New Year, New Me, NEW BLOG.

Hey guys!!!
I have the biggest and the LAST news I will ever announce on this blog. 

Dreamcrate!!

EXCITING NEWS!!

I have been given the amazing opportunity by Lootcrate to come up with my own personal DreamCrate!! If you don’t know what Lootcrate is…

Birds of Prey {A Hunger Games Fanfiction} Full

"Is everyone in the Capitol as self-absorbed as you?" Someone asks behind me.

I turn and cock an eyebrow, amused. Apparently they've sent someone to check on me. A girl, about my age. She lingers halfway behind the door, as if she's scared of me. 

Good, I think, my smile widening just a bit.

"You might look in the mirror too, if you were pretty," I say back, batting my eyelashes. 
The comment hurts her, I can tell. Probably because it's true. The girl is unbelievably plain, and, well... ordinary. She would never fit in at the Capitol. 

At least, she wouldn't have before, I think bitterly. Ever since the Districts rebelled and killed President Snow, the Capitol, once a lively and beautiful place, had been over run by common folk and was now being used as a headquarters for our new government.

They are the reason I am here.

I'M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!!!!

Yes, you read that right!! I have big-time news for all of you.
I WROTE A BOOK.

Hunger Games Fanfiction!!!

Wow, I have been absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude! As of today, my The One Fanfiction has received 4,902 views!!  That's SO awesome, guys!! I don't even know what to say right now. A few of you have been begging me for more fan fiction, and I love to please my readers! So, I'm pleased to announce MY NEW FANFICTION.

Books Coming Out In August 2016

The Smaller Evil by Stephanie Kuehn
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2016
Blurb: 

Sometimes the greater good requires the smaller evil.
 
17-year-old Arman Dukoff is struggling with severe anxiety and a history of self-loathing when he arrives at an expensive self-help retreat in the remote hills of Big Sur. He’s taken a huge risk—and two-thousand dollars from his meth-head stepfather—for a chance to "evolve," as Beau, the retreat leader, says. 

Beau is complicated. A father figure? A cult leader? A con man? Arman's not sure, but more than anyone he's ever met, Beau makes Arman feel something other than what he usually feels—worthless.

The retreat compound is secluded in coastal California mountains among towering redwoods, and when the iron gates close behind him, Arman believes for a moment that he can get better. But the program is a blur of jargon, bizarre rituals, and incomprehensible encounters with a beautiful girl. Arman is certain he's failing everything. But Beau disagrees; he thinks Arman has a bright future—though he never says at what.

And then, in an instant Arman can't believe or totally recall, Beau is gone. Suicide? Or murder? Arman was the only witness and now the compound is getting tense. And maybe dangerous.

As the mysteries and paradoxes multiply and the hints become accusations, Arman must rely on the person he's always trusted the least: himself.

BOOK REVIEW: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Listen.

I am a sucker for thought-provoking, life changing books that alter your perspective and make you cry, the books that leave you in a state of utter messiness after reading. I gulped down the monstrous 584 pages of The Book Thief in a measly two and a half hours.

You know what else I am a sucker for?

Contemporary. Romance.

I’ve seen Austenland more than two dozen times (if you’ve been following this blog, you know that I love Austenland, so I’ll get over it.) I swoon in Win A Date With Tad Hamilton and laugh in She’s The Man.

I love those cheesy, predictable, adorable plot lines more than anything in the world. And although I have seen every Marvel movie ever, I also won’t hesitate to slap down my money to buy a ticket for the newest rom com.

Another thing you probably know about me? My favorite book of all time is The Distance Between Us. You’d know just by looking at it. I treat my books like they’re made of glass- none of them have bent covers or smudged pages. They look like they are brand-new. But, The Distance Between Us is worn out. Not because I wasn’t careful with it, but because I’ve read it so much. So so much. At least once a week. It pulls me out of a sour mood faster than anything else.

As a result, I have purchased every Kasie West book that has come out since. They are all adorable, but none of them have come even close to The Distance Between Us.

Until now.

BOOK REVIEW: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Blurb: 

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

My Thoughts: 

I was so excited for this book because I absolutely loved Marie Lu's Legend series. However, actually getting around to reading it proved to be difficult. I read halfway through it three times before I finally finished.

That doesn't mean the book was bad, it just means I was distracted. In fact, this book was very good. It's like eating chocolate; once you start, you can't stop. 

I think the fascinating thing about this book is that it's written from the point of view of the villain. I don't think I've ever read a book like that before, and Lu did it wonderfully. I loved Adelina but at the same time I hated her so much.

