All's Fair in Vanities War (Guest Post+Review+Giveaway)

I was fortunate to be able to participate in this virtual blog tour. Check out the author's guest post below, followed by my review, and then a giveaway for 2 ebook copies! :)

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, what’s reflected on the page will enthrall. --The Seer

The Seer

The Sister’s Three have other ideas about what I’m supposed to be recording or watching. I’d much rather perch on the Mac counter in Macy’s and watch a Tour de Fabulous makeover than write about epic events. Ilithyia recommended as a compromise, relate make-up to the book I’m supposed to be creating, I’m not exactly enthralled about writing, but here goes.

Foundation. This is what you cover the canvas of your face with to get started. For a book its plot, All’s Fair in Vanities War’s plot is very simple: Girl (me, The Seer) loves boy (Locke). I’m sacrificed by something way scary, then reborn as The Seer. Then I find out I’m supposed to watch over Locke’s new girlfriend, Keleigh, which is kind of like striking a match against the furnace of my own personal hell. Did I mention I have ginormous wings and I need flight school? Or that I’m invisible? Or that my co-walker is really smart, but kind of a ditz?

Powder. This you brush on very lightly over the foundation, it’s usually matte, and hides any flaws. In Salem, the Order hides ExtraOrdinary people in plain sight, they don’t stand out at all, with all the witches, warlocks, and whack-jobs roaming around. Plus, if need be they dust the place with magic. ExtraOrdinaries are people born with magical abilities, people like Locke and Keleigh, who draw their power from an ancient ley line that runs through Salem. The problem is, anything trying to cross into the Ordinary world from the OtherWorld uses the same ley line.

Eye-liner.  You use it to outline the eyes to make them more noticeable or dramatic. Characters are the eyeliner of a story, you either like them or hate them, but either way, they move the story along. Of course you already know I love Locke. Keleigh’s well, Keleigh’s everything I wish I could have been to Locke. You see, I didn’t know he was some sort of a druid, I just thought he was a smoking hot guy, who had a few quirks that people whispered about. The fact that Keleigh doesn’t want to be what she was born to be, it sort of irritates me, but hey, who am I to judge, I don’t care much for who I was reborn to be either!

Eye-shadow. Eye shadow is what you brush over the eyelid to make it more striking. In relation to a book, it’s like the character motivations. You know the saying the eyes are the window of the soul. There’s a reason we’re told to look people in the eye, and that’s because we are likely to find the truth there.

Blush. You use blush to highlight the cheekbones. Romance is the blush of this book, it highlights certain parts of the story, but doesn’t overwhelm it. Even when Locke can be totally overwhelming, there’s a goal that these characters need to accomplish, otherwise, apocalypse comes to Salem.

Lip liner accentuates the perimeter of the mouth. The lip liner of the book is the secondary characters and what they bring to the tale. They help outline or frame the story.

Lip Stick is what fills in the lips and gives them life. In the book it’s the connection between the characters. Some characters are linked together by friendship, some by rivalry, some by jealously, but most are by affection for each other. What holds the strongest of the characters together is the bonds of love, even when they fight against it or wish they no longer feel it. It’s still the strongest bond, just like in the real world. 

This book was great! It was really entertaining and the plot was well-thought out. BUT...

I don't usually rate books I review, but if I was to rate this book, I'd give it a 3 even though the story was great. Why?

Despite the book's amazing characters and storyline, the writing itself was not so great. There were misspellings, incorrect grammar usage, and lack of proper punctuation. I checked, and this was a finished copy.....

Anyway, on to the review of the story itself.

In the beginning, I was absolutely confused/annoyed with the plot. There was a narrator and it keeps going back and forth from Keleigh to the narrator. I learned later that the narrator was The Seer. She was the main storyteller. I wished there was a clearer distinction of the speaker as well as a clear message that the person speaking was The Seer. I kept going back and forth to the Prologue trying to figure out who the narrator was until the character Madi found out that she could see and speak to The Seer.

Vanity was the biggest thing in Salem. Everyone wished to be beautiful. Everyone was shallow. Locke lost his girlfriend in an accident. Later on, we learned that she became the Seer. Awkwaaaaard :) It's awkward because The Seer is the one that watches over Keleigh. But before that, The Seer used to watch over Locke - she saw everything he did, including the times when he hooked up with other women after she died.

