Contest Reminder: Ends March 1st!

My 100 followers contest will be ending March 1st at approximately 12 p.m.!
Due to getting another 120 fans I added two extra prize packs! If you wish to change your first choice of prize pack please do so in the comments of this post. I will be using a randomizer to choose the winners (http://www.random.org/) but the pack that you have listed as your primary choice will be the first prize considered for each entry. It will go in order of winners meaning that first winner will get the prize pack they listed, second winner will get the prize pack they listed if it is not the prize pack that the first winner asked for and so on. Out of such feel free to add in this post if you also have a second choice or any questions. All questions asked in the comments of this post will be answered by editing this post so if you ask, please check back!



Thank you so much to those of you who have entered and spread the word, If I hit 250 before the contest's end on March 1st I will still be adding more prizes.

Sincerely,
Emma

Review: The Realms of the Gods

Novel: The Realms of the Gods
Author: Tamora Pierce
Pages: 277
Genre: YA (Fantasy)



The fourth and final book in Pierce's The Immortals fantasy series, following Emperor Mage (1995), proves a fitting conclusion. The evil Stormwing, formerly Emperor Ozorne of Carthak, and Uusoae, the Queen of Chaos, are in cahoots--the Stormwing wreaking havoc on mortal lands and Uusoae on the realms of the gods. Although gods pull Daine and the mage Numair into the realms to save their lives, the two feel they must return to earth, where they are needed in the desperate battle raging there. After a danger-filled trek to the land of the dragons, they enlist the aid of the dragons, who not only return them to earth but also join the fray, along with other immortals and, in the end, the gods themselves. Daine's wild magic continues to develop, and some of the best scenes involve her interaction with beasts of various kinds. The fast-paced, violent action is leavened by bits of humor as well as the blossoming romance between Daine and Numair. All in all, a satisfying ending to an appealing saga.
(From Booklist)


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)
This book if brilliant! You are taken on this amazing adventure where your heart is so filled with emotions you feel it is about to burst. You meet many new characters and grow to love almost every one, though there might be a few that will have the opposite effect. (i.e. bad guys!) It is so completely amazing. I love this book and each time I read it I end up just finishing it even faster with how excited I get wanting to know what will happen next… even if technically I already know. You even get to meet dragons and gods (obvious by title) and finally find out the full truth about Diana which I won’t spoil but is definitely worth finding out. You also meet Gold-Streak, Leaf and Jelly who I would tell you more about but I am not going to spoil the fun! Over all wonderful characters, wonderful plot and wonderful conclusion to an amazing series.





Would I suggest you read it:

Yes! If you read the other three books this book will surely bring you back to Tortall and even beyond. It is an amazing conclusion to this quartet but definitely not the end of Tortall. Check back for my reviews of the ‘Protector of the Small Series’ and more!

Other Covers:


Author’s Website: http://www.tamora-pierce.com/

I apologize that this review does not have a video. Due to my unfortunate video shyness I will only be uploading videos for some of my reviews and not all. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy!!!

Cause and Announcements

I first and foremost wanted to announce that my 100 followers contest will be ending on March 1st and prizes will be sent out on March 4th. So if you enter please check your e-mail between March 1st and 3rd to see if you have won and give me the address you would like to have the items sent to.

As some of you may know I recently acquired a Facebook. For those of you who want to check it out or add me here is the link: Emma Michaels

I would also like to bring Facebook users attention to a cause I personally choose to support.



http://apps.facebook.com/causes/446454?m=4ce12c8e

Hope that you all will join. No matter what you believe, for or against war this is a way to help those who are hurt and just want to get to heal with their loved ones near. Hope you all will support the cause!

Sincerely,
Emma

Update- Walk for Warriors now has a blog!
http://walkforwarriors.blogspot.com/

New additional prizes for reaching 200 followers!!!

and

200 followers!!! Horray!!!!!!

Review: Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

Novel: Emperor Mage
Author: Tamora Pierce
Pages: 294
Genre: YA (Fantasy)



Daine sails to Carthak as part of a peace treaty delegated from Tortall. There, she is amazed by the strange and wondrous sights, including rooms filled with dinosaur bones and the Emperor Mage’s zoo. But she also senses a darkness beneath all the gold and glitter, a darkness that lies in wait. At the same time, Daine is discovering that her own wild magic is growing again, this time giving her powers both great and terrifying.

Emperor Mage is the third book in The Immortal series, which chronicles a time when the world is invaded by immortal creatures and a girl is born with a magical gift that could restore the very balance of nature.


