Archive by Author | Meredith

Item: Frozen
Rating: 3
Author: Meredith

Review: Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz

Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz
Series: Heart of Dread #1
Published by Putnam Juvenile on September 17, 2013
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

When I first picked this book up, I went into it knowing it had gotten a lot of bad reviews – Not all bad, but mostly bad. I’m a huge Melissa de la Cruz fan, though. I loved Blue Bloods and I REALLY love the Witches of East End books. Plus, the concept of Frozen was interesting. I wanted to like it! Unfortunately, I did not.

There was a lot of action in the beginning, which is normally good. Except it was all really confusing. It was like information overload, with no explanation at all. I was intrigued by the world and I wanted to know more, but I didn’t feel pulled in by the characters or story at all. And all this was only on page 33 of the book. So I pushed through, figuring it would get better.

And then I was 98 pages in and I STILL didn’t care about Wes or Nat (our two man characters. The story is told from each of their POV’s). I felt really detached from these characters and I really didn’t care about them, or what happened to them. I appreciated that they didn’t experience stereotypical “love at first sight.” They were both weary of each other and kept their distance. But I just didn’t care about them.

Also, at several points along their “journey” to find the Blue, Nat and Wes ran into “trouble.” Each situation was meant to be “really bad,” but the characters always seemed to get out of danger too easily. Nothing ever felt dire. I never felt afraid for them, because I knew they’d escape. There was just no sense of danger.

Nat’s “reveal” to the Wes’s crew felt anticlimatic, too. Of course, some of the characters freaked out and went crazy and Wes himself didn’t give a damn. It was just… I expected more drama, more… something. I kind of wanted Wes to be shocked and shun her for a day or two before coming to terms with it. Maybe that doesn’t fit his character’s personality.. I don’t know. But I wanted something more, and I didn’t get that something more.

There was a lot of filler and background in Frozen, and it’s very obvious the author(s) was setting it up for the second book. I know that’s necessary, but it felt like they put TOO much filler and background in.

The ending wasn’t terrible. A little cliche at some points, and totally not cliche at others. I still never saw that spark between Nat and Wes, and I still felt detached from them. The ending had some unexpected surprises that weren’t awful, and I’ll still be picking up the second book when it comes out, because now that the world has been “set” – for lack of a better word – I feel like it might pick up in book two and get interesting. I’m still a huge Melissa de la Cruz fan, and I’m willing to give Frozen #2 a shot!

Stacking the Shelves #8: In Which I Went to An Epic Signing

Sep28

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Books I Mentioned

Sleigh Belles by Beth Albright
Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes
45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
The Fallout by S.A. Bodeen
Hereafter by Kate Brian
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris
Waterfell by Amalie Howard
Beyond Fate by Heather Lyons
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Eternity by Elizabeth Miles
Venom by Fiona Paul
Belladonna by FIona Paul
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Almost Demon by A.J. Salem
This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan

Bloggers Mentioned
Stacee @ Adventures of a Book Junkie

Publishers/Lit Agencies I Mentioned
Entangled Publishing (For Olivia Twisted)
Fierce Reads (Macmillan)
JKS Communications (For Waterfell)

Authors Mentioned
A.J. Salem

Event Recap: Fierce Reads Tour + Giveaway

Sep28

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all having a great Friday! I’ve never done an event recap before (I’m terribly behind on posting about the last event I went to..) so bear with me, please!

Last night, the awesome Fierce Reads tour stopped at my local New Jersey Barnes & Noble! I was so excited, because big book tours like this never come close to me. Usually, they stop in NYC – Which I can still get to, but it’s a little more difficult. So, of course, as soon as I heard about the event, I decided to go!

At first, they were going to seat us upstairs – my Barnes & Noble has a HUGE upstairs event area. But we had a smaller crowd, so they moved us downstairs to a smaller space. It was still a great turn-out, and we had an awesome audience with fantastic questions! Once the Fierce Reads authors were seated and introduced, they went right into answering questions!

