Cover Reveal of Breaking Waves by Danielle Sibarium

Every so often you read a book and fall deeply in love with the characters especially, the love interest. Heart Waves is that book for me. Ever since I read this book I can't stop thinking about Reece or Tyler. I can't wait to read the sequel to find out what's going to happen between Jenna and Reece, or how Tyler is going to play a part in their relationship. The wait is almost over. (YAY!) Jen and I are excited to bring you the new cover for Breaking Waves due out January 10, 2013.

From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler. Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart? 

Visit Danielle at www.daniellesibarium.com

For fun Heart Wave teaser please visit the Heart Wave FaceBook page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/heartwavesbook

Find Heart Waves at Amazon by clicking here and for the Nook by clicking here

Danielle Sibarium

For Always – Now available *Amazon *Nook

www.daniellesibarium.com

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~Maria

Movie Review: Red Dawn

Cast:

Chris Hemsworth: Jed Eckert

Josh Peck: Matt Eckert

Josh Hutcherson: Robert Kitner

Adrianne Palicki: Toni Walsh

Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins

Rating: PG-13

Plot: A town in Washington state gets invaded by North Korea. A group of teenagers band together to save their town and maybe even America from this invasion.

In My Opinion: Being a huge fan of the original I was excited to see the remake. I'm not going to compare this movie with the original one, it wouldn't be fair. This movie did not take long for the action to start, which I found to be a mistake. It didn't give me enough time to connect with the characters. All I knew to this point was the older brother Jed was back from Iraq and was having issues with his younger brother Matt, who just lost the big football game. I also learned their mother is dead and their father is a cop. Oh yeah and, Matt has a beautiful girlfriend and Toni digs Chris. I was excited to see Adrianne Palicki, who plays Toni. All of the Friday Night Lights fans knows her as Tyra Collette. Anyway, not really making a connection with the characters made it hard to feel sad when one of them gets killed. It was like, "Oh they killed so and so, who cares." Now the action in this film was amazing and entertaining. I found myself cheering for the Wolverines (AKA: the good guys). And once I did connect to the characters I began to really care for them and hoped they didn't get killed. I do have one huge complain about the filming, the camera moved around so much I began to feel sick. I hate when films do that. This movie is filled with lots cliche lines, in fact there was a moment I thought Jed (the older brother) was going to say "Yippee-kai-yay mother...." you all know the rest. Anyhow, this movie was entertaining enough to get your mind off the real world for a while.

It's Rating Time

The Story: 4 out of 5 stars: Yes it was done before many years ago, but it's still a good story line if you are willing to suspend your disbelief.

The Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars: Some of the actors in the smaller roles were a little bit annoying, but the rest of them were pretty good, including Josh Peck from The Drake and Josh show.

The Action: 4.5 out of 5 stars: Who doesn't like things blowing up? 

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Go see this movie and then after rent the original. They are both good films with great eye candy.

~Maria

Movie Review: Breaking Dawn 2

Cast:

Bella Cullen: Kristen Stewart

Edward Cullen: Robert Pattinson

Jacob Black: Taylor Lautner

Runtime: 1 hr 55 min

Rating: PG-13

Plot: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.

In My Opinion: WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! So...I know there are a gazillion Twilight haters out there. If you’re one of those people, then I would suggest you completely avoid this article. Personally, I’m (not even a closeted) fan of the series. I remember when the movie trailer for the first one came out, I decided it was a book I wanted to check out. As a result, I really got swept up into the world of Bella and Edward. Before you go hating on me, I would like to say that I refused to read 50 Shades of Grey, so I think it’s fair that I enjoy this one guilty pleasure. No matter how hard I try to deny it, I’m a total sucker for a romantic story. 

While it can be argued from many different angles that the story is dumb and the books are not well written (Stephen King has certainly voiced his dislike for Stephenie Meyer’s skills), I think anyone who can make millions of dollars writing about sparkly vampires deserves some respect, and could teach the rest of us a thing or two.

The first movie was a disappointment for me. Robert Pattinson was nothing like the Edward I had pictured and his acting seemed stiff. And Kristen Stewart...ugh. I am not a fan of KStew as a person in general - her awkward and rebellious behaviors make her come off as being ungrateful for her billion dollar salary. I can understand the lack of privacy thing, but aren’t you selling a piece of your soul when you sign up to be famous? Regardless, she eventually grew on me to the point that I couldn’t see anyone else cast as our favorite clumsy-girl turned kick-ass-vampire. Taylor Lautner did well as Jacob. His acting was also a bit cardboard in the beginning, but by the end he certainly had grown into a solid actor. And by solid I mean did you see those abs?

