Guest of the Month Club is a monthly opportunity to collaborate with different bloggers! Every month you will be paired with a different blogger. You will each plan a guest post for the other’s blog (topic suggestions will be provided every month!). Then all of the club members will post on the same day of the month to make blog hopping easier.

This month I was paired with Emily from Follow the Yellow Book Road!

***

Hi! I'm Emily from Follow the Yellow Book Road. Cyra is hosting me today for the Guest of the Month Club. The topic this month is:

Top 5 Books I Can't Wait to Read in 2016

I love this topic, but it was really hard to choose 5.

1. Untitled (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas
This is the 5th book in the Throne of Glass Series. This fantasy series is about a young female assassin. It is filled with action, adventure and lots of really good plot twists. After reading the first book in this series, I was immediately and forever a Sarah J Maas fan. I reread the entire series last year, and they were even better than the first time I read them.






2. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
This is book 2 in the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series, which is a fantasy book based on the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. I LOVED the first book and have been anxiously awaiting the second.






3. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Fun fact: Susan and Sarah are friends! This will be my first Susan Dennard experience, but I've heard great things about her writing. I love stories about magic and can't wait to read this one.







4. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkowski
This is book 3 in The Winner's Triology, I can't believe this is going to be the end of this series! Marie's writing is beautiful and I am excited to see what happens with the characters (not gonna lie, I am totally hoping for a Happily Ever After).








5. Winter by Marissa Meyer
This is book 4 in the Lunar Chronicles.  It's been a while since I read the first three books, so I am thinking a re-read might be needed before I dive into this one. I loved how each book in this series was loosely based on a fairytale and the characters were lots of fun.

***

So what are some books that you're looking forward to reading in 2016? Do you share any of the same books as Emily?

Stacking the Shelves (#28)

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to highlight books received each week!

During the last two weeks, I got...

BOOK & A CUPPA SWAP:

I got Splintered and Unhinged by A.G. Howard in my Book & A Cuppa Swap box from my lovely partner, Tula!

Thank you, Tula!

BOUGHT:

A Darker Shade of Magic will be my first V.E. Schwab book! I got this and season 2 of The 100 on Amazon for 52 cents thanks to my credit card points!

WON:

I won Wandering Star by Romina Russell in a giveaway on Twitter!

Thank you, Tika!

TRADE:

I got hardcovers of books 1 & 3 in the Harry Potter series from Kristen (@ohfoxtrot).

Just waiting on my trade for Chamber of Secrets to come and my Harry Potter hardcovers will finally be complete!

EBOOKS:

Morrighan, the Remnant Chronicles novella by Mary E. Pearson

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

What kinds of goodies did you get this week?

Book & a Cuppa Swap

Hello everyone! You may remember that earlier this month I posted a sign up for the Book & a Cuppa Swap hosted by CG Swaps. Well, this week I got my swap package in the mail!

I was partnered with the ever lovely Tula from Primary School Library Diva! She was great to be partnered with!

So now down to the goods.

I absolutely ADORED my gift from her! I was so surprised that the box was so stuffed!

This marvelous box of awesomeness included:

PB of Splintered by A.G. Howard

PB of Unhinged by A.G. Howard

"Today I'm Reading..." Chalkboard Mug (HOW COOL IS THAT?!)

Hazelnut Keurig K-Cups (Loooove Hazelnut)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Muddy Buddies (Already gone)

Potato Chip chocolate bar (Already half gone)

Caramel Sea Salt Cocoa Mix

Cherry Cordial Cocoa Mix

Owl Sticky Notes

Flip Flop Magnetic Bookmark Set

Starbucks gift card

I think Tula put my package to SHAME! It was such a pleasure being paired with her! I look forward to doing more of these Chaotic Goddess Swaps! This has been so fun and it looks like there are at least two more bookish swaps this year that I will definitely be joining!

Cover Reveal: The Island by S. Usher Evans

Introducing the brand-spankin' new cover for The Island, made by Anita over at Race-Point.com.

