COVER REVEAL: The Soul's Mark: CHANGED

Quick Facts

Expected Release Date: December 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Formats: All ebook formats and Paperback

Synopsis 
Ever since college student Amelia Caldwell moved to Willowberg her life has been in turmoil. But without the evil vampire hunters terrorizing the town, life in Willowberg has been relatively quiet. With a little help from Mother Nature and a dream for a better future, Mitchell has found himself in a predicament—after eight hundred years of being immortal he is now a human while his soulmate is a vampire. Now all Amelia and Mitchell have to do is hide from the world until his body can handle the change. But when Mitchell gets a cold all hell breaks loose. With an unexpected resistance rising, and an unexplained deadline from the spirits, Amelia realizes that this is a fight she cannot win alone. One thing is clear: to save Mitchell, he needs to change—again. But if he does, what chance does he have of surviving it? 

My Thoughts

OMG, OMG, OMG... I'm totally having a fan girl moment! *squeals* I have read all the books in The Soul's Mark series and cannot wait to read this one! At the same time I'm in great distress because this is the last book and anything can happen. Why must all good things come to an end? I'm pretty sure after I finish reading this one, I'll be in a dark corner somewhere sobbing hysterically. I predict that it will be a horrendous sight.

On a lighter note, I'm in love with this cover! It's gorgeous! It pairs with the other books in this series beautifully! My favorite thing about all the covers in this series is the fact they all have the same background (the moon and mansion) but different main focal character images. In my opinion that feature brings the set together and will make them look amazing on my book shelve! 

In case your curious here are the other three covers:

Want to read my reviews on each of these books?
The Soul's Mark: FOUND
The Soul's Mark: HUNTED
The Soul's Mark: BROKEN

If you haven't read book one The Soul's Mark: FOUND what are you waiting for? You can download it for free right now the link can be found below! So go get it before I get grumpy... I promise you won't like me grumpy. I'm kidding... but seriously if you are looking for a great new series to read check this one out!
 

To celebrate the upcoming release of The Soul’s Mark: CHANGED, the fourth and final book in The Soul’s Mark Series, Ashley is giving away unlimited FREE eCopies of The Soul’s Mark: FOUND, the awarding winning first book in the series. So grab the coupon code below and download your eCopy of The Soul’s Mark: FOUND from Smashwords. Share the code with your family and friends, and if you enjoy it and decide to continue on with the series, Ashley would love it if you could post a review on Amazon.com, Goodreads, and blogs for each of her books that you read.

Visit: Smashwords

Simply use the coupon code: LS34W and download your FREE eCopy.

Expiration Date: October 17, 2013

Ashley Stoyanoff, the award winning author of The Soul’s Mark: FOUND, lives in Whitby, Ontario and loves diving into the magical world of creating fiction. When not writing, she can be found reading sappy novels, watching cheesy chick flicks, and buying far too many clothes.  

Connect with Ashley Stoyanoff Online Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Email 

Other Books by Ashley Stoyanoff  

The Soul's Mark Series:  

The Soul's Mark: FOUND (The Soul's Mark, #1)  

The Soul's Mark: HUNTED (The Soul's Mark, #2)  

The Soul's Mark: BROKEN (The Soul's Mark, #3)  

Waking Dreams, A Soul's Mark Novella  

Deadly Trilogy 

Deadly Crush (Deadly Trilogy, #1)

An Aggravating Day

Accepted Readers,

Have any of you ever experience a day when everything annoyed you? I mean every little thing just drove you nuts? I'm having one of those days. I can't pinpoint exactly when my day turned sour but I have a feeling a lack of caffeine may be the culprit. I should change my name to Miss Grumpy Gills because I'm so aggravated I can barely stand myself.  I'm resisting the urge to smash something and possibly letting out a primitive growl or two. I'm Hele... hear me roar! (Hehe, that made me giggle)

In an attempt to calm down, I plan on getting myself a nice hot cup of coffee and treating myself to some alone time. (More so for the sake of everyone around me) Then I will be taking a nice long nap because this old cranky buzzard needs a break from herself.

