L.S. Murphy's Blog, page 24

Book Review: Crux by Julie Reece

Synopsis: She should have run. Now, she’ll have to fight.

Eighteen year old Birdie may be homeless, but she’s surviving, that is until a mysterious guy throws money in the air like a crazy game show host, and she grabs some with the idea she’ll be able to buy dinner that night.

In that singular moment, unassuming Birdie becomes the girl in everyone’s viewfinder. Thugs want to kill her. Money-guy wants to recruit her. The very hot, very rich and very out of her league, Grey Mathews, wants to save her.

Birdie, though, wants nothing to do with any of them, until she realizes fate didn’t bring them all together.

Her heritage did.

Now, with only twenty-one days left, she’s got to decide whether to follow in the footsteps of those before her or risk her life for people she’s only just met.

The Cover: I love how the necklace stands out in the center of the cover. The blue pops against the darker backdrop and you know that it plays a major role in the story.

The First Line: “A tall blond handsome-for-an-older-type guy rushes toward me on the already crowded sidewalk, hauling an enormous black suitcase.” Got me from the get go. I need to know who this guy is and fast. I need to know what is in that suitcase. I need to know how this character is going to react to a guy rushing toward her. Great opening.

The Good: There is so much action that the book was hard to put down. Reece balances the romance, action, and mystery with the skill of a veteran writer.

Birdie (love the name) is well-rounded and believable as a homeless teen just trying to survive. From the beginning, I wanted Birdie to find happiness and a home. She rooted into my heart quickly and easily. I love characters that I can relate to and Birdie’s easy going manner makes her a new favorite.

Grey will make you swoon. He’s adorable and gorgeous, plus he’s got a great heart. He’s not going to let Birdie down and you know that the minute you meet him.

The Bad: That this is the only book.

Recommendation: This is a must read for anyone who loves young adult novels.

Check back July 24th for 5 Questions with Julie Reece

Tagged: 2012, book Review, Books, Fiction, Fun, Just for Fun, Musings, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, Paranormal Romance, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Teens, Urban Fantasy, Writers, Writing, YA books, YA Paranormal Romance, YA urban fantasy, Young Adult Books

WIN a SIGNED copy of Katana by Cole Gibsen

I hit 100 likes on my Facebook page. As promised I’m giving away a signed copy of Katana by Cole Gibsen! AND IT’S INTERNATIONAL!

About Katana: Skater girl or supernatural samurai? Rileigh Martin wants to believe that adrenaline gave her the strength to fend off three muggers in the mall parking lot. But adrenaline doesn’t explain the voice in her head giving her battle tips and warnings.

While worrying that she’s going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she’s harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old [image error]samurai warrior.

Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana–a deadly Japanese sword that’s also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she’s always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

About Cole: When Cole Gibsen isn’t writing books for young adults, she can be found rocking out with her band, sewing crazy costumes for the fun of it, picking off her nail polish, or drinking milk straight from the jug – provided no one is looking.

Check out my interview with Cole here!

How to Enter:

Leave a comment below on what you want you’d like to see on YA bookshelves. More paranormal romance? More boy books? Contemporary? Dystopian? 

Or comment on what you’re TIRED of seeing. 

Make sure to use a valid e-mail address. 

Contest ends on 7/7/12

I’ll pull a name out of a hat (or a bowl – whichever is handy) on 7/8 and announce the winner on 7/9!

Good Luck!

Tagged: 2012, Authors, Books, Contests, Fiction, Fun, Giveaways, Just for Fun, Musings, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, Paranormal Romance, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Teens, Writers, Writing, YA, YA books, Young Adult Books

Cover Reveal: Fae by Emily White

I’m thrilled to reveal the cover of Fae (Auri #2) by Emily White.

Fae

Not all fae’ri tales come with a happy ending.

Ella thought taking care of the ego-bloated Mamood god would be a sure way to bring peace to the galaxy and satisfy her taste for revenge.

But she was wrong.

Despite the fact their god is gone, the Mamood refuse to abandon their attack on the planet Soltak and Ella’s own so-called friends start to turn against her. And with Soltak dying–its oceans drying up and its plants withering in the ground–Ella and Cailen suspect there’s a new enemy at work. As more people die and more water is leached from the planet, they both prepare for something straight from a nightmare.

The fae are coming.

