Yes, I’m still here…..

It’s been a month since I’ve posted a review. A MONTH. I’ve been so busy with Fierce Ink Press that I honestly barely had the time to read, let alone think out the words to a review. So I let the blog slide. In fact, my plan had been to get caught up on the reviews that I owed and shut Lavender Lines down. For good.

Then I hop on Twitter (something else I rarely do these days) and see that two of my favourite authors, Cathy Buchanan and Susin Nielsen, have mentioned me in a tweet related to CBC Books.

Seems last week book blogger appreciate week and CBC Books did a blog post a couple of days back, title Book blogs we appreciate: the 2012 Edition. And there I am.

I am surprised. I am honoured. I am motivated to get back on track with the blog.

I love how when you’re struggling with something, with whether or not you want to continue, the universe sometimes throws you a hint. Sends something your way that helps with that decision.

So Lavender Lines is sticking around. There will be some changes, but this blog will be staying.

Fierce Ink Press

Anyone who follows me on Twitter or Facebook has probably heard me talk about my super sekrit project. It first came about in November and I’ve been working on it since January. And the thing is, I haven’t been working on it alone. My friend and business partner Kimberly Walsh is in cahoots with me. She just doesn’t have as big of a mouth as I do.

We were going to wait a bit longer to announce this super sekrit project, but we’re a finalist for the Start-Up PEI Challenge, with the winner being announced tonight.

So, what is this super sekrit project?

Fierce Ink Press! Kimberly and I are starting our very own publishing label. We will be publishing young adult books by Atlantic Canadian authors (PEI, NS, NB, NFLD). Fierce Ink is a co-op, so all of our authors will actually be a part of the company. You can kinda think of us as a melding of traditional publishing and self publishing. Kinda. But of course, being who we are, we’re blazing our own trail and approaching things differently.

Our first title will launch Septemebr 23. I can’t let you in on the deets just yet, but it’s just, well, I LURVE it. I’m so excited for you guys to get your grubbies on it. (Maybe even before the release?) We’re also publishing some non-fiction pieces about all things teen.

So, yeah, to say I am excited and nerved up and giggly and just plan HAPPY would be putting it mildly.

My best reads of 2011

Okay, so I was hoping to read 100 books in 2011, but I only finished 91 ( I know, I know for some that’s a HUGE number. But for me, not so much). And out of those 91 books there were only a couple I really didn’t like. A handful I was meh about. Most of them I really, really liked. And I few of them found their way into my “I loved it and will keep loving it forever and ever and recommend that everyone reads it” list.

Here’s my top read of 2011, in no particular order. And I’m quite happy to see that the majority of them are by Canadian authors.

The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay –  So beautifully written. I loved Moth and her story and can’t wait to hear more.
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts – This one was CREEPY! Reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s The Stand.
Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret – This one had my favorite secondary character of the year, Dolores. And it was funny and quirky and I am in love with it.
Falling Backwards by Jann Arden – It’s Jann. In book form. What else can I say?
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr – This one killed me in all the good ways a book should. My fave YA contempt read of the year and possibly forever.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin – This book blew me away with its writing, plot and genre- jumping. Just stunning.
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari – From the opening scene, I was hooked. My favorite dystopian read if the year. (I liked it even better than The Hunger Games.)
The Canterbury Trail by Angie Abdou – I loved the characters in this one. And how they all intermingled, smooshed together by life.
Pluto’s Ghost by Sheree Fitch – The writing in the book blew my mind. Sheree captures free-flowing thought patterns like nobody else. Amazing.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan – I don’t even know how to begin to describe my love of this book. By far the weirdest (and possibly most honest) book I read all year.

Okay, those were in no particular order, like I said. But if I was forced to choose my favorite read of 2011? Well, it would be a tie between The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Ashes, Ashes. Two kick ass books that kept me thinking about them long after I finished reading them.

Most of these books came my way as review copies, so a big thanks and a massive hug to all the publishers who sent them to me.

And that’s the list, folks! Happy New Year and happy reading!

Genesis release tour

Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella

A father who reveals his truth.
Twins who take different paths—one light, one dark.
Angels who have plans for them both
And Demons who do as well.
So the Earthly battle for souls ignites…

A tale that is over 2,000 years old, this is the story of the Amadis beginnings.