Anyway, Locke was a powerful Druid. I believe he was also the youngest. He definitely had a sexy voice and despite the scar on half the side of his face, he was beautiful inside. At the end of the day, that's what mattered.

Keleigh was the daughter of a very powerful Vate. Her parents were killed in a flash flood - or so people said. She knew what really happened to them and throughout the entire story, she refused to acknowledge what she really was. She had powers people never even dreamed of. With the help (and love) of Locke and the three Sisters, she was able to harness and make use of them when needed.

As for the rest of the story, there was a fight of good and evil, a search for a witch bottle, and admittance of mutual love. Overall, the story itself was quite exquisite :)


Check out my favorite quotes/scenes:
Locke's Quotes

"This isn't a scar, it's a spell, and once I find out who cast it, I have every intention of having a supernatural face lift."

"I take my reputation among our people very seriously, and you've thoroughly insulted me."

"Okay. Take off your clothes. We'll conserve body heat the old fashioned way."

"I'm offering you my love, no magical strings attached."

"You're a Vate, a Vate with access to all the knowledge of mankind, killer of Barguests, defender against evil...And you can fly at will. With passengers!"

Locke and Keleigh Scenes:

K: "Who doesn't like Gaga?"
L: "Those of us with classical tastes."
K: "Sounds like white-boy-can't-dance-syndrome."

K: "I was saving that."
L: "Saving what?"
K: "My first kiss."
L: "Well, it's mine now, and I have no intention of giving it back."

L: "You might need a couple more lessons, before you're ready for advanced kissing, but I'll be around."
K: "I don't even like you."
L: "You used to hate me, so things are looking up."

K: "You can't act out physically when you're hurting emotionally."
L: "It's what males do."

Madi's Note:

The Seer says to tell you that "All the justice in the world ain't locked up in a courthouse!" Whatever that means. Her sayings are getting weirder and weirder. Anyway, these are my well thought out list of ways to get rid of Lynx:

1. Hang him. Like in the old days, no judge, no jury, just some rope and a tree.

2. Pressing. With big boulders, not an iron.

3. Guillotine. After careful research the nearest one I could locate was in Paris. It's awfully messy, but worth the trip.

4. Crucify. I'm talking cross and nails here, crown of thorns optional.

5. Strangle. Too close to hanging, but I think I know a hanging judge anyway.

6. Drawing and quartering. Did you know they usually display the head on a pike? His head's so large, do you think there's a pike sturdy enough?

7. Slowly eaten alive by scarabs. Can you Fed Ex scarabs?

8. Live mummification. You might need to conjure Annunbis for this one.

9. Drown him. I know your people (witches) find this offensive, but all we need to do is put a mirror in the bottom of a pool. He'll drown himself!

10. Stake through the heart. Effective for all sorts of blood sucking leeches.

Short Excerpt:

Locke lowered the lights with a flip of his wrist.
Keleigh waved her hand, and every light in the room ignited.
"You've learned a few new tricks, mochrie."
"You haven't, so turn down the Dr. Suave act."
Locke traced a path with his finger from her bottom lip that he was eyeing, to the crevice at her collarbone. "If the lights are on, we'll need something to do."
In the next instant the room blacked out. Keleigh slipped out of bed, as a roar of water raised in the room as if the tide was coming in. A torrent of water ran over the edge of her canopy drenching Locke, aquatic life danced in his sputtering.
"I'm going to sleep in your room. I suggest you don't follow me." She snagged Boudicca who was chasing a fish.
"You really need to control your temper," he grumbled.
"You should talk," Keleigh was at the doorway, she flipped on the light switch. "I didn't use thunder, I'm saving that for a rainy day." And she crossed the hall slamming his door.
"I should have taken Madi's advice never to tick her off." Locke threw himself back against the soaked pillows, "Crap! I smell like fish! Again."

Please note that there is also a grand prize of $50. Check out the rules below:
-Like "The Seer" Facebook page
-Post one of her best lines on the wall

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

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Quarter Quotes #2

Welcome to another week of Quarter Quotes :) If you would like to submit quotes you've written, click the Quarter Quotes tab for more information.

The following quotes were found from Pocketful of Sunshine.

1. If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders.

2. Some people pass through our lives for a season to teach us lessons that could never be learned if they stayed.

The rest of the quotes below were written by me (or said to me) a few years back.

