BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY!

WELCOME To BLOGMANIA !

My Blog is 65 of 122

You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which, ARE GIVING AWAY A VERY SPECIAL BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY (For One Day Only – April 30^th) .

We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing. Each blog will have a number and each new blog link will have a number. These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Why not take a moment to make a list of blog numbers 1-123 and check off the blogs as you go.

I know you’ll want to visit as many blogs today as you can. So, if you see something that interests you on any of our participating blogs, why not bookmark that site. Later, when you have more time, you can discover all its fabulous treasures.

MY GIVEAWAY and RULES:

The winner of my Blogmania Giveaway will get to choose an ARC of Hush, Hush (which has a different ending than the final versions) OR a SIGNED Bound Galley of Prophecy of the Sisters. Both are AMAZING reads. I will also include some random swag (signed bookmarks, stickers, buttons, etc.)

To enter you MUST be a public follower and leave a comment. Good luck!

US ONLY
Giveaway ends at Midnight

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

More Blogmania Giveaway sites to check out:

(Blog- 1 – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages - http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/

(Blog -2 – CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) The Black Sheep Dances - http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com

(Blog-43 - CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Books, Books Everywhere - http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/

(Blog-106) Bitten By Paranormal Romance - http://bittenbyparanormalromance.blogspot.com/

(Blog-82) Carpe Libris - www.seizethebookblog.blogspot.com

(Blog-59) Curling Up By The Fire - http://www.curlingupbythefire.blogspot.com

(Blog-46) Tribute Books Reviews - http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com

(Blog-12) Off the Keyboard - www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com

(Blog-94) Romance Book Scene - http://www.romancebookscene.blogspot.com/

(Blog-56) My Favorite Things - http://edna-myfavoritethings.blogspot.com/

(Blog-63) D.B. Reynolds, Writer - http://dbreynolds.wordpress.com

Book Review: Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: MTV (July 4, 2006)

Jade Leigh is a nonconformist who values individuality above all else. She has a small group of like-minded Goth friends who wear black, dabble in the dark arts, and thrive outside the norm. They're considered the "freaks" of their high school. But when Jade's smart mouth lands her in trouble -- again -- her principal decides to teach her a lesson she'll never forget.

Taken to a remote location where she is strapped down and sedated, Jade wakes up in an alternate universe where she rules the school. But her best friends won't talk to her, and the people she used to hate are all Goth. Only Clarik, the mysterious new boy in town, operates outside all the cliques. And only Mercedes, the Barbie clone Jade loathes, believes that Jade's stuck in a virtual reality game -- because she's stuck there, too, now living the life of a "freak." Together, they realize they might never get back to reality...and that even if they do, things might never be the same.

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First I have to say has anyone ever watched a show called Night Visions hosted by Henry Rollins? Because I could see this being an episode of that. Very Twilight Zone-like. What I really liked about this book is that instead of just making Jade and Mercedes switch places, the author switched what is popular. Jade is still a goth, but now being goth is the norm and the people who dress preppie are the freaks. Pretty amusing thought. The point of the game is to make them see past the appearance and cliques. So this story has a moral. I think back in high school we were all probably guilty of immediately writing someone off just based on appearance. Maybe I got lucky and my school was more tolerant because although my friends and I were the goth type nobody treated me like a freak or made disparaging remarks about who I was. Gena Showalter is one of my favorite authors and it was interesting to read something she wrote that is not a paranormal romance . It is definitely YA and I would probably rate it PG (only because there are a few cuss words).

4/5

Book Review: Hourglass (Evernight Book 3) by Claudia Gray

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

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Unbelievable. That is the word to describe this book. By far my favorite on in this series. I felt a connection with the characters that I didn't really have before. It was interesting to read what life was like in Black Cross....people who consider themselves the good guys who in truth aren't really any better than the vampires they fight. It really makes me wonder how any good truly can come out of violence. Anyways, Lucas and Bianca are on the run and so much happens to them. Even though they have claimed love for each other since the first book this is the first time I actually felt that is what it truly was and not just the whole "first love" thing. It definitely made me like Lucas more. So there is betrayal, violence, love, and grief.......ultimately a great read.

5/5

Blogmania Early Bird Checklist

It’s not time to go yet, but if you want to have the most fun and scoop up as much loot as possible, here are a few Early Bird Reminders to help you do just that.

