Courtney Cole, the author of If You Stay, is here today for an interview. You can click the banner above to see her tour stops and be sure to check out the giveaway below!
1. I have to say that the cover for IF YOU STAY is amazing. It is perfect for the book. What did you have in mind for this cover and what did you think once you saw it finished?
Well, first I'd like to say thank you so much for having me here.: ) I really appreciate it. And my cover… I love it too. Sarah Hansen did a beautiful job. This was exactly what I had in mind. I wanted Pax to be front and center- and I wanted his vulnerability to show. I think it comes through loud and clear in this cover. And when I first saw it… I was breathless. It was perfect.
2. Pax is very strong-willed and flawed, to say the least. Was it difficult writing from his point-of-view?
He definitely is. He's stubborn, he's opinionated and he lacks the ability to be cautious or afraid of anything. He doesn't care about himself or anything else, and he definitely doesn't care how his actions affect anyone else. At least, that's how he was in the beginning. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to connect with Pax. I knew exactly how I wanted his personality to be, so I just tried to think that way too. I have a husband and two teenage boys, so I've been schooled on how men really think sometimes. And the thing with Pax is that in the beginning, he didn't have a filter. He said and did whatever he wanted to do.
3. Developing a character that could steal Pax's heart must have been hard. What qualities did you know Mila had to possess in order to achieve this?
Well, it wasn't really that hard. I knew it would take someone who was his polar opposite, but I also knew I had to put them in a unique circumstance so that he could really see her for the beautiful person that she is. I knew he would need to see that she is much more than a pretty face. A mere pretty face wouldn't have swayed him.
After she saves his life, he sees her as a breath of fresh air, something light which is opposite of the dark that he considers himself to be. He was intrigued from the start, mainly because he couldn't fathom that she would actually give him mouth-to- mouth in that circumstance. In his world, someone wouldn't have gone out of their way like that. But Mila did it without a thought. And that fascinated Pax.
4. Can you share a few of your favorite lines from the book?
Yikes. This is a hard one. Hmm. Toward the end, there is a great scene."Love never fails, Mila. And I'll never fail you again. That's a promise." I love that one because Pax had come so far. Another one that I like is a thought of Pax's, from the beginning part of the book."She's like a breath of fresh air. I may be the big bad wolf, but even wolves need to breathe."
5. Can you give us a hint to what you will be working on next?
Yes. I'm working on a companion novel to If You Stay. It is titled If You Leave and it will follow Madison Hill, Mila's sister. Maddy is a pretty fascinating character and I can't wait until you get to know her better.
Thank you again for having me here with you today. It's been a pleasure!
If You Stay by Courtney Cole Published: Lakehouse Press (February 5th, 2013) Reading Level: New Adult ebook: 220 pages Summary: 24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously.
He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.
But he’s got his reasons.
His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.
As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. So he slipped far, far from it.
Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? Wrong.
And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.
When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one… the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.
But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.
Jenny stood frozen in the hallway just outside Teddy's room, body tense, feet rooted to the floor. The sound she'd heard from downstairs was louder now, and what she'd thought were the bumps and thuds of her little brother playing in his room after bedtime now appeared less innocent. As she gazed at him from the doorway, Teddy lay curled up in his Avengers comforter, eyes closed, chest heaving slow and steady as he slept. Alone.
But Janeny could still hear the footsteps.
Footsteps. Yes, that's exactly what they were. Heavy, plodding footsteps pacing back and forth across the floor of her kid brother's room, slightly uneven with a hiccup between every other step as if the person making them walked with a limp.
Person? Janeny swallowed, her throat parched and raspy. No"person" made these footsteps, unless Janeny had developed a sudden case of cataracts. Her eyes took in the entire length of Teddy's room, illuminated by the dullish blue glow of his night light, and nothing moved. Not even a flutter from the curtains, yet she could clearly make out the steady canter of the limping footsteps. She could actually trace them from left to right across the room, pausing for a split second at the closet door, then retreating to the other side of the room, pausing again at the edge of Teddy's bed. Rinse, repeat. Janeny couldn't pull her eyes away, her brain desperate to see something moving in the near darkness, unable to grasp what might be happening in her house.
