Blind Date, Checkmate & A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable by Veronica Blade

Blind Date, Checkmate by Veronica Blade (Novella)

Goodreads Summary:

Should a woman who’s unable to forget her first love give “happily ever after” one more try?

Shelby Winters’ one great love went sour. If she can’t feel that way about a guy again, why bother? When Shelby’s best friend sets her up on a blind date with Logan, the guy who broke her heart, he pursues her relentlessly, forcing her to make a choice: give her heart what it’s always desired and risk total devastation or shut Logan out and lose her only shot at happiness. To Shelby, it’s a lose-lose situation. Or is it?



My Review:

Blind Date, Checkmate was a little predictable but still a nice light read that would make for
good lunch time or waiting room reading. The characters are likeable for the most part. Shelby
was insanely stubborn but I suppose she had good reason to be. Can she get over the past and fall in love again? Logan is a writer and a ladies man who has seen the err of his ways. But is he too late to reclaim his first and only love?



A Bite’s Tale: A Furry Fable by Veronica Blade (Novella)

Goodreads Summary:

A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.
Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.
                         
Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.


My Review:

Let me just say that I definitely saved the best for last when reading these two novellas! I loved A Bite's Tale and as much as I liked Blind Date, Checkmate, it pales in comparison. Don't get me wrong, I was sucked into Blind Date as well, but I simply could not stop reading A Bite's Tale until I had finished. I'm not huge into gushing about books but let me just say that if you like Young Adult Paranormal Romance, then what are you waiting for? Go get it!

A Bite's Tale is a captivating story about Cinderella and a Prince, but it's more than that. It has a little bit of everything, from werewolves, vampires, witches, and warlocks to love, heartbreak, anguish, threats, and promises.

**I received both of these novella's for review but that in no way effected my review(s).

This Month on RAK

I participated in Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) in December and January.

What's RAK you say? Well, RAK is Book Soulmates brain child. The idea of RAK is to pay it forward by randomly sending people books/ebooks from their wishlists.

Go to Book Soulmates Blog for more information

or to sign up.

I did not receive any RAK's in December but I did receive one this month.

Wendy from Wall-to-Wall Books sent me Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1) by Mira Grant

I also thought I would share a couple of the goodies I received outside of the RAK program.

I won a few awesome things from Cheryl Rainfield through her twitter/blog contests back in December. Keep reading if you're curious what I won.

First up is a space pen. This pen is supposed to be this magical creature that will write upside down and even under water. The first thing that came to my mind is 'how can it write underwater if paper isn't waterproof?'

**ponders to self**

AH HA, I can write on myself! So I turned hand into a canvas to experiment a little. It was pretty awkward fitting my hand in the container (which was filled with very cold water...not smart on my part) and attempting to write on it. But I managed. And my handy dandy waterproof camera was there to catch the action first hand.

These are the signed goodies I won

And last but certainly not least, my shiney new Kindle Touch!

Thank you again Cheryl & Wendy!

Blog Theme Song

Wendy at Wall-to-Wall Books came up with a theme song for her blog and dared challenged her readers to do the same. Click here to see her theme song post or to link up if you do your own post.

It took me a while to settle on a theme song. I'm a big movie buff so I figured it would be appropriate to pick a movie theme song. I (eventually) decided on the theme song from the Footloose. I love both versions of the movie and song. Kenny Loggins is the original singer but I decided to add the remake by Blake Shelton to this post.

And instead of Footloose, I'm calling it Bookloose so everytime you hear footloose in the lyrics just replace it with bookloose. Just for fun, I've included the lyrics (with my changes) below the video.




