Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 8 - Delaware & #Giveaway

Yesterday we where in Connecticut with author Kourtney Heintz , check out her post along with a giveaway here

Today is day 8, on our road trip and we are in Delaware with booktuber Samantha @ thoughts on tomes. I am so excited to have Samantha on my blog. I discovered her youtube videos a few months back and loved them. Over to Samantha: 

Some of you may be asking, Delaware…. where is that? Good question. I couldn’t have identified it on a map until I moved to the east coast 3 years ago from Illinois. I’ve now been living in Delaware for the past 2 years. While I’m no expert, Delaware is very small (the second smallest state after Rhode Island, and we only have one area code!)

Places to go:

While Delaware isn’t known for much, we do have the advantage of a lot of beaches. Whether you are into a more rugged beach experience (such as the horseshoe crab migration every year) or a picturesque boardwalk (like Rehoboth Beach), Delaware has both to offer without all of the crowds found on the Jersey Shore.

We are also home to a few historical sites, as Delaware is proudly the First State, as well as home to one of the largest Air Force bases on the east coast.

• Rehoboth Beach
• John Dickinson Plantation in Dover, DE
• Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, DE

Places to eat:

Again, is Delaware known for their culinary prowess? I doubt it. But we really know our sea food. One of my favorite places to go is a locally owned tavern called Sambo’s Tavern, located in small town Leipsic, DE. It is known for it’s seafood, but mostly crabs which you can order by the half dozen. This isn’t Red Lobster, and you have to break into those bad boys yourself, but the reward is so worth it. The experience puts Crab Fest to shame. The tavern is only open during the summer months (seafood season), so we make sure to go at least twice a month to get our fill before it hibernates for the winter.

If getting your hand’s dirty isn’t your thing (even for the sake of delicious crab meat!) then there are plenty of other places Delaware has to offer:

• Roma’s in Dover, DE (some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had!)
• The Melting Pot in Wilmington, DE
• The Pig + Fish in Rehoboth, DE

Book related:

Sadly, with how small Delaware is, there have not been a lot of book related things to come out of this state. Of the authors I was able to find, and the list was short, and none were names that I recognized. Also, very few books have been set here. The small list of books I recognized:

• Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
• Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hilton
• Beloved by Toni Morrison (Beloved takes place in numerous locations, but Delaware is one of them)

Ah, such is the struggle of a small state. Nevertheless, Delaware has a lot to offer, especially in the summer months. It’s location allows us to live away from the big city noise, while still being just a short car ride from major cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

I hope you learned a little bit about a little known state! Thank you Megan for the invite!

Thoughts On Tomes * Twitter * Instragram

Thanks Samantha. I didn't realise Delaware was so small, but it's sounds awesome none the less.

Check out Day nines stop in Florida with author Michelle Madow here

Follow all the road trip posts here

Giveaway #2

*This is the second sponsored giveaway by me. I am offering three giveaway's throughout the 50 stops. The first giveaway is with the Arkansas post and the last one will be with the Louisiana post*

You can win ONE of the above books. I have read all these books this year and loved them. They where all 5 star reviews. Giveaway is open to anyone that can receive books VIA the book depository. Giveaway Ends 8th August 2015.

All The Bright Places is a YA Contemporary that explore's first love and mental illness.

Vendetta is a YA thriller full of romance and drama, it's a modern Romeo and Juliet.

The 5th Wave is a YA sci-fi book that I loved so much. If you have read the first book you can choose the second book The Infinite Sea

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Road Trip- Day 7- Connecticut & #Giveaway

It's day seven of our road trip and I am having fun. Yesterday we where in Colorado with author Devin O Branagan, you can check out the post here

Today we are in Connecticut with author K.C Tansley. Let's see what awaits us in Connecticut and don't forgot to enter the giveaway below.

Places to visit in Connecticut

Gillette Castle State Park—Having a genuine stone castle in Connecticut was my inspiration for Castle Creighton in The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts.

Mark Twain House & Museum—When I was a kid, I wanted to be an author and live in a house like this.

Mystic Seaport—The quintessential Connecticut coastal village.

Thimble Islands—These private islands in the Long Island Sound were my inspiration for the Isle of Acacia.

Hammonasset Beach State Park—This is a great public beach near Old Saybrook and Westbrook, which were the main towns that inspired Wright in my novel.

Places to eat in Connecticut

Smoking with Chris—The best smoked meat and BBQ around with homemade sauces you’ll savor. I am getting hungry just typing this.

Johnny Ad’s—Freshest seafood around. I love their fried seafood combo with lobster salad. I always stop here when I’m down at the beach in Old Saybrook.

Infinity Hall and Bistro (Norfolk)—Delicious food and a great concert in a charming and intimate hall.

