Mini-Challenges
-Make Facebook Page for Bengal Reads (COMPLETED: To view “Click Here”)
-Mr. Linky Challenge
-Themed Pages
-Use Pinterest to advertise Bengal Reads
-Leave meaningful comments
-Make a Twitter Page for Bengal Reads (COMPLETED: To view “Click Here”)
-Social Media Icons
-SEO
-Back up my blog
-Write Reviews Faster

What do you guys think about my to-do list? If you are reading this and have made a to-do list for Blogiesta 2012, please leave a link to it below I would LOVE to check it out. If you aren’t participating in Blogiesta still leave me some things you’d like to accomplish! It’s not too late to join Blogiesta 2012 and join in the fun, to join “Click Here”. Thank you guys for reading!

Interview with Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder

Lunar Chronicals #1

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Pages: 387

Blurb:

A forbidden romance. A deadly plague. Earth’s fate hinges on one girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen—and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

Interview:

Kayla: How did you come up with the idea of Cinder? (I've been dying to know)

Marissa: I entered a writing contest a few years ago with a short story that was a sci-fi twist on “Puss in Boots,” one of my favorite fairy tales. I’d never written any science fiction before, but it was so much fun, and it gave me the idea to write a whole series of futuristic fairy tales. I spent some time playing around with the concept, then a few months later I had a vision of Cinder as I was falling asleep—a cyborg Cinderella! I was instantly in love with the idea, and my plan for the series started to come together very quickly after that.

Kayla: How did your release day go? Was it the way you thought it would go?

Marissa: I had a fabulous release day. It was very hectic, with a gazillion tweets and facebook comments of congratulations coming in. In the morning, my husband, publicist, and I went around to a bunch of bookstores in Seattle to sign stock (and even saw someone reading Cinder at the very first store we went to!). In the evening I had a launch party at my local bookstore, Garfield Book Co. We had over 200 guests, including almost all of my closest friends and family, and many of the women wore red shoes to match the book c

over. It was so much fun and I felt like a total rock star!

Kayla: What was the process of coming up with the name?

Marissa: The name came to me very early on, and just popped into my head. Obviously it harks back to Cinderella, so it was pretty easy to come up with. Book 2: Scarlet, based on Little Red Riding Hood, was easy too, though I struggled a bit more with naming Cress (Book 3, based on Rapunzel—both cress and rapunzel are types of lettuces) and Winter (Book 4, based on Snow White—it was originally titled Ebony).

Kayla: How long did it take you to get Cinder published?

Marissa: It took me about two years to write and revise the book until I was happy with it, but after that the process happened very quickly for me. About two months to sign with an agent and less than a month after that before we accepted a book deal. It was then about fourteen months before the book hit stores.

Kayla: I always love to ask, what is your favorite part of being an Author?

Marissa: Being able to share the stories and characters that I love with other readers, and hearing that they enjoyed them.

Kayla: Have you had a lot of reader interaction?

Marissa: Yes, I love it when readers contact me and am so happy to live in a time when that’s possible. I’m constantly hearing from readers through email, Twitter, and Facebook. I also was lucky enough to go on a book tour all over the country, and it was wonderful to meet readers face to face.

Kayla: Cats or Dogs?

Marissa: Cats. (I have 3!)

Kayla: Icecream or Yogurt?

Marissa: Ice cream!

Kayla: Dog ear or Bookmark?

Marissa: Bookmark, though I’ve been known to dog ear out of desperation.

Kayla: What is the biggest honor or compliment you have had for Cinder?

Marissa: I recently received an email from a girl who said she’s never liked to read, but dared to pick up Cinder after reading about it in a magazine. She loved it and is now exploring other books in the YA genre. What an enormous honor!

Mini-Bio:

Marissa Meyer is a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf...) and will take any excuse to put on a costume. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cinder is her first novel.

You can find Marissa here:

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

New Meme: Book Superlative Saturday

Hey guys! Well, while sitting here getting reading to read I was looking through my "Bibliofile" journal and got an idea. I know that there are many memes such as In My Mailbox, Teaser Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesdays, and so on. I came up with one that I think would be pretty cool called Book Superlative Saturday. I know you all have probably voted on Superlatives in High School or Middle School for class clown, Biggest Flirt, Best Smile... etc. Well I think it would be cool to do this with all of the books we've read. Many of you guys read many books in a week so every Friday I would send out an e-mail and make a post on the blog to give you guys things to vote on.

Example:
1. Characters most like me:
2. Characters I'd Most want to be:
3. Literary Crushes:
4. Best Literary Clowns:
5. Best Book Couple:
6. Character I'd love to be my friend:
7. Characters I would want as enemies:
8. Character's wardrobe's I'd like to have:
9. Starriest book:
10. Book that made me cry the most:

.... you get the picture, just different things to vote on every Saturday. I will leave a place below for everyone to link up so we can all visit each other's pages and comment.

