Books for YA!

Cover Reveal: SUMMER FEELS: A #RomanceClass Anthology

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone. Do you guys still remember me?

First of all, I would like to greet you all a Belated Happy Easter! Hope you had fun. It had been a while since I talked to all of you about books and I seriously missed it.

Well, I'm still in the book community, if you're wondering. I'm still reading a dozen books every month and lurking in twitter to see everyone's favorite 2017 book so far. But reviewing is pushed way down on my priority list right now, to pursue my dream to write stories.

Today is a milestone for me because I was included in an amazing summer anthology which I'm super excited to share and reveal to you all of you now.

So without further ado, here it is.

Title: Summer Feels: A #romanceclass Anthology

Genre/s: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: April 30, 2017

Pre-order on Amazon | Print Copies

Add it on Goodreads

Descriptions:

Summer loving happens so fast, as you'll find with Summer Feels, an anthology of 23 stories of love under the summer sun by #romanceclass authors. Savor the candied thrill of firsts—first loves, first kisses, first solo vacations—and the bittersweet triumph of second chances. Tour the Philippines as the stories take you to mountain retreats and island paradises. Let the magic of the hot sun, clear blue skies, and lots of love take you on a roller coaster ride of feels. With stories ranging from sweet to sexy, there's sure to be something for any fan of romance.

Featuring stories by:

Elea Andrea Almazora • Erleen Alvarez • Ella Banta • RachelleBelaro • H. Bentham • Halina Cabrera • Charlie Dio • Mina V. Esguerra • Elizabeth Galit • Georgette S. Gonzales • Ami Granada • Irene Jurado • Catherine Lo • Arlene Manocot • Bianca Mori • Eris Peñaluna • Farrah F. Polestico • Kit Salazar • MielSalva • Fay Sebastian • Kate Sebastian • Yeyet Soriano • Marian Tee

Look at that pretty thing! Don't you just want to pack your bags and travel to the nearest beach and soak up in the sun?

This cover was made by none other than the amazing, Miles Tan.

About the Designer Miles Tan likes inhabiting imaginary worlds, from fantasy books to sci-fi shows to cheeky mysteries to role-playing games. She works with websites, plays with graphics, and is now currently painting with words.

Finding X is her first published novella. Her short story“Something Real” is included in the YA Luna East anthology, Kids These Days.

To learn more about her books, visit milestanbooks.com. To see more of the cover art she’s designed, check out milestanbooks.com/works.

Stories included in this anthology:

· “All about That Bass” by Fay Sebastian

· “Alter Christus” by Catherine Lo

· “Fall for Me” by MielSalva

· “The Game of Twenty Questions” by Elizabeth Galit

· “The Summer You Said Hello” by Ami Granada

· “At the Bermuda Triangle” by Elea Andrea Almazora

· “Beachin’ Summer” by Arlene Manocot

· “Buddy System” by Yeyet Soriano

· “Busy out of the Friendzone” by Charlie Dio

· “Flying with You” by Rachelle Belaro

· “Guide for a Day” by H. Bentham

· “Ready to Run” by Kit Salazar

· “Secondhand Wanderlust” by Erleen Alvarez

· “The Search for the Kissing Monster” by Ella Banta

· “Anything Can Happen” by Marian Tee

· “Four Basic Principles” by Bianca Mori

· “Love after Summer” by Irene Jurado

· “Lucky in Paradise” by Farrah F. Polestico

· “The Swimming Instructor” by Eris Peñaluna

· “Wedding Night Stand” by Mina V. Esguerra

· “An Overdue Adventure” by Kate Sebastian

· “Buttered Sunset” by Halina Cabrera

· “Then Derrick Was Back” by Georgette S. Gonzales

This anthology has beautiful sceneries, diverse characters, feel-good vibes and it has every kind of swoon-worthy romance. It's the perfect vacation read!

And you can now pre-order the book in a discounted price of $1.99 until April 30, 2017. Here's the link on Amazon.

Comment your thoughts about the cover.

Book Review: Songs to Make You Stay (Playlist #3)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 08:47:00 +0000

Title: Songs to Make You Stay (Playlist #3)
Author: Jay E. Tria
Genre/s: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Released Date: October 9, 2016
Add to Goodreads
Buy this on Amazon

Synopsis:

Love isn't supposed to be this hard.

Now that he’s finally won Jill, the girl who's always rocked his world, you’d think life would be heaven on earth for Shinta Mori. In a way, it is. But maybe he’s underestimated the fact that he’s a hunky movie star in Japan while his girl is ruling the indie music scene all the way in Manila.

When he spends a long-awaited vacation with her--through impromptu performances, frenzied flyer distribution, and unhinged radio guestings--he realizes how imperfect his seemingly perfect life is. And he begins to wonder if what they have is strong enough to survive years of being apart.

Can Shinta prove he’s worthy of the spotlight the universe shines on him? And more importantly, deserving of the devotion of a young girl in love?

My Review:

Songs to Make You Stay definitelymade mestay glued to the story till the wee hours of midnight,wishing for my own dreamy Japanese actor. As expected, Jay E. Tria gave us another swoon-worthy sequel to her Playlist series. To know more about the Jay E. Tria’s books, you can read my review of Songs of Our Breakup and Songs to Get Over You here or go to Jay’s website here.

The story revolved around the ups and downs ofShinta and Jill’s relationship as a couple, and how two people from different culture and background keep their love despite the odds.It was the continuation of their love story in book 1, but this time, we see itthroughShinta’s eyes.

I feel conflicted right now. I have a crush on Shinta in the first book (who doesn’t?). Then I read book two and I was rooting so hard for Miki (because how can you not?) and then this. It’s crazy amazing how Jay told the individual story of her characters. You will feel the instant connection to them and will relate to their struggles and emotions as if they were yours.Aside from that, her rich description of places and atmosphere will transport you from your bed to the busy street of Japan to the relaxing place of Doozy Books and Coffee and to the Trainman’s gigs.

And don’t get me started on all the evocative song lyrics in Trainman’s album. It should have a different post because it will be a long rave review. I’m begging all the composers, if you’re reading this, please put some melodies in Jay’s song lyrics because I can’t wait to hear them all on repeat.

Songs to Make You Stay can stand alone as a story, in my opinion but I stillstrongly suggest you get Songs of Our Breakup and Songs to Get Over You. I seriously enjoyed reading this story and I would recommend it to everyone.

Rating

*An electronic review copy was provided by the author for an honest review. (Thanks, Jay!)

About the Author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Hi! I'm a writer of contemporary Young Adult and New Adult romance. These days I'm writing paranormal/fantasy too, and it's a fun exercise. I'm often inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, a childhood fascination of Japanese drama and manga, and an incessant itch to travel.

Author Interview: Catherine Torres, Sula's Voyage

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 May 2016 23:00:00 +0000

There are two reasons why this post today is special. First, because I interviewed one of the Filipina authors who won in the Scholastic Asian Book Awards 2014 and second is because today is the publication day of Sula's Voyage. That means you can now go to your local bookstore and see her book in the shelves. Isn't that awesome?

But before you go there, let's get to know the author behind Sula's Voyage and her journey to publication.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm a diplomat and writer based in Berlin, Germany. I'm also a mom and my seven-year-old son, Sam, recently landed his first book deal (he sold me a comic book he made for 5 Euros). My husband, Jay, is Korean and teaches English at a university in Busan. He also loves books and doesn't mind when I buy lots of them (he'd probably mind if I buy lots of shoes and clothes, but I don't care too much for those). I was born and bred in Manila, and have also lived in Tokyo, New Delhi, and Singapore. I love coffee and dream of having my own book cafe someday. Oh, and I play the ukulele!

2. Can you describe Sula's Voyage in 15 words or less?

Dark-skinned drifter finds her moorings with help from family, friends, and the sea.

3. Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also has an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

Elsewhere, I have mentioned that I was inspired to write the story after having seen the Diwata ng Lahi, a 'reincarnated' Balangay, sailing into the Singapore harbor in 2010. But let me go deeper and farther back in time than that experience--many things we do have reasons or motivations beyond the immediate ones. I have always been something of a closet environmentalist. Back in grade school, a friend and I put up this 'Sisters Against the Destruction of the Earth' or SADE (obviously, I had not yet heard of The Marquis at the time). Unfortunately, it didn't prosper: the one project we were planning, a cleanup of the banks of the Marikina River, did not even push through. But deep inside, I have always wanted to be something of a warrior for the earth. The sea, in particular, has a special pull for me--maybe because we live in an archipelago, and our ancestors were wave-riders. So the story is a sort of vicarious wish fulfillment. And I hope it inspires the same love and protectiveness of the sea among its readers, some of whom might be braver than I am and become real sea warriors someday.

4. While you were in the process of writing this book, did you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

Oh yes. Even from the start, I knew I wanted to submit the manuscript to the Scholastic Asia Book Award (SABA)--that was my prompt and incentive to write in spite of my hectic schedule. So sometimes I questioned my motives. Was I writing the way I was writing in order to win the prize? But when I finished the book, I knew I could be at peace with myself and that I had accomplished a labor of love. One of the things I learned in college, having majored in Psychology, is that extrinsic rewards can actually be less effective that intrinsic ones. But sometimes, a combination of both can be quite effective.

5. As an aspiring author, hearing about how authors got published is always fascinating and inspiring to me. So can you tell us your journey to publication? And what was the first thing you did or said after you got the news about the book deal?

