Technical Problems!

Hello everyone. I am experiencing problems with my blog. I can not see my followers and I am unable to comment on my own posts (and sometimes posts on other blogs). Does anyone have any clue what could be causing this and how I can fix it?

I am going to respond here to the posts I received today since I am unable to do so within the post.

KW - Thank you so much for the blogging award. It is an honor and an incredibly sweet gesture. I feel so special. I did stop by your blog and found the family atmosphere very enjoyable. I am a new follower for sure, whenever I can get this mess straightened out. I will check in tomorrow as soon as I get a chance.

Evie and Fantasy Book Chick - Thanks for the positive feedback on my new covers. I'm getting really excited about releasing Guardians of Souls in a few short months. Thanks for your continued support and friendship on my journey. It means a lot.

Amy - Thanks for sharing your experience. I hate that others are experiencing the same issue, but it is at least somewhat comforting to know that it is not an isolated issue with my computer. I hope this will be resolved soon. This started on Sunday evening.

Angie - Well, maybe there is hope after all. I'm following you now. I figured I better go follow while blogger was cooperating, lol!

XO Everyone!

Cover Crazy! (meme # 7)

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme created by: The Book Worms

This week's picks!





I really liked the black and white photography for the first book and the font choice for the title. It really gave the cover a spooky feeling.

I just think the cover of Virtue is beautiful. Amanda Hocking always has such wonderful and fitting covers for her titles.

I'm looking forward to reading both of these books which I can say I was largely drawn to by their covers.

What covers do you find appealing? Leave a link to your post here.

Updates on The Guardians of Souls; The Soul Quest Trilogy, Book #2

UPDATE: The Guardians of Souls Blog tour is slated for August 25 - 31, 2011. I am now searching for reviewers. I will provide a free digital copy for the review (ARC). Please email me if you are interested.
amj@columbus.k12.nc.us

This will be the cover for book two in The Soul Quest Trilogy, The Guardians of Souls. I anticipate finalizing the manuscript and publishing it by August. Cross your fingers! In this post I am including the cover art, a synopsis and the first chapter as a teaser. I hope you enjoy it and look forward to the August release.

The Guardians of Souls Synopsis
Liv, Laith, Brayan and Meena are back with a mission and a militia for justice. The four human Oracles join forces with their Spirit counter parts in Arcadia to form The Guardians of Souls. Shy has fled to Los Angeles to escape the consequences of Melissa and Jesse’s deaths and Hala, the Great Spirit, has reason to believe he is not alone. Neither the Spirits in Arcadia or the NYPD in New York City has turned up any trace of Shy since his disappearance after the tragic events played out on Valentine’s Day.
Liv and her companions of Spirit find themselves torn between the human world and Arcadia once more. Their duty as human Oracles continuously interferes and threatens the stability and safety of their friendships and romantic lives.
Get ready for all hell to break loose as Liv and her friends set out on a quest to hunt down Shy and finish him for good. This time the Spirit world means business when they find Shy playing up to his usual tricks. The odds are against Shy this time around but this may not pan out to be such a lucky break for the human Oracles. Could it be that Shy isn’t their worst enemy after all? Is Earth once again safe from the perils of Daevas and Aengels? Are Liv’s human friends safe or will they be baited and harmed again? Only the Spirits know…

The Guardians of Souls Sample Chapter

Chapter One
Liv
Time – July 3, 2015
Place – Liv's house
Queens, New York

“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”

