Yotsuba& volume 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma

Thanks to those germ gremlins, I haven't been able to read the book I planned to review today. However, I'd like to over you something a  little different. I adore anime and manga, so jumped at the chance to feature in the translation month over on Mostly Reading YA. 

Please check out my review of Yotsuba& vol 1 which is the start of a sweet, funny series. It isn't an anime, but I can recommend Azumanga Daioh as being something similar. 

Julie Particka at the Paperback Dolls

Julie at the Paperback Dolls

Jess Wins!

Jess won the Grand Prize Drawing celebrating the release of my prequel novella, Crushed Sugar.  Besides the cool Alaska stuff and a free copy of Crushed, she gets a t-shirt with Bianca's famous words from the end of Sugar Rush-.
What do you need?  A good bite on the neck?
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If you're interested in getting your own t-shirts, please pop over to my CafePress store.  I make no profit from the sales.  The shirts are sold at cost.  Lately, I haven't been able to access it on my computer.  I think my browser's the problem.  If you have trouble seeing my page on CafePress, please let me know so I can email the site and get it fixed.  Thank you!  Here's the link-
T-Shirts for Diabes & Blood-Sucking Dead Guys

The Drawing is Now Closed!

The winner will be announced as soon as she confirms.  A Big THANK YOU to everyone!

Last Day for Grand Prize Drawing

Check out the Crushed Sugar's Release Day Post  to learn the details and comment under this post or that one to be entered.  The drawing will be held tonight at 6 p.m. Alaska Time.  The winner will be announced after he or she is notified and confirmed.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this release a blast!

Mighty Jesse Reviews CRUSHED

The Amazon reviews are starting.  Mighty Jesse just posted hers.  Thank you, Jesse!
Mighty Jesse's Review of CRUSHED SUGAR at Amazon
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Hey, if you've reviewed CRUSHED or SUGAR RUSH, I'd really appreciate it if you reposted your review at Amazon! 

Thanks for an Awesome Release Party for CRUSHED!

The contests here and at Blog Buddies and reviewers' sites are ongoing with different closing dates.  The Grand Prize Drawing here is on Wednesday, March 30th.  Scroll down to check out all the stuff and links.  Now, I must get back to work on the next full-length novel in the series, Sweet Bytes.  I also have another shorter tale in mind, but I don't know if it'll fly yet.
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Brace yourselves, Blog Buds.  Tomorrow's Monday.
;)

Four Star Review for CRUSHED

Thank you, Siobhan! CRUSHED at LoveFantasySciFiNovels

How To Write a Book Review

  Good morning, everyone! Well, I've tried my hand at writing book reviews before, but it's definitely something that could use improvement. They say that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach, so I thought I'd try this method. Also, book reviews are one of those things that seem deceptively simple - after all, a review is just your opinion of a book, right?

 Well, it turns out that there's a little more to it than that. I've noticed that with most of the reviews I've received, the reviewer starts out by first summarizing the plot. This is a technique that shows that you've been paying attention. It's one of those tips that they give you in counseling sessions as well - if you can repeat back to the other person what they've just said (the gist of it, you don't have to repeat verbatim) - it shows that you've been paying attention.

  One of the things you have to decide is your own policy when it comes to whether to give "negative" reviews or not. Many sites do not give negative reviews, and if they receive a book that they do not like, they will pass it off to someone who will give a good review of it. Personally, I think a good way to address the parts of a book that you don't like, is to give constructive criticism. It all ties in to your job as a book reviewer. What are you trying to accomplish by being a reviewer? Ultimately, I think a reviewer's job is to point out the places that an author can work on, in order for them to improve with time and with the writing of later books.

  You have to decide on a format policy. Will you only review physical copies of books, or will you also accept electronic copies? Or both?

  Many sites have rating systems. Stars seem to be the most commonly used objects in a system, and rating systems seem to typically go up to 4 or 5 stars. I've also seen some fantasy review sites that use swords and such.
 
  Not sure if I've forgotten anything or not. But suffice to say that book reviewing is not as easy as it might seem at first.

Jen's Reviews of CRUSHED and SUGAR RUSH Up At LovLivLife Reviews

Pop on over 'cause this one's got a drawing for a free copy of CRUSHED.  CRUSHED and SUGAR RUSH at LovLivLife Reviews

Heather's Showcase for CRUSHED at the Galaxy Express

Thanks a bunch, Heather!
CRUSHED at the Galaxy Express

Kimber Guests at Nayu's Reading Corner

We're talking about secondary characters.  The Necessity of Bianca I included three little snippets from Sugar Rush, Crushed, and the next novel, SWEET BYTES.

Jen Reviews CRUSHED

Jen's Review of CRUSHED SUGAR!   and    Jen's Review of SUGAR RUSH!
Thanks, Jen!

Release Day for CRUSHED SUGAR, a prequel novella by Kimber An

Good morning, Blog Buddies!  The glorious day has arrived.  I am officially an author with a backlist.  CRUSHED is my second published book.  I'm finally on my way to being Jane Yolen when I grow up. 
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Several of my cyberspace buddies are shouting me out today, including fellow Decadent author Julie Particka , bestselling Fantasy author Lisa Shearin,  and some Facebook friends, and maybe on Twitter too.  If you shout about CRUSHED, please let me know and I'll link to your site.  Pop over to my Media Kit for Bloggers  if you need anything. 
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Rebecca Lynn over at New Kids on the Writers' Block and Nayu's Writing Corner  and  Tia Nevitt  are having contests to give away free copies of CRUSHED. 
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But, I'm giving away the Grand Prize right here at Enduring Romance.  This prize includes a free copy of CRUSHED SUGAR, plus a t-shirt, and these two very cool Alaskan things-

The wooden Orca is obviously a key chain.  The little pictures are *stickers* meant for use in scrapbooking.  They're puffy and raised and can be used for anything really.  They're not 'little kid' stickers!   All you need to do to enter is comment under this post and leave your email.
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*Contest Ends March 30th at 6 p.m. Alaskan Time!*
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Now, to kick off this celebration, I've posted a new excerpt from CRUSHED SUGAR-
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CRUSHED Excerpt: Ophelia Meets Tristan
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But, if you can't contain your excitement (please, God!) pop over to the Decadent website to buy and downly CRUSHED SUGAR right now!  I don't know why, but it's cheaper there.  I do know I receive a larger royalty if you buy it there, because secondary places like Amazon gets their cut.  Here's my buy page at Decadent-
CRUSHED SUGAR at Decadent
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I was surprised to find that CRUSHED is already up at Amazon and Smashwords, so if you prefer either of them, go for it.  Here's the link to Amazon-
CRUSHED SUGAR at Amazon

And just for good measure, here's the link to my About CRUSHED SUGAR Page.
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Thanks so much to everyone for your encouragement and help!

Nayu Review's CRUSHED!

CRUSHED at Nayu's Reading Corner