That's the wonderful thing about SABA. Winning it, or even just being a finalist, could land you a book deal. Sula's Voyage was first runner-up in SABA 2014. That was announced in May of that year. Two months later, an editor from Scholastic Asia contacted me and said they were evaluating the manuscript for possible publication. A month later, she e-mailed me again with the news that they would, indeed, like to publish it. The first thing I did, diplomat that I am, was to reply to her e-mail to say thanks. Then I posted a long status update about it on my Facebook timeline. I suppose I should have popped a bottle of champagne or something, but I wanted to share the news with my family and friends who had always believed they would see my name on a book spine someday.

6. Tell us what it's like to become a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

Let me tell you a secret--I haven't actually held a copy of the book, yet. As we speak, I am in Berlin, miles away from the launch in Singapore. At the same time, I have another book scheduled for release in Manila, a short story collection, Mariposa Gang and Other Stories, to be published by UST Publishing House. So within a month, I go from unpublished author to having two titles under my belt. It's a little intoxicating, especially for someone who loves the printed word, but I'm taking it with a grain of salt. In one of my favorite books on writing, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott says, "If what you have in mind is fame and fortune, publication is going to drive you crazy." I've been warned enough by other writers whom I've spoken to and whose books on writing I've read so I don't expect those things at all. I'm thrilled simply to be able to let my stories out of their cage, to let them spread their wings, and sit on the shoulder of someone who, at that very moment, might need to hear some bird song.

7. What is your advice to all the writers who are just beginning their writing journey?

Embrace the adventure of writing, but not to the exclusion of everything else. Go out into the world and see what it's like. Read, every chance you get. Sit by the sea or under a tree and be alone with your thoughts now and then. Trust your inner voice and seek to be authentic, and you'll be fine.

Thank you so much Catherine, for dropping by my blog! Congratulations on being a published author. Have an awesome publication day!

About the Author:
Website | Facebook | Email

Catherine Torres (Catherine Rose Torres) is a diplomat and writer from Manila. Her work has taken her to postings in New Delhi, Singapore, and now, Berlin. When foreign affairs, as well as domestic ones, permit, Catherine travels around the world on boats made of words. Occasionally, as with Sula’s Voyage, she even builds the boat herself. Her short story collection Mariposa Gang and Other Storieswill also be released in 2016.

Title: Sula's Voyage
Release Date: May 27, 2016
Publisher: Scholastic Asia
Genre/s: YA Coming of Age, Fantasy

Fifteen-year-old Sula has always known she is different. Even though her parents have shown her nothing but love and acceptance, she sees her dark skin as a reminder of how she doesn’t fit in with the rest of her family.

What’s worse is she also feels that her parents are hiding something from her. After getting expelled from school, Sula reluctantly goes to stay with her mother’s friends. There she unexpectedly finds herself on a journey of self-discovery — a journey that keeps drawing her to the sea. Sula must not only figure our her parents’ secret, but also just how different, and possibly magical, she really is.

Songs to Get Over You Blog Tour: Double Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 06:51:00 +0000

Hey, everyone! How you've been? Well, I'm glad you're still dropping by my virtual abode. Today, I'm breaking my hiatus for a double book review. Yes, you heard that right! Two review in one blog post. So here it goes.

Title: Songs of Our Break-Up (Playlist #1)

Author: Jay E. Tria

Genre/s: NA Contemporary Romance

Released Date: August 22, 2015

Add to Goodreads TBR List

Buy on Amazon | Buqo

Synopsis:

Every breakup has its playlist.

How do you get over a seven-year relationship? 21-year-old Jill is trying to find out. But moving on is a harder job when Kim, her ex-boyfriend, is the lead guitarist of the band, and Jill is the vocalist. Every song they play together feels like slicing open a barely healed tattoo.

Jill’s best friend Miki says she will be out of this gloom soon. Breakups have a probation period, he says. Jill is on the last month of hers and Miki is patiently keeping her company.

But the real silver lining is Shinta. Having a hot Japanese actor friend in times like these is a welcome distraction. This gorgeous celebrity has been defying time zones and distance through the years to be there for Jill. Now he is here, physically present, and together he and Jill go through old lyrics, vivid memories, walks in the rain, and bottles of beer. Together they try to answer the question: what do you do when forever ends?

Review:

Songs of Our Break Up is the story of Jill, vocalist and guitarist of the indie band, Trainman, as she went through the three-months probation period of her break-up with their lead guitarist, Kim. Complicated, was a weak word to describe their relationship and Songs of Our Break-Up summed up, beautifully, the messy stages of moving on and falling in love again.

There were a lot of things I love about this book; the memorable characters, the silly bantering, the atmosphere of the indie music scene and the lyrics of Trainman's album. I wish the Trainman album was real because the lyrics just speaks volume. Even without the melody, it already has a huge effect on me. How much more if someone put some notes and sang it? I'd probably cry myself to sleep while listening to their album.

Jill was all of us as she went through the process of moving on, but failing a few times because she still has to be around her ex. Good thing she has Shinta (the super charming and handsome AF Japanese actor who used to be their fan but now, became their friend) and Miki (their rhythm guitarist and her best friend who is secretly in love with her). Between the two, I'm rooting for Miki. It was heart-breaking to see his efforts were disregarded yet he's still waiting in the wings. But Shinta is awesome, too, don't get me wrong. He was the sliver of Japanese sunshine in Jill's gloomy world.

I was a bit confused with the non-linear narration, though. I guess, I'm just not used to it and it sometimes threw me off of my reading trance. But that's just a minor issue. Overall, it was a good and unique contemporary story that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes contemporary story about music and moving on.

Rating:

P.S.

Also watch this live reading of Songs of Our Break-Up because if you're not yet convinced by my review, I'm sure this will.

Title: Songs to Get Over You (Playlist #2)

Author: Jay E. Tria

Genre/s: NA Contemporary Romance

Released Date: February 29, 2016

Add to Goodreads TBR List

Buy on Amazon | Buqo

Synopsis:

It's harder to get over someone who was never really yours.

They say rock stars get all the girls. But Miki knows that's not always true. He, for one, though the guitarist of popular indie band Trainman, just can't seem to get the girl. It's kind of his fault, really. No one told him to fall in love with Jill. No one told him to stand still and watch as she moved on from a terrible breakup into the arms of another guy—a Japanese celebrity with the face of an angel and the body of a god.

So when someone else comes along, someone who finds him cute, smart, and funny (sometimes in the haha sort of way), will Miki finally move on? Or will he continue to pine for Jill?

Review:

When I heard that the second book in the Playlist series is Miki's story, I immediately squee. I love Miki but I pity his unrequited love for Jill. He's such a caring and loving guy and he doesn't deserve to be in the friend-zone. Good thing, Ana saved him from that place.

"She's cute and perky and obviously socially adept." Jill paused as she processed this. "She's like the anti-me. That's so strange. But then she's also tall and skinny and moves like a boy, like me." - Songs of Our Break-Up

Ana was Miki's classmate in one of his elective classes in college. She's a CPA and loves to work as a corporate slave. She's not the anti-Jill for me now that I read this story, I think she's the version of a left-brain-dominant Jill that doesn't have hung-ups and emotional baggage. She's pretty cool, sweet and patient. She knew Miki's secret feelings for Jill and she waited and taught him how to break the habit of pining for his best friend.

Their relationship was more realiztic than the first book but is as beautiful. I was really happy that Miki finally found someone. Overall, it's a swoon-worthy sequel to the Playlist series.

Rating

About the Author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Hi! I'm a writer of contemporary Young Adult and New Adult romance. These days I'm writing paranormal/fantasy too, and it's a fun exercise. I'm often inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, a childhood fascination of Japanese drama and manga, and an incessant itch to travel.

Stacking the Shelves #18

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 05:45:00 +0000

Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Hi readers! It's been a while, huh? How have you been?

So many things happened to me since my last Stacking the Shelves post. You better sit down because this is a long post.

I left my job in July for personal reasons. I've been in that office for a year. It wasn't easy finding a new job in our province. I was jobless for a month. I could have written a blog post or two since I have a lot of time in my hand but I can't seem to put what I was going through in here, at the time.

I thought my joblessness will last until the end of the year. So while I was letting the time passed, I thought why not join an online-writing workshop. That's when I found #StrangeLit. It's a free online-writing worshop sponsored by a local online bookstore named Buqo. The gist of the worshop is to write an Urban Fantasy / PNR story with a minimum of 5,000 words in month of August. At the end of the month, the completed stories will be bundled, published and sold in Buqo. It was best way for me to pass the time, so I joined.

I didn't expect I will be hired the first week of August but it was a welcomed surprise. It wasn't that complicated to juggle my new job and my writing schedule because I've been doing that since Nanowrimo 2014. I finished the first draft of my #StrangeLit novella a week before submission but I decided not to submit it. I think I can improve and expand my story further and to do that, I needed more time to let the story simmer.

Anyway, I'm enjoying my new job so far. I'm immersing myself into the business sector and learning everyday. I'm thinking of creating a blog schedule now that I'm back. I'll let you know soon what it is.

And that's the end of my long post. I know you're excited to see what books I received, so here they are:

June to September Book Haul

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne (PB)
The Last Ever After (The School for Good and Evil #3) by Soman Chainani (PB)
Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa (signed ARC)
Mirrored by Alex Flinn (ARC)
Ash and Bramble by Sarah Prineas (ARC)
Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson (ARC)

And my Angry Robot Trophy which I won from the Hidden Huntress Fan-Art Competition by Angry Robots Publishing.

Cute, isn't it?

Thank you to Usborne UK, HarperCollins International, Angry Robots, Kye of Eternity Through Pages and Shelumiel of Bookish and Awesome for my book haul.