All of this nonsense being said, I was one of those fans who was totally satisfied with the final installment to the five-part saga. Everything was pretty well laid out just as it had been in the book and we were even able to skip through some of the slower moving parts. Edward and Bella’s cottage was every bit as cute as I pictured it, and the scene of them getting it on for the first time as vampires was enough to call for a cold shower. As for Renesmee, I heard ahead of time that they superimposed Mackenzie Foy’s face on the babies and toddlers. Because of this, I think I paid too much attention to how it was done and I can’t decide if it amazed me or just really freaked me out. The on-screen transformation of Renesmee was brilliant, starting from the moment the infant touched her mother’s face and ending with her appearing to be a miniature creation of Robsten.

There were many LOL moments, my favorite being Jacob stripping for Charlie. Other memorable scenes included Bella first hugging Edward, Bella freaking out on Jacob when she first learned of the imprinting, the Cullens explaining to Bella how to act human, Charlie asking Bella if she was going to turn into a dog, Edward being subject to Tanya’s abilities and Jacob asking Edward if he should call him “dad” now.

There weren’t many scenes I didn’t care for, but I think they could have done without Bella discovering the nearby human when hunting (jumping from the cliff was a bit of an overkill) and the Voltouri torturing the vampire who was thought to be an ally of Carlisle’s. Overall, I think they did a great job casting the vampire friends that came from far to testify. Many of those characters were likable from the minute they stepped on screen. I would even be interested in seeing more of these characters one day, especially Garett and Tanya. There was more sexiness radiating from those two actors than Edward and Bella ever could project.

Stephenie Meyer received a lot of heat for the final scene in Breaking Dawn. All those vampires, waiting to fight, and they just talked it out and walked away. But the way the movie decided to tease us with Alice’s vision was brilliant. Like many other fans, I grabbed my (poor) friend’s arm and yelled, “That’s not what happened in the book!” To see Carlisle’s head removed and hear Esme’s scream was just bone-chilling. Sadly, some of Bella’s bravest moments (including jumping on Aro’s shoulders like a monkey and being whipped into the air by Edward), were all part of the “what if” scenario. Still, it gave us a satisfying climatic ending that everyone will be talking about for some time.

IT'S RATING TIME

The Story: 4 out of 5 stars: Although it has it's silly moments, overall it's touching story.

The Acting: 4 out of 5 stars: These guys have improved over the years and the new cast made a great addition to the story.

The Love Interest: 5 out of 5 stars: It's Bella and Edward fighting for their little girl.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom line: So many reviews on the internet are just terrible, and I don't get it. My theory is those are already haters of the series and will not be satisfied no matter how good the ending. If you're a fan of the series, you must see this ending to the epic saga. You won't be disappointed.

~Jen

Walking Dead - A Little of the Expected and a Little Relief

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!

FINALLY! I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one to sigh in major relief when Daryl finally discovered Carol holed up in some random room. Obviously, the writers of the show did a great job getting the hype going by completely avoiding the issue of where Carol was or what happened to her, but REALLY? If we didn't get answers in the last episode, I was totally ready to quit watching (okay I'm a big liar). The moment was first a little awkward when Daryl didn't smile, only seemed to check to make sure she was actually alive, but then scooped her into his arms and we swooned all over again. I know a ton of people are totally against the two of them hooking up, especially when they look like they could be long-lost twins, but I think they would be good for each other and would love to see it. Since Daryl isn't a character in the original comics, his future is totally up in the air!

via Tumblr

We saw a great chase take place between Michonne and Merle that ended in one of the nastiest zombie kills of all time when Michonne took a bath in intestines. Then we see Merle show his true colors and shoot a kid who did nothing more than piss him off. And the "thing" with Andrea and The Governor of Crazy Town? Totally expected. We all know Andrea has a thing for wackos. I'm just waiting to see how she reacts when she finds her zombie step-daughter locked in the closet.

And Glenn! What were you thinking by giving Merle a chance? Did you not remember your gang handcuffed him to a pipe and locked him on a roof? Everyone knows you shoot the redneck and ask questions later. Bad call. From the looks of next week's previews, things for Glenn and Maggie don't look good. At all. It's going to be heartbreaking. My hope is that Daryl shows up to go all Boondock Saints on his brother's ass.

Also as expected, we realized just how much the Rickster is losing his shit. I was so confused by the random "phone calls" he kept getting, even though I heard it was going to be Lori calling him. Next thing we know, he randomly showed up all clean and decided to finally hold his baby. In all honesty, I've grown fond of the Sheriff and seeing him go completely crazy makes me sad. Hopefully he can pull himself together for the two already majorly messed up kids counting on him (although Daryl is proving himself to be an amazing parental figure in just two episodes, so I'm sure he could step in at a moment's notice).

I hear there are still big things coming this season, including more shocking deaths. I just hope it doesn't involve Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, Daryl or Carol. They're the only ones I actually give a damn about in this apocalypse anymore.

