31 December 2013

Interview with Jamie Baywood!

A little while back, Jamie Baywood sent me an email asking if I would like to interview her for my blog and, of course, I said yes! A few days later I sent her a few questions and she replied with these answers.

Hi there Jamie, thanks for coming to GeorgiaReviews...!
Thank you for having me.

What inspired you to write about your travels in New Zealand?
By the age of twenty-six, I was actually much happier being alone than dating, but I was completely bombarded by guys trying to date me in California. I read in a New Zealand tour book that the country’s population has 100,000 fewer men than women.  I wanted to have some me time and an adventure. New Zealand seemed like a good place to do so.

Did you keep notes or a diary through your trip and why/why not?
Yes, most of my book was written as the events happened. Reading my book would be similar to receiving emails from a friend living abroad. I didn't really come up with the distinct writing style. It’s just how I honestly observed things and described them. I only know how to write my truth. My truth tends to be stranger than fiction.

It would be impossible to write down every single thing that happen to me in New Zealand for over a year and it probably wouldn't be interesting to read. My book is 100% true. These are 100% my experiences. I have changed some the names, but not all of individuals and organizations to preserve privacy.

If you could pick 3 songs to sum up your trip, what would they be?
1. Santigold – L.E.S. Artistes (Listen HERE)
2. Kids of 88 – Just a little Bit (Listen HERE)
3. The Naked and Famous – Young Blood (Listen HERE)

There are some lines in L.E.S. Artistes that really apply to how I felt when I first arrived in New Zealand:
What I'm searching for
I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up
What am I here for
I left my home to disappear is all
I'm here for myself
Kids of 88 and The Naked and Famous were New Zealand bands I discovered during my time in there. I had the chance to go to a concert where they both performed. It was a great night.

What is your favourite genre to read?
My new favourite book is May I Ask You Something? by Cyan Corwine. I personally also find autobiographies interesting, but it really depends on who wrote it. One of my favourite books is collections of funny true stories like Area Code 212 byTama Janowitz.

What are you doing in your life at the moment?
I haven’t stopped travelling since I moved out of California in 2010.I never moved back to California. For the past three years, I’I've been disassembling and reassembling my life by moving to different countries. I've lived in five countries now America, American Samoa, New Zealand, Scotland and now England. Although I intended to have a solo adventure I ended up meeting my husband a Scottish man in New Zealand.
My husband is very busy working on a MA in Landscape Architecture. This gives me a lot of time to work on promoting my book and attending book talks throughout the UK.

We've actually lived in two different countries in the United Kingdom after leaving New Zealand; Scotland and now England. After New Zealand, we moved to Scotland, got married in a castle and ended up living across the street from Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh. Scotland is a sincerely magical place. There are so many castles in Scotland. Scotland has amazing architecture, beautiful mountains, lochs, beaches and sweet natured people. The landscape of the Highlands is very similar to the South Island of New Zealand. I love hearing the Scottish accent everywhere you go. After living in Edinburgh, I can understand how J. K. Rowling was inspired writing Harry Potter. I lived above a used bookshop that looked like where Harry would have bought his school supplies.

For unwanted and complicated reasons we had to move to England last September. It was devastating to have to move out of Edinburgh to Sheffield, England last year for my husband graduate school. We will have to live here until summer 2014.
I've designed, published and have been marketing Getting Rooted in New Zealand. Self-publishing is one person taking on all of the responsibilities typically held by teams of people in traditional publishing companies. It has been a steep learning curve.  I am currently booking meet the author events at libraries and book clubs throughout England and Wales between now and June 2014.

What new books are coming up in the future for you?
I plan to divide my books by the countries I've lived in. My next book will be about attempting to settle in Scotland. I plan to publish it late 2014.


Getting Rooted in New Zealand is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon HERE.
You can also follow Jamie on the following sites:
Facebook.com/jamiebaywood
Twitter.com/jamiebaywood
Pinterest.com/jamiebaywood
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7069448.Jamie_Baywood
amazon.com/author/jamiebaywood

29 December 2013

Book Review!

Title- Twisted
Author- Holly Hook 
Genre- Young Adult, Fantasy
Format- e-ARC

Release Date- 15th December 2013
Buy HERE

Goodreads Summary-
Sixteen-year-old Allie isn’t like other girls. Instead of spending her summer break sitting around on the beach, she takes the epic vacation of a lifetime.

Tornado chasing.

And she’s not disappointed. Just a few miles from the town of Evansburg, Nebraska, Allie meets her dream of seeing a tornado. In person. She can’t wait to tell her friends back home. Never mind that her parents are going to kill her.

