Contest Time!

In celebration of my 100 google followers, I am having a giveaway! One person will win a $20 Amazon or B&N giftcard direct to their email to use online. To enter the contest tell me in the comments section:

 1. The title and author of a book you are dying to read
 2. The title and author of the last book you adored and why you loved it
3. Your email address and first name
Ok now tell me about some great books to add to my wishlist! Ready, Set, GO!

Rachel Vincent Contest Answers and Winner

Thanks to everyone for entering the quiz contest. Here are the answers!

How well do you know Rachel Vincent?

In each category below, two of the three statements are false. Do you know which one is true?

Family
A. Rachel is the oldest of five children.
B. Rachel is an only child.
C. Rachel is her parents’ only daughter.

And the answer is… A. Rachel is the oldest of five children.

From Rachel: My middle sister is 15 months younger than I, and my youngest sister is seventeen months younger than the middle sister. Then, about fourteen years ago, my father remarried. He and my awesome stepmother have two sons, my much younger brothers. They’re both scary-smart and cute. One isn’t even in school yet. ;-)

Food
A. Rachel is a vegetarian.
B. Rachel is allergic to tomatoes.
C. Rachel’s favorite kind of pizza is Margarita.

And the answer is… C. Rachel’s favorite kind of pizza is Margarita.

From Rachel: The very thought of me as a vegetarian makes me laugh. Hysterically. It would make my family laugh harder. I’m a very picky eater. I love fresh greens in salad—with ripe tomatoes—but the only cooked vegetables I’ll touch are fresh corn on the cob (I hate canned or frozen corn) and fried okra. And since I try not to eat much butter or fried foods, those are rarely on the menu.  However, I love Margarita pizza.

Music
A. Rachel secretly knows all the words to “Shoop.”
B. Rachel played the flute in her high school band.
C. Rachel once played Rock Band for nine straight hours.

And the answer is… B. Rachel played the flute in her high school band.

From Rachel: In fact, I was a section leader my junior and senior years. I do love my Rock Band, but so far, five hours is the longest I’ve ever played in a sitting. As for “Shoop,” that’s kind of an inside joke between me and my best friend—who knows every word, and will sing it on command. ;-)

Books
A. Rachel is a closet self-help junkie.
B. Rachel’s favorite author is Stephen King.
C. Rachel owns nearly 2000 paperbacks.

And the answer is… B. Rachel’s favorite author is Stephen King.

From Rachel: I’ve loved all but two of King’s novels, and most of his short stories, and I believe I own them all, about half in hardback. As for my paperbacks, I keep my keeper shelf pared down pretty strictly. If you’ve seen pictures of my office, you’ll know I only have three shelves. What doesn’t fit is given away or donated. But I keep the books I love, and I do love a lot of books.

As for self-help…I’ve literally never read one. Nor a single how-to. I prefer to read books with plots, and I refuse to believe anyone else knows how to run my life better than I do. Seriously. ;-)

Art
A. Rachel sketches her characters in charcoal when she gets stuck plotting.
B. Rachel once drank watercolor rinse water in elementary school on a dare.
C. Rachel’s lowest grade in college was in Art History.

And the answer is… C. Rachel’s lowest grade in college was in Art History.

From Rachel: I like art, and I like history. So it seemed natural that I’d like a combination of the two. But that turned out to be the hardest class I ever took, because I’m really bad with dates, and we had to identify pieces of art (shown on slides) by the name of the work, the name of the artist, the name of the period, and the dates the period lasted to and from. I just couldn’t do it.

After that, my electives were all in either English (even though that was my major), philosophy, or women’s studies.

Technology
A. Rachel is addicted to her iPhone.                                 
B. Rachel makes her own book trailers.
C. Rachel doesn’t know her own voicemail password.

And the answer is… A. Rachel is addicted to her iPhone.

From Rachel: Number 1 makes my trailers. And though I did forget my voicemail password once, I remembered it. Without having to call tech support. ;-) But I am never out of reach of my phone. Without it, I feel disconnected from the world. Lonely and alone. It’s sad, really. ;-)

Fears
A. Rachel is terrified of spiders.
B. Rachel is terrified of drowning.
C. Rachel is terrified of large cats.

And the answer is… C. Rachel is terrified of large cats.