- Indira Gandhi

Liv

It’s been almost one month since I spoke to Jedd. The last four months of school were not easy to say the least. It had been awkward for everyone knowing that Jedd knew about the Spirit world. Brayan was fine with it but Meena was furious and Laith was worried.
“How could you do this, Liv?” Meena demanded. “It isn't logical to let him be a part of our world. It increases the danger for both him and us. Do I have to remind you about what happened to Melissa?” she scolded.
Laith looked at the floor.
“I'm sorry, Laith... but it's true” she apologized to Laith.
“That isn't fair. Shy told Melissa about the Spirit world, not us. Besides, Laith said Jedd had already clued in on his own for the most part.” Brayan defended me.
“They aren't supposed to know about us. It is too much for them.” Meena insisted.
“I agree, it is too much for the average human but Jedd is different. He has a special gift and he wants to help.” I said. “And I think we should allow him to... with in reason.” I argued further.
“He will become a liability.” Meena disagreed. “I can't believe you are backing her up on this.” she accused Brayan.
“As long as Jedd is only functioning in the observatory sense and he isn't directly in the line of fire... well, an extra spiriter is an asset we can't take for granted. It's been over four months since Shy disappeared and no one here or in Arcadia is any closer to locating him.” Brayan reasoned.
“Liv? I think you should tell Jedd to stay out of this.” Laith said.
He looked so sad. Losing Melissa changed him. He had lost some of his bravery and macho. He wasn't Laith anymore.
“Finally, someone with some sense…” Meena snapped at me.
“Don't be mean, Meena!” Laith complained.
He was quiet for a moment before he finally lifted his head to look me in the eyes.
“I mean it, Liv. I think it's a mistake. I think it's not safe for Jedd or us. Please, will you just think about it some more?” Laith's eyes were pleading.
I felt my head nodding in agreement.
“I promise Laith. I will think about it.” I finally surrendered. I hated to cause him any more pain.
So it went like that for the four of us for a while. Brayan and I defended Jedd's knowledge and involvement in our world while Meena and Laith refused to accept it. We never spoke about our differences in front of Jedd but I knew he sensed it. He can see auras and feel allures. He sensed Meena and Laith's anxiety about him as much as he sensed mine and Brayan's trust in him. Meena and Laith were not alone in their anxiety toward Jedd. Beau and Naomi were fiercely against the idea of involving a human in our matters. Kevin and Belinda remained neutral. In the end Hala sided with Brayan and me. For now at least, Jedd was in the loop. Not that it mattered.
Jedd isn't even speaking to me right now. At the end of the school year we had another one of our big blow outs. It was the same scenario. He wants to fight on the front lines and I want him stay in the background.
“Why can't I go with you?” Jedd had demanded on the last day of school.
My companions and I had conveniently provided ourselves with an alibi for the summer. We told Amber, Ray, Jedd and Drue that we were going to summer camp and we would be gone sporadically as a result. Jedd knew what was up. He knew Hala had plans for us to search for Shy this summer, where ever that may lead us.
“Jedd, you can't even go to Arcadia. Only Spirits can go to the Spirit world. Duh!” I said frustrated.
“I can still be a part of your search party when you're here on Earth.” he argued.
“No... you... can't.” I said emphasizing each word. We had been over this one million times. “We made a deal, Jedd.” I said. “You are supposed to stay behind the scenes where it is safe.” I reiterated.
“No, you made a deal... not me. I never agreed to those terms.” he said.
“It is more than just a deal between you and me, Jedd. It is a deal between you, me and Arcadia.” I clarified.
He didn't know about the concession that had been made about his knowledge of the Spirit world.
“What?” he wondered over my words.
He was clueless. I sighed. I had not wanted to get into this with him. I knew the conversation would end badly.
“Jedd, the Spirit world is OK with your knowledge of its existence as long as you stay out of harms way. That means you stay in the background.” I explained. The look on his face was incredulous. As the meaning of my words began to register so did his heartbreak. “Jedd, please understand. Please don't be upset. We just want you to be safe.” I tried to ease his pain but my words only seemed to inflict more.
“We... I used to be included in there somewhere, but not anymore.” he said looking away from me.
I knew what he meant. I was breaking my promise to him. I had promised him that nothing would ever come between us. Now, I realized it was a promise I was not of authority to make.
“I'm sorry, Jedd. Please forgive me.” I had begged him.
That was the last time we spoke. He has since refused to return my phone calls, emails and text messages. I am not forgiven.

I am also working on a Prequel to The Soul Quest Trilogy titled, Soulless; The Story of Shayan. It will be a novella that demonstrates Shayan's downfall from the Spirit world and transition into darkness. I hope to finalize and publish this manuscript by late fall.

