Welcome back to the second year of Valentine's Day! Books with LOVE Hop. The hop is hosted between Once Upon a Twilight and Good Choice Reading.
The hop will be easy to follow. Just click on each blog on the list below. That way you are guaranteed not to miss a blog. We hope you enjoy this hop and come back again next year either as a participant or hopper.
Your prize this year if you win is:
Pandemonium (ARC) by Lauren Oliver (personalized*)
*Yes you read that right. The person who wins has the option of getting the book personalized or signed by Lauren Oliver.
If you haven't read Delirium, then I suggest you start on it asap so you can understand where Pandemonium continues. This series is perfect for Valentine's Day!
Welcome back to the second annual Valentine's Day: Books with Love Hop.
Once Upon a Twilight and Good Choice Reading have teamed up, yet again, to bring you the Valentine’s Day: Books With Love blog hop! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and we’re really excited! If you participated last year, then you are a bit familiar with this hop.
This hop is where we share all and any books that have to do with LOVE. It doesn’t have to be only romance books; it can be a story about family, friends, anything… as long as there is some kind of LOVE story in it.
This hop will run from February 14th until February 19th. Winners should be announced on the 20th.
Gift Cards are allowed, but it has to be to a bookstore. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository are great choices! This also gives your international followers a chance.
There is no limit to what or how many books you giveaway, that decision is entirely up to you.
We ask that if you are going to give away a book that is erotica, or an adult romance and not meant for Teens, please sign up below on the simply-linked list this way: YOUR BLOG’S NAME (Whether it’s open US or INT) (Adult). It is VERY important that you do this. If you're going to be giving away a YA book and adult romance, please post your link the way we have it below: Once Upon a Twilight (US) (YA).
All post must be up and live at 12:01 AM on February 14th. Which means, set your post up on the 13th to go live at midnight. If your post goes live a little bit earlier, that is fine.
For those who are using Rafflecopter, set your dates for February 14th at 12:01 am and ending February 20th at 12:01 AM.
If you have any questions at all about this hop, you can email us at onceupontwilight@live.com or contact@goodchoicereading.com.
SIGN UP BELOW to participate. Last day to sign up is February 7th.
I want to Thank all the authors that participated in the Love hop by either donating for the giveaway or writing up one of those great post we enjoyed reading. Couldn't have been as successful without you all.To all that entered and read the posts, a real big Thank you as well.
Our last but not least post for Books with Love hop. Author Amy Holder will talk to us today about Chocolate. Amy is Debut Author for this year, her first book is called The Lipstick Laws. The cover looks dangerous in a good way. If you are doing the Debut Author challenge make sure to add this one to the list. Amy was has also donated a chance to win a pre-order copy of The Lipstick Laws and swag in the Love Hop giveaway, so make sure you enter by midnight tonight.
Amy Holder's Valentine's Day Post
It’s not a secret that I love chocolate (which is so against Lipstick Law #3 in my upcoming book). Other than on Halloween, Valentine’s Day is a time of the year that being a chocolate addict is not only reinforced, it’s applauded. Chocolate is mass produced and shipped to every store near and far across the country. You are almost expected to give or receive chocolate, whether you like it or not. That’s why I’ve decided to create a list of the top ten uses for Valentine’s Day chocolate… because who wants to read a mushy post about LOVE anyhow, right?
Top Ten Uses for Valentine’s Day Chocolate
1)Give chocolate to your sweetheart.
2)If you don’t have a sweetheart, you can send chocolate to yourself from one or more fake admirers to make yourself appear more sought-after. This may even snag you a sweetheart for next year.
3)Freeze said chocolate and throw pieces at your enemies. If you don’t have enemies, you can just throw them at a dart board, annoying reality stars on TV, the taxman…or perhaps use them for skee ball?
4)Melt & create a yummy facial mask which will moisturize AND fulfill your sweet tooth at the same time.
5)Pretend you’re on the Cake Boss and sculpt a fabulous chocolate cake topper… or, if you prefer Project Runway, you could make an edible outfit instead. Be sure to sell your chocolate masterpieces for a hefty price on eBay.
