Discussion: Social Media & Blogging- Let's Talk Facebook!

Last week I kicked off the discussion series about Social Media and Blogging with a discussion about g+ and whether it's a useful tool.  I'm rather new to it myself and I got a lot of my questions answered.  Here's a quick run through of what I discovered.

• Most of the bloggers who commented didn't use it much, if at all.  Some use it to link up, but don't interact on it.  
• Most don't have the time for all the social networks and therefore don't use g+.

• Many say that facebook and twitter are easier to use.

• Beth says that this is the rank of impact (keep in mind that there are different opinions on this, as I had recently read an article that said g+ is the best) 

Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
everything else
Google+

• Villia says she doesn't like it because she has to use her full name.  
• Tanya says she used g+ ONLY for the Book Bloggers community. She also says it doesn't matter what you pick, whichever social network you use the most is the one with the most impact.
• Katie says she likes it way better then Facebook. Here's her full comment because I actually found it all very helpful.

Honestly, G+ way better than Facebook. Google has made it a lot easier to use, as well. So when you comment on something, you get an email, and you can reply from the email, so you don't have to go to the website, like FB. And there isn't as many ads hitting you everywhere.

The communities of Google is where I find the power. I've gotten into a lot of writing (and cooking and weight lifting and dog . . ) communities that are SO supportive. The people are G+ have always been kind. It's a bigger platform for me than FB, and my discussion posts always get a lot more attention from total strangers on G+. Also, I've made a lot of G+ friends that are just awesome. One of them is sending me 3-4 books in the mail because she thinks it'll help me with my story, and we've never met or anything.

• Heidi says she's sworn off google because they have proven to be unreliable.

So it comes down to this- is g+ worth it?  And I have decided to continue experimenting.  Going on for 5 minutes a day and posting what I have posted on my blog and possibly adding a few people to my circles.  I'm not ready to dedicate a lot of time to it, but I think it's worth at least looking into more.
I also agree with Heidi that google HAS proven unreliable, shutting things down all willy nilly.  For that reason I do agree with her comment and am going in a bit reluctantly.
I still believe commenting on blogs is my strongest networking 'tool'. However I'm not really bringing in new people that way, and I'd like to get some exposure in new areas as well.
Time is still a HUGE issue.

Moving on...
I'd like to talk about Facebook today.  It was only a year ago when I started my Facebook 'page' for my blog. I had been very reluctant and didn't really feel it was necessary.  Once I got it up I found it really pretty easy to figure out.  Of course I had my personal account, so I was familiar with Facebook.  Having a page is a bit different though.  While I've had it for a year now I still find myself having a lot of mixed feelings.

I definitely think it's good to have.  It has proven helpful for promoting posts and I've gotten new readers because of it.  It works well for me to push for a few more people on my tours.  And I like having a spot to promote reviews and other posts for the tours I organize.

What I have issues with- I feel like a loser that no one likes.  Yeah, that's being a little harsh, and honestly it's not something I dwell on.  But when I post discussion things I often get no response.  I see others talk about the books they are reading, their plans for the weekend, etc.  I do that and get nothing. No likes, no comments.  Not always, but more often then not.  So I tend to just not interact on there and that makes me a little sad.  I don't really have the time to 'chat' but I would like some interaction with other readers and it's not really working in that aspect for me.  I don't really get many 'likes' on  many of my posts at all actually.

So has your Facebook page worked for chatting and interaction?  Is there a trick to it?

The next thing is giveaway's.  I had done some Facebook exclusive giveaway's but I didn't have many entries. It was just leave a comment and you're entered and people weren't bothering.  It's been awhile now, so that could change, but I've been a little shy of posting giveaway's that won't get a response (that is so embarrassing when that happens).  I'd like to know if you've had successful giveaway's on Facebook and how you pulled it off.

I know how to work Facebook, and I like that.  I like that I can schedule my posts to go up through the day (love that feature actually) and I like that I have gotten some new blog readers because of it.  I do find myself worrying that I'm doing something wrong.  That I would have bigger impact if I changed something, I just don't know what.

Is there such a thing as posting too much?  I'm always worried I'll lose followers because when I have several tours running I can post up to 12 times a day.  Does that get annoying for people, seeing all of those?

I'd like to hear all your thoughts!  And start thinking about Pinterest, I think we'll discuss that one next week (or the week after since I have The Book Thief book club discussion).

Thanks so much for all the input everyone!