This book was so addicting simply because it was so interesting. As I'm sure you could tell by the blurb, the plot is full of strange powers, caused by a deadly plague that killed several people and changed several more, marking them as malfettos. Adelina has silver hair and is missing an eye (although that was not technically a Marking.)  The characters are dark, mysterious, and very flawed. However, their intentions are good: to overthrow the Inquisition that burns innocent malfettos at the stake. 

Once you start reading this, I guarantee you will not be able to put it down. The language is written beautifully, the plot turns and twists more than a roller coaster ride, and the characters are unique and unpredictable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fiction. 

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I'm Back!!

I can't really give an excuse for my er... six months of absence.
School and everything just got tangled in a huge mess and I kind of filed this blog in the very back of my priorities.
Sorry guys.

What's happened since I was gone?
Well, first off... I've read a ton of different books. Here are some of my favorites: (that I will be reviewing as soon as possible, promise.) Yes, there are a lot of really pretty dresses.

I'll be back soon, with a whole new design for reviewing books!!

BOOK REVIEW: Atlantia by Ally Condie

I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first cracked open Atlantia. Condie is one of those authors that I remain on the fence about; although I thoroughly enjoyed Matched, the next two books were a bit dry. 
And, despite the fact that Atlantia is about an underwater city, I also found it to be a bit dry. 

Book Review: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

This book is nothing like I thought it would be. The summary suggests that it’s about two disappearances, two missing girls. The entire book, I kept thinking… one of the sisters is going to go missing, and the other sister will embark on a quest to find her. That’s the only way the summary made sense to me.

Apparently not, because none of that happened.

BOOK REVIEW: The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West

The Fill In Boyfriend

Kasie West is my favorite contemporary romance author. Her stories never fail to make me laugh and tug at my heartstrings. The wonderful thing about her stories is that they always have a second layer- the entire purpose of the story is never the element of romance itself. Her stories are family oriented and have strong underlying messages of life, self-acceptance, and love. In The Distance Between Us, (my personal favorite) Caymen questions the absence of her father in her life and how she can continue to support her mother. In On The Fence, Charlie struggles to find her femininity in a house with only brothers and her father.

The Fill-In Boyfriend is similar to all of West’s previous stories in that it also contains another layer of solemness that adds a serious tone to the story. On the surface, the story is light and fluffy. Gia, the main character, is dumped by her boyfriend, Bradley, only a few minutes before prom begins.

Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

As I was pacing back and forth between the shelves of my school library, a title caught my eye. I’d seen advertisements of its cover plastered on bookstore windows and even in Walmart. It had been praised by several critics as one of the best Young Adult books of all time, yet I still had not read it. So, out of simple curiosity, I picked it up and started reading.

I wish I could say that I went home and fell in love with this book.  I wish I could say that I immersed myself into the pages and wasn’t able to put it down. I wish I could say that I didn’t force myself to finish it simply to write this review.

I wish I could, but I can’t.

Eleanor and Park was not the book for me.

The Sisterhood of The World Bloggers Award

 Guys!!! I got nominated for an AWARD!!! The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!!! I was nominated by the lovely Shikha, Leah, and Nina over at The Overflowing Shelf. THANK YOU!!!!! 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Marissa Meyer

I am excited for this post the very most, because Marissa is one of the best and most talented authors that I know. 4. Besides Cress, Marissa has also written Cinder, Scarlet,  The Queen’s Army, and Glitches.

Fun Facts:

Family/Pets: I have a husband, Jesse, and three cats: Callie Jo, Blackie, and Stormus Enormous.

Where you live: Tacoma, WA, USA, in the house Jesse built (literally)

3-4 Hobbies or things you do in your spare time: Eat, cook so I can eat, go antique shopping, and I pretty much enjoy any sort of live entertainment (concerts, musicals, stand-up comedy, etc.)

Favorite ice-cream flavor: Chocolate chip cookie dough

Childhood dream job: Writer!! Though I also went through a stint where I wanted to be a fashion designer.

Favorite movie: I don't know that I have one... Pride and Prejudice, maybe?

Favorite scent: Fresh-baked cookies.

Interview:

How did your idea for Cinder come to you? What inspired you, if anything?

