TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Character Envy:

If you could be one character from a book, who would you choose and why?

Oh boy, this is a tough one. The cast of characters running through my head right now is HUGE! But there's one who easily stands out above the rest. I'm proud to say I would choose...

KATNISS EVERDEEN!!


That's right, I would choose to be the tough-as-nail's heroine from The Hunger Games Trilogy. I know you've all heard of those books, right? And if you haven't read them, well, you should be ashamed.

Katniss is the epitome of a great character. She's strong, independent, smart, heroic, loyal...really, I could go on and on with this list, right? Yeah. So let's just say that Katniss is awesome and leave it at that.

Review: Indelible by Lani Woodland

Indelible
By Lani Woodland

Page Count: 416

Release date: 9/27/2011

product description from goodreads.com


Yara is beginning to understand just how much her life will change now that her Waker abilities have emerged. She has come to terms with the fact that seeing ghosts is part of her life, but she isn’t ready to let being a Waker dictate her choices. All she wants is a ghost-free senior year with her boyfriend, Brent, and her best friend, Cherie. But Yara soon discovers that there are more dark secrets in her school’s history than just the curse she broke. While an angry ghost makes Yara question everything she thought she knew about spirits, she and Brent learn that there are long reaching consequences to last year’s adventures. As new enemies emerge and old ghosts resurface, Yara finds herself in the center of another deadly mystery, and this time she has to contend with the living as well as the dead.

My Review: (may include spoilers for those who haven't read Intrinsical)

Once again, Lani Woodland has not only drawn us in with a stunning book cover (I mean, look at it) , but she has also created a story that is filled with romance and humor and mystery. Indelible is the second book in Ms. Woodland's wonderful Yara Silva Trilogy. It further tells of Yara and Brent and their growing love amidst the chaos of Yara's Waker abilities (she can see ghosts).

Yara is such a great character. In Intrinsical (book 1), we got to see Yara's fiery personality and resistance to change. With Indelible, Yara has grown so much. She is still a spitfire, but now she is much more open to the possibility of what could be. We get to see that in her relationship with Brent (who's great, btw!) and in the way she has embraced her Waker side. Such a great progression in this awesome character, Lani!

And one of the best things about Indelible? Vovo!!

Vovo is Yara's grandmother, and she's an outstanding character. Strong, determined, humorous yet stern, Vovo is the backbone to Yara's past. She epitomizes what it means to be a Waker (which can be difficult sometimes), and she pushes Yara to become her true self.

My Rating:

I am happy to give Indelible 5 stars. This second installment in the trilogy only proves that Lani Woodland is no one-hit wonder. I urge you all to run out and pick this up as soon as it's released!

Waiting on Wednesday: CINDER!!

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week's selection is a classic--retold in a way I've never seen before. The cover alone is what drew me in, but the actual description is awesome! Be sure to add to your TBRs this week's choice...


Cinder
By Marissa Meyer
Pub date 1/3/2012

product description from MacMillan Children's Publishing group website

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.


Two reasons I can't wait for this book.
1. THAT COVER **swoon**
2. THAT DESCRIPTION **swoons again**

Hurry up 2012!!

Tune in Tuesday (1)

Today I'm jumping on the musical bandwagon created by the awesome Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) at GReads! Tune in Tuesdays is a great way to showcase your favorite songs/singers/bands for all the world to see (or, well, at least the Blogger world). So hurry on over to GReads! and join in the fun!

For my first foray into Tune in Tuesdays, I've chosen a song that I listen to quite a bit for inspiration. I don't know what it is about this song (and this group) that just gets my creative juices flowing, but it always works to put me in the writing mood. So please, sit back and enjoy a classic that I know you've all heard a time or two before.

Zombie - The Cranberries

Monday Must Reads!...Wildefire!!

Okay so if you happen to follow me here at writers write, right?, then you may have noticed that there is no Meet an Author Monday post today. That's because I neglected to contact an author last week to set up an interview for today. My apologies.

Now, I foresee this happening more in the future, so to offset my lack of organization I've come up with a replacement for those missed Mondays. Please say hello to Monday Must Reads!This little meme has been created for the sole purpose of showcasing books that I think you, well, Must Read (hence the title).

This week's selection is a good one...and just happens to come out tomorrow! I haven't actually finished reading it yet (I was fortunate enough to snag an ARC at ALA. Don't worry, it's okay to be jealous.), but trust me when I say it's a great one. Don't believe me? Then please, buy a copy for yourself.

