Audition - Stasia Ward Kehoe

Audition Coming To A Bookstore Near You - October 13, 2011

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.
(From Goodreads)


I have no idea how I ended up finding this book one day while researching about various kinds of sharks. Leave it to google to lead me to finding an author that just intrigued me. I decided that if I found her story interesting so would you. Now, if you want the full story you need to go check out her site at www.stasiawardkehoe.com, here are the highlights:


Stasia Ward Kehoe was born to be on the stage. She did ballet, choir, musicals, enjoyed books about entertainers, created her own childhood theatre company, and was your overall creatively inspired young girl. Fast forward to the college years she tried out being an economics major at Georgetown University, settled into an English major, all the while keeping her love of dance and the stage going in the background. After college she worked with the Kennedy Center then went onto get her master's in Performance Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. When she went back into the job market she found a job with Random House Children's Publishing. 


This is where her story got really interesting to me. It was as if her whole life started to come together. She was married, working at a job she loved, decided she "wanted to join those amazing YA novelists on the shelves," she starts writing then she had a baby.  Stasia goes on to have three more babies (a total of four boys) and keeps writing throughout all the twists and turns her life takes her. Today she is happy to announce that she is living her childhood dream of being on stage, just a little different from an actual stage.  The world of books will be a little brighter with the release of her debut novel, Audition. (All details were pulled from her website www.stasiawardkehoe.com)


Stasia's story was really inspiring to me because all to often we get bogged down by all the details of our lives that we sometimes forget those dreams we had as children. Her story just spoke to me because I am at that place in life where I have to fight to find time to read and blog about books, but I do it because that is my dream. It is wonderful to see that she knew what she wanted to be all along and she is a wife and mom to four boys. Just incredible!


I hope you will check out her new book, Audition coming out October 13, 2011.


Happy Reading,







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Mailbox Monday

This week I filled a whole book shelf with books. Mostly from the great prices, but sad prices at Borders.  I have had my eyes on many of these for a long time. Now I just need unlimited time to read - don't we all.

Books Received For Review:

Torn by Erica O'Rourke

Everyone has secrets.

Even best friends.

Swirling black descends like ravens, large enough to block the glow of the streetlights. A dull roar starts like a train on the 'L', a far-away rumbling that grows louder as it pulls closer, until it's directly overhead and you feel it in your chest, except this doesn't pass you by. Verity, white-faced and eyes blazing, shouts through the din, "Run, Mo!"

Mo Fitzgerald knows about secrets. But when she witnesses her best friend's murder, she discovers Verity was hiding things she never could have guessed. To find the answers she needs and the vengeance she craves, Mo—quiet, ordinary, unmagical Mo—will have to enter a world of raw magic and shifting alliances. And she'll have to choose between two very different, equally dangerous guys—protective, duty-bound Colin and brash, mysterious Luc. One wants to save her, one wants to claim her. Which would you choose? Is that not just a beautiful and intriguing cover? I have quite a few books to get to before I can get to this one, but will be happy when I can break into this one.

Learn more about Erica O'Rourke at www.ericaorourke.com.

Book Won:

Blood Magic (ARC) by Tessa Gratton (Autographed)

Books Purchased:

Working Stiff by Rachel Caine


Little Bee by Chris Cleave


Hexed by Kevin Hearne


Hereafter by Tara Hudson (Autographed at her Saturday signing)


Incarceron by Catherine Fisher


Sapphique by Catherine Fisher


Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin


The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore


Bloodlines by Richelle Mead


Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros


Once A Runner by John L. Parker, Jr.


Remember Me by Christopher Pike


Thirst No. 1 by Christopher Pike 


Thirst No. 2 by Christopher Pike 


Thirst No. 3 by Christopher Pike


To Fetch A Thief by Spencer Quinn


The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig (Autographed)


The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (Autographed)


The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig


The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood and The Duchess of Northumberland


Well, there you have it folks. I went a little overboard in Borders, then went to Tara Hudson's book signing, and then my husband surprised me with three of them.  I will let you guess which three. Oh, this could be fun to find out which you think he might or might not have bought. Let the guessing begin.


Until Next Monday,

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Mailbox Monday

Yes, I skipped last week, but I received so much mail that I wanted to take pictures to show you just how amazing some of the authors out there are. Blogging about what I have been reading and different authors I am being introduced to has been such a fun adventure. I also have met lots of people in my area  who have helped to make Texas feel like home.  The last few weeks I have actually had to say "wait let me check my schedule" instead of the immediate "Yes! Please take me with you even if I have no idea what you are doing." So, thank you to all the fellow reader of Texas for making me feel at home, thank you to the other book bloggers out there that are just so encouraging and helpful, and thank you of course to my wonderful readers without you I would be talking to myself in print. 

