Tag Archives: writing

May 17, 2013 · 3:21 pm

Let the Countdown Begin…

Hi Everyone,

Today is Friday, May 17th… We are just a week away from the start of the Big Celebration Party! (Don’t know what I what I am talking about, please read the Big Announcement.)

I thought I would share one of the ways you will be able to enter to win the BIG Giveaway. As you know, the BIG Giveaway will be a Rafflecopter giveaway. There will be a page here, with the Rafflecopter widget and it will be available on Facebook. There are several “games” that will be played during the upcoming weeks. ALL answers will need to be entered into the Rafflecopter. For instance: (yes, I am about to reveal one of the games) every week on Sunday, there will be a “Guess the Character” game! Every Sunday, (at various times) I will post a character description from some of the books/stories that I read when I was younger. I call these characters “Classics,” because of the fact that I have read their stories multiple times. I will post these descriptions on Twitter only! (I will post a reminder here, but not the description.) Once you see the description on Twitter, please go to the Rafflecopter page on here or on Facebook and type in the Character’s Name. (Please do not post the Character’s Name on Twitter.) At the end of the BIG Giveaway, I will list the character’s names and their descriptions on here.

Sound fun? I hope so, because I have enjoyed picking the characters! (Let me tell you it was hard to narrow down to just 10!)

And if you don’t have Twitter, don’t worry! There will be a Facebook only game and a TON of other ways to enter to win!

I will give more clues and rules to the other games throughout the remaining days!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

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May 15, 2013 · 8:31 pm

Reading Update…

Hi Everyone,

How are you? I am just curious as to what everyone is reading this week. For me, I am half way through book number 44 on The List. It is a romance novel. I am also a third of the way through book number 31 on My Sister’s Books List. This book is a suspense/intrigue book. And I just finished a children’s book for the eMag and am going to start reading a sci-fi/fantasy young adult book. My plate is full of diverse books and I couldn’t be happier. (Thank you all!) I hope to be able to soon share the reviews that I wrote last month for the eMag. I will post them as soon as I am allowed to share.

Yesterday, the new Dan Brown novel, Inferno, came out and I am thrilled! I love Dan Brown’s unique and skillful writing. Are there any books that have come out or are about to come out this month, that you are excited about?

Hope you all have a wonderful evening!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

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May 12, 2013 · 7:55 am

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

I just wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day!!! Whether your a Mama of a human baby or a fur baby, Happy Mother’s Day!!!

What were some of the books that you shared with your Mom while you were growing up?

For me, the Children’s Book… I’ll Love You, Forever is a book that I can still recite from memory. My Mom and I used to read that together all the time. Now my Grandmother used to bring me a set of 6 Nancy Drew books every time she would visit. So Nancy Drew will always hold a special place in heart, thanks to her.

As for being a fur-Mama, the book that made me laugh and cry because of its honesty and truth is… Marley and Me. If you have ever loved a dog with your whole heart, then that book is a must-read. (And no, I have never seen the movie.)

Hope each of you have a wonderful, beautiful day!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

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· 7:45 am

Wendy Review #1

SHADE
By: Jeri Smith-Ready

Review by: Wendy

Synopsis:

Love ties them together. Death can’t tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a critical gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding–and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura’s relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Review:

Aura is a sixteen year old “post-shifter”. Post-shifters are all kids born after December twenty-first at three fifty a.m., which happens to be the exact time of Aura’s birth. Everyone born after this time, has the ability to see, hear, and speak to ghosts. Aura is after the answers to why the “Shift” happened and how she can undo it. She is tired of being harassed by ghosts everywhere she goes, in her job, at school, and at the mall. She just wants to find peace for her and all the other kids around her.

Logan is Aura’s Irish punk rock boyfriend, who is on the brink of stardom. Aura fears that she is going to lose Logan to his desire to be a star, and to the inevitable flock of groupies to follow. Logan loves Aura and will do anything for her and doesn’t think fame will change him.

After the successful concert and After Party/Logan’s Birthday party, Aura decides this is going to be the night she gives herself to Logan. Logan, however blows it by getting wasted at the party, and after being unable to “Rise” to the occasion, makes a fateful decision to try to salvage the night. After Logan’s poor choice, he accidentally kills himself, and now Aura can see his ghost. The thing she wanted to get rid of is now the one thing she doesn’t want to give up, because having him partly there is better than not having him at all.

Zachary is the Scottish exchange student that comes into Aura’s life as it is falling apart. Zachary is a “Pre-shifter”. He was born exactly one minute before the shift, and is unable to see the ghosts around him. Zackary becomes an outside support system that was not part of her life with Logan and she can escape with.

