“THE SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT” is a weekly wrap up post for “Bella’s Bookshelf”. I also link up with “The Sunday Post” hosted by Kimba over at “The Caffeinated Book Reviewer"
ALL ABOUT THE BOOKS
- Intertwined: Gena Showalter (got from pick a book box on cruise ship)
- Hollywood Vampire (Guide to Angel): Keith Topping (pick a book box on cruise ship)
- Middle School:The Worst Years of My Life: James Patterson (World Book Night 2013 Giver Book)
- The New Rules for Blondes: Selena Coppock (review from Harper Collins)
- Life After Death: Damien Echols (won from Twitter contest hosted by Penguin)
- Something Wicked: Lisa Jackson & Nancy Bush (sent to me from Zebra/Kensington Books)
- Once Upon a Prince: Rachel Hauck (sent to me from Litfuse Publicity/Zondervan)
- How To Be A Zombie: Serena Valentino (Books A Million 3$ bin)
- Endless Summer/Boys Next Door: Jennifer Echols ( 2-fer novel from Books A Million 3$ bin)
AROUND THE BLOG WORLD
I found this gem on “THE WONDERING BRAIN” it was a guest post done by “SOME OF THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE MISTAKES”. There are so many wonderful ideas about blogging to be found in this post. I never knew this kind of stuff was pinned on Pinterest! I will be redoing my “About Me” page after reading a pin featured in this post.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE BLOG
My life was totally wrapped up in preparing for my vacay that I neglected my blog for a good month+. My hubby & I have not taken a real vacay, together or apart, in forever. At least a decade! I believe we over planned and over worried, but it’s ok we know better for next years cruise. We had the pleasure of sailing the “Norwegian Cruise Line” “GEM” from NYC to the Bahamas and back for 7 days.
We stopped 1st in “Cocoa Beach, Fla” then “Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas” then “Nassau, Bahamas”. We spent a day at each stop sight seeing.
The ship was in-freaking-credible! You could eat like a King 24/7, there was an ice cream machine going 24/7, the night time entertainment was spectacular, I went to an art auction, wine tasting, latin dance night, etc. They had Nickelodeon Characters all over the place, a rock climbing wall on the 14th level above the ocean! The library was small but fun. It had a “Y.A. Shelf” which was cool for me to see.
There was truly something for every type of person out there.
Thanks for stopping by today. Don’t forget to link me to your blog. Also there’s a giveaway happening now for Selena Coppock’s “The New Rule for Blondes”. I reviewed it **HERE**. Just comment for a chance to win your own paperback copy from Harper Collins.
If you want your own paperback copy of “THE NEW RULES FOR BLONDES” let me know below in the comments. Book will be sent to winner by Harper Collins.
**SELENA COPPOCK**
One glorious day I received an email from“Harper Collins” about this book. I asked (begged) to be on the review list, sent the email, then waited for this blond game changer to show up on my doorstep.
I was immediately snookered by Selena. She’s the type of gal you want by your side from cradle to the grave.The kind of gal you want to hate cuz she’s so damned cool and fun, but you cant hate her cuz she’s so damned cool and fun. I imagined it (the book) would be much like what it was. A funny, witty, biography, how to, life lessons, type guide to all things blond. I was not disappointed. Through much of the book I felt as if I were right there sharing drinks and listening to my girlfriend named Selena gab. I felt a part of the journey rather than along for the ride. It wasn’t only about “Blond Pride” or trying to make you believe blondes are better. She wants EVERY woman to feel beautiful and strong.
Selena humorously shares stories about herself and some truly helpful beauty tips with you too. I tweeted her about her self tanner tips. I am uber pale & when she spoke about self tanner debacles ( A Selena vocab word BTW) I KNEW I had to Tweet her before I became the dreaded“oompa-loompa” orange we pale gals fear. She helped me and I walked onboard not Casper white but a few shades darker than Casper white. This book empowers. Not only blondes but all of us gals. If you are blond, have been blond, or want to be blond, this book is for you. You will dog ear, underline, and highlight your way through each chapter.