Book Review: Learning to Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 01:43:00 +0000

Title: Learning to Fall
Author: Mina V. Esguerra
Genre/s: NA, Contemporary Romance
Add to Goodreads
Buy at Amazon
Synopsis:

“Go out with a stereotypical romance novel hero WHO ISN’T YOUR TYPE.”

Avid reader and art student Steph is participating in a monthly blog challenge to Live Like Fiction, and this was the task for October. When Grayson, former co-captain of her university rugby team, walks into her class, she knows it’s meant to be – she has to go out with this guy. Even if she’s never been attracted to big, hunky, athletic types. With Grayson’s “player” reputation off the field, Steph thinks he’ll be good for one date that’ll be worth blogging about, and that’s it.

But you know how it goes: Soon, it becomes more than just one date – and Steph and Grayson are caught up in “living like fiction.” How long can they keep playing their roles before reality steps in?

My Review

I knew I will break my blogging hiatus one of these days. But what I didn’t expect was to break it for a book whose protagonist was a book blogger in a hiatus. It was ironic in the most awesome way. Steph made me realize how much I missed book blogging and everyone in this community.

Art student and book blogger, Steph Bennett started her story with a blog post telling all her followers and blogger friends why she decided to go on an indefinite hiatus but will still continue Sera’s monthly blog challenge called “Live Like Fiction.”

The October challenge was to go out with a stereotypical romance novel hero who isn’t her type. So when she saw Grayson Price, rugby player, stripping to pose for the art students she was supervising, she knew she have to ask him out. Physically, he was the stereotypical athletic alpha male hero with tattoo and not at all her type. Or so she thought. But when one date led to another, she knew this was already beyond the monthly blog challenge.

Steph embodied the struggle of a book blogger who loved to blog but has to put it on hold because she has to sort her life, first. It was easy for me to understand her, empathize with her, and relate to her because I’ve been there. (I think, I still am) And it was kind of weird, because we often read books to become someone we’re not. But it’s different this time. Steph and I were sort of the same. She’s just in a different situation and has Grayson with her.

Speaking of which, if I was doing the Live like Fiction challenge, I’d probably pick a mysterious bad boy or a musician. I wouldn’t pick Grayson because he is my type. He was definitely a book boyfriend material. The moment Steph saw him, I knew she was a goner. Not liking him is impossible. But he’s the type of guy that wants a lot of things. He tries to juggle three things at once and the people around him, even his parents, thinks he can’t handle all that responsibility. Steph gets him and believes in him that he can do whatever he put his mind into.

And oh, I have to mention Delilah, one of Steph's blogger friend, in this review because she's the epitome of fangirling. I can't help but giggle while reading their convo. And she's the voice of reason to Steph whenever she's making excuses about not going for what she wants. She's definitely a memorable character.

Learning to Fall is a awesome read with a lot of fun, steam and swoon-worthy moments. I'm a bit unsatisfied with the ending, though. I wish it showed what happened to Steph's book-inspired painting exhibit. I want know how her efforts paid off. But other than that, I don't have any problem with it. I haven't read the other Addison Hill novels before this (please, don't shoot me) but I'll make sure I'll binge read it, one of this days.

My Rating

*An electronic review copy was provided by the author for an honest review. (Thanks, Mina!)

Stacking the Shelves #17

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 May 2015 08:42:00 +0000

Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

If you're following me on twitter, you've probably saw me tweet about make-overing (is this even a word?) this blog on my own. As you can see, it's slowly coming together. I'm trying to make it as simple, clean and user-friendly as possible and I'm hoping to finish it on or before June 12, which is my 3rd blogoversary.

Anyway, here's what I received this April and May.

FOR REVIEW

The Revenge Playbook by Rachel Allen (ARC)

Finding Paris by Joy Preble (ARC)

Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer (ARC)

WON

Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis (PB)

Boomerang by Noelle August (ARC)

with bookmark

I'm feeling the summer love with all this books. I'm especially excited about Boomerang, which my sister already read and love.
Thank you to Harper Collins International, Eric Smith and Faye of Bibliophile Soprano for this books!

Stacking the Shelves #16

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 01:26:00 +0000

Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

This is my first Stacking the Shelves post this 2015 and I have to say I've accumulated a dozen awesome titles from the last time I posted here. But before I show you what I got, I just wanted to say how grateful I am to all of you who still find time to visit my blog. I know, I'm not as active as I used to because of work and our crappy internet connection. But I'll try to change that and post, at least, twice a week. In another news, I signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo and I'm excited to start my new YA contemporary novel, today. Anyway, that's it.

Here's what I received from January to March.

Legend by Marie Lu (Signed)

Of Scars and Stardust by Andrea Hannah (Signed)

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey (Signed)

Mind Games by Teri Terry (ARC)

Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay (Signed ARC)

The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer (ARC)

Fork-Tongue Charmers (The Luck Uglies #2) by Paul Durham (ARC)

Between the Covers

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (Signed HB)

No One Else Can Have You (HB)

After the End by Amy Plum (PB)

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (Signed)

Thanks to Harper Collins International, Hachette UK, Adi Alsaid, Moriah McStay, Alyxandra Harvey, Andrea Hannah, Pauline of Fathomless Reveries, Leslie of Bibliophile Kid, Michelle of The Escapist and Kai of Amaterasu Reads.

Book Review: Let's Get Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 04:02:00 +0000

Title: Let's Get Lost
Author: Adi Alsaid
Genre/s: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released Date: July 29, 2014
Add to Goodreads TBR List
Buy on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

My Review:

Meet Leila, the carefree, adventure-loving, Tuesday-seizing owner of a very red car. Her roadtrip toward North brought her, not only fun-filled memories but also, newfound friends in Hudson, Bree, Elliot, Sonia and Dee. (I believe, this kid needs to be mentioned, too.)

Is it weird if I say I love everyone in this book? Because I am totally smitten. Every character felt real and believable, with flaws, insecurities and vices. They were all memorable and unique in their own kind of way. Most especially Stoner Timmy. That dude and his cryptic/funny dialogues will stay in my brain for weeks.

Each of the 5 stories, is a gem in itself. There’s a story about love, dreams and decisions. There’s a story about making the most out of life, of being brave and how important family is. There’s also a story about chasing the girl, letting go of the past and finding yourself. The author did a great job writing these stories. It’s so easy to relate to the characters and empathize with them.

Adi Alsaid's debut novel is nothing short of amazing. Let's Get Lost is the kind of book I would love to get lost in, again and again. And I can't wait to read more from this author.

My Rating

Book Review: Cinderskella

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Title: Cinderskella (Scarily Ever After #1)
Author: Amie Borst & Bethanie Borst
Genre/s: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Released Date: October 26, 2013
Add to Goodreads TBR List
Buy on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Cindy is just a normal eleven and three-quarter year-old. At least until she wakes up one night and finds out she’s dead. Well, she isn’t technically dead—she just doesn’t have any hair . . . or a nose . . . or skin. Yep—all bones, no body.

Human by day and skeleton by night, Cindy is definitely cursed. And because her mother recently died, Cindy has no one to turn to except a father who’s now scared of her and an evil stepmother who makes her do the housecleaning with a toothbrush. To make matters worse, the Spring Fling dance is approaching, and Ethan, the cutest boy in sixth grade, doesn’t seem to know Cindy exists. Of course, Cindy doesn’t think letting Ethan find out she’s part skeleton is the best way to introduce herself.

While facing such perils as pickled pig’s feet, a wacky fortune teller, and a few quick trips to the Underworld, Cindy’s determined to break the curse—even for a single night.

My Thoughts:

Cindy used to be a normal girl with a normal life but everything changed when her mother left her something before she died. If you think it was a piece of jewelry or her last letter then you’re wrong. She gave Cindy…a curse. She’s normal in the morning but she’s a skeleton at night. But being a skeleton is not the only problem. Her father remarried immediately after her mother died without giving her a heads up. Now, she has a stepmother who is giving her weird list of chores and two stepsisters who obey their mother’s every command. Then, Ethan McAllister, her long time crush, asked her out for the Spring Fling Dance which will happen at night. How will this story have a happily ever after, you ask? You have to find out for yourself.

I know what’s going through your mind right now. What kind of mother would curse her daughter before she died? That’s also my reaction when I read it. It’s a bit messed up in the beginning because we don’t know much about the characters yet. But as I read further I understand why her mother, father and stepmother acted the way they did.

Cindy was a bit overdramatic and kind of annoying in the first half of the story but then I realize I was annoying too when I was her age. (Maybe, even now). Cindy’s POV was really funny and she has this quirky way of stopping the narration and side-commenting on how silly, everything that is happening to her. For some, it might throw them off but I kind of like it. It was full of snark, randomness and funny insight. I think, kids will like Cindy if not love her.

Cinderskella was a cute, morbid, new take on the famous Cinderella story with lots of silly moments and moral lessons in it. I recommend it to everyone who likes fairy tales especially kids age 9-14.

My Ratings

*An electronic review copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. (Thanks, Jolly Fish Press)

Cut Me Free Blog Tour: Interview and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

I have a very special post for today. It's special not because this is my first ever post this 2015. It's not also special because it's a part of a blog tour (which you all know, I only do for books I'm really excited for and/or books I love). No. This post is special because it's about a book unlike any other. It delves deeper than your average suspense thriller and I'm very happy to have J.R. Johansson here for an interview.

Title: Cut Me Free
Author: J.R. Johansson
Publisher: Farrar, Strous & Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Now she's trying to start a new life, but while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks.

That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the threatening notes left in her apartment—without a trace of entry. As the messages grow more menacing, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.

