Things are changing!

Hello Readers!!

I know, I know... it has been a long time since I seriously wrote on here. Wither it be a review, a book talk, haul or anything else. I know it is no excuse but life has been so horribly busy. 

I have been trying to keep up with both of my youtube channels, work, take time for me and my wife and so much more. I am hoping to catch up with you all. 

I have a couple of posts that I will be posting within the next couple of weeks just to get up to date with you all.

One thing you can be on the look out for is a review of the new Courtney Summers book coming out called "Sadie". It is going to be coming out on 9-4-2018 so I will have a review of it up on here the day it comes out! 

 

Again I am so sorry that I have been so absent.  I cannot wait to come back and keep up to date with you guys and the book world! 

If you have not done this yet - go and check out my youtube channels and if you like my videos then please subscribe! 

 

Book Channel -- 

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8SWLbUQ4PlIfiD8EnVcDcQ?view_as=subscriber

 

 Disney Channel --

 https://www.youtube.com/user/truehappines365

 

 

Keep reading!! 

Blog Tour: Grey by Christi J. Whitney

Welcome everyone to another blog tour! 

Grey 
by Christi J. Whitney

 Grey, Book 1 in The Romany Outcasts Series by Christi J. Whitney (HarperCollins/HarperVoyagerUK)
YA urban fantasy
Digital Release Date: 30 April, 2015
Paperback Release Date: 30 October (only in the UK)
 Available with: HarperCollins, HarperCollinsUK, Amazon, AmazonUK, Barnes and Noble, iBooks
 Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/125617735 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Grey-Romany-Outcasts-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00MT9E66E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443540290&sr=8-1&keywords=grey+romany
 HarperVoyager Publisher website: http://harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk
 The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Grey/9780008120450

 Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager – good friends, decent grades, and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop. But when Romany gypsies arrive in town, Sebastian discovers his world is not what it seems. There is an age-old feud between his family and the gypsies – and this isn’t the only secret his brother has been keeping from him. His life is not his own. The girl he’s been dreaming about has just turned up at school, and he feels compelled to protect her at all costs. Even if that means life might never be normal again.    

About the Author: 

    Christi J. Whitney is a former high school theatre director with a love for the dramatic. She lives just outside Atlanta with her husband and two sons. When not spending time with them or taking a ridiculous number of trips to Disney World, she can be found directing plays, making costumes for sci-fi/fantasy conventions, geeking out over Doctor Who, and watching superhero movies. Connect with her on Twitter @ChristiWhitney  
 SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET CONNECTIONS:  
Author Website: www.christijwhitney.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/christiwhitney Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christi-J-Whitney/220577227350
 Goodreads Links: Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22449800-grey
Author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8299600.Christi_J_Whitney

 Upcoming Releases by Christi J. Whitney SHADOW (Book 2 in “The Romany Outcasts Series”) – 2 June, 2016. MIDNIGHT (Book 3 in “The Romany Outcasts Series”) – 2017.

   The Book Trailer:

 
Grey // Romany Outcast Series from Christi J Whitney on Vimeo.

 Author Interview:

Can you tell us about your book, GREY?
Absolutely! Grey is a YA fantasy, and it’s the first installment of “The Romany Outcasts Series.” It’s the story of eighteen-year-old Sebastian, who lives in a small town with his brother Hugo, a tattoo artist. One day, Sebastian wakes up feeling unusually sick, and he can’t figure out what’s going on. Then, strangers arrive in town, along with a mysterious girl Sebastian can’t seem to shake. Pulled into a world of Outcasts Gypsies with closely kept secrets, Sebastian discovers his life is not what it seems.

What was your inspiration behind writing Grey?
My favorite fairy tale has always been Beauty and the Beast, but I’m a softie for any story involving the theme of not judging a book by its cover. There are similar themes in Grey, which are set up at the beginning and flourish throughout the entirety of “The Romany Outcasts Series”.

I wanted to write a story with an underdog type character who doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional hero. Those are the people I was always drawn to in books, films, and television. I love sidekick characters and those that might sometimes appear unnoticed in the shadows of a larger-than-life hero or heroine. I love quirky and offbeat humor. And I just really wanted a story with a character that embodied all those things I loved.

Did you ever experience writer’s block?
Absolutely all the time! It feels a bit like failure, and it’s easy to get frustrated. I sometime try and write dialogue scenes to fight past it. If that doesn’t work, I leave the scene entirely and find something else to do – watch a good television show, read another book, go for a walk, or go off somewhere alone where I can talk out loud to myself and people not look at me like I’m crazy. Usually one of those things will eventually jar something loose in my brain.

Did any music inspire you while writing this book?
I love listening to music while I write. I’m a big fan of movie and television soundtracks, especially during action scenes or emotional moments. But I also like particular bands when I’m trying to get into the heads and atmosphere of my characters. For Grey, I listened to the following pieces of music and groups quite frequently:

The soundtrack from Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
Playlists of Romanian folk music
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Satellite
The Royal Wood
Coldplay
Playlists from the television show Being Human
To Be Juliet’s Secret

Do you have a favorite place to write?
I’ll really write anywhere, but one of my favorite places is a small room upstairs in my house that I’ve converted into an office. It’s basically a den of geekness, though. I’m surrounded by pirates, hobbits, various incarnations of the Doctor and his Tardis, pictures of former students, costumes and cosplays, theatrical swords, X-Men, 80’s cartoon cartoons…you get the idea. My husband often asks me how I can write with all that stuff around me, but it’s inspiration.

