YA Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the YA Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and vvb32. On my blog you can win a eBook of Curse of the Elfs by Anna del C Dye. Take a look at my review here.

Can a delirious curse destroy the saintly elfin race?

Zolotan has ideas of his own and creates beings without souls, for the sole purpose of doing his bidding. His colleagues do not like the possibility of a wizard having an army of creatures at his command. The head sorcerers judge the wavering wizard and their sentence is just. The transgressor is to undo his madness by destroying all his creations immediately. 

All seems right, until he joins his creations and instead attacks the wizard stronghold. After a magical battle that devastates the land surrounding the wizard community, he is defeated. However, the old sorcerer's unrepentant deeds cause the wizard council to chastise him severely. 

It is shortly afterwards that elfs cross paths with the dying wizard. On his deathbed Zolotan asks the elfs for help. He wants to be moved to a faraway land to heal, but the unsuspecting elfs knew he wouldn't survive, so they wait. Losing patience in his delirium, he curses them to a slow dead. It is a threat the elfs never take seriously until a hundred years later when their people come down with a strange sickness they can't explain. 

There is nothing they can do about it. If they return to their motherland they might spread the curse to the rest of their race and have it disappear forever. 

Their only glimmer of hope lies in a servant of kings who must learn to love the elfs before he will attempt to save them. But no one, elf or mankind, has ever heard of this man. Nor does anyone know where to find him. Can the best healer in the land find this savior before their race is gone forever?


Here's how to win . . .

Mandatory

• Follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me how with a way to contact you.

Optional

• Follow Anna's on twitter and tell me so.
• Spread the word and tell me how.

Please leave seperate comments for each entry. There are a total of 3 entries only and be sure to enter by midnight on the 12th. The winner will be contacted and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for stopping by! Now hop on over to all the other participating blogs. :)

Book Review--Darkest Mercy

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr is the conclusion of the Wicked Lovely series. I have always been fascinated with the true nature and stories of faeries. This series has held my interest from the very beginning. Darkest Mercy was no exception. I loved how Melissa wrapped everything up and even put a nice bow on it. This was one series that I smiled at the end of the book feeling complete, not wanting to know more. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the non-Disneyfied faeries. There was a little bit of language in it. Here's a blurb and the book trailer.

:):):):)

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

And the winner is . . .

Thank you to all that stopped by for the New Year's Giveaway! I hope to see everyone again soon. (The 6th brings another blog hop) Random.org has spoken and the winner is . . . April from Ramblings and Adventures. See you soon!

Book Review--Curse of the Elfs

Curse of the Elfs by Anna del C. Dye. This book grabbed my attention in the beginning. The world of the elves was set up very well and I enjoyed getting to see that side of them. I felt a connection with the characters throughout. The storyline took turns I didn't expect. It is a clean read that any fantasy lover would enjoy.

:):):)

Ancient legend tells of elfs crossing paths with a dying wizard named Zoltan. The Old Sorcerer’s unrepentant deeds had caused the wizarding school to chastise him severely. On his deathbed Zoltan asked the elfs for help. Losing patience in his delirium, he cursed them. Now, the immortal elfin race is slowly, but surely dying. Their only hope lies in a servant of kings who must learn to love the elfs before he will attempt to save them. But no one, elf or mankind, has ever heard of this man. Can the healer be found before their race is gone forever? Inspired by Tolkien’s masterpiece, Anna del C. has created a brilliant medieval tale. Curse of the Elfs is full of high adventure, romance and battles that will leave you awed from beginning to end.

Reading Challenge

I found this Reading A to Z Challenge while perusing some blogs. It's put on by Babies, Books & Signs. I'm going to join and do B, meaning I'll keep a running tab of books (up at the top of my blog) and closer to the end of the year I'll go through and hop I have a title for each letter of the alphabet. Hop on over to the host blog for more details and join us! Ready, Set, Read!

Goodbye 2011

 

By Bonnie Harris

I've debated on posting something about goals this time around, but how can I not with it been New Year's Eve Day? My own personal reflection of the past year has really made me reevaluated my goal setting process. For the longest time, I only set goals (or at least wrote them down) when I knew for sure it was something I could accomplish. And "come hell or high water," as the saying goes, I would accomplish that goal. 

This year has taught me that may not be the best approach to things. Goals should be set with the mindset that somethings can't be controlled, and if something comes along that's out of our control, it's okay to change a goal midstream. That doesn't make one any less of a person or mean that the goal wasn't accomplished, that just means that life happens and adjustments have to be made.

I recently reviewed a book by Connie Sokol called Faithful, Fit and Fabulous. Connie talked about setting one goal at a time so we don't feel to overwhelmed with things. After a couple of weeks, add another to the mix, but if we do to much at once we can burn ourselves out. I really enjoyed her perspective on things even though it was nothing new to me. She gave me "permission," so to speak, to allow myself to make changes mid-stream. Or maybe she helped me see what I was already doing with my goals from 2011.

Anyway, as we approach a new year, I've been thinking of the baby steps that I'd like to take in all aspects of my life—with the mindset that I can adjust as needed based on what life throws my way. Here are some of my possible goals (which will probably become goals sometime throughout the year).

• be less judgemental
• cook dinner at least twice a week
• finish another edit through my WIP
• finish a draft on another WIP
• don't complain about housework
• keep up with my book reviews
• do two blog giveaways a month
• attend writing conferences
• critic someone else's novel 
• clean one room a week

The list could go on forever, but I feel like I can be successful at these, and they can be adjusted—if needed—without too much effort. So as you look ahead to the New Year, don't be afraid to set goals because you don't think you'll make it through the year. As you get into it remember they can be adjusted. They are set in stone. Happy New Year 2012!

Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and co-hosted by Babs Book Bistro. What a great way to ring in the New Year. Be sure to stop by everyone else's blog too. My prize is open to any and everyone. On my blog, you can win an eBook of Deborah DeMoss Smith's Light Fixtures. Take a look at my review and some video excerpts here.

It’s 1963 and everything is moving fast for 14-year-old Aurora. Her often-manic thoughts and actions can cause those around her to shake their heads in bafflement, especially when her spirits nosedive. But it’s no puzzle for the mystical Mr. Hematite and his tiny assistant, Mr. Dragonfly. Together, they guide her in understanding the onset of bipolar moods and show her that as Light Fixtures, everyone has the potential to shine with balance and brilliance.

And to win Light Fixtures, all you need to do is . . .

Manditory:

• Follow my blog via Networked Blogs and/or GFC. Leave me a message telling me which you've done and make sure I have a way to contact you.

Optional:

• Like Light Fixtures on FB (click on the title) and leave me a message telling me so.
• Spread the word. Make sure to tell me where.
• Follow me on twitter. (Left sidebar)

This giveaway ends midnight Jan 3rd. The winner will be contacted and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is selected by Random.org.

Thanks for stopping by. Take a look at who else is participating and Happy New Year!