Wildefire

By Karsten Knight

product description from goodreads.com

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

I'm a little over halfway through this book and it is amazing. Trust me, this one is definitely a Monday Must Read!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over atGReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:
Bookshelf Tour:

Where do you keep
your books at home?
Are they organized?

Excellent question, G! Just recently I converted a spare room in my house into a library, and I couldn't be happier with it! I unfortunately do not have pics to show you, but here's pretty much what it looks like:



Well, maybe more like this:


Actually, I have maybe 200-300 books, which some say is a lot but I don't think it is. And yes, I do have to keep them organized. Not alphabetically or anything--I just keep all books by an author together, and I try my best to keep genres together (mystery, horror, YA, etc.).

Anyways, I love my books. I love just looking at them and holding them and opening them. And I just know I'm not alone in this, right? RIGHT?

Ahem.

Moving on.

Waiting on Wednesday: Famished

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week I'm back to dystopian (I love it, what can I say!). And my choice looks to be a good one. Earth destroyed. Famine. Teen love. Yeah, it has it all. By all means, feast your eyes on...

Famished

By Lauren Hammond

Pub date 7/26/2011

product description from goodreads.com

There is no United States. There is no world. An asteroid has destroyed what the human race knew as earth and The Great Famine has wiped out most of the surviving human population. For the few remaining survivors, food is scarce-- precious--a luxury. A luxury that most humans can’t find.

Seventeen year old Georgina Carver is fortunate. She’s survived the destruction. She eats three times a day while the rest of humanity is plagued by The Great Famine. And she’s safe, hidden away in an underground colony with her family and several other families of survivors.

All of that changes the day she’s randomly selected to be a gatherer. Georgina must leave her safe yet simple world and venture out into a world unknown. A vast, dangerous, destroyed world that could literally eat her alive.

After Georgina is severely injured, her life begins to fall apart. She can’t remember how she got home or what happened to her while she was on the new earth. The boy she is crushing on avoids her and she keeps having visions that involve an unknown person with violet eyes.

As Georgina begins to unravel the truth, it doesn’t take her long to figure out that maybe her safe yet simple life isn’t that safe at all.

Doesn't that sound awesome?! Yes, it does. And we're in luck, because it comes out next week!!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So this is what it meant to be a goddess--the creator and bringer of life, the harbinger of death, the source of a thousand stories on a thousand islands...and none of those stories could have predicted that a volcano goddess would wind up sitting in the classroom of a preparatory school, preparing to go to combat with a tennis racket in hand.

~pg. 300, Wildefire (ARC) by Karsten Knight

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines

Richelle Mead

Pub date: 8/23/2011

product description from goodreads.com

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My Review:

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the ARC tour for this book via the wonderful Yara of Once Upon a Twilight...thanks Yara!!

Bloodlines is the newest YA series from bestselling author Richelle Mead. It's her second series set in the fictitious world she created in the mega-successful Vampire Academy series, this time focusing on the Moroi (living) vampires.

Sydney, an alchemist teenager, is our protagonist in this new series, sent to protect Jill, a Moroi princess whose life is in danger by an unknown villian. We are revisited by some of our favorite characters (Adrian!) and once again we are submerged into the world of vampires and vampire royalty.

Bloodlines is a bit slow, though expected to be seeing as it is the first in a new series. And if this one is anything like the Vampire Academy series, each installment will only get better and better. Even though there are vampires in this book, it is centered more around humans as Jill is sent into hiding in a normal human high school setting. There is some great interaction between her and Jill and of course Adrian doesn't disappoint.

Admittedly, it took a bit for me to get into this one, only because of the stark difference between it and the VA series. I knew what to expect going in (that it was set in the human world), but I was still missing the paranormal element just a bit. Regardless, the story is well-plotted and will undoubtedly build to a great climax as only Richelle Mead can do.

My Rating:

Overall, I give Bloodlines 3.5 stars, and I urge you all to pick it up once it's released (yeah, like I have to tell you that!).

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over atGReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Book Blogger Appreciation:

Which book blogs

have inspired you or

made a difference in

your blogging experience?

Wow. Now this is a tough question. Up until a little over a year ago, I had no clue that the book blogging world even existed. I mean, I had heard of blogs of course, but I didn't know that there were hundreds of them that focused solely on reading books and writing books and getting books published and so on. I was amazed. Although there are many many many that I love and visit every day, I have to say that there are a couple that keep me inspired on a daily basis. Those are:

Query Shark - Since I'm a writer, I unfortunately have to deal with querying--one of the worst inventions since leather pants. Querying is a pain--ask any writer--but a necessary part of the process. The Query Shark is a blog that is filled with vital information from an inside source (an agent) on what does and doesn't work. I literally visit this blog every day to see what new queries have been posted and dissected by The Shark, hoping to glean even the tiniest of information for myself.

