new posts in all blogs
Viewing Blog: Uniquely Moi Books, Most Recent at Top
Results 1 - 25 of 614
Welcome to my Book Blog! I'm hoping to find others who have the same interest in books that I do and share our love for the passion of reading.
Statistics for Uniquely Moi Books
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 1
Deliah Lopez Dreser’s in town to take care of family business. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but there’s more to Lilah than meets the eye. Cole’s in danger of losing his heart when this firestorm throws sparks his way. However, is she simply playing him for the fool in order to exact revenge for her brother’s murders?
Maggie and Seth’s reaction when the truth is revealed pushes friendship to the limit. And this time around it won’t be a Dreser causing an uproar in Port Fare. It will be Cole's good friend Booker. But does Booker have it all wrong? Usually not!
Full cover
Book Trailer
Author Bio
.jpg)
Unlovable was Sherry's debut novel and quickly rose to many top seller lists on Amazon. She is pleased to announce that Unlovable is currently being made into a movie. She has added three more novels to her body of work. Souls in Peril, the poignant story of Max Sanchez who is on a journey to help the struggling JD Miller survive high school, and Pete & Tink, a fun, light-hearted novella of a manga-loving geek and and five-and-a-half inch fairy. And UNBELIEVABLE, Book 2 in the Port Fare Series
Sherry and her husband, along with their children and a couple of crazy dogs, call Upstate New York home. It is where she spends her nights writing instead of sleeping {:
Click Links:
ONLY THREE entries are Mandatory, the rest are optional on the Rafflecopter!
Prizes:
1. A Signed paperback copy of Unlovable and Unbelievable
2. An Ecopy of Unbelievable
3. A signed book wreath made from the pages of Unlovable
4. Swag5. Sheppard's Hook Bookmarks
This is open to everyone. I can't always afford shipping when it's going overseas but I do want international people to get recognized too. (I haven't forgotten about you guys!)
I have an ARC of The Elite up for grabs. I wanted to put this post up yesterday but alas, my laptop decided to do updates and then my battery went dead.
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
Rules:
Open to everyone
13+
Winner must respond within 48 hours
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you haven't yet heard of the Less Than <3 event, I hope to shed some light on it and here.
encourage you to attend. It will be held this Fall on October 19th. It will run from 9am-2pm in St. Peters Missouri and it will be held at the Spencer Hill branch of the St. Charles City-County Library. For even better directions go
This event is to have authors, librarians, bloggers, book lovers, book sellers, teens, tweens, parents, teachers, and whoever else that would love to attend and join together.
This is a YA Lit event focused on bullying. There are several bestselling authors currently on the list and the list is still having authors added to it. The authors will host their own panels and each will specialize in different strategies and positive approaches. To see the list of authors, visit here.
The Less Than Three event was created by Heather Brewer in hopes to rally against and help put a stop to bullying. This event does have limited availability and tickets are being sold for a mere $10 each. For more information and to purchase your tickets, check it out here. As of now, only 202 tickets are still available. Hope to see you there!
Forget Me Notby Carolee Dean
Published by: Simon Pulse
Released on: October 2, 2012
Hardcover
374 Pages
Rating:4/5
Forget Me Not is deep, twisting around life, hidden secrets of reality, and the truth. We meet Ally who isn't quite what you would suspect. Yes, she is an average girl, but when she meets the others in the hallway at school that is off limits, she finds herself learning more and more, all the while ending up more confused with the riddles and games the others around her like to play.
It's Elijah that might be able to make a real difference in Ally's life. He's been in that hallway and has escaped it and the evil that resides there. He knows first hand what Ally is about to give her life to. He knows that she's about to make the biggest mistake ever. Elijah is her only hope of survival, but she has to want it.
If you love novels that are written in verse, this one's for you.
Received for review purposes from the publisher.
The Order of the Poison Oakby Brent Hartinger
Published by: Buddha Kitty Books
Released on:
Paperback
172 Pages
Rating: 3/5
There are definitely things in this book that I loved. Brent revealed a soft side of Russel that was just amazing. Having being taken advantage of by children at camp, Russel realizes he must quit looking at them like burn victims, but as the ornery children that they are. I just loved how he took (sneaked) them out in the middle of the night and told them stories and had made an impact on them. I'm not so sure I cared much for the love relationship that took place. It could've went a different way and I would've been fine with it, but it happened to go multiple ways, and that left me uninterested and feeling as if it were a bit far fetched. Overall, it was still a good read.
