Winner's Choice of Book under $10 for BBW Giveaway at Happy Mom of 5

The wonderful Chrissy over at Happy Mom of 5 blog is having an awesome giveaway for the Banned Books Week giveaway hop and I'd suggest you hurry over THERE to enter now. The prize she is giving away is one lucky winner's choice of a book under $10 value.

What are you waiting for?

Hurry and enter NOW!

100 Follower Giveaway Party at Stories of My Life

The awesome Ron over at Stories of My Life is having a giveaway party to celebrate the 100 followers milestone and will be giving away winner's choice of a book under $15 from The Book Depository with the possibility of a second winner being drawn when the blog reaches 150 followers. Hurry there and enter now!

You can enter by clicking HERE.

Banned Books Week Hop: Giveaway of 3 Banned Books at All I Ever Read

The awesome Candian book blogger and reviewer, Nicole, at All I Ever Read is participating in the Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop. Her giveaway is for one lucky winner's choice of THREE out of a choice of 8 novels. Options include:

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Yo don't want to miss out on winning any of these titles, trust me!

So go on over to:

http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/2011/09/banned-books-giveaway-hop.html

to enter and win.

Note: This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and ends on Saturday, 1st October 2011.

Waterfall Wednesdays #5 (Chapters 24 - 28)

Waterfall Wednesdays, a read-along of Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren, is hosted by Tina at Tinasbookreviews, Joy & Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance, Nic at Irresistible Reads, Jenny at Supernatural Snark, and Missie at The Unread Reader.

Welcome everyone to this week's post for the Waterfall Wednesdays event. This is the fifth and final week of the event and I'm actually quite sad to see it end. I've met so many new and friendly people, have been introduced to some very interesting blogs and have had the opportunity to spread my love for the amazing characters in this series. I cannot express enough how much I have enjoyed this journey with you all. Thank you to everyone who has participated!

This week’s questions are hosted by Nic at Irresistible Reads.

1. After Gabi is injured, the doctor gives her a tonic. Gabi questions the doctor several times what is in it but he refuses to tell. Would have you taken the tonic in Gabi situation?

I probably would have been in too much pain to actually care. I am generally very trusting of people, so I would’ve justified the doctor’s secrecy by putting it down to a fear of revealing a special recipe known only to him. Of course, I would have considered the possibility that it might be poisoned since he was Lady Rossi’s physician and she would have wanted me out of her way but then the romantic in me would have been willing to risk death as long as it was in the arms of my dreamy Marcello (who would later avenge my death, of course *sigh*). What stood out for me, though, was that the tonic tasted of fertiliser (if I remember correctly). Now, while I expect I would’ve gone ahead and taken the tonic if I were in Gabi’s shoes, I doubt I’d have been able to keep it down like she did*shudder*.

2. Before the games Gabi asks Lia to let Lord Forabosch win in the archery event as people especially Lord Forabosch are becoming suspicious of them. But during the games Lord Forabosch upsets Lia trying to throw her off her game. So Lia decides to win. Do you think she did the right thing by not letting Lord Forabosch bully her or do you think she took an unnecessary risk?

The feminist in me went “woohoo!” when Lia showed him what she had and beat his sorry ass. Really, I couldn’t bring myself to be angry with Lia for beating him despite knowing the risky situation she placed herself and Gabi in by gaining his attention and further suspicion. I suppose it was Lord Foraboschi’s chauvinistic ideas about the ability of any member of the female sex to beat him that made me so desperately want to see him lose. While I understand why Gabi expected Lia to lose in order to not draw unnecessary attention to them, I can’t help but be proud of Lia for taking a stand and showing him what she’s made of. For some reason, Lord Foraboschi didn’t strike me as being such a great threat to either Gabi or Lia. I suppose I didn’t see him as being an entirely evil person. I felt that whatever problem he might create would be between Gabi and Marcello and would work to the benefit of Lady Rossi, but it would not place Gabi’s and Lia’s lives in danger because it would not expose their secret to society. If their secret was exposed, I expected that Marcello and the rest of castle Forelli would stand by them and make sure that they were seen out of the situation safe and unharmed.

