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book blast, giveaway

Book Blast: Kindle Fire Giveaway

Kathryn Cooper

The following is a Book Blast, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. To see more about her Book Blasts go HERE.

Orangeberry Book Tours
Happy Mother’s Day Kindle Fire Giveaway
May 10th to 17th

A swirl of recipes from around the world,
a love story that spans for decades,
a family at the crossroads of life
and so much more …

This Mother’s day,
the authors from Orangberry Book Tours
are sponsoring a host of freebies
and a Kindle Fire giveaway.

To the special women in our lives,
to the bloggers who help us on our journey
and to the readers who make it possible to
share our stories … we thank you.

Sponsored by :
Bruno McGrath – Elevenses from Around the WorldDavid M. Brown – Fezariu’s Epiphany
Pandora Poikilos – Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out & Frequent Traveller
Perry Martin – Pretty Flamingo
Shannon Mayer – Ingredients of a Cauldron
Stephanie Abbott – Past Lives #1 Rachel
Suzanne Anderson – Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure
Terri Giuliano Long – In Leah’s Wake

35 Winners!
1 x Grand Prize = 1 Kindle Fire and 1 copy of all 9 ebooks
9 x 1 copy of all 9 ebooks
25 x 1 copy of any three ebooks

Giveaway Details: 
The prize will be sent as an Amazon.com Kindle Fire Gift Card.  You must live in the US or have an Amazon.com account to redeem the gift card.
Ends May 17th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review, marie higgins, secrets after dark

Book Review: Secrets After Dark by Marie Higgins

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Secrets After Dark
Author: Marie Higgins
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press
Release Date: January 2012
Pages: 258
Series: none
Source: publisher
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

Residing at Thornton Manor under the premise of courting Jonathan Thornton, Hannah Forester intends to find out who murdered her father—and why. After all, Jonathan’s brother Morgan was the last person to visit Peter Forester before his demise. But upon her arrival at Thornton Manor, Hannah is informed that Morgan perished the previous year in a house fire. She soon learns the manor is full of secrets: a ghost haunting the East Wing, a white wolf that roams the grounds by night, and the story of a curse-protected treasure on the neighboring island. Most disturbingly, Hannah discovers that numerous young women have visited the manor only to vanish without a trace.
When a hooded, deep-voiced man visits Hannah’s bedroom late at night, warning her to leave the manor for her own safety, she realizes he must be Morgan Thornton. But why does he hide in the East Wing, and why does his family insist he is but a ghost? As Hannah falls in love with the handsome older brother, she must continue to court Jonathan in order to remain at the estate. Can she convince Morgan where her true loyalties lie? And will she uncover the Thorntons’ secrets quickly enough to solve her father’s murder before she loses her own life?

My Thoughts:
I didn’t realize this was a retelling of Beauty and The Beast until I started reading it. A beautiful girl in a mysterious Manor with a man in hiding who changes into beast form. There are so many additional characters with twists and turns in this story though. So at the same time it wasn’t like a retelling at all.

Hannah was brave and smart, and Morgan was mysterious and heroic. The ending bothered me slightly. I like happy endings, but it was a bit too perfect for me. That’s out of character for me to say, but I had come to grips with how I thought things would turn out in the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It had suspense, mystery, and of course romance. It was a beautiful love story of overcoming obstacles to be with the person you love.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( lots of kissing )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( fighting, blood, death )

*I received a review copy of the book from Walnut Springs Press. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.*
Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Adult Fiction

Book Review, DAC 2012, falling

Book Review: Falling by L.C. Smith

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Falling
Author: L.C. Smith
Publisher: L.C. Smith
Release Date: January 2012
Pages: eBook only
Series: none
Source: author
3 Stars: I liked it

Love is a funny thing; there’s the kind that’s like you’re five and you’re looking up at your Mum’s face as she reads you a bedtime story.
Then there’s the kind that makes you nervous and twists in your stomach.
Then there’s the kind that makes you feel like you’re holding everything of worth in your hands.
After the death of her parents in a car accident when Reid was eleven years old she gained the ability to jump into peoples bodies. Not a single person knows her secret, not her only friend Sara and especially not Keller. The problem is, every time she looks into his eyes, she starts falling into him.

My Thoughts:
Falling was a good read. The whole idea of falling or jumping into someone’s body was so unique and interesting to me. I kept reading to find out how Reid would deal with this really strange ability.

Reid, an orphan from age 11, was a senior at an all girl boarding school. I didn’t know how to feel about her sometimes. I liked her, but then I couldn’t relate to some of her choices which made me frustrated and unconnected to her. Like when Reid would choose to jump into someone’s body, instead of forced by her power. I couldn’t fathom why she would choose to invade someone’s privacy like that. Sometimes it was funny or interesting, but other times it bothered me. I also felt the writing was a bit confusing at times and had to go back and re-read something to follow what was happening.

Reid’s best friend Sara was fun; I wish there was a little more of her. I really liked Keller, the boy interest. The chemistry between Reid and Keller was great. I really enjoyed their scenes together. They were super cute! The ending was great and made everything all better. I liked Reid at the end and was glad to see her develop as a character.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing, boy and girl alone in bedroom )
Language: mild ( d***-5, h***-1 )
Violence: none
Other: a few drunk people

*I received an eBook review copy of the book from the author. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.*

Buy it!
[ Amazon ]

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

This is book #2 of my 2012 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by The Story Siren.

star ratings

Stars!