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)
For those of you who read my previous reviews you know I love this series but this novel is particular has a turning point for Daine and I feel even for Tamora Pierce and her writing. This novel (without giving anything away truly) is when you really start to see Daine in a new light and her character starts to grow. Instead of thinking of her as awkward in any way suddenly the main thing you think is just ‘human’. You grow to love Numair even more and see their friendship grow and Kitten is just a wonderful and amazing character. The cutest little dragon there ever was!!! This novel definitely earned its spot on my favorite shelf. The world that Daine gets a chance to visit and start to understand is so beautiful and inspiring that it is hard not to fall in love with at first. You learn just as she does which is a beautiful thing to find in a book.

Short Video Review:






Would I suggest you read it:

Yes. If you have read the first two books then this novel and the next in the series (coming soon in reviews) are musts!

Other Covers:


(Sorry, could not find many of the covers but you can check out the gallery on Tamora pierces website: http://www.tamora-pierce.com/galleries.html which features many of her numerous covers of her novels worldwide!)

Author’s Site: http://www.tamora-pierce.com/

New Award!

I received another award! This one was from Dana of Rantings of a Bookworm Couch Potato. Thank you Dana!



Seven things about myself:

1. I love Asian food. Japanese, Chinese and Korean the most!
   
2. I wear dresses most of the time or my comfy pink pjs
   
3. If I don't draw for long enough I start to get grumpy and now realize why.
   
4. I am even worse about writing, if I am kept away form my computer for too long it isn't very pretty.
   
5. I am slow to anger and quick to love, so much so that it might be considered a flaw... hopefully not.
   
6. I love hearts!
   
7. I love the color pink!

Now I would like to pass this award on to 7 bloggers with fantastic blogs:

1. Behind The Cover of Hand Me Down Books
2. T.V. and Book Addict
3. Chase Your Dreams
4. Anissa Off the Record
5. vvb32
6. Mindful Musings
7. Seekerville

I love all of my followers so for thos eof you who didn't receive an award here don't forget that in my sidebar there is an award for each and every one of my followers!

Sincerely,
Emma

New Review Feature

I will be adding a new feature to each of my reviews. You may also get some serious bloopers after I post my first review with this feature. Comment if you want me to post bloopers or if you think it might not be the best idea. You can also comment if you feel this is a good idea or not. Loves!

Sincerely,
Emma
P.S.- Don't worry. NOTHING about the reviews besides this being added will change. They will still be the same I will continue on my challenge to re-read all of the books that influenced me to start writing!

P.S.S.- Check out the 50 followers contest at Crazy Books & Reviews!

Review: Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

As I promised, here is my Sea Change review for Blog Luv Fest from Book-a-rama!





Novel: Sea Change
Author: Aimee Friedman
Pages: 290
Genre: YA (Fantasy)



Miranda Merchant of New York City is a girl of science, fact, and rational thought. So when she's introduced to the legends and myths of surrounding Selkie Island off Georgia's coast, her summer destination, she easily dismisses them. Why would a logical girl believe in the kraken and other such made up frivolities? Instead, she tries to focus on cleaning out her deceased grandmother's familial summer home and navigating the awkwardness of Southern formalities. But meeting Leo changes everything. Leo, the deeply mysterious local boy from the wrong side of the island, challenges all Miranda knows from friendship and love to her very perception of reality. But what happens when this scientist-in-the-making leans that what she dismissed as just stories of Selkie Island might actually be true and closer than she thinks?
(From Amazon Reviewer The Book Muncher)


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

I have been looking forward to getting to read this novel for a number of months. I saw it on a Waiting on Wednesday post and fell in love with the story premise. It fell short of my expectations in some ways but also exceeded them in others. It is a book that had a wonderful writing style and a simple elegance that I have not seen accomplished in many novels but it also was harder for me to get attached to than I thought it would be. It was a sweeping romance with a mystical touch and wonderful suspense that kept you wanting to read on but for some reason it just didn’t keep my hands glued to it. I had, unfortunately, thought this would be one of those wonderful sea faring books I couldn’t even rip out of my hands if I tried. Instead, I was able to put it down calmly and get some tea and go on with life for a while but it still didn’t take away from wanting to get to finish this novel. It does get to be more suspenseful later on and the entire time you are likely to feel the urge to keep reading but for some reason this book didn’t speak to me the way I had hoped. Overall, this is a very lovely book and very well written. I would consider it more of a mythical read than a paranormal but definitely worth a spot in your ‘To Be Read’ list.



4 out of 5 stars!

Would I suggest you read it:

If you are a kraken fan or a sea creature lover then I would suggest this book. While it did not make it onto my favorites shelf it is still a good read and one that I was able to read quickly and enjoy.

Author’s website:
http://www.aimeefriedmanbooks.com/bookexcerpts.php?book=seachange

I won Spider's Bite!