I read Kristie Cooks’ first two books in the Soul Savers series,  Promise and Purpose, and even though they are way heavier on the romance than I usually read, I really, REALLY liked them. So I’m super excited to be part of the blog tour for her Soul Savers novella, Genesis. I’m also super excited to have Kristie chatting a bit about researching for Genesis, and in particular, the food that they ate way back when in Greece. It’s cool that she’s chatting about food, because as someone who tries to eat as primal and natural as possible, what they ate back then is pretty close to what I eat now!

I’ll stop rambling now and turn things over to Kristie:

Genesis is a bit different from the other Soul Savers books. Although the fantasy world I created is the same, the real world is not. After all, it takes place over 2,000 years ago, around 200 B.C. So it required a lot of research to understand life in Greece during that era. For each stop along the release tour, I’m sharing something I learned and how it ties into the story.

Ancient Greeks loved food and dining. Although even noble women made bread, women of the home did not actually do most of the cooking, except in the poorest of households. Instead, they had female slaves who prepared, cooked and served the meals. The very rich had private chefs who were specially trained.

Food played a major role in the many festivals. Meat from domesticated animals (cows, pigs, sheep and goats) was often only eaten during festivals, after being sacrificed to the gods. It was then cooked on spits over fires. Wine, fruit, cheeses and bread were also appreciated during festivals.

Everyday consumption relied on the trio of bread, wine and olives (including oil), but was accompanied by fish and seafood, wild meat, fruits and cheese. You can check out my fun with making goat cheese at my blog today (www.KristieCook.com). Although many homes included a kitchen, food was often prepared on the fire in the courtyard outside.

Unless there were male guests, the family also ate in the courtyard when weather permitted. When there were male guests, the men ate in the andron (the men’s special living room) and the women ate in the kitchen or gynaceum (the women’s quarters).

The characters in Genesis mostly live in one-room huts, caves or small homes and eat together. Food is hunted and gathered, since they primarily live as nomads, although some necessities, such as barley and olive oil, are bought during special trips to villages with angoras (marketplaces). At least – this is how the humans eat. “Food” does mean different things to different characters in the book.

Thank you, Colleen, for hosting me and being a part of the Genesis Release Tour! Readers, in addition to the other giveaway they have going on here, you have a chance to win a Soul Savers swag pack just by commenting below. Your comment also enters you for the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the tour. For more info on the tour and the Grand Prize, please visit the tour page:
http://www.kristiecook.com/2011/10/genesis-release-tour-giveaways.html

Thanks so much for stopping by, Kristie! And folks, don’t forget to comment below for a change to wins some cool swag! Draw will be made November 6th.

Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I’m kinda hungry.

About the Author

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, with the first two books, Promise and Purpose, available now and the third book, Devotion, coming February 2012. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis, coming October 2011.

Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at:

 Author’s Website & Blog:
http://www.KristieCook.com

Series Website:
http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristieCook

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth

Tumbler:
http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/kristiecook

Google+:
https://plus.google.com/102746226001674797330/posts

Happy blogoversary to meeeeeeeee (Friday, that is)

Yeppers, guys and dolls. Friday is my 2 year blogoversary as Lavender Lines.  And it couldn’t have come at a better time. For those of you who follow the blog or follow me on Twitter, then you know, book wise, the last couple of months have been rough. I haven’t really been reading a lot and haven’t been loving what I was reading. After a dismal June and July I took August off to decide what I wanted to do. I seriously thought about shutting down the blog and not reviewing anymore. It was the worst reading slump I’ve ever been in.

There were several reasons, I think, that I hated reading. It was hard to admit some of the reasons to myself. But I love all of you guys and feel like we’re friends. So I wanna let you guys know what’s been going on.

First of all,  you may or may not know that I held an online book auction to raise money for Slave Lake Library. It was hugely successful and with over a hundred auction items it raised almost $5,000. But man, running an online auction all by yourself? DRAINING. I’m happy that I did it, but when it ended mid June I was physically and emotionally wiped. I’m still tying up loose ends. Was it worth it? Hell yeah. Would I ever do it again all on my own? Hell to the NO.