How are the main characters of Grey celebrating the holidays?
Sebastian will be hanging out with his brother Hugo at the tattoo shop, most likely eating cartons of Chinese food and watching cheesy Christmas movies. Josephine will be with her family, celebrating a very traditional Christmastime with lots and lots of food.


What did the main characters of Grey dress up as for Halloween?
Well, I think Josephine probably opted for something fairly low key, seeing that she wears so many elaborate costumes for her job. Possibly a character from a book. Sebastian…well, that’s actually a very interesting question. After you read Grey, I think you will definitely know the answer.

Favorite TV show?
Doctor Who

Cats or Dogs?
Dogs

Biggest Pet Peeve?
Bad theatre etiquette during a performance or show. (I’m a theatre director, what can I say?)

Holiday Traditions?
Spending Thanksgiving with friends in a cabin in the north Georgia mountains is one my favorite holiday traditions. For Christmas, I love my church’s Christmas Eve service, my family’s lasagna dinner afterwards, doing Christmas crackers around the table, and sitting in front of our tree with a cup of tea. Driving around looking at Christmas lights. Listening to my stepfather read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas morning while we sip hot cider. Oh, and I can’t forget the Doctor Who Christmas Special on television.

 

 The Giveaway: (2) ecopies of Grey by Christi J. Whitney a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Kiss of Broken Glass

Kiss of Broken Glass

By: Madeleine Kuderick

 

General Information:

Copyright Date: 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 224

Price: $9.17 (via the link below)

ISBN:  9780062306562  

Publishers:Harpercollins

Trigger Warning- Depression & Cutting!

Synopsis: In the next 72 hours, Kenna may lose everything—her friends, her freedom, and maybe even herself. One kiss of the blade was all it took to get her sent to the psych ward for 72 hours. There she will face her addiction to cutting, though the outcome is far from certain. When fifteen-year-old Kenna is found cutting herself in the school bathroom, she is sent to a facility for a mandatory psychiatric watch. There Kenna meets other kids like her—her roommate, Donya, who's there for her fifth time; the birdlike Skylar; and Jag, a boy cute enough to make her forget her problems . . . for a moment. Madeleine Kuderick's gripping debut is a darkly beautiful and lyrical novel in verse, perfect for fans of Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson. Kiss of Broken Glass pulses with emotion and lingers long after the last page.

Cover: I love the cover! I thought all the colors really pop and work well with the book. This cover was so great it made me pick it up and get it just because it was so amazing!

Theme: I believe the theme throughout the book was that you can get through anything. There will always be hard times; it will always look like it gets so much worse but it will get so much better! 

Point of view: It was written in the first person; through Kenna. 

Intended Audience: This book was written for YA. I think it was written for the younger side because of how it was written but the topics and what happened is more geared towards the older side. 

Author Style: Madeleine Kuderick can really capture the essence of how it really feels to be this low. It even makes her writing so much better when you get so emotional throughout the book and it is just written in just verse! Of course if you don't really know anything about depression and cutting or the want to cut then you might not understand all of the things with her writing but she really puts it all out there. 

Characters: Kenna was the main character that was going through all these issues. Yet again knowing that it was written in verse you wouldn't think there would be much to the characters but there was to Kenna. I didn't really like her personality but to people who like the unlikable characters then you will love her.
Of course there were other characters within the story but they were not really talked about. 

Plot: The plot was not that much of a plot. It was kind of just Kenna's journey through her issues. Which was great because then the feelings got to really stick out which I think was really important when talking about these kind of things.

Setting: I don't remember there ever being a setting other than wherever Kenna was.

My Opinion: I loved this book! I have gone through things like this so it really got to my heart which is why I think I love it so much; because it showed how it feels so much more than any other book I have ever read. 
It did bother me a lot that there was no real reason she cut herself. Of course everyone has their own issues and reasons but it made it seem like she only did it because it was the 'thing' to do. Like I said, I have gone through this and its a really hard thing to do and to stop so it kind of made me think she was making fun of it or saying there is no reason to do it when there is truly something that makes people want to do it. 

Score:

Would you recommend this book?  Yes

Want to buy it? http://www.bookdepository.com/Kiss-Broken-Glass-Madeleine-Kuderick/9780062306579

If you liked this book; then check out these:

  
 

Book Review: The Program

Book Review: 

The Program

by: Suzanne Young

 

General Information:

Genre: YA; dystopian

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 405
Price: $8.87
ISBN: 9781442445802


Synopsis: In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program. Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories. Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.


Cover: I believe the cover went with the book but I didn't like it all that much. I thought it was well designed for the book because the "program" is very clean and pristine which is what the cover looks like.  Of course this review is only for The Program but I do not like that the second cover doesn't go with this one. Series covers should all look similar but these don't. 


