Jessie Harrell's Blog, page 18

Debut YA Book Birthdays!

Big CONGRATS to these debut artists, whose YA babies are being born into the world today.

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes
What does it mean to do wrong, when no one punishes you? A smart and unflinching look at friendship, the nature of entitlement, and growing up in the heartland.

Paige Sheridan has the perfect life. She's pretty, rich, and popular, and her spot on the homecoming court is practically guaranteed. But when a night of partying ends in an it-could-have-been-so-much worse crash, everything changes. Her best friends start ignoring her, her boyfriend grows cold and distant, and her once-adoring younger sister now views her with contempt. The only bright spot is her creative writing class, led by a charismatic new teacher who encourages students to be true to themselves. But who is Paige, if not the homecoming princess everyone expects her to be? In this arresting and witty debut, a girl who was once high-school royalty must face a truth that money and status can't fix, and choose between living the privileged life of a princess, or owning up to her mistakes and giving up everything she once held dear.

Pretty Amy by Lisa Burnstein

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she's somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands--earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx--Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating"rehabilitation techniques" now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing--like she is nothing.Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it's worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Libby Kelting had always felt herself born out of time. No wonder the historical romance-reading, Jane Austen-adaptation-watching, all-around history nerd jumped at the chance to intern at Camden Harbor, Maine’s Oldest Living History Museum. But at Camden Harbor Libby’s just plain out of place, no matter how cute she looks in a corset. Her cat-loving coworker wants her dead, the too-smart-for-his-own-good local reporter keeps pushing her buttons, her gorgeous sailor may be more shipwreck than dreamboat — plus Camden Harbor’s haunted. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, Libby learns that boys, like ghosts, aren’t always what they seem.

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (her YA debut)
It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.
When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past—and hers?


Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.
Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer: 
A white werewolf. 
Lupine syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control. 
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boy-friend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk. 
Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spell-binding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.


Wuftoom by Mary G. Thompson
Everyone thinks Evan is sick ... Everyone thinks science will find a cure. But Evan knows he is not sick, he is transforming. Evan's metamorphosis has him confined to his bed, constantly terrified, and completely alone. Alone, except for his visits from the Wuftoom, a wormlike creature that tells him he is becoming one of them. 
 
Clinging to his humanity and desperate to help his overworked single mother, Evan makes a bargain with the Vitflies, the sworn enemies of the Wuftoom. But when the bargain becomes blackmail and the Vitflies prepare for war, whom can Evan trust? Is saving his humanity worth destroying an entire species, and the only family he has left?

May 10th ~ Beauty by Lisa Daily (her YA debut)
What's it like to be the most beautiful girl in the world?

Molly desperately wants to be beautiful. And that's what she tells Dharma, the mysterious portrait artist who sketches her face at the town fair just minutes after she's humiliated in front of Hudson, the guy of her dreams. When Molly wakes up the following morning, she's the most beautiful girl in Miracle, Ohio. Babies coo in her arms, her house fills with flowers from dozens of drooling boys, and she's chosen to be a model for the hottest store in town. Best of all, Hudson finally falls for her.

But Molly soon discovers that beauty--and her wish--comes with a price. She's faced with an impossible choice: Will reclaiming her true identity mean letting go of Hudson for good?

One for the Murphys by Linda Mullaly Hunt
A moving debut novel about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family's love

Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belong--until her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She's not really a Murphy, but the gifts they've given her have opened up a new future.


Good gracious!! That's a lot of debuts this week. I think the publishers are trying to make sure we're all stocked up for summer!

A SPY LIKE ME by Laura Pauling

In celebration of the official release of A Spy Like Me , Laura Pauling is hosting a three-week blog series: A Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. Woot! Woot!
Authors galore, guest posts and book giveaways almost every day!Gemma Halliday, Cindy M. Hogan, Elizabeth Spann Craig,
Nova Ren Suma, Elisa Ludwig, and Anne R. Allen....Just to name a few!And here's why she's celebrating!
Stripping your date down to his underwear has never been so dangerous. After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must sneak, deceive and spy to save her family and friends and figure out if Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him.Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ SmashwordsHead on over to Laura’s blog for the start of the Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. You won’t want to miss this sizzling series as we head into summer. Stock up on some great thrilling reads! If you dare…

