Tuesday 30 July 2013

ATOTC Challenge- Week 1 : What is your passion?

 
 
Hello fellow Failistanians!
 
What? You're not familiar with the term? Why it applies to residents of Failistan- a completely fail country which happens to be run by moi and moi's friends. Anyone and everyone is welcome- granted that they fail in at least one aspect of their life.
 
Uhm, I think I'm getting carried away. Fail. #ProudFailistanianMoment
 
So anyway, today's post is inspired by A Tale of Two Century by Rachel Harris.
 
As a member of the Flirt Squad, it is my choice, nay my DUTY to participate in this gruelling challenge. Do not fear for me friends, for I shall make it to the other side... maybe.
 
Yes I'm always this distracted. Sue me.
 
So lets get straight to the point shall we! My passion happens to be the same as Alessandra's! Yep, that's right. I luurve the theatre and I luurve acting.
 
Here's exhibit A... actually its my only exhibit.
 
 

Left to Right:- (i) Peaseblossom: A Midsummer Night's Dream, (ii)(top) Juliet: Romeo and Juliet, (iii)(bottom) Ms. Amelia: A Little Princess, (iv) Rosaline: As You Like It, (v) Billy Bones: Treasure Island.

Just a few of the plays I've been a part of.

Juliet, Ms. Amelia, and Billy Bones even made it to the local newspapers, huh, go figure.

So I've been acting for 6 years now, and its the only thing I haven't given up on yet. Though I am taking a break from it for my last year of high school so I can focus on studies and various other things I signed up for.

Acting is something that came as a total surprise to me. Before the 6th grade I had never even considered it. It was actually my dad who pushed me to go for it.

I remember that it was during the summer break of 2007 that my dad found out that the National School of Drama was holding a workshop close to our house. He talked to me about it and I said no. Just like that. My exact words were "Acting's not my kind of thing." *snort*

After days of my dad unsuccessfully trying to convince me to give it a try, and me throwing tantrums and stomping my foot like the brat I was (still am), we finally came to a truce- I had to attend to workshop for one day and if I still didn't like it, he would let the subject go.

Dreading every moment, I entered the studio and forced my dad to sit there. I didn't care if it made me look like a baby; I was terrified. Imagine my surprise when I find myself totally engaged in theatre games and utterly enjoying myself. I didn't even notice when my dad slipped away! (Yes it was totally like the first day of kindergarten. Don't judge.)

From the next day onwards, I was the one pushing my dad out the door, complaining I was going to be late. I gained so much knowledge that summer, formed great friendships, and somehow even landed the lead role of the original musical created by the students.

I returned the next summer and even dragged my besties along.

I am so grateful my dad didn't give in to my tantrums and forced me to step out of my box. That summer was the start of my recovery. Somewhere along the years prior to that I had become painfully shy and introverted. The idea of going on stage terrified me. Stage fright combined with a few stage mishaps made me give up playing my violin- much to the dismay of my teachers and family.

I can proudly say that while it has been 5 or 6 years since I last picked up my violin, I am no longer scared of performing in front of an audience. In fact I feel the most comfortable on stage, and the larger the audience, the better.

The adrenaline rush that comes with performing is better than anything else I've experienced. Polishing my acting skills has helped me in so many areas of my life. I love giving a presentation in class (I always, ALWAYS wing it), and acting like I genuinely enjoy someone's company, when I don't really, has never been easier. It also helps that stepping out of my box gave me a broader view of life and a better sense of humour.

Does that mean I haven't goofed up on stage? Heck no. From my wig falling off, to a light/sound cue gone wrong, to a wardrobe malfunction, and a line forgotten- I've been there, done that, and got the frigging t-shirt. But I've loved every moment of it. Does that mean that I don't feel stage fright? Um no. I still do. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. But since I've already experienced the-worst-thing-that-could-actually-happen-to-someone-on-stage (no my clothes didn't fall off... neither was there toilet paper stuck to my show) and I've survived, I figure its all good.

Will I be pursuing it professionally? I sure hope so! Though I find I'm not as eager to act on television, as I am to act on stage in front of a live audience, where there's an actual chance of messing up and you also have to make sure that the old lady sitting at the way back can get her ticket's worth.

Now that was about acting. I happen to love a bazillion other things other than acting (I'd go out of my mind if that's all I did). And here's a few-

Exhibit B... yay! I do have another exhibit!