About the Author:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

J.R. Johansson is the author of Insomnia and Paranoia. In researching for this novel, she found several stories about human trafficking which fueled her conviction to join the fight against it. If you'd like information on how to help visit notforsalecampaign.org or enditmovement.com. J.R. Johansson lives on the foothills of the Utah mountains with her two young sons and a wonderful husband. Visit her online at jennjohansson.com.

Interview

1. What makes Cut Me Free different from your Night Walkers series, aside from their genre?

Cut Me Free is darker in theme and topics and set in the real world. They both have a similar pace and thriller tone, but I'd say that Cut Me Free is a little scarier.

2. What are Charlotte's greatest strength and her weaknesses?

Her greatest strength is her resilience and her ability to never give up. Her greatest weakness is her inability to forgive herself and her struggle with letting anyone help her or get close to her.

3. While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story. If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I never doubted this story, but I did struggle with it. Abuse of any kind is a very difficult subject to talk about...but at the same time, it's very important that we do talk about it. That fact drove me forward. I read stories of kids who've been abused and many never really tried to hide it, but still no one ever asked them if they needed help. I wanted to write the story of a victim who wasn't only a victim. I want us to be more aware of the world around us. There are kids out there that need help and it is important we be able to see and be ready to help.

4. Everything has an origin story. It might started out as a thought, a dialogue or news you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite some time. So tell us, what's Cut Me Free's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

Cut Me Free actually started as a writing prompt in a critique group. Someone suggested that I should write a story about an attic with a creepy puppet in it. At the same time, I had been reading about child trafficking and how it's far more common than many realize. Somehow I ended up blending those two stories together and the puppet took on a different meaning. The moment I wrote the first page (which is still the first page) and had Piper in the heart of Philadelphia and how differently she saw everything than the people around her--in that instant, I knew I had to write this book.

5. What are the things you learned or discovered after writing this book?

I've already had readers reach out to me who were victims of abuse. They were grateful to see a victim who struggled with terrible things, but it didn't somehow make her weak. It took her a long time to get out and the ramifications of what happened to her never went away, but she didn't let her abusers steal her whole life. It's been really gratifying to see the book touch people. I'm so happy to be a part of that.

Follow the Tour

Each of the tour stop is giving away one copy of Cut Me Free so feel free to visit them for more chance to win JR Johansson's newest book.

January 13: Review and Giveaway
Curling Up with a Good Book

January 14: Guestpost and Giveaway
YA Interrobang

January 15: Review and Giveaway
Dana Square

January 16: Review and Giveaway
My Book Muse

January 21: Books for YA

January 22: Forever Bookish

January 23: The Life & Times of a Book Addict

January 26: A Dream Within a Dream

January 27: Fiction Freak

GIVEAWAY

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ARC Review: The Manifesto on How to be Interesting

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 01:58:00 +0000

Title: The Manifesto on How to be Interesting
Author: Holly Bourne
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemprary Fiction
Released Date: August 1, 2014
Add to Goodreads TBR List
Buy on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome.

Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. Most of the time she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes.

But when she’s told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.

From the bestselling author of Soulmates comes a fearlessly frank take on school, cliques and crushes.

My Thoughts:

Our protagonist, Bree, likes to make list about everything, from why she shouldn’t be miserable to why she should be. So in honor of her quirky habit of making list, I’ll try to do the same while reviewing this book.

Reasons why I love the Manifesto on How to be Interesting

The main character

Bree knew she was a nobody and she likes it. Well, until someone told her to live a life worth reading.

She's an aspiring novelist. Ever since she was 14, she’s been working her butt off researching, plotting and writing her novels. Unfortunately, her hard work for both her first and second books was rejected by every single publisher she queried. But no matter how many rejections she received, she will not let it bring her down. She’s very determined to get her dreams.

Which leads us to reason number 2.

Bree is committed to achieve her goals. (Maybe, too committed)

Bree is as goal-driven as a bull that sees something red. She won’t stop until she hit that target. So when, someone told her to do more interesting things and be someone she would want to read about, she took it by heart.

She researched what makes people interesting, and by research I mean, watched every chick flick and teen movies she could get her hands on, and observed what the characteristic/traits the lead role has. Then she had a make-over, went on a shopping trip with her mom (for the first time) and went to a cardio class just to achieve Rule #1 in her Manifesto even if she's reluctant about it, at first. How's that for commitment? She did a lot of other things too, some of which were against her moral values. But she did it all for the sake of her experiment.

I was having conflicted emotions about her choices, though. Sometimes I want to stop her from committing a mistake but sometimes, I even urge her to make mistakes just to see how she will react and how she will learn from the consequences of her actions.

Bree is so realistic, I sometimes feel like I'm reading a diary of a real girl instead of a fictional one.

There were a lot of instances where I have to stop reading because the story is becoming too real for me. I felt an intense emotional connection with Bree and it was overwhelming me at times. She has one of the most honest voices I’ve ever read in YA contemporary and it’s impossible not to empathize with her.

The writing

"Are you a victim of Jassmine Incorporated? You are not alone. Call our free helpline service on 0800 LIFE'S UNFAIR to talk to a trusted advisor.”

Bree’s POV has a lot of attitude in it. Her tone is a combination of funny, sarcastic, morbid and serious. I was never bored reading it.

This quote

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met...And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.”

Bree quoted this from her favorite book, The History Boys by Alan Bennett and I was amazed because it was so spot-on, about what Holly Bourne was doing to me while I was reading her book.

I didn’t experience Bree’s biggest issue but I can feel and see the reason behind it. I can feel her need to release all the things that troubled her especially when she can’t handle the stress anymore. She just chose the wrong way to release it. And when Bree finally found someone who understood why she’s doing that to herself. I felt relieved, along with her. She needed someone who can understand and accept that part of her, someone who will make her feel that she’s not alone. And I’m so happy for her when she finally did.

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting deals with school drama, bullying and a lot of heavy and serious issues. It has vulgar languages in it and is not suitable for younger readers (as stated at the back cover). But overall, it was an amazing read for me and I will recommend it to everyone.

My Rating

Stacking the Shelves #15

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:18:00 +0000

Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

How is it the end of October already? Is it me or is the time really flew by, fast? I had a lot of fun this October, though, featuring 2014 debut authors and I hope you had fun too, reading what they went through before being published. There are still a lot of giveaways happening on our blog, so check them out. (see sidebar)

This month, I received four awesome books that I'm looking forward to reading and a few book swags. Here they are:

For Review
A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond (HB)
Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston (PB)

Won

The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco (HB)

with book swags

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (PB)

A massive thank you to Hachette UK, Rin Chupeco, Rachel of Beauty and the Bookshelf, and Sarika of The Readdicts for this month's book haul. :D

2AMC: Bethany Neal, author of My Last Kiss

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 08:34:00 +0000

"Readers will be immediately sucked into the tale, told from Cassidy’s ghostly perspective, as she attempts to put together the pieces that led to her untimely death." that's what Booklist said about the debut novel, My Last Kiss, of our last featured author for this month.

Let us all welcome, Bethany Neal!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

So many times I doubted why I was writing MY LAST KISS! Mostly because it was crazy hard with all the flashbacks and timeline issues that go along with an amnesiac—not to mention ghost…ish—narrator, but also because writers have serious self-confidence issues. It’s just how we roll, but it’s also hard to be in a business where you spend months, sometimes years, working on a project that may never see the light of day. Being an author takes a truck load of perseverance.

My main source of doubt squashing while writing MLK was very simple: the title. Every time I thought about quitting, I would tell myself that if Iwas browsing through Barnes & Noble and saw a YA book called MY LAST KISS about a dead girl caught between two boys I would 100% pick it up and buy it. That alone got me through the days I was nose-deep in flashback chapters and rewrites, and my reward is seeing it so gorgeously displayed (thanks to cover designer Elizabeth Clark) on a shiny book spine in stores.

About Getting Published:

As an aspiring author, hearing about how authors got published is always fascinating and inspiring for me. So can you tell us your journey to publication? And what was the first thing you did or said after you got the news about the book deal?

My journey to publication began with a YA paranormal trilogy that started out as fanfiction that I naively decided to query agents about. Needless to say I did not get representation off that manuscript, but I did off my next book that sadly did not sell when my agent sent it out. It did, however, get the most positive rejections an author could ever hope for. With the positive feedback, I knew I was close. So I got to work writing what ended up being MY LAST KISS.

In my initial prewriting, Cassidy wasn’t the one dead. Her boyfriend Ethan was and she could see him, but when I sat down to write it she seemed too sad. Ironic twist, I killed her to make her less mopey. I’m so happy that I did too. Cassidy being a ghost…ish trying to right the wrongs of her last night alive and solve her own murder gave the book the fresh hook that it needed to sell.

When it did sell, I had the privilege of working with Janine O’Malley at FSG Books for Young Readers and the excellent staff of editors and PR folks at Macmillan. I learned so many invaluable lessons from them, and I am forever grateful for the chance they took on me as a newbie.

Oh, and the first thing I said when my agent called to tell me that we had sold MLK was “Are you serious?!” It was a very surreal moment that actually happened inside my favorite bookstore! To this day, every time I walk into the vestibule at Nicola’s Books (in Ann Arbor, MI) where I took the call, I close my eyes and remember that day.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

Being an author is the best job there is as long as you don’t mind some mild insanity, and I sure as heck don’t mind at all. Maybe a painter has more fun than I do on a work day, but I can’t paint so I’m stuck with writing. I’m not a morning person, so the biggest perk for me is the ability to slowly wake myself up before getting down to work. If you’ve ever had an 8 to 5 “regular” job, you can appreciate the luxury of that. I also am not a fan of stuffy rule following. So being able to create my own world with my own rules (or lack there of is probably more accurate) is pretty ideal for me, as well.