Check out the cover art for Soulless!


What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts!

A review for Tremble by Addison Moore

Tremble, the second book in the Celestra series did not disappoint. I read it on my Kindle in one day. It was a quick and adrenaline pumping read. In this read the Counts are still out to capture Skyla, the most powerful Celestra with the purest blood. In this adventure the usual suspects return. Skyla and her boyfriend Logan, her fake boyfriend Gage, her best friend Brielle and her boyfriend Drake who is also Skyla's step brother, the ghost of Chloe, Ellis and Michelle. In Tremble things become more complicated when Marshall comes to town posing as a substitute teacher. Marshall is a Sector who has been appointed by the Counts to capture Skyla, only he has his own agenda where Skyla is concerned. Through Marshall Skyla learns that some of her friends my be enemies in disguise. The Counts may be keeping a closer watch than she initially suspected. Meanwhile, Skyla is determined to time travel in order to save her father.

This read was filled with suspense and emotion. The action never stopped and the surprises were overwhelming. The characters continue to develop. Skyla continues to grow stronger and more confident both as an angel and a girl. Some of Logan's mystery begins to dissolve near the book's end, but this only leaves you hungrier for the next installment. Gage steals the stage a little more in this read making the reader sympathize with him even more. Then there is Michelle... Wow, if you thought she was a hag before... There is so much that happens in this book, you must read it!

I give Tremble 5 stars!

In My Mailbox (Meme #7)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Bloggers who participate in this meme take the opportunity to feature a book they have borrowed, have been gifted as a blog award, received for review, checked out of the library, etc... on their blog. The idea is to get the word out about as many books as possible.

Here is a list of books I have purchased recently and look forward to reading.


Tremble by Addison Moore
This read is newly released and is the sequel to the incredible story Ethereal. I literally purchased it and read it in the same day. There will be a very positive review on this blog in the near future (by yours truly) so stay tuned.

The next two reads in my mail box were found on Goodreads (you gotta' love Goodreads!). They were either recommended by friends or found by way of my lurking on my friends pages.


Raven by Suzi Turner


Fateful by Cheri Schmidt

What's in your mailbox? Post a link to your blog here. I love finding out what my followers are reading. I have found some really great new reads by participating in this meme, so thanks again to The Story Siren for having such a great book blogging meme theme.

Please don't forget about my One Hundred and Counting Giveaway. You can win a copy of Passion by Lauren Kate (format of your choice) on June 14th!

Also, check out my weekly meme, YA Blogger Show and Tell. I feature a new blogger every Saturday and would love for you to link up your bragging post. You can post any day of the week. Oh, I always follow back, so if you aren't following me yet please do so. Have a great day!

Bookish: Huge 500 Followers Celebration Giveaway - International!!! (because I Love you all!)

Bookish: Huge 500 Followers Celebration Giveaway - International!!! (because I Love you all!)

YA Blogger Show and Tell #8

This week's YA Blogger Show and Tell Feature is Addison Moore.

Addison Moore is the incredibly talented author of the equally awesome paranormal read Ethereal and today Addison just released the sequel to this fabulous series. It is called Tremble. I've already downloaded my copy and can't wait to read it! Go to her blog and check out Ethereal and Tremble, you won't be disappointed. After that post something about your favorite blogs on your own and add your post linky here.

Have a great weekend!

Follow Friday! (Meme #6)

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. It's purpose is to promote support and friendship among bloggers.

This weeks FF feature is Louise at Book Bliss.

Q: How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?

Wow! It really depends... I am a full time teacher, wife, mother... you get the drift. I would say I usually average 1 book per week, maybe 2 and in rare instanced none. It really depends on my schedule. Thankfully summer break is now in sight so I will soon be blessed with much more time to read and write, yay!

I read on my Kindle (I LOVE my Kindle!).

How many books do you read per week? Leave your link so I can read your response.

Addison Moore: TREMBLE is up!!!!!

Addison Moore: TREMBLE is up!!!!!: "Tremble has landed! For Kindle anyway. Nook is next up at bat. If you get a chance, check it out!! LINK Here's the jacket blurb; Sixtee..."

