Jessie Harrell's Blog, page 14
August 8, 2012
BACK TO BATAAN Blog Tour
Don't you just love this cover? It grabbed me immediately, and then I say the MC's last name is Dalton (my maiden name) and I was like, yeah, I've gotta read this one. Before I get into my review though, let me tell you about the contest going on ...BLOGGER PRIZE - Change your Facebook or Twitter profile picture to the cover of Back to Bataan and be entered for a $50 cash drawing. It could be anytime between June 26, 2012 and September 30, 2012, and must be up for at least a 24 hour period. In order to be eligible, please email info@tribute-books.com that your profile picture has been changed so that we can confirm it.
Back to Bataan Summary
New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...
Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.
My Review: *Note* The publisher provided me with an e-copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.
I've got to say that I feel a bit misled about this book. First of all, the cover is clearly YA. The description of a boy who has a "fiancee" and wants to fight in the war is YA. The main character, however, is ELEVEN. For those of you listening, eleven is not YA. Eleven is MG and so my expectations did not match up with the reality of this book.
Which is not to say that Back to Bataan is a bad book. It's just not what I expected. The whole time I read it, I felt like I was back in high school, reading some classic like Catcher in the Rye. It was a nice, short little novel and had a character who found redemption in a very interesting way (and with some unlikely allies).
It was one of those novels that I liked more as I read it, but ultimately, it just wasn't my style of book. When I read, I'm looking for a fun outlet, not the next classic in the making. If you, however, have more sophisticated tastes when it comes to reading, then by all means, check it out. Just know what to expect going in, because it's not YA, and (despite the couple on the cover), there's no romance either.
Jerome Charyn's Bio:
Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”
Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.
Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.
eBook
ISBN: 9780985792206
ISBN: 9781476119076
Pages: 98
Release: July 1, 2012
Kindle buy link - $2.99Nook buy link - $4.95iBookstore buy link - $4.99Google buy link - $3.79Smashwords buy link - $4.99PDF buy link - $4.95
August 7, 2012
Young Adult Giveaway Hop
Hello all and welcome. Since YA is my passion, it seems only natural that I'd participate in the YA Giveaway Hop hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Reading Teen.
Lots of blog are going to let offer you some popular new releases, but I want to offer you some of my favorite YA books that stayed largely under the radar. After all, just because their publishers haven't given them the full court press on publicity doesn't mean these books aren't worthy of your love. So I'm letting you pick from any of the titles below -- you can have an e-copy or a paper copy if The Book Depository ships free to your country.
The Pace by Shelena Shorts
Weston Wilson is not immortal and he is of this world. But, aging is not part of his existence, and eighteen-year-old Sophie Slone is determined to find out why. In doing so, she could also uncover something about her own life expectancy that she may not want to know. Suddenly, immortality will mean everything and nothing all at the same time. Intensely fascinating and rich with determination, The Pace brings together romance, mystery, and suspense in a compelling bond that is sure to have readers asking for more.
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
"Are you a Global Vagabond? " No, but 18-year-old Bria wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a tour of Central America--the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. So when Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspoken sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel through Mayan villages and remote Belizean islands, they discover they're both seeking to leave behind the old versions of themselves. The secret to escaping the past, Rowan's found, is to keep moving forward. But Bria realizes she can't run forever. At some point, you have to look back.
