Be sure and check out my review for The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, posted earlier today!

If you’ve been following the tour, you know each blog is featuring a quote from the book! I have to say I couldn’t have gotten a better one for me.. Wildcat is one of my favorite “new” characters in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. She’s feisty and a little intimidating and so much fun.

As part of the tour for The Girl in the Clockwork Collar there are two giveaways going on! Both giveaways are US/Canada only. (Contest Rules)

The first is a daily giveaway for a copy of the book.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The second giveaway is the grand prize.
It is for the collar featured on the cover of The Girl in the Clockwork Collar!

To enter and find out more info, check Harlequin Teen’s Facebook page.

Don’t forget to visit the rest of the tour! This is only the first week, so you have plenty of time to catch up.
Monday, May 14th – The Story Siren
Wednesday, May 16th – Harlequin Paranormal Blog
Friday, May 18th – Letters Inside Out

Monday, May 21st – Hippies, Beauty and Books…Oh, My!
Wednesday, May 23rd – The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia
Friday, May 25th – My Shelf Confessions

Monday, May 28th – A Book and a Latte
Tuesday, March 27th – Book Birthday! – Alice Marvels
Wednesday, May 30th – Seeing Night Book Reviews
Friday, June 1st – Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

Be sure and check back later today for more The Girl in the Clockwork Collar content (and a giveaway!)

What happens when someone you love becomes a weapon to use against you…

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling — or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade—the dangerous device Jasper stole from him…for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei’s neck tightens. And tightens.

From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper’s elusive trail. And they’re about to discover how far they’ll go for friendship.

More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley…and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily—whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.

Now, to help those she’s come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much….

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

When I read the first book, The Girl in the Steel Corset, I fell in love with the world Cross created. I had doubted that book two would continue to build the world and develop the characters I loved further, but it did.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar picks up with the gang arriving in America to try to find Jasper. Each character remains true to their selves, but we such great growth with each as they get to know each other better. Their predicament has kind of thrown this “new girl”, Finley, into their group and while she helped them in book 1, they still don’t really know her. That’s actually one common complaint I’ve seen regarding this book/series is the lack of romance. It’s there, I actually prefer how Cross is gradually introducing it. Instead of the typical insta-love aspect, we get to know the characters and learn more about them as they get to know each other. It’s refreshing!

The new characters in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar proved entertaining and I really hope we see more of them! We are introduced to Mei, the lovely girl with the collar. We also meet an inventor, who I find myself being more and more curious about – I hope we get to learn more about him!  (Ahem, I’m a bit of a nerd…I LOVE the invention aspect of steampunk, so I want to know more.) There are also a slew of other new characters that I have a feeling we’ll see more of soon.

As the synopsis teases, there is a gang leader, Dalton is holding Jasper “hostage” by threatening the life of the girl Jasper loves. It proves to be action-filled and just so much fun! I loved getting to see a bit inside of this crime world, as Finley infiltrates it to save Jasper’s life. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

The only thing, well, person I found myself missing was Mr. Dandy. I can’t wait until he appears again, he was one of my favorite characters in the first book.

If you’ve never read steampunk before, Kady Cross’s series is a lovely place to start! It’s a series that is sure to entice.

I received my copy of The Girl in the Clockwork Collar  from Kismet Book Tours and Harlequin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the “thing” inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she’s special, says she’s one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin’s investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff’s little company of strays apart, and it isn’t long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she’s on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Goodreads | Amazon | B &N | Indiebound

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

If you are interested in reading Night of the Purple Moon, it’s currently free on Amazon! The promotion ends today (5-17). 

Space germs decimate the adult population. Who will survive?

For months, astronomers have been predicting that Earth will pass through the tail of a comet. They say that people will see colorful sunsets and, best of all, a purple moon.

But nobody has predicted the lightning-fast epidemic that sweeps across the planet on the night of the purple moon. The comet brings space dust with it that contains germs that attack human hormones. Older teens and adults die within hours of exposure.

On a small island off the coast of Maine, a group of teens and children struggle to survive in this new world, but all the while they have inside them a ticking time bomb — adolescence.

Why writing is like surfing

I started surfing about ten years ago, and about three years ago I started to see the parallels between surfing and writing. In my author blog,, you’ll see that I’ve written just about everything but a stage play.