Today is the last day of  Something Wicked Returns!  I can't believe the month is over already!  Happy Halloween to all of you who celebrate! The giveaway's are all ending tonight, so get those entries in!  You can find the full schedule here. All my giveaway's are posted at the top of my blog.
Here's today's posts:

Oct. 31st:
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings:Andrea Jones: Other Oceans

Ali@My Guilty Obsession:Susannah Sandlin: Penton Legacy Series

Maja@The Nocturnal Library: Matthew Quinn Martin: Nightlife

Confident Reads: Krista Holle & The Wind Whisperer

Hello everyone! Confident Reads is a feature I have here each week once in awhile and is a way to open communication between readers and Indie authors.  This  is to help readers feel confident in the books they spend their money on, and for authors to feel confident in the book they publish.

Today I have author Krista Holle here to promote her newest book, The Wind Whisperer. I have not read it, but it sounds rather intriguing!

When, and how, did you come to being an indie/self published author? 

I first self-published in December 2011 after every literary agent told me there was no audience for selkie

novels.  The Lure of Shapinsay revolved around the Scottish mythology of the selkies—seal men and women who lure mortals to their death beneath the ocean. Though selkies are still obscure mythical creatures, I was delighted at my positive reviews.

Did you attempt to publish traditionally?  What were your experiences? 

There was a time when I queried publishers.  I had a few nibbles from some smaller presses but ultimately it wasn’t to be. The “Big Houses” or large publishers are earned through agents.

If you were offered a deal with a traditional publisher, would you take it? 

Yes, I think I would. More doors are opened for traditionally published authors. There are many bloggers who won’t review or even promote indie authors.  

What is the best part of being indie/self published, for you? 

I love the freedom of choosing every detail of my book. The indie author controls everything from the editing details to the look of their cover. It’s my baby all the way.

The indie/self published scene is constantly changing.  Even quite a few traditionally published authors have ventured into the world of self publishing.  What do you predict for the future?  How do you think the indie scene is changing and where do you think it will go?  

The market is being flooded with indie authors.  This is making traditional publishing less lucrative and more competitive than ever. Every author is waiting for their big break, whether they are traditionally published or self-published.  

As an indie/self published author, what has been your biggest obstacle?  

My biggest obstacle is getting exposure.  I’ve read statistics that claim readers won’t purchase a book until they’ve been exposed to a certain title a minimum of 4 or 5 times.  That means my audience needs to see my cover in five different locations before they feel confident enough to buy.  This requires lots of hard work.

In the world of indie/self published not everyone goes about things the same way.  Many make mistakes (and hopefully learn from them).  What are the biggest mistakes that you think authors are making and how do you suggest they improve?

Some indie authors make the mistake of trying to edit their own books.  After about the third read, the author becomes completely blind to any errors they’ve written into the story.

How do you approach reviewers? And what has worked best when doing so? 

I simply ask nicely for a review and hope the reviewer’s tbr pile isn’t too large. Some reviewers want their post to accompany a giveaway.  I’m always open to that.

When it comes to sales, what do you think has worked the best for you and had the biggest impact? 

I’m still trying to figure this out.  My sales have been surprising steady.  There was a time when I was holding simultaneous giveaways, paying for advertising on multiple web sites, offering free bookmarks.  With all of this gone, my sales are still about the same.  Go figure.

If someone tells you they are thinking of publishing a novel themselves and they would like some advice on where to get started or some tips for success, what advice would you give?  

Self-publishing isn’t right for everybody.  If you don’t have the time to promote your book, there’s really no point.  

We all know covers are important; can you tell us about your cover story?  

Anaii, my fifteen-year-old protagonist is hinting at her relationship with the wind as the leaves flutter around her fingertips.  In the background is Elan,Anaii’s best friend, and Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.  It’s the making of a sticky love triangle.

Bad reviews are inevitable; most every author gets at least some.  How do you handle things when you get a bad review so you don’t get hung up on it or possibly lash out which could cause more damage in the long run?  

I never respond to bad reviews.  The perfect book that everyone loves doesn’t exist. Bad reviews sting, but I just shrug and look forward to my next five star review.  

 

It’s your turn!  Ask my readers one question that you are dying to know the answer for.

I’m dying to know what you think of The Wind Whisperer cover.  Do you like love triangles?

At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious.  Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks.  But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.

As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him.  It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior.  Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief. 

Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated.  Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light. 

While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes.  Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.

 Author Bio:

Krista Holle is an award winning author who stepped up her writing after reading Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series.  It occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love—not just vampires.  When Krista is not writing, she loves to collect seashells, watch movies, and eat obscene amounts of pizza.  Krista currently resides in Montpelier, Virginia with her husband, four daughters and an eccentric cat with a weird attachment to the family’s socks. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

Young Adult Review & Giveaway: Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf

Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf

ebook, 379 pages

Expected Publication: October 28, 2013 by Hybrid Fiction

Source: Author

One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often.

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process.

The race for Earth has begun.

Unbreathable is a tale of love, redemption, and sacrifice, and one girl's struggle to find her place in a world where she doesn't belong.

Unbreathable flows at a fast and furious pace, things happening quite quickly so you don't get any time to really settle in and relax.  For the most part this is a positive thing, I cruised through the book in no time and never felt bored.  I could have easily read this one sitting as it was such a fast read.

Lissa, the MC, is a great character.  She felt rather young at the start, but as the book goes on and things are revealed to her, she starts to feel older. She has to find her bravery, but she handles things quite well as they are revealed to her bit by bit.  She is handed more and responsibility and she handles it with finesse.  She may not want it, but she also realizes when she doesn't have a choice and she's the one it needs to go to.

Julian, the love interest, was very sweet.  We see he's a bit broken, but it seems that Lissa helps him along a lot.  I wouldn't have minded a bit more character development on his end, but this wasn't a huge issue.  He was still fantastic and I like him quite a lot.  He's a mix of kick butt and a lost and broken boy.

The world is fantastic!  I really loved the history (of that which we got anyway) and love the way the world works.  I thought it was fascinating, these two different groups of 'people'. The original 'people' (we could call them aliens, but they aren't addressed as such in the book) and the humans who came to the planet from earth.  We see things from the human side and see the Jutes as bad, but I was really happy to see some other angles on this as the book continues.  I love a book where good and bad isn't always so black and white.  

This leads to a few things I liked less.  There's a character that's suppose to be treading that line of good and bad.  Someone that Lissa seems to care for.  Unfortunately I never saw the good in him like she did.  Some time spent on his character and developing this aspect of the book would have elevated it for me because I just never connected with this aspect.

I also felt like some of the scenes moved a bit too fast and I wasn't fully comprehending what was happening, or what had happened.  While it becomes clear as the book continues it was slightly jarring at times.  And one last thing is that I felt like the book was too predictable.  There were things that weren't so much so, but in regards to the romance I felt it was so obvious that it almost seemed silly for them to have the 'revelation'.  I felt like they had already known this and accepted it, so it was almost confusing for me.  There are a few other instances where I felt like things were obvious before the 'revelation' came about.

Regardless of some things I liked less, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The writing was very well done, the editing was nearly perfect (I read an ARC so I can assume the one or two errors are corrected in the final) and the plot and characters were very unique.  The story wraps up well, but it looks like it's going to be a series and I will be all over it!  I would definitely love to see what happens next!

If I were to give half ratings this would be 3.5, but since I don't I think I'll round it up to 4 stars.  {I've also been told a few things have changed since I read the book, so some of the issues I had might have been at least partially fixed.}

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

The author is giving away one ebook copy of Unbreathable. 

Open worldwide.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends 11/5

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Page: Root Bound by Tanya Karen Gough (Feb. 3-14)

This is the tour page for Root Bound (Emma and the Elementals Volume 1) by Tanya Karen Gough.  Root Bound is an upper Middle Grade, or lower Young Adult fantasy adventure recommended for ages 10+. The tour is to run February 3-14.

This is a reviews only tour.

Tour Schedule:
2/3

• Let’s Talk About Books 
• Bibliophilia, Please
• Our Wolves Den

2/4

• FUONLYKNEW 

2/5

• Book Lovers Life

2/6

• My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews

2/7

• Buried in Books 

2/10

• alwayjoart

2/11

• Alice Marvels
• Books, Reviews, etc

2/12

• Ali's Books

2/13

• My Love for Reading Keeps Growing
• Cover2Cover 

2/14

• Every Free Chance
• Mary's Cup of Tea

Book Title: Root Bound
Series: Emma & the Elementals (Volume 1 of 4)
Author: Tanya Karen Gough
Imprint: Baba Yaga Press
Genre: Children's literature, Fantasy/Adventure
Target Age: 10 and up
Length (trade PB): 251 pages
Release date: June 1, 2012
Tour Dates: Feb. 3-14
Book Links: Goodreads |  Smashwords  |  Amazon  |  B&N  |  Kobo  | Lulu (trade paper)

