Larissa's Life In Italy - Part IV [The Vatican & Rome by Night]

Hey There Everyone!

My Trip to Rome is almost over. I have still a couple pretty full days to go though =) Yesterday we went to the Vatican. We didn't get to see the Sistine Chapel yet, but we will tomorrow =0)

I made a surprise Vlog for you guys too hehe, I hope you enjoy it =)

Here is me and mom in front of The Vatican Square =)))

This is the Vatican Church. It's very beautiful =)

Me and my dear stepdad! My second dad in my heart! =)

Ok, this is something really cool I'll try to explain with a couple pics. All around the Vatican Square there are these big pillars. If you look at them from anywhere there you see them like this, or close to this...

But, if you look at them on this spot:

You see them like this...

It looks like there is only one line of Pillars! How amazing is that??? It's architecture genius! =)))

After the Vatican we went to have dinner at a pretty happening little neighborhood...

I have to say, Dinner was freaking Delicious!!!

Parallel to the restaurant's street is the River that crosses Rome...

It was so beautiful at night! and The moon was unbelievable! =)

Last but not least, check out bellow the Special Vlog I made for you all... With a special Cameo by Lore LMAO...

Don't Forget to enter My International Giveaway with Dakota Cassidy!

It ends Feb. 4th!

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!


xoxo,

Larissa's Life In Italy - Part III [My Kind of Church] & Some extras =)

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is doing well today =) First and foremost I'd like to say Thank you to every single one of my followers for being here. I passed 300 followers in the past couple days and I appreciate you all. I will be having a 300 follower giveaway soon. So, stay tuned for that!

The "Accidental Giveaway" w/ Dakota Cassidy is still going on and you can enter it HERE. This giveaway will go on until Feb. 4th.

Now, as you guys know, Im still in Italy. I haven't posted anything because I have been so tired. But, today I want to share some pics of the past couple of days. I was going to share a Vlog showing off the view from the Nunnery's roof, but it didn't work out LOL I went there and recorded it, but my mom pressed the wrong button =( I will make that Vlog this weekend, i promise.

The past couple days have been basically dedicated to shopping and eating! YAY! It's been tons of fun and here are some pics...

Check out the Blues Brothers graffiti in one of Rome's subway lines. I though it was pretty cool!

This is my Mommy and my Stepdad. Aren't they cute??

Bellow is the Via del Corso... An awesome shopping street. There are no malls in Rome, at all, so this is the next nest thing =)

First stop...

oh wait! What is that next door to H&M??

OMG! Im in heaven! =)))

I got tired of walking and decided to hang out with Lore at a cafe for a while...

well, I finished reading him, so I moved on to a hot Wolf names Cameron... Yummy!

Then it was time for some more worshiping I meant Shopping hehe...

Next it was time for some lunch. But not only some lunch, one of the best ever! Have you ever had Fettuccine Alfredo?? This is the restaurant where it was created...

There are tons of pics with celebrities, old and new, on all the walls inside =)

The food was Delicious!

I had some Carpaccio too. I LOVE carpaccio!

Yesterday my stepdad had to travel to portugal for a meeting. So, it was just me and mom. We went shopping in the morning and had lunch in a very tasty Trattoria...

I had a steak:

and an awesome Lasagna...

Mama had some Gnochi!

We came home early and I took some time to read and rest my feet. I slept really early and today we are planning to go to the Vatican. Im so going to take some smut and take a pic there LOL

That's it for now! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Don't Forget to enter My International Giveaway with Dakota Cassidy!

It ends Feb. 4th!

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!

xoxo,

Lala's Book Corner Presents: Author Interview & Giveaway w/ Dakota Cassidy

Hey Everyone!


I am so happy to have Dakota here today! I am a huge fan of the Accidental Friends Series (you can check out my review here) and I just can't wait for my copy of the 4th Book, Accidentally Demonic, to arrive =)


Me and Dakota will also be giving away a couple of books! Check out the Giveaway details at the bottom!

**The Giveaway is over! Thanks for all the support! 

Results will be up tomorrow!! =0)))**

Enjoy...

