I believe that the Button Problems have been fixed

Okay, after we fought with some of the button issues, I think we have finally fixed it, Hoepfully those disappearing images and codes have fixed now... if you continue having problems with the codes please let us know.. here it is updated, thanks for your patience all!

<a href=”http://starshadowblog.com” target=”_blank”><img src="http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab184/ReaganStar/0e3d7125.jpg" /></a>

Welcome Wednesday

1.Tell us a bit about yourself

Im Aly your average book addict, you know the routine, sleep eat, read, wake up, eat,then read that kind of thing, where in stead of boys its books on your mind hahahaa, i pretty much breathe books. Ive been through the whole stage where i cant bring myself to read, i think every reader has that at one point, im just glad the feeling has long gone because truly it sucks. In my spare time, besides reading, friends are a big part of my life keeping in touch just having fun i feel is really important that doesn't mean you have to go wild just relax catch up simple as that. I love my romances and soppy stuff weather its a book or movie i feed of that stuff, Heck i adored Titanic that is full on sappiness which means its my kind of thing. Ok im sure Ive babbled enough! Hehehee :D

2. Tell us a bit about your blog

I have A Dream is very new perhaps a few weeks old, but the support was instant which is just amazing, i already have dedicated viewers which normally takes months to get to that stage, i guess im lucky because i had dedicated bloggers from my other blog Fantasy4eva. I also don't like to limit myself to genres i may prefer certain genres to others but i am open to read and review pretty much anything. This blog is based more for the younger teens however at times you might find a YA book or a adult book in there, i think my blog is having a identity crisis right now, It will come around hahahaa.

3. What made you decide to start blogging?

I new nothing about blogging firstly, it was when a mate of mine mentioned it that it caught my eye as she told me more, i got more curious it was only a matter of time before i took a look for myself,and completely fell in love with the whole concept. I love expressing myself, and i never thought i could do that with others especially when it came to books, so blogging was like a whole other world out there. Blogging is probably the best thing that has happened to me, my blog is like my baby i literally have to check on it everyday :)

4. 
   
   
   Tell us some of your favorites
   
   Color
   Purple & Pink
   
   Scent
   Lavender
   
   Ice Cream
   Vanilla
   
   Season
   Spring
   
   Pen or Pencil?
   pen

5. 
   
   
   What book (s) are you currently reading?
   
   Memoirs Of A Geisha, My soul to Take and Kevin my Military man
   
   6. If you life was a movie, who would play the roll of you?
   
   oh wow i actually have no idea, my life is pretty boring so think of someone lame :)
   
   7. Favorite Authors
   
   Cassandra Clare
   
   8. Books that have inspired you the most
   
   Thirteen reasons why, Unwind, & Before I Die

9. What advice would you give other bloggers
To be patient , one of the hardest things when your starting out is coming to terms with what kind of blogger you are and finding your niche, what your zone is, it took me a months to recognize mine, the other thing is with some new bloggers not having many comments and followers it can be confusing and leave you unsure at first i know that, just branch out connect with other bloggers, that's the best advice i can give, branch out and put yourself out there, that does not mean leave your blog link out there or say follow me because i follow you, that is the worst thing you can say and it will put the blogger of, just be you and be patient the results will eventually start to show.

10. Anything else you would like to add in?
Just thank you i really enjoyed this, if there's any bloggers out there that need help, feel free to contact me, i was a newbie not so long ago so i know how hard it can get i would love to support you in any way possible.
Be Sure to go Check out Aly's Site at I Have A Dream Here

Triple Tuesday

So Last week our winner was.....Somebodys Crying..

This week our choices are.....

Which cover of the week do you pick?? » ProProfs Polls
Tags : book covers authors artwork

Please feel free to start a convo with opinions, what cover do you think should win? Do you think should go up next week?
I look forward to the chats!!!

New Additions

So a few more things.... New Rating system thanks to Tori the Book Faery and The new Favicon thanks to Miss Shy who helped me on Twitter this morning @ The Biblophiles Journal

Thanks for the help girls!

New Button (revised)

Here is the new and updated button going to the correct place and the correct image so sorry about that guys... we had a power outage and couldn't correct it until now. 

