Jessie Harrell's Blog, page 5
June 11, 2013
Debut YA Book Birthdays ~ Week of June 11th
Books are like the chocolate frosted Crispy Creme donut I just ate: 1 is not enough!
Happy summer to everyone. Hope Andrea didn't leave you too soggy if you happened to be in her path. For my family in Florida, it was just a day of rain that postponed my daughters' swim meet by a week. That's hardly even a consequence, so we were lucky.
For those of you who have been craving horror, there are multiple releases coming out this week, but most by established authors. Check out the release list here. But you've got at least 1 debut YA novel offering real horror...
ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by Kate Karyus Quinn
The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.
RUSH by Eve Silver
Rush pulls you headlong into the thrilling, high-stakes world of Eve Silver's teen series The Game, about teens pulled into and out of an alternate reality in which battling aliens is more than a game—it's life and death. This teen debut novel offers science fiction and gaming fans romantic thrills at a breakneck pace.Seventeen-year-old Miki Jones's carefully controlled life spirals into chaos after she's run down in the street, left broken and bloody. She wakes up fully healed in a place called the lobby—pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game in which she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures.There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says that the game is more than that, and that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn't. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.
CHARM & STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn
When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . . In Stephanie Kuehn's brilliant debut Charm & Strange, Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself. He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable. Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present. Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.
HOW (NOT) TO FIND A BOYFRIEND by Allyson Valentine
A funny and smart romantic comedy about getting the guy. . . and finding yourself.
Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town and steals Nora’s heart with his untra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead?
Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and struggles to stay in control of her image.
In the end, the only thing that can save Nora is a chess tournament—that she has to compete in wearing her cheerleading uniform. Can she prove to everyone that she can be both a butterfly and a nerd?
Allyson Valentine has created a story so full of enamoring characters, pitch-perfect humor, and delightfully frustrating romance that it will leave you cheering. Great for fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss, Susanne Colosanti and Sarah Dessen.
LINKED by Imogen Howson (is this an awesome cover or what???)
Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.
Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.
Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.
Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.
Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.
BELLE EPOQUE by Elizabeth Ross
When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive.
Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect foil.
But Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.
So, do any of these interest you? My ears sure perked up when I heard an analogy to Anna and the French Kiss and I LOVE the sound of Belle Epoque. :)
Happy summer to everyone. Hope Andrea didn't leave you too soggy if you happened to be in her path. For my family in Florida, it was just a day of rain that postponed my daughters' swim meet by a week. That's hardly even a consequence, so we were lucky.
For those of you who have been craving horror, there are multiple releases coming out this week, but most by established authors. Check out the release list here. But you've got at least 1 debut YA novel offering real horror...
ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by Kate Karyus Quinn
The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.RUSH by Eve Silver
Rush pulls you headlong into the thrilling, high-stakes world of Eve Silver's teen series The Game, about teens pulled into and out of an alternate reality in which battling aliens is more than a game—it's life and death. This teen debut novel offers science fiction and gaming fans romantic thrills at a breakneck pace.Seventeen-year-old Miki Jones's carefully controlled life spirals into chaos after she's run down in the street, left broken and bloody. She wakes up fully healed in a place called the lobby—pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game in which she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures.There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says that the game is more than that, and that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn't. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.CHARM & STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn
When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . . In Stephanie Kuehn's brilliant debut Charm & Strange, Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself. He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable. Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present. Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.
HOW (NOT) TO FIND A BOYFRIEND by Allyson Valentine
A funny and smart romantic comedy about getting the guy. . . and finding yourself.Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town and steals Nora’s heart with his untra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead?
Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and struggles to stay in control of her image.
In the end, the only thing that can save Nora is a chess tournament—that she has to compete in wearing her cheerleading uniform. Can she prove to everyone that she can be both a butterfly and a nerd?
Allyson Valentine has created a story so full of enamoring characters, pitch-perfect humor, and delightfully frustrating romance that it will leave you cheering. Great for fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss, Susanne Colosanti and Sarah Dessen.
LINKED by Imogen Howson (is this an awesome cover or what???)
Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.
Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.
Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.
Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.
BELLE EPOQUE by Elizabeth Ross
When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive. Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect foil.
But Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.
So, do any of these interest you? My ears sure perked up when I heard an analogy to Anna and the French Kiss and I LOVE the sound of Belle Epoque. :)
June 4, 2013
Debut YA Book Birthdays ~ Week of June 4th
Three debut YA novels to fit most tastes: romantic, action-packed, and paramornal-esqe. Take your pic -- and be sure to tell me which one(s) catch your eye!
RULES OF SUMMER by Joanna Philbin
There are two sides to every summer.
