#RCCleanup | Review Copy Cleanup 4.0: Goals + Updates!

It's time once again for one of my favorite book challenge on the web, Review Copy CleanUp! The challenge is hosted by Vicky @Books, Biscuits and Tea and Celine @Nyx Book Reviews. The idea of the event is to help bloggers get caught up on reading and reviewing their review copies given to them by authors, publishers, and sites like Netgalley.

 Being a book blogger is no easy task when it comes to running a blog but one thing that always seems to get very overwhelming is finding/making the time to read and review books that were requested. I know myself I continue to have a growing pile of books to read and while I do eventually read them all for review I feel bad for making the author/publisher wait. This event is the perfect way to challenge yourself to do more reading and reviewing. I am super excited to be able to join in on this fun challenge  once again again.

Come join me? Sign ups end February 15, 2012. 

Here are the books I want to read & review:

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

The Well's End by Seth Fishman

Counting to D by Kate Scott

Hope Defined by Shannon Humphrey

Find Momo by Andrew Knapp

Reading \ Read \ Reviewed

Reading now:

Find Momo by Andrew Knapp

Read:

Hope Defined by Shannon Humphrey

Reviewed | LINK to review

Above I will be keeping track of my progress during the month and updating often. You will be able to find a permanent link to this post on the "book challenges" page above. Be sure to stop by if you wish to see what recent updates have been posted. Feel free to link your goals post below in the comments section so I may come and check out your progress as well.

Happy Reading & Wish me good luck!

It's finally here! A Fault With Our Stars Movie Trailer

A Fault With Our Stars Movie Trailer 

*wipes away tears* So very sad and touching. The movie looks so much better than I was expecting.  I totally can't wait to see the movie. June is a long way off. Boo hoo!
What are your thoughts on the trailer? Are you guys going to go see it?

Are you a Book Addict? Take the quiz and find out!

Hey fellow book addicts! 

Today while reading I came up with a nifty idea (or at least I think so). I've made a book addict quiz for anyone to take and to see who TRULY is an Official Book Addict. 

Here's how it's going to work:

Everyone is allowed to take the quiz once. Once your finished you will need to add up your score either on a piece of paper or online somehow to tally up your total. The way to earn points is to answer the 25 question below (honestly, please) and give yourself 1 point for each one you said YES to.  If you answer NO, then there is no point given.

Once you've finished tallying up your score you will need to refer to the quiz results below to find out how you scored.  There will also be a small button you're welcome to take and display on your blog/website/facebook, etc letting everyone know totally hooked on books you truly are.

THE QUIZ!

1. Own more than 300 books (physical and/or ebooks)
2. Stay up really late to finish a book, all the while thinking "just one more chapter and then I'll quit."
3. Reading while sitting on the toilet. (come on...I know you've all done this. hehe)
4. Cried in public while reading a sad part of your book. 
5. Wished or dreamt you could live in a certain book and be dating/married to a certain character.
6. Squealed like a fan-girl while in a store in the book section, and noticed others looking at you funny. 
7. Read a book while dining at a restaurant.
8. Have more books in your TBR pile than you'd ever finish reading in the next 25 years.
9. Bought a book solely based on the cover alone.
10. Walked while reading a book, not really looking where your going.
11. Skipped meals because you didn't realize the time while reading.
12. Bought a bookmark because it matched one of your books.
13. Try to convert your NON-reading friends to read the same books as you and get upset when they turn you down.
14. Literally yelled or cursed at the book when there was a part you hated or that shocked you.
15. Own book merchandise, like buttons, t-shirts, totes, bookish jewelry. 
16. Would pay GOOD $$$ to get a ARC of a book before anyone else.
17. Has meet your favorite author and have signed copies of their book(s).
18. Have literally hide someplace to read so no one could bother you.
19. Have read while in the pool/hot tub/ or bathtub.
20. Have written a letter to your favorite author and got a reply back. 
21. Have been over your limit on checked out books at the library.
22. Have spent more than 100 dollars on books in one day.
23. Got upset when you see someone treat a book badly.
24. Could live without TV and Internet for a month or two, and only being allowed to read. 
25. Last but not least, make up dream casts for your favorite books. 