Without further ado, I present - Mailbox Monday: 

Books Received For Review:

Spells, Slots & Sirens: Stories of the Arcana Royale by Heather Long, Lisa Pietsch, and K. F. Zuzulo

Las Vegas, baby at the casino of all Casinos — the Arcana Royale. Arcana Royale is a high-end supernatural casino.  Some characters are immortal and some are not. The Royale itself has a very distinct personality and some even believe it may be “alive” in its own right. 


Anything can happen at the Arcana Royale and anything goes, but don’t piss off the Overseers or you may find yourself serving up your soul to the showgirls.   Discover tales of forbidden romance, sexy heroes and dark mysteries.  (Blurb pulled from sapphirebluepublishing.com)

Seven Souls A Leaping by Heather Long, Lisa Pietsch, and K. F. Zuzulo

At the New England New Age (NENA) Investigations, no case is too weird. The paranormal detective agency relies on the familial talents of siblings Duncan and Samantha MacDougal and their cousin Tara Conroy.  While Duncan and Samantha tend to the field work, Tara mans the office tapping sources in both the physical and spirit world.  Fate takes a hand when a killer named Jeffrey Wiles begins a death-dealing spree that puts the lives and loves of these investigators on the line.  (Blurb pulled from sapphirebluepublishing.com)

Books Won/Swag Received:

Michele Bardsley sent me this fun care package full of goodies.  This ladies is truly awesome and I am not saying that just because we share a name, especially since she has the cool spelling (one "L" instead of two).  Bardsley is an amazing author who is always out supporting other fellow authors. I have seen her at almost every signing in Texas I have been to. She sent bookmarks, postcards, an official consortium card from her Broken Heart series, and a signed copy of her double delights book: Husband For Hire/Wife For Rent. Thank you so much for all the lovely gifts. *hugs*

 

Louisa Edwards is next up on the hit list of amazing authors. Edwards writes books about sexy chefs and come on who does not like a man that can cook and is good with his hands.  She sent some of her brand new trading cards, a bookmark and a sample of her recently released book: Too Hot To Touch. My friend and I have a huge girl crush on Louisa Edwards and if you ever read her books or meet her in person you will understand. She is just a sweetheart and always seems to be eating at amazing restaurants. I cannot wait to see her again at Readers N' Ritas 2011.

Last, but certainly not least is Jennifer Laurens. I recently found out about Laurens because I kept seeing her come up on Twitter and I had to find out more about this author. Her most talked about book was Heavenly, so I read it and really enjoyed her writing style. I started following her on Twitter and reading her blog and boy does she love her fans or as I like to be called her "minions" (don't worry it will catch on, just remember I started it haha). I have proceeded to all of her books on my TBR list, so be on the look out for reviews of her books.  Anyways, I won one of her twitter giveaways. Three signed bookmarks, which are beautiful, and this really sweet angel wings. My niece (aka little monster) was eyeing them, but I set her straight.  

If you would like to learn more about these three ladies, please check out their websites:

Michele Bardsley: www.michelebardsley.com

Louisa Edwards: www.louisaedwards.com

Jennifer Laurens: www.jenniferlaurens.com

Books Purchased:

Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship. 

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand. 

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well? (From Goodreads)

Stray by Rachel Vincent

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds. Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked. I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared. This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . . (From Goodreads)

Until Next Monday,

Michelle

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Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong

Check out her amazing trailer:

For more information about Jennifer Laurens and Overproteced visit the Overprotected website: http://overprotectedbook.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

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Authors After Dark 2012 + Giveaway

O'Boyled Books has been going strong for two months now and I think it is time we start spreading the word. I am really looking forward to going to Authors After Dark in New Orleans next year and would love to go as a legit blogger. How can you help me? That's easy, just look to your right and click the join button.

Now, most of you are reluctant to join and I understand. You don't want to have to join something that is boring, but I have found the best way to get more followers is with a giveaway. So help me achieve my goal of going to AAD 2012 as a Legit Book Blogger and take a chance at winning the prize.

I wanted to give away a book that I not only loved the book, but loved the author too. When I decided on the book/author it only made since to include her other half as well. So, since this is my first giveaway it is only befitting that I giveaway two books from the two authors that I went to see for my very first book signing ever in Shreveport, Louisiana. **drumroll please**

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler & Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

These two ladies are incredible and dangerous when they are together. I have read all their books and try to be as patience as I can be as I wait for their new books to come out. I have chosen to give away their first book of each of their series. Nicole Peeler's Jane True Series and Jaye Wells' Sabina Kane Series.

