Forbidden Sister By: V.C. Andrews

This was a pretty good read. I hadn't read anything from this author for some time. The last thing I read was the Flower In The Attic series. This one was a little slow going but then it was very interesting. It kinda fell off in the end. But it was still a good read. I think for fans of this author it will be a wonderful addition to their collection. For those who may be new this one could go either way. So I'm rating it a 3 stars.

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."

Book Description

Release Date: February 26, 2013

I had every reason to hate her, my forbidden sister. She was like someone who had died but wouldn’t stay buried. . . .Emmie Wilcox was only six when her older sister, Roxy, was thrown out of their New York City apartment. Their stern father’s military-style rules left no room for rebellion, and Roxy was as defiant as Emmie—now an outstanding student at a private school—is compliant: a perfect daughter, un fille parfaite, as her Parisian-born mother lovingly calls her. Two sisters, total opposites—yet Emmie is secretly obsessed with the mystery surrounding Roxy: What had she done? Where is she now? And is there a hidden side to Emmie that resembles Roxy’s spiteful nature? Knowing only that Roxy is a highly paid escort to the city’s wealthiest men, Emmie goes behind her father’s back to track down the sister she fears, despises, and inexplicably clings to . . . and whose influence might run deeper than Emmie ever imagined.

 BUY THE BOOK   BAM | BN | Amazon

About the Author

Born	June 6, 1923 Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Died	December 19, 1986 (aged 63) Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

One of the most popular authors of all time, V.C. Andrews has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of the spellbinding classicFlowers in the Attic. That blockbuster novel began the renowned Dollanganger family saga, which includes Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than sixty novels in nearly twenty bestselling series. V.C. Andrews’s novels have sold more than 106 million copies and have been translated into twenty-two foreign languages.

Find The Author

Website | Facebook

"Thanks to the publisher or author for sending me this copy!"

Author Wednesday: Victoria Schwab

Today I am really excited to have author Victoria Schwab as a guest via  The Cover Contessa. 

Victoria has written this totally awesome book that comes out January 22, 2013:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC from Disney, after reading the sneak peek through Net Galley, and once I started it I could not put it down! You can see my review HERE

So let's hear what Victoria had to say in answer to my questions!

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 

--I’ve always wanted to tell stories in one form or another, but I didn’t know what shape it would take! I started in poetry, and migrated to scriptwriting in college before finally finding my way to fiction. 

How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
--It totally depends on the book! I’ve had first drafts take anywhere from 8 weeks to 2 years. Add in the publication process (another 1.5-2 years per book) and it takes a good long while to see my stories in print.

How do you come up with themes for your stories?
--I don’t. I don’t go into a story looking for a theme. I start with characters, and a plot, not a theme. The themes usually come out over the course of drafting, and are distilled in revision.

Do you have a schedule of when you write? 
--I wish. I’d probably be a more productive, or at least more efficient, writer. 

How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
--Haha, poorly.

What elements do you think make a great story line? 
--I think at the core of every great story you have to have great characters. You can have a great plot, but great characters are the reason a reader will CARE what happens.  

What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
--Muting your internal critic, and pausing your internal editor. 

How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 
--Six. One that will never be read, then THE NEAR WITCH, then the sequel, which might never be read, then THE ARCHIVED, VICIOUS, THE ARCHIVED #2. I’m on my seventh right now, the first in a set of MG books. And then I’ve got three or four swimming in my head, only a few scratches of which are on paper.  

Do you have a favorite character?
--I try not to play favorites, but I tend to love my strange secondary characters best. The old sisters in THE NEAR WITCH, Nix in THE ARCHIVED, Mitch in VICIOUS.

Where do you write?  
--At my kitchen counter, in coffee shop corners, and in airports. I love working in airports (but obviously only end up there when I have a flight).

When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? 
--I always wanted a traditional experience, insofar as that’s possible these days. I followed the steps. I wrote a book. I made it the best it could be. I wrote a query letter. I got an agent.
That book, the one that landed me my agent, is not the one that sold. About 7-8 months into being on sub, I wrote another book, THE NEAR WITCH, and that one sold.

Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?
--I’m very lucky that my family likes my writing. My mum is a much more avid reader than my dad, though. My dad is at the beginning of the acknowledgments for THE ARCHIVED with the line, “To my dad, for liking this one more” because he likes action-y suspense books more than moor-y mysteries. 

What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
--I always laugh nervously when I read this question, because I’ve had so many deadlines this year that it doesn’t feel like I’ve done anything BUT write. But I’m a big fan of exercise. Running and swimming are my sanity. I’m also a travel nut. I suffer from wanderlust, and love to just get up and go. 