The Artemis Rising Blogtour Hop Giveaway

Today, I get to welcome Cheri Lasorta, author of Artemis Rising, as she talks to us about the torture of openings. Openings that drive you crazyI hate openings. Okay, not really. But for about six years, I hated the opening of my first novel, Artemis Rising. Why am I hatin'? Simple. I didn't know where to begin. I couldn't figure out what scene would best represent my character and my story; what would set up the catalyst and the main plot; what would draw in a reader and make them unable to set the book down.I went through years of going back and forth. I tried two prologues; started the day before, the day of, and the night of a major event on board a ship. Nothing seemed to give me the "wow" element I was looking for. Oftentimes, I wasn't getting to the good stuff fast enough.Thankfully, a mentor of mine read my opening. Buried in chapter three, I had written a paragraph about an incident that had occurred before my characters sail to the islands where most of the story takes place. She circled that paragraph and told me, "That right there. That is your opening." It took me a mere second to realize she was absolutely right.That scene was the true catalyst for my character. It sets her off on a course she cannot escape from and forces her to make a choice that affects her fate and her relationship with the one she loves.Writers often find opening scenes difficult. They obsess so much over the first line of the book that they forget to make sure that they are starting at the right place in the story. I know I did that. ProloguesSome things to keep in mind when writing prologues:If you begin with a prologue, you'll generally want to make sure that it is a complete scene. And be aware that most agents, publishers, and readers have an aversion to prologues. Usually this is because they are executed incorrectly and they have become overused. You are also doubling your work. You have to hook your reader not once, but twice.It's best if your prologue involves your main characters and it should generally take place before the timeframe of the main story.Your prologue must have a specific purpose. Usually, it will relay information that would not naturally be available to the audience within the main part of the story. If you don't have an excellent reason to include a prologue, I recommend omitting it. Openings that Wow!Every opening is different. There are no hard, fast rules in structuring a novel, but there are some tried-and-true methods for opening a story that will keep your reader devouring your pages hours later.Try to begin with your protagonist.Study openings from books similar to yours and in your genre. Then write an opening that uses the strengths of standard openings and put your own unique twist on it.Focus on how to best capture your main character's most important traits and create an inciting incident that will showcase them.And my best advice? Keep reworking your opening until you know you've got it right. That's what I did ... with a little (a lot) of help along the way. =)
Watch Dr. Veronica Esagui's interview of Cheri Lasota on the Author's Forum and hear Cheri read the opening scene from Artemis Rising.
Awesome, right?  I enjoyed this book so much and I'm sure you will too.  You can order the paperback on Amazon.com, Buy.com, Book Depository, and Barnes & Noble.  Of course, the ebook version is available as well.
The Artemis Rising Blog Hop GiveawayIn celebration of the paperback release of Artemis Rising, I'm going to hold a little contest here on my blog.  You can win my LAST butterfly ring -- just like the one Psyche is wearing on the cover of Destined. It's pretty cool.  Plus, I'll throw in an autographed bookmark.  (Sorry - US only.)  All you have to do is fill out the form, telling me which line from Cheri's reading caught your attention the most.
The contest will remain open for one week from today.<p>Loading...</p> To continue on the blog hop, please click here to jump over to  G.P. Ching's blog. And be sure to check out Cheri's blog too for more great blogtour awesomeness.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

So, this was supposed to go live this morning, but apparently Blogger COMPLETELY IGNORED ME. *pulls out hair*  Anyway, for those you who haven't heard already, here are this week's debut YA book birthdays.  [I tell you, IMHO, the releases just keep getting better and better as the year goes on.]  This week we are celebrating:
Wrecked by Anna Davies Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this.Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.     But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm.     Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins Embrace the Forbidden 
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? 
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. 
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. 
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelly Corielle Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.
When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle In this intensely romantic, modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told, Romeo’s original intended—Juliet’s cousin Rosaline—tells her side of the tale.What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you: Everything.     Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance.     Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends….

Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame
Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.

It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been… even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.

Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one… the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.

When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long.
Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.
What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
In this suspenseful thriller, Sara and her mother are going to secretly escape her abusive father—when her mother mysteriously disappears.Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.     With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.

What do you think??  I tell you, there's a lot of these novels that need to go on my TBR list ASAP.

