Well.

Are you shocked? Be shocked.

It's come to my attention that I never actually offered an explanation for my disappearance. I've mentioned it a few times I'm twitter, but obviously not everyone is going to see that.

School is a killer. I swear it's slowly sucking away pieces of my soul. I'm lucky to get through a book a month lately, and I don't expect that's going to end until the summer. I just don't have time. I admire those of you in school who are still blogging, but I just can't do it.

Hopefully you'll all still be here when I come back. (Because I am. The blog will get a makeover before the summer starts and then I swear I'll be back in full swing. And I'll be better at this whole blogging thing.) My apologies for never actually explaining! Thanks for sticking around :)

~Zoey~

Final Farewell & Thank You's

Hey. Hey there.

I said I would be leaving before 2012. Well... I'm leaving the day after 2012 ended! Ha. That counts. I guess.

So, I've said this many times that I was leaving, but this is more of a thank you post.

First, I want to thank Zoey for inviting me in this world to join her. The time I've been blogging with her was amazing and unforgettable. She's been my friend since I was a little fetus on a site where I could share my writing. She's been incredible to blog with, to talk with, to laugh with.

Second, I want to thank all of the authors and publishers who have been so patient with me during this awkward transition out of here. Thank you for understanding I'm constantly busy and thank you for not blowing up at me when the review of the book wasn't posted until weeks after I was mailed a copy.

Thank you for actually giving me a chance to review your book(s). Thank you for going out of your way to mail me paperback copies and ebook versions of your stories. Thank you so much for making book reviewing fun.

Last, but certainly not least, thanks to all the commentators and followers of this blog. Thanks for not rejecting me when I first joined back in March. You welcomed me with open arms. And although there was one time that wasn't so fun to deal with on my review of a book, the majority of you understood where I was coming from. I may not know every one of you, but thanks for treating me like a friend anyways.

I guess this is it, luvs. I'm really, really, absolutely, positively leaving. I will miss this. I will miss blogging. But it's a new year and I'm ready to embrace a new me. This new me thinks it would be better to try going in a different direction, and I suppose you never really know what's out there until you try everything. I'll try it. Maybe I'll come back later. Maybe I won't. Who knows? Not me. And I think I like it like that.

I would leave saying "don't forget me", but my dear friend Augustus Waters is reminding me that the marks humans leave are too often scars. So I won't say "don't forget me".

Thanks for all the memories,
Megan

Combined Review: Dreams and Power (Grace Awakening 1 and 2)

Grace Awakening: Dreams and Power by Shawn L. Bird
Published April 27th, 2012 -- Lintusen Press

This is a paperback omnibus of both books in the series: Grace Awakening Dreams and Grace Awakening Power

Fourteen year old Grace doesn’t know it yet, but she’s been around for three thousand years waiting to fulfill her destiny to become one of the Three Graces of Greek Mythology. Forces are battling for her love, her body and her destiny. Now all she needs to do is survive the war.

In Awakening Dreams, Grace discovers the devotion of a love that has followed her through time. She also discovers the evil forces that are determined to destroy her life in Calgary. As she faces attacks and begins to find her own strength, Grace awakens to the other reality that her dreams reveal.

In Awakening Power, Grace has been sent to the Shuswap and must learn to live without her love’s physical presence in her life. As the attacks increase, Grace faces a battle to accept her destiny and to save the man she loves, their life together, and the joy, beauty and radiance that fuel all artistic endeavours in the world.

THIS IS MY FINAL REVIEW ON HERE. ERMAGERD.

I'll be honest, I saved this for the last review because I really enjoyed these two books. I figured I should leave on a happy note--actually, I'm debating on writing a final farewell post after this. Hmm. We'll have to see, won't we?

Anyways, Awakening Dreams, the first book, was totally great at the beginning. The characters were raw and real. I loved seeing things from Grace's perspective and I thought Ben was a complete swoon-worthy guy for her to fall for.

Everything was fantastic until the end. The end of the book was a major cliffhanger for me, and there really wasn't a resolution to the problem in the novel.

However, in the second book, Awakening Power, everything was fixed. Just when you thought, "Oh, hey, there's a slow part to this novel," Shawn throws something else unexpected in your face. I read the sequel in one sitting into the middle of the night. (Of course, I was exhausted in the morning, but it was worth it.) Again we find Grace being an awesome hero, and again we find Ben sweeping us off our feet. Hell-o hot stuff.

The ending was pieced together much better than the previous book. It was kind of sad to see all of it end. Let's face it, I wanted some more Ben. BUT! A third book will be arriving in Ben's POV called Grace Awakening Myth. Now that's something to talk about.

Overall: I would give the first book 2 stars, the second book 4, making these two round off at 3 stars. However, you don't have to read the first book to understand the second. (Honestly, I would just skip to the second book right away.)

To learn some more about these books and the incredible author, Miss Shawn L. Bird, hit this place up: http://shawnbird.com/

And this is the end of my final review on this blog. Toodles! ~Megan

Quick Update on My Departure~

So, this isn't how I thought it would turn out. I expected to pack my bags and be gone with this blog a month or so ago, but I can't officially "leave" unless Zoey returns. She's been MIA for months now, and to be quite honest, I don't know what to do. Every time I try to contact her, I don't get a response. (I don't blame her for any of this. I'm sure she's occupied with school and other things, like me.)

I have to come to the conclusion that I will be *officially* leaving before 2013 rolls around. I know I said "officially" before, but I can't wait around anymore. I will post my last review sometime in December.

If Zoey isn't back by then... well, I guess you won't a person blogging anymore. Until she returns, that is.

I've been thinking about this for a long time now, and it's time for me to move on. Zoey helped me realize this, back when we were talking in the summer.

This is definitely my second-to-last post.

~Megan