About a week into the auction the hubs decided we were going to go forward and open a used bookstore. While he and his best bud John did almost all of the renovations to our building, I gathered, sorted, inventoried and shelved over a thousand books for the store. Then we opened. And I averaged about $10 a day in sales. And I forgot that I pretty much hate talking to strangers and trying to get them to buy something. Also turns out I have a mini panic attack when referring books to people I don’t know. So my dream wasn’t quite the reality. Then we got hit with an infestation of earwigs at the beginning of August. The store has been closed since. Which my brain took as a failure. And since my brain was still exhausted from the auction, well, it wasn’t a happy situation.

The main reason, though was that most times I don’t feel like I’m a very good book blogger. I’m finding it harder and harder each review to really put into words my feelings, besides “I liked it, you should read it.” And, when you read a book that you know you should love and you were just meh about it, it’s hard to review.  There’s also the fact that I am so frigging behind on review books it isn’t even funny. I hate to admit this, but I have books from 2009 that I requested and haven’t read yet. I mean, I ASKED for the books. The publisher took the time AND the money to send them to me, fully believing that I would review them, and hopefully in a timely manner.  But I’ve found that I don’t do well with schedules when it comes to reading. I’m more of a “grab a book that appeals to me” and read it kinda reader. I have every intention of reader my backlog of review books. But when I look at the shelf, I get panicky and anxious. And I feel horrible and like a failure that I haven’t read them yet. Which makes me not want to read them. It’s a horrible cycle to be stuck in.

So, yeah, those are the main reasons I’ve hated anything book related the past couple of months. But this past week  I’ve felt myself coming out of it. I’ve read three books and loved each one. And I’ve decided that I would continue book blogging, but will be taking a bit of a different approach to it, for my own sanity.

• Unless it’s a book by an author I absolutely adore, I won’t be requesting any review books for the near (and possibly distant) future.
• I’m going to stop worrying about whether or  not my reviews are good and concentrate on making them me. So they’ll probably be short, a bit full of piss and vinegar and there will be the odd curse word (or five).
• I will be working on my backlog of review books, but I won’t stress about it. So, dear publishers and authors, continue your wonderful patience. You’ve all been amazing.
• There will be some mixed content on the blog. Some posts about me, music and my writing.

I’m excited about my third year as Lavender Lines. I’m frigging beyond excited about all the giveaways I have coming up over the next week. Honestly, there’s something for everyone. I even have a couple of international giveaways! So pop back in and enter as many reviews as you want.

Yeah, it’s good to be back.

Slave Lake book auction #1

As I mentioned last week, I’m running an online book auction to raise funds for Slave Lake Library. So over the next little while I’ll be posting links to the auction items.

The first item up for bid is a signed copy of Cathy Marie Buchanan’s The Day the Falls Stood Still (one of my all time fave books). Here’s a link to the auction: 
http://slavelakebookauction.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/auction-1-signed-copy-of-the-day-the-falls-stood-still-by-cathy-marie-buchanan/

Pleas help spread the word around. The more people who know about this, the more money we can raise.

Slave Lake Book Auction

So, last evening I decided to put together an online book auction to help raise funds for Slave Lake, which was basically wiped out at the beginning of the week when it was hit with a wild fire.  In typical Colleen fashion I jumped right in, despite the fact that I’ve never done something like this before.

The first thing I did was set up a very simple blog. 
http://slavelakebookauction.wordpress.com/
.  I also started asking for donations and I have some AMAZING things lined up.

If you could spread the news, spread the blog and come back Monday when the auctions go live and bid, that would be great.

Let’s raise a load of money for these poor people, shall we?

Getting back on track

So, sometimes life kinda kicks you in the ass when you least expect it. I got back into the blogging groove last week and then went and crashed my car. Neither the hubs nor I were seriously injured, but I did hurt my wrists and hands. Flipping a car twice while having a death grip on the steering wheel will do that. So I ended up taking most of last week off to let myself heal. Well, I’m back. Kinda.

I’m going to do a few posts this week, depending on how my wrists and hands feel. But I wanted to let you all know that I’m still here and I have some AMAZING giveaways coming up, including a much sought after ARC of an upcoming YA novel and some signed swag.  I’ll also be weighing in on the Canada Reads debate and choosing which book I think should win.