Received for review purposes from the author.
Today I have the super awesome Heather James to talk about her eight fave writers! Heather is a young-adult author who writes about heroines with amazing powers, heroes who will break your heart, and fantasy realms that you will want to move to.
She works in a South-East London secondary school and spends her school holidays writing, reading, playing flag-American football and wasting time marketing on Pinterest.
My top eight favourite writers
J K Rowling: I started reading the Harry Potter series when I was 6 and the final book came out when I was 14, so I spent a large proportion of my childhood reading, and re-reading, the series. I think I can safely say that no author has had a stronger impact on me. Rowling’s writing is a great blend of whimsical fantasy and darkness – she doesn’t sugar-coat her world and shows that magic doesn’t make things perfect. Her writing is also very humorous; Fred and George would often have me laughing out loud.
Cassandra Clare: Clare is a more recent discovery, but I love both The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. Some of the things I enjoy best about them are the humour in the dialogue and the pop-culture references. I also like the way Clare blends the real world and her fantasy creations. Plus, she writes romance superbly, which is something I really envy.
Meg Cabot: I love Cabot’s use of the first person. I think that, in terms of style, she has had the biggest influence on me as a writer – she sets a really high bench mark to try and reach and also shows how each speaker should be distinctive and individual. All of her characters are witty and clever and I even enjoyed her children’s series, Ally Finkle, which I used to read to my younger sister.
Chuck Palahniuk: Palahniuk is a very different kind of writer: his books are dark, satirical and unlike anything else I’ve ever read. I started with Invisible Monsters as a teenager, mostly because of the Panic! At The Disco song based on it, and it opened me up to a different kind of writing and a more twisted sort of book.
Scott Westerfeld: Uglies is one of my favourite series: it’s a really unique concept and has a lot of ideas that I really wish I had come up with. I love novels that make me question society and Uglies definitely does that, with its exploration of beauty and free will. All of Westerfeld’s characters are strong too; there are no half-developed side-kicks.
Jane Austen: Darcy’s first proposal is my favourite moment in a book, ever. It’s just so spectacularly awful that it’s brilliant. I love the irony and satire in Austen’s writing and the way that every sentence is perfectly, precisely formed; there’s not a word out of place. I sometimes think that I miss the point of Austen’s novels though, as I often prefer the cad to the hero (It constantly frustrates me that Marianne doesn’t end up with Willoughby – although that might have something to do with Dominic Cooper playing him in the TV adaptation I watched…)
Ernest Hemmingway: I can’t really put into words what it is that I like about Hemingway’s novels – I think it’s the overall tone and feel to his work, rather than what happens in them, which captivates me. His style is also very distinctive with lots of short sentences and chapters.
Shakespeare: I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. It doesn’t matter how many centuries have passed, Shakespeare’s plots do not date. They are as relevant today as they were to their original audience, which is amazing. It’s also incredible just how many words and phrases we owe to Shakespeare; he has had a monumental (one of his) impact on the English language.
Heather James is the author of Fire. Fire was released on January 4, 2013.
Is control over the elements a gift, or a curse?
Roxy thinks that she is in control of everything: with flames flaring at her fingertips and an equally fiery attitude, what more could she need? But then she meets Brae, a prince from a rival Realm, who turns her assumptions of superiority upside down.
Jasmine has none of Roxy’s confidence or intensity. But she does have a secret - and Brae - and she’s not going to give either up willingly.
And check out Fire at these locations:
Parallel is due to release on May 14th and I have an ARC to give to someone who will review it. If interested, please enter below and good luck!
Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.
Rules:
US Only
13+
Winner must respond within 48 hours
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The super lovely and awesome, Alivia Anders has another book coming out! A Shard of Ice is the first book that's being released in the Black Symphony Saga. It will be published by Red Alice Press and due for release on April 14th, 2014. (That seems like a very loooong wait Alivia...)
You can find out more about Alivia Anders around the web. Be sure to catch up with her!
This cover was voted on
here.
