Stacking The Shelves # 26

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a way to share with everyone all the goodies you've received through out the week. 

Just click the covers to be taken to their goodreads pages. 

Purchased

I am finally doing it!! I'm finally reading/listening to Bloodlines. I started it the other day and so far I love it. So  happy to be back in this world, and Adrian cracks me up. :) I had another credit on Audible left over for this month, so I went ahead and grabbed the sequel. I have a feeling I'm going be blowing through these books.  

For Review



( Thank You Tuttle Publishing & Simon Pulse  )

I'm kinda excited for In Real Life. Jen actually received the review request because of my review of Ashfall so she passed it my way. She knows I'm a bit of a gamer so I think this book will be right up my Alley. The Bargaining looks really freaking creepy. It doesn't come out until February of 2015, but you bet your ass I'll be reading this one in October.


That's it for books this week! Though I am going to the library tomorrow, so who knows what I'll leave with! I hope you are all having a great summer! Ours has been unseasonably cool. We've had some hot days, but haven't even broken into 90's yet. It's crazy. But it's been great for hiking and maybe not so great for our garden but it's still thriving!

We need to put a bench back here so that I can sit and read while staring at the garden

Meet the tiny chubs!!! our little pickling cucumbers are going crazy. 

Finally some harvested beans! It wasn't a big batch but they were delicious

Summer squash is finally starting to produce goods!! Hooray! 

Caught a little bee doing his job! 

This week we are planning some more Hiking! We took Aubrey to a famous spot near us last Sunday, boulder field. She had a blast trying to climb over all the rocks. 

It's amazing how much beauty there is in this world! :) 

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Labels: stacking the shelves

The Weekend Update - 7.26.14

So, since my end-of-the-week post isn't just about what I got in my mailbox or on my Kindle each week -- though that is a big part of it, I won't lie -- I decided to change up the title and intro a bit.  I might tweak the format a bit over the next few weeks, but for the most part, it'll contain the same stuff: stuff I got, stuff I did, and stuff that's coming up on the blog.  Plus, I get to use the awesome GIF you see here and blow kisses to all the people who sent me lovely books and bookish things.  Oh, and I've started linking up to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews since I'm not using a specific meme title anymore.  April's also doing her own Stacking the Shelves posts on Sundays.  Stop by and say hi!  =)

Alas, my stay-cation is almost over. Katie and I didn't really do a lot besides be lazy, read (me), play Minecraft (her), paint our nails, and swim, but we had a great time doing it. :) Oh, and Katie got her first official haircut. She'd had a trim before, but this time, we took off a substantial amount, and she loves it. But it makes her look older, more mature, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. :( Still doesn't seem like we had enough time together. I am not looking forward to her going back to school in a month, though I am better prepared than I was last year when she was going into kindergarten. ;0)

Anyway, here's what I scored this week:


For Review:

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas - I really enjoyed The Burning Sky last year and I've been hearing the best things about this sequel. I already had a galley from EW, but I'm super happy to have this gorgeous cover in my hands, as well.
The Jewel by Amy Ewing - April and I will be buddy-reading this one soon. I've heard comparisons to The Selection, which has me worried, but I'm not sure if that's because of the similar but pretty covers or if the story is that comparable.

ETA: audiobook copies for review


The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson - I had a galley of this for review, but then I was offered a copy of it on audio, and since I've been seeing mixed reviews, I thought this might be the better route. Some books are just better on audio.
Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover - I've already read this, but I'm dying to hear the voice put to Daniel. :)

Purchases:

Shimmer by Paula Weston - I feel like I've been waiting ages for this to arrive, but that's probably because I pre-ordered it like five months ago. o_O I know some people are only now getting review copies of Haze so I should feel lucky to have this, but you know how entitled us bookish types can get when it comes to our favorite series. :P

Library:


The Taking and The Queen of the Tearling were both review books I didn't make it to prior to release, plus I'd seen a lot of mixed reviews, so I wasn't sure they were worth spending my precious reading time on. Hence me picking up the audio versions from the library. I've read nothing but good things about Breath, Annie, Breathe and even though I haven't read any of the other books in the Hundred Oaks series, I'm taking a chance on this one. Let's call it an experiment to see if that whole "this book can be read as a stand-alone" thing holds true. :) I've been intrigued by Six Months Later since Summer went crazy for it last year, and my library finally got it on audio. Yay me!


So, that's my haul. How about you? What did you get this week?