Unedited - Jen Daiker runs this blog, and I just love it. Jen was one of the first people I "met" here in Bloggerland, and her blog is full of fun and wisdom and just plain enjoyment. Go visit her. You'll see.

YA Author Elana Johnson - Elana Johnson is another one that I love. She's quirky and funny and her blog always makes me either laugh or smile. She manages to throw in some much-needed pearls of wisdom amidst all that humor that doesn't make you feel like you're reading a textbook. If you write, visit her site (hey! I'm a poet and didn't know it!)

Y(A)? Cuz We Write! - This little blog is run by two of my blogging besties...Pam & Quita (love you gals)! It's always full of great things for everyone to enjoy: books to read, songs to sing, food to eat (oh yeah!)...there's always something fun going on here that keeps me inspired to forge ahead. Thanks for the great blogging, ladies!

GReads! - No way could I not put you on this list, G. Your blog is A-mazing! Every day I can expect a new and exciting post from you, filled with things you love (whether it be books or music or scenery) and recommendations for us all. You have some awesome memes for the rest of us to hop onto so we can feel like we're doing an awesome job of blogging every day, too...which is so great of you, btw. I love GReads!, as I'm sure everyone else on this TGIF meme does, too!!

Waiting on Wednesday: SILENCE

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week I've chosen the third (and final) book in a series that has swept the world...so I know you've all heard of it. Join me in salivating over...



Silence
By Becca Fitzpatrick
Pub date 10/4/2011

product description from goodreads.com

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.





I think of the three books in this series, this cover is my absolute favorite. I cannot WAIT until October, just so I can hold this book and drool over it!

Review: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

ASHES
Ilsa J. Bick
Pub date: 9/13/2011

product description from goodreads.com

It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

My Review:

Ashes tells the story of what the world is like after a sudden, unexplained phenomenon that turns most of the population into zombies. In it, we follow Alex and a handful of others as they try to survive in a new, structured society. Ashes is so descriptively written, with such honesty and suspense, that I found myself holding my breath right along with Alex as The Changed (what they call the zombies) sought her out!

Ilsa J. Bick's writing is nothing short of spellbinding. From the first words, the reader is snatched into Alex's world, and we aren't let go until the final pulse-pounding page. Along the way, we are introduced to an eclectic array of characters:the spitfire child Ellie; the romantic and heroic Tom; the strong and independent Jess; the loyal Chris and many others. Bick's way of creating characters the reader loves to hate is priceless. Even with Alex, there were times where I was so mad at her but loved her more and more. And though Tom (Alex's love interest) did things that were questionable at best, I couldn't help but root for him right up until the last page.

Once Alex found other survivors (I won't go into too much detail as to how), the story took a different direction that was both unexpected and interesting. Often when a book does that I am left wanting the way things were. But with Ashes, I kept plowing through the chapters with a frenzy, desperate to find out if things would end as I hoped (which they didn't, but in such a good, climactic way that it ensured I would be picking up the next book!).

My Rating:

I happily give Ashes 5 stars. It is 400+ pages of brilliant writing, spot-on description and vibrant, multi-dimensional characters that will leave you breathless. An excellent read that I hope all of you will add to your lists!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Blogger Confession:

What's the last book
you could not finish?
(or had a hard time finishing?)

This is a tough question for me, because I try not to stop reading a book once I've started. I'm a pretty good judge of character when it comes to books I like, so I kind of know going in that I'm going to like it.

With that said, there are those few that trick me (ooh, those sneaky little books!). The most recent book I had a really difficult time finishing was Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews, about magic and witches and the like. A couple of friends recommended this series, saying how great it was, so I snagged the first book with excitement. But from the opening pages, I just couldn't get into it. I tried and tried, but I never got "sucked in" like I do with my YA (Magic Bites is adult).

Now in defense of my friends, they did warn me (afterward, when I was talking about how I didn't care for the book) that the first book wasn't that great but that the others in the series are awesome. So I forged ahead through the book, and admittedly the end was MUCH better than the beginning--though I don't think it was enough to keep me enthralled in the series.

I'm definitely not saying that I won't pick up book 2 at some point in the future (cause, you know, my TBR pile isn't huge or anything!), but as of right now, it's sitting on the farthest back burner.