"Footloose" now Bookloose ;-)(originally by Kenny Loggins)

Ooooh-oh-oh
Ooooh-oh-oh
Yeah
Ooooh-oh-oh
Ooooo-oh-oh
Ooooo-oh-oh

I Been working so hard
I'm punching my card
Eight hours for what
Oh, tell me what I got
I get this feeling
Times just holding me down
I'll hit the ceiling
Or else I'll tear up this town

Tonight I gotta cut loose, bookloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Please, Louise, pull me off of my knees
Jack, get back, come on before we crack
Lose your blues, everybody cut bookloose

You're playing so cool
Obeying every rule
Deep way down in your heart
You're burning yearning for some
Somebody to tell you
That life ain't passing you by
I'm trying to tell you
It will if you don't even try
You'll get by if you'd only

Cut loose, bookloose
Kick off the Sunday shoes
Oo-wee Marie, shake it, shake it for me
Woah, Milo, come on, come on let's go
Lose your blues, everybody cut bookloose.

Ooooh-oh-oh
(Cut bookloose)
Ooooh-oh-oh
(Cut bookloose)
Ooooh-oh-oh
(Cut bookloose)
Oooooooooh

We've got to turn you around
And put your feet on the ground
Now take a hold of your soul

I'm turning it loose

Bookloose, kick off the Sunday shoes
Please, Louise, pull me off of my knees
Jack, get back, come on before we crack
Lose your blues, everybody cut bookloose
(bookloose) bookloose

Kick off the Sunday shoes
Please, Louise, pull me off of my knees
Jack, get back, come on before we crack
Lose your blues, everybody cut, everybody cut
Everybody cut, everybody cut
Everybody cut, everybody cut

(Everybody) everybody cut bookloose

Raised by Wolves (Raised by Wolves #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Goodreads Summary:

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. 

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped.

My Review:

Raised by Wolves is yet another reason why I love werewolf books! It’s a great book with werewolves (of course), an unruly teenager, and the bonds between them. There are a lot of power struggles which makes for an exciting story line.

Bryn has literally been raised by wolves after a traumatic event takes her parent’s lives. She has managed to stay out of the deep seeded werewolf politics…until now. She has something in her sights and in order to obtain it she has to open herself up to everything she has been so careful to avoid. Can she handle the pressure or will she pay the price for stepping out of line?

An arc of this book was given to me by Tirzah from The Compulsive Reader but that in no way effected my review. She was overloaded with review books and decided to pass some along to others. Thank you again Tirzah!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Goodreads Summary:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

My Review:

My thoughts. Oh my. Well. I love it and I hate it. Ok hate is a strong word so we'll go with I love it and I dislike it.

I love the detailed descriptions of the circus and everything within it. I wanted to be one of the red scarf crew who followed the circus around, experiencing the magic, and writing about it to capture the enchantment in ink.

Overall the story is interesting BUT I felt that the pace of the first 2/3 was horribly s l o w. I’m sure not everyone feels that way but it really drove me bonkers for a while and I had to force myself to sit down and push through. I think it may have been better for me if I had expected it to be a slow read but I didn’t.

Another thing that I disliked was that the story jumped forward and back in time A LOT! I have a bad habit of not reading dates, notes, or well anything at the beginning of chapters. I just like to read through books and not have to stop and write up a timeline. Ok, I really didn’t stop and write up a timeline but honestly I think it may have helped ease the confusion at times.

Overall, I don’t think I got as much out of the book as I could have because of the pace and because of the story bouncing around in time. I might decide to reread it someday when I want a slower read and will be able to take it in more of the details.

Stephen Prosapio Guest Post & Giveaway

GUEST POST

Stephen was kind enough to stop by with a creative guest post. Here's what he had to say:

Publishing Headlines for 2012

Here are some headlines I see coming this year in the publishing industry:

Simon & Schuster Admit Snooki Deal a Mistake

--In unrelated news, they announce the publishing of “The Happy Marriage Handbook” by Kim Kardashian

Stephen King Reveals he is, in fact, the devil!

-- “I always knew it!” said Mitt Romney

Stephanie Meyers Announces New Series:  ForeLight

-- It’s about a zombie defrauded of her home who falls for her mortgage lender. It’s deemed much more realistic than Twilight.

George W. Bush Novel Published…by TOR.

--Some claim it’s autobiographical, others call it fiction. It describes a war which was won by the good guys rather easily.