3. When Gabi is dying and she and Lia decide to return to the tombs so they can get the cure at home but they have to tell Marcello the truth. Even though Marcello thinks that it is madness that they are from the future he believes in Gabi because he loves her. Do you think this is believable? What would you have done if you were Marcello?

I kept wondering how the scene would play out when Marcello finally knew the truth and I wasn’t sure whether I’d have preferred for him to refuse to believe, and possibly even get angry with, Gabi and give her the cold shoulder for a while or whether I’d have wanted him to be so in love with her that he’d blindly believe her. However, the circumstances prevailing at that time did not allow for disbelief as Gabi was obviously dying and it called for Marcello to put aside his doubts and believe Lia’s story, as long as it meant being able to save Gabi. Given the situation, I think his reaction was believable. If I were Marcello, and being the open-minded person that I’d like to think I am, I would’ve believed Lia and done anything in my power to save the person I loved (even if it meant possibly making a fool of myself).

4. In the end Gabi and Lia return home. Do you think Gabi will return to Marcello? Would you go back?

Yes, I definitely think that Gabi will return to Marcello. Me? I’m surprised you had to ask. Hell yeah! I’d certainly go back to claim my man *wink*. I’m not leaving him with a cat like Lady Rossi to sink her claws into and take what’s become mine. I’m possessive like that *blush*. Besides, once I fall in love, I’m sure I’ll never experience anything like it again. So, even if it meant sacrificing the comforts of the twenty-first century (indoor plumbing!), my home and my family, I would risk it all for love. I wouldn’t want to lose something so rare and beautiful and spend the rest of my life feeling incomplete, thinking about how things could have turned out differently. Yes, I’m a hopeless romantic like that *sticks out tongue*.

5. Looking back at Waterfall what was your favourite moment?

My favourite moment.... Gosh! This book was so amazing; I’m having a hard time trying to think of just one moment as my favourite. Scenes that will always stay with me are:
•When Gabi first emerged from the tomb and her eyes met Marcello’s- instant connection! *le sigh*
•When Gabi changed in the forest, wore her dress the wrong way and had to change it around, seeking Marcello’s help in buttoning up the back. I found it so sweet that he was willing to help her with that without perving all over her.
•When Luca was teaching Gabi how to dance and quietly switched places with Marcello. When Gabi opened her eyes and found Marcello looking back at her, my breath caught. How romantic!
•Gabi’s take-charge attitude when it came to helping Fortino overcome his condition really impressed me. The way she got the servants to bring in boiling water and helped them sweep and mop the floors, then made Fortino breathe in the steam and checked in on him regularly- truly admirable!
•Lastly, the battle scene in which Gabi is forced to kill the enemy and enters a state of shock, only to have Marcello snap her out of it. I could identify with her feeling of shock because, at that point, she ceased to be the seemingly-invincible, twenty-first century kick-ass, sword-wielding chick and appeared unsure and vulnerable- a completely normal young girl who’s unsure how to act after an intimate encounter with death.
• Overall, I think it was just the relationship between Gabi and Marcello and the respect he showed her by putting aside his doubts when faced with her strange behaviour and choosing to accept her as she was, unquestioningly, that appealed to me throughout this novel.

So those were just some of the more memorable scenes that stood out for me in my reading of this novel and which I remember now, long after I’ve read it. Thank you to the wonderful author, Lisa T. Bergren, for writing this amazing novel and continuing Gabi’s and Lia’s story with another two books in the series. I’m looking forward to Cascade and Torrent and hope to read them as soon as I can. Thank you to all the wonderful bloggers who have introduced me to this event and have participated each week by writing their own posts, visiting mine and generously commenting. Thank you! 

“Waiting on” Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the awesome Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I’m waiting on...

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected publication: January 2nd 2012 by Poppy

Blurb (taken from Goodreads):

"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting itWho would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it."

Why I want to read this book:

Firstly, I can’t recite the title without stumbling over the words *blush*. You should try it! It actually gets funny after a while.

Secondly, it sounds so scientific and mathematical- as if love at first sight is viewed as an occurrence that can be calculated and predicted. I’m not big on math, but I’ve had to do a fair share of stats courses at university, so the title certainly intrigued me.

