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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

Hey there boys and girls... we've got a busy debut YA book birthday week!  You read for this stellar list?

Today
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.  
NOSOUL 
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?  
HEART 
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
 
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
 
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
 
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
 
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
 
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

The Edumacation of Jay Barker by Jay Clark

Meet Jay Baker . . . or, as he is not-so-affectionately called by his opponent in the freshman-class presidential election--no comment.

A few random bullet points about Jay:
  • He is stupidly in love with his best friend, cheerleading dynamo Cameo "Appearance" Parnell.
  • He is also trying to score (points) with earthbound tennis-playing goddess Caroline Richardson.
  • He is fighting a losing battle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
  • He rocks a touché array of pop-culture references, jokes, and puns.
  • His family life cookie is about to crumble.
Root for Jay as he exchanges ego-blows with his mortal enemy, gets awkward around his dream girl(s), loses his marbles in a Bermudian love triangle, watches his parents' relationship implode, and, finally, learns to keep it real and be himself(ish).
 
February 1
Angelina's Secret by Lisa Rogers
As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend, wasn't real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn't imaginary after all. Now Angelina has to accept she's either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can't help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong. When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn't, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home.

February 2
This One Time with Julia by David Lampson
The story of Joe, a boy who can fall in love but can’t grow up

After Joe’s parents died, he stopped growing up. He doesn’t know where his money comes from. His diet consists primarily of cheeseburgers from McDonald’s. He plays basketball on the level of
a pro, but he has only ever played on the streets.

Then his brother disappears, and Julia shows up. Joe falls in love with Julia as quickly as his twin brother, Alvin, did. And like Alvin did before him, he runs away with Julia to her parents’ hotel. There, he’s so blinded by her seductive, dysfunctional family that he can’t see the truth of his brother’s disappearance
… until he accidentally stumbles upon Alvin’s killer.


Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Is your TBR list ready??

Friday, January 27, 2012

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

As a writer of YA and a moderator on yalitchat, you can be sure that YA lit is my passion. So of course, I HAD to join in the Young Adult Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Down the Rabbit Hole.  (Plus, there's a really pretty, ethereal badge.)
Ok, for many of you, this won't come as a surprise, but... the prize this time is a copy of DESTINED.  The novel has been getting rave reviews and is consistently one of the Kindle best sellers for children's (YA) romance.  So if you haven't had a chance to read it yet, I want to give you that opportunity. For FREE.

Details:

* If the winner is from the U.S., they will receive an autographed, paperback copy of DESTINED and a bookmark.

* If the winner lives outside the U.S., I will send them a copy of the novel from The Book Depository (if they ship to your country -- if not, please do not enter).

* Entrants should be 13 or older.

* Winner must respond to my notification email within 48 hours, or I will select a new winner.

So what are you waiting for?  Fill out that rafflecopter form and then get yourself hopping to another blog for more chances to win awesome YA novels.



Thursday, January 26, 2012

Recommendation ~ MY ENCHANTED LIFE by Laura Eno

My Enchanted Life is a light-hearted and fun read for anyone who enjoys paranormal romance - particularly YA.


Goodreads Description: 
An American teen finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed in England's magical community of Wode Gate. While dealing with gnomes, a cranky dragon, murder and mayhem, Emma tries to cope with her unwanted duties as Sentinel and fights to get back home again. 
She finds that things aren't always what they seem, people aren't who they pretend to be, and someone wants her dead. The king of the underworld wants her too, but he may be the least of her problems as Emma struggles to control her powers—while losing her heart to a demon.

Laura Eno's writing style drew me in immediately. Despite being Indie published, her editing was flawless and I was very impressed by the overall quality of the novel.

In this book, the main character, Emma, finds out on her 18th birthday that she has inherited a house in England and a powerful heritage. When she arrives at her new estate, she's greeted by every manner of enchanted creature you can imagine (except weres and vampires). But elves, sirens, dragons, shape shifters, and even demons, make an appearance. And the house -- it's quite simply enchanted. Eno's descriptions of the creatures and home make you feel like you're really there without slowing down the story.

The twists and turns in the story were also fun and added to the suspense. If I had to pin point the one thing that I didn't quite love, it was that the novel was so lighthearted, I never really believed that Emma was in that great of danger, even when she was. So, the suspense wasn't quite as protected as I would have liked.

But bottom line, I'd say that fans of Ella Enchanted, classic fairy tales, or younger YA in general, will probably really enjoy this novel.  Kindle readers can pick up a copy for just $2.99.


**FTC Disclaimer: Laura provided me with an e-copy of her novel in exchange for my honest review.**

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

What debut YA novels does the last full week in January have in store for us? Well, let's go see...
How about these??