THEIR SOULS, REAWAKENEDWhen 13-year-old Lilix Morgan is found alive and floating on a bed of ice at sea, everyone counts it a miracle. Kidnapped nearly four weeks earlier, she remembers nothing of her mysterious abduction. When she tries to remember what happened, she hears only a melody – a faint and delicate set of notes, strung together in a tune she doesn’t understand. THEIR POWER, UNMATCHEDA year later and desperate to put the lingering nightmares of her past behind her, Lilix crosses the country to enroll at Baelmorte Academy, aiming to become the violinist she once dreamt of. Things seem to be finally going well, and Lilix settles into a routine of sheet music and inspiration among new friends.Then the dreams start. The melody and night terrors she thought she’d left behind return with a vengeance, threatening to ruin her fragile version of normalcy. Then an unlikely ally tells her that she isn’t alone. That there are others just like her, fighting to hide their own shocking truths from coming to light. That they know who she is, and what she’s been through. Now, accompanied by four other girls, Lilix discovers her nightmares are larger than a single trauma; they’re a window to a hidden part of her soul, a place of immense power with a destiny that cannot be ignored. THEIR BATTLE, IS ONLY BEGINNINGWith this knowledge comes a new and frightening reality. For Lilix has been reawakened to stop an age-old enemy, one thought to have been destroyed centuries ago. Trapped by her destiny, Lilix is torn between what feels right and what she remembers. Her memories tell her of a star-crossed love waiting to be reunited, of friendships and trust broken in the past. But can she save that love when reality brings her an enemy, and an evil that will be the undoing of them all if they don’t destroy it?
 |
|
“THE ANTI-BULLYING NOVELIST,” ELAINE WOLF, WINS 2013 COMMUNITY UPSTANDER AWARD
Acclaimed novelist Elaine Wolf has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 Community Upstander Award for her books and her anti-bullying mission. Known as “the anti-bullying novelist,” Wolf writes about what really goes on behind the closed gates and doors of our camps and schools––where, she says, means girls (and boys) practice bullying as if it were a sport.
“Wolf writes with insight and authority about an issue that society cannot afford to ignore.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Camp (Sky Pony Press) was chosen as Book of the Month by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County (New York), which is presenting the Community Upstander Award on May 1st. Camp was given “a perfect 10” by the Voice of Youth Advocates and named a first place winner by the Forward National Literature Award Committee. It appears on “Publishers Weekly Bullying Resources: A Selected Listing.” Reviewers call Camp “a mesmerizing book” and “a must-read for adolescents and the adults who care about them.”
_______________________________________________________________
Reviewers say Danny’s Mom (Arcade Publishing) is “a must-read for all parents and teachers.” The Advocate calls Danny’s Mom “an excellent and essential read for mothers, adults who work in schools, and the LGBT community” and features the novel in “Books for Young LGBT Folks and Anyone Who Wants to Understand Them.” A reviewer for The Denver Post adds: "You think only students have to deal with backstabbing and bullying in high school? Think again. Wolf's heroine, a high school guidance counselor, fights back."
________________________________________________________________
Camp and Danny’s Mom have given Elaine Wolf a literal bully pulpit––a platform from which to carry on the anti-bullying conversation until our camps and schools are safer for everyone.
Elaine Wolf is an award-winning writer and the author of Camp and Danny's Mom. She is a former middle school and high school teacher and district language arts chairperson. The world she writes of is one she is passionate about and knows well. She lives with her husband in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Spring is here (at least it should be). And with it, is a wonderful creation. From April 29-May 5th, Unplug & Read goes into play. Help be a part of this great event! If it lights up, turns on, or plugs in, SHUT IT OFF! Find out what Random House has put together and check out this awesome video!
Get Ready For SCREEN-FREE WEEK!
Want to tweet about it? Be sure to use
#ScreenFreeWeek
I have a shiny ARC of Dead Silence to give away to one lucky winner. If interested, please fill out the form below and best of luck!
Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.
When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.
Rules:
13+
US Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I have not only a super fabulous cover reveal today, but a giveaway to go along with it! Shudder is the second release in a trilogy.
Synopsis:
It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.
Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.
And then there are the visions.
The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…
The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.
(Book 1)
(Book 2)
Beautiful Reveal:
About the author:Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha atwww.samanthadurante.com.
Violet Dawn has just released on April 1, 2013! I have been blessed with info to share with you all today. It is the second book in the Violet Night series, following Violet Midnight written by the lovely Lynn Rush. Published by Crescent Moon Press, it is a new adult, paranormal romance.