Barack Obama Announces the Publication of his Newest Book:  The Audacity of Choke:  -- It describes how “hypothetically” to destroy all medical innovation in less than 4 years.

Amazon Announces:  ePublishing Was All a Hoax

-- The Big 6 Publishing companies release a joint statement:  “We told you so!”

 JK Rowling Announces She’s Running for Queen

-- The royal family agrees to step down in exchange for digital rights to the Harry Potter series.

Ravenous Mob Lynches Prosapio!

-- Having offended thousands with his fake headlines, author’s home is stormed in a fashion similar to Dr. Frankenstein’s castle. Dying author’s last words:  “I just hoped to offended EVERYONE equally!”

Thank you for stopping by Stephen! My favorite 2012 headline is the ePublishing hoax.

 

To learn more about Stephen, you can find him at the below links.

Website

Twitter
Facebook

Goodreads

If you would like to see my review of Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum click here.

GIVEAWAY

Comment on this post with your email address for the chance to win one of the below prizes.

1st  Place - ebook copy of Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum (US/International)

2nd Place - Signed Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum Bookmark and Postcard (US only)

Winners will be randomly selected

Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio

Goodreads Summary:

Zach Kalusky, host of Sci-D TV's Xavier Paranormal Investigators, is ecstatic when he's given the opportunity to explore the most haunted site in Chicago for a Halloween Special: Rosewood Asylum, a place long made off-limits by the local government, plagued by decades of mysterious fires and unexplained events. It's Zach's dream investigation- but there's a catch: the network forces Xavier Paranormal Investigators to partner with the more dramatic-but less ethical-Demon Hunters. Now, Zach must fight for both his show's integrity and his team's loyalty while trying to protect his own secret: that he, himself, is possessed.

My Thoughts:

Competing and conflicting paranormal investigating TV shows unwillingly join forces to investigate Rosewood Asylum. The property and the surrounding town have a disturbing past. During their time there, the heads of both shows do nothing but butt heads. Zach wants to legitimately solve the mystery of Rosewood Asylum by looking into its past while Bryce wants nothing more than to boost the ratings of his show.

I’ve seen my share of ghost hunting shows and this book reads like a behind the scenes look at one of those shows. Along with the ghostly mystery, Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum also has a few small twists that keep you intent throughout the story. I also enjoyed the interesting and sometimes changing dynamic between the characters.

Stephen Prosapio will also be releasing a sequel to Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum titled The Atchison Haunting.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for a guest post by Stephen Prosapio and your chance to win an ebook of Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum!!

Cover Reveal - Eternal (A Holloway Pack Story #0.5) by J.A. Belfield

Today I'm doing a cover reveal for Eternal (A Holloway Pack Story #0.5) by J.A. Belfield but I also wanted to include the other Holloway Pack Stories in the order they were written. This is also the recommended reading order. Each title is linked to the Goodreads page for each book

Darkness & Light (A Holloway Pack Story #1)

Jem Stonehouse, a housewife with a neurotic husband bent on keeping her in line, dreams about werewolves in, what she believes, is a bid to escape boredom.

Sean Holloway is a werewolf, living a charade within the human race, whose mind drifts to a bond he shares with a woman he hasn't met--at least, not in this lifetime.

Apart, the two are safe but live unfulfilled lives.

Together, they'll become prey to rival packs just as they have been for hundreds of years.

When their worlds collide, and not for the first time, instinct takes over. Dreams become reality. Futures are uncertain. To keep history from repeating itself, Sean must teach Jem about his heritage, convince her of her role, and win her love.

Can Jem accept her destiny before it's too late, or is her inner wolf buried too deep to save her future with Sean?

See my review of Darkness & Light here

See a previous guest post where Julie talks about Darkness & Light

Marked (I think this one would be considered 1.5 but it can be read before or after the two prequels) is one of three stories you will find in Into the Unknown

In Marked, Darkness & Light’s Sean Holloway is on a mission—to find the perfect gift for the woman of his dreams. When all conventional choices turn out to be the wrong ones, each failed attempt convinces Sean his self-imposed task is impossible. But in the world of the Holloway Pack, anything is possible if it can be kept a secret.