3. All the hurt, all the neglect, all the pain, it all comes down to who I've become now.

4. you don't know the mistakes you're making until you've had time to contemplate them
               until it's too late and the person you cared about was gone from you

5. First love doesn't necessarily mean true love. First love might be the most memorable of all, but it doesn't mean it's the one that defies everything. First love usually fails you and give you loads of heartache, making you wish you could just run away, but you have nowhere to go because the world doesn't stop spinning just because you're hurting.
               First love sucks.

6. Stare at your stereo. Put on your headphones. Before you explode.

7. A community is nothing without unity.

8. It's just acting. (this one was said to me)

9. She puts on her headphones and blast her music to her ears--
    early in the morning. the music drowns her irritations.
    Then she turns the music off and smile.
          Her day has begun again...

10. I know it's hard to commit to something, I have an issue with committing in a relationship.
      But when you say you're going to do something, do it.
      Don't chicken out and give excuses.
          Excuses are just another term for jackasses.

11. I know it is up to me to make my dream a reality...

12. There are words that no matter how good the delivery is, it strikes home.

Which one was your favorite? Did you like the pictures?

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King of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca Review

King of the Isles was the third book of the Men of the Isles series. This is the first time I've read a book from Debbie Mazzuca. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! Let's proceed to my review.

This book started right off with magic. I didn't know how I felt about the "magick" that was demonstrated. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the story. However, the more I read the book, the more I was pulled deeper into it. Proof: One night, I resolved to read for an entire hour before going to bed. I started at 11:00pm. The level of pull that this book had was incredible. I didn't sleep until 2:30am when my good sense finally told me that I had work in the morning and work would be miserable with not enough hours of sleep. That's how amazing this book was.

The story started with Evangeline, the daughter of an evil Fae that destroyed their realm 26 years ago. Everyone in the kingdom deemed her evil because of the blood that coursed through her veins. As a result, she lived in solitude. She held her chin up high and put on a mask of indifference, but deep inside, she hurt.

Then, there was the king of the Enchanted Isles, Lachlan. He was absolutely "the most exasperating man" Evangeline claimed to have met. When Lachlan's wizard mentor was abducted, he had no choice but to bring Evangeline into the battlefield because she was the most powerful of all the Fae. This is when they started to realize their connection with each other, despite their denial of it. When Lachlan was injured and practically dying, Evangeline gave him her blood, and with that, her magick. This became quite a habit later in the book, which didn't bode well for Evangeline. It was very strange that without her magick, she was so weak, to the point that she could barely stand.

There were many supporting characters in this book. I suppose they starred in the previous books of the series. It was absolutely hilarious when there were scenes of comedic relief throughout this book. Towards the end, one of the main things I noticed was that the women were very strong-willed that their husbands could not get them to "obey" and "be controlled". It was also quite amusing that whenever Lachlan and Evangeline would be alone together and they were just about to jump each other's bones, they would always get interrupted. This caused frustration in me, in a good way. When they finally had a chance to be with each other, I thought it was quite worth the wait :)

At the end of the book, I was waiting for Aidan and Rory to mention the wager they had over Evangeline and Lachlan. I'm not sure if the author forgot or purposely didn't include it, but I thought it would have been delightful to read about it :)

Finally, I found it extremely hilarious how Evangeline was annoyed with all the children. She did not like them at all. Lachlan's brother even called them "hellions" and Evangeline called them "hoydens".

For technical purposes, I noticed one or two spelling errors and misplaced words. However, for an advanced reading copy, I thought this book was well-edited and absolutely amazing. I've read some reviews about it and I agree that the language sometimes threw me off. I attempted to read it as it was written and even in my head, I struggled to pronounce the sentences. These were very small inconvenience, however.

Now, check out my favorite scenes/quotes/excerpt!
Lachlan quotes:

"Ye see what I'm sayin'. Fallyn and her sisters are as bad as Syrena. She shouldn't be bossin' me around anymore. I'm a bloody king, fer Chrissakes."

"I'm a mon, and a king, we're no' meant to be humble. And ye, my loyal subject, will do as I command. Nay, I'll no' waste time arguin' with ye."