 
Applesauce Jellyroll Cake

 
Chicken Wraps

 
Manicotti

 
Caesar Salad

 
Frittata

 
Oatmeal Applesauce Strawberry Muffins

 
Savory Chicken Crepe
 
Chocolate Cream Cheese Mousse, Chocolate Souffle, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Curry, Fish Curry, and the list goes on and on. Cooking/baking is like meditation for me.
 
 
I also have exhibit C
 

 
Both of these were made 6 years ago. I have slightly improved since then; I'm currently working on a leopard's mug.
 
And lastly Exhibit D... phew
 


(100 ft free fall. That's my friend and I. And you can hear my mom's laughter in the background).
 
Yep, I'm an adrenaline junkie. Zip lining, Rappelling, Rock Climbing, Parasailing, Bungee Jumping, been there, done that! What's up next? Hopefully Paragliding, and maybe even Sky Diving some day!

 
And now... the book that inspired this challenge... ta da...!
 
A Tale of Two Centuries (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, #2)


Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?


Rachel Harris
 

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Rachel and I are like complete besties. We're like this *twines fingers* She just doesn't know it yet. Or maybe she's in denial. *Gasp* Maybe she can even join Failistan... not that she fails in writing, or that any of her books are bad- its more of a friendly gesture...like you know... okay I'm gonna shut up now. This is awkward.

So if you haven't fallen asleep during yet another one of my looong posts, be sure to let me know about YOUR passion!
 
Shubhi
- Current Prime Minister of Failistan

Tuesday 16 July 2013

My First Crushes: A Horror Story


Hey Guys!

So this blog post is in relation to the release of Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris and its part of a fun challenge where we reminisce about our first crush(es).

 So lets get to the scary and gruesome bits! *rubs hands gleefully*

Now if I were to talk about my first crush, I would say it took place when I was around the age of 4. To be honest I can't even remember his name, but I do know that we lived in the same building and our parents were friends.

I remember playing, and dancing, and practically spending all of my free time (which is something we toddlers had a lot of) with him. I briefly remember how one day him and I sat down to have a serious discussion and after a lot of planning we decided we were going to marry each other once we grew up. We stood up, he took my hand and we waddled over to our parents to break the news to them. They thought it was adorable- too adorable in fact; my parents wasted no time in telling our extended family about my supposed engagement and soon enough my cousin, who happened to be 10 at the time, was wanting to know all about my crush so he could beat the crap out of him for daring to be in a 'relationship' with his baby sister.


Yes, I have a very melodramatic family, and I'm proud of it.

But alas, all good things come to an end and my crush and his family switched houses. While they still lived nearby, we no longer saw each other as often. When we did see each other we would be overcome by shyness and he used to hide behind his mother's skirt and peek at me, and I would do the same. Soon afterwards I moved to Canada and I think it's safe to say I haven't run into him since then. I think. For all I know maybe I did run into him. I probably wouldn't recognize him if he came up to introduced himself as my fiancé. I will most likely run away if that ever happens because that's just random and creepy. Kinda sweet, but creepy.

But if I were to talk about one of my more serious crushes, I would mention X (name hidden because it would be highly awkward if he was reading this post now...). X and I came to know each other when I moved back to India when I was 10. We happened to be in the same class, and no, it was not love at first sight, or even attraction at first sight- quite opposite actually. We started off really disliking each other. X thought I was arrogant and stuck-up and I thought he was immature and juvenile in the way 10 year old boys are. Soon began a series of mini wars. We were so competitive about everything. Whether it was about who got the higher marks in a test or who finished the word search first (yes, we were very mature *rolls eyes*).

So obviously the teachers thought it would a great idea to assign us places next to each other- whether it was in the classroom or the bus, I somehow ended up with him beside me. Our mini wars continued well into the sixth grade, where again, much to everyone's amusement, we were forced to sit beside each other. After being forced to partner up for every assignment we fell into a reluctant routine and the next thing we know its the seventh grade and we're sitting together- not because the teacher said so, but because that's just how its always been.

Somewhere along those years we had actually become friends- we really had no option; we had so many mutual friends it was impossible not to! We were still competitive as hell, but I no longer had to worry about an impromptu water fight or an upcoming prank...oh who am I kidding? Those things never changed; I still had to watch my back but I guess I just had grown more used to it. All of his traits that had bugged me before had slowly become the very thing I admired about him. Our friends thought our arguments were amusing and so we put on a show for them every now and then but secretly, or maybe not so secretly, we had become close confidants too.

