Friday, September 27, 2013

SEVEN DAY FIANCE by Rachel Harris Cover Reveal!


Seven Day Fiancé (Love and Games #2)
Release Date: 10/14/13
Entangled Bliss

Summary from Goodreads:
Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.

Pre-Order Buy Links:
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Excerpt:
Angelle stopped beside a folding table boasting boxes of fresh, crispy cracklins and selected a thick piece. Cane watched, mesmerized, as she puckered those gorgeous lips and blew on the sliver. With a flirtatious glint in her eyes, she held it up to his mouth, and he opened.
 
Holy crap.
 
He’d had cracklins before. Fried pork fat was a standard gas station treat, usually shrink-wrapped and stale as shit. But this, fresh from the pot and piping hot, was unbelievable. Cane widened his eyes, and it was possible he even moaned. It was thatgood. And as he swallowed, Angel rewarded him with a rich, throaty laugh.
 
Ca c’est bon?” she asked, grinning when he grabbed another handful.
 
He touched her nose and popped a piece in his mouth. “Good would be an understatement.”
 
Grinning, she took a fried morsel for herself and sent the balding, overweight gentleman tending the table a wink. “Now that’s what we like to hear.” Then she closed her eyes as she savored the treat.
 
The sounds of Angel moaning, and watching her face soften in the throes of a foodgasm, had to be the sexiest damn thing Cane had ever seen. His pants tightened, embarrassingly so considering he knew the audience was still watching, but what pushed him over the edge was when her eyes opened. The pleasure in them was his undoing.
 
Feeling the weight of the crowd’s disapproving stares and not giving a damn, figuring now was as good a time as any to give the people the show they clearly wanted, he grasped her hip and tugged her forward, pausing only to inhale her gasp of surprise before brushing her mouth with his.
 
It was like setting off a damn forest fire.
 
Angelle, his shocking little hellcat, pounced. Forgetting all about their audience, or maybe not giving a damn either, she wound her arms around his neck, lifted onto her toes, and kissed him back with everything she had. Cane had intended to steal a quick taste, take the edge off his craving for her, and prove their point with the town’s people. But hell if he was gonna be the one to back down now. Tightening his grasp on her slim hips, he brushed his thumbs across the smooth, exposed skin near her waistband. He deepened the kiss, thrilling over her telltale shiver. Whimpering, she yanked on the hair at his nape and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. Hot damn.
 
Okay, now he had to start backing down. With all her male relatives watching, not to mention the knives and axes still lying around from the butchering earlier, if Cane valued his life, he needed to wrangle control of the situation. He’d heard patience was a virtue. That was a line of bull—he’d always sucked at waiting for anything he wanted. But for Angel, he was willing to try.

Loosening his grip on her belt loops, Cane slowed the intensity of the kiss. He smoothed the hem of her shirt down, grazed her lips one last time, and, placing his forehead against hers, inhaled through his nose. Sunflowers mixed with cayenne may be his new favorite scent. Angelle released a heavy breath, a flush blooming on her cheeks. She darted a glance at the crowd, then looking into his eyes, grinned lazily. “My goodness. If anyone doubted we were a couple before, I guess that showed them.”




About the Author
I grew up in New Orleans, where I watched soap operas with my grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading my mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, I still stay up way too late reading my favorite romances, only now, I can do so openly. I firmly believe life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations. 

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, I homeschool my two beautiful girls and watch reality television with my amazing husband.

I write YA, NA, and Adult Fun & Flirty Escapes. Taste The Heat is my adult romance debut, and I'm also the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, as well as a ton of other books to come. I love hearing from readers and dishing books!

Author Links:
   

Cover Reveal Organized:

♥Jessica(:

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Cover Reveal: SOUL OATH & CUP OF LIFE by Juliana Haygert!


Soul Oath (Everlast #2)
Expected pub date: Nov/25/2013
Length: ~80,000 words

Summary from Goodreads:
It’s been three months since Nadine last heard from Victor, Micah or Ceris, allowing her to concentrate on her own life. But until Victor and Micah find the scepters that will restore them as true gods, their human bodies will require her healing touch and it’s only a matter of time until they wreak havoc on her life again.

As if to prove that, Victor shows up at the hospital dragging along with him a swarm of demons. Nadine is forced to flee to safety. Despite her attempts to keep her loved ones protected, the demons find her, and they bring her to Imha, the goddess of Chaos.