6)Let it sit out on your desk and eventually you’ll have your own version of a Chia Pet.
7)If you’re not a fan of chocolate, you can always regift any chocolate you get. In fact, I won’t complain if you send it to me.
8)Use it to bribe various chocolate addicts to do menial tasks for you.
9) 9) Leave a chocolate trail to help you find your car in a crowded parking lot.
Summary: (from goodreads) At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?
Lisa Desrochers bring you all today her post on Valentine's day. She is the author of a book we all know and love called Personal Demons and the sequel is Original Sin. Lisa was kind to donate for the giveaway hop a chance to win a signed copy of Personal Demons. Here is what Lisa had to say about Valentine's day.
Valentine’s Day has unfortunately turned into one of those Hallmark holidays, but, did you know that we have Chaucer to thank for the celebration of love? It’s true. St. Valentine story had nothing whatsoever to do with expressing affection. As best as anyone can tell, St. Valentine was a priest who lived around 270 AD. He may or may not have conducted secret marriage ceremonies for Roman solders in opposition to Claudius II, who forbade marriage of his solders believing it made them weak. When Claudius found out what Valentine was doing, he was more than a little pissed. In the end, he had
Valentine executed, and, it’s believed that this execution may have happened on February 14, 270, though nobody in the know is speaking up to confirm that.
So…so far, not much reason to celebrate, methinks. But, along comes Pope Gelasius I in 496. Apparently, he thought Valentine deserved some…something, so he added a memorial to St. Valentine to the Roman Catholic calendar, where it stayed just that, a memorial—not a celebration, just a day. That is, until 1382, when our good literary buddy, Geoffrey Chaucer came along and wrote: "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate," in Parlement of Foules, and voiala! Valentines Day is suddenly for smooching. Since then, it has taken on a life of its own and the fact that Pope Paul VI removed the memorial from the Roman Catholic calender in 1969 stating: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14,"hasn’t slowed us down.
If you’ve read Personal Demons, you know how I feel about smooching—the more the better. So, thanks to Chaucer, we all have free rein to smooch today. Smooch early and smooch often.
You read it here, Chaucer says we must all smooch away! Thank you Lisa for this great post.
Summary: (from goodreads) Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.
What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
On our last day of Book with LOVE hop I bring you a few more post from great authors. Author Robin DeJarnett wrote for you all a great post today. She is the author of Whirlwind. Enjoy!
Love at First Sight
February is the month of love and romance, and what could be more romantic than that staple of romance novels, love at first sight? Dating back to Biblical times, love at first sight has been written and sung about for millennia. But is it real or merely a fictional fantasy? And what makes it so romantic, anyway?
Instant Attraction
“Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.”
– Romeo, upon seeing Juliet for the first time
Science has lots of reasons why we might be attracted to someone when we first see them. Beauty, as Romeo notes, is a factor, indicating superior genes (it’s not fair, I know, just recapping scientific reports here). Freud claimed that women are more attracted to men who resemble their father, and men their mother (EW!), while other studies suggest we’re most attracted to the person who resembles ourselves (can you say Narcissistic?). [1]
No matter the psychology or genetic reason, science seems to agree that instant attraction is definitely possible. But is that love? For some, yes, for some no. But it’s not particularly romantic, in my opinion, thinking your heart is controlled by a subconscious urge to find the best genes!
And what did the ancients know about DNA?
It was Love First, or Was It?
Before CSI and DNA, there was love. From the Bible to the Greeks, Shakespeare to Homer Simpson, love at first sight had little to do with science. Sure, the physical attraction was there – but by all accounts, it was love that amplified that attraction, causing those struck by Cupid’s arrow to overlook any faults in the object of their love. But is the romance of love at first sight the lightning strike moment, or the promise of forever?
That’s the difference, I think, between love at first sight and “wow, he’s hawt!” Sure, instant physical attraction can be explained, even anticipated, but how romantic is it if that pivotal moment only amounts to a one-night stand? “I came, I saw, I conquered" ...not necessarily in that order… That’s not love, and not very romantic, in my opinion.
So it seems there’s more to love at first sight than instant attraction.