My favorite moments throughout this experience have been meeting young readers who are so excited about my book and begging me to write more so they can read those too. There’s nothing better than that!

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also has an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might have started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

MY LAST KISS was originally titled WHAT HAPPENED AFTER and, as I said earlier, Cassidy wasn’t dead, Ethan was and it was kinda sorta Cassidy’s fault. I could tell that idea wasn’t quite gelling, so my writerly cogs were turning while I drove to see my family for Thanksgiving that year. I was brainstorming ideas while listening to one of my all time fave bands Metric’s CD Fantasies. Then when their song “Help I’m Alive” came on, something clicked. What if the protagonist was dead…and that was a problem that needed to be fixed, something she’d need help solving?

I immediately located a napkin and began jotting down what is now the scene in Chapter 1 where Cassidy wakes up to see her other, dead body in the river. I went on to be super antisocial that entire holiday weekend because I couldn’t stop writing. It was such a magical feeling. I live for that spark moment when the character’s voice eclipses my own brain and demands to be written down.

Come to think of it, maybe that’s my favorite part about being an author.

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Bethany Neal writes young adult fiction with a little dark side and a lot of kissing from her Ann Arbor, Michigan home. She graduated from Bowling Green State University and has worked as an interior designer, photographer, and teacher’s assistant at a K-8 school.

Title: My Last Kiss
Genre/s: YA, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: June 10, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

She is obsessed with (but not limited to): nail polish, ginormous rings, pigs, pickles, dessert, sour gummy candies, dream analysis, memorizing song lyrics, predestined love, not growing up, music videos, Halloween, and fictional boys who play guitar.What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss--the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died--is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn't a suicide as everyone assumes. She can't remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she's worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she'll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made--good and bad--that led to her last kiss.

Bethany Neal's suspenseful debut novel is about the power of first love and the haunting lies that threaten to tear it apart.

Giveaway
Open to International Readers (Until November 30)

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2AMC: Bethany Hagen, author of Landry Park

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 03:16:00 +0000

Today we have the author of Landry Park which was described as "Gone with the Wind meets The Hunger Games." by VOYA. Let us all welcome, Bethany Hagen!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I think doubt is probably the bad angel on every writer's shoulder. I would write a passage one day that I thought was brilliant and beautiful and then look at it the next day and want to light my laptop on fire. More and more, I think the key to a long-term writing career is learning to shut down the bad angel, whether she's telling you that you've completely screwed up a character arc or reminding you of that one Goodreads review with all the gifs. I don't think doubt ever goes away, but with practice, you can turn the volume down so that it's not buzzing in your ear whenever you sit down to work.

About Getting Published:

I worked on Landry Park by myself and with critique partners for about eighteen months before I thought it was ready to send off to agents. My dream agent, Mollie Glick of Foundry Media, read it and offered me an R & R, which I pounced on because I felt that all of her ideas were amazing. That revision took me three or four months, and then she offered to represent me as soon as she read it. I dropped my agency contract in the mail on Thursday, she subbed to ten or fifteen editors on Friday, and by Monday, we had our first offer, which happened to be from my dream house, Penguin. So I said yes. And then I screamed happy screams at my husband for a couple hours and then drank many celebratory beers.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

Being a published author is kind of like graduating college--it's a huge relief, for one, and a huge accomplishment, for another, but it also doesn't guarantee anything for the future, which can be nerve-wracking on occasion.

So far my favorite thing has been getting to meet teens who've loved my book enough to come out and see me at events or to take the time to write me. (But for real, holding my book--and then getting to shelve it at the library I work at--pure awesomesauce.)

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also has an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

I spent three years working at a tiny history museum, wandering around exhibits and staring at old photos. At this museum, the Gilded Age/Edwardian Era section was just around the corner from the Cold War nuclear hysteria section. After a few hundred times walking the exhibit loop, the idea began to form for a story combining the aesthetics of the Edwardian Era and the science of nuclear energy. Luckily, the job also gave me a lot of spare time to write and that was how Landry Park was born. (I hope my old boss isn't reading this.)

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

Bethany Hagen was born and raised in Kansas City. She grew up reading Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, and all things King Arthur, and went on to become a librarian. Landry Park is her debut novel.

Title: Landry Park
Genre/s: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.

2AMC: Joy N. Hensley, author of Rites of Passage

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 03:12:00 +0000

"...absorbing read...absolutely compelling." that is what Kirkus Reviews described Rites of Passage by our featured author for today. Her debut novel is unlike anything you've ever read because it is about a girl who went to military school because of a dare. If this piqued your interest then find out more about the book from its author.

Let us all welcome, Joy N. Hensley!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I've questioned lots of things at every step of my writing process, but there was never a question during the writing process for Rites of Passage. The story didn't come in the form of a dream, but every word just kind of poured out of me. I've said before that it almost fell, fully-formed from the sky. I just knew there was something special about this book and I loved every second of writing it!

About Getting Published:

I've known since 3rd grade (seriously!) that I wanted to be a writer! It took me a long time to switch from the mindset that someday I would be a writer, to actually sitting in a chair and forcing myself to write to make the dream come true. Being published doesn't just fall in your lap. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes hours clocked in front of a computer screen that aren't seen by anyone, but those hours are what separate the dreamers from the published authors. It took four years of writing to secure my agent, and then another two years and two more books before I sold Rites. I was driving when I got the news and my agent told me to pull over. After I cried and called my husband and parents, I had to go pick up my kids from school. I told them (3 and 6) but they didn't really get it until they held the book with Mommy's picture in it a few weeks ago. It's funny how it was this amazing milestone in my life and how life just went on after that. I had a book deal and I still had to make lunches and drive the kids to school and wash clothes...life just goes on, but it's a little more exciting (at least for me) now!

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

I think the best part about this whole experience is meeting other authors. Writing is such a solitary job and it's hard sometimes for people in my life (and any writer's life) to understand writing and daydreaming and working and scrapping an entire book and starting from scratch. It's hard. It's draining. Other authors get that, and I cling to my time with other writers because it's so important to find those people to sympathize with you, groan with you, celebrate with you.

About the Book:

Rites of Passage starts with my main character, Sam, starting her first day at a military school that she's going to because her brother (who is now dead) dared her to. The dare definitely has a history because I was, in fact, dared to go to military school (university, not high school). I was dumb enough to do it when I was 19. That's where the idea came from! As far as what made me decide to write it--I was in the middle of revising another book (one that my agent STILL hasn't seen) and I was stuck. Something wasn't working but I couldn't figure it out. NANOWRIMO was just around the corner and I told my agent I was going to take a break from that book and just write this crazy military school idea down, just to "cleanse my palate." And, voila!

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Born and raised in Virginia, I've come back to my roots after five years of wandering up and down the East Coast. From being a barista to editing, writing commercials for television to being a middle school/high school English teacher, there's nothing I'm not willing to try. That includes going to military school (on a dare), hiking 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and playing in the mud with my students!

Now, between hiking, doing obstacle course runs, and having fun with my husband and two sons, I continue to write. I am repped by Mandy Hubbard at D4EO Literary Agency.

Title: Rites of Passage
Genre/s: YA, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she's not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.

So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She's even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won't risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty...no matter how much she wants him.

As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.

At any cost.

Now time's running short. Sam must decide who she can trust...and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.

2AMC: Megan Whitmer, author of Between

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Today we have the author of BETWEEN which Kristen Lipper-Martin (author of Tabula Rasa), described as "a mash-up of Harry Potter and the Mortal Instruments with a dash of Kiersten White cheekiness..." Let us all welcome, Megan Whitmer!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

Yes, absolutely. I rewrote Between several times, trying to figure out exactly how to make the plot work. I didn’t outline the book before I started, and there were several times when I wrote myself into corners and I had no idea how to make anything come together. After I got a book deal and we decided to make Between the first book of a trilogy, I had to do even more major rewriting. The book completely fell apart several times, and I was ready to quit. Two things kept me going: first, I really love my characters. Charlie and Seth are so fun to write, and I could write banter between them for days. Secondly, my critique partner, Josh, simply refused to let me quit. He’d constantly ask me how the book was going, and when I told him I didn’t want to do it anymore, he’d tell me how good it was and how much he loved it. Writing can be a pretty lonely endeavor, so it’s always helpful to have someone on your team.

About Getting Published:

I slowly queried agents with Between for about four months (just one or two queries at a time), and entered several different contests. I heard about WriteOnCon and decided I would post my query letter and opening pages there for critique (and with the hope that an agent might spot it in the forums). That led to several full requests, including one from the editors at Spencer Hill Press.

I knew absolutely nothing about small presses at the time, so I reached out to my friends who had more experience with the publishing world to find out what they thought, and all the feedback said that Spencer Hill was a great press to work with. I sent them the full and waited.

About a month later, I got a rejection from them. It was a really detailed rejection outlining exactly what didn’t work for them, which I really appreciated because I was in the middle of (yet another) revision. I sent an email back to thank them for taking the time to give me such specific feedback, and they invited me to resubmit Between after I completed revisions. That resubmission led to an offer of publication. (Please note: If I’d been rude about their initial rejection, Between wouldn't be in bookstores right now. Don’t burn your bridges, guys.)