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• Not a Drop to Drink - audio (April)
• Wild Cards - audio (Jen)
• Alias Hook - audio (Jen)
• Second Chance Summer - audio (April & Jen)

Current Giveaways: 

Win a copy of COURTED, the PB compilation of GILT & TARNISH!

Look for new giveaways in the coming weeks, including our first ever Twitter-only contest and a giveaway of the complete Maze Runner series in anticipation of the new film!

Promotional/Discussion Posts:  

• Desert Island Picks, the Character Edition - The Top Ten Characters We'd Wanted to be Stranded With
• Waiting on Wednesday - The Start of You and Me begins with The Secrets We Keep version
• SYNC 2014 - Week 11 Books Up for Grabs - Headstrong & The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Midsummer Romance Blog Tour featuring an interview with Katherine Longshore
• When Imitation Isn't the Sincerest Form of Flattery - a discussion on copycats and stolen ideas

Jen's Currently Reading/Listening To:

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! It's happening. I'm trying to pace myself because I know it's still another year or so until the next book but it's SO hard not to sprint to the end. On a side note, how freaking gorgeous are these covers? I usually detest angel books with girls in pretty dresses on the covers, but these are so different and rather inspired if you ask me. I could be biased, though, since it is one of my favorite series. :D

I'm hoping the audio was the way to go with this book since the reviews are so varied for Tearling. So far, it's not bad. But I've only been listening sparingly as I do laundry, which is to say, not very much since I'm on vacation and spending most of my time in a swimsuit. =)

Upcoming Reviews:

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Labels: in my mailbox (imm), stacking the shelves, the weekend update

When Imitation ISN'T the Sincerest Form of Flattery

This little rant has been a long time coming, but I hate confrontation and I kept convincing myself that it was just me, that no one else would see the similarities so I shouldn't bother saying anything at all. Until I asked April for her opinion. And she's not one to sugar-coat anything, even for me, so I'm pretty sure it's not just me.

This isn't going to be a post on plagiarism. We're all sick and tired of the subject, though it continues to run rampant. I'd never even really ever considered that I might one day become the victim of it. (Gawd, that sounds so cliché.) And maybe I'm still not...I don't know. My reviews are decent and well-worded, I guess, but never something I'd think someone else would want to copy. But reworking the paragraphs of my review and then using key phrases from it feels like I've had my review stolen from me. Two blatant attempts by the same person, someone I consider(ed) a friend...someone who's been friendly and asked for advice, someone I've freely given it to over the last couple of years. But who knows how many more reviews of mine she's perused while writing her own? I'm not one of those super-sleuths who's going to check all of this person's reviews against my own and call them out. That's not my style.

But neither is being walked on and not saying something. As I said, though, I'm not talking about plagiarism today. Because it's not just my reviews that have been borrowed...my newest and most favorite feature of ever has been copied with no credit given to me. So, no, this isn't just another post about plagiarism. No, this is more of a how could they post. I know this is wishful thinking, but I'm hoping that these people will see this post, realize that I know and knock it the fuck off.

I have a friend in a similar situation with her most beloved feature, and like me, she wants to avoid confrontation, so she's never said anything to the other blogger. But she knows this blogger knew of her feature prior to borrowing the idea for her own because that same blogger commented or tweeted about the awesomeness of the feature. But never did she ask if my friend minded if she borrow the idea but make it her own, still giving credit to my friend, which, of course, is the polite and proper way to go about this endeavor.

In my case, I can't prove that the blogger knew about my feature before starting hers, but I know she follows my blog and the wording of her intro leads me to believe that she did see mine first. I'm not saying my feature is wholly original -- the idea for it or the execution -- but I give due credit in my introduction to the post each and every time. And not only did this blogger basically copy my idea, she gave the feature the lamest title ever. And she's not even using it for its intended purpose half the time she posts it! What's even worse is that this blogger is a good friend of my friend whose feature was also copied. And I don't want drama, so I haven't said anything to either of them.

I know, I'm being intentionally vague, but like I said, no drama, no confrontation. Actually, I'm being very passive-aggressive with this post, but that is my style, unfortunately. I did ask April if I should say anything, and she thought this was the best approach, too. To vent but not create a feud with other bloggers.

I'm not vain enough to think that this is about me. I know better. But why, then? Why steal someone else's intellectual property and claim it as your own? Do you not have an original thought of your own? Seriously.

Okay, rant over. I'm turning it over to the voice of reason now. Er, I mean, April. Ha!