We Have a Winner!!

I want to give a huge thanks to all of you who stopped by and commented on what is probably one of the LONGEST posts in Bloggerdom...my Spellbound Blog Tour post! My apologies for the lengthiness, but honestly, I couldn't cut out any of that chat...it was too great!

And I do hope you all went and entered into the giveaway for the iPod, because that's an awesome prize!

And if you remember from all of that lengthy reading, there was also a giveaway for a chance to win your very own copy of Spellbound. Well, random.org has spoken, and the winner of the copy of Spellbound is...

Riv Re!!

Congrats Riv Re! Please email me at jmanni32@yahoo.com with your mailing address so I can forward it to Cara (the author), and she will get your copy of Spellbound in the mail! YAY!!

Thanks again to you all, and be sure to stop by often for other exciting Book Tours, Author Interviews and Giveaways!

Waiting on Wednesday: VANISH

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week I've chosen a YA paranormal that I'm sure most of you are waiting for...the second book in an awesome series!


Vanish
By Sophie Jordan
Pub date 9/6/2011

product description from goodreads.com

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.



I love that cover...just love it. I wish I could time travel to September so I wouldn't have to wait any longer!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The decision filled me with resolve, but I still had trouble sleeping when I went to bed later. My father's threat hung over me, as did my fear of the re-education centers.

~pg. 277, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Happy Independence Day America!

For all those who live here in The States,
Happy 4th of July!!
(and for everyone else...happy Monday!)

Spellbound Blog Tour Stop - Final Day!!

I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Cara Lynn Shultz' YA debut, Spellbound. This was a quick read full of mystery and suspense and a certain swoon-worthy guy (who happens to be featured in a chat on this post!).

I'm also excited that my blog is the last stop on Cara's tour (btw, how cute is she in that pic? I mean, come on)!

If you'd like to visit all the other stops on the tour (which I recommend since there's a HUGE giveaway involved), then go visit the Spellbound Blog Tour page.

And if you'd like to stalk--err, follow Cara, you can do so on Facebook and Twitter!

For today's post, the gals at Kismet Book Touring asked me to do something a little different: I got to have a live chat with one of the main characters from Spellbound, Brendan Salinger (who you can also stalk on Facebook and Twitter)! Now, be forewarned...the following chat is looong, but pretty good if I say so myself! So please, read all of it so you can get a feel for what he's really like, then be sure to stick around till the end of this long post so you can get all the details on a couple of pretty awesome giveaways, okay? Good.

Now, on to the chat! (FYI: We began this chat at 6:30pm on Facebook but kept having issues with the connection...as you can see, almost an hour later--and after switching to Gmail--we were still having probs. I didn't include the FB chat on here because I wanted you all to be able to read this in a day!)

7:19 PM

me: hey you there?

brendan.salinger: HOLLA

me: okay, maybe this'll work now

brendan.salinger: Next chat will be tin cans and string or something haha

me: haha right. I'm almost afraid to ask this question again...maybe the Gods don't want me to know

brendan.salinger: Are you there?

JK

;)

me: but what did you think of Emma when you saw her first

ooh, that was low

lol

brendan.salinger: Haha sorry dud

Dud

DUDE

damn

me: no, you had it right the first time

lol

brendan.salinger: HAHA nah So Emma, I thought she was really cute. All the girls at school are all so FAKE and annoying and whatever's popular they ALL do it. No one has any originality. It's like Attack of the Clones
And Emma just looked original. And she had the necklace, which was so unique. I didn't realize it was THE necklace, it just caught my eye cause it was so big and not "trendy." I won't lie, I think she thought I was looking at her boobs.

me: Must be another show I don't watch

lol

you prob were

lol

brendan.salinger: Attack of the Clones is Star Wars

I mean, I might have sneaked a peek a few times

me: ah, gotcha

yeah, I bet you did

anyhoo...

wow, can't believe I just said 'anyhoo'

brendan.salinger: Hahahaahah

Anyhoo

me: haha

so there was an instant attraction I take it?

brendan.salinger: Right away, I thought she was cute. And she was interesting. I mean, her aunt is on the board and kind of well-known in that stupid sucky society, you know?

me: yeah

brendan.salinger: Cause of her theater background and stuff and she's well-known in those circles. She does charity stuff with my mom. And here's Emma, not acting like a snob, not acting like she's all privileged and stuff. And LYING HER FACE OFF about where she's from and being funny and honestly dude, she's just really so damn cute it kills me

me: and totally standing up to Kristin, which was a big plus

brendan.salinger: Yeah. Even though at the time I thought, "Oh you're just making yourself a target."

me: which happened

brendan.salinger: Yep.