Thirdly, the title and blurb suggest the hand of fate being heavily involved in this little love story and so, since I’m a big believer in the power of destiny, fate and God’s will (and also a true romantic at heart) I’m eager to read about fate bringing two people together through what initially appears to be an act of pure coincidence. It just shows how a few seconds can change your life!

Fourthly, the male love interest is British (swoon-worthy British accents, anyone?) and that’s enough to get me interested. After all, who can resist a charming English lad?

Fifth and finally, I love airports! They make for such interesting places to meet new people, observe their interactions, speculate on their relationships and life stories, where they’re headed to, what has made them the way they are (this is the Psychology student in me speaking, by the way) and so many other fascinating aspects of human nature can be closely examined within an airport setting. Also, be it due to the fear of travelling in airplanes or the excitement of going on holiday, airports tend to make people more open and friendly, relaxed and willing to interact more freely (and divulge way too much about themselves in some cases!) so I can’t help but be incredibly excited about getting my hands on a copy of this one. I’m so envious of all the lucky bloggers who were able to obtain ARCs of this one before its release date next year. Although I can’t help but be thankful that they received their copies, because it is only through reading their reviews that my excitement has steadily built. This book can’t get released soon enough!

Until next week! J

Review: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Title: Waterfall

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Series: River of Time #1

Format: ebook

Pages: 384 pages

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb (from Goodreads):

"What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting."

My Thoughts:

It’s very rare for me to find a book that I literally cannot put down. When I do find that book, you can be sure that I’m going to be recommending it to everybody and their grandmother. I’ve never been to Italy and, after reading Murder in Italy by Candace Dempsey, my romantic image of Italy had been shattered (I did love the book, though, so you should go check out my review of it HERE). However, now that I’m reading Eat , Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (review coming soon) I’m starting to regain my initial romantic ideas of the place. Reading Waterfall, on the other hand, helped me to experience an entirely different kind of Italy. Having never read a book set in ancient Italy, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I would not be disappointed once Gabi stepped out of that tomb and got whisked away from danger by the dashing Marcello.

Marcello... What can I say about him? He’s handsome (of course!) and strong, sweet and charming, noble and kind, respectful and respectable, sugar and spice, and everything ni- Oh! Ahem...Excuse me! I got a little sidetracked there... No, I should not have added the sugar and spice part. He’s a perfectly honourable, respectable, gallant knight in shining armour. See the Team Marcello button on my right side bar if you don’t believe me! Yes, well Marcello is amazing. Although he initially came across as being a rather simple-minded male chauvinist in his reactions to Gabi, it didn’t take long for him to endear himself to me. I loved the way he accepted Gabi’s unusual nature (unusual when compared to other women of his time) and respected her as a lady. I loved how he remained faithful to Lady Rossi (his intended) even when he was attracted to Gabi. I loved how he was gentle and sweet, yet strong when he needed to be. Yes, Marcello certainly made quite an impression.

Gabi initially came across as a whiny teenager in the opening scene when she’s searching for a potential digging site with her mother and sister. However, it was only once she was transported back to ancient Italy that her true strength and courage were revealed. Being a fan of empowered and capable women a.k.a. kick-ass heroines, she certainly earned my respect as the story progressed.

I won’t give away much regarding the story itself (you really should read it!) but I can say that there’s a lot of action, adventure and romance contained within the pages of what is the beginning of a highly entertaining series. Right from the moment Gabi and Lia place their hands over handprints embedded in the walls of a tomb at an archaeological site in modern-day Italy and Gabi emerges from the tomb into the midst of a battle in an entirely different time period, followed by her arrival and stay at Castello Forelli, her adjustment to the primitive amenities and unfamiliar style of dressing, code of conduct and speech of the period and various other changes (all while pretending to be a noblewoman who has lost her way and her possessions and is in search of her family) we are whisked away on an adventure that is sure to leave us breathlessly turning the pages until we reach the very end and are left yearning for more. I know I can’t wait to pick up my copies of Cascade and Torrent!


View all my reviews

400 Followers Giveaway at Unabridged Andra

Hi guys!

Andra over at the Unabridged Andra blog is having a massive and insanely awesome giveaway in which she she is offering up a follower's choice of one of 4 Prize Packs. These prize packs include some of her favourite books and book series as well as great new releases.