-Let me know what you think? Would you be willing to participate? I always love to hear from everyone, and love suggestions and input. So, again what do you think about "Book Superlative Saturday"?

YuYu Hakusho: Goodbye, Material World!, Vol. 1

Title: YuYu Hakusho: Goodbye, Material World!, Vol. 1
Author: Yoshihiro Togashi
Yuyu Hakusho #1
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Release Date: September 15, 2003
Pages: 208
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Buy Here: Amazon/Barnes & Noble

In this first volume in one of Japan's most popular graphic novels, it was a typical day for Yusuke - go to school at noon, get kicked out by the teacher, fight with his rival Kuwabara, and head for home in time to wake his mom from her drunken stupor. But when he throws himself in front of a car to save a little kid's life, he becomes Tokyo's toughest teenage ghost! While his childhood friend Keiko grieves over his comatose body, Yusuke has one chance to return to life: raise a "spirit egg" at the behest of the comely Botan (aka Death) and her boss Koenma, lord of the infernal bureaucracy. But the creature that hatches from the spirit egg will be determined by the good or evil in Yusuke's soul - if he's not careful, he could create a monster!

My Review:
So, this is the "first" Manga I've ever read. I really enjoyed it. I decided to give it a try after a girl in my Library was talking about conventions, and Manga.

She recommended this Manga to me and I read it so fast, because it was so interesting. It is about a guy named Yusuke who is a bad guy at school and he ends up getting ran over by a car and dying because he tried to save a little boy from getting hit.

After this, he meets the Botan who guides him through the afterlife. Since it wasn't expected for his to do a good deed when he died he gets the chance to take a test to come back to life.

In this he goes through a series of tests and the rest will continue in Vol. 2 which I CAN'T WAIT TO READ. I went to check it out at my school library and they have every Volume except for 2... yeah what are the chances lol. So, now I'm hooked and will have to go buy it!

I really suggest you read this, and give it a try if you've never read Manga before. It was really really good :D

View all my reviews

Interview with Jill Hathaway

Slide
Slide #1
Author: Jill Hathaway
Format: ARC (Provided by Me, My Shelf & I)
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
4 out of 5 Stars
Order Slide: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Book Depository

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Interview:

SKBR: How does it feel to have a debut novel about to come out?

Jill: Crazy. Like, super crazy. I'm on spring break, so I'm going nuts right now knowing that we're down to single digits before the book is on shelves. BAAAAAAAH! That's me GOING CRAZY!! :D

SKBR: What do your students think about it?

Jill: They're super excited. We have a countdown going on the board. I've got some signed bookmarks in a basket on my desk, and the kids love them.

SKBR: Are you working on anything else (book wise) currently?

Jill: Right now I'm working on a non-SLIDE-related project. It's another thriller, but not supernatural.

SKBR: What was your favorite part to write in "Slide"?

Jill: Probably the part where Vee gets the purple dress for Homecoming. I don't know why; I just really like that part.

SKBR: Do you have someone who has inspired you to write?

Jill: I will say that I had some amazing teachers when I was younger. Mrs. Kalinsky, my creative writing teacher, always made me feel like I could really go places with my writing.

SKBR: What is the best part about writing for you?

Jill: The best part is when the words just start flowing and time flies by and before you know it, you've written like ten pages.

SKBR: If you could give a reason why someone should read Slide in one sentence what would you say?

Jill: Because they're secretly curious about seeing through the eyes of a killer.

SKBR: Who is your favorite character in "Slide"?

Jill: Rollins. :)

Jill Hathaway was born and raised in Iowa. As a child, she loved paper dolls, Archie comics, and writing. In her adolescent years, she wrote emo poetry and produced paper zines that she sold for $1 in local comic book and record stores.

Having earned her BA in English from the University of Northern Iowa and her MA in Literature from Iowa State University, she now teaches high school and community college courses in the Des Moines area. She lives with her husband and young children.
Jill spends her free time collecting cool gear for her blood elf paladin, watching Veronica Mars, and listening to angry grrl music.

Find Jill Hathaway Here:

Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook
Blog
Website

-Today is the release date of Slide by Jill Hathaway, which I'm sure a lot of people have been anxiously awaiting. I for one immensely enjoyed Slide and gave it 4 stars! If you would like to see my review of Slide "Click Here". I hope that you guys enjoyed this Interview and go Order Slide! Thanks so much for stopping by and feel free to leave comments, I love hearing from you and I think Jill would too :D

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
The Violet Eden Chapters #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: March 6th, 2012
Pages: 367
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

My Review:
First off, I have read a lot of awesome reviews on Embrace! I went and checked out all of the giveaways and blog tour stops for Embrace also! I was lucky enough to win a copy from a giveaway, and I was so excited!!! I couldn't wait for it to arrive so I checked it out of my School Library, and read it in 3 days!

