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On The 9th Day of Christmas… (25 Days of Christmas Giveway!!)

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WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!! Congratulations to Avery who has responded to her email notification!!

*sigh* The Christmas tree situation was NOT going well. *shakes head* It’s sort of fixed now, but when we pulled out our pre-lit tree out for it’s 3rd Christmas season, half the lights didn’t come on. We tried stuff… and my lazy suggestion of “just throw on another set of lights on and fix it” … well. No. That didn’t work either ’cause the tone of the lights we had to replace ’em was… off.

So we went fake Christmas tree shopping today. Again. ‘Cause, you know… we did this 3 years ago. Again. *hrmph*

It was an all day event. Size of the tree, height, fluffiness. Pine needles. Does this one look more real than that one? What about the height. Will this one stick out too far? Pre-lit and risk another “bad-light” incident? Or unlit and mess with all those lights each year ourselves? Oh wait… What about a white tree with the sparkly iridescent ends? We can make it a bubble gum colored tree with all those new fun candy looking decorations. Urgh. Of course that’s totally up my alley, but come on. My “reading room” is a pink, sparkly disaster (albeit, mine, and I love it)!! But the main tree? Umm…. I dunno about that.

I thought I smiled plenty, but I’m starting to think it looked more like grimacing considering the occasional “Grinch” that I heard muttered from his mouth. Or you know… maybe I was doing that sarcastic placating, spontaneously raised, seemingly excited eyebrow-thin-lipped smile thingie. Yeah, maybe that was more a long the lines of what my face was set at, today. hehe. rolleyes *whoops* Apparently I’m not so fun for Christmas tree shopping.

Did I mention multiple stores? Don’t get me started on the “theme”. confused We finally went with “antique” this year. At this point we could have just thrown up a pre-lit, 3-piece tree and put nothing on it, and I would have been happy. I saw one in a Lifetime movie last night, and it looked plenty fine. I tried to bring that up, but… again… ME <—- Grinch. *Hrmph*

So at 8pm tonight, we found one. And yes… it’s as if the Christmas spirit was shining down on us tonight, leading us to this tree, ’cause it was the LAST one left, on sale, looks SO real it’s crazy and even has one of those fancy foot pedals. Pre-lit? Well… yes, ’cause we’re lazy like that. But it’s a GE, so maybe…. it’ll last with all it’s extra special technology? AND!!!! Supposedly I don’t even have to fluff the darn thing and get the “itchy arm” syndrome like I do with the others. So we got it.

Oh wait.. the fuses? For the original tree? redface Oh. Right. The fuses. We… ummm… didn’t. Check. Those.

Me<—- The cotton-headed ninny muggins Grinch. *giggle* (yahhhhh. As Grinchy-y as I can be at times, I LOVE ELF!!!!)

“What’s a Christmas-gram? I want one!!!”

Unless…. Wait. A. Minute. Strangely enough he just started looking at new trees every time we went shopping since the “season” started. *spine stiffens* Grrrrrrr…. I wonder if this was his sneaky way of getting a brand new tree. neutral

So here’s today’s gift. PAJAMAS!!!!! Reader pajamas. Who doesn’t LOVE a cozy fun reading uniform? Pj’s are my official reading uniform (my husband says I’m the female pajama-clad “Hugh Hefner”… WHEN I’m not the Grinch, of course…) and I giggled with glee when I saw these. So the winner chooses the size they want, and I will have them sent by Cafepress. There are even different colored/patterned pants to choose from and I’ll let the winner choose at that time.

Wanna?

How to enter for a chance to win it? Just leave a comment below (better yet, I’d love to hear one of your crazy or most memorable Christmas stories), and tomorrow night (Monday December 10th 2012) by 10pm EST, I will randomly select one winner.

The winner will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond with a mailing address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. Sorry for my international readers, this is a open to U.S. residents only (but you’re welcome to comment and join in any time!!).

And while you’re here, if you haven’t already joined me (actually “us”, ’cause we’re a big group now) on Facebook and Twitter, whatcha waiting’ for?!