Rules:

1. Must follow or be a follower of O'Boyled Books.

2. Additional Entries:

• +1 For Following O'Boyled Books on Twitter (@OBoyledBooks)
• +1 For Following Nicole Peeler on Twitter (@NicolePeeler)
• +1 For Following Jaye Wells on Twitter (@JayeWells)
• +1 For Subscribing to Emails
• + 1 For Tweeting: Help @OBoyledBooks grow! AAD 2012 Blogger + Giveaway of @NicolePeeler and @JayeWells books at oboyledbooks.blogspot.com

Now that you know the rules. Here is the FORM to fill out! Good Luck!

Contest ends when I reach 100 Followers or September 11, 2011 (9.11.11) whichever comes first.

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REVIEW: Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen

Synopsis From Goodreads:

As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she’d be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions...

Jaguar Strike wishes he hadn’t made the mistake of reuniting his fellow warrior priests, or broken the law by saving their chosen human sacrifice. Now, he has no choice but to join forces with Leah and invoke dangerous magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.

Nightkeepers is the first book in the Final Prophecy Series by Jessica Andersen. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book despite the fact that there were some very big complaints from me as the reader.

Things I Liked:

There were a few things that I really liked about Nightkeepers. Andersen has a background in science and you can read more about her bio here. I always love it when you can see a bit of the author's personality and the way they think come out in their writing. This was very evident in her scientific logic to some of the scenes. (If A is true, then B is true, B is true , therefore A is true.) Another thing I liked was the fact that she mingled in a sports reference here and there, especially a Rangers reference being a Texan and all now. She even got in a Extreme Home Makeover reference, with the use of Ty Pennington and who doesn't like a handy man? What I liked the most was her use of Mayan history and the 2012 Prophecy. Having never had an interest in Mayan culture it was great to get a glimpse at what they believe and how their society worked. If a book makes me have to google to find out more about something, then I am obviously staying interested.

My Complaints:

First, I do not like books that cannot clearly explain all the characters and how they connect to each other. It took me quite a while to get past the beginning, but when I did I actually started to enjoy the book. Then, my momentum was put on halt around the sixth or seventh chapter with the addition of approximately ten new characters. This would not have been such a stopping point except for the fact that the only notice given that you will be getting new characters was the change in point of view. One paragraph ended in one person POV, then another paragraph started another POV within the same chapter no less. It was very annoying to me to try to keep up. To the point that I had to pull out a piece of paper and start making a chart of who belonged to who. For many people this would have been a stopping point, but I charged ahead. This is also the main reason it received a three out of five rating. My second complaint is a little petty, but I really really hate the word "Ergo." For whatever reason that word is like nails on a chalk board to me and Andersen used it seven times in the book. Yes, once I see that word I start counting how many times it shows up. She also used the phrase, "if he was an inch" too much. She is the author if the character is six feet tall we do not need to hear that they are emphatically six foot tall. My final complaint is that many scenes were overly descriptive. I do not need to know the pattern of the bed spread in excruciating detail.

Nightkeepers saving grace was that the story was interesting. Andersen kept a good pace, there were not many lulls in action. Now that all the characters are laid out and know I how they connect I believe it will make the second book in this series easier to read. A book should be able to stand alone though and shine in its own right and for this reason it did not ranking very high for me.

My Rating:

For more information about Jessica Andersen and the Final Prophecy Series visit her website www.jessicaandersen.com

Disclosure: This book was read for Books That Bite Book Club.

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Mailbox Monday

This past week has been pretty exciting. Book club #3 started and there was a huge turnout of about twenty people. Then, this past Saturday I met the lovely Rosemary Clement Moore at her book signing in Hurst, Texas. It was a lot of fun and if you were not there you missed a very fun and friendly author. So, now on to what I received/purchased this week.

Books Received For Review:

Anathema by Megg Jensen

Oubliette by Megg Jensen

Sleepers by Megg Jensen

Books Won:

None This Week

Books Purchased Recently:

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement Moore

The Fallen: Raziel by Kristina Douglas

I want to give a special thank you to Megg Jensen for offering her books up for review. It was very flattering to have her contact me and I hope to have the reviews up soon. I look forward to tearing into these books in the upcoming weeks.

Until Next Monday,

Michelle

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Mailbox Monday

A lot of other book bloggers open their mailbox and share new books they have received or purchased. I wanted to join in.

Books Received For Review:

Gifts and Consequences by Daniel Coleman

Torn by Erica O'Rourke

LS: The Beginning by Kelvin O'Ralph

After Lyletown by K. C. Frederick

Book Won:

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Books Purchased Recently:

Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Braswell

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens

I hope you will share if you have read any of these already and what you thought about them if you have. I love more book suggestions, so if you have them send me an email or leave a comment.

Michelle

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