Archive by Author | Meredith

Spotlight Post: Sweet Madness by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie (eBook launch + Giveaway)

Aug6

Today we’re celebrating the release of the Sweet Madness ebook by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie. Sweet Madness is a retelling of the infamous Borden Murders told from the POV of Lizzie’s Irish maid, Bridget Sullivan.


Seventeen-year-old Bridget Sullivan is alone in Fall River, a city that sees Irish immigrants as nothing more than a drunken drain on society. To make matters worse, she’s taken employment with the city’s most peculiar and gossip-laden family—the Bordens. But Bridget can’t afford to be picky—the pay surpasses any other job Bridget could ever secure and she desperately needs the money to buy her little sister, Cara, passage to the states. It doesn’t hurt that the job location is also close to her beau, Liam. As she enters the disturbing inner workings of the Borden household, Bridget clings to these advantages.

However, what seemed like a straightforward situation soon turns into one that is untenable. Of course Bridget has heard the gossip around town about the Bordens, but what she encounters is far more unsettling. The erratic, paranoid behavior of Mr. Borden, the fearful silence of his wife, and worse still…the nightly whisperings Bridget hears that seem to come from the walls themselves.

When Bridget makes a horrifying discovery in the home, all that she thought she knew about the Bordens is called into question…including if Lizzie is dangerous. And the choice she must make about Lizzie’s character could mean Bridget’s life or death.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | BAM | The Book Depository | Powell’s

What Readers Are Saying

“This thrilling novel will keep readers on their toes until the last page. Fans of historical fiction and horror will thoroughly enjoy this book.” —VOYA Magazine

“The portrait of the claustrophobic, creepy Borden household and its denizens, Lizzie especially, is grippingly vivid.” -Kirkus

“Engaging historical novel that gives readers another glimpse into the infamous Lizzie Borden.” -YA Book Central

“Dark, creepy and overall fantastically moody; SWEET MADNESS remains firmly entrenched in the Hitchcock side of horror.” -Fangirlish

~*~*~*~

About the Authors

Trisha Leaver lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three children, and one rather disobedient black lab. She is a chronic daydreamer who prefers the cozy confines of her own imagination to the mundane routine of everyday life. She writes Young Adult Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Horror and Science Fiction and is published with FSG/ Macmillan, Flux/Llewellyn and Merit Press.

Trisha is a member of the SCBWI, The Cape Cod Writers Center, and the YA Scream Queens—a group of nine female authors who are deathly serious about their horror.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

~*~*~*~

Lindsay Currie lives in Chicago, Illinois with one incredibly patient hubby, three amazing kids and a 160 pound lap dog named Sam. She’s fond of tea, chocolate and things that go bump in the night.

An author of young adult and middle grade fiction, Lindsay is published with Flux/Llewellyn, Merit Press and Spencer Hill Contemporary.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

~*~*~*~

Giveaway

To celebrate the ebook release, the authors are giving away a very special swag pack: A custom, exclusive bookmark, an exclusive image of the Borden house taken by photographer Frank C. Grace, and signed bookmarks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Spotlight: While You Were Gone by Amy K. Nichols (Guest Post)

Aug3

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to have Amy K. Nichols, author of While You Were Gone (August 4th 2015, Knopf Books for Young Readers), here with an awesome guest post! First, here’s more about While You Were Gone:

While You Were Gone An artist without a cause meets a rebel without a clue.

Eevee is a promising young artist and the governor’s daughter in a city where censorship is everywhere and security is everything. When a fire devastates her exhibition—years in the making—her dreams of attending an elite art institute are dashed. She’s struggling to find inspiration when she meets Danny, a boy from a different world. Literally.

Raised in a foster home, Danny has led a life full of hurt and hardship until a glitch in the universe changes everything. Suddenly Danny is living in a home he’s never seen, with parents who miraculously survived the car crash that should have killed them. It’s like he’s a new Danny. But this alternate self has secrets—ties to an underground anarchist group that have already landed him in hot water. When he starts to develop feelings for Eevee, he’s even more disturbed to learn that he might have started the fire that ruined her work.

As Danny sifts through clues from his past and Eevee attempts to piece together her future, they uncover a secret that’s bigger than both of them. . . . And together, they must correct the breach between the worlds before it’s too late.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository | Kobo

And now here’s Amy’s guest post! Enjoy!

The Duplexity Series: When Fact and Fiction Collide

By Amy K. Nichols

A funny thing happened while writing While You Were Gone, the second book in my Duplexity series: I ran into the real world.

The story begins, literally, with a bang. At the beginning of Now That You’re Here, sixteen-year-old Danny Ogden is at the Patriots’ Day parade when back-to-back explosions throw the world into chaos and catapult him into a parallel universe. I first wrote that scene sometime around 2008. In fall of 2011, I sold the book to Knopf, finished up edits the following summer, and, by spring of 2012, was drafting book two.