I live north of Boston and when there are waves my buddy and I rise before dawn and drive 45 minutes to the New Hampshire coast. Winter, when the water dips to 36 degrees and storms barrel up the east coast, is the best time to surf in New England.

There’s a saying among surfers. “Who’s the best surfer?” Answer: “the one having the most fun in the water.”

By that definition, I’m pretty decent, though I’m no Kelly Slater (11 times world champ). I can’t even touch the local ten-year-old kids who shred the waves with glee and ease. But I do have LOTS OF FUN!

When the waves are head high to two feet overhead, I am out of my comfort zone. I get an uneasy feeling inside. A seven-foot wave can pound you pretty good and hold you under until the last molecules of oxygen in your bloodstream are turning into carbon dioxide. You get tumbled like a raggedy-ann doll. The right approach to take these waves is to screw up your courage, muster up your confidence, and “go for it.” Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The worst thing that can happen is that you get drilled. In theory, that is my approach.

I often myself out of my comfort zone writing (sometimes on a daily basis). I wrote my YA dystopian, Night of the Purple Moon, in third-person limited. I had never done that before. For two months, I experimented and read novels until I felt comfortable with the style. What’s the worst thing that could have happened? Failure. So what…

When surfing, there’s a lot of waiting around. You float on your board, squinting at the horizon, searching for the next set. When a wave finally comes (and you are the right position for it, it’s your wave—you never want to “snake” another surfer), you point the tip of your board toward the beach and start paddling. Surfing is 95 percent paddling. It’s hard work, too. The “paddling muscles” of the upper back are rarely used in any other type of athletic activity. Not even swimming strengthens all the muscles. Only surfing makes you a stronger surfer.

Writing, if you will, exercises a part of the brain. And the only way to get better, “get stronger” is to write. Reading helps, too. But writing every day, whether you feel like it or not, offers an overall benefit.

After you have waited for the wave and now are paddling for it, the moment of truth is fast approaching. If you pop to your feet too early, the wave passes you by. Pop up too late, the wave passes by. There is a moment in time measured in microseconds when the back of your board is being lifted and you enter the sweet spot of the wave. Now is the time. If you think about it, more often than not you’ll miss it. When you simply react, though, relying on some unconscious instinct, that is when enter the surfing zone.

I find that much of writing is hard work, hard lifting. There are endless plot dead ends. There are rules of the craft that must be learned and followed. Writing a 300-page novel is not a trivial exercise. Creating dialog that is not “on the nose” takes practice. Getting to know your characters is like meeting new people. But once you have done this work, there are fleeting moments when writing unfolds as if you were slicing down the glassy face of a wave. It’s effortless. You enter a zone where you watch your own creative process as much as dictate it. That feeling, I know, is one of the big reasons that I keep writing.

When the wave finally ends or when a piece of writing falls into place, the sense of accomplishment, “the stoke”, is truly amazing.

Buy or Learn more:  Amazon | Goodreads | Blog

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

If you have read Patrick’s debut title, Forgotten, realize Revived is nothing like it. Forgotten solidified me as a fan of Patrick’s. There is something about her style that entertains me – especially with her unique story lines. Based on the synopsis of Revived, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I found was a science fiction book that furthered my fairly newly discovered love of the genre.

I couldn’t help but find myself being sympathetic of Daisy’s situation. She’s died five times and every time has to uproot her life and start over. Because of that she’s. Never really even tried. Upon their latest move, she vows to make friends, but then bad things start happening. She makes the best friend she’s ever had and meets a guy she likes – who likes her back! Another perk? Daisy is a blogger! She and her friend Megan co-run a blog about life, fashion, and other various ‘fun’ topics.

Patrick managed to develop the side characters to a point that made them almost more fun than the main characters. I had a hard time choosing between Daisy’s dad and Audrey, her new best friend, as a favorite. But Audrey is so full of life and has her own very intense and heart-wrenching side story that made me fall in love with her! Daisy’s dad is the most parental of Daisy’s parents, but he’s just so funny.

The idea behind the Revive drug is so interesting and considering the way science grows at a rapid speed it is so believable. Adding to Revived is a bit of a thrilling “who-dun-it” and action-packed story. All of this makes Revived feel almost like a thriller or contemporary title with a dash of sci-fi. Because of that, it’s the sort of book that will appeal to fans of many genres.