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment. Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. " " " "If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. " " " "And there are no strangers in the town of Near." These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger--a boy who seems to fade like smoke--appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know--about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy. Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Lots of blog are going to let offer you some popular new releases, but I want to offer you some of my favorite YA books that stayed largely under the radar. After all, just because their publishers haven't given them the full court press on publicity doesn't mean these books aren't worthy of your love. So I'm letting you pick from any of the titles below -- you can have an e-copy or a paper copy if The Book Depository ships free to your country.The Pace by Shelena Shorts
Weston Wilson is not immortal and he is of this world. But, aging is not part of his existence, and eighteen-year-old Sophie Slone is determined to find out why. In doing so, she could also uncover something about her own life expectancy that she may not want to know. Suddenly, immortality will mean everything and nothing all at the same time. Intensely fascinating and rich with determination, The Pace brings together romance, mystery, and suspense in a compelling bond that is sure to have readers asking for more.Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
"Are you a Global Vagabond? " No, but 18-year-old Bria wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a tour of Central America--the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. So when Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspoken sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel through Mayan villages and remote Belizean islands, they discover they're both seeking to leave behind the old versions of themselves. The secret to escaping the past, Rowan's found, is to keep moving forward. But Bria realizes she can't run forever. At some point, you have to look back.Chime by Franny Billingsley
Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment. Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. " " " "If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. " " " "And there are no strangers in the town of Near." These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger--a boy who seems to fade like smoke--appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know--about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy. Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Debut YA Book Birthdays
My hubby and I celebrated 11 fabulous years together this past weekend. We got away for a night (leaving the girls behind) and enjoyed ourselves in St. Augustine. The only thing that could've made it better is if I'd slipped in a little reading time by the pool. Not that these books were out yet, but they sound like they would've done the trick. So happy debut YA book birthday to this week's birthday crop!Fingerprints of You by Kristen-Paige Madonia
A teen embarks on the road trip of a lifetime in this authentic, beautifully written debut novel.Lemon grew up with Stella, a single mom who wasn’t exactly maternal. Stella always had a drink in her hand and a new boyfriend every few months, and when things got out of hand, she would whisk Lemon off to a new town for a fresh beginning. Now, just as they are moving yet again, Lemon discovers that she is pregnant from a reckless encounter—with a guy Stella had been flirting with. On the verge of revisiting her mother’s mistakes, Lemon struggles to cope with the idea of herself as a young unmarried mother, as well as the fact that she’s never met her own father. Determined to have at least one big adventure before she has the baby, Lemon sets off on a cross-country road trip, intending not only to meet her father, but to figure out who she wants to be. Lyrical and moving prose from an original voice whose writing Judy Blume calls “luminous” deftly depicts the nuanced conflicts of early motherhood and the search for identity.
Auracle by Gina Rosati
Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold. Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.Between You & Me by Marisa Calin
Phyre knows there is something life-changing about her new drama teacher, Mia, from the moment they meet. As Phyre rehearses for the school play, she comes to realize that the unrequited feelings she has for Mia go deeper than she's ever experienced. Especially with a teacher. Or a woman. All the while, Phyre's best friend-addressed throughout the story in the second person, as "you"-stands by, ready to help Phyre make sense of her feelings. But just as Mia doesn't understand what Phyre feels, Phyre can't fathom the depth of her best friend's feelings...until it's almost too late for a happy ending. Characters come to life through the innovative screenplay format of this dazzling debut, and unanswered questions-is "you" male or female?-will have readers talking.And last, but certainly not least ...
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear
A hoverboard appeared in her rearview mirror. “This is the Los Angeles Air Patrol,” a voice boomed. “I command you to land your vehicle in the name of the law.”Noli Braddock and her best friend V’s incident with a flying auto have landed them in a heap of trouble. And when Noli is sent to a spirit-squelching reform school in San Francisco, she’s sure that her rebellious adventures are over.Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver has been ordered by the Faerie Queen to bring a mortal girl back to the Otherworld. The magic requires a blood sacrifice every seven years, and only a mortal girl who shines with the Spark—a girl like Noli—will keep the Otherworld from complete destruction.When an ill-timed wish sends Noli tumbling into the Otherworld, she’s more homesick than ever . . . until V arrives to save her from an untimely demise. But who exactly is V? And if he helps Noli escape, who will save the realm of Faerie from utter annihilation?So, what do you think? Any of these going on your ever-growing TBR list?
August 1, 2012
Debut YA Book Birthdays
So here I was, thinking I was going to be horribly belated with this post, and it turns out no debut YA authors had birthdays yesterday. Phew. But there is one today and one tomorrow. Huh? I know, weird. So anyway, let's raise a glass for these debut YA novels.
Someday Dancer by Sarah Rubin
A ballerina tale with a thoroughly modern twist!
Casey Quinn has got more grace in her pinkie toe than all those prissy ballet-school girls put together, even if you'd never guess it from the looks of her too-long legs and dirty high-top sneakers. It's 1959, and freckle-faced Casey lives in the red-dust countryside of South Carolina. She's a farm girl: Her family can't afford ballet lessons. But Casey's dream is to dance in New York City. And if anyone tries to stand in her way, she's going to pirouette and jeté right over them!