That's cause Kristin's just jealous.

me: who wouldn't be

lol

brendan.salinger: She's so nasty. Inside and out.

me: well that answers my question about whether or not you ever felt anything for her :)

brendan.salinger: I thought she was really interesting on sight. But it wasn't until I hung out with her that I thought I really liked her. Oh, and Kristin's jealous of Emma because Emma's prettier and nicer and funnier and smarter and doesn't need to intimidate people into being her friends.

me: Don't hold back now, tell us how you really feel

lol

brendan.salinger: Ugh she's such a skank.

me: lol

brendan.salinger: Hahah :D

me: so you thought she was cute/interesting, but then once you got to know her you really liked her...so what was up with the cold shoulder? that was kinda harsh

brendan.salinger: I know. And I feel like a dick about it every time I think about it.

Pardon my French.

me: pardoned

brendan.salinger: But the thing is... look, I know I was kind of, um... not a Boy Scout before I met her.

me: lol yeah

brendan.salinger: I never really wanted a girl before. Not in that way lol but you know what I mean? I never felt like that before

me: yeah I get it

brendan.salinger: And I didn't know what to make of it. I mean, she was LYING to me—to everyone—about where she was from. Which I get now but I was really thrown for a loop and honestly

me: i guess so...and you were a little scared of what you were feeling for her I bet that didn't help

brendan.salinger: Yeah and also, I mean I had a rep. And I didn't want to go there with her.
She's too good for that. I kind of freaked out.

me: well that's admirable...you just went about it the wrong way

brendan.salinger: Yeah I acted like a 12 year old I know. I was stupid.

me: It's cool...you made up for it

brendan.salinger: I didn't want to just hook up with her I didn't know what she knew about me.

She SEEMED to like me, but what if I asked her out or something and then she
was all like, "Hell no."

me: you would've been crushed

brendan.salinger: First time in my life I had no idea what to do.

me: lol well you'll have plenty more of THAT happening over the next several years! lol

brendan.salinger: Oh great. Hahaha

me: lol so moving on to the necklace...once you realized what it was, what did you do?

brendan.salinger: I went to my grandfather's house—he has this big-ass library with all these old
family books and stuff and started researching it cause it's kind of become just
a joke in our family

me: oh yeah?

brendan.salinger: like if my cousin asked a girl out and got rejected

it was like, "DAMN CURSE KILLING MY GAME"

me: LOL

brendan.salinger: So I never really thought about it like that although I thought it was cool that
the Salingers have their own crest that dates back so far I was going to get a
tattoo of it

me: that is cool...like the Cullens

brendan.salinger: obvs, not doing that now.

The who?

me: LOL

Cullens?

Eh, nevermind

brendan.salinger: I thought it would be a better tattoo than like, a shamrock or the other stuff
Irish guys usually get

me: So now that you have Emma, and you two are together (boy are you EVER), do you still feel
it's a CURSE?

brendan.salinger: but... not so sure about that now

me: Oh yeah, WAY better

no, you're right

brendan.salinger: The thing is, it was more a curse for her. She got the raw end of it.

So yeah it was a curse. It's broken now, but it was definitely a curse. I mean, it
threatened her life. She could have died. I just..... it was a curse.

me: Yeah, that's true

Well I don't want to keep you all night...just one more quick question...

What's in store for the near future for you guys?

brendan.salinger: I'm good! Emma's at dinner with her aunt and cousin and Ashley's parents.

I'm all alone for the night lol

me: blushes& swoons Um, yeah, okay...moving on

LOL

brendan.salinger: So what's in store... this summer you mean?

me: yeah, what's planned?

brendan.salinger: I'm trying to round up some friends (and Emma of course) to do a weekend at my parents' house in the Hamptons.

me: That'll be fun

brendan.salinger: If we go with a group of friends I think her aunt will let her go otherwise I
mean, Mrs. Considine will be giving me side eye for weeks, if it's just us haha

me: lol she doesn't trust you? after everything?

brendan.salinger: To quote Emma, "She trusts you as much as she's going to trust any teenage
boy dating me."

me: yeah, that's true lol And she has thought that trouble kind of follows you I guess

brendan.salinger: Yeah. I mean, she's on the board. I don't know if she has access to my file or
what I'm sure she's looked in it.

me: oh absolutely

brendan.salinger: Oof. I CAN EXPLAIN MOST OF IT.

me: haha! no need...no judgment here lol

brendan.salinger: Nah like I said Emma keeps me out of trouble.

me: that's good...you love her, huh? I mean, truly?

brendan.salinger: Hell yeah.

me: That's great...she deserves it

brendan.salinger: She's the best.