When seventeen-year-old Rory McShane steps off the bus in East Hampton, it's as if she's entered another universe, one populated by impossibly beautiful people wearing pressed khakis and driving expensive cars. She's signed on to be a summer errand girl for the Rules -- a wealthy family with an enormous beachfront mansion. Upon arrival, she's warned by other staff members to avoid socializing with the family, but Rory soon learns that may be easier said than done.
Stifled by her friends and her family's country club scene, seventeen-year-old Isabel Rule, the youngest of the family, embarks on a breathless romance with a guy whom her parents would never approve of. It's the summer for taking chances, and Isabel is bringing Rory along for the ride.
But will Rory's own summer romance jeopardize her friendship with Isabel? And, after long-hidden family secrets surface, will the Rules' picture-perfect world ever be the same?
EDGE OF TRUTH by Natasha Hanova
When her emotions spike, the earth trembles
Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’sradar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.It’s not a bad plan for sixteen-year-old Rena Moon whose emotions trigger earthquakes. In a world pitted against her, she strives for a life beyond working herself to death at the factory. Seeing an alternative, she risks selling relics from the forbidden lands at Market. It becomes the worst decision she ever made. Someone kidnaps her best friend in exchange for the one thing that would end her oppression.Driven by loyalty, Rena and seventeen-year-old Nevan Jelani, soulful composer, green thumb extraordinaire, and the secret love of her life, plot to rescue her friend and reclaim her salvage. Still, the thought lingers whether Nevan is a true hero or another thief waiting for his chance at her loot. Events spin wildly, deepening Rena’s suspicions and pushing her limit of control. With more than her chance for freedom at stake, she must decide if she’s willing to kill to protect what’s precious to her. For once, the Overlord isn’t holding all the power, but can Rena live with being reduced to what she’s struggling so hard to escape?
INSOMNIA by J.R. Johansson
It's been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.
Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he's had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people's fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets--and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.
Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia's eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he's gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it's Parker.
Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?
RULES OF SUMMER by Joanna Philbin
There are two sides to every summer.
When seventeen-year-old Rory McShane steps off the bus in East Hampton, it's as if she's entered another universe, one populated by impossibly beautiful people wearing pressed khakis and driving expensive cars. She's signed on to be a summer errand girl for the Rules -- a wealthy family with an enormous beachfront mansion. Upon arrival, she's warned by other staff members to avoid socializing with the family, but Rory soon learns that may be easier said than done.
Stifled by her friends and her family's country club scene, seventeen-year-old Isabel Rule, the youngest of the family, embarks on a breathless romance with a guy whom her parents would never approve of. It's the summer for taking chances, and Isabel is bringing Rory along for the ride.
But will Rory's own summer romance jeopardize her friendship with Isabel? And, after long-hidden family secrets surface, will the Rules' picture-perfect world ever be the same?
EDGE OF TRUTH by Natasha Hanova
When her emotions spike, the earth trembles
Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’sradar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.It’s not a bad plan for sixteen-year-old Rena Moon whose emotions trigger earthquakes. In a world pitted against her, she strives for a life beyond working herself to death at the factory. Seeing an alternative, she risks selling relics from the forbidden lands at Market. It becomes the worst decision she ever made. Someone kidnaps her best friend in exchange for the one thing that would end her oppression.Driven by loyalty, Rena and seventeen-year-old Nevan Jelani, soulful composer, green thumb extraordinaire, and the secret love of her life, plot to rescue her friend and reclaim her salvage. Still, the thought lingers whether Nevan is a true hero or another thief waiting for his chance at her loot. Events spin wildly, deepening Rena’s suspicions and pushing her limit of control. With more than her chance for freedom at stake, she must decide if she’s willing to kill to protect what’s precious to her. For once, the Overlord isn’t holding all the power, but can Rena live with being reduced to what she’s struggling so hard to escape?INSOMNIA by J.R. Johansson
It's been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.
Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he's had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people's fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets--and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia's eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he's gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it's Parker.
Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?
May 28, 2013
Debut YA Book Birthdays - Week of May 28th
This is the last week of school for my kids, which means the time for summer reading must be upon us. There are some exciting releases from established authors this week - like Goddess by Josephine Angelini and Of Triton by Anna Banks. But there are a couple of debut YA novels too, so let's celebrate their book birthdays!
MY SISTER'S REAPER by Dorothy Dreyer
Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.
When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.
WILD AWAKE by Hiliary T. Smith
In Wild Awake, Hilary T. Smith’s exhilarating and heart-wrenching YA debut novel, seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd has big plans for her summer without parents. She intends to devote herself to her music and win the Battle of the Bands with her bandmate and best friend, Lukas. Perhaps then, in the excitement of victory, he will finally realize she’s the girl of his dreams.But a phone call from a stranger shatters Kiri’s plans. He says he has her sister Suki’s stuff—her sister Suki, who died five years ago. This call throws Kiri into a spiral of chaos that opens old wounds and new mysteries.Like If I Stay and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wild Awake explores loss, love, and what it means to be alive. Will you be reading either of these?