April's thoughts on the subject:

Well, I don't really know if I'm the voice of reason here but I do have a few things to say. It's obvious Jen is a little heated right now and she has every right to be. I've viewed the posts, and I've seen the feature. She is justified in feeling the way she does. Jen may be a close friend of mine, but if I thought she was overreacting, I would tell her. That's just how we roll. Honest all the way.

While you are all getting her rant at full blast, I've gotten tidbits of it over the past few months. It's been building up. It makes me so sad that she's going through all of this. One of the things that attracted me to Jen's blog in the first place was the way she writes. She may not see why anyone would want to copy her reviews, but I do. I wish I had thought of it first! J/k lol. She is way talented as a reviewer. It pains me to see her hard work ripped off.

I personally don't have as much experience with being stolen from. At least not my reviews. I have been copied on YouTube multiple times. There was an incident with my SIMS Trailer for Matched. A long time ago I had someone also make a trailer with the sims, and post it in my comments section to get views. I was more amused than upset because it was horribly made. And it had all of the same scenes, so it was obviously a rip off. And the person had the nerve to ask me in the comments to go check it out. Really?

Another instance, one that kinda made me mad, was my Fifty Shades of Grey Parody trailer. It was meant to be a joke, but it went viral. Shared on VH1's website even. As soon as it went viral, another animated parody showed up on YouTube with the same name. While it wasn't exactly the same, it was similar and it was purposely named the same so that it would show up next to mine and ride its popularity.

That is nothing compared having your words stolen from you, though. It's sad, but stuff like this happens every day. I don't understand either. Why do it? Just be original, and if not at least give credit where it's due. I don't have much else to say on the matter, other than it disgusts me. So I'll just leave you with some 311.

                              

Jen here again. Promise I'm done ranting. I just wanted April to know that the theft of her ideas is no less awful than the theft of my words. She's right, though. It's disgusting. Riding someone else's coattails is just beyond obnoxious. So don't do it! And those of you who've already done it:

Thank you.

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Labels: discussion, i've got my ranty pants on, intellectual property, plagiarism

Midsummer Romance Blog Tour: Interview with Katherine Longshore & Giveaway

If you've been following the blog for very long, you know that I am a huge fan of Katherine Longshore's Tudor-inspired series of companion novels. Her characters and stories are everything I could ask for in a historical fiction novel: witty, daring, and terribly unruly. And the romance in each book is charming and completely swoonworthy!

Several of the stops on this tour have Katherine focusing on her historical hotties, but today she's stopping by to answer some of my questions. Check out her responses about romance, the Tudor period, and see what's next for the author, then scroll down to enter to win your very own copy of Courted, the paperback compilation of Gilt and Tarnish, the two books that precede Brazen, her newest novel and the last in this series.

Midsummer Romance Blog Tour

featuring Katherine Longshore

As an author of romance yourself, what do you look for/prefer to read in a romance novel?

That’s such a difficult question to answer! Maybe this is because I don’t look for anything in particular. I generally pick up books about characters and situations I find intriguing. It might be a futuristic societal divide, as in Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky trilogy. Or assassin nuns in Robin LaFevers’ historical series that began with Grave Mercy. And I love romances that also include strong friendships (like the two I’ve just mentioned). In our lives, our friendships are equally (and sometimes more) important than our romantic relationships, so I like my fiction to reflect that.

I completely agree...I actually really like relationships in books where the couple starts as friends first. But when you do want a feel-good romance, who is your go-to romance author?

I will read anything by Huntley Fitzpatrick—her romantic plots are strong and believable, but so are all the other relationships involved. And she writes people who are fully-formed and crafted in such a way that even the secondary and tertiary characters stand out. And of course, I love Stephanie Perkins—I can’t wait to read Isla and the Happily Ever After.

I think the whole world is waiting for Isla! Those are two of my favorite YA romance authors, too. :)

What drew you to write about the Tudor period?

When I decided I wanted to write a novel, my husband brought up the old adage, write what you know. I didn’t really want to write anything autobiographical—one of the reasons I enjoyed acting, and one of the reasons I love writing is that I get to try out all these other lives besides my own. But I had been reading about Henry and his wives off and on for years, so I thought that might be a good place to start. My interest in the Tudors followed on from an obsession with Richard III after seeing Ian McKellen’s portrayal in the 1995 film. With both kings (Richard and Henry) I wanted to find out if either one was really as bad as they have been portrayed in fiction and popular history.