Embrace is about a girl named Violet Eden who went suffered through a really bad situation in her life and moved away with her Dad to a new school. When Violet was born her Mother died shortly after giving birth to her. Violet has two best friends which are Steph and Lincoln, but Violet soon finds out that not everything and everyone is as it seems.

Violet has always had feelings for Lincoln, but has never had the guts to tell him because she thought he wouldn't feel the same way about her. Well, she was wrong! There is way more to the story than that. On her 17th birthday, Violet's Dad gave her a box that was from her Mother. He told her that her Mother told him to give it to her on her 17th birthday. After this night Violet and Lincoln's relationship will be changed forever. There are secrets that Lincoln has been hiding from Violet and he kept holding off on telling her. When she shows up to his house one day she over hears him talking to someone about the secret he's been hiding from her and she finds out everything! While angry with Lincoln, Violet seeks comfort in Pheonix a guy whom she met on her 17th birthday.

In this story you will be constantly wondering what is going to happen next! It is so so so GOOD! I stayed up literally all night one night reading this book. The ending will leave you breathless and addicted. I couldn't get to the sneak peak of Enticed fast enough, and it still left me WANTING more. Violet will go through a big journey of finding out who she really is and who the people in her life really are. I really enjoyed reading this book, and anxiously awaiting Enticed!

Okay, so now for my rant! I wanted to punch Pheonix in the face towards the end, and I felt so so bad for Lincoln! Now don't get me wrong a part of me still likes him and I can't wait to find more about his character's history in the next book! I am team Lincoln all the way :) Steph was an amazing best friend and at first I thought she was shallow, but as the story progressed that changed. The characters make you feel like you actually know them. Jessica did an awesome job of making me care, and feel involved in this story.

If you haven't read this book yet, you definitely should. It is an AMAZING debut, it doesn't even seem like a debut to be quite honest. Jessica Shirvington is a talented and amazing Author.

You can find Jessica Here:
Goodreads
Website
Embrace Facebook Page

View all my reviews

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is Hosted by The Story Siren, as a way to show everyone what books you got for the whole week!

Books Mentioned:
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Sofie)
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral (Sofie)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (Kayla & Sofie)
A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin (Sofie)
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Kayla)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo/Men Who Hate Women by Stieg Larsson (Kayla)
Wake by Lisa McMann (Kayla)
The Fault in Our Stars (Signed) by John Green (Kayla)
Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (Kayla)
Embrace (Won) by Jessica Shirvington (Kayla)
BedBugs by Ben H. Winters (Kayla)
Broadway Baby (Signed) by Alan Shapiro (Kayla)
The Bad Always Die Twice by Cheryl Crane (Kayla)
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (Kayla)

Blogs Mentioned:
The Story Siren
Reviews by Sofie (Be Sure To Check Her Out! She is Awesome :D)
A Cupcake and a Latte

-Thanks for stopping by and watching! Feel free to leave a comment below with a link to you IMM post and I will come check it out :) Also, if you have already read any of these books let me know what you thought about them! Happy Reading.

Crave by Felicity Heaton

Title: Crave by
Author: Felicity E. Heaton
Publisher: Felicity Heaton
Pages: 110
Format: e-Book (ARC provided by author)
Release Date: March 10, 2012
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

His mind has been set on his work for the past one hundred years. Now a forbidden beauty has stolen his attention and is threatening to steal his heart too.
Callum has come to the city of romance on business, not pleasure, but when he sets eyes on a gorgeous werewolf in a nightclub, he can’t ignore the dark carnal craving she ignites in him. His work for Vampirerotique, the erotic theatre he runs with three other vampires, can wait. The only thing that matters now is satisfying his sinful hunger for a woman who most vampires would consider an enemy.
Kristina is on the run from her pack. Her alpha is intent on forcing her to bear his child and she’s not about to live through the same nightmare as her mother had. When a tall, dark and sexy vampire catches her eye, she can’t believe the ferocity of the desire he unleashes in her or the fact that she enjoys the feel of his eyes on her and his silent pursuit of her in the clubs each night.
When Kristina finally gets a taste of Callum in a forbidden kiss, will she be strong enough to resist the allure of the vampire and his offer to share his bed for a week of unbridled, wild sex, or will she surrender to her own craving for the safety and passion she finds in his embrace?

My Review:
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely loved Covet. Times absolutely loving Covet by 100 and you'll understand how much I enjoyed Crave.

Crave is about a Vampire named Callum and a werewolf named Kristina. Kristina is on the run from her pack and finds comfort and and connection in Callum. Callum is an elite Vampire out seeking new "talent" for the Vampirerotique theatre when he spots Kristina in a night club and starts keeping tabs on her.

