So, this week is a big week for me. In a few days I have my first book signing! Hurrah! It's at a school in Utah - even though I don't live in Utah. Kind of a long story, but I have connections, and a school invited me to do an author presentation and then do a book signing. What could I do but say yes? :) It's not open to the public - sorry! - so I won't post any info online.
Next, I've got another review posted at Squeaky Clean Reads. I was thrilled with this review. Honestly, I worked pretty hard to make my book a clean read, so I was beyond pleased that it got such a good rating. Check it out here. Leave a comment and agree with how amazing my book is. I will love you forever.
Also, the amazing folks at SQC are hosting a fabulous giveaway by yours truly. You can head over and enter the giveaway here. Spread the word.
Lastly, I have decided not to accept any more books for review. I have a stack (literally) of books that need read and reviewed and the Summer Reads Contest to judge. Besides that, I've got a book to promote and a sequel to write. I've got a very full plate. I have to be a little more picky with my time, and though I love reading and reviewing, it just has to take back seat for a few months. I'm sad about this decision, but I feel like if I want to have a chance at being a good wife/mother/author, something has to get cut.
Sad, but true.
Pin It
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
You Tell Me
So, I'm being featured today on From the Shadows. As part of the interview, I was asked who I would cast to play the leads in my book. Head over to see my answers there - and leave a comment please!
I've done a little more thinking, and I've decided on a Pyper.
Rachel Hurd-Wood. Um, perfect! Seriously? Perfect.
And for Kael? I'm still undecided, because I haven't seen an actor that I just knew looked like him. But I think...
Logan Lerman might just do the trick. (He'll probably need contacts to make his eyes green, though.)
So, that's who I've chosen for my main leads. But, that only shows you that I have limited access to young actors.
Tell me who you think should be cast to play Pyper, Kael, Baler, Raven or Summer. I really would love to know! Who is your dream cast for The Gifted? Pin It
I've done a little more thinking, and I've decided on a Pyper.
Rachel Hurd-Wood. Um, perfect! Seriously? Perfect.
And for Kael? I'm still undecided, because I haven't seen an actor that I just knew looked like him. But I think...
Logan Lerman might just do the trick. (He'll probably need contacts to make his eyes green, though.)
So, that's who I've chosen for my main leads. But, that only shows you that I have limited access to young actors.
Tell me who you think should be cast to play Pyper, Kael, Baler, Raven or Summer. I really would love to know! Who is your dream cast for The Gifted? Pin It
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Q+A with yours truly
This Thursday, the 21st, you'll be able to catch me at From the Shadows.
Pretty cool, eh? I'm excited. Except, when I did the interview, I had no idea who I wanted to cast as Pyper or Kael. Now that I've had time to think about it and chew on it for a while, I've come up with some really good actors.
Check out my interview with E.J. Stevens, then stop by here and I'll maybe let you in on my new and improved dream cast.
Cheers! Pin It
Pretty cool, eh? I'm excited. Except, when I did the interview, I had no idea who I wanted to cast as Pyper or Kael. Now that I've had time to think about it and chew on it for a while, I've come up with some really good actors.
Check out my interview with E.J. Stevens, then stop by here and I'll maybe let you in on my new and improved dream cast.
Cheers! Pin It
Monday, April 18, 2011
Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum
Kate's life turned from normal to abysmal when her parents are killed in a car accident. Returning to their father's heritage, and their only surviving family members, Kate and her sister, Georgia, move to Paris to be with their grandparents.
Kate's days are filled with novels, museums, and the crushing ache of mourning and depression, until her eyes lock with Vincent's across a cafe terrace. He's gorgeous and kind and, amazingly, seems genuinely interested in Kate. The closer she gets to him, the more she becomes aware that she's opening herself to potential heartbreak and pain.
But more importantly, it could mean risking her life.
Vincent and his kindred are Revenants. Undead who sacrifice their lives over and over to save humans from death and pain. And their sworn enemies have had centuries to perfect hone in on their Revenant hunting skills.
Kate must decide if her safety is important enough to leave Vincent being, or if a life without Vincent is really worth living.
***
To be honest, I was a little hesitant about reading a book about the dead dying over and over, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised. I was so intrigued by this book, I finished it in 2 days. Kate's pain at losing her parents completely destroys her, and she's seemingly an empty shell, just putting one foot in front of the other. After meeting Vincent, she at least has something to keep her moving and occupied during the day. But then their little attraction grows stronger, and stranger. Kate's immediately plunged into the fascinating world of the undead. The revenants jokingly call themselves zombies, but it's nothing like the stereotypes.
