**BOOK REVIEW** -- Captivated, An Affliction Novel by: D. Apodaca

CAPTIVATED, AN AFFLICTION NOVEL by: D. Apodaca

http://theafflictionseries.com/

Mindy Keenan couldn't shake the feeling that somehow...in a matter of moments...the boy she once knew was not the one standing before her.

After Mindy's childhood best friend, Dean Aiken, shuts her and everyone else out of his life, she learns to move on. Years pass and she gets used to the fact that he's no longer a part of her life, but things begin to change...

Mindy's new best friend, Markus Medina, witnesses Dean kill two people behind a club. Mindy has a hard time believing him, especially when he mentions that the bodies disappear. Poof! Into thin air. Markus decides he has to follow Dean around in order to get evidence that he's been killing people, so he doesn't sound like a nut to the police. Despite Marcus crazy theories about the possibility of Dean not being human. And not to mention the fact that he's dangerous. Mindy can't help that she may be falling in love with him.

Even after hiding their feelings for each other from the world. Dean and Mindy being together stirs up dangers that neither of them could ever imagine. When she finds out about what Dean really is and the world he tried to keep her away from...it's already too late

                                                          
          
                    REVIEW  

         I personally give this book :

I had never heard of this book until I came across it on facebook. I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but when it actually comes to books most of us do. The cover is what makes us pick it up in the first place. The cover of this book is mysterious, aside from the title and authors name, a beautiful face... which makes you want to find out what's awaiting you inside.

I was so curious to find out what this book was about that I got in contact with the author and asked to do a review. I didn't want to read anything about this book because I wanted to be surprised in case the author said yes I could review it. Obviously she did otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. :) I was so excited when she said yes and I finally got to read it!!! Not only is the book extraordinary, the author is as well!!! She was kind enough to let me review her book and keep in contact while awaiting my review. For me, I don't just enjoy a good book... I also enjoy a sweet author!!!

I myself wasn't expecting to get sucked in at the PROLOGUE but it happened!! I was completely sucked in!!! I started reading it one night after putting my little girl to bed and couldn't stop! I had to make myself put it down and even when I did I would pick it up and think to myself "one more chapter" eventually that turned into reading all but 4 before I really set it down at 7am to try and get some sleep! I was completely bewitched by this book, fully under it's spell!!!

This isn't your average "boy loves girl, girl loves boy and lets throw in some vampires" kinda story. There are so many twists and turns which makes you NEED to know what's gonna happen next. You can make guesses about who and what people are or who's the good guy and who's the bad guy, but you don't really know for sure until you read it.

The way this book made me actually feel when I read it was unique! When I read parts of the book that were about how Mindy felt about Dean it took me back. It was like I knew exactly what and how she felt. I knew the feeling of hoping that you see them in class or out and about. Doing things to "accidentally" run into them. Even sneaking looks through the corner of your eye just get a glimpse at them. The butterflies, the shyness, and the electricity. It was amazing!

All the characters in the book are wonderful! Some more mysterious than others but all in all I loved reading about each and every one of them, from Mindy's best friends to the bad guys, they were all truly remarkable!!

I have to admit though, the ending made me so mad because I didn't want it to stop on such an intense moment!!! It really leaves you wanting more!!! I CAN NOT wait until the next book!!! I have to know what happens!!

I really recommend this book to anyone who loves Young Adult books!!!! I loved it so much that I'm going to purchase it that way I have it on my bookshelf for whenever I want to read it!!!

This book will take you for a ride and you will LOVE every bit of it!! You will truly be CAPTIVATED!!!!!

You can purchase this book on her website http://theafflictionseries.com/ or you can purchase it from amazon http://amzn.to/islCq0

I'd also like to give a BIG THANK YOU to D. Apodaca for letting me do this review and for being such a sweet person!!

And with that I'll leave you with a little something straight from the book!!


I let out a huff and forced a smile. “You’re a vampire.” I stated.

Dean tilted his chin up and smiled. “I have no fangs.” He said through his teeth.

I examined the glistening white canines. They were normal, just like mine. “You retract them when you don’t need them.” I said.