It began when I entered a writing contest in which the host had listed about ten random prompts and writers had to choose two of them to include in their stories. My two prompts: set it in the future and include a fairy-tale character. My contest entry was a sci-fi version of Puss in Boots and I had so much fun writing it that I thought I would try to do an entire series of sci-fi fairy tales! A couple months after that I was drifting off to sleep when the lightning bolt struck: Cinderella… as a cyborg! I crawled out of bed and spent about an hour brainstorming and jotting notes. Thus, The Lunar Chronicles was born.

What did you want to be when you were a kid growing up?

A writer! Always a writer. Though I also went through periods where I wanted to be a Broadway actress (before I realized that I can't sing) or a fashion designer (before I realized that would require learning how to sew, which seemed like a drag).

Did you plan for the Lunar Chronicles to be a dystopian fairytale? Were they originally supposed to just be a fairytale? Just dystopia?

The initial concept I had was to write futuristic retellings of fairy tales - so I knew I wanted to give science-fiction twists to some of these classic stories. I had that idea in mind even before I knew which fairy tales I was going to retell! But I don't really think of them as "dystopian." With the exception of the plague and an impending war, the world that Cinder lives in isn't half-bad. It's obviously not perfect, but I think 126 years of world peace is something for Earth to be proud of.

Do you have any future writing plans?

Many! I hope the Chronicles are just the start of a long writing career. Right now I have one confirmed book that will follow this series: HEARTLESS, a prequel to Alice in Wonderland focused on the Queen of Hearts. I'm very excited about it!

Who is one of your favorite characters in the Lunar Chronicles?

I honestly adore all of my characters - even the evil ones! - but my favorites to write are Iko and Thorne. It's the funny characters that excite me the most, because I feel like they tend to write themselves, and I'm never quite sure what crazy thing they'll say or do next. It's so much fun to put them in a chapter and see what happens.

Was Cinder always the lost princess, or did you decide that ending later?

When I first outlined the series, I left it fairly open - it was possible that it could be Cinder, Scarlet, or Cress. But by the time I'd finished the first draft of Cinder, I was pretty sure it was her, and DEFINITELY sure by the time I finished the second draft.

What was your favorite scene to write in the series?

My favorite scene actually takes place in Book 4: WINTER, so I obviously can't tell you much about it. But I've had the idea from really early on, and I can see this scene so clearly in my head. A lot of chapters end up having a movie-like feel to them in my head, but this one really felt like watching a movie when I wrote it. I only hope my writing can do it justice so the readers experience it the same way!

Did you have to delete any scenes? What were some alternative character names?

Ha! I have entirely deleted DRAFTS! Two major characters have changed their names. Captain Carswell Thorne was originally Alexander Woods (but Woods and Wolf were too similar and I kept getting them mixed up), and Princess Winter was originally Princess Ebony (but that was before I realized she was black, at which point the name Ebony just seemed like a cliche). Oh, and when I was naming Cress, I spent about twenty minutes wanting to call her Arugula, lol.

Hey Guys!!

I know that I've really sucked at posting in the last few months... this summer has been very busy.. I've been out camping a lot and haven't had any wifi in order to post. Now that I'm finally home, I thought I would post a few things within the next few days!! Here are the books coming out in July and August!!

BOOK REVIEW: The Heir

Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you something.
I have a rule for authors that none of them obviously follow, since... none of them probably know me. But this rule is-
If you keep continuing a series that you already said was finished, the rest of the books are going to suck.
After reading The Heir, I still stand by my rule. However, I am willing to make a few exceptions. There were some parts that, in fact, sucked, and some that did not suck. Here is a list: 

Things that Sucked

Eadlyn.  

When reading some other reviews on Goodreads prior to picking up this book, I found that Eadlyn, the main character, was receiving a lot of hate. However, when I first started reading it, I really, really admired her. Almost more than I admired America. (Let's be honest, most times America got on my nerves. I basically only read The One so I could gobble up the parts with Maxon.) America was okay, she was tolerable. But she was so indecisive about everything that it drove me CRAZY. Eadlyn knew what she wanted, and she was determined to get it by herself. Finally! My inside happiness screamed, Some girl power!!! She had spunk and bravery and I thought everything was going well.