Instinct (A Holloway Pack Story #0)

Werewolf Sean Holloway treats the village marketplace like a sexual buffet, though his charm does little to win over his latest entrée of choice. Whether because of Jem Stonehouse’s unique scent, her headstrong nonchalance, or the fact he is forbidden to see her by his pack’s rules, Sean wants her.

When Jem is nothing but flippant toward his advances, he pursues her with vigour, stealing moments alone with her without a libido-driven agenda.

The new and heady experience for him drives their relationship beyond romantic interest, and straight toward love.

That is, until Jem learns the truth about Sean’s heritage. Knowledge of the existence of werewolves leads to only one outcome: death.

In this prequel to Darkness & Light, we are taken back in time, to the very beginning of Jem and Sean’s love-across-the-centuries relationship.

Did it end there? Or did Sean defy his own pack to save the woman he loves.

And without further adieu...the cover reveal and blurb of Eternal (A Holloway Pack Story #0.5)
The story will be released in July 2012

An unmarried woman living in a house of men breeds hearsay and lore. If only the villagers knew the truth.

It’s not Jem Stonehouse’s marital status that brings unwanted strangers to town. Rather, it’s that she is the only female werewolf in existence — a prize to any pack.

Sean Holloway, the love of Jem’s life, has gone to great lengths to protect her. As a new attack becomes imminent, Sean realizes he must take greater measures with Jem’s safety or risk losing her forever.

His first task must be to marry her, but a force greater than the largest werewolf stands in his way.

Her mother.


If you're interesed in learning more about J.A. Belfield and her writing you can find her at the below links.

Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Publisher's Website

Poison Study (Study #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Goodreads Summary:

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear…

My Review:

This is a reread but Poison Study will always be my ‘it’ book. I read it when it was released way back when (ok, it really wasn’t THAT long ago…just a few years) and even though it was not a genre I would have normally considered, I ended up loving it. It got me back into reading and I have not stopped since.

Since I read this long before my book reviewing days I wanted to give it some well-deserved attention this second go around.

I ended up loving Poison Study and a lot of the characters as much as I did when I read it years ago. And I think this is only the second book I have ever reread…Jane Eyre being the other.

Maria V. Snyder builds a captivating and unique tale that draws you in. The smooth writing and vivid descriptions hold your attention and makes Poison Study a book you will not want to put down.

It’s a story about Yelena who has a rocky past and present to say the least. She was forced to do something and is now paying the price. She accepted her fate only to be given a thread of hope to grasp on to. She’s offered the chance to become a food taster. But only after passing…well surviving a deadly test.

Click here to see my initial post on Poison Study

To learn more about Maria V. Snyder and her books check out the below links

Website

Blog

And don't forget to check out MVS's latest release Touch of Power 

Blog Award

 The Liebster award (“Liebster” is the German word for friend or love) originated in Germany. 

A big thank you hug goes out to Tiffany at TRH87 Books for giving me Liebster Blog Award!

In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to:

Thank the person who gave them the award and link back to that person's blog

Copy and paste the award to their blog

Reveal the 5 blogs they have chosen to award, commenting on their blog to break the news!

Hope those people in turn pay it forward by accepting and awarding "The Liebster Blog Award" to bloggers they would like to honor.

I'm going to pass this award on to:

Wendy @ Wall-to-Wall Books

Sometimes having a blog can be a lot of work, but somehow Wendy manages to maintain THREE! She definitely deserves an award for that alone!

Kate @ Never Bake in Black

Kate has a brand new feature called 'Stars of…' be sure check it out!

Hodo @ Wandering Thoughts of a Certified Bibliophile

Hodo is new to the blogging world so I wanted to give her a little bit of encouragement

Krista @ The Dust JACKet

This is a brand new New Year’s Blog and the latest blog that I’ve followed.

