Cover Reveal: Rapture (Elfin Series Book 2) by Quinn Loftis

Rapture (Elfin Series Book 2)

By Quinn Loftis

Synopsis

Triktapic, the deadly dark elf assassin, has been restored by the Forest Lords to his rightful place as king of the Elven realm. Now, he must face his former comrades as he attempts to stop Lorsan, king of the dark elves, from enslaving the human race. Lorsan has already begun distributing Rapture, the irresistible drink that destroys those who unknowingly become addicted to it. Will Cassie, his Chosen, be able to give Trik the strength he needs to face his dark past?

Meanwhile, Cassie’s best friend, Elora, is in a fight for her own life. Elora, her mother, Lisa, and a small band of light elves have traveled deep into the dark elf realm in hopes of rescuing Cassie and Trik. But their mission quickly turns into a battle for their own lives as they are surrounded by Lorsan and his warriors. Though outnumbered ten to one, the humans and elves fight heroically. They fight for a King once lost, but now found. They fight for the human realm that doesn’t yet know it is in need of saving. They fight for love; a love that has already been discovered and a love that is waiting to be revealed. Despite their valiant efforts, the band is captured and held captive by the dark elf king.

The peaceful world that Cassie and Elora knew is long gone, shattered by their realization that elves walk secretly among them, and are bent on their destruction. Soon, each of the girls will be forced to choose her own path. Cassie must decide to which world she belongs and Elora must decide if she will fight for a warrior hell bent on keeping her from his side.

Two species, human and elf, stand on the precipice of war, united in one goal; shatter the dark elf king’s plan, and unite a divided race under the rule of the one true King.

Coming December 2013

About The Author

 

Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, son, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.

Links

Website: http://www.quinnloftisbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuinnLoftisBooks?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthQuinnLoftis

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5014564.Quinn_Loftis

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Quinn-Loftis/e/B005HJPD9C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1370647120&sr=1-2-ent

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/quinn-loftis?store=allproducts&keyword=quinn+loftis

Add to GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18457506-rapture?from_search=true

Rains Reviews: Seeking Havok by Lila Felix

All she wanted was a friend---one that knew her and not her circumstances. She needed somewhere to call home. Hers was an open door for countless men looking for the services her mother offered them. She camouflaged herself against lockers and blackboards to avoid the stares and whispers at school.

And then she found Cal...and Fade.

Cal lives like Frankenstein, rising at night to work and just trying to make it until dawn. He avoids most relationships, afraid of the things he will be asked to do. He moonlights as Fade, a radio station DJ who spends hours counseling his peers on their troubles. It was all mundane until Jocelyn called the station.

Cal and Havok pursue a friendship.

Jocelyn and Fade pursue a relationship beyond the confines of the radio waves.

But when Havok disappears, Cal will find that Havok has been guarding a lifetime worth of secrets. And when Fade and Jocelyn’s all night phone conversations cease, he finds a link between them he never saw coming.
~~~
Seeking Havoc. Hmm. How about a quote?

“A great book should leave you with many experiences and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” ~ William Styron

Yep, pretty much. This book wasn’t in any way anywhere near a feel good happy romance. But I liked that about it. Because life is crappy and it throws you off your groove. And though Havok hasn’t had a good homelife, though she is struggling, though she is in a bad situation she hasn’t given up. Not completely, not remotely- not really. And I admire her for that. Don’t get me wrong, she has her bad judgment calls and her own brand of naivety she is a fighter even if she doesn’t always think so.

Fade is a typical sweet, caring, swoon worthy guy that I wouldn’t expect anything less than from Lila. He listens to, cares for, and worries about Havok, Jocelyn and everyone else who need it. He is an all around stand up individual. And inside that awesome thing he calls a heart he finds he most cherished spot to put Havok. The safest most wonderful spot and that is where he puts his girl. Because that is where she deserves to be.

Seeking havok is a heavy book that made my tear up and laugh and fear and, yes, swoon. You’d think with statistics and human nature at least one of lila’s books wouldn’t be a home run but no. Way to beat the odds Lady Lila.

~Rain

~~~

Goodreads

Amazon

Lila Felix

Rains Reviews: The Fairy Ring by Mary Losure

The Fairy Ring by Mary Losure

The enchanting true story of a girl who saw fairies, and another with a gift for art, who concocted a story to stay out of trouble and ended up fooling the world.