On April 15, 2013, back-to-back explosions ripped through the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring hundreds more. I remember being sick to my stomach as I tracked Twitter updates and news alerts. I’d been working on a scene in While You Were Gone that dealt with the aftermath of the explosions at the parade when the horrific reality of the events in Boston broke into my fictional world. I stepped away from the story and asked, How can I possibly write this when real people are suffering from an uncannily similar event? It took me a long time to gather up enough nerve to finish working on that scene.

On June 5 of the same year, the Guardian published an interview with NSA informant Edward Snowden, bringing to light sweeping surveillance operations conducted by the U.S. and U.K. governments. I watched the news unfold, my writing interrupted. By this point I was finishing up the second book, which takes place in an alternate Phoenix, where people are monitored by a massive surveillance apparatus. Just as with the explosions, the seeds of this story had been conceived way back in 2008. And here again I was watching reality play out against the pale imitation I’d created in fiction.

Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out. I mean, what a strange coincidence, right? Or maybe it wasn’t coincidence. Maybe I’d tapped into some greater unifying force, or maybe I’d been picking up on societal trends on a subconscious level. When I mentioned the parallels to my mentor, he shook his head and said, “The ideas are out there, floating in the ether.” Was there something to that whole “collective consciousness” idea after all? Whatever it was, it got me thinking. If there was some kind of larger conversation going on, what did I want my contribution to be?

Hope.

I raise some big questions in the Duplexity series. Now That You’re Here asks, What if there really are parallel universes? What if you could trade places with your parallel self? What if you like that world better than yours? While You Were Gone asks, Which is more important, security or freedom? What if you lived in a world where you’re always being watched? What if there are consequences for not only what you do but also what you think? While I explore these questions—which clearly are rooted in the realities of our world—I don’t have the answers. What I try to offer through these stories, though, is hope. The world can be a scary place. Sometimes people get hurt. The actions of one person can unleash a reaction that turns the whole world on its ear. Sometimes, though, that reaction leads to change. Sometimes good is born out of the bad. Sometimes all it takes is one person to shine a light of hope, both in fiction and in the real world.

~*~*~*~*~

AmyNicholsBWsquare About the author:
 
 
AMY K. NICHOLS lives on the edge of the Phoenix desert with her husband and children. In the evenings, she enjoys sitting outside, counting bats and naming stars. NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE is her first novel and WHILE YOU WERE GONE is her second.
 
 

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Instagram | Tumblr | YouTube

Spotlight Tour: Awake by Natasha Preston (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Aug3

AwakeGraphic1 
Hey everyone! I’m so, so excited to be a part of the Spotlight Tour for Awake by Natasha Preston (August 4, 2015, Sourcebooks Fire). This book sounds incredible and I’m very, very excited to read it! Today, I have an awesome excerpt to share with you, plus a giveaway! First, here’s more about the book:

Awake Don’t miss the latest gripping, high-stakes thriller from Wattpad sensation Natasha Preston, author of the runaway hit The Cellar.

Scarlett doesn’t remember anything before the age of five. Her parents say it’s from the trauma of seeing her house burn down, and she accepts the life they’ve created for her without question—until a car accident causes Scarlett to start remembering pieces of an unfamiliar past.

When a new guy moves into town, Scarlett feels an instant spark. But Noah knows the truth of Scarlett’s past, and he’s determined to shield her from it…because Scarlett grew up in a cult called Eternal Light, controlled by her biological parents.

And they want her back.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

 
AwakeGraphic2

~*~*~*~

And now here’s the excerpt! Enjoy

Once everything was ready it was time to get dressed for the ceremony. I was taken back to the house, and I was instructed to have a bath and get ready in the dress set out on my bed.

I did as I was told because there was little else I could do right now. After soaking in a bubble bath, using most of it up as my own little screw you, I got out, dried and went back to my room.

Unsurprisingly the dress I was to wear was full-length and white. It was pretty and thankfully not a slim fit so I would be able to run properly in it. I held it up—this is what I’m supposed to die in. Not many people knew what their last outfit would be. I instantly hated it.

I pulled it over my head. It fit me perfectly. It had long, loose fitting sleeves, a modest neckline, and waves of material on the skirt. I pulled it and was satisfied when I could stretch both arms out to the sides.

There were no shoes, and I was afraid I’d have to run through the forest barefoot but there wasn’t a lot I could do about that. I couldn’t ask for shoes and have them question why I’d need them if I was getting in a lake. Besides, I’d run barefoot over a bed of nails or hot coal to get away.

I looked in the mirror and took deep breaths to calm my nerves. I could do this. I was strong.

“Scarlett, are you ready?” he called.

Time to fight for my life.

***

Two things entered my mind as every member of Eternal Light stared at me from the meadow. One, no matter how hot it was outside it never warmed the water enough for it to not be cold. And two, if this didn’t go to plan I would be dead in forty minutes.