Once I realised I had a legit crush on my enemy-turned-best-friend I just didn't know what to do with myself or my life.


I couldn't decide if I should tell him or let it be. I wanted to see where things could go but not at the expense of our friendship, so I decided to observe him and try to get a grasp of his feelings towards me.



I remember one day he pulled me aside and told me he wanted to talk to me. He looked nervous and suddenly I was nervous and hopeful all at once- at times it had seemed like he felt the same way about me, and yet at times I wasn't so sure, but I had a strong feeling I was about to find out right now. X stuttered and stammered, fidgeted and blushed, all the while my heart was racing and my cheeks were turning red, and then finally he told me he was in love with my other best friend.





I know, right?

Needless to say I was shocked. That piece of information seemed so out of blue. But wait- there was more; he wanted my help to score the girl! I finally  told him I'd help, and internally though I was morose due to his confession, I was also happy because of my decision not to tell him about my feelings, because that would have been one awkward conversation.

As time went by, we stayed close friends, but my crush on him gradually faded away. I still felt affection for him, I now looked at him as if he were my brother. He protected me, teased me, and beat up guys who broke my heart.

After grade 8 ended, I returned to Canada but I we still stayed in touch, and I even hung out with him when I visited India a few months back. We're still great friends, we still pretend-flirt, but we are no longer attracted to each other that way (during a conversation we had after I had grown out of my crush for him, I admitted my prior feelings to him and he scolded me for not telling him earlier on because he had felt the same way but he didn't believe I could ever be interested in him so he had turned his affections to my other best friend).

Now where have I heard that story before...? Hmm...

But I am happy to say that X is now madly in love and in a relationship with a friend of mine (not the one mentioned above and we still chat from time to time :) Hey that rhymed!

Phew! That was loooong. So that was my post about my first crushes, though I have grown bolder now; I no longer hesitate to go up to a guy and tell him I like him 'coz hey, you never know! Though I have to admit each confession is a horrific/amusing story on its own (like that one guy who moved back to Russia... I'm pretty sure that had nothing to do with my rushed and awkward confession... though I am known for intimidating guys, oh well).

So what was your first crush like? Did you tell them? Did it turn into something more? Be sure to tell me all about it; I love me some juicy gossip! *muehehehe*

And now here's a blurb for Taste the Heat:

 
 
One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?
 
And the lovely Rachel Harris:
 
 

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Oh before I forget- here's my pretty flirt squad member badge! <3

Official Flirt Squad Member


Happy reading guys and here's hoping you enjoy Taste the Heat! And now I shall return to my igloo; those polar bears over there are giving me a peculiar look. *returns to igloo*
 
 


Official Frigid Trailer Reveal


Frigid:


 
For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn’t anything new. They’d been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the ‘man’ in man-whore. He’s never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn’t want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.


Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she’s perfect and she’s everything. But the feelings he has for her, he’s always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.


But when they’re stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor’easter, there’s nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.


To Buy Links :


 

 
 
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Official Frigid Trailer:
 


Okay so what I don't understand is why y'all are still here reading this when you should be buying your copies of Frigid or reading your copies if you were smart enough to already do so. Like seriously. I haven't read Frigid yet but I already know it made of awesomeness, dipped in awesomeness, and sprinkled with awesomeness, because that's just how awesome Jennifer really is. Am I the only one who feels the word 'awesome' was used too many times? But it is true ya know.
 
I know for a fact JLA writes some pretty amazing stuff and I can't wait to get my hands on this new piece of goodness. So stop listening to me blabber about how much I love Jennifer and her books and go buy Frigid- Like. Right. Now. And if you already left midway through my post when you realised how sensational Kyler and Sydney are going to be then I guess I'm just sitting here, talking to myself. Again. Funny how that seems to happen a lot.
 
I hope you all have a fun, fun time reading Frigid and while you're at that, be sure to check out the contest taking place at J. Lynn's blog. It is, well how should I put this? Ah well, it is awesome :D

Here's the link to her blog- http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/frigid-is-out-winners-contest/

Happy reading peeps!
(And be sure to let me know what you think about Kyler ^_^)

Over and out.
 