Then, as suddenly as they began, the footsteps stopped.
Silence descended upon the house. Janeny continued to stand in the bedroom doorway, sweat beading on her upper li, despite the cold. Janeny realized she was shivering; all the warmth had been sucked out of the house.
That's when she felt it. A bony hand gripping her shoulder.
Jenny swung around and—
Meg dropped her pen on the bed as her cell phone purred from the nightstand. Once, twice, three times in rapid succession. She sighed and closed her writing journal, then reached across a stack of pillows and picked up her phone. Three texts, all from Minnie, and as she held the phone in her hand, debating whether or not she actually wanted to read Minnie's drunk texts from her boyfriend Gunner's Halloween party, the phone vibrated again. More messages.
Meg sighed. Typical.
She swiped her finger across the screen, and Minnie's texts began to scroll.
MINNIE: OMG, I can't believe you're not here. What were you thinking?
MINNIE: And don't give me that bullshit about being sick. What am I, stupid?
MINNIE: The whole football team's here. And half the cheerleading squad. This is the party of the century you're missing!
Meg laughed to herself. There was no place on the planet she'd less rather be than at Gunner's party.
Because if Gunner was there, his best friend T.J. would be, too.
And Meg couldn't handle that.
It was bad enough that Minnie was dating Gunner as a means to get closer to T.J., worse that Meg had been forced to listen to her best friend go on and on and on ad nauseum about T.J. during the last few months. It wasn't that Meg didn't like him. Nope it was much worse than that. Meg was in love with T.J., too.
She'd been hiding it from Minnie for so long it had become her baseline. Minnie would rhapsodize that someday T.J. would realize she was the perfect girl for him, and Meg would just nod and smile, all the while indulging in her own fantasies about T.J., his gorgeous dimpled smile, how his lips would feel pressed against her own…
In private, she could handle it. She could put on her game face when it was just the two of them hanging out. But at party after Minnie had downed a few beers? No way. Meg discovered first hand that spring just how painful it could be to watch Minnie throw herself at the boy Meg was in love with.
So Meg's coping mechanism? Fake the stomach flu, stay home, and write a new short story.
Buzz, buzz, buzz. Great. Minnie was in rare, needy form tonight.
MINNIE: I seriously have the best costume here. Sexy Alice in Wonderland FTW!
MINNIE: T.J.'s here. Of course. OMG, he's doing like a Johnny Depp pirate thing that is SO FUCKING SEXY.
MINNIE: I'll send you a photo of us, okay? Let me find him.
Sexy pirate thing? Meg dropped her phone on the bed. It buzzed almost immediately with new texts. Part of Meg desperately wanted to see the photo, a mash up of her love for Johnny Depp and her love for T.J. Fletcher. Then again, did she really want to see Minnie in her sexy Alice dress which barely covered her ass, thigh highs and pushed up cleavage, draped seductively over T.J.'s arm? She wasn't sure she could handle that. Again. Buzz. Buzz.
Dammit.
MINNIE: Huh. Can't find him. I swear T.J. was here a minute ago.
MINNIE: OMG, if he took off with that slut Brenda Raines I'm going to kick both of their asses.
T.J.: Are you home?
Meg froze.
T.J. was texting her? On Halloween? While he was at the"party of the century?"
A warmth spread across her chest, all stupid and silly and delicious in the way only a text from T.J. Fletcher could make her feel. With a trembling hand, she picked up her phone and typed,"Yeah."
The doorbell rang almost immediately. Meg caught her breath. Could it be T.J.?
Meg's dad stuck his head out of his bedroom door just as she stepped into the hallway."Trick or treaters?" he said, pushing his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose."At this hour?"
"I'll get it, Dad," Meg said, hoping her voice didn't sound too anxious.