*From left, Leila Sales, S.A. Bodeen, Alexandra Coutts and Marissa Meyer*

Sadly, I was not coordinated enough to record the answers to the questions, but I can tell you a number of the questions were about each author’s current books, writing inspiration, character inspiration and future projects. They were really great about answering the questions they COULD answer (Some of them had projects they couldn’t discuss, or weren’t working on anything major at the moment).

During the question and answer period, Leila had a mixed CD that she offered up for the first person to ask a question. Nicole @ Paperback Princess was the lucky winner of that CD! Later on in the signing, Alexandra offered up a Tumble & Fall tote bag to the first person to answer the question (paraphrased), What would you do if you only had a couple of days left on earth? And guess who the first person to answer that question was? You guessed it – Me! I said I would read as many books as I possibly could! Everyone got a kick out of that! Here’s the adorable tote bag:

And then came the signing!!! The signing was a little bit hectic and crazy – At least, it was for me! I had so, so many books to get signed and I felt really bad for taking up their time – especially poor Marissa! I had her sign FOUR books! She was so sweet about it, though, and she was so fun to talk to!

After getting my books signed by Marissa, I snagged these awesome pins and this cool Lunar Chronicles bookmark:

After the signing, I went to look at books with two awesome bloggers I met – Nicole @ Paperback Princess and Sophia @ [YA] Between the Lines.

After about twenty minutes, we made our way back to the front of the store. Almost everyone had left at that point. The authors had signed a ton of stock were saying their goodbye’s to the last few people hanging around. I managed to snag pictures with them at that point!

All in all, the night was amazing! I got some books signed for a friend, and a bookmark signed for another friend. I also snagged this really cool Fierce Reads poster!

And guess what?? I have goodies for you guys, too! One lucky winner will get all of this:

*A Fierce Reads poster and bookmark, a This Song Will Save Your Life bookmark, an I Heart Iko pin and a SIGNED copy of Cinder by Marissa Meyer!*

So who’s ready for the giveaway?!?

-Giveaway is US/Canada 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.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Once it’s in the mail, I have no control and, sadly, cannot re-ship anything.

-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

2013 Debut Author Bash: K.A. Barson (Interview + Giveaway)

Sep26

The 2013 Debut Author Bash is hosted by Nichole @ YA Reads.

Hey everyone, and welcome to my stop on the 2013 Debut Author Bash! I’m so excited to be hosting Kelly A. Barson, author of 45 Pounds (More of Less), which was an absolutely amazing book!

K.A. Barson graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. She and her husband live in Jackson, Michigan, surrounded by kids, grandkids, unruly dogs, and too many pairs of shoes.

Today, I have an interview with Kelly and an awesome giveaway that you guys can enter. First, here’s some information on the book:

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

And now, the interview:

Question: Hi, Kelly. Thank you for joining me today! First, I’d like to congratulate you on your amazing debut, 45 Pounds (More or Less).
Answer: Thank you for having me!

Question: This book was realistic and inspiring. For me, this book hit close to home. I found myself nodding along to the majority of Ann’s thoughts, and grimacing when something she dealt with reminded me of a situation I was in. Tell us more about what inspired you to write it.
Answer: I wanted to write a book about a real girl who struggled with weight, but most of all struggled with her perceptions of herself and those around her.

Question: Ann is a very likeable, relatable character. How much of your own experience went into writing Ann?
Answer: More than I care to admit! I have always struggled with my weight, too. I’ve been on so many diets I know them inside and out. It’s not just a matter of eating a certain way or doing certain things. It really does come down to self-worth and what’s going on in your head, first and foremost. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering that, so I could really relate with Ann and her internal struggles.

Question: Were any of the characters (Courtney, Raynee, etc) based on people you knew in real life?
Answer: Gram is kind of a mash-up of my grandma, my mom as a grandma, and me as a grandma. Ann is a mixture of me and a ton of other girls that age. Other than that, no one in particular.

Question: What about Ann’s mother? What went into developing her character?
Answer: The hard part with her was to balance how Ann saw her and the reality of her. The book is in Ann’s point of view, so I had to stay there, but I wanted readers to see her as a real person battling her own issues. She loves her daughter and has good intentions. They just don’t always come across the way she means.