I received Revived in exchange for my honest opinion from the publisher.

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

As part of Little Brown’s tour for Revived, I have author Cat Patrick here today on Letters Inside Out to discuss a big part of my life – music. She has five songs that relate to Revived. (The links in the post go to YouTube, so you can listen if you choose to!)

Be sure and check back soon for a review of the book!

Revived Playlist

As a child, I tried to learn to play piano, violin and, for one fleeting moment, the flute. Instead of a warning label that says, “Don’t try this at home,” my musical warning label should say, “Don’t try this ever.” I’m just that awesome at playing instruments (and singing).

That doesn’t mean that I don’t love to listen. A friend once told me that you’re a music person or a lyrics person, and I’m definitely the latter. I’ll Google the lyrics, memorize my favorites and yeah, sing along. While I’m driving. At top volume. (My poor children.)

I’m definitely inspired by music, and recently I’ve gotten into the habit of making soundtracks for my books. It’s fun to organize the songs that may have inspired a theme or scene next to ones that I envision my characters loving themselves.

My most recent book, Revived, is about a girl named Daisy who lives as part of a government program to test a drug that brings people back from the dead. Daisy herself has died and been Revived five times, and with each time comes a new home and identity. The book is about friendship, love and loss within a very unique set of circumstances, and has a healthy dose of mystery thrown in, too.

Here are some of the songs that remind me of Revived:

Keep The Car Running by Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire is my favorite band and every word in this song reminds me of Revived. “Every night my dream’s the same; The same old city with a different name; Men are coming to take me away I don’t know why but I know I can’t stay…” Perfect!

Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson. I don’t want to give too much away, but something very sad happens in Revived. It hits Daisy and some of the other characters hard, when I hear Keep Breathing, it reminds me of that sad thing and gives me chills. I particularly love the end of the song when it repeats, “All we can do is keep breathing.”

Similarly, Fix You by Coldplay is a gut-wrenching song with lyrics that remind me of the emotional drama in Revived. The Revive drug can fix most people, but there are those it can’t, which is a sad reality for Daisy.

Name by the Goo Goo Dolls. The lyrics of this song talk about leaving things behind, and keeping secrets. “And I won’t tell no one your name,” is a line that resonates, reminding me of the fact that Daisy has to change identities, and can’t reveal who she was in the past for fear of threatening the program she loves.

First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes. It’s quite possible that I was separated at birth from whoever wrote this song because there are so many lyrics that work with Revived. “I swear I was born right in the doorway,” gives me butterflies: Daisy and Matt first speak to one another when he’s standing in a doorway. “I remember the time you drove all night just to meet me in the morning,” is spot on with a particular romantic scene. And, “I think I was blind before I met you,” reminds me of Daisy’s strange life, and the fact that she doesn’t have a lot of friends to count on before she meets Matt and Audrey.

What songs inspire you to be creative? Post here or send me a note at www.catpatrick.com.

Cat Patrick is an author of books for young adults including Forgotten (June 2011), about a girl who remembers the future instead of the past; Revived (May 2012), about a girl in a top secret government trial to test a drug that brings people back from the dead and The Originals (May 2013), about three clones living as one person in order to hide their past. Cat lives outside of Seattle with her husband and twin daughters, and is both obsessed with and afraid of zombies and America’s Next Top Model.

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

The Johnsons—mother, father, and two daughters—were a loving, and close Seattle family. Then the younger daughter Linea started experiencing crippling bouts of suicidal depression. Multiple trips to the psych ward resulted in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and it took many trial runs of drugs and ultimately electroshock therapy to bring Linea back. But her family never gave up on her. And Linea never stopped trying to find her way back to them.

Perfect Chaos is the story of a mother’s and daughter’s journey through mental illness towards hope. From initial worrying symptoms to long sleepless nights to cross country flights and the slow understanding and rebuilding of trust, Perfect Chaos tells Linea’s and Cinda’s harrowing and inspiring story, of an illness that they conquer together every day. It is the story of a daughter’s courage, a mother’s faith, and the love that carried them through the darkest times.

