Beautiful Beautiful Blog Tour : An Interview with Author Heidi Garrett - Part One

     

    Halloooooo fellow pretty bookworms!  Today is one special day for me. And of course, you all wanna know why! Because today, I feel very lucky and honored to be interviewing one of my most loved author and my personal half faery friend , Ms. Heidi Garrett. Thank you , Ms. Shane of Itching For Books for making this possible! For all the avid fantasy fairytale readers, you probably come across Ms. Heidi Garrett’s biography, yes of course via Goodreads ! ( or via her wonderful book itself which you bought! ----thank you!) But for the sake of those who’s just curious…  let me give you something from her Goodreads profile:

She is the author of the contemporary fairytale novella collection, Once Upon A Time Today. In these stand-alone retellings of popular and obscure fairy tales, adult characters navigate the deep woods of modern landscape to find their Happily Ever Afters. The Original Fairy Tale Short dtories : The Girl Who Watched For Elves, The Girl who dreamed of Red Shoes and The Girl who Couldn't Sing are prelude to that collection.
    She is also the author of The Queen of the realm of Faerie series, a fairytale /high fantasy mashup about a young half-faerie, half mortal woman who must save both  both the Enchanted and Mortal Worlds.
     Heidi was born in Texas, an in attempt to reside in as many cities as she could, made it to Houston, Lubbock, Austin and El Paso. She now lives in Eastern Washington state with her husband, their two cats, her laptop and Her Kindle.
     Being in the South, she often contemplates the magic of snow and hopes to remind readers that: Once upon a time , you lived in an enchanted world..

    
     Oh! I did not anticipate that Ms. Heidi really did enjoyed my interview that much and got ...uhhhhmm a little carried away with words?!! ( which, I should not be all too surprise because this Half faery really..really loves to talk  ( or write?! )like me?! Hehe. So ,  Since my heart cannot take to cut or edit any part of our "little" chit-chats! May I present to you Part 1 of my LONGEST INTERVIEW EVER!  lol.

   Okaaaaaay… Now let’s get to know Ms. Heidi Garrett on a more personal ..and uhmmm fun & interesting level? And see if she can take out my challenge : Part 1 : One Question = One Word Answer .  Minimum words?! Oh, this would be VERY interesting! 

   Let’s carry on.. and welcome the lovely Ms. Heidi Garrett!

   Welcome again to my Pink Blog Ms. Heidi! I feel very excited to have you today. I also wanted to personally congratulate you for your upcoming book, “Beautiful Beautiful” which will be released this November 15^th! Yay! ( And I’ll be reviewing  it too!)

Q1.   :   Favorite fairytale ?

Heidi:   The Red Shoes (Whew! That was an easy one:))

Q2:      Word best describes you?

Heidi:   I say “Hopeful,” but my husband says, “Wacky.”

I had to go read the definition of wacky in the dictionary. It says: eccentric. erratic, or unpredictable. (I’m definitely all those things! If you know me a little while, you know that it’s true!) The dictionary also says, “someone who behaves like they’ve been whacked on the head,” and “someone who’s been whacked on the head too many times.” Uhm, yes, I guess that’s me too:D (I’m aware that I’m a little odd!)

Q3:       Your strongest ..and uhmm, most attractive feature? ( Oh?! Maybe I should ask your husband Jerry this question? Hehe. )

Heidi:  So, again, I ask him. Cause, you know, I want to know what he says too. He says my sense of humor. (Not my beauty, sob! I’m such a girl, lol.) Anyway, I say: “Am I really that funny?” He makes a face, like I need to go do anything, but answer these questions!

But I persist! “Honey, is my sense of humor really that strong?????” (Me asking, like kind of desperate and whiny, cause I’m not sure that’s such a great thing! Like is it Sexy? or Romantic? or Swoony?)

           He says, “Your sense of humor is different. I think a lot of people like it.”

Then I think of Bones and Booth (You know, of the TV show on Fox) and I think about how much they make me giggle and laugh, and then I think, you know, that’s kind of sexy and hot!

Hmmm… I can make him laugh and smile, and when he does, his whole face lights up… Okay! I can live with that! (No divorce! Yay!) (We can continue our Happily Ever After:D)
Q4:   Sound you most love to hear?
 Heidi: The Rain 

Q5: Favorite candy?

