03 August 2010

Re-Create a Cover | "Coffeehouse Angel" by Suzanne Selfors

I got an invite to join this contest, and as most of you have seen...I love these kind of contests!
It's another re-create a cover contest. This one is hosted by Trisha's Book Blog. We are to re-create the cover of the upcoming book, Coffeehouse Angel by: Suzanne Selfors. I have heard about her book Saving Juliet and it's on my wish list. I would love to win and read this book, Coffeehouse Angel.
You can find out all the details: here.

         Original:                     My entry:
Picture credit for my entry goes to AdriftPhotography on DeviantArt!

**click either picture to enlarge!
- I'll post my other cover I made after the contest has expired!

What do you think of this entry, I love the original it's so colorful, so I decided a classic black & white would be mine. I love doing these re-create the cover contests, even if I were to never win, they're still fun & a way to stretch my "artsy" fingers.


I could win a signed copy of the book and a mug with the cover on it (original cover)...so when it's time and you're allowed to vote, please vote for mine. Or your favorite...lol.

Read more about Coffeehouse Angel and the author, Suzanne Selfors here.

Review: "Devoured" by: Amanda Marrone

Devoured by: Amanda Marrone
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Released: September 22nd, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Overall:
Recommend Level: Medium.
Summary: Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed.

Megan wants to keep her distance from Luke, but when Remy’s visions get crazy violent; she knows she needs his help. Because someone’s definitely in danger...the only question is who?


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Review: This review is way overdue. I finished this book awhile ago, but I didn't really know how to put how I felt about it into words...or text. So I'm just going to ramble; hope it makes sense...
I have read another book by Amanda Marrone called Uninvited, which I did not like. At. All. The book was one of the most tedious, boring & drawn out books I have ever read! How I got through it is anyone's guess. But the good thing that came out of it was inspiration for a book that I'm working on.

The summary for Devoured makes it sound like it has a lot more depth than it does. But honestly, I felt like the surface of the book was barely scratched. I didn't know or care to know any of the characters. Anytime we were supposed to feel scared or sad or mad or whatever emotion the narrator, Megan, was feeling I couldn't even conjure up half of that emotion. I didn't know her boyfriend, so I didn't know if I should feel sorry for him or say good riddance when she ended things. (spoiler, sorry.) And Luke, honestly...the guy's a weirdo.

And then there's Remy, I loved any time that she was in the book and I actually wished she was in the book at certain parts because of how dry the book was.

The actual plot is almost laughable, taking a "spin" on Snow White, and I was wanting to read the original Snow White and watch the movie just for a way to feel that literature is still alive.

At the end when things go from bad to worse, I almost felt like Megan didn't care. When she sees...someone...with a hole in her chest, dead, I thought I'd get some emotion, but no...and I wasn't shocked either.
This book was like a made for TV movie with the bad actors who don't quite understand how to depict emotion. Like one you'd see on SyFy...honestly, I could see this on SyFy...and I would watch!
Okay, enough about the bad....

I did like Luke, even though he was weird and I liked any part of the book he was in. I loved Ari's character even at the end. Nikki, Megan's best friend, didn't get enough light either, but she was the honest trusting best friend you want in life. And then there's Megan. Even though I couldn't relate to her--in any way--I liked her. She was someone who, even though she didn't like someone, she gave them a chance, yet she spoke her mind when necessary. I felt like she was a real person...in what she did. Not so much in the emotional department. Though it seemed the only time she had emotions was when she was with Luke.

The reason I rated it 3 stars was because I did like it, I enjoyed getting to know the characters with what little we found out. And I enjoyed the ending. Marrone's writing style is good, I just wish it had more depth.

I haven't given up on Amanda Marrone books, I will read her book Revealers sometime and hopefully have better results.

(A part of me hopes Amanda Marrone never reads this review!! lol.)



Plot:
Characters:
Ending:
Writing:
Cover: (love, love, love this cover!!)

Tune Tuesday (003)

Boy, I am posting this super late, I know! Forgive me. It won't be this late next time!


Tune Tuesday is a lot like "Music Monday" that was started....somewhere. But what I'll do is give you a topic and you'll give me ten songs that fit it.
It could be a "writing playlist", a "feel good playlist"....whatever. Sound good?
Okay, so this week's topic is:

"Songs with a color in the title!"

Here's my playlist:
(Because this isn't something that every one has, just post as many as possible, and if you go over ten...so be it:)

  1. "Out of the Blue" by: Aly & Aj - link
  2. "Blue Does" by: Blue October - link (not music video or live)
  3. "Blue Skies" by: Blue October - link
  4. "Blue Eyes" by: Cary Brothers - link
  5. "Violet Hill" by: Coldplay - link
  6. "Red" by: Daniel Merriweather - link
  7. "White America" by: Eminem - link
  8. "Yellow Brick Road" by: Eminem - link (not music video or live)
  9. "Old Blue Jeans" by: Hannah Montana (yes, Hannah Montana...deal) - link
  10. "Big Green Tractor" by: Jason Aldean - link
  11. "Black Keys" by: Jonas Brothers - link
  12. "Sweet Silver Lining" by: Kate Voegele - link
  13. "Blue Jeans" by: Keith Urban - link
  14. "White Liar" by: Miranda Lambert - link
  15. "Supermassive Black Hole" by: Muse - link
  16. "That Green Gentlemen (Things Have Changed)" by: Panic! at the Disco - link
  17. "White Horse" by: Taylor Swift - link
I had a lot more than I thought I would. I was tempted to put "Neon" by John Mayer, but that's not really a color...just a way to describe the vibrancy of a color...but here's an amazing live version here!

Leave a comment with the URL to your post in the Website URL spot!

Have an idea for future playlists, leave them in the comments or if you want to keep them secret, e-mail them to me. Using the contact form here.

02 August 2010

Meet Me on Monday (004)

Meet Me on Monday is hosted by Never Growing Old and it's a meme for bloggers to get to know each other one Monday at a time.



This week's questions:
1. What is your favorite holiday?
I don't know if I could choose. I love all holidays for some reason. Christmas for family, food and presents, Halloween, for the cute kids in costumes (and because overly religious people have ghosts, witches, devils, vampires..etc, come to their house-haha), Easter for the pretty pastel colors, Thanksgiving for the food, family, football & fun, Fourth of July for the fireworks, Groundhog's day....because it's my birthday, and St. Patrick's day because it's green....lol. So, I can't choose.

2. What color clothing do you wear the most?
Probably black. But I wear nothing but t-shirts and sweats or jeans. I don't have any black jeans(which I want) or black sweats(which I want)....so I wear pretty much every color. Currently I'm wearing a red t-shirt and red, black & white plaid pajama bottoms....... So I don't know.

3. What is your heritage?
My mom is white & my dad is black...but I believe there's some Mexican, Native American mixed in there. I do want to get my blood tested to see all of my races. I think that'd be interesting....what is that process called?!

4. What is your middle name?
LaRea. Pronounced Luh-Ray.

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Shortbread! I don't eat enough of it though!
I love love love Girl Scout Thin Mints too. And luckily Keebler's Grasshopper cookies taste exactly like them!!
© Iridescent Lotus
Maira Gall