Friday 5 July 2013

Review: Bully by Penelope Douglas



Bully (Fall Away, #1)


Damn. I'm not really sure what to say. I think it's safe to say that I've never been more confused about whether I hated or loved a book...

One moment I can't stand to read another word about Jared, and the next thing I know I feel so much pain and sympathy for him. Talk about bipolarity.

Jared and Tate were the best of buddies until one summer when Jared went away with his dad and came back a changed person. Something within Jared changed during his time away from Tate, and now he no longer adored her. Forget adoration, he couldn't stand the sight of her, and soon he became the bane of her existence.

For Tate, Jared was her anchor, the one who held her in the midst of a storm, the one she could always look up to. Now years have passed since the frame in time when their friendship was still in existence and Tate still can't figure out what she's done to make Jared hate her and make her life miserable. He inserts himself into every scenario that pertains to her and tears her apart; his actions bordering on down right cruelty.

Sick and tired of being a coward and a social leper, Tate decides to take her best friend's advice and she fights back. She refuses to put up with Jared's nonsense and she gives back as good as she gets. Jared, though surprised, isn't one to bow down easily, especially not to Tate.

From here on we see constant head-butting between the two. We see Tate learn to stand up for herself yet at the same time she still aches for the little boy she once knew and the person she is turning into. She likes being able to hold her ground with Jared but it disgusts her to see herself transform into the very thing she despises; a bully.

As for Jared, he runs hot and cold. He'll push her away and then reel her back in. He can stand Tate hating him but he can't tolerate her feeling nothing for him. He makes her life miserable yet he feels so lost when she's not there. He wants to hurt her, and yet he doesn't.

Feeling like she's fighting a lost battle, Tate matures up and lets loose of her grip on anger. She lets go of the pain, sadness, and disappointment and tries to ignore the butterflies she knows she shouldn't feel whenever she's around Jared.

We see Tate go through a beautiful transformation throughout the course of the story. She goes from a shy, cowardly girl, to a kick-ass protagonist, and finally to a forgiving human. She may not approve of Jared's would corrupt and wear away at her soul until there would be nothing left. I was really proud of the fact that Tate took a lot of chances throughout the book. She was doubtful and wary, and rightly so, but she was also reasonable and courageous; I admired that- it's not easy to leave yourself vulnerable as a way of extending an olive branch when you know the person in front of you would like nothing more than to snap said branch and take advantage of your vulnerability.

And Jared. Jared, Jared, Jared. Boy you have A LOT of issues. I understand why you acted the way you did, and I wish you never had to go through that, but that doesn't mean that I condone the way you let your anger and pain deliberately hurt the one person who truly loved you, over and over again.

I feel as if there should have been more of a character development when it came to Jared, and I would have liked to see the two of them rebuilding on their friendship before they entered a relationship. I also wasn't comfortable with the way Tate accepted him so soon after she decided he meant nothing. Maybe she should have spent some more time thinking about what direction their relationship would take with all the bad blood between them, but then again, that's just my opinion.

Overall, it was a very gripping read. There was never a dull moment. Even though I'm still confused about my feelings towards the book, I have to admit the story was very powerful and engaging and I couldn't put the book down even when the waterworks started.

Four confused-as-hell stars for this one.
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead Covenant by Jennifer L. Armentrout Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong Fallen by Lauren Kate Halo by Alexandra Adornetto Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa Matched by Ally Condie The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent Theatre Illuminata by Lisa Mantchev The Tiger Saga  by Colleen Houck Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead The Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shirvington Wings by Aprilynne Pike Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Across the Universe by Beth Revis Beautiful Creatures Bloodlines by Richelle Mead Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting Covenant by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Dark Divine by Bree Despain Dark Guardian by Rachel Hawthorne Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong Delirium by Lauren Oliver Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey Evernight by Claudia Gray Fallen by Lauren Kate Falling Under by Gwen Hayes Firelight by Sophie Jordon Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter Halo by Alexandra Adornetto Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins Hourglass by Myra McEntire House of Night The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa Lux by Jennifer L. Armentrout Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin Matched by Ally Condie The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison Nightshade by Andrea Cremer Paranormalcy by Kiersten White Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers Revenants by Amy Plum Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini Theatre Illuminata by Lisa Mantchev The Tiger Saga  by Colleen Houck Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead The Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shirvington Wings by Aprilynne Pike Winterhaven by Kristi Cook The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston