COVER REVEAL: Written On Her Heart by Paige Rion

Hey everyone! Today we're doing a cover reveal for Xpresso Book Tours, featuring Written On Her Heart by Paige Rion!!!

But first here's some general information on the book:

Written On Her Heart by Paige Rion

Publication date: April 23rd 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

To escape the ensuing media whirlwind after scandalous events in his novels were revealed to be true, big-time author Ford Delaney relocates to Callaway Cove.

When 21-year-old budding writer, Andi Callaway, returns home for college break, she discovers her literary idol – Ford Delaney, a world famous novelist – has taken refuge in her tiny hometown.

Andi determines to win a job as his assistant – but being hired by the handsome, reclusive author means competing with her friends for the job and ignoring the wishes of her longtime boyfriend.

As romantic sparks begin to fly between Andi and Ford, the heat they generate will either forge a powerful, enduring love or threaten everything she holds dear.

AND FINALLY THE HEART-STOPPING, BREATH-TAKING, MAGNIFICENT AND SPECTACULAR COVER...

P.S. I have read the book (beta-read) and honestly it's really good. It's just perfect.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21456989-written-on-her-heart

This cover reveal is hosted by:

RECAP: Meeting LAUREN OLIVER!!!

Hey everyone! Me (Elicia) and Chloe went to a book fair yesterday with some friends and met a special someone...

And from the blog post title, I guess you know who.

THE AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL AND MAGNIFICENT LAUREN OLIVER !!!! 

She was the first famous author and undeniably the nicest and warmest person I've ever known! She's so cute and funny and when me and Chloe told her that we interviewed her for our blog, she said that she remembered us!!!! I ALMOST FAINTED RIGHT THEN. 

I think I may have fallen in love (amor deliria nervosa) with Lauren Oliver (excuse the pun).  

We also had a Q and A session between the audience and author and the funniest and most memorable question and answer was still this.

'Why don't you like bananas?'

A: After she ate a banana in ninth grade, she got sick and then puked right in front of her class (which was totally embarrassing). She doesn't like the colour yellow and also the smell. She said she preferred durian (a Malaysian fruit, which is DEFINITELY smellier than a banana) to bananas.

Of course, we also had the chance to ask her a few of our own questions (the answers are not exactly what she said, they're just fragments of what I can remember amidst my fangirl moment):

1. Which book did you enjoy writing the most?

A: Before I Fall because it was good to relive my life in high school when I was 17 years old again while writing it.

2. Were you scared to become a writer?

A: Well, yeah at first. When I got my first paycheck, I quitted all my current jobs and just sat down and relaxed.

3. Did you always plan to become a writer?

A: I started writing since I was nine, which was just fanfiction, but I didn't know it was called that then. Writing isn't very fun, but I just loved doing it.

She also talked about why she left Requiem (the last book in the Delirium trilogy) as it was. She said she didn't like how some authors liked to control their characters lives, when J.K. Rowling decided to fast forward to when Harry Potter was an adult and had children just because she could. She simply wanted to make the story and its characters play out naturally and the ending was written that way so we could try to imagine the characters' fates and what would happen next. This makes the story more memorable. 

Also, we found out that Lauren is obsessed with ghosts, which is evident in Liesel & Po and also her upcomping first adult novel, Rooms.

And PANIC is going to become a movie!!! Can't wait!!!

I know I'm boring you with this lengthy rant so I'll just show some pics now.

Chloe had four books signed (The Delirium Trilogy and Panic) and I had two (Before I Fall and Panic).

Chloe's signed copy of Panic

My signed copy of Panic

My signed copy of Before I Fall. Love Lauren's loopy signature!!!

And finally the beautiful author herself. I've got the feels... From just looking at her beautiful face. We did take a group photo with Lauren but my friends (including Chloe) would kill me if I posted it so I can't post that pic sorry. I'd love to though! Thanks for tuning in! This is something major for us since Lauren is the very first YA author we met face to face and we were crazily fangirling over her.

What about you? Have you ever met Lauren Oliver or any other author? 

Also, if you want to read our interview with Lauren Oliver, here's the link to the page! Click HERE.

ARC Review: Sekret by Lindsay Smith

Title: Sekret
Author: Lindsay Smith
Release Date: 1st April 2014
Publisher: Macmillan Children's
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she's thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one--not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention--and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

Detailed Review: When I first stumbled across this book on Goodreads and my partner mentioned that the cover for Sekret was really good, I thought to myself, this needs to be on my TBR list. I'm a sucker for historical fiction. Anything that involves past incidents that have actually happened. So when I saw Sekret available for request on NetGalley, I absolutely had no hesitation on clicking the Request button. I kept my fingers crossed on being approved. 

I got approved. I read it. I rated it. And now I'm writing this review on how much this book really fazed and awed me. 

Sekret is a great example of how history can really make an original setting for your book. I was very intrigued when I found out that the book was set in the USSR (now Russia) while it was engaged in the Cold War with America. Using a historical setting will give an atmosphere hardly associated with books that have present or future settings. The atmosphere in Sekret was one of tension and secrecy. Giving psychic abilities to the characters gives the book another finishing touch. I especially loved the different abilities which the psychics have, everything from mind-reading to remote viewing and altering memories. The author has got a good imagination.

What gives it a high polish are the characters. Yulia is a brave and smart heroine that challenges all-time favourites like Katniss. She did remind me of Katniss at times, possibly because they were somehow under the same circumstances. Yulia's love interest, Valentin was a very hard code to crack most of the time, yet I still loved him. Rostov made a great antagonist as well as Misha and Masha. 

The secret ingredient though, was still the twists. The thing is, there's no warning of a twist coming your way. It just leaps out at you and stares you down. It's like being drowned and then pulled onto shore and then being drowned again. This cycle will keep on repeating as you read the book.

And then when you find out there's a sequel... I was like, where's the cliffhanger?!? Unlike other books, the ending was surprisingly well-rounded. Nonetheless, I still need the second book!!!

Finally, a request. MAKE ME A PSYCHIC!!!

Brief Review: Lindsay has obviously done her research regarding Russia in the 1960s and captures the atmosphere well with her descriptive prose and secretive air in writing. She artfully brings her characters to life with words and their psychic abilities is the result of creativity and thorough research. This debut clearly wears out a path for the author to easily navigate and make her voice heard in the writing industry!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

This quote captures the mood of the book so well,

“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”---George Orwell

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