The week that was...

This weeks the week that was is more like the month that was, I've been caught up with my every day life and have been slacking off in the blogging department!

It really has been all-on just recently and blogging has been pushed to the side while life has simply flown by.

My gorgeous Miss 16 went to her first school ball a couple of weekends ago; and as it was such a major event for her, some of our relatives made the trip up to see her and her boyfriend all decked out, frocked up and looking cute as together!

The cute couple!

By all accounts the ball went off smoothly, she had an awesome time, and we had one of the best weekends with all the family around in quite some time!

With my mum, my in-laws, and nieces deciding to stay for the entire weekend, we loaded up a couple of cars and took a family road trip around the top of the North Island. We took a huge picnic lunch, saw some really beautiful parts of the country and just had a really great time. The whole weekend was brilliant!

One of our sight-seeing stops

And then I caught head cold - which I still have! In fact after a week and a half, can it still be just a head cold? I swear I feel like absolute death, and stringing together a coherent thought at times has been a chore hahaha!! I've been dosing myself up with all the usual remedies, and I'm really hoping for some relief soon!

I had a completely surreal moment last week when I was interviewed by a reporter from one of the national weekend papers for an upcoming feature on paranormal romance. I have no idea as yet when or if my contribution to the conversation will make it to print, but I'll be sure to let you know if it does! Hopefully I don't end up looking like a complete and utter tit!

If I suck, I can laugh at myself!

My gorgeous little man Sirius Black has started chasing my older female cat around and trying to play rough, if-you-know-what-I-mean!!

Yes, he has hit the dreaded horny teenager stage and won't leave my poor girl alone... she'll be alright though as she has a bloody good growl on her and a nasty set of claws!!

My Miss 7 had her first ever, non-family member sleepover this past weekend! It so so cool to see her having fun with her little friend; playing games, drawing pictures, running around, and watching movies in their lounge room hut!

Sleepover fun!

In book news, I haven't really had the time to make much progress with the tbr pile, but I have a couple of books on the go at the moment which desperately need my attention. I only managed to review PYROS by T.G. Ayer this past week and I'm still to write up my review for Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh which I finished reading yesterday.

I have a couple of sign up opportunities open at the moment if anyone wants to join...
A cover reveal event for REQUIEM by T.G. Ayer
and
A release day event (with HUGE giveaway) for BLOOD & GOLD by T.G. Ayer

GIVEAWAY TIME!

A few weeks ago I gave away three metal bookmarks that my Miss 12 had made for me, and this week I'm giving away a thong bookmark that I made!
It has a cute peacock feather at one end and a peacock charm at the other :)

For your chance to win, just fill in the rafflecopter at the bottom of this page!

Open internationally, I will post anywhere!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tane Mahuta

The week that was...

I had a reasonably busy time last week.
Not so much on the reading/blogging front, but most definitely busy on the home front. We had a few things going on with our girls - some of your usual teenage drama, fights, nasty facebook rants and messages, meetings with the teachers... but nothing too major!

Haha!

Senior ball preparations are well under way. Dress - check, shoes - check, makeup, hair, accessories, organized, sorted, check! Miss 16's boyfriend just hired a suit and he looked pretty spiffy in the photo I saw!

The weekend was full of drop offs, pick ups, grocery shopping, sleep overs, long drives, and movie nights. I even did my good deed for the week and colored an elderly friends hair for her while my hubby changed the oil and filter in their car :)

Last week I took part in some cover reveal posts and release day blitzes, but I also had the chance to interview author Ashley Townsend, you can check that out here if you wish. She was super sweet and I will definitely be adding her soon-to-be-released book 'Chasing Shadows' to my tbr list :)

Speaking of, I need to crack on with my reading, the pile seems to be getting bigger rather than getting smaller - the curse of a book lover!

It will actually be nice to get a sleep in on Monday - oh that's right, I've got the school run... I wonder if I can con the hubby in to doing it, he has the day off!

Wishful thinking!

I have a few cover reveal posts planned for this week - four or five I think -  as well as a couple of blitzes, a few spotlight posts, and I should have three new reviews up too! better pull finger and finish writing those up lol!

The giveaway winners from last week are... all three bloggers that left a comment!! I'll be in contact soon to get postal addresses :)

There will be no giveaway this week, purely because I'm too busy to think of, and to arrange something!!

Hope you all have a great week - happy reading!

The week that was... and a giveaway!

So its been commented on that I haven't posted anything personal in recent months. And there has been a reason for that - I've only had doom and gloomy stuff going on in my world and who really wants to read about somebody elses woes - so we'll just avoid the personal stuff for now!

I've been trying to catch up on my reading pile and like everyone, mine is overflowing and threatening to consume me. I also tend to read the newer books first and longingly and guiltily sigh over the ones I keep skipping.

This week I read Mrs D is Going Without by Lotta Dann, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A really honest and insightful look at the usually unseen alcoholic, an everyday mum - look for the upcoming review!

I read four other books this past week, and although I didn't write any reviews to post on the blog, I did leave some brief thoughts on them at Goodreads, which you can check out here if you want...
 

Ryder by Jani Kay
Seizure by Erica Wagner 
Linked by Imogen Howson
Fallen Crest High by Tijan

 I was recently approached about reviewing for Simon & Schuster and I'm over the moon to now be receiving books from them - total buzz! My first couple of books arrived this week; The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss and Being Jade by Kate Belle.

I started reading Being Jade over the weekend and so far, I'm enjoying it a whole lot :)
Sign-ups opened this week for a Review Tour I'm hosting. Simon by V.A. Dold, is a paranormal romance and if you would like to join the tour and review it, we'd love to have you on board. Sign up link here.

Alternatively, you can check out all of the tours currently available to join with Book Chatter Promotions here.

And that's about all there is to report at the moment...

except to say GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

That's right, in celebration of my long awaited return to a more personalized blog post I have a small giveaway to share with you all! I asked my amazingly talented Miss 12 to make these gorgeous metal bookmarks and two winners will win one each (the 1st winner will get the bookmark of their choice and the 2nd will get the other)

 

So to enter, just leave me a comment
- and be sure to leave your email address -
a comment about absolutely anything! Say hi, ask a question, leave a link to your own blog (I'll pop over and say hi!), anything at all!

Giveaway will end this time next week :)
(Sunday evening NZ time)
(open internationally!)