 Description:

Root Bound is a fast-paced, action fantasy novel about a young girl finding her place in
the world through a series of adventures involving magical creatures, and a journey to the centre of
the earth. Root Bound is both a topsy-turvy riff on traditional literary children's fantasy and an
allegorical coming-of-age tale.
Emma and her father, a jazz musician, are always on the move, travelling from place to place as her father’s work demands. Their new home, however, is different. There’s a frightening woman who lives down the hall: she bears an uncanny resemblance to a witch. A mysterious light comes from her apartment, and a small boy seems to be trapped inside.
School in this town is no happy place either, with an odd principal and a gang of girls who make tormenting Emma their special project. And strangest of all is the fact that there seem to be brownies - basement brownies, in the air vent in her bedroom. They are searching for the Wanderer, a powerful being who can help free the Crown Prince of Under from the black magic prison that holds him. Emma travels through the brownie burrow to the valley of Hades to visit with the goddess Ceres, following a series of clues that lead her across the sea of memory to the centre of the world. There, on an inhospitable rock floating in a sea of steaming lava, Emma must find a way to free the prince, release her mother from the sea of memory, and restore magic to both the brownie burrow and the human world above.

The book has received some great reviews including one from Kirkus and from the Midwest Book Review.

“Gough cleverly mines that book’s legends, folk tales and Greek mythology, along with the works of
Frank Baum and Lewis Carroll, to create settings and challenges that pay homage to classic children’s
literature. [...] Gough also makes ample use of nonsensical rhythms and onomatopoeia to keep a lively
pace, and her imagining of Under’s vast framework of roots and rocks is richly realized in earthly
textures and sounds. [...]
A lighthearted, whimsical confection that will delight both kids and their parents’ inner child.”
-Kirkus Reviews

Witchcraft seems frightening at first, and only becomes more so as you learn more. "Root Bound"
follows young Emma as she discovers someone who is most definitely a witch in her new home with
her father. Drawn into a world of mysticism and fae brownies, she finds the road home for her is a long
and complicated one. "Root Bound" is a fine and much recommended addition for young adult fantasy
collections.
-Midwest Book Review





About the Author:

Tanya Karen Gough owned and published The Poor Yorick Shakespeare Catalogue from 1997-2007, earning a strong international customer base of world class academics and high school educators.
Tanya was also a contributing editor for the Internet Shakespeare Editions at the University of Victoria (BC), audio advisor for the Sourcebooks Shakespeare textbook series, and theatre reviewer for Playshakespeare.com. Tanya grew up in New Hampshire and currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Author Links: Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Young Adult Review: Fractured by Sarah Fine

Fractured (Guards of the Shadowlands #2) by Sarah Fine

Hardcover, 357 pages

Published: October 29th, 2013 by Skyscape

Source: Publisher

Do not read this description if you haven't read Sanctum yet!

In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

Sanctum was one of my favorite books last year. It made it on my top ten and pretty much had the best romance I had read in a YA book, like, EVER.  It blew my mind and I wanted to scream from the rooftops to people to READ IT! {I encourage you to check out my super rave review.}  So I was a bit scared to read Fractured because I had very, very high expectations.  In this review I hope I can get my feelings about everything across correctly because I really was kind of all over the place in them.

When a book ends on an EPIC note, when it leaves you feeling just SO much, you automatically have that impression in your head.  Which is good, because if it had a sucky ending then you might just give up and now you know you HAVE to know more.  Fractured had one of those endings that your jaw drops and then you lay back on your bed and stare at the ceiling for six hours thinking about it.  It was that whole mix of awful, wonderful and emotional.  I don't want to say too much, but for me it was the emotion that I was finally starting to feel that made me just so, so HAPPY.  But yet... devastated.   Lela and Malachi's journey is not an easy one and not everything is going to be honky dory.  It's just not really possible.  If they did then it wouldn't be realistic.  At the same time you don't want these bad things to happen to people.  Anyway, let's move on.

