Bloggers and Dragons: A Fun-Filled Blogger v. Blogger Game

The dynamic duo at Otaku Twins Reviews sometimes have good ideas. Especially if I help them.
Kidding, I love you both. 
But we both came up with the idea for Bloggers and Dragons. 
You're probably all confused now and thinking, 'Can Wren just hurry up?' The answer is no, I can't. Okay...maybe I can.

What in the world is this, Wren? 

Well, you're sounding crotchy today. It's a blogger v. blogger game of SURVIVAL. Kill or be killed, dude. 

Kidding.

I'm awful at jokes, aren't I?

This is a lovely game where you are put on a team of bloggers. You and your fellow teammates will create a squad of book characters to fit a certain environment. By environment, I mean setting. And to put it in D&D terms, it's a dungeon. Do the settings/environments/dungeons stay the same each week? NOPE. (Haha, sucker.) Every week will have a different dungeon.

And you won't get to keep any characters you've already used. So choose your characters wisely.

Still confused? 

Here is everything put simply.

You+other bloggers (a team) make a squad (of book characters) to fit a certain environment. 

Like D&D but you get to choose who's on your squad.

Each week will have a new dungeon.

And you can't reuse characters from a previous dungeon.

And...blogger versus blogger? Excuse me! EXPLAIN.

Hold your pitchforks. You're sounding like a Dalek. Take an emotions pill. Better?

Also...don't kill the messenger. Okay...I'm more of a Gamemaker than a messenger. Still, I'd rather keep my heart beating and my soul inside this bag of skin and bones. 

It's each team of bloggers for themselves. A fight to the death. (Okay. Not the death. Maybe...mild humiliation is it.) 

You'll be up against the rest of the teams of bloggers to see whose team fits the scenario the best. And how is the best chosen? Wait, and I'll tell you. You want the answer now? Check out the 'How  does a team win' question. 

How many people to a team? How many teams? Teams teams teams.

Goodness. You're a team player, aren't you? No? Well...this is awkward.

We don't know! It all depends on how many people sign up! So get all your friends to sign up. Forcibly. Okay, maybe just threaten one book.

How does a team win?

So there's a dungeon each week, right? All the dungeons require a new squad. And these squads will be up for vote by your bloggy peers.

Yes, it's a voting contest by the people. (By the people and for the people, am I right?)

The team with the most votes (aka people think their squad would survive best in the dungeon) wins! 

I wanna join! When is this?

We have no clue. No seriously. We're thinking sometime during the summer, but we want YOU to choose. (Aka we're too lazy to figure it out. I'm kidding.)

How can I sign up? 

We have the perfect link for you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19Ly6CNLODStYcoOVmpQ3_LRCntrXrmaEH1SFKN198OQ/viewform?chromeless=1&edit_requested=true

And if you want a more...energetic version of this, check out this link.

Tomato Talks: I'm okay with authors talking personally on Twitter, and I'm not okay with being okay

I'm perfectly fine with authors talking about controversial topics on their Twitters. I know Lauren DeStefano's opinions on the school shootings. I know Victoria Schwab's opinions on pro-life and pro-choice.
Do I think that authors deserve their voice? Yes, I do. If it was me, I'd be shouting my opinions on mental health and diversity and gay rights. That's just me. I know people are touchy about certain topics. I know that. Am I saying that authors should be silenced? No, I'm not.
This is what I'm saying.
I'm a writer for my school newspaper. The sponsor for the newspaper told us to be careful about what we say on social media. We can't show opinions on controversial topics. We can't be leaning to one side or the other. Even a RT or a like can ruffle someone's feathers. You need to be careful. You can't trip over someone's breaking point. You can't hurt someone's feelings and have them lash out at you. Or at your paper/company.
It's not worth the risk.

That's why I wince each time I see an opinion on a controversial topic. I'm all for freedom of speech. But saying the wrong thing could be bad for you. You could get hurt. Or worse.
It's not like you're a random face in a sea of many. You're an author. Someone people know. They know your face. Your story. Sometimes, even, your location. It's so worrying when authors shout their opinions. What if they get hurt? That's what I'm worried about.

I'm not saying to silence authors. I'm not saying to silence anybody.
I'm saying to be careful. Be so very careful.

What do you think about authors talking about controversial topics on Twitter? Tell me!

Don't Have an 'Identity Crisis': Blog Tour

Identity Crisis

Author: Melissa Schoor

Goodreads / Amazon

When curvaceous Annalise Bradley’s scandalous freshman year hookup sparks the anger of her female classmates, three of them decide to get her back by "catfishing" her, creating a fake online profile of the perfect boy to toy with her affections.

Against her better nature, introverted Noelle Spiers, goes along with her friends’ plan, hoping to distract Annalise from dreamy Cooper Franklin, her lifelong crush who has fallen for Annalise instead.