RESULTS!

25-20 Points: It's official you are without a doubt a book addict! You LIVE, THINK, and BREATHE books.  You're life would be incomplete without reading and books. 

19-15 Points: You really enjoy reading and buying new books. Reading is more of a hobby than a obsession. 

14-10 Points: You like to read but don't feel bad if you haven't in a while. You're more likely to wait and read new books once everyone else has. You buy books on occasion but not all the time. 

9-5 Points: Books and reading is OKAY but not a necessity. You can go days without reading and rarely buy a book unless you really want it.

5-0 Points: Reading is not really for you. You hated reading in school and feel is not all that fun to do it now. Occasionally you may pick of a book but only if it's something that really interests you and is cheap. 

Please link the images back to this post or www.bittersweet-enchantment.com 

You may resize, if needed.

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 This one can be taken and used by everyone if you don't want to use the ones above.

I really hope everyone enjoyed my book addict quiz. 

What did YOU score? 

Leave me a comment sharing your results.  :)

Waiting on Wednesday #21 / Of Neptune

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I am waiting on...

Of Neptune (The Syrena Legacy #3)
by Anna Banks
Hardcover (ebook), 288 pages
Expected publication: May 13th 2014 by Feiwel & Friends
Genre: YA - Fantasy > Mythology > Mermaids

Emma and Galens kingdom and their love is threatened by long-lost Syrena in the brilliant conclusion to Anna Banks bestselling trilogy.

 

Emma, half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.

 

Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean and the land-dwelling, freshwater Syrena. They didn t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love but their ocean kingdoms.

 

In this stunning conclusion to her bestselling Syrena Legacy, Anna Banks thrills fans with more action and romance than ever.

So what book(s) are YOU waiting on this Wednesday? 

Happy Book Birthday, Forever by Karen Ann Hopkins!

Today I wanted to make a special post honoring one of my favorite book series by an amazing author and friend, Karen Ann Hopkins. Forever the final book in the Tempation series is finally out as of today. I am close to being finished reading my copy. I have been unable to put it down. SO GOOD! I hate to have to say goodbye to Noah and Rose. *pouts*

I wanted to take the time and share all about forever and the series. I hope each of you will buy a copy of FOREVER and if you'd not started this series you are surely missing a whole lot of awesomeness!

Happy Book Birthday, Forever!

Forever (Temptation #3) by Karen Ann Hopkins

Released: January 28th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles

Add the book to your goodreads shelf.

All I want is my happily-ever-after.

That's all I've wanted since meeting Noah Miller.

From the day we met, the world has tried to keep Noah and me from being together, but now that I'm carrying his child, no one will be able to tear us apart. Or so I hope. But Noah and I have made some mistakes along the way, and the consequences are impacting the people we love. Worse, there's a storm on the horizon, and it's sure to cause serious devastation.

If we can get through this, we'll finally be Rose and Noah; a family, forever.

But first we have to survive the road ahead. And happily-ever-after is a long way off.

He's Amish. She's Not.

Belonging together should be impossible...

Temptation (Temptation #1)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

Paperback, 383 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Reading Level: YA

Add on Goodreads / My Review

Your heart misleads you That's what my friends and family say.
But I love Noah. And he loves me.
We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms.
It should be
ROSE & NOAH
forever, easy.
But it won't be.
Because he's Amish. And I'm not.

He's Amish. I'm not.

Will love be enough? 

Title: Belonging

Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Number of Pages: 408

Published: April 30th 2013 by Harlequin TEEN

Genre: Romance > Contemporary

Reading Level: YA

Add on Goodreads / My Review

I left everything I knew behind.

 

But it was worth it. He was worth it.

 

No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren't even allowed to see each other. Not until I've proven myself.

 

If I can find a way to make it work, we'll be NOAH & ROSE together forever.

 

But not everybody believes this is where I belong.

