Spellbound Bookshelves (5)

Welcome to my new feature Spellbound Bookshelves! Each week I'll be posting up pictures of Readers Bookshelves. As this is just starting out, I'll need to ask you help in spreading the word and hopefully sending in pictures of your bookshelves. I'll also be including awesome bookshelves to store your books in for a bit of variety.

Thank you to Azzy for sending this cool bookshelf situated in the closet.

And yes, that does look like a copy of Across the Universe! :)

If you'd like your bookshelves featured on here or you have come across some really cool bookshelves please send me your pics to melissa@spellboundbybooks.com  

In My Mailbox (47)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture.

Bought:

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Just a note: I just realised after grabbing the link for Grave Secret, that it is Book Four in the Harper Connelly series.  Oops.  I guess I will have to get the other three to read them first.

Fear by International Thriller Writers Association

That's all from me.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Sticky Beak (42)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!
Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff to Check Out:
Between the Lines: The Darker side of Paul Jennings.  Plus extract from his YA book The Nest.
Bookshelf Porn: If you enjoy my Spellbound Bookshelves, have a look at this!

For Bloggers:
Parajunkee's View: Book Blogging 101 - How Do I get People to Comment.

For Writers:
Almost True: As I was Saying.  Post about writing Dialogue


Just a short one this week.  Feel free to comment with your links at the bottom of this post!

Have a good night!

Interview with Beth Revis

Spellbound By Books would love to welcome Beth Revis, author of Across The Universe to answer a few questions!

 Beth Revis lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog, and believes space is nowhere near the final frontier. Across the Universe is her first novel.

So without further ado..

1. How would you describe Across The Universe?

Short answer: a murder mystery in space!

2. What was the easiest/hardest part of writing Across the Universe?

The easiest part was writing Amy’s opening chapters and Elder’s closing chapters—those just seemed to flow. The hardest part was writing the death of a character whom I’d grown to love rather a lot…

3. Was becoming a published Author how you expected it to be? Any surprises?

It’s been amazing! I’m constantly surprised—especially by how encouraging, wonderful, caring, and open the blogging community is.

4. Where do you do most of your writing?

I do most of my writing on the desk my husband made me or at my local coffee shop. But I do all my revising on my kitchen table—I need to spread out!

5. What routines/quirky habits do you have for when and how you write?

None, really! Give me a laptop and some time, and I’m good to go! When I get stuck, though, I do like to brainstorm with a Sharpie on a legal notepad.

6. What keeps you writing?
I just honestly like telling stories.

7. Finish this sentence. 'When I'm not writing/editing I'm...'

…playing with my dog, Sirius, a big black lab who loves to chase balls.

8. Any future projects you would like to share with us?

I’m currently wrapping up Book 2 and getting ready to start Book 3!

9. Is there a question you have always wanted to be asked but haven't? What would your answer be?

What would you like your last meal to be if you were going to be frozen and sent to a new world? Answer: my granny’s chicken and dumplings.

10. Are there any tips and advice you would like to share with aspiring writers?

Don’t give up. Keep writing. Know that it may very well take more than one book before you’re published. And if you’re given the opportunity to write something or experience something new, go for the experience. You have to experience life before you can write anything.

11. And last, your stuck on a deserted island. Which character from your book would you have with you and why?

Harley! I don’t care if he wouldn’t contribute one whit towards my survival—I like him the best!

I'd like to thank Beth Revis for taking time out to answer my questions.

Enjoy!

Spellbound Noticeboard (4)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up!  I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers!  Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com

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 Launching on February 1st, Tales to Tomes will begin an online discussion of one book a month.  We will be able to discuss the book in a variety of formats, to accommodate book lovers in a variety of ways.  The selections will be chosen by those who participate.  Participants can choose to join in chats one month and not another.  We may read short tales or chunksters, young adult or classics.

 

For more info click here!

 

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Have a good night!

Waiting on Wednesday (47)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I've come across Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse and this looks pretty good!  Due out on the 1st July 2011.

Synopsis
 "Wonder Twins" on the run--and running amok--in Vegas. Road Trip!

Paisley and Beau are boldface names again. Last time, paparazzi called them the "Wonder Twins," two kids found alone but alive in the woods of exotic New Jersey. Three days after their mom's death -- and before their dad's criminal misdeeds.

Flash-forward to now: Their so-called lives? Suck out loud: Hating on their cougarized, Botoxic grandma, they're totally clueless about the location of ex-con Daddy. Till they discover a stash of old letters. That's when they decide to jack the Pontiac and hit the road. Holding up donut shops in Sin City might seem extreme, but if they can just get their pretty bad faces back on TV -- or TMZ -- they might wrap up their whole gaga saga with an Oprah-worthy reunion already!