Question: The most heartbreaking part of this book, in my opinion, was the storyline involving Libby. Can you tell us more about her character, and how you came up with her storyline?
Answer:I love Libby! My own experience (as a kid and with my own kids) is that they’re smarter than people think. They pay more attention to what people do than how they’re told to think. Because they parrot words and behavior, what better way to show Ann how she’s been behaving than a little sister that wants to be like her—and her mom?

Question: What’s the one thing you really want readers to take away from 45 Pounds (More or Less)?
Answer: For readers who struggle with weight, I hope they realize that they’re not alone and hope they can see how beautiful and valuable they are. For those who have never had a weight or body image problem, I hope they can look at those around them through a different lens, to realize that we all have issues and that everyone is worth getting to know.

Question: On a lighter note, if you could go into a candy store and buy 45 pounds worth of candy, what would you get?
Answer: Peanut M&Ms, definitely!

Question: What was the writing process, in general, like for you?
Answer: Long. I took almost nine years to write this book. I had to re-vision and re-start the story several times until I found its true focus. I was pretty new when I started, so every time I learned something new about character motivation and plot, I’d start over to incorporate that new lesson.

Question: And the road to finding an agent and getting published?
Answer: Again, that was long. But once I took two years off from submitting to learn and focus on writing, things moved along pretty quickly after that. I graduated with my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults in January 2011. By June of that year, I’d signed with my agent. (I’d simply queried her. She requested my manuscript and offered representation a couple weeks later.) By fall, she’s sold my novel to Sharyn November at Viking. But it was long road from 2005 to 2011.

Question: What are you working on next?
Answer: My next book is a YA contemporary about a high school cosmetology student who thinks she has her whole life planned out and under control—until everything falls apart.

Question: Can we expect another book set in Ann’s world, or one similar to it?
Answer: The next book is in the same city—a fictional version of my own city, Jackson, Michigan. It’s not a spin-off or a sequel, but some of the characters from 45 POUNDS might be making cameos.

And now for the giveaway! Kelly has generously donated a signed hardcover, which one of you lucky people will win! In order to enter to win, please follow the Rafflecopter prompt below. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends Thursday, October 10th.

-Giveaway is US/Canada 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.

-I am 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

Blogoversary: Pandora’s Books is 3-Months Old!

Sep24

Today (September 24, 2013), Pandora’s Books celebrated its 3-month Blogoversary! It’s not a huge milestone, but one that means a lot to me!

When I first made the decision to start blogging on June 24, 2013, I had no idea what I was doing, what was going to happen, or how long it would last. I knew very few people in the community. I was just a girl on Twitter who enjoyed reading and tweeting about awesome books and authors.

And then I decided to blog. It was kind of an out-of-the-blue decision, but also something I had wanted to do for years – if that makes sense. Let me clarify… I had wanted to start a blog for years, but I had no idea how or what it should be about. I never thought about book blogging as a thing. And then, the more involved I became on Twitter and the more bloggers I “met” on Twitter, the more I learned of the blogging community and how incredible it was.

So I started out small, using Blogger by Google. Nikki @ Fiction Freak helped me with the design and basic template and she created my current blog button for me. She patiently answered all my questions – and trust me, there were a lot. And she guided me through some basic blogging terminology and protocol. For that, I will be forever grateful to her! Without Nikki, I never would have started blogging. At least, not when I did and maybe not for several more years. I was totally clueless.

Almost as soon as I started blogging, I began meeting other bloggers and chatting with more and more authors. I was humbled by how incredibly sweet and helpful those in the book blogging community were. Everyone was so welcoming, offering help and advice where it was needed. I was so relieved and grateful.

Stacee @ Adventures of a Book Junkee was one of my first cheerleaders. From the moment we began chatting, she answered my nine million questions with patience and understanding. She guided me through a lot of rough patches and aided me in so many ways, I don’t think I can ever repay her for it all. And even though we only knew each other for about a month, she was kind enough to get me not one copy of an ARC but TWO copies! She was at San Diego Comic Con and happened to see a tweet from me about wanting Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz, and she got TWO – one for me, signed and one to give away on my blog. It was my very first big, official giveaway. Stacee barely knew me then, but she helped me and has continued to be amazing and helpful and just there for me. I’m sure I’ll drive her nuts one of these days, but for now, she’s still patiently answering my questions and just being amazing!