So readers, my question for you is:  
What do you do to make yourself a little less annoyed? How do you let your frustration out? Leave me a comment below telling me; maybe I can give some of your ideas a try the next time I'm having an aggravating day. 

Until next time,
Miss Grumpy Gills AKA Hele

A Quick Survey

Accepted Readers,

Lately, I've been worried that you guys may not like the posts I'm doing for Accepted Wisdom. I want you give you a chance to tell me what you like and what you don't. I want to hear your opinions! I created the following short survey to better aid me in providing you with the most up-to-date and interesting content I can. If you have a few extra moments please participate, I value and respect your opinion! 

 In case the survey doesn't load here's the direct link: http://www.instant.ly/s/K6h8G

Hele's Top 5: T.V. Shows

 

Accepted Readers,

I hope your Tuesday is going awesome! What are you doing today? I found a novelty book on my book shelves yesterday entitled My Favorite Things: How Well Do You Know Your... it's a cute little book filled with questions about various favorite things in alphabet order. I've had this book forever and never really used until now! Every week along with Short Story Weekly, I'm starting Hele's Top Five; I'll pick a word from the book and compile a list of my favorite items/places/things/etc. to go along with it. I want to start easy... so this week will be TV shows. (pg. 348)

Television Shows

 1. Supernatural 

Who doesn't love Dean and Sam? (I'm a Dean girl) I love everything about this show and have been hooked from the moment I saw episode one. I've always loved the paranormal and this show brings that to life! The relationship between the brothers can be just as heart-warming as it is heart-breaking and add Castiel to the mix and you have one hell of an emotional roller-coaster to ride!

  

2. Law & Order: SVU 

 I have honestly watched every episode of this show from season one up until now.  Olivia Benson holds a special place in my heart.

3. Bones

I just recently starting watching this show via Netflix, but it has quickly made its way into my top favorites. I have a thing for forensic science and this show is full of it! All of the characters have their own unique personally and work together so well!

 

 4. Burn Notice

Oh how I love Michael Westen. Another one of my weaknesses: SPIES! I used to watch this show on cable years ago but forgot about it... but thanks to Netflix I found it again and I couldn't be happier!

 5.  Cake Boss

The newest added show to my list: Cake Boss! I used to bake a lot in high school and this show brings back some fond memories. Not only does Buddy have mad cake making skills, he has a giant heart! I want to go visit his bakery one day to try his classic cannolis.

Your Turn

Okay, now that I've shared my Top 5: T.V. Shows I want to know what yours are! Leave a comment below telling  me what they are! Check back next week the same time to see another one of my Top 5 lists!

7 Deadly Sins of Reading TAG!

 

Accepted Readers,

Today I decided to do a book related tag called the 7 Deadly Sins of Reading. This tag was created by booktuber Malyza Caballero about a year ago. I know it's an older tag but it looked fun and I figured why not! If you would like to participate in this tag, please do so and send the link to me. I would love to see your responses!

GREED

What is your most inexpensive book? What is your least expensive book?

 

My most expensive book is a version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by Michael Rosen, beautifully illustrated in striking colors, it cost around $30.00.  I love it!

My least expensive book would be the various free ones I download on my Kindle and Nook, far too many to list.

WRATH

What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

 

I have to say without a doubt Christopher Pike. He is a master at beginning a story but terrible at ending one. His stories often draw me in quickly, build up my expectations, and then leave me bitter and confused. Yet, I can't quit reading his novels. My favorite series from him is the Thirst series. (I've read them all)

 GLUTTONY

What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?

 I hope this answer doesn't cause a horde of angry readers to show up on my doorstep wielding pitchforks and fire... 