Casey's got the grit, and Casey's got the grace: Is that enough to make it in Manhattan someday? Or might the Big Apple have something even better in mind? When she meets a visionary choreographer she calls "Miss Martha," Casey's ballerina dream takes a thoroughly, thrillingly modern twist!
Survive by Alex Morel
Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening
Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.
Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.
Someday Dancer by Sarah Rubin
A ballerina tale with a thoroughly modern twist!
Casey Quinn has got more grace in her pinkie toe than all those prissy ballet-school girls put together, even if you'd never guess it from the looks of her too-long legs and dirty high-top sneakers. It's 1959, and freckle-faced Casey lives in the red-dust countryside of South Carolina. She's a farm girl: Her family can't afford ballet lessons. But Casey's dream is to dance in New York City. And if anyone tries to stand in her way, she's going to pirouette and jeté right over them!Casey's got the grit, and Casey's got the grace: Is that enough to make it in Manhattan someday? Or might the Big Apple have something even better in mind? When she meets a visionary choreographer she calls "Miss Martha," Casey's ballerina dream takes a thoroughly, thrillingly modern twist!
Survive by Alex Morel
Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening
Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.
July 25, 2012
Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop
Welcome to my stop on the Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop. I think the really pretty badge is what convinced me to sign up, but I do so love making new friends and seeing old friends again. So welcome or welcome back!
This hop is hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Laura at Colorimetry. This is a LAZY hop because there's only 1 entry allowed per site. And since I'm feeling sort of LAZY myself, I'm making the prize one YA ebook of the winner's choice up to $10.
You can get it from Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords, Sony or anywhere else that will allow me to gift you an e-book.
You can get a book that's already been released or it can be a pre-order.
You can be from any country in the world so long as you can accept an e-book gift.
It just has to be young adult (or middle grade will work too), since that's the genre I celebrate around these parts.
To enter, either follow the blog or like my Facebook page, and then tell me which option you choose in the Rafflecopter entry form. Easy-peasy. Then hop on over to the next blog in line and enter to win more book/reading goodness.
Hope you're enjoying the summer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This hop is hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Laura at Colorimetry. This is a LAZY hop because there's only 1 entry allowed per site. And since I'm feeling sort of LAZY myself, I'm making the prize one YA ebook of the winner's choice up to $10.You can get it from Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords, Sony or anywhere else that will allow me to gift you an e-book.
You can get a book that's already been released or it can be a pre-order.
You can be from any country in the world so long as you can accept an e-book gift.
It just has to be young adult (or middle grade will work too), since that's the genre I celebrate around these parts.
To enter, either follow the blog or like my Facebook page, and then tell me which option you choose in the Rafflecopter entry form. Easy-peasy. Then hop on over to the next blog in line and enter to win more book/reading goodness.
Hope you're enjoying the summer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 24, 2012
Debut YA Book Birthdays
This weekend I went to a party to celebrate my awesome dad's 70th birthday. But today, we're celebrating debut YA book birthdays. Both are great reasons to celebrate, no?
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia. . . .Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about.Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she's just read in the newspaper:The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor . . . from her brother.Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she'll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.
Drain You by M. Beth Bloom
Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences.Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off.Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.
Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein
Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventure
Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).
Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.
Action packed, with fresh, cinematic writing, Cold Fury is a riveting and imaginative adventure readers will devour.
So, that's this week's lineup. You in?
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia. . . .Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about.Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she's just read in the newspaper:The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor . . . from her brother.Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she'll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.Drain You by M. Beth Bloom
Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences.Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off.Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein
Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventureSara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).
Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.
Action packed, with fresh, cinematic writing, Cold Fury is a riveting and imaginative adventure readers will devour.
So, that's this week's lineup. You in?