In the darkest place, the Light shines brightest.
Emma’s love saved Jake from life as a vampire. But their happily ever after is threatened by a savage Vamp seeking retribution for destroying the Avenos Trinity of Evil.
A mysterious stranger enters the mix, coinciding with the first Vamp attack in months. Emma’s new friendship, and the suspicion and deceit surrounding it, further drives a wedge between her and Jake.
To complicate things, Emma is bitten by a Vamp with abilities no one has ever seen before, and that bite has left its mark.
A mark that might tear Jake and Emma apart forever…
Amazon |
Goodreads |
Author Website
Driven to write, Lynn Rush often sees her characters by closing her eyes watching their story unfold in her mind. Lynn Rush is a pen name that is a combination of two sources – Lynn, the first name of her mother-in-law, who passed away and Rush – since the author is a former inline speed skater and mountain biker. All of Rush’s books are dedicated to Lynn, her namesake, and a portion of the proceeds benefits cancer research and awareness.
|
Twitter |
Pinterest
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Double Clickis a sequel to Click: An Online Love Story, the modern epistolary novel that book bloggers and reviewers called hilarious, clever and full of fun.
In the first book, fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene reluctantly joined her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolded entirely through emails between Renee and her best friends as well as the gentlemen suitors she met online. Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers rooted for Renee to "click" with the right man.
Double Click, which follows the same all-email format, picks up with the same main characters six months after the original books ends. If the first book was about Renee’s search for love online, this book is about whether she and her friends have all found their “HEA” or “happily ever after.” Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click allows readers to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.
You can follow Lisa on Facebook
hereView the
Click: An Online Love Story video trailer
herePurchase
Click at Amazon
herePurchase
Double Click at Amazon
here
Excerpt:
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 9:25 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Should I be worried?
Are you feeling okay? You don’t have a terminal illness that I, as you very best friend, should be aware of, do you?
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 9:27 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
No, I’m not dying. Why do you ask?
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 9:34 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
You just don’t seem like yourself. That really good looking guy at Flint’s happy hour was totally into you and you…well…you didn’t even really give him a second look. That’s so out of character for you that I’m just wondering if you are okay.
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 9:37 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Goodness, girl! I can’t take a night off of being aroused without arousing suspicion?
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 9:42 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Ha! That was funny!
But seriously, you just haven’t seemed your “normal,” make-me-“Greene”-with-envy self for quite a while now and I wanted to make sure you were okay.
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 9:47 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
I’m fine, Sweetie. And if you haven’t noticed, you don’t need to be – as you’ve joked about it – “Greene” with envy. You’ve got a great guy.
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 9:48 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Are you bothered that you don’t have a great guy?
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 9:54 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
My, oh my. These emails are becoming so serious. I just didn’t feel like hooking up last night. Don’t make it into something bigger than it is.
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 9:59 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Okay, okay. But really, we are getting older. Maybe you are thinking that you want to find that someone special. Maybe you’ve already found that someone special and it scares you?
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 10:04 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Oh, Sweetie. The beauty of life (and me, for that matter), is that it doesn’t matter how old you are. You can still be as immature as you want to be.
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 10:05 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Come on! I’m being serious!
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 10:07 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Renee Michele Greene! If this is another veiled attempt to get me to admit (not that I’m admitting anything!) that I have feeling for Finlay, well, I’m going to scream. But this is email. So I will just have to type in ALL CAPS. Again, I DO NOT LIKE FINLAY!
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 10:09 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
I hear (read) you. I hear (read) you. I will drop the subject. Just glad to know you aren’t dying.
From: Shelley Manning – August 22, 2012 – 10:10 AM
To: Renee Greene
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Just dying to stop having this conversation.
From: Renee Greene – August 22, 2012 – 10:12 AM
To: Shelley Manning
Subject: Re: Should I be worried?
Message received! But thanks for bringing some levity back to things. I’d better get back to work. Talk with you later.
Anatomy of a Single Girlby Daria Snadowsky
Published by: Delacorte Press
Released on: January 8, 2013
Hardcover
228 Pages
Rating: 5/5
This would make as a great standalone but goes along with Anatomy of a Boyfriend. Daria has really let her character grow in this novel. I loved it so much more than the first one. I was kind of sad to see that Dominique had to grow such a tough skin to protect her heart.