This is an emotionally charged book that is hauntingly beautiful. Do you let go or hang on with everything you have. How do you move on with your life when your soul mate is no longer with the living. This was a read that I stumbled upon and I am so glad I did. It gets a solid 4 stars from me and it doesn’t matter how many times I read it, I still cry.

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May 11, 2013 · 6:00 am

BIG Announcement!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

It is time. It is here. Today is Saturday, May 11, 2013 and it is 6:00am EDT and this can only mean one thing… It is time for the BIG Announcement. You all are amazing you know this, right?! I want to thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this BIG Announcement!

So without further delay…

I can’t believe that a year has gone by since I started this amazing journey. My little dream of finding a way into to the world of literature has grown into something that I could never have hoped for. Thank you all for your support. I am so honored to have each of you following along in this journey. I love being able to read books, write reviews and then talk with all of you about the wonderful books and authors. So on May 25th, 2013, I hope that you all will join me as I begin a three month long celebration party.

Why three months? Well… on May 25th, my blog will turn 1, on June 20th, my first posted book review will turn 1 and on July 27th, my first Indie Author book review will turn 1. Three BIG birthdays/anniversaries!!! And with all that is going on in the world around us, why not celebrate to the fullest. (Besides, who doesn’t love to celebrate good times!)

What kind of Celebration?

Starting on May 25th through July 27th, each Saturday, I will take a look back at some of the books that I have had the honor to review. “A Year in Review” weekly special. On the majority of those weeks, you the followers will get a chance to win some pretty cool prizes, such as bookmarks or ebooks, thanks to the author(s) of the book(s) being Re-Reviewed. Yes, that’s right, there will be 10 weeks with 8 giveaways! But this is only half of the BIG Announcement…

The second half?

This part is extra-special. You see, through May 25-July 31st, there will be a separate giveaway going on. Yes, that’s right another chance to win! This giveaway will be active the ENTIRE time between May 25th-July 31st. For this giveaway, some very generous authors have donated Autographed books, both ebooks and Paperbacks, plus bookmarks. AND… my very favorite and very talented artist friend, Dana Zalesky , has donated an original piece of artwork. So as you can see this giveaway will be BIG!!!

How do you win?

The individual weekly contests will be held like the regular giveaways. (And there will still be those scheduled during this time, too.) All you have to do is leave a comment under that week’s blog post to be entered to win. With the help of Random.org, winners will be chosen and announced the following week. Each contest/feature, will run for a week (Saturday-Friday.)

The BIG giveaway will be a Rafflecopter giveaway, but not just a plain Rafflecopter giveaway. It will be a game… A mixture of Guess the Book from the Quote and a Scavenger Hunt. Bonus points (bonus entries) will be plenty and some will be offered daily!!! You will be able to find the Rafflecopter here, as it will have a page to itself and on Ariesgrl Book Reviews Facebook Page.

(And yes, it is a possibility to win more than one giveaway.)

My goal is to make the next several weeks fun for everyone! I want this to be a true celebration as my way to say thank you to each of you! I hope I have answered any questions you may have, but if not just post a comment below. (However no specifics on authors/books/prizes will be given, just yet.)

So this was my BIG Announcement! I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait!!!

Have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!!!
~Ariesgrl

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May 10, 2013 · 12:42 pm

Almost time…

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to give you all a quick update. There is less than 18 hours left before the BIG Announcement is made!!! I just have one question… Are you ready to have a party?

Hmm… was that a small hint… I don’t know. I just know, that I am super excited about tomorrow morning’s announcement and I hope you all are too.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

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· 11:45 am

My Sister’s Books Review #13

And Then I Found You
By: Patti Callahan Henry

This fictional story is based off the real-life events that occurred within the author’s family. Jack Adams and Katie Vaughan grew up together and were childhood sweethearts. Katie even vowed on the first day of Spring, that magical day when all promises come true, to never love another as much as she loved Jack. However life happened, Katie is now Kate who is trying to be in love with her boyfriend, Rowan. Too much has occurred in the last 13 years and Kate knows she can’t fix things until she first talks to Jack. However the true healing process starts when her thirteen year old daughter, whom she gave up for adoption, finds her on Facebook. This is the story of how Katie, Jack and Emily find one another and find themselves along the way.

Patti Callahan Henry uses her real-life experiences and emotions as inspiration for this story. With each chapter rotating between the present and the past, readers will feel like they are walking down memory lane with Kate. Then, when the story switches to Emily’s point-of-view, it brings about a new round of emotions for readers. The author’s writing will rip your heart open causing it to bleed with the characters’ pain, and then stitch it whole again with the sweetest thread made from undying love and conquering the fear of the unknown. This book is packed full of emotions and lessons to be learned that I highly recommend it to fans of Women’s Literature.

