Pre-Stacking The Shelves/ Bookshelf Tour

I've seen so many "Stacking The Shelves" Post since I've started this book blog and I really enjoy seeing what everyone has gotten during the week/month. I couldn't wait to do my first post. 

Here's a little info on "Stacking The Shelves" in case you've never heard of it: 

"We are all book lovers and the need to share our enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in the physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

If you're anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it and Stacking The Shelves is a good way to express your undying enthusiasm for those titles."

Tynga's Reviews

My first Stacking The Shelves will go up tomorrow but today I thought I would post a little tour of my bookshelves in their current state. 

First up is my rainbow bookcase:

Yes I color coordinate my bookshelves :) 

Next up is my black bookcase:

After that is my signed bookcase, I wish I could say I had a semblance of self control when it came to author signings/events but that would be a lie:

(obviously the classic I have on top are not signed)

This stack is also signed but I like to keep them on my desk: 

And last but not least a picture of where I do most of my reading, I'm just finishing up the 'Forever' and my review of books 1-3 will go up in the near future. 

I hope this wasn't too terribly long and don't forget to stop by tomorrow to see what books I added to my collection in June :) 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

Book Blitz + Giveaway + Excerpt

Welcome to our stop of Shane' Morgan's Our Kind of Love promo tour. See excerpt & giveaway below:

Release date: June 21st 2014
Publisher: TSW Books
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Reign is convinced that Nate is the perfect guy for her. That’s until Micah walks into her Mom’s restaurant looking for a job. Now Reign can’t seem to stop her heart from yearning for the guy with the mysterious sea blue eyes and melting smile.

Micah is all but perfect. He’s spent eight months in a juvenile detention center back in Colorado for his unintentional involvement in a crime. Now at nineteen and hoping to escape his ghosts, he lands a part-time job working at a seaside restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island where he meets the irresistible Reign. 

He can’t help the way he feels whenever he’s around her, but she’s already taken and Micah doesn't want to disrupt her life or get himself in anymore trouble. But then his attraction for Reign proves too strong to deny, and Micah finds that he just might discover a reason to stop running.

About the Author

Shane Morgan is a twenty-something bestselling author of Young Adult and New Adult Fiction. Currently living in the beautiful town of Narragansett, Rhode Island, Shane spends her days blogging, reading, and escaping in her stories.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

=EXCERPT=

   Sitting down on a park bench, I stare up at the colors of the fading sky. The bursting orange and yellows mix together like one big orgasm. I appreciate the natural beauty for a while, until something, okay, someone, more captivating graces my view. 

   A young woman, lost in thought, walks barefoot across the sea wall made of rustic red pebble stones separating sand from sea. With the poise of a gymnast, her body shivers with each step against the ocean breeze. Her cute blue dress with floral prints flares modestly just below her knees. She pays no attention to anything else around her, unaware of how my eyes are trained on her every move.

   As the setting sun slants across her tanned legs, she pauses for a beat. Flipping straight light brown hair off her shoulders, strands falling elegantly down her back. I love long hair on girls; the smell—that’s if it’s clean, I’ve had instances where it wasn’t—the feel, and the texture. Caught up, I lean forward, my gaze fixed on nothing but her. Turn. How I wish she’d turn around so I could see her face. Even my heart begins to thud with anticipation.

   Finally, as if hearing me, she twists, her attention riveted on something out on the street to her left. Oh c’mon, turn toward me. The sun will be gone in minutes. She swivels, fully around this time. I’m breathless as I catch a glimpse. She’s beautiful, but I don’t mean that in a shallow way. Something about her intrigues me.

   So what am I doing? Why am I just sitting here watching her?

Snapping back to my senses, I spring from the bench and start to walk over to her, hoping she won’t run away when I tell her how angelic she is before my eyes. Jeez. That’s corny as Hell, but I don’t care. I have to talk to this girl.

  I’m almost there when the loud beep-beep of a car draws her attention. She twirls and I stop in my tracks. A wide smile spreads across her pink lips, and like an idiot, I convince myself she’s actually smiling at me. Realization bites me on the ass when she hurries past me like I’m invisible, heading for the red jeep parked on the side of the street waiting for her. 

She didn’t see me. Like seriously?

  I stand in place and watch as she climbs inside the jeep, shuts the door, and the driver takes off. Now I feel like crap, because I wasted time and missed the chance to talk to her. I wonder if I’ll ever see her again. 

  With hunched shoulders, I walk up the sand onto the grass and sit back on the bench, dumping grains out of my flip-flops. 