 


Now, confronted by her greatest fear, Nadine finds a new motivation. Vengeance. And when seeking revenge, no risk is too great, including her own life.


**New Adult Fantasy Novel**



***

Cup of Life (Everlast, #2.5)
Expected pub date: Nov/25/2013
Lenght: ~15,000 words

Summary from Goodreads:
His existence would mean nothing without her.

Book One:
(linked to Goodreads)


About the Author:
New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:
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Cover Reveal Organized by:

♥Jessica(:

Monday, September 23, 2013

Top Ten Best Sequels Ever!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!
 
Ohh, how do I choose these....
 
My Top Ten Best Sequels Ever:
 
Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Opal (Lux, #3)
I was originally going to go the "only book 2" route, but then I decided that Opal is probably my favorite book in the series. Probably. I'm not positive, though. And since it's my fav, it would only make sense that I chose THIS ONE as the best sequel from that series. Logic, I've got it.
 
Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) 
This book was so full of feels, I almost cried in the middle of class while reading it. So beautiful and fantastic. Yeah, this is a darn good sequel. Love it!
 
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) 
This is my favorite in the trilogy. We meet Cole in this one, and I have no idea why, but Grace being sick is something I enjoyed. I think it's because it was so interesting--figuring it out, how it tied into the wolves and their disease and whatnot. Either way, this one was my favorite.
 
Jealousy by Lili St. Crow
Jealousy (Strange Angels, #3) 
I adore this series! I think this is my favorite. I always get stuck in the middle ones, because those are the ones where Christophe is the best, and I have the biggest crush on him... But I'm pretty sure this is my favorite, because of that scene near the end...after there's the shooting...and Christophe takes his shirt off...I can't help it! I love him! I like what happened before that, too. How Christophe showed up when I Dru needed him. But...yeah.
 
The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2) 
What I find so great about this one is that it was a huge improvement on Bloodlines. I mean, I really enjoyed Bloodlines. It was good. But this one was great! And, well, there was more Adrian. I will never, ever protest about that.
 
Stargazer by Claudia Gray
Stargazer (Evernight, #2) 
I was stuck between this one and Hourglass for this list, because I THINK that one might be my favorite of the series, but I chose to go with this one because I am without a doubt Team Balthazar. And he gets his turn for a little in this one ;) Personally, I think Lucas is great. Bianca can have him. But I totally would have stuck with good ole Balty.
 
Unraveled by Gena Showalter
Unraveled (Intertwined, #2) 
RILEEEEEEEEEEY! I am all over that boy. For real, I haven't read/don't have the third book yet, but there are very few things I would do to GET that book. I wantwantwant!
 
Time's Forbidden Flower by Diane Rinella
Time's Forbidden Flower (Forbidden Flower, #2) 
I ended up loving this one waaaaay more than I thought I would. I had loved the first book, and completely fallen for Christopher, and I wasn't sure I could get into a sequel as much as I was into book 1. But I tried. And, goodness, I'm so glad I did. Gorgeous, just like the first!
 
How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles
How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation (How to Ruin, #3) 
This book/trilogy/one of these always ends up on my lists. Because I adore Avi. He's one of my top boys. Why I choose this particular book in the trilogy so often...I don't really know. I probably should have chosen How to Ruin My Teenage Life instead, because I can't help but swoon my face off over the phone messages. So cute! And sweet! And...well, Avi. Ahhh, Avi <3
 
Underworld by Meg Cabot
Underworld (Abandon Trilogy, #2) 
John Hayden, how I love you. I liked that he was in this one more, and that he was somewhat softer in this one, and I...just...I really liked this one! And it was a nice improvement on the first one, which I DID like, but I LOVE this one.
 
The Liberator by Victoria Scott
The Liberator (Dante Walker, #2) 
What? This is 11? Say whaaaat?! Yeah, I lost count somehow. Probably because I was too busy swooning over all the book boys that not-so-coincidentally ended up on this list. But I NEED Dante on this list. I heart my boy. Plus, Aspen was introduced in this one, and I think she's awesome. And there's more Max, who is hilarious as all get out, and some other things happen that I'm not going to spoil with, but everything together adds up to this book NEEDING to be on this list. So it is. As #11. Because Dante doesn't care about rules ;) That's why he's my boy.
 
What do you think of my list? What would you put on yours? If you made a post, link me up so I can see!
 