1. Be at any of the blogs participating in the Blogmania Event as early as possible on April 30^th. The easiest way to find a Blogmania Blog is to look for the Blogmania Badge.
2. This is an international event, so understand that there will be some differences in time zones. My advice is to start early and stay late to catch all the blogs.
3. Each blog will have their own giveaway requirements. Read them carefully, follow through, and then move on as quickly as possible. If you run across a blog that you really like and want to spend some time exploring, copy their URL and then visit them after Blogmania is over.
4. We will have a 100+ blogs for you to visit. Each one will post their number like this. ( This is blog 47 of 100) This is to help you keep track of which blogs you’ve visited, and which ones you still need to reach. I’d suggest that you prepare a blog sheet which is numbered from 1 – 120, then mark off each numbered blog as you visit them.
5. All blog links provided will also have a number like (Blog 89 of 100). Look for the blogs that you haven’t yet visited and follow those links until you’ve checked off all the blogs on your sheet.
6. We have all types of blogs participating in Blogmania, which means that the range of items in their giveaways are diverse. I have previewed many and they are awesome.
7. Why not contact a friend and partner up. Compare notes, share loot, or organize your own friendly neighborhood Blogmania Competition.

Remember to come back on April 30th to enter my giveaway!

Book Review: Stargazer (Evernight Book 2) by Claudia Gray

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (March 24, 2009)

From GoodReads:

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning....
.........................................................................

Stargazer is a great continuation of Evernight. Bianca's relationships with Lucas, Balthazar, and her parents become complicated and takes her on an emotional roller coaster. I particularly enjoyed reading more about Balthazar...he is pretty hard to resist. Evernight has become dangerous, particularly for Bianca and she is trying to discover why that is. I don't want to reveal too much but just know that it is pretty exciting. The ending is a bit of a stunner so I am glad that I already have a copy of Hourglass (Book 3) or else I would drive myself crazy with anticipation.

4.5/5

BLOGMANIA on April 30 (sneak peek)

Just a reminder to everyone that I am participating in Blogmania on April 30.

There will be ONE winner who will get to choose one of these books:

ARC (used) Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
OR
SIGNED Bound Galley of Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

I will throw in a bit of swag like bookmarks, stickers, etc.

So, if one of these books interests you then be sure to enter April 30. The only requirement is that you be a follower.

Book Review: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star; Original edition (December 29, 2009)

Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?
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I really like the concept of how the vampires came to be, the idea that angels aren't necessarily all that good, and how the "Itch" of a succubus works. All together the book was a pretty good read, but I felt it could have been better if the main character, Jackie, had not come across as dumb. She was a docent in a museum....so that would imply intelligence and yet I failed to actually see it. The Vampire Queen told her about her past, yet just a handful of pages later when Jackie and Remy were doing research they seemed to have forgotten details and were asking stupid questions that they had already been told the answers to. There were also some other things that were glaringly obvious throughout the book that I think would have had better effect if the clues had been more subtle. Not to rag on the book or anything because I actually did enjoy it. The ending leads me to believe that in the next book Jackie will be a stronger person and less of a needy prude. Even if that is not the case I would get it just to read more about Zane, who is one of Jackie's interests.

4/5

Book Review: Ghost in the Machine (Skeleton Creek) by Patrick Carman

Hardcover:205 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (October 1, 2009)

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam. The two move deeper into the mystery they've uncovered, determined to discover the secrets buried in Skeleton Creek, in the conclusion to Patrick Carman's thrilling series.

In this groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.

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Ghost in the Machine is the sequel to Skeleton Creek. In order to understand what is going on you HAVE to read Skeleton Creek first. Things get wrapped up in this book. We find out who the members of the secret society are, what their purpose was, and we find out all about Old Joe Bush's ghost. There were definitely some heart pounding moments in the videos. A quick read but very good. I had problems loading videos on the sarahfincher.com site so I ended up having to go on youtube to watch some of the videos. If you have the same problem you should check that out.