I have to admit, I knew very little of this period before reading this series. Which of your books is your favorite, the one you enjoyed writing the most?

I don’t know if I can answer that! It’s a little like being asked which of my children is my favorite. J I can say that writing Gilt was great fun because I didn’t know what I was doing or if it would ever sell, so I could write anything I wanted and didn’t have expectations (or bad reviews) hanging in my mind. I adored writing Anne in Tarnish because her voice was so strong and the dialogue came so easily—it was almost like taking dictation. Manor of Secrets was a delicious challenge—third person, two points of view all written from an outline when I usually fly by the seat my pants. But Brazen is probably the book of which I am the most proud. It was by far the most difficult book to write and certainly the one I cried the most over. But I think the hard work paid off.

I would say that Brazen is my favorite, too, because I just adored Mary and Fitz and their predicament. But you've reminded me that I still have one of your books to read!

What's been your favorite scene to write?

I love dancing and kissing scenes. There is so much tragedy in the Tudor court—imprisonments and bad marriages and untimely deaths—so I love to give my characters a chance to have a little fun. One in particular is a scene in Brazen where Mary and Fitz are alone, outside and looking at the stars. Mary makes a confession and gets an unexpected response.

*winks* I know which scene you're referring to. :)

How much research goes into writing your historical fiction novels, and do you take a lot of liberties with your characters' stories?

I try very hard not to take any liberties with the actual history—the contemporary accounts that tell us who was where and when. If Fitz wasn’t at court during a particular time period, I couldn’t write a scene with him in it. Period. But the meaty, juicy stories of people’s lives are often the ones that go unwritten—thoughts and feelings and desires. And even when a certain action got recorded (Henry FitzRoy was given Baynard’s Castle after Anne Boleyn’s death) we still don’t know what motivations lay behind it or how all the participants reacted internally. That’s where the fun part of historical fiction comes in.

So my research has to be both broad (including the general atmosphere of the court at the time, what people ate and how they dressed, political intrigue at home and abroad, etc.) and meticulously detailed (timelines that include the daily actions of all the characters, the exact wording of conversations if they were recorded, even the Christmas gifts—who gave what to whom). The liberties I take are only what I deem necessary for the good of the story, and can usually be justified as being possible. In Brazen, the lists that Mary and her friends write in her little blank book are not in the actual document (the Devonshire Manuscript) in the British library, but they seem to be the sort of thing that they might have written.

Can we expect more historical fiction from you soon, or can you tell us what you're working on next?

I always have a couple of historical ideas percolating in the back of my head! I think I’m ready to move onto other eras—I’m fascinated by the English Civil Wars, World War I, the social upheaval of the 1960s. At the moment, I’m working on a contemporary YA novel, but I will also be contributing to the Pistols & Petticoats historical fiction anthology edited by Jessica Spotswood that is scheduled to be published in 2016.

That all sounds fabulous, Katherine! I'll definitely be checking out that anthology.

A big thank you to Katherine Longshore and Penguin Young Readers Group for putting this tour together!

About the Author:

Katherine Longshore is the author of Gilt, Tarnish, and Brazen. She lives in California with her husband, two children and a sun-worshipping dog.

Find Katherine:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About BRAZEN:

Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About COURTED:

Obsession, seduction, betrayal, desire.

Love always comes with a hidden agenda...

Available together for the first time in one volume, the first two of Katherine Longshore's Tudor England novels. Gilt, a story of friendship and betrayal in the court of Henry VIII, and Tarnish, the story of a young Anne Boleyn. Plus a sneak peek excerpt of Brazen!

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rules:

• This giveaway is US only. The publisher will be providing the prize for this giveaway.
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant. 
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Be sure to follow along with the rest of the blog tour for more interviews with Katherine Longshore and to read about her favorite historical hotties!

Midsummer Romance Blog Tour Schedule:

Tuesday, July 8 – Good Books & Good Wine

Thursday, July 10 –Perpetual Page Turner

Tuesday, July 15 –Alice Marvels

Thursday, July 17 – Confessions of a Book Addict

Tuesday, July 22 – Novel Sounds

Thursday, July 24 – Starry-Eyed Revue -- that's us!

Tuesday, July 29 – The Midnight Garden

Thursday, July 31 – Novel Thoughts

Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading!

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Labels: author interviews, blog tour, brazen, courted, giveaways, historical fiction, katherine longshore, penguin