Lachlan and Evangeline scenes:

L: "And here I thought ye were annoyin' the beast and he decided to toss ye."
E: "How could I annoy a horse?"
L: "I doona ken, but ye're verra good at bein' annoyin', so it wouldna have surprised me."

Lachlan and Gabriel:

L talking to Broderick: "How did ye fare with Fallyn last eve?"
G: "He spent half of it unconscious. The rocks had a most interesting way of falling on his head. If it wasn't so hard, I'm sure he'd still be out cold."

Lachlan and Broderick:

L: "Are ye tellin' me the power I'm imbued with is what Evangeline possesses?"
B: "Yes, but only a portion of it."
L: "No wonder the woman's so bloody arrogant."
B: "Frightening isn't it?"
L: "Bloody terrifyin'."

Syrena, Aidan, Lachlan, Rory, and Ailenna - Syrena and Aileena are both pregnant:

"Ah, angel, come here." Aidan tugged his wife onto his lap, wiping at her tears with his thumbs. "Doona--"
The couch broke and the four of them (Syrena, Aidan, Lachlan, and Rory) toppled to the floor in a heap.
"I'm so fat I broke the settee!" Syrena wailed, burying her face in her hands.
"Sweetheart, ye're no' fat." Her husband struggled to contain his mirth, his shoulders shaking.
Lachlan attempted to do the same, but one look at Rory and the two of them ended up howling like a pair of fools. When Aidan joined in, Aileena, who was attempting to help Syrena up, leaned over and clouted him.

Lachlan, Aidan, and Rory:

L: "Fer Chrissakes, I may no' be in love with my wife but it doesna mean I doona want to..." He scowled at the pair of them, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm no' talkin' aboot this with the two of ye."
A: "I'll no' ask ye anythin' more if ye answer this one question."
L: "One more and then we're done with this."
A: "So, are ye sayin' ye no' want to bed yer wife?"
L: "Are ye daft? Have ye taken a good look at my wife? Of course I want to bed..." He looked at the two men, a dull flush working its way up their faces. "She's standin' right behind me, isna she?"

Short excerpt (too funny not to post!)

....And what was wrong with Syrena and Aileena that they had to have two babies at a time? One was bad enough. And afterward, she'd had to listen to Aileena, Mrs. Mac, and Syrena, oohing and ahhing over the babies and saying, they were beautiful.
She shuddered again. They weren't. They looked like gnomes, wrinkly, bald, ugly gnomes.
Aidan, Rory, and Lachlan looked up when she tripped into the hall. She grabbed hold of Lachlan's broad shoulder to steady herself. In an effort to rid herself of the images etched in her mind, she reached over and took his mug of ale. Taking a deep restorative swallow, she wiped a hand across her mouth. "What?"
(omitted scenes here. Evangeline is getting drunk while Aidan and Rory see the babies.)
A deep rumble of laughter came from Lachlan. She scowled at him. "It's not funny. That was one of the most horrific experiences of my life." She chugged back the ale in an effort to wipe the memory from her mind. He laughed all the harder.
(omitted scenes here. Evangeline is really drunk and wants more ale.)
"Your hair is so pretty," she murmured.
He chuckled into her palm, then nipped it. "Remind me to bring a jug of ale home with us."
"Lachlan, bring a jug of ale home with us."
(omitted scenes here - Ailenna called them both to meet the babies)
"You go, I've seen them already. Once was enough, thank you."
"If I have to go, so do ye."
"I must warn you, Lachlan," she whispered, stumbling up the stairs. "They think...they think the babies are beautiful, but they are not. You mustn't hurt Syrena's feelings, though, so just smile and nod as I did."
"I will," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"Nay."
"Lachlan, you must promise me that we will never have babies, ever."

Syrena and Evangeline:

S: "Evangeline!"
E: "What?"
S: "What do you mean, what? My babies are floating around the hall in a bubble!"

Now that you've read my review, dear reader, I believe it is time for you to get a hold of this amazing book. What are you waiting for?

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Blockbuster Haul

This video was filmed the day before my final exam for the winter intersession :) I hope you enjoy!

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The Secret Circle Season 1: Fire/Ice

Wow, Adam is falling head over heels over Cassie now? It's kind of weird even though since the beginning, it was revealed that they were supposed to be together...

I cannot stand Faye anymore. She is supposed to be Cassie's sister that also harbors dark magic inside her and if she steals Cassie's dark magic, I have no doubt she would succumb to it instead of overcome it. What an idiotic woman. Ugh.