Spellbound Bookshelves (4)

Welcome to my new feature Spellbound Bookshelves! Each week I'll be posting up pictures of Readers Bookshelves. As this is just starting out, I'll need to ask you help in spreading the word and hopefully sending in pictures of your bookshelves. I'll also be including awesome bookshelves to store your books in for a bit of variety.

This week I've picked a couple of really cool looking bookshelves from the net.  Hope you like them :)

If you'd like your bookshelves featured on here please send me your pics at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com  



In My Mailbox (46)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture.

For Review:

Love Immortal by Felicity Heaton

Bought:

The Haunting of James Hasting by Christopher Ransom

 

So that's what I got for this week.  What did you get?

Shades of Atlantis by Carol Oates

Title: Shades of Atlantis

Author:  Carol Oates

Genre:  Young Adult/Parnormal Romance

Publisher:  Omnific Publishing

Publication Date: 2010

ISBN: 9781936305445

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone

Pages: 308 pages

Book Received from: Omnific Publishing

First Lines: The midwife laid the baby across a scarlet shawl draped over a flat rock in the dimly lit cave.

Synopsis:

Since the death of their parents, Triona Pryor and her brother, Ben, have lived with their aunt and uncle in Camden, Maine. Now in her senior year of high school, Triona loves her family and friends, but she has always felt that she didn’t quite fit in…in Camden, or anywhere else.

Enter Caleb Wallace, the devilishly handsome man who has recently moved to Triona’s small town. While their attraction to each other is instantaneous, it also proves to be dangerous…and deadly.

When tragedy strikes, Triona flees to London for solace and to start her life anew. It’s there she discovers from an unlikely source that her family has been keeping secrets from her – secrets about not only her birthright, but her ultimate destiny as well. Armed with this knowledge, Triona finds herself thrown into a whole new world and into a battle to save the lives of everyone she loves.

My Thoughts:

When I first saw the cover of Shades of Atlantis, I was pretty excited to see what this contained.  The synopsis on the back is informative but doesn't give away what type of paranormal romance I was expecting, so throughout the book I was like, hmm are they werewolves, vampires etc.  Well I had it wrong.  And it was a nice surprise.

I was pretty thrown with the preface when I began reading through the chapters.  It wasn't until one character is telling stories that I began piecing it altogether and worked out the tie in. 

Carol has done a great job in creating down to earth and well developed characters although my only gripe would be the fact that Triona is quite oblivious to the attention she attracts and this seems to be popping up more and more in recent YA books I've read.  I particularly enjoyed the chemistry and anticipated lead up to certain character relationships as well. 

I really enjoyed reading about the celtic myths and legends that are included throughout the book when one of the characters begins to open up. 

If your after a great 'Happily Ever After' read, I recommend Shades of Atlantis. 

Spellbound Noticeboard (3)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com 

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Fandom Fight the Floods

 

 

http://fandomsfightthefloods.blogspot.com/ 

Fandoms Fight the Floods has been established by a group of eight dedicated and hard working Aussies, some of us directly affected in the crisis. Our aim is to support the Queensland Premier’s Flood Appeal, and to co-ordinate a fundraising effort to raise as much money as possible from the incredible and generous world of Fanfiction.

We aim to put together a compilation of stories from Fanfiction authors. The compilation will be made available to readers who donate a minimum of $5 to either the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Fund (www.qld.gov.au/floods ) or the St Vincent De Paul Society (www.vinnies.org.au/home-qld )

Authors and readers, we would love for you to support us, and this effort.

Read the full post over at The Sookiverse

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My Love Affair With Books  is running an awesome Indie/Self Published Authors Spotlight feature on her blog for the month of January.  Go check out the fantastic posts!!  Click on the Indie Authors Spotlight badge just above for the schedule!

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Have a good night!

Waiting on Wednesday (46)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!


This week I'm adding The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin to my list of books I'm eagerly awaiting for.  This one won't be out until the 27th September this year though.

Synopsis
Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.

Accidents Happen by Marlene Sanchez

Title: Accidents Happen

Author: Marlene Sanchez

Genre: Suspense/Mystery

Publisher: Romantic Trysts Publications 

Publication Date: 18 April 2010
Stand alone or series: Series

Pages: 223 pages

Book Received from: Author

First Lines: It seemed as if he had the target in sight. When he aimed his .38 caliber revolver and pulled the trigger, she saw him close his eyes as the recoil threw his arms in the air.

Synopsis:

Martina Rosequete isn’t a cop anymore. But when her best friend, Jen, is killed in a fall from her own balcony Marti’s cop instincts tell her it isn’t an accident. Her investigation into Jen’s death leads Marti to a string of accident’s that aren’t… In the seedy underworld of Miami run by the notorious Pascual crime family Marti put’s her life on the line to find the truth. There is only one man she can trust, her neighbor, sometime-lover Eddie. But when Eddie buying things he shouldn’t be able to afford on a cops salary, Marti begins to wonder if she really can trust anyone. Nothing is ever as it seems when Accidents Happen….