The next thing you know the two meet and their chemistry blows up like a grenade... there weren't just mere sparks between these two, it was way more than that. I love Callum and Kristina's relationship. They both learn to trust, confide, and comfort one another. I knew something big and bad was going to happen at the end I just didn't know what it would be, but I have to say that Felicity kept be biting my nails in anticipation the whole time I was reading Crave. I can't tell you too much because it would spoil it but I will tell you that Werewolves and Vampires are sworn enemies and it is highly dangerous/illegal to be together.

Felicity I am literally craving to read the next book in this series. This book was so hot I kept looking around to make sure no one noticed how red my face was lol. I read this during 3rd period at school. It was a great read, I have really missed reading Romance... as I have steered more towards YA lately. Thanks Felicity for reminding me of my love of Romance :)

-A big thanks to Felicity for providing me with Crave to read. I have really enjoyed it and will be eagerly awaiting the next book!

Find the Author:
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Website
View all my reviews

Interview with Julia Rachel Barrett + Giveaway

Hey everyone, please help my in welcoming my Favorite author Julia Rachel Barrett. Thanks Julia for taking your time to do an Interview with me. Feel free to leave comments below, I love comments and I'm sure Julia would love to hear from you!

SKBR: What inspired you to write your first book? What is the name of your first book?

Julia: Ah well, the first book I wrote is a nonfiction book about my unusual experiences as a hospice nurse. But, the first romance I ever wrote is Anytime Darlin', although Captured is my first officially published romance. Anytime Darlin' is a work of romantic suspense that had been floating around in my head for a long time. I had this image of a young woman escaping from a man who held her prisoner. The story sort of began there and moved forward. Plus there's just something I love about lost loves!

SKBR: What was you favorite book to read?

Julia: My favorite book to read? I have four and I re-read them every single year - Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, Dune, by Frank Herbert, and Shogun, by James Clavell.

SKBR: What are some of your favorite Authors/Books?

Julia: When it comes to romance, I adore Linda Howard. She was the first romance author I read. I'm especially a fan of her books, Kill and Tell and After the Night. I love Cheryl Lynn's book, The Other Laura. It's one of those great switched identity books. I also like Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series.

SKBR: What are you currently working on?

Julia: I'm currently revising a four-book series - science fiction romance, my Daughters of Persephone series which was previously published, along with a contemporary, Beauty and the Feast, also previously published. I have another science fiction series in the works along with another story of romantic suspense.

SKBR: Do you have someone who has inspired you to write?

Julia: I guess that would be my grandmother! She wrote plays, articles, poetry... she was very far-thinking, but unfortunately grew up in a culture that encouraged women to be homemakers. However my father is a good writer and my uncle was a journalist. My father always told me to write. In college I majored in Creative Writing/Ethnic Literature, but could not get a job after graduation. I went back to college to become a nurse.

SKBR: You have published books by both Traditional publishing and self-publishing. Which do you like better and why?

Julia: Hmmmm. I like the freedom that comes with self-publishing. It's a little more work, but frankly, not all that much more work. Even if your book is with a publisher, most of the promotion falls on you, so... And once you find an editor you like, you don't feel as if you need to rely upon a publisher to help you edit your book. I've never had a huge issue with editing anyway. I worked with some great writers/professors in college and they whipped me into shape when it came to editing.

SKBR: Which book of yours would you suggest someone read if they have never read any of your books before?

Julia: Oh Captured, without a doubt. It really is my favorite story and it seems to be every reader's favorite story.

SKBR: Do you enjoy reader interaction? What types of things do you hear from your readers?

Julia: I love hearing from readers and the truth is, I don't hear from them all that often. Hey, readers, if you enjoy a book, let the author know. You can't imagine how much we appreciate hearing from you.

SKBR: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Julia: Advice? I'm awful at giving advice. I guess my advice is don't write crap. Put out your best work. Don't think you can dump poorly written and unedited junk on readers - they are very smart and they won't be happy with you.

SKBR: What is the ideal place for you to write, generally how much do you write in a month? (Asking because I'm REALLY anxious to read more of your writing :D)

Julia: I write at home in my kitchen, with my cat sitting on a place mat next to me and my dog chasing his tail two feet away, or as we like to call it, chail tasing! I'm easily distracted, very ADD-ish, so I need noise to concentrate against. If you put me in a library, I'll be tearing my hair out within two minutes. I write as much as I can, which varies because I have a family and I'm pretty busy. I try to write one to three hours a day, and that includes edits. If I don't have time to write, no big deal. I'll get to it when I get to it.

Julia: Thanks so much, Kayla! Happy reading!