La Fortuna—Best breakfasts in my neck of the woods. My favorite is the omelette with mozzarella, tomato, and bacon. The home fries are perfect. And they always butter the toast. Juiciest burgers around for lunch. 

Tuscany—Terrific Italian food at a family-run restaurant. Their rack of lamb special is worth every penny and their veal is so tender you can cut it with a fork.

Quirky things about Connecticut

We are one of the oldest states in the union, so we have many old graveyards. All over the place. Right next to houses and beside major routes. You can’t drive more than 20 minutes without stumbling across one. 

There’s this weird notch at the top of the state that was the resolution of a 162-year border debate. MA and CT split the difference. 

Old Newgate Prison was the state’s first official prison in the 1700s and prisoners were kept in underground caverns. It’s creepy cool.

Holy Land was a religious theme park that was closed for decades. All my life, I’ve seen a giant cross lit at night on the hill in Waterbury. At one point, the area was maintained by nuns. It was abandoned for decades and vandalized. Holyland was recently restored and reopened in 2014. 

Hamburgers were invented in New Haven, CT. You’re welcome.

Famous people from Connecticut

Catherine Hepburn

George W. Bush

Betsey Johnson

Meg Ryan

Seth McFarlane

Authors or books set in Connecticut

The Babysitter’s Club—I grew up on these.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond—Loved reading this in middle school. 

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court—In my TBR pile.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler—A classic that I adored as a kid.

The Ice Storm—Loved the movie. 

Website/ Blog / Facebook/ Twitter

Who wants to go to Connecticut? * Raises hand* Me! I loved The Babysitters club as a kid. What do you like about Connecticut?

You can follow all the road trip stops here

Check out Day 8 's stop in Delaware with Samantha @thoughts on tomes & giveaway here

Now for a giveaway. You can win 1 of 2 paperbacks of K.C. Tansley's upcoming book, The Girl who ignored ghosts, releasing August 1st. This giveaway is US ONLY and giveaway ends August 10th.

About the Book

In The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts, prep school junior Kat Preston accidentally time travels to 1886 Connecticut, where she must share a body with a rebellious Victorian lady, prevent a gruesome wedding night murder, disprove a deadly family curse, and find a way back to her own time.

In this exciting time travel murder mystery, Kat leaves the safety of Connecticut’s shore and journeys to the isolated Isle of Acacia and Castle Creighton. There, she encounters all the unbelievables.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original/weekly meme hosted by The broke and the bookish.

Topic: Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

NOTE: I want to read all the books below really badly but just haven't got around to them EXCERPT the hunger games which I don't want to read.

Everyone has there own thoughts on what makes a hyped book. My thoughts on a hype book is a book that everyone has read (well mostly everyone) and end up loving them. Here are the top ten I haven't read:

What hyped books haven't you read?

Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 6- Colorado

Day 6 of our virtual U.S. Road Trip and it has been so much fun so far. Yesterday we where in California with blogger Stacee at Adventures of a Book Junkie which you can check out here

Today we are in Colorado with author Devin O’Branagan. Colorado is a state I have wanted to visit so this see what awaits us in Colorado. Over to Devin.

The beauty of Colorado is truly beyond description. It is a state of extremes, notable for its diverse geography: alpine mountains, arid plains, deserts with huge sand dunes, deep canyons, sandstone and granite rock formations, rivers, lakes, and lush forests. The elevation ranges from 3,317 feet at the lowest point to a height of 14,440 feet. Weather is wild, with temperature shifts of 80 degrees common in a single day. It is magnificent.

Colorado is famous for its popular ski resorts and gold-mining towns with their historic ambiance restored, now mining wealth via their gambling casinos. Culture abounds in film festivals, theatrical performances, art galleries, fabulous symphonies, and a myriad of talented authors. (I think the Muses have blessed the water here.)

The world’s only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect, outdoor amphitheater is the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a rock structure ten miles west of Denver. The venue seats 9,450 people and is located in Red Rocks Park, part of the Denver MountainParks system. There is no better place to hear a rock concert, and many famous bands have recorded albums there. 

Every year Denver hosts the world’s largest rodeo, the Western Stock Show and Rodeo. Established over a hundred years ago, it is an annual event now attended by over 600,000 people. 

At the foot of the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range is the small town of Crestone. It’s called “the Shambala of the Rockies” and is considered by many to be one of the most spiritual places on the planet. Once sacred to Native Americans, the area now hosts a variety of spiritual centers: Tibetan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Native American . A high-ranking Tibetan Buddhist lama recently said that the area is one of two or three places on Planet Earth best suited for retreat practice. Even the mountains have a sacred name— Sangre de Cristo, the Blood of Christ.

Did I mention that Colorado is a place of extremes Coloradoans are a quirky lot, evidenced by the following examples: 

• Rocky Mountain Oysters are a popular food. They are fried bull testicles. 

