The Epic Birthday with a Modest Giveaway

Now Playing: Just a Little Bit - Kids of 88

If we can't have a party now, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it

Guys, there's a birthday going down on the East Coast. It is for a very awesome person who I met over Twitter and MIGHT be able to meet in real life at ALA. Her name is Jill over at SwiminBooks and she's the funniest/nicest/sweetest person ever. So, I decided "what the hell Jaz, you've got a few books you don't read. DO A GIVEAWAY FOR HER BIRTHDAY!"

So cutting to the chase; Here is what is offered.
FOUR PAPERBACKS to go to FOUR PEOPLE.

The Books: 
Are You Going to Kiss Me Now? by Sloane Tanen
Slayed by Amanda Marrone
Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer
I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

A bookmark of Shade signed by Jeri Smith-Ready and some other one to be put in random books.

Sounds good right? All you have to do is tweet #JillsBirthdayBash and link to me (@JazminLabrada)
No following, nothing to get extra points, just do the form! Sorry, but it's only for US residents because shipping is a cruel mistress. Extending the date to like the 25th of June as Jill has, because seriously? one entry :D







Also, as many of you know (or don't, I dunno) the YA Crush Tourney is back, and I've kinda been the unofficial spokeswoman for it so yeah, here's me telling you to be representatives. You'll have fun and

We have hot boys, fun tweets, awesome authors intervening to pull their boys through AND OH THE LATE NIGHT TWITTER SESSIONS! <3
Peace.

Wolfy Sunday

Now playing: A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton


Hey there, peeps! Since I don't have Bloodrose.... yet, I'm doing Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series. Now, I've read these books like two/three years ago and they've been right up there emotionally (I blame Shift, it made me all emotional/touchy/gooey, now I cry during books. Pah, I lie. I cry anyway.)


So here's the rundown, courtesy of Goodreads: 
Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.


This is Shiver. However, the Goodreads version so does not do this series justice! Grace and Sam share a kinship, but more specifically, a profound bond shared by two teenagers. I mean, I'm not a big fan when we start throwing the "L" word around all over YA, because we're only teenagers. Our relationships are more of the "here and now" than full blown love. But, there are series that are correct to use love, because the characters have a strong connection to one another. (Hello, Shade anyone?)

ANDDDD I sound like a sappy teenager. Feel free to slap me anytime. :)


Anyways, Shiver is about Grace Brisbane, your average teenage girl in the middle on nowhere (Mercy Falls), Minnesota. She's near wolves and she's fascinated by them, often watching them from her house. So, this comes of a shock when we are taken to a point when Grace is little, she gets savagely attacked by the supposed docile wolves by her harms.  And so she is saved by Beck, a wolf (and who is a wondeful adult in this series)


*cue your WTF reactions*


But Shiver is unlike many paranormal romances out there? And do you want to know why? Our main heroine (Grace) maybe sassy, but she isn't a deadpan snarker, ridiculously gorgeous (she's kinda plain), and she admits to making stupid mistakes. Sam isn't unlike your average YA hero. He's deep, and soulful. He plays the guitar and frankly, life had been shitty for him before he met Beck and the wolves. Also, their dimensions were like someone you'd meet down the street, they weren't like a typical paranormal romance. As well, they sorta had the instalove connection which usually drives me up a wall but they had a reason to. They were like two-halves of a whole, where like many romances they balance each other out but with the added twist that they didn't have to chase each other around.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY IT ROCKED. YOU'RE A GODDESS MAGGIE. 

trust me, when you read Shiver, it'll rock your socks off. Claudia Donovan nods her approval.

rating: 8/10

Progress Report

Well hello blog readers. As many of you know, I've mentioned a couple times that I was writing a book. Well today, I finished it. The very first rough draft. I'm now going to send it to the two crit partners so I can make the book fabulous because yanno, I can then send it out to agents and such.
In other unrelated news, I'm going to go to the Romantic Times Book Fair Convention Teen Day where I'll meet authors, get autographed books, maybe auction them off here, as well as going to the Mystery Galaxy Midnight Party With Holly Black and Cassandra Clare where we'll countdown to the release of City of Fallen Angels and Red Glove, sequel to White Cat.
I'll take pics and post them on here when I get the chance.
So peace out and take care of yourselves,
Jazmin.

:D


p.s I'll let you know how the book goes but first the working title, Chosen (The Marked Divinity series)

ADIOS!

Over Break....