More than Love, Commitment
To me, the romance of love at first sight is a connection being made on a level so deep it can’t be avoided. Whether it’s real or not, the idea of being able to just know this is the person you’re meant to be with, even if you don’t know anything else about him, pulls at my heart. And once that connection is made, nothing better break it.
That doesn’t mean things are all hearts and flowers forever – there’s definitely romance in watching lovers overcome obstacles designed to test their love and commitment. Maybe that’s why the “boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back” formula is so popular. Love at first sight must be tested – and commitment confirmed – to be fully realized.
But, I have to admit that the mysterious zing, whether it’s lightning, or the click of rightness, or just a feeling of “you’re the one,” has a certain magic to it that can’t be beat.
Which leads me to…
An Excerpt from Whirlwind
As you may have guessed by now, like so many authors before me, I too employed the device of love at first sight in my book, Whirlwind. Would you like to see how?
CLICK HERE to enter giveaway to win a signed copy of Whirlwind
First, how about a peek at the trailer:
Those blue eyes…but I’ll let Melissa tell you what happened.
With a wistful sigh, I checked out the group of ushers at the door. Maybe I should’ve taken [Beth] up on her offer to introduce me — would it be so bad to have someone to talk to?
I’d worried that seeing so many men dressed in black would bring back unpleasant memories of my last trip to church, but instead I found myself drooling over the group like the rest of the women around me.
Chase looked great, but he was only one of an entire herd of GQ-worthy, immaculate men — a stunning sight in their matching tuxedos. One of the guys I recognized as Mitch’s classmate, and a couple more were from the rodeo team, though I’d never seen them this clean before. The rest were anonymously good looking. They whispered to each other, playing with their ties or cuff links while they waited for their turn to show someone to their seat.
It was my first and only high school dance all over again.
Chase caught my eye and pointed to his neat bow tie before he questioned the guests in line ahead of me. I gave him a thumbs up, happy I could contribute something to Mitch’s big day. I stepped forward, expecting the I-got-stuck-with-her look from the next piece of eye candy.
A tall, lean stranger approached, stealing my breath.
He didn’t look directly at me at first, so he missed my Exorcist-like double take. I had two heartbeats to collect myself — and to shut my gaping mouth. The guy I’d seen with Chase earlier moved toward me so smoothly he seemed to skate across the carpet.
I recognized his movie-star hair immediately, the molten-chocolate waves just touching his collar, divided by a soft part just right of center. My previous assumption had been correct; he was exceedingly handsome. I drank in his flawless face, tracing his bold cheekbones and square, strong chin with my eyes, trying to find a suitable description for what I was witnessing. The word that came to mind wasn’t stunning or exquisite, though both were appropriate; it was familiar. This animated David reminded me of someone. Before I could put a name to his doppelganger, he turned to look at me, and all thought vanished. His eyes were the brightest blue I’d ever seen, and when our gaze met, time stopped.
They say that in the moments before death it’s common to experience a lifetime’s worth of memories. As I drowned in the sapphirine depths of his eyes, what I saw wasn’t the past, but the future. My vision blurred. In my imagination, his vibrant blue eyes appeared inches from mine, and his arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly against his perfect body. I felt every sculpted muscle, every virile heartbeat as he bent down and gently kissed me. As my tongue sought his, the scene shifted and we lay in a darkened room, wrapped in each other’s embrace, wearing nothing but the sweat of ecstasy. We panted together in perfect rhythm, and a single strained word left my lips: “Yes.”
The scene changed, and he was at my elbow, guiding me into a long black car. Cameras flashed in our faces, and specks of rice crunched under our feet. His azure eyes twinkled as he brushed the white veil away from my cheek and whispered, “My wife.” The image darkened again; he nuzzled my ear as his hand slowly stroked the skin of my swollen belly, sending a shiver through me. The pictures flew by faster and faster, flipping like pages in an imaginary scrapbook: we sat on a couch, surrounded by toys, his arm wrapped around my shoulders; we stood in a crowd and watched mortar boards fly into the air; he held my hand as we cut a cake decorated with the words 25 Years and Counting.
