The Indie Book Festival: Post -Christmas Sale



The Post-Christmas Holiday Book Sale, hosted by the Indie Book Festival, will kick off on December 28 and run through December 31. All books will be .99!! The Indie Book Festival will be posting the participating books to their Facebook page as well.

The Indie Book Festival website is the premier online website for seasonal ebook sales events! From Halloween to Valentine's Day – we'll celebrate it by bringing you bestselling books by today’s hottest Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal and Young Adult indie authors.

Indie Book Festival |Facebook | Twitter

You can also enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card now!

<a id="rc-95664724" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/95664724/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

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2013 Ebook Challenge List



The 2013 Ebook Challenge. Encouraging readers to expand past just physical books to embrace ebooks in all forms, whether on Kindle, Kobo, computer, or any other reader.
Challenge Guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013.
2. Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).
3. Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.
4. You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:

1. Floppy disk – 5 ebooks
2. CD – 10 ebooks
3. DVD – 25 ebooks
4. Memory stick – 50 ebooks
5. Hard drive – 75 ebooks
6. Server – 100 ebooks
7. Human brain – 150 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will remain open for the remainder of the year, so if you forget, feel free go back and add them when you remember.
There will be a giveaway at the end of the year for eveyone who achieves their goal level (or higher).

My Goal - CD [10 books]

Ebook Challenge List [no order]:

The Enchanted Orchards - Kristin Maddock

The Choice - Robert Whitlow

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Flat Out Love - Jessica Park

A Sweethaven Summer - Courtney Walsh

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

Ask The Passengers - A.S. King

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

The Summer I Learned to Dive - Shannon McCrimmon

Cover Reveal: Running On Empty by L.B. Simmons

Title: Running On Empty

Author: L.B. Simmons

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Age Group: Adult

Cover Designer and website: Okay Creations, www.okaycreations.net

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Expected release date: Jan 9, 2013

Book Description:

I had the perfect life. 

Beautiful and loving husband. 

Three gorgeous little girls. 

Successful career. 

The only thing missing was the white picket fence.  I really wanted that fence. 

Three years ago, I lost that life.  I lost my husband.  And I lost myself.  But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness.  I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world.  I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse.

But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle.

There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down.  Absolutely no way. 

The question is…

How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up?

 About the author:

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science.  She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years.  She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas.  Although they keep her busy, she writes every chance she gets. 

L.B. Simmons | Twitter | Facebook

My Holiday Reads

I'm totally in my mode right now. I LOVE Christmas! Even though I live in Tx and it's not the ideal place when you think of winter I enjoy it all the same. I love watching Xmas movies...some of my faves... The Family Stone, The Holiday and Love Actually. I enjoy baking though I can't cook to save my life. I even love being around my crazy family.

My favorite thing to do though is getting cozy and reading a good seasonal read. I got a bunch of free Kindle reads plus I bought a few. I haven't read them all but I thought I would share a few I did read.



Why I took this long to read it I'll never know. It had me laughing and wanting a red notebook and my very own Dash.

Three very cute stories about the magic of Christmas and love. Gives you hope and that love has a way of showing up in the most unlikely places.

Three amazing writers and I love how all the stories sort of all tie together in the end.

The story of forgiveness and redemption. That they are still good people in the world who are always willing to give you a second chance in life.



Cute childrens story. A talking Christmas tree showing kids the true meaning of Christmas and living a full and meaningful life.

This will be my final post of the year. Going to take time off to relax and spend it with family. Can't wait to see what the new year brings and can't wait for all the fab reads we all will share in 2013.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

2013 TBR Challenge - Finalized Reading List

Earlier this month I decided to enter my first reading challenge. It's the TBR 2013 Challenge. I finally got around to making my list of books TBR. Some are 2012 reads I got/bought but never read, others are older than that. I'm so behind!

I had originally stated my goal was: A Firm Handshake [1-10 books]

My new goal is: A Friendly Hug [11-20 books]

I'm hoping *fingers crossed* to do 15... here's my list!

*2013 TBR List*

[no order]

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Live Through This - Mindi Scott
Where She Went - Gayle Forman
Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah
A Sweethaven Summer – Courtney Walsh
The Choice - Robert Whitlow
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty - Joshilyn Jackson
Gods in Alabama – Joshilyn Jackson
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Bossypants - Tina Fey
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith
The Summer I Learned to Dive - Shannon McCrimmon

WoW [11]

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

The History of Us by Leah Stewart
Expected publication: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Touchstone

[Goodreads] Three grown siblings return to their childhood home and face a family secret that forces them to reexamine their relationships to each other—and to the aunt who took them in as children.

