Jenuine Cupcakes

 Blog Tour: Entice ( Embrace series) by Jessica Shirvington Welcome to Jenuine Cupcakes!  Thanks so much to Sourcebooks and Jessica Shirvington for the opportunity to participate in the ENTICE ME tour! We're celebrating Entice today and no party is complete without prizes and cupcakes, am I right?!  (Hint: Correct answer is "Yes!") OK, so, before we get to the prize part, we need to choose a cupcake. There are two different kinds just like there are two very different guys to choose from in Entice . Team Lincoln Cupcake: Vanilla caramel with butter cream frosting and green sprinkles.  Isn't vanilla too plain you ask?  No way!  Not only is vanilla light and sweet, this one has a warm caramel filling. (Yumm-il-licious!)  Vanilla is a staple in almost every cupcake recipe (frosting too), making it dependable. What you see is what you get.  The caramel filling is the only surprise and it's pretty hard to resist, e...

Baltimore Book Festival 2012 I headed down into the city yesterday with cupcakes, my YABC T-shirt, my Deity guitar pick necklace and my Team Kilt sticker. (Bookish Fangirl in da house, yo!) I was all set to meet Jennifer L. Armentrout and Jeri Smith-Ready, two of my FAVORITE authors but a little fearful of what might happen because something always happens when I meet authors. *rolls eyes*  Whether it's forgetting my name because I'm nervous or blurting out nonsense about frosting on fingers, I am a shoe-in for an embarrassing moment or two. (or ten) My Team Kilt buddy, Malissa, whose witnessed the "awkward" that is me meeting authors, decided to brave the beltway (and me again) to come along. She had two of the cutest little people you will ever see with her and together we saw Peter Rabbit (who did not stop to visit - boo!), Llama llama and a big shaggy dog (who DID stop and even took a picture - good doggie!)  We also ate some of the most "interesting...

Author: Mike Mullin Publication: October 16, 2012 By: Tanglewood Press 4.5 Stars! It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive. Thank you Netgalley and Tanglewood Press for this e-ARC. Having just read Ashfall and Ashen Winter back to back, I can say without a doubt: 1) The ...

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.   OPAL (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout Publication: December 11, 2012 By: Entangled Publising  From Goodreads:   No one is like Daemon Black. When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable o...

Author: Denise Hunter Publication: October 2, 2012 By: Thomas Nelson 3 Stars Only one pair of boots-and the cowboy wearing them-can get Annie out of the mess she's in. "" Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek's premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for "Montana Living." Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew. When Annie's column is cancelled, she's given first shot at a new lovelorn column-and she can't afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie's never been in love. Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town's smooth-talking ladies' man Dylan Taylor: She'll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he'll help her answer the reader letters. Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has ...

COVER REVEAL: LOSING IT by Cora Carmack Expected Publication: October 16, 2012   College student Bliss Edwards is sick of being the only virgin among her friends. She decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose her virginity quickly and simply— a one-night stand. Her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she chickens out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed. Already embarrassed, it only gets worse when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, and recognizes her new Theatre professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier. About the Author Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working at Target), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She loves theatre, travel, and anything that makes her laugh. She...

Author: Melissa Darnell Publication: September 25, 2012 By: HarlequinTeen 2 Stars* Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart. Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake. Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for. A reckoning is coming… and not everyone will survive. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for this ARC. I have to say that I am not a fan of this cover, ...

 COVER REVEAL: OPAL (Lux #3)   by Jennifer L. Armentrout Expected Publication: December 11, 2012 By: Entangled Publishing     Oh.My.Daemon... No one is like Daemon Black. When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. E...

Author: Jessa Russo Publication: October 1, 2012 By: Curiosity Quills Press Seventeen-year-old Ever’s love life has been on hold for the past two years. She’s secretly in love with her best friend Frankie, and he’s completely oblivious. Of course, it doesn't help that he’s dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible. Frustrated and desperate for something real, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever’s life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer. Some girls lose their hearts to love. Some girls lose their minds. Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul. Thank you Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press for this ARC. Frustrated. This is the best way I can describe how this book made me feel. I think the cover is pretty, the summary in...

Author: K.C. Neal Publication: November 30, 2012 (Paperback) E-book available now By: Stonehouse Ink 4 Stars <--Pst, that is NOT Mason on the cover. *frowns* (jk) When Corinne learns who the second Guardian is, she must find a way to make peace with the last person in the world she wants to deal with. As she struggles, her nemesis unleashes an otherworldly evil, and a mysterious illness strikes Corinne’s friends. Faltering under the weight of her destiny, Corinne escapes to the dream world. There, she meets Zane, an Australian guy with a hot accent and a revelation that binds them together and alters the path of Corinne’s life. She throws herself into fighting for everything she loves, but just as she’s certain she will prevail, she’s robbed of what she needs most. Thank you author, K.C. Neal for providing this e-book for review.   I thoroughly enjoyed Pyxis (*coughs* especially Mason *coughs*) and have been really looking forward to being, " Alight ed...

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. Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie Publication: September 11, 2012 By: Candlewick Press    From Goodreads:   After his older brother dies in Iraq, Matt makes a discovery that rocks his beliefs about strength, bravery, and honor in this page-turning debut. Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, Matt feels like he’s been sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, but Matt can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother’s stuff from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. But as Matt searches for answers about T.J.’s death, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.’s life that suggests he may not have known T.J. as well as he t...

Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian Publication: Septmeber 18, 2012 By: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers *Beautiful cover* BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY... THEY GET EVEN. Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister. Kat is tired of the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay. Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him. Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC. I adore Jenny Han and was really looking forward to this book. (I haven't read any of Siobhan Vivian's previous works but have heard noth...

Author: Kat Zhang Publication: September 18, 2012 By: Harper 2.75 Stars Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t… For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything . Thank you YABC and ...

  Book Release: Of Blood And Bone by Courtney Cole Publication: September 16, 2012 By: Lakehouse Press   About Of Blood and Bone As a little boy, Luca Minaldi was told he was a monster. As an adult, he knows it is true. He lives in Malta, a fairytale-like place filled with sunshine and sea, beauty and secrets. And Luca’s darkest of secrets is the best kept of them all. Eva Talbot arrives in Malta for the summer to finish up her doctoral dissertation. When she meets Luca, a mysterious and handsome shipping tycoon, there is an instant attraction, a disturbing and beautiful energy that she has never felt before. But she senses the darkness that lives within him. Eva is hired to care for his mother, who suffers from dementia, but it is Luca who Eva will eventually risk everything to save. Her life becomes a swirling chaos of darkness and romance, of secrets and mystery. And the question that emerges will become the most important answer ...

Author: Gabrielle Zevin Publication: September 18, 2012 By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 3.5 Stars! “Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”- Michael Corleone, The Godfather Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship. But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before. I have Jenn, from th...

Author: Wendy Higgins Publication: May 1, 2012 (Read on September 16, 2012 - yep...all in one day.) By: Harper Teen 5 STARS!! Embrace the Forbidden What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns? First, lemme say that this was a "me" book. What's a "me" bo...