The ending blew my mind.  Unfortunately the rest of the book didn't.  Sarah is a brilliant writer; her writing, descriptions and world were great.  It was very different from Sanctum as the setting has changed, but they are battling the same evils, just on a different ground.  They have the complexity's of real life to deal with and that was good, and bad.  My issue was I was very frustrated with the romance in this.  I really felt like it took a turn that maybe wasn't necessary and then I spent the entire book kind of angry about that.  So while I know that a lot of the stuff going on was great that whole issue was, well... an issue.  It didn't ever leave my mind.  Which makes sense since it never left Lela's either. 

All in all I know this was a great book.  There was one thing that wasn't great and that kind of really lowered my love for it.  But we still have the amazing characters, and many new ones.  We grow to care about some others that we previously may not have cared about at all (or even disliked).  We get some new information and the plot has moved forward into EPIC territory once again.  Maybe it's a case of middle book syndrome? I don't know... but that ending.  Wow. 

I'm still a big fan of this series, so don't get me wrong.  I'm still screaming from the rooftops to READ SANCTUM, because this series IS worth it.  SO worth it!  You just have to deal with a little bit of less great stuff for awhile in this.  And then, back to EPIC we go! 

If I did half ratings this would a 3.5 stars.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy to read from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

My Week In Instagram- Photo Recap

Happy Sunday everyone!

This post is in my week according to instagram. It's mostly the books I got but I take random pictures sometimes too.  Also, make sure you follow me on instagram, I follow back! 

 

It's been awhile since I did an instagram post, so I have quite a few to share with you this week!

 

If you missed my Wordstock recap, you should check that out.  I'll skip sharing those pictures again.

However, I haven't shared a picture with the new books I got from Wordstock, so here are the ones I picked up there. As well as Falling Kingdoms which came in the mail that week and Endless Knight, which my friend Sara gave to me at Wordstock (she had an extra copy). Thanks Sara (Novel Novice)!

I won a $50 Amazon Gift Card and I got to order some books!  These are a few that I ordered. I'm SO excited, I wish I could read them NOW!

I got a new mouse. Isn't she beautiful?!

I got Masks for review.  This is a fantasy and I'm really excited to read it!

I'm hosting The Book Thief book club and the pretty books came! You'll see more on this as I'll be doing a post about the book club meeting about the book and then the book club meeting about the movie. 

My gorgeous paperback of Shadows of Asphodel came.  I read this already on my kindle and it's SO good!  It was so good I offered to do a tour and we are!  I still have sign ups open (at least as I type this up, cause they might close soon!) so if this interests you you can find that info HERE.

She was awesome and she sent me bookmarks too!  The original cover is the one on the far right.  It's available as well (or should be soon if it isn't yet).

I went and got some storage solutions. This is one of those fake books. I'm going to store swag inside.

I also got a new prize box so I have a place to put my giveaway items.  Apparently I have Paris on the mind... ;)

I read her new book recently and loved it so I had to get this one!

I didn't request this one for ages due to my TBR, but I'm really dying to read it, so I finally grabbed it off of Amazon Vine for review.  I loved the first book!

It's fall here, and everything is about Halloween.  We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend and then this week I took a few fall pictures.  I'm not sharing them all, but here are a few!

Middle Grade Mini Reviews: The Kicks 1&2 by Alex Morgan

Saving the Team (The Kicks #1) by Alex Morgan

From star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan comes the first book in an empowering, fun-filled middle grade series about believing in yourself and working as a team.Twelve-year-old Devin loves to play soccer. If she hadn’t just left Connecticut to move across the country, she would have been named seventh-grade captain on her school soccer team.

But now that Devin is starting seventh grade in Kentville, California, all bets are off. After all, some of the best players on the US national team come from California. She’s sure to have stiff competition. Or so she thinks.

When Devin shows up for tryouts, she discovers that the Kentville Kangaroos—otherwise known as the Kicks—are an absolute mess. Their coach couldn’t care less whether the girls win or lose. And Devin is easily one of the most talented players.

The good news is, Devin quickly makes friends with funny, outgoing Jessi; shy but sweet Zoe; and klutzy Emma. Can Devin and her newfound friends pull together and save the team from itself?

My 8 year old daughter really wanted me to read these books aloud to them as their bedtime story.  When I was a kid I liked soccer, but didn't love it, and never played on a team.  I was curious about how prevalent the soccer theme would be and if there were any good messages.