Julie @ J.A. Belfield’s Blog

Along with being a great author, she also has an awesome monthly blog feature called The ‘What If’ Game that I always look forward to.

A Taste of the Nightlife (A Vampire Chef Mystery #1) by Sarah Zettel

Goodreads Summary:

Welcome to Nightlife, an eatery where the inventive fare is guaranteed to satisfy even the most discerning paranormal palate…

Charlotte Caine isn’t called “the Vampire Chef” because she’s a member of New York’s burgeoning undead community—she just cooks for them. With her vampire brother Chet, Charlotte runs Nightlife, a Greenwich Village restaurant that specializes in “haute noir” cuisine for humans and their paranormal companions. While it isn’t a bona fide smash yet, the city’s most influential food critic is coming in for a bite, and a glowing review could mean that Nightlife will hit it big with the after-dark crowd.

The night finally arrives when Charlotte notices the food critic slinking in the door. She wants everything to be perfect…but of course that’s the moment when a drunk patron decides to cause a scene, cast a spell, and almost burn the building down. A five star review doesn’t seem in the offing, especially after the patron turns up dead in the doorway with fang marks in his neck. With the restaurant at the epicenter of a paranormal turf war, Charlotte needs to figure out who killed her customer, before all the bad press puts Nightlife out of business for good.

My Review:

A Taste of the Nightlife is what I would call a culinary themed paranormal mystery, that’s a mouthful I know but that’s the best way I can describe it!

Chef Charlotte Cain and her brother Chet own Nightlife, a restaurant that caters to daybloods (regular people), nightbloods (vampires), and other paranormals. The restaurant and inevitably the owners get into a heap of trouble when a fight breaks out and later when a dead body appears in the restaurant. Chef Cain realizes she needs to launch her own investigation before her restaurant fails under the pressure. Of course in doing so, she gets herself into even more trouble. Can she solve the mystery before losing her dream and livelihood?

I adored the food related aspects of the book as well as the mystery and paranormal aspects. It's a great combination and I’m looking forward to seeing what trouble the characters get into in the next book.

Let Them Eat Stake (A Vampire Chef Mystery #2) is due to release on April 3, 2012.

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

 I'm a bit behind on my review so please don't mind the occassional review of a christmas book :-)

Goodreads Summary:

Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story might end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal, and how can that be forgiven or forgotten, even among old friends such as these? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, and she has to decide, very soon, whether or not that's a deal breaker for the marriage. Taylor's life is in financial freefall. Each woman, each friend has a story to tell, and they are all interwoven, just as their lives are.

On this evening, at least, they can feel as a group the impulses of sisterly love and conflict, the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the agony of losing a child, and above all, the love they have for one another. As Marnie says, the Christmas Cookie Club, if it's anything, is a reminder of delight.

The Christmas Cookie Club is about the paths Marnie and her friends have traveled, the absolute joy they take in life and love despite the decisions they've regretted, the hard choices and amends they've had to make, and the sacrifices along the way. Ultimately, The Christmas Cookie Club is every woman's story. As you read about Marnie and her friends, their struggles and triumphs, what makes them laugh and what has made them cry, you'll see yourself and some of the ingredients of your own story. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of women's friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, Ann Pearlman has written a novel that speaks to us all

My Review:

That is a very long book summary so I’m not going to add to it. I’ll just give you my opinion. Each of the 12 women has their own chapter but their stories are interlinked. It felt as though there were too many characters and I spent part of the book struggling to follow who everyone was. The Christmas Cookie Club also has a bit more heartache than I like in my Christmas novels. Each woman has their own troubles and although there were some silver linings it wasn’t enough good to outweigh the bad. I know that not every book has to be ‘happy’ because life isn’t always happy but I like a little more cheer in my holiday reads.