♥Jessica(:

Give Me Strength by Kate McCarthy Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway!)

 
(To see the full tour schedule, click HERE)
 
Give Me Strength by Kate McCarthy
Give Me Strength (Give Me, #2)
Release Date: September 16, 2013
Format: eARC
Series: Give Me #2
Source: Literati Author Services in exchange for an honest review
Buy It: Amazon | B&N 
 
Description from Goodreads:
Quinn Salisbury doesn’t think she’s cut out for this whole living thing. Even as a young girl she struggled. Just when she thinks she’s found a way to leave her violent past behind her, the only thing that’s kept her going is ripped away, leaving her damaged and heartbroken.

Four years later, she is slowly rebuilding her life and lands a job as an assistant band manager to Jamieson, the hot new Australian act climbing their way to the top of the charts. There she meets Travis Valentine, the charismatic older brother of her boss, Mac.

From his commanding charm to his confidence and passion, Travis is everything Quinn believes is too good for her, and despite her apprehension, she finds their attraction undeniable and intense.

When her past resurfaces, it complicates their relationship. Instead of reaching out for help, Quinn pushes Travis away, until a staggering secret is revealed that leaves her fighting for her very life.

Torn between running and opening her heart to the man determined to have her, can Quinn find the strength within herself to fight for her future?
 
I liked Give Me Strength more than I liked Give Me Love. I think it's because this time around, the couple was really FALLING for each other, whereas in the first book, Jared and Evie were already totally into each other. This said, Give Me Strength was a really good sequel!
 
In the beginning of the book, something interesting happens, but there's also a lot of telling/explaining to get us up to speed to where the story is. All of the stuff we're told was good to know, but felt like a huge info-dump, which was not fun. After sticking it out past that, though, the book got way better from there.
 
Travis and Quinn were a fantastic couple. I loved watching them grow together and figure things out. They certainly didn't make me want to punch them both in the face like Jared and Evie did. Travis and Quinn, while still figuring things out, were smarter about it, I'd say. And that made me incredibly happy.
 
I sort of liked Quinn. Better than I liked Evie, definitely. Quinn's past was something that interested me. I obviously didn't like her lone wolf mentality whenever it arose, but other than that, Quinn was actually okay. And Travis...I loved how easily he admitted that he WASN'T perfect. That gained him some bonus points from me, along with the fact that he was all protective and that he could be sweet and all that fun stuff. ;)
 
The side characters were, again, completely amusing. This big group of friends that create one big happy family is something I absolutely enjoy reading. They're so cute! And funny. And all kinds of sweet, in a friendly-insult kind of way. Ha!
 
One of the things I like the most about Give Me Strength, and both books in the Give Me series so far, is that it has those New Adult elements that I know and love, but it also spices everything up with the action/suspense aspects. A little mystery, too. It makes what would normally be just another NA become something a little extra, and I honestly do enjoy that.
 
Overall, Give Me Strength was a great sequel that made me happy and just so happened to keep me on my toes. I am certainly looking forward to reading book 3, which is supposed to be Casey's story! I have the hugest crush on Casey, so that should be fun ;) But for now, Travis and Quinn's story is something you should definitely read, particularly if you liked Give Me Love.
 
About the Author:
 

Kate McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small town area.

She now resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her writing.

She is married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.

When she’s not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, crunching numbers, piping buttercream and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Her favourite books are the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward in which she longs to eventually join the brotherhood and change her name to Phierce Mutha.

Connect with the Author:  Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Goodreads
 
Giveaway

 
 
Giveaway begins September 17, 2013, and ends at 12:00 AM on September 30, 2013.
  • $100 Amazon Gift Card
  • 2 signed paperbacks (one international & one for residents in Australia)
  • 10 ebooks of Give Me Strength

 
 
♥Jessica(:

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop!

 
I knew as soon as I signed up for this hop that I'd want to give away a copy of:
 
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
 
Because I love this book to infinity and beyond.
 
So...yeah. That's what I'm giving away!
 
BUT. If you already have Perks, have already read Perks, or are just not interested in Perks (which, really, you should be, because this book is something that I think everyone should read), then you can pick another banned book. I don't care much WHICH book you choose, just so long as it's been banned. Here's a list thingy with some options for ya!
 