Title: Fae

Series: Auri #2

Author: Emily White

ISBN: 978-1-937053-26-0 

Release Date: December 10, 2013

Formats: paper, e-book

Cover Design: Vic Caswell of Sketcher Girl

Tagged: 2012, Authors, Books, Cover Reveal, Fun, Just for Fun, Musings, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, St. Louis, Writers, Writing, YA books, Young Adult, Young Adult Books

Book Review: Bittersweet by Brooke Moss

Synopsis: Anna Kirkpatrick isn’t looking for love. Being a single mom to Bowan, her eight-year-old autistic son, takes up all of her time…leaving no room for romance. Willing to do anything to help her son come out of his shell, Anna agrees to take Bowan to cooking classes with a world class chef.

Motorcycle-riding pastry chef Leo Mancini isn’t exactly searching for

“the one”, either. After losing every penny he had, his business, and

his girlfriend, he’s moved to northern Idaho to sulk, restart his

career, and pay his sister back for a loan that no amount of money

could ever really suffice.

When Anna and Leo discover that Bowan’s fondness for the kitchen

extends beyond his peculiar cookbook collection, Leo quickly becomes the one person who can break through his barriers. But will Leo and Anna’s attraction lead to more than just a weekly cooking lesson?

The First Line: “‘It’s getting worse,’ I sighed.” Now I have to keep reading. Something’s getting worse. I must KNOW what it is and why the main character is so resigned to accept it. I’m hooked.

The Good: Anna Kirkpatrick is a well-balanced character. She’s a single mother with child dealing with Asperger’s syndrome. Moss manages to show Anna as a loving mother who has frustrations with the situation she’s in. Not once do you feel like Anna resents her son, but you do understand that she’s built this bubble to protect him and inadvertently enclosed herself. Her personal frustration is so miniscule that it comes across as utterly believable for a single woman. I felt for Anna and for Bowen. He’s a good kid and has a good heart.

In comes Leo Mancini to pop a hole in that bubble. A biker who is a talented pastry chef? Double yum. I love the play on stereotypes.

The Bad: That it was too short. There is enough plot to make this into a novel.

Recommendation: Bittersweet is a great novella to add to your e-reader. Add it to your list and fall in love with Leo, Anna, and Bowen while you’re lounging by the pool.

Tagged: Authors, beach reads, book Review, Books, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, ereaders, Fiction, Fun, Just for Fun, Musings, novella, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Writers, Writing

5 Questions with Brooke Moss (plus a GIVEAWAY)

Brooke Moss is the name, contemporary romance, fantasy YA, and women’s fiction are the game.

Brooke writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more!

When Brooke isn’t spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading two books a week (ask her who her faves are), watching movies then comparing them to books, and, of course, wrangling four kids, one hubby she lovingly refers to as her “nerd”, and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.

Now on to the FIVE QUESTIONS

1. Congrats on the publication of Bittersweet. What inspired you to write this story?

My journey as a mom to a very special little guy with ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder. Also, I was going through a Johnny Iuzzini phase (don’t know who he is? Google him….you’ll thank me later) and wanted to integrate him into a story somehow. Thus…Anna and Leo were born.

2. How much of yourself did you pour into Anna?

A lot. It was hard not to. Her sacrifice for her son reminded me of the way I’ve tabled my own life in an effort to focus on his needs. I only wish I’d had made out with Leo, though….

3. What’s next on the horizon?

I have a single title contemporary romance coming out on July 7th, called The Carny. Here’s what it’s about:

“At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then he disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.

Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to–reluctantly–take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.

As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He’s back to run his father’s carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival?

After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.”

And then I have a single title romantic women’s fiction coming out in August, titled Keeping Secrets In Seattle. I don’t have a blurb for that book yet, but I can tell you that it is Bridget Jones’ Diary meets My Best Friend’s Wedding….with a dark twist.

4.  What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Keep writing. Never, ever, ever stop writing in order to focus on selling one particular story. ALWAYS continue writing another story, and another, and another. Always perfect your craft. Go to conferences, find a good critique partner, join writing groups, etc. Never stop working to polish and perfect your craft.

5. Finally, Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Beatles. Always the Beatles. In fact, ironically enough, I’m wearing a Let It Be tee shirt right now.

Thanks for stopping by, Brooke.

BUT SHE’S NOT DONE YET!

Brooke is giving away an ebook ARC copy of BITTERSWEET and THE CARNY!

I’ll make this easy. The first commenter will win The Carny.

Second commenter will win Bittersweet. 

Just leave your email addy. Easy Peasy.

Hit the comments in

3

2

1

GO!