From Rachel: I get nervous around large cats (lions, tigers, etc…) even at the zoo. And my fear has been validated by various stories of mauled zoo workers over the past couple of years. But writing my Shifters series is a kind of therapy, if you can believe that.

Incidentally, I’m also phobic-ly afraid of wasps and tornadoes. I spent eleven years in Oklahoma (and plan to return at the first opportunity), where tornadoes are a very real worry, and came close to getting blown away twice. I was in my closet during the F5 in 1999, which passed less than a mile from my house, and killed more than 40 people. And #1 wasn’t there. It was me and my best friend (at the time) and my cat Tirzah (may she rest in peace), huddled beneath several pillows, listening to the weather man say we wouldn’t survive without an underground shelter.

Fortunately, he was wrong. I’m still here. And I still hate wasps. ;-)

Rachel’s novels
A. The very first (unpublished) novel Rachel ever wrote was a YA.
B. Several Soul Screamers characters are named after her friends.
C. Rachel first learned about bean sidhes from her Irish grandmother

And the answer is… B. Several Soul Screamers characters are named after her friends.

From Rachel: My grandmother isn’t Irish. Her family is German, and she knew nothing about bean sidhes until she read MY SOUL TO TAKE. And my first novel was a very adult high fantasy.

I refuse to kill off characters named after people I don’t like (and really, there aren’t many of those) on the theory that Karma then owes me a huge wallop. And I refuse to model characters after friends or family, because I don’t want them to be hurt by anything I write. However, several of my friends have asked me to use their names in a book, and I was happy to oblige—with the caveat that that character may someday die. You never know about those things.

Which friends?
Laura (Sophie’s best friend) is named for a friend I’ve had for the past seven years, and hated leaving behind in Oklahoma. And Lisa (Addison Page’s hotel alias) is named for another good friend from OK.

Incidentally, Kaylee’s chemistry teacher, Mrs. Knott, has my highschool chem. 1 & 2 teacher’s name. I’m not sure how that happened, but there you go. ;-)


Thank you so much Rachel.  I loved reading your answers and it was alot of fun having you here!

Now to announce the winner!
The winner of a copy of My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent is.....
Beleth! Congrats! I'll be emailing you using the address you provided. Thanks for playing everyone!

Guest Author Rachel Vincent

Please welcome my guest author for this week, urban fantasy and Young Adult author Rachel Vincent! Rachel is the author of the popular Shifters Series which currently consists of four books with the fifth book, Shift, coming out in March.

Recently she ventured out into the world of Young Adult Urban Fantasy with the publication of My Soul to Take, the first in her Soul Screamers Series. The second book, My Soul to Save was recently released. There is also a free prequel to the series called My Soul to Lose which you can download at this link.

Rachel has put together a fun quiz for her readers to see just how well you know her. Post your guesses in the comments section. Both right and wrong answers will be entered in a random drawining for one reader to win a copy of the second Soul Screamers book, My Soul to Save.

Put the name of the category and the letter of the answer you think is true next to it. Such as: Family = B Food = A...etc. The contest will run from today until January 21st. On the 22nd Rachel Vincent will come by to discuss the right answers and reveal the winner's name. This contest is open to worldwide readers so everyone is elgible to enter! Have fun!

 How well do you know Rachel Vincent?

In each category below, two of the three statements are false. Do you know which one is true?

Family
A. Rachel is the oldest of five children.
B. Rachel is an only child.
C. Rachel is her parents’ only daughter.

Food

A. Rachel is a vegetarian.

B. Rachel is allergic to tomatoes.
C. Rachel’s favorite kind of pizza is Margarita.

Music
A. Rachel secretly knows all the words to “Shoop.”
B. Rachel played the flute in her high school band.
C. Rachel once played Rock Band for nine straight hours.

Books

A. Rachel is a closet self-help junkie.
B. Rachel’s favorite author is Stephen King.
C. Rachel owns nearly 2000 paperbacks.

Art

A. Rachel sketches her characters in charcoal when she gets stuck plotting.
B. Rachel once drank watercolor rinse water in elementary school on a dare.
C. Rachel’s lowest grade in college was in Art History.

Technology

A. Rachel is addicted to her iPhone.                                  
B. Rachel makes her own book trailers.
C. Rachel doesn’t know her own voicemail password.