Frances was nine when she first saw the fairies. They were tiny men, dressed all in green. Nobody but Frances saw them, so her cousin Elsie painted paper fairies and took photographs of them "dancing" around Frances to make the grown-ups stop teasing. The girls promised each other they would never, ever tell that the photos weren’t real. But how were Frances and Elsie supposed to know that their photographs would fall into the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? And who would have dreamed that the man who created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes believed ardently in fairies
— and wanted very much to see one? Mary Losure presents this enthralling true story as a fanciful narrative featuring the original Cottingley fairy photos and previously unpublished drawings and images from the family’s archives. A delight for everyone with a fondness for fairies, and for anyone who has ever started something that spun out of control.

~~~

The Fairy Ring was an informative book on fairies in england 1900s. How nice to know they actually exist! That there is solid proof! And you know, that everyone is so easily fooled when they want to believe in something.

Frances and Elsie were oh so very different but they meshed. Frances was the quiet type that like to stay under the radar. She was sort of sensible I guess you could say. She saw fairies and thought nothing of it. They were just there, why do something about it?

Elsi was the artistic type and though she wasn’t an outgoing Social butterfly her shell wasn’t as thick as Frances’.

The Frances and Elsie were teased for believing in fairies. So they decided they were going to do something about that.

Through two simple pictures they made an entire country come to attention. They had all of england asking about fairies, believing that they were real and that two simple country girls caught them on camera!This rouse lasted their entire lives. But they didn’t know it would did they?

This story was told in distant third person and was a fast moving retelling of the event that shaped their lives and changed a country. It was interesting and welcome and I greatly enjoyed this short novel.

~Rain

~~~

Goodreads

The Fairy Ring: Or Elsie and Frances Fool the World

Mary Losure

Blog Tour: Twisted by KayCee R

Tour Schedule

Twisted Cayden Rivers wants nothing more than to be normal, but we don’t always get what we want. For years he has been hiding a secret, afraid of being labeled a “freak”. Every day he goes to school, plays football, spends time with his girlfriend, and helps carry his drunken adopted father to bed. Nobody knows the truth about his unnatural speed and strength, including his life-long friend Camilla. Suddenly, four strangers enter Cayden’s life, and not only do they know his secret, they also have one of their own. With their help, Cayden discovers there is more to his power, something much more dangerous. Something other people will kill to possess. Camilla wishes her parents were around more. She gets lonely sleeping in her big empty house night after night. Sure, she has all the money she could ever need, but the only person who is there for her is Cayden. He has his own family and a girlfriend who takes up most of his time, so Camilla knows he won’t be there for her forever, and recently he’s been acting really strange. Will Cayden be able to keep his secret and his friendship with Camilla, or will his new found power destroy everything, including his own life? Switching between Cayden and Camilla's point of view, Twisted will leave you aching for more.  
~~~
Excerpt
I pushed the guy’s weight off me so I could get up to see if Dom caught the ball, but I stopped short when I looked up at who had tackled me. It was… me? I must have hit my head. Hard. I heard cheers roaring, but they felt like they were coming from far away. That I was watching from a distance, even though I was there on the field.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

  KayCee R KayCee is a 24 year old self-published author from Cleveland, Ohio. KayCee has always loved reading. After a re-occurring dream she decided to try writing about it. She wrote the first installment of Twisted when she was 20. “I kept having this dream about these twins, and then I just decided to run with it. I wrote the beginning, the end, and then filled in the middle.” KayCee finished the book in 8 months and then decided to share the book online. After seeing people get interested in the book and the characters, she decided to write another book and turn Twisted into a series. KayCee has finished four novels in the Twisted series and is currently working on the fifth book.

Twitter * Facebook * BookRix

Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/4/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rain's Reviews: The Descendants Second Coming by Vrinda Pendred

Between kisses, Aidan kept asking her questions: Where do I come from? Who was my father? Who made me? Why am I here?

The Ancients are coming for them. In fact, they’ve already landed on Earth and now they’re searching for the boy who will lead them to the Wisdom.

Some say the Wisdom is ultimate knowledge of the Creator; others say it’s just a myth. But the golden giant Quetzal knows better. The Wisdom was lost thousands of years ago, and only its recovery will stop the Ancients from dying.

Meanwhile, Aidan is desperate to discover the identity of his birth parents…and the real reason why he was led away from home in pursuit of the black pulse of his dreams. Can Itzy protect him from the truth that threatens to divide them?