What can I say about me? I’m married to the love of my life. We have three amazing children. I don’t just write; I’m a registered nurse, I’ve owned a catering company and restaurant, worked as a nanny, a secretary, a pastry chef, a waitress, an art teacher and a soccer coach – you name it, I’ve probably dabbled in it. I love to travel and I believe I’ve visited all fifty states and a few places outside of the U.S.

So, besides hiking with my dog and riding horses (yum!), I love to cook and bake, read and write and sell books.

Giveaway

Now for the giveaway! Julia has so nicely agreed to giveaway a signed copy of her book Captured which is my favorite. Thanks so much Julia. To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Remember US ONLY :) Julia is an amazing writer, I love all of her books. I wish that more people knew about her because I know that they would love her stories as much as I do. Below I will leave links to all of the Reviews I've done on her books.



Links:
Captured by Julia Rachel Barrett
Pushing Her Boundaries by Julia Rachel Barrett
Anytime Darlin' by Julia Rachel Barrett
Incorporeal by Julia Rachel Barrett
In the Flesh by Julia Rachel Barrett

Out of all of these books there isn't one that I didn't absolutely love.

Read more »

Interview with Sybil Nelson (Leslie DuBois)

Please help me in welcoming Sybil Nelson also known as Leslie DuBois, author or Nothing Else Matters, Ain't no Sunshine, and the Priscilla the Great Series. Feel free to leave comments below! Thanks for stopping by everyone, and a big thanks to Sybil for being a guest on Simply Kayla's Book Reviews.

SKBR: What inspired you to write Nothing Else Matters?

Sybil: I went to college at a predominantly white private school. Every four years this school held what was called Mock Convention. It was a huge deal in which every state was represented and students signed up to be delegates at those states. In 2000, the students of the Idaho delegation decided to make T-shirts that featured a black woman dressed as a prostitute with the tagline "I Da Ho." Black students and female students were appalled. We held lots of meetings discussing this and trying to come to sort of truce among the student body. I remember at one particular meeting, I was to speak. But when I went to say my well rehearsed words, I just broke down in tears. Even now thinking about it, I get a little teary eyed. Many people won't understand why so let me try to explain for your readers. I have worked my entire life to be the smartest, most accomplished person I can be. At that time, I played five instruments, spoke two languages, majored in math and music, and danced ballet and tap. I have done everything I can just to overcome the stereotypes that were hoisted upon the people who lived in my neighborhood. Just graduating high school without a baby was an accomplishment for someone in my old neighborhood let alone going to college and majoring in math. So the thought that no matter how much hard work I put into my academic pursuits people at my very school still look at me as "ho" is hurtful beyond belief. I felt like nothing I did would ever change what people saw when they looked at my skin color. I've had people comment that the banner that gets made in Nothing Else Matters is unrealistic and would never happen. Those people don't know what I myself have lived through.

SKBR: When did you first start writing?

Sybil: I started writing as a child. I loved to read and would often write stories as well. My scholarship to college was actually for journalism and English. But while I was in college I lost confidence in my writing and changed my major to Math and Music. While I was teaching high school in private schools, I started dabbling in writing again all the time using my students as inspiration.

SKBR: What was your journey of getting published?

Sybil: It was a long arduous road. I wrote Ain't No Sunshine first, but I didn't think it was very good. Then I wrote The Queen Bee of Bridgeton and I fell in love with that story. Queen Bee also has a lot of me in it. It is about a 15 year old girl who lives in a very poor neighborhood but is determined to be a ballerina. Since she can't afford lessons, she makes arrangements to clean the studio in exchange for lessons. When I was five, my mother did this for me so that I could have ballet lessons. I grew up with a knowledge of ballet and opera that made me all but an outcast in my neighborhood. Anyway, I spent two years writing query letters to agents trying to find representation. I finally got an agent and spent four years with that agent. All the while I was writing other books. HarperCollins showed interest in my middle grade series Priscilla the Great and had an exclusive on it for eight months as they sent me through three complete revisions. They later rejected me even after the movie option was sold. Henry Holt showed interest in The Queen Bee of Bridgeton and held on to it for three years as they sent me through revision after revision. Finally, I got tired of the traditional publishing game. I pulled my books, left my agent and opened my own company to publish my books. I currently have five authors in my company and I'm reaching 15,000 sales in Sybil Nelson/Leslie DuBois books alone.

SKBR: What is the best part of being an Author?

Sybil: The best part is having fans that "get" me. I love it when I get fan mail from people that understand what I'm trying to do. I just want to tell good stories that feature a variety of people. I don't want to write black books, I don't want to write white books, I want to write books that everyone can read and enjoy.

SKBR: What was your favorite part/character to write about in Nothing Else Matters?

Sybil: I think Stu was the most fun to write. He is an awesome guy. But Reyna is the character that was most like me. Except she was a better version of me. I wasn't able to talk sense into my classmates. Reyna is the girl I wanted to be.