July 19, 2012
Flutter of Luv Blog Tour: Guest Post on Harsh Realities
DRUGS? TEENS? And YA BOOKS by L.M. Preston, author of Flutter of Luv
Believe it or not, even though, FLUTTER OF LUV, isn’t about drugs, there are hints within my short story that show it as a real reality for teens.Drugs and teens are a typical satire for many movies, shows and books. As a teen I dealt with the issues of drugs, sex, race issues, crime, gangs, teen pregnancy and diet issues. Those were real and difficult issues for me. Truth is, I really didn’t need a book to tell me about gangs – I lived where gangs were. I didn’t need a book to tell me about drugs, I lived around tons of drug addicts and alcohol. But you know what I needed books for? To show me that I wasn’t alone, that there were other kids that handled these same issues differently. Some kids did it better, some kids suffered and failed, others succeeded. Books gave me that resource, and a safe haven to experience the things I’d seen an to process them.YEAH, BUT REAL LIFE IS DIFFERENTReal life is different. No book yet that I have read can really depict the things I experienced and have seen firsthand growing up. Truthfully, living it hurts. But reading it gives us insight without the pain.I’m talking about this now since I have a young family member going through the effects of drug experimentation. The effects are being placed in a controlled environment in hopes of rehabilitation. The kid didn’t grow up seeing firsthand the effects of drugs. Bypassing crack heads as he walked to the corner store like I did. Maybe, just maybe if he’d seen that reality, he would have thought twice before he opened pandora’s box.Writing Flutter Of Luv allowed me to express a bit of my experiences from growing up around all of those challenges and show sho many of us get desensitized to those instances.
by: LM Preston, www.lmpreston.com
MY REVIEW:
My thanks to L.M., who provided me with a copy of Flutter of Luv in exchange for my honest review. But first, the book summary:
Dawn, the neighborhood tomboy, is happy to be her best friend’s shadow. Acceptance comes from playing football after school with the guys on the block while hiding safely behind her glasses, braces, and boyish ways. But Tony moves in, becomes the star Running Back on her school’s football team, and changes her world and her view of herself forever.
This is a short story told in ten episodes similar to an anthology of short stories over the course of Dawn’s and Tony’s realization of how much they mean to one another.
This was a really nice short story.
As someone who lacked both money and a chest growing up, I could really relate to Dawn. Her insecurities felt very real and some of the crap she had to endure really hit home. I applaud LM Preston for giving us a realistic view into Dawn's life, both the good sides and the bad.
And I also really enjoyed how the story was told in episodes, so we didn't have to read about the times in Dawn's life where nothing much different was happening and she was just left to pine over Tony.
I wish I had seen a little more of the love story developing in the sense of seeing a deeper connection between Dawn and Tony though. Don't get me wrong, Tony did some cute things along the way to show us he was falling for Dawn, but being a hopeless romantic, I needed more to give this story a full 5 stars. [I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.] If you aren't a fanatic about romanticism, then you probably won't have the same issue as I did at all. ;)
So now that you want to read the book and join LM on her launch party festivities, here's how:
Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Flutter-Of-Luv-ebook/dp/B0088ELXE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340973462&sr=8-1&keywords=flutter+of+luv#_Twitter Party:Friday, July 27th, 5pm - 6pm, use hashtag #FlutterOfLuv and follow @Lm_PrestonFacebook Party:Saturday, July 28th, 12pm-9pm ESThttp://www.facebook.com/events/340720479326022/?context=create
Blog Tour Stops:
LM Preston’s Ramblings - 7/13/2012http://lmpreston.blogspot.comIndies Unlimited - 7/13/2012http://www.indiesunlimited.com/A Little Bit Of R&R - 7/13/2012http://www.alittlebitofrnrreviews.comDoreen McGettigan - 7/17/2012http://doreenmcgettigan.com/Writer’s Alley - 7/17/2012http://writersally.blogspot.com/I Want To Read That - 7/18/2012http://www.iwanttoreadthat.com/Cheryl Rainfield - 7/18/2012http://cherylrainfield.com/blog/
The Daily Harrell - 7/19/2012http://jessie-harrell.blogspot.com/Word Forge Books - 7/20/2012http://wordforgebooks.com/blog/Searching For An Escape - 7/21/2012http://www.officialmhafh.blogspot.comhttp://www.facebook.com/MHAFHThe Write Game - 7/23/2012http://writegame.blogspot.com/Stephen Penner - 7/24/2012http://stephenpenner.blogspot.com/Black Words White Pages - 7/26/2012http://www.blackwords-whitepages.blogspot.comCuriosity Key - 7/27/2012http://www.curiositykey.blogspot.com/
SomeoneWhoActuallyCares - 7/27/2012http://someonewhoactuallycares.blogspot.com/LM Preston’s Ramblings - 7/28/2012http://lmpreston.blogspot.comTribute Books Reviews & Giveaways - 7/23/2012http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com/Tribute Books Mama - 7/24/2012http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/The Character Connection - 7/25/2012http://thecharacterconnection.blogspot.com/The Plot Thickens - 7/26/2012http://theplotthickensbookblog.blogspot.com/City Girl Who Loved To Read - 7/27/2012http://citygirlwholovestoread.blogspot.com/
July 18, 2012
Cover Reveal + Excerpt ~ BROKEN by A.E. Rought
Today I am super-duper, uber excited to take part in the cover reveal for my Oasis sister's debut YA novel, BROKEN. A.E. Rought has written what I'm sure will be an amazing story and now it has an amazing cover. You ready for this?
Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all. A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry’s boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetary and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.
When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she’s intrigued despite herself. He’s an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely…familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel’s. The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there’s something very wrong with Alex Franks.
And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks’ estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.
Excerpt ~ Okay, so there are 11 of us participating in the cover reveal and posting the entire first chapter of Broken. But to read it all, you have to visit all of our blogs. I'm the second stop. To read the first part of Chapter 1, head over to Trinity's blog. Then come back here.
Echoes of us fill our seats now, Daniel’s long legs whole, not broken, and stretched across the polished stone. One of his long hands holds the pint, the other hand curls over my shoulder. My profile is clear, aimed at him, beaming love brighter than the moonlight. Curls muss his nearly black hair and cast his face into shadow. A chill October breeze stirs the trees. Branches clack above my head, brittle as old bones. Goosebumps coat my skin, my pulse jumps. When Daniel’s echo turns to me, his face is broken and bleeding, red shiny trails streaming from the crack in his skull, coursing into his hazel eyes.My breath escapes in a rush. The same loss tears through me. And here I am again, living the hurt over and over, like constantly ripping off a Band-aid to feel the sting. Hurting is better than forgetting. Daniel wouldn’t want me living in this limbo. He would’ve screwed up his face into a comical mask long ago and shooed me away from here. I’m so weak without him. I struggle to keep my chin up, and lose the sudden battle with my tears.
To continue reading, head to Katy's blog.
Don't forget, the novel releases January 2013. Be sure to add it to your TBR list on Goodreads!
Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all. A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry’s boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetary and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.
When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she’s intrigued despite herself. He’s an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely…familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel’s. The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there’s something very wrong with Alex Franks.
And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks’ estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.
Excerpt ~ Okay, so there are 11 of us participating in the cover reveal and posting the entire first chapter of Broken. But to read it all, you have to visit all of our blogs. I'm the second stop. To read the first part of Chapter 1, head over to Trinity's blog. Then come back here.
Echoes of us fill our seats now, Daniel’s long legs whole, not broken, and stretched across the polished stone. One of his long hands holds the pint, the other hand curls over my shoulder. My profile is clear, aimed at him, beaming love brighter than the moonlight. Curls muss his nearly black hair and cast his face into shadow. A chill October breeze stirs the trees. Branches clack above my head, brittle as old bones. Goosebumps coat my skin, my pulse jumps. When Daniel’s echo turns to me, his face is broken and bleeding, red shiny trails streaming from the crack in his skull, coursing into his hazel eyes.My breath escapes in a rush. The same loss tears through me. And here I am again, living the hurt over and over, like constantly ripping off a Band-aid to feel the sting. Hurting is better than forgetting. Daniel wouldn’t want me living in this limbo. He would’ve screwed up his face into a comical mask long ago and shooed me away from here. I’m so weak without him. I struggle to keep my chin up, and lose the sudden battle with my tears.
To continue reading, head to Katy's blog.
Don't forget, the novel releases January 2013. Be sure to add it to your TBR list on Goodreads!
July 17, 2012
Debut YA Book Birthdays
This week's debut YA novels include the following interesting reads ~
The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
When Rinn Jacobs moves to a new town she hopes it will be a fresh start-a place where nobody knows about her past. At first, everything goes according to plan. She falls in with the popular girls at her new school and falls for the very cute boy-next-door Nate. But River Hills High School has a secret. The ghost of a girl who died back when Rinn's mom was a student supposedly haunts a hallway. Rinn's not sure she believes it, but when strange things start happening to her friends, Rinn decides there's only one way to know for sure. She needs to ditch her bipolar meds and see what the voices are really trying to say...
Fans of films like Black Swan will be fascinated by this psychological thriller.
The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti
A stunningly written tale of an isolated girl and the shape-shifting boy who shows her what freedom could be--if only she has the courage to take it.
Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje's life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy--a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shifter. He has everything Frenenqer doesn't. No family, no attachments, no rules. At night, he flies them to the far-flung places of their childhoods to retrace their pasts. But when the delicate balance of their friendship threatens to rupture into something more, Frenenqer must confront her isolation, her father, and her very sense of identity, breaking all the rules of her life to become free.
A World Away by Nancy Grossman
A summer of firsts Sixteen-year-old Eliza Miller has never made a phone call, never tried on a pair of jeans, never sat in a darkened theater waiting for a movie to start. She’s never even talked to someone her age who isn’t Amish, like her.
A summer of good-byes When she leaves her close-knit family to spend the summer as a nanny in suburban Chicago, a part of her can’t wait to leave behind everything she knows. She can’t imagine the secrets she will uncover, the friends she will make, the surprises and temptations of a way of life so different from her own.
A summer of impossible choice Every minute Eliza spends with her new friend Josh feels as good as listening to music for the first time, and she wonders whether there might be a place for her in his world. But as summer wanes, she misses the people she has left behind, and the plain life she once took for granted. Eliza will have to decide for herself where she belongs. Whichever choice she makes, she knows she will lose someone she loves.
Before You Go by James Preller
The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much—it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her.
Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again.
Acclaimed author James Preller explores life, death, love, faith, and resilience in his first young adult novel that will grip readers from the book’s dramatic first few pages to its emotional end.
So... what do you think???
The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
When Rinn Jacobs moves to a new town she hopes it will be a fresh start-a place where nobody knows about her past. At first, everything goes according to plan. She falls in with the popular girls at her new school and falls for the very cute boy-next-door Nate. But River Hills High School has a secret. The ghost of a girl who died back when Rinn's mom was a student supposedly haunts a hallway. Rinn's not sure she believes it, but when strange things start happening to her friends, Rinn decides there's only one way to know for sure. She needs to ditch her bipolar meds and see what the voices are really trying to say...
Fans of films like Black Swan will be fascinated by this psychological thriller.
The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti
A stunningly written tale of an isolated girl and the shape-shifting boy who shows her what freedom could be--if only she has the courage to take it.Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje's life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy--a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shifter. He has everything Frenenqer doesn't. No family, no attachments, no rules. At night, he flies them to the far-flung places of their childhoods to retrace their pasts. But when the delicate balance of their friendship threatens to rupture into something more, Frenenqer must confront her isolation, her father, and her very sense of identity, breaking all the rules of her life to become free.
A World Away by Nancy Grossman
A summer of firsts Sixteen-year-old Eliza Miller has never made a phone call, never tried on a pair of jeans, never sat in a darkened theater waiting for a movie to start. She’s never even talked to someone her age who isn’t Amish, like her.A summer of good-byes When she leaves her close-knit family to spend the summer as a nanny in suburban Chicago, a part of her can’t wait to leave behind everything she knows. She can’t imagine the secrets she will uncover, the friends she will make, the surprises and temptations of a way of life so different from her own.
A summer of impossible choice Every minute Eliza spends with her new friend Josh feels as good as listening to music for the first time, and she wonders whether there might be a place for her in his world. But as summer wanes, she misses the people she has left behind, and the plain life she once took for granted. Eliza will have to decide for herself where she belongs. Whichever choice she makes, she knows she will lose someone she loves.
Before You Go by James Preller
The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much—it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her.Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again.
Acclaimed author James Preller explores life, death, love, faith, and resilience in his first young adult novel that will grip readers from the book’s dramatic first few pages to its emotional end.
So... what do you think???
July 13, 2012
HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN series - cover re-reveal
From the author ~ Now don't get me wrong, I LOVED my original covers for How to Date an Alien and How to Break up with an Alien, but to some people it was giving off the impression that it was a cutesy MG book.
If you still loved my original covers, the beautiful designs by CA Marshall will still grace my paperbacks. To up the stakes and grace my covers with a hot alien boy, I enlisted the help of the awesome Steven Novak who has designed covers for Rashelle Workman, Megg Jensen, and Angela Carlie.
He understood my vision and my NEED for Ace to have guyliner on the covers. These new covers will be uploaded to Amazon ASAP so hopefully the rest of the world can understand the hotness of aliens.
What do you think of the new covers?
Have you hopped over to Amazon yet and picked up How to Date an Alien for FREE?
