*Jen received a free copy of The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay via Netgalley.com. The opinions expressed are her own and were not influenced by the method in which she received the book.

Every word in this book is a thing of beauty. There isn’t a single piece of fluff to be found. It all pulls together. It all means something. It’s an exquisite story that deserves the hype surrounding it. I avoided finishing the last 2 chapters because I didn’t want it to end. My only complaint is that I waited so long to read it. I could kick myself for not listening when people told me how good it was. Don’t make the same mistake I did. If you haven’t read The Sea of Tranquility (TSoT) yet, you are missing out on a beautiful book that captures you from Prologue to the very last words.

“I hate my left hand. I hate to look at it. I hate it when it stutters and trembles and reminds me that my identity is gone. But I look at it anyway; because it also reminds me that I’m going to find the boy who took everything from me. I’m going to kill the boy who killed me, and when I kill him, I’m going to do it with my left hand.”

Goosebumps. The hair on my arms stood up and I got the chills when I read that opening paragraph. I was hooked, instantly obsessed with figuring out what trauma 17 year old Nastya Kashnikov had endured. What happened to her? Why is she so broken? Her thoughts are so dark and heavy they weighed on my soul. The story is told in first person, which allows you to live inside the damaged thoughts in her brain. This will likely cause you to shed some tears and chuckle at her dark sense of humor. How she can be funny and so broken amazes me. It gave me hope that there was hope for her to get her second chance.

Josh Bennett’s life didn’t start off crappy. Happy kid, happy family. It didn’t take the turn to “lets beat Josh Bennett with the crap stick” road until he was 8 years old. And the damn stick kept coming back to beat him again and again. Josh is alone. He’s a 17 year old kid with no family. Everyone is gone. Now he just wants to be alone because it’s easier for him. TSoT is also told from Josh’s point of view. It’s not a happy place to be.

Nastya feels a connection to Josh. A connection Josh doesn’t want or need. But Nastya won’t go away. She just shows up where she’s not wanted and makes herself at home. She basically inserts herself into Josh’s life and he has no say in the matter. As their friendship evolves, Josh realizes the secrets that Nastya keeps are so deep and scary, he’s not sure he wants to know what they are.

“I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.”

I don’t know what I was expecting from this book but it definitely wasn’t what I got. It’s a beautiful, tragic, emotional, eloquent piece of work that you don’t want to miss. The Sea of Tranquility is easily one of the best books of 2013.

Get your copy of The Sea of Tranquility here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Follow Katja Millay on Facebook:

Katja Millay Author

About the Author:

Jen loves to read. She can’t stop herself. It’s become an obsession. She is in love with her husband, kids, iced coffee and books. Jen lives in beautiful Colorado but is originally from the West Coast.

jen@imperfectwomen.com

Welcome to the Comment Starter Giveaway!

Organized by: Baby Costcutters and Mom to Bed by 8

This giveaway is special!!! There are no pages to “like” or “follow”. As bloggers we like to have conversations with our readers….this is just a way to get the conversation started.

 Imperfect Women has so many great posts to comment on and we hope you check them all out. You will find great articles on recipes, great books, gardening,current events, style and so much more. Please take some time and look around. We look forward to meeting you!

One lucky reader will receive their choice of $100 via paypal or a $100 Amazon eGift Code!

Giveaway ends July 2, 2013 at 11:59pm, open worldwide, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Disclosure: We received no compensation for this publication. Our opinions are our own and may differ from those of your own. Imperfect Women is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Please contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

Imperfect Women is honored to host this leg of Gardenia Destang’s Virtual Book Tour celebration of her debut novel, Becoming Me.

I would like to thank Jen from Imperfect Women for hosting me as a guest blogger, as part of the virtual book tour celebration for my debut novel, Becoming Me. Thank you too, Jen for hosting a giveaway of the book. What does ‘becoming me’ mean, anyway? Here are my thoughts.

In 2010, November I had the idea to write a book and to complete it. My background with writing is plays and one television mini-series, thus even though I challenged myself to the task of writing a novel I was terrified. Why? Well in writing a book and publishing it, I was about to place myself in front of public scrutiny, going up against well established authors; face rejection from publishers; lose financially in that I would have invested funds into this, but not actually make it back. However, despite these potential fears there was something inside that nudged me forward…so I continued to write and became published.

The story itself was easy. Sitting in my bed with my laptop on my lap, it happened. I can’t exactly say I had a plan; that I knew who the characters would be or where the story would go. What I did do however, was spend some time (not a lot I admit) in personalizing and profiling the main characters. In a lot of ways the protagonist represents me. I still think there is a whole lot more to me…to becoming me. Like Terri, I am on my journey to becoming me, recognizing it is a lifelong process where I need to constantly analyze, reassess and redefine myself. What I am today is not necessarily where I would want to be tomorrow, next week or even next year.

This is not unique to me and from the feedback I have been getting, many of the women who have read Becoming Me are struck with this realization: they need to become “me” and have embarked on this journey.

But what does it mean to ‘become me’? You? I am still working on this, but what I do know is that it is an individual thing. No one can tell you who you are, and are to become. Some of us grow up with plans already being set for us, or some of us fall into the rut of just being – existing. We go through the motions of doing what we think others want us to do, to be. Then before we know it, we are a certain age and we start to think it’s too late, that we are destined to continue and end on the path we started on. We restrict ourselves to rules and yet there is a nudging, something inside that says, “I want more…I want to be…Me”

Becoming oneself starts with a realization that there is more to you, than the you, you are now and that you can be more, do more, with what is within your reach and capabilities. It means not settling and living in the dregs of compromise. So for me, I’m on a journey of becoming me. Borrowing one of Terri’s motivating quotes by Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Becoming one’s self is not stagnant. It is optimizing oneself and abilities to be the best that you can be at every juncture in your life. What about you? Have you given any thoughts to what it means to become you?

Bio:

Gardenia Destang is the author of ‘Becoming Me’. Visit her author’s blog and check out the full schedule for the virtual book tour celebration for this Amazon Kindle Bestselle.

Gardenia is known for screen plays and her love for writing was given full expression when, on a whim, she decided to write her first book. While she wrote the book ‘Becoming Me’ for entertainment, Gardenia was cognizant of portraying issues that women can identify with, making it real. You can purchase this book, her debut novel, on Amazon.

GIVEAWAY

Now for the giveaway! Gardenia has graciously donated an eBook of Becoming Me!  Imperfect Women would like you to enjoy reading Becoming Me with a good cup of coffee and a delicious pastry, so we are adding a $15 Starbucks Gift Card to the prize!  Enter in the rafflecopter below.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Official Rules: Must be 18 or older to enter. Open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends June 24th, 2013 at Midnight Eastern time. The winner will be selected on or before June 26nd, 2013 and notified by email. Winners have 48 hours from date/time of email to respond. If no response is received within the time limit, winner forfeits the prize and a new winner will be drawn.

Disclosure: Imperfect Women did not receive compensation for this post. Our opinions are our own and may differ from those of your own. IW is not responsible for the delivery of  the eBook prize.

Welcome to the Moen 90 Degree Faucet Giveaway!

Hosted by Giveaway Promote.

Get a chance to win a chrome bathroom faucet in this giveaway sponsored by Moen and hosted by Change Your Bathroom.

Stylish, modern, and innovative this bathroom faucet is a luxurious addition to any bathroom. Whether you are trying to spruce up an old look or create a new one this faucet is the accessory that you are looking for.

This chrome 8” spread faucet is not only a fashion statement, it’s also durable! With Moen’s limited lifetime warranty and great customer service you will have a great product for life. (MSRP: $407)

• chrome finish is highly reflective for a mirror–like look that works with any decorating style
• two–handle lever handles make it easy to adjust the water
• built on the Moen M–PACT common valve system, allowing you to update the faucet style in the future without replacing any plumbing
• faucet handles can be installed at any distance between 8″ to 16″ for a more customized widespread installation
• complies with americans with disabilities act (ADA) specifications
• meets epa WaterSense® criteria to conserve water without sacrificing performance
• limited lifetime warranty

This product has been provided by Moen free of charge.

Enter to win a Moen 90 Degree Faucet.

Complete the tasks below to earn entries into this giveaway.

Refer your friends using your unique link at the top of the Rafflecopter for even more chances to win.

One winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloggers, we’d love for you to join an awesome group giveaway event like this one! Sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by Giveaway Promote.

Disclosure: IW received no compensation for this publication. IW’s opinions are our own and may differ from those of your own. Imperfect Women is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

]]> http://imperfectwomen.com/moen-90-degree-faucet-giveaway/feed/ 2 http://imperfectwomen.com/garden-talk-dish-the-dirt/ http://imperfectwomen.com/garden-talk-dish-the-dirt/#comments Sun, 16 Jun 2013 05:19:26 +0000 Pam@IW http://imperfectwomen.com/?p=50839  

It is that time of year again! Time to talk about your gardens and flower beds. This is your place to share and give ideas to others or ask for help. Snickers sent in a few pictures of her flower bed and garden and we are posting them here to get the conversation started.

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it ~Author Unknown

Man – despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments – owes his existance to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains. ~ Author Unknown

Share your passion for gardening here!