About the Book

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.

Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country's independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.

When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian's medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo's survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?

The Island is the first in a new romance trilogy by S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and Empath. 

  Preorder Today for Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover and more! 

Preview

Galian

I landed with a soft thump on the sandy beach a little ways from my plane, and immediately dropped to my knees, releasing a loud breath. My hands shook and my heart pounded, but I thanked my lucky stars that I was alive and had practiced parachuting out of my plane a few extra times during my training.

Once my pulse returned to normal, I stood and released myself from the parachute straps, leaving the long trail of lines and white parachute laid out on the beach. I approached the wreckage of my plane. Pieces of it lay in a long trail as it had skidded across the sand. I picked up a metal piece that had a bullet hole in it and then tossed it aside.

Besides the nose and engine being smashed to smithereens, the back of the plane was fine. I cracked open the back hatch and pawed through my emergency supplies. I found everything—including the medical bag Dr. Maitland gave me—to be intact. Again, I thanked whatever was up there looking out for me. Of all the outcomes that could've happened from the battle, crash-landing on an island with my supplies was better than most.

A burning smell reached my nose, and I stepped back, searching my plane for any sign of fire. Then I noticed the black column of smoke rising up from the treetops.

Despite everything, worry knotted in my chest. What had happened to the other pilot? I hadn't seen another parachute. Was he even still alive? He was my enemy, but still a fellow human being. I couldn't help but hear Dr. Maitland in my ear.

I don't have the luxury of differentiating between Kylaen and Raven patients.

Guilt gnawed at me. I looked down at the medical bag and sighed. Dr. Maitland was right—I was a doctor first and a warrior second. Shouldering my bag, I stumbled off the sandy beach onto the firmer forest ground.

The trees were tall and thick and everything around me was green. It was late summer, but there was definitely a chill in the air since I was so far north. I was thankful for my extra layer under my jumpsuit.

I walked into a clearing, covering my nose from the smell. One of the two wings had been shorn off in the crash and was the source of the black smoke. The rest of the plane was mashed and mangled some ways away. I saw the pilot in the cockpit through the shattered glass, and his helmeted head hung motionless. I was sure that he was dead. I couldn't see how anyone could have survived such a crash.

And then he moved.

Theo

I woke slowly, the sound of unfamiliar animals coming to me first, followed by a cold breeze. As I tried to move, pain shot up from every corner of my body. I looked up at the blue sky, barely visible through a thick canopy of trees. I smelled leaking fuel, and wondered if my ship would explode or if I'd bleed to death first.

I relaxed into my seat and prepared for the inevitable. Even if the Raven government sent a search party for me (which they wouldn't), I doubted they'd come in time to save my life. Still, I took some solace in the fact that I killed another son of that mass murdering king.

A noise startled me and I turned my head slowly to find the source.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The stupid princeling was alive and standing in front of my ship.

Fear and anger gripped at me. How was it possible that I was badly injured and he appeared to be walking just fine? I hated that the last thing I was going to see in this world was Prince Galian standing in a clearing, his pale skin flushed and his eyes sparkling with…amusement?

I was dying and this guy was laughing at me.

"What's so funny?" I snarled through my helmet.

"Serves you right." He was smirking as if he had something to smirk about.

"For what?"

"Shooting me down. Looks like you're in worse shape than I am, too."

"Go to hell."

He laughed again and hoisted himself up onto the broken nose of my plane. I was in too much pain to fight back, and my gun was nowhere to be found.

"Yep," he observed, with a smirk on his face. Up close, he was every bit as handsome as I'd seen in pictures. "You definitely got what you deserved. Shouldn't have shot at me."

"You shouldn't have invaded my country."

His eyes widened for a moment and I thought I'd finally done something to wipe that smile off his face. To my supreme annoyance, he tilted his head back and let out a throaty laugh.

"Oh, you are witty," he said, nodding. "And technically right. But it wasn't my decision. I was, as they say, just following orders."

"And I was just following orders when I blew your ass out of the sky."