:arrow:  OH AND!!! —-> Many of you have been asking how to receive a notice each time my blog is updated. Just use this link right here:

“Subscribe to my blog and be updated everytime I post: https://ma.ryse.me/emailmeblogupdates“

Amy A. Bartol – The Premonition Series Reading Order

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I’ve been receiving a steady stream of recommendations for this one! Paranormal YA, but from what I’ve been told, college kids, and angst. Sounds good to me, and the latest book in the series (#5) has just been released and now THE SERIES IS COMPLETE!

Kelly: Hi Maryse!  I don’t know if you have heard anything about the Premonition Series by Amy A. Bartol, but I am just finishing the 3rd book and I’m freaking out a little bit because I am going to have some serious withdrawls waiting for book 4.  One soulmate, one hero and one anti-hero….and they are all rather delectable. Yummy!

Cheryl: I dont know if you have read them but i would recomend every one to read the premonition series by amy a bartol. i fell in love with them and cant wait till the 4th comes out, its YA but the tension and romance is really intense (i think) in them.

Kim: Incendiary by Amy A Bartol was also released.  It is the 4th book in the Premonition series.  This series is one of my favorite paranormal series of all time!  Check it out!  It has everything we all love including angels, vampires, romance with a love triangle and, of course, tear your heart out angst!

Tammie: I have read all of the Amy Bartol books!!!  They are extremly well written, I swear I didn’t sleep for a week while reading them.  Could not put them down!!!!.

Jennifer: … The Premonition Series by Amy A Bartol. I just finished book 1 “Inescapable” and oh man, I have found a new love… they are YA PNR according to the author’s website, but the series takes place in college, so its not so young. I don’t want to tell you what happens, because its worth reading to find out.

Simone: THIS!!! I cannot express how much this series means to me!! And I can’t even imagine the END. Gah…. #TeamReed

About book #1:

My name is Evie Claremont and this was to be the making of me–my freshman year of college. I had been hoping that once I had arrived on Crestwood’s campus, the nightmare that I’ve been having would go away. It hasn’t.

I may be an inexperienced seventeen-year-old, but I’m grounded…sane. I look for rational explanations to even the strangest circumstances. Since meeting sophomore Reed Wellington, however, nothing makes any sense. Whenever he’s near, I feel an attraction to him–a magnetic kind of force pulling me towards him. I know what you’re thinking…that sounds fairly awesome. Yeah, it would be…if he liked me, but Reed acts as if I’m the worst thing that has ever happened to Crestwood…or him. But get this, for some reason every time I turn around he’s there, barging into my life.

What is the secret that he’s keeping from me? I’m hoping that it’s anything but what I suspect: that he’s not exactly normal…and neither am I. So, maybe Crestwood won’t be the making of me, but it could be the breaking of me. I’ve been left to wonder if the dark future my dream is foretelling is…inescapable.

    

On the 8th Day of Christmas… (25 Days of Christmas Giveaway)

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WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!! Congratulations to Tessa!!!

Okay… I’m being lazy right now so I’m doing a giveaway “repeat” but this one is tried and true!

Why am I rushing off? ‘Cause I’ve gotta get my Christmas tree up. I know, I know… how is my Christmas loving husband even coping right now without his precious tree, right? Ohhhhhhhhhh *groan* don’t even go there.

I’ll describe it like this, and ask that you “hear” this in a husband-ish whiny voice and picture it with slouching and arm flopping:

“Christmaaaaassss is OVVVVERRRRRR!!! And you won’t even put up the Christmas tree!! You’re the Grinch who stole Christmas!!!

Me<—- aka “The Grinch” File:icon neutral.gif *hrmph*

So you know… it’s time. The tree must go up, and the Christmas show at my place must go on. I tried to appease him with my pretty tiny pink Christmas tree (in my reading room – it’s soooo cute. I’ll show you later 😉 ), and while he admitted that, “…at least there’s that one”, lets just say he’s getting more panicky as Christmas nears without an “actual” tree.