Tagged: 2012, Authors, Books, Fiction, Fun, Interviews, Just for Fun, Musings, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Writers, Writing

Book Review: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelly Coriell

Synopsis: 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.

The First Line: “I loved being a burrito. Not the actual costume, a stinky ankle-length tube of compressed foam with scratchy shoulder straps.” Great voice that really shows Chloe’s upbeat personality right from the first line. I don’t think I would’ve loved being a burrito in high school. Only a happy-go-lucky person would appreciate something so mundane.

The Good: Chloe Camden likes to make everyone happy. She’s smart, funny, and loved by everyone. When her best friends decide to stop talking to her for no reason that she can figure, she keeps her head up and finds new friends. Since I went through something similar during my sophomore year, I found her easy to relate to. (Although in the essence of full disclosure, I didn’t find new friends as easily as Chloe did.)

Chloe is also refreshing. Instead of characters that are getting beaten down or discovering new abilities, Chloe’s positive attitude is infectious. It’s nice to read a character who enjoys life. Of course, it’s also that positive attitude that causes her problems.

Duncan is the opposite of Chloe in almost every way. It’s nice to see the “hot guy” as a quiet, shy do-gooder instead of a smartass, know-it-all.

The Bad: I wish one of her five brothers would have popped up at one point. That dynamic would’ve been a great addition.

Recommendation: Add it to your MUST READ list. Especially if you’re looking for a YA contemporary that is upbeat and fun to read.

Tagged: 2012, Authors, book Review, Books, Fiction, friends, Fun, High School, Just for Fun, Musings, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Teens, Writers, Writing, YA, YA books, YA Contemporary, Young Adult, Young Adult Books, Young Adult Contemporary

UtopYA Con: Where all the cool kids go to meet their favorite female authors

It’s time to get excited and to get to Nashville for the first ever UtopYA Con, which is the convention for female, paranormal/fantasy young adult authors and readers who love them.  It will be held at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, TN on July 6-8, 2012. Would you like to come? You’re already excited I know, but wait until I tell you who’s coming (and this is just a few)… Myra McEntire (Hourglass and Timepiece), Angeline Kace (Descended by Blood), Amy Bartol (The Premonition Series), Tammy Blackwell (Timber Wolves), Tiffany King (Saving Angels), Abbi Glines (The Vincent Boys), Ella James (Stained), Jessica Sorenson (Fallen Star), and so many more! You can find the full list at the UtopYA Con website.

Here’s what a few of them are saying about going to UtopYA Con:

Raine Thomas (Daughters of Saraquel)-  “”The world’s been waiting for a conference like UtopYA. It’s unique and in a class of its own. If you enjoy YA fantasy and paranormal stories, you can’t miss this event!”

Chelsea Fine (Sophie and Carter)- “”Don’t miss out on UtopYa Con 2012: Bringing your YA books to life!”

Brina Courtney (Cryptid Tales)- “If you’re a true YA fan, you’ll be there,  mixing it up with all of us.”

But it’s not just for fans, it’s for authors too. Learn the tricks of the trade from people who are there, doing it successfully already. There are sessions and panels for both readers and writers alike.

So how about it? You wanna go? Well obviously you do, but here’s the question… ARE YOU GOING?

Here’s where you can find out more about tickets.

Now, so maybe you’re awesome, but you can’t go, and you’re bummed obviously. Well you still want to participate right? Here’s your chance, from now until June 29th, 2012 you can vote for your favorite books to win UtopYA Con awards, hosted by CMT’s Katie Cook. Pretty sweet right? I know, I think so too.

Anyway because we had so many blogs help us to promote this unique event we decided to do some fun giveaways provided by some of our authors at UtopYA Con and some other authors.

Good luck and we’ll see you at UtopYA Con!

 

Tagged: 2012, Authors, Books, Fiction, Fun, High School, Just for Fun, Memories, Musings, Novels, Paranormal Romance, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Teens, Weekends, Writers, Writing, YA, YA books, Young Adult Books

Cover Reveal: Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

Synopsis: A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle–a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life–her father’s death years ago, her mother’s medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her–seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she’s gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they’re a happy couple… a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying “Happy Anniversary”… and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship’s doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she’s warned that one of these “alternate realities” could become permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question–how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

Release Date: June 18, 2013

 

 

Tagged: 2012, Books, Cover Reveal, Fun, Just for Fun, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, Paranormal Romance, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Teens, Writers, Writing, YA, YA books, Young Adult Books

5 Questions with Claire LaZebnik

I  grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, went to Harvard and moved to LA, where I’ve lived since the mid-eighties.  I’ve written five novels for adults, including Knitting under the Influence, The Smart One and the Pretty One, and Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts, and two YA novels for HarperTeen: Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting (due out in February, 2013). With Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel, I co-wrote  Overcoming Autism and Growing up on the Spectrum.  I contributed to an anthology play called Motherhood Out Loud, and have been published in The New York Times, Self, Vogue and other magazines.