But I know we all want Perks, right? ;)
 
Okay, now just read on for the details so you can enter AHHHHHH
 
Detailsss:
- One winner will be randomly chosen to receive one of the books listed above.
- This giveaway is international. Because I like you.
- As always, my giveaway policy applies. PLEASE read it before you enter.
- Enter through the Rafflecopter below!
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
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♥Jessica(:

Friday, September 20, 2013

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell♥

FangirlFangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 433 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
From the author the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


Goodness gracious, Rainbow Rowell. Is it your goal to write such awesomeness that it consumes the reader into forgetting about...well, everything? Because I seriously slacked on a bunch of stuff while reading this book. BECAUSE IT IS AMAZEBALLS.

Now that I think about it, that probably was Rainbow's goal. It's an author thing.

But anyway! This book. Take every positive word ever (seriously, every. Single. One.) and I want to say it about this book. Amazing, fantastic, wonderful, excellent, spectacular, and my personal favorite when talking about this book--phenomenal. But I should probably explain WHY I'm saying these things, right? That's always the hard part, putting words to the beauty that is a phenomenal story.

Okay, so, first off, we have Rainbow's writing. Which had me. It had me from the very first page. And I don't even mean the first page of the first chapter, I mean that search page with all the Simon Snow info on it. Because that was so cool! But then the first sentence of the first chapter pretty much kept me in for the long run. "There was a boy in her room." Boys in rooms may or may not be a weakness of mine...

From the first page on, I was SO INTO this book. I kid you not, I fell in love with Fangirl around page 20. Which is usually silly because not much ever happens in the first 20 pages. (Well, usually.) But I couldn't help it. I was honestly worried that my love would fade as the book went on, but it didn't. This is one of those books that I purposely spent too long reading because it was so fabulous I didn't want it to end.

And then there are the characters. (That was a smooth shift, eh?) Cath is our leading lady and she rocked. A huge part of my love for her stems from how easily I could relate to Cath. She keeps to herself, and spends a lot of her time on the internet. I'm not saying I don't have a life, but honestly--I spend more than my fair share of time doing...well...THIS. ;) In some ways, Cath was a wee bit annoying, because she WAS so relatable, whenever she did something that I personally would NOT have done, I got somewhat frustrated, but I got over it quickly. I just can't stay mad at Cath. Plus, there is Levi hanging around...

I love book boys. We all know this. But there are a few that I have specific things for. Andrew Parrish is perfection. Guy Chambers is My Guy. Dean Holder is Giggle-Swoon. Aidan MacRae is the guy the word "swoon" was invented for. Well, Levi? He's my person. Wholly and completely, he is my person. I have a list of reasons why, but I realized it at one part where he was arguing with Cath, and then after when they were patching things up, he apologized for yelling at her. Cath was like "You didn't yell," and then Levi was like "Well, I raised my voice." People who know me SUPER well probably understand where I'm going with this, but most of you only know me via text on a screen, so I'll explain: I don't like yelling. Or loud voices. I like calmness. Which is super funny, because I get loud sometimes, when I'm excited. Maybe when I'm mad, too, but I've never given it much thought, so I'm not sure. But then Levi was equating raising his voice with yelling and I was all like OMG THAT IS SO ME. I DO THAT! And then I started a nice list of all the reasons he's my person. It's pretty hefty.

Wow, I got rambly there...but Levi is honestly fantastic. I was already getting into (good natured) Twitter arguments about him before I was even halfway through the book. He is so worth it. He's not a cliché at all, which made me incredibly happy. He's not a bad boy, but he's not a goody-goody, either. He's uber nice, though. I wish he were real.

But there ARE other characters other than Levi...look at him, dominating this review... Reagan! I kind of wanted to not like Reagan a little. I'm a jealous person like that. I ended up loving her just as much as I loved Cath, however. I wish I had a real-life Reagan, too, to be friends with. I need ALL OF THE PEOPLE in this book to come to life and be my besties. Please? But wait. There are more characters. A couple I'm not even going to comment on, because I don't care about them. They were great in the story and while I was reading, but meh. Courtney and Nick are just meh to me. Wren, however, I'm going to talk about. Because I don't like her. She was selfish and mean to Cath for no good reason. She got better over time, but that only lessened my dislike for her fractionally.