I was talking to a fellow blogger (Wendy @ Wall-to-Wall Books) about this book and my review. She suggested I say who my favorite character is and why. Well I could take the easy road and say that my favorite is Marnie because she is the head cookie bitch and you learn that she is sometimes the glue that keeps the group together. But I’m not going to say that because I really don’t have a favorite. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I’m not sure if it’s the writing style that I didn’t resonate with me or if it’s the fact that I haven’t experience the things they have.

I did think it was neat that the author included the recipes for each of the cookies. A recipe and a short history of some classic baking ingredients were given before each chapter. I think that including all of this information at the beginning of each chapter really threw off the flow of the book. Because of this, I ended up not reading any of that extra information. I might go back and read it separately but to me, it would make more sense to have all of the same information, but add it at the end of the book.

A Fun New Project

BJ from Dark Side of the Covers  ( @bjdarkside ) posted a tweet about a present she received for Christmas, here’s what she said…

“Got the coolest gift ever from my Dad tonight – box of quotes he’s been collecting for 20+ years. Inspiring. Think I’ll start one of my own.”

What an awesome idea! And it inspired me to start my own box as well…ok technically I don’t have it physically started but I have started thinking of quotes to include. 

Books are a big part of my life so I will definitely be including quotes from some of my favorite books. Here’s a few I have come up with…

·       “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

·       “I think the very word stalking implies that you're not supposed to like it. Otherwise, it would be called 'fluffy harmless observation time'.”
― Molly Harper

·       “He's like that with everybody. Don't take it personally. Some people were just born with a pinecone shoved up their butts.
In Cooper's case, it's lodged sideways.”
― Molly Harper, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf

·       “Don't knock the power of a pest," Leif said. "Persistance and stubborness can be useful in many situations.”
- Maria V. Snyder, Storm Glass

·       “Nothing says you care for me better than offering to torture my enemies."

He grinned. "No sense doing things halfhearted. And to think, some girls have to endure listening to poetry.”
- Maria V. Snyder, Outside In

·       “Food that walked and talked, that was us. McPeople.”
- Charlaine Harris, Dead as a Doornail

·       “One can never receive enough love, nor, can they give enough. Love is the one thing we can never have enough of, nor, give too much.”
- Caedem Marquez, A Boyfriend Before Christmas

·       "I'm Chase." he said.

"Kind of an ironic name for a werewolf." The observation slipped easily off my tongue. The boy didn't blink. In fact, I was beginning to doubt that he'd blink once since I'd come into the room. "Werewolves do a lot of chasing." I explained.

"And your name is Chase. Hee."
— Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Raised by Wolves (Raised by Wolves, #1))

These two book quotes are from Poison Study & Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder. They are a little spoilery if you haven’t read the books.

·       “Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath in my ear sent a shiver down my spine.

"But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

“That sounds more like a poison than a person,” was all I could say. His confession had both shocked and thrilled me.

“Exactly,” Valek replied. “You have poisoned me.”
- Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

·       “He made a weak attempt to look innocent, but I knew better.  "Should I guess how many concealed weapons you have or should I strip search you?"
"A strip search is the only way to be absolutely certain." Valek's deep blue eyes danced with delight.”
- Maria V. Snyder, Magic Study

Some general quotes about books…

·       “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

·       “When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story's voice makes everything its own.”
- John Berger, Keeping a Rendezvous

·       “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.”
- Walt Disney Company

·       “These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. From each of them goes out its own voice... and just as the touch of a button on our set will fill the room with music, so by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart.”
- Gilbert Highet

I’m a pretty laid back person most of the time so the next few quotes are about rolling with the punches so to speak…

·       Que Sera Sera - Whatever will be, will be

·       C'est la vie - Such is life

·       Hakuna Matata – It means no worries for the rest of your days, It’s a problem free philosophy…you know you’re singing that right now ;-)

General Life quotes

·       “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

– Albert Einstein

·       “And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.”

– Abraham Lincoln

·       “Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can.”

– Danny Kaye

·       “Carpe diem” - Seize the day

·       Wag more, bark less

And two miscellaneous quotes

·       “I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”
- Robert McCloskey

·       “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
- Elliott Erwitt