Woven through the fast-forward of my life were kisses, touches, and intense releases of passion — all shared with this unknown, gorgeous man. Decades of life, love, and lust passed before my eyes in just two long seconds. I didn’t even know if he liked girls, but I could see myself giving everything I was to him.
He smiled tentatively at me, and as fast as it had appeared, the vision vanished. I blinked, breaking eye contact with him, and inhaled, channeling all my strength to my rubbery legs. He stepped forward, and I realized his lips — his perfect lips — were moving. When I didn’t respond, his face fell.
I tried desperately to regain my composure. I’d never experienced a fantasy like that before. It must be lust at first gawk.
He tried smiling again, and I was able to respond in kind this time.
“May I show you in?” he asked slowly and extended his arm.
Unable to speak, I imitated a bobblehead doll instead.
It just wonderful that we can keep celebrating love even after Valentine's Day has passed. Author Christy Trujillo shares with us a great post, i know you will enjoy reading. Christy is the author of The Maldito Series. Christy was very kind in adding to the giveaway her whole series in e-format with a iTunes giftcard.
Frankenstein Heart
I think the word love gets thrown around a lot. I’m guilty of this myself. I tell virtually everyone that I love them and when speaking of people always say, “Oh I love {insert random person’s name here}.” But the truth of the matter is, love, real love, isn’t something to just throw around.
Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl and a handsome young man. Both itching to make their place in this world, they joined the military. As they say, it was love at first sight and they were soon married and went on to have three kids. Well, the third was kind of a surprise but a good surprise all in all. They had their ups and downs, as any married couple would but over the years they formed a bond based on trust and respect. Then one day, the girl became very ill. Cancer, they told her. The treatments left her lifeless; unable to work, take care of the kids, she could hardly get out of bed some days. Through it all, he remained by her side. Took care of the kids, her, everything. I know he would cry, in the shower, or on the drive home, but he would never let her see. And the tears weren’t of self-pity, what would he do with the kids, what would he do with the bills, no, the tears were fear because God help him, what would he do without her. A year later, as what I can only describe as a miracle (and a little bit of good happening to the good guy finally) she got better. I mean, 100%, cancer free better. Today, they are more in love than ever.
No, this isn’t me; it’s a good friend of mine at work. Anytime someone asks me what real love is, I think of them. I think I know their secret (other than they are both just generally awesome) and it’s that they love each other as is. No, ‘well if he would only do this’, or ‘man I wish she would do that.’ They just accept each other whole heartedly. I write about young love since to me, it is the only time we can ever truly give ourselves completely. It’s that optimistic hope of innocence before the reality of the cold world sets in and clouds our vision that allows us to love with our whole heart because after that, we never really get it back.
These two were lucky enough to marry the one that they gave their whole heart to. Me? Well, I never really got my whole heart back but found someone who was able to give me some of theirs so now I’m sort of a Frankenstein heart, a little of this and a little of that. It works for me because if you’ve never felt the pain of a break, how do you really appreciate the beauty when things get put back together? So whether you are a break-free heart, or a Frankenstein like me, I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day full of happiness and surprises this year.
“Love is the only shocking act left on the planet.” ~ Reed/Ashton Kutcher from Valentine’s Day.
Today we bring you one of the funniest authors I have met. Sarah Rees Brennan all the way from Ireland took time to write about Love today. Be ready to laugh a little. Sarah is the author of The Demon Lexicon Trilogy and has other works.
Sarah's Post:
Love!
Or, to be more specific, romance, because I find myself often talking about familial love and friendship, because a) well, my Demon's Lexicon series is mostly about family and friendship and b) sometimes I think familial love and friendship don't get a fair shake compared to romantic love.
And yet with the countdown to the end of my series, where all the romantic pair ups who pair up... will pair up, and with other more romantical projects percolating in my brain, I have been thinking more and more about romance in YA.
Because that's a very specific kind of romance, the teen romance. It's a romance where the people involved in said romance may not be entirely sure of who they are yet, let alone who they love. It's the kind of romance that can be very intense - your first love, your first betrayal, your first serious experience with all these types of feelings, often your first sexual experience too.