 Heidi:  Chocolate covered espresso beans! Chocolate and coffee, it’s like CRACK! (Not that I ever did crack, but I can only imagine. Taken separately, chocolate and coffee, can alter my reality, but taken together. ZING. I am whisked away to another planet where everything is exciting ...and I become very chatty!) (Uhm… did you notice these aren’t one word answers?) (I’ll try to straighten up right now!)

Q6: You can’t  live without__________? 

 Heidi: My honey!

------SWOON! SWOON! Honey ?! As in your JERRY! *dreamy sigh*

Q7: Favorite song?

 Heidi:   My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dione… (and Fighter by Christina Aguilera) ( I know that’s two! I’m sorry that I am behaving so badly on this interview! But you ask me these questions… and they make me all ...hmmm…. well… could be…. but… :D see hard to answer with just one word!)

Q8:   Celebrity Crush? *swoons* 

Heidi: Patrick Jane from The Mentalist. He’s the thinking girl’s HOT-NESS!

Q9: Guilty pleasure? ( uh-oh?! Hehe.)

 Heidi: Ribeye steak. (I am hiding now. I used to be a serious vegan, so uhm… you know, to admit I love that saturated fat hunk of meat, it’s uhm… please don’t tell!)

Okay, Ms. Heidi, Your SECRET is safe with me & this cutie?!  Oh-uh!!! Haha.

Q10: What makes you really laugh out loud?

 Heidi: Unexpected and witty irreverence. (Almost one word:D)

   Okaaaaaay... that's only Part One of my interview! I hope you had fun as I truly, truly enjoyed doing this interview!

    So, fellow bookworms, please join me again tomorrow for the second part of my interview which I call, "The SERIOUSLY Serious Q & A" ! hehe.

  Oh, one  more thing , don't forget to add her book, "Beautiful Beautiful" on your Goodreads to read shelf by clicking this LINK.

   Take Care! "Paalam, Kita kits!" <Goodbye, See you Again! >

The Edge of Always by J. A. Redmerski Launch Day Blitz + Giveaway

    Squeeeeeee!!! Squeeeeee!!!  Ooooops! Sorry, but I can't help myself  but to ..Squeeeeeeeeee!!!  Okay, Get a hold of yourself, Billie! I am super and over the moon excited to join this Launch Day Blitz for my MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR! Yes , and its from one of my favorite author of ALL-TIME... J.A. Redmerski!!

    For those who read and fell in love over Andrew Parrish from The Edge of Never , you are probably... screaming and jumping like crazy right NOW! Fellow Andrew Parrish groupies ( Tee-hee! ) , Today is the BIG day we all been waiting for! Be sure to check this book out ...and buy.. buy... BUY!!!! And, Oh! There's a giveaway too found at the bottom of this page!

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski

November 5, 2013; Forever/E-Book; $3.99; 978-1-4555-4901-6

Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged-and a wedding isn't the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can't wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew, a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to-until tragedy blindsides them. 

Andrew doesn't understand how this could happen to them. He's trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won't do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride...

Meet the author!

J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead.

Follow her around here:
Blog  *  Twitter *  Facebook *  Goodreads

Buy Links:
Amazon * B & N * Bookish * i tunes





Excerpt: 

I hear the water from the shower shut off, and seconds later a loud bang vibrates through the wall. I jump up from the chair, letting the remote control hit the floor as I rush toward the bathroom.The edge of the coffee table clips the shit outta my shin as I pass.

I swing open the bathroom door.“What happened?”

Camryn shakes her head at me and smiles as she leans over to pick the hair dryer up from the floor beside the toilet.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

“You’re more paranoid than I am,” she laughs.

She glances down at my leg as I rub it with my fingertips. She sets the hair dryer back on the counter, comes up to me, and kisses the side of my mouth. “Looks like I’m not the one of us who needs to worry about being accident-prone.” She smiles.

My hands cup her shoulders and I pull her closer, letting one hand fall down to touch her little rounded belly. I can barely tell she’s pregnant. At four months I thought she’d at least be emulating a baby hippo, but what do I know about this stuff?

“Maybe so,” I say, trying to hide the red in my face. “You probably did that on purpose just to see how fast I could get in here.”

She kisses the other side of my mouth and then goes in for the kill, kissing me fully and deeply while pressing her wet, naked body against mine. I moan against her mouth, wrapping my arms around her.

But then I pull away before I fall into her devious trap.“Dammit, woman, you’ve gotta stop that.”