Basically this book is your survival guide to life as a blond. We all have heard the oodles of blond jokes, know the stereotypes, etc. We know that the blond celebs are perceived as the sexy wild ones and the brunette celebs are the beautiful but more serious ones. Obviously they forget about Angelina Jolie! I love how she breaks down the stereotypes and lets the truth shine through. The cool thing is this, ALL hair colors will enjoy the book. All hair colors have their own “skeletons in the closet”. Redheads were burned at the stake! (I have ALWAYS wanted that perfect Kate Winslet on Titanic red hair too.) I bet being a “dumb blond” doesn’t look so bad now huh? ALL hair colors have stereotypes attached to them from the start of time.
“The New Rules for Blondes” has a permanent spot on my coffee table. I was entertained by all of Selena’s personal anecdotes, learned a few new factoids about the cosmetic side of being blond, loved reading the personal stories her guest contributed, and learning the history of blondes. It was also cool to confirm what I always knew: I am more of an “Ashy” type gal than a “Brassy” one. To sum it up I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Selena’s book about blondes broke the mold! She is smart, funny, savvy, and is not afraid to use her blond to rule the world-and neither should you!
**GUEST POST**
In honor of my forthcoming book, The New Rules for Blondes (coming on April 23rd!), I thought I’d share a color catastrophe story. Before I found a trusted colorist, I took chances on at-home coloring kits and training salons and, shockingly, I have lived to tell the tale.
I moved to New York City about six and a half years ago and, as you do, when I relocated I left behind family and friends, but most important, I left behind my beloved colorist. For a little while I would take the 4 hour bus trip back to Boston to get a haircut and partial foil (almost always blonde high lights, occasionally red streaks), but the time commitment was just too much. I had to figure out a solution to keep my blonde hair bright that didn’t involve clocking 8 hours of ride time on the Fung Wah bus.
Back then I was completely ignorant of how hair coloring worked, so I foolishly thought that I could simply buy a box of ashy blonde hair color at the pharmacy, slap that goo on my head, and emerge with perfect, platinum hair. Hair color is a delicate science and it doesn’t work that way at all. It’s very easy to lose your way in the dense forest that is at-home hair color and in my Hansel & Gretel like journey to lighter hair (holy mixed metaphors!), I somehow ended up with gray-whitish, almost purple hair. Not unlike like that bizarre purple hair that Kelly Osbourne has been rocking lately, though not quite that bad.
I was mortified and wondering how many days worth of hats I would need to wear before I could get this fixed by a professional colorist in a salon. The answer was 10—the salon I called couldn’t see me for 10 days and it didn’t occur to me to simply call another salon and get an appointment sooner. Hell, this is New York City—a city comprised almost exclusively of hair and nail salons—I could have gotten help sooner but I was too new to NYC to know that. So I dealt with grayish-purplish hair for over a week until it was finally my time to shine (to visit the colorist, that is.)
“I’m really unhappy with this grayish-purplish hair that I have. I’d like Jessica Simpson blonde—golden blonde. The kind of blonde that people probably think is trashy or too bold—that is what I want. I know that you probably think that’s nuts, but that’s what I like—bold, brassy, yellow blonde,” I leveled with the colorist. (Please note that this was J. Simp blonde circa 2006 when she was fresh off “Dukes of Hazard” and sporting some golden blonde tresses.) The colorist seemed to understand my unique hair color desires and went to work. I sat in the chair for hours while she painted on color, sealed in foil, let the chemicals sink into my hair, then washed and blow dried my dome.
Finally, she swiveled around my chair so I could see the finished look and I was gobsmacked: I had requested golden, yellow-blonde color and she had given me darker, ashy hair that was completely drab and practically brunette.
“This isn’t golden blonde—this is exactly what I did NOT want,” I choked back tears.