<a href=”http://starshadowblog.com” target=”_blank”><img src="http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab184/ReaganStar/e79ed2d9.jpg”" /></a>

Review- The Phantom Diaries

The Phantom Diaries
by Kailin Gow

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: the EDGE; 1st edition (May 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597489123
• ISBN-13: 978-1597489126

Product Description

What happens to the Phantom after the tragedy at the Paris Opera House is the basis for this fantastic tale of The Phantom Diaries, loosely based on Gaston Leroux's classic, The Phantom of the Opera, but with a new tale and a modern twist. This new series for older teens and young adults is told through the eyes of 18 year-old Annette Binoche, who lands a job at the New York Metropolitan Opera House as a seamstress' assistant only to become the lead singer of the Opera House, with the help of the mysterious, yet highly-seductive Phantom.


 My Review


I was quite intrigued when I first saw this book, I must say I was unsure whether I would despise it or fall head over heels for it...I am assuring you, that you need to give this book a chance, as it is more packed full of drama, seduction, romance then you can imagine. I believe you will all be pleasantly surprised at Kailins' writing style and the easy flow of her wording. Highly addictive and easy read and one you wont soon forget or want to.

Welcome Wednesday

1. Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Sabrina and I’m a twenty-something girl from a small (very small) town in Germany. I’m a student and living at home with my parents, my lil sis and Fabio, Simba, Otiz and Merlin who are our adorable cats. Most of my free time is spent with reading. I’m a pretty relaxed, happy and honest person.

2. Tell us a bit about your blog

On my blog „about happy books“ I publish reviews of my favourite books and also do promo for books I’m excited for. I concentrate on the books I truly enjoy so all of my reviews are positive.

My favourite genres are romance (contemporary, historical, paranormal), young adult, chick-lit and erotica. The books I blog about have all a HEA and make me happy.

I’m a huge Nora Roberts fan so I always have some info on her upcoming books on my blog, however I also enjoy a lot of other authors and love to blog about them.

3. What made you decide to start blogging?

I love to read and thought it would be nice to share my favourite books with others. Writing for my blog is also a nice way to work on my English skills and to meet great book lovers from all over the world.

4. Tell us some of your favorites

     Color: light pink and light green

     Scent: Chanel No 5 (even though it’s really expensive)

     Ice Cream: yogurt

     Flavor: coconut

     Season: summer

     Pen or Pencil? Pencil

5. What book (s) are you currently reading?

I’m reading „The Search“ by Nora Roberts (rereading it actually), „Shut up and kiss me“ by Christie Craig and „Swoon at your own risk“ by Sydney Salter. After I finished these I plan to read „Ancient whispers“ by Marie-Claude Borque and „Beyond the Mist“ by Karen Marie Moning.

6. If you life was a movie, who would play the roll of you?

That’s a really hard decision. My sister thinks that a mix of Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones (because I’m a bit clumsy and dopey) and someone young like Emma Watson would fit. People always think that I’m about 17 although I’m definitely not.

7. Favorite Authors

Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, Linda Howard, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Maya Banks, Shayla Black, Lauren Dane, Rachel Gibson, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Kate Angell and Kerry Reichs to name only a few. There are so many awesome authors that I enjoy to read so the list could go on and on.

8. Books that have inspired you the most

Mmh, „Good Luck Girl“/“Leaving unknown“ by Kerry Reichs, „The Host“ by Stephenie Meyer and „Angels Fall“ by Nora Roberts definitely made a big impression on me.

9. What advice would you give other bloggers

Never forget that reading and blogging should be fun. IMO it’s also important to find your own style of blogging and to stay true to your ideas. And never forget to respect other bloggers and also authors.

10. Anything else you would like to add in?

Thanks for having me at your wonderful blog!

Triple Tuesday

I am so glad to see more and more voting happening, I love this and so glad you do as well.. Last week our winner BY A LANDSLIDE was... 

This week we have

Books week 4 » make online polls
Tags : books covers

New Blog Design

So with the Help with Melissa over at Silvers Design I have gotten a new blog Design incorporating both Matt and I into a blog design featuring both Fantasy and some Steam punk like features. Hope you all enjoy and would love to hear feedback on what you all think. 

ML Hamilton Interview & Review

T

This week I have the pleasure of introducing ML Hamilton the writer of Emerald, which Matt has recently finished reading, which you can read the review of below, as well as an interview with M.L. Hamilton. 

Book Description:

  In one terrible instant, Kai is thrown from his comfortable life and plunged into a conflict that began before he was born. Worse yet, he learns that the one man who can help him is his enemy.               Kiameron is the crown prince of DiNolfol.  He is torn between two destinies -- taking the crown upon his father's death or answering the call of his non-Human-like traits, traits associated with the mysterious Stravad.
               The decision is made with the destruction of everything he holds dear. Armed with his strange powers and a mysterious talisman he doesn't know how to use, Kai decides to attack Gava, the despot who destroyed his life.
               Crippled by self-doubt and fear, he falters in his quest, until he meets a man who forces him to take action. However, his new ally is hiding secrets, secrets that will rob Kai of everything he held sacred.

Review: 

This Book can be summed up in one word, epic! The scope, the size of Emerald is empressive, but not overbearing. M. L. Hamilton does an excellent job packing a lot of information and descriptions into a minimal amount of words, without losing anything. 

Emerald is one book that doesn't follow the often over used fantasy stereotype, which is a good thing, and leads to a very good read. If there is one thing I have to criticize it's the beginning. The very thing that makes this a great book also makes it a little hard to understand what's going on in the first chapter or two. 

Conclusion: This is a book highly recommended for anyone into fantasy. I suspect that you, and I, will find many details that were missed in the first reading.

1. How did you come up with the ideas for Emerald?

Honestly, I started writing Emerald in high school. I know I'm showing my age, but I was a Styx fan at the time and the album Kilroy Was Here had just come out. I was intrigued with the whole Mr. Roboto idea and mind control. Thus the plot of Emerald was born, although it went through many incarnations over the years.

2. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Very young. I won a writing contest when I was in elementary school. I grew up just outside of San Francisco in a beautiful coastal town. They were developing all of the hills around us, so I wrote a story about land development. After that I started writing as a means of escape.

3. Which authors have inspired you?

Oh, so many. I've always liked the classics -- Shakespeare, Hemingway and especially Steinbeck, but I also grew up on Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey. As an adult, I discovered Tad Williams and Terry Brooks. I especially like writers who can make a character come alive. Incidentally, the main character, Kai, in Emerald is modeled after Shakespeare's Hamlet, the ultimate reluctant hero.

4. What should we expect from you next?

I am currently working on editing the second book in the World of Samar series, The Norrad. I've posted a preview of it on my website. I'm also writing the seventh book. I usually alternate between editing and writing.

5. What are you currently reading?

Terry Brooks. I'm on the second book in his Genesis of Shannara series: The Elves of Cintra. I'm also in a book club with my mother and two aunts. The book club allows me to read books out of my usual genre -- something I think is important for an author. Two of my favorite recent reads were The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

6. Do you use any motivational tools when your write, I.e. Music, quotes, photos

Music distracts me. I get so caught up in the sounds that I forget what I'm doing. I do like to use quotes. All of my books start with a significant quote. I guess my motivation is the characters themselves. They live in my head, demanding I tell their story. As I said before, writing is as much an escape for me as reading is. I love to go on an adventure and see how the characters respond to it. Sometimes I'm even surprised by what they do.

7. What have you found to be the hardest part of getting published?

It's hard to get a publisher to take a chance on a new writer and of course, the rejection stings, especially at first. I feel very fortunate to have found a publisher like Wild Wolf who is willing to take a risk. However, hands down, the hardest thing for any writer to do is sell herself. I don't think writers are natural sales people. By and large, I think we tend to be introverted, otherwise, we'd probably be actors. Marketing for many authors is an ill-fitting hat, but today's competitive market demands it.

8. Favorites:

Color: Red -- red for cars, red for paint, red for clothes. I love its vibrancy.
Pen or Pencil -- Neither. Laptop. I hate the labor involved in writing by hand.
Ice Cream Flavor -- Chocolate. Need I say more?
Coffee or Tea -- Iced mocha coffee for summer; mint tea for winter.
Book Genre -- Any...well, except real life murder mysteries. I have a weak stomach for reality. My favorite is fantasy.


9. What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

I know it's cliche, but it needs to be said -- Don't give up. Keep writing, keep editing, keep getting rejected. Most importantly, read. Read a lot and don't limit yourself to the genre in which you write. Read outside of your genre. Finally, find a writer's group to join. The feedback of other writers is essential. It's hard to take criticism at first, but you get tougher and I guarantee you'll be a better writer for it.

10. Anything else you would like to add?

Just thank you for the opportunity to share.

Blogmania Sponsor #3

Mandy over at Waste Not Recycled Art has generously offered to create a custom photo family block set for our Blogmania September winner, arent these just adorable sets, I know they would look adorable added just about anywhere in a household including on our bookshelves. To see more of her amazing works check out her lovely Etsy shop here.