Since they’d stood up and opened their eyes they hadn’t stopped staring at me.

I pretended to look around, turning my body so I could take a few unnoticed steps back towards the other side. Running in water wasn’t easy and I would be slow to get out, giving them plenty of time to make it around the lake. I had to give myself as much time as I could. At least they would be further away as they called upon nature to accept and cleanse me for the final time.

Idiots.

Soon I had to run for my life in a cold, wet dress. I had no idea how long it would be before I could change. Or how cold it was going to get in the forest at night.

In the distance I could just about see their lips moving but I had to strain. Some of them had their eyes closed again. Why couldn’t they all do that? My heart started to pound. How long would they chant for, and why hadn’t Noah called me yet? Had someone realised that he’d slipped away? He said they’d be so focused on what they had to do to that he didn’t see a problem with getting away. I couldn’t be so confident—this was my life on the line.

 
AwakeGraphic3

~*~*~*~

And now for the giveaway! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

NatashaPreston
 
About the Author:
 
 
 
UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back since. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.
 
 

Website

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Release Week Blitz: EVERY LAST BREATH by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Jul30

ELB RWB Banner_edited-1 

The Epic Finale in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Dark Elements Series… Who Will She Choose?


 

ELB Teaser 3
 

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Don’t miss the conclusion to this stunning Young Adult Paranormal series filled with danger and romance published by HarlequinTEEN.

9780373211142_prd_proof_FC Some loves will last ‘til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

IndieBound | Kobo | Books-A-Million

~*~*~*~*~

Praise for The Dark Elements series

“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!”
—New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

“Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.”
–#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

~*~*~*~*~

And now here’s the excerpt! Enjoy!

“Oh my God!” This time my hand connected with his arm. “You’re going to be in so much trouble, Roth! So much trouble.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Defended myself.”

“Defended myself.” I mimicked him, bopping my head back and forth. “You can’t just go around killing Alphas, Roth!”

“You killed those angels?” Stacey asked, so I guessed she did remember them.

He sent her an innocent grin. “Well, I didn’t, but…”

“Roth!” I shouted, backing away before I started choking the ever-loving life out of him. “This is not a joke. You—”

He was damn fast when he wanted to be. One second he was several feet away from me and the next he was there, clasping the sides of my face. He lowered his head so he was eye level with me. “There are rules, Shortie.”

“But—”

“Rules that even the Alphas have to abide by. They cannot attack me without physical provocation. If they do, they tick the Boss off, and then the Boss retaliates in a way that makes what the Lilin could do look like child’s play. I’m not just some random demon. I’m the Crown Prince. They took a swing at me, and I defended myself. End of story.”

But he had provoked them—maybe not physically, but he wasn’t an innocent bystander in this. As the shock ebbed, there was a different kind of bitter pill to swallow. What if Roth had gotten his rules wrong? What if more Alphas were even now on the way to avenge their brethren?

“I’m going to be okay.” His eyes held mine as he stepped closer, lining his booted feet up with mine. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise.”

“You can’t make that promise,” I whispered, searching his gaze intently. “None of us can.”

His hands slid back and he curled his fingers in my loose hair. “I can.”

Those two words were like throwing down a gauntlet to the whole universe. I lowered my gaze as he dragged my hair back, tucking both sides behind my ears. It was then, as he slowly withdrew his hands, that I remembered we were not alone.

I jerked back and my gaze collided with Zayne’s. For a moment, I let myself really see Zayne. I hadn’t almost killed him. I had almost done something much, much worse than that. When a Warden lost their soul, they turned into a horrific creature. I knew that for a fact, because I’d seen what had happened to a Warden after their soul had been taken from them. I’d almost done that to Zayne, and he was still here, standing by my side.

A hole opened up in my chest as I saw the keen wariness in his stare. My stomach twisted something awful and I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know what to say. My heart and head were suddenly tearing in two very different directions. Fortunately, I didn’t get the chance to say anything.

“I leave you alone for a few hours, and you let Thumper fry and eat an Alpha.”

Yelping, I spun around as Stacey screamed. Cayman stood in the center of the destroyed living room. He’d come out of nowhere. Poof. There. He wore dark trousers and a white dress shirt he appeared to have gotten bored with when it came to buttoning it up, and his blond hair was loose around his angular face. When it came to the demon pecking order, Roth had once explained that as an Infernal Ruler, Cayman was middle management. He was kind of like the demon-of-all-trades, and I had a feeling he was more than just a…um, coworker of Roth’s. Whether Roth claimed it or not, they were friends.

“That was quick,” Roth commented, folding his arms across his chest.

Cayman shrugged. “It’s a sign of the times, man. It’ll probably be on some Alpha’s Facebook wall within the hour.”

Alphas had Facebook accounts?

~*~*~*~*~

Every Last Breath official Book trailer!

~*~*~*~*~

And don’t miss the first titles in the Dark Elements Series!

covers

BITTER SWEET LOVE


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | BAM | Kobo

WHITE HOT KISS


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo

STONE COLD TOUCH


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo | BAM

~*~*~*~*~

JLA_Author-photo About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
 
# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website | Facebook

Twitter | Novel Goodreads | Author Goodreads

~*~*~*~*~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Lola Carlyle’s 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Jul27

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Lola Carlyle’s 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-UllmanLola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman
Published by Entangled Teen on May 5, 2015
Pages: 304
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Lola Carlyle is lonely, out of sorts, and in for a boring summer. So when her best friend, Sydney, calls to rave about her stay at a posh Malibu rehab and reveals that the love of Lola’s life, Wade Miller, is being admitted, she knows what she has to do.Never mind that her worst addiction is decaf cappuccino; Lola is going to rehab.

Lola arrives at Sunrise Rehab intent solely on finding Wade, saving him from himself, and—naturally—making him fall in love with her…only to discover she’s actually expected to be an addict. And get treatment. And talk about her issues with her parents, and with herself. Plus she has insane roommates, and an irritatingly attractive mentor, Adam, who’s determined to thwart her at every turn.

Oh, and Sydney? She’s gone.

Turns out, once her pride, her defenses, and her best friend are stripped away, Lola realizes she’s actually got a lot to overcome…if she can open her heart long enough to let it happen.

When I first learned about this book, I was intrigued by the premise. Though it wasn’t exactly what I expected and there were some moments that annoyed me, this book ended up being a really fun, cute and enlightening read. I really liked the characters, as well as the author’s writing style.

In the beginning, it was really hard to like Lola. She was very Stereotypical Hollywood: rich, a bit snobby/spoiled/entitled. I mean.. she wanted to go to rehab just so she could go on a “spa-like vacation.” And when things didn’t go her way, she got incredibly snippy, sneaky and rebellious. Plus, she was beyond obsessed with Wade Miller in the beginning.

The funniest part is, Lola doesn’t think she needs rehab, yet we as readers discover that she actually needs it desperately, just not for the reason that got her sent there in the first place. Lola din’t really start growing and showing character development until the second half of the book, but once she did, I really liked her.

Adam had his ups and downs. Sometimes, his attitude and the way he treated Lola were awful. But he had his reasons – He was her “mentor,” so he had to try to keep himself distant from her and be professional. But when he relaxed and they had their moments, they were epic and hilarious (their banter and back-and-forth arguments had me laughing out loud)! They weren’t without their issues (both together or individually), but I still shipped the heck out of them!

I really didn’t like Wade. He seemed so fake and full of himself. I had a feeling early on that he was just meant to be that “light bulb” moment for Lola, so she could see how far she had come and what a great guy Adam was in comparison, so I tried not to let it bug me too much. Plus, I shipped Lola and Adam so hard, in my mind, the book could only end with them together or I would have thrown it across the room (Well.. it’s my iPad.. so maybe I would have figuratively thrown it…)

I liked Talia and Jade for the most part. Talia was a bit annoying, with how star-struck she was and how she always seemed to be sucking up to Lola. One of the revelations about her was slightly startling but not incredibly shocking. I’m happy with her small amount of character growth, but I felt bad for her near the end. And Jade was brutal and honest, which could sometimes come off as mean and cruel. But I still liked her and I was heartbroken with where her story ended.

Though it wasn’t without its issues, this book was oddly enjoyable, as well as a fast read. The author is a great writer, the plot was intriguing and, though the characters are Stereotypical Hollywood, they were still likable enough and several of them had great character development, so that softened the dislike a bit. My biggest issue with the book (and it wasn’t even that big a deal) was that, at times, it felt like an over-dramatic soap opera and/or a cheesy romantic comedy. But if you can overlook that, it’s a fun, quick read. Though it deals with some tough topics, it does it in a light-hearted way, so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

I would definitely recommend this book and I’m definitely excited to see what the author does next.

four-stars

Spotlight Post: I Love My Hair by Andrea Pippins

Jul24

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be featuring Andrea Pippins’ I Love My Hair (November 10th 2015, Schwartz & Wade) today! As “adults,” we all still love to color, right? Admit it.. You totally do! So this fun, adult coloring book is perfect for you! It “celebrates strong, confident women with a passion for style, design, and fashion.”

The cover was originally revealed on Bustle.com – Check it out here. And if you discuss this epic coloring book on social media, feel free to use the hashtag #IHeartMyHair

So without further adieu, here’s the official cover and synopsis! Enjoy!

image001-2 For fans of Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest comes a hip, gorgeous doodle coloring book about all things hair. Unlike other adult coloring books, which depict nature scenes and cityscapes, this title celebrates strong, confident women with a passion for style, design, and fashion.

Revel in the mesmerizing patterns and intricate details of Andrea Pippins’s delicate pen-and-ink illustrations, ready for you to color, complete, and embellish. Lose yourself in page after page of bold hairstyles and accessories, from rows of braids, to Mohawks, to sweeping updos, to cascades of ribbons and beads. Be transported to another world as you ink in Medusa’s slithering coiffure, Cleopatra’s elaborate headdress, and Marie Antoinette’s towering bouffant.

Perfect for experienced color-inners and newcomers alike. Coloring enthusiasts of all ages will love this empowering and stylish book. So go ahead—let your hair down, grab some pens or pencils, and add some color to your life.

Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Andrea Pippins author photoAbout Andrea:
 
Andrea Pippins is a designer and educator with a penchant for cool and personality as warm as her Brazilian roots.

Andrea’s first glimpse into the design world began when she encountered a TV profile about a magazine art director, she then saw Halle Berry’s role as an director in the movie Boomerang and was hooked. Andrea began harnessing her creative talents into a BFA in graphic design and later earned her MFA at Temple University-Tyler School of Art. Andrea’s love for design grew as she learned more about what it means to be a visual communicator and what true design is all about.

With her eclectic style, authentic voice and eye for all things beautiful, Andrea continues to capture the attention of the fashion, art and design worlds. Her blog Fly, is a source of inspiration for creative young women and has gained a loyal following of viewers eager to see what unique fashion find, up and coming artist or personal reflection she will post next.

You can find Andrea teaching in the classroom, working on new designs or dancing in her living room with the Samba music way up.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Instagram | Pinterest

Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Jul21

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund HodgeCrimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
Published by Balzer + Bray on May 5, 2015
Pages: 448
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

When Rachelle was fifteen, she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

I had the most frustrating love/hate relationship with this book imaginable – More so than with any book I’ve read recently. One minute, I wanted to DNF; the next, I felt the book was picking up and getting better. The back-and-forth of those two sentiments was so frequent, I sometimes felt like a ping pong ball! The plot was intriguing, but the pacing was slow and I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters (though some of them had their moments). Yet there was something about this book that kept me reading. I’m not sure what or why or how, but for whatever reason – and despite it taking eight days for me to finish the book – I kept pushing until the very last page.

I didn’t like nor dislike Rachelle; however, as silly as this is, I kept tripping over the pronunciation of her name and it slowed me down and really annoyed me. I know, I know, that’s REALLY silly, but.. I can’t help it! I also didn’t like nor dislike Armand, though I didn’t appreciate the insta-love between him and Rachelle. I don’t mind insta-love when it’s well-done, but I just felt like it wasn’t believable – at least, not in the beginning. If it had happened a bit slower, I think I would have liked it more. I could see the potential chemistry between Armand and Rachelle, but I didn’t see it when the insta-love first started to kick in.

I adored Erec in the beginning – he and Rachelle had a hilarious rapport. However, by the end… Gah! I can’t go into detail because of spoilers but… While I wasn’t surprised with the way Erec’s story ended, I was definitely a bit upset! On the flip-side, I really liked Amelie! I actually liked her more than Rachelle! There were a ton of other secondary characters, but none were memorable or notable. However, the one intriguing thing about the characters in this book (even the ones I didn’t care for as much)? They all reminded me of the “wolf grandmother” from the original Little Red Riding Hood, in that everyone had secrets and no one was who you thought they were. So that kept me guessing/on the edge of my seat a bit.

My biggest issue with this book (besides not connecting with the characters) was the fact that, in the beginning of the book, we were thrown into the world and we were hit with a lot of terminology. I was honestly so confused, I didn’t understand what was going on at all. I think if I re-read the book, I would understand it a LOT better. But just based on the first read, I was totally lost for at least half the book and that was super frustrating.

Finally, as someone who read Cruel Beauty, I can say that, though I liked the fairy tale and Greek myth that Cruel Beauty was based on a whole lot more than I did the fairy tale that Crimson Bound was based on, I still found Crimson Bound to be a lot better than Cruel Beauty. With Crimson Bound, I was more intrigued by the plot and more invested in the characters. That’s still not saying much, since I spent a great deal of this book debating whether or not I should DNF. But I still enjoyed it more than Cruel Beauty, overall.

I also want to point out that Fairy Tale Retellings and Greek Mythology retellings are my Book Drug of Choice. They’re my absolute favorite thing in the world!!! So the fact that I didn’t enjoy this (or Cruel Beauty) as much as I had hoped is.. Well, disappointing, to say the least. However, Rosamund Hodge is such a GORGEOUS writer! Her writing is smooth and melodic and it just sucks you right in! Her writing, more than anything, kept me from DNFing Crimson Bound (and, back when I read it, Cruel Beauty). It was just… beautiful. And for that reason alone, she’s staying on my To Read list for all future books – I’m beyond excited for her new 2016 release, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire!!

So if you loved Cruel Beauty, I definitely recommend Crimson Bound. Or if you love Fairy Tale Retellings or, specifically, Little Red Riding Hood, I say give this book a chance! You might enjoy what I didn’t and you might fall in love with the characters and plot.

three-stars

Blog Tour: Forever for a Year by B.T. Gottfred

Jul20

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 12.33.41 AM

Hey everyone! I’m so, so excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Forever for a Year by B.T. Gottfred (July 7th 2015, Henry Holt and Co. [BYR]). This book sounds incredible and I’m very, very excited to read it! Today, I’ll be sharing with you my description of what it feels like to fall in love for the first time. Plus, there’s a giveaway! First, here’s more about the book:

Forever for a Year When Carolina and Trevor meet on their first day of school, something draws them to each other. They gradually share first kisses, first touches, first sexual experiences. When they’re together, nothing else matters. But one of them will make a choice, and the other a mistake, that will break what they thought was unbreakable. Both will wish that they could fall in love again for the first time . . . but first love, by definition, can’t happen twice.

Told in Carolina and Trevor’s alternating voices, this is an up-close-and-personal story of two teenagers falling in love for the first time, and discovering it might not last forever.
 

Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

And now here’s my post! Enjoy!

“How would you describe the feeling of falling in love for the first time?”

Falling in love for the first time.. It’s different for everyone. It’s exciting and nerve-wracking, all at once. It’s fun and new and you don’t know where it’s going to lead. It means opening yourself up to someone and trusting that they won’t break your heart. Sometimes, it’s love at first sight – you just KNOW, deep in your heart, that there’s something special about that person. Sometimes, it even comes out of years of friendship.

For most people, the first time they fall in love, it’s awkward and messy because they have no idea what they’re doing, what to say or how to act. But no matter what, you’ll never forget your first love – hopefully for good reasons, rather than bad ones!

In the end, only one thing is certain: love is one huge uncertainty. If your first love ends up being the person you marry, that’s amazing! But it’s okay if your first love isn’t your last love. Follow your heart, but trust your gut. You’ll know if it’s right or not. Whether your first love is epic or just one of many, it’ll impact your life for years to come. You’ll learn from it, you’ll grow and you’ll find happiness. Because in the end, being happy and enjoying life are the most important things.

~*~*~*~

And now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of the book!

-Giveaway is US only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-The publisher and I are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

Forever For a Year Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, July 17 – Fierce Reads Tumblr

Monday, July 20 – Pandora’s Books

Tuesday, July 21 – Confessions of a Readaholic

Wednesday, July 22 – Live to Read

Thursday, July 23 – Once Upon a Twilight

Friday, July 24 – Novel Ink

Saturday, July 25 – A Dream Within A Dream

Sunday, July 26 – I’d So Rather Be Reading

Monday, July 27 – Effortlessly Reading

Tuesday, July 28 – Bumbles and Fairytales

Wednesday, July 29 – Books & Cleverness

Thursday, July 30 – The Reading Nook Reviews

Friday, July 31 – The Unofficial Fan Addiction Book Club

Saturday, August 1 – Me, My Shelf and I

Sunday, August 2 – Bookish Lifestyle

~*~*~*~

BT GottfredAbout the Author:
 
And… yeah… I’m crazy but can pretend really, really well I’m not. Sort of what I feel about everybody. (Except for the people who can’t pretend they’re not crazy. You know who you are. Actually, never mind, you probably don’t.)

Anyway, here’s some stuff I’ve done to help me feign sanity:

Wrote and directed the play, “Women Are Crazy Because Men Are A**holes” that has played over four years in Los Angeles and Chicago and just made its Off Broadway premiere at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre. Los Angeles Times said: “Seldom have I been a part of a more enthusiastic and vocal audience. Brad T Gottfred’s play about young couples stumbling through the minefield of codependency taps a universal nerve.”

Wrote, directed, and executive produced the feature film “The Movie Hero” which played at over 20 film festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards including First Prize at the Rhode Island Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival.

My first play, “Marry, F**K, Or Kill” was called “a guilty pleasure for veterans of the single life” by the Los Angeles Times. It went on to an Off Broadway premiere in the fall of 2011.

First web series “Sex and Love Conspire to Destroy the World” was released by MyDamnChannel in 2013.

My first-ish novel, “Forever for a Year”, was released in July 2015 by Macmillan/Holt.

Website

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Sunday Street Team: Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson (Interview + Giveaway)

Jul19

SST_FullSizeRender

Sunday Street Team is hosted by Nori @ ReadWriteLove28

Hey everyone! Today, I have Shanna Swendson, author of Rebel Mechanics, here with an interview! First, here’s the cover and synopsis for Rebel Mechanics:

Rebel Mechanics A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.