Theme: This is a dystopian book so it is set far into the future in a world that is not like ours but an over lying theme that you can take from this is to stick up for yourself. I understand the rules of the world but you can still stand up! 


Point of View: The narrator is Sloane; everything that happened was in her point of view. It was in first person.

Intended Audience: This is a YA book. It was written for the older bracket of YA because there were bigger words and not written below teenagers. 

Author Style: It sounded like Suzanne Young was a very smart writer and knew what she was talking about. I even had to look up some words!

Characters: Sloane: I really liked her in the beginning because she genuinely stuck to her guns and was open and honest. By the end of the book she totally changed in what she was doing and her attitude. The author really wrote her well because it felt like you actually knew her. 
James: Yet again I loved him in the beginning because he was such a good person but I don't know if he was supposed to be perceived as this but by the end of the book he was a horrible person! He was one of my most hated characters. 

Plot: The idea of this book was really cool but I wish the world was a little more built up. Suzanne Young wrote the entire plot really well to make it flow really well. But I will have to say that there was a lot of information included that was not important to the story.

Setting: It took place in the future. It was set in a neighborhood and in the program. 

My Opinion: I really liked the book because all in all it was a great story and world. It left me wanting to read the next one right away. It did have a lot of slow parts but I have to remind myself that it is only to give the information that's needed. But on the other hand there were no really big 'Wow' moments. I am going to be picking up the next book in the near future but it didn't live up to the hype. If you are looking for a good dystopian you could pick this one up but you might want to look for another one.  

Score:

Would you recommend this book?  Maybe 

If you like this book then check out these: 


     

New Blog!!

Hey guys!!

I love my blog and will be keeping it but I want to start another book blog with a whole bunch of different writers soooo anyone who would love to be part of it please fill out this form and I will get back to you all!! We will be starting fresh - from the name to legit everything!!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7SNR65B

Thanks guys!!! Love you all!

Library Lovers Tag!

Hey guys - I did this tag over on my Youtube page so thought I would add my answers here!  Go check out my channel for the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puCzlPYpPY8

Library Lovers Tag! 

1) How often do you visit your local library?  - I go almost everyday!! Obviously it depends on how much gas we have or time to go anywhere but I go to the one closest to me whenever I can and the main library downtown about every 2 or 3 weeks! Its kind of sad when the library staff knows you by name because your there that much! 

2) Do you check out more books than you can read or only get a few? - Even though I know I cannot read them all in time I totally get more than I can read but; I do have a system so that they are never late but I can keep them in my pile. :) 

3) How old were you when you got your first library card? - I believe I was in middle school. I am not sure of exactly what age but I know I was young!

4) Do you go looking for a certain book or do you just pick up whatever looks good? - I do both! There are some times that I go because there are some books (new and old) that I have on my list to pick up but then I have no control of my life and I always find other books I want to pick up just by looking around.

5) Do you just check out books or more? - It depends on which library I go to but most of the time I check out books, movies/tv shows and cds. Sarah sometimes checks out video games too.

6) What section do you get the most books in? - Most of my books come from YA but I do check out and get books from almost every section; Ya, Adult, Childrens and Nonfiction.

7) Whats your favorite part of the library? - The library is the most amazing thing in my life. I believe the best part of the library is something so simple as the library app because I love being able to see what I have out, being able to renew whenever I want to and have things on hold! It can make somethings really simple!


I loved this tag because the library is so special to me!! I would love to hear your answers so comment, share and like this post and the video once it gets on my channel!

What to escape reality?

When I was younger I was always the kid that used to stay inside and read instead of going outside and playing with everyone else. I also had a hard childhood because of some unfortunate events. I was born and grew up in Indiana so I never even knew anything about LGBTQ or even what a lesbian or gay was so I was so confused moving to Connecticut and hearing about it. I never really had anyone to talk to about it because I didn’t know what I wanted/needed to talk about. One of the greatest things I found when I was very young was that I had a way to escape reality. Reading! Ever since I could read I always read – anything I could! I could sit down and read for hours on end because it helped me forget what was happening in reality! Of course the real world is still going on – there’s no way to change that but you can at least not think about it and enter the fantastic world that is made up of the letters on the page. My favorite thing to do was to find a good book and just let my mind fly free. Once I started figuring out about my sexuality LGBT books helped me with how to think or how to handle things. They made me actually know that I was normal no matter what anyone had to say to me. This is what I personally want to have for others. I have been buying a lot of books lately, yes because I want them but more because I want to have some type of library for the safe house. I want to give those people, no matter how old or young they are, a chance to escape reality and for even just ten minutes, not worry about not being right or good enough or the hurt they are going through. In my eyes books helped me throughout my years of growing into the person I am today. So all I really have to say is how important it is to read, it can do wonders for your intelligence and your emotional intelligence. 

  Listen – I just told you how important books are so why are you still sitting here?? Go Read! J

Love you all and always remember to smile!!

       Kat Wells (co-founder of Pride Space)