~~~
The Descendants Second Coming is just as astounding as the first. The adventure, Mystery, and romance of it all is amazingly woven together into a fantastical tale. Itzel, Aiden, Oz, Seth, and the rest of the gang and trying to protect the wisdom- kind of.

Itzel Loveguard has grown up. She has gotten more confident in herself and her powers but she still has a lot to learn. That, however, didn’t keep me from loving just as much the second time around.

The book was written in an encore cast all told in third person with the focus on Itzy, Sethe, Aiden, and the ancients mostly. Yep-the ancients- you get to meet them and see new sides to the already interesting cast.

The mystery was very well written and balanced. I didn’t figure anything out unless the characters did. I actually thought I’d gotten clever and figured it out a couple times but there was always another twist- silly me.

There was a lot more romance in this book, and much more steamy. I must admit that I was a little disappointed. It was very blatantly stated that they went past PG-13 and though there was no description I had always- for some fantastical childish reason hoped that Itzel was the type to wait. Nevertheless It was all such a small insignificant part of the story that I don’t think it would keep me from recommending it to a friend. Moving on.

The climax had a lot of build up and didn’t happen until the very end of the book as per Vrinda’s usual M.O. *Sighs* I have a theory that when Vrinda started writing she had an amazing mentor whom she grew to trust completely and always took his advice. Then one day Vrinda came to him with a problem- she couldn’t figure out how write the ending of a book. And her mentor in all his gentle wiseness told her, “then don’t. Leave your readers in miserable agony until you write the next book and then eventually when the time comes, and ending will present itself. Until then just stop and publish it at the least and yet most opportune moment.” And since that was the most she had ever heard her very old- slow to speak mentor talk at once she decided then and there to do exactly that; every single time. Congratulations old man you’ve cultivated an exquisite author with the ability to make lives and powers and fairytales come to life and I think you should be proud of her, dear fictional man. Lets just hope no one has to wait too long for the next installment, I think she might be responsible for a few admittances in to a psych ward if they have too long of a wait.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

~Rain

Southern Book Carnival

Favorite Character

“I don't care when people think I'm an antisocial, controlling bookworm because that's what I am. It's when they interpret me wrong that I have a problem.”

― Kasie West, Pivot Point

So you know how you meet those people and on the surface your like oh they are so great! But once walk away from the conversation your like they're OK. And then you meet someone else and they just quietly ingrain their selves into your soul and when someone asks you who your favorite person is and your really true to yourself and take in all things that person sneaks up and smiles at you inside you know you just know that that is the greatest person. That friend is the best friend. That human is your favorite human.


That is how I am going to end the Southern Book Carnival. I have read so many books, I have told ya'll about so many books that it is so hard to know to really know who your favorite character is. And I have made my decision.

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Addison Coleman.

Addison Coleman, the socially awkward, geeky, and slightly sarcastic Divergent. She can Search her future. She can make decisions, she's a loyal friend, and hilarious. She is so real, she has her quirks and her weird moments.