What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 
--Be brave. Make sure your want always outweighs your fear. 

What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? 
--I don’t have a favorite book (I have two dozen or so), but Neil Gaiman is my favorite author. He’s an inspiration to me, both as a writer and as a person.

Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 
--I have a couple people to bounce ideas or scenes off of, but because I’m under contract, I usually go directly to my editors for advice. 

Are you working on anything now? 
--I am! I’m revising the sequel to THE ARCHIVED, writing a set of short MG books for Scholastic, and planning a new adult project!

Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us on The Cover Contessa today, Victoria. Good luck with your books! I'm really interested to read your middle grade stuff! Always looking for something for my oldest son to dive into!

Victoria is the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, she has been known to say "tom-ah-toes," "like," and "y'all."
She also tells stories.
She loves fairy tales, and folklore, and stories that make her wonder if the world is really as it seems. 

You can stalk Victoria here:

Webpage
Blog

Victoria's Other Books:

Thanks to The Cover Contessa for the post! 

TMI: Weight Loss Update Down 5 lbs and going strong!

So as of today I am down by 5 lbs.  YAY!  It doesn't seem like much.  But in the long run that means that the pills are working! So come back next week for a new update on how im doing! So i'm down to 255lbs.!!

Eating right is hard!  So instead of trying to eat nothing but healthy stuff I am just eating smaller portions and trying to cut down on certain foods.  Below is what I ate this past week. 

Monday Jan. 14th

• 1 bowl of cereal (lucky charms) 
• 4oz bag of Jerky (that my 2 year old stole half of it)
• pizza (kinda over did it with 4 slices) 

Tuesday Jan. 15th 

• Eggs and Whole Grain Toast
• Pizza (only did two slices this day)
• Bowl of cereal (large bowl of lucky charms)

Wed. Jan 16th

• Eggs and Whole Grain Toast
• Turkey Sandwich
• Turkey Sandwich

Thur. Jan 17th 

• Eggs and Whole Grain Toast
• Turkey Sandwich
• Salad and Bowl of cereal (large bowl of lucky charms)

Fri. Jan 18th

• Racetrack breakfast sandwich (sausage, egg, and cheese, muffin)
• 4oz bag of jerky (and mom, 2 year old, and 8 year old was mooching off of it)
• Eggs and Whole Grain toast

HOP:Back to the Future

CLICK HERE FOR FULL HOP LINK LIST

 So this one was a little hard to figure out what to giveaway. In the end I found another copy that I had laying around of Virals By: Kathy Reichs and it is so good that you will want to go out and buy the other books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Moon Mondays: Intro

Thanks for stopping by.  Well as you can see my normal post of Monday Note is no more.  I will no longer be doing posts for what I am finishing, starting, and tbr on Mondays. This will be switching to Fridays. These posts will be coming from my phone. So please excuse the format.  You can also follow my Pinterest board. Which can be found here http://pinterest.com/witchever/in-my-mailbox/     

Now mondays will be Moon Mondays.  Which will be filled with witchy/pagan advice and spells. I currently have a site called Coven Pagans which will be closed in Feb.  So now Mondays will be all witchy for those who follow me over here.  I am doing this so I am not so pulled in so many directions.  Where I only have 1 site to deal with.  

Ok so about me.  I have been a witch for 20 years.  Yup that long.  I am a pagan and my goddess is Hecate.  Which is where I got my site name from.  She is the Guardian of the Crossroads.  Which is you were here when my site first started you would have seen that name.  But, after having to type that in a few hundred times I got tired of it being so long and switched it to Crossroads.  So if there is something you would like to see on Mondays let me know.  

The Charge of the Goddess

Listen to the Words of the Great Mother, Who was of old called among men Artemis, Astarte, Diana, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other Names.

At My Altars the youth of most distant ages gave love, and made due sacrifice. Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is Full, then shall ye gather in some secret place and adore the Spirit of Me, Who am Queen of All Witcheries. There shall ye gather, ye who are fain to learn all Magick, yet have not yet won its deepest secrets: to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.

And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites. And ye shall dance, sing, feast, and make music and love, all in My Praise. For mine is the Ecstasy of the Spirit, and mine also is Joy on Earth, for My Law is Love unto all beings.

Keep pure your Highest Ideal; strive ever toward it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the Secret Door which opens upon the Land of Youth; and Mine is the Cup of the Wine of Life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.

I am the Gracious Goddess, Who gives the Gift of Joy unto the heart of man: on Earth, I give the Knowledge of the Spirit Eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold: I am the Mother of All Living, and My Love is poured out upon the Earth.