The Prize Packs are:

Prize Pack #1:

H.P. Mallory Prize Pack (consisting of all 4 releases)

Prize Pack Pack #2:

J.L. Bryan Prize Pack

Prize Pack #3:

Tamora Pierce Prize Pack (consisting of one of the quartets pictured on her blog)

Prize Pack #4:

New Releases Prize Pack (in which you can choose 2 of the books pictured on her blog post).

If this post had whetted your appetite, you can go on over there right now and enter at:

http://unabridgedandralyn.blogspot.com/2011/08/400-follower-giveaway.html?spref=bl

Good luck!:)

Weeelll... We're Waiting! Giveaway at Lisa's Loves (Books of course)

The awesome Lisa at Lisa's Loves (Books Of Course)is having a great giveaway. Anyone who wishes to be entered just has to go HERE and enter via the Rafflecopter form, telling Lisa your choice of book that you're eagerly waiting for (it must have a wait of at least 2 months before it's released) and you could win!

Good luck!:)

Banned Books Week Giveaway at Imaginary Reads

Hi peeps!:)

The awesome Kris and Hikari over at Imaginary Reads have graciously offered up one of three great book choices to a lucky winner as their Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop prize.

One lucky winner gets to choose one of these great books:

ARC of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater,

A copy of Scars by Cheryl Reinfield,

OR

A copy of Cut by Patricia McCormick.


The giveaway ends along with the Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop on 1st October 2011, so hurry and enter HERE.

Waterfall Wednesdays: A Read-Along Event (Chapters 18-23)

Waterfall Wednesdays, a read-along of Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren, is hosted by Tina atTinasbookreviews, Joy & Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance, Nic at Irresistible Reads, Jenny at Supernatural Snark, and Missie at The Unread Reader.

Hello and welcome everyone! Welcome back for this week's post.

This week’s questions are hosted by Jenny at Supernatural Snark.

Feel free to join in the discussion by leaving your comments at the bottom. Enjoy!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 18-23

1. 1. Gabi and Lia both face several life and death situations in these chapters, having to pick up weapons in defense of those they love and experiencing first hand the brutality of close combat. If you had the choice between picking up a weapon and standing on the front lines or staying behind to tend to the wounded as necessary, which would you choose?

I hate aggression of any kind- be it violent aggression or the necessary level of aggression required for certain sports. Although I’m the type of person who hates complaining and does what needs to be done when it’s required of me (so I would charge to the front lines of battle to protect the ones I love if I had to), if there was enough manpower and I felt that my presence was not necessary, I would rather avoid all the bloodshed and trauma of engaging in battle and stay back to tend to the wounded.

2. Both girls get to wear extraordinary gowns to their victory celebration; what would your dream medieval gown look like?

My dream medieval gown would have to be in any of the colours that favour my complexion, so it would have to be red, emerald green, brown, gold or sky blue.

Somehow, at this point, I can only imagine myself wearing a red or emerald green gown with golf embroidery at the neckline, hemline and at the edges of the sleeves. The gown would have a heart-shaped neckline and flowing, long sleeves. There would be a lace-up bodice with gold laces and the gown would be fitted to my figure at the top, where it would taper down to my waist and then the skirt would flow in elegant folds down to the floor.

3. Gabi has crude stitches put in and must endure both their removal as well as the cauterization of the wound. How is your threshold for pain? Do you think you would have simply gritted your teeth as Gabi does?

My threshold for pain, I’d like to think, is pretty high after having spent many hours during my last two years of high school at my dentist’s and orthodontist’s offices. I’ve lost count of how many fillings and extractions I’ve had to have done, before having my teeth pulled in different directions with rubber bands hooked to my braces, only to have to go back for more torture sessions (root canals, etc.) at my dentist’s office once my braces were removed. I’ve also had to deal with some nasty skin treatments which were painful at the time, but were entirely worth it. I haven’t broken any major bones in my body and have only suffered the occasional cut or burn but I expect that no matter how high I think my pain threshold is, nothing can prepare me for childbirth *wink*. Lastly, I don’t usually scream (or make any loud noises really) while I’m in pain- I’m generally the suffer-in-silence type- and the sound of my own cries would just freak me out more. So I think I’d just grit my teeth really hard and hope they don’t revert to their original skewed positions, warranting another dreaded visit to my orthodontist *shudder*.

