Random Acts of Kindness: April Closing!

**UPDATED**
We accidentally forgot to include one of the RAKs that Vanessa received.



{Please click on the RAK button above to be re-directed to our Book Soulmates Store on Amazon. You can find all your favorite titles there and add them to your shopping cart.}

Wow, can you guys believe we're already at the end of April?  Holy smokes - where does the time go?

Before we launch our May sign-up, we wanted to take a moment to say thanks for our April RAK's :)

Isalys received:
Aren't they just so pretty?!

Eternal Rider from Larissa Ione  from The Fiction Enthusist
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh from Rain Maiden
*Birthday RAK* City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare from YA Bibliophile
Shadowfever by KMM from Anna's Book Blog

Vanessa received:
*Dash & Lily's Book of Dares from Stalking the BookshelvesCryer's Cross by Lisa McMann from Mystery Giver
APB: Looking for the giver of this "Cryer's Cross".  Please announce yourself so that Vanessa can properly thank you!

Thank you ALL for the thinking of us!  We couldn't ask for better bloggy friends :)

HUGS,

PS: Don't forget to leave the links to your RAK posts so we can stop by and check out your loot!!

Grammar 101: Word Use (Pt 1)

Welcome back to Grammar 101...
where I help the grammatically-challenged become proud Grammarians.
Or at least I try! lol

This week we're going to learn a bit about word use and common spelling errors.

I know we can't all be spelling bee champions and there are a few words out there that tend to trip us up.  Today, I'm hoping to fix that.

What do I mean by word use?  These are the words that look, sound or are used similarly but are not the same.

We're going to start with just a few examples (because I can go on & on & on with these) and we'll cover some more on a later date.

Example 1: Because / Since
You would use the word because when providing a reason for something.
eg: I can't write the review because I haven't read the book yet.

You would use the word since when referring to the passage of time.
eg: I haven't read "James and the Giant Peach" since I was in third grade.

Example 2: Than / Then
{This one drives me bonkers!}
You would use than only when comparing things.
eg: I like this author's recent work so much more than her older books.

You would use then when you're thinking of time (something following something else).
eg: Once I finish all my chores, then I can curl up on the couch with my new book.

Example 3: Accept / Except
{This one is too common!}
You would use accept as a verb when receiving something offered or when consenting to something.
eg: I accepted the flowers that he gave me after I accepted his apology.

You would use except as a preposition, conjunction or idiom when making an exclusion.
eg 1: They were there except me. (preposition)
eg 2: The fortress was well fortified except here. (conjunction)
eg 3: I wish I could travel more except I don't have the time or money right now. (idiom)

Last Example: I.e. vs. E.g.

I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations for Latin terms. 
I.e. stands for id est and means roughly "that is." 
E.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means “for example.” 
Here's a handy-dandy memory trick to remember help remember when to use which:  Remember, i.e., which starts with i, means “in other words,” and e.g., which starts with e, means “for example.”
I = in other words. E= example.
You guys got all that?
Now for the fun stuff.

{Thanks to Gina from Hott Books for sending me this gem!}
 Eccept is just ALL kinds of wrong!
I would ACCEPT the challenge of teaching this school how to spell properly EXCEPT I fear there's no hope!

Uhm...they can't exactly beat ANY price if there are EXCEPTIONS, can they?

That's all for today folks!

Have a super day!

Free Books for Lucky Ladies!


 

The winner of our SHE LOVES YOU, SHE LOVES YOU NOT
giveaway is:

Loretta from Between The Pages








 
The winners of our THE DARKEST SECRET giveaway are:

Missy from Two Readers Reviews
 &
Kristen from My Bookish Fairy Tale







Note:
Winners were chosen using random.org. We will email those who we do not have addresses for already. You have until next Friday to get back to us with your address (if we don't already have it). If we haven't heard from you by then, a new winner will be chosen.
If you are still interested in more giveaways, check out our giveaways page {here}!