Dom is still in college and slowly moving past her horrible breakup. Come summertime, she knows it's best to have fun but when a certain guy comes along and grabs at her attention, she just can't refuse. It's obvious right away that she has learned from her past experience. I was so ready for this to be her wonderful relationship that she definitely deserves. But in the game of life, the road is never easy and Dom has to dig her feet and and stay strong throughout this amazing summer relationship if things are going to go great for her. Can she do it? Or will she be left broken once again?
Received for review purposes from the author.
Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.
Guest Post:
“What Just Happened??” Prepping for the Twist by Samantha Durante, Author of Stitch
I LOVE me a good twist. That moment when everything drops away and you suddenly see the world for how it *really* is – well, there’s nothing quite like it. Think back to the first time you saw The Sixth Sense, when you found out Bruce Willis was dead. Or Lost, when you found out everyone on the island was dead (or were they? I’m still not quite sure what happened!). Or the first season of American Horror Story, when they revealed that the daughter was dead. (Hmm, I’m starting to see a pattern here…) Your jaw drops, your stomach clenches, you can feel the blood pulsing through your temples. Your world has just been turned upside down… and it was awesome.
I honestly can’t get enough of that feeling. Whether as a reader, a movie goer, or a TV viewer, a knock-your-socks off twist will always win me over. BUT, as with anything, there are some caveats – it’s all about the execution.
As a storyteller, how do you find the right balance between acclimating your reader to the upcoming twist without ruining the surprise? As I discovered while writing Stitch – which includes a large enough twist to actually change the book’s genre – it’s a fine line to walk.
What I found is that subtly is key. The clues have to be planted from the very beginning – in Stitch’s case, from the very moment they pick up the book – but they also have to be disguised, so that the reader doesn’t *realize* it’s a clue until it’s too late.
So from a practical standpoint, what does this mean? How did I actually do this with Stitch? Here’s my five-step process for prepping your reader for big ole twist-a-roo:
1. Set Expectations. One thing I was particularly worried about with Stitch is that readers would pick it up expecting one kind of story, then get something completely different and be disappointed.
So I tried to set expectations from the very beginning, from the first time they looked at the back cover. I describe the premise of the story – a college girl falls in love with a ghost – but then I very explicitly say, “Except none of this is what’s actuallygoing on,” and go on to talk a bit about a dystopian society. My hope in doing this was that the reader would get a sense from the outset that there’s more here than meets the eye, and that they would be prepared for some science fiction (thereby deterring anyone who was hoping for the fluffy paranormal romance that this book absolutely does NOT deliver). If your story will throw readers for a loop – and especially if that loop will fundamentally change the fabric of the book – be upfront about it so that everyone’s on the same page.
2. Create a Bubble. I started the story by lulling readers into a sense of comfort, bringing them into a world they’re familiar with and introducing a storyline that they’ve probably seen elsewhere. You get to know the main character, Alessa, and the world she lives in, you see the ghost, you sit next to her as she tries to solve the mystery. It’s very cozy, very comforting, a deliberate slow burn. And it’s all leading up to something big.
3. Plant the Deception. This is where the subtly comes in. If the clues haven’t been there the whole time, when the twist happens the reader’s just not going to buy it. At the same time, though, you’ve got to be careful that your foreshadowing doesn’t give it all away. In Stitch, I used a variety of mechanisms to tip off the reader, but many of these are not recognizable as hints until after you know the twist. From the setting (is this college campus maybe just a little *too* normal?), to the characters (why does Alessa feel so strongly for this apparition she’s never even traded words with?), to the plot (why do Alessa’s nightmares seem so real?), there many clues that there’s something deeper happening here. But all the same, these clues could also easily be ignored. After all, it doesn’t matter how her clothes fit or what she likes to eat or why she doesn’t like the girls she lives with… or does it?
4. Throw in a Red Herring (or Two). Have you ever played “What’s wrong with this room?” If you haven’t, go try it now (and trust me, you’ll know when you find it!). The reason this works SO well is because the viewer is *totally* distracted. You’re sitting there, looking at this seemingly normal room, searching for something that’s off. And then you’re still sitting there, starting to get desperate, questioning what obvious thing you MUST be missing, just starting to get frustrated with this whole thing and ready to give up in another second… and then BAM! This is exactly what I tried to achieve with Stitch. Just when the story is beginning to drag, I threw in a new potential direction for it to go, which gets the reader excited. But then Alessa starts making questionable decisions, the whole thing is seeming kind of unrealistic, and the reader is just about to get frustrated and consider putting the damn thing down… Only THEN do you get the twist, when you were least expecting it, which makes it that much better.
5. Close the Loop. This step is essential, and unfortunately is where a lot of stories fall short. A twist is only as good as the explanation behind it, and the crazier the twist, the more solid the explanation needs to be. After all, no one likes to swallow a jagged pill, so it’s essential that the twist can actually be explained with logic, to ease the reader into this brave new world you’ve created. The Sixth Sense in particular did a great job of this – the minute the wool is pulled from your eyes, you immediately flash back to all the subtle hints that told you what was going on the whole time, and everything fit.
This was a big goal of mine with Stitch, to make sure that there were no plot holes or glaring inconsistencies that just didn’t make sense. Of course, I didn’t explain *every* little detail (after all, there are two more books in the trilogy to accomplish that in!), but I did make a very concerted effort to answer the reader’s biggest questions and convince them that the story I’d laid out was possible while building trust that I would eventually settle any of their remaining doubts.
A lot of movies in particular forget to take this step, and I really think it’s a shame – no one wants to walk out of a theater feeling duped after investing two hours of their time (and probably 20+ bucks out of their wallet). By closing the loop, you’re not only giving the reader the satisfaction they deserve, but you’re also letting them know that you know they’re smart, that you appreciate the effort they’ll put into thinking about your story afterward, and that you respect them enough not to waste their time.
As Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work, people!” And if it doesn’t“work,” your job isn’t done – it’s as simple as that.
Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.
Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.
Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...
The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.
Giveaway:
Ebook of Stitch
Open to everyone
13+
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Indigo Spellby Richelle Mead
Published by: Razorbill
Released on: February 12, 2013
Hardcover
401 Pages
Rating: 5/5
Oh sweet mother of all bookalicious love! Mead has put total epicness into The Indigo Spell! This is the third novel in the Bloodlines series and delivers everything that you could ask for.
In The Golden Lily I was left crushed with the ending and this book certainly makes up for it. We get to see Sydney slowly come out of her protective shell and experience new things (for her anyway). I want to keep things short, as not to spoil anything.
I was left in shock by some of the decisions that Sydney chose to make along the way. She has decided to go against so much that she believes in. So much that has been taught to her. As she works on her magic skills, struggles to continue keeping the Moroi princess Jill safe, and live her life, Marcus Finch steps into play. Marcus begins teaching her things that have been kept hidden. Things she should've knew about. And we certainly can't forget about dearest Adrian...
Purchased from
Amazon.
I have a copy of Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan up for grabs. It's in perfect condition and needs a good home.
Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants —- hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.
Rules:
13+
US Only
Winner must respond within 48 hours
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Anatomy of a Boyfriendby Daria Snadowsky
Published by: Ember
Released on: September 23rd, 2008
Paperback
259 Pages
Rating: 3/5
The idea of Anatomy of a Boyfriend is great. I have found many reviews on this book and apparently, there is some controversy as well. This is truly a great book and I found the thoughts and feelings that the main character felt were quite accurate. The downfall I had was that she was a bit immature. I do understand that she was meant to be perceived as this way. It's just that with all the detail that revolved around sex, I felt that the character shouldn't have been so juvenile.
Going back to the controversy, I look at it this way, I would much rather have my teenage daughter (or son) reading about sex than actually going out and doing it. Who's with me on this?
As Dominique is going through her senior year, she never thought that the events that went down would've ever taken place. She has always focused on what was important, unlike her best friend Amy. Amy is a bit of a wild card, throwing caution to the wind. Dom on the other hand has always been much more mellow. At least when it comes to boys.
When Dom happens to run into Wes, she didn't realize that they would end up boyfriend and girlfriend. She didn't know that she would form a wonderful bond with him. She also didn't know that she could care for someone so much as to give the relationship her all. But as time goes on, it's quite obvious that Dom is putting more effort into the relationship that Wes. Time and again, you see her making excuses for his absence. She's just glad he's there.
