Winner Winner WOLFIE Dinner!

I hate contest. Well, I love them because I love to share awesome books with yall but I have a hard time picking just ONE winner. I even contemplated getting more copies of 13 to Life so we all can have one but alas…I was told a resounding NO. The best I can do is…have another contest on July 18 which is the day I am having Shannon Delany here for an interview and those who entered this contest will carry over to that one so yall have a leg up on entries.  (Get it? Wolves leg up-- ah forget it lol)


That contest will not only have a copy of 13 to Life by Shannon Delany (wolves) up for grabs but Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (Ghost), Glass House by Rachel Caine (Vampires) My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent (Banshees) and what’s left? Oh my favorite…ANGELS I have the entire Kissed by an Angel trilogy by Elizabeth Chandler.

Are yall excited yet? I am! See ya back here on July 18th to see if I have added anymore books to the contest…I probably am.  And my non YA readers come back for a LUNA books contest July 5th where I am giving away my tifecta authors, 1st in the series: Urban Shaman by C.E Murphy, Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara, Eyes of Crow by Jeri Smith-Ready and as a bonus... if I can find a original cover copy- Divine by Mistake by PC Cast.

  Thanks for entering this contest!

The winner is….

              Okapi

Runner up is

                     Katie

Surpriiiise 2 winners. Both get a copy of 13 to life and Okapi gets a surprise book.  I will email you ladies sometime today. Congrats!

And since I am not a complete meanie…If you didn’t win and still would like a Jeri Smith Ready swag pack email me and I can send one out to you…Which includes a signed Shade bookmark and 3 of her WVMP book cards for WVMP radio series

Casse

When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton is Empty by Jackie M Johnson (Review)

JACKIE M. JOHNSON (Trinity International University) is an author and freelance writer. Her first book, Power Prayers for Women has sold nearly 100,000 copies. She has also written articles, poetry, and hundreds of devotionals for Focus on the Family’s Renewing the Heart website, and was a contributor to A Cup of Comfort, co-authored by James Stuart Bell and Carol McLean Wilde. A native of Milwaukee, Jackie lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visit her encouragement blog, A New Day Café, at http://anewdaycafe.blogspot.com/ or her website, http://www.w3schools.com/htmL/%20http://www.jackiejohnsoncreative.com.

Losing a hope-filled dating relationship is a stressful and painful event. And when it seems to occur again, again, and again, is Ben & Jerry the only refuge for a Christian single?

As one who has walked this road before, author Jackie Johnson says an emphatic "no!"

While most books for singles tell readers how to get the next guy, When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton is Empty encourages a healthy healing process. Practical and biblically based, each chapter guides the reader through a metaphorical day of restoration. Twilight recognizes and deals with endings, night validates and grieves the loss, dawn awakens hope, and day is the new beginning based on the solid assurance of Christ.

Chapters conclude with discussions questions for individual or group study, helpful Bible verses, and a prayer.
via NetGalley.com




I am a bit cynical when it comes to romance and self help books. I hate books that claim to have all the answers and honestly I thought this book would be like that as well, but I was wrong. This book was a breath of fresh air.







I did read this book with ice cream though because it’s how I read all self help books. But Jackie Johnson seems to really have lived it which I think helps give the book that voice of “look I am not saying this is the only way but here, if it helps you then take my advice into consideration.” I also love that it’s biblical and I will recommend it to the people at my singles group at church proudly.






Casse

Happy Book B-day to Shannon Delany- 13 to Life

Yesterday June 22nd was the day I have been waiting for.  if you ask me why you haven't been paying attention to me much so I will tell you again, 13 to Life (a werewolf tale) I know that was dropped from the title *shrugs* I still love it, was released. Yay! In celebration I will post some of the links Shannon shared on twitter.
Seven questions with Shannon Delany
Original 13 to Life prequel (MacMillan)
13 to Life Blog
Not so spring-break prequel

I was lucky enough to pre-order and next day deliver it and it shipped early so I got it today AND Shannon's awesome publisher St Martin's Griffin sent me a complete copy to review just BEFORE a 20 hr road trip. *cackles* The universe (sometimes) loves me so since I have 2 copies...I will return the love to the universe and give one copy away.

I was going to wait until July when I will have Shannon on my blog for an interview during my MONTH long blogiversary celebration but, we have waited long enough also I don't mind getting another copy for that. 

+1 So here is what you do to enter:
1. Follow Shannon on twitter @Shannon_Delany
2. Follow this blog
3. Answer these questions.
                   A:) What animated movie does Shannon quote in one of her interviews?
                   B:) What hair colors does Jess say her hair isn't, in one of the prequels?
                   C:) What website did Shannon first start 13 to Life on?
                   D:) Besides poetry what else does Jess admit may not be her forte as well?
That is it and if you go to the Shannon Delany/13 to Life related posts I posted the answers are easy to find. I am such a nice blogger I even posted the sites in order of the questions...aren't I just super sweet! And even though the book won't be signed like I planned maybe you can convince Shannon Delany to send you a bookplate? If you are really good I mean. Here is a picture of the book & swag you are trying to win!

Okay what you see here, besides my coffee and fruit obsession is:

13 to Life

Morganville Vampire TPU brochure and Rachel Caine card

Signed Shade (another awesome book) bookmark and 3 other Jeri Smith-Ready adult WVMP series cards

And since all authors will tell you how important music is to their writing a special 2 pk cd set from a friend of mine.

Email me LitterBoxBlog and let me know your answers to the questions and if you win I will ask for your information to verify that you did all that was required.  After you email me your answers, add your points and leave them in the comments, please. Contest ends Friday June 25th  Good Luck!

For TWO extra entries:
+1 Follow me on twitter @CatholicKittie
+1 Follow my writer blog From Here to There...A Writer's Journey

Good Luck!
Casse!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Review)

What kind of YA book is this? That is what I found my inner snark saying when Sam entered the picture. He was never mean to Grace, never cruel never withheld his emotions or self…what the hell? This is not the YA I know and love-hate! What message will it leave young ladies with? That they deserve to be treated with respect? NO NO NO! Unhealthy stalking yes, that is good but they admit to each other it is an obsession. Maggie Maggie Maggie. NO you aren’t doing it riiight.


All that to say, I love Sam and Grace’s relationship. I love how the connection is shown. The way they fall in love. I love the emotion in this book. It made me feel smarter, when I read this book. I have read Rilke poetry and a lot of it. I have read it to a guy I was seeing as he fell asleep at night—. *face palm* wait, did I REALLLY just admit that out loud? Sheesh. Anyway embarrassing moment erased. Yeah I read a lot of poetry. Some of it complicated and complex but most of it emotional and beautiful and Shiver reads like one smart, beautiful and lyrical poem. It is brilliant! THIS, this right here is a prime example of why I love YA and why I don’t ever give up on it!



I found myself hating grace's dad. At one of the most painful parts in the book he probably assumes its some silly girl thing and it pisses me off how clueless they are! They have no idea what is really going and they don’t even care to want to find out. I love this theme in YA because…most teens feel like the parents are the enemy or the villain or the completely wrong all the time so of course they love to read books where the parents really are jerks.

Shiver took my breath away.

Dead Girl's Dance by Rachel Caine (Review)

DAMN I love this series! Claire is pretty awesome and Shane is fracking HOTT! I know you all like Mr. Glass but me not so much. He is okay but he annoys me sometimes as well as Eve.

This book was better than the first and I am shocked by that because Glass house knocked me on my ass it was so good.

Once again the pace is swift and flawless to the point where you can't stop. Shane's jerk of a father adds to the danger of Morganville Vamps and My Boo finds himself in real danger. And the plots were a lot more serious, darker and involved with dances, vampire hierarchy, family secrets I can only see these books getting better and better.

Claire still makes mistakes but different ones so since she is teen it’s ok. But at the end Claire goes all sex kitt-eh and says, "Wanna play baseball?" It is completely unexpected from Claire and hott. I love it! Poor guy didn't know what hit him.