When did you first start writing?
 - I began in late 2003 after reviewing for an online review site. No, I haven't done this all my life and it wasn't my dream until it happened. I know. You're astonished. LOL


What is your favorite part of the writing process?
- Definitely 50K on. I'm all gung ho for the first 20K then things go downhill for me because by that point, I've typically written myself into a corner and I can't get the hell out. Tee hee.

Have you always been interested in Romance?

- I've read romance since I snuck my mother's category HQ's when I was 13 or 14 and they were all still mostly set in England or Scotland. Never once considered writing it or even dreamed about writing it, though :)

What about in the Paranormal?

- That didn't happen for me until I found e-books. It opened a whole new genre to me I didn't know existed, believe it or not. I'd never heard of people like Nina Bangs and Christine Feehan. After finding the genre, it was so on. Like on. LOL

Why writing Paranormal Romance?

- I found when I read some of those paranormals I'd ask some questions like--Why's it so awful to be a vampire? What IF you were a vampire who was allergic to blood? What IF you were a werewolf and while you were out roaming around doing your shifting thing, some dog-catcher caught you and threw you in the pound?  The paranormal had no limitations on my crazy :)

Were there any Books, Movies or Writers that have inspired you?
- Definitely writers--Nina Bangs for one. She has the craziest take on things and after reading her, it inspired me to consider I wasn't as nuts as I thought. So I began spewing my nutty thoughts out loud instead of just thinking them while I rocked in a dark corner of a room :)

What is your favorite subject in the Paranormal Romance Realm?
- If you mean which type of shifter I prefer, I can't choose. I love them all and they all have the potential to be taken to a whole new level :)

The sex scenes in your books are amazingly hot. Where do you get your inspiration?
- LOL. Trust me when I tell you, I'm nowhere near as hot as it can get, but before I was NY pubbed, I was e-pubbed in erotic romances. I learned a great deal from writing those books :)

Do you find it hard to write them?

- It depends. Sometimes, if my head's been off and deep in a scene prior to writing one, yes, I have difficulty transitioning. However, I just type in INSERT SEX here and go back to it when I'm in a different space :)

Favorites:

Favorite Paranormal themed Movie?

- I know you want me to say Twilight... LOL. I haven't seen it. Don't shoot :) I'd have to say, I dunno, but I can tell you, I just saw Jennifer's Body and Jennifer, the demon, was a frickin' riot. Her dialogue was super snarky :)

Favorite Paranormal themed TV Show?
- OMG--I lurved, lurved, lurved Moonlight. That they took that off still chaps my ass--that and Eastwick. Sigh :) Oh, and I lubs me some Fringe.

Favorite Paranormal themed book?

- Oh, no. I can't choose because their are so many. I love what I'm reading at the time, be it werewolves or vamps, demons, trolls. I love it ALL. I want to read it all. I want to write it all.

Favorite Author?

- Again, can't choose, but I can name names. Mark Henry (who's technically UF, but a frickin' comedic genius), Jaye Wells-kick ass assasin vamps, Nicole Peeler--selkies, people and she writes like a dream--Michele Bardsley--vampire soccer moms and the like--a total riot. Karen Rose--serial killers! Woot. Love serial killers--well, in books... Nina Bangs--has the mind of a genius when it comes to shaking up the tradition of paranormals. Also, and certainly super high on my list, Stephen King and Dean Koontz. There's nothing like a Koontz/King batch of books.

Favorite Paranormal Romance Author?

- See above. I. Will. Not. Choose. LOL

Favorite one of your own Books?

- OMG--all these decisions. Can't choose. Each one's like a kid--different and unique. But I have to say, I loved writing Nina in Accidentally Dead. She's got no filter. None :) It's freeing to just say whatever you want and slap the label "It's my opinion" on it :)

Who is your favorite of your own characters?

- Again, can't choose. They all have a reason behind my creation and when I'm in the middle of writing them, they're who I love most at the time :) Which makes me fickle, huh?

Which was the hardest to write?

-Wanda in The Accidental Human. 

Why?

- That was a really emotional book due to her predicament. But it was only tough in that, I had to keep a balance of funny and emotional going. THAT was exhausting :) Delaney in Kiss and Hell was tough because the plot had so much going on, and her predecessor, Marcella in My Way to Hell was work, too. Again, because the plots were so twisty. I kept tripping over holes I had to go back and fill in a domino effect kinda way. Work, I say. LOL

What would you be if not a writer?

- Oh, for sure a supermodel--or maybe I'd be touring Vegas with Barry Manilow. Or not. LOL. I was a housewife for 19 years before I was downgraded, and I didn't work. So I had no skillz when I found myself a single parent. I'd just begun writing, and thankfully, I got crazy lucky and it turned into a career--or I'd be in the local homeless shelter as I type :)

Quickies:

Coffee or Tea? 

- Coffee

Up or Down?

- Up if we're talking my bank account--down if we're talking a nap. I could use a nap and I'd like to be lying down when I take it as opposed to vertical against some wall or in my office chair :)

Virtual or Real?

- Ohhhh, that has so many connotations. Real if we're talking sex (snort), virtual if we're talking seeing the gynecologist :)

Right or Left?

- I'm directionally challenged... We'll end up in Boise if you let me drive :)

Vampires or Werewolves?

- Both :) Go on, call me wishy-washy.

Angels or Demons?

- Both--see wishy-washy :)

Reading or Writing?

- Both, but if someone put a gun to my head I'd choose--writing :)

Any plans for more Accidental Friends Series?

- Oh, sure. I have loads of plans. We just have to see if they coincide with what my agent and editor have planned. LOL

What is coming up next for you?
- Another paranormal, then the last in the contemp series. Then the sequel to My Way to Hell releases in July. The Accidental comes out in mass market in August, and FINALLY, the release of Suck it up, Princess in December. I'm whooped. LOL

What are you working on right now?
- Well, right now I'm working on finagling a way to pay for botox. LOLLOL. Actually, I'm on to another accidental. I know, the nutty never ends, eh? LOL

Do you have any advice or tip to those like me that want to become a published Author someday?
- Write, write, write. Ask questions. Read. Listen. Shut. Up. LOL. Seriously, learn from the people who crit you. Be willing to take criticism because it isn't just about being published. Once you are, the whole world has a chance to take a shot at you. Having a good, constructive critique of your work will prep you for the pain to come, because seriously, not everyone's going to love you. You have to be able to let the harsh words go and focus on your goal--which is to write, write, write. Wow, I just went full circle, huh? LOL

Anything you would like to say to your fans out there?
- Bless each and every 12 of you. You bakers dozen seriously rock. LOLLOL. I'm kidding. I've been very fortunate in that the accidentals have opened doors for me in other genres and allowed me to write various characters in another series because people bought them. I can't tell you how grateful and blessed I am to do this for a living, and that's due mostly to the fab fans who buy my books :)

Thank you so much for being here today, Dakota!

and Now to the Giveaway!

There will be two winners in this giveaway!

1st Place - Any Book of your choice (mass market/trade paperback) that is already out or can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

2nd Place - A Copy of Accidentally Demonic by Dakota Cassidy

This Giveaway is International!

**For the 2nd Place, you need to be located in a country where Book Depository delivers to!

To enter:

Just a leave a comment on this post about Dakota's Interview.

That's all!

ok, ok... You want some extra entries??

+5 - Blog Follower (old/new)

+3 - Twitter Follower (@larissa_sarah)

+3 - Dakota's Twitter Follower (@DakotaCassidy)

This Giveaway will End on February 4th!

Good Luck!






Don't Forget, You can leave YOUR questions for Dakota in the comments (Only today!)!

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!

xoxo,

Larissa's Life In Italy - Part II [The Coliseum]

Hey Everyone! Day 2 in Rome is over and I have to say it was pretty cool! I have a few pics I want to share with you =))


So, we left without a set schedule in the morning. First place we went was The Basilica Sao Paolo. I'm not really into churches, but it was really beautiful.


We went all around Rome by subway today.Crossing the street on the way to our first destination I ran across the picture bellow. Can you spot what is "WRONG" with this picture???

A billboard about fighting Eating disorders, right next to a McD's??? How cruel! LMAO!


Next, I ran into Mr. Bean's car! Check it out:

I wish he had been around though =P


I won't bore you with church pics, but how about one of me and "Lore" in the church??

We had to behave though. It WAS a church after all! =)


Here is a peek of me and my mommy together. I look so much like her...

By the time we were done there, it was lunch time. 

Hmmmm that pizza was sooo Yummy! hehe.


Next stop? The Coliseum. It was so awesome! It was pretty cold and windy, but it was real fun!

Check out the Roman Guards:

They weren't Hot, at all, though. =/ However, I still had "Lore" to keep me company...

So, it was all good LOL


Now, I'd like to share with you a special Vlog I recorded today. I hope you guys enjoy it!






That's it for today folks!


I'll have more tomorrow =)


Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!


xoxo,

Larissa's Life In Italy - Part I [The Journey]

Hey Everyone! While in Rome, I'll try and share with you guys some of my experiences. Being that with an account of the day's events, pictures or a Vlog. I hope you enjoy!

My flight was scheduled for 6am on Tuesday morning and off I went to the airport at 2am. Yes, I was being paranoid, not much I can do about that. But in fact, I wanted some time to cool, shop and eat before I had to get on the plane and it ended up working out.

I got my ticket from EL AL, an Israeli airline. I got to the airport and went straight to the first check in area I saw. In hindsight, I should have checked the airline it belong to, but I saw "Alitalia" I thought I had made a mistake and that was where my ticket was from. Who was I kidding? I just didn't want to be wrong, that's all. Oh well, 1h in line later the check in woman asks me if Im sure Im Alitalia, then I have to come to grips with the fact that I was an Idiot!

There me and my dad went, all across the whole Check in area to find the right counters. When se got ther, the line was huge, but I ended up explaining what had happened and they cut me a brake, so it all worked out in about 10min.

By then it was 3:30am and I was starving and made my way to McD's for a middle of the night snack =) Tummy satisfied, I got a couple extra gifts for mom and stepdad and made my way to my gate. My feet were in so much pain that I was "jumping" with joy when I found a chair I could actually rest a bit in.

While waiting I read a bit of "Soulless" but to be honest that book's grip on me is not so great... Boarding time and Im happy it went really quick. Got int the plane pretty fast and waited to see who my traveling companions were going to be. Tons of people boarding, some cute guys passing by and of course, I get stuck with two fugly old guys LOL Oh well, I did have "Lore" to keep me company, so I started reading "Ecstasy Unveiled" hehe.

"The Informant" with Matt Damon was playing, but I didn't get into it and stuck with my book. Breakfast time arrived and I was so thirsty I downed the glass of water it came with in a second. I usually love airplane food, but this time, it was awful =( I was still thirsty and kept asking for water with no result whatsoever. The guy sitting next to me didn't eat and slept the whole time, by the time they were taking away the trays I acted on an impulse and stole his water LOL I am soooo not sorry for that!

Finally, after 4 hours I arrived in Italy and the first think I see written outside? "Emporio Armany"! I Cracked up and people looked at me like I was crazy. No arguments there really. Still in pain I made my way to the baggage claim and almost got lost, got my bag and at the exit I couldn't find my stepdad's sister at all. Mom and Stepdad were to arrive about 2 hours after me. I stood there for like 1h, my legs almost collapsed and I finally realize there is a second exit close by, and there she was o_O

It was sort of cool to do some people watching and listening Italian all around me. I ended up overhearing a group of Brazilians, but I didn't talk to them hehe.

A lot of delays later and Mom arrived about 3hours later. It was so emotional, great hugs and a lot of happy tears =)

We got to the convent we are staying pretty quick and went straight to have lunch with the nuns. Such sweet ladies, all of them are Spanish, so the language is not a problem. Beautiful place with an amazing view I'll show you guys soon!

Not much happened today, but it was tiring nonetheless! I'll try and make a Vlog from here tomorrow during the day for you guys.

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!


xoxo,

I've Got Mail [#3]

Hey guys! Yeah I know, another post today?? I just couldn't help it hehe

I wanted to say goodbye for now and also, I just got a load of books in the mail and wanted to share them with you guys! YAY!

This is my first "I've got mail" Vlog and I hope you enjoy it!!





Books mentioned are:

For Review

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

you can find my review here.

eBooks for Review

Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry

Road Trip of The Living Dead by Mark Henry

Battle of The Network Zombies by Mark Henry

The Sin Eater's Prince by Keta Diablo

Lucas by Eliza Gayle

Books Bought

Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper

Sookie Stackhouse Box Set of Books 1-8 by Charlaine Harris

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

Firespell by Chloe Neill

Legend of the White Wolf by Terry Spear

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Book Won

Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione (From the author.signed)

Thanks for tuning in and I hope I'll see you very soon!


xoxo,

Lala's Book Corner: Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

"When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . . "

From Goodreads.


I had heard so much about this book that I just had to get it. I actually finished it at the end of  December, but it has taken me a while to sit down and actually write down a review. I kept asking myself why, since I actually really enjoyed this book, and the only answer I came up with is that I don't think I have much to say about it.


"Three days of dead" is a great addition to the Urban Fantasy genre. It's smart, fun, full of action and quite touching at times. It doesn't reinvent the genre, but it does put a new spin on an old tale.


Evangeline is an awesome heroine and plenty lovable. Her plea definitely strummed my heart strings . She finds herself in an awful situation and it just gets worse. How would you deal in knowing that the people you thought you could trust have betrayed you and not only that, that the ones who haven't betrayed you, believe you are the back stabber?


There is no easy way to deal and Evy doesn't have much time to get things right. She dies, was brought back and has no idea why. Wyatt, her ex-boss, is the only person she can trust and there is something about him that she is quite sure she should remember.


I loved Evy and Wyatt together. Wyatt is a great character, strong and loyal. Their relationship is something I loved to see the development. It was not easy, but in my opinion they work so well together that I just couldn't wait to see if something would actually happen between them.


All in all, Three Days to Dead is a great book and I thoroughly recommend it to any UF fan out there. I have already pre-ordered my copy of book two and I just can't wait for it =)

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!


xoxo,

Lala's Book Corner: World of Lupi Series (Books 1 - 5) by Eileen Wilks

"National bestselling author Eileen Wilks draws readers into a bold new world where the magical and mundane co-exist in an uneasy alliance--and a cop balanced on her own knife-edged struggle is their only hope against a cold-blooded killer. 

Lily Yu is a San Diego police detective investigating a series of grisly murders that appear to be the work of a werewolf. To hunt down the killer, she must infiltrate the clans. Only one man can help her - a werewolf named Rule Turner, a prince of the lupi, whose charismatic presence disturbs Lily. Rule has his own reasons for helping the investigation - reasons he doesn't want to share with Lily. Logic and horror demand she keep her distance, but the attraction between them is immediate and devastating - and beyond human reason. Now in a race to fend off evil, Lily finds herself in uncharted territory, tested as never before, and, at her back, a man she's not sure she can trust..."

From Goodreads (blurb from Book 1)

I found this series a while back and just fell in love with it. I never hear much about it from other book bloggers and that is such a shame.

In the World of Lupi, humans know of the existence on supernatural beings and have known for a while. Of course, not all is told, there are a lot of secrets and a lot of prejudice.

Rule is a Lupus Garou, a werewolf and Lily, a Police Detective with the power to sense the power of other supernaturals, are thrown together by chance and tragedy and  find in each other much more.

The World of Lupi books are full of action and mystery. The Books' plots are extremely griping and great to follow. Rule and Lily's relationship is pretty awesome and they are one of my favorite Book couples out there.

Rule and Lily grow a lot from book 1 until book and it is great fun to follow their growth. The secondary characters like Cullen and Cynna bring a lot to the table and they even get their on time in the spotlight in book 4, Night Season. It's not my favorite book in the series, but I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm sorry for such a short review, but I really wanted to keep it spoiler free hehe =)

I give this series 4/5 Loveys!

The 6th book in the series, "Blood Magic", is coming out Feb. 2nd and I can't wait!

To celebrate the release... 

The Author of the World of Lupi series, Eileen Wilks, will stop by for an interview on Feb. 5th. Stay Tuned! =)

Thanks you for tuning in and I'll see you soon!

xoxo,