4. Marcello wants to properly court Gabi after they express mutual feelings of affection, wanting to speak with her mother about his intentions. What do you think is the most romantic aspect of medieval courtship?

I think that one of the most romantic aspects of medieval courtship was the respect with which a woman was treated and the importance that was given to that relationship and the whole courtship process. A man would be sure to behave honourably with a female and not use her, then discard her. He would feel the need to make public his intention of marrying that woman, by speaking to her parents and gaining their permission first, thereby making it clear that he didn’t plan on messing around with their daughter. You’ve gotta love a guy who does that for you- it shows that he knows your true worth.

5. Gabi and Lia find themselves with conflicting desires toward the end with Lia wanting to return home and Gabi hoping to stay. Do you think that Gabi is being unfair to Lia for wanting to stay, or is Lia being unfair to Gabi for demanding they go? A little of both?

I think it’s a little of both, really... I mean, who could blame Lia for wanting to go back home? She doesn’t have anything tying her to the past and, as far as she’s concerned, Gabi’s relationship with Marcello cannot be that serious since they’d only just met like two weeks earlier. You can’t fault Gabi for wanting to stay with Marcello, even if it means not being with her mother, because she at least has Lia with her to make her feel the warmth of family and familiarity in the absence of her mother. In this way, they’re both being unfair to each other by looking out for their own interests but their hesitation indicates that they do not want to hurt each other in the process.

That's all, folks! Hope you enjoyed this week's post and be sure to leave me your thoughts. Come back next week for the fifth and last post in this event- I'm going to miss this!

“Waiting On” Wednesday (2)

This week I’m waiting on...

Torrent (River of Time # 3) by Lisa T. Bergren

Blurb (taken from Goodreads):

"When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series.

Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death. "

Why I want to read this book:

I haven’t as yet managed to get a copy of Cascade (the second book in the series, after reading and falling in love with Waterfall), but since I’ve been hearing so much about this Lord Greco character who’s apparently more swoon-worthy than Marcello, I am very keen to get my hands on a copy of this book as well. I really hope I can complete my set with the acquisition of Cascade and then Torrent very soon. Oh! And I’ve heard that there’s a potential fourth book in the series! How awesome is that? Any guesses on what the title will be?

YA Confidential Launch Giveaway

The super-duper awesome and amazing peeps over at YA Confidential (a crowd you wanna be a part of- trust me!) are having a fabulous giveaway which is bound to blow your mind! Not only are they giving away awesome ARC's such as:

• ARC: Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi
• ARC: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• ARC: Legend by Marie Lu
• ARC: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie
• Finished copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

But, they're also offering up (hold your breath...):

• A query critique from agent Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown, LTD
• A five-page critique from agent Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates

Yes, you read it right! So, what are you waiting for? Get on over there PRONTO!

You can enter by clicking HERE.

Babbling Flow ARC Giveaway to Celebrate Launch of YA Confidential

The amazing Sara over at Babbling Flow is having a spectacular ARC giveaway to celebrate the launch of YA Confidential (of which she is an "operative"). The goodies being given away include:

Eve by Anna Carey

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Tris & Izzie SIGNED by Mette Ivie Harrison

Everybody Sees the Ants SIGNED by Printz honoree A. S. King

Variant by Robison Wells

This giveaway ends on 30th September, so rush on over and enter HERE.

YA Confidential- A Great New Blog!

There's an awesome new blog that's entered the blogosphere and they're taking the blogging world by storm! With articles as interesting as the latest one on their blog titled "Word Up" (which can be viewed here: http://yaconfidential.blogspot.com/2011/09/word-up.html) it's no wonder that these lovely ladies have attracted a crowd. You definitely want to pay them a visit, trust me! To give you a taste of what their blog offers, here's their blogging schedule:

Monday Mission Briefings:Each week an operative will choose a YA-related mission and break it down for you.

Teen Spy Tuesdays: Everything teen. Roundtables. Critiques. Thoughts on books and craft. You name it, our teen spies will cover it.

Under Cover Wednesdays: All things YA book-related!

From the Vault Thursdays: Answer our Question of the Day and get entered in our weekly contest. Winners are allowed to select a book from THE VAULT.