"Aren't we at an impasse then?" He seemed to be enjoying this conversation. He looked down at the side of my ship and read the inscription. "Theo, huh? Well, you must be a pretty high ranking pilot then. I hear the Ravens only allow you to put your name on your ship after you've survived plenty of battles."

I moved out of anger, but the pain in my legs came roaring up my body. "Please let me die in peace," I asked, unable to look at him.

"Oh, you aren't going to die today."

Preorder today for Amazon Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover.

About the Author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.

Check her out on the below social medias:  

Or subscribe to her newsletter here.

Waiting on Wednesday: February Releases!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I decided that I'm going to change up Waiting on Wednesday. Instead of doing one every week, I'm just going to do one once a month and feature all the books coming out the next month that I'm salivating for.

So without further ado, the books I am aching to own that release in February are:

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Goodreads

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Goodreads

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadowsis Sophie Jordan at her best. 

Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Goodreads

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Goodreads

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Goodreads

Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta  Sepetys

Goodreads

The author of Between Shades of Gray returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.

In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Goodreads

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

These are some of the books that I am looking forward to in February! What are some books that you just need that come out next month?

Top Ten Tuesday (#30)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic is a freebie. So I'm going to do Top Ten Books I Will Never Read!

1. Anything else that John Green writes. I've basically read all of his books. I find the way ALL of the characters talk to be obnoxiously unrealistic. I also feel like if you've read one of his books you've read them all. I liked each one of his books a little bit less as I kept going through them. I'm just gonna be done with his books, I think.

2. Spectaccolo by Christine Catlin because duh.

3. The Martian by Andy Weir. Weird thing about me, outer space scares the LIFE out of me! I don't think that I could read this one!

4. The Infernal Devices series or the new series by Cassandra Clare. I read all of The Mortal Instruments series and while I really didn't enjoy anything past the third book, I was INCREDIBLY butthurt about how hard she pushed the characters from the next series in City of Heavenly Fire. If I wanted to know that much about them, I'd read that series. I'm just over the whole Shadowhunter world.

5. Unravel Me or Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi. It's been awhile since I ranted about this, but Warner is icky so I refuse to finish the Shatter Me series and I probably won't read anything else she puts out just on principle.

6. Cress or Winter by Marissa Meyer. I don't really have anything against these, I just didn't really love Cinder or Scarlet. I thought they were kind of boring.

7. Grey by E.L. James. I really did not like the Fifty Shades of Grey books. I read some snippets of this book and... just no thank you.

8. Whatever book is coming out next year about Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin. I started off really liking The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, but that series really lost me. I quite liked Noah, but I didn't care for those stories toward the end. I think I'll pass on this one.

9. Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I thought that The Diviners would be a totally amazing read. But I found the book to be unnecessarily long and the climax to be a gigantic letdown. I loved the Gemma Doyle books, but I will pass on reading anymore of this.

10. Traveler by Arwen Elys Dayton. I thought that Seeker was just awful. I am kind of curious as to what happens in this book, but 100% not curious enough to put myself through reading that book.

What are some books that YOU will never read and why? I'd love to hear about them!

Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: August 4th, 2014

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Trade

Pages: 322

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

So, this was my first ever Colleen Hoover book. I have got to say that I LOVED it. I don't think that I was really expecting to like it as much as I did. But I was very pleased with this book and will probably be picking up one or more of her other books very soon. I don't even care if $16 is ridiculous for a paperback. I want it now!

This story is about the mutual attraction between Tate Collins and Miles Archer. They are attracted to each other, but something in Miles' past has reeked havoc on him and he refuses to let Tate know about his past or hope for a future with him. So they agree that they're relationship will be sex and sex only. 

So first of all, this book was so hot! This is definitely not a book for young readers with all the sex scenes. The only other book that I have ever read that I can compare this to even a little bit is Fifty Shades of Grey. And I have to say that when I finally figured out what that book was about, THIS is what I was hoping for.