MY SISTER'S REAPER by Dorothy Dreyer
Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.
WILD AWAKE by Hiliary T. Smith
In Wild Awake, Hilary T. Smith’s exhilarating and heart-wrenching YA debut novel, seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd has big plans for her summer without parents. She intends to devote herself to her music and win the Battle of the Bands with her bandmate and best friend, Lukas. Perhaps then, in the excitement of victory, he will finally realize she’s the girl of his dreams.But a phone call from a stranger shatters Kiri’s plans. He says he has her sister Suki’s stuff—her sister Suki, who died five years ago. This call throws Kiri into a spiral of chaos that opens old wounds and new mysteries.Like If I Stay and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wild Awake explores loss, love, and what it means to be alive. Will you be reading either of these?
May 24, 2013
11 Facts
Yesterday, Crystal Collier nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. This incredible sweet nod comes with a fun responsibility: answer her 11 random questions and tell you 11 random facts about myself. I haven't done one of these in awhile, but Crystal's questions are fun, I figured I'd jump in and play.
1. What is the best book you've ever read?Tough question! I don't know how I can pick just one. Nathaniel Hawthorne's story, Rappaccini's Daughter, has always been up there. I will also always love Twilight.
2. What is your sport of choice? To play or watch?Watching football.
3. What's the coolest place you've ever visited?There's nothing un-cool about Paris, so I guess it wins. But visiting the ancient ruins in Greece is up there too.
4. Favorite song or artists?Joshua Radin
5. What's your biggest pet peeve?Slow drivers! Step on the gas pedal. As my momma always used to say, "It's the narrow one next to the brake."
6. What is your brand of geek? (Or obsession?) I'm an appellate lawyer and I like it. 'Nuf said.
7. What movie do you have memorized, word for word?Top Gun (and... I just dated myself)
8. If you could choose one myth to be true, which would it be: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy?I'd have to go with Santa. Christmas magic tops everything.
9. What food is your nemesis? Chocolate! And hot chips and salsa from an authentic Mexican restaurant. Nom, nom, nom.
10. Which army would you choose to defend your home? Ninjas, or Cowboys? I was going to say Ninjas but then realized cowboys have guns, and since guns beat swords, I've gotta go cowboys.
11. What is your favorite or most embarrassing nick name? My maiden name is Dalton and I loved marine animals when I was younger, so I picked up the nickname Dolphin as a high school freshman.
And now for my completely random 11 facts:
1. I don't eat seafood. No, not even lobster, or shrimp, or Alaskan king crab legs. Yes, I am from Florida.2. I started law school before I was old enough to drink. The welcome-to-law school pub crawl kinda blew.3. I don't type properly. I'm pretty fast and decently accurate, but my fingers do not go where they're supposed to.4. My current song obsession is San Francisco by the Mowgli's. 5. I recently broke my 20-year potato chip fast for a can of low sodium Pringles. Don't judge me.6. I was a band geek who played flute and oboe but wasn't very good at either.7. Hubby and I will celebrate our 12 year anniversary this summer. Group awwwww....8. I don't like snow skiing. At all. Direct quote from my last vacation, said to hubby, while on the slopes: "I cannot conceive of an activity I would hate more than this." Apparently I get dramatic when I'm having a panic attack.9. Firecracker red hair dye is not a good look on me. I know this from experience.10. I don't go for men in uniform - give me a guy in a well-tailored suit any day.11. My closest brush with fame (other than writing a book, I suppose) was being selected as a Jr. Orange Bowl Princess (2nd runner up) in Martin County at the ripe old age of 11. Feel free to kiss my ring. Ha!
I'd love to hear your randomness now. Please share something with me! Rather than tagging 11 more people (my gift to all of you), just share some random fact (or openly mock my facts - I'm cool with that too).
1. What is the best book you've ever read?Tough question! I don't know how I can pick just one. Nathaniel Hawthorne's story, Rappaccini's Daughter, has always been up there. I will also always love Twilight.
2. What is your sport of choice? To play or watch?Watching football.
3. What's the coolest place you've ever visited?There's nothing un-cool about Paris, so I guess it wins. But visiting the ancient ruins in Greece is up there too.
4. Favorite song or artists?Joshua Radin
5. What's your biggest pet peeve?Slow drivers! Step on the gas pedal. As my momma always used to say, "It's the narrow one next to the brake."