“Give it a few days to grow on you and go take a look outside in natural light—it will look very different in the sunlight,” she assured me. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t and also, I live in a world where I’m mostly seen in rooms lit by light bulbs, so who really cares what it looks like in direct sunlight? I’m rarely in direct sunlight, lady. The colorist was unwilling to admit that it wasn’t golden blonde, which was like an Emperor’s New Clothes situation that would make me laugh if I weren’t on the verge of crying. I know my blondes, and this hue was a mousy practically brown shade—barely blonde and definitely not the trashy blonde that I had requested.
After a day of “growing on me” and seeing the awful color in sunlight, I called the salon and asked if I could come back for them to fix it. Sure—no problem. The colorist could see me in another seven days. Are you kidding? Seven more days trapped in this bad hair hell? I’d do it, though—I was broke and this colorist said she’d make it right.
Cut to seven days later, the salon calls me in the morning to confirm the appointment, then calls back a few hours later to cancel it because the colorist suddenly went home sick. Aww hell no. Since my at-home color catastrophe, I had now lived for almost three weeks with horrible hair color and I was not ready to let this losing streak continue one day longer.
I was crestfallen and decided that there was no better place to cry and throw a pity party than out on the street. (This is probably why people think that NYC is filled with crazies. There streets aren’t filled with that many actual crazies, but there are a lot of gals freaking out about bad hair color.) I roamed around Union Square muttering to myself, “I just want to be blonde, how hard is that?” and feeling like Cher in Clueless when she meanders around Beverly Hills to “All By Myself.” My heartbreak street freak out lead me to an auspicious location: a high end boutique salon.
I stumbled in and explained my situation to the front desk gal, who accepted me with open arms. She brought over the owner, whose facial expression upon seeing my hair color told me everything I needed to know: I was in good hands.
“We simply have to do a color removal—we need to strip all of this out completely,” he said. I didn’t even ask the price, “Yes. Do it. Just put me out of my misery.” It took many hours and I’m lucky that my hair didn’t fall out from all of the abuse, but he managed to remove all of the botched colors: the recent mousy light brownish color and the grayish-purplish at-home color. Underneath was original Selena: golden blonde hair that had some roots, but I could live with.
When all was said and done, I had crappy hair for about 3 weeks and I spent around $450 to go back to exactly where I started.
When captured by the Nazis, Sarah finds herself in a concentration camp that not only brings her closer to death...but closer to love.
Sarah Brenner, a young Jewish woman, is terrified when she finds herself in the heat of a railcar bound for a work camp in Nazi Germany. For years she, along with her mother and sister, had hidden from the SS, but no one could hide forever. Her hatred for those who have enslaved them is ever-growing, especially when they arrive and she encounters the shockingly handsome Nazi doctor who can’t seem to keep his eyes—or hands—off her.
Aurel Rothstein is not your everyday concentration camp physician. The endless prisoners and lack of care he's allowed to give have made him numb to the work he so coveted. It isn’t until he comes face to face with a beautiful prisoner that his heart becomes involved with his job—a forbidden and fatal move to any Nazi.
When a vile soldier takes direct interest in Sarah, she will be forced to make a choice that will change her life forever: ignore the pull toward the handsome doctor or give in to the forbidden passion he awakens with only a look. Either way they both risk everything.
|BREATHLESS PRESS| AMAZON|BOOKSTRAND| ALL ROMANCE E BOOKS|
“When captured by the Nazis, Sarah finds herself in a concentration camp that not only brings her closer to death...but closer to love.”
It took me a bit of time to wrap my head around a love affair in an concentration camp. A place synonymous with death, cruelty, and evil ALSO being a place where a lusty love affair can bloom? Not between the innocents held there, but between a member of the Nazi Party and an inmate! In a way I was like “what is this author thinking?!” As I got a few chapters in I began enjoying the story and characters more and more.