Who is your favorite character

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for visiting this weekend!! If you've entered the giveaway make sure there is a way for me to contact you if you win and get back with me within 24 hours of being notify or I will pick a new winner:).

Thanks so much for participating in this awesome Carnival and I hope you enjoyed it!!!

Rain's Reviews: Pulse by Patrick Carman

From New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman, a teen fantasy-adventure of epic proportions. In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story.

The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.

In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.

Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love.~Goodreads
~~~

Pulse is an intoxicating read that make you bite your nails in anticipation and scream for answers. Mr. Patrick has mastered the art of suspense. Sounds slightly diabolical but, hey, everyone has their hobby’s. Apparently his include making readers fear for, cry with, laugh at, and empathize with these characters he skillfully crafts in a way that brings them to life.

Faith is a multifaceted young woman. She is rebellious in a way that usually gets her in trouble. She is quick witted which has endeared her to me. She is intelligent, a quick study, and artistic. But she also lets her emotions rule. She has a short fuse and is prone to let her emotions control her actions.

Hawk is a great little guy. He is hilarious, super friggin’ smart, and knows how to play situations to his advantage.

The rest of the characters play a very important role in the book. Patrick is not one to waste words on fluff. The description though minimal was well thought out and you learned about people and situations when he saw fit. The entire book was an entire spider web woven together and interconnecting in a way that kept me reading all day long. Great Read. And definitely an original apocalypse.

~Rain

~~~

Goodreads

Patrick Carman's Website

Pulse

Southern Book Carnival

Today we are going to have a speaker(ish)! Mrs. Shelly Crane who is a 100% Southern Beauty!

Shelly is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.

Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Shelly Crane is who you have to thank for this blog. If it wasn't for her significance series I would have never gotten into reading as much as I have. Don't get me wrong I loved reading before but I always had a really hard time finding books that I'd enjoy that was age appropriate. So my spotlight today is the best author ever!

How many of you have ever played two lies and a truth? You have great! Oh you haven't, ok well it goes like this. I'm am going to tell you two lies and one truth about Shelly Crane and your going to tell me which one you think is the truth. Are you ready?

• Shelly has three kids.
• She hates cats.
• She doesn't like chocolate.

Which one do you think it is?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Southern Book Carnival

Derby Bout! Love and Skate series by Lila Felix

Hey y’all! I’m so freaking happy you're here! You are just in time for the derby bout! Today’s spotlight is the Love and Skate series by the infamous Lila Felix. What book would win the derby?!?

Love in skate pulls ahead and body slams How it Rolls out of bounds. Caught in a Jam calls the foul and Down ‘n Derby skates to replace Love and skate. After two fouls by How it Rolls she is thrown from the game and its a battle for the win between Love and Skate and Down ‘n Derby. After the biggest tension filled match off seen in Reader’s Rink ever seen Caught in a Jam calls the game and Love and Skate scraped past with the win.

Who would win in your Roller Derby match?

Pick your favorite or most likely to win Love and Skate book and the winning eBook will be added to the pot of awesome prizes!!
Poll a Rafflecopter giveaway

Southern Book Carnival Day One

'Just Listen' Music Spectacular!

HEY Y'ALL! So today is the kickoff of the Southern Book Carnival! How many of you are excited? I know I am! So each day of the carnival I am going to do a different feature, one day I will feature a series, the next a book, the next an author and the next a character. I am so excited to spread around this southern book love and I hope you enjoy the event as much as I do.

Today I kicking off with a music spectacular!!

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I absolutely loved Just Listen’s story and characters and writing but above all, I loved the emphasis on music. So here is my playlist for Just listen.

So I have 10 songs on this playlist, but its missing something. Can you think of a song that should be added? Think clean please. Comment the name of the song and the artist, I’ll listen and pick the top two and you will get an extra entry into the pot for the awesome prize pack!

A little help if you haven’t had the chance to read this rocking book:

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.