• Coloradoans have always enjoyed getting high. (I blame it on the altitude.) Colorado repealed alcohol prohibition in 1932, a year before the federal government did. In 2012 Colorado was one of the first two states in the country to legalize recreational marijuana. Colorado wines, made from superior Vitis vinifera grapes grown in the highest elevation vineyards in the United States— as well as cherries, peaches, plums and honey— have won top national and international awards for their quality. Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than any other state. However, I’m not implying we’re all lushes and stoners. Actually, according to the Gallup Poll, Colorado consistently ranks in the top ten healthy states. In 2012, Colorado received the number one spot. Our population is simply free-spirited.

• Frozen Dead Guy Days is an annual festival held in the town of Nederland to celebrate the 1994 discovery of a cryogenically frozen man’s body in a Tuff Shed. Events include coffin races, frozen tee-shirt contests, Frozen Dead Guy lookalike contests, and the Parade of Hearses. There are tours of the infamous Tuff Shed where the body still remains, frozen in dry ice; a polar plunge for those brave enough to go swimming in early March (which generally requires breaking through the ice); and a dance called “Grandpa’s Blue Ball.” Glacier Ice Cream, headquartered in the nearby city of Boulder, makes a flavor specifically for the festival (named, appropriately enough, Frozen Dead Guy). It consists of fruit-flavored blue ice cream mixed with crushed Oreo cookies and sour gummy worms. As bizarre as this all sounds, thousands of people attend every year. In a 2015 poll conducted by USA Today asking readers to name the top ten cultural events in the world, Frozen Dead Guy Days ranked #5. Frozen Dead Guy Days won the Governor’s Award for “Best Promotional Event in Colorado,” and Reader’s Digest named it one of the “Top Five Winter Festivals in the Country.” Seriously. 

Books set in Colorado: 

• Most notably, several of Stephen King’s books are set in Colorado because he lived in Boulder for a time. Portions of The Stand take place in Boulder. And the hotel in The Shining, The Overlook, was actually based on The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. King was inspired to write the novel after he and his wife spent a night there in 1974. According to the staff, the Kings arrived a day before the hotel was set to close for winter, and that night they were its only guests. King wandered the maze-like hallways, drank at the bar, and stayed in room 217. Paranormal investigators consider The Stanley Hotel to be one of the world’s most haunted places.

• Almost all of my novels feature Colorado in one form or another. It doesn’t matter if I’m writing about a thriving metropolis, a farm on the high plains, a college town in the foothills, a ranching community in the low mountains, or a village in the high mountains that’s considered to be one of the most spiritual places on Earth. This state has it all. 

*** Bestselling author Devin O’Branagan weaves tales of uncommon heroes while drinking the magical, Muse-infused water from Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Devin’s genres include paranormal thrillers, young adult urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and romantic comedy. Her books have been published by Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books, German publisher Heyne Verlag, Turkish publisher Dogan Egmont, and indie publisher Cornucopia Creations. They are available in print, eBook, and audio formats. Devin’s Legend of Glory trilogy is currently under contract with a prominent Hollywood producer. 

Interview with M.Beth Bloom & #Giveaway

Blurb taken from Epic Reads.com

Eva has always wanted to write a modern classic—one that actually appeals to her generation. The only problem is that she has realized she can't "write what she knows" because she hasn't yet begun to live. So before heading off to college, Eva is determined to get a life worth writing about.

Soon Eva's life encounters a few unexpected plot twists. She becomes a counselor at a nearby summer camp—a job she is completely unqualified for. She starts growing apart from her best friends before they've even left for school. And most surprising of all, she begins to fall for the last guy she would have ever imagined. But no matter the roadblocks, or writer's blocks, it is all up to Eva to figure out how she wants this chapter in her story to end.

Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell, Don't Ever Change is a witty, snarky, and thought-provoking coming-of-age young adult novel about a teen who sets out to write better fiction and, ultimately, discovers the truth about herself.

Tell me a little about yourself and your writing career?

I was born and raised here in Los Angeles, with only a brief stint across and out of the country.  Some might say I'm SO LA.  I initially went to school with the hopes of becoming a playwright and studied the craft all through college.  Somewhere in there I found a love for short story writing and an obsession with the idea of the NOVEL.  I never thought I'd write one, let alone a young adult one, but the concept of creating such a long work with such languid timing and pacing intrigued me.  Could I do it?  Yes... Sort of... Lots of drafts, energy, weirdness, blockage, tears, and then my first novel DRAIN YOU appeared.  From there it was write, write, write, till you fall on the bed.

Tell us about your novel Dont Ever Change?

Eva is a graduating senior, who much like myself at the time, is obsessed with being a writer.  She doesn't want to live really, just record, and this poses a problem when her favorite teacher has to point out her arrogance.  She spends the summer before college as a camp counselor, losing her friends, her cool, her mind... It's meant to be witty and charming and hopefully self-reflexive in a way that strikes a ding with other such stubborn creatives.  