She deserves better than me but I'm not complaining.

LOL

me: Is there better? haha

brendan.salinger: If there is I am not telling her who he is.

me: haha!

don't blame you

lol

Just don't muck it up by ignoring her again...that hurt her.

brendan.salinger: I know. I think she's forgiven me. I'll spend every day making it up to her.

me: Oh yeah, she has. And that's a great answer!

brendan.salinger: good. you know for sure? cause sometimes I wonder. I feel like such a dick I
swear I didn't know what to think.

me: oh yeah, I know for sure ;P

brendan.salinger: I liked her SO much. And she was lying to me, but at the same time... I just
wanted to know her. But what was real? Like, what she lying to me about
other things? And I didn't just want to hook up with her. I knew I didn't just
want that. I just didn't know how to go about getting what I wanted when I
wasn't sure what i wanted. I never had a girlfriend before.

me: And yet every girl in that school/town/city/hemisphere would've DIED to be your girl...why no girlfriend?

brendan.salinger: Ugh I doubt that every girl was like that...honestly. I didn't want a girlfriend.

me: oh you'd be surprised

brendan.salinger: I never found a girl that I wanted to take it to that level with.

me: Did you NOT want one when Emma walked into your life?

brendan.salinger: I wasn't exactly looking though. I wasn't opposed to it if I met a girl that I
wanted to date like that. I just hadn't.

me: Until Emma

brendan.salinger: Yep.

me: Awesome. I'm so happy you two found each other and things are running smoothly for you
guys

brendan.salinger: Thanks buddy. I'm looking forward to the summer with her. No school, no
stress, no snotty Vince A clones....

me: Absolutely...just that last one alone will make it a kick-ass summer! haha

brendan.salinger: Hahahaha yeah seriously. There are a few okay people on the basketball team
and some other people here and there but generally speaking man that place is
just like, where originality goes to die

me: LOL That's a unique way of putting it! I like it. I think you and Emma will change that,
though. She's the most original person I've met, and you are NOTHING like your first
impression :)

brendan.salinger: Yeah she's one-of-a-kind. I'm lucky. I know it.

me: So great of you to take some time to chat tonight...really cool of you.

brendan.salinger: NP my pleasure. like I said, Emma's busy, most of my friends are already out
of school

me: True

brendan.salinger: And went out east

Poor Brendan, all alone, lol

Nothing but L.A. Noire to keep me company

hahahaa

me: Aww...my heart is breaking

lol

brendan.salinger: Thanks for keeping me company lol

me: My pleasure

brendan.salinger: The pizza delivery man is my only friend

hahaahahaahahaah

me: Not true!

lol

I just have to say before I go...it's REALLY AWESOME that you were so accepting of Cisco. He told Emma that you knew and were cool with it...not something you see from the popular kid, you know? That gives you major points to the rest of us. Just wanted you to know.

brendan.salinger: Thanks. I don't understand why it should be a big deal. It's like, as important to me as what shampoo someone uses.

me: Exactly. That's an awesome way of putting it

brendan.salinger: I have a couple of friends who are gay. I get why he isn't out at Vince A though.

me: Yeah, I can definitely understand that part of it.

brendan.salinger: He's a good guy. He's my lab partner in Chem.

me: He's great

brendan.salinger: He's one of the few people (besides Emma obvs) that I can stand.

me: lol

brendan.salinger: and he's hilarious.

me: Yeah he is. lol

Well, it's been real. And it's been fun. (but not real fun! haha!!)

brendan.salinger: Hahhahaaha!! Yeah it's been fun

me: yeah I'm old

lol

brendan.salinger: thanks for keeping me company sniffle poor Brendan all alone haha

me: Don't say that...it's killing me!

lol

Hmmm...all alone...so what are you wearing?

LOL

!! LMAO !!

brendan.salinger: Hey now, I'm underage lol

me: HAHAHAH

Sorry, had to do it!

lol

brendan.salinger: LOL!!!!