I am so excited! I was waiting until I received the package to announce this but I won a copy (signed) of Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep from All Things Urban Fantasy. This is a wonderful blog with many contests and giveaways and every Wednesday she posts a list of the current running contests and giveaways going, from blogs that have contacted her or she has found. This is great for if you have a contest where you would like to be able to get more attention and more entries or if you love entering contests and could use a good cheat sheet (not actually cheating) to the items being given and the dates the contests end.

I am really looking forward to reading this novel! Even better is that I got six bookmarks! four of which are signed. Two directly to me (you couldn't pry them out of my hands if you tried) and two simply signed saying "Happy Reading!" and of course her signature! Wonderful isn't it! I am so happy!I might.. MIGHT... give away the two that are not signed directly to me in the giveaway if we get enough entries. I hope you all have a wonderful day because I know I am having one! I will be posting a review of this novel once I am finished.

Sincerely,
Emma

150 follower! Additions to the contest are...

I am in such a good mood that I will be adding even more to the prizes than anticipated!

2 sketch books (One to add to the elegance pack and one to the Fairy)
and

A Vampire prize pack! Which will include:
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith
Twilight Sticker set and patch!




Meaning we will have one more winner! That is 5 total so far. Lets keep 'em coming!

Next to be added at 200 followers will be:
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
and
Fairy Take by Cyn Balog

Sincerely,
Emma

P.S.- I might be adding a new feature to my reviews where I have the written review and a video review for those of you who would prefer to be able to watch or listen while you multitask! We will see if I can get my web cam to work!

Award and Contest update!

Darlyn & Books gave me this wonderful award! Thank you so much Darlyn!



In addition:

Since the Big Sketcher pack is getting so much attention I will be adding 2 more sketch books into the mix and three normal sized notebooks. Each of these will be added in with the other prize after the winners are chosen based on the prize they have originally entered with an interest in. For instance if you entered Big Sketcher but were to get the high school pack or one of the later additional prizes I might add in a sketch book! We will see as we go but thank you so much for those of you who have entered and I hope many more will because there are so many wonderful prizes to be won!

Addition possible books to be added per every 50 follower:
Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce
Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
The Den Of Shadows Quartet by Atwater-Rhodes
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Tricksters Choice by Tamora Pierce
Circle of Magic #1: Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce
The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia A. McKillip


Feel free to comment on which of all the posible addition prizes you feel should come next! Don't worry those of you who are just waiting for my reviews instead of contest info I will be posting one soon!

Sincerely,
Emma

100 Follower Multi-Pack Giveaway!

Let’s start you off with the following four prize packs! The more followers I gain the more prizes you have the chance to win:

1 half lined/ half plain paged notebook
2 Fairy princess notebooks (Lined)
2 Rose note pads (blank pages)
4 pens
3Sticker sheets (Paul Frank)
2 Panda bookmarks
and an assortment of star and heart paper clips

3 smaller notebooks (lined)
1 I love fashionable people notebook (designer pages)
3 lined larger notebooks (lined) (one designer pages)
1 Owl notebook (assortment of designer pages)
3 gel pens
1 light up tinkerbell pen
1 owl sticker sheet
2 iRock stickers

5 full sized sketch books
1 spiral butterfly notebook (designer pages)
2 mini-butterfly notebooks (lined)
1 floral notepad (blank)
2 pens
and an assortment of paper clips

2 full sized notebooks (lined designer pages)
2 xoxo sticker sheets
full monkey highlighter pack
1 composition notebook (lined)
1 deck of hello kitty cards!
1 small hello kitty notepad
an assortment of stickers!
2 metal hello kitty bookmarks
and an assortment of paper clips wit heart designs, stars, dogs, cats and more.

150 followers! Addition prizes are:

The Vampire Prize Pack:




200 followers additional prizes:
and





• You must be a follower of this blog! +1
• This contest is international.
• You must leave a comment that includes your e-mail address.
• If you tell me in your comment what prize you would like to win most you will be awarded another entry. +1
(Can include my possible additional prizes listed below)
• If you post about this contest on your blog or add my contest button to your side bar you will be awarded five extra entries. +5

The Button:

<a href="http://emmamichaels.blogspot.com/2010/02/100-follower-multi-pack-giveaway.html"><img alt="The Giveaway" src=" http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/Secret_Sara/Blog/button4site2-2-2-1.jpg " /></a>

The possible additional prizes:

I am starting out with the above four prize packs but additional prizes will be added for every 50 followers I get past the 100 followers I have now!
These possible prizes include:
The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J. K. Rowling
Wicked Lovely by Malissa Marr
The Hollow by Jessica Verday
And more…

The more followers I get the more chances to win. Each of these books would be given out to a different winner making more chances for everyone! This means you have the chance to win any of the prize packs and once the books are added it will also add additional winners!