She grins back at me.“You really want me to stop?” she asks with that up-to-no-good smile of hers.

It scares the shit out of me when she does that. Once after a conversation laced with that smile,she stopped having sex with me for three whole days. Worst three days of my life.

Giveaway ! Giveaway!  Giveaway!!!!

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My Review: The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

J
From Goodreads:

What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise? Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there…or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done. 

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind. 

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience—and make her ex jealous in the process. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love….

                  My Thoughts:

     Thank you Netgalley for providing this E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

     I found a new favorite author today... Ms. Kristan Higgins! What a wonderful, highly entertaining book! This book gave me a "wide plastered smile" stretched all over my face the whole 95 percent of the book. Uhmmm, why 95% ? Where's the 5%?  Well you got to read my review to find out !

    Meet Honor Grace Holland. A 35 year old something. VERY single ( on her way to Spinster-town ?!) and VERY much waiting for her GREEK GOD PERSONIFIED ( super hot! ) bestfriend ( for 15 years?!)  named BROGAN to ...marry her??!! ( what?!!!) So... okaaaaay... if this was a" typical " story, I would think, Brogan will soon realized ( after 15 years of having a "friend with benefits" kind of a relationship?! ) that Honor was the right one for him! Then end of story. Period. ....But, hey! This is not your  TYPICAL love story.

     I loved  Honor Grace Holland.... and her over demanding eggs! Yes ! Eggs! like eggs for baby making?       Yes, those eggs! Those eggs that were about to shrivel?! ( oh this made me laugh! ) and they are wearing bifocals too! ( seriously?! Very funny! ) I can just imagine them! Ms. Kristan Higgins have a very creative way of writing it. Oh, I even tried to find some over excited , jumping eggs gif's on google.. but can't find any?! *bummer!* ...and I want to give you the visuals, so this is, I think is the closest. They are adorable. Highly entertaining. And can cause mayhem if ignored?! Tee Hee!

       I just love how close Honor to her family. And it was a huge family! Her dad, sisters, brother, brother in laws , grandparents ( they are adorable! ) and even Mrs. J , their ever loyal housekeeper ( who later became her stepmom! ) ...and don't forget Spike , her adorable dog who she'd even risk her life! ( Well, you got to read the book to know how..and why??) It was an adorable family and the author clearly described it.

     I loved this book. It gave me the "feels" like I was not even reading. Yes, it has the "DVD-like" feels in it. When I started reading it, I feel like I'm popped on my fave couch with ..perhaps a hot chocolate drink in hand and some buttered bread toast on the other  ( yes! I'm not really a popcorn type! hehe. ) ...and watch Honor and all these wonderful characters Ms. Kristan Higgins  come  alive into my make believe television screen.

     So back to the story, ...uhmm, I mean my review. I have to constantly remind myself not to give spoilers .. beacuse, yes! I want you to go buy this book! Hehe. Well, if I have to point who's to blame for Honor's , uhmm, stress? It would be... her super imposing eggs! They want some company! And to do that, Honor must "use" it before she hits menopause?! Of course she wants children! You just have to see how she loves Spike , her dog who looks like a rodent?! ...So she needs a plan, oh she was good planner...she is the Marketing Head of   Blue Heron , a winery and a long time family business.. and she knows it well like the back of her hand. So what's the plan ? It's Operation : Get Brogan Cain to marry Her!

     And it's about time. Do it now or never?! So, Honor pop out the question. Asking Brogan to marry her! Yes she proposed!  And Brogan? He did not just turn her down, he even compared her to an old baseball gloves?! Something you keep but you don't need everyday?! What. A. Douche-bag. Poor Honor .  Rejected and humiliated.  Now, all her insecurities beginning to flood in. How can an almost perfect  guy like Brogan Cain, be in love with someone as plain as her? See..see..the insecurities. Tsk. Tsk.  For the record, I don't see Honor as plain. She is a good person ( you'll discover all of it as you read this book! )  and beautiful in her own way. I picture her looking like this: 

     Oh ! If we got a wonderful leading lady.... Where's our equally wonderful leading man?  Okay. Okay.... Lovely mates.. ( yes! With the accent!) Meet Prof. Tom Barlow. He's a mechanical engineer. He's a teacher. With a barbarian horde of  adoring , raging hormones female students contantly on his ..tail?! ( in short hot..and with that accent? Much hotter!) Oh, he sounds perfect?! Clearly. Oh. I even got a clear picture of Tom in my head . Yes! Definitely he'll look like Ryan Gosling! Swoon! Swoon! 