When prom night comes around, they have that special moment that they can cherish forever, but yet again, it seems as though Wes is quite one sided.
College rolls around and they both know that going to different schools won't be easy. Dom better hang on tight because she is definitely going to be having some real life changes.
Received for review purposed by the author.
I am so happy today to bring to you, the author of Miss Fortune Cookie. Be sure to check out the giveaway going on too because it's awesome!
Lauren Bjorkman spent years sailing on a boat with her family before going to middle school and high school in California. She studied Mandarin in college, traveled to China for her honeymoon, and believes in ghosts. She is the author of two young adult novels, My Invented Life and Miss Fortune Cookie.
1. Did you ever think of any other names for Erin to name her blog?
No. Usually I spend weeks agonizing over the title AFTER finishing the book. But with Miss Fortune Cookie my process did a one-eighty. Once I got the idea to write a story about a teen advice columnist, the title came to me immediately. Bad puns are a weakness of mine.
2. Was it ever a possibility for Erin’s friends to find out about her secret before she revealed her true identity to them?
Since the story follows Erin’s transformation from zero self-confidence to believing in herself, announcing her secret to a large crowd of friends, family, and strangers emphasized how much she’d changed. It was uncharacteristic, and therefore the perfect way to end the novel.
3. Where did the idea of Miss Fortune Cookie originate from?
Starting point: If you give bad advice, are you responsible when someone takes it?
Evolution 1: Write a story about an advice columnist.
Evolution 2: An advice columnist gives bad advice to her best friend.
Etc., etc., ad nauseum.
After a while, a true story from my life snuck into the manuscript. The first year of HS, my best friend dumped me. I thought it was because I teased her too much. Later we hung out together at school because of a mutual friend. Much later, long after high school ended, she told me the truth. She’d met a new girl that she really liked. She didn’t want to introduce us because she was afraid the new girl would like me better. So she dumped me.
They’re amusing, and maddening and fun. I always feel a twinge of excitement when I crack one open. In fact, I got a fortune saying that my wildest dreams were about to come true just before an agent offered to represent my first novel. Which made me more superstitious than I already was to begin with!
5. If you could co-write with any other author, who would you choose and why?
Best. Question. Ever.
I love reading co-authored books with the boy-girl thing going on. But what about an intense friendship between girls? Or a bully vs. bullier story? I’d love to write that with Jennifer Brown, Janet Gurtler, or K.L. Going. They are all so freaking talented. Paging Carolyn Mackler. Are you reading this? Message me!
6. What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?
A successful author for adults took me to the storage locker containing all the drafts of his published and unpublished novels. It was huge. He also showed me some letters where his editor basically kicked his ass. The take home message—work hard at writing, and when you’re done, work harder.
7. What's your favorite book?
The one I’m completely absorbed in at the moment.
8. Favorite beverage and food?
I love variety best. That said, I’ll go to ridiculous lengths for a cup of coffee, and might shrivel up and die without chocolate.
Having fun! Baking and eating brownies with my kids, traveling to exotic places, skiing on a powder day, dancing with my husband. Being silly with my friends.
Now, are you ready to win this?
13+
US Only
Winner must respond within 48 hours
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I have an ARC of Pretty Girl 13 to give away. If interested, please enter below.
Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.
Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home…only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.
What happened to the past three years of her life?
Angie doesn't know.
But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?
Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing - and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love.
Rules:
13+
US Only
Winner must respond within 48 hours
a Rafflecopter giveaway
On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine. An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?
Excerpt from A Shade of Vampire
I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”
I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.
My gaze settled on his face.
I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.
I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.
Big mistake.
The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.
“Like what you see?”
“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.
He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.
“Don’t I have the right to be?”
He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.
“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.
My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.
I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.
He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.
This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.
“Tell me your name,” he commanded.
I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.
“Sofia Claremont.”
As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.
“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”
I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.
My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.
Purchase
About the Author
I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.
As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre.
I’m an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.
If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com ,
you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.
Glimpseby Carol Lynch Williams
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Released on: June 22, 2010
Hardcover
484 Pages
Rating: 5/5
I have found myself falling head over heels in love and exceptionally addicted to novels in verse lately. I've had Glimpse on my wish list for quite some time and finally bought it. The synopsis appealed to me and Carol Lynch Williams has delivered such a powerful, emotional, and incredibly engaging novel.
