Literary Addicts Launch Event + KINDLE FIRE!

Welcome to the Literary Addicts Kindle Fire Event where we have teamed up with 10 Amazing Authors and several awesome bloggers to celebrate the

Grand Opening of Literary Addicts a Community for Book Lovers!

Please check out the Fantastic authors bringing the Kindle Fire Giveaway to you! Don't miss out on these great reads even if you don't have a kindle yet. You can download the kindle app for you phone, desktop, or ipad HERE. All of these books are less than a Starbucks Coffee!

 

Immortal Voyage Before the time of the great pyramids, there was a place like none other, a city of glass and metal rising from the depths of the ocean. Shrouded in mist, the island of Hy-Brasil and its capital Atlantis lay hidden from the rest of the world by its people, a race of long lived, interstellar nomads. Read more and purchase for only $2.99

     

Give Me - A Tale of Wyrd and Fae All she wanted was a vacation - but Dumnos offered a new life. Lilith Evergreen has always lived in the California desert, but when she receives an antique ring as a gift, she dreams of a castle by the sea, a magnificent tree at cliff's edge, and a mysterious woman who bids Lilith to come to Dumnos, a land of mist and rain. Read more and purchase for only $3.99 Paperback

   

Slow Boat to Purgatory (Slow Boat to Purgatory #1) Gaspar De Rouse, an immortal Knight Templar, a man murdered by his brothers for the secret he possessed, resurrected and given a second chance at redemption. Dominicus Bureau, a renegade priest, torn between his vows and the secret he pursues, a secret protected by an immortal. Alex Donovan, a modern day warrior thrust into an ages old war, a war between good and evil, heaven and hell.Read more and purchase for only $2.99 Paperback  

 

Mark of the Witch (Boston Witches Book 1) Magic flows through Jillian Proctor's veins as surely as blood, but so far her life outside Boston has been peaceful. William Morgan blows into Jilly's life like a hurricane, unleashing her magic and sending her out of control. Unknowingly, William brings an enemy who only wants to posses the power of the witch. Jilly must learn to harness her magic before she loses it - and everything in her life is destroyed. Purchase for only $2.99 Paperback 

 

The Marriage Bargain Camille Chandler is a tabloid journalist whose career is right on track--until her boss sees a curious ad in the L.A. Trades. Wanted: Single actress for an extended gig abroad. France's mega-rich playboy Julian de Laurent is up to something and Camille's boss expects her to find out what. Who knew the eccentric gazillionaire was looking to hire a temporary wife? Read more and purchase for only $2.99

 

Descended by Blood (Vampire Born #1) Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Read more and purchase for only $2.99 Paperback  

  

Dirty Blood I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. Read more and purchase for only $2.99 Paperback

 

Taming the wolf (anna avery series, #1) Attacked by a wolf while hiking in the mountains, Anna Avery's life just got a little hairier. Living in the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming, with a group of werewolves who are more animal than human, Anna must try to hold onto her human side. It's not easy when the alpha continues to persuade her into his bed, while another wolf is chomping at the bit to become her mate. To top it all off, dead bodies are showing up and ..Read more and purchase for only $2.99

    

Fearless (Kings Series) Tasmyn Vaughn didn't expect much when her dad’s job moved them to a small town in Florida; it was just another new school. But there is more to King than meets the eye, and soon Tasmyn’s ability to hear other’s thoughts is the least of her worries. Entangled in a web of first love, quirky and secretive townsfolk, magic and blood rituals, she discovers the town’s secrets aren’t just bizarre, they’re deadly. Purchase for only $3.99 Paperback

  

Secrets (Guardian Trilogy) While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the Abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn't know and sometimes what you don't know can kill you. Read more and purchase for only $2.99   These fine authors are bringing you this Kindle Fire Event via Promotional Book Tours and Literary Addicts This contest is open Internationally! Please fill out the form below to enter. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reader's Advisory: Thirteen Reasons Why

Reader's Advisory is a new feature here at The Fiction Pixie. It is an opportunity to stretch my library legs, expand my book knowledge, and share older books with you that need some limelight! Typically, I expect this to come out Thursday but its been a rough start with life getting in the way and losing my notes, so here goes nothing!

