Author: Danielle Olson

Stories Unfolded | Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

~ Danielle Olson ~ 6 Comments

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I’m proud to say that I have been nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award by Safa from Books Over People.  Thank you so much Safa for nominating me.  It’s such and honor to be recognized by my fellow bloggers.

RULES OF THE AWARD

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
2. Put the award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions they’ve set you.
4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Nominate ten people.

QUESTIONS FOR ME

1. Which is your favorite book blog here? – I can’t say that I have a favorite, but I do visit two particular blogs quite often.  Those are Paris Baker’s Book Nook and Living Life With Joy.
2. If you could get any quote tattooed on your body, what would it be? – I don’t think I can answer this question because I wouldn’t get a tattoo. Needles scare me.  But I will share a quote from a book by my favorite author.  “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you forever” – Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook
3. Favourite author and why? – Nicholas Sparks is my all time favorite author.  I have to own a physical copy of all his books (one day I will get them all signed) and I tend to read his books within days.  I can’t wait for him to release a new one.  He writes romantic love stories and I’m a hopeless romantic.
4. First book you remember reading. – The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
5. Favourite OTP from a book. – Sorry, I’m not sure what OTP is and my brain is too fried to figure it out. Lol.
6. The book/series that made you fall in love with reading. – When I was young, I loved the Goosebumps series.  I think that’s where it all started.
7. Most over rated author/book in your opinion. – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
8. One book you regret having read. – Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
9. If you could forget one book to experience it all over again, which one would it be? – Any of the Nicholas Sparks books.
10. One book that changed your life. – I can’t really think of a book that changed my life.

MY NOMINEES

Paris Baker’s Book Nook

Living Life With Joy

Coffee n’ Notes

Franthebookie

Stephanie’s Book Reviews

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES

1. What did you do for the holidays?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What are you plans for New Years?
4. How many books do you want to read in 2015?
5. What’s your New Years Resolution?
6. What was your favorite book in 2014?
7. What’s the most recent book you purchased?
8. What’s your favorite beverage to drink while reading a book?
9. Where’s your favorite place to read a book?
10. Would you live in a bookstore if you could?

Upcoming Book Review | The In Between by Olivia Pierce

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

cover56558-medium“Tara Jenkins and Justin Westcroft used to be childhood BFFs. Now in high school, Justin’s a popular, all-star athlete, and Tara spends her days admiring him from afar. But when Tara saves Justin from nearly drowning in a freak accident, he’s unable to get her out of his mind. In no time at all, Tara and Justin fall deeply in love. And even though it’s only high school, they seem destined for a Happily Ever After.

Until tragedy strikes—and this time, Justin’s not so lucky. Tara passes through her days as a shell of her former self: Justin’s dead, but she can still feel his presence, and she can’t seem to let him go.

But there’s a reason for that, and it’s not just grief: Justin is In Between, and he’s still holding on.

They say that when someone saves you, you’re tied to them for life. But what about in the afterlife?”

Friday Finds | NetGalley

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope some of you got the day off like I did.  If not, I still hope you’re having a great day.

Well, it’s my last Friday Find of the year 2014 and I just can’t believe that there’s literally 5 days left until we ring in the new year.

For this week’s Friday Finds I wanted to shine the spotlight on a few of the books I recently got approved for on NetGalley.  You know I’m addicted to this site.

cover55355-medium“What if you could do it all over again?

Jennifer Wright is pretty sure her husband doesn’t love her anymore. She and Max used to be the perfect couple, but the pressures of work and kids have pulled them in opposite directions. Now , Jen is full of “what if” questions about whether her bland, suburban existence is all she was ever destined for.

When a terrible accident sends Jen into a coma, she is able to see what her life could have been if she had run off to Australia with the handsome, dangerous man she met on vacation, or if she had stayed with her workaholic college boyfriend. Would she ever have loved another child as much as she loves her daughters? Could she have become rich? More than anything, Jen wants to do the right thing for her family. But what she discovers may leave her with even more questions about the choices she made, and no easy answers about what to do next.”

***

cover54796-medium“Sometimes, the past can haunt you….

Eighteen years ago, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine’s best friend, Cassie Byers, disappeared, the third in a series of unsolved abductions. Only a macabre nursery rhyme was left at the scene, a nursery rhyme that claimed Evelyn was also an intended victim. Now, after all these years of silence, another girl has gone missing in South Carolina, and the Nursery Rhyme Killer is taking credit. But is Cassie’s abductor really back, or is there a copycat at work?

Sometimes, the past is best forgotten.…

Evelyn has waited eighteen years for a chance to investigate, but when she returns to Rose Bay, she finds a dark side to the seemingly idyllic town. As the place erupts in violence and the kidnapper strikes again, Evelyn knows this is her last chance. If she doesn’t figure out what happened to Cassie eighteen years ago, it may be Evelyn’s turn to vanish without a trace.”

What did you find this week? 

Feel free to post a link to your Friday Finds in the comments.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays Everyone!

This is a pretty awesome tree!

Not sure if my fiance would go for it. 

Stories Unfolded | The Jolly Blogger Award

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

christmas

To get you in the holiday spirit I wanted to share some exciting news!  I’ve been nominated by Coffee n’ Notes for The Jolly Blogger Award.  What a great way to start Christmas!

Thank you so much for the nomination Coffee n’ Notes!  I really appreciate my followers and how supportive they are of my blog.

THE JOLLY BLOGGER AWARD RULES

1. Answer the twelve questions that have been left for me

2. Create twelve new questions

3. Nominate ten lovely bloggers!

So here it goes:

QUESTIONS FOR ME

What is on your Christmas Wish list?

This year I didn’t really have a Christmas Wish List other than being able to spend time with my family.  I’ve been so busy with work and wedding planning that I haven’t been able to visit people close to me.  I will get to see everyone this Christmas and I can’t wait!

What would be the perfect Christmas?

Spending time with my family (there’s a theme here) and cuddling up next to my fiancé while we watch a Christmas movie together.

What’s your favorite winter make-up look?

I don’t really think about a particular “look” for the season in regards to my make-up.  I just wear what works with my complexion.  That’s usually a lot of neutral colors.

Do you believe in Santa?

No, but I don’t spoil it for others especially my youngest sister.  She’s 10 now and still believes in Santa.

What is your favorite Christmas food or drink?

I love my fiancé’s homemade hot chocolate.  He makes it right before we watch the Christmas carolers in our neighborhood.  It’s a big performance and yummy hot chocolate.

Will you be traveling for Christmas, if so where?

I will be travelling, but not far.  My dad’s house is only an hour away.

 Would you prefer Christmas with or without snow?

Without.  I really don’t like snow, but that’s because I can’t stand the cold.

Do you like eggnog?

Nope.  I’ve never liked eggnog, but I do have a funny story.  When my fiancé and I were hosting a Christmas party, he asked for me to start working on making eggnog while he picked up a few things.  Since I don’t like eggnog and never drink it, I didn’t really know what to expect when making it myself.  I followed my fiancé’s recipe exactly, but the recipe he found skipped a ton of steps and was even missing the main ingredient.  Needless to say, we didn’t serve eggnog at our party.

What is your favorite winter clothing?

Scarves.

Do you leave Santa cookies, if so who eats them?

I don’t recall leaving Santa cookies, but I’m sure my siblings and I did at some point.

What was the best gift you ever received?

I don’t think I can pinpoint just one gift, but obviously I love when I get books.

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

Dressing my baby sister up in her Christmas outfit and taking her to see Santa.

MY NOMINEES

Paris Baker’s Book Nook

Living Life With Joy

Books Over People

Friendly Bookworm

One More Page

Cleopatra Loves Books

Sand Between The Pages

MY QUESTIONS

Since it is Christmas Eve, I’m asking my nominees the same questions I was asked.  They are pretty great questions.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

WWW Wednesday | Dec. 24

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

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It’s that time of the week again when I participate in WWW Wednesdays hosted by Should Be Reading. Feel free to leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments.

To participate in WWW Wednesday, you need to answer three questions.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

CURRENTLY READING

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RECENTLY FINISHED READING

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WHAT I MIGHT READ NEXT

the storied life

Teaser Tuesdays | Dec. 23

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

teasertuesdays2014e

So, it’s been so busy the last few weeks.  I feel like I barely have time to breath.  I’ve also had serious blogging and reading withdrawal.

Here’s my Teaser Tuesday this week:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. It’s easy to participate. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

CURRENT READ | THE IN BETWEEN BY OLIVIA PIERCE

“I try to remember how I got here, but I have no recollection, just fragments.  I was at the quarry, my hand almost touching Tara’s, and then, and then…I was pulled away by something or someone I could not see, powerless against its force, yanked from what I wanted most”

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Monthly Review | November 2014

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

November and December have been my busiest months this year.  It’s busy season at work which means I have no social life and my wedding is coming up in four short months.  I can’t believe how time flies.  As they say, it’s better late than never right?  So, I wanted to share my recap of November.

BOOKS READ

Like I said, it’s been busy so I didn’t finish reading many books in November, but I’ve had time to read much more this month. Yay!

Unknown

CURRENTLY READING

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POSTS THIS MONTH

Here are my November posts (excluding my weekly Sunday Quotes) –

FOLLOWERS

My blog reached 200 followers in November.  I couldn’t be more grateful for those who take the time to read my opinions and stories about books.

Stories Unfolded Reaches 200 Followers!

SOCIAL MEDIA

I was officially brought in as the Social Media Chair for the Women’s National Book Association Los Angeles Chapter.  I’m so excited to be working with this amazing organization.

Exciting Announcement | Social Media Chair Position

I also shared the several ways you can follow Stories Unfolded on social media.

Stories Unfolded On Social Media

Teaser Tuesdays | Dec. 16

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

teasertuesdays2014e

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. It’s easy to participate. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

CURRENT READ | THE IN BETWEEN BY OLIVIA PIERCE

“The earth below us is far, far away and for those few perfect moments, suspended in the night sky, we are safe and untouchable.”

“When he speaks in class I listen intently as if the words contain a hidden code meant just for me, though he’s only every talking about whatever it is we’re reading.  Then again, I spend a good deal of time in my other classes wondering what he’s doing while we’re apart, anyway.”

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