About The Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Find Karen @
Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

 

 Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this post and be sure to share it so other will know more about this wonderful series. My review for Forever will be posted on February 5th along with the Official FOREVER tour hosted by Kismet Blog Tours. Be sure to stop by and check it out. :)

Whodunit: Murder Mystery Game | Authors/Bloggers - Want to join?

CALLING AUTHORS & BLOGGERS

WHERE: On my Blog - http://www.bittersweet-enchantment.com/

WHEN: Roughly the first two weeks in March

WHAT: Read below

I am working on doing a really fun and exciting event on my blog, Bittersweet Enchantment. The game/event is still unnamed for now but will be a whodunit Murder Mystery. If you're unfamiliar with this then here are the basics. The event will run for over a 2 week period (a couple times a week). There will be a killer (an author, who will be chosen later), the victims (a few bloggers), clues, alibis, and of course a line of questioning with me as the detective. Every few days there will be a post going up with more clues, and questioning for each author and even some twists and turns along the way. Until the very end when the killer is revealed and the game is over. So here where YOU come in if you choose to accept. I will be needing 5-6 authors to play out as suspects. I would need these authors to be willing to be committed to play during the time of the event as well as answer the questions about the murder and provide any other details I would need. Of course one of YOU I would choose to be the killer and all others would be innocent. 

Also any of you who want to play would need to donate at least one of your books (print or ebook) into grand prize for giveaway on my blog. My blog readers will be playing along trying to guess who's the killer. You are welcome to giveaway other items as well such a swag or gift cards. It all up to you. Being involved will also give you and your book(s) promotion. 

If you have any question please email me. There will be more details worked out once I have all of my suspects and the victims.

AUTHORS: WANT TO PLAY? CLICK HERE or email me at ChiKittie@gmail.com with the subject line "Author Request - Murder Mystery Game".
 Be sure to tell me what prize you'd like to giveaway. 

BLOGGERS: I will be needing at least 3 bloggers whom would be willing to play the victims. You wouldn't have to do anything per say. I would just need your approval to name you in the game as being the victim. (or dead) 

If you'd like to play please CLICK HERE or email me at ChiKittie@gmail.com with the subject line "Blogger Request - Murder Mystery Game".
(  I am always up for any ideas to how to make the game more fun. So if anyone has an ideas or would like to host the game, with me feel free to contact me about that as well. )

Once I have all of the key players I will began to set things up throughout the next month. 

Thanks everyone! I think this will be really fun!

Review by Hillary: Solving For Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans | Giveaway: Comment & Win!

Title: Solving For Ex
Author: Leigh Ann Kopans
Publishing Company: N/A
Genre: YA—Contemporary Romance
Pages: 310
Expected Released: February 11th 2014

Brendan was the only reason being the new kid at snobby Mansfield Prep in the middle of sophomore year hadn’t plunged me even deeper into the black hole of depression. Even though I would have much preferred holding hands as we walked down the hallway instead of bumping shoulders, and sharing kisses during movies instead of just popcorn, I was happier being his best friend than I’d been in years. Given that, the status quo of our relationship was just fine with me.

Until it suddenly, horribly, wasn’t anymore.

Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy.

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley’s place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sophia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There’s no real reason Ashley shouldn’t like Vincent, but with the battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

*Note to author: Leigh Ann, thank you so much for everything plus the card! You’re more fabulous for being a writer!

First things first, if you don’t know what book to read in the beginning of 2014, Solving For Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans is definitely the book you should be picking up! Hopefully you’ll understand after reading my review.

Usually I know what to expect before reading a book or I don’t know what to expect. Very rarely however, do I know and not know and this was one of those times. After reading the summary for Solving For Ex on Goodreads I kind of knew what I was getting myself into and at the same time I was nervous that I didn’t really know. All I knew was that I had to read this one because not only did the author send it to me because she is kind and generous, but also because the line at the very beginning of the summary caught my eye. I was finally going to read a book about a character moving on from bullying and depression. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to read a book that could relate to my high school life and I finally have and here is what I thought.