Kathryn Cooper

You may have noticed that I don’t have star ratings for my book reviews. Well that’s going to change. I realized that when I don’t have time to read every book review on my blog following list I’ll skip to the star rating. Did that reviewer give it 3 stars or 5? I really like the way Mundie Moms does it at the top with the book info. So look for my star rating there from now on.

What I consider 3 stars is a book I like but might not recommend to everyone. A 4 star book I recommend to most everyone. A 5 star book I recommend to everyone, want to buy for my collection, and will enjoy re-reading it.


Stars:
1 Star (I’ll never read a book I consider 1 star because I can’t waste my time with something I don’t enjoy.)
2 Stars: It Wasn’t For Me (Again, I probably won’t finish reading a book I don’t like.)
3 Stars: I Liked It
4 Stars: I Really Liked It
5 Stars: I Loved It!

What are your thoughts on star ratings? Do you find it hard to assign a star? Do you pick books due to other reviewer’s star rating?

glamorous illusions, lisa t bergren, waiting on wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday: Glamorous Illusions

Kathryn Cooper

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly post, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , where we spotlight a book we are anxiously waiting to be published.

Glamorous Illusions
By Lisa T. Bergren
Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: June 1, 2012

When Cora Kensington learns she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king, her life changes forever. Even as she explores Europe with her new family, she discovers that the most valuable journey is within. The first book in the Grand Tour series takes you from the farms of Montana through England and France on an adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awakening, and self-discovery.

I love The River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren so I really need to read some more of her stuff! This cover is gorgeous; I love the Eiffel Tower in the background. Not much longer to wait for this one! I featured this for a WoW post on my teen blog not long ago, but now I’ve discovered it is “New Adult.” I’ve heard this term recently, and I think it means an adult book with characters 18-29 years old. Does anyone know exactly?

What books are you “Waiting On” today?

palace of stone, waiting on wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday: Palace of Stone

Kathryn Cooper

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly post, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , where we spotlight a book we are anxiously waiting to be published.

Palace of Stone (Princess Academy #2)
By Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: August 21, 2012

Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city seems a thrill beyond imagining. When Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel set off to help the future princess Britta prepare for her royal wedding, she is happy about her chance to attend school in the capital city. There, Miri befriends students who seem so sophisticated and exciting . . . until she learns that they have some frightening plans. They think that Miri will help them, that she should help them. Soon Miri finds herself torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends’ ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city.
Picking up where Princess Academy left off, this incredible stand-alone story celebrates the joys of friendship, the delight of romance, and the fate of a beloved fairy tale kingdom.

It’s been a long time since I read Princess Academy, book 1 in the series, but I remember thinking it was a cute story. I might need to go back and read it to refresh my memory before Palace of Stone comes out.

What books are you “Waiting On” today?

stacking the shelf

Stacking The Shelves (1)

Kathryn Cooper

Before I begin let me real quick tell you my reason for not participating in the In My Mailbox meme. As most of you know, The Story Siren plagiarized on her blog. What she did was wrong. I will not shun someone for their mistakes though. I believe in forgiveness and second chances, but I don’t think she should be the host of the most popular meme in the YA blogging community any longer. Ok, moving on!

*I’m adding these links for clarification upon request.* 
The Story Siren’s apology posts click HERE and HERE.
Grit and Glamour’s posts click HERE and HERE.
Beautifully Invisible’s posts click HERE and HERE.

I saw this meme on Fire and Ice today. Thanks for pointing me in an awesome direction!
Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tygna’s Reviews, is a weekly post where bloggers list the books they recently acquired. The books can come from anywhere: publisher, author, giveaway, library, bought.

Click the book’s title to view on GoodReads.

For Review:
Thank you Andrea Cefalo for my review copy!

The Fairytale Keeper by Andrea Cefalo

Giveaway:
image from Hannah Clark’s blog.
Cobbogothian bangle from Hannah L. Clark author of Cobbogoth.

That’s all for this week!

book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop (1)

Kathryn Cooper
Book Blogger Hop
Click the logo to see more info on this weekly hop and to find links to other bloggers in the hop. I don’t know if I’ll participate each week, but I really like this question.

Question for May 5-11:
What are the next five books in your TBR (to-be-read) pile? And, don’t worry, you can change your mind and read something different – we won’t check!
My Answer:
Falling by L.C. Smith (currently reading)
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Night Marchers by Rebecca Gober

How about you? What’s on your TBR? Join the hop!

book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop (1)

Kathryn Cooper
Book Blogger Hop

Click the logo to see more info on this weekly hop and to find links to other bloggers in the hop. I don’t know if I’ll participate each week, but I really like this question.


Question for May 5-11:
What are the next five books in your TBR (to-be-read) pile? And, don’t worry, you can change your mind and read something different – we won’t check!

My Answer:
Fool’s Puzzle by Earlene Fowler
Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
The Rejected Suitor by Teresa McCarthy
Austenland by Shannon Hale (re-read to review it)
Every Little Thing About You by Lori Wick (re-read to review it)

How about you? What’s on your TBR? Join in the hop!