I don’t often feature non-fiction titles here on Letters Inside Out, but when I saw Perfect Chaos…I knew I had to. Bipolar disorder is a topic that is very close to my heart and affects me personally every day. I was intrigued by the concept behind Perfect Chaos, there are excerpts from Linea’s journal (during the episodes) and then chapters from her mother, Cinda, explaining what she as the mother went through. It’s not often that any book about bipolar disorder captures what it is actually like.

Having survived a similar situation as Linea, I have to say I wish this book had existed a few years ago. It’s such an eye-opening look at mental illness that always has such a horrible stigma attached to it. What Linea and Cinda have accomplished with this book, is hopefully going to open more people’s eyes to the disorder and dispel some beliefs. I know many of my readers here on LIO do not often read memoirs, but if you have any interest I urge to check this one out!

Here’s a great video from the pair discussing why they chose to write this revolutionary book.

I also have Linea here today to talk a bit about eating disorders…

“Why don’t you just eat!”

At the time I was so overwhelmed by this blow that came from my best friend that I couldn’t speak but instead began to hyperventilate. Why couldn’t I eat? What was so hard about putting food in my body that so badly needed it? My mind was blank of responses to what, to her, was a simple question.

My depression had led me into a state where I couldn’t do a lot of things, but this was the primary concern. How could I explain to someone who had never understood depression about the way that I was behaving? What I wish I would have said, and eventually did say through the help of friends, was to tell her my symptoms, my personal story and the facts about depression and eating disorders. At first she couldn’t comprehend what I meant when I told her I had a hard time leaving my house to buy groceries or that I became so anxious and sad that I couldn’t manage to even swallow a mouthful. She didn’t understand what it was like to feel so sad you that I felt like I had to punish myself, or that I deserved this pain. So I moved on to find help from outside sources. I had another friend, one who did understand my pain, explain to her once again my personal story. I had that friend share some facts and figures from trusted mental health organizations and she gradually began to accept, if not fully comprehend, the fact that I was unable to make the healthy decisions that she was making every day.

I wish she simply would have said “it’s time for dinner, let’s do this together”.

Be sure and check out more about Linea, Cinda, and their story!

Linea’s writing: MIUSA and Speak About Depression

Cinda’s writing: The Balance Mind, It Was More Than Teen Angst.

Blog:  Cinda | Linea

 Website | Facebook page

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

After taking the past two weekends “off” from reading, I’m a bit behind on reading! I figured I’d sign up for the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon to play a little catch up. The Bout of Books Read-A-Thon actually starts tomorrow (Monday), but I figured I’d go ahead and do my goals post so that if anyone wants to sign up last-minute they have a heads up!

My Goals

• Finish my current read.
• Start and finish AT LEAST 7 other books. I went ahead and listed more, but that’s because I can’t choose.

Books To Read

• Surrender
• Pretty Amy
• Of Poseidon
• Dreamless (Starcrossed)
• Beauty
• Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe
• The Princesses of Iowa
• Sweet Evil
• The Disenchantments
• Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List
• Unbreak My Heart
• Haven

Updates

5/14

Challenge Completed 

Note: I started reading Surrender at page 150 – Those pages will not be included in today’s update.

Number of books I’ve read today: 3-ish (Finished one – 330 pages, read one entire book, and started another -250 pages in)
Pages Read Today: 812
Total number of books I’ve read: 3
Books: Surrender by Elana Johnson, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker, Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein

5/15

Challenge Completed
Number of books I’ve read today: 1 (+50 pages)
Pages read today: 374 | Total: 1186
Total number of books I’ve read: 4
Books: Finished Pretty Amy and completed Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

5/16
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Pages read today: 594 | Total: 1780
Total number of books I’ve read: 6 (Only one away from my goal and there’s still 3 days left!!!)
Books: Haven by Kristi Cook (this was a re-read) and Beauty by Lisa Daily

5/17
Number of books I’ve read today: 1
Pages read today: 142 | Total: 1922
Total number of books I’ve read: 7 (Yay! My goal was met!)
Books: What a Boy Wants

5/18
Number of books I’ve read today:
Pages read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:

5/19
Number of books I’ve read today:
Pages read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:

5/20
Number of books I’ve read today:
Pages read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

“You probably want to hear about Jennifer and the demons and how I played chicken with a freight train and—oh yeah—the weird murder and how I found out about it—you’re definitely going to want to hear about that. But first, I have to tell you about the stupidest thing I ever did . . .”