So stay tuned. There’ll be lots of fun stuff coming up. Oh, and I’ll review some books, too.

Some changes are a’ comin’

You may have noticed that I’ve been a bit MIA in the last little bit. I decided to take a break from blogging because, to be completely honest, I had no desire to do it anymore. I even entertained the idea of quitting and just going back to being a regular, old reader. I guess you could say I was burnt out and disillusioned with the whole book blogging thing.

Instead of just giving it up, I decided that I would make a few changes here on the blog and in real life to help me get my reading and reviewing mojo back.

Review Books
I got desperately behind on my review books, which in turned stressed me out and made me read less, which in turn put me further behind. I got caught in that vicious circle and went from reading 3 to 4 books a week to 3 to 4 books a month. I wasn’t getting pressure from publishers or authors who sent review copies that I requested, but I was still overflowing with guilt that they spent the money to send me the review copies and I hadn’t read them yet. So, this year I’m not going to be requesting or taking on any more review books unless they are REALLY books I want to read. And even then I may just wait until the release date and buy the book myself. This isn’t an easy decision, because I LOVE shiny new books, but it’s one that needed to be made. Once I get caught up on my review books I may change this, but for now, no review books for me.

Reading schedule vs mood
Part of the reason I go so behind on my review books is that reading on a schedule is kinda a new thing to me. And I found that when I had to read a certain book by a certain date it took some of the fun out of reading. It didn’t matter if I was scheduled to read an amazing book by one of my favorite authors, reading started to feel a bit like a chore to me. So this year I’m going to go back to how I used to read before I started blogging: based on my mood. Besides the delinquent review books I have a huge amount of bought books unread and I love the idea of perusing my TBR stacks and grabbing a book that appeals to me. Now, as for the 40 or so reviews I have here waiting to be read (yes, I said 40), I promise all you publishers and authors that I will get around to reviewing them. But I think this way of reading will not only help me read more, but it will help me be able to more fairly review the books that I have. If I force myself to read a book, no matter how great, I’m probably not going to like it.

Book buying freeze
My own unread bought books also stress me out sometimes. I’d say, including ebooks, I have about 500 of my own unread books in the house. I am not proud of this fact. Actually I’m embarrassed. It seems a bit wasteful and borderline hoarding. So my plan for this year is to not buy anymore books unless it’s part of a series I am in love with (Like Women of the Otherworld or Wolves of Mercy Falls) or by one of my favorite authors. No more buying books to buy books. Or because I’m bored. Or stressed.

Ignoring the hype
While Twitter is a great way to discover new books, it has its downfalls, too. Namely allowing me to get sucked in to the latest hype surrounding the newest must-have book. I tend to easily fall into the everyone-is- talking-about-it-so-I must-have-it mentality when it comes to books. And, unfortunately because of this, I’ve read a lot of mediocre books this past year. So my plan is to ignore the hyped-up books. I’ll still be on Twitter, of course, but I’m going to try to train my brain to filter out all the excitement about new releases.

I know some of the above kinda goes against the grain of what a book blogger is supposed to do, but I’ve never been one to fit a mold. Basically I’ll keep reading and reviewing books, but I’m going to go back to doing it my way. I think with these changes in place I’m going to find that I read and review a lot more and my posting is more consistent.

I’m kinda excited about this, guys.

Best cover EVER

You’re at the bookstore, wandering the aisles. You want to buy a book, but you aren’t sure what you’re in the mood for. Then you see it: the perfect cover. You have no idea what the book is about, really, but you know that you must have it. Because the cover is perfection.

Well, I stumbled across what is, in my opinion, the best cover EVER. I literally jumped up and down with glee right there in the store when I saw it. I didn’t buy it then (I was shopping for someone else) but last night I bought it. And it makes me happy every time I look at it.

I proudly showed it to two friends who immediately cringed and looked at me like I was a fruitcake. But I don’t care. I think it’s beautiful.

Okay, curious? Here it is:

OK, seriously, is that not the most amazing, cheesy, B movie, God-awful, wonderful cover you’ve ever seen? I can’t express just how awesome I think this cover is. And before you ask, yes I am being dead serious.

What can I say? I have some serious issues.