  A lone gull scampers across the sand. A bright moon rises in the sky. I run my fingers through my already messy hair and start to laugh at myself. Dude, why did you get so riled up? That girl’s simply another pretty face. How many have I seen these last few months? Why should I care? We meet, hook-up, and I move on.

  The last thing I’m looking for is a girlfriend. I’m a no commitments type of guy. None of them ever took the guilt away, anyway.

But it’s crazy how I feel now. From just one look, my gut says that girl is worth getting to know. Maybe someone I wouldn’t mind sticking around for.

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Cover Reveal + Giveaway and Guest Post

Phobic By Cortney Pearson 

Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it was built in the 1800s, and the lights flicker in response to things she says. As if those things aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.

To prove she’s not afraid of where she lives, Piper opens a forbidden door, which hides a staircase that leads to the ceiling. That’s when the flashbacks of the original residents from 1875 start, including a love affair between two young servants. Each vision pulls Piper deeper into not only their story, but also her house. Piper confides in her best friend, Todd, whom she's gradually falling for, but even he doesn't believe her. At least, not until her house gets axed during a prank, and the act injures Piper instead, cutting a gash the size of Texas into her stomach.

Piper realizes her house isn’t haunted—it’s alive. To sever her link to it, she must unravel the clues in the flashbacks and uncover the truth about her mother’s crime, before she becomes part of her house for good.

GoodReads

Guest Post by Cortney Pearson 

As writers we are constantly gathering inspiration (whether we know it or not). An overheard conversation, watching people interact, teenagers laughing together, hearing others tell stories. I believe we subconsciously refer to our life experiences as we write and create stories. We have to. In order to generate realistic emotion and detail that readers can relate to, we have to have some kind of jumping-off-point to base them on. I'd like to share just a few things that sparked ideas for me as I created the world of PHOBIC, a world which is based on the ethereal aspect of seemingly ordinary places.

Inspiration #1

My great aunt lived alone in this fantastic old house built by her father, my great-great grandfather. And it felt like stepping back through time every time I walked through the door. BUT. Right off from her back door--the entrance we always used--was a staircase. It wasn't long. It wasn't even hidden like those in my story. But this staircase led to Aunt Vay's basement with its concrete floor and old cast iron stove and that pair of metal roller skates that always sat alone on a shelf. I hated going in that basement, especially by myself.

Looking back at these pictures now I wonder why I'd been so scared, but as a kid that basement was terrifying!

The basement in PHOBIC plays a huge part in the mystery of the house Piper lives in. It's a place she's been forbidden from entering, but this time she's determined to find out why.

Inspiration #2

Another instance happened at Aunt Vay's when my mom, sister, and I had pulled in late at night to sleep after traveling from California to Utah all day long. We were tired. It was cold and windy outside. And my mom couldn't find her key to the back door. We tried that knob several times and then as I went to reach for the knob again, the door opened. All on its own. OPENED. My mom, sister, and I all exchanged looks and when I checked the knob (on the now open door), it was still locked. True story! So it prompted the opening and this scene in PHOBIC:

My best friend Todd’s red pickup appears at the curb, spewing exhaust like the truck has a cigarette up its backside. I jerk up. My pulse kicks at the sight of him. That’s been happening a lot more lately, my insides flaring up and doing some sort of spastic dance whenever I catch sight of his alluring smile and dark curls.

Leaving the second Pop-Tart on the table, I stuff my phone in my pocket and snatch up my backpack and clarinet case. I dart past the round, velvet-topped table in the wide hallway to the front door.

I reach for the knob. It won’t turn.

Heart pounding, I try again. One way, then the other. Chick. Chick. The lock mechanism is vertical. The door isn’t locked.

“Not now,” I say under my breath. “Please not now.”

The hairs at my nape skulk up one by one until they all stand on end. My wrist flicks, and the obstinate knob makes the same chick chick sounds. The eerie feeling spreads down the length of my arm, making the knob cold under my touch. What is going on? I’m used to my house doing strange things, but why won’t it let me out?

Inspiration #3

The Winchester Mansion in California has also been intriguing to me, especially the staircase that leads to the ceiling. This whole house is completely creepy, but especially this:

Piper's house also has a hidden staircase similar to this one. Her discovery of it knocks her sense of reality way off course, and she begins seeing flashbacks of the original residents of house. Which leads to...

Inspiration #4

I LOVE romances, along with Victorian/Regency-era stories. So my final inspiration for the story--particularly the flashbacks that Piper has to the past--is:

Downton Abbey (I know it takes place after the two eras above-mentioned. But still, inspiration.) It was after watching the first few episodes that my two star-crossed servants in love sprang into my head.