Sam Hopkins is bored with his status as a preacher’s kid. So when a group of guys notorious for being in trouble offers him friendship, he accepts. Before long, he has several new skills—including hot-wiring cars.

At school, there’s an eccentric loner named Jennifer. When Sam defends her from being bullied, she begins to seek him out as her only friend. Her ramblings often seem illogical . . . but then start to contain grains of truth. One leads Sam to discover that one of his new friends has been killed. And then she tells him, “I’m looking for the devil.” Sam doesn’t know what that means, but he knows it’s a matter of life and death that he figure it out.

Everyone else thinks Jennifer is suffering from schizophrenia. But Sam is starting to wonder if there could be something prophetic in her words. Discovering the truth is going to be both crazy and dangerous.

When I first read the synopsis for Crazy Dangerous I was immediately hooked. I was so intrigued by the entire concept, so when I got the change to review it for this tour I immediately jumped on it. I’ve never read anything from Andrew Klavan before, but I often have heard him compared to Stephen King. That alone added to my initial curiousity.

When I began reading, I was hooked early on. Even being hooked, I found myself taking breaks from reading it to comprehend and process what I had just read. That’s not a typical reading habit of mine, so I’m not sure if it was just a mood thing or the fact the book was so, for lack of a better word…crazy.

Sam’s lived his entire life being the typical preacher’s kid. Doing what everyone expects and staying under the radar. He’s tired of this, so when given the chance to hang out with the “bad guys” in town, he’s game. Jennifer sees and hears things – demons in her hallway, skeletons, and other creepy things. After saving Jennifer from bullying, she decides Sam is her best friend and that he can save the world.

Crazy Dangerous focuses on what Jennifer is seeing and Sam’s decision that she isn’t as far out there as everyone thinks. Sam’s journey to uncover the truth is hectic and pretty dangerous. The entire story is suspense-filled and kept me wondering what was going on.

While Crazy Dangerous is told mainly from Sam’s point of view (in first-person), it also features chapters in third-person from Jennifer’s, giving a bit of “crazy” insight into what is going on. A fact that added so much to the suspense and scary factor of the book.

Crazy Dangerous is considered “christian fiction”, but it is a very light factor in the story. It is more focused on mental illnesses and Sam’s self-discovery.

Lovers of books dealing with mental illnesses, told from male POV, and/or suspense are going to love Crazy Dangerous. Klavan has weaved quite an intense book that features some of my favorite “categories” into one.

I received my copy of Crazy Dangerous from the publisher and Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion.

@AndrewKlavan’s Crazy Dangerous $100 Visa Cash Card Giveaway! RSVP for
#Facebook Party {5/29}!
Celebrate with Andrew Klavan by entering his Crazy
Dangerous giveaway and connecting with him during the Author Chat Party on
5/29!

• A $100 Visa Cash Card
• A copy of Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan for YOU and
  5 of your Friends!

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at
noon on May 28th. Winner will be announced at the “Crazy
Dangerous” Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/29. Andrew will be hosting an Author Chat, testing your survival trivia skills, giving away books and gift certificates to
iTunes and Amazon.com! Don’t miss a second of the “danger”!

Grab your copy of Crazy Dangerous and connect with Andrew on the evening of
5/29/12 for an author chat and lots of giveaways.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see
you on the 24th!

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

Tour Schedule

Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He’s captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother’s crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father’s abuse, battered and alone.

Leo’s girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida’s top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there’s an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter–her father–is in prison for murder.

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything’s on the line . . . streamline.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Streamline is the sort of book that pulls you in immediately and makes you want to weep. This entire group of families is interconnected in ways that kept me turning the pages to find out just what was going on. My heart ached for each character for various reasons.

Leo’s upbringing was horrific and filled with abuse. Audrey’s father is in jail for killing a man – and doesn’t remember it. Overall Streamline is dark and mysterious, like I said it kept me guessing. Each character introduced had some secret or involvement in the “big picture” that I was never quite sure who was being 100% honest.