Don'f forget about the One Hundred and Counting Giveaway!

I am celebrating my followers with this giveaway. I recently reached my goal of one hundred followers. As my blogging friend community continues to grow I would like to take the opportunity to express how much I value your friendship, support and amazing thoughts and ideas.

Here are the rules:

The winner must:

1 - be an Amy Jones Young Adult Fantasy Fiction follower (+1)
2 - be my friend on Goodreads (+1).
3 - mark my book Soul Quest as to read, currently reading or read on Goodreads (+1).
4 - "Like" and/or add my Soul Quest Face Book pagee to their favorites (+1).

Obviously, the more points you have the greater your chance is at winning.

To enter to win Passion by Lauren Kate post your entry here. The release date for this book is June 14, 2011 so I've decided to to extend the giveaway and announce the winner on the very same day. The winner will be able to choose what format they would like (hard back or ebook). Please let me know how many points you have (and what they are for) when you post. Please submit your email address or if you prefer you may email your entry to me instead of posting it here. My email address is amj@columbus.k12.nc.us

So far I have 7 entries! You still have plenty of time to enter, but why wait, enter now!

More praise for Soul Quest!

Thank you Aydrea from Goodreads for your flattering 5 star review of Soul Quest. It is such an amazing feeling to learn that someone has read and enjoyed your work.

Ok so I don't remember how I came across this book, but I am so glad I did because it was awesome! There were so many cool aspects in this book, but I can't say more than that because it would spoil the book. There were definitely some interesting paranormal aspects in the story as well. The book is pretty intense in parts and there is a lot of information being thrown at you. I was totally pulled into the book & finished pretty fast. There are so many great characters in the book & it was nice to get multiple perspectives (I know it annoys some people to read in multiple perspectives so be warned). Liv, Meena, Brayan, & Laith are the main characters & I like them all. Jedd, Ray, Drue, & Ashley are great secondary characters & I hope there will be more about them in the next book (assuming there is one). I also wanted to learn more about a bunch of other important characters in the story. There isn't much more I can say without ruining it, so I will say that you should go read it! I really hope there will be a next book because there is definitely a lot more to be explored!

In My Mailbox (Meme #6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Bloggers who participate in this meme take the opportunity to feature a book they have borrowed, have been gifted as a blog award, received for review, checked out of the library, etc... on their blog. The idea is to get the word out about as many books as possible.

Here is a list of books I have purchased recently and look forward to reading.



The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan


Lure by Stephanie Jenkins


Airborne by Constance Sharper

What's in your mailbox? Post a link to your blog here. I love finding out what my followers are reading. I have found some really great new reads by participating in this meme, so thanks again to The Story Siren for having such a great book blogging meme theme. Oh, I always follow back, so if you aren't following me yet please do so. Have a great day!

Another 5 star review for Soul Quest!

Soul Quest receives another 5 star review from Krystal @ Live To Read. Thank you Krystal for your support and praise.

This book is great. The author captures the true young adult voice and creates a teenage atmosphere. The plot is intriguing and novel, the characters fresh and charismatic. The mystery moved the book along quickly with the romance being the added draw-in for the reader. This book wasn't a run-of-the-mill teenage romance, the plot prevents the reader from thinking that. The main character easily endeared herself to the reader, the meddling supporting character provided a good foil for the main character as well as some comic relief. The background of the plot is both exciting and interesting, the reader will not be disappointed. There is a bit of something for everyone: intrigue, romance, action, drama, young adult, mystery, comedy, etc... The ending was a little bit surprising to say the least, but this reader was happy to learn that there would be another book to come! This book is great for young adult readers.
This book was received as an egalley, this in no way influenced my opinion.

YA Blogger Show and Tell #7

Hi everyone! I'm posting the YA Blogger Show and Tell a day earlier this week because I am expecting company later today and I don't want to be a rude host by hanging out on the computer all weekend. Next week this post will return to it's usual Saturday posting time. Having said that, you guys can feel free to post your links anytime you want during the course of the week.