      I know.. I know, you'll ask me how these two will meet? Okay...I know your'e as excited as I am but ladies, you don't have to hold your panties that long. Haha. Here's the deal. Tom's working visa is about to expire soon. And his employer , as it is costly to maintain an international teacher have decided not to renew his contract.  And Tom wants to stay. Not only for work but for his  "unofficial' stepson, Charlie. Unofficial, like Charlie was the son of his late ex-fiancee? Sounds complicated? Might be. But boy, he loved that teenage boy like his son!  The only way to be with this boy is a green card. And what's the fastest way ? Marry an American. 

     When he was set up for a date. He went for it. That's how he met the lovely, Honor. Oh, so you would think theirs was a typical first date? Like eyes locked, tiny hearts flying...Baaaam! Love at first sight? Again, not like that. In fact, Tom was quite an arse when they first met. Oww! Right! It isn't the first?! Tom witnessed Honor's "  little meltdown" few days earlier?  Like a catfight?! Yeah, our sweet, resident good girl had a brawl with her bestfriend who stole that gobshite ( see?! Very british!) Brogan?! It was the funniest catfight I ever seen!

     Again, certain circumstance made these two meet again. This time in their right senses. And as always , Honor, the kind hearted Honor agreed to help out Tom. So ,  lovely ladies ..this is were the swoons and the confusion begins! And I am dying to tell you what happens next! As excited as I am.. I will try to keep my mouth shut...Ooops! I mean , I stop my fingers from typing or else it would be spoilers all over this blog?! So, go grab the book..like NOW! I promise you it is so ..so..so..good!!

     This book made me giddy  specially those times when Honor and Tom play the pretend. Only this time , they both wish it was never a pretend? Because they both felt something very real.  The kisses?  those are real too! Go ask Honor's all-knowing eggs! They will all nod in unison! Haha.

     But both are afraid to admit it?? When Tom told Honor he can't do it?  Now, this is where my 5 %  ( the non smiling?! ) falls. Instead of smiling , I was biting my lips and gave a little groan?! Oh no,why spoil the  best thing that is about to happen???

    I just love how Ms. Kristan Higgins build her characters. She had a way to making me as a reader, get to know the characters on a more personal level. Like to understand them why they act such way and actually be carried away that I want what's best for them...specially for both Tom and Honor.

    I loved the turn of events.. it was well written.  At the end of the page, I found myself  smiling again..with a dreamy sigh  ...believing that Honor and Tom were indeed  the perfect match . *dreamy sigh*


    I'm giving this book :

   5 Swoony, Perfect stars! 

 

***Pictures and GIF's found in this blog are from Google****

Book Blitz & Giveaway : I Am Just Junco Omnibus by J.A. Huss

 

 Hello lovely bookworms! Today, I am participating for the I am just Junco Omnibus by J.A. Huss book blitz hosted by Ms. Giselle of Xpresso Book Tours. Check out the details below and be sure to add this kick-ass book on your TBR's and enter the giveaway  :

Book Details:
I Am Just Junco Omnibus by J.A. Huss 
(I Am Just Junco Books 1-3) 
Publication date: November 4th 2013
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

Clutch~Fledge~Flight (1,152 pages) – the first three books in the epic science fiction fantasy saga that spans five full length novels and one novella.  The final book, RETURN, will be released on December 2, 2013.

Nineteen year old Rural Republic sniper, Junco Coot, has been lied to. Not once or twice, but pretty much everyone she ever trusted is totally full of sh*t. And now her father is dead, she’s on the run, and everyone wants a piece of her—including one winged alien warrior named Tier.

But the truth always catches up and Junco has to choose who she should trust. The people who have lied and trained her to kill since she was a small child? Or the warriors who want to steal her away and use her as the catalyst in a plot to fight the final battle in an ancient war?

It’s a choice that will change her fate forever. And once it’s made—there’s no turning back. Life becomes nothing but brutal killing in the name of vengeance. But everything requires sacrifice—everything has a price. And Junco is about to find out what it means to dedicate herself to saving someone else.

Junco is not young adult. She has a foul mouth and violent tendencies.