But once I read a book, no matter how much I enjoy it, I normally won't ever read it again. I've only re-read one book and it was called It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager, A True Story from Her Diary

SLOTH

What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

 

I may be the only person in the world with this answer but I haven't read any of the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. I've seen every movie but I'm far too lazy to read all those giant sized books, the worst part... I own them all and still won't read them.

PRIDE

What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

Hmm, I've thought about this question for a long time and I'm still having a hard time coming up with an answer. For the sake of this question, I have to say either Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare or The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. 

LUST

What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?

Male Characters: I admire intelligent, confident, physically strong, and all around bad boy male characters with a touch of gentleness and sweetness. The more damaged they are the better.

Female Characters: I admire independent, strong-willed, and feisty female characters. They can get the job done on their own and are full of bravery. They aren't afraid to take risks even if they doubt themselves. 

ENVY

What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

 I would most like to receive the boxed set of the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.   I want those books so bad it hurts. I am holding out until book 6 is released before I read them and can obtain the entire set together.

The End.

Whew, finally finished this post took me a lot longer then I expected! I will see you guys tomorrow for Day #8 of the 31 Day Blogging Challenge.

The Questions to the 7 Deadly Sins of Reading TAG:

GREED— What is your most inexpensive book? What is your least expensive book?

WRATH—What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

GLUTTONY—What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?

SLOTH—What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

PRIDE—What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

LUST—What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?

ENVY—What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

Relaxing On Sundays...

Accepted Readers,

I'm delighted that today is Sunday, my second favorite day of the week. Sunday is my rest day. After a long work week it feels nice to sit back, put my feet up, and catch up various tasks I've neglected throughout the week. I sleep in on Sundays, waking up around 9a.m. instead of 4a.m which feels so wonderful!

I spend my Sunday's reading, watching Netflix, and playing video games. I also try to catch up on my never-ending emails and housework. Sometimes I take the "Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars to heart and sit around being a full-fledged bum.

What day is the week do you consider your rest day and what do you spend that day doing? Leave me a comment telling me below, I would love to know!

For your listening pleasure "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars, my theme song for today!

Short Story Weekly #2: My Expiration Date by Nemonica Mars

Hi guys, I'm back with another SSW. I apologize for falling off track; things in my life are still just as hectic as ever.  If you haven't heard, for the entire month of October I will be posting every day for The 31 Day Blogging Challenge. Today makes day #5 and I hope you guys are enjoying the new content I'm putting out. :) So without further delay let's move on to my review.

*Note: If your new to my blog  Short Story Weekly (SSW) is a segment where I write mini reviews on books with 100 pages or less.*

Title: My Expiration Date

Author: Nemonica Mars

# of Pages: 12
My Rating: 3/5 Stars

"A world of slaughter, pain and fright
Another life we take tonight
A whole new world of blood and fear
Watch as we coax another tear..."

Karpacia. A world of nightmares, fear and pain. It's also where Sara lives.

A new world taken over by manslaughter after animals are killed off, bringing upon a new idea of an "Expiration Date" where no one lives a day past their 18th birthday.On this day, they experience the horrors Naomi, Sara's sister, felt...

But you don't know about that yet...

Care to learn?

Interested in reading My Expiration Date?

Download for FREE on the Nook  

Don't have a Nook? Read the entire story for FREE on Smashwords from your browser. (http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/135153/1/my-expiration-date)

My Review

My first impression: 
Wowza, would you look at that cover? I'm fascinated by it... it's morbidly beautiful. It's safe to assume that the girl is supposed to be dead but even so I can't look away. *sigh* Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with me... *gives a worried look*

My Review:
A friend of mine recommended this story to me. She described it as heart-shattering and disturbing read. I agree with her fully. The sheer idea of no one living past the age of 18 because they are murdered is appalling. The way they are slaughtered is absolutely horrifying.  This story is difficult to digest and is not for the faint of heart. My Expiration Date shook me to the core and I think all horror fans will enjoy it.