SKBR: Out of all of the books you've written, which was your favorite one to write and why?

Sybil: Nothing Else Matters was my favorite one to write. The reason is the answer I wrote for question five. Reyna is the strong confident girl I wanted to be. Yes, she was weak in private and she needed Scott's strength, but she was all grace and eloquence in public. While Nothing Else Matters was my favorite book, for some reason it does not sell very well. Ironically, Ain't No Sunshine, the book I thought wasn't very good, is my bestseller hands down.

SKBR: Who is your favorite Author?


Sybil: You can't ask an author who her favorite author is? That's a loaded question. Plus, it changes like every week. I go through phases of authors. Ask me one day and I'll say Michael Crichton. Ask me another day and I'll say Jane Austen. I have no idea who my all time favorite author is.

SKBR: What project(s) are you currently working on?

Sybil: I am currently working on the third and final book of The Queen Bee of Bridgeton series while simultaneously working on a new series called Dark Marco which is a spin off of the Priscilla the Great series.

SKBR: What kind of feedback do you hear from your readers?

Sybil: I get the most feedback for my Ain't No Sunshine book and my Priscilla the Great series. My Priscilla fans constantly want to know when the next book is coming out or why I killed this character or that. My Ain't No Sunshine fans usually want to know more about what happened in the book. I've answered questions for several book clubs for that book. I finally ended up adding a study guide section to the end of it. I plan on doing the same for Priscilla as well.

SKBR: Are you a morning person or a night person?

Sybil: Both. I rarely sleep. It's hard to find time to sleep when I have to write, run a publishing company, work on a PhD, and raise two kids. But I feel like I think better in the morning. I usually leave nights for writing and work on math in the morning. It works out well that way.

Leslie DuBois is the pen name of Sybil Nelson, author of the award winning Middle Grade series Priscilla the Great.

Leslie has always had a love of books and writing. During her school years, she’d choose a different author each summer and devour their complete works. Riding public transportation from her low-income housing, she always dedicated Wednesdays to her library pursuits.

Leslie also spent her time jotting down poems and stories in her beloved notebooks. She even won a full scholarship to Washington and Lee University for one of her essays. Though her scholarship was for journalism, she soon lost confidence in her writing and ended up changing her major from English and Journalism to Mathematics and Music Theory.

During the years after college, while working as a math teacher at Georgetown Day School, Leslie never lost her love of words. She continued to devour novels in her free time. In all of her reading however, she began to notice that the novels she enjoyed most never contained any black female characters. This observation bothered her.

After years noticing the role models (or lack thereof) for black girls in the media, Leslie finally decided to pick up a pen and do something about it. While working as a math teacher at Ashley Hall School in Charleston, South Carolina, finishing her master’s thesis at the College of Charleston, she began writing stories poems and novels that featured strong black women. She now attends the Medical University of South Carolina pursuing her Ph.D. in Biostatistics while caring for her husband and two daughters. She continues to write and, to date, has written twelve complete novels.

Find Sybil Nelson (Leslie DuBois):
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Goodreads

Books:
Ain't No Sunshine
Nothing Else Matters
Priscilla the Great Series

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Title: Slide
Slide #1
Author: Jill Hathaway
Format: ARC (Provided by Me, My Shelf & I)
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
4 out of 5 Stars
Pre-Order Slide: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Book Depository

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.
Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

My Review:
I really enjoyed this Debut by Jill Hathaway. Slide is the story of a girl named Vee Bell who has the ability to “Slide” in to other people (hence the name “Slide”). Her father thinks that she is narcoleptic, but when she “passes out” or has “episodes” she Slides into people and can see what is going on through their point of view.

Vee’s mother died when she was younger, so her sister Mattie and herself live alone with only their Father, which is always at work and never home. Since her father is never home Vee is left to look after her sister, and when she slips inside of the head of the person who murdered Sophie (Mattie’s Friend), Vee is more determined than ever to keep an eye on Mattie. Mattie blames herself for Sophie’s death because she along with her other friend Amber send a naked picture of Sophie to the whole football team. There are so many people Vee thinks could be a potential suspect, and she doesn’t stop until she gets to the bottom of it. I really can’t tell you all of the fabulous exciting details without giving away any spoilers so I will just say this. This story is full of twists and turns, and it will take you for a very exciting ride. There are two guys in this book who are close to Vee, which are Rollins and Zane. Rollins is her best friend and they have been drifting apart. Then she meets Zane in the nurse’s office after she had an accident and got cut by glass and they hit it off right away. These two guys and their relationships with Vee will also keep you on the edge of your seat.