This week's YA Blogger Show and Tell Feature is Reads, Reviews and Recommends. You can literally find everything on this blog. The title obviously lends suggestion to what you will find on this blog, but that's not all. There is so much more so hop on over and check it out.

Come on guys, it took me 3 days to figure out how to get this linky thing working. I know you have blogs that you follow regularly, which one is your favorite? All you have to do is post about it on your blog... "I think 'blog name' is really great because...." After you've done that the only thing left to do is post a link to it here. Go for it! It is like being able to give a blog award to your friend/s every week. Don't they deserve it? I promise that after you do this it will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside... and maybe someone will post a link about you!

Follow Friday! (Meme #5)

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. It's purpose is to promote support and friendship among bloggers.


This week's Follow Friday is from Ninga Girl @ Ninja Girl Reads.

Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? We all have them...

Oh, I'm the queen of Quirky! OK, let's see...

1 - I am afraid of clowns.
2 - I am right handed but do everything else better on my left side.
3 - I have been plagued with cowlicks and dimples (my daughter has inherited these traits as well, but she still looks cute, go figure...).
4 - I love to put vinegar on my french fries and ketchup on my scrambled eggs.
5 - I have two rare hereditary connective tissue disorders (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and MASS Phenotype). The odds of having one is one in five thousand. Lucky me!

Yeah, I know... I'm a weirdo, but it's part of my charm.

What are your quirks? post a link here I can't wait to read your answers.

WWW Wednessday! (Meme #4)

WWW Wednesday is a weekly event sponsored by Should Be Reading.

So, what do the three W's stand for?

1. What are you currently reading?

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
Goodreads Description:
Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

An ebook exclusive prequel to The Steampunk Chronicles. This book is a free Kindle download at Amazon.

2. What did you recently finish reading?

Grey Eyes by B. B. Alston

Goodreads Description:
15 year old Anastasia Adams has spent her entire life on run. She and her mother have never spent more than 18 months in any one location, often times leaving with just the clothes on their backs. Despite the havoc that this is wreaking on Ana's social and academic life, her mother offers no explanation as to why it is they're constantly moving, or even what it is they're running from. But that all changes one night in the woods of Pelion, SC--the night the terror catches up with them.
Fearing her mother dead, and having barely escaped with her own life, Ana is whisked away to world of privilege and tradition. It’s a fairytale come to life. The poor girl used to living out of a suitcase is now a resident of one of the most exclusive addresses in the world. The people there adore her and she catches the eye of a young guardian who sees her as a refreshing change to the girls he’s grown up with.
If only they could find her mother. If only she knew the consequences of being born a “conjurer.” If only she knew who that green eyed stranger was, the stranger who’ll tell her about a past too romantic, and too tragic to be real. In the end, she’ll have to choose between the boy who has captured her heart and the stranger she can feel down in her soul, assuring at least one of them an almost certain death.

See my review.

What will you read next?

Lure by Stephanie Jenkins

Goodreads Description:
Charlotte Brewer is sure she's crazy when she hears singing drifting from the ocean-normal people don't have arias playing on repeat in their head. When she gets wasted at a party and investigates the ethereal tune, she almost drowns. Charlotte comes to with an overwhelming thirst for salt water, a new desire to eat fish, and a heartbeat of only seven beats a minute. She wakes up by the sea almost every day and dead men wash up hours later.

But then Charlotte meets Lorelei, a siren. Lorelei reveals she saved her from drowning with the "Siren's Kiss"-a curse that made Charlotte a soulless immortal. Her role as a siren is simple: guide the souls of the dead at sea. Too bad taking care of the dead means being stuck in the middle of a war between a fertility goddess and the sirens . . . and losing her soul. If Charlotte wants to regain her mortality, she must find love with a mortal. And if she fails to secure it, she risks becoming a puppet to the gods.


This is my reading agenda. What about you?