“…his heart becomes involved with his job—a forbidden and fatal move to any Nazi.”
I wondered how the author was going to play the delicate hand she was dealing us in this book. She handled the storyline with grace and respect. I thoroughly enjoyed the story she created for the 2 main characters, and how she wove history and the forbidden passion of them together. She allowed us to feel the horror of the situation in the camp and offered up little ray of hope at the same time.
“When a vile soldier takes direct interest in
Sarah, she will be forced to make a choice that will change her life
forever”
The characters were realistic and each played their role beautifully. From the worst of the worst to the most innocent child. I love how Megan represented Aurel as a man, not only a soldier. It was obvious he was not into the BS Hitler was selling. He risked his life to properly care for and protect prisoners as best he could. Despite the horrific conditions Sarah was a sign of true hope and redemption for him as a man and as a human.
Beautiful Sarah has EVERY stinkin right to think ALL Nazi’s are death deserving scum. It’s her Mother who see’s the truth in Aurel’s eyes, heart, and actions. She encourages her daughter to grab a piece of happiness for herself.
“…give in to the forbidden passion he awakens with only a look.”
Sarah is quickly snapped back to reality when tragedy struck. No amount of stolen kisses and moments could erase the grim reality she was facing.
Aurel and Sarah had to face reality and make some serious life altering decisions. I personally enjoyed the near end part of the book the best. It seemed it was ALL leading up to this moment, and the author gets us there in one breathless and often erotic leap.
“Either way they both risk everything..”
To say the author saved the best for last is an understatement! Megan Martin blew me away with final few chapters. She allowed the characters to show everything that had been in them the entire book and nothing was held back. I was taken on whirlwind ride of some serious steamy romance, intense hatred, sadness, despair, a history lesson, and shown true redemption of a human being all in one book!
This book was read in one night and read quickly. It was able to keep my attention held and draw me in pretty quickly. I love how the author obviously put a lot of thought into the characters. They are complex and flawed and wonderfully portrayed. I can admit I was a little teary eyed and cheering when the book ended. I hope the ending means happiness in book 2. I wish it, but I don't think it will be reality. Either way I hope the wait is not too long.
Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks. To learn more about Megan, check her out on these social networking sites.
Chelsea from STARBUCKS AND BOOK OBSESSION hosts “Saturday at Starbucks” every Saturday. To join in, just re-post the topic to your blog, link back to the host and share your links on Chelsea’s post. You can share your coffee drinks and the book topic or just blog about the bookish topic if you don't drink coffee. Either way, we want to know your thoughts on the weekly topic.
This weekend Chelsea chose “Favorite Villains” so I am going to share a few of my Favorite Villains with you & why I LOVE to hate them! Along with my Favorite Starbucks drink *yummy*
FAVORITE STARBUCKS DRINK:
My absolute FAVE Starbucks drink of ALL time is PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE. I look forward to Pumpkin Spice Latte time each Fall season. I know its TRULY Fall here in New England when I see the PSL at Starbucks..
BOOKISH VILLAINS I LOVE TO HATE
WARNER from SHATTER ME by TAHEREH MAFI: What’s not to love (or love to hate) about Warner? He loves Juliette and has defied his uber powerful Father because the love he has for Juliette has clouded his evilness, thawed his heart, he is a man in love-session (love & obsession). I am about to read UNRAVEL ME. I can’t WAIT to see more of Warner in it. Can Warner TRULY change and give up his dreams of power and control for Juliette’s love? Will she love him back?
Marcus Volturi from The Twilight Saga: It’s a “joke” that Marcus has lost all will to live since his beloved Didyme was killed by her own brother (Aro) and this has made him flighty and airheaded and embracing death without making it happen. Flashback to BD2 where Marcus smiles and gladly embraces death (it doesn’t happen) and dies smiling. He also was truly happy when Edward and Bella married, when he assumed the “fight” with the Cullen Clan was over, etc. If not for Aro’s manipulations Marcus would of left or died long ago.