So EVERYONE can join in for this contest. A $20 gift card! ;)

P.S. Look at the “gift card” Amazon allowed me to create! Is that cool, or what? We can upload our own image!! Tee hee! That was FUN! But of course, if the winner prefers a Barnes & Noble gift card, that works too (although I don’t know if I can have as much fun with that one. I’ll give it a try, though. :) )

How to enter for a chance to win it? Just leave a comment below (and indicate whether you would prefer the Nook or Kindle gift card), and TONIGHT by 11pm EST (12/08/2012), I will randomly select one winner. The winner will be contacted and the gift card will be sent to the email address provided (make sure it’s valid!!). NOTE: The “winner” will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification. If no response is received, I will randomly select another winner. Make sure to check your email, so you do not loose your chance. This is open to anyone that can receive an emailed giftcard from either of these two companies.

:arrow:  OH AND!!! —-> Many of you have been asking how to receive a notice each time my blog is updated. Just use this link right here:

“Subscribe to my blog and be updated everytime I post: https://feeds2.feedburner.com/Maryse“

And if you haven’t “liked” my Facebook page yet, come on over and join us! We’re a fun and extremely active group and we’ve got really REALLY good taste in books! https://www.facebook.com/MarysesBookBlog

Book Review – Letting Go by Michele Zurlo

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Letting Go [Awakenings 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)
Thanks for the suggestion, guys! Overall, I enjoyed it well enough. Definitely my “genre”, and the writing was good. Unfortunately, it took me awhile to connect. I think I hit the 50-something percent mark when I finally felt a bit of that “reading excitement”. You know… that feeling when you realize you’re not going to put the book down any more? After a few starts and stops (it took me a couple of days to read it) once I hit the second half I read straight through. Considering the reader-enthusiasm when it was first suggested, I knew *something* was coming, so I didn’t necessarily mind the buildup.

Did I get to that “point of no return” with it? It had it’s moments for sure. Moments that I thought were really going to infuriate me, and finally cue the angst and drama, but it rarely hit that level for me. I savored some parts, finally able to share in some of that emotion that I had been anticipating. I appreciated the “fooling yourself” thought processes, and even more, the insistence on sticking to the plan. The denial of the obvious. But for some reason, and I can’t put my finger on it… I just wasn’t feeling them. Or maybe… they lacked chemistry. Something was missing for me, and because of that, I read it, but didn’t fully experience it.

And it appears we’re getting mixed reader reactions – many really enjoyed it, and some experienced it the way I did…

Mazie: Letting go by Michele Zurlo……Jonas is ahhh ahmmmmmm a delight….

Debra: Read it but not sure how I am feeling about it….

Maryse’s Book Blog: I’m at about a 3.5 stars on it myself. Lots of parts I liked but I didn’t connect as much as I wanted to. I only started to “feel” emotions towards the end… Strangely enough because the writing was really good. And for the life of me I can’t out my finger on it… they lived, there was detail, none of it was rushed, the writing was great, the story was definitely up my alley, but I felt distracted and it’s only once I got to 50-something percent that I clicked in. Not 100% but by then, I read straight through.

Debra: I agree Maryse I didn’t really connect.  I got lost a couple times along the way. Not sure if I will continue with the others

Jennifer: I like books that I can’t go to bed at night….it was easy to put it down…good book though.

Mazie: Jonas is no Christian or Gideon for that matter…but I would take him over Caleb anyday…. But I like it …willing to read the next one…..

Maryse’s Book Blog: Yep! Definitely interested in continuing (especially since the last book is about them again, and I gotta know more!!), but I think I’ll try something else tonight.

Nikki: Mazie, I wouldn’t take anybody over Caleb And the sentiments expressed here are exactly why I put it down at about 25%. I had a hard time connecting.

Michelle: I just finished! Loved it!!!!!!! I think Jonas is my new book boyfriend :)

Christina: 69% on book 2. Good so far :D

See? Half-half it seems. *shrug* 😉

What’s it about? I’m betting  the “Christian/Gideon” comparisons have probably clued you in, so you’ve already got a good idea what genre it is.