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon

B&N

You can watch  the Book Trailer here:

Get to know Ms. J. A. Huss:
J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label). 

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Follow her around through this links: Website Goodreads Facebook Twitter
Book Excerpts:

EXCERPT #1 CLUTCH

I swing the shotgun on the strap so it’s out in front of me, brace it on my thigh to compensate for my injured shoulder, cycle the next round into the chamber, and then point it straight at his chest. I strain to prevent the wince that really wants to spread across my face. "Look, I don’t know who you are, or why you’re here, but as a Farm Family Representative of Council 3, I’m asking you to leave under Regulation V.1.b – Aliens are not permitted in the Rural Republic under any circumstances. I have the authority to shoot and if you doubt me, I apologize ahead of time for taking your life. You are hereby legally warned."

"Look, sweetheart–"

I squeeze back and the round blasts out of the chamber but he’s high above me in the air as the shot passes into the trees. The leaves rustle and the birds are wild once again. The recoil pain isn’t as bad from the standing position, but I feel the blood leaking out under the skin on my hip, creating a bruise. I push the pain down. "I’ve been shooting since I could walk, sweetheart, and I’ve had a really shitty day. Do not fuck with me."

He flies off over the trees about a dozen yards away and I can just barely make him out as he lands in the cover of the brush.

"Is that how ya treat someone who saves yer life? Shoot them?"

I snort. "Saved my life? I must have missed that one while I was sleeping."

"Except ya weren’t sleeping, Junco. You were unconscious."

It isn’t often that I get stunned into silence, but an alien knowing my name in the middle of nowhere can do it. "How the hell do you know my name?"

Silence from him now.

The glimmer of light that was previously there is gone, and so is he.

I take stock of the mountaintop meadow. Where are you, where are you?

Silence.

I pivot on my heel, gun braced one-armed against my stomach to catch the recoil, and do a proper survey of the area. My good arm is tiring quick after all the adrenaline I’ve used up and it begins to shake. I force the bravado. "Guess you decided to take my–"

Then he is behind me, the gun is flying across the field, and he’s twisted my bad shoulder just enough to make me scream out. His lips touch my cheek as he whispers, "Look, I’m not usually the type of person who abuses little girls, but you’ve shot at me two times now and I’m not going to stand for it. I’m here for the moment and yer just gonna to have to deal with it. Ya got it?"

He eases up on my shoulder and pushes me away from him.

I rub the flaming tissue and wince. "Did you just insult me?"

He tilts his head at me. "What? Me? Ya tried ta shoot me – twice!"

"I might be little, but the way you said it implied I’m insignificant. Which I assure you, I am not. And besides, you’re the one who’s trespassing, right? That’s you." I point my finger up at him. "I have every right to tell you to leave, I’m a fucking representative of Council–"

"3, yeah, I heard ya the first time. Who gives a shit? I’m here. Get over it."

I stare at him in the dim moonlight and quite frankly, I don’t care for what I see.

EXCERPT #2 FLEDGE

“You’re not going to win this game, Lucan.”

“Says the one small girl with no power.”

“I’m just warning you. Don’t be disappointed in the end when I take back every drop of satisfaction you extract from my failures.”

He sighs. It hints at exasperation, boredom even, and I sense I may have miscalculated. “One of these days, Junco, we will have an honest conversation. If it’s Fledge fights you want, girl. Be my guest. Go and kill. But it won’t save Tier. He’s been on his way out for a very long time. Long before he refused orders, long before he waged war on the RR for you, and long before he gave away his genetics to a man who helped him kill more than two dozen Earth leaders.”

Shit.

I look up at him, too quickly, having misplaced that little secret Tier told me out on the rock. Lucan reads my face and smiles. “Ah, I see some recognition there. Don’t worry, Junco – when you testify the drugs will get it all out in the open.” He stops and stares into my eyes, burns into them. I look away, feeling a little beaten already.

But he continues, “So, just remember, when we are at the end, when I am standing over you as you break in half, and I am forced to leave you with nothing, Junco – don’t say I never tried to help. Don’t tell me I made your life a living hell, because you will have done that all on your own.

“And if – this is a gigantic if, Junco – but if you can take back everything you’ll lose by choosing this path, then please know that my satisfaction will come from that, and not from watching you fail.”