Klaus Mikaelson: *SIGH* *SWOON* from both the book and the TV show adaption of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. Klaus has proven himself to be an evil killer time and again. He also has shown moments of extreme sensitivity, compassion, love, and remorse. All Klaus has ever wanted was a family that truly loves him and accepts him and doesn’t reject him. He feels out of sorts because of the hybrid status imposed on him by a vengeful mother.
Neferet the once beloved child of NYX in the House of Night series. Power and darkness has made her turn black and evil. She has stopped at nothing to bring the Tulsa House of Night to its knee’s and turn it evil. She created a group of “Red Vampyres” that were unnatural and many had to be killed. She has done things so terrible no TRUE child of NYX could dream about committing these atrocious acts. Is she and her soul redeemable?
Ridley from the Beautiful Creatures book/series. She picked the “dark” path and revels in it fully. I don’t consider Ridley evil. I think she is over indulgent and wants to do her own thing without rules. Time will tell.
There are so many more villains out there. Who are some of your faves? Are there any truly evil villains you love even though there is nothing good about them? Don’t feel bad if the answer is yes. I loved Gargamel from Smurfs. Only because he had a cool cat named Azreal. lolz.
Don’t forget to leave me your links and head on over to Chelsea’s blog too!
Audiobook: Published September 2012:
Macmillan Audio
“Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.”One horrific and violent act taints their future together. Try as they might their love is “cursed” with the events of long ago. The author started Monstrous Beauty off with a BANG that instantly set the feel of the story. 
We “see” the story through Syrenka’s and Hester’s eyes. Each chapter was engaging in its own way. I enjoyed going back into time because the author did her history homework. She easily and quickly drew me back to the 1870’s.
The narrator has a beautiful voice that easily flowed from time period to time period, and character to character. She embodied all of the characters and their beings.
The story was haunting, dark, grim, romantic, and achingly beautiful. “Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him.” Ezra is the type almost any gal will fall for. He is charming, romantic, and chivalrous. The deeply imbedded sadness he wears like a wet, woolen, cloak only appealed to me more. You want to grab him, hug him, take that pain away. Unraveling his secrets is an painstaking process. He knows what he has to lose and he has to decide. Be selfish or lose it for the greater good.“For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history.”I love that Hester was a history buff too. She was no nonsense when it came to unearthing the mysteries of her family and her town. Hester attacked everything head on and so bravely. A normal person would of been afraid, and rightly so when everything fell into place. Not Hester. That's why I loved her. It’s quite sad that ALL of the women in her family have had tragic side effects to love. Mysterious Ezra claims he can help her. Not only discover the origins of the curse, but cure it too. Will (should) Hester put all of her trust into the hands of this alluring stranger?
“The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.”Everything about this book assaulted my senses. It was secretive, darkly romantic, intense, mysterious.
The author introduced to me to mermaids/sea creatures unlike those I have met before. They were cunning, and seductive murderers. Yet, I could not help but to be enchanted by them. Sirens of the Sea. I enjoyed discovering their “under the sea life”, their politics, and interpersonal relationships.
Syrenka broke ranks when she humanized herself to be with Ezra. An act that can only be achieved through an ultimate sacrifice.
An act of love with consequences for centuries to come. “It is now up to Hester to right the wrongs of over 140 years ago. Does she have the strength to do it?” I loved learning the histories of Syrenka and Ezra, and current day Hester and Ezra. They were brilliant and fascinating.
I felt that I was a part of unraveling of the mysteries along with Hester. I spent the entire book waiting/looking for the same answers, and when they finally do come I got a little mad. Hester has it in her to right so many wrongs. The unfairness of it all dropped at her feet. Hester has to make a sacrifice now. The last and ultimate one. Will a shot at true love alter her sense of right and wrong? The author certainly knew how to weave a tale that exceeded my expectations with every turn of the page.