4/5

Book Review: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (July 7, 2009)

All her world's a stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She is not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but has no lines of her own.
Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.
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This story blew me away. Difficult to describe, it is just one of those books you have to read for yourself to truly appreciate. The Théâtre Illuminata is such a unique setting. Bertie actually lives there, her bedroom is on the stage. It is a magical place where plays are performed. The set changes and it is basically real on stage and the actors appear to play their parts. In this book someone wants to be free of the theater and tries to escape which causes havoc. while Bertie is on the verge of being kicked out and has to figure out a way she can stay. In the meantime she is also trying to figure out who her mother could be. By the end of the book I was floored with how the story exceeded my expectations. Now I can't wait to read the second book in the series, Perchance to Dream which will be coming out in May 2010.

5/5

Book Review: Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Hardcover: 185 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (February 1, 2009)

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek . . . and Ryan and Sarah are trying to get to the heart of it. But after an eerie accident leaves Ryan housebound and forbidden to see Sarah, their investigation takes two tracks: Ryan records everything in his journal, while Sarah uses her videocam to search things out. . .and then email the clips for Ryan to see.

In a new, groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.

...................................................................

Skeleton Creek is written as Ryan's journal. There seems to be some kind of creepy conspiracy in the town of Skeleton Creek involving the death of Old Joe Bush and the dredge. Be prepared to go to your computer occasionally to watch Sarah's videos. A couple of the videos scared the bejeezus out of me but that could just be because I am a wimp. Very thrilling, and the ending leaves you hanging so you definitely have to check out the next book in the series, Ghost in the Machine. I was a bit skeptical at first about this book. I didn't think I would like the format, but I quickly got used to it and became absorbed in what was happening.

4/5

Book Review: Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

Paperback: 361 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (May 13, 2008)

Late-night radio you can sink your teeth into....

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, 60s psychedelia, 80s Goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WMMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station--and the link it provides to their original Life Times--the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover becomes a matter of life and un-death.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara re-brands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around--next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher--and the perils graver--than any con game Ciara's ever played....

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Wicked Game is the first book in the WVMP Radio series. Ciara (pronounced Keera) is a con artist who gets hired at WVMP...a station where the DJs are vampires. What is pretty unique about Jeri Smith-Ready's vampires is that vamps basically become "stuck" in the time they died. So if you died in the 60s then you wouldn't really have an understanding of computers or today's music, etc. This factor creates some very interesting vampires but can create problems because when they lose touch with what they are used to they can begin to fade and go mental.

The DJs at the station are:

Shane-died in 1995 and plays a lot of grunge

Regina-died in 1987 and plays punk and goth

Noah-died in 1979 and plays reggae

Jim-died in 1970 and plays classic rock and psychedelia

Spencer-died in 1959 and plays rockabilly and rhythm and blues

Monroe-died in 1940 and plays blues

They are the embodiment of their times...Jim is the hippie smokin pot, Regina is the punk chick dressed in black with a bad attitude, Shane is the moody grunge guy in flannel, etc. It's pretty fun to read about them. The main character Ciara is intriguing because she walks the line of good and bad with her criminal tendencies.

Ultimately a good read. Only problem I had was keeping all the names straight at times. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

If you want to read more about the DJs and actually listen to their playlists then head over to WVMPRadio.com. You can also buy some also WVMP merch there too.

4.5/5

CONTEST CRAZE!

Today Princess Bookie is having a Contest Craze on her blog. Tons of contests all day! Check out her site
HERE

21 Pages Mega Giveaway!

21 Pages is having a mega giveaway with 30+ books and counting!

Books included are:

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
Hourglass by Claudia Gray
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Forest Born by Shannon Hale
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Gone by Lisa McMann
My Bonny Light Horseman by L.A. Meyer
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Twilight: The Graphic Novel by Stephanie Meyer
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer
The Return: Nightfall by L.J. Smith
Evermore by Alyson Noel
Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Airman by Eoin Colfer
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Paper Town by John Green
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Heartless by Sara Shepard
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Bleach: Vol. 29 by Kubo Tite
Wintergirls by Lauren Halse Anderson

• the first place winner will receive three (3) books of their choice,
• the second place winner will pick two (2) books after them,
• and the third place winner can pick one (1) book from whatever’s left!