Eloise Hempel is on her way to teach a class at Harvard when she receives devastating news. Her sister and her husband have been killed in a tragic accident, and Eloise must return home to Cincinnati to take her sister’s three children, Theodora, Josh, and Claire, out of the hands of her own incapable mother. She moves back into her mother’s ancient house and, after her mother leaves, pours her own money into its upkeep.

Nearly two decades later, Eloise is still in that house, still thinking about what she left behind. With Claire leaving for New York City for a promising ballet career, Eloise has plans to finally embark on a life that’s hers alone. But when her mother makes a competition out of who inherits the house, and Claire reveals a life-changing secret, their makeshift family begins to fall apart.


I'm a fan of Leah Stewart. I think she's an amazing writer and I'm never disappointed when I read her writing. The novel sounds good and interesting and I cant wait to read it.

So what are you all waiting on? Please share.


　

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I've Read in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme from thebrokeandthebookish

This weeks Top Ten:

Best Books I've Read in 2012

That's my Top 10...what's yours?

Review: All I Want by Jolene Perry, Kaylee Baldwin and Rachael Anderson

All I Want by Jolene Perry, Kaylee Baldwin and Rachael Anderson

Published: November 2012
Format: Kindle read
Rating: 4/5
　

This is my favorite time of the year. While many people don't like the holidays I LOVE them. I love the baking, shopping and wrapping. I enjoy Christmas movies and cheesy holiday tunes. Most of all I love seasonal reads. So I went searching for some good ones to enjoy this holiday season. In the next days I'll be reviewing a few of my holiday reads.

All I Want is one of these. It's three short stories from some wonderful writers. All three stories have the elements of love, hope and holiday magic. I'm a sucker for a cute love story and all three have this.

In Pretty Near Perfect by Jolene Perry 
Norah decides to spend the holiday with her dead fiance's family. While she has started to move on, his family hasn't. She starts to wonder if it was the right idea to go or not when she meets Collin. Collin is her fiance's brothers roommate. He helps her relaxed and they eventually fall for each other. They try to hold off on their feelings for respect of the family but sometimes the heart wants what it wants. Like all things though things get in the way.

In Six Days of Christmas by Kaylee Baldwin
Natalie goes home for Christmas with her best friend in spite the fact she has a deadline to meet for work. When her best friends brother comes home he's not the "little" brother she remembered. Though she has a boyfriend, she starts the have feelings for her best friends brother. Who will she pick boyfriend whom she shares the same life goals as? Or the one guy who makes her laugh and makes her realize it's ok to enjoy life?

Twist of Fate by Rachael Anderson
Sometimes you can't explain everything. Sometimes things are simply brought together by fate. That's what happens when Tyler McKenzie and McKenzie Taylor become neighbors and friends. Their mail always gets mixed up and in the process Ty gets Mckenzie's postcard from her fiancee...who's dumping her right before the wedding. So Ty decides not to tell McKenzie and ruin her fave holiday...Christmas. In the process both realize they have feeling for one another but can Mckenzie forgive Ty?

While all three are great I must say my faves were the first two. Both just really spoke to me. While they aren't connecting stories they all flow easily to one another. If you want a cute quick holiday read full of love then this one is for you. This is one holiday read that's so worth it.

WoW [10]

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie
Expected publication: July 9, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

[Goodreads] It's been eight years since Gen Loxley lost her daughter, Beth eight years of grief in which nothing's really moved forward, for all that her husband, Art, wills it to. Gen, once a writer of novels, has settled in to a life of half-hearted teaching, while Art makes his name and their fortune - and pressures her into trying IVF once again. For Gen, it seems a cruel act of replacement; life without Beth is unthinkable, unbearable - but still it goes on. And then a woman arrives on Gen's doorstep, saying the very thing she longs to hear: that her daughter was not stillborn, but was spirited away as a healthy child, and is out there, waiting to be found….
So why is Art reluctant to get involved? To save his wife from further hurt? Or something much more sinister?
What is the truth about Beth Loxley?

I love a good mystery and this one from the description sounds like a good one. So many questions and possibilities who wouldn't want to read this to see how it all pans out? Plus you all know I love a good cover.

So what are you all waiting on? Please share.

Top 10 Tuesday - Authors New to Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme from thebrokeandthebookish

Top 10- New to Me Authors

John Green

Lisa Kleypas

Rainbow Rowell

Miranda Kenneally

Veronica Roth

Jenny Han

Ashley Paternostro-Mackler

Abbi Glines

Suzanne Collins

Gayle Forman

While some of these authors have been around for sometime... to me aleast they are new. This past year I fell in love with YA reads. I'm so glad I did! Fab reads and authors I wouldn't have known otherwise. Good lord I'm just realizing what I've been missing! So now I'm trying to catch up and discovering more wonder reads day after day.

Feel free to share your Top Ten.