Closed Hearts COVER REVEAL

You probably all remember the super-duper awesome cover for OPEN MINDS by Susan Kaye Quinn, which was a fantastic story.  Well, the sequel, CLOSED HEARTS (Book Two in the Mindjack Trilogy), is coming May 23rd and today we have the cover reveal.  Ready??
When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.
Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber for jackers.
Sounds awesome, right?  Well, here's some more details:
Click Here to sign up for the Virtual Launch Party on May 23rd! There will be prizes, reviews, bonus content, did I mention prizes? Come join the fun!PRAISE FOR Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) “Being a fan of dystopian and sci-fi in young adult books this was exactly the type of book I was hoping to fall in love with and absolutely did ...YA readers who love authors like Ally Condie, Veronica Roth, Lauren Oliver and others would be missing out if they failed to pick up Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn. Join Kira on her journey to save her fellow mindjackers and potentially change the landscape of her world forever.”— Danielle Smith, book blogger at There’s a Book“Susan plunges readers into a compelling and frightening world where nearly everyone can read minds when they come of age. The very idea makes me shudder. This is easily one of the best books I've read not only this year, but in recent years.”— Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll
Open Minds $2.99 on Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes&Noble, and iTunesSusan Kaye Quinn, Author  Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. She pursued a bunch of engineering degrees and worked a lot of geeky jobs, including turns at GE Aircraft Engines, NASA, and NCAR. Now that she writes novels, her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she doesn't have to sneak her notes anymore. All that engineering comes in handy when dreaming up paranormal powers in future worlds or mixing science with fantasy to conjure slightly plausible inventions. Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as much as she can handle.Way too often, you can find Susan on her blog, facebook, and twitter.

Debut YA Book Birthday

Today as you're reading this celebratory post, I'm in Daytona Beach.  But not in a spring break, hit-the-beach sort of way, but in a going-to-court, working sort of way.  The upside is that I'll get to have lunch with my dad.  Sort of our own little tradition now that it's the third time we've met up after one of my oral arguments.  (Sweet daddy!)
Anyway, you probably want to know what this week has in store for you in the debut YA book birthday department, right?  IMHO, there's some pretty good stuff this week, starting with ...
The Selection by Kiera Cass For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship. When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.
Whatcha think about this week's debut YA authors?  I told you it was good...

Indie Author Spotlight (+contest) - Devon Ashley

Today, I'm really excited to be shining the Indie Author Spotlight on Devon Ashley.  I just finished reading her upper YA novel, Falling in Between, and really enjoyed it, so I wanted you to get a chance to meet Devon too. So without further ado, I give you Devon.
1. Give us the twitter synopsis of Falling in Between (that means you only have 140 characters to work with). 
Real-world hunk or dream-world hunk? Duh, both! Whoever thought drowning in your undies could be so rewarding? You'll <3 Falling In Between. 

[okay - I'm going to cheat now and give you the full-length description. The rest of the interview may make more sense with it...
Finally! A private conversation. And all I had to do was throw myself off a cliff, drown in a pond in my undies and let him put his hands on my breasts to bring me back to life. Yay me! (yeah, that’s sarcasm) 

Yep, that pretty much sums up the most craptastic night of Jenna Baker’s life. She drowns after jumping off a cliff, meets a hotty named Chance in the pearlescent in-between and is brought back to life by her soon-to-be boyfriend Robert.

Just when things start to move forward with Robert, the guy she'd been crushing on for a year now, in walks the man of her dreams – literally. Chance suddenly appears in her dream every time she closes her eyes. So it's Robert by day and Chance by night. One in the real world and one in the dream world. What could possibly go wrong?

Absolutely nothing – until she comes face to face with the guy she met in the in-between, and realizes her romantic rendezvous with Chance may be more than just her imagination.2. Are your dreams as vivid as Jenna's, cause she has a pretty active dream life... 
Actually, yes. I know there aren’t too many of us out there, but I’m actually aware that I’m dreaming. Not always, but there’s usually something that tips me off that makes me go “Oh, this is another dream.” Sometimes I play along for fun, sometimes I walk away and hope to enter another dream. As for Jenna’s dream life [ahem], yeah, I’ve had some similar dreams of which I didn’t bail on for obvious reasons.  Who would?!! [See the postings for some of my crazy dreams here.]3. Team Robert or Team Chance?  
Team Robert all the way! All right…I’m biased cause he looks like my husband…but that doesn’t necessarily mean Robert will prevail over Chance in the books.4. What actor would you pick to play each of these hotties? Who would play Jenna? 
How about I show you? This is probably as close as I’ll get to what I see in my head.


