Believe it or not, friends, but I’m not one for scary movies. I know. Hosting a Halloween event over here. But it’s true: they’re just not my favorites, and definitely not a go-to when I’m looking for something to watch. Alas.
Good thing we have Erin from Bluestocking Bookworm to handle this for us! And because we’re all book nerds at heart here, she’s comparing a scary movie to its book version. Excellent! Just let me know when I should cover my eyes, k?
Guys. I need these cookies STAT. Thank you slash GEE, THANKS to Morgan from The Bookish Beagle for sharing the recipe for these undoubtedly DELICIOUS cookies!
Hey, friends! It’s about time for a Halloween-y book review! This one is courtesy of yours truly, and it’s legit the first review I’ve written, despite my best intentions, in…well, a long time. I’m excited that I get to review one of my most anticipated books of 2017, though! Huzzah for creepy books!
HELLOOOO and welcome, friends! It’s Fortnight of Fright time!! So exciting to be hosting this with my girls, Alyssa and Brittany, again to showcase all kinds of creepy, fallish, AWESOME posts.
Speaking of which, let’s get right to our first post, courtesy of Marrill from Books and Ravens (hiii, spooky name)! She’s got some awesome graphic novel recommendations for us!
Wow. I can’t believe we are doing this for a SIXTH year in a row! A (blog and Twitter), B (blog and Twitter) and I try and host this two week feature where we celebrate all things Autumn and (if you want) HALLOWEEN!
I am basically just going to copy the same blurb I have for years cause 1. I am lazy and 2. It’s the pertinent info that ya need….SO for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about (hello, and welcome!) Fortnight of Fright is a time in which we host and share different posts related to Autumn and Halloween! We work with you guys and sometimes amazing authors to showcase some creepy books, interviews, movies, and SO MUCH MOAR! There is no limit on what you can post about! Do you have a signature Halloween or Autumn cocktail recipe? Pinterest board filled with DIY decorations? A book recommendation for those of us who love to be scared? We want it all!! JOIN US!!
Sign ups will be open from 9/11-9/22 and you will be notified the following week to confirm your post topic, and so on. We are going to ask that all posts get to us the week of 10/9 as we will be hosting you during the event which runs from 10/17-10/31! As always, the more the merrier, so scroll on down to our Google Doc and sign up to help us out!
Wondering what we had going on from years past? Check it out:
I cannot believe that it is already time for round SEVEN of #OTSPSECRETSISTER!!
Let’s first get some housekeeping things out of the way…
The two most important things to do when signing up to be a part of this project are:
Just to cover all of our bases let me reiterate a few things, but please keep in mind that this is just a basic glossing over of these rules, we go more in detail and clarify everything in the main post that we are asking you to reference.
First, please remember that this is a commitment. By signing up to be a secret sister you are promising to send at least one small card AND gift to your secret sister a month depending on the “monetary group” for which you sign up. Only those in the pen pal tier are not expected to send gifts, that is strictly letters/cards. IN ADDITION to packages, you are also asked to send letters and or/postcards to foster positive communication. Many people asked for their to be an emphasis on the pen pal aspects of this project and we have been working hard to remind everyone that it’s not about the gifts, and this seems like the perfect way to do so. It is very important that you don’t sign up for this unless you are willing to follow through. Please think of how sad (and unfair) it would be for someone to be working hard to make their secret sister feel special and not receive anything themselves!
Last thing, sign-ups run from July 7 to midnight on July 21!
NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS: Due to time zone differences and issues in the past with late questionnaires, etc. we are only able to give you until July 16 to sign up for round 7 of The Secret Sister Project. More details on how to sign up as an international participant below.
I cannot say this enough times, read and re-read our FAQ and Rules post and remember that we are here for you. Do not hesitate to reach out to use if needed, we want to help you and can’t unless we know what is happening!
Okay, now we can move on to the fun stuff!
It’s easy! Just answer every question in the questionnaire below and email it over to onthesamepagesecretsister@gmail.com by midnight on July 21! ALSO In addition to the questionnaire, you will also be asked to answer a few questions for a Google form. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not fill out BOTH of these things in full, then you will NOT be paired. This is what we will be using to pair, so DO NOT FORGET. Please remember to thoroughly answer each and every question, and keep in mind that there is no such thing as saying “too much!” If you need some help filling this out, head back over to a previous round’s FAQ and Rules post and check out the example we provided!
For those of you wishing to join the Pen Pal Tier ONLY: please still fill out the questionnaire in full with the exception of your wish lists. The questions will be a good way for us to pair you up with someone, and for your pen pal to get to know you.