Along the way, I’ve gotten to do some amazing things. I’ve been very, very lucky in my short time as a blogger. My young, not very well-known blog has been able to participate in many things already! I’ve helped with cover reveals, done some author interviews; I was even lucky enough to land a spot on the 2013 Debut Authors blog tour and become a tour host for Lola’s Blog Tours!

I’ve gotten very, very lucky with some of the ARCs and review books I’ve received – many from contests and amazing friends! Some eARCs were even from publicists who took a chance on me, despite how new I was. I can’t begin to describe how grateful and humbled I am by that! So many people have told me that new bloggers really can’t request ARCs (especially physical ones), because they don’t have the experience and following. But these publicists allowed me to participate, to be involved. My biggest, most surprising achievement was when I requested Perfect Ruin (Lauren DeStefano) from Simon & Schuster and they actually sent it to me! Talk about mind blown!

I want to quickly spotlight some of the bloggers who have helped me along the way – I know I’m going forgetting some people! I’m so sorry! It’s not intentional, I promise!

Ashley @ Nose Graze
Crystal @ Crystal in Bookland
Emily @ On Emily’s Bookshelf
Hafsah @ Icey Books
Jessica @ Just A Book Lover
Kayla @ Bibliophilic Nerds
Nova @ Musings of a Blogder
Shannon @ Twilight Sleep
Stacie @ The Shy Book Nerd
Taherah @ Books As You Know It

Like I said, I know I’m forgetting some people, but there are so many of you who have been so amazing along the way! If I forgot anyone, I’m so so sorry! It’s not intentional – I’m just forgetful!(Just DM me on Twitter and yell at me and I’ll add you to that list! Hehe ^_^)

I also want to thank Kelly @ Inkslinger PR for taking a chance on a newbie blogger and for allowing me to do reviews, cover reveals and launch day posts for Rachel Harris, Heather Lyons and Amanda Havard. Because you took a chance on me, I discovered some amazing books and amazing authors. Thank you so, so much, Kelly!

My point is, these last three months have been a crazy, insane whirlwind of AWESOME. And I never thought I’d be where I am now in such a short amount of time. I mean, I’m going to an event on October 1st and I need to bring BUSINESS CARDS! Guys, I had to ORDER business cards for my blog! After three months! I just.. I can’t even! It’s insane and – I know I’ve used these words a lot, but I sincerely mean them – I am so humbled and so grateful to everyone I have met and for everything I have done and everything I will do.

Thank you to everyone who befriended me, who made me feel welcome in the book blogging community, and who took chances on a new book blogger who had no idea what she was doing! Most importantly, thank you to everyone who has made Pandora’s Books what it is today. Without you guys, there WOULDN’T be a Pandora’s Books. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

Cover Reveal: Beyond Fate (Fate Series #1.5) by Heather Lyons

Sep23

It’s Cover Reveal Day for Heather Lyons and the first novella in her The Fate Series,

BEYOND FATE!

ABOUT BEYOND FATE (FATE #1.5):

There are always two sides to every story . . .

His whole life, Jonah Whitecomb has strove to meet everyone’s expectations of him: the perfect student, dutiful son, loyal twin, accomplished surfer, and powerful Magical. But behind his carefully composed façade hides the truth of how his family has fallen apart, leaving Jonah more often than not feeling adrift. To complicate matters, he fell in love long ago with a girl in his dreams, one he’s never told anyone about, including his twin brother.

Just when life seems its bleakest, Jonah discovers that Chloe is real. Wanting to finally reach out and grab happiness for himself, he embarks on a journey to track down the girl of his dreams, only to find that happy endings aren’t always guaranteed, the best laid out plans can go horribly awry, and sometimes, you have to simply let yourself go along for the ride.

* Beyond Fate is Jonah’s point-of-view of the events of A Matter of Fate, and is a companion novella.