Disclaimer: As you all could guess I do not own the rights to any of these books, notebooks or any other items offered. These books (etc.) have been purchased by myself in order to be given away to you! My lovely followers. Hope you all enjoy and looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks!

Love you all!

Sincerely,
Emma

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:



Near the bar, a small door with the words Staff Only stood near the back of the club, I could see the shimmer of glamour around it, making the door difficult to look at; my gaze wanted to slide past. Casually, I approached the door but before I got too close, the bartender rose up from behind the counter and narrowed his eyes.

"You don't wanna do that, love," he warned.

pg. 194

A bit longer than normal but this is a really enjoyable book!

Blog Luv Fest: Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe!

(Not a review. If you are hoping for another one of my book reviews you will simply have to wait a little bit. Read on though if you are a chocolate lover or participating in Blog Luv Fest!)



I have a number of fun Blog Luv Fest reviews planned (Sea Change, Coffee House Angel and more) but figured you might want a sweet treat while you wait! This is a wonderfully chocolaty cupcake recipe. I personally love to cook. I hadn't before my fiance but he loves it and started to teach me and I realized quickly that cooking can actually be a lot of fun. Even better than it being enjoyable is the fact that you get to put in the effort and see it pay off then enjoy your reward! Here you go and hope you enjoy!

Blog Luv Fest is hosted by Book-A-Rama!

Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe:

(Approximately 24 to 27 cupcakes)
You will want to start by preheating your oven to 350°F. This is mostly important because you will want to make sure the oven is already at the temperature you need before you insert your cupcakes or they may not bake properly.

You will need the following:
2 sticks unsalted butter Or 2 Cups Crisco with 16 teaspoons of water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 to 4 large eggs
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

my secret ingredient: 1 cup pudding

1. Now that your oven is preheated make sure to get out all your ingredients so you know you have what you need and so that it is at the ready. You will want to start with two bowls. If you will be using a mixer then don't forget to use that bowl for the liquids so that you do not have to change bowls mid-process which can mean losing some of your ingredients.

2. With the larger bowl (mixing bowl)you will want to start missing your butter or Crisco. This is referred to in many different ways but the simplest way to think of it is as creaming because you want your butter to get creamy and then you will be adding to it.

3. Now add the brown sugar and your granulated sugar to this mix. Again keep going until fairly well mixed and creamy.

4. Add your eggs one at a time, making sure to wait until the yoke of the previous egg has broken (naturally) to add another. The amount of eggs you use (3 or 4) will either make your cupcakes moister or a bit stiffer.

5. You now want to add your cocoa powder or your unsweetened chocolate. If you are adding the unsweetened chocolate you will want to melt it first and let it cool so that it is not so warm that it ruins the texture of your butter or crisco.

6. In another smaller bowl you want to measure out your 2 cups of cake flour and your one teaspoon of baking soda.

7. Add your dry mixture to your liquids slowly. The creamier you make the mixture you better though you don't want to keep it out in the open long enough for your butter to melt.

8. Now you add your buttermilk though regular milk can also be used.

9. Here is another optional step. My personal secret when making cupcakes is to add pudding! It makes the texture so much more enjoyable and keeps your cupcakes moist for longer. Normally cupcakes can get dry after a few days but with this trick I have been able to keep cupcakes in my fridge for weeks!

10. Now you want to fill your muffin/ cupcake pan with your mixture. Remember to only fill it about 1/3 of the way up for each section since your cupcakes will grow while in the oven! You can use cupcake paper or you can butter/spray your pans.

11. Now you get to bake them!!!! You want to keep the temperature at 350°F and let them cook for around 20 minutes give or take. With cake you stick a knife/fork/toothpick in and if it comes out clean they are ready. You can use this trick for your cupcakes as well!

12. Now that they are baked you want to let them sit for at least ten minutes before you put your frosting of choice on them.

Congratulations you did it!!!


Now for the part that I always find the most entertaining. Decorating! I love to slice a strawberry and put it on top of some melted chocolate with a white chocolate swizzle. It is delicious but you can also use strawberry frosting, buttermilk frosting or just about any other type. You can even use chocolate chili pepper frosting for those of you who love chocolate with a kick! Good luck and happy decorating and eating! If you have any questions feel free to comment!

Sincerely,
Emma

P.S.- For those of you who actually got to the bottom of this post here is a little sneak peek at one of the Four Sets of items I will be giving away once I hit 100 followers!!! Each is different but each feature useful and enjoyable items such as bookmarks, stickers, notebooks, sketch books, pens and more! Even better is that if I hit 150 followers during the giveaway I will add in an extra set! For every 50 followers after that I will add a YA novel!!!