International participants: Please use this Google form to sign up instead of one coinciding with the tiers. There will be a place for you to fill out your preference of which tier you would like to belong but we can not guarantee this. Due to international participation being low, we may have to put you all into the same tier, which will most likely be chosen by the majority vote, in order to ensure that you all get a match! Please remember that you have until midnight on July 16 to sign up as an international participant.
Name:
Mailing Address:
Is the above address a residence/PO Box/Condo/place of employment: (*As in, will your mail get to you when the tracking says delivered, or will you need to wait to get to the mailbox/mailroom?)
Email Address:
Blog:
Twitter Name:
Did you participate in one of the prior rounds of the Secret Sister Project? If yes, which round?
If yes, please provide us with the names of your former sisters (those you gave to, and received from – it is okay if you don’t yet know who is sending to you this round):
How much are you willing to contribute to the project monthly? Choose one (NOTE: this is just a range, you can of course go over the limit but please keep the pen pal aspect in mind, and please remember that is about cheer and not just gifts.) REMINDER: International participants are to fill out THIS google form only, do not fill out one provided below.
Your OTSPSecretSister “buddy’s” Twitter or email: (*We are asking that you keep this to someone who is in the community and therefore will be easy to contact. Husbands/moms/sisters are not easy or comfortable to contact. This person will be available to ask you questions put forth by your sister, or let you know to check your mail. It is not necessary for this person to know you inside and out, just that they have the ability to be contacted, and to contact you when your sister has a question. Do NOT bog this person down with incessant questions, use your best judgement when possible and get creative!)
Goodreads Profile (*so that they can access your wishlists! Make sure to turn off the privacy setting & try and keep it updated!):
Goodreads/Amazon bookish wishlist: (*must have at least 20 titles of older and newer titles, please try not to purchase any books off of this wishlist and if you do please let your sister know via your buddy or one of us. Do not give anyone else access to this list. Not parents, husbands, friends, co-workers, secret santas…etc. If you do not want to share a wishlist by making it public, you may list the books here instead.)
“Other” wishlist: (*Keep these within reason for prices, etc! Please do not include pricey things, this is more for places like Etsy or for cheap DVDs on Amazon, and so on!)
Important Dates to Remember (*This can be anything and everything! Your birthday, the day you are expecting your baby, the day you are leaving for your next vacation, your anniversary with your partner, a big test you have coming up, the first day at your new job, the anniversary of the day you quit smoking, even a sad anniversary on which you would need some cheer!):
Your favorite items under $5: (things like stationary, nail polish, fav candy etc.)
Food Allergies:
Fandoms:
Your Likes (*Give us an array of things here! Types of snacks, TV shows, movies, bands/types of music, art):
Your Dislikes (*Example: chocolate covered cherries, anything cinnamon flavored, the color brown):
Do you have a favorite store?:
Are you okay receiving a gift card? If so, to where?
Would you be comfortable receiving baked goods of some kind?
What Do You Splurge On?:
Favorite Flowers:
Favorite Color?:
Favorite (or least favorite) smells: (*for things such as candles, soaps, bath bombs/bubbles, perfumes)
Do You Collect Anything?:
Do You Drink Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate?:
Do You Have an E-reader?:
Would you be okay being gifted an ebook? If so, please provide the email associated with your e-reader:
List some of your favorite genres or authors:
Are there any authors or genres that you won’t read?
T-shirt size:
Hogwarts House:
Favorite Disney movie and/or princess:
Any magazine that you wish you had a subscription to?
Anything else we should know about you? (*Be thorough here! There is no such thing as “saying too much,” the more your “secret sister” knows, the easier it is to spoil you!)
Third and final reminder that you MUST also fill out a google spreadsheet which coincides with your monetary tier. Links can be found above.
As always, please remember that you can always reach out to us with any inquiries or issues, that is what we are here for! Use the #OTSPSecretSister hashtag to talk with us and your fellow sisters! Thank you for helping us continue to spread positive vibes and cheer throughout our community!
Welcome, friends, to THE TRAITOR’S KISS blog tour! I’m so excited to be a part of it and to share my very first mood board with you. This first book in The Traitor’s Trilogy by Erin Beaty is an intriguing start to a series about spies, rebellion, secrets, matchmaking, and all the things (including, of course, swoons). I tried to find images that reflected all of these things and I think I didn’t do too badly. I HOPE I didn’t do too badly. HOPE. You’ll just have to read THE TRAITOR’S KISS to see if you agree!