As Annalise discovers she is being played and seeks revenge, Noelle increasingly regrets her role in the cruel hoax and tries to salvage their relationship.

Told in alternative perspectives, IDENTITY CRISIS covers romance, betrayal, and timeless friendship in the age of modern technology.

BOOK LINKS:

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25877205-identity-crisis

Amazon paperback: http://amzn.to/1SdGGfq

Barnes & Noble (B&N):  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/identity-crisis-melissa-schorr/1121690253?ean=9781440590146

Bookdepository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Identity-Crisis-Meliss-Schorr/9781440590139

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/es-es/ebook/identity-crisis-32

City of Identity

Who are you? That's the slogan for this town. It's a town of mystery and fake love. The people in the town lie, but they have good reasons to. At least that's what they tell themselves. There are music festivals often, and people compete to get the singer's attention.

But underneath it all, there is revenge.

"I gobbled this book up. It was an interesting book. I couldn't put it down. I had to keep reading. Why? I'll tell you.

"The characters were fascinating. Especially the character development. Annalise had a troubled past. Thing is none of it was her fault. It's not like she could control her dad cheating or people assuming she was itching to jump into Amos's pants. Everything with her Freshmam Fling incident was a misunderstanding. Two things. One, she was only a freshman. That's insanely young for all of this to happen. Two. These things don't typically happen in teenage life. I haven't heard of these things before, but I'm not a typical teenager. And Noelle was so unassuming. You wouldn't think she'd do any of this. I honestly think she did care for Annalise. She started to stand up for herself, and I really liked that. People shouldn't let themselves be walked over. Her change was invigorating. It made me want to change. Just a little. But I'm a stickler for consistency.

"I loved the emphasis on friendship. Maeve's friendship with Annalise was subtle, but Maeve cared for Annalise and didn't want her (Annalise) hurt. It was sweet that Maeve cared so much for her friend. Their friendship reminded me of my best friend and I. They stuck together. On the opposite end of the spectrum was Eva's gang. Poor Noelle was roped into that mess. I despised, and still do, people like Eva. She wasn't a good friend. She dragged Noelle into catfishing Annalise. For what? Revenge? That's extremely rude no matter now you look at it. I would hate to be in a friendship like Noelle and Eva's. I'd be so submissive like Noelle, though. That's the sad thing. Maybe I would end up fighting. But things would be like they were for Noelle in the beginning.

"The ending was satisfying. The epilogue really tidied things up. I loved how Annalise and Noelle ended up. And Cooper. Him too. That little rascal got it good. I felt like there wasn't anything more. Nothing to add. Sure, the Brass Knuckles scandal was a tad annoying and a tad rushed, but I didn't particularly mind. The friendships built were great. I really liked it. And Noelle standing up for herself and publicly apologizing? Perfect. Not that it'd happen in real life, though.

"Plot wise, this book was a little lacking. It wasn't that the plot was slow or anything. It was a little rushed if you ask me. Things happened too fast. They met. They flirted. They discovered the truth. I wanted things to slow down. Life doesn't happen that fast. Relationships don't happen that fast. If things were slower, that would have been better."

IDENTITY CRISIS has part of a song’s lyrics in it. Come up with a SECOND VERSE for the rest of the song in order to enter the giveaway! (Song on the rafflecopter entry) Leave your answer in the rafflecopter and in the comments section!

SONG: “INNER BEAUTY”

(FIRST VERSE) 

You sparkle

You shine

Your cheekbones

Sublime

But a pretty face does not mean a pretty heart.

(CHORUS)

There’s just no inner beauty

Where is your inner beauty?

Without some inner beauty

You’re a perfect waste of time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melissa Schorr is the YA author of GOY CRAZY (Hyperion 2006) and IDENTITY CRISIS (forthcoming, Merit Press 2016), and a contributor to the YA anthology DEAR BULLY.

She is currently a contributing writer/editor to the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Her freelance work has appeared in numerous publications, including GQ, People, Self, San Francisco magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. 

Melissa currently lives in Boston with her husband, her daughters, and her dog, Bailey.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://www.melissaschorr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/321338.Melissa_Schorr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissaschorr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Melissa-Schorr-1420293581623246/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissarschorr/

Shine the light on truth with 'Illuminae'

Illuminae

Author: Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Goodreads / Amazon

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

City of The Truth

A city of science fiction. Of fighters with heart and sass. Of a hacker who knows her stuff. Of an AI who could kill them all. Of sweet romance and joking friends. And lovers separated.

"This book is so amazing, so perfect. I can't help but gush about this book. So I will.

"Kady was a great character. She was clever and sassy. She had determination and drive coursing through her veins. And all her conversations were rife with sass. I really liked reading her character. I like sassy characters who don't let anyone walk over them. And Kady was a perfect example of that.