6. What is your brand of geek? (Or obsession?) I'm an appellate lawyer and I like it. 'Nuf said.
7. What movie do you have memorized, word for word?Top Gun (and... I just dated myself)
8. If you could choose one myth to be true, which would it be: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy?I'd have to go with Santa. Christmas magic tops everything.
9. What food is your nemesis? Chocolate! And hot chips and salsa from an authentic Mexican restaurant. Nom, nom, nom.
10. Which army would you choose to defend your home? Ninjas, or Cowboys? I was going to say Ninjas but then realized cowboys have guns, and since guns beat swords, I've gotta go cowboys.
11. What is your favorite or most embarrassing nick name? My maiden name is Dalton and I loved marine animals when I was younger, so I picked up the nickname Dolphin as a high school freshman.
And now for my completely random 11 facts:
1. I don't eat seafood. No, not even lobster, or shrimp, or Alaskan king crab legs. Yes, I am from Florida.2. I started law school before I was old enough to drink. The welcome-to-law school pub crawl kinda blew.3. I don't type properly. I'm pretty fast and decently accurate, but my fingers do not go where they're supposed to.4. My current song obsession is San Francisco by the Mowgli's. 5. I recently broke my 20-year potato chip fast for a can of low sodium Pringles. Don't judge me.6. I was a band geek who played flute and oboe but wasn't very good at either.7. Hubby and I will celebrate our 12 year anniversary this summer. Group awwwww....8. I don't like snow skiing. At all. Direct quote from my last vacation, said to hubby, while on the slopes: "I cannot conceive of an activity I would hate more than this." Apparently I get dramatic when I'm having a panic attack.9. Firecracker red hair dye is not a good look on me. I know this from experience.10. I don't go for men in uniform - give me a guy in a well-tailored suit any day.11. My closest brush with fame (other than writing a book, I suppose) was being selected as a Jr. Orange Bowl Princess (2nd runner up) in Martin County at the ripe old age of 11. Feel free to kiss my ring. Ha!
I'd love to hear your randomness now. Please share something with me! Rather than tagging 11 more people (my gift to all of you), just share some random fact (or openly mock my facts - I'm cool with that too).
May 23, 2013
RUBY'S FIRE cover reveal
BOOK AND AUTHOR INFO:Ruby's FireCatherine Stine
Series: Fireseed, #2 (however, can be read as a stand-alone)Publication date: June 26, 2013
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Synopsis:If everything about you changes, what remains?
Seventeen year-old Ruby, long-pledged to the much older Stiles from the Fireseed desert cult, escapes with only a change of clothes, a pouch of Oblivion Powder and her mute little brother, Thorn. Arriving at The Greening, a boarding school for orphaned teens, she can finally stop running. Or can she? The Greening is not what it seems. Students are rampaging out of control and as she cares for the secret Fireseed crop, she experiences frightening physical changes. She’s ashamed of her attraction to burly, hard-talking Blane, the resident bodyguard, and wonders why she can’t be happy with the gentler Armonk. She’s long considered her great beauty a liability, a thing she’s misused in order to survive. And how is she to stop her dependence on Oblivion to find a real beauty within, using her talent as a maker of salves, when she has nightmares of Stiles without it?
When George Axiom, wealthy mogul of Vegas-by-the-Sea offers a huge cash prize for the winner of a student contest, Ruby is hopeful she might collect the prize to rescue her family and friends from what she now knows is a dangerous cult. But when Stiles comes to reclaim her, and Thorn sickens after creating the most astonishing contest project of all, the world Ruby knows is changed forever. This romantic fantasy set in 2099 on earth has a crafty heroine in Ruby, and a swoonworthy cast, which will surely appeal to the YA and new adult audience.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17970591-ruby-s-fireIf you'd like to participate in the book tour, taking place in the end of July-August, sign up here. ----
AUTHOR BIOCatherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by the author was granted a Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and an Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend. More and more, she’s enjoying writing speculative tales. She teaches literature at the School of Visual Arts and creative writing at the Philadelphia Writing Conference and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. Catherine earned a double focus MFA in Creative Writing at the New School.
Visit her at www.catherinestine.blogspot.com and at www.catherinestine.com.
Author Links:Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
May 22, 2013
THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE Guest Post & Giveaway
You know I LOVE seeing an author's vision for her story, so today I'm really excited to have Meradeth Houston with us today, sharing her dream cast! But first, a little about the book.Book Blurb:
“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.” When Tom stumbles across his grandfather’s journal, he’s convinced the old man was crazier than he thought. The book contains references to beings called the Sary, immortals who are assigned to save humans on the verge of suicide. They certainly aren’t allowed to fall in love with mortals. Which the journal claims Tom’s grandfather did, resulting in his expulsion from the Sary. As strange as the journal seems, Tom can’t get the stories out of his head; especially when he finds the photo of his grandfather’s wings.