There were many other sources of inspiration as well, but these are the main ones. What about for you? What inspires you when you write?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Cortney Pearson is a book ner who studied literature at BYU-Idaho, a music nerd who plays clarinet in her local community orchestra, and a writing nerd who creates books for young adutls. She lives with her husband and three sons in a small Idaho farm town. 

I hope you all enjoyed this guest post! I was already intquiged by Cortney's book and after hearing her inspiration I can't wait to read it! 

Below is the big cover reveal and also a giveaway! 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

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To Be Read Tuesday Book Blitz + Giveaway

This Summer

by Katlyn Duncan 

Release Date: 07/09/14

Carina UK

Summary from Goodreads:

Before college, before responsibilities, Hadley Beauman and best friend Lily are determined to have a summer to remember. There will be all the usual dramas - ex-boyfriends who don't seem to know what 'ex' means, pesky younger brothers with unrequited crushes, but what Hadley didn't anticipate was the out-of-the-blue return of the seriously hot boy-next-door, Will Carson. The boy who broke her heart when he skipped town two years ago.

Will may have shot up a foot and filled out (oh yes), but inside he carries the weight of guilt - for leaving, for coming back... Now he's just passing through to tie up loose ends but it's clear the old chemistry still crackles between him and Hadley. Trouble is, it's built on two years of lies...

This summer might just be the best time of their lives, but is Hadley ready for everything to change - again?

Available from:
Amazon * Amazon UK * iBooks * Kobo Books

My hands grip the steering wheel, tightening with each rolling mile towards the house I’d locked up almost two years ago. In the thirty-six hours of driving I had the urge to turn back at least a hundred times. But this was the last time I’d ever be in Spring Falls. Once the house was sold I’d slam closed that chapter of my life.

The green sign for Bryn Street appears from behind the leave of an overgrown tree at the corner. I suck a breath in through my teeth and turn the wheel.

I keep my eyes on my childhood home, growing larger as I near. I break out of the tunnel vision when I pass the Beauman house. I don't expect anyone to be home, considering we're due at the camp in less than an hour. I know Mr. Beauman will give me leave, considering I'm doing him a favor.

A blue car sits in my driveway as I pull into it, turning off the truck. I flip my phone open just as a woman gets out of the car.

The line picks up on the first ring. “Mornin’!” Aunt Mabel exclaims.

My chest squeezes at the sound of her voice. “Mornin’.” I hold a finger up to the woman outside the truck. She nods, walking toward the house with a ring of keys. Not that I don’t have one. “Although it’s almost noon here. How y’all doing?”

“We’re just fine, sweetheart. I’m assumin’ you got home okay?”

This place isn't my home. My home is with her. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Now off with you, we can carry on later.”

“Love you,” I say.

“Love you too.” She’s the first to hang up.

I toss the phone into the cup holder and grab the bag from the seat next to me and sling it over my shoulder as I get out of the car. I stride up the driveway and the real estate agent, Trudy, turns around, grinning with a set of gray teeth.

“Welcome back, William.”

I clear my throat. “It’s just Will.”

“Oh, sorry about that. I’ll just let you inside”

“I have a key. Listen, can we talk later? I’m late for work.”

She blinks a few times but nods. “Sure thing. Let me just get you the paperwork and you fill it out at your leisure.”

She run-walks down the driveway, her heels looking as if they were about to snap and leans through the open window of her car pulling out a large folder. “These are just the standard contracts,” she says on the way back up the drive. “Just take a look at them and let me know if everything is okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She beams. “How polite of you. Well I’ll let you be on your way. My card is in there, call me with any questions.”

“Sure.”

She waves her long fingers at me and goes to her car.

I turn to the house and fight the urge to get back into the truck and get the hell out of here. I pull the single key from my pocket, the one that burned against my leg since Mabel handed it to me three days ago. I push it into the keyhole and turn. I allow the door to open in front of me, my feet planted to the ground. The door ricochets off the wall and starts to return, but I enter the house before I lose my nerve.

I bump the door closed with my foot. The air in the house is stale, lingering with the spicy scent of whiskey from that final night. I peer into the living room, which needs a serious cleaning. My nose wrinkles at the amount of dust on the fireplace mantel. I head into the kitchen and open the door to the basement. I don’t need lights to find what I’m looking for, not that they work anyway. I find the electric panel and flip on the switches. The house hums to life. I take the steps two at a time and am back in the kitchen. The clock above the stove blinks 12:00. I check the time on my phone. I should leave soon.