In the Lexicon books, my heroine Mae makes her first appearance in a T-shirt that says ROMEO AND JULIET WOULDN'T HAVE LASTED. Obviously this says a lot about Mae, but it also says a lot about teen romance and people's approaches to it, and the often-impermanent nature of this kind of love.
And yet, when we finish a book, if we're really attached to a couple, we want to believe it'll last. And that kind of love can last - one of the best couples I know have been together since the age of sixteen. (They're married now and have been together I think twenty-four years, so I am pretty sure that one will endure...)
So... L'Amour! What are things you like best in a love story? One thing I'm fond of is one kind of flighty and one serious person - like Will and Tessa in Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, or Howl and Sophie in Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle. Having really different outlooks on life, and being able to teach each other something, and have fun with your differences as well as discovering unexpected similarities.
And what YA couples do you think are built to last? I have a couple votes: Sorry and Laura in Margaret Mahy's The Changeover. They don't even end the book together - he's going off to a nature reserve because there's an age gap and he doesn't want to take advantage: not too creepy an age gap, he's 18, not 30 - but she's steady, wise and charmed, and he's stumbling, but romantic and charming in an odd way, and they ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED. Ahem. Derek and Chloe in Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series, because they're both shy in totally different ways, growing up awkwardly in totally different ways, and have to learn to set boundaries for each other and rely on each other.
And I do have a couple in my series I think will be together forever, but I can't say who yet. ;)
So, which YA couples do you think are doomed and which might grow up entwined like... some kinds of plants in love?
We are happy to bring you a sweet post from Author Jennifer Laurens. She is the author of the Heavenly Series and a few more books. Jennifer took the time out from taking care of her sick family to give us this wonderful post. So let her know how much you liked it. Did you see what Jennifer donated for the GIVEAWAY, you wont want to miss it.
Love = Time = Happy Valentine’s Day!
We live in such a busy world. Often, we choose to spend our time on things that won’t bring a satisfying return. Like in relationships. In today’s busy world, Love really equals time. Think about it: the person who takes the time to listen, to go do something with you even when it cuts into their time---these things show a deeper love than the quick and easy gift. ( Not that I don’t LOVE prezzies, I’ve got a box of Sees chocolates waiting for me today! )
But when I think about true love, true love holds hands with sacrifice. Because we ALL know what it is to give something up, to go without so that someone else CAN HAVE.
Find someone today to who you can give your time to. It can be a special message you send on FB, or talking to them on the phone just to tell them you were thinking about them---see how much they open their heart to you --- and invite their open heart. And listen.
Summary: (from goodreads) I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.
Hi everyone and welcome back to another great post during the Valentine's Day giveaway hop. We bring you a wonderful interview with author Heidi R. Kling. Her book Sea was such a great read in 2010. CLICK HERE to view the review. Heidi also donated some great swag to giveaway in the hop.
Once Upon: What inspired you to write your first book?
Heidi: Boredom probably. And stories refusing to leave my head.
Once Upon: Describe your typical day?
Heidi: Lots of multitasking! Get up, get kids ready for school, get partially presentable. I write at coffee shops usually while my daughter is at preschool. I practice yoga which really helps keep things balance. I try to get online stuff done while my daughter naps, then my son comes home and I do kid/family stuff until they are in bed. Try and write a bit more or watch TV. Research!
Once Upon: Describe yourself in 5 words?
Heidi: Oh boy. Okay. Um. Never mind I can't do it. How about you ask a friend to describe me?
Once Upon: Do you believe in love at first sight? describe your answer.
Heidi: I believe in instant connections, yes. It has happened to me numerous times. I'm not sure if that initial feeling/experience is necessarily *love* but it is very real, and usually if the connection is pursued, meaning, if the relationship is allowed to develop further, it does become a form of love.
Once Upon: Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
Heidi: To the moon.
Once Upon: If you could leave your readers with one legacy, what would you want it to be?
Heidi: Wow. These are great questions. I would like them to remember me as a writer who wrote for THEM. I love making my readers happy and will continue to strive for throughout my career.
Thank you Heidi for these great answers. I can see your books going to the moon some day.
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