Writing Style:
The concept of My Expiration Date is original and quite deranged. I spotted dozens of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors but they did not hinder the reading process. I wish the story included more details regarding the outcome of the plot but I loved how it ended.  Considering this short story is free to read, it is extremely good and worth the read.

Tips From A (Semi) Extreme Couponer#1- Basic Tips

Accepted Readers,

Today is day #4 of the 31 Day Blogging Challenge and I have something special in store for you! For the past few months I've been attempting to learn how to coupon and I'm making a bit of progress. I call myself  a semi-extreme couponer because I have yet to get my total balance down to 0 in any single transaction, however I normally slash balance by 75% or more.

In this post I want to share some basic tips on how to coupon and show you two of my best transactions up-to-date. Please keep in mind that I am still learning how to coupon and I am in no way an expert on this subject this is just a hobby of mine.

Couponing Tips

Step #1: 

Locate and stockpile coupons. 

This is the most important and possibly the hardest step. You will need a pretty decent amount of each individual coupon if you plan on bringing home a brag-worthy haul. I have a friend who delivers newspapers and he gives me any of the leftover coupons.

Coupon inserts can be found:

1. Various Sunday newspapers (Smart Source, Red Plum, & Proctor & Gamble)
2. Online (Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, RedPlum.com, Coupon-Suzy.com)
3. Magazines (All You & Women's World)
4. Manufacturer websites
5. Email your favorite companies (Tell them you enjoy their products and ask if any coupons are
6. Peel-Here Stickers (Found on the product)
7. Catalina (Found on the back of your receipts)
8. Store sales ads &  Displays, & Store websites (Even their Facebook pages, or Twitter accounts)
9. Store Phone Apps (Target, Food4Less, CVS, and various others)
10. Store loyalty cards

Step #2: 

Research sales ads of all stores in your area.

The biggest tip I can offer is this: Use coupons on items currently on sale. It's an added bonus if the product is on sale at a rock bottom price. (meaning it won't be on sale any cheaper) Always compare prices at numerous stores for all products you have coupons for because it they be cheaper elsewhere.

Step #3: 

Sort and Clip desired coupons. 

This step by far is the most time consuming.  It helps to have a binder, envelope, or box to keep your coupons in. It is also useful to sort the coupons into different categories. (Such as pet food, laundry products, oral care, etc)

 I found an excellent coupon organizer kit for my binders at Walmart called The Coupon Saver Start Pack by Ultra Pro. (also on Amazon)

Step #4: 

Write a shopping list & find needed coupons.  

It's always easier to have a list of items you want to buy and the coupons you need to use. However, I recommend taking your binder (box, envelope, or whatever) in the store with you. You may see an product on sale along with a coupon to pair with it!

Step #5: 
Save Money! 

The most exciting and self-explanatory step.  Remember to stay calm and have fun!

Other Useful Tips:

• Look up and read/print the coupon policy for each individual store you visit, each store has different rules and regulations.
• Read your coupon carefully including the small print. Some have certain restrictions.
• Make sure the coupon your using is for the product you want to buy. (correct size, brand, amount, etc)

My Hauls

Both of the following hauls were from Walmart. :)

Date: 9/13/2013

Balance before coupons: $83.11

Total after coupons: $44.00

Total # of items:  56

Total # of coupons used: 32

  

 Date: 8/21/2013

Balance before coupons: $96.40

Total after coupons: $12.26

Total # of items:  54

Total # of coupons used: 27

Interested in seeing part 2 of this mini-series?

Tips From A (Semi) Extreme Couponer #2: Help Finding The Deals

Useful Websites For Any Blogger

Hello Accepted Followers,

We all know that blogging can be a bit difficult sometimes. (I'm looking at you pesky HTML codes) Have no fear, here are some of my top favorite sites that have saved my sanity and helped improved my blog's overall look. I hope you guys find them to be just as useful as I have. :) 

PS: I am not being sponsored by any of the sites listed. This is just a list of my to-go-to websites. I also searched for a few new sites that could be of use due to a few websites no longer being available. Also as an added bonus all these sites are FREE to use!