He walks towards the door, palms it, and then turns. “By the way, has anyone ever mentioned that your language is filthy?” His voice is pleasant, like he’s pondering the meaning of something quizzical, but he wrinkles his lip like he has a bad taste in his mouth. “I don’t care for it. Cheapens you, Junco.”

He leaves me standing there, facing the emptiness of space scowling, and feeling rather cheap and filthy, if I do say so myself.

But not minding one bit.

EXCERPT #3 FLIGHT

The bitch leaves me waiting, of course. One second it's critical for the sake of humanity that I clean up, put on a dress, and rush to her quarters for breakfast. The next I'm left sitting in this completely inappropriate and ridiculous gown, so fucking hungry I'm about to eat my fingers.

"Can I get some fucking food here, please!" My patience is over.

I watch a guard leave and then reappear with a tray of pastries. My stomach experiences a futile peristaltic wave and I begin to salivate. He sets the tray down and I grab a sweet roll and take several bites before surfacing for air. Gideon sits across from me with his eyebrows raised. "I was not kidding. I told you I was hungry. Jasus fuck, quit looking at me."

He puts his hands up and looks away.

"Junco, you don't have to be so rude. When did you get so unruly?"

My mother's voice pulls me back to attention and I stare at her with my mouth open, a wad of food sitting on my tongue. I chew a few more times and swallow before talking. "You left when I was six, so don't pretend you know me. I went through with this little reunion so I could eat, and I don't eat much, so you've got about ten minutes before I'm done here. Start fucking talking."

"This is a social call, Junco. I'm not here for your business matters. Your father–"

"He's not my father and you're not my mother. What world do you guys all live in?" I look over at Gid for help but his face is blank. I squint my eyes at him. "I won't forget this, Gideon, and I want my armor back today." I stuff the rest of my roll in my mouth and grab another, then push back from the table and head for the door. "If someone could just point me in the direction of Moju I'll be going now."

The guard stops me with a rifle to the temple.

"Sit down now, Junco." My mother's words are stern. "The rifles are on stun, but I'm sure you know firsthand how badly that hurts."

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--$50 Amazon gift card + swag pack

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My Review: Waterborn by Kimberly James

   
From Goodreads:

"You don’t have to choose. You can be both. The girl with the charm, the girl without. They both suit you." 

Caris Harper lives a charmed life. Literally.

When her dad offers to take her to the Emerald coast of Florida for summer vacation, Caris jumps at the chance. The chance to get answers to questions she’s always been too afraid to ask. The chance to be normal. Isn’t that what her dreams have been telling her, that here in the place of her birth she can be normal? But from the first moment the wind caresses her face and the sun touches her skin, the charm begins to fade, revealing a girl Caris never knew existed, one that is anything but normal. The long-buried Song that awakens is only the beginning of a transformation that will challenge her ideas about loyalty and family. 

Noah Jacobs is a waterbreather—a species of human fully adaptable to life in the water. Like his older brother Jamie, Noah wants to prove they can use their abilities and be heroes in service to their country. When a simple mission goes wrong and Jamie goes missing, Noah exiles himself to the Deep in a desperate search. MIA is a classification Noah is not ready to accept. But instinct can’t be ignored. Not when he hears her Song. Caris is not what he expects and Noah is determined to get her out of his head. Instead he finds himself acting as her mentor and the more time they spend together, the more Noah realizes he just wants Caris. 

When a startling truth threatens their newly formed trust, Noah straddles the line between love and obsession while Caris struggles to find a balance between the girl she thought she was and the young woman she wants to be.

                          My Thoughts:

    This book has been on my To-Be-Read and Must-Buy list for a while, so when the author offered this for Read 2 Review, I grabbed the chance! I never read anything about sea creatures... well, except for Little Mermaid which I watched as a kid. ( I love Ariel! ..and now I am hearing "Part of my world" playing inside my head! haha. )

     I just loved the cover of this book! There's something ethereal about it.Under the sea or the deep was entirely a different world.  It was vast ..deep ...and for me, very mysterious. Many times , this question crossed my very curious mind: Are there any "life forms" underneath other than the sea creatures we are familiar with? Stories of long ago tells us there are mermaids, a half human , half fish...if it was true, then we are never alone?

    I loved  how Ms. Kimberly James described everything in this book. It  opened all my senses. I was surprised I felt the waves like it was slowly caressing my feet ... when the wind blew, I felt it touch my face...and smelled the salty air. Yes, it was that good!  When  Caris Harper  set her foot to Emerald Coast, I  feel I was with her too.