Fun Fridays: Exactly what the name implies.

Comment of the Week Saturday: The best comment made all week will be highlighted. It's author will be given a spotlight here and a prize from our vault

So head on over to http://yaconfidential.blogspot.com/ now to see what all the hype is about!

Giveaway of Glow and Signed Maureen Johnson Books at Carolina Valdez Miller's Blog

The awesome Carolina Valdez Miller is having two legendary giveaways at her blog.

The first giveaway is for an ARC of Glow by Kathleen Ryan and you can enter here:

http://www.carolinavaldezmiller.com/2011/09/review-of-glow-with-arc-giveaway.html

The second giveaway is for SIGNED copies of Maureen Johnson books (you really don't want to miss out!) and you can enter here:

http://www.carolinavaldezmiller.com/2011/09/giveaway-of-signed-maureen-johnson.html

Good luck!

Waterfall Wednesdays Read-Along (Chapters 12-17)

Waterfall Wednesdays, a read-along of Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren, is hosted by Tina at Tinasbookreviews, Joy & Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance, Nic at Irresistible Reads, Jenny at Supernatural Snark, and Missie at The Unread Reader.

Hi all! Welcome back for this week's post. Feel free to join in the discussion by leaving your comments at the bottom. Enjoy!

Discussion Questions for Chapters 12-17

1. In Siena, on her way to the ball at Palazzo Pubblico, Gabi likened her experience to being on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, the goal being "to see and be seen." If you were a peasant, watching from the crowd, what would you be thinking as this procession passed by?

If I were a peasant watching from the crowd, I would probably only watch for a little while and lose interest very soon. I’ve never been one to fawn over celebrities or the rich, in this case, as I don’t think they’ve really done much to deserve my admiration and respect. I would surely wonder what it would be like to be born into such privilege and not have to toil daily to earn a meagre income and barely survive. I would admire the pretty dresses worn by the ladies and wish to be on the arm of such a fine gentleman like Marcello *wink* but I wouldn’t let myself ponder over it for too long and would soon move on to the concerns of daily life and my present reality.

2. Though quite nervous about dancing at the ball, Gabi discovers a strange feeling of connection to the time, the people, and the society through the unified beauty of the dance. Have you ever been in a position where you felt out of your element, but, in one, pinpointed moment, became a part of or connected to something bigger than your fear?

A roller-coaster ride? That’s the first thing that came to mind after reading the question, so I think that deserves a mention. But I think it’s the same for many people. When you try out a new and frightening experience, your unfamiliarity with that situation causes you to doubt your own ability to adapt and feel comfortable with it. I think that, with Gabi, it was also who she was with that made the difference and made her feel a part of things. You never know what you’re getting yourself into when you’re trying something new, but it could be an experience that brings out something lying dormant inside of you, something just waiting to be coaxed out of hiding and brought out into the open so that you realise that you always had it in you and all that was needed was a little push to bring it to the surface and let yourself shine. Hope that makes sense...

3. The kiss. Oh, the kiss. When Marcello finally kisses Gabi, he believes the experience to be proof that they are meant to be together. What did you think about his assumption? Were you surprised at Gabi's reaction to it? Have you ever experienced a kiss that seemed to be prophetic in a similar (or opposite!) way?

I thought it was a little too soon for him to jump to that conclusion, but then I realised that he knew what he was looking for when he kissed Gabi. He had a theory and he wanted to test it so that, judging by his own reaction and feelings about the kiss, he could tell whether it meant more to kiss Gabi than it did to kiss Lady Rossi. I was a little surprised that Gabi was able to think rationally and keep her wits about her after that kiss with Marcello, but I was glad that she had enough sense to realise that it was wrong kissing a guy who was betrothed to another (even if he seemed to have no such qualms) and although her protests ruined the moment, I couldn’t help but respect her for it.

4. Many go through their teen years with a subdued sense of immortality. Do you think Gabi has a sense of this teen feeling? And did you think Gabi's converse observation, "Sometimes death came hunting and there was no way to cut it off at the pass." was informed more by the experience of losing her father, her self-admitted closet hypochondria, or the forced maturation of being transported to a different time? How does this observation show Gabi's growth as a character?

