Fire and Ice Day 23: TMST with Cambria Hebert: Guest Post, Giveaway and Review

Day 23 of Fire and Ice! Here are the must visit stops for today:

Kimba@ The Caffeinated Reviewer: Sarah MacLean: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover

Beth@ Beth Art From the Heart:RaeAnne Thayne: Dancing in the Moonlight

 Veronica@ Mostly Reviews: Bella Forest: A Shade of Vampire

Now it is time for Tell Me Something Tuesday! 

It is Tuesday so that means it is time for Tell Me Something Tuesday a weekly meme started by Cambria Hebert and now hosted right here at Rainy Day Ramblings. It is a chance to discuss all topics from books, blogs, hot issues, to funny stuff. Grab the question and post the answer on your blog and link up.

This week I invited Cambria to guest post again for TMST since she, of course, created 

this fun little meme. Cambria is an extremely busy lady these days. Not only she is a busy wife and mother but she is a successful author and her latest book Recalled just released. She is currently on tour with this book. Check out the full schedule here. Needless to say, Cambria has a lot on her plate these days and so I asked her to answer today's TMST question:

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Here is Cambria:

What I do to unwind

Just because it is cold outside and there may or may not be snow on the ground doesn’t mean that the world stops. In other words, people are busier than ever! I know I certainly am. I have a rigid release schedule planned, books to write, to edit and tours to plan. Not to mention, marketing and promoting the books plus being a wife and mother.
I don’t fool myself in thinking I am the only crazy busy person around here, we all have full lives and schedules.
So today I am going to talk about unwinding... about slowing down and smelling the flowers.... Oh, right, it’s winter time. Okay, smelling the coffee. J
Here are my top 5 ways of unwinding after a long day or long work week.

• 1. Watching a movie or my favorite television show.

I think most people that know me know that my absolute favorite show is Vampire Diaries on the CW. I often refer to is as my “Damon Vacation” I really do look forward to a night of TV on Thursday nights. (I watch Beauty and the Beast after Vampire Diaries)

A movie that I recently watched and really enjoyed was Pitch Perfect.

 

• 2. I like to shop. One of my favorite stores is Target. I recently went there and discovered their collection of e.l.f cosmetics and most of them retail for on $1!!! I was so excited! LOL. Here’s a look at my haul: 
• 3. Drink Coffee. Yep, I still do this as often as I can. Starbucks is my favorite but sometimes I also drink Dunkin Donuts because there is one close to my house. J 

• 4. Work out. Okay, I know you are thinking who works out when they want to relax? LOL. Well, I do because it really is a good stress reliever and I spend a lot of time behind a computer so stretching out feels really good. Here are a few of my favorite workouts: (I like to run. Usually on a treadmill and I watch TV or read) 

 Here are two of my favorite workouts:

  

 

• 5. Cook. I used to do this a lot more because now I am so busy but I still really do enjoy making something. I really like to bake and I am always on the lookout for a good soup recipe. You can see some of the recipes that I hope to make (or maybe already have!) on my Yummy Recipes! Board on Pinterest. 

And that is what I like to do to unwind!!!
Before I leave you to the giveaway I would like to tell you all about my newest releaseRecalled (Death Escorts #1) that just came out on February 15th. Check it out!

Thanks Cambria for the fun post! I agree with many of your choices! I, of course, love to read first and foremost when I want to relax, I also enjoy watching movies with my husband (when we get the chance), spending time sitting out in the sunshine (in the summer and when I can the rest of the year) walking and going for a drive! What about you all? A big thanks to Cambria for guest posting today, I know she is extremely busy these days! If you are new to the blog and have not met the lovely Ms. Hebert, here is her bio:

Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). In addition to her many writing credits she is also the co-host for JournalJabber, a blog talk radio show that focuses on writing and books. She currently lives in Pennsylvania where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting her blog, Facebook, twitter andGoodreads. 

 

Cambria comes bearing gifts for you all to win to celebrate the release of Recalled.

One Ecopy of Recalled.

One Recalled Necklace

Signed Recalled Bookmarks

One Recalled Magnet

Pretty sweet giveaway, right? Guess what...she is making it International! So everyone can enter! Thanks Cambria! To enter fill out the rafflcopter. Best of luck to Cambria with her newest release. I loved it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is my review:

Recalled (Death Escorts #1) by Cambria Hebert

Love or Death? A simple question really. The choice seems obvious. But. What if you never knew love, what if your life was spent just trying to survive? What if you knew your fate before you were fully grown?

And then you died.

And you were given another chance. A better chance.

This new life depended upon one thing: your job. And so you agreed. You thought it would be simple. You thought it would be cut and dry.

It never is.

And now you are left holding the fate of someone else in the palm of your hand and you have to make the ultimate choice.

Love or Death?

Paperback, 306 pages

Expected publication: February 15th 2013 by Cambria Hebert

 

Four stars: A unique and fun take on reapers!