      Raised by her Dad alone, Caris Harper felt incomplete and never normal. When her father brought her to their beach house at Emerald Coast, she felt something.   She heard something  ...as if the Deep was calling her. The  moment it touches her feet , she felt a pull... and  released a Song.. her song.  Caris has her Song and not just an ordinary song, it's a song of a Siren, a water breather. A powerful song that attracts its chosen recipient even against his will. There's no other choice but to follow and obey.

   After Noah's brother , Jaime went missing, he took it really hard. Harboring all the guilt , he became a recluse and choose to live in the Deep. It was only when he heard that distinct Song, her call that drove him to resurface even against his will. He can't  even ignore it... who is she?  Anger and resentment filled him as he goes ashore.... and found Caris lying , eyes closed near the beach. There is really something about this girl, and he can't help it ...he kissed Caris. And Caris thought that this gorgeous guy was nothing but a dream.  This is where their story begins...

   So, it's like a mermaid and ...mer-man story? Well, not exactly. For starters, Caris  ( I just loved the name!) doesn't even know that she's a water breather / siren! She can't even swim?! ( Oh, yeah, how ironic huh?! ) ...and as opposed to how we picture out our typical mermaid with long ,beautiful ,flowing hair? Caris'  hair doesn't grow long ?! So, it's always pixie hair for her. It's a bummer specially when you are constantly tease that you might be a boy?! I could imagine Caris to feel a little insecure, herself.

    And now, let's talk about Noah, oh he is a pretty boy ! Uhmm, I mean ,  a hot water breather! ( like most of the other  water breathers! Hah! ) Yes, there's more of them!  Imagine, lean , just the  right amount of muscle mass on just the right places....*closing my eyes* yeah, I assume a swimmer's body  like ...Michael Phelps?! Tee-hee!  and I forgot to mention, Noah has this glorious long , long hair...like...like.. hmmm.. Brad Pitt from "Legends of the Fall" ( only longer! Hah!) I admit, I'm not really into the super long hair  type of guy... but if Noah looks like this???  I won't complain! hehe!

   No matter how much Noah tried to avoid Caris,  he always end up within her proximity. Well, he can't shut down that song that keeps on bugging inside his head, right? Suprisingly, he felt protective of her. Caris is also drawn to this boy who she rescued from a bunch of losers who tried to beat him up and cut off his hair. ....wait! hair?! What's with this hair thing?!  Curious , are we? Well, you have ro read this book to find it out yourself. I tell you, you'll have a lot of time ( or pages) to know everything  once you started reading this one. It's a long book! 1,300 plus pages on my bookreader!  Oh it's a huge book...but believe me, you'd love every page of it! I never get bored from page one to last. ( I actually want more!)

    I love the pace of the story. It was really descriptive that will sucked you into the story. I don't even know how to swim ( yeah, it's a bummer. Sigh.) but when Noah gave Caris her swimming lessons, I felt   I was actually learning to swim!  ( oh yeah! With a water breather ...a hottie? ) 

     The moment Caris went and embrace the deep after knowing the truth about who she was... she felt she finally belong. The charm weakened then her  hair grew longer, she actually had gills and a web on her foot.. like a water breather . I had a dream-like moment as I read this part. 

      I just loved their underwater moments. The kisses... and literally playing with a pod of dolphins?!  It was way ..way... Swoony! I could totally imagine that scene.. like this... Swoony..swoony..swoony!

  This new, unexplored  slowly growing something she had for Noah gave her mixed feelings. There is hesitation.  She knew  she was falling for him...but Noah?  Did he really felt the same or is it because of her Song? Because he had no choice?  And Noah, will he still felt the same for her if  there is no Song?  All these questions are about to get their answers  as these two learned about self discovery, friendship,love, trust , what family truly means and making a choice.

   Overall, it was a wonderful read. The ending  is what I had in mind. It was perfect! I  would  be so  looking forward to what's next for both Noah and Caris.

    If you are a firm believer of "Happily Ever Afters" like I do... and won't mind swimming ( and probably drown?!)  in an ocean of Swoons with equally lovable water breathers like Noah and Caris... then what are you waiting for? Dive ..ooops! I mean, grab this book fast  and be captivated like I did.

                

                       I'm giving this book:

                     4  Swoony Seaside stars!

****All pictures used in this review are from Google****