I think Gabi has a sense of this feeling and this is most evident in her sometimes reckless sword-wielding and wall-climbing ways. I think her observation that death sometimes came hunting and you couldn’t cut it off at the pass had more to do with the loss of her father and the obvious dangers of the time she found herself in. I don’t think it actually had much to do with being a hypochondriac. Being transported back in time and dropped into the midst of such a treacherous and uncertain period in history has forced her to grow as a character in an effort to accept and adapt to her reality so that she could make it back to the twenty-first century alive.

5. In the span of a few moments, Gabi goes from sword-wielding teen beauty to man-killing warrior. Did you think her realization of the finality of death -- and her justification for its necessity -- was realistic? And, in her slippers, could you have done the same?

I was particularly impressed with how this aspect of the events was handled. I think that the full reality and finality of death doesn’t hit most of us until we see it happen before our eyes. I thought that the portrayal of her inner battle to convince herself that she wasn’t a cold-blooded killer but merely someone forced to kill in order to protect herself and the people she cared for was a very realistic one. If I were in her slippers, I doubt I’d have had the courage and bravery to do what needed to be done. I don’t think I would be strong enough to deal with the after-effects and psychological trauma of knowing that I’d taken a life, no matter how justified my actions were perceived as being at the time.

Hope that was interesting! Now it's time for you to you to tell me what you think. Until next week! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...

Cascade (River of Time # 2) by Lisa T. Bergren

Blurb (taken from Goodreads):

"Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever."

Why I want to read it:

After reading the first book in the series, Waterfall, and participating in the weekly Waterfall Wednesday Read-Along event hosted by Tina at Tinasbookreviews, Joy & Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance, Nic at Irresistible Reads, Jenny at Supernatural Snark, and Missie at The Unread Reader. I can honestly say that reliving my love of the first book has made me extremely eager to get my hands on the second book in this amazing series. Although, I must admit that I’m a little afraid to read the rest of this series because I don’t want the magic to end too soon for me.

Follow Me To 1,000 Followers Giveaway at Five Alarm Book Reviews

The fantastic peeps over at Five Alarm Reviews are having a MASSIVE Follow Me To 1,000 Followers Giveaway with some pretty amazing prizes!

Here is how it works (taken from their blog):

1. Your entries stay in the drawing until the giveaway ends on the day that we reach 1,000 followers.
2. You can win more than once.
3. At every milestone of 100 additional followers (200, 300, 400, etc.) another winner will be chosen using Random.org.
4. Followers are also eligible for the Surprise Giveaways in addition to this contest. (No additional entries required)
5. When 1,000 followers are reached, the giveaway will come to an end and the final winner will be chosen for the big prize package, valued at $150.

Prizes at 100 follower milestones will be:

• $20 gift card or coupon code at 200 followers
• $30 gift card or coupon code at 300 followers;
• $40 gift card or coupon code at 400 followers;
• $50 gift card or coupon code at 500 followers;
• $60 gift card or coupon code at 600 followers;
• $70 gift card or coupon code at 700 followers;
• $80 gift card or coupon code at 800 followers;
• $90 gift card or coupon code at 900 followers;
• and then for the big prize package…

Big 1000 follower prize package will be an assortment of book related items valued at $150 and will be according to availability at the close of contest and adjusted to your personal preference according to your comment answer (see entry form for comment question).

Some ideas to include in your answer:

• ARC’s
• New Releases
• Book Accessories
• Swag
• Totes
• Mugs
• Gift Card/ Coupon Code
• Kindle instead of a package of smaller stuff
• Just say “Surprise Me”
• Etc.

Contest Rules:

• 100 interval prizes are international;
• Big prize package is available to US and Canada only;
• Entry verification will be done when a winner is chosen;
• If the winner has misrepresented themselves during the entry process, another winner will be chosen;
• Winners will have 72 hours to respond to winner notification via email;
• If the winner does not respond within the designated time, another winner will be chosen.
• Remember to Answer in the Comment Section: If you were the winner of the big prize, what are some of the things you would like included in your package.

Should you wish to enter (why wouldn't you???), you may go HERE.

Good Luck!

P.S. If I win the grand prize and get my wish (a KINDLE!!!) I'm going to host a giveaway for you peeps:) Watch this space!