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

Being a published author is pretty surreal. It’s still crazy to me that people who don’t know me are reading my book. Picking my most favorite moment is so hard! It constantly changes as each new thing happens. Today, it’s that my Papaw told me he read the first chapter last night. He would never, ever read young adult fantasy, you know? But he read it and enjoyed it, and that’s the best thing ever. Tomorrow, I’ll probably have a brand new answer for this question. I’m just constantly excited and thrilled that I get to do this!

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also have an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might start out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

Oh yeah—the idea behind Between was in my head for years before I realized it could be book material. I’ve always been fascinated by the way some legends persist over time, even when there’s not really any evidence to prove them (i.e., fairies, Bigfoot, mermaids). At the same time, I know that there are questions I’m never going to know the answer to—conspiracy theory things, you know? Like, what’s in Area 51? Or what really went down the night Marilyn Monroe died? Over time, my brain twisted these things together, and I started thinking of legends as conspiracy theories. Maybe there was a reason that some legends don’t die. Maybe there’s a group of people who know that things like Bigfoot and mermaids exists, and it’s their job to keep us from knowing because we’d all freak out. Ta-da! That’s the Fellowship.

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Megan Whitmer lives in Kentucky with her family. She loves all things Southern, and has a soft spot for football, kissing scenes, and things that sparkle. In addition to writing YA novels, she’s also a contributing blogger for YAmisfits.com, allthewritenotes.com, and herkentucky.com. When she’s not writing, Megan spends her time looking for funny t-shirts and wishing someone would pay her to tweet.

Title: Between
Genre/s: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Summary:

When a supernatural freak of nature forces her family to separate, seventeen-year-old Charlie Page must turn to her frustrating (yet gorgeous) neighbor, Seth, to help reunite them. Seth whisks Charlie to Ellauria—a magical world filled with the creatures of myths and legends—and tells her of the Fellowship, the group charged with protecting mystical beings from human discovery. (All except Bigfoot: that attention whore is a total lost cause.) But when Charlie learns that she's under the Fellowship's protection herself, well, "stressed" is an understatement.

Ellauria should be the safest place for Charlie while the Fellowship works to find her family, but things in the mystical realm aren’t what they seem.

Magic is failing, creatures are dying, and the Fellowship insists Charlie holds the key to saving everyone. With her family still missing and the danger in Ellauria growing, Charlie doesn't know who she can trust. She's dealing with a power she never asked for, falling for a guy she can't have, and being forced to choose between her destiny and her heart. And if she chooses wrong, she could destroy magic forever.

Charlie may be in over her head.

2AMC: Lisa Maxwell, author of Sweet Unrest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 06:00:00 +0000

It's 4 days before Halloween and everyone is getting ready for the spooky holiday. What better way to be in the Halloween spirit than to read a spooky book set in New Orleans where ghost stories and voodoos are abundant. Sweet Unrest is just what you need and we have the author here today, for an interview.

Let us all welcome, Lisa Maxwell!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I always doubt myself. Even when I’m reading back through a manuscript and I’m impressed with what is written, there’s a little part of me that doubts I was the one who actually wrote it. I’m not sure I really overcame this obstacle—I just got through it. Partially, this was because I really didn’t think the whole publication thing would work. It was only the second book I’d written and the first I’d really queried, so there was a certain freedom in not thinking anyone would actually ever read it.

But the doubts don’t go away. I write a book that I believe in and my agent loves, and I still have the next blank page staring at me. It’s like I tell my students, if anyone ever tells you that writing is easy or that they have it figured out, they’re a lying liar who lies.

About Getting Published:

My journey started really, really late. I was not one of those people who always wanted to be a writer. I knew I would write a book someday, but I always assumed it would be one of those stuffy academic books about literary criticism that no one ever reads. It wasn’t until I was stuck in a new town, unemployed, and with two small kids to watch that I even thought about trying to write creatively—and that was just so I had something to do to stay sane.

I got the idea for SWEET UNREST when I was in the middle of writing a really horrible contemporary romance that will never see the light of day. I kind of plotted and planned it for a for a few months while I made myself finish writing that first book. (I’m a big believer in finishing what you start, and I wanted to make sure I could finish a book.)

I wrote the first draft in about a month, and I showed it to my husband. He liked the first half, but said it went off the rails about halfway through. He was right, so I cut 100 pages and rewrote it. I let a couple of other people read it, tweaked it for another couple of months and then sent out queries.

I got a lot of instant requests for fulls, some from pretty big agents. This was hugely exciting, but then I got a lot of instant rejections on the manuscript itself. So I knew there was something wrong with the book. I went back and revised it and queried again. Finally, the book got an agent, who put it on sub…right about the time that publishers were shying away from any more paranormal romances. I got a lot of “three years ago I could have offered for this” rejections, which was good and bad. But then, Flux liked it and offered for it. That offer came almost two years after it had first gone on sub, which just goes to show—you never know.

I got the news from my agent via email. I was sitting on my bed grading papers or something and I just kind of inarticulately slapped at my husband and pointed at the screen. Then I called my mom.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

Surreal. Like I said, I didn’t really expect this to work… at least not so quickly. I’d heard and read so many stories about people with drawers full of practice novels, and I was ready to put in my time to get there. Not that I’m complaining or anything.

Being a published author still doesn't feel completely real, but so far, my favorite moment has been getting the first glimpse at the cover image. It was maybe even better than holding the book, because it was the first time I really got to see the title and my name together, on a gorgeous picture. It started to feel real right about then.

About the Book:

Gosh, I wish my book had a super-cool origin story that involved a dream or a dragon or something fun. Mine’s a bit more boring.

I knew I wanted to try to write a YA—I’d been reading a lot of YA’s, starting with TWILIGHT—and I was trying to think about what I could bring to the genre that hadn’t really been done much yet. At that point, angels and vampires and werewolves and fairies had been done to death (or so publishers were saying), and I wanted to go with a different supernatural element. Eventually I thought about zombies, which lead me to Voodoo (and away from zombies) which lead me to New Orleans. Now, I studied African American literature for my Masters and have always been really interested in the history of how race has affected the US, and New Orleans is such a unique place when it comes to race and history—historically and now. I decided that the love story (because of course there would be a love story) would have to deal with race as one of the central conflicts. From that, the plot grew little by little.

But it was a scary book to write in a lot of ways. I wanted to use Voodoo and reimagine it, but I didn’t want to be disrespectful to the religious tradition of the people who practice. I wanted to put my characters in a situation where there races don’t matter at all…and yet their race is the only thing that does matter. I wanted the cast to be really diverse (because a bunch of white kids fooling around with Voodoo in New Orleans would have been more of a fantasy novel), but I didn’t want to misrepresent or be disrespectful in the way I represented the individual characters or their voices. I’m sure I’ve made mis-steps and gotten some things wrong, but I also hope that the story brings something to the genre that wasn’t there before.

Thanks so much for having me!

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Lisa Maxwell is the author of Sweet Unrest (Flux, Fall 2014) and Heartless Things (Simon Pulse, Spring 2016). She has a PhD in English and when she's not writing books, she's an English professor at a local college. She lives near DC with her very patient husband and two not-so patient boys

Title: Sweet Unrest
Genre/s: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: October 8, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

Lucy Aimes has always been practical. But try as she might, she can’t come up with a logical explanation for the recurring dreams that have always haunted her. Dark dreams. Dreams of a long-ago place filled with people she shouldn’t know…but does.

When her family moves to a New Orleans plantation, Lucy’s dreams become more intense, and her search for answers draws her reluctantly into the old city’s world of Voodoo and mysticism. There, Lucy finds Alex, a mysterious boy who behaves as if they’ve known each other forever. Lucy knows Alex is hiding something, and her rational side doesn’t want to be drawn to him. But she is.

As she tries to uncover Alex’s secrets, a killer strikes close to home, and Lucy finds herself ensnared in a century-old vendetta. With the lives of everyone she loves in danger, Lucy will have to unravel the mystery of her dreams before it all comes to a deadly finish.

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2AMC: Kate Ormand, author of Dark Days

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 02:22:00 +0000

We have the author of Dark Days here today for an interview regarding about her publication journey and her YA debut novel, which Amy Christine Parker, author of Gated, described as '...fast paced and tense with “ticking clock” chapters.'

Let us all welcome, Kate Ormand!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

Yes. Quite often, actually. I’ve always been the same with anything I create, especially with painting and writing. But I think it’s so important to believe in your own work. It’s very easy for self-doubt to creep in. I always try to beat it back and focus on getting the book written, and worry about the next stage after that.

About Getting Published:

I signed with my agent in September 2012 and we worked on the book together for a few months before sending out on submission to publishers. I got the offer from Sky Pony Press in February 2013 after a day at work. My agent had been trying to get hold of me all day, but I’m glad I didn’t see until I got home because I’m not sure I’d have been able to function properly for the rest of my shift! I sat on my bed and read through the email. I couldn’t reply right away because I was shaking. My dad was home that day, so I went downstairs and told him about it and sent an excited text to my partner, my mum, and my brothers, who all made a big fuss. Then, when I’d calmed down just a little, I told my agent YES! It was an amazing day!

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

That was such an awesome moment. Other than that, I think being able to share the news with everybody – family, friends, and online – is a favourite memory. The support was overwhelming and just made it all the more special.

About the Book:

I remember picturing the clock, and the cyborg army marching on the sector. I don’t know exactly what triggered the thought, but it stuck and I knew I had to write it. I grabbed a notebook right away! I’m putting it down to a love of dystopian novels and action films.

About the Author:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

KATE ORMAND is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. It was during this course that Kate discovered her love of reading YA books, prompting her to try a new creative angle and experiment with writing. Kate is also a member of an online group of published writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. And she writes children’s picture books under the name Kate Louise. You can see more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website (www.kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).