Where did the idea for the novel come from?

My own life mostly.  My journey as a young writer and arrogant brat.  I also worked at a summer camp and did a horrible job at everything but hanging out with the kids.  I could barely take care of myself and there I was leading a bunch of girls who hadn't yet learned the meaning of angst or depression or rent.  And I was certainly allergic to fun.

Describe your Protagonist Eva in 140 Characters or less.

She won't ever change.

Why should we pick up Don't ever change?

It's not every YA protagonist who's got such a minor, but real, struggle.  Eva doesn't have to save the world, the dystopian future, herself or a friend from a fatal disease - she just has to mature at an age when she's sure she knows it all. I see Eva in the new wave of feminist; she's embracing the wholeness of herself, a strong woman but also being a complicated, messy, funny, dramatic one.  

Don't Ever Change is available VIA Harper Teen July 7th

Giveaway:

Author M.Beth Bloom has offered a hard copy of her book Don't Ever Change to one lucky reader. Giveaway is International. Ends 20th July 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Merry Monday #1- Resolutions- Ahhh what are they?

Merry Mondays is hosted by Mom With A Reading Problem, where we can celebrate all things Christmas and the holiday season. This usually happens in December (that is when Christmas is) but it sometimes happens in July ;) Christmas in July anyone :)  and am excited to be taking part for the next month.

This weeks topic: It’s been 6 months. Time to check in! How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions?

Resolution... hmmm what's that? I didn't fail them all in the first few days of the new year did I? I did and I always do. I am not good at sticking to resolutions or schedules basically any thing that you need will power for. I don't have will power especially when I set tasks like read certain books that year, don't buy any books you really aren't going to read, to serious ones like try to be healthier, maybe look for a new job with more hours. I fail on all levels and you know what I know am never going to stick to them so why even try LOL 

How have your new year resolution's gone?

Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 5 - California

Welcome to day 5 of our road trip and today we are in sunny California with Stacee from Adventures of a book Junkie.

Don't Forgot to check out yesterday's post in Arkansas & giveaway here and our extra stop on Texas with author Rachel Caine & Giveaway here

 Check out what awaits us in California. Over to Stacee.

California is a huge state and there’s just so so so much to see. I’m going to break it up between the three main sections of the state that I go to.  I live in San Diego, but we’re in LA quite often.  We’ve been to San Francisco a few times and with every visit, I want more. 

Without further ado: 

San Diego:

Wild Animal Park/San Diego Zoo

Hotel Del Coronado

Seals and sea lions at Children’s Pool in La Jolla

Seaport Village

Balboa Park

Los Angeles:

Disneyland {technically, it’s Orange County, but whatever}

The Hollywood Sign

Rodeo Drive

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Sunset Strip

San Francisco:

Golden Gate Bridge

Fisherman’s Wharf

Alcatraz

Lombard Street

Chinatown

 Places to eat

Mexican food is a big deal in SoCal.  Much like Starbucks, you can find a taco shop on nearly every corner, and everyone has their favorite place to go. One of the staples is carne asada and a common item to order is a California Burrito.  Curious as to what it is? This article explains.  

Think I’m joking about how serious it is? Here’s a “12 best California Burrito list”, although I firmly believe Lolita’s needs to be higher on the list.

Quirky things about California

I found a few weird laws…

In Arcadia: “Peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways.”

In Baldwin Park: “Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.”

In Blythe: “You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows.”

In Carmel: “Ice cream may not be eaten while standing on the sidewalk.”

And then there’s this website called Weird California which highlights some of the stranger things about the state and odd places to see.

Famous people from California

It used to be a big deal to be a California “native”. Now, not so much. When I did a search for celebrities born in Cali, there were a lot of names. Pages and pages and pages of names. When I started clicking on some of those names, it would change and say that the person was currently living in Cali, but was born somewhere else. 

So. Famous people from Cali?  Apparently everyone. 

I do know that Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge from the band Blink-182 are from San Diego, but I couldn't name anyone else. 

Authors or books set in California

Just some of the authors who live in Cali: Gretchen McNeil, Jennifer Niven, Robin Benway, Leigh Bardugo, Mary E. Pearson, Bethany Crandall, Kiersten White, Jandy Nelson, Veronica Rossi, Tahereh Mafi, and Margaret Stohl.

A couple of my favorite books set in Cali: 

 

 

Hopefully, this gave a bit of insight on my favorite state in the nation. Huge thanks to Megan for the invite! I learned a few things myself. :D

Adventures of a Book Junkie | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Thanks Stacee. I have learned a lot about California. What do you guys learn? Have you been to California, do you live in California? Leave me and Stacee a comment below.

Come out day six's Colorado post with author Devin O' Branagan 

You can follow all the road trip posts here