• For every 50 new followers, there will be another winner.
• For every 25 more followers, two more books will be added to the pile!

ends May 1
enter HERE

Book Review: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (March 23, 2010)

Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison.
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The Fifth and final book of Fablehaven, and what a way to go out. It immediately begins with a lot of action and doesn't let up. Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of Dawn are fighting an uphill battle to save the world. Some new characters come along to help and you won't believe who, or rather what, they are! Despite many setbacks everyone continues forth with much bravery. It is pretty thrilling. I found myself holding my breath during some intense battles when things got a bit hairy. If you love the Fablehaven series you won't be disappointed in this final book. I am sad to see the end of this captivating series, but hopefully someday Brandon Mull will revisit some of the characters in a new series. Fingers crossed!

Books in the series:

1. Fablehaven
2. Rise of the Evening Star
3. Grip of the Shadow Plague
4. Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
5. Keys to the Demon Prison

5/5

Book Faery 140 Follower Giveaway!

Book Faery is having an awesome contest in celebration of reaching 140+ followers!

• A signed copy of Skinwalker
• A signed copy of Blood Cross
• Freebies!!

The second winner will get to choose one book from the choices below!

• Undone
• Ravish
• The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
• She's No Faerie Princess

• Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter
• If You Dare by Kresley Cole

• Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
• Touch the Dark by Karen Chance
  
  

• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

NEW APRIL RELEASES

• Into the Dark by Gena Showalter
• Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

NEW MAY RELEASES

• Spells by Aprilynne Pike
• Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines

1st place
Signed copies of Skinwalker, Blood Cross, Freebies +
one book of your choice from the list!

2nd place
Any choice of one book from the list.
If a 3rd place winner is added, the 2nd place winner will get two books to choose.


3rd place = 200 followers + more books
4th place = 250 followers + more books
5th place = 300 followers + more books
6th place = 350 followers + more books

Please Mention that Throuthehaze sent you when you fill out the form :)

ends May 14
enter HERE

Attention: Coming on April 30th

ONE DAY BLOGMANIA

WOW! Aren’t you the lucky one! You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which, (For One Day Only) ARE GIVING AWAY LOADS OF FREE BOOKS AND OTHER PRIZES. You literally will have the chance to win hundreds of prizes. We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing for just the right blogs. All the blog links you’ll find on our participating blogs are loaded with giveaways and just waiting for you to drop by.
Be sure to look over anything that interest you here on my blog and then click the links provided below to take you to more participating blogs. Check out the free books and prizes and then follow the links posted on those blogs. The number of prizes you can win is only limited by the NUMBER of blogs you visit.

Remember! The special Blogmania prizes are only available for one day, April 30th.

**************************************
Now, how do you participate and reap the benefit of BLOGMANIA?
1. Register to participate in the BLOGMANIA by sending an email to btlblog@lyndacoker.com
(Give name of your blog, its URL address, your full name, and email address.)

2. Post the BLOGMANIA post on April 30th. (You may use the one Provided or design one of your own. )
Include the blog links provided to you at the end of your BLOGMANIA POST. (These will be links to blogs that have registered to take part in this blog extravaganza. The number of links to be posted will depend on the number of registered blogs. ) You will be sent the blog links to be included in your post at least 3-7 days in advance.

3. Prepare a really special BLOGMANIA Giveaway that will be valid for one day only, April 30th and be sure to post it early on that day for best results. State your giveaway requirements clearly and BE SURE TO FOLLOW THROUGH)' Please put some thought into your giveaway, make it something really special. Give your visitors a reason to remember your blog.

4. Promote the event on your blog, social sites, groups, etc. The more we get the word out, the larger our audience will be. Be sure to make it clear that they must visit on April 30th to qualify for the BLOGMANIA Giveaway.

5. Try to make the qualifications for your BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY as simple as possible. If visitors don’t have to do a zillion things to qualify, this will encourage them to keep progressing through to other blogs. Perhaps becoming a blog follower and leaving a comment is sufficient. You decide, but please keep it simple.

6. Blog registration deadline is April 25th.

Books Read In March

5 Star

The Bride of Castle Dracula by Marta Acosta
Pleasure of A Dark Prince by Kresley Cole
Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Road Trip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry
Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith
Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

4.5 Star

See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

3.5 Star

Seduced by a Rogue by Amanda Scott
Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast, and Allyson James
The Fire King by Marjorie M. Liu

3 Star

Hollywood is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells
Possessed by Kate Cann

2 Star

Warrior Ascended by Addison Fox

22 books! I read A LOT of great books in March. Hopefully, April will turn out the same way.