Fears

A. Rachel is terrified of spiders.
B. Rachel is terrified of drowning.
C. Rachel is terrified of large cats.

Rachel’s novels

A. The very first (unpublished) novel Rachel ever wrote was a YA.
B. Several Soul Screamers characters are named after her friends.
C. Rachel first learned about bean sidhes from her Irish grandmother

Winner of Really Angelic....

The winner of Really Angelic by Enid Wilson is...

Thuy! Thuy please email me through the link in my profile with your name and address within 48 hours to claim your prize. Congrats!

Thank you Enid Wilson for taking the time to chat with readers. It was great having you here!

EDITED: Since Thuy never claimed the prize I had to pick a new winner. Katiebabs you are the new winner. I will email you through the link in your profile now.

Looking for a Guest Reviewer to review Cursed

Summary from Amazon:

From the moment of her birth, Hannah Worth bears the burden of a power that she does not understand and cannot control. Sheltered from the world, she grows up happily oblivious to the pain she causes others. Hannah doesn't know that she is despised and hated. At the height of her life, with everything she has ever wanted within her grasp, fate and the almighty impart a harsh lesson that will forever change her. Betrayed and cursed, Hannah will have to lose everything if she is to redeem herself, join the world and meet her destiny. The lines between good and evil are anything but clear in this epic dark fantasy that stretches from the witch trials of Salem to the onset of the French Revolution.

I am looking for an experienced reviewer to review Cursed by Suzanne M. Sabol as a Guest Reviewer on Enchanted by Books. I would need the review within two weeks of the person receiving the book. I would want the review in the same style as my own. Summary of the book and then your opinion of it, 300-500 words and properly proofread for grammar and spelling mistakes. I will properly credit the reviewer with their name, link to their blog, and even a bio if they'd like to write one for me to post with the review.

If you'd like to review this book, please post in the comments and leave me a link to your blog where I can see other reviews you've done. I will pick a person based on the reviews I read on your blog. I am not looking for someone to give a solely positive review, I am looking for honesty. So if you love the book, say so, if you don't, say so also.  Ok that's it. Ready, Set, Go!

PS: Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a copy of Really Angelic by Enid Wilson! Contest is running until the 15th.

WINNER WINNER! Dannie you are the winner of a copy of Cursed for review. I just emailed you so please write me back when you can with your name and addy so I can get the book out to you soon. Thanks for entering.

Nemi Review

Summary from Amazon

Meet Nemi Montoya, the vegetarian, cynical/romantic, hilariously honest twenty-something goth, in this brand new collection from artist Lise Myhre!

Hang out in the pub with Nemi and her friends, including her flatmate, the blue-haired Cyan; hear her opinions on romance and dating; watch her watch TV in her untidy flat; learn how she feels about birch trees, spiders and blondes; and generally experience the highs and lows of being Nemi in the modern world!

A superstar in her native Norway thanks to the immense success of Nemi — also reprinted in the 1.35 million-circulation UK Metro newspaper — you too can enter Lise Myhre’s witty, wonderful world!

I have been on the look out for more graphic novels to read ever since I read The Dark Hunters and Lenore: Noogies. Both graphic novels were thoroughly entertaining so when I was offered Nemi, I was once again hoping for plenty of humor and some fun reading. Unfortunately, I don’t know if it’s because this book is a translation from Norwegian or what, but the humor is just not there.

I didn’t laugh once and I found the huge paragraphs in the bubbles to be way too much for a comic strip. Comics are supposed to be light reading and to have to squint to read so much in a bubble, took away from the the ease of reading a book like this. The art work was ok, nothing that blew me away and made me oooo and ahhh over it.

Overall, I am pretty disappointed in Nemi as I had high hopes for a really fun graphic novel but was instead kind of bored by it. Here’s hoping the next graphic novel I read will be more to my liking as I really do enjoy reading them.

Guest Author Enid Wilson

Please welcome Enid Wilson, author of Bargain with the Devil and In Quest of Theta Magic. Her latest book, Really Angelic is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice but with a sexy paranormal twist to it. She writes sexy and erotic romance in a variety of genres such as modern, historical, paranormal and science fiction. Today Enid is here to share an excerpt from Really Angelic and to give away a copy to one lucky reader.