**Oh, and this is me breaking in to say that I LOVE the names in this book. Cather and Wren was something that made me laugh. I found it cute. Levi has always been a name I loved, and Reagan is so pretty! Okay, back to the actual review now....**

Now, for my happy-dance aspect of most books: ROMANCE! Even when there wasn't anything actually romantic going on, I was swooning for Levi. He was sweet and Cath was so innocent, it just WORKED. They are one of my favorite book couples ever. I kid you not--they're in the top ten, easy. Oh, and I posted a little swoon-worthy moment from Fangirl over on YA Bound for Swoon Thursday. So you should, you know, check that out if you missed it.

A big thing about this book is that it's about a girl in her first year of college. I mean, there's more to it than that. WAAAY more. But my point is that it's a New Adult book, really. I know there are a bunch of people who thought the idea of New Adult was cool, but can't find anything they really like in that category right now. Well, THIS BOOK. YOU NEED IT. It does the New Adult thing so, so, SO well. I think it's my favorite NA book, to be honest. I think it's technically categorized as YA, though. Still, if you're going by age group, this is NA. And it is one of the best out there.

Rainbow Rowell has without a doubt written one of my favorite books of 2013. Fangirl is funny, well-written, and positively phenomenal. I was both sad and happy when I made it to the last page, because the book was over but it was so completely amazing I couldn't keep the smile away. This was somehow the first book I read by Rainbow Rowell, but it will most definitely not be my last. I am officially a Rainbow Rowell fangirl! ;)

♥Jessica(:

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop!

 
 
It's been a while since the last time I participated in a giveaway hop, right? But I'm baaaaack! ;)
 
The last book I was stuck in...this was probably the easiest decision I've ever had to make regarding what to giveaway:
 
Fangirl 
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
 
Oh sweet baby mama of Jesus. This book is so fan-freaking-tastic, I can't even. My review is going up sometime in the next 24 hours, and once it's up I'll totally link it here. (I just linked it there!) But until I get that posted for you guys, I'm going to tell you a few reasons why you need this book in your life. Okay?
 
1. YOU NEED THIS BOOK IN YOUR LIFE. Oh, I already said that? Well I'm saying it again. It is one of the truest things I will ever tell you.
 
2. If you aren't a fan of new adult, but want to be, this book has got your back. (I'm leaving this one as is because I explain in my review!)
 
3. Levi. You know how you need this book in your life? Well, you also need Levi. He's not a bad boy. He's not a geek, either. He's simply Levi and I love the crap out of him. He is my person. I think you'll like him.
 
4. Rainbow Rowell has serious writing skillz. For real, the Z is sooooo necessary there. Because her writing awesomeness is that serious. Have I mentioned that I love it?!
 
 
Okay, now instead of me sitting here fangirling over this book all day (pun possibly intended), I'm going to actually give you the details! Read on!
 
Deeetsss:
- One winner will be randomly selected to receive a copy of Fangirl.
- This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Woot!
- My giveaway policy applies. Please get familiar with it if you wanna enter my giveaways.
- Enter through the Rafflecopter below!
 
 
Thanks for stopping by and entering!



♥Jessica(:

In Which Kat Kennedy Guest Posts About Co-Blogging. And Crap.

Y'all know Cuddlebuggery, yes? If you don't then you need to check out the blog. It's super awesome. But that's not the point today--the point is that one of the bloggers from Cuddlebuggery was cool enough to write a guest post for me to post and for all you lovely people to read and enjoy and OMG YAY AMIRITE?