Wow, Adam has lost his mind, too. Asking Diana to talk to Cassie to get her to give him a chance and stop considering Diana's feelings pretty much crossed the line. That's a jerk move.

Faye caused so much destruction, almost killing everyone at the dance. I hope freakin' Faye would learn her dang lesson. She is soooo annoying.

Cassie is so annoying, too. She's so bent in getting rid of the dark magic inside of her, she's just as stupid as Faye. They are sisters, after all. *Slap* *Slap*

I don't see why Adam is so attracted to Cassie. She's really dumb.

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Toren the Teller's Tale Winners!

Congratulations to the following people! You've won an e-copy of Toren the Teller's Tale :)

Please check your email and reply by midnight PST of January 17, otherwise, I will choose a new winner.

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Vampire Diaries Season 3: Our Town

Glad the old Damon is somewhat back - ripping hearts just like the old days :D It's amazing how him and Stefan were turned at the same time, yet he'll always be stronger and more intuitive than Stefan :D Go Damon!

Stefan is seriously going over the edge... What's happened to him?? Why is he acting like that? In this episode, Stefan's facial expressions were annoyingly arrogant. I bet Klaus just wants to beat the crap out of him. Stefan needs to get back to his senses before Klaus rips his heart out. Seriously.


It's so sad between Tyler and Caroline. They're meant to be together, but Tyler is a threat to Caroline. When he said "I'm so sorry" it almost made me cry. Why do they have to be apart? Argh.

I love how Klaus talks :) "Show her to her room, would you love?" How can you not sympathize with a guy like that?! :)

Klaus: "Well, if we're playing that game, I was here first."
Stefan: "I don't like your hybrids, they're kind of like fleas."

Tyler: "Can't you just keep me out of it?"
Klaus: (straight-faced) "What would be the point in that?"
^^ HILARIOUS! Klaus is dangerously calm. That's never good.

Damon and Alaric bromance is back! :) Some of the best lines ever!
Alaric: "Suddenly you care who lives and dies?"
Damon: "I have a small list."
Alaric: "Pfft. Talk about a humanity dimmer switch."
Damon: "Screw you."

Does anyone like Dr. Fell? I have a feeling she'd get killed after a few episodes, not because she's associated with Alaric, but because whatever she has to hide cannot continue to go on.

Caroline's "funeral" was really weird. Caroline seemed so pretty in this episode :D Like her blonde hair has more sunshine in it :D

Is anyone else excited that Matt is in this episode? Poor guy, he just reappeared and he got knocked out by Stefan shortly after...

I like Klaus's accessories :) I bet he is very dangerous when he acts sympathetic and... nice. All of a sudden he's interested in PEACE. It's like every table has turned.


Stefan threatening to kill Elena was pretty much the edge. WHAT. IS. WRONG. WITH. HIM?!!! Biggest Jerk Ever! He's worse than Damon ever was! He was willing to turn Elena into a vampire! AAHH!!

A car running extremely fast would definitely make your heart race.
Stefan: "Destroying Klaus is all I have left."
Elena: "You had me!"
Stefan: "I lost you the minute I left town with him."
Elena: "Is that what you're doing? Trying to make me hate you?"
Stefan: "I don't really care what you think about me anymore, Elena."


THAT IS THE SADDEST CONVERSATION EVER!!


Klaus showing intense concern to Caroline, he looks...hurt about what happened. The way he talked to Caroline...
Caroline: "Are you going to kill me?"
Klaus: "On your birthday? You really think that low of me?"

Klaus: "I love birthdays."
Klaus is such a confusing character. Sometimes his heart shows, and sometimes he's all cruel. The way he talked/whispered to Caroline... I'd fall head over heels in an instant with him.
Klaus: "There you go sweetheart, have at it...Happy birthday, Caroline."
Makes you wonder what he's planning when he said that.


NO KISS in this episode! But their closeness is even better. Damon's humanity is so beautiful :)


By the way, have you seen the Vampire Diaries press/promo pictures?

Aren't they all beautiful? :)

I could see Damon drooling...

Something about him is so appealing..

He makes me wanna sing... :)

The hot bad boy :) Yum..

I'm about to pass out....

I just found this picture on Google... I'm speechless.

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