Tom’s only distraction is Ari, the girl he studies with for their chemistry class.
Ari has one goal when she arrives in town: see how much Tom knows about the Sary and neutralize the situation. This isn’t a normal job, but protecting the secrecy of the Sary is vital. If Tom is a threat to exposing the Sary to the public, fate has a way of taking care of the situation, usually ending with the mortal’s death. While Ari spends time with Tom, he becomes more than just an assignment, but how far can a relationship go when she can’t tell him who she really is? When she finds out just how much Tom actually knows about the Sary, Ari is forced to choose between her wings, and her heart.
THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE is a companion to COLORS LIKE MEMORIES and is set before the latter takes place. It is geared toward an upper YA, or New Adult audience. During the tour, CHEMISTRY will be only $2.99 in ebook format.
Dream Cast for The Chemistry of Fate
Thanks so much for hosting me! I thought it might be kind of fun to show off a bit of what the characters from The Chemistry of Fate look like—or, what my dream cast would look like (should, you know, a more “southerly” place freeze over and someone took interest in the movie rights).
There’s just one small problem: while I was writing this post, I came to realize how ridiculously bad I am at choosing actors. This may have something to do with my addiction to Netflix and choice to watch re-runs of the X-Files over current TV, and also my total inability to ever remember actor’s names. The roles they played? No problem. What their names are in real life? Ummmm. Yeah.
So, after soliciting the help of some amazing friends, I have a few actors to share, but I’d LOVE to hear if you have any better ideas!
The Chemistry of Fate is told from the dual points of view of Tom and Ari (short for Arianne):
Steven McQueen who plays Jeremy Gilbert in Vampire Diaries. Tom’s a pretty studious college freshman, good looking, but not in an over-the-top kind of way. His charm is his better asset—if you can get him away from his books.
Emmanuelle Chriqui would make a great Ari, who’s a petite woman and described as having Mediterranean looks. Tom can’t get enough, especially of the love of life Ari has about everything.There are two other players in the story that I thought I’d pick faces for too:
Gabriel Mann as Oliver. Oliver is Tom’s boss, and the slightly eccentric lab manager who has become Tom’s good friend. Known for singing (and occasionally dancing) to pop songs, and a few other random quirks, Oliver was a crazy character to write. He’s also the only character I’ve ever written that’s based on a real-life person I know, which is a story in and of itself!
Lyndsy Fonseca as Ari’s roommate and friend, Amanda. I’ve always imagined Amanda with a little more reddish hair, but otherwise she’s a college freshman with a big heart and a great closet. I’d love to hear other suggestions (and maybe shows I need to add to my Netflix queue!).
You in? Well, here are some links. And don't forget about the Rafflecopter giveaway too!
MuseItUp Publishing | Amazon | iBooks | Barnes and Noble
Rafflecopter giveaway: A really nice leather journal, which fits with the story, and a $10 Amazon gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About Meradeth: Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:* She’s a Northern California girl, but now lives and teaches anthropology in Montana.
* When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!
* She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It's her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!
* If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.
Find Meradeth here:
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
May 21, 2013
Debut YA Book Birthdays ~ Week of May 21
Hello everyone - not such a huge list of debut YA books this week as we've seen in the past two weeks. Although I must say there are some good looking non-debuts coming out this week and next, so maybe the publishers didn't want to compete?? In any event, these both look good for different reasons.
Do either of them appeal to you?
NIGHT SCHOOL by C. J. Daughtery
Night School, the first book in a series of darkly romantic YA thrillers set in a British boarding school, is generating excitement around the world.
When Allie Sheridan gets arrested—again—her parents have had enough. They send Allie to the Cimmeria Academy far away from her London friends. The school is beautiful, and filled with gorgeous, ultra-wealthy teens who travel by private jet, were raised by nannies, and only shop on 5th Avenue or Bond Street.
As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, she must decide who she can trust if she’s going to find out what’s really going on.THE NEPTUNE PROJECT by Polly Holyoke
With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world.
But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids ... dead or alive.
Fierce battle and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friend race to safety in this action-packed marine adventure.
NIGHT SCHOOL by C. J. Daughtery
Night School, the first book in a series of darkly romantic YA thrillers set in a British boarding school, is generating excitement around the world.When Allie Sheridan gets arrested—again—her parents have had enough. They send Allie to the Cimmeria Academy far away from her London friends. The school is beautiful, and filled with gorgeous, ultra-wealthy teens who travel by private jet, were raised by nannies, and only shop on 5th Avenue or Bond Street.
As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, she must decide who she can trust if she’s going to find out what’s really going on.THE NEPTUNE PROJECT by Polly Holyoke
With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world.But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids ... dead or alive.