You may or may not know Kat Kennedy, and you may or may not have seen her around. But really, you HAVE probably seen her around. That chick is everywhere. But anyway, here's her guest post on co-blogging and those type of shenanigans. Oh, and crap. Did I mention that she mentions crap?

~~~

Have you guys ever received an email from Jessica Baker?  Most hilarious thing ever. Her random use of all caps is a magical thing that everyone should witness at least once.  But anyway, onto the work part.  I offered to guest post here for Jessica because she’s fabulous. I asked her to think of what she wanted me to talk about.  Here are the options I received:

a)      Encyclopaedias

b)      Having a blog partner

c)       Being snarky

And

d)      Crap

Out of all those options, I think I’m going to go with b) Having a blog partner.

Having a blog partner is a wonderful thing.  For real, Steph is the best person ever. She lets me rant on the blog with almost free reign, she handles authors and blog tours that I’m too lazy to do, she keeps the blog working and she is my soul twin.

For real, I met Steph only shortly before we started the blog together.  So it wasn’t like we were friends before we made the agreement to be blog buddies.  We were random acquaintances who teamed up to fight evil, or something like that.  But, what started as a business agreement, quickly became one of the deepest, most important relationships (apart from partners, parents, children etc).  She’s my twin, and we are now life buddies.  We message each other first thing in the morning, all through the day, and say goodnight to each other before we go to sleep. 

Being so deeply in love, as Steph and I are, is obviously an ideal that not everyone can achieve.  We’re living the dream here, guys.  However, we did make some very conscious decisions before we started our love affair/bloggermance, and during our initial relationship, that I think were helpful.

1)      We were very clear about boundaries and expectations

Steph and talked very clearly and exchanged numerous emails. We made agreements on the style of our blog, what our direction, niche and style was going to be.  Most of these things we stuck to, or negotiated over time.  Others, like our agreement that we’d be casual and only post when we felt like it was tossed out the window when we both realized we were complete workaholics.  The important thing is to have a plan about how you’re going to operate your blog, what it’s going to look like, and what should happen to it should one of you decide to quit.

2)      Bond Your Pants Off

Steph and I love each other.  We are both in similar situations in life – we both have young kids of similar age, similar backgrounds and life stories.  So we’re less blogging buddies and more like two people just doing life together.  We bonded our pants off (literally.  If we end up in bed together one day, it will be a surprise to no one), but we also respected each other’s differences and focus on all the things that bring us together.

3)      Let Go of the Control

Having a blog partner, a partner FOR LIFE, is all about letting go of control, collaborating and accepting that compromise is the spice of life.  I can’t tell you how many times Steph and I have disagreed on bloggery things.  But the blog is always better when we both relinquish control, and chill. A coblogger is not someone who joins your blog and does all the work for you.  A coblogger is someone to build a blog with.  Steph and I have had a long struggle.  She wants us to experiment with memes, I’m violently opposed.  It is the only argument about the blog we’ve continually had for the almost-two-years we’ve been working on the blog.  But everything else we’ve found a compromise on, or just plain given in to each other out of respect.

So there you go, that’s my recipe for a good blogger relationship.  I don’t know how helpful I am.  Steph and I are this amazing team, and I can’t honestly say it’s because of anything we did.  We just fell in love with each other.  It was an automatic chemistry, but one I’ll never regret.

So there you go.  Love you, Steph!  My honey pumpkin!

Thanks, Jess, for having me on the blog!

~~~
 
BOOM. That's it. Great, right? I found it amusing. Then again, I find everything Kat says amusing. Informative, too, of course, but mostly amusing.
 
Thank you so much to Kat for taking the time to write a guest post for me! And you. But mostly me.
 
So...do YOU have anything to say? Any opinions? What do you think? TELL ME. Seriously, I'd like to know.

Oh, and, fun fact: I linked to Cuddlebuggery and Kat's Twitter up at the top of this post. Clickety-click and join in on the randomness that IS Kat Kennedy.
 
♥Jessica(:

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #21 ♥ The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!
 
The Last Forever by Deb Caletti
The Last Forever
Expected Publication: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
 
Description from Goodreads:
Endings and beginnings sit so close to each other that it’s sometimes impossible to tell which is which.

Nothing lasts forever, and no one gets that more than Tessa. After her mother died, it’s all she can do to keep her friends, her boyfriend, her happiness from slipping away. And then there’s her dad. He’s stuck in his own daze, and it’s so hard to feel like a family when their house no longer seems like a home.

Her father’s solution? An impromptu road trip that lands them in a small coastal town at Tessa’s grandmother’s. Despite all the warmth and beauty there, Tessa can’t help but feel even more lost.

Enter Henry Lark. He understands the relationships that matter. And more importantly, he understands her. A secret stands between them, but Tessa’s willing to do anything to bring them together—because Henry may just be her one chance at forever.
 
Why I'm waiting on this:
Deb Caletti is fantastic. Her book Stay makes me feel all kinds of happy inside. So of course I'm going to be all over her next one! Henry Lark sounds like someone I'll like ;) Oh, and ROAD TRIP! Ahhhh. Did I mention that Deb's last book made me cry? I'm not even sure why, but The Story of Us pretty much killed my emotions. But...yeah. I love the author, the book sounds like it's going to be good, and Henry Lark interests me. That's enough reason to be waiting on a book, eh?
 
I kind of want that pretty cover on my shelf, too.
 
What do you think of my pick? What are you waiting on this week? If you made a post, leave a link so I can see!
 
♥Jessica(: