1st Blogoversary + a Surprise for all of you!

365 days ago, I decided to start a YA review blog. Surviving 12 months of reading and reviewing books, interviewing and featuring authors, joining blog tours, participating in Memes, and planning and organizing blog events was a great learning experience. I know it’s a bit cliché to say that but I wouldn’t describe it in any other way. From interacting with fellow readers, bloggers, authors and publicists, I’ve learned how to talk, how to gauge the level of enthusiasm that I would use in a conversation, how to filter my thoughts and how to justify things. Of course, this blog would be nothing without the support of the most awesome people in the world – the followers of Fragments of Life, my lovely affiliates – Kai of Amaterasu Reads (who endured the craziness of organizing our first blog event. I talk to her all the time through email, Twitter and mobile phone!) Erika of Erika Breathes Books (a very generous and awesome blogger friend. I’ll never ever forget what she did for me,) Kirthi of Pages (My very first affiliate blogger! I enjoy talking to her about food, culture and the weather – yes, you heard that right,) and Brodie of Eleusinian Mysteries (who recently started her blog and who is actually the one who encouraged me to blog. I talk to her about all things YA, paranormal, contests and Aussie-Filipino related!) – awesome Filipino bloggers – Reggie, Jennilee and Anne R (I have sent a zillion emails, published a thousand comments and shared a hundred tweets – well, the numbering is probably exaggerated but you get the point, right?)

As you all know, I’m based in the Philippines and I don’t have a US address. I want to thank all the authors, publicists and publishers who took that extra step just to give me a chance to read and review their books. I appreciate every page of your books. And of course, thank you to my mom for letting me pout and sweet-talk her int buying me books (Yeppers, I don’t have a job. It’s not very practical here since most parents want their kids – and I’m an only child – to give their 101% attention to their studies. Plus, I’m gone from 6am-5pm so I really can’t.) Last but not the least, thank you God for letting the words come to me!

If you’re still with me, I’d like to let you know that I have a surprise for the readers of Fragments of Life and for the fans of YA romance and YA paranormal romance: Romance in YA – a Valentine’s blog event!

9 authors voice out their opinion on questions surrounding YA romance.

We’re sharing the love this February with collective interviews, guest posts and 6 giveaways for US readers, Canadian readers and international readers!

I’ll be celebrating Valentine’s with Kirthi of Pages! So drop by on my blog and her blog on February 6! And oh! She's the one who made the cute event button! Thanks Kirthi!