~Jen

Total Fangirl/Nerd Moment

Okay, peeps, I'm hoping that some of you will actually appreciate this little post. If you're a fan of The Boondock Saints or The Walking Dead, I know you will. There was even an episode of Charmed that fans of the show probably remember.

You've probably realized by now I have an obsession (albeit a possibly unhealthy one) with Walking Dead. I even changed my ringtone to the opening theme song. You also need to remember I live in a very small community, virtually in the middle of nowhere. I have only seen a handful of celebrities from a very far off distance, like at concerts and the like. But never had any kind of actual connection with anyone I am a giant fan of. Emma Stone has never high-fived me, Woody Harrelson has never given me a special wink and Dave Grohl has never swept me into his arms and told me we were meant to be together. Sometimes, I really don't feel the love.

Norman Reedus - the man, the one who exploded a couple million ovaries this last week when he held Lori's baby on Walking Dead and who plays a redneck that rides around sleeveless on a motorcycle - followed me on Twitter. I know, I know, he follows thousands of people, but still. What is it about the man that has so many fan girls (i.e. Dixon Vixens) freaking out (including myself)? His sexy voice? His smoldering eyes? The shit-eating grin?

Norman is definitely on my top 10 of people I hope to one day meet. I had to take a screen shot, just in case he realizes I'm boring and have nothing interesting to say:

Okay, I'll discontinue the incessant ranting now and let you return to your normal lives. But I just had to share what probably has been the most exciting moment in my life (maybe after my wedding, and giving birth to my children, yada yada).

I'm off to re-watch The Boondock Saints. It's been too long, and I'm suddenly in the mood.

Carry on.

~Jen

Walking Dead Welcomes the Little Ass-Kicker

As always, there are spoilers contained in this review. 

Please look away if you're not up to date on your episodes!

This week's Walking Dead certainly felt like a season premiere after last week's mind-blowing episode. The biggest shocker was within the first few minutes of the show when the mayor of crazy town brushed his zombie daughter's hair, then accidentally took a chunk out of her skull and bagged her up when she got mad. There's a joke in there about a parent getting to do something like that when their child is misbehaving, but I'm a mother and I'm pretty sure child services already has their eye on me for some of my crazy tweets, so I'll leave it alone...

Showing Maggie and Daryl's trip for formula was pretty pointless. The only danger they faced was a possum that made Daryl all excited for dinner. As a mother, I know that formula they found better have been sealed as that crap is nearly a year old, and you're supposed to throw it after a couple of months. But, as some people pointed out on Twitter, they had months to find formula! Why wait until the last minute? There's the argument that Lori was expected to live, although not all babies nurse the way they're supposed to, so they should have known to have a backup plan. No one in this group seems to have their priorities in check. Yet another instance of Lori failing miserably as a mother - even after her death.

Then there was the whole baby-naming scene in which Carl named off every female friend they've lost. I kind of got a little misty eyed. I just hope the name Lori doesn't stick, because we don't want to see the little ass-kicker growing up to follow in her mother's ill-placed footsteps!

Now let's pause, and take a minute now to admire Daryl holding that baby. Damn. If I were Beth, I'd volunteer to have as many of that man's babies as he wants. Someone has to start repopulating the world other than the Grimes, because we know what a little turd Carl can be.

Okay, back to my mindless ramblings. I've said before that I don't read the comics, but it didn't take a genius to predict that Rick was going to lose it. But seriously, I didn't catch on that he was stabbing the stomach of the walker who consumed Lori until watching Talking Dead later on. Those writers have some seriously warped minds. And the phone ringing? Obviously there is no one left in this apocalyptic world with a working phone, so we know it's the Rickster totally losing his shit. I turned to my husband and said he better lose it like that if something ever happens to me.

Speaking of crazy town, it was sad to see Andrea and Michonne part ways, but we all know Andrea likes her men insane in the membrane (i.e. Shane), and that town just seems to be crawling with them. She acted all disgusted by the zombie fight club, but in the previews for new week they showed her making out with the Gov, so we all know it secretly turned her on. It was really no surprise there.

Michonne is easily my favorite character on the show now and I loved the scene of her taking care of the locked up zombies. You do not want to mess with that woman. I would have followed her bad ass out of there in a heartbeat. Especially after finding the Gov's book of crazy notes. That guy just has all kinds of crazy in him, waiting to bust out.

My least favorite part about the episode? WE STILL HAVE NO FREAKING CLUE WHAT HAPPENED TO CAROL! They don't mention finding her body. They don't try go go searching for her. Even the producer on Talking Dead avoided the question by talking about how many graves were dug. Maybe Rick hears Carol on the phone, telling them she caught a flight out of there to Cabo, and she's drinking margaritas on the beach. Seriously, if we don't find out next week I'm going to stop watching (who am I kidding).