This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends. ~Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: Twisted by KayCee R

Tour Schedule

 
Twisted Cayden Rivers wants nothing more than to be normal, but we don’t always get what we want. For years he has been hiding a secret, afraid of being labeled a “freak”. Every day he goes to school, plays football, spends time with his girlfriend, and helps carry his drunken adopted father to bed. Nobody knows the truth about his unnatural speed and strength, including his life-long friend Camilla. Suddenly, four strangers enter Cayden’s life, and not only do they know his secret, they also have one of their own. With their help, Cayden discovers there is more to his power, something much more dangerous. Something other people will kill to possess. Camilla wishes her parents were around more. She gets lonely sleeping in her big empty house night after night. Sure, she has all the money she could ever need, but the only person who is there for her is Cayden. He has his own family and a girlfriend who takes up most of his time, so Camilla knows he won’t be there for her forever, and recently he’s been acting really strange. Will Cayden be able to keep his secret and his friendship with Camilla, or will his new found power destroy everything, including his own life? Switching between Cayden and Camilla's point of view, Twisted will leave you aching for more.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

  KayCee R KayCee is a 24 year old self-published author from Cleveland, Ohio. KayCee has always loved reading. After a re-occurring dream she decided to try writing about it. She wrote the first installment of Twisted when she was 20. “I kept having this dream about these twins, and then I just decided to run with it. I wrote the beginning, the end, and then filled in the middle.” KayCee finished the book in 8 months and then decided to share the book online. After seeing people get interested in the book and the characters, she decided to write another book and turn Twisted into a series. KayCee has finished four novels in the Twisted series and is currently working on the fifth book.

Twitter * Facebook * BookRix

  BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rain's Reviews: Sacrifice of Love by Quinn Loftis

Sacrifice of Love by Quinn Loftis

As one evil falls, another rises in its place. The powerful witch, Desdemona, has finally been killed by an alliance of wolf, elf, and fae. But Reyaz, brother to Cypher the warlock king, has vowed retribution for a life that was taken from him. Now Cypher must decide not only how to protect his newfound mate and his people, but also how to destroy the only family he has left.

Meanwhile, Jen’s pregnancy progresses and the fateful due date draws ever nearer. The thought of losing Decebel’s child constantly threatens to overwhelm her. With each passing day, Decebel grows more distant, causing Jen to wonder what toll the impending loss of their child is taking on him. Unbeknownst to Jen, in an act of desperation to protect his unborn child and mate, Decebel strikes a deadly bargain with the Great Luna—his life in place of his child’s. There is only one way for that to happen; the bond between he and Jen must be broken.

As Jen as Decebel struggle through their darkness, another kind of darkness is infiltrating Fane’s heart. Doubts and questions linger as he tries to cope with the emotions brought on in the aftermath of Desdemona’s curse. He knows what happened wasn’t real, but still he can’t rid himself of the terrible images seared into his memory. Jacque is his light, the one who keeps the darkness at bay, yet he won’t let her inside to do just that.

Sally continues to learn what it means to be a gypsy healer and Costin struggles to protect her as she runs full speed ahead to help her wolves, heedless of her own safety. She sees her best friends struggling, each enduring their own trials. She’s desperate to help them, but can she keep them safe?

With all of these things hanging heavy over the heads of the Serbia and Romania packs, their attention is divided. The wolves do not even realize a threat has slowly infiltrated their midst. Will they recognize the threat in time to save the lives that precariously hang in the balance?