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (I'm suffering from some serious cover love for this novel ~ hence, it's jumbo size appearance.)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.


Daughter of Centaurs (Centauriad #1) by Kate Klimo (this is Kate's debut YA book birthday, although she has published novels in other genres)


Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

Kate Klimo has masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth sometime far in the future.

Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James (this is Ryan's debut YA book birthday)

She should not exist.
He should not love her.
Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.
Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . .
Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?


So, did I just convince you to add to your ever-growing TBR pile?

Friday, January 20, 2012

J.A. Souders' Cover Reveal Scavenger Hunt

SQUEE!!  I am so excited and honored to be a part of my Oasis Sister's cover reveal scavenger hunt for her debut YA novel, RENEGADE.  Even I haven't seen the full cover, but if this piece is any indication, I am going to LOVE IT!!

Awesome, right?  Well, as great as the full cover is going to be, it won't be nearly as lovely as Jessica, who is just an awesome person!


J.A. Souders was born in the heartland with an overactive imagination and an over abundance of curiosity that was always getting her into trouble.  She first began writing at the age of 13, when she moved to Florida and not only befriended the monsters under the bed, but created worlds for them to play together.  
Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing.  She still lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, CFRW, YARWA and SCBWI.  
She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency.  Her debut book, RENEGADE, surfaces Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.


Now, If you are ready for a scavenger hunt, simply visit the following blogs and collect a word along with the puzzle pieces and head over to the three blogs hosting the giveaway on Monday.

The scavenger hunt word for this blog stop is: PERFECT

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Check it Out -- The Green by Karly Kirkpatrick

Hello everyone -- I just wanted to do a quick shout out for my Indelibles sister, Karly Kirkpatrick.  Her new YA contemporary novel, THE GREEN, came out this week, and it sounds awesome!!


How far would you go to save your dream?

Seventeen-year-old Ariceli Pisa is a senior at the prestigious Cambridge High School and has her sights set on Northwestern University. She's a cheerleader, a member of the National Honor Society...and a drug dealer. That's not the only secret she has to keep from her best friend Naomi--she’s also madly in love with Naomi’s ex-boyfriend, James Bartlett. Trying to balance her life at Cambridge High with her new demanding job keeps her teetering on the edge of disaster.

THE GREEN is available in ebook format at the following retailers for $3.99:
 Amazon                                                                                    Barnes & Noble
 Also available on Amazon UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

For more info about Karly and her books, check out www.karlykirkpatrick.com and www.darksidepublishing.com.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday!

It's Tuesday, time for another debut YA book birthday celebration!
This week, we welcome the "babies" of these debut novelists into the world:

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart - literally. But now that she's in heaven, Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend knows a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost - and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul who's been D&G (dead and gone) much longer than she… and who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on… but how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?


Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?


Tempest by Julie Cross
The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.


Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.


Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.


But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff
Four girls: dealer, junkie, recluse, thief 

Sarah, Jenna, Lauren, and Cassie may look like ordinary girls, but they're not. They're delinquents whose lives collide when they're sent to an experimental juvenile detention program on a farm in the middle of nowhere. As the girls face up to the crimes they committed, three of them will heal the wounds of their pasts and discover strengths they never dreamed they had. And one, driven by a deep secret of her own, will seek to destroy everything they've all worked so hard for.


So, that's this week.  Are any of these going on your TBR list??

Saturday, January 14, 2012

In His Eyes

Did you know?  The Indelibles are releasing an anthology called IN HIS EYES on Valentine's Day (1 month from today!).  You can get short stories told from the perspective of some of your favorite new book boyfriends (including Eros ~ yep, he's in there!)
So please add it to your TBR list and then look for the FREE DOWNLOAD on the most romantic day of the year.  Whether you have a Valentine or not, you'll want to snuggle up with these stories.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

There are some great sophomore efforts coming out this week (Jessica Rules the Dark Side, A Million Suns), but since we celebrate debut YA book birthdays here, let's send out happy birthday wishes to:
January 8th
Shadow's Edge by Maureen Lapinski

My magical life is dead to me now . . . This is my last chance at freedom.

Once, Leah Spencer didn’t mind being a natural-born Shaman to the Créatúir, a human helper to faeries, shapeshifters, and other magical beings. But that was before she listened to her friend Fiona and broke Rule #1, traveling unprepared to the Other Realm where she quickly lost a whole year of time. She missed out on everything—holidays, school, her sixteenth birthday, the boyfriend who ditched her. After that, Leah swore to leave all things magical behind and lead the life of a normal high school girl.