Fierce battle and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friend race to safety in this action-packed marine adventure.
May 17, 2013
THE CIRCLE by Cindy Cipriano - Review & Contest
Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Cindy Cipriano and her new MG novel, THE CIRCLE. I met Cindy because her sweet sister, Ann Marie, hosted my book launch at her store. And now it's Cindy's turn to shine in the spotlight. So without further ado, I give you THE CIRCLE.
Calum Ranson is sure of three things: his cousin Finley is alive, Calum will find him, and no one knows Calum and his family are Sidhe. No one until Laurel shows up at his mother’s bookstore wearing a dark clan’s mark.
When Calum learns the details surrounding the disappearance of Laurel’s brother, he suspects the evil Hobayeth clan. Calum and Laurel work together in the Realm of Man and the Otherworld to rescue her brother – revealing a connection between Calum and Laurel that may cost Finley his life.
This book is difficult for me to review because I realized, as I read it, that middle grade just isn't my style. I like romance and more adult situations too much, so it is hard for me to be entertained by a MG read. But let me tell you why, if you or your child enjoys MG, you might like this story:
* It's fresh in that typical paranormal stories feature a fae (or other) character who is afraid of people and what will happen if people find out his secret. In this story, the threat to Calum comes from the fae themselves. People are good guys in this story and I liked that.
* The world building is imaginative and cool. There are necklaces that can get you into the Otherworld, Gaelic writing on bookshelves that's really spells, and kids who can call their parents by their first names because good fae are made more powerful when their names are used. Who wouldn't have loved that excuse as a kid? Plus, Calum gets to travel to another world, learn about different fae cultures, and see and practice magic. It's not as magic-driven has Harry Potter, but it's still pretty cool.
* The characters are in very real places in their MG lives. Calum loses a good friend who suddenly thinks he's too cool for him after hanging around with an older kid. Calum, who is just entering middle school, is embarrassed to have a girl (Laurel) for a friend, even if she is awesome. And he will so NOT admit that he's jealous that she stares at his cousin all of the time.
* I also liked how the lives of Calum and Laurel, who hadn't known each other before the story begins, have such parallel lives without knowing it. And by helping Laurel with her problem, Calum ends up solving part of the mystery that had been plaguing him. The themes of friendship and helping others are strong in this book without being in your face.
* The reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was because Calum didn't save the day on his own. I won't spoil the ending more than that, but I'd prefer it if an adult hadn't had to help. And that could possibly be my YA/NA bias creeping in...
All in all, this was a delightful little MG book and I want to thank the author and publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Get your copy, here:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * GoodreadsPraise“The Circle is full of magic and mystery. Readers will be engrossed in faerie realms, charming characters, and a state of wonder and imagination. The Circle is for those who delight in reading fantasy and exploring mystical worlds.”–Kathleen Fox, LibraryGames.com
Author Cindy Cipriano
Cindy Cipriano lives in NC with her husband, son, and 27 pets. Okay, more like one cat, three dogs, and many, many fish. Cindy is an award winning science teacher, who this past August celebrated her 12th first day of sixth grade.
Website * Twitter
Contest!! My apologies, but I can't find the Rafflecopter code right now, so just click this link to get to a Rafflecopter that is working and I will fix this as soon as I can.
Calum Ranson is sure of three things: his cousin Finley is alive, Calum will find him, and no one knows Calum and his family are Sidhe. No one until Laurel shows up at his mother’s bookstore wearing a dark clan’s mark.When Calum learns the details surrounding the disappearance of Laurel’s brother, he suspects the evil Hobayeth clan. Calum and Laurel work together in the Realm of Man and the Otherworld to rescue her brother – revealing a connection between Calum and Laurel that may cost Finley his life.
This book is difficult for me to review because I realized, as I read it, that middle grade just isn't my style. I like romance and more adult situations too much, so it is hard for me to be entertained by a MG read. But let me tell you why, if you or your child enjoys MG, you might like this story:
* It's fresh in that typical paranormal stories feature a fae (or other) character who is afraid of people and what will happen if people find out his secret. In this story, the threat to Calum comes from the fae themselves. People are good guys in this story and I liked that.
* The world building is imaginative and cool. There are necklaces that can get you into the Otherworld, Gaelic writing on bookshelves that's really spells, and kids who can call their parents by their first names because good fae are made more powerful when their names are used. Who wouldn't have loved that excuse as a kid? Plus, Calum gets to travel to another world, learn about different fae cultures, and see and practice magic. It's not as magic-driven has Harry Potter, but it's still pretty cool.
* The characters are in very real places in their MG lives. Calum loses a good friend who suddenly thinks he's too cool for him after hanging around with an older kid. Calum, who is just entering middle school, is embarrassed to have a girl (Laurel) for a friend, even if she is awesome. And he will so NOT admit that he's jealous that she stares at his cousin all of the time.