Angel in Training

“What do you want now?” She demanded with some annoyance. She reclined on the bed, not bothering to raise and greet the angel properly.
“I want to make sure you have been learning your way with the angelic quill,” Mihaela said.
“Well, I have learned a fair bit about Himins and my jobs from it. But I know not how I am to protect my ward, nor have I developed any angelic skills.”
“Then I will teach you some, now.”
“But I am tired and I have a headache,” she said with a sigh. “Can we not leave it for another day?”
“There is no skirting of your duties, young thing.” Mihaela said, turning into Michael and speaking in a deep, serious voice.
She recoiled, still uneasy over having a man in her room, even if he was an angel.
“Very well then, sir.” She put on a robe and said, “But can you change back to Mihaela?”
“You are an impertinent low-level angel.” He scowled but complied with her request, returning to his female form. “Nevertheless, I shall now teach you how to fly.”
She asked in awe, “So I have wings?”
“Yes, they are embedded inside your bone but you can only use them when you come to your ward’s rescue or request,” Mihaela said. “Simply roll your shoulders, left, right and left, then chant ‘Crosswind and Whirlwind, I trust Ventara, the God of Wind.’ Wings will then spring out from the back of your neck.”
She wanted to laugh at the silly chant but she could see that the Commissioner was losing patience. She did as she was told and to her complete astonishment, she felt a strong tickling at the base of her neck and suddenly her skin seemed to burst. She turned and saw the wings, at her back!
“You have but to concentrate on where you want to go, Lizzybell,” Mihaela said. “Perhaps you would like to try flying out of the window?”
“I could not possibly!” She exclaimed.
“Just fly across the bed then, if your faith is so frail.”
She focused on the other side of the bed and felt her feet lift off the floor. Startled, she looked down at the ground, losing her focus, which made her drop back to the floor with a loud thud.
From below, her mother’s voice screeched, “My dear husband, what was that sound? Are the French coming? I’m certain that it came from my daughter’s room! Oh my, have they come to kidnap her?” Then a succession of rapid footfalls was heard, ascending the stairs.

*****

The above excerpt was adapted from Enid Wilson’s latest Regency novel Really Angelic, a paranormal retelling of Pride and Prejudice (The book contains mature content). Enid has kindly offered a paperback copy of the book to ONE of you. Just tell us your thoughts by commenting below by January 14th at 6:00 pm EST and you will have a chance to win the book. Entry is open to worldwide readers. To read more about Enid ’s books, you can visit her website at this link.

Well, if you were to believe in the existence of guardian angels, what kind of skills do you expect them to possess?

Taming the Moon by Sherrill Quinn

I was browsing Brava's website and thought I'd look up Sherrill Quinn to see when her next book is coming out. Well I found my answer! February 23, 2010 Taming the Moon (book 3) is released! I adore her writing and can't wait to read this one! Here's a summary from Brava's website:

Animal attraction is only half of the problem…



Olivia Felan has a wild side, all right. Even ignoring the fact that she turns furry and feral once a month, her natural style is take-no-prisoners, full-speed-ahead, come-what-may. But when it comes to her little girl, she doesn’t take chances. So when a big bad werewolf alpha steals her daughter, Olivia will do whatever it takes to get her baby back. And in this case, that means killing Rory Sullivan.

The trouble is, killing him would mean wasting one sexy beast. Sully is all man, all cop, and as of late, half wolf. When he meets Olivia, Sully’s a little glad he stuck his nose into his friends’ business and came out with animal senses—until he gets a whiff of the chaos following her around. Now he has to decide whether he can’t take his eyes off Olivia because she’s too beautiful—or because she’s too dangerous…

Happy New Year!

 


Myspace Happy New Year Comments & Graphics

Total Books Read in 2009

Rachael's book montage

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I read a total of 74 books in 2009. I read more urban fantasy then ever before with alot less mysteries and contemporary romances. Paranormals and Urban Fantasy dominated my reading pile and I can't get enough of them. I'm hoping to read a bigger variety in 2010 and to try to read more each week and watch less TV. How many books did you read for 2009?

PS: Each book in the montage is clickable so if you can't see what book it is, click on the cover and it will bring you to the title and author on Good Reads.

PPS: And if you want to check it out, here's last year's list