PS: I'm just gonna lay it on the line, you guys...I've slightly lost control of our Giveaway Car.  If you've won a book on Book Soulmates but have not yet received it in the mail, please email me at booksoulmates {at} gmail {dot} com with the title that you won and I'll confirm that it's been submitted to the publisher.

Thank you!!
Isalys

Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley

Title: Chime
Author: Frannie Billingsley
Publish Date: March 17, 2011 by Dial
Pages: 361, hardcover
Reviewed by: ISALYS
Reason for reading:  Read ARC provided by publisher for review purposes.

This may be one of the most challenging reviews I've ever had the joy of writing simply because this book is so wonderfully unique and cleverly written that it's nearly impossible to put into words why it's so unique and clever.  It's one of those "you have to just trust me and read it for yourself" books to truly understand the complexity of this story.
Intro to Chime:  
"I've confessed to everything and I'd like to be hanged. Now, if you please."
If that doesn't completely capture your attention, I don't know what will.   

Chime is the story of a wicked girl named Briony who does wicked things, who loves no one and feels no emotion. She is a witch you see, an Old One which is a secret that she's kept all her life.  No one must know for if they find out, she will be hanged.  Briony has also taken responsibility to care for her twin sister, Rose, who has the qualities of an autistic learner. I can, in all honesty, say that these are two of the most brilliantly written characters that I've ever read. 

Briony is nothing if not unabashedly honest.  She has such a strong and unintentionally witty voice.  Her internal conversations, in which she refers to herself in the third person were fascinating.  She was always reminding herself that she was not "allowed" to feel normal things because she was not a normal girl.  Rose, her twin, was also a favorite character of mine.  It was so interesting to see an author write about a character with a learning disability and still make her lively, playful, innocent, and interesting.  Like her sister, she was too honest and she took everything literally which made for some very funny conversations between the sisters.  The third most interesting character in the mix was Elric, Briony's eventual love interest.  She referred to him as the boy-man which was perfect for him.  He was adult and worldly enough to be part-man, but mischievous enough to be part-boy.

The setting of the book was like a character in itself.  The swampsea was a place of mystery and magic where witches go to do "witchy" things.  In the swamp, you will meet the Old Ones and creatures capable of manipulating the elements.  One would have to be VERY careful when traversing the swamp because if not, it will gobble you up.

This is not a light read. You cannot just flit through this book.  You need to sit down and spend time with it.  Let your mind sift through and absorb all the deliciously creepy details. 

I don't know if I'm doing this book justice with this review, but the best way for me to describe this book is by saying it's like one of those 1,000-piece puzzles.  It's chock full of interesting bits that don't make much sense at first, but once you finish, you have a beautifully crafted masterpiece that was worth the time it took to put it all together. 

This was my first Franny Billingsley novel but it won't be my last now that I know what a genius she is!  I am Isalys and I am a new Franny Fangirl !


Sexual Content:

Kissing. References to sex. Attempted sexual assault.

Review & Giveaway: The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter

Title: The Darkest Secret
{Lords of the Underworld # 7}
Author: Gena Showalter
{Bad-ass Fantasy Man Creator}
Publish Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 410, Paperback
Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when new demons possess him, the immortal warrior must be chained and isolated to protect those he loves. Death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty…

Haidee is an infamous demon assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.
Isalys's Review:
Amun, Keeper of Secrets, is suffering as a result of his sojourn to Hell with Aeron and William.  He is being battered, day in and day out, by the voices of evil that have taken residence in his head.  They are beyond his control and are threatening not only his life & sanity, but of those around him. He is a prisoner in his own home; chained to his bed for fear of the damage he will do to others.  Is death the only way to save him?

As Keeper of Secrets, he still knows enough that he cannot verbalize his pain for fear of releasing the vile secrets trapped inside of him.  Instead, he calls for help in his mind knowing that no one will be able to hear him.  However, someone does hear him.  Someone completely unexpected.

Haidee has been captured by Strider, Keeper of Defeat {side note: I am now in love with Strider, but I digress}.  She's been taken to the fortress where ALL her enemies reside.  As she tries to come up with a plan to get herself out of their clutches, she hears a tortured voice call for help - but why is she hearing that voice in her head? 

It takes Haidee some time to figure out that this man that she's compelled to help is in fact one of her enemies.  However, despite her hatred of his kind, she cannot help but feel protective of him and wants nothing more than to help ease his pain. And so begins their journey. 

Unlike some of the lords in the previous books, Amun did not fight his feelings for Haidee.  Their attraction was immediate and fierce {Gena is a master of this!}.  It wasn't just passion between these two though, there were some really great tender moments where they realized their original perceptions of the other was quite wrong. Ancient memories reveal that their lives were more connected than either realized.

I was not originally a fan of Haidee because of the way her character was painted in the previous book.  Then again, she was introduced to us by Strider who is not in the Haidee Fan Club.  This book gave us a lot of insight into her character and by the end, I really admired her strength, love and utter devotion to Amun.  Oh Amun, the strong, silent type.  As the most mysterious of all the lords, it was so refreshing getting to know him better.  All the lords at their core are benevolent, but Amun is one of the most noble.

The only area where I felt the book fell short of perfection was the finale.  I don't want to give anything away, but I was left with a few questions about Haidee's ability, so to speak.

What I do love about these books, and this one in particular, is Gena's ability to weave in elements of the other lords without taking away from the main attraction.  I loved the bits she gave us about Strider and William {who I hope also gets his own book and HEA}.

Bottom line, Gena is hands-down one of my very favorite paranormal romance writers.  She gives us incredible smex (not just scenes, but the sexual tension between our h/h), belly laughs, emotional vulnerability, badass heroines and top-notch warriors that are the stuff fantasies are made of. 
PS:  This is just me talking here, but seriously you guys, I cannot friggin' wait for Strider's story.  Him and Kaia are going to be combustible. It's going to be epic, EPIC I tell you!  {Gah, I ♥ Stider}

To celebrate the release of this FABULOUS book, I got to ask Gena a question of my choice. 

Gena, do you have any interesting, or even peculiar, writing habits? (The weirder, the better). Also, how do you organize your thoughts for your books? Do you have a system (ie: Post-It's, dry-erase board, etc.)?

Weird habits…Besides chaining myself to the computer, having my family slide food under the door and –when I finally finish the rough draft – emerging as a tack-eating, foul-mouthed beast woman? Nah. And no system for writing, either. I just sit down and start typing, letting the characters take me wherever they want to go.

and we have a Giveaway!
April 20 - April 27

Thanks to Big Honcho Media and Harlequin, we have TWO copies of THE DARKEST SECRET up for grabs.

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER GIVEAWAY
{Important: Please leave a comment on this post stating you filled out the form! Thank you!}

Rules:
  • To enter the giveaway you must complete the form linked above and leave a comment indicating that you've entered.
  • Books will be delivered directly from the publisher so the giveaways are only available for U.S. and Canada residents. No P.O. boxes please.  Note: It may take several weeks to receive your prize so please be patient! 
  • Must be 18 or older to enter!
  • Winners will be drawn after the contest ends and posted soon thereafter.
  • Winners will be chosen using random.org!
Feel free to contact us via email at booksoulmates[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions.

Happy reading!

Blog Soulmate: Book Love Blog!

It's Tax Day and it's a holy week AND we've got a new BLOG SOULMATE to tell you about :)

This is our way of telling them that, "Hey, we think you're cool and we love your blog and we want the world to know this!"

{Note: This is an exclusive award and not intended for being passed on. However, our chosen blog soulmates are welcomed to do a post on their own blogs letting their followers know that, well, we like them!}


Our BLOG SOULMATE Award for this week goes to:

Stephanie from Book Love Blog

Photobucket

Why we love Steph and her blog

We feel like we really clicked and bonded right away as book sisters! As a new blogger, she's taken to it like a duck to water. Her posts are fun, informative and with the exception of the standard memes we all participate in, they're original & eventful.  She's an all-around cool gal that we love to gab with about all things bookish & paranormal!

Stephanie also happens to be a member of what Isalys has dubbed her "Fever Support Group".  Without Steph and the other girls, Barrons would be driving her bug-fuck {the girls will understand the reference, lol}. 

Stephanie is really making a name for herself in the book blogging community and we're excited to be supporters and followers of Book Love Blog.  So stop by her page if you guys have a minute and check out her events and show her a little blog love =)

Oh, and I'm sure she won't mind if you stalk her a bit: 
Twitter: @bookloveblog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephanie.gutenberger

Happy Birthday Isalys!!! LET'S PARTY!!

TODAY IS MY BESTIE'S BIRTHDAY AND WE'RE HAVING A PARTY!!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISALYS!!!!

Welcome to the BLUE party everyone! Thank you all for coming!

 
Let's all gather around as Isalys makes her SPECTACULAR grand entrance!
**Drum roll please**

Isn't she stunning!! Rawwrrrr!
Now that everyone is here please climb aboard the party bus as we make our way to the MAIN event!


What's a party with out drinks right??!!!


Please feel free to mingle in the limo as we make our way through all of Miami.

Yayyy, we made it to the party! Don't forget to stop by the Candy Bar!


Oops, I think Isalys got to her party a little drunk...  NOW it's a party!!! :D

Ok everyone, please take a seat and help me welcome the Blue Man Group!!


Phew, that was AWESOME! I wonder if their face itches ...
Time for more drinks :)


Everyone get on the floor! Let's DANCE!!!!
♫ Electric Slide ♫
♫ Do the Hustle ♫
♫ Booty Bump ♫


Thank you all for coming!!!
Isalys, her hubby Phil, and I are SUPER HAPPY that you all came out!!
. Don't fret, You will all get smooches and face licks at the door :)


Please drop your gifts off at the table
{Or leave a linky for your virtual gift below}




US vs. UK (Round 11)


Today we're pairing up the US and UK versions of Jennifer Donnelly's "Revolution" that was recently released.


Oh wow, I am stuck like chuck on this one. I may lean more towards the US, only because Angela from Reading Angel sent it to me as a RAK. But who can resist that key! Both equally gorgeous covers! My vote is a draw (I know, I suck) lol.

Like Vanessa, I'm totally stuck on this one too!  I love the US cover because of the contrast between the old and the new.  It's so unique and has a great, vintage feel to it.  On the other hand, I have a think for antique keys so I'm totally {hearting} the key on the UK cover.  Grr...decisions, decisions!

What do you guys think?
We need a tie-breaker here.

Happy Birthday Vanessa!

Today is my bestie and book soulmate's birthday!

Help me in wishing Vanessa the happiest of birthdays :)


*Ahem*
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Vanessaaaaaaaaa,
Happy birthday to you!

And many moreeeeeee!
*spirit fingers*

Love ya my friend!
Hope you have a PERFECT day =)
♥Isalys

Technical Difficulties!

Hi guys!


Just wanted to take a quick moment to say that we realize that our page has gone all WONKY today!  It seems Photobucket, where all our images are hosted, is undergoing some sort of maintenance so our images are in hiding. 

Hopefully it'll be back to normal soon and our page will be all pretty again!

I know the posts might be a bit hard to read right now so please come back and try again later.

Thanks,

New Releases 4.12.11

Contemporary Fiction & Chick-Lit
Save Me
Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

Historical Fiction
The Law of Angels Vienna Twilight: A Max Lieberm...
Nada

Historical Romance
Zip


Contemporary Romance
Zilch

Romantic Suspense

Clay (Armed and Dangerous #4) Chasing Fire
Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Christian / Amish Romance
The Journey 
After the Golden Age What Comes After The ReturningAkata Witch On the Volcano
The Returning by Christine HinwoodAkata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor  {4/14/11}
On the Volcano by James Nelson {4/14/11} 

Happy Shopping and Happy Reading!

 
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