Ashley Price, the girl who in no way is looking for attention, has the biggest crush on her best friend, Brendan Thomas, the boy next door (literally) and he doesn’t know it. Ashley has always thought that Brendan could never guess her feelings for him and she’s definitely right. It’s even more apparent once new girl, Sofia, and her twin brother, Vincent, roll into town. As soon as Sofia got into the picture I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Ashley. She was that girl who had to stare across the room at the only guy she cared and loved the most looking at some other girl she eventually learns to hate most in the world. I definitely felt for her and I felt the same way as her too. As the story went on and Vincent got into the picture more and showed interest for Ashely I couldn’t help but swoon a little for him. I ended up regretting swooning for Vincent because when Ashley felt conflicted over the way she felt for Vincent I just wanted to shake her and tell her to give him a chance. Ashley’s gut feeling was very accurate in warning her to keep a distance from him though and in the end I put my head down in shame when I realized that the way he acted was indeed sketchy.

Sofia on the other hand, was easier to hate from the beginning. I just didn’t like her and she really reminded me of those high school cheerleader types that want all the attention from the guys and want to be the boss of everyone, but this time it’s about the Mathletes and how Sofia wants to make sure she gets into the top spot while also making sure Ashley gets kicked off the team. Sometimes I felt so crazy for wishing I could go inside the book and wanting to strangle her since Ashley wouldn’t. There were other moments were I was so ready to just scream out loud when I realized Sofia’s bad influence had reached Brendan and he was basically becoming her puppy who followed and did whatever she wanted. Those were probably the moments that affected me the most.

I really do feel that this book affected me emotionally, mentally, and physically. I haven’t been able to forget about the story in Solving For Ex and any of the characters (the ones I liked and cheered for) and I haven’t been able to stop the flow of memories that this book brought back to me. If anything, in the end I ended up swooning for more than just Brendan, but also for the book. I love this story so much I’m ready to just start telling people about it and about how much everyone should read it. That ending was definitely one of the best I’ve read so far for a standalone contemporary romance and I’m definitely sure that I won’t be forgetting about it anytime soon. If anything, this story has only helped fuel my desire to start writing my own contemporary romance book for YA readers that would involve things that actually happened to me in high school.

Solving For Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans is one of those books that will definitely not be leaving my mind and heart for a long time. I’m sure I’ll always remember this story and cherish it in my heart. Without Leigh Ann offering this book to me, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to read it sooner than others. I’ll always be grateful that such an awesome and amazing author offered me her book in the first place and months before the actual day it comes out. This book definitely tugged at my heartstrings and even if it is just a story, I feel like I’ve lived through everything that happened in the book which is very impressive. When I say that a book affects me in such a way, I rarely say it and I really mean it. I feel that everyone should read this book ASAP as soon as it comes out next year because this is a definite book to read. I’m sure others will love this story and I’m sure others will rave about it as well. I hope many of you have been convinced to read Solving For Ex because I feel like if I keep going I’m just going to go on and on and repeat myself until my point has come across clearly. Booknerds, I just hope you read this one and love it as much as I did!

Totally EPIC! One of the best books I have read. A MUST read!!

I really hope everyone enjoyed Hillary's review for Solving for Ex. She has offered to give away Solving for Ex postcards to random commenters. So if you'd like to win one all you have to do is leave a comment on this review. US ONLY but of course everything one is allowed to comment. :) Giveaway will close in 2 weeks. You may only comment once.  

Giveaway Winners!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the the following giveaways:

So sorry it took me so long to choose the winners. I've had a rough week. I found out I am sick with pneumonia. :( Please forgive the lateness. 

Winner of Win your book of choice via TBD up to $12 is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner of the random swag pack is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 Winner of the hardcopy of Erasing Time is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to all winners! YOU GUYS ROCK! You will be hearing from me shortly via e-mail. :) 

Blog Tour: Everything you know by Mary Beth Bass | Guest Post + Giveaway!

Presenting...