If you liked...

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Goodreads | Amazon

You might like....

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Goodreads | Amazon

Told in the journalistic style similar to the one the experience Clay has with Hannah's tapes; this book is a moving and powerful coming of age story. With suicide, sex, experience and growth this book teaches the reader about finding themselves and understanding what they find.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Goodreads | Amazon

Unlike the other two books that are told in a memoir-esque style about coping as survivors of suicide, this book is about finding the strength to overcome. Tyler is a boy facing a troubled home life, new found attention at school but through it all teeters on the thought of suicide. A powerful yet dark experience in taking your life into your own hands.

Review: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Graphia (March 15, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 213
Series: Riders of the Apocalypse (Book 2)
Read Next: Loss
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780547445281
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Author: Website | Twitter
Series Reviews: Hunger (2.5★)

Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different. That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control. A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world. 
______________________________________________________________________

Overview:

The accuracy that I can see in this series now is absolutely astonishing. I found this book to be emotionally devastating and heart wrenching for Missy. These book reach out to teenagers going through something like this and show them they're not alone and that is absolutely power in words.

Review:

This book takes realism and accuracy in fiction to a new level. It highlights all the things that give Young Adult fiction the name of being "too dark" but it does that because its real; these are things that teens face in the deep recesses of themselves and hide from the world. I was unsure of how deep and true Hunger could have been but this book clarified that Jackie Morse Kessler is gifted and dedicated to true storytelling.

As part of the series, this book can still function as a stand alone for someone who wanted to reach out for something their experiencing. In this book, we have our Kurt Cobain rocker, Death who is the one resounding connection through the books. It is his task to replace the Horsemen of the Apocalypse as the rider position opens. Missy's adventure is unrelated and irrelevant to the story in Hunger though it is lightly referenced and gives background to why War is vacant.

When Death enters the scene, we find Missy holding her family's dead cat in her hands, "You have blood on your hands". The mood is instantaneously set to be dark, brooding, and quite appropriately raged. Missy's life is a disaster in her eyes. Love gone wrong, family gone wrong, life is wrong and the only way to fix it is to bleed the bad out. Driven by such intense emotion, Missy wars within herself at the things she has been forced to face. Humiliated by her ex, estranged from her sister, and now empowered by the sword, she really is just trying to sort out the straight path for herself but it is messy and heartbreaking.

These books are incredibly short reads that pack an incredible punch and I would recommend them for anyone who needs to know they are not alone. As a previous self-injurer, all I wanted to do was tell Missy she wasn't alone and I want you to know it, too.

Rating out of 5:

Armchair BEA: Words of the Wise

 

While you're here, check out the giveaway! 

So on this last day of Armchair BEA the topic is "Ask the Experts". Well I don't classify myself there at all haha, so I implore you my lovely readers to impart your advice upon my humble self. While I don't have much in the way of specific advice to expertise I will leave you with one thought:

Your blog is for you!

When you are no longer happy with the way your blog is going or if you no longer enjoy it, find out why and make the decision to change it or quit because something as lovely as reading or sharing your thoughts shouldn't make you unhappy.

I want you to know that I really enjoyed this week. I met a lot of new bloggers and I am excited to get to know each of them. Please feel free to drop me a line in my email or on twitter! I hope each of you enjoyed your armchair as much as I did and it seems like the week has ended so early. Best of everything to you!

Armchair BEA: Beyond the Blog

While you're here, check out the giveaway!

So today the topic up for discussion is how we go beyond the blog. Monetizing, freelancing, or other opportunities that come from our blogging. When I first thought about this I went directly back to the idea that I discussed in my networking post and I was a little bummed that I didn't have much else to say.

I don't have tips for monetizing, in fact I could use some. Being an Amazon Affiliate has wielded me a massive 4 cents. I don't have paid ads. I'm not even sure if I have enough clicks to host paid ads. So trying to talk about monetizing was not the way to go. Then I went meandering around and commenting when I left a comment that struck a cord and the idea popped into my head!