Note:

This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

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· 12:35 am

A Fellow Blogger Joins in on the Fun…

Hi Everyone,

I have some exciting news to share with you all today. (And no, it is not related to the BIG Announcement, which will be posted Saturday at 6am EDT.) This bit of news is related to the fact that Ariesgrl Book Reviews is expanding and constantly growing. I am very pleased to announce that Wendy, from Shhh, Mommy’s in the Bathroom, Reading will be writing guest reviews here. You may recall about a month ago, I had mentioned that some of my reviews would be posted on her Facebook page. Well… one night Wendy and I were talking about blogs, books and life, when the idea of being regular guest reviewers for each other’s blogs just sort of happened!

I am thrilled to introduce her to all of you and I hope each of you enjoy the extra reviews that will be coming your way. I asked her to write a short bio to help you all get to know her and here’s what she had to say…

“I am a mom of a 5 year old little girl. Prior to her birth, I hate to say this, but I hated to read. I was a movie girl, went at least once a week. After my daughter was born, little by little we found out about her multiple special needs and eventually found out she had a stroke at birth. To say the least we have had our hands full. When I tried to watch movies at home, I would only get to watch sections of them, and they lost all enjoyment. Then Twilight happened. A friend had been talking about the books long before the movie came out, and I was the person looking at her thinking, I don’t get you. The movie (DVD) came out and I pretty much only saw the end of the movie (which wasn’t the best), but I was left with wanting know what happened next. I know there are haters out there about Twilight, but if it wasn’t for that book, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with reading. It was something I could pick up, and put down and not miss something. It has definitely steam rolled from there. As you probably guess with the blog name, Yes, I would sneak to the bathroom to read, because that was the only time I seemed to find peace. And thanks to Kindle and social media, I have been introduced to so many books that wouldn’t have been available to me otherwise (our local library really seems to sensor what is allowed.) I am now an avid reader and always have some sort of reading material with me.”

I think we can all relate to that feeling of life being so chaotic that the only time we get a chance to breathe is when we run into the bathroom to hide!

Be on the lookout for her first guest review over the next coming days, as well as the BIG announcement on Saturday. In a few hours, I will be back with my latest bookstore book review.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

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May 6, 2013 · 10:37 pm

Will to Love

Lifestyle by Design #1. By: Miranda P. Charles. Format: eBook. Read: May 2013.

Clarise Carson was desperate not to be set-up by her meddling family, so she takes drastic measures to avoid the awkward introduction at her sister’s party. Too bad she didn’t know who the guy was ahead of time, because the only single male at the party was making her wounded heart flutter back to life. Will Matthews hated it when his friends tried to set him up. Yet he agrees to go to the party because he intends to be introduced to a woman who could help his successful business grow larger. Will intends to keep his life strictly business, in order to care for his parents, yet Clarise opens his heart to things he never thought possible. Will these two be able to put their pain aside and help each other heal or will they both avoid love out of fear?

This is a sweet, contemporary romance book to start a promising series. Miranda P. Charles does a great job with writing relatable characters whose past hurts will affect reader’s emotions. She also establishes the secondary characters, that will take on leading roles in future books, without distracting readers from Clarise and Will. Though the excessive use of endearing terms, such as Darling and Baby, will be a bit much for some readers to handle, the overall meanings of overcoming fear and going after what your heart desires are sure to soften even the hardest of hearts. This is an easy-to-read book, with a few grammatical errors. Adult readers who enjoy reading sentimental love stories, will thoroughly enjoy this book.

This book is a great way to start a series. I am looking forward to reading how the other characters find love and hopefully getting to see how Clarise and Will continue their relationship. This book will definitely have you grinning while you read.

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Note:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and her books, please visit her website.

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· 6:07 pm

Another Nook Delay and Some News…

Hi Everyone,

I was so excited when there was a knock on the door today. My replacement Nook had finally arrived. I quickly thanked the delivery man and opened up the box only to find… it was the wrong product. I was so disappointed. However I have been assured that the correct replacement Nook will be here by next week at the latest.

On a more positive note, I have a BIG Announcement that I will be making on here. It will be announced Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 6:00 am EDT. That means there is less than 4 days and 12 hours left!!! As for this announcement, I can’t say too much without giving it away, but I can leave you with a bit of information. I promise everyone who follows this blog will be excited about this announcement. I can say that this announcement will lead to something that will be a lot of fun for everyone, too. (At least I hope you all will be as excited as I am about this announcement.) I must stop now, before I say too much, but be sure to stop by here this weekend for the BIG announcement.

I hope you all have had a great Monday. I will be back in a couple of hours to post my next review.

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

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