WoW [9]

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

The Whole Stupid Way We Are by N. Griffin
Expected publication: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

[Goodreads] It’s Maine. It’s winter. And it’s FREEZING STINKIN’ COLD! Dinah is wildly worried about her best friend, Skint. He won’t wear a coat. Refuses to wear a coat. It’s twelve degrees out, and he won’t wear a coat. So Dinah’s going to figure out how to help. That’s what Dinah does—she helps. But she’s too busy trying to help to notice that sometimes, she’s doing more harm than good. Seeing the trees instead of the forest? That’s Dinah.

And Skint isn’t going to be the one to tell her. He’s got his own problems. He’s worried about a little boy whose dad won’t let him visit his mom. He’s worried about an elderly couple in a too-cold house down the street.

But the wedge between what drives Dinah and what concerns Skint is wide enough for a big old slab of ice. Because Skint’s own father is in trouble. Because Skint’s mother refuses to ask for help even though she’s at her breaking point. And because Dinah might just decide to…help. She thinks she’s cracking through a sheet of ice, but what’s actually there is an entire iceberg.

I've heard some good things about this book. I'm really interested in seeing what it's all about. Looks good and I love a good story. Definitely seems like there's more than meets the eye.

Please feel free to share your WoW.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme from thebrokeandthebookish

This weeks feature is:

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

Books I want to read but still haven't bought:

Books I Wish Santa Could Deliver NOW! [Can't wait for the release date]

Those are my picks. What are yours?

TBR PILE Reading Challenge

Welcome to 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!!!

6 BLOGGERS, 12 MINI-CHALLENGES, 24 BOOKS TO WIN!!!
We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we've got PRIZES!!! :D

Challenge Guidelines:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 - Dec 31, 2013.

Anyone can enter! You don't have to be a blogger, as long as you review the book you've read! (On your blog, Amazon or Goodreads/Shelfari!)
Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2012 and earlier! NO 2013 ARCs and 2013 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge. (If you don't have a blog, post about it on Facebook or Tweet!)
You can move up levels, but no moving down.
Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
On the 20th of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. The giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up! (i.e. the entire month)
If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - a box of books.
You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!
Levels:
(how many books you're planning to read for this challenge in 2013)


1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Schedule:
January 20th:
Evie @Bookish (www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com)

February 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)

March 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)

April 20th: Tiffany @Escaping.. One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)

May 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)

June 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)

July 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)

August 20th: Tiffany @Escaping One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)

September 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)

October 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)

November 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)

December 20th: This one will be posted on all the blogs. There will also be a huge BOX OF BOOKS giveaway and this time you can link up ALL YOUR TBR Pile REVIEWS you wrote for the entire year!

SIGN UP HERE

Since this is my first TBR challegne I'm going with: A Firm Handshake [1-10 books]. If over time I can do more I will move it up to the next level.

My Reads [List to come in a few days]

Sign up and join in on the fun!

IMM [8]

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Sharing books that have been received for review, purchased or given as a gift.  The following is two weeks worth of stuff. Please be sure to share what you got this week also. 

FOR REVIEW VIA PUBLISHER

[Thanks Disney-Hyperion!]

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

FOR REVIEW VIA NETGALLEY

RECEIVED FINISHED COPY [SIGNED] FROM PUBLISHER

[Thanks St. Martin's Griffin!]

FOR REVIEW FROM ARCYCLING [My 1st]

PURCHASED [$4.00 On Black Friday!]

Only $2.99 couldn't help it

 FREE KINDLE READS

Please feel free to share what you got this week!

Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Shadowlands by Kate Brian
Expected Publication: January 8, 2013
Format: ARC from publisher
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Rating: 5/5
　
[Goodreads]: Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.
Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My Thoughts

I wasnt sure if I was going to enjoy this I'll admit that. Boy was I wrong! I was sucked in from page one. I LOVE this book!
It's a fast paced book that will have you questioning everything and everyone in it. There was times when I didnt want to stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen next. Is Rory going crazy or is everyone around her? There were times when I didnt know if what I was reading was real or not. I'm all up for an author who can take me on a ride with all kinds of twist and turns. This book had me guessing and thinking until the very end and man was I suprised in the end. I read that this is the first book in a series. I hope so because I cant wait to see what happens next.

WoW [8]

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill @

Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

 OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Expected publication: July 23, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

 [Goodreads] When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he's her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again. But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can't stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a ton about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she's obsessed. Bea tells herself she's got it all under control, but this isn't a choice, it's a compulsion. The truth is, she's breaking down... and she might end up breaking her own heart. 

I always up for a good love story. This one seems to have a twist so Im all for seeing how this interesting book turns out.

What's your WoW of the week? Please share.

Top Ten Tuesday: Anticipated Books of 2013

Hosted by thebrokeandthebookish

Top Ten Anticipated Books of 2013:

Those are my picks. Please feel free to share yours!