Michael Anthony Trevino - RobertAnnaSophia Robb – Jenna

Robbie Amell - Chance
Abbie Cornish – SophieChase Crawford - Jhett
5. Can you give us a preview of what's to come in Falling Away? 
It's two years into the future and Jenna’s trying to figure out where her life goes from there. She knows she loves Robert but when Chance makes an abrupt appearance in her dream, she begins to wonder if something happened to him, seeing as how he was only able to do it when he was comatose. When Jenna goes back home to find out, Chance puts on the charm and she ends up falling for him all over again. Question is, which guy is the best fit for our little Jenna? (I’m still deciding on who wins her heart in the end) 6. You have another series started too, the Immortal Archives. What sets this series apart? 
I have four main characters that all get a point of view, which I think is sort of different. Lately it seems you only get two. Abby is a hunter/witch turned pure vampire by her husband Noel, Emily is a hunter and Valerie is a clairvoyant. All four are filled with secrets that’ll come to light through the series and test the group’s vulnerabilities. Abby in particular is different in that she has an inner evil fighting hard to regain control of her body and actions, like it did before. It’s not easy fighting demons when your inner self prefers joining them over killing them.

Awesome -- thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions.  And now, for all of you, Devon has a special gift -- she'll gift an e-copy of Falling in Between through Amazon or B&N to one lucky winner.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter and then get reading!

To get your copy now, visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Debut YA Book Birthday

Can it really be possible that we're only celebrating two debut YA book birthdays this week?  Looks like everyone's shaving up for next week...

In the meantime, let's hear it for:
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the
king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least
Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.

Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there
herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must
wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.

While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners,
Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising
ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.


172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad (making his American YA debut)
It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever.

Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune.
Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan.
Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.
It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.
In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.


Do either of these novel pique your interest??

RETURN TO EDEN ~ Blog Tour with G.P. Ching (+ contest)

Welcome to my stop on G.P. Ching's RETURN TO EDEN blog tour. Today, G.P. is going to give us an EXCLUSIVE look at her dream cast for her series.

Thanks, Jessie, for having me here today and for your question about my dream cast if The Soulkeepers is ever made into a movie. I get this question all the time and often I avoid answering because I don't want to ruin the image created by the reader's mind as they interpret my words. But just this once, I'm going to share my personal opinion. If you haven't read the books yet, you may want to skip this one.
Jacob and Malini are the obvious place to start, but the hardest to cast. They are supposed to be fifteen going on sixteen in the first book. If there was a popular actor that age now, they would be too old by the time the movie was made. But since this is a dream cast, I'm going to bend the rules of nature. I've always pictured Jacob as a young Keanu Reeves and Malini as a young Parminder Nagra.  Abigail is easy. One actor lives and breathes the balance between good and evil all wrapped up in a beautiful package that is as alluring as it is deadly. Angelina Jolie.
For Gideon, only one red headed actor will do for me. Look closely. He has some cat-like qualities doesn't he? No one in the world looks like Kris Holden-Reid. In my head, Mara is played by Ksenia Solo. I think she's one of the most beautiful women in the world but not in a conventional way. When you look at her, you believe she might hold the hand of death.
Which brings us to Henry. In Weaving Destiny, Henry's looks are compared to Justin Bieber's but in a "you could be brothers" kind of way.  Since I'm dreaming and Henry is supposed to be English, I choose Danielle Radcliffe because he is all kinds of awesome.
Alexander Ludwig would serve Dane's character well. Bully turned sweetheart, the role would be a suitable challenge for this noteworthy actor.
Katrina? Leighton Meester
I have a clear picture of Lillian and she looks a lot like ZiYi Zhang. And finally, for Mr. and Mrs. Laudner, Ed O'Neil and Paula Deen are my picks.
What do you think? Did any of my choices surprise you? If you've read the books, I'd love to know who your dream cast is. Comment below.  
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Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Did you see it?  I love the cover for this upcoming charity anthology, of which I am one of the contributing authors. *pinches self*


Read more details here.