Jenuine Cupcakes

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis Publication: January 15, 2013 By: Razorbill       From Goodreads:   Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. But this new Earth isn't the paradise that Amy had been hoping for. Amy and Elder must race to uncover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. But as each new discovery brings more danger, Amy and Elder will have to look inward to the very fabric of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if ...

Author: C.J. Redwine Publication: August 28, 2012 By: Balzer & Bray (Harper Teen) 5 STARS! (A MUST READ) This cover is fierce!   *stares in awe* Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzar & Bray (Harper Teen) for this ARC!   I've been dying to read this for a long time now and I literally cried when I found out I was getting my chance. This book had me laughing, crying, and chain chewing (gum) because it was so intense at times. It's a thrilling adventure of love, loyalty and hope that will suck you in from the first page. While most girls within the walled city of Baalboden were learning the importance of how to cook, sew and behave properly in public, sixteen year old Rachel Adams was also learning how to take care of herself with sharp objects. (She can gut you like a fish!) Her father Jared, Baalboden's top courier made sure she knew how to wield a sword and what to do in order to survive the Wastelands. He taught her well, so well in fact, that when he fail...

Author: Hannah Harrington Publication: August 28, 2012 By: HarlequinTeen 5 STARS!  Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret.  Until now.  Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast - and nearly got someone killed. Chelsea has taken a vow of silence - to learn to keep her mouth shut and to stop hurting anyone else.  There's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way.  Including a boy she might even fall for.  If only her new friends can forgive her...if only she can forgive herself. Thank you to YABC and Harlequin Teen for this ARC! *does happy dance* I've been eagerly awaiting this sophomore offering from Hannah Harrington (Saving June was one of my favorite reads of 2011) and Speechless does not disappoint!  Also, I will read anything this amazing young author writes, ever. That is all! This cover is so unique! It's minimalist but it incorporates several ele...

Author: Nyrae Dawn Publication: August 9, 2012 By: Amazon Digital Services 3.75 Stars! Seventeen-year-old Annabel Conway is tired of the Hillcrest High School elite making her life miserable because she’s not a size two. This summer, she's hiring a personal trainer to help her lose weight. Annabel doesn’t expect her trainer to be a gorgeous guy around her age. Boys like Tegan are jerks. They pretend to like girls like her so they can make an idiot out of them. Been there, done that. Totally not going there again. She kind of hates him on principal. Blond. Muscular. Funny. It doesn’t help that he knows her measurements! Soon, Tegan's so much more than that. He’s the boy who teaches her to box when she has a bad day. Who jogs with her and lets her set the pace. Who kisses her until she melts. He makes her feel beautiful regardless of what the scale says. Unlike her mom, he doesn’t expect perfection, and he doesn't try to shield her from the world like he...

Author: Brigid Kemmerer Publication: August 28, 2012 By: Kensington Teen 4.75 STARS! "Feel the heat..."   (OK, sure...*fans face*) OMG = Oh.My.Gabriel! Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it. More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own. Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taki...

Author: James Dashner Publication: August 14, 2012 By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers 3 Stars The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series. Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease. Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees. Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive. Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC. I was ...

Author: Deborah Hopkinson Illustrator: Raúl Colón Publication: September 11, 2012 By: Schwartz & Wade 5 Stars! Author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator Raul Colón present the story of Helen Keller in a fresh and original way that is perfect for young children. Focusing on the relationship between Helen and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, the book is interspersed with excerpts of Annie's letters home, written as she struggled with her angry, wild pupil. But slowly, with devotion and determination, Annie teaches Helen finger spelling and braille, letters, and sentences. As Helen comes to understand language and starts to communicate, she connects for the first time with her family and the world around her. The lyrical text and exquisite art will make this fascinating story a favorite with young readers. Thank you to Random House for sending me this for review.  My first impression of this book is that it's beautiful!  The illustrations are...