I round the corner and take the stairs to the second floor, ignoring the two bedrooms on the right side of the hallway, and fling open the middle door on the left. My shoulders droop and my bag falls to the floor. My room is exactly how I left it. An outdated PC sits on the desk I made in wood shop, still unstained. A full-sized bed takes up most of the room. I make my way to the window, pushing aside the navy blue curtains that match the bedspread, revealing Hadley’s bedroom window. My heart lurches at the thought of her. Soon enough I’ll see her again.

A small bright orange piece of yarn still hangs from her sill, barely noticeable to anyone who wasn’t looking. At ten I thought it was the greatest idea to build a zip-line between our houses using Hadley’s grandmother’s knitting yarn.

I tear my eyes away from the window and let the curtain fall. I cross the room to the closet. I didn’t take much the night I left. I grab a black t-shirt from the hanger and toss it on the bed, lifting the same one I’d worn for three days over my head. I pull on the black shirt and bring the fabric to my nose. Good enough.

I take a deep breath and leave the room. Here goes nothing.

About the Author
Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

Author Links:

   

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"Not My Cup Of Tea" Review of "Since Forever Ago"

"Not My Cup Of Tea" Review #2 

Featuring "Since Forever Ago" By Olivia Besse

Riley Benson is officially single for the first time in a decade- okay for the first time in six years, but you're allowed to round up, right? 

She has just discovered that her boyfriend has been cheating on her for who know's how long and that he's just not sure that they truly belong together. 

Heart broken and somewhat irrational Riley decides to get right back on the horse. The dating horse that is. Why not play the odds? If she goes out with as many guys as possible odds are she'll find someone. 

She enlists the help of her long time friend Max to help her. Who better to give advice on what guys really want then a guy? 

However Max has ulterior motives. 

Max has been in love with Riley for years and now that she has finally rid herself of her scummy ex, Max thinks this is his chance. His plan is to give Riley the worst advice possible. Set her up with some of his frat brothers who will undoubtedly run in the other direction when she shows up to the restaurant in sweat pants and starts burping and talking about how much she can bench press. 

Max thinks that if Riley has enough horrible dates in a row she will realize that Max, her best friend, the boy who has stood by her for so long, is her knight in shining armor, Prince Charming come to save the day.

I did like the idea of this story and I was looking for a fast read when I picked it up, which is what I got. But I can't help but think that the only reason I read it so fast was that so I could finish it and be done with it. 

The characters were very whiny and immature and were it not for the swearing and the intimate scenes I would've guessed this was set in their highschool years rather then collage life. 

Maybe other people will like it but for me I just wasn't a big fan. 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion. 

"Gasp" Review

"Gasp" By Lisa McMann 

The 3rd and final installment in the Visions series.

(May contain spoilers from the first two books)

Jules story began with a vision she couldn't control, one warning her of a preventable tragedy, one that would claim nine lives if she didn't act.  

In book two Jules is no longer seeing visions but that doesn't stop her from being pulled right back into the line of fire. Saving her boyfriend Sawyer from the horror of not being able to stop a catastrophe is the least she can do since passing the visions onto him. 

In "Gasp" Jules has the support of her boyfriend, her siblings and a friend whose life they previously saved, but will that be enough to convince the new 'seer' to trust them? While dealing with school, work and family drama they all must race against the clock in order to determine where the next disaster will strike.

Will saving others cost them the lives they worked so hard to save in the past? 

Will they be able to make a difference at all? 

Or is the only way to escape the curse the very thing they have thwarted?

Death itself. 

If you enjoyed the first two books in the series (and really who didn't) you will not be disappointed by this thrilling conclusion. 

I highly recommend it and only add a warning not to pick this up unless you have the time to finish it in one sitting. It will grip onto you from page one and you'll have to pry it's fingers open long after the last sentence. 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

To Be Read Tuesday + Excerpt and Giveaway

To Be Read Tuesday 

Featuring "Perfected"

By Kate Jarvik Birch

Release Date:07/01/14

Entangled Teen

Summery from Goodreads:

Perfection comes at a price. 

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these "family companions" enter their masters' homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman's bubbly young daughter, but she doesn't expect Penn, the congressman's handsome and rebellious son. He's the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows... and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating. 

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she's faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn's family is leaving... and if she's unsuccessful, she'll face a fate far worse than death. 

For fans of Keira Cass's Selection series and Lauren DeStefan's Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous-and dangerous- bow. 

Praise for Perfected: 

"Compelling, imaginative, and unique. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!"