So was this a ho-hum episode. Still, there were some aspects to it that I really liked. And I think it's just a gateway for all the insanity that is to come. Bring it, Walking Dead! We're ready!

~Jen

All Torn Up Over The Walking Dead

This post has same MAJOR SPOILERS, so if you didn't watch this Sunday's Walking Dead, get off this website before it's too late!

Ugh. I didn't know I would get so torn up over this show. I think it's no secret I didn't care for Lori and her jezebel ways bad decision, but that was just...brutal. At first I wasn't really that upset about Lori asking to be cut open, because I kept thinking Hershel would show up and save the day or something. I did not expect her to really die. As the mother of a 10-year-old boy, the scene with her and Carl saying goodbye really got to me. Like I could almost need therapy got to me. I was freaking out. By the time they showed Rick's reaction, I was sobbing. I am still pretty busted up over it.

There is talk on the web today of why they didn't show Carl shooting his mother. One theory is that it was too brutal to see a son shooting his mother - just like they did in the first season with Rick shooting that little girl. The conspiracy theory is that maybe Carl didn't really kill her. Would they really keep Lori as a pet like Hershel did with all those people in his creepy barn? I doubt that's where they're going with this story. My theory is that Rick will completely lose it, and Carl will become an emotionless ball of fun. Hilarity ensues.

Let's take a moment to talk about Lori's bad decision to sacrifice herself for this unknown baby, shall we?

1) We didn't know if it would come out, well, normal. We know they're all infected. What if the baby had already died and was trying to eat its way out of her?

2) They're in a post-apocolypic world. Where in the hell are they going to find formula and diapers? I mean I've heard you can make diapers out of cloth, but who is going to take the time to change and clean them all the time? Rick?

3) Carl obviously is messed up. Rick is losing his mind. Was taking herself out of the picture going to do her son any good?

4) The baby is going to cry. Loudly. How well will that go when they're trying to hide from zombies?

5) Running around with a newborn in drastic times is just wrong. And a pain in the butt.

6) Speaking of Rick losing his mind, what if the baby totally grows up to look like an exact replica of Shane?

I think all these reasons point to Lori making one last, really terrible decision. We shouldn't have expected any different.

RIP Lori (via AMC)

As for the rest of the show, what happened to Carol? They better not have killed her off, too. It would be too much in one episode - especially after T-Dog gave his life for her (RIP to a great character). Everyone is yelling at Andrea for acting like such a floosy, but let's be real - women have needs, too. Yeah she's flirting with a crazy man, but I think everyone in this situation is beginning to go a bit mad. In all reality, I would probably be walking circles in the corner and mumbling to myself at this point in time.

I want to add that I'm glad I stopped reading the comics when I got to the prison scene. Everyone who has read them told me they knew this was coming, and this season is just going to get even crazier. Although I am broken up over last night episode, I'm also glad I was blindsided and didn't see it coming.

I guess we're all going to have to suck it up, and realize that it's now a fact on this amazing show - no one is safe.

~Jen

What the Heck is a NaNoWriMo?

So Maria and I have both been very busy!

In addition to Maria working on her follow up book to Hold on Tight, she has been battling with the mess that is "Sandy" and all her aftermath. Fortunately, she is okay, despite having to deal with a few days of no power. If you haven't already, be sure to check out her beautiful new cover reveal.

I have been getting ready to release my third book Shymers, which was released today! You can find it on Amazon, Smashwords and my website. It should also appear on iBooks and Barnes and Noble in the very near future. Don't forget to enter to win a free paperback copy on Goodreads and through Author Deanna Lynn Sletten's blog!

In addition to everything, Maria and I both signed up to participate in the 2012 NaNoWriMo. If you're not a writer, I'm guessing you're not familiar with this term and you may be wondering what the heck it even is. National Novel Writing Month is a contest that takes place every November in which authors are challenged to write 50,000 words in the span of one month. You don't have to be a published author to participate - you don't even have to be a committed writer.

The whole point is to force yourself to finish that story you've always wanted to tell, but haven't had the time for. Last year, my first novel What I've Done was created during NaNoWriMo. I have wanted to write a book for as long as I can remember, but always had excuses that were holding me back. When November was over, I kept writing and added another 35,000 words, then re-wrote the story, and re-wrote again. Completing NaNoWriMo doesn't mean you'll finish with a book that's all ready to go, but means you'll have a great start to something big.

There isn't any official prize (although there is a great store online where you can buy yourself something), and it doesn't cost anything to enter (although they need donations to keep running). But it's a great way to give yourself that boost you needed to get started, and also a great way to meet new friends. If you think this sounds like a lot of fun (which it is), there is still time to sign up!

So in conclusion, we apologize in advance for our lack of posts, and for those we try to cram in late at night when our brains are fried from so much writing.

Write on.

~Jen