There was just a little cautionary content (they may be immortal, but the Revenants still die, after all. And not all the deaths are clean).
The descriptions of Paris were beautiful, but sometimes a little distracting. The characters were fantastic. Sometimes when a book has so many important characters all rolled together, it's difficult to keep their personalities separate. I did not find that to be the case here.
Bottom line? Very intriguing read that is part pain and death, part heart-melting love story. Definitely worth reading.
Kate's days are filled with novels, museums, and the crushing ache of mourning and depression, until her eyes lock with Vincent's across a cafe terrace. He's gorgeous and kind and, amazingly, seems genuinely interested in Kate. The closer she gets to him, the more she becomes aware that she's opening herself to potential heartbreak and pain.
But more importantly, it could mean risking her life.
Vincent and his kindred are Revenants. Undead who sacrifice their lives over and over to save humans from death and pain. And their sworn enemies have had centuries to perfect hone in on their Revenant hunting skills.
Kate must decide if her safety is important enough to leave Vincent being, or if a life without Vincent is really worth living.
***
To be honest, I was a little hesitant about reading a book about the dead dying over and over, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised. I was so intrigued by this book, I finished it in 2 days. Kate's pain at losing her parents completely destroys her, and she's seemingly an empty shell, just putting one foot in front of the other. After meeting Vincent, she at least has something to keep her moving and occupied during the day. But then their little attraction grows stronger, and stranger. Kate's immediately plunged into the fascinating world of the undead. The revenants jokingly call themselves zombies, but it's nothing like the stereotypes.
There was just a little cautionary content (they may be immortal, but the Revenants still die, after all. And not all the deaths are clean).
The descriptions of Paris were beautiful, but sometimes a little distracting. The characters were fantastic. Sometimes when a book has so many important characters all rolled together, it's difficult to keep their personalities separate. I did not find that to be the case here.
Bottom line? Very intriguing read that is part pain and death, part heart-melting love story. Definitely worth reading.
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: HarperTeen (May 10, 2011)
- Source: Publisher (via NetGalley)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Review: The Goddess Test, by Aimee Carter
Kate's whole world revolves around her dying mother, who's last wish was to return to her tiny hometown. Uprooted and alone, Kate finds herself at a new school with no friends, no family, and no future beyond getting through the day with her mother.
Kate would do anything to save her mom. She meets handsome and mysterious Henry, who offers her immortality if she can pass a series of tests. Henry is no ordinary boy. He is Hades. The God of the Underworld. Kate is hesitant at first, and skeptical, to say the least. But when she sees him raise a girl from the dead and realizes he can give her more time with her mom, Kate accepts the challenge.
The catch? No one has ever survived the trials.
Now Kate must decide who to save, and if the prize is worth the pain.
**
I was so excited to read this book. I loved the cover, I loved the synopsis. I had to read it as soon as I got it.
Let me say this book was fantastic. Such an interesting twist on contemporary Greek Mythology. It was intriguing and fascinating. Kate was a heroine worthy of cheering for. She does the right thing for the right reasons and sticks to her guns.
And Hades as a good guy? Why not. It was actually brilliant. I will probably never look at Hades the same again. He wasn't a perfect guy with all the right charms. He's still the ruler of the Underworld, after all. I thought it was amazing. And the gentle love story was perfect.
I did find some sections of the book to be a little slow, and felt that, at times, Kate over analyzed everything. But that's probably just her personality. I found the passage of time to be a little jarring in some points. And I was just a tad disappointed that the tests were like a hovering shadow. We know they're there somewhere, but they're not really mentioned until the very end.
In the end, I was pleased with the plot twists and surprises, and enjoyed the book, all the way up until the last page or two. I will definitely be hungrily awaiting the second installment so that I can figure out what the heck Kate was thinking.
Kate would do anything to save her mom. She meets handsome and mysterious Henry, who offers her immortality if she can pass a series of tests. Henry is no ordinary boy. He is Hades. The God of the Underworld. Kate is hesitant at first, and skeptical, to say the least. But when she sees him raise a girl from the dead and realizes he can give her more time with her mom, Kate accepts the challenge.
The catch? No one has ever survived the trials.
Now Kate must decide who to save, and if the prize is worth the pain.
**
I was so excited to read this book. I loved the cover, I loved the synopsis. I had to read it as soon as I got it.
Let me say this book was fantastic. Such an interesting twist on contemporary Greek Mythology. It was intriguing and fascinating. Kate was a heroine worthy of cheering for. She does the right thing for the right reasons and sticks to her guns.