So if I'm comparing right now, I have to say that this was infinitely better written. I found the steamy scenes to be more fleshed out and satisfying. There was an actual STORY in this book! The characters were considerably more likable, too!

I liked the characters in this book. Tate was a nice girl. She has just moved in with her brother in San Francisco from San Diego. Very shortly after she arrives, she meets Miles. The neighbor across the hall who works as a pilot along with her brother. They are immediately attracted to each other, but Tate can't figure out why he will barely give her the time of day. Something in Miles' past is still haunting him, six years after the fact. He refuses to let himself love anyone, so he and Tate decide to continue with a relationship that is solely sex. No asking about his past and no expectations of a future. 

Tate is a hardworker. She is a registered nurse, going back to school to get her master's degree. She found herself a job working weekends while she goes to school. She has a hard time with her relationship agreement, she finds herself falling hard for Miles. She takes a lot of crap from him as he kind of works through his problems. She knows that she deserves better, but she can't bring herself to give up on Miles. I think she wants to fix him.

Miles is basically just broken. His past is haunting him pretty badly, which is the reason for the agreement they have. His reasons for not letting himself be happy with Tate are so heartbreaking. But that doesn't excuse the fact that by continuing this no strings attached sex, he is being selfish. It's supposed to be uncomplicated, but he knows that it isn't that way for Tate. He knows that she is developing real feelings for him, but he can't bring himself to stop this and that isn't right on his part.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Colleen Hoover can definitely write some steaminess! If you are a fan of books similiar to Fifty Shades of Grey, you may enjoy this book!!

My Dream Workspace

I was inspired by WeWork to post about my workspace. They have beautiful shared office space and offer tons of benefits and discounts for people who freelance, run their own business, or are looking in to creating a start up!

I was asked to share my current workspace and what I love about it. Share what keeps me feeling productive and creative. Well, I don't have a lovely, creative, inspiring workspace yet. I work in a dusty, dirty warehouse at a standing desk with a computer and a stack of void fill paper on it. Nothing pretty about it except I taped my Christmas cards to it this year.

At home, I haven't gotten around to creating my dream workspace yet. I blog from my couch in front of my television. 

So, for my post today I'm going to describe my dream workspace!

I know exactly where I want to set it up. I want to rearrange the addition of my house and put my set up in front of the windows beside my bookshelf.

Please ignore the hideous mess in this picture. I was working on getting a new bookshelf for my paperbacks when I took this picture and I was also telling myself I need to take down the Christmas tree!!

But basically I want to put my set up in front of the above featured window.

Workspace Inspirations

Source

From this picture, I like the desk. I don't really want a desk with drawers on it, maybe one drawer, like right underneath the tabletop part. I want one with a nice, big surface area and no storage on the surface so I have more room. That is the kind of desk that I want, pretty much exactly. I can't find one anywhere though!

Source

Source

Source

I want to get a bunch of pretty framed prints to hang up around the area. I found all of these prints on Society6 under the pop art section! I really love the Game of Thrones one! I think that would definitely make it from blog post to wall in real life.

Source

For the windows, first of all, I want the blinds gone. I want curtains of some kind instead to cover the windows. Also, I want a bunch of tiny, adorable potted succulents to line the windowsill behind the desk. I think that would look super nice!

Source

Source

Source

Source

I would obviously have to get some cute desk accessories as well! <3

Beyond all that, I want more bookshelves around the space and a cushy desk chair I can twirl in. There are probably a ton of other things I would want there, but for starters, these are the things I really want!

And that, my friends, is my ideal creative workspace in a nutshell.

What would your ideal workspace look like?

Discussion: PassTruth Tour!

Okay friends! I have been DYING to finally share this post with you! Last Wednesday, after what felt like YEARS of waiting, I finally got to go to the PassTruth Tour! It was so amazing and very much worth the wait!

No new information here really, but I drove four hours home to my dad's when I got off work on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning I was wide awake at 6:30 am. Still had plenty of time before I needed to leave, but sleep just wasn't coming to me, I was FAR too excited for that! At 8 am, my sister and I picked up my grandma and drove the 5 hours to Minneapolis. Which was a bit nervewracking for me since it was my first time driving in a city that big. I didn't have to venture too far in though. Thank goodness. I probably would have died.

Anyway! So I have a relative that lives in the cities and we went to her house and she drove us around for awhile. I got to go to an actual Lush store for the first time in my life which was SO AWESOME! It smelled so heavenly, I never wanted to leave! I got a super glittery bubble bar and a very colorful bath bomb. I can't wait to use them. Then we had to wander the streets until we found our ride at Starbucks. Which really wasn't a lot of wandering, I was just being dramatic.

After doing a little bit of shopping, we went back to my relative's house and she made pizza for my sister and I since she and my grandma were going to go out for supper while we were at the bookstore. We ended up leaving for the bookstore REALLY early.

We got dropped off about an hour and a half before the event even started. Which, I really like to be obnoxiously early to these things, but also I didn't want to be in the way for the people working at the store. I shouldn't have worried too much because we weren't even the first people there. I nabbed my preordered books and tickets and grabbed copies of Never Fade, In the Afterlight, and the Something Strange and Deadly series as well.

Good thing I had my trusty EvieSeo tote because dear GOD, that was a LOT of books I ended up carting around all night.

Since this was my first event, I was a total noob to this so I didn't know that I could bring my books from home. Found out too late that I could, but my sister had one of my Alex Bracken books so I brought that and she brought her copies of The Darkest Minds books! It's probably a good thing I didn't know that because I would still be in that line. Ha!

Anyway, so when they set up the chairs, we snatched up two front row seats!

And we waited... 

But finally 6:30 rolled around and they came out and it was SO AMAZING!

They're so pretty and funny! It was so cool to listen to them talk about their books and answer questions. And it felt like it was all over so fast!

And okay, my worst thing ever about this was that, despite thinking about it ALL WEEK, I couldn't think of a single intelligent thing to say when I got up there. I wanted to have at least one thing planned so I could go from there if it was as bad as I made it out to be in my head. And since our tickets were numbers three and four, that didn't give me a lot of time to think about it in the line.

I definitely need to chill out and not worry so much because it was so much easier to talk to them than I ever could have imagined. I basically opened up by bluring out, "YOU'RE MY FAVORITE!!" to Alex, which must have been a good icebreaker because it earned me a hug. I could totally feel myself tearing up and I could feel my voice shaking. No shame.

Talking to Susan was easy because I planned ahead of time for us to wear Legend of Zelda stuff because I know she's into that. So that was a good ice breaker too! We all chatted about how far we had travelled to get there and my sister babbled about video games with Sooz. So it was an overall success. I felt like we were up there at the signing table forever. Which was totally amazing!

I am actually kicking myself now because I've thought of so many good things I could have said up there. Like how Liam is my one true fictional love. What was I thinking?!

Basically, I was nervous and shaky up until we finally got through the signing line. And then I think I got more excited after we left. I wanted to stay and see if we could talk to them more after, but we were at the very front of the signing line and our ride was waiting! To be totally honest, I didn't know that I was personally capable of the level of fangirling that I achieved after we left.

We left with a pretty legit stack of signed books and I'm pretty sure we were the ones there with the most books. I mean, I didn't see everyone's stacks, but this was more than anyone else I saw!

I also got to meet Tamara from Tamaraniac.com which was exciting because she is the first fellow blogger I've ever met in real life! :)

Overall, my first book event was an EPIC success! I met and got hugged by my favorite author, Alexandra Bracken. I also got to meet the sweetest author ever, Susan Dennard! I got to support a cute little bookstore that I plan to hit up everytime I'm in the cities from now on. Everyone was so nice! I also am REALLY jazzed that I got to hit up an actual Lush store. I hope that Alex visits the midwest again someday (maybe when its warmer out?) because I will come prepared with my books from home!

Did anyone else hit up this tour? Did you have a blast? Tell me all about it or about your successful first event!