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2AMC: Natalie Parker, author of Beware the Wild

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 01:37:00 +0000

Today is Beware the Wild's release day and I'm happy to tell you that the author is here to tell where she get the idea of her book, and a lot more. Plus a giveaway!

Let's welcome, Natalie Parker!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubted yourself or second guessed the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I learned an awful lot about writing while working on BEWARE THE WILD. One of the things I learned is that I am both my greatest ally and my greatest obstacle.

Here’s an example of both. When I signed with my agent, she gave me pages and pages of notes all about how the novel wasn’t quite ready. I took a month to ponder them and at the end of that month, I realized the solution was a deadly one….I needed to start over from scratch.

Talk about disheartening! It might have been – scratch that, it DEFINITELY would have been easier to make cosmetic changes to the manuscript and call it good. But at the end of the day I knew that rewriting would lead me to a much better place. So, in spite of wanting to wallow on the floor in a puddle of my tears, I opened a blank Word document and typed a new first line.

Writing is a challenge because successes and improvements happen on such a long timescale. For me, it helps to remember I am ultimately the gate-keeper of my own improvement.

About Getting Published:

Mine is a story of hurry-up-and-wait. I worked on BEWARE for nearly a solid year before I and my crit partners deemed it worthy of submission. I sent our my queries and had 4 offers within the first week! I signed with Sarah Davies of the Greenhouse Literary Agency and as you know, she encouraged me to rewrite the beast from scratch. After I did, she and I tossed it back and forth for several months before she decided it was ready for submission.

And overnight, an editor ready it and made her intentions clear. It took another month for the deal to go through and she and I would work on yet another rewrite after that. So, it’s been a very long, very exciting journey.

When my agent called with the news, I don’t think I said actual words. There were just strings of noises with exclamation points.

My friends, on the other hand, burned down a shed in their excitement. They’re definitely better with celebrations than I.

About Being an Author

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

This is a tough one! I think my favorite moment was signing my agency agreement. That was the first moment everything felt real and possible.

About the Book

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also have an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might have started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

Such a hard question. I imagine inspiration is very like a rain storm. It may seem to arrive all at once, but really it’s been building for a while, traveling great distances, and waiting for all the right conditions to let lose. Which is my way of saying….I really don’t know. I suspect it was something to do with spending much of my childhood in the south, especially during the long, hot summers, and also with a preoccupation with the idea of gatorgirls and boys.

I decided to write it the moment a first line popped into my head. Once that happens, I know the story is ready to explore itself.

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

Natalie C. Parker grew up in a Navy family where having adventures was as common as reading fairy tales. She received her BA from the University of Southern Mississippi, her MA from the University of Cincinnati, and currently works at the University of Kansas coordinating projects on climate change. Though the roots of her family are buried deep in southern Mississippi, she resides in Kansas with her partner in a house of monsters.

Title: Beware the Wild
Genre/s: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

It’s an oppressively hot and sticky morning in May when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp — the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn’t return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp’s done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance — and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.

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2AMC: Whitney Miller, author of The Violet Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:26:00 +0000

Our author today wrote The Violet Hour which the Kirkus Reviews said "[this] should please horror fans. And as fan of horror myself, I'm quite excited to read this book.

Anyway, let us welcome, Whitney Miller!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

There were definitely moments of doubt and frustration while writing this book, as there always are for me. Sometimes you write yourself into a metaphorical corner, and can't seem to find your way out. In The Violet Hour, I wasn't sure how to end the book - I wrote three different endings and none of them was quite right. When I hit these obstacles I usually let my subconscious do the heavy lifting...stop trying to solve the problem and just let the answer come to me when it's ready. The ending for this book finally hit me like a bolt from the blue when I was randomly doing laundry one day. I won't spoil it for you - the ending is one of the best parts of the book! Even when you write yourself into those corners, you just have to remember that as a writer you're in control - you can just write yourself a door and walk through it!

About Getting Published:

I got an agent about a year and a half after I started writing, which was pretty fast, but my first book didn't sell. While that first book was on submission, I began writing The Violet Hour, mostly to keep myself sane. When I finally got the book deal I'd been dreaming of, I was ecstatic. My first thought was something like "LSDIJFLOHSGKIHSFIJLKJLD!!!! I can't believe I have a book deal!!" and my second was "Oh...wow. I really need to work hard and make this book the best that it can be. People are actually going to READ this." Both thoughts were humbling. I just felt really lucky, and really determined to do my best.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

The very best thing about being a published author is getting to meet readers who like your book. There's really nothing better, even holding the first physical copy.

About the Book:

I travel a lot for work, and am lucky that I get to see incredible places all over the world. This book came to me when I was sitting in Yoyogi Park in Tokyo one Sunday afternoon, watching the Harajuku girls as cherry blossoms fell like snow around them. For some reason I thought, "This would make the perfect beginning to a horror book!" It's totally random, but most readers agree that it made for a pretty gruesome beginning :) From there, I just thought of all the amazing places I've been to in Asia and crafted a creepy, ambient, and thrilling speculative fiction piece around them. It was so much fun!

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Whitney A. Miller lives in San Francisco with her husband and a struggling houseplant. She's summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, ridden the Trans-Siberian rails, bicycled through Vietnam, done the splits on the Great Wall of China, and evaded the boat police in Venice, but her best international adventures take place on the page!

Title: The Violet Hour
Genre/s: YA, Science Fiction, Horror
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: March 8, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Summary:

Some call VisionCrest the pinnacle of religious enlightenment. Others call it a powerful cult. For seventeen years, Harlow Wintergreen has called it her life.

As the daughter of VisionCrest's patriarch, Harlow is expected to be perfect at all times. She must be considered a paragon of integrity by the other Ministry teens and a future leader in the eyes of the world.

Despite the constant scrutiny Harlow is keeping a dark and dangerous secret, even from her best friend and the boy she loves. She hears a voice in her head that seems to have a mind of its own, plaguing her with violent and bloody visions. It commands her to kill. And the urge to obey is getting harder and harder to control ...

2AMC: Madeliene Kuderick, author of Kiss of Broken Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 08:17:00 +0000

"Vivid and descriptive...a moving story about a serious issue." that's what School Library Journal said about Kiss of Broken Glass which is the debut novel of our featured author for today. So without further ado, I'd like to welcome on my blog, Madeleine Kuderick.

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I was extremely driven to write this book and did not have any moments where I second guessed myself about why I was writing it. That said, I felt a tremendous responsibility to write this story in an authentic voice and there were times when I found myself writing and re-writing verses to ensure the words rang true.

About Getting Published:

I began attending SCBWI conferences and learning to write for the YA audience in 2008. I had pieces published in magazines and anthologies along the way but it wasn’t until December 2012 that the stars aligned for my first book. I was attending an SCBWI conference in Miami and had submitted ten pages of my manuscript for critique. The reviewer was NY Times Best Selling author Alex Flinn who was moved enough by my piece to recommend it to her own agent. That led to my signing with Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. and ultimately receiving a two book deal from HarperCollins. The entire process took about three months from conference to contract which is incredibly fast and felt like an absolute whirlwind at the time.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

There have been so many wonderful moments along this journey from a fantastic trip to New York to meet my brilliant editor Toni Markiet, to seeing the cover art for the first time, to hearing my words read by the talented Katie Schorr on the audiobook, and on and on. It’s really hard to choose a favorite. But I think the most meaningful moments have been when I received feedback from readers, especially those who have struggled with self-harm, saying that my book struck a chord with them or helped them to feel less alone.

About the Book:

I’m a real believer in the adage that sometimes you don’t choose the story, the story chooses you. In my case, this story began with my daughter’s real life experience when she was exposed to cutting as early as the sixth grade and eventually experimented with self-harm. But it’s important to remember that KISS is a work of fiction. So while my daughter’s experiences influenced me deeply, I also spent hundreds of hours researching the blogs and Tumblr pages of other teens struggling with self-harm. Eventually I developed Kenna, a fictional character who embodied all those brave and aching voices, and I felt compelled to tell her story. I think this book is vital now, more than ever, because there seems to be a surge happening. Self-harm is more prevalent, visible, and competitive than it has ever been before. I wanted to write a book about what it would be like to get swept up in that, and how hard it might be to get out.

About the Author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Madeleine Kuderick grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, a community with rich literary tradition, where she was editor-in-chief of the same high school newspaper that Ernest Hemingway wrote for as a teen. She studied journalism at Indiana University before transferring to the School of Hard Knocks where she earned plenty of bumps and bruises and eventually an MBA. Today, Madeleine likes writing about underdogs and giving a voice to those who are struggling to be heard.

Title: Kiss of Broken Glass
Genre/s: YA, Contemporary Fiction, Verse Novel
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Nobles | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

Madeleine Kuderick’s gripping debut is a darkly beautiful and lyrical novel in verse, perfect for fans of Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson. Kiss of Broken Glass pulses with emotion and lingers long after the last page.

In the next seventy-two hours, Kenna may lose everything—her friends, her freedom, and maybe even herself. One kiss of the blade was all it took to get her sent to the psych ward for seventy-two hours. There she will face her addiction to cutting, though the outcome is far from certain.

When fifteen-year-old Kenna is found cutting herself in the school bathroom, she is sent to a facility for mandatory psychiatric watch. There, Kenna meets other kids like her—her roommate, Donya, who’s there for her fifth time; the birdlike Skylar; and Jag, a boy cute enough to make her forget her problems . . . for a moment.