Goodreads

About Heather Lyons:

Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Heather’s website | Heather on Goodreads

Heather’s Twitter | Heather’s Facebook

Stacking the Shelves #7: In Which I Gush About the Book Blogging Community

Sep21

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

Books I Mentioned
The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
The Secret Circle: The Divide by L.J. Smith

Bloggers I Mentioned
Stormy C @ Book Blog Bake
Stacie @ The Shy Book Nerd
Kayla @ The Bibliophilic Nerds

Authors I mentioned
Hafsah Laziaf

Review: Find Me by Romily Bernard

Sep19

Find Me by Romily Bernard
Series: Find Me #1
Published by HarperTeen on September 24, 2013
Pages: 307
Format: Hardcover
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

Find Me was such an amazing book. I went into it thinking it was just about hacking, but it’s about so much more than that and it was so, so good!!

Wick is a fascinating character with a unique voice. She’s skeptical of everything and everyone and completely untrusting. She has her reasons, too. She’s protective of her younger sister, Lily – and it’s a good thing because, unlike Wick, Lily is trusting and open. That’s not necessarily a bad way to live, but it leaves Lily vulnerable.

I loved Lauren so much. She was an amazing friend and I loved that Wick could confide in her and trust her. There were enough untrustworthy characters in this book and in Wick’s life. It was nice knowing she had someone she could count on. On the flipside, I completely hated Carson throughout the majority of the book. He was creepy and untrustworthy. And then the end of the book just blew my mind. Like.. Whoa. No words. And I’d spoil it, too, if I said anymore.

Then there was Griff. Wow. Um. I seriously don’t even know where to start with Griff. He was kind, friendly, sweet, mean, aloof, flirty… I could go on and on and on. He goes through a myriad of emotions, feelings and personalities from beginning to end. And some of the revelations… Wow. Like.. At one point, I thought I knew where his character arc was going, and then I wasn’t sure, and then I was like… Mind Blown!!

I actually got to a certain point in the book where my reactions were basically like this:
“WHAAAAATTTT?????”
“WHOA! WAIT… WHAT???”
“WHAT??? WAIT, WAIT… WHAT???”
“WHOA, THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE NOW!!!!!”

So… yeah. I don’t even know what else I can say without spoiling everything. I’m STILL reeling from the ending!! I heard there is supposed to be a second book and I WANT IT!!!!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!

Bernard is such a great writer. She gives Wick a unique voice, there’s no pesky love triangle, and the red herrings and twists and turns will leave your head spinning!! I literally had a book hangover after reading Find Me and it took me forever to start a new book after finishing it!

If you come away with from this review with just one thing, let it be this: You MUST read this book!!! NOW!

Stacking the Shelves #6: In Which I (Creepily) Hug My Books

Sep17

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

Books I Mentioned
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Awaken by Meg Cabot
Eve by Anna Carey
Eternal by Kristi Cook
Breathe by Sarah Crossan
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Dark Visions by L.J. Smith
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Bloggers I Mentioned
Christina @ Ensconced in YA
Kierra @ The Word Mineur

Authors I Mention
Amalie Howard
Kristi Cook
Rachel Harris

Bookstores I Mention
The Voracious Reader

Interview + Giveaway: Ultraviolet Catastrophe by Jamie Grey

Sep17

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to have Jamie Grey, author of Ultraviolet Catastrophe (September 24, 2013) here for an interview today! Here’s the official Goodreads excerpt for the book:

Quantum Electrodynamics. String Theory. Schrödinger’s cat. For sixteen-year-old Lexie Kepler, they’re just confusing terms in her science textbooks, until she finds out that her parents have been drugging her to suppress her outrageous IQ. Now Branston Academy, a school run by the world’s most powerful scientists, has tracked her down and is dying for her to attend – as a research subject.

She takes refuge at Quantum Technologies, a secret scientific community where her father works as a top-notch scientist, and begins her new life as girl genius at Quantum High. But the assignments at her new school make the Manhattan Project look like preschool – and Lexie barely survived freshman algebra.