One thing that may bother some readers is there are many multiple points of view. That said, I liked being able to see what motivated some of the side characters and why they had made their decisions. Sometimes it did get a bit much, but wasn’t too annoying.

My only real complaint is that so much did happen over the span of the book. At 460 pages, it could’ve easily been broken up into at least two different books and I would’ve been much happier. While I don’t mind lengthy titles, but this one had too much going on in it that at times I was a bit overwhelmed.

Overall, I really enjoyed Streamline and can’t wait to read more from Lane. Streamline, while YA, is probably better for more mature readers. It’s intense and includes a heavy layer of abuse and horrifying situations.

I received my copy of Streamline in exchange for my honest opinion on the ATOMR Book Blog Tour.

There is a tour wide giveaway for a $20 Gift Card that ends on May 16th! Stop by Jennifer Lane’s blog to enter.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour for giveaways, reviews, and more content!

© 2011-2012 Letters Inside Out, Letters Inside Out.

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king…

Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.

When I first got my Nook Color, I was seeking “different” books from what I usually found at the book store. Finding books in Kentucky is sometimes challenging, one of the first traditionally published “finds” I had was Need by Carrie Jones. I was immediately drawn into the series. Each book cover is SO stunning, Endure’s is no exception. Look at those colors! Cover aside, the basic story line of Need is fantastic! I’ve always been a fan of fey, pixies, and creatures of that sort. Any “original” take on them draws me in. Jones’ are human-size, but ‘different’.

For previous fans of the series, Endure picks up with the craziness continuing. Nick is safe, but something is different with him. Plus the town is still overcome with not-so-nice pixies. Also in true fashion, the pages are filled with hints at what the outsiders are seeing – police reports, news commentary, and online gossip. This has been one of my favorite factors of the series the entire time, so I’m happy it was continued here.

I personally wanted to give Nick a bit of a lecture. He’s a bit ridiculous in Endure. Zara still remains one of my favorite kick-butt heroines in YA. She goes above and beyond to protect those around her.

All in all, Endure is the perfect ending for a favorite series! Fans are going be satisfied with the way things wrap-up.

I received my copy of Endure from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Interview with Carrie

LIO: Describe the Need series in 10 words or less.

CJ: Kick-butt girl attempts to avert evil pixie apocalypse. Bizarre hijinks ensue.

LIO: I’ve always been very fascinated with your concept of pixies – how did you come up with it?

CJ:I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.

Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.

And I thought – Hey, that’s a human-sized pixie.

So, I started writing.

There is a lot of different folklore that explores pixies and various plays on that mythology. Some cultures depict them as blue warriors. Some as
small. Some as human sized. The great thing about the mythology is that it is much more open than the myths around vampires or weres. It’s given me a lot of freedom to create, which has been fun.

LIO: I’m always nosy about how authors manage to “write.” What is your writing process like?

CJ:I used to be a reporter and a newspaper editor so I basically just write. I really write whenever I can. I write on everything and anything – receipts, body parts, computers, notebooks. And I am dull in that I don’t really get writers’ block. As a newspaper reporter, I just couldn’t get that ever or else I’d lose my job and I think I take that same mentality to fiction writing.

That’s a horribly unsexy answer, I know. I am so sorry.

But basically… I write as soon as my daughter goes to school. I write while she showers. I write while I wait to pick her up from school. And I revise the same way really.

Now that I wrote all that out, it sounds as if I’m addicted to it, doesn’t it? Hmm….

LIO: If you could be in this world – what would YOU want to be? (Pixie, shapeshifter, human, etc)

CJ:Well, I’d only want to be a pixie if I was a king, which would require gender reassignment surgery, which isn’t the easiest of processes. That’s because I’d hate to have my emotional wellbeing linked to anyone else’s.

I enjoy being human. But… being a were would be pretty cool. So, a were.

LIO: Here on Letters Inside Out, we are a bit music obsessed. What’s one that fits Endure well? (And why?)

CJ:I think the song that best fits ENDURE would be 30 Seconds to Mars’ This Is War.

LIO: Any hints as to any new projects in the works?

CJ:Oh, it is all super secret and stuff. I wish I could hint at it. Okay… okay… It involves Nutella and hamsters. That’s a good enough hint, isn’t it?

Thank you so much for the interview. I hope you are well!
X
Carrie

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