There is an underlying mystery of who is killed Sophie, and it’s who you least expect… I was totally shocked by who it was and how all of the characters were connected. It started off a little slow for me, but it picked up and took off. The night I sat down to read some more of Slide I really didn’t expect to finish it, but I literally could not put it down until the last page. I was very satisfied with the ending, although it was a little sad, I am really happy about how it ended. I definitely recommend this Debut; it was a really good book.
Find Jill Hathaway Here:
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Originally reviewed at Me, My Shelf and I: Click Here to view the original post.
-Also big thanks to Amber at Me, My Shelf and I and to Balzer + Bray Publishing!

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Title: Struck
Struck #1
Author: Jennifer Bosworth
Format: ARC (Received from DAC ARC TOURS)
Pages: 373
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pre-Order: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Book Depository

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.
Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

My Review:
Oh WOW. Those were the two words that ran through my mind when I read the last page of this book. Struck if definitely a Debut you don't want to miss. It is very unique and original. Jennifer Bosworth did a wonderful job of making me feel "connected" to the characters and the story.

Struck is about a girl named Mia who has been struck by lightening many, many times. Now she has red scars all over her body from being struck. After being struck Mia always knows when there will be a storm because she feels drawn to them.

There are two groups in this story The Seekers and The Followers. The Seekers are a group of people who are trying to recruit people to help them stop the world from ending and The Followers are the complete opposite. I won't go into deep detail because of spoilers, but lets just say I knew from the beginning I did not like Prophet (Leader of The Followers) AT ALL! Mia's mother was stuck under a building after the earth quake and was the only one to survive, but she has some major mental problems. Katrina which you will definitely get to know during this book is one of my favorite characters!

Mia is all about protecting her Mother (Sarah) and Brother (Parker), and throwing hottie Jeremy in the mix doesn't help much at all. Many secrets are uncovered during this story and I'm telling you I couldn't flip through the pages fast enough! The Prophet throughout this whole story was his Followers to recruit people and he was telling everyone the world was going to end, and all kinds of crazy things. Just know that Mia is the KEY to it all. The only reason I gave it a 4 was because I wished that Mia and Parker's relationship would have been a little stronger, but it all worked out in the end. (I guess I wanted that because me and my little brother are really close also). I love Jeremy and Mia's relationship and how they go through so much and still stick beside each other even when everything is turning out to be a nightmare.

What a great way to start off my week, I love this story and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves action mixed with a little romance! Jennifer I surely hope that there is a sequel because I can't get Mia out of my head!

-A big thanks to DAC ARC Tours and to Tara, Lisa, and Ginger for allowing me to be apart of this tour.
Find Jennifer Bosworth:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

View all my reviews

Article on Teens and the Subject of Virginity

After reading The Virgin Diaries I have been thinking a lot about sex, virginity, and how teens look at both of these things. In today’s society our media, songs, and even commercials use “sex” to sell. This has caused a lot of things like low self-esteem for girls, because the media only perceives “skinny” as beautiful. I wish that the topic of sex was talked about in schools more, but we find that it is banned to talk about this subject at schools. Why? With a rapid increase in pregnancy, STD’s, and teens being sexually active I think that they should know the facts. Reading the Virgin Diaries made me realize that teens need to know more about this subject, and many times are uneducated because their parents feel uncomfortable talking about it.

I am not saying whether it is right or wrong to be sexually active while a teenager, because it isn’t my “place” to tell people what to do. What I am saying is that it would be very beneficial if teens were taught more about the risks of having sex. Sex is just more than intercourse; it comes with deeper emotions and feelings. Many teens don’t think that until they experience it for themselves. When I was younger my parents didn’t bring up this subject at all, they just avoided it altogether. I wish that I would have had The Virgin Diaries to read when I was a teenager. I will be recommending it to parents and teens alike. I think that the Virgin Diaries would really shine the light on the subject of Virginity and reveal to teens and parents the risks and facts of sexual intercourse.

What do you guys think about this topic? Feel free to leave your opinion. Thanks for stopping by and taking your time to read this.

Links:
Kimberley A. Johnson's Website
Other Articles about The Virgin Diaries
Buy The Virgin Diaries on Amazon
Buy The Virgin Diaries on Barnes & Noble

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. This is a way for everyone to share the books they received this week.

Won:
Earth Angel by E. Van Lowe

Bought:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Gifted:
Arcadia by Lauren Groff (ARC: Signed)

Dying to Know You by Aiden Chambers (ARC)
The Immortal Rules by Julia Kagawa (ARC)
The Chalk Girl by Carol O' Connell (ARC)
In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan (ARC)
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (ARC)
Dying to Know You by Aiden Chambers (ARC)
The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry (ARC)
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (ARC)
A Deeper Darkness by J.T. Ellison (ARC)

The Majik Touch by Ingrid Longo (ARC)

Review:
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (DAC ARC Tours)
Intangible (Signed) by J. Meyers (MMSAI)
Slide by Jill Hathaway (MMSAI)

Library:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Other:
Hunger Games Identification Card

Blogs Mentioned:
Alexa Loves Books
Me, My Shelf and I
DAC ARC Tours
-Thank you all for watching, please feel free to leave your IMM links below and I will come and check them out! Happy Reading.