2AMC: Kristi Helvig, author of Burn Out

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 01:55:00 +0000

Burn Out was described by Kirkus Reviews as "a scorching series opener not to be missed." I couldn't agree more. And I'm very glad to tell you that I have the author here today for an interview. Let us all welcome, Kristi Helvig!

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

So I never doubted my story or second guessed why I was writing it. That being said, I did have doubts as to whether it would find a publisher or not, but that wasn't something within my control so I just focused on making it the best book I could.

About Getting Published:

My journey to publication started with getting an agent. I cold-queried agents using sites like Querytracker and AgentQuery, and was lucky enough to get several offers. I knew my agent was right for me during our phone call, and she’s the one who submitted me to publishers. When she called me about the book deal for BURN OUT and the sequel, the first thing I did was call my husband and tell him we were going out to dinner—as a busy mom, I love any excuse to go out to eat!

About Being an Author

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

My favorite moment was probably my launch party at the Tattered Cover bookstore. To look out at a sea of friends and family who’ve been so supportive of my writing was really emotional for me. Oh, and my other fave moment was my son telling his class that I was famous, because Lou Ferrigno and I were listed near each other as guests at Comic Con.

About the Book:

I’m a total nerd and my husband and I had watched a science documentary about what would happen when our sun eventually burns out. That same night I heard a haunting song on Pandora called “Center of the Sun” by Conjure One, and then went to bed soon after. I ended up having one of those all-night vivid dreams that centered on a girl named Tora who struggled to survive after our sun burned out early. When I woke up, I started scribbling like crazy in a notebook I keep by my bed. Six weeks later, I’d finished the first draft of BURN OUT.

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Kristi Helvig is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist turned sci-fi/fantasy author. She muses about Star Trek, space monkeys, and other assorted topics on her blog and Twitter. Kristi resides in sunny Colorado with her hubby, two kiddos, and behaviorally-challenged dogs. Grab a copy of BURN OUT on Amazon, Indiebound, or Barnes & Noble. The sequel, STRANGE SKIES, releases June 9, 2015 from Egmont USA.

Title: Burn Out

Genre/s: YA, Science Fiction,

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Publication Date: April 8, 2014

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Summary:

Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.

Title: Strange Skies (Burn Out #2)
Genre/s: YA, Science Fiction
Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication Date: June 9, 2015

Summary:

Action, adventure, and romance are heating up in this sequel to the futuristic science fiction thriller Burn Out. Perfect for fans of Across the Universe and The Memory of After.

Caelia is the new Earth. That's what the Consulate told everyone and, against all odds, Tora finally has made it there. She can't see the ocean from her cell in the Consulate's containment center, and she doesn't know what happened to the weapons her father died for and she's risked her life to save.

But as she plans her escape, she runs into the last person she ever expected to see-her dad. The Consulate has kept held him prisoner in a complicated plot designed to lure Tora out of hiding. Now Tora has a new purpose: break free, get the guns, and save her father.

But first she'll have to navigate a strange new planet, track down James (whose loyalties still remain questionable), and find Kale…before he finds her first.

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2AMC: Rachel Wilson, author of Don't Touch

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 07:00:00 +0000

We have here today the author of Don't Touch which was described by Kirkus Reviews as “An insightful look at anxiety disorders and letting go of fear.” So without further ado, here's Rachel Wilson.

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubted yourself or second guessed the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

Um, absolutely! During grad school at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), I dismantled Don’t Touch and put it together from scratch, doing a near-complete rewrite. I had to ask myself whether I’d ever find the material that would stick. If I’d been writing in a vacuum, I could easily have come to the conclusion that I was doomed to never finish since I was struggling so much. But that’s part of the process, and seeing other writers going through the same thing proved that. For me, the best antidote to doubt is to surround myself with other writers. Feeling their energy and passion for writing allows me to tap into it again, and it’s the best reminder that writing often feels like wrestling and that’s okay.

I don’t know that I second-guessed my reasons for writing the story, but I did discover new reasons in revision as I came to understand the story better. Being open to those discoveries led me in interesting directions and added layers.

About Getting Published:

I met my future agent, Sara Crowe, at an alumni event at VCFA, where she heard me read from Don’t Touch. She seemed to love my reading, and I went out to dinner with her and some of her clients and got the feeling she’d be great to work with. Still, I revised for another year or so before querying. When I finally did, she was thankfully still much enthused. Don’t Touch sold at auction not long after that. There were so many stages to finding out about the deal—interest from the editor, an acquisitions meeting, an editorial meeting, a phone call—that I can’t pinpoint a moment when I got the news. But when a friend messaged me that the deal had been posted in Publisher’s Weekly, it suddenly felt very real. I’d been checking messages in my car while parked, and I finished up and started driving, but I soon realized I was too emotional to drive and had to pull over. I’m not the most emotional person, so all that week when I had all these feelings that I didn’t know what to do with, I’d watch sad episodes of Grey’s Anatomy for the express purpose of crying.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

It’s not terribly different from being an unpublished author except that there’s more awareness from both friends and strangers that when I say I’m writing, I mean it. That’s a pretty nice change because a lot of the time when you tell people you write, they assume you mean that you intend to write, one day, when you have time but that at this very moment, you’re incredibly busy watching Netflix. Once there’s a published book, you have physical proof that you’ve actually been doing all this writing. And there’s awareness on my part that people I don’t know are reading my book and having opinions about it. That can be scary but fun too. One reader made a fan mix for Don’t Touch, and that made me feel so awesome I wanted to hug her. My friends have also been incredibly supportive—they were excited for me before, but the book actually coming out made it all more real. My favorite moment has probably been having champagne with my family and a bunch of family friends on the night of my Birmingham book launch. The event was over, books had sold, people had seemed to have fun, and celebrating with a smaller group of people I love so much was something I’ll never forget.

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also have an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might have started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite some time. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

If my book were a superhero, it would be one that went through a shocking mutation. I knew I wanted to write about OCD because it had such an impact on me as a kid, but the story changed shape over time. For a while, the book that would become Don’t Touch was called Manatee and featured—yes, a manatee—as well as a ballet dancer who breaks both her legs. As I zeroed in on the story, it became more and more compelling to me so that I’m not sure I ever decided to tell this particular story. It evolved into what it is now very gradually.

About the Author:
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Rachel M. Wilson received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Don't Touch(HarperTeen) is her first novel. Her eerie digital short, The Game of Boys and Monsters, recently came out with HarperTeen Impulse. Originally from Alabama, Rachel now writes, acts, and teaches in Chicago, Illinois.

Title: Don't Touch
Genre/s: YA, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
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Summary:

A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good.

Caddie can’t stop thinking that if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, her parents might get back together... which is why she wears full-length gloves to school and covers every inch of her skin.

It seems harmless at first, but Caddie’s obsession soon threatens her ambitions as an actress. She desperately wants to play Ophelia in her school’s production of Hamlet. But that would mean touching Peter, who’s auditioning for the title role—and kissing him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn't sure she's brave enough to let herself fall.

Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who's fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.

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2AMC: Amy Talkington, author of Liv, Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 00:39:00 +0000

Today, we have the award-winning filmaker, screenwriter and now, debut author of Liv, Forever. Her novel was described by Kendare Blake as, "...that special kind of story that manages to be both morbid and sweet." Let us all welcome, Amy Talkington.

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, did you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

Initially I imagined LIV, FOREVER as a screenplay/movie (that's my day job, screenwriting). I spent a long time working out the story outline and, as I did, I realized I wanted to write it as a book. Because I was working off a very detailed outline, I never questioned or second guessed the story but I DID question AND second guess my ability to write it in novel form. I've written short stories, numerous screenplays and articles for magazines but LIV, FOREVER was my first novel so there was a lot of doubt about my ability to pull that off.

How did I push through? I had to! I was lucky enough to sell the book off the outline so I had a deadline. Looming deadlines always help!

About Getting Published:

I had an unconventional path. Once I realized that I thought LIV, FOREVER would make a great book, . I reached out to the one single editor I know in the business, Daniel Ehrenhaft at Soho Teen, and… he wanted to publish the book! So my experience was pretty unique (and lucky!) in that way.

What's the first thing I did? Panicked!

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

I got to do a small book tour and that was incredible -- to get to meet young people (and older people) who'd read and loved the book. Answering their questions, discussing it. I'd have to say the school visits were probably my very favorite!

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that a book also has an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might have started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

The idea came from a bunch of things piling up in my brain at once. First, I just had this character I wanted to write: Liv. Secondly, I’ve been interested in ghosts for a long time so... I started to think about what kind of a ghost story Liv might be a part of. I got really excited about the metaphors a ghost story affords—the idea that she had to die in order to fully learn to live (and love). And, finally, when I was thinking about all this, the Occupy movement was happening and I was really struck by the great divide in our country—between the 99% and the 1%. I wanted to tap into that. I don’t want to give it away but I can say that divide—and the feeling so many people have that the 1% would do almost anything to stay on top—comes to play in the school’s mythology and conspiracy.

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Amy Talkington is an award-winning screenwriter and director living in Los Angeles. Before all that she wrote about music for magazines like Spin, Ray gun, Interview, and Seventeen (mostly just as a way to get to hang out with rock stars). As a teenager in Dallas, Texas, Amy painted lots of angsty self-portraits, listened to the Velvet Underground and was difficult enough that her parents finally let her go to boarding school on the East Coast. Liv, Forever is her first novel.

Title: Liv, Forever
Genre/s: YA, Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: Soho Teen
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
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Summary:

When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, she has her own studio, her own supply of paints. Everything she could want.

Then she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy the ride.

But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To Malcolm.

Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.

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