* I also liked how the lives of Calum and Laurel, who hadn't known each other before the story begins, have such parallel lives without knowing it. And by helping Laurel with her problem, Calum ends up solving part of the mystery that had been plaguing him. The themes of friendship and helping others are strong in this book without being in your face.
* The reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was because Calum didn't save the day on his own. I won't spoil the ending more than that, but I'd prefer it if an adult hadn't had to help. And that could possibly be my YA/NA bias creeping in...
All in all, this was a delightful little MG book and I want to thank the author and publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Get your copy, here:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * GoodreadsPraise“The Circle is full of magic and mystery. Readers will be engrossed in faerie realms, charming characters, and a state of wonder and imagination. The Circle is for those who delight in reading fantasy and exploring mystical worlds.”–Kathleen Fox, LibraryGames.com
Author Cindy CiprianoCindy Cipriano lives in NC with her husband, son, and 27 pets. Okay, more like one cat, three dogs, and many, many fish. Cindy is an award winning science teacher, who this past August celebrated her 12th first day of sixth grade.
Website * Twitter
Contest!! My apologies, but I can't find the Rafflecopter code right now, so just click this link to get to a Rafflecopter that is working and I will fix this as soon as I can.
May 15, 2013
Kiss of Fire and Eyes of Ember Giveaway!
Joclyn Despain has been marred by a brand on her skin. She doesn't know why the mark appeared on her neck, but she doesn't want anyone to see it, including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won't let the idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to.
The scar is the reason she is being hunted.
If only she knew that she was.
If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten feet in the air.
Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart. When Ryland finds her scar; only he knows what it means, and who will kill her because of it.
“Loved the world, the concept, all of the characters (good and bad), and just everything about this story! On to the next one!” -Jena, Shortie Says “I loved this book from the very first lines… I think it will be hard to move on to another story for a while. -Steele Reviews
“It’s amazing and left me at the edge of my seat through the night as I read.” - Zach’s YA Reviews
On May 15th - 16th Kiss of Fire will be free on Amazon!
AMAZON
Can also be found on Barnes & Noble
Book 2 in the Imdalind series!
Joclyn is in hiding, hunted by the man she still desperately loves. Ryland is gone, his mind erased, no memory of Joclyn remains. But, Joclyn’s heart desperately begs her to hold out hope. While, in reality the black eyed monster that possesses him, attempts to kill her over and over.
If it wasn’t for Ilyan, Joclyn would be dead by now.
Ilyan. The man who once stalked her, is now Joclyn’s protector, the only thing she has left. He protects Joclyn from the men who seek to end her life, and while she is haunted by dreams where Ryland begs her to break the bond between them.
Ilyan is there. Always there.
Ilyan trains and prepares her, teaching her everything she needs to know in the hope that one day she can avenge Ryland, if not protect herself from him.
And then there is her father.
The man who has never been there, is suddenly responsible for everything. And who he is has made Joclyn into something she never wanted to be.
The Silnỳ.
"If you like magic and paranormal books you NEED to read this series." - Book Briefs
"Eyes of Ember was so amazing! I can't even put into words how amazing. It's Brilliant." - Imagine a World
Get your copy of Eyes of Ember for only $.99!
Amazon
Can also be found on Barnes & Noble
Rebecca Ethington is a story teller and author from Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then in stage with years of theatrical performances. Rebecca’s first stint into the world of literary writing, The Imdalind Series, was released in October 2012 and since its release each book has been found in several top 100 lists on Amazon. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her crazy family.
Website † Facebook † Twitter † GoodReads
a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 14, 2013
Debut YA Book Birthdays ~ Week of May 14th
So, I put this post off until the last minute since I played on Mother's Day weekend. It was a beach weekend for me, complete with too much sun and some quality time with my mom and daughters (and hubby, but it's not Father's Day, so he doesn't get a special shout out). I hope all you mothers out there enjoyed a special and relaxing day...
Now, on to the main event. This week's debut YA book birthdays.
PARALLEL by Lauren Miller
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.
THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED by Page Morgan
After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.
In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.
And Grayson has gone missing.
No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.
Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.
FIVE SUMMERS by Una LaMarche
Four best friends, five summers of camp memories.
The summer we were nine: Emma was branded “Skylar’s friend Emma” by the infamous Adam Loring...The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth...The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle...The summer we were twelve: Skylar’s love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us—except Skylar...Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie’s secret. Skylar did something unthinkable... and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart.
Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend—and for a second chance. Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.
THE FORGOTTEN ONES by Laura Howard
Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.
What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.