Giveaway: Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer

Title: Arcadia Awakens
Author: Kai Meyer
Release Date: February 14th, 2012
Pages: 451
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Goodreads


To New Yorker Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic, and wholly unknown. But when tragedy strikes, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where her sister and aunt have built their lives and where centuries of family secrets await her. Once there, Rosa wastes no time falling head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both intrigue and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.

Ancient myths brought to life in the Sicilian countryside, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a long history of familial bloodlust prove to Rosa that she can’t trust anyone—not even her own family. Torn between loyalty to her aunt and love for her family’s mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love . . . or run as far and as fast as she can.

Hey everyone, I will be giving away 1 copy of an ARC of Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer. It came out here in the US on February 14th, 2012.
Here are the rules:
1. US Only (Sorry, mailing is expensive)
2. Fill out the Rafflecopter Form (Don't leave your e-mail in the comments, it will not count as an entry)
3. You must be 13 or older
-That's it, Good luck!
Click Read more to enter this contest.

Read more »

One of My Favorite Books as a Kid...

Okay... so today while going to my Internship I decided to stop by my 8th grade Science teacher's room. When I was in 8th grade she had a classroom pet and his name was Captain Hook, he is a baby ball python. I saw him and I couldn't believe how big he had gotten, WOW! I was scared to hold him because now instead of being the size of my hand, he is now the size of my whole arm. (Back on track) When I saw Captain Hook it reminded me of one of my favorite books when I was a little girl called "Verdi".

Verdi is about a young snake who is very michevious and wants to have fun. He never wants to grow old and turn green, because he doesn't want to become boring and "stuck-up" like all of the other snakes. Inevitably he does grow older, and green but not boring. Verdi still made it a point to play with the younger snakes, and not be mean or stuck-up like the older snakes were to him when he was younger.

I really loved this book, and I read it to my little sister a lot. Just thought I'd share a little piece of my reading journey with you guys :) What was your favorite book as a child?

Waiting On Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases. This is my first WOW post :)

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

- Ever since I've seen this book advertised and read the blurb I've wanted it! I can't wait until it comes out, because I will definitely be buying it. I love books that have to do with Mythology.

In the Flesh by Julia Rachel Barrett

In The Flesh by Julia Barrett
380 Pages
Published: February 18, 2012
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb:

Lightning in the middle of a blizzard? Dr. Sydney Blake has read about it, but this is the first time in all her life she’s experienced it. Has her truck been struck? Blinded by the flash, she slams on the brakes and dives from the driver’s seat, right into a snow drift.As a shivering Syd gropes to her feet, she keeps her eyes shut tight, praying she didn’t actually see what she thinks she saw in that flash of light… a golden giant standing smack dab in the middle of the road. No way. Not possible. Or is it?

My Review:
This is a great sequel to Incorporeal, and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this. I have missed reading Julia's stories so much! Julia's books all leave me wanting more, there isn't one book of hers that I have read and haven't loved. She is a stupendous writer, and if you haven't read any of her books I recommend you do.

In the Flesh is about a woman named Sydney Blake who is a doctor, and got wrapped up in a bad relationship with a guy named David Garza who is also a Doctor. One night when Sydney is on her way home there is a blizzard and the weather is horrible, and just when she thought things couldn't get any worse she saw a golden man fall out of the sky. (I love Julia's ideas) She swerves to stop from hitting him and then gets out of her car and finds a naked man in the middle of a blizzard. When Sydney gets him to safety, she checks and makes sure he is alright (which he is). When he wakes up he doesn't remember anything about himself or who he is, but one thing is for sure he sure can't resist Sydney and she can't resist him either.

Sydney and Wolf really have chemistry, and are just so great together. When I finished this book I wasn't sure how I felt about the ending. Now having time to think on it, the ending is perfect. I love how he returns. I'm not going to include any spoilers, which is why this review is so hard to write. I just want to tell you guys everything but I can't lol. I would suggest you read this book because it is a great read. Julia's books NEVER disappoint me. I would start with Incorporeal and then read In the Flesh, because you will have more of an understanding of In the Flesh. This book was So. Good. I'm always surprised by how fast her books pass by because I'm so captured by them.

Here are links to other reviews I have done on Julia Rachel Barrett's Books (if you are interested):
1. Captured by Julia Rachel Barrett
2. Anytime Darlin' by Julia Rachel Barrett
3. Pushing Her Boundaries by Julia Rachel Barrett
4. Incorporeal by Julia Rachel Barrett


Find Julia Rachel Barrett:
Goodreads
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

View all my reviews