the end of an era.

Hey there, guys.

As you’ve probably noticed, the blog is no longer active. For the foreseeable future, it will remain that way. Thank you to everyone over the years who has helped make this blog as fun and wonderful as it is. Was. Whatever. Thank you to all of the authors and publishers that I partnered with to bring great content and help introduce new books to new people.

Why am I closing the blog? Because I no longer, unfortunately, have the time or energy to keep the blog up. I barely have time to read in the numbers that I was before. Therefore, I feel it is kinder to everyone involved (including myself) to close things down.

I might be back one day.

 

Thanks for the memories.

usagi

October 9, 2016

The State of the Witch: November 2013 – The Future of the Blog

Hey, everyone.

Usagi here. As you’ve seen, Ashleigh’s gone her own way, and while I miss her, I agree it was for the best. I have neglected the blog, and all of my readers, and for that I truly apologize.

However, it’s not for lack of wanting to update…

 

…yeah, Deaton, I know. Here are my reasons why (in no particular order) things have been so slow:

1. I had three moves in three months – My grandmother’s, my own, and my mother’s – to deal with: This is rough, guys. Have you ever done that? Organized three full moves (one for one person going halfway across the continent) in three months? It’s not easy, especially when you’re trying to pack at the same time.

2. I have a non-freelance, real world job now: Since freelance translation seems to be drying up a bit, I needed income. So now I have a part-time (and some weeks, full-time depending on my schedule/hours) job in the real world. As someone who’s been out of the real world game for a few years, I’ve had more than a bit of a learning curve, and it’s frankly been really exhausting.

3. I’m also in a band now: I have no idea how I pretty much stumbled into this, but aside from logistics that need to be worked out, I’m really happy with it, and we’ll be doing our first live performance (originally scheduled for last Friday), as well as putting up our first EP on bandcamp soon. Look for more info when it comes down the line.

So, what does this mean for the blog?

1. Not-as-frequent updates: As you can clearly see. I don’t think this needs explanation as to why. However, I do think with a few more months under my belt at my new job, I’ll have a better sense of balance and try to get back to where I was in terms of updating pre-move.

2. Reviews will keep on comin’: Yep. Same with blog tours. I will fulfill all obligations that I have – it just may be some (reviews in particular) may be later than others.

3. Less memes: Yeah, guys, sorry. I’ll do some, but a lot of them? I’m just going to have to let go for right now until I get everything in order.

 

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I love each and every one of you. I’ll be announcing the winners of the “Champion” giveaway sometime early next week, so please look forward to that, as well as try to get some reviews in. In the meantime, if you could hang in there with me, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Much love,

Usagi

Exclusive! “Champion (Legend #3)” by Marie Lu – Trailer & Giveaway!

Hey, guys! Usagi here. Just thought I’d pass along this tidbit from Penguin Teen – the trailer for one of my favorite dystopian series in the last few years’ third book, “Legend”, is now out!

And best of all? We have a giveaway!

More details on that later. For now, here’s the trailer. I know I can’t wait for book three – how about you guys?

NICE. Seriously awesome trailer, there. I can’t wait to see what CBS Films does with the rights to “Legend”. Seriously, guys, at the edge of my seat here.

Now, for the extra fun part – the giveaway! Here are the details:

What you’ll win:

A poster with the redesigned cover for all three books, and three sets of temporary tattoos with those same designs!

Pretty sweet, amirite?

What do you have to do to get this?

1. Live in the US only. Sorry, guys, I have to mail these out myself – and even though I finally have a full-time job going on, the USPS is starting to get ridiculously expensive enough just doing domestic shipping.

2. Leave a comment, stating which book is your favorite, OR, what you’re looking forward to most within “Champion”! (Try to keep it spoiler free). Don’t forget to leave your contact info – name and email – when you do!

3. For an extra entry, retweet the following: RT @usagiko WIN A #CHAMPION PRIZE SET FROM @PENGUINTEEN & @MARIE_LU here! http://wp.me/p13UyI-34m. Don’t forget to link me to your retweet in your initial comment entry!

4. Wait for me to pick a person and win! I’ll be running this contest for awhile – I’m still waiting for materials to come in from Penguin itself – so maybe for a few weeks? I’ll keep you guys updated.

That’s it for now! I’ll be reviewing “Prodigy” soon, so look forward to that!

Cover Reveal!: “Rome (Marked Men #3)” by Jay Crownover – Puzzle Piece Reveal #2!

Here’s the second piece of the puzzle, guys!

And FYI, the last two puzzle pieces may all go up on Friday depending on when I have internet – since I’m moving today! (And internet may be spotty because of that.) Wish me luck, and look forward the rest of the cover soon!

Breaking News: Hiatus Extension

Hey everyone!

Usagi here. Guess what? Since my move is scheduled for Wednesday, we’re going to have to extend hiatus til mid-September. I know, I know, but I need to get resettled, and Ashleigh is currently juggling her classes/working ahead so she won’t be behind after staying the weekend with a couple bloggy friends, so real life is going to have to take the wheel for awhile until we get things together. And blogging will have to be the small child kicking the backs of our seats in that car.

BUT! We have some exciting things going on…

…including:

1. We’re doing some cover reveals. I won’t tell you what they are, though. For now, they remain a mystery.

2. We’re on the blog tour for “Once We Were”, the second book in Kat Zhang’s awesome “Hybrid Chronicles” series! Both Ashleigh and I are over the moon about this.

3. Reviews will continue to go up as scheduled.

O-okay, then, dear reader. We’ll be back mid-month with fresh stuff for you!

Thanks in advance for your understanding.

Love,

Usagi & Ashleigh.

PS: Enjoy your our new layout whilst you wait.

HIATUS TIME!

OH GOD IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Hey everyone!

Usagi and Ashleigh here. Just letting you know that we’re on hiatus for the whole month of August. And maybe part of September too, not sure yet. Usagi is on vacation and moving (all at once!) and Ashleigh’s headed back to the salt mines, moving back to school herself. So, we badly need the break.

 

 

I know, I know, we miss us already too. But we’re going to come back stronger, more energized, and with more awesome content for everyone. In the meantime, we’ll still have scheduled reviews, a blog tour stop for “Weight of Souls” next Tuesday, and more, so the blog itself won’t completely be inactive. We just won’t be doing memes, or as many reviews.

 

 

.

Or, like Agent Coulson, you could just hold on the line and listen to our fascinating elevator music until we return.

So! If you miss us, and aren’t entirely sated by said above content, you can check out these kitten cams. And here’s one more for good measure. They’ll be just as entertaining as us, I promise. If not moreso. Usagi will be tweeting and instagramming her vacation – you can check for the links on the sidebar. Desert vacation, everyone! Let’s hope she doesn’t melt.

 

 

 

 

So we’ll see you in September. Or October. Whichever we decide on.

Love,

Usagi & Ashleigh

 

What’s on deck for BOANW – Summer 2013 edition

Lydia is Usagi’s ginger queen.

Hey, everyone!

Usagi and Ashleigh here. Thought we’d update you on what’s going on this summer for the blog.

1. HIATUS!: We’ll be gone for the month of August (Usagi’s off to Palm Desert the second week of August and Ashleigh’s back off to school in late August), but we’ll still have some great content for you (more on that later) and scheduled reviews that will go up as planned. There won’t be too many memes, sadly, but we need the break.

2. JULY ON THE BLOG: We’ve got a dual-review/review battle coming up for the blog tour stop for Hannah Jayne’s “Truly, Madly, Deadly”, as well as participating in YA LGBTQ month as sponsored by Once Upon a Bookcase. We’ll be doing a Afternoon Yak-like discussion of the upcoming trans-centric YA book, “Freakboy”, so look forward to that!

3. BLOG TOUR MANIA: As previously mentioned, we’re going to be on the blog tour for “Truly, Madly, Deadly”, but we’ll also be kicking off the tour for Amanda Sun’s excellent “Ink” on the 20th. We’ll also be hosting Bryony Pearce and her debut with Strange Chemistry, “The Weight of Souls”, in August. So definitely look forward to all of these tour stops!

4. MORE FEATURES: We’re working to put some more features in place, but it’s coming a bit slowly, so…be patient. We’ll also have a makeover coming soon, too.

SO, TL;DR:

HIATUS IN AUGUST

LGBTQ IN YA MONTH IN JULY

BLOG TOURS GALORE ALL SUMMER LONG!

CONSTRUCTION/NEW FEATURES ARE COMING

We love you guys, and thanks for being patient with us!

Love,

Usagi & Ashleigh ❤

Breaking News! BOANW Expands!

All these feels Stiles cannot hold.

Hey, everyone!

Great news! We here at BOANW are expanding – and you know what that means, right?

New co-bloggers!

Yes, Ashleigh Paige from The YA Kitten will be joining us as of next week to share her reviews and tag team with me on memes as well as have awesome review battles with me on the same books. We have a lot of new, fun content coming your way over the next few weeks, so please look forward to it!

Also, I’m going to be a bit MIA for the next week or so, because of friends coming home to visit, me going to see family, and Wondercon this weekend. I’ll try to fit in reviews as best as I can, but we’re also going to be transferring over Ashleigh’s stuff, and working on things along those lines, so we won’t completely be gone. Just an FYI for everyone.

Thanks for listening, and I hope you’re excited as I am about these wonderful new changes at the blog.

Love,

Usagi ❤

IMPORTANT! Regarding the “Goddess” blog tour!

Mei doing a faceplant in the rain. Yep, pretty much feels like that.

To everyone who was going to be on the “Goddess (Starcrossed #3)” blog tour –

Just got an email from Harper saying that they’re having to cancel it for now due to a mix up they couldn’t sort out. I’m pretty bummed about this, and I’m sorry that you guys won’t really be able to participate in it, either.

However, “Goddess” will still be out in late May, so be sure to check it out. I just got my copy this weekend, and I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but knowing Angelini and her previous work, it’s going to be awesome. I encourage everyone to read it anyway.

With love,

Usagi.

 

Upcoming stuff on the blog!

Lack of communication makes Derek sad.

Hey, everyone! I know I haven’t checked in for awhile, so I thought I’d do so with some exciting news on the interview, guest post, and blog tour front.

So, firstly, I’ve been tapped to do the blog tour for Josephine Angelini’s final book in the “Starcrossed” series, “Goddess”! I have three blogs so far participating, and I need seven more. If you’re a fan and would like to participate, leave a comment on this post for consideration.

EDIT – 21 March 2013 – We now have SIX blogs participating! FOUR MORE NEEDED!

Secondly, BOANW is on board for the “Zenn Scarlett” and “Furious” blog tours, which will be happening in May and April, respectively. You can look for two guest posts by each author on their books – and the results should be very interesting!

Thirdly, look for interviews with Laura Lam (“Pantomime”) and William Richter (“Dark Eyes”/”Tiger”) very soon. Probably within the next month or so. I plan to ask some hopefully interesting questions, so please stay tuned for that.

Finally, I’m going to Wondercon the last weekend in March, so the blog may be a bit quiet that week as I prep for it. I’m pretty excited, since I once again failed to get in for the lottery for SDCC, and though Wondercon is smaller, it still looks like it’s going to have a great lineup.

That’s all for now! More updates as they happen!

Love,

Usagi