Time for a much needed UPDATE!

Hello to everyone who still follows, stops by blog, reads the posts, authors who still reach out for spotlights and review requests...

I must say I am terribly sorry for disappearing once again. It was probably this time of the year, last year, where I started to drift off. I was having a tough time getting into books and lost interest for awhile. It's not anyone's fault, I think I just forgot why I loved to read and ended up stopping for awhile.

When the 2014 rolled around, I decided I wanted to get back into the blogging world after being gone for a couple of months. It was obvious that I wasn't into it 100%, and it can be seen by the amount of posts I had. But I tried to juggle reading and blogging and reviewing all the while dealing with my final semester in university. I got pretty steady with playing catch up reading and reviews around February and March.

It wasn't until the end of March when things started to get bad in my personal life. My dad had a stroke which led him to be immobile on his left side. The stress of his stroke and of school had me in the hospital for a day. While my dad was in the hospital recovering, I was arranging my International Experience to study abroad for a week during spring break. It couldn't be held off since I needed to go to graduate in May. So I had to leave for Germany while I left my dad in the care of a rehab center so he could gain the strength back on his left side.

I had a great time in Germany, met new people, and saw new sites. It was an adventure I never even dreamed I would have ever had the chance to experience. So because of my dad's condition, the school and my Germany trip, reading and blogging took a back slide. I tried to read a bit here and there, but when your mind was elsewhere, it was hard. Coming back from Germany was still a struggle. My dad wanted to go home, I still had final exams and graduation to worry about. But my dad recovered immensely and he still continued to recover today.

When graduation hit, I felt accomplished. Like another chapter in my life has finished. I hoped that over the summer I would catch up with all my unread review books and I was starting to. It was a slow process. I was enjoying being school free while I took care of my dad since he was finally able to come home from the center a few days before I graduated. He sadly, couldn't come to my graduation, but that's all in the past and I have moved on from it.

It was until the end of June and beginning of July hit that I needed to get a job. My boyfriend applied me, I got an interview and I got hired. It's my first job. I know...23 years old and you only had a job now? Crazy right?! My dad was adamant of me not getting a job and focusing on school until I got my coveted degree in Health Science. So I knew that I didn't have the experience yet to go after a job under my degree. I thought working wouldn't take up so much of my time. I thought other bloggers had college and jobs and blogged too, so maybe I could do it too. I wasn't entirely wrong. I thought I could do it, but I didn't realize how tired I was all the time.

I still am tired all the time. I've been working at Subway as a Sandwich Artist since July. It's not exactly a hard job, but it's not easy either. The schedules are mixed up so one day I work in the morning, the next maybe in the afternoon, and then maybe again in the morning the next day, and maybe the next day I'm closing the store. I know it's a lame excuse to say that that I'm tired, that I don't have the time or energy. I'm working on it. I'm still reading. I've been writing reviews here and there, I just haven't had the energy to actually make a blog post.

I am behind on reading and reviewing and posting, but I found that being away from the blog has left me to enjoy the easy pace of reading. Of being able to draw out a book for a long period or read it in a day if I can and not worry about taking notes, or reviewing or blog posts. But I also have missed being involved. Being able to chat with bloggers and authors about books. I missed being up to date on the latest books and adding them on my TBR/wish list.

With all that, I'm not quite sure when I'll be truly back. Just know that I will be popping up here and there. For now, I'm closing my review requests. I'll be on twitter more, I promise. And again, I am sorry for being MIA, a lot. I appreciate those who still follow me and come by and talk to me on twitter. You guys are great and you'll always be the reason for coming back.

If you guys don't mind, send me some recommendations I may have missed out on! Love you guys xoxo

#EthansLegion: ReVamped Relay Update

Hi #EthansLegion members! Ren and I are super thrilled and excited to have all of you on board for the ReVamped Relay! I'm sure we're all going to have such a fun and fabulous time reading and discussing ReVamped! I really loved ReVamped and I hope each and every one of you do too! 

I'm giving you guys this update because I finally got the copy of ReVamped that we're going to pass along with 20 or so bookplates that have been signed by Ada Adams, herself! 

Each member, as of today, will receive a signed bookplate! The line up for the book to be passed along will go like this (list is subject to change):

1. Gianna B.
2. Yarethzia P.
3. Mickey R. 
4. Bridget H.
5. Racquel N.
6. Jessica B.
7. Amanda Marie
8. April A. 
9. Geri M.
10. Bailey P.
11. Jill K. 

So far that is the line up. I'm waiting for Ada's go before I ship the book to Gianna. Once I get the go ahead, I will contact each and everyone of you via email letting you know the relay has officially begun. 

Remember, this is a relay and we're trying to get the book to each and every one of you while still gaining more readers and spreading the book across the country. I don't know how fast you guys read or if you have time in your schedules (since things happen, right?) so I do not want to force you guys to read the book in a day or whatever. I want you to take your time. No matter what, each and every one of you will get a chance to read the book whether it be this round of the relay or the next.

When receiving the book, please contact me or Ren via

Twitter: @xjessirae or @rensrambles 

or Email us at revampedrelay@gmail.com with #EthansLegion as the subject line.

Also, you may write a message within the book as long as you do not write it on actual print of the book and as long as it is not inappropriate. I encourage you to write your thoughts or messages to Ada or to the following team members and readers who will see it. I will be writing a message as well  :) <3

Once you finish reading ReVamped, please fill out this FORM. 

Make sure you have posted your review on either your Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Amazon/B&N/Goodreads account. Just one link is needed.

Just in case you guys read like lightning, we may finish early, right? Thats why I wish for you guys to pass the book within your hometown/state that way we get more readers (and points) added. I've said this before: the reader does not need to be a book blogger, just a a dedicated reader so you can definitely pass the book to your mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, and friends. You are responsible for  letting them know the rules after reading ReVamped and how they must post their review. If the person you pass the book to doesn't have a means of posting a review, you must post the review for them in order for their points to count for our team.

To Do This:

All you have to do is get their review/opinion and email the following information to revampedrelay@gmail.com:

Your Name, Name of Person You Passed the Book to, Their Location (city&state),  Their Review provided by You. 

(Ex: Ren W., Jessirae L., San Diego, CA,  Review or Review Link).

If you do not wish to post the person's review on your accounts, Ren or I will post the review on Twitter so the points will count for our team.

If your family member/friend or whoever would like signed bookplate, please email me (same email address above) with the address on where to send it, whether it's yours or theirs. 

I ask of you guys to please keep track of the book if you are passing it to a family member/friend or other. You will be responsible for passing the book along after them to a Team Member listed above. We are all on an honor code, so please please please pass the book along. It is a privilege for us to be able to read ReVamped in this manner :)

Ren and I truly thank you for joining us during the ReVamped Relay! We hope you have a fun time and enjoy the book. Also, we hope during this relay you get a chance to connect with us and other team members! 

I'll be emailing a link to this post along with the direct link to the #EthansLegion Check In Form so you don't need to find this post later when the ReVamped Relay has begun.