This one had quite a lot of soccer but Devin is a new at school so she's making new friends and finding her place on a new team.  On top of that, this team is a mess.  So there's a lot of friendship in the story as well as finding a place in a new home.  She also has to deal with some slight bullying (it's not really bullying and it's the whole team, so it had a different vibe to it).  Devin is a fun character and I really liked her personality a lot.  She seems to have balance and is a great friend, daughter, student, teammate, etc.  Maybe a bit too good to be true?

 Sabotage Season (The Kicks #2) by Alex Morgan

The Kicks’ championship hopes are being sabotaged in the second book in a series that celebrates confidence and teamwork, from star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan.

Things are going wrong left and right for the Kentville girls’ soccer team, and Devin’s sure the girls from their rival team, the Pinewood Panthers, are behind the many mishaps. Can Devin get to the bottom of the mystery and stop the sabotage before her team’s championship hopes disappear for good?

The Kicks have finally found a way to turn around and are doing better but now someone is sabotaging the team.  In this book there's a lot of pointing fingers and accusations.  Devin struggles to do the right thing and is much more obsessed with soccer.  She knows they have a chance at playoffs and she's determined they'll make it.  Finally she seems a bit more real, but now we can feel slightly annoyed at her behavior.  She's not such a great friend all the time anymore.  Luckily she learns quickly and she realizes when she's not right.

This book focuses on the soccer more.  There are a lot of details about the game itself which made it harder for me to stay focused since it doesn't interest me.  Luckily the rest of the story was interesting enough and I really loved the lessons this book has.  One- revenge is never a good idea.  Two- it's just a game.  Yeah, you can strive to be better, but never forget about your friends and family and become obsessed.  There's more as well but those are the things jumping into my memory.

I would say these books are best for those 11 and up.  There's talk of boys and crushes and the girls are in middle school.  It's a bit too old for my 8 year old, but nothing bad was in the book to keep from reading it.
I would highly recommend it to middle grade girls who are into sports.  My rating is due to personal preference and has nothing to do with bad writing or anything like that.  I'm just not into sports and it's a strong theme.  I debated 4 stars, but these books just didn't really wow me, so I decided a 3 was more accurate.  I really do love the messages and lessons though and will hold onto them for my daughter so she can read them again when she's a bit older and can appreciate and understand them better.

Saturday Situation: Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways!

Happy weekend everyone!  Welcome to Saturday Situation! If this is your first time stopping by here's all the details for you:
Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself. It's a linky for you to link your book related giveaways and book reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have). You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice! Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week. You can find the newest Saturday Situation posts by the tab at the top of my blog labeled Saturday Situation.
Happy Hopping!

Middle Grade Review: Odessa Again by Dana Reinhardt

Odessa Again by Dana Reinhardt

Hardcover, 208 pages

Ages: 8-12

Published: May 14, 2013 by Wendy Lamb Books (Random House)

Source: Gift

Fourth grader Odessa Green-Light lives with her mom and her toad of a little brother, Oliver. Her dad is getting remarried, which makes no sense according to Odessa. If the prefix "re" means "to do all over again," shouldn't he be remarrying Mom? Meanwhile, Odessa moves into the attic room of their new house. One day she gets mad and stomps across the attic floor. Then she feels as if she is falling and lands . . . on the attic floor. Turns out that Odessa has gone back in time a whole day! With this new power she can fix all sorts of things--embarrassing moments, big mistakes, and even help Oliver be less of a toad. Her biggest goal: reunite Mom and Dad.

This book was really, really great.  There are so many fantastic things to point out about it.  Not only did the author create an extremely realistic character, but she incorporated a lot of great things into this rather short book.  Without it feeling like a book that is full of lessons, it's full of lessons.  It's really just Odessa's story, but Odessa has a lot to learn in this book and in the way the author tells the story I would say that this also should help a lot of kids who read the book. 

Odessa is in the fourth grade, her parents have recently divorced and her father is getting remarried.  Her mother, herself and her brother Oliver have moved into a new home. There's a lot of change for Odessa and she's not handling it all real well.  She wants her old family back, her old house back.  She is always angry at her brother, and she's having friendship troubles.  Suddenly one day when throwing a hissy fit she jumps on her floor and rewinds 24 hours.  She has to relive that day again.  Soon she realizes she can do this to fix problems and she does it over and over again.  Only each time it knocks off an hour.  So eventually it winds down to only one hour earlier.  Having this ability helps Odessa realize some things.  One- she can't fix everything.  Another is that there are sometimes things she maybe wishes she didn't know.