-Mary Lindsey, author of Shattered Souls 

Buy Links:

Amazon *  Barnes and Noble * Kobo

Excerpt from Perfected:

The inside of Penn’s room didn’t look a thing like the rest of the house. Maybe at one point his mother had had a hand in decorating it, but it was hard to tell because of the lengths he must have gone to cover it up. The bones of the room were strong and masculine: solid, wooden furniture stained a dark, deep cherry. But besides the furniture, the rest of the room appeared to be one giant battle against any influence of his mother.

The walls, which had once been painted a soft shade of green, were plastered over with posters of people and old, rusty road signs. The far wall above his bed was almost entirely covered with instruments. I didn’t recognize most of them, but there were a few of them that I could name: a couple of guitars, a mandolin.

“Do you play those?” I asked, pointing to the wall.

“Yeah, most of them… at least a little,” Penn said, glancing up from his speakers. “But I’m only really good at a few. Mostly I play the guitar.”

I looked around for a place to sit, but most of the surfaces were covered in discarded clothes and towels. Apparently Rosa didn’t pick up the laundry in his room the way she did for everyone else.

I stood awkwardly amidst the mess, glancing at the photographs that covered the mirror above the gigantic set of dresser drawers. There were pictures of Penn at the beach, and of him playing the guitar in front of a roaring bonfire. There were pictures of him clustered amid groups of his friends. I searched their faces, trying to recognize the girl from the swimming pool, but none of them seemed familiar.

“Okay,” he finally said, “I’m starting you out with Amos Lee since you liked Ray LaMontagne so much.”

He hit a button and music started playing, sounding as if it was coming from all four corners of his room.

I closed my eyes to the soft sound of the piano, both familiar yet totally new. It was always enchanting to hear a new composition after hearing the same ones year after year, and this one was no exception. The notes were lonely, full of melancholy that reminded me a bit of one of Beethoven’s sonatas. But I wasn’t prepared for the ache I would feel once the singing started. I took a shuddering breath.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, afraid that if I opened my mouth I wouldn’t be able to speak. I closed my eyes again and let myself drift into the music. It wasn’t until the song faded out and I opened my eyes again that I realized Penn was sitting next to me. He was staring at me again, that same puzzled expression on his face.

“That was beautiful,” I choked out, before he could ask me again if I was all right.

“Yeah.” He smiled. “It’s one of my favorites. Who would have guessed I’d have the same taste in music as a pet from Greenwich Kennels?” It was the first time he’d mentioned my past without sounding angry.

“You can play me something else if you want.”

Penn put on another song and flopped down on the bed next to me, pushing a notebook and a pair of pants onto the floor.

“Sorry about the mess,” he said. “Here, you can scoot over if you want.”

I scooted closer to him, settling into the music. Both of us sat perfectly still and listened to the strum of the guitar and the beat of the drums that played underneath like a heartbeat. Next to me, I could feel the heat of Penn’s leg seeping through the fabric of my dress, making my thigh burn.

He leaned in. This close I could see the bursts of gold inside his eyes, but all I could think about was that kiss, the way his lips had felt against mine. So soft. So warm. I wanted to feel that again. I closed my eyes.

There was a knock at the door and Penn scooted away from me, but not fast enough. His father threw the door open.

“Thank God,” he said, striding over to us. “I looked all over the house for you, Ella. Didn’t you hear me calling?”

“With the music playing, I must not have heard you,” I said, “I’m terribly sorry, Master.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Penn cringe. I should have remembered that I wasn’t to use that word, but I was so nervous, and the Congressman’s face was flushed and red, distracting me. I couldn’t think straight.

The Congressman turned on Penn. “What were you thinking, taking her up here?”

“I was just playing her some music. It’s not like I—”

“Your music is the last thing I want you to introduce her to. If I remember correctly, you need to be focusing on catching up on your school work, not wasting time listening to songs.”

“Dad, I—” Penn started to say, but the Congressman didn’t seem at all interested.

“Not now. I’ve got two campaign donors waiting in the conservatory to meet Ella. I’ve wasted ten minutes looking for her, so I really don’t have time for your excuses right now.”

As the Congressman took me by the elbow and led me from the room, I chanced one last glance back at Penn.

He had already turned away.

About the Author:

Kate Jarvik Birch is a visual artist, author, playwright, daydreamer, and professional procrastinator. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be either a unicorn or mermaid. Luckily, being a writer turned out to be just as magical. Her essays and short stories have been published in literary journals including Indiana Review and Saint Ann’s Review. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and three kids. To learn more visit www.katejarvikbirch.com

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I hope you all enjoyed! Good luck to all of you who enter the giveaway! 

Until next time, 

Ginger