He shrugged, and ducked back into his room. Thank God. If it was T.J. at the door, the last thing she needed was her dad hovering around her.
Meg reached the door and realized her heart was thundering in her chest. She needed to calm down. It's not T.J., she said to herself. Just a late trick or treater, like Dad said.
But as Meg switched on the porch light, she caught sight of a hat through the beveled glass windows in the front door.
A tri-corner night.
Like a pirate.
Ten by Gretchen McNeil Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 18th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 294 pages SHHHH! Don't spread the word! Three-day weekend. House party. White Rock House on Henry Island. You do NOT want to miss it.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?
Prize:
1 winner will receive a signed copy of Possess.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends November 18th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon | Barnes & Noble Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here. Don't forget to check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post for today!
Infinity by Sedona Venez Published: January 15th, 2013 Reading Level: New Adult eBook: 218 pages Source: Author Series: Valkyries: Soaring Raven #1 Rating: 3 of 5 stars Summary: Infinity discovers a dark secret from her past that rocks everything she knows to be true.
A troubled 22-year-old superstar singer, Infinity has a bad reputation for drugs and hard partying. Now, she is on the road to a comeback with her controversial tour. But everything about doing the concert feels wrong from missing employees, to anonymous threats about ruining her career. She is dealing with a powerful corporation that is determined to kill her and everyone she loves. She is also battling for control of her life and career from a relationship that crossed the fine line between love and obsession. Infinity knows too much, even though she doesn't realize it. Secrets have been kept and these secrets are powerful enough to destroy her and everyone she loves.
Now she must put her safety and trust in the hands of sexy, tattooed and delicious Torch Channing and Boulder Vigari, hired to keep her from getting killed. Boulder wants to make her his. He won't stop until he claims her. Torch struggles with his primal need to possess her and his hatred of everything she represents.
Infinity is determined to protect her heart while dealing with the pressure of pulling off another successful tour without spiraling into another mental meltdown.
Review:
Infinity held such a great premise and I'm excited to see what comes next in this series. Infinity is a 22 year old singer who is known for her reputation. She's definitely a different type of character. It's not really easy to love her completely. She knew her popularity and that confidence level was a bit much at times. But overall, her intense personality did keep me interested in the story.
Her relationship with her mother was another interesting area. They didn't have a typical mother-daughter relationship. But they do seem to have a great bond. The world we get to know in this book is very complex. There are several paranormal creatures — Valkyries, vampires, werewolves, other shifters and more!
Infinity's friends, Zoe and Diego, were fabulous! They had some fantastic interactions and I felt it allowed us to really see more of Infinity's personality. I was first interested in this story because of the paranormal elements. It's rare to see a New Adult story with a paranormal twist. I really enjoyed learning about the world, but at times I was a bit confused. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with the plot and I had to go back and slowly read through it again. It's important to do that with this story because there are times when a lot is told to us quickly.
Overall this was a solid story. There are parts that could have been taken out, or altered a bit to make it better. Some things were a bit repetitive but I will still read book 2!
The wonderful C.C. Hunter is here today to tell us 13 things we will learn from her newest book, Taken at Dusk.
Make sure to sign up below for a chance to win a copy!
Thirteen Things You’ll Learn From Taken at Dusk 1. The only thing worse than trying to help a woman with amnesia remember her name and life is trying to help a dead woman with amnesia remember hers.
2. Be careful what you wish for—you might just get it.. and the reality will probably not be anything like the fantasy.
3. The person you think is your enemy could just turn into a friend who'll do anything to save you.
4. The scariest thing in the world isn't ghosts or rogue vampires bent on murder—it's falling in love.
5. Explaining why you have a skunk curled up in your arms to your mom and your old best friend is as easy as eating a brownie while brushing your teeth.
6. We all make mistakes, which is why it's so important to practice forgiveness.
7. The only thing worse than a pissed-off shapeshifter is a pissed-off shapeshifter in love.
8. Sometimes the earth really does have to open up and swallow you whole before you can accept the truth that's right in front of you.