Until things started sucking. There are many problems with Eadlyn, mostly:

Books Coming Out This Month

End of Days by Susan Ee
Release Date: May 12th 

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly , Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

The Heir {Fanfiction Part 1}

The Heir

A Fanfiction by Sarah Calvert

Disclaimer: This is merely a fan fiction. All rights to the Selection series go to Kiera Cass. Please note that I was not aware of the name of the boy she will fall for so I MADE ONE UP. I have no clue how The Heir will go whatsoever and this is from my own crazy brain. Thank you and please enjoy the story :) 

Part Three of The One Fanfiction

Hey guys!! As promised, here is the third and final part to The One Fanfiction [original series by Kiera Cass.] I do not own any of the copyrights to the Selection Series, all of the rights go to Kiera Cass. If you have not read the at least the first two books, please, do NOT read my Fanfictions.  *** IF YOU REPOST, PLEASE GIVE ME CREDIT. ANY UNAUTHORIZED USE IS CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM. Thank you. Don't miss out on my fan fiction for The Heir, coming out on April 23rd!

Also, if you missed out on Part One and Part Two:

Part One

Part Two

Enjoy!

XOXO

Sarah

Part Three

The first thing I think after the gunshot is how odd Maxon sounds. His screams sound like a tortured animal, like someone ripped his heart out and crushed it.

The second thing I find odd is the fact that I don’t feel any pain. None at all, not even pain where blood should be blossoming from my chest. I don’t feel like I am slipping into an abyss of endless darkness, either.

That’s when I feel arms engulf me, holding me as delicately as glass. I pry open my eyes to see Maxon above me, his eyes wide and rimmed with red. Yet he doesn’t look worried. He does not call for help. “America, darling. You aren’t dying. He didn’t shoot you. He didn’t shoot you,” he insists.

That’s when I realize that it is not his body shaking, but mine. I feel extremely cold, with drops of sweat dripping down my forehead. I try to open my mouth to reply, but it feels like it has been glued shut.

“He didn’t shoot you, America. You’re fine. You’re alive.”

Then, another face appears above me, next to Maxon’s. Their expression is a mix of relief and amusement.

Aspen.

“Is he dead?” Maxon asks him.

“Yeah,” Aspen replies, crouching down next to me. “Are you alright, Mer? You look a little pale.”

Is he dead? The words echo in my thoughts and finally realization comes to me. The gunshot was not from the rebel. It was from Aspen.

Aspen shot the rebel.

Aspen saved my life.

Maxon seems to realize this fact the same moment that I do. “Thank you,” he tells him, turning his head so they are looking eye to eye. “I thought I hated you after I realized you were with her, but now I am forever in your debt. You saved the only thing in the world that matters to me. I can see now how you were able to steal her heart.”

“Her heart has been stolen,” Aspen agrees. “But I am not the thief.” Then he leans down and kisses me on the forehead. “I love you, Mer. But I can see the truth now. And it’s okay,” he whispers in my ear.

I kiss his cheek, softly. He stands and sends me a grin that once made my heart fly. Now, it simply makes it smile. “I need to go, Your Highness,” he says, turning to Maxon. “You will be safe now.” Maxon nods, giving him permission to leave.

He does, and the door closes quietly behind him, leaving me alone with Maxon.

He is the first to speak. “Are you alright? I was certain you were just going into shock, but you look so pale…”

“Yes.” My voice comes out hoarse, and I clear my throat. “I’m fine, thank you.”

There is silence for a few moments, apart from the quiet, ragged breathing coming from his chest. Then he finds his voice again. “I thought I’d lost you,” he chokes out, and I look up to see that his eyes are filling with tears. “When I heard the gunshot, I assumed that… I thought..” he swallows, unable to finish his sentence. Some of his tears fall onto my own cheeks, and his embrace around me tightens. “You never know how much you love someone until you lose them,” he whispers. “I love you, America. If I ever lost you again… there are no words to describe the agonies of a breaking heart.”

“Maxon,” I whisper, stroking his face, but he shakes his head, interrupting me.

“I love you. I do not deserve to love you. A simple caste, a simple title, a simple ranking, can not define the value of a human soul. And yours is much lovelier than mine. You have an exquisitely beautiful soul, and there is nothing more that I would want than for our souls to be joined forever, so I never have to lose you again without losing myself. America Singer, will you marry me?”

The words are barely out of his mouth before I’m kissing him. Our mouths blend together, two souls that will never again be separated. I kiss him more tenderly, more passionately, than any person has ever been kissed. Our tears mix, becoming one wave of water as I fix him, and he fixes me.

The truth is that someone is never made fully whole until they finally find the person who fills in the holes.

Maxon is fixing me, mending me, and sewing me back together, one kiss at a time. And though a word is never uttered, it passes through us: through his lips, through mine, through the scars on his back and the scars on my heart, through both of our tears, through his hands around me and through my hands in his hair.

One word, over and over, never to be erased.

Yes.