I'm in my ninja outfit

CAUSE I AM A NINJA BOSS

me: LOL

brendan.salinger: I'm gonna text Em and see if I can take her out to brunch tomorrow.

me: That'll be nice.

brendan.salinger: If it's nice out maybe we'll hang out in my backyard. Our house has a little
garden thing in the back.

me: cool. She'll like that

brendan.salinger: She misses the water I know she grew up by the shore but at least she'll get
the sun

me: And you...which will totally make up for the lack of ocean! lol

brendan.salinger: I'll get her a kiddie pool. OMG I SHOULD DO THAT

me: LOL Yep, you should!

brendan.salinger: I'm totally doing that Jamie

Or a slip and slide, she'll love it

me: And one of those sound machines that plays waves crashing LOL

brendan.salinger: and I'll get to see her in a bikini, so basically, I win.

me: always a plus

brendan.salinger: Haha I'm gonna see if any stores are open. Where do I get a kiddie pool in NY?

Kmart?

me: New York HAS Kmart? lol

brendan.salinger: yeah on 34th st

me: wow, cool

brendan.salinger: and 8th street

me: yeah, Kmart'll have em

brendan.salinger: okay thanks I'll check them out that'll be funny haha. I'll get hr floaties too as a joke

me: lol that will be

brendan.salinger: even though she was a lifeguard one summer

me: LOL!! Floaties!!

brendan.salinger: I mean, she can swim

I'll say they're for me and pretend to drown in an inch of wter

*water
hahahaah

me: lol

brendan.salinger: she'll have to give me mouth-to-mouth...my Saturday is going to RULE

me: Yeah, I figured that was your ultimate goal with the whole "floaties for me and pretend I'm drowning" bit...sneaky! lol

brendan.salinger: Yeah I didn't say I was going to be slick about it :)

me: lol

You guys are cute together....a perfect match

brendan.salinger: That's what I keep saying lol

me: Sorry, had to pick up one of my dogs. (my plan to have time to myself for this didn't quite go as...well...planned)

brendan.salinger: oh I love dogs!!

DOGS RULE

me: ABSOLUTELY

brendan.salinger: I want a big dog but my mother doesn't. She's afraid of the furniture.

me: Big dogs are a handful. But fun

brendan.salinger: We have a pretty big place and a yard, a little yard, but we're by a park

me: A dog would love that

brendan.salinger: but I'll be at college in a bit

yeah

not fair to get a dog and then leave it

me: ooh yeah, thats true

no, that's mean

They become attached immediately

I love it!

lol

brendan.salinger: Maybe one day me and Emma will have a bunch of dogs

me: Aww

brendan.salinger: she's so short she can ride one of the big ones like a horse lol

me: lol!

brendan.salinger: she's not THAT short I just like telling her she is

me: I'm telling her you said that! lol

brendan.salinger: haha NOOOOO she gets mad

me: lol

brendan.salinger: All 5 foot 4 inches of fury

me: I know what that's like. My mom can be 5 foot 1 inch of fury

brendan.salinger: hahaha never anger a short woman.

me: no. never.

brendan.salinger: their anger is like, 6 times their size

me: goes back to the whole "big things in small packages"

yes it is

of course, with people calling them short (hint hint) I don't blame them

lol

brendan.salinger: Haha I only do it when I want to see her angry face cause it's funny.

she wrinkles her nose up and opens her mouth really wide

and is all "WHAAAT?"

me: Her angry face is funny? Wow, that's a great way to look at it. lol

brendan.salinger: And I DIE laughing. Same thing when I tell her she's always late haha cause she IS

me: Another thing you're never supposed to tell women. You really HAVEN'T ever had a girlfriend. Even "I" know that! lol

brendan.salinger: She doesn't mean to be, it just happens. What am I not supposed to tell her?

That she's always late? yeah I haven't had a girlfriend.... I'm lucky Emma's patient with me.

me: Exactly

brendan.salinger: She had a boyfriend freshman year. I don't like thinking about it

me: Yeah, I can see that. And she's MORE than patient. lol

brendan.salinger: I can see where I'm a lot to take lol

me: Gee, ya think? LOL

brendan.salinger: HAHAAHAH hey wait a minute.......

me: But at least you see it

LOL!!

brendan.salinger: The pizza man really is my only friend

me: Not true. I'm your friend. So there. :)

brendan.salinger: okay then.

me: So now you can say "The pizza man" and "that weird guy online" are my only friends. LOL

brendan.salinger: hahahaahha

give your dog a big hug for me

post pics on FB

me: Will do...all 3 of em

brendan.salinger: I want to play with your dog!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 dogs yay

me: lol...they would love it.