“The people cursed so long ago leave their fates in Hester’s hands and heart..”
We know Syrenka (Human name Sarah Doyle), Hester, and Ezra are major players in Monstrous Beauty. I want to take a moment to talk about the other characters that made an impact on me and the story:
- Olaf: I guess you can say he was the precursor to the curse. An older fisherman who made a decision that effected lives for a century plus to come.
- Peter: Hester’s friend (in the present) he is obviously harboring a crush on Hester, but she seems to be oblivious.
- Linny: A sweet little girl, temper tantrum thrower, a smart cookie. Loves a doll she named “Poppet”
- Merane: (I know I spelled this wrong) A young baby girl, a distant relative of Hester’s. Very important to this story. Very.
- Pastor McKee: An old Scottish Pastor that helps Hester piece everything together. Very charming. Scotch loving. Funny. Immediately likeable.
- Eleanor: Olaf’s wife. A very angry woman. Sadly she did not know the truth.
(I am sorry if I spelled any names wrong. I am going by the audio book.)
Elizabeth Fama: My second young-adult novel, Monstrous Beauty, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in September, 2012. It won won the 2013 Odyssey Honor Award, and was included on the 2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list and the 2013 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults list.
CONTACT AUTHOR/FIND MONSTROUS BEAUTY
Thank You “Macmillan Audio/Esther” for the opportunity to review “Monstrous Beauty” on “Bella’s Bookshelf”.
WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event where we share the books we are eagerly awaiting. W.O.W is hosted by Jill at BREAKING THE SPINE.The Waiting on Wednesday Badge I use is from Christine at RAINY DAY READS. She has a seriously pretty blog w/wonderful content.
Release Date: October 15, 2013| Series: Book 3 in UNWIND TRILOGY
Teens control the fate of America in this gripping conclusion to Neal Shusterman’s “smart, intense, and thought-provoking” (VOYA) New York Times bestselling Unwind series.
Proactive Citizenry, the company which created Cam from the parts of unwound teens, is planning to mass produce rewound teens like Cam for military purposes. And below the surface of that horror lies a sinister layer of intrigue: Proactive Citizenry has been suppressing technology that could make unwinding completely unnecessary. As Conner, Risa, and Lev uncover these shocking secrets, enraged teens begin to march on Washington to demand justice and a better future.
But more trouble is brewing. Starkey’s group of storked teens are growing more powerful and militant with each new recruit. And if they have their way, they’ll burn the harvest camps to the ground, and put every adult in them before a firing squad—which could destroy any chance America has for a peaceful future.
Release date: November 19, 2013 | Series: Bloodlines (Book 4)
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .
But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.
Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.
Release date: October 15, 2013 | Series: House of Night (Book 11)
The spellbinding eleventh and penultimate installment in the #1 New 
York Times bestselling vampyre series
Drastically altered after her fall at the end of Hidden, Neferet is now more dangerous than ever—and her quest for vengeance will wreak havoc on humans, as well as Zoey and her friends. Chaos is loosed in Tulsa and the House of Night is blamed. Can Zoey stop Neferet in time to keep her anger from escalating to full-on war? Or will someone else have to step in to take the fall?
Now, in the eleventh and penultimate installment of the series, the action is more intense and the stakes even higher as Zoey and her friends battle to protect their school and home from devastating evil—all while balancing romances, precarious friendships and the daily drama of the House of Night's halls.
This Fall is chock full of AWESOME books! I swear I can barely WAIT for “UNSOULED” I love the “Unwind” trilogy. Of course book 4 in the “BLOODLINES” series is something to look forward to. As is book 11 (lolz.. it has to end soon) in the “House of Night Series”. I am as loyal as can be to the “HON” series. It has gotten to be a bit drawn out, but I can’t leave it without knowing the ending after all these years.
Are you looking forward to any of the above? What books are you waiting for? Please link me to your “must have’s” of the future…