I live in the Pacific Palisades with my husband Rob (who writes for “The Simpsons”), my four kids (Max, Johnny, Annie and Will) two dogs and a cat. My website is www.clairelazebnik.com and my Facebook page is Claire LaZebnik Writes.

 

Now on to the FIVE QUESTIONS

 

1. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite all time novels. What made you decide to retell this classic in Epic Fail?

A few years ago, I wanted to try my hand at writing a YA novel.  I started thinking about one of my all-time favorite movies, Clueless, and what a perfect job Amy Heckerling did of making Austen’s Emma relevant and believable. It made me want to try my hand at something similar, but since Emma had been done perfectly already, I went for my second favorite Austen, which is Pride and Prejudice.  The challenge was figuring out how to make the Darcy character someone people would fawn over; once I realized he could be the son of two movie stars, the rest fell into place.

2. For those who aren’t aware, you co-authored Overcoming Autism and Growing Up on the Spectrum. Tell us about them.

My oldest son was diagnosed with autism when he was two and a half.  We were exceptionally lucky: we found our way to some amazing behavioral therapists who used research-based interventions to help him blossom and grow. Through a friend’s recommendation, I brought him to the autism clinic at the University of California at Santa Barbara, which was run by a husband and wife team, Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel.  (It’s now called the Koegel Autism Clinic, in fact.)  Lynn Koegel spent a long time with my son and we brought him back to see her a bunch of times because everything she suggested we do with him helped so much. She found out I was a writer and asked me to look over their brochure, so I fiddled around with that a bit to make it a little easier to read, and a little while later, she called me up and asked if I’d want to write a book with her, to make their interventions available to families everywhere.  I jumped at the offer and together we wrote Overcoming Autism, which is a guide for parents of recently diagnosed children, which combines Dr. Koegel’s advice and my real-life experiences.  A few years later, we wrote a book for parents of teenagers and young adults, called Growing Up on the Spectrum, and my son (who was then about fifteen), actually contributed some of his own essays and drawings to the book.  I’m very proud of both books: I still get emails telling me how important they’ve been to parents around the country and even around the world.

3. What’s next on the horizon?

My second YA novel comes out next February.  It’s called The Trouble with Flirting and, like Epic Fail, is loosely based on an Austen novel–in this case Mansfield Park. I should really say it’s inspired by Mansfield Park–I strayed pretty far from the original in this one. It’s another light, romantic novel.  And I’m working on some pages for a new novel for adults, one that’s a little more serious than my previous novels.  Dr. Koegel and I are also hoping to do an updated and revised edition of Overcoming Autism in the not too distant future.

4. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Read everything you can and write whenever you can.  Those are the two best ways to learn. And don’t get too invested in any one project. Keep thinking of new ideas and the second you’ve finished one thing, start the next.  You’ll just keep getting better and better and the inevitable rejections won’t feel as discouraging.  You never know which project is going to be the one to strike gold, so just keep moving forward.

5. Finally, Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Beatles, a thousand times over.  Although Mick Jagger was adorable on SNL a couple of weeks ago!

Tagged: 2012, Authors, Books, Fiction, Fun, Interviews, Jane Austen, Just for Fun, Musings, Opinion, Opinions, Pride and Prejudice, ramblings, Random, Random Thoughts, Reading, Romance, Teens, Writers, Writing, YA books, Young Adult Books

MY BIG NEWS!!!!

So, I’ve been keeping a sekrit the last few days, but now I’m ready to share.

I HAVE A LITERARY AGENT!

That’s right! I signed with Julia A. Weber of

J. A. Weber Literaturagentur!

Here’s her website: http://jaw-litagent.com/home/

So if you hear someone squeeing no matter where you’re at, IT’S ME! (I can be loud when I want.)

 

Tagged: 2012, Authors, Books, Fiction, friends, Fun, Just for Fun, Lit agent, Literary Agent, Literary Agents, Musings, Novels, Opinion, Opinions, Teens, Writers, Writing, YA, YA books, YA Contemporary, Young Adult Books