Being a Responsible Reviewer

Hello, I'm posting today to vent a little. I find it absolutely unacceptable for any reviewer to entirely slander a writer's work. I understand that a book review is a matter of one's own personal experience, but I do not feel this justifies cruelty. I was perusing some new book selections on Goodreads today and came across a horribly unfair review. I felt the review was entirely unprofessional. It just so happened that I had already read this particular novel and loved it. As reviewers we should be honest about our impressions of the books we read but we should do so responsibly. Stick to the facts and leave out your opinions. While facts tend to speak for themselves opinions can be contradictory. Facts are truths. Opinions are feelings. Remark on the development of the characters, the originality of the story, even the punctuation if you are that picky, but do so thoughtfully.

Would you agree that it is unfair for a reviewer to remark, "By the time I was 80% through this book I was thoroughly disgusted with it." or "I could care less about this series now." or "I will not waist my time on another book in this series." Really? OK, I think you made your point. Is it really necessary to be rude? The reviewer spoke of how the book was too difficult to follow, it jumped around all over the place and she couldn't make sense of it. I personally did NOT experience this when I read this book. I found the book to have many interesting twists and turns, making the book exciting (in fact I was up until 1:00 AM the day I finished it because I had to know how it ended... and I had school the next day). I was not at all confused by the author's adventurous writing style.

OK, I feel somewhat better now. I just had to get that off my chest. As I am an author myself I have great respect for ANY person who has taken the time to write and complete a manuscript of their own. It is a tremendous feat that not just anyone can claim the victory. Many, many people can scratch out thousands of plots, even write a few chapters, but only a truly dedicated and persistent few succeed in finishing the process. I think that deserves respect and I pray others feel the same way.

Do any of you ever get put off by an unfair review or is it just me? I would love to know I am not alone in this feeling. Share your thoughts.

A 5 star review for Grey Eyes by B. B. Alston

Grey Eyes by B. B. Alson

Witches and Vampires! Good witches or evil witches? Good vampires or evil vampires? This is the dilemma you will face in this read. The author does an excellent job of creating colorful and distinct characters. You know just enough about them to understand who they are, what they want and what is in their way, yet your continually wondering if they will turn out to be good or bad. Poor Ana has been on the run all of her life and left entirely clueless about it until one day monsters show up on her doorstep. The monsters attack her mother, the same mother who is constantly uprooting her and moving her around the country to desolate places. Just when Ana believes she is destined to die a painful and gruesome death (for which she has no explanation) she is mysteriously whisked away by an unknown hero. This is where Ana's story begins, for her at least. Ana's mother has kept a tremendous secret from her all of her life. Now her mother may very well be dead and strangers tell her she must return to her home (something she has never known) to fulfill her destiny.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters and their relationships were very realistic and sincere. I enjoyed the different personalities and voices of the different characters, especially London and Taylor. The two girls are so drastically different it made their bonds with Ana more interesting. I also enjoyed the physical environment they lived in, the woods of NC, the mansions and well manicured landscapes of Old Brighton and the ordinariness of Old Brighton. This author is very clever with meaning. The tone of this book goes to great lengths to address the wrongness of prejudice, yet it does not feel judgmental or patronizing. This is a tricky thing to accomplish and I praise Alston for succeeding in doing so.

I give Grey Eyes 5 stars!

Another 5 star review for Soul Quest!

I'm so excited! Soul Quest received a 5 star review from none other than Addison Moore, one of my favorite new authors. Make sure you click the link and learn more about Addison and her book Ethereal.








Addison's Review:
Soul Quest is one of those novels you don’t forget! I love the way Ms. Jones captures not only the full high school experience, but masters the young adult voice so perfectly. The paranormal elements in the novel are unique and sometimes unexpected. I liked the mystery that kept the plot moving at a quick clip and the evolving romances kept me glued to the book. I highly recommend this author and I cannot wait to read the next in the series!! Hurry please!!

Cover Crazy! (Meme #5)

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme created by: The Book Worms

This week's picks!


Airborne by Constance Sharper


Shimmerspell by Kimberly Spencer

Both of these books possess a haunting ethereal mood. The first, Airborne beautifully utilizes shadow and light to give the viewer a sense of something surreal. The second, Shimmerspell uses splashes of electrifying color against a mostly dark background to distort the picture of reality. I love both of them!