We learn that Hope's life isn't that wonderful but it hasn't been all that bad either. Having her sister Lizzie to connect and bond with over the years has really made a huge impact in her life. Everything was as good as could possibly be until the day that Hope walked into the room, looking at Lizzie holding a gun to her head and about to take her life.
Instantly, the plot has become enthralling.
Lizzie is taken away and committed for her act that she could not perform. Hope has no clue as to what led her to that point. She thought they were so close. They still are. So what happened? What would make Lizzie want to take her own life? She had a secret diary stashed away. Are the answers in there? The doctor believes so but Hope believes it needs to be kept private. Their mother? She's quite a different story.
It's just their mother who takes care of them. The mother that supports them. The mother who now demands answers as she continues on with her frivolous lifestyle. As Hope slowly starts to wonder what has happened in the past that must have been covered up, she slowly and unknowingly gets dragged into it all. Talking to the doctor and realizing that she should do the right thing, the thing that might uncover the secrets, the thing that might make Lizzie come back home, is the thing that will lead to the ghastly truth.
This is the last stop along the First Kiss Blog Tour, written by Ann Marie Frohoff. I have had the privilege of reading Skid Out (the prequel) and First Kiss. Both incredibly delectable pieces in that fit into a trilogy. I am sharing with you today, the crazy awesome trailer along with a special giveaway. You may now download Skid Out for free at Goodreads. And First Kiss is due to release on June 11, 2013. Be ready guys!
Find out more about the Heavy Influence series
Amazon: Skid Out - Kindle Edition It was all about the band, until the girl next door. Her innocence is tempting. A sexually charged coming of age story set in the throes of stardom.
About an up and coming teenage rocker on the verge of stardom, when the girl next door becomes something more; they're forced to face the harsh realities on his road to fame and the expectations of their friends and family. Sacrifices are made as everything changes as they know it.
Ann Marie ("Annie") Frohoff grew up in sunny Southern California. As a teen and young adult she spent her time frequenting and living in nearly every beachside city up and down the coast.The first installment in her Heavy Influence Trilogy, FIRST KISS, is tentatively set to release June 11, 2013 — The series is a story about young, reckless love between a rising rock star and his younger muse, spanning 10 years of their tumultuous and passionate relationship. Each book in the Trilogy will come with a soundtrack of original music, of which the lyrics will appear in the pages of the books.
Annie is now settled in the South Bay area of Los Angeles with her family.
Geography Clubby Brent Hartinger
Published by: Harper Tempest
Released on:February 17th, 2004
Paperback
226 Pages
Rating: 4/5
I was originally asked to review Brent's newest book in this series but he ended up sending me all of them! To me, that's a sweet deal. This book definitely discusses a topic that leaves people in uncomfortable situations and feeling unaccepted. Truth is, they are right. They aren't. And sometimes people are just plain mean.
We meet Russel who knows deep down inside that he is different from all the other guys in the locker room but he also knows that he has to hide this fact. He certainly doesn't want to raise a red flag and be the school's laughing stock and throw himself out there as a target for bullies. I can't blame him. People are cruel. Kids are cruel. Everyone can be cruel at one time or another.
When Russel is safe at home and in his room he is allowed the freedom to branch out online and be himself. But when he's chatting with someone claiming to go to the exact same school as him and who's also into the same things, he can't resist. I instantly felt like it was a trap to get him to expose his true identity but alas, I was wrong. What he found that evening on the gazebo shocked me as much as it did Russel. The truth of that night will bring so much more into Russel's life than he could have imagined.
When Russel finally gets up the courage to tell one of his best friends about his love life, he finds out even more surprises that were totally unexpected. So, with all of them coming together, they create a name that would throw everyone off their trails. The Geography Club is introduced.
Is it true that they can have a safe place to get together so they can all be open about their sexuality and just be themselves? Or is it too good to be true? Will they all be left exposed?
Received for review purposes from the author.
View Next 25 Posts
.jpg)
.gif)
Unbelievable sounds really good. I haven't read Unlovable yet. I really love the cover for Unbelievable, it's gorgeous!
What a gorgeous cover! I've made it a goal to read every book before watching it's movie adaptation so I'm in! :)
I loveee Unlovable...cannot wait for UnBelievable!!!!
Looks incredible! Gfc kel