9. Vampires have no sense of humor.. especially when they get turned into a kangaroo.
10. Free will gives us choices, but even making the right choices can't change destiny.. and learning to accept that can be the most painful lesson of all.
11. People aren’t always who they say they are, even if you really want them to be.
12. Sometimes when you try to save someone, they end up saving you instead.
13. Never get between a dragon and a warlock on the war path.
Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter Publisher: St Martin's Press (April 10th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 400 pages Series: Shadow Falls #3 Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.
Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever… and not always for the better.
Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a copy of Taken at Dusk.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
Name and email must be provided.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US only and ends April 27th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
"Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered just how dangerous it can be.
Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Bartlett befriended both outlandish characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure. With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she has woven this entertaining cat-and-mouse chase into a narrative that not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes, where he stashed the loot, and how Sanders ultimately caught him but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the reader in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love."
Today's Quick Giveaway is "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much." I have shamelessly had this book for months and I just have not been able to get into it. I stuck to my review policy and made it 100 pages in, but this book is not for me. I wish I was more interested in the art of book collec
tion and the passion it involves — but I'm not.
So my loss is your gain: I'd like to give this book to a past Guest Reviewer who has participated in my holiday campaign for reviews.
All that you have to do is email me at google [at] gmail [dot] com: 1. Your Name 2. Your Email Address 3. The corresponding number to the review you sent in according to the Mr. Linky (Look at Mr. Linky, find your name/number — that's what I'm looking for).
Oh, and because this was an ARC review book (and I do feel excruciatingly bad about not finishing it) I will be forwarding an email to the winner from Lydia Hirt about the book so that, after posting the review review, the winner can email the link to her so that she does get a review.
After the first person as emailed me — I will update this post and contact the winner and hopefully get the book sent out tomorrow!
UPDATE: I apologize for my email hot mess. Three people contacted me and the first was Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews. Stay tuned for another "Quick Giveaway" early next week!
Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles (Walker Books for Young Readers 8/16/2011) Bargains and Betrayals (13 to Life #3) by Shannon Delany (St. Martin's Griffin 8/16/2011) Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead (Razorbill 8/23/2011)
Sweetly (Sisters Red #2) by Jackson Pearce (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 8/23/2011) The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittiacus Lore (HarperCollins 8/23/2011) Nocturne (Claire de Lune #2) by Christine Johnson (Simon Pulse 8/23/2011)
Hades (Halo #2) by Alexandra Adornetto (Fiewel & Friends 8/30/2010) Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna Dressed in Blood #1) by Kendare Blake (Tor Teen 8/30/2011) Damned (Crusade #2) by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 8/30/2011)
Twisted (Intertwined #3) by Gena Showalter (Harlequin 8/30/2011) The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson (Henry Holt and Company 8/30/2011) Soul Thief (The Demon Trappers #2) by Jana Oliver (St. Martin's Griffin 8/30/2011)
Possess by Gretchen McNeil (Balzer & Bray 8/23/2011) Descended by Blood (Vampire Born #1) by Angeline Kace (Accendo Press 8/23/2011) Fury (Fury #1) by Elizabeth Miles (Simon Pulse 8/30/2011)
If you know of any other new releases for August 16th-31st feel free to add them in the comments so others will know about them!
My Scary Story by Brenda Pandos My overactive imagination creates interesting drama in my life, especially when I sleep. For instance, I still can’t swim alone, even in a pool, thanks to Jaws. And, for a long time, I couldn’t go potty without looking down into the bowl to check for critters. So, I avoid horror and scary things at all costs. But my imagination is very helpful with my creative writing, so I can’t go wrong there.
I’ve always been an active dreamer, talking nightly in my sleep. Many times, it’s just an endless puzzle I’m trying to solve, salt and peppered with visions of the daily events that makes so much sense when I’m half awake, but slips away once I become lucid.