Follow My Book Blog Friday

So I saw this over at Parajunkee's today and decided to try it out! You can check out her original post here






To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
3. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
4. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
5. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
6. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!


Happy Follow Friday!

Blogmania Sponsor #2

Our second sponsor for Blogmania who has the most adorable etsy shop featuring many cunning products as I will show below.

  

Be sure to check out her etsy shop direct link here

Triple Tuesday

Last week our winner was...

This week we have the choices of ...

Books Week 3 » make web polls
Tags : books covers

CSN Stores Review

So I have had the privilege to do a review of the wonderful CSN stores available online.. there are over 200 stores to look at and OHHH my so many wonderful choices, with beds to household items, to baby items.. and our main love... Bookshelves

Check out some of these wonderful beds

But Bookshelves, is exactly where we rushed to.. now in all fairness and regardless of how hard it was... we decided to get the kids there own new bookshelf so that they can stop crowding ours... but regardless it will be a welcome addition and helpful. 

KidKraft 38" H Puzzle Bookcase

Isn't is just adorable... I mean its perfectly sized for the kids and the wonderful puzzle shape just adds to the multicolored masterpeice.
Once it has arrived I will definitely let you know about construction and quality although from what I heard I doubt there will be a problem.

Thank you to the wonderful people at CSN Stores for contacting me to do this review.  Check out there main site

Triple Tuesday

So last weeks winner was...

This week we have some cute books

Books week 2 » make online polls
Tags : books covers

Author Spotlight- Destiny Booze

This week I have the pleasure to introduce the lovely Destiny Booze to Star Shadow, she so nicely offered a copy of one of her novels to me a few weeks ago for following her on twitter, and I just had to offer her a interview in return, so with pleasure...

Destiny Booze

1. 
   
   
   What was the first book you wrote published or unpublished?

My very first book was No Traces to Hell. The story takes place at a disciplinary school in a very suburban area in the middle of a blizzard. A group of gifted and troubled teenagers are forced into the forest when their school is taken hostage by survivalists.

Unfortunately, my first book was never published. I wrote it when I was in high school and the writing wasn’t strong enough for publication. With that said, I still like the plot. Perhaps I’ll rewrite it one of these days.

2. When did you decide you wanted to write?

Great question! I began writing as soon as I was old enough to do so. Writing stories was a fun escape for me, especially during the teenage years.

During my freshman year in high school, my history teacher wrote me a note about a report I’d written. It stated, “You write so well. Keep it up.” Later, he expanded that note to say that I had a talent for writing about anything and making it sound interesting. I remember being shocked. He was the first person to ever suggest that I had talent.

As soon as the idea was planted, I just knew I had to go with it. I loved writing. What if I really was good at it? I had to find out.

3. How did you come up with the ideas for your books?

I get ideas from everywhere. I really do. My imagination is always wild and rampant and it can drive me crazy if I let it.

My latest work in progress is Accelerating Circumstances, book three of my Outer Banks Suspense Series. Where did the idea come from? Well... The hero and heroine came from sideline characters from Altered Beginnings (Book 1) and Predetermined Endings (Book 2) that grew into much stronger and more complex characters than I originally planned.

The plot…well…that came from my head…somewhere. The series is based on common characters. Each book has its own separate plot. The idea for Accelerating Circumstances came straight from a brainstorming session where my imagination just took over. Should I be scared that some of these thoughts exist within my head? Hmmm….I’ll have to think on that.

4. Do you use inspiration items, photos, quotes, music when you write?

No. Sometimes I use props such as pictures of people that look like my characters or maps and pics of the setting. But, I really don’t use anything as inspiration for my muse.

5. Have you based any of your characters off of real personalities of those in your life?

No. My writing is always about entertainment and fantasy. Reality is much too boring for me…lol.

6. Favorites:
   Ice Cream: Cookies and Cream
   Flavor: Caramel
   Color: Plum
   Pen or Pencil: Mechanical Pencil

7. What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen. So far, it’s amazing. I can’t wait to find out what happens.

8. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Tami Hoag, Dean Koontz, Allison Brennan, Janet Evanovich

9. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Never give up. Learn as much as you can about the business. Network with everyone. People are great resources. Persistence really does pay off. Let criticism fuel you. Get better, not bitter.

www.destinybooze.com
http://www.myspace.com/novelistdestinyrae
http://www.goodreads.com/profile/destinybooze
http://www.shelfari.com/destinybooze
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Destiny-Booze/152893818389
https://twitter.com/destinybooze