Jonas has had a recent career change (from a high school teacher to ad exec) after a painful divorce from his wife. All of his hopes and dreams (and his money!) went out the door with her, and he’s… bitter. Or maybe more like, disillusioned. He still has his fun as a popular Dom in a few certain clubs, but nothing serious in his personal life.

Sabrina is a higher up at that same agency and from a wealthy family. Trust funds and all that. She doesn’t need to work, but enjoys it, and is a control freak. Considered “cold” and “haughty” but in reality, she’s simply shy, and due to her upbringing, extremely reserved.

Sabrina didn’t want to be cold and unfeeling. She just didn’t feel anything very deeply.

And she has a big inheritance coming her way, IF she marries by a certain age (which is coming up), and stays married for at least a year. And as she contemplates her dilemma, she proposes to the cute stranger she’s been eyeing (Jonas). They make a few “deals” (namely, he wants to be able to “sleep” with his wife ;)), she agrees, and he’s in!

In less than a day, her opinion of this quiet, unobtrusive, unassuming man had completely changed. She asked him to marry her because she thought he was harmless. She agreed to have sex with him because she thought he would be sweet. Unfulfilling, but sweet.

And of course, sparks fly, and the sexual tension? Well… there is no sexual tension per se, ’cause this is erotica and they start scratching that itch right from the start. LOTS! I may even have skimmed a few scenes. LOL!! Romantic tension…yep, some of that, of course as time goes on and they get to know each other. But jaded hearts, and set-in-stone promises to one’s self get in the way.

She was quiet for the rest of the ride, pushing her hurt into a ball of anger that she could stow safely away. It would come in handy the next time he demanded a piece of her soul.

Oh and… secrets. Some of that, too!

She had never seen Jonas angry before. Annoyed, frustrated, focused, but never truly angry. His eyes darkened to olive green and the cords in his neck stood out. And then he shouted.

“You had no right!”

*nods* oh yes… Jonas may be good at helping Sabrina discover a few very important things about herself, but he has a serious lock-down on some of his own.

A journey of self discovery that isn’t too bumpy  (only ’cause wow, she’s quite… understanding, where as I, well… *hrmph* I dunno about some of that… ) ;). But it does hit a few bumps… and maybe an eventual wall (and I liked that!). That’s where I was connecting the most. Lots to feel at that point, and some very heartfelt realizations come to light.

3.5 stars!

For those of you wanting to continue the series, here is the reading order guide.

Thank you to the author for sending me a review copy.

 

 

On the 7th Day of Christmas… (25 Days of Christmas Giveaway!!)

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WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!! Congratulations to Brianna who has responded to her email notification!!

Today’s giveaway is one of my absolute favorite books of ALL TIME!!! Just recently released (less than a month ago), it rocked  my world, turned it upside
down, and I trembled for 24 hours after. Aftershocks, I tell you!!! AMAZING, intense, just… wow! What a gorgeous story. And so many agree, because “The
Edge of Never” climbed quickly in Amazon ranking and has dominated the Amazon charts this week in the #1 spot!!!

Check out my review to see how much this one affected me: Book Review of The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski – 5 stars!!

Also check out the interview with the author (but avoid it until you’ve read this awesome book):

That copy up there is my very own, but guess what? J.A. Redmerski has a copy for tonight’s lucky winner. Signed!! And she’ll personalize it, too!

Thank you Jessica!!! You rock and this is one of the most awesome gifts, ever. I can’t thank you enough!

How to enter for a chance to win the signed book? Just leave a comment below (or better yet, tell me one of your ABSOLUTE favorite books, since I just told you one of mine), and  tomorrow night (Saturday December 8th, 2012) by 10pm EST, I will randomly select one winner.

The winner will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond with a mailing address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. Sorry for my international readers, this is a open to U.S. residents only (but you’re welcome to comment and join in any time!!).

And while you’re here, if you haven’t already joined me (actually “us”, ’cause we’re a big group now) on Facebook and Twitter, whatcha waiting’ for?!

:arrow:  OH AND!!! —-> Many of you have been asking how to receive a notice each time my blog is updated. Just use this link right here:

“Subscribe to my blog and be updated everytime I post: https://ma.ryse.me/emailmeblogupdates“

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