Now Fiona is missing, and something is killing off the Créatúir, both Light and Dark. As the Créatúir prepare to go to war, Leah is torn between her safe new life and solving the Other Realm murder spree. With the help of her three sisters (each with her own magical gift), and three gorgeous guys—who may or may not be part of the evil magic—Leah must vanquish an ancient dark force. Unless an unimaginable secret about her family destroys her first.


January 10th
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue. 

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn. 

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?


The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonia's mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions—questions Sonia doesn't always know how to answer—as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who aren't part of the "in" crowd. 

At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, she's dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent—it's hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonia's father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are—and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.

First Date by Krista McGee

The last thing Addy Davidson wants is to be on a reality TV show where the prize is a prom date with the President's son.

She's focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn't even audition for it.

But she got selected anyway.

So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show. Right before she realizes that the President's son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.

Addy's totally out of her comfort zone but that may be right where God can show her all that she was meant to be.


A diverse crop this week... any being added to your TBR list?

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Indelibles On Fire! (Bloghop and Kindle Fire Contest)

Introducing the Indelibles
Welcome to The Indelibles Blog Hop!

In celebration of our official launch, we are giving away a KINDLE FIRE! If you’d like to start at the beginning of the INDELIBLES ON FIRE GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP, then please start here: http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/

If you are already mid-hop, then welcome to your next stop! By following the link at the bottom of this post, you can proceed to the next author (and check out the awesome, individual giveaways we are doing along the way!). If you are entering to win the KINDLE FIRE, don’t forget to make a note of the keyword at the end of every blog post - the words spell out a phrase you will need to enter the contest on the last stop. 
Marketing guru Shelli Johannes Wells has teamed up with twenty-four other indie and small press authors to bring you the Indelibles.
“We are indie authors who write middle grade and young adult fiction.
We are dedicated to leaving a permanent mark on the world with our stories and words.
We are The Indelibles.”
Each week, we’ll explore fun, fabulous, and fierce topics for today’s teens, drawing on pop culture and themes from the books we write. Check out our official launch TODAY, Monday, January 9th for fun giveaways (including a Kindle Fire!!) at http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/. We’ll also be having a “blogger” chat on January 11th and a writer/author chat on the 18th to answer questions about self and indie pubbing. See our blog for more details.


In addition to introducing the Indelibles as a group, we're also introducing ourselves individually on our blogs.
I don't want to bore you too much with my own details. It boils down to this: I'm a wife, mother, lawyer, author of Destined (as if you couldn't tell from the blog), and not nearly as cool as I'd like to be ~ you can learn all you ever wanted to know (and more) by checking out some of the interview links in my sidebar. If you're new here, WELCOME! I'm excited to meet you. Feel free to use any of my various button to follow me on twitter, like me on Facebook or add Destined to your TBR pile on Goodreads.

What I'm really excited about though, is introducing you to all of the other members of the Indelibles. This is one amazingly talented group of authors and I count myself lucky to be among them. So, AFTER you enter my contest for an ecopy of Destined, pretty, pretty, please with sugar on top CONTINUE ON THE HOP by going Christine Bryant's blog. She's offering up a prize of her own and you won't want to miss out!

Now, to enter to win an ecopy of Destined, all you have to do is either follow this blog or like me on Facebook. THEN, leave a comment below telling me: (1) which method you went for (or both - double entries there) and (2) your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win. The contest will close at midnight on Wednesday, January 11th.

Happy Hopping! Oh, and for your chance at winning the Fire, my key word is: AND


***The contest begins at 12:01 AM Monday, January 9th and ends at 12:01 AM Thursday, January 12th. If you've stumbled on this post early, please be aware that all the links might not be working yet, and you'll have to come back during the official contest to complete the hop.
     

Friday, January 6, 2012

Fairies and Fantasy Giveaway Hop


Pretty cool, right? I am a Reader, Not a Writer and vvb32reads are co-hosting this fabulous blog hop.  Here on the Daily Harrell, I'm giving away a copy of my ARC of A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford.  If you haven't read it yet, you'll be up on the angel story just in time for the release of the sequel, A Touch Morbid.

Here's the Goodreads description of the contest book:

Eden didn’t expect Az. 

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings. 

Yeah. 

So long happily-ever-after. 

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven. 

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own. 

And that’s only the beginning of the end.

OPEN TO U.S. ONLY this time.  All you have to do to enter is be a follower of this blog.  Then leave me a comment with your e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win.  If the winner doesn't respond to my e-mail within 48 hours, I reserve the right to pick another winner.

Once you've entered, be sure to hop on over to the other stops for more chances to win!