In my networking post yesterday, I wrote about how I felt my blog and book experience really helped give me an edge to get my job. Earlier, I was commenting about someone else having well rounded writing experience and is this type of experience that really can help give us the edge in an extremely competitive job market. So I explained that I when applying for bookish jobs (i.e. Library where I work now) I put book blogging on my resume. I've spoken to career specialists over my resume and they said it was an excellent idea because of its immediate relevancy to the posistion. I have worked countless hours on my resume and I have seen that it can be successful so I thought I would share with you the way book blogging appears on my resume in the hopes that it may help you as well. 

Book Review Blogger

              Lexington, Kentucky                                April 2011- Current

v  Employ high levels of professionalism contacting publishers and authors

v  Develop a strong knowledge of writing and grammar to create thorough reviews

v  Familiarize self with new releases of all genres within Young Adult fiction

v  Maintain a unique and personal creative space to store and display information

v  Demonstrate writing and analysis abilities to provide accurate and professional reviews to the public on popular teen selections

v  Read a thorough list of selections group to review and hone ability to provide recommendations

As you can see, this helps to show that books aren't just a job for me they are a passion; something that I dedicate my free time to as well. I also have recently found that I love resume counseling but don't have the extroverted personality to give connections enough for that to be a career option. But that is all I have, that little space on the page to take myself far beyond the screens of the blog! Best of luck to all of you!

Armchair BEA: Networking Off-Line

While you're here, check out the giveaway!

It is pretty much obvious that I have put this post off for the most part of the day because I simply didn't know what to do about it. I had some thoughts but when you look at yourself in the mirror and see the shy wannabe, the last thing you want to do is go online to your blog, your public space, and say I suck at networking.

After reading some other stories and posts (love you all for sharing btw), I realize I am not quite as bad as I thought I was but I still have a ways to go to really say that I have accomplished anything significant. So I thought I would tackle this post in different sections to cover some of my experiences and some of my goals.

Did blogging get me a job?

One thing that I can say I have done is make it no secret that I work in a library. When I see all these posts about networking and when I think about my own experience that is what I keep going back to. In a pool of qualified people, I go into my job interview nervous and extremely excited. It puts me one step closer to the dream job. This is where the blog comes in. I assume the questions are similar amongst all applicants but I am prepared for recommendations and to sum up the last great book that I read because I had recently reviewed it. And honestly, when I told them that I had decided to make books my career and that I read, review, and blog in my free time, I think it gave me an edge above the other applicants. It illustrated to my bosses that I was serious about my job and that I do love books.

Since then I have been given all the teen YA catalogs that I keep in my locker and all my bosses love my writing background and reference my blog frequently. I really do believe that blogging helped me get my job on top of my own merits and determination to enjoy my career choice!

The Iron Knight Launch Event

When The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa launched there was a launch event in Louisville, KY (her hometown). That is about an hour away from me so I hopped in the car with a friend and drove out to go and it was great. I mentioned my blog to her and I was a total herp derp. But I still had a blast!

 

Oh, why yes that is Prince Ash in our picture!

Goals

I would love to find people that are of the book bloggy nature around here. I don't like book clubs much because I have never found one that really suits me. I don't like reading a book because I have to but because I want to. I am in a local Goodreads group through the library but I have yet to see anyone who reads the things I could talk about.

Sometimes, when I see books get returned that I enjoyed, I want to rush out and find them and scream that they have good tastes in music and sometimes, if I come across them with the books in their hands, that is what I do. Minus the screaming part; I don't want to go to jail!

I think that some of the local bookstore stories I have heard today have been absolutely inspiring and it really has sparked my interest to visit the local stores for the purpose of networking.

And I really want to get the most out of Twitter & blog comments. I try to utilize it and I have the followers to do it but I never seem to get any return interaction from my readers/followers and it can be really heartbreaking. Especially when it is an open question that could really stimulate conversation or give readers an opportunity to effect the things on the blog. But it is a goal to keep at it. Nothing will change if I just give up.