So, when my husband and I were first married, I seemed to be more active than usual. I’d freak him out, frequently talking and/or getting out of bed, scared or worried about something or another. He’d just consol me (probably to get me to be quiet) and I’d go back to sleep. But one night, I woke up and saw what I thought to be an alien, flutter from the curtains, fly under our sheets and possess the love of my life before my eyes. At my gasp he tried to consol me, reaching out, but I screamed bloody murder and fought his arms in absolute panic, afraid the creature inside was coming to get me next. Once my mind became clearer and dear hubby was able to grab me and talk me down from my hysteria, I burst into tears, thankful he was still himself and not some horrible creature I’d dreamt him to be.
I’m happy to say, after nine years of marriage, he sleeps through most of my night activities except when I see spiders.
The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing (March 24th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 280 pages Series: Talisman, book #1 To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier — an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a signed copy of The Emerald Talisman and bookmarks.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US ONLY and ends November 3rd.
Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
The form must be filled out to enter.
The Sapphire Talisman, book 2 in the Talisman series, will be out December 15th, 2010.
- Thank you so much Brenda for the story and book donation!
Find Brenda Pandos Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads Purchase The Emerald Talisman Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
Book Trailer
* Check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post.
*Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.
The cover of Destined, House of Night book 9, was just released and oh la la, HOTNESS! I am still a fan of this series and even Heath (who is on this cover). I mean c'mon, he's HOT! This series lost me somewhere around the middle but don't give up! It does get better (in my opinion) so if you are thinking of picking these books back up, do it!
Destined (House of Night #9) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast Publisher: St. Martin's Press (October 25th, 2011) Hardcover: 336 pages Add it on Goodreads In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa's House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow.
But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness? Find out what s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.
Here is the cover for A Beautiful Evil, book 2 in the Gods & Monsters series by Kelly Keaton. Very spooky!
A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 21st, 2012) Hardcover: 320 pages Add it to Goodreads A power she can’t deny. A destiny she’s determined to fight.
When Ari first arrived in the dilapidated city of New 2, all she wanted was to figure out who she was. But what she discovered was beyond her worst nightmare. Ari can already sense the evil growing inside her—a power the goddess Athena will stop at nothing to possess.
Desperate to hold on to her humanity and protect her loved ones, Ari must fight back. But Athena’s playing mind games, not just with Ari but with those she cares about most. And Athena has a very special plan for the brooding and sexy Sebastian.
Ari is determined to defeat Athena, but time is running out. With no other options, Ari must unleash the very thing she’s afraid of: herself.
And a section of this post I will title "Book I Just Want to Talk About 'Cause it Sounds Amazing"! I picked up, and finished, Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles on Tuesday and Wow, it is awesome! The Perfect Chemistry series is one of my all-time favorites! I realized that I love that type of love story. When I went looking for more like it, I discovered KISS CRUSH COLLIDE by Christina Meredith. First, let's check out the cover.
*fans self* loveeee it! And now, the summary. Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith Publisher: Greenwillow Books (December 27th, 2011) Hardcover: 336 pages Add it to Goodreads Leah has the life most high school girls would kill for—popularity, glowing grades, a rich, athletic boyfriend. So why does she feel like she can’t breathe? And why can’t she stop thinking about the boy from the country club? The one who isn’t her boyfriend, the one that her mother would never, ever approve of, the one that her perfect older sisters would never, ever look at twice. The one who is always looking back at her. Irresistible attraction, smoldering glances, the bad boy and the good girl—Kiss Crush Collide has everything that a steamy forbidden romance should, and then some.
With graceful and honest writing and an electric love story, this is a book about growing into your own skin. For fans of Perfect Chemistry ( <---THAT'S ME!), Sarah Dessen ( <--- THAT'S ME TOO!), and John Green (<--Haven't read anything by him yet). Gotta love a good forbidden romance! So how many of you want to get your hands on this book???