I’m a fan of the dichotomy between the knives and the gowns, and the rebellion and the fancy dinners. Not to mention the way the main character, Sage, goes from wearing pants and riding horses to dressing up to mingle better with the ladies on their way to be matched. That doesn’t necessarily go very smoothly for her, though, which leads me to my secret phrase!
Check out all the other stops on the tour for more secret phrases! They’re out of order, so make like Sage and see if you can piece them together!
| BLOGGER | BLOG | DATE | CONTENT |
| Brittany Smith | http://www.bookaddictsguide.com | 20-Apr | Scented Candle |
| Flo Kizza | http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/ | 22-Apr | List of Favorite Literary Female Spies |
| Becky Vosburg | http://www.storiesandsweeties.com/ | 23-Apr | Guest Post: Intro to main characters with pics |
| Katie Bartow | http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/ | 24-Apr | Guest Post: Top 10 Things All Spies Need |
| Crystal Leach | http://bookiemoji.com/ | 25-Apr | Top 5 Reasons to read The Traitor’s Kiss |
| Rachel Clarke | http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/ | 26-Apr | Guest Post: Favorite & Most Challenging Scene to Write (and Why) |
| Mandy Curtis | http://foreveryoungadult.com/ | 27-Apr | Guest Post: YA “matchmaker” |
| Beth Edwards | http://www.yabookscentral.com/ | 28-Apr | Guest Post: What gave you the inspiration for this book? |
| Michelle Adams | bookbriefs.net | 29-Apr | Guest Post: Top 5 Things You Didn’t Know about Sage & Mouse |
| Amy Thau | http://www.trippingoverbooks.com/ | 30-Apr | Mood Board |
| Michelle Bucud | http://darkfaerietales.com/ | 1-May | Guest Post: What’s the most daring thing you would do for a mission? |
| What Sarah Read | https://whatsarahread.com/ | 2-May | Mood Board |
| Jennie Cresswell | https://booklovingnut.com/ | 3-May | Playlist |
| Liza Rodriguez | http://quitethenovelidea.com/ | 5-May | Alternate Cover |
| Kelly Gunderman | http://www.herestohappyendings.com/ | 6-May | Q&A |
| Brooke Goldetsky | http://brooke-reports.blogspot.com/ | 7-May | Sage Character Interview |
| Michelle Santiago | http://booksandmakeup.blogspot.com/ | 9-May | Fancast |
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller 
Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.
More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.
Guys, I’m so excited to be partnering with The Novl to bring you this post and an awesome giveaway for Chris Colfer’s new book, STRANGER THAN FANFICTION! I can’t wait to share my YA road trip–inspired by the road trip Cash and his fans take–with you, but before we get to that, let’s just lay the groundwork, shall we?
Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime–but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he’s been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.
SOUNDS. AMAZING. You guys are going to have the chance to win a copy, plus some awesome goodies, at the end of this post! But first, road trip.
If you’re new to Tripping Over Books, first of all, hi! Second of all, I LOVE books about road trips. They’re one of my favorite things to read. So when the loverlies at Little, Brown asked me to pick YA books and create a road trip to their settings, I had a hard time picking just 5! But in the end, I’d LOVE to visit all of these places and hang out with my favorite characters while I’m there.
Sure, weird stuff happens in Henrietta, but Ronan and Gansey and Blue are there, so I’ll deal. Hopefully they’ll also take me to Monmouth Manufacturing and The Barns and CABESWATER.
I need to visit this place (or wherever in North Carolina is the most like it), because this beach town is magic. Sarah Dessen said so, and the stories she sets there live up to the hype always.
I’ve never been to Texas, but I’ve always wanted to go. Preferably when it’s not deathly hot, but that’s for another time. I ADORED DUMPLIN’ and Willowdean, and I’d love to hang out with her and talk about Dolly Parton all day.
Jandy Nelson is one of my very favorite authors, and ever since I first read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, I’ve wanted to visit Flying Man’s and Gram’s garden and see Joe and hear him play. I’d basically give anything to go to the places she describes and see what her characters see. This goes for I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, too.
And now, for the giveaway! Little, Brown is being so awesome, and is giving away this prize pack to one lucky winner!
Rules and regs: Giveaway runs from 3/17 through 11:59 pm on 3/24. Must be 13 or older, a resident of the United States, and respond to my winner notification within 24 hours, or else the prize pack goes to someone else! That’s it, friends! Have at it!
It’s pretty hard for me to swallow the fact that spring is next week, friends, since it’s snowing a lot outside right now. But let’s roll with it! I’m always excited to read books and make lists about them, so here we go! (In no particular order, of course.) (Also, I didn’t intend for this list to be mostly new releases, but it happened.)