GADGET GIRL: THE ART OF BEING INVISIBLE by Suzanne Kamata
Aiko Cassidy is fourteen and lives with her sculptor mother in a small Midwestern town. For most of her young life Aiko, who has cerebral palsy, has been her mother's muse. But now, she no longer wants to pose for the sculptures that have made her mother famous and have put food on the table. Aiko works hard on her own dream of becoming a great manga artist with a secret identity.
When Aiko's mother invites her to Paris for a major exhibition of her work, Aiko at first resists. She'd much rather go to Japan, Manga Capital of the World, where she might be able to finally meet her father, the indigo farmer. When she gets to France, however, a hot waiter with a passion for manga and an interest in Aiko makes her wonder if being invisible is such a great thing after all. And a side trip to Lourdes, ridiculous as it seems to her, might just change her life.
Gadget Girl began as a novella published in Cicada. The story won the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award in Fiction and was included in an anthology of the best stories published in Cicada over the past ten years.
THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elston
She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.
Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.
TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green
When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.
It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.
How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?
Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.
And making his YA debut: FIRECRACKER by David Iverson
Being Astrid Krieger is absolutely all it's cracked up to be.
She lives in a rocket ship in the backyard of her parents' estate.
She was kicked out of the elite Bristol Academy and she's intent on her own special kind of revenge to whomever betrayed her.
She only loves her grandfather, an incredibly rich politician who makes his money building nuclear warheads.
It's all good until...
"We think you should go to the public school," Dad said.This was just a horrible, mean thing to say. Just hearing the words "public school" out loud made my mouth taste like urine (which, not coincidentally, is exactly how the public school smells).
Will Astrid finally meet her match in the form of public school? Will she find out who betrayed her and got her expelled from Bristol? Is Noah, the sweet and awkward boy she just met, hiding something?
Find out in this hilarious tragicomedy from New Girl and SNL writer David Iserson!
I'm in awe. I don't know where to start. I think Truth or Dare sounds thrilling, Firecracker sounds like a riot, and Five Summers sounds like a great contemporary summer read. Which books catch your eye?
Now, on to the main event. This week's debut YA book birthdays.
PARALLEL by Lauren Miller
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.
THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED by Page Morgan
After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.
And Grayson has gone missing.
No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.
Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.
FIVE SUMMERS by Una LaMarche
Four best friends, five summers of camp memories. The summer we were nine: Emma was branded “Skylar’s friend Emma” by the infamous Adam Loring...The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth...The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle...The summer we were twelve: Skylar’s love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us—except Skylar...Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie’s secret. Skylar did something unthinkable... and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart.
Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend—and for a second chance. Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.
THE FORGOTTEN ONES by Laura Howard
Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.
GADGET GIRL: THE ART OF BEING INVISIBLE by Suzanne Kamata
Aiko Cassidy is fourteen and lives with her sculptor mother in a small Midwestern town. For most of her young life Aiko, who has cerebral palsy, has been her mother's muse. But now, she no longer wants to pose for the sculptures that have made her mother famous and have put food on the table. Aiko works hard on her own dream of becoming a great manga artist with a secret identity. When Aiko's mother invites her to Paris for a major exhibition of her work, Aiko at first resists. She'd much rather go to Japan, Manga Capital of the World, where she might be able to finally meet her father, the indigo farmer. When she gets to France, however, a hot waiter with a passion for manga and an interest in Aiko makes her wonder if being invisible is such a great thing after all. And a side trip to Lourdes, ridiculous as it seems to her, might just change her life.
Gadget Girl began as a novella published in Cicada. The story won the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award in Fiction and was included in an anthology of the best stories published in Cicada over the past ten years.
THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elston
She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.
TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green
When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.
How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?
Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.
And making his YA debut: FIRECRACKER by David Iverson
Being Astrid Krieger is absolutely all it's cracked up to be.She lives in a rocket ship in the backyard of her parents' estate.
She was kicked out of the elite Bristol Academy and she's intent on her own special kind of revenge to whomever betrayed her.
She only loves her grandfather, an incredibly rich politician who makes his money building nuclear warheads.
It's all good until...
"We think you should go to the public school," Dad said.This was just a horrible, mean thing to say. Just hearing the words "public school" out loud made my mouth taste like urine (which, not coincidentally, is exactly how the public school smells).
Will Astrid finally meet her match in the form of public school? Will she find out who betrayed her and got her expelled from Bristol? Is Noah, the sweet and awkward boy she just met, hiding something?
Find out in this hilarious tragicomedy from New Girl and SNL writer David Iserson!
I'm in awe. I don't know where to start. I think Truth or Dare sounds thrilling, Firecracker sounds like a riot, and Five Summers sounds like a great contemporary summer read. Which books catch your eye?