Bookperk News
You all probably know I'm a huge fan of the Bookperk site from HarperCollins. I've purchased a signed (by the movie cast) version of I Am Number Four and a signed copy of Guy Fieri's cookbook from them already. They add new offers all the time and I just wanted to mention a few of the new ones.
You can USE GOOGLE to see the current deals going on. If you haven't signed up, you can use that link as well. It's good to at least be signed up because amazing deals pop up all the time and sometimes they have very limited quantities.
This year we wanted to add to the excitement of Top 10 lists by making it an event! Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun & Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and and I are hosting a top 10 week where everyone can join the fun! You can check out this post for more information. Each day you add your top 10 list to the linky (below), you get an extra entry into the giveaway for a $50 amazon gift card! Just remember, each day will have a linky for THAT Top 10 topic and your list has to be for that top 10. Today is Top 10 Book Characters of 2011! I decided to go with favorite heroines because I really love when a book has a strong girl in the story.
Divergent by Veronica Roth Katherine Tegen Books (May 3rd, 2011)
Who: Beatrice Prior (Tris Why: Tris was incredibly strong and determined. She went away from what she had known and picked a difficult path. But once she got there, she always gave 100% of herself. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins Hyperion Books (March 22nd, 2011)
Who: Sophie Mercer Why: Sophie was an incredible character and not just for her strength. She was hilarious and always found a way to get out of hard situations. She really makes this series shine! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
Obsidian by Janenifer L. Armentrout Entangled Publishing (December 6th, 2011)
Who: Katy Why: She's a flippin' book blogger!! How can I not love her?? She's a book version of ME and she gets THAT in her life *points to book cover*! It's like a dream come true!: ) Ha! But seriously, she was amazing because she never backed down or pretended to be anyone but herself. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
Stay by Deb Caletti Simon Pulse (April 5th, 2011) Who: Clara Why: Clara was sweet, caring, and very mature for her age because of what she had been through. I liked that she had a great connection with her father and had the strength to leave a difficult situation. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay. Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough…
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi HarperCollins (November 15th, 2011)
Who: Juliette Why: Juliette was just.wow! Even though she had a life no one could imagine, and felt she was a monster, she is able to push through her fears and turn into a very powerful young woman. She completely blew me away! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
Catching Jordan by Miranda KenneallySourcebooks Fire (December 1st, 2011) Who: Jordan Why:Jordan was great because she went against the norm, and her father's wishes, in order to pursue her dreams. She never backed down from a challenge and really showed how girls can do absolutely anything.Read My ReviewAdd it to GoodreadsSummary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though — she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team… and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.
Half-Blood by Janenifer L. Armentrout Spencer Hill Press (October 18th, 2011)
Who: Alex Why: Because, yet again, Janenifer really knows how to create characters! Alex has had a difficult time dealing the various obstacles that arise but she keeps pushing through. She has a lot of qualities I think many people would love to possess. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.
Forgotten by Cat Patrick Little, Brown (June 7th, 2011) Who: London Why: London had to go through a lot and she never backed down. She's sweet and smart, and she deals with her memory problems in the best way she can. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can"remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.
Amplified by Tara Kelly Henry Holt (October 25th, 2011)
Who: Jasmine Why: Jasmine left her comfortable life to go on her own personal journey. She could have easily ran away from the teasing and issues that came up, but she stuck it out and gained more courage each day. Add it to Goodreads Review Coming Soon Summary: When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it..
Hourglass by Myra McEntire Egmont (June 14th, 2011) Who: Emerson Why: Emerson was just a bundle of awesomeness. She's kind but so protective of the people she loves. She was so well developed and absolutely perfect for this story. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:One hour to rewrite the past.. For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened? Tomorrow's Topic — Top 10 Coming in 2012! Don't forget to link each day! Signing up & then linking your Top 10 posts early you EXTRA entries into the $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway. The last day to share your posts is January 8th, 2012. The winner will be picked using Random.org and announced during the week of the 9th, 2012. Good Luck!
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