Book Signings & The Pusher Workout I've designed a new workout called "The Pusher" (after the subtitle of this blog).  This workout is done best with a buddy.  A twitter friend you're meeting in person for the FIRST time is an excellent "buddy" choice.  My Team Kilt "workout" buddy Malissa (@jaynes_ire) Gear: * Graphic T-shirt, shorts & flip flops. (this foot wear is crucial)  * Bag of awesome books to be signed by even awesomer authors. (Is "awesomer" a word? If not, just add it to my dictionary of made up words) * Bag filled with 4 dozen cupcakes. Activity: * Arrive at the agreed upon starting line (aka Metro stop) on time but be sure to leave the directions to your final destination on the front seat of your car. * Obtain Metro passes but be aware, any and all Metro exits will hate you. However, the forward and backward motion of inserting the Metro fare card is excellent for your arms, especially when holding ...

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows Publication: January 29th 2013 By: Katherine Tegen Books *stares at the pretty cover* From Goodreads: DARKSOULS Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place. SHADOWS Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves. LOVE Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart,...

Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus Publication: August 21, 2012 By: Harper Teen 2 Stars Cute cover!   After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients’ hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over him once and for all. Thank you to Edelweiss and YABC.  I had high hopes for this book but ended up really struggling with it.  The first thing that stuck out was the how the characters spoke, they're American but sounded like they had vague British accents at times which was confusing. There seemed to be too much unneeded banter back and forth between Max and Zach and the alternating...

 Cover Reveal: Conjure by Lea Nolan Publication: September 24, 2012 By: Entangled Publishing  Be careful what you search for… Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday. CONJURE on Goodreads Lea's website: http://www.leanolan.com/   Lea on Twitter: @Lea_Nolan Lea is giving away several copies of Conjure in addition to the cover reveal.   Head over to her website to enter.

Author: Susan Wiggs Publication: August 28, 2012 By: Harlequin MIRA 2.75 Stars Sonnet Romano's life is almost perfect. She has the ideal career, the ideal boyfriend, and has just been offered a prestigious fellowship. There's nothing more a woman wants - except maybe a baby.sister? When Sonnet finds out her mother is unexpectedly expecting, and that the pregnancy is high-risk, she puts everything on hold - the job, the fellowship, the boyfriend - and heads home to Avalon. Once her mom is out of danger, Sonnet intends to pick up her life where she left off. But when her mother receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet must decide what really matters in life, even of that means staying in Avalon and taking a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest, and maybe her sweetest, mistake - award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger. So Sonnet embarks on a summer of laughter and tears, of old dreams and new possibilities, and of finding the home of her heart. At on...

Author: Angela Scott Publication: August 6, 2012 By: Evolved Publishing 3.5 Stars Samantha Jean Haggert is a beautiful twelve-year-old girl, but no one knows it. All they see is an awkward boy in a baseball cap and baggy pants. Sam's not thrilled with the idea of hiding her identity, but it's all part of her brother's plan to keep Sam safe from male attention and hidden from the law. 15-year-old Jacob will stop at nothing to protect his sister, including concealing the death of the one person who should have protected them in the first place--their mother. Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason. But when Sam meets "Jesus"--who smells an awful lot like a horse--in the park, life takes a differe...

Authors Are Rockstars Tour Stop Welcome to Jenuine Cupcakes!  *hands you a Batman cupcake*  I am so excited to be a part of the Authors Are Rockstars Tour hosted by Fiktshun & Two Chicks on Books . Thank you ladies for the opportunity to do this tour and to host... Dan Krokos, Author of False Memory When I found out that I would be hosting Dan this happened... And then this... Why, you ask? ________________________________________ (excuse me while I fangirl)   Dan is one of my FAVORITE debut authors of 2012 and it's not just because he was in The Avengers yes, THAT Avengers (lab guy #2--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI40m0L7JRw&feature=youtu.be ) but his book False Memory , blew me away and inspired me to write a  poem. ROSES are red a warning to you False Memory; a sci-fi adrenaline rush and Dan Krokos, I *hearts* YOU! (in a purely, "you wrote an awesome book" ki...

Author: Ruth Frances Long Publication: August 16, 2012 By: Dial/Penguin Teen  4 Stars! How gorgeous is this cover?! *stares* The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own.  Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own. This is beautifully written, full of imagination, fantasy and romance, with engaging characters that draw you in immediately. Jenny was the only witness to her brother Tom's disappearance and it's haunted her for t...