I hope that you have tactics for networking that work for you because I know mine are always changing and adapting and sometimes, being an introvert, it isn't easy.

Armchair Giveaway! OLDIES BUT GOODIES!

Last year I hosted my first giveaway for Armchair BEA and gave away Summer & The City by Candace Bushnell. This year my focus on things that I want to feature is a little different and with my new Reader's Advisory feature, I am trying to feature some older books to bring back that good literature still exists even though we get wrapped up in the new and shiny. So this year I am giving away an older book from the following list:

• Glimmerglass (2010) by Jenna Black
• The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry
• If I Stay (2009) by Gayle Forman
• Memoirs of a Geisha (1997) by Arthur Golden
• The Wizard's First Rule (1994) by Terry Goodkind
• Uglies (2005) by Scott Westerfeld

I think that covers a variety of genre and ages for hopefully everyone to enjoy something. Enter on the Rafflecopter below and check out the details:

•     Contest Ends June 12, 2012 at 12:01AM EST
•     US Only (Sorry)
•     Must be 13 or older
•     Extra Entries are available
•     Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter!
•     Comments must be reported as entries
•     Winner will have 48 Hours to respond or another will be chosen

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Armchair BEA: Greetings!

Hey Armchairers! I am so excited to participate in the Armchair BEA again this year. I participated last year and had an absolute fantastic time. There were a lot of great events including fantastic daily topics, twitter parties, and it was in conjunction with my first giveaway. Last year was extremely successful for the event and for me as a participant so I am excited to see where this year goes. It is crazy to think that a year has already past though.

This year, instead of a standard "about me" introduction, we are going to be doing self-interviews and blog hopping to see everyone's answers and getting to know one another. Without further ado, my heart on a string:

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Well, my name is Leila and I am 25 year old librarian wannabe. I am currently a Library Assistant and I absolutely love my job. My supervisors love the fact that I blog and it really initiates a lot of great conversation and people turn to me for teen recommendations lol. I have been book blogging for a little over a year now. I missed my blogoversary but that's okay, I want to focus on pushing past the obstacles and celebrate overall success. Okay, that is just an excuse for not noticing the time just past right on by.

I was originally a World of Warcraft blogger and I found that blogging was something I really enjoyed. I had that blog for over a year and I found that it was rather successful. After I quit playing, I reconnected with a love of reading and found I kept getting lost in book blog world and it just kind of snowballed from there and a year later, here I am.

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. An interesting spot to be with a question like this. Do you go private? Funny? Cute? How about this, I am a sucker for comic book movies even though I have never read a comic book! I am a Marvel girl through and through and love The Avengers (GREAT MOVIE!) and The X-Men above most other comics!

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012? I am a little extremely behind in my current reading with the holiday last week but I am trying to read Everneathe by Brodi Ashton. I'm also waiting to read City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. So far in 2012, I absolutely adored reading Article 5 by Kristen Simmons and I have had the privilege to interview her as well, and she is just as pleasant and awesome as her book!

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years? The book blogging community is in a dynamic all its own. It is unlike any other blogging community I have been a part of. It is a great community to be a part of because you find people who enjoy reading the same things you do and it really can start a great dynamic and introduce you to knew people. If I had to say I would like to see some changes, I have noticed there can be hints of elitism in terms of people who do this and flaunt their success and brag about the things they get rather than simply sharing. I also, in my year of blogging here, have seen some pretty large explosions of drama that I hadn't really experienced in other communities and I'm not sure why that is but we all have one great goal to share great books!

Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How? I came out of the gate when I reconnected with reading with guns blazing so to say. I got incredibly caught up on all of the new releases that were coming out in Young Adult lit that I really forgot about everything else that I enjoy. So my tastes have come back around to where I enjoy reading a little bit of everything again instead of just YA. I have found that I enjoy reading more horror stories as well and that hadn't been something I had every really explored so that is also exciting!

So now that I have poured my secrets, I wonder how authors feel after an interview haha. I hope to see you guys around for the rest of the armchair event and that you enjoy the event!