Through the book we see her learn to approach her friendships a little differently.  We see her learn to love and appreciate her brother much more (he is very shy and has no friends and she's really not nice to him).  We see her struggle with her parents divorce and her fathers new relationship.  And we see her learn to control her anger, because she's a 'shover'.  She has to learn to not deal with her anger by shoving people.  Through Odessa's eyes we see why she thinks the way she does, why she does the things she does.  We know it's wrong, but then we cheer her on when we see the realization come into play.  We watch Odessa grow.  And the whole time it's very realistic and real.  Odessa's voice is spot on for a fourth grade girl, and the story was wrote incredibly well.

I read this one aloud to my kids and it was perfect!  It flowed really well, like reading poetry aloud, you know?  Those are my favorites to read to my kids.  I also loved that I could read a few chapters and then discuss with them, talking about what Odessa might have done wrong and what she did right.   While my husband and I are still married, I do think it's good for my kids to learn about divorce because of their own friends.  My daughters best friends parents are going through a divorce right now and prior to this she didn't even know what it was.  This book approached it well and I think this book is so perfect for a child in a divorced family that I will actually be giving it to her friend because I think it will be helpful. 

I very highly recommend this book for girls ages 8-12 (really, the 8, 9 & 10 year olds are the best age), particularly those who may have behavior problems or are struggling through major life changes.  The book is short, clean and incredibly well wrote.

I have been bad about keeping up with reminding everyone of the posts running.  I've been slightly overwhelmed lately, so I apologize.  But don't forget to check out:

Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Nenia Campbell: Fearscape Series

Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun: Andrea R. Cooper: The Garnet Dagger

Isaiyan@Isaiyan Morrison: Enticed: Monique Snyman

 

and tomorrow:

Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Tyler Jolley-Extracted Series
Heidi@ Rainy Day Ramblings: Andrea Colt: Wavecrossed  

The full schedule can be found HERE so you can make sure you haven't missed out on anything!

Discussion: Social Media and Blogging

Wow, it's kind of a miracle, two discussion posts in one week! In case you missed it, last Sunday I had 'Tips for a Successful Blog'.  Today I want to talk about social media.  Actually I have a whole series of posts about social media because I think it's something that could use some discussing.  I would like to get an idea of other people's opinions and the strategies that work best for them. 

My original plan was to start with discussing Facebook, but I've decided to go with g+ since it's the one I know the least about.  I don't actually have a lot to say about it, and am hoping to get a lot of input in the comments and hopefully get a bit of help. 

I don't use g+, though I am on there.  It wasn't until my mother, brother and sister in law added me today that I actually started giving it more thought.  I finally added a little background and finished my profile.  I added some people to my 'circles' and I looked around a bit.  It's like visiting a foreign country, it's just all so alien to me! 

I have discovered that having the different 'circles' is kind of nice since things don't get quite so buried.  For example, if I wanted to check out just my families updates I could do so and not weed through a million posts.  I like this.  At least at first look since I haven't really spent time on there yet.  It also looks like you can make different circles so if I wanted one for 'YA book bloggers' I could one, or 'Authors', etc.  This might be handy.  I still am not sure I totally understand everything regarding this, so please feel free to discuss this further.

I don't understand yet what +1 is.  What exactly does this do?

I've noticed some have a g+ commenting system on their blog.  From looking at my g+ feed I see these comments and I think this might be a good potential for bringing more readers to your post.  Opinions on this? 

They say (random articles I've read) that g+ has immense potential for finding new readers for your blog.  I'm not exactly sure how this is yet and is perhaps something I'll understand more as I navigate it further.  If you have some ideas how this works, please let me know.  {Edit: I see that there are communities. I'm guessing that being active on some of these would be a great networking tool.}

My concern is this: Time.  When I get up in the morning I spend 2+ hours just commenting, tweeting, facebooking and pinning the tour posts as well as my own.  Adding in another is going to be insane.  Commenting on blogs is one of my priorities, I think it's the best networking tool, but I also like 'spending time with my friends' because that's what it is, it's my socializing and it keeps me going sometimes.  On the other hand I just can't always keep up with it like I would like.  If I'm adding on another networking tool to work on, it's going to cut into my commenting.  So is it worth it? 

I want to know, do you use g+? Is it worth it?  Have you seen results by it? Has it changed your life?  Yes, I want to know EVERYTHING!  Learning a new thing can be tricky and confusing, but if we work together, it makes it so much better! 