brendan.salinger: my cousin has a rescue pit it's the best dog in the workd

*world

Love her

me: well, all but the one I'm holding right now...she's a bit of a diva

lol

brendan.salinger: she's SOOOO cute and goofy

me: I LOVE pits! They're great dogs

brendan.salinger: they're such great dogs. people are a-hles

me: exactly!

brendan.salinger: it's the people not the dog, and pits are so sweet

me: I was about to say the same thing

brendan.salinger: her dog is so sweet and she thinks she's a lap dog but she's like a pony

and she's always in my lap, it's awesome

but I cannot wear black clothing to her house

me: HAHA...love it when big dogs are like that!

brendan.salinger: cause the dog is really light and every time I leave I look like an ewok

me: They just wanna lay in your lap but they crush you! lol

brendan.salinger: all covered in fur and stuff

me: LOL

drawing mental image and laughing

brendan.salinger: I don't have a lot of light clothing and I barely have any light dressy clothing

so we went there for Christmas dinner and I was in a black suit with a black shirt and I looked RIDICULOUS

me: and the dog's white?

brendan.salinger: like a sandy color

me: ooh yeah, I bet that was nasty

lol

brendan.salinger: I have to have like a separate wardrobe for when I go over there.

me: lol

brendan.salinger: I have a pair of like, khakis that I'll wear and I hate them but I bought them just for Easter dinner so I wouldn't look like Chewbacca

brendan.salinger: Chewbrendan

me: LOL

Wait, I maybe wouldn't say that out loud

LOL

brendan.salinger: Oh.. OHHHHHH

me: yeah

lol

brendan.salinger: Yeah I didn't mean it THAT way lol omg

me: haha!!

brendan.salinger: this chat just got rated NC-17

lol

me: It would only matter to those with "gutter minds"

lol

brendan.salinger: hahahahaha

me: Well, on that note then, maybe we should call it quits

lol

brendan.salinger: haha yeah before I embarrass myself more lol

I swear I didn't think omg

me: Cause there's only one way to go after NC-17

haha!

brendan.salinger: ahhhhhahaahahhaahha

okay buddy have a good night give your dogs a scratch from me

me: Absolutely will do. I really enjoyed chatting with ya...we'll have to do it again sometime.

brendan.salinger: yeah def

had a good time

me: have fun with L.A. Noire and "the pizza man"

LOL

brendan.salinger: now that sounds like the start of something after NC-17 LOL!!!!!!

me: LMAO!!

brendan.salinger: bow chicka bow bow

me: yeah, now I guess I'M the one not thinking. HA!

brendan.salinger: hahahahahahaha

me: that's funny

okay, I'm out

brendan.salinger: okay good night!!

me: Good night!!

Yep. Told you it was long. But it was so much fun!! Brendan was a great sport--even with the whole chat connection problem thing! Wanna get to know Brendan (and the rest of the Spellbound cast) a bit more? Then you're in luck...because we're giving away a copy of Spellbound! Simply leave a comment about something in this post and you're in! I'll announce the winner on Thursday, July 7th, right here on this blog. Easy, huh?

And in case you forgot what was mentioned at the beginning of this post (it's okay if you did), there is also a HUGE giveaway (I know, I know...even bigger than a copy of Spellbound)!

It's a Spellbound Skinned iPod Nano!! How cool is that!!

This custom, one-of-a-kind iPod also comes fully loaded with the Spellbound playlist for your listening pleasure. Don't try to hide it. I know you want it. And here's how to get it.

Each stop on the tour had a text message conversation between Brendan and Emma (I love movie quotes!) that were posted, much like the one I'm posting here as the FINAL CLUE:

click image to make it larger

In each text conversation there is a word or words that in are pink (see above), and that's what you need to collect to play along!

Here are all the official rules:

• In order to enter to win an iPod Nano--including the Spellbound playlist and covered in a GelaSkin of Spellbound's cover art--you must collect the pink highlighted words from the text messages between Brendan and Emma that were provided each day at the individual tour stops. The daily words can be joined together in sequential order to create the winning secret message. Once you've constructed the winning secret message, you will need to enter that message on Spellbound's tour home page.
• No purchase, affiliation, status as follower to a certain blog or any other association is required to enter.
• Full rules for the contest can be found at the Spellbound tour home page.
• Winner of the iPod give-away will be announced on Cara's homepage on Tuesday, July 5th.

To get all the pink words from all the text messages from all the blog tour stops, simply visit the Spellbound Tour Home Page for a complete list of all blogs involved in the tour. Then go here for the entry form. And good luck to you all!!