PPSS: I just found this awesome website: http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/category/css/  This site has Coding, Freebies, Inspiration, Tutorials, Web Design, Wordpress, and MORE! It's like an all in one self-help guide to blogging be sure to check it out!

HTML Codes & Design Help

To make a fancy Text Frame or Border like the one above I use : http://webdesignexperiments.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-add-text-frames-and-borders-to.html

Want to position pictures side by side to free up space?:
http://www.etsyblogteam.com/2011/03/how-to-post-images-side-by-side.html

Need to turn an image into a link?:
http://www.quackit.com/html/codes/html_image_link_code.cfm

Looking for various color hex codes or need a custom color? :
http://www.2createawebsite.com/build/hex-colors.html#colorgenerator

Can't find the perfect color?  
This site will help by lightening or darkening a color & creates color schemes.
http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html

Icons & Images

Need A Custom Banner?:
http://www.mybannermaker.com/

Looking for some graphics to use for your weekly segments?
(Templates, Rating Stars, Winner Graphics, & More)
http://parajunkee.net/category/free

Awesome book series banners for us book nerds:
http://imlovingbooks.com/freebies/mini-series-banners

Need Social Media Icons?:
(I got mine from this site, but it has been revamped not sure how it works now)
https://github.com/paulrobertlloyd/socialmediaicons/

Even more Social Media Icons:
http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/freebies/45-fresh-free-social-media-icons/

Giveaway & Follower Help

Having a giveaway on your blog?
This site lets you make a custom entry form and randomly generates a winner for you:
https://www.rafflecopter.com/

Need to fairly pick a winner?
http://www.random.org/ 

Give your audience more then one way to follow your blog:
http://www.bloglovin.com/en
http://www.linkyfollowers.com/login/default.aspx
http://www.networkedblogs.com/

Other Useful Websites

Curious on how what your Word Count is for your post?:
http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/countwords.shtml

Need to know what time it is in other time zones?
http://www.onlineconversion.com/timezone.php

Need to translate your post into another language or did you receive a comment in a different language?
http://translate.google.com/

Time to end your post? Find many unique ways to say so:
http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2010/07/normal-funny-unique-and-loving-ways-to.html

The End.

Okay guys, that's all of them...19 different websites that I know you will enjoy! Do you use a website that I didn't list here that you refer to when blogging? Leave me a link to it in the post so I can check it out! :) 

This concludes Day #3 of The 31 Day Blogging Challenge and I'm still going strong. Thankfully ideas for different types of posts keep popping into my head but I am also open to any suggests on anything you guys want me to write about. So, don't be afraid leave me a comment if you want to see something I haven't done yet! :)

Is Book Reading On The Decline?

Accepted Readers,

I was browsing Facebook last night and I stumbled across the following picture:

I'm not entirely sure if these statistics are exactly correct, but for the sake of this post let's say that they are. So according to these standards, does that make those of us (Adults) who do read the outcasts? The social eccentric nerds? If so, I will take that label and wear it with pride. I guess I'll be a nerd until I die. As an adult, I often get a lot of strange looks when I'm reading in public, do any of you experience the same thing? Now I understand why. =-/

I think one of the biggest reasons for the decline is technology. Don't get me wrong...I'm on various social networks and spend many hours with my eyeballs glued to my phone more than I would like to admit but I try to find a happy medium. Should I be reading more? Of course! I'm just glad that I do read, even if it's not as often as I would like! Reading just one book a year is more than the average adult reads! Crazy right?

On a serious note, it ruffles my feathers that such a large percentage of adults choose not to visit bookstores. What kind of example does that set for their children? It could be one reason why so many children never read another book once they finish school. Remember children imitate what they see their parents doing! Come on parents; Pick up a book show your kids it's cool to read! Reading is a magical and glorious thing! Get involved! 

What are your thoughts on these book related facts? I would love to hear your opinions, leave me a comment below!