It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children’s young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.

Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

And now here’s the interview! Enjoy!

Question: Rebel Mechanics will be out in two weeks (and will celebrate its Book Birthday two days after this interview goes live!)!!! How does it feel? Are you nervous? Excited?
Answer: I am really excited! I’ve been working on this book for so long, and I can’t wait for readers to start finding it. I’m always a bit nervous about the release of a book because it’s like sending a little piece of myself out into the world, but at the same time I’m very proud of it and I hope people love it as much as I do.

Question: Describe your book in ten words or less. Go!
Answer: Jane Eyre meets the Scarlet Pimpernel and starts a revolution.

Question: Rebel Mechanics sounds AMAZING. What inspired the idea for the story?
Answer: A lot of things came together to create this story. I wanted to play with steampunk because it looks cool and I love Victorian things. I was somewhat inspired by the book Jane Eyre, in that when I found myself looking at my bookcase and saw that book, it made me think that a governess would be a good character to write about in a steampunk story. There’s an incident in the first chapter that was inspired by something I was being snarky about when I was discussing a book I read, and it ended up being a big part of the plot. And I just wanted to write a fun adventure story with trains and airships and other cool stuff that also looks pretty.

Question: You’ve written/published several books for adults. What made you decide to write a book for young adults? Do you prefer writing YA or adult?
Answer: My agent’s been trying for years to get me to write a YA book because she thinks my voice would fit well. My earlier books are very teen friendly, and I have a lot of younger readers. The School Library Journal even listed my Enchanted, Inc. as being an adult book that teen readers would like. I actually initially wrote Rebel Mechanics as an adult book, but since the characters were pretty young, we also submitted to YA publishers, and they were the ones who were more open to it. I guess my earlier books were adult books that might also appeal to teens, and this book is a teen book that might also appeal to adults. I really just write books with characters who are the ages they need to be, and I let the publishers decide where to shelve them.

Question: Your previous books (The Enchanted, Inc. series and The Fairy Tale series) were all about fairy tales and magic. With Rebel Mechanics, you’re venturing into history, rebellion and espionage. Was it fun writing about something different or do you still prefer fairy tales?
Answer: When you look at what’s going on in Rebel Mechanics, I think a lot of those fairy tale themes are still there. We have secret identities, hidden magic, noblemen, a fancy ball, and even a “prince” of sorts. In some respects, it’s closer to traditional fairy tales than the contemporary books are. It’s just in a different setting with a different kind of big-picture plot. The only real difference is that the characters are wearing different clothes and are in a different world.

Question: Think back to when your first book was published. What’s the best thing you’ve experienced so far? Best encounter with a reader?
Answer: Perhaps my biggest “wow, my life is so cool” moments was when I was at the party hosted by my previous publisher at the World Science Fiction Convention. The party was a boat tour on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. I started the evening chatting with Alan Dean Foster, who was one of the first science fiction authors I ever read and a favorite my whole life. Then later I spent quite a while chatting with Connie Willis, one of my current favorite authors, and her husband. I ended up having a wacky conversation about Gilligan’s Island conspiracy theories with George R.R. Martin. And they were all treating me like a peer. I think I was acting totally cool about it, but at the same time my inner fangirl was freaking out about how amazing all this was.

As for my best reader encounter, this wasn’t in person, but I got an e-mail from someone whose mother had had a stroke. She was conscious, but not really responsive, and so this person started reading to her. When she read my series, her mother actually seemed to respond to it and became more aware, like she was really hearing it and wanted to know what happened next. That gave me shivers, to think that my work had affected someone that way.

Question: If you could go back and tell your pre-published self one thing, what would it be?
Answer: Write what you want to read and don’t worry about what’s currently hot. I spent a lot of time chasing trends and trying to be something I wasn’t rather than writing what mattered to me. That’s why my career has a big gap in it.

Question: Craziest thing you’ve had to Google for a WIP?
Answer: For Rebel Mechanics, I spent a lot of time looking for videos of steam engines at work. They weren’t just used for trains. There were steam tractors, and some are still working. Apparently, there are whole festivals around steam-powered vehicles, and fortunately they post videos from these.

Question: I know Rebel Mechanics isn’t out yet, but I’m dying to know – are you working on anything new?
Answer: I’m at work on the third book in my Fairy Tale series, but I’m also starting preliminary research on a sequel to Rebel Mechanics.

And now here’s the giveaway! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

Shanna SwendsonAbout the Author:
 
Shanna Swendson is the author of the popular adult romantic fantasy series, Enchanted, Inc. Rebel Mechanics is her first novel for young adults. She lives in Irving, Texas.
 
 
 

Website | Twitter

 
 
 

Author Interview: No Such Person by Caroline B. Cooney

Jul14

Hey everyone! I can’t even begin to express how excited I am to have Caroline B. Cooney here for an interview today! Seriously, Caroline B. Cooney was my childhood! I read (and re-read) The Face on the Milk Carton, Goddess of Yesterday and The Ransom of Mercy Carter so many times, I lost count! So my 13-year-old self is pretty much shrieking non-stop right now! Okay, I’m done fangirling… not really, but I’ll try to contain myself! So first, here’s the cover and synopsis for Caroline’s new book, No Such Person (July 14th 2015, Delacorte Press):

No Such Person From the author of the multimillion-copy bestseller The Face on the Milk Carton, this riveting new thriller, set against the backdrop of a bucolic summer town on the Connecticut River, will have readers guessing until the very last page, as a seemingly innocent sibling rivalry and newfound young love turn into something much more devastating than anyone could ever have imagined.

Miranda and Lander Allerdon are sisters. Miranda is younger, a dreamer, and floating her way through life. Lander is older, focused, and determined to succeed. As the girls and their parents begin another summer at their cottage on the Connecticut River, Miranda and Lander’s sibling rivalry is in high gear. Lander plans to start medical school in the fall, and Miranda feels cast in her shadow.

When the Allerdons become entangled in an unimaginable tragedy, the playing field is suddenly leveled. As facts are revealed, the significance of what has happened weighs heavily on all. How can the family prepare for what the future may hold?

“Jangling suspense juxtaposed with cozy details of family life keeps thriller master Cooney’s latest zooming along.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Full of twists and turns . . . has all the elements that keep young mystery lovers coming back for more.”–School Library Journal

“No one writes suspense like Cooney . . . . Haunting, harrowing, and hard to put down.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Cleverly plotted . . . rooted in suspense . . . fully satisfying. Mystery fans will be delighted.”–Booklist

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Depository | IndieBound | Kobo

And now here’s the interview! Enjoy!

Question: Congratulations! No Such Person will be out in two weeks (and will be celebrating its Book Birthday when this interview goes live). How does it feel?
Answer: I’ve written more than ninety books, but the excitement of a new one never diminishes. It’s so marvelous to hold the real book in your hands for the first time. This one also has a wonderful cover, evocative and spooky.

Question: No Such Person sounds amazing! What inspired the idea for the plot?
Answer: I had a little red cottage perched on a bluff over the Connecticut River. In the summer it was busy with motorboats, kayaks, sailboats, and tugs pushing or pulling oil barges. One day I saw a boy in a small speedboat playing chicken with a barge the size of half a football field. I thought, You could murder a water-skier that way. Tow him in front of the barge, ease up on your speed, drop him in the water, and here comes the barge. He’s cooked.

Immediately it began to shape into a book.

What if you are looking out on the river one beautiful day, and you and your sister both stand helplessly watching this terrifying event? But you are watching it from different heights and different perspectives. You know immediately that the driver of the boat planned and executed the death of his friend. But your sister doesn’t see it that way. She is filled with compassion for the driver, who, she insists, is guilty only of carelessness. What if your sister now begins to date that young man? A man you believe to be a murderer?

Question: You’ve been writing and publishing books for a long time! How do you keep your plots fresh and interesting and your characters realistic?
Answer: No Such Person was very exciting to write. It’s a double narrative, with each sister in a separate but overlapping nightmare. I’ve written over ninety books and I don’t think I’ve ever written a book in the present tense before, let alone two different first persons.

Question: The Face on the Milk Carton came out in the early 1990s. How has the YA market changed since then? What’s the most significant thing you’ve seen happen since your first YA book was published?
Answer: My first YA was published in 1980, so that’s thirty-five years ago! Topics today are so much deeper and sometimes—though not usually in my own books—so much darker. Covers are more artistic and graphically satisfying. The readership is much wider—it used to be about sixth through ninth grades, and now you have a lot of readers in fourth and fifth grades and plenty of readers in high school. Books are available in digital format, which seems reasonable and logical to my young readers but which I still find absolutely astonishing.

Question: You’ve written across several genres. What’s your favorite genre to work with and why? Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written?
Answer: It depends on my mood. I always want a lot of action; I want the good guys to win, and that means, the book has to have good guys. It’s not the genre that matters, it’s the characters. You have to have great people that a reader will root for.

Question: The Face on the Milk Carton was turned into a movie. What was that experience like?
Answer: I had a big movie-night party. The local cable company ran temporary wires around my house so we could put televisions all over the place. My sixth-grade teacher, who started me writing, was able to come to the movie party! Such a kick for both of us.

~*~*~*~*~

ph_caroline_new_220pxAbout the Author:
 
CAROLINE B. COONEY is the author of the Janie series, which includes the bestselling The Face on the Milk Carton. She has also written Code Orange and Diamonds in the Shadow, as well as hundreds of other mystery and thriller novels.
 
 

Website

Facebook | Pinterest