Everything you know by Mary Beth Bass Blog Tour

Event Organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc. 

Title: Everything You Know

Author: Mary Beth Bass

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy (Romance)

Publication Date: October 18, 2013

Publisher:  Boroughs Publishing Group

NO ONE KNOWS EVERYTHING FOREVER

Emma Mathews never believed she was like everyone else, but neither did she think herself crazy. Meeting Joe Castlellaw, Henry Dearborn High’s newest student, was like waking on a cold rock in a strange place, the world bathed in liquid moonlight. Everything is different now…and fraught. Visions of a dark forest, a screaming woman and blood have begun to haunt Emma’s dreams, and not only at night. But Joe’s lonely beauty makes her float on air, and she would follow him anywhere--out of high school and through the great tree, to a world of poetry and political savagery, of magic and murder, to a life that is entirely theirs and yet unlike anything they have ever known.

Purchase Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | iTunes | All Romance

It’s All in the Name - by Mary Beth Bass

Naming a character isn’t quite as daunting as naming a baby but it’s pretty close. A name is the first indication of who a person is. The way it sounds, the way it looks on the page, the cultural and historical connection are all signposts on the way to understanding the character.

In the very early stages of everything you know, when it was called emo blonde and the fantasy elements were almost insignificant, I imagined the heroine Emma’s parents to be hippie artists who’d named their five children after powerful historical figures (the girls) and artistic heroes (the boys). Emma came to me with her name, but I decided her parents named her after Emma Goldberg, the early 20th century anarchist. Turner was named for British painter J.M.W. Turner. Elizabeth for Queen Elizabeth I. Maude for Empress Maude, the leader of the Anarchy, one of the factions in the Twelfth Century civil war in England. And Sandy was named for Sanford Meisner, the 20th century acting teacher whose technique was all about finding truth in imaginary circumstances. The story changed as the fantasy elements in everything you know became stronger and more important but I kept the names. Emma’s parents are no longer hippie artists or even completely human, but there’s a spark of truth about the Mathews kids in those original name sources.      

I chose to name the hero of everything you know “Joe” because it’s almost super-ordinary and has a quality of being easily forgotten or invisible. I didn’t know Joe’s history when I chose his name but it fits with the necessity of Joe disappearing into the world he grew up in. In the first draft Joe’s last name was Oberon. I loved the way it sounded with Joe and I thought it was adorably clever to name my cute teen hero after the King of the Fairies since he was a secret fairy in the first version of the story. This, by the way, is why the revision command is Kill Your Darlings not Kill the Parts that Don’t Work. Writers spend a lot of time in our own heads. We have to be careful not to be too enchanted with ourselves. Or I do anyway. My agent, wisely, said no to Joe’s adorable-to-me last name. His last name now, Castlellaw, is Appalachian in origin. Joe’s mother came from Appalachia. This fact is never directly referenced in the text but it informs how I think about Joe’s mom and how she made her way in the world.

During the last revision of everything you know my editor suggested I make the vocabulary of my fantasy world consistent (instead of a mishmash of random words I thought sounded cool) by choosing an existing language base and tweaking the words. This was super fun and obviously the right way to go. I gave all the characters additional names from the fantasy world where they were born, which was like getting to choose names they might have chosen for themselves instead of the names their parents gave them.  

         

About The Author: Mary Beth Bass

Find Mary Beth @

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Tumblr | Goodreads | Pinterest

More than a little obsessed with Keats and Moby Dick and fueled by loud music and cold grey days, Mary Beth Bass is the author of young adult fantasy and romantic women’s fiction. Her debut paranormal-women’s fiction hybrid, Follow Me received the Book Buyers Best Award for Time Travel, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance. 

An occasional travel writer, Mary Beth has written about Paris, Bordeaux, and Yorkshire, where she hiked the moors to the legendary setting for Wuthering Heights and stood breathless in the parsonage room where Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Bronte talked out their stories with each other. 

And if I seem a little strange, well that’s because I am.

Also loves octopuses.

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