Well now that we've all gotten over our embarassment on New Years Eve, time to get rolling. I made a pact/promise to get you guys more books than last year and you know what? I'm gonna kick it off with a magic/wicca/mystery book to show a new path that I'm going to do this year. You'll hear me rant how Borders just doesn't have enough books for me to read or how my parents keep judging me and tell me to stop reading books to me arguing with the voices in my head (they tell me to tell you to head over to the library and get books!! OH and candy!!! p.s preferrably red vines and hersheys!!). This series is called Blue is For Nightmares by Laurie Stolarz who also happened to write Deadly Little Lies (my ALL time FAVE book by her!!). Also if you do read these then look out for Black is for Beginnings, a continuation of the Blue is for Nightmares by Ms.Stolarz, which happens to be a graphic novel (SQUEALL!!!!!)


Blue is for Nightmares
main character, Stacey, is a junior at boarding school and it's not easy. She's kind of a plain girl, not very pretty, or smart, or popular. She's got a crush on her best friends boyfriends (which their relationship being very manic) and a darker secret which threatens her relationship with her friends.
She's having nightmares, like from three years, which was about a little girl who died because Stacey didn't believe them. She's learned her lesson and this time the nightmares are back, but about her best friend, Drea. They started off with weird emails and disturbing phone calls, now the stalker is leaving white lilies for Drea, death lilies that appear in Stacey's dreams. Everyone thinks it's a game until a girl at school is murdered. Everyone is a suspect and no one has a perfect alibi so Stacey turns to magic - taught to to her by her grandmother.
MY REVIEW:
it's pretty good for a wicca/magical read. The action starts off from right the beginning. Gotta love it even though I don't normally read stuff like right off wicca but the tagline was pretty cool, I'm a fan of the really bad horror movies 'cause I end up laughing at the end...
"I Know Your Secret...."



White is for Magic
One year later, senior Stacey Brown is having nightmares about brutal murders, she's also been getting strange letters and cryptic messages. Enter Jacob, transfer student who also is like Stacey, with the whole deal; premonitions and shiz. He dreams that Stacey will be murdered so he transfered to save her.
Stacey's got feelings for him, which doesn't help with her current relationship? Can Jacob save Stacey?
MY REVIEW:
It's fast-paced with a love twist that I am so glad is there because Stacey and current bf, Chad, make me wanna hurl with adorableness. Unlike the Rose-Dimitri-Adrian/removed from the love triangle/ thing which makes me smiles and giddy 'cause it's sweet yet they don't dote on each other. DARN IT CHAD, YOU'RE PERFECT AND IT'S NOT RIGHT!!!!



Silver is for Secrets
School's over, couple Jacob/Stacey and her friends have rented a beach house for the summer, but all's not well with their vacation. Bickering couples add the stress that Stacey evaded with the stalkers and secrets during the trip. The nightmares then return with Stacey dreaming about Clara with a secret. AND then Jacob is also keeping secrets. What will the ending be for these bffs?
MY REVIEW:
I dunno, as well fast paced but Clara just feels as if she's one of those text-book attention seekers (or better yet w....) also Drea and Chad, seriously? can they not have 2 freaking chapters in peace??! or what about PJ and Amber? They're like, I dunno, have such an unstable relationship with only PJ keeping it together. PJ, the crazy one, if you've read the other two books!!


Red is for Remembrance
Well that last cliffhanger just shocked me. Stacey's in college but she can't get over Jacob's death. College shows no mercy to her so Stacey uses cleansing spells to go on. Stacey gets close to Porsha, another person like Stacey who's dreaming of death - of a boy whose life is danger. To save him, they have to pool together her premonitions and Stacey's magic. It could maybe kill them.
MY REVIEW:
Dudes, AWWW!!!!!!! it was so adorable but THIS cliffhanger sort-of ending just confuzzled me but made me happy 'cause --- shoot can't say! is back, so I can't wait to get my hands on that graphic novel!!

BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS COVER:


TOOTLES EVERYONE AND EXPECT ANOTHER REVIEW TO COME UP SOON!

Ooops!

Well sorry for not posting in a while, I've been quite busy finding books to read and debating which are the most worthy of being posted about.Finally I've decided on 4 books!

I've finally decided to bring in SPIRIT BOUND:

Ohmigosh! I loved it. simply stated, it was pretty awesome.
though i won't say much... 1 word..Belikov!!
though i feel bad for adrian..he'll always be too good for rose. in my humble opinion!
now i can't wait for december to come out because it'll wrap up Vampire Academy I'm sad and happy to see it go though i hope it won't be an Everything's fine, dandy really type of ending. Always leave the fans wanting more!

Second: I finished the last 2 Vampire Diaries books
The Return:Nightfall and The Return:Shadow Souls

three words for these books EPIC.MIND.BlOWN.
seriously i'm waiting for The Return:Midnight to come out. being a book lover, i requested (politely, yes i know, it is possible for me) to pre-order this book. Guess who's first for this book? ME!

and the new cover for Midnight: i think it could be that girl kitsune or caroline but you're thoughts are always welcome.



http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/13500000/The-Return-Midnight-USA-Book-Cover-damon-and-elena-13527696-314-475.jpg