Hear ye the Words of the Star Goddess: She in the Dust of Whose Feet are the Hosts of Heaven, and Whose Body encircles the Universe:

I, Who am the Beauty of the Green Earth, and the White Moon amongst the Stars, and the Mystery of the Waters, and the Desire of the heart of man, I call unto thy soul: "Arise! And come unto me!"

For I am the Soul of Nature, Who giveth Life to the Universe: from Me all things proceed, and unto Me all things must return. And before My Face, which is beloved of gods and men, thine innermost Divine Self shall be enfolded in the Rapture of the Infinite.

Let My Worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, for behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knowest the Mystery: that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of Desire. 

The Goddess Inheritance

My Review: 5 Stars

This was an amazing book.  From Kate to James to Henry himself this one has got to be my favorite of all the books in this series.  I know that at the end of this one the author lets us know that this is all for this series for now. But, I hope that she comes back soon!  She does a really good job of tying up loose ends in this one and James adds his humor to every page he is on. Although I come bearing bad news (will not spoil it for ya) we do loose one person whom I wish wouldn't have died.  I hope that the next book in this series centers around finding a replacement for this deity that perished. I cant wait for this to come out so I can add it to my collection.  It is a deff. must read! And if you love this series you will not be disappointed.  The only thing that I didn't like was that I thought Kate should have come into her power and kicked some Goddess A***

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2013 | Series: A Goddess Test Novel

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Teen; Original edition (February 19, 2013)

Love or life. 

Henry or their child.

The end of her family or The end of the world.  

KATE MUST CHOOSE.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her-until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.
Even if it costs her eternity. 

Find The Book

BAM | BN | Amazon | Itunes

  About the Author

Onyonet Photo Studios

Aimée Carter was born in 1986 and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing fan fiction at eleven, began her first original story four years later, and hasn’t stopped writing since. Besides writing and reading, she enjoys seeing movies, playing with her puppies, and wrestling with the puzzles in the paper each morning.

Find The Author

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

"Thanks to the publisher or author for sending me this copy!"

Pre Order Now! Book Trailer!

Friday Reads: Finished and Started

So this post is now on Fridays.  I thought hard and long about doing this on a Friday vs. a Monday.  And I think it will work out for the better!

So this week I gave up on Pure and Fuse.  After getting through about the first 200 pages or so.  I decided it was time to put it down.  3POV's was bad enough.  But when it got to 5 I had to drawl the line.  Thats just way to many heads for be to deal with.  So Fuse will be shipped off to a friend of mine and a review will be posted soon.

So Daynight was great.  I think that the font was a little small for my taste.  But if you can get past that its a pretty good book.
Review Posted: 1/15

This is How I Save My Life was amazing!  A truly uplifting story!
Review Posted: 1/16

Shadowlands was kinds stupid in some parts.  (sorry for being harsh)  But when you think about it (if you read it) What FBI is going to park the get away car in your driveway???!!!  Thats a major issue I had with this book.  Review Posted: 1/17

Now the Goddess Inheritance rounds off this weeks reading/reviews posted!  I loved this book!!!  So sad that we are not going to see more of them for a while.  The author is starting a new series so this one is being put on the back burner.  POO.
Review Posted: 1/18

So what are you going to see next week?  Well check it out!!

Finished Being Fat will post on Monday Jan 21!  

This is so not a diet book! Its a book to help you set goals and to stick with them

Magic So Foul series (first two books) will post on Tuesday Jan 22!  

These books are so good!!!  Help promote them so Sourcebooks will get the third book out!!

Forbidden Sister.  Will post on Wednesday Jan 23! 

Well this one was ok. I was kinda sad to find out that V.C. Andrews was no longer with us.  And that her book past the first three Flowers in the Attic series were written by someone else.  

Dance Of Shadows. Will post on Thursday Jan 24! 

It had a strong start but kinda lost its way as the book went.  So its just one of those books that some people are going to fall in love with it. and others aren't 

Pivot Point.  Will post on Friday Jan 25!

This one will keep you reading until the very end!

Other things going on this coming week are as follows!  Check them out!~

• Back to the Future Blog Hop 
• via I'm A Reader Not A Writer
• Intro to my New Monday post
• Called Moon Mondays
• Gives witchy info for the Deity in all of us
• My Weight Update
• see how I am progressing
• Author Interview with non other than Victoria Schwab 
• Author of the Archived 
• Promo of the Winter Queen

And of course my ONGOING giveaways for 

• Jan giveaway
• signed arc of Across the Universe 
• Follower giveaway
• lot of winners everytime I hit a milestone!