Her first big assignment – creating an Einstein-Rosen bridge – is also her first chance to prove she can hold her own with the rest of QT’s prodigies. But while working with the infuriatingly hot Asher Rosen, QT’s teen wonder, Lexie uncovers a mistake in their master equation. Instead of a wormhole, the machine they’re building would produce deadly ultraviolet rays that could destroy the world. Now Lexie and Asher have to use their combined brainpower to uncover the truth behind the device. Before everyone at Quantum Technologies is caught in the ultraviolet catastrophe.

Hope you guys enjoy the interview!

Question: Describe your book in ten words or less. Go!
Answer: Girl genius and friends prevent wormhole sabotage, saving the world.

Question: The science and technology in Ultraviolet Catastrophe are so real, authentic and easy to understand. How much research went into writing it?
Answer: A ton! I knew nothing about physics before I started writing it, so I made use of the online classes out there from MIT and Harvard, as well as a LOT of YouTube videos of physics lectures. And a lot of reading on theories and scientists. I’m still not sure I understand it all, but it was really interesting!

Question: Were you into science and technology when you were in school? And to this day?
Answer: For the longest time I wanted to be a biologist, but eventually decided I was more into writing and the arts, so I switched majors. But I’ve always been interested in science – My dad was a science teacher and helped instill my interest in the field when I was little. Today I’m just a big technology geek. I love it all!

Question: What scene do you most regret having to cut?
Answer: The gala that occurs halfway through the book was originally a Halloween party and everyone got to dress up in costumes. Asher (the love interest) came as Captain Mal from Firefly. I was so sad to cut that scene – it was a lot of fun!

Question: On the flip side, what was your favorite scene that got added during edits?
Answer: The epilogue. I wanted one last scene with Lexie and Asher to show that everything was going to be all right for them. I won’t give too much away, but I do love kissing scenes :)

Question: I love your characters, so much! Which character was your favorite to write?
Answer: Aww. Thank you so much! I of course loved writing Lexie. We’re not a lot alike, other than some of the geekiness we share, but it was fun to write someone super smart, confident, and not afraid to take on the world. Wish I was that brave!

Question: And on the flip side, which character was the hardest (or least favorite) to write?
Answer: I think Dr. Kepler, Lexie’s dad, was difficult, only because I needed to walk a fine line between good guy and bad guy. Lexie has one view of her dad at first, but their relationship develops over the course of the book and I wanted to make it realistic. Relationships with parents can be full of conflict, but this was even worse than normal!

Question: Ultraviolet Catastrophe is so unique from a lot of the books in the YA market today. The love triangle isn’t a tradition love triangle, and Lexie and Asher don’t fall in love at first sight. Did you set out to write a unique story, or did it just work out that way?
Answer: I think it was a little bit of both. I didn’t want to follow the same structure of a lot of YA books with triangles and insta love, but I didn’t consciously draft it with those specifics in mind either. I just wanted to see where the story took me and how many crazy things I could put these people through.

Question: What books would you recommend to a reader who loved yours, and wants to read something similar?
Answer: I loved the Adoration of Jenna Fox for the science and futuristic feel to it. I’ve heard great things about Debra Driza’s Mila 2.0 and False Memory by Dan Krokos. They both have fun scientific-type plotlines.

Question: What are three must-have items when you sit down to write?
Answer: Fresh cup of tea, a bowl of M&Ms, and a fuzzy blanket. I can’t write when I’m cold!

Question: Biggest writing quirk?
Answer: I have to have the perfect opening line before I can write the rest of the story. I usually spend a few days thinking about it before I even start typing. That’s not to say it doesn’t end up changing eventually, but it seems like having it is some kind of switch that pulls me into the story.

Question: Can we expect more books set in the Ultraviolet Catastrophe universe?
Answer: To be honest, I’m still trying to decide. I don’t currently have plans for one, but if there’s a great response when Ultraviolet Catastrophe comes out, I’d definitely consider it!

Question: Are you working on anything new?
Answer: I am! I just finished writing a New Adult Space Opera with thieves and more crazy science, and lots of romance! I can’t wait to share it with you guys!

And now for the awesome giveaway, courtesy of Jamie! We have ONE finished copy of Ultraviolet Catastrophe up for grabs!

-Giveaway is US/Canada 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.

-I am 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