Against this backdrop of darkness, choices will be made, fears will confronted, and the ultimate sacrifice will be made. Will the wolves stand together to defeat the threats arrayed against them, both from within and without? Will love conquer all? Or will the beleaguered wolves finally succumb to their demons? ~Goodreads

~~~

Sacrifice of Love sucked. Not in a bad way- not at all. But in a sad way. In a way that you feel as though you need to go to your friend and vent about all these things that go on in the book. It sucked in a way that you didn’t want it to finish because you knew it was the end. That is was all ending on the last page. Actually, for me, I don’t think the gravity of the situation set in. Sacrifice of Love is it. fin. there will be no more Grey Wolves Series. No more Jaque, Sally, or Jen. Not really. No more Fane, Costin or Decebel. No evil witches, deranged werewolves, psycho warlocks. I started this series the first weekend of November in 2012. I read the first, what four books? Five books? through out my move and reread them countless times. Probably each book at least four times in that period of time. Sally, Jen and Jacque have been a part of my life for almost a year on the tip of my tongue and present in my mind. How am I supposed to let them go? In this final book the entire gang is back together to defeat Cyphers crazy-butt brother. the twists and turn were heart wrenching and mind blowing. I am so wrought with emotional now trying to write this. I can’t go into detail- there are to many thing I might unwittingly reveal. And if you’ve been reading this series for this long you shouldn’t need me to tell you to read this book. Go out Grey Wolves readers, lovers, friends, I know you won’t be disappointed.

~Rain

Goodreads
Amazon
Quinn Loftis' Website

Rain's Reviews: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of school. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take "pass" for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters—and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.~Goodreads
~~~

“Excellent question,” said McQueen. “It’s not here because the English language is filled with sinkholes and blind traps.”

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Bluefish. Bluefish is a very unique book- at least for me. It really is great and I won't hesitate to recomend it.

Travis is a young man who can get by on fifteen words a day, his dog roscoe, and his swamp. No need for reading or an attentive grandpa. But that has all changed/ His swamp is gone and so his his dog. His grandpa’s changing and his new school doesn’t tolerate his illiteracy. 

Velveeta is a very charismatic and eccentric girl. (She reminds me alot of Alaska from John Green’s Looking for Alaska). Her home is lacking and her special place is all she’s got. She meets Travis and now she has something to look forward to. Velveeta is funny and talks enough for two people. She’s a trip but behind the exterior is a girl who's hurting.

Life sucks and these two middle schoolers are learning how to get by.

~Rain

~~~

Goodreads
Bluefish

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors ofNick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own. ~Goodreads
~~~Do you ever anticipate something for so long. Wait days, weeks, and months and when it finally get it you’re so overjoyed.And you convince yourself that nothing you’ve waited for and anticipated for so long could be anything less than purely epic? That’s how I felt when I got this book. 

Lily is an excited girl. Despite her odd appearance and seemingly slightly shallow outside she is a profound young woman. And I like to think I see myself in her. She is so interesting and such a girl. 
Dear Dash, 
 I must say, I cannot admit to ever really liking a hipster. Their entire superficial cover make my entirely disinterested. But you, Dash,have altered my opinion if only in this one case. You with your thoughtful profoundness and high quotability. (which is so Levithan Esque) I cannot ignore my wish that I could converse with you through notebooking. 

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have lived up to all realistic expectations I gave them. And I truly believe that this book will grow on me more and more over time. So with this last thought I will leave you; I really want a red moleskin journal.

~Rain
~~~
Goodreads
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Collegy Stuff! ish

So this is the dealio. I started school last week. You might not think that's a big deal -BUT it is.
For me.
I have been independently home schooled for the past 8 years. I am used to customized schedules, sleeping in until  9:30 a.m. and lenient deadlines. Self teachings with parents as back up teachers when I need help. But this year, my junior year of high school, I am starting running start/ duel enrollment at the local community college. Commence 6 a.m. mornings, structured an set class times and material., homework, and all that other college stuff.
So, I am trying my best to keep up with all things blog and while I will continue to blog and read I may become scant on posts from time to time. I promise I will try my best but this is a whole new beast and sadly blogging is not more important than my future- darn.
Thank you for all the support so far and hopefully I will be able to stay on top of everything!
~Rain

Don't forget! Southern Book Carnival starts on the 11th! I am totally stoked!