And Hades as a good guy? Why not. It was actually brilliant. I will probably never look at Hades the same again. He wasn't a perfect guy with all the right charms. He's still the ruler of the Underworld, after all. I thought it was amazing. And the gentle love story was perfect.
I did find some sections of the book to be a little slow, and felt that, at times, Kate over analyzed everything. But that's probably just her personality. I found the passage of time to be a little jarring in some points. And I was just a tad disappointed that the tests were like a hovering shadow. We know they're there somewhere, but they're not really mentioned until the very end.
In the end, I was pleased with the plot twists and surprises, and enjoyed the book, all the way up until the last page or two. I will definitely be hungrily awaiting the second installment so that I can figure out what the heck Kate was thinking.
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (April 19, 2011)
- Source: The Publisher (via NetGalley)
Thursday, April 14, 2011
YA New Summer Reads Competition
Don't forget! The YA New Summer Reads Competition will begin accepting submissions on April 15th. Hey, that's tomorrow!
From BookTwirps:
This competition is available to any book (published or self-published). The only stipulation is that it must be published between January 1 and August 1, 2011. Also, only the author, author’s agent or author’s publisher may submit the book.
Since this is the first year of the competition, our resources are a bit limited, so we will only be accepting novels in the following categories:
* Contemporary Teen Fiction & Teen Romance
* Paranormal/Fantasy & Dystopian Teen Fiction
1. Submissions will begin April 15 and go through April 30, 2011.
2. A maximum of 50 entries will be accepted in each category
3. The judges will begin reading excerpts on May 1
4. The top 5 in each category will be announced on May 22. These 5 will move on to the final round.
5. The top 5 authors MUST send a copy of their book to each judge. The book must be received by June 1.
6. The winners in each category will be announced on August 1.
7. Each judge will post their review of the winning book on their site, as well as here on Book Twirps, Good Reads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and LibraryThing.
8. Each judge will also host a Q&A with the winning author in the category they judged on their blog, and also host any giveaways the author would like to participate in.
--
So if you've published a novel between January 1 and August 1, 2011, run over to BookTwirps and check out the submission requirements. (And while you're there, you might as well Meet the Judges.) If you've recently read a great book you think could win it all, contact the author or publisher and let them know about the contest.
Spreading the word couldn't hurt either. You never know what budding novelist reads your blog and could very well be the next big thing. Pin It
From BookTwirps:
This competition is available to any book (published or self-published). The only stipulation is that it must be published between January 1 and August 1, 2011. Also, only the author, author’s agent or author’s publisher may submit the book.
Since this is the first year of the competition, our resources are a bit limited, so we will only be accepting novels in the following categories:
* Contemporary Teen Fiction & Teen Romance
* Paranormal/Fantasy & Dystopian Teen Fiction
1. Submissions will begin April 15 and go through April 30, 2011.
2. A maximum of 50 entries will be accepted in each category
3. The judges will begin reading excerpts on May 1
4. The top 5 in each category will be announced on May 22. These 5 will move on to the final round.
5. The top 5 authors MUST send a copy of their book to each judge. The book must be received by June 1.
6. The winners in each category will be announced on August 1.
7. Each judge will post their review of the winning book on their site, as well as here on Book Twirps, Good Reads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and LibraryThing.
8. Each judge will also host a Q&A with the winning author in the category they judged on their blog, and also host any giveaways the author would like to participate in.
--
So if you've published a novel between January 1 and August 1, 2011, run over to BookTwirps and check out the submission requirements. (And while you're there, you might as well Meet the Judges.) If you've recently read a great book you think could win it all, contact the author or publisher and let them know about the contest.
Spreading the word couldn't hurt either. You never know what budding novelist reads your blog and could very well be the next big thing. Pin It
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
For real?
Whenever someone comments on my blog, a copy gets sent to my inbox. Instead of responding to readers in the comments, I just hit "reply" and send them an email.
Or so I thought.
Last night I was responding to a comment. When I hit "send," I noticed the return email address was something like "no-reply@blogger.com".
Huh?!
Seriously? Are all of my reply emails being ejected into cyberspace where they are quickly eaten by the black hole of no-reply?
Ugh! (Insert forehead slap.)
Has anyone received a reply email to a comment they've left?! I know I've responded to Kimi, Dena, Ems, Maggie, Maura, Judy (G), and countless others. Those mentioned are just the ones off the top of my head.
So, if you've asked me a question or left me a thoughtful or helpful comment (or commented to tell me you bought my book!) and were surprised I never responded, I'm so sorry! I really did respond, I promise!
I'll just have to start replying in my comments. Pin It
Or so I thought.