Dean moved across the table and put his face up to mine. His mouth was a torturous breath away from my own. “Then why haven’t I sucked your blood Lina?” He whispered right before pressing his soft lips against mine. Then he inched towards my neck and lingered his lips on my pulse. His soft breathing tickled my skin and triggered a chill that shot up my spine. My blood jumped to a rush and began to throb for him. If he were a vampire, I swear I’d let him suck me. “Why aren’t I biting you right now?” He whispered. It took everything I had in me not to melt into the seat and land as a puddle on the ground.

The Raven and the Rose - 50 Followers GIVEAWAY!

Raven Rose @_Raven_Rose_  has passed 50 followers, therefore, she'll be doing FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! Congrats Raven Rose!!!!

                What's she giving away!?!

1 Lucky winner will be getting THIS!

To find out how to enter to win go to

http://ravenandtherose.blogspot.com/2011/05/50-followers-giveaway.html

Here's a list of what the winner will receive

1. Australia Backstage Beauty Kit (Compact containing 18 pressed shadows, 6 lip shades and 3 blushes.)
2. Face of Australia Lip Shine in Newcastle (website has swatches of all the colours).
3. Face of Australia Blush in Outback Primrose.
4. Face of Australia Eyeshadow in Lolite.
5. Face of Australia Eyeshadow in Quartz.
6. Face of Australia Mineral Lip Shine in Love Bite.
7. Savvy luxury eyeliner in Glitzy Gold.
8. Savvy luxury eyeliner in Glistening Green.
9. 5g Faerie highlighter from Lost in Makeupland.
10. Full size Blarney Stone LE eyeshadow from Meow Cosmetics.
11. Full size Skittering eyeshadow from Linnaeus Cosmetics.
12. Concrete Minerals samples: Lolita, Smut and Temptress.
13. Fyrinnae minis: Feline Familiars, Calavera Cupcakes, Madame and Eve's.
14. Evil Shades samples: Faerie Kisses, Day Dream blush.
15. High Voltage samples: Sif, Jaded Heart, Phantom Midnight, Eternal Serenity, Radio Waves, Instant Glamour, Rock Forever, Odin, Freyr, Loki, Valhalla

Jennifer Laurens *SURPRISE* giveaways!

Jennifer Laurens is doing *SURPRISE* giveaways via Twitter and Facebook!! She has 25 copies of A Season of Eden and 25 copies of Overprotected that she's giving away!! Go to her blog and find out more!! http://www.jenniferlaurens.blogspot.com/ If you'd like to see the trailers to both books just click below!!

            A Season of Eden - Book Trailer

               Overprotected - Book Trailer

Vamplets, Baby Vampyres. *REVIEW*

vamplets.com

vamplets.com

In today's society Vampires are IN!! Everywhere you turn there's something about Vampires. Television shows, movies, books, and even songs have all incorporated Vampires in some way! I can't go into a store and not see something that has to do with Vampires.

Vamplets are a collection of cute, and may I say mischievous, plush Vampire baby's.

So far there are only six of them, which include Lily Rose Shadowlyn, Midnight Mori, Evilyn Nocturna, Burton Creepson Jr., Cadaverson Nightshade, and Count Vlad Von Gloom.

Lily Rose Shadowlyn is 10 inches tall, she is well behaved and sweet but she also has a dark side. She loves hugs and Vampyre kisses.

Midnight Mori is 9.5 inches tall, she is bossy and aggressive. There is a trick to keeping her put or asleep.

Evilyn Nocturna is 8.5 inches tall, she has visionary powers which make her slightly off and a bit mad.

Burton Creepson Jr. is 8.5 inches tall, he's artistic, moody, dark and tormented. He loves to finger paint with blood.

Cadaverson Nightshade is 8-3/4 inches tall, he is an inventor and enjoys taking things apart to create new inventions.

Count Vlad Von Gloom is 8 inches tall, he is a descendant of Count Dracula. He is arrogant and fussy about his appearance.

I am proud to say that I have three of these little creatures of the night. I received three plush Baby Vampyres in the mail to review, along with a few buttons and three "blood" bottles to keep them satisfied. I was really surprised with these little bundles of darkness when they arrived, I had only seen them in person once before, but not out of the package. My Vamplets are the size that is advertised and look just like what I saw online, if not better, from the hair bows to the diapers. Each Vamplet has a different facial expression and eyes that vary from a light pink, a light green, and a light bluish gray. The material itself is soft and the doll is sewn together well. These dolls aren't just soft, they're durable. Which if you're getting one for a child you always look for durable. They can, so far, withstand a 3yr old, need I say more. Vamplets all come wearing a diaper, a "bad" bracelet, and hair accessories, from a spider, to bats, and lets not forget the skull bows, these are certainly one of a kind. The hair bows are soft as well as the doll, so there aren't any plastic pieces to worry about. The coffin that they come in, if you order them with it, is just cardboard but serves as a great resting place for them, plus it's cute. I find myself liking these dolls so much I'm hoping to purchase some more! The Shipping wasn't long at all it only took 3-4 business days. I seriously recommend Vamplets to anyone who has a bit of Vampire fever.

My 3yr old daughter loves them and their "blood" bottles. She wanted to show you all how much she loved them by taking pictures of her feeding her Vamplet. She has enjoyed playing Mommy to her very own little Vampyre Baby. I let her pick the one she liked the best and her favorite out of the three was Cadaverson Nightshade. She feeds him his "blood" and then puts him to bed in his coffin for the night before she goes herself. I feel that they are very suitable for children as well as adults. So parents don't shy away!

If you are a button fanatic, then here are what Vamplets has to offer! I myself LOVE buttons, especially these! Not only are they cute but they also have cute little sayings on them such as, "Caution I Bite" or "Got Blood" plus a few more. I would NOT recommend giving the buttons to children that are too young, in fact I recommend them for "tweens" and up, mostly because of the sharp point of the needle on the back which allows it to attach to things such as shirts, jackets, backpacks, purses, and etc. I do however recommend that you use parental supervision when it comes to using the buttons if the person using them is young. You don't want your little one's hurting themselves.

The "blood" bottle, that you have to purchase separately, is a disappearing bottle full of "blood" and capped off with a black baby bottle nipple. Turn them upside down and the "blood" is gone. These bottles, unlike the ones at most local stores that you buy for baby dolls with "milk" or "juice" inside them, are filled to the cap. Every "blood" bottle I received was full, not half full or almost full but not quite there, all three were FULL! That was something that REALLY impressed me!

Aside from the Vamplets, the "blood" bottles, and the buttons there are other items you can purchase online at vamplets.com. There are kids t's and onesies and women's t-shirts.

To make a purchase all you have to do is go to vamplets.com while your there you can enter the world of Vamplets if you dare or you can just shop. Enter the town of Gloomvania and see what awaits you. Visit the Town Hall and get your Vamplets Undead Certificate. Enter the Nursery and see them in action. Go to the Funeral Parlor to customize a coffin and tombstone for your Vamplet. Visit the Hall of Horrors and click on a picture to find out more about your Vamplet.



When you go to vamplets.com, after receiving your very own Vampyre Baby, be sure to log in and visit Town Hall to get your Undead Certificate for your Vamplet. All you have to do is remove your Vamplet from its packaging and on the tag under its diaper there will be a code that you enter on the certificate and you enter your name, or the owners if it's a child, then you can print it out.

When you order these Baby Vampyres from vamplets.com you have the choice to order them with or without their coffin. The price is a little higher if you order your Vamplet in the coffin, but it's so worth it!

If you go to vamplets.com and purchase over $35.00 you get FREE shipping. I myself DO NOT know if that's a permanent offer or just limited time. Don't miss out on getting one or more of these Vampyre Baby's or any other item!!!! They are a joy whether you choose to take it out of the package or not. Collect all six of them!! If you'd like to find out more about these little creatures of the night stop by vamplets.com to find prices, products, and more. Children have parental supervision before getting online.

I would like to thank vamplets.com for letting me review these items. I enjoyed doing it and I hope you enjoy my review.

(This site urges parents and guardians to participate in their children's online activities and use parental control or other web filtering technology to supervise children's access to the web.)