But her dream soon turns into a nightmare, and a strange event leaves her shocked. Confused. When she returns home to Wisconsin, something’s…different. Allie now bears a curse so awful, it could destroy everyone and everything she’s ever known.

With her best friend, Tommy, Allie must return to the plains to find a way to reverse it. She enters a world that she had never imagined, where she becomes a pawn in a fight to save the people of Evansburg from her fate…or to destroy them.


Initial Thoughts- A little while back, you may remember me participating in a cover reveal for a book titled Twisted by Holly Hook (you can view that post HERE). Shortly after this, the lovely Rachel Marks, a publicist, offered me a e-ARC to review this book. I got excited about this because I loved the sound of this book and could not wait to get my hands on it! Also, this was my first ARC so it gave me lots of confidence in my work.

Strong Points- The story had such a great premise and, when I heard about the cover reveal, I jumped at the chance to be involved! Starting reading, I loved this book and it was jam packed from the start, getting you hooked straight from the beginning.. Well, it should, unless you are me.

Weaknesses- This is not a criticism to the book but more to myself. I am not a fan of being out of my comfort zone so reading this genre was a little hit-and-miss, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. I seem to love every contemporary book I read but everything else is at two end of the scale, I either can not put it down or can not pick it up and I am afraid this was an example of the second.

I do however think that this would be perfect for any fans of the Fantasy genre and if you don't believe me, check out all of the great reviews already posted on Goodreads HERE.

Overall Rating- 

19 December 2013

Book Cover Reveal!

The Romeo Club
by Rebekah L Purdy
Release Date: 03/25/14
YA CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 

Summary from Goodreads:
THE ROMEO CLUB is Hitch meets The Secret of My Success.

What happens when you agree to help your brother “de-nerdify” so he can catch the attention of the popular Chloe Anders, and to everyone's surprise, he actually lands her?



And what if his equally geeky friends come running with girl wish lists of their own, offering money for your services?

Well, if you’re sixteen-year-old, Delyla Denson, then you start The Romeo Club. A secret club where she’ll teach these guys how talk, act, and be cool around girls. It’s a win-win situation.

She’ll get enough money for the awesome prom dress she’s had her eye on, and the guys, well, they’ll get dates and maybe learn how to do something other than beat the next level on their video games.

There are only two problems with this plan. One, her quarterback/track star boyfriend is getting jealous of how much time she’s spending away from him and decides to try and figure out what’s going on. And two, Delyla is kind of falling for her brother’s BFF, Trey who she’s been hanging out with a lot more. And who thanks to her help, has caught the attention of the beautiful, perfect, and popular, Portia Rickard. With Portia and Trey heating up, Delyla realizes that maybe the person she’s meant to be with has been in front of her all this time.

But falling for Trey means she’ll have to take drastic measures including sabotage, with a capital S.


About the Author:
Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate…


Author Links:
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Cover Reveal Organized by:

17 December 2013

Book Cover Reveal!

Hi guys, I know I said I wouldn't be posting until Friday at least but this is just a quick one, enjoy!

Twelve Steps
by Veronica Bartles
Release Date: 03/25/14

Book Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. There in Laina's shadow, Andi's only noticeable feature is her pretty awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina. After all, great hair must count for something.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. OK, maybe that's two steps in one.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities besides great hair. There have got to be at least three good qualities, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just her shortcomings, and break out of her shell. Easier said that done, but worth the effort in the long-run. 


When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi finds that her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and realizes she may need a new program--perhaps with less steps!

As cracks in Laina’s flawless façade begin to show, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

About the Author:
As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy.   When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.

TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel.

Author Links:
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Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for letting me take part! Find more from them HERE.

10 December 2013

My Bookish Christmas Wishlist!

Tomorrow marks two weeks till the big day, are you excited? I am!
Here is a list of a few things I asked my family for as Christmas gifts, all of which are book related.
Quick Disclaimer: This is not me bragging, I will be really will be grateful for all of the presents I receive and know how lucky I am to get anything at all.

Argos Floating Shelf in White (Buy HERE)
I already have one of these but it is currently packed with so many book, I physically can not fit any more on. As I have an ever growing collection, I thought it would be lovely to have another on which I can proudly display my personal library!


Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Buy HERE)
Another thing I already own! I have an ebook of Allegiant but really want a physical copy to complete my collection. I have one problem however, to match my existing copies I will need a paperback of the international edition and these are quite hard to come across.
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Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle (Buy HERE)
On boxing day last year, I ordered The Fault In Our Stars and since then have read every other book by him but two: An Abundance of Katherines and Let It Snow. Since it's a Christmassy book, I thought now would be the perfect time to read it and I am excited to see the writing from Maureen and Lauren.
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Buy HERE)
I have seen many trailers for movie adaptation of this book and I know from experience that the book is always better so I have exceptionally high hopes for this book. History interests me greatly however I chose not to study it at GCSE so most of my fixes now come through historical fiction like this.
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The Carrie Diaries 2 Book Set by Candace Bushnell (Buy HERE)
I have talked about this on my blog before so I won't go into too much detail but I love The Carrie Diaries TV show. This character is so well known so I want to read all about her as the show does not go into Carrie's head enough.
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Amazon Kindle Gift Card (Buy HERE)
Very often, a book comes out which I think am apprehensive about so, instead of having to look at something I dislike on my shelf, I buy a Kindle copy. Other times, it can be cheaper to buy e-books. Also, some books or novellas are primarily electronic so this is a necessity for me!


What's on your christmas list and, more importantly, what are you giving this year?
Let me know in the comments below!

8 December 2013

Topping Off The Week! #4

Hey guys! This week on GeorgiaReviews, we have another 'Topping Off The Week' post which involves me counting down a different thing each week. Each will be in no particular order, a jumbled mess of all things I love. This is not me telling you how to feel about something, just sharing my personal opinions with the world! Feel free to post your take on the subject of the week, just be sure to credit me and drop me a link to it so I can see your lists too! Today marks the second week in December, can you believe it? For this reason, I will be counting down...
Top 5 Albums of 2013

File:Night Visions Album Cover.jpegNight Visions - Imagine Dragons
If you do not love this album you cannot be from this planet. These guys make the most incredible songs, each is different and there are so many! I double dare you to insult this artwork, the sky in the background is all purple and blue and cloudy and I have lots to say about it. I really wanted to see them touring the UK this month but tickets sold out so fast, there's always next time, right?

Favourite Song: Demons (Listen HERE).
Download the album in the UK HERE


File:BadBloodBastillealbum.jpgBad Blood - Bastille
Back before Bastille burst on to the scene with Pompeii, I was a huge fan so, when hearing of their album's release, pre-ordered a signed copy. This was a big deal for me, it was the first thing I used my bank card to buy online and my first signed merch! Upon arrival, I put it into my computer and fell in love all over again. Each song was great and Dan's haunting voice was as perfect as ever.

Favourite Song: Overjoyed (Listen HERE).
Download the album in the UK HERE


File:Justin Timberlake - The 2020 Experience.pngThe 20/20 Experience (Part 1 & 2) - Justin Timberlake
I was not a huge Justin Timberlake fan before this beauty was released, the only reason I bought it was as a gift for my mum's birthday. She started playing out loud when ironing and cleaning and I started rather liking it. After the release of Mirrors, I was completely hooked and could not stop myself from purchasing the second part which is just as good!

Favourite Song: Murder ft. Jay-Z  (Listen HERE).
Download the album in the UK HERE


File:Long-Way cover.jpgLong Way Down - Tom Odell
After taking the Critic's Choice award at the 2013 Brit Awards, I knew Tom Odell had to be amazing to fill the shoes of previous winners Ellie Goulding, Florence & the Machine and Adele. His debut album Long Way Down shows just why he won such a highly respected award, with his original voice and fantastic piano skills, this young man was always destined for attention.

Favourite Song: Another Love (Listen HERE).
Download the album in the UK HERE


File:Ifyouwaitlg.jpgIf You Wait - London Grammar
I do not actually own this album yet but I have listened to it in full and Christmas is coming up so I've dropped my fair share of hints. I discovered this band from their Live Lounge performance and could not get over how Hannah (the lead vocalist) reminded me of Florence Welch! They are not too well known yet so I feel that I must spread the secret of London Grammar.

Favourite Song: Strong (Listen HERE).
Download the album in the UK HERE



3 December 2013

The Rainbow Rowell Read-A-Thon!



Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted this weekend, I had a few personal issues so my blog took a back seat for a few days. I'm back though and I'd like to introduce you to something amazing...
For the past 2 weeks, I've been really excited waiting for this to month to arrive, not only because it's officially Christmas (yay), but also because we get to celebrate the work of one of my favourite authors, Rainbow Rowell! I first heard about this when I saw THIS post over on fellow book blog Fluttereal Flight so check that out!                                                                                                                     There will be three parts to the read-a-thon, each held on a different blog, but I will only be participating in two of there however. These will be Eleanor & Park on Fluttereal Flight and Fangirl on PaperGrey. These will be easiest for me because I already own a copy of each of these books so have read them previously and have lots to say and both are on top books of 2013 list!

Apparently, there shall be swag giveaways for people that participate in quizzes and discussions so be sure to check out their blogs throughout the month (don't forget Looking For The Panacea for Attachments as well HERE). One last thing too, there is a hashtag so be sure to tag #RRMonth in any of your tweets regarding the month!