Last night I was responding to a comment. When I hit "send," I noticed the return email address was something like "no-reply@blogger.com".
Huh?!
Seriously? Are all of my reply emails being ejected into cyberspace where they are quickly eaten by the black hole of no-reply?
Ugh! (Insert forehead slap.)
Has anyone received a reply email to a comment they've left?! I know I've responded to Kimi, Dena, Ems, Maggie, Maura, Judy (G), and countless others. Those mentioned are just the ones off the top of my head.
So, if you've asked me a question or left me a thoughtful or helpful comment (or commented to tell me you bought my book!) and were surprised I never responded, I'm so sorry! I really did respond, I promise!
I'll just have to start replying in my comments. Pin It
Monday, April 11, 2011
Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty
In 20 years, a virus will spread throughout the world, rendering all adults over 18 infertile. The only hope of having children is to pay a surrogate for a child.
Teenage girls will become the most valuable commodity in the world.
Sixteen-year-old Melody has grown up her whole life knowing her only purpose will be to "bump" with a total stranger and give birth to a baby she'll never see so he/she can grow up in someone else's home. Her conception contract with the Jaydens has been signed for years, so why hasn't she had a baby yet?
Harmony lives in Goodside, where God and hard work are the focus of every day. The women must veil their faces and be married by 13 so they can begin having children. Their society is closed to outsiders, and their contact with Otherside is strictly prohibited. But when Harmony asks too many questions about the Bible and the real purpose of marriage, the community gives her a rude awakening.
That's when she runs away...to find her long lost twin sister, Melody.
***
Ok, so, this book is very disturbing on so many levels. I cannot even tell you how many times I was thoroughly disgusted by...well, just about everything in this book. Sex is seemingly the main topic of this book and everyone regards it with nonchalance, from pre-teens trying on padding to see what a baby bump will look like to masSEX parties where everyone tries to get pregnant at the same time.
See? Disgusting and offensive.
But...the author is doing it on purpose. The human race has a long way to go until we get to the point where we sell our daughters' bodies to the highest bidder, but I pray it never even comes close to that! In the same vein, I pray we'll never get to the point where our kids are sent to an arena to kill each other
.
The author did a fantastic job with the growth and maturity of her characters. I was so impressed that I could have such strong negative feelings for someone at the beginning of the book, and by the end, I wanted to give them a hug. I was also very impressed with the technological advances the author creates. McCafferty may have just inspired the next big thing in social networking.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this book was that it turned out to be a love story in the end. Not simply romantic love, but also the love and friendship between two sisters.
While I can't recommend this book to anyone who is as sensitive as I am about the topics of love, sex, child bearing and adoption, I can say that I enjoyed it in the end. This is certainly a new twist on Dystopia.
Teenage girls will become the most valuable commodity in the world.
Sixteen-year-old Melody has grown up her whole life knowing her only purpose will be to "bump" with a total stranger and give birth to a baby she'll never see so he/she can grow up in someone else's home. Her conception contract with the Jaydens has been signed for years, so why hasn't she had a baby yet?
Harmony lives in Goodside, where God and hard work are the focus of every day. The women must veil their faces and be married by 13 so they can begin having children. Their society is closed to outsiders, and their contact with Otherside is strictly prohibited. But when Harmony asks too many questions about the Bible and the real purpose of marriage, the community gives her a rude awakening.
That's when she runs away...to find her long lost twin sister, Melody.
***
Ok, so, this book is very disturbing on so many levels. I cannot even tell you how many times I was thoroughly disgusted by...well, just about everything in this book. Sex is seemingly the main topic of this book and everyone regards it with nonchalance, from pre-teens trying on padding to see what a baby bump will look like to masSEX parties where everyone tries to get pregnant at the same time.
See? Disgusting and offensive.
But...the author is doing it on purpose. The human race has a long way to go until we get to the point where we sell our daughters' bodies to the highest bidder, but I pray it never even comes close to that! In the same vein, I pray we'll never get to the point where our kids are sent to an arena to kill each other
. The author did a fantastic job with the growth and maturity of her characters. I was so impressed that I could have such strong negative feelings for someone at the beginning of the book, and by the end, I wanted to give them a hug. I was also very impressed with the technological advances the author creates. McCafferty may have just inspired the next big thing in social networking.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this book was that it turned out to be a love story in the end. Not simply romantic love, but also the love and friendship between two sisters.
While I can't recommend this book to anyone who is as sensitive as I am about the topics of love, sex, child bearing and adoption, I can say that I enjoyed it in the end. This is certainly a new twist on Dystopia.
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray (April 26, 2011)
- Source: The Publisher (via NetGalley)
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