Dex huddles in his jacket hoping for a bit of warmth. His ears perk as he hears boots pounding the pavement, and something else catches his attention. The sound of coins jangling. That noise means a hot meal at the diner. He knows that he has found his mark. A tired young lady is heading to the bus stop, then her heel slips on the ice, but before she falls a hand steadies her. A young man is there to prevent her from hitting the cold, hard pavement. A quick smile and they part. She us unaware that he has just stolen her tips for the night. As she nears the bus stop, she pauses and calls out to the stranger to thank him. He nods and heads to the diner, but for some inexplicable reason he stops and turns. Dex sees the large bus barreling toward the girl. Without a moments hesitation, he darts into the path of the bus and pushes the girl to safety. Then he feels the bone crunching impact, and he falls to the icy ground as his life ebbs away. The only one to mourn him is the girl he saved. Death takes him, but he doesn't head to Hell as he expected. Instead he is transported to a wealthy home, where a mysterious man has an interesting proposition for Dex. He can become a Death Escort and lead souls to their deaths, for which he will be handsomely rewarded with cars, wealth and everything a cold homeless boy could want. Of course, there is a catch......Will Dex choose to kill the one person who mourned him?
What I Liked:

• Once again, Ms. Hebert manages to bring us a story that is full of surprises and original. In her latest novel, she presents a troubled young man who has led a hard life. Dex had a turbulent childhood, and a uninvolved mother. At sixteen, he struck out on his own and has since lived on the streets, pickpocketing and doing what it takes to survive. He is convinced he is going to Hell and that he is worthless. His selfless act of saving a girl from death lands him in a troubling situation, one where he is forced to choose between saving himself or someone else. This is a story of growth, love, bargains with the devil, redemption, and so much more. I liked that it was unexpected and steered far away from the same trite story lines. This book is without a love triangle, cliffhanger and there is a twist at the end that totally took me by surprise. I love that it refrained from the expected.
• The romance in this one is definitely different. It pairs two lonely individuals, who long for love. Yet, their romance is fraught with many obstacles, mainly that Dex is supposed to kill Piper or risk spending his life in an unimaginable Hell. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot seem to carry out his task, because Dex is drawing closer and closer to the unassuming and kind Piper. This is a romance that is slow building for sure, but the final payoff is very sweet.
• I enjoyed the villain in this one. Dex is offered a "deal with the devil" type bargain from a enigmatic man who is unctuous and duplicitous. The best part?! He has this closet with bodies hanging up in it like suits of clothes, and he bears a remarkable resemblance to Monty Burns from The Simpsons. He is mysterious and I liked finding out who he really was.
• While I liked Piper and Dex, the two characters that stole the show for me were Hobbs the butler and Frankie, Piper's best friend. Hobson shows up at Dex's door and says he is his butler. Dex is clueless and gives him the job on the spot. Hobbsunexpectedly becomes an ally as he cooks loads of bacon and makes pots of coffee heavily sweetened with creamer for Dex. This book made me crave bacon and coffee! There is certainly something mysterious about Hobbs as well, and I loved his role at the end. Frankie is a bundle of energy. She is curvaceous, funny and always gorging on sugar. I loved her infectious personality, and I think the next book should feature her as she is awesome.
• I loved that this book utilized the dual view points of Dex and Piper and that it switches back and forth throughout the novel. I am a big fan of the dual narrative as I always enjoy seeing things through each character's eyes. I also enjoyed that the writing is descriptive and clever. There is just a tiny bit of snark that I thought was just perfect.
• Finally, I really liked the addition of the definitions at the beginning of each chapter that gave me insight as to what to expect in the chapter. They were just added a bit of fun to the book.

And The Not So Much:

• While I enjoyed all the interesting new ideas presented in this one, I was left a bit confused about the death escorts, G.R. and the ghosts. What is there role in the whole Heaven and Hell scenario? Are they working for the Devil? I wanted more as far as G.R.'s character is concerned. Did he only live in his mansion in Alaska? I would love to learn more about his closet! I am hoping for a bit more information in the next installment.
•  There is this big thing at the end that involves stones and I was a bit perplexed that there weren't explained a bit better. What exactly are these stones? Where do they come from? What are they made from? The stone has a big important part at the end and it just felt thrown in there.
•  I never really understood the purpose of Storm. He comes across as a friend and ally to Dex, but is he really?

Recalled is a clever and unique YA paranormal romance that steers clear of the well known themes so prevalent today. There is not a love triangle or a cliffhanger. Instead there are plenty of surprises and unique ideas and an ending that will completely catch you off guard. Not to mention, a creepy guy with bodies in his closet! If you are looking for something different as far as romance and reapers go, be sure to check out this book, especially while you can grab it at the introductory price of $.99. For a buck, this book is a bargain!

Favorite Quotations:
"These bodies were organized. They were hanging—on hangers—and in rows like suits. I had a sudden, vivid image of this man opening his closet every morning and pondering which body to wear."
" Life taught me how to survive, but death taught me living wasn’t all it was cracked up to be."
"For a man, there's nothing better to wake up to than the smell of bacon and coffee. Okay, maybe there was something else, but bacon was a close second."
"Besides, the craziest people I know are the ones who don't eat sugar."
"In the moment, I was just a girl. A girl who got beautiful flowers from a boy."
"Death feels like a very heavy burden now."
"That's the thing about death. It doesn't care about love. It doesn't care if you're not done living. It doesn't stop....It keeps coming until it claims everything a person has, until there's nothing left."
"I kissed her harder. I kissed her for the first time, the last time, and all the times in between."

I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for my review. 

Be sure to grab a copy of this book while you can. The $.99 price is for a limited time only. Seriously, a book for a buck...Score!

Next week's question is going to be blogging related it will be Tell Me Something Tuesday: So You Want to Be a Blogger Edition. Once a month, I will do a blogging question, so be sure to send me your suggestions. Next week's question:

Share your list of bloggers that have been with you since the beginning.

See you next Tuesday~ Link up!