My Thoughts:
Accidents Happen is the story of an ex cop Martina, who finds herself on an unofficial investigation when her friend Jen apparently commits suicide.  Marti knows Jen wasn't the sort of girl who would deliberately end her life.  When Marti goes through some old momentos and photos she's kept, she comes across an envelope that she doesn't remember being there before... and so begins the questions.

I enjoyed reading about Marti, Eddie and Jackie and was pretty engrossed in the story but there were a few things that I found that annoyed me a little.  It seemed a bit of a slow start in Chapter One, and while the lead up to Jen's 'suicide' did help to set the scene and get to know the characters, I felt that it could have been left up to the reader to work it out for themselves.

Marti is a strong and independant character and reminds me of myself a bit in terms of her liking to do things for herself and not relying on others.  She's witty and feisty too, another strong trait I like in main characters.  I got the impression Marti was supposed to be a bit impulsive but I didn't really see much of it shown in her actions up until one point where she goes and does something without waiting for the others.  To me it felt out of character though. 

Marti and Eddie's (her friend with benefits) relationship was amusing at best and at times I could have sworn it seemed like they were an old married couple. 

My only other gripe was that the end of the story seemed to end abruptly for me and I wanted there to be a bit more finality in that last scene.  That's just my personal opinion though. 

All in all, I did still enjoy Accidents Happen.  It was a great story that kept me interested all the way through.  It did feel a little raw around the edges but am curious to see what else Martina gets up to next!

Fave Line:  Marti.  I'm hurt.  Sex isn't the only thing I think about when I ask you if you need any company.  I just want to cuddle." - Eddie

Spellbound Bookshelves (3)

Welcome to my new feature Spellbound Bookshelves! Each week I'll be posting up pictures of Readers Bookshelves. As this is just starting out, I'll need to ask you help in spreading the word and hopefully sending in pictures of your bookshelves. I'll also be including awesome bookshelves to store your books in for a bit of variety.

This week I've included some very cool Ikea bookshelves that I seen being used in store.  I know I'd have all of these in my house if they'd fit!

If you'd like your bookshelves featured on here please send me your pics at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com  

In My Mailbox (45)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture.

Bought:

Awakened by P.C and Kristin Cast

What did you get in your IMM?

Sticky Beak (41)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!

Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff to Check Out:
Diversity in YA: is a website and book tour founded by two young adult authors, Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon, to celebrate diverse stories in YA.
Huffington Post: New Zodiac Sign Dates.  How weird is this?  And how do you pronounce that new one?

The Story Siren: Books to Pine For
La Femme Readers: Tantalizing Future YA Releases
Book Lovers Inc: New Releases for January 10-16 !

Spellbound Noticeboard (2)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com 

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 Reggie from The Undercover Book Lover Book Blog has a new challenge that she is hosting called: The 2011 YA Contemporary Challenge.  It's a really great way to priotize young adult contemporary books in the midst of all of the paranormal books flowing through the market! So check it out, get involved and spread the word!!

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Crime Beat is Scott Nicholson's newest novella!  In Crime Beat, when John Moretz takes a reporter job in a small Appalachian town, a crime spree erupts that quickly escalates to serial killing... and Moretz seems to know a little more than he's printing to page.  You can get the kindle version on Amazon.  If you're after the Nook version you can get it at Barne's and Noble

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Thank you to everyone who sent their stuff in to be promoted.  I love spreading the word around the blogosphere and thats what this Noticeboard is specifically for!

Have a good night!

Waiting on Wednesday (45)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!


This week I've picked Drought by Pam Bachorz.  This one will be released on the 25th January 2011.

Synopsis
Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

What are your Waiting on Wednesday picks?

Flood Pictures in Queensland

Hey all,

Going to be updating as the day goes with pics of flooding around the area.  So stay tuned.

The above pics are taken of the Bremer River at Rosewood yesterday afternoon (11 January)

The One Mile bridge in Ipswich Yesterday afternoon (11 January)

View of Coles in Ipswich early this morning (12 January) 

These 2 pics above are of Goodna early this morning. (12 January)

This was added in You Tube on the 10th January. 

UPDATED

This is my work this morning.  :(  (12 January)

A shot further back of my workplace (12 January)

Turley Street this morning (12 January)

At Hungry Jacks at Bundamba this morning.  Click on this to get a bigger picture! (12 January)

Videroni Street, Bundamba this morning (12 January)

(Behind the Racetrack)

One of many housese on Videroni Street, Bundamba.  The water was coming up as I was taking these pics (12 January)

Bundamba Creek.  It was up over the bridge real early this morning (12 January)

Crazy Clarks early this morning at Goodna (12 January)

Videroni Street Bundamba this morning (12 January)

Bachmann Plant Hire around 9 this morning (12 January)

Ipswich Highway at Goodna facing towards Brisbane this morning (12 January)

Ipswich Road, Oxley taken today (12 January )

More Updates Soon