"The romance was so sweet and lovely. These two cared for each other. Even if Kady originally broke up with Ezra. Their conversations were rapid-fire and hilarious. Their usage of text emojis was amazing. These two are relationship goals. You can truly tell they care for each other. Everything they said and did showed it. Their joking was sweet and amicable. I want a relationship like Ezra and Kady's. They're not just lovers; they're best friends too.

"The plot had me on the edge of my seat. The attack. The escape. The chase. And AIDAN. Wow. It was thrilling. I was yearning for all the time to read. You couldn't predict what would happen. AIDAN didn't. And he's a supercomputer AI. All the action sequences and the hacking made my heart sing.

"The way the pages looked was definitely different. It was a truly unique way of telling a story. Reports and chats and drawings. It wasn't just written word. It was art. How serious, I know. All the artwork was great. The artwork used words to form pictures. That's called concrete poems, if I recall correctly. They were beautiful and captivating. Made me want to try. Probably wouldn't make something distinguishable if I tried.

"I seriously can't think of any problems with this book. There aren't any questions left. I have no qualms about the romance. I even like the romance. All I want is the second book."

Things I Need To Do: Bloggiesta Jan 2016

I heard about the Bloggiesta. I have a lot of stuff to do for my blog, so I decided to try this! I need to really work on my blog. I'll be changing a lot

To Do:

-Work on graphics 

1. Specifically for Delicious Desserts

-Write new posts! 

1. Rogues Read Books Too: Introducing the last groups of characters
2. In Another World

-Write new discussions 

1. Try not to be circuitous 

-Update Goodreads
-Start on the change to Bookmato Chronicles

-Work on blog template-Find a new review format

Join us! 

Keep Calm and 'Carry On', Simon Snow

Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Goodreads / Amazon

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

City of Magical Peoples

A town with gay Harry Potters. (It's the truth. Don't deny it.) Of magic and Chosen Ones. Of handsome and sneering vampires and scatterbrained magicians with unimaginable amounts of power. A town with old families trying to overthrow the man on top who just wants a world for magics and mages.

"Okay. Simon was chill. I liked that. He was the worst Chosen One. But he was snarky and funny. He reminds me of Yuui from Owari no Seraph. Just a little. He was so perfectly imperfect. He wasn't this extremely handsome guy. He wasn't extremely smart. He wasn't great at magic. In fact, he was terrible at magic. It was great to have this main character who wasn't made in the image of perfection. It was something new.

"And Lucy's chapters. I just adored those. It was great to learn the past through her story. The Davy thing was so cool. It was interesting to see Davy in a different light. Lucy adored him. Maybe she was really in love with him. Her last chapter revealed so much. It was a little saddening as well. She was dead and just wanted to talk to her beloved son. Why wasn't she allowed to do that?

"The way they summoned magic was different, but I thought it was cool. If I was in this world, I'd be the worst Mage ever. I'm not very good at finding my words, so I'd be trying out a new spell and not find the right word and just say 'thing' instead and screw things up. I loved seeing all the phrases used to summon magic. Some old and some new. I'd just make up a whole new batch of spells from my unique phrasing and diction. (I say odd things. For example, I use pizzacake as a curse word. And I say "You're being summoned.") And they'd all be horrible and metaphorical. I'm so weird. And that's the gospel truth.

"I was conflicted on the plot. It was very anticlimactic, but it was interesting in the beginning and middle. The end was too rushed, though. Why wasn't there a cool battle scene? I'd like that. Mage versus Simon versus Humdrum. Or is it the other way around? I wasn't quite sure. Can you fight incorporeal beings? How do you fights ghosts anyways? Hope for the best? Ugh. That's just messing with my head. But the beginning was great. The murder mystery drew me in. Who killed Baz's mom? Why? And why was he kidnapped? I actually figured things out before the characters did, and when they realized the truth, I was thinking, 'Took you long enough.'

"I hated that I felt like I was missing something. There were other Humdrum attacks. Simon destroyed things. Baz tried to kill him. It's like reading Harry Potter from the last book to the first. (Which I sorta did. I read the last book after the first. I never actually finished the series, though. Haha. Don't hurt me.) It felt like that. So much had happened outside the book. I wanted to know what happened, but these things were barely touched upon. We really need a series about just Simon's younger years. What was he like as a little thing? Hm, I wonder...

"And the multiple PoVs was distracting. I couldn't focus on the plot itself. So much was happening. I was trying to rein in my thoughts, but then I'd get hit with some information from Baz or Penny, and I'd be sent back to square one. It was a mind trick to try and keep track of things. I sorta gave up in the end. I just read. Carry on, am I right?

"Overall, it wasn't a bad book. I didn't have high expectations or anything. My expectations were met. But I wasn't completely in love. I know people will cry diversity, but the romance was lacking. I won't touch upon that, though. I always complain about that anyways. So not the best but not the worst. A Penny sort of book. Haha."