BTW, I think this is me.  Let me know if that doesn't work.

Something Wicked Returns: Cat Winters Top 10 Creepy Characters & Giveaway of In the Shadow of Blackbirds!

 Today I'm excited to welcome Cat Winters to the blog for Something Wicked Returns.  Her book, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, is perfect for this time of year!  I read it several months ago and encourage you to check out my rave review.  She's also a local author to me and one I have been lucky to meet several times! 

There's still lots of fun happening for Something Wicked Returns. Be sure to stop by all the other stops going on today.

 Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Kelly Sheridan: Mortality Series/Hitchhiker Strain Series
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Tina Connolly: Copperhead

Ginny@Gin's Book Notes: Melanie Karsack- The Harvesting

J.A.@J.A. Garland: Dysus Dreamer by J.A. Garland

and tomorrow

Oct. 24th:
Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Brigid Kemmerer: Elemental Series
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Jeyn Roberts: The Rage Within
Tara@Dividing by Zero: Charles Day: The Legend of the Pumpkin Thief

Now let's welcome the awesome Cat Winters to the blog!

Top 10 Favorite Creepy Characters

by Cat Winters

In celebration of Halloween, I’m paying tribute to creepy literary characters. These infamous men, women, children, and beasts aren’t necessarily the villains of a book, but they all fall into my own, personal category of “unsettling—yet fascinating.” In alphabetical order, here are my Top 10 favorites.

 

Boo Radley

(To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee)

The first half of Lee’s classic novel—one of my favorite books as a kid and teen—is primarily a hunt for the mysterious recluse Boo and all the stories surrounding him. Is he a ghost? A troubled youth prone to violence? Or just a lonely, misunderstood soul?  

Clark

(One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss)

My enjoyment of creepy characters can be directly traced to this sinister-looking creature that was found in a park in the dark. Amid all the colorful pages of the rest of Seuss’s classic book, I was always happiest when my parents flipped to Clark’s chilling section with the black background and gigantic, portable test tube/aquarium.

Count Dracula

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Bram Stoker’s literary version of the Count isn’t nearly as sexy as he’s often portrayed in the movies, but he’s the king of gothic creepiness. Not only is the guy a notorious bloodsucker, but he likes to climb down his castle wall, headfirst, like a lizard. That makes even Boo Radley seem like a normal neighbor.

Death

(The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak)

Zusak brilliantly chose Death to be the narrator of his bestselling WWII novel, and what a haunting, heartbreaking journey we readers travel alongside this overly busy grim reaper.

The Duchess’s Baby

(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll)

When I first read Carroll’s novel as a child, it wasn’t the temperamental queen who unsettled me the most—it was that freaky baby who turns into a pig!

Miss Havisham

(Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens)

The woman lives in a decaying mansion, dressed in the same wedding gown she’s been wearing since the day she was stood up at the altar decades earlier. Enough said.

Mrs. Danvers

(Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier)

Rebecca was my favorite novel when I was in high school, so Mrs. Danvers—a creepy, manipulative housekeeper obsessed with her deceased mistress—is an absolute must for this list.  

The Other Mother

(Coraline, by Neil Gaiman)

There’s nothing scarier than a diabolical creature who resembles your own mother…except for a diabolical creature who resembles your mother AND has buttons for eyes!

President Snow

(The Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins)

For me, good old President Snow moved from a regular evil villain to a fascinatingly creepy character as soon as I learned why he surrounds himself with all those roses. *shudder*

Professor Severus Snape

(Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling)

I have a weakness for bad guys who aren’t as bad as they seem on their menacing exterior. Let’s just say the scene that drew the most tears from me when I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows involved this delightfully creepy Hogwarts professor.

Bonus Creepy Character: Who is the movie character I would call the creepiest? I’d give that top honor to The Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, created by the film’s screenwriter, Roald Dahl.  

What about you? Who are your top-favorite creepy characters?

Bio:

Cat Winters's critically acclaimed debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, is a nominee for YALSA's 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults and was named one of Booklist's 2013 Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth. Both Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal called the book “deliciously creepy” (starred reviews). Her second novel, The Cure for Dreaming, is coming Fall 2014. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at www.catwinters.com.

 In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Cat Winters is generously giving away a signed hardcover copy.

Open to US/CA only.

Must be 13 or older.

Ends October 31st, 2013

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway