The Daily Harrell

That's YAmore Blogfest

2012-02-11T08:00:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone -- thanks so much for coming by my submission for Oasis for YA's That's YAmore Blogfest. We're really excited to be hosting this for the second year in a row. In short, you can hop through the participating blogs and read 250 words of steamy YA romance from our WIPs. Hopefully, these excerpts will put you in the Valentine's Day spirit.

So without further ado, here's a romance scene I've been dying to write. Now, it just needs a novel. :) (Sorry I'm a *little* over my word allotment.)

“Come on.” He clasps my hand and tugs me forward. When we step through the squeaky screen door onto the porch, I’m hit by a wall of moist and humid air. The rain is falling so hard now, it’s a deafening staccato. I feel like I’m breathing in mist and already I want to turn around and bolt back into the A/C.

“But it’s pouring.” Like he needs me to state the obvious. Still, I feel compelled to point out - again - exactly why a walk is not a good idea right now.

“You may be sweet,” he says, while fitting his baseball cap over my head, “but you’re not gonna melt. I promise.”

And with that, he pulls me off the porch and we’re running across the yard. I’m shrieking as the rain drops pelt against my body, quickly soaking my t-shirt and plastering it to my skin. I have to use my free hand to keep his hat from blowing away, but I feel like every other part of me has been set free. The rain washes away my nerves and my fear until there’s nothing but us.

We splash through the mini-lakes that are quickly forming along the streets and weave our way to the park. I don’t know why we’re running anymore. We’re already soaked. But there’s a thrill in racing together, hand-in-hand, as we charge toward the park.

When we reach the center of the soccer field, he stops and twirls me around like we’ve been dancing. The rain is so cool against my face and I never want to stop spinning. Stepping away from him, I place both my hands out, palms up, and twirl inside the storm. I don’t care that his hat falls off, or that rain is running like a river down my neck. Each drop that plays against my cheeks and fingertips is a sensation I’m not sure I’ll ever get enough of.

I spin until I’m so dizzy I can barely stand. In a final whirl, I crash into his chest and we’re both laughing. As he crushes me against him, we’re so close I can feel every rise and fall of his chest against mine.

“Kiss me, Kira,” he breathes. Before I find a reason to say no, his lips press into mine. They’re cool and wet and my knees tremble when he pulls away, only to suck a raindrop from my lower lip. My hands find his sopping hair. Water tickles between my fingers as I grab a fistful and pull him back to me.

Our soaked clothes press together until I swear I can almost feel his skin. But it’s not enough. I want more.

The rain is our curtain. We’re invisible here in broad daylight. Free to let our hands explore, our lips collide, our heartbeats sync as we share the first kiss that’s been way too long in coming. When he finally slows our kiss, I feel dizzier than I did after my spin. Happier than I’ve felt in years. And I wish for rain every day this summer, just so we can share more walks like this.

When you're done, be sure to stop by the rest of the blogs. I'm sure you're in for a treat!

Advance Review: WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard

2012-02-10T09:15:00.001-05:00

Releasing March 13, 2012

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an advance galley. Receiving a free copy has in no way influenced this review.**

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

I absolutely love the premise of this novel. I have some wanderlust myself (but was never brave enough to backpack anywhere), so everything about this novel called to me. I loved how Bria thought she was going to be part of this group of beautiful young people and ended up on a tour filled with old people. Can't you totally imagine this happening? Isn't that like one of our worst fears about a tour like that?

Anyway, I also loved how we gradually unraveled the pain Bria carries with her. And her mistakes. Bria grows so much during her two weeks abroad, but in a very realistic way. We gradually see her forced out of her protective wall and learn to take control of her own life (and fate).

Better yet, her adventures along the way are awesome and authentic. Having read this after I just returned from Belize, I recognized so many of the placed described in the novel. And the author's/Bria's illustrations (like a sketch book), just add to the feeling that you're really on this trip with Bria.

Last, I enjoyed the slowly-developing relationship between Bria and Rowan. This novel was not your typical girl and boy are instantly drawn to each other the moment they lock eyes love story. Their relationship happened organically and believably.

If you enjoy realistic contemporary fiction, with a bit of travel and self-discovery, I highly recommend Wanderlove. Enjoy!!

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2012-02-07T08:39:00.023-05:00

Another Tuesday, another great day for a book birthday par-tay. Let's celebrate with these debut YA authors:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (want. to. read. now!)
"Blessed with a gift..."cursed" with a secret."

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship—one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self—even if she’s not exactly sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.

Looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE by S.R. Johannes

2012-02-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today I have the good fortune of hosting a blog tour stop for S.R. Johannes, author of the YA novel Untraceable, and now the MG novel, On the Bright Side.

On the Bright Side, is a new “tween” paranormal story with a humorous twist. The story follows Gabby, a disgruntled tween angel who has just been assigned to protect her school nemesis and ex-best friend. To make things worse, that ex-bff is is dating Gabby’s longtime crush. Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pulls a few harmless pranks on her. Totally harmless, really, just a little spinach in the teeth, toilet paper stuck to her shoes, maybe a trip in the hallway in front of a crowd, nothing too horrific, right?

Soon, Gabby gets out of control with her pranks and is put on probation by her SKYAgent, who has anger management issues of his own. Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death.

Sounds awesome, right? But I wanted to dig a little deeper into the mind that created On the Bright Side, so I asked S.R. some questions and got some pretty great answers.

Your new novel, On the Bright Side, is written for the middle grade crowd, or tweens. Why was writing for this group important to you?

This book set out to be YA. But then when I realized a lot of dark angel books were coming out, I switched it to tween. I really wanted to do a funny book about death and I thought a tween book would be more appropriate than YA.

The National Children's Book and Literary Alliance lists numerous reasons that books are good for kids -- among them are these things:
Books let kids try on the world before they have to go out into it.
Books help us to understand ourselves, to find out who we are.
Books help kids to chart their own moral and ethical course.
Books create questions.
How does OTBS achieve any of these goals? Was that your intention when writing it or were you just trying to tell a good story?

Wow you are really smart huh :) Um I guess all of those.
OTBS allows Gabby to go out into a different world alone and she has to take care of herself. Without her parents around. She’s expected to take care of herself.
Seeing someone’s full life gives her a perspective of other people she never has. This view changes her as a person.
In protecting Angela, Gabby must learn control, forgiveness, and understanding. She goes from pranking her to saving her life, learning that you are happier as a person if you are good to others.
And lastly, I think many questions are raised in this book about life and death, about what life really is, and about what we take for granted. But it is also dives into perceptions and how they can rule our lives, even though we don’t know the whole story.

How does OTBS differ from a young adult novel, written for full-fledged teens?

Well in OTBS, Gabby is in 8th grade. There is no love – just crushes on boys. Not much kissing (bummer right? :). I think the plot is still very layered but I do think it’s not as complicated or as dark as true YA view would be. I think it walks the line between Mg and YA by allowing Gabby to have selfish internal motives yet still getting her to see her role in the larger world as a whole.

Do you think it's important to have books specifically for tweens, to help bridge the gap between chapter books and YA? Why or why not?

I do. There are not many 13 or 14-year-old characters. I think there is a big difference between 10 and 14. So middle grade doesn’t work for tweens. They are in a tough spot. They are too old for MG books but their parents don’t want them reading YA yet. I think we will see a tween market develop more over time.

I certainly hope so! Anyway, thank you, S.R., for joining us today. And for all of you, please check out some of the early praise for On the Bright Side, watch the awesome book trailer, and then head over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble to grab your own copy for only $.99!

"S.R. Johannes delivers a cute paranormal thrill ride for middle graders! Even in death there is a BRIGHT SIDE!" - Addison Moore, author of the bestselling Celestra series and soon to be TV show

Clever and charming, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is the story of a reluctant guardian angel, her still-breathing crush, and the frenemy she’s assigned to protect. A great read! -Suzanne Young, author of A Need So Beautiful, A Want So Wicket (6/12), and The Program (2013)

"With a smart, snappy heroine and a heart-warming crush, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is a page-turning new take on guardian angels that left me begging for a sequel!" - Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess and Ten (9/12) (Balzar + Bray)

THE FOURTH STALL PART 2 (Giveaway Included!)

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if you remember when I read and reviewed The Fourth Stall, a debut MG by Chris Rylander. (If you want to check out my review, go here. I'll wait.) Anyway, the short version is this: the book was funny and original and I thought it was a great read for boys.

I couldn't believe it when Chris's publisher, Walden Pond Press, contacted me and asked if I'd like an ARC of The Fourth Stall Part II to review and to host a giveaway. Um.... YES! (And thank you, by the way!)

Here's the book summary:

The life of crime is good.Mac has taken down legendary high school crime boss Staples, business has been booming, and Mac and Vince are getting ready for middle school baseball tryouts. But this can’t last. Mac has always tried to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. But what happens when you can’t tell the difference?

This dilemma walks into the fourth stall in the form of Trixie Von Parkway—an eighth grader with a mean look and an even meaner predicament. The new science teacher is terrorizing her, and she needs Mac to get him off her back. Seems simple enough, but as Mac starts to dig deeper, he finds even more trouble brewing at his school, including a new administrator bent on destroying his business, and indications that Trixie isn’t who she claims to be. In the past, the worst thing that could have happened to Mac was that he might lose a little money, maybe catch a beating. In The Fourth Stall Part II, though, there’s going to be much more on the line than that.

Just like the original novel, this book is fun and full of quirky characters and predicaments that will leave you scratching your head. A couple of my favorite lines were these:

* Dr. George wasn't a real doctor, like the kind you'd go to if you were sick. Apparently you can become, like, another kind of doctor, too. I'm not sure exactly how that works, but all I know is that in my experience that fake doctors like Dr. George were usually a lot meaner, and thought they were the smartest people alive. (Page 34 - take that you PhD's!)

* He could out-cool and out-spy James Bond with nothing but a used toothbrush and seventeen cents. (Page 172)

The book is fully of these witty, age-appropriate insights. And Ryalnder is the master of putting your character in a bad situation ... and then making it worse. Poor Mac is in trouble so deep in this novel, you won't think he'll ever escape.

The bottom line is this ~ if you know a boy reader in the 3rd grade and up (especially if they have a rockin' sense of humor and/or like baseball trivia) you MUST get this series for him. Or better yet, you could WIN it for him. Walden Pond Press will be giving away a paperback copy of The Fourth Stall, a hardback copy of The Fourth Stall Part II, and an autographed bookplate.

You can enter through the Rafflecopter form below. The contest will remain open through 12:01 AM on release day, February 7, 2012, and the prizes will be shipped to the winner direct from the publisher. In the meantime, why don't you enter and then go stalk the author? (Authors like being stalked.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2012-01-31T07:32:00.000-05:00

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??

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recommendation ~ MY ENCHANTED LIFE by Laura Eno

2012-01-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

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.**

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2012-01-24T08:30:00.004-05:00

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?

J.A. Souders' Cover Reveal Scavenger Hunt

2012-01-20T15:00:00.030-05:00

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.

7 AM: Woven Strands (WovenMyst.com)
9 AM: Writer's Ally (http://writersally.blogspot.com/)
10 am: The Oasis (http://oasisforya.blogspot.com/)
11 am: Fire and Ice (http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/)
1 pm: Confessions of a Bookaholic (http://www.totalbookaholic.com/)
3 pm: you're here. :)

For the final cover, on Monday visit one or all of the following blogs:

Reading Teen (http://www.readingteen.net/)
Books Complete Me (http://www.bookscompleteme.com/)

Mundie Moms (http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/)

Simple Love of Reading (http://simpleloveofreading.blogspot.com/)

Stuck in Books (http://www.stuckinbooks.com/)

The scavenger hunt word for this blog stop is: PERFECT

Check it Out -- The Green by Karly Kirkpatrick

2012-01-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

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.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday!

2012-01-17T08:10:00.030-05:00

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??

In His Eyes

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2012-01-10T10:11:00.000-05:00

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?

Indelibles On Fire! (Bloghop and Kindle Fire Contest)

2012-01-08T17:00:00.010-05:00

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.

Fairies and Fantasy Giveaway Hop

2012-01-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. ~I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (Int)
2. ~vvb32reads (Int)
3. ~BookHounds (Int)
4. ~BookHounds YA (Int)
5. ~Uniquely Moi Books (Int)
6. ~Amanda Marie @ BookLove101 (US)
7. ~Some Like It Paranormal (Int)
8. ~Krazy Book Lady (Int)
9. ~StuckInBooks (Int)
10. ~Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight (Int)
11. ~Bookworm Lisa (Int)
12. ~Jennie @ My Cute Bookshelf (Int)
13. ~BTween Prose (US)
14. ~you are the unicorn of my dreams (Int)
15. ~Reader Girls (US)
16. ~The Guardian Legacy (US)
17. ~Dani @ Refracted Light YA Book Reviews (Int)
18. ~Hannah @ In the Best Worlds (US)
19. ~BookStacksOnDeck (Int)
20. ~Sweeping Me (Int)
21. ~To Read or Not To Read (US)
22. ~Kobiso (US)
23. ~Sason and Pobi (US)
24. ~Makobi Scribe (Int)
25. ~Passion for Novels (Int)
26. ~The Non Reluctant Reader (Int)
27. ~Living, Learning, and Loving Life (US)
28. ~Live To Read ~Krystal (US)
29. ~MJA Ware - The Missing Word (US)
30. ~Beckys Barmy Book Blog (Int)
31. ~Books for Me (US)
32. ~The Purple Brick Road (US)
33. ~Manga Maniac Cafe (US)
34. ~Cheri Schmidt, author of YA Fantasy Romance (US)
35. ~BookSpark (US)
36. ~Whats Beyond Forks? (US)
37. ~Proud Book Nerd (Int)
38. ~The Accidental Novelist (Int)
39. ~A. L. Davroe (US)
40. ~iWriteNetwrok (US)
41. ~Candas InkBlast (US)
42. ~Pen to Paper (Int)
43. ~primrose musings (Int)
44. ~Me and Reading (Int)
45. ~Lalas Books (Int)
46. ~Procrastination Station (US)
47. ~The Daily Harrell (US)
48. ~Little Library Muse (Int)
49. ~Watched (US)
50. ~From the TBR Pile (Int)
51. ~Angels, Demons, and Portals. Oh, my! (US)
52. ~Living, Loving, Laughing, Reading (US)
53. ~A New Kind of Ordinary (US)
54. ~Good Choice Reading (US)
55. ~Amethyst Daydreams (US)
56. ~My keeper shelf (Int)
57. ~Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry (US)
58. ~Bonnie Gets A Say (Int)
59. ~Chocolate Chunky Munkie (Int)
60. ~Dr. Stravagantes Traveling Book Circus (Int)
61. ~Lost In The View (US)
62. ~Books Obsession (US)
63. ~Hippies, Beauty, and Books Oh My! (Int)
64. ~My Reading Room (US)
65. ~Mommy Adventures with Ravina (US)
66. ~Runaway Bridal Planner (US)
67. ~My Inner Muse (US)
68. ~Shortie Says (Int)
69. ~Imaginary Reads (Int)
70. ~YA Between the Lines (US)
71. ~A Diary of a Book Addict (US)
72. ~jennifersmusings (Int)
73. ~Bookish Sarah (Int)
74. ~Van @ Short and Sweet Reviews (Int)
75. ~Laurasmagicday (US)
76. ~Mostly Reviews (Int)
77. ~World of Samar (US)
78. ~Tattoogirl Reads (US)
79. ~A New Kind of Ordinary (US)
80. ~MyLadyWeb Womens History and Women Authors (Int)
81. ~Devyns Thoughts (US)
82. ~The Windy Pages (US)
83. ~Child of Yden (Int)
84. ~Asterias Blog (US)
85. ~Karen Amanda Hooper (Int)
86. ~Beckoned By Books (Int)
87. ~Bella Street Writes (US)
88. ~For Those About to Read. . . (US)
89. ~Epic YA Reads (US)
90. ~Dianas Amazing Book Adventures (US)
91. ~The Great Raven (Int)
92. ~In Between Writing and Reading (Int)
93. ~Lena Coakleys Blog (US/Can)
94. ~The Night Bookmobile (US)
95. ~Gypsy Mama Logs (US)
96. ~Amaleen Ison - YA Author (Int)
97. ~Sher A Hart & Share Fantasy Books (US)
98. ~Reading by Kindle Fire (US)
99. ~Rainy Day Ramblings (Int)
100. ~Minding Spot (US)
101. ~The Book Monsters (US)
102. ~Chirenjenzie (US)
103. ~Aaron Pattersons ~ The Worst Book Ever! (US)
104. ~Odyssey Rios@ TheReaderLeader (US)
105. ~Snowdrop Dreams of Books (Int)
106. ~JDField (US)
107. ~Sophia @ The Book Basement (US)
108. ~Tales from the Crypt (Int)
109. ~Simplyinfatuated (Int)
110. ~Reading, Writing and the World of Words (US)
111. ~Under the Hat (Int)

~I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (Int)

~vvb32reads (Int)

~BookHounds (Int)

~BookHounds YA (Int)

~Uniquely Moi Books (Int)

~Amanda Marie @ BookLove101 (US)

~Some Like It Paranormal (Int)

~Krazy Book Lady (Int)

~StuckInBooks (Int)

10.

~Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight (Int)

11.

~Bookworm Lisa (Int)

12.

~Jennie @ My Cute Bookshelf (Int)

13.

~BTween Prose (US)

14.

~you are the unicorn of my dreams (Int)

15.

~Reader Girls (US)

16.

~The Guardian Legacy (US)

17.

~Dani @ Refracted Light YA Book Reviews (Int)

18.

~Hannah @ In the Best Worlds (US)

19.

~BookStacksOnDeck (Int)

20.

~Sweeping Me (Int)

21.

~To Read or Not To Read (US)

22.

~Kobiso (US)

23.

~Sason and Pobi (US)

24.

~Makobi Scribe (Int)

25.

~Passion for Novels (Int)

26.

~The Non Reluctant Reader (Int)

27.

~Living, Learning, and Loving Life (US)

28.

~Live To Read ~Krystal (US)

29.

~MJA Ware - The Missing Word (US)

30.

~Beckys Barmy Book Blog (Int)

31.

~Books for Me (US)

32.

~The Purple Brick Road (US)

33.

~Manga Maniac Cafe (US)

34.

~Cheri Schmidt, author of YA Fantasy Romance (US)

35.

~BookSpark (US)

36.

~Whats Beyond Forks? (US)

37.

~Proud Book Nerd (Int)

38.

~The Accidental Novelist (Int)

39.

~A. L. Davroe (US)

40.

~iWriteNetwrok (US)

41.

~Candas InkBlast (US)

42.

~Pen to Paper (Int)

43.

~primrose musings (Int)

44.

~Me and Reading (Int)

45.

~Lalas Books (Int)

46.

~Procrastination Station (US)

47.

~The Daily Harrell (US)

48.

~Little Library Muse (Int)

49.

~Watched (US)

50.

~From the TBR Pile (Int)

51.

~Angels, Demons, and Portals. Oh, my! (US)

52.

~Living, Loving, Laughing, Reading (US)

53.

~A New Kind of Ordinary (US)

54.

~Good Choice Reading (US)

55.

~Amethyst Daydreams (US)

56.

~My keeper shelf (Int)

57.

~Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry (US)

58.

~Bonnie Gets A Say (Int)

59.

~Chocolate Chunky Munkie (Int)

60.

~Dr. Stravagantes Traveling Book Circus (Int)

61.

~Lost In The View (US)

62.

~Books Obsession (US)

63.

~Hippies, Beauty, and Books Oh My! (Int)

64.

~My Reading Room (US)

65.

~Mommy Adventures with Ravina (US)

66.

~Runaway Bridal Planner (US)

67.

~My Inner Muse (US)

68.

~Shortie Says (Int)

69.

~Imaginary Reads (Int)

70.

~YA Between the Lines (US)

71.

~A Diary of a Book Addict (US)

72.

~jennifersmusings (Int)

73.

~Bookish Sarah (Int)

74.

~Van @ Short and Sweet Reviews (Int)

75.

~Laurasmagicday (US)

76.

~Mostly Reviews (Int)

77.

~World of Samar (US)

78.

~Tattoogirl Reads (US)

79.

~A New Kind of Ordinary (US)

80.

~MyLadyWeb Womens History and Women Authors (Int)

81.

~Devyns Thoughts (US)

82.

~The Windy Pages (US)

83.

~Child of Yden (Int)

84.

~Asterias Blog (US)

85.

~Karen Amanda Hooper (Int)

86.

~Beckoned By Books (Int)

87.

~Bella Street Writes (US)

88.

~For Those About to Read. . . (US)

89.

~Epic YA Reads (US)

90.

~Dianas Amazing Book Adventures (US)

91.

~The Great Raven (Int)

92.

~In Between Writing and Reading (Int)

93.

~Lena Coakleys Blog (US/Can)

94.

~The Night Bookmobile (US)

95.

~Gypsy Mama Logs (US)

96.

~Amaleen Ison - YA Author (Int)

97.

~Sher A Hart & Share Fantasy Books (US)

98.

~Reading by Kindle Fire (US)

99.

~Rainy Day Ramblings (Int)

100.

~Minding Spot (US)

101.

~The Book Monsters (US)

102.

~Chirenjenzie (US)

103.

~Aaron Pattersons ~ The Worst Book Ever! (US)

104.

~Odyssey Rios@ TheReaderLeader (US)

105.

~Snowdrop Dreams of Books (Int)

106.

~JDField (US)

107.

~Sophia @ The Book Basement (US)

108.

~Tales from the Crypt (Int)

109.

~Simplyinfatuated (Int)

110.

~Reading, Writing and the World of Words (US)

111.

~Under the Hat (Int)

(Nearly Belated) Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2012-01-03T19:10:00.000-05:00

I don't know if anyone else's schedules are as off as mine, but I'm out of whack after that 4-day weekend. So, while these "happy birthday" wishes are nearly belated, they are sincere just the same.

Cracked by K.M. Walton

In this gripping debut, a teen takes a bottle of pills and lands in the psych ward with the bully who drove him to attempt suicide.Victor hates his life. He’s relentlessly bullied at school and his parents constantly ridicule him at home.

Bull is angry. He’s sick of his grandfather’s drunken beatings. And he likes to take out his rage on Victor.

Determined to end it all, Victor takes a bottle of his mother’s sleeping pills—only to be disappointed when he wakes up in the psych ward. And his roommate? None other than Bull, whose loaded-gun effort at self-defense has been labeled as a suicide attempt. Things go from bad to worse—until the boys discover they might just have something in common: a reason to live.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
Seraphina’s first love made her immortal…her second might get her killed.

Incarnation is a new series that introduces a fresh mythology perfect for fans of bestselling series like The Immortals by Alyson Noel and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

After spending six hundred years on earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world’s riches, but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to swap bodies with other humans, jumping from one vessel to the next, taking the human’s life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she’s done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year-old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she’s inhabiting—and falls for the human boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she’s his again, and every moment she stays, she’s putting herself and the people she’s grown to care for in great danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that’s eluded her for centuries: true love?

Cinder by Melissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss

A male perspective on sorting love from loss, faith from fear—brimming with humor and romance.Phillip’s sophomore year is off to a rough start. One of his best friends ditches him. His track coach singles him out for personalized, torturous training sessions. And his dad decides to clean out all of the emergency supplies from the basement, even though the world could end in disaster at any moment...and even though those supplies are all Phillip has left of his dead mom. Not that he wants to talk about that.

But then Phillip meets Rebekah. Not only is she unconventionally hot and smart, but she might like him back. As Phillip gets closer to Rebekah, he tries harder and harder to turn himself into the kind of person he thinks she wants him to be. But the question is, can he become that person? And does he really want to?

I know at least one of these is immediately going on my TBR pile. What about you?

Indie Book Fair 2012

2012-01-02T09:14:00.000-05:00

Did you find a new Kindle, Nook, or iPad under the Christmas tree? Browse the Indie Book Fair and find a new ebook to break in that reader!

These great new books were released Nov 2011-Feb 2012 by Indie authors, priced right so that taking a chance on a new author doesn't have to break your wallet. (Check out my previous Internet Book Fair for other great Indie finds.)

[Indie = self-published or small-publisher, for the purposes of this post, because no matter how we're published, we're all in this together, trying to get the word out about our books]

Note: Links are given for Amazon, but most authors publish across all e-book formats. Click on the author's name for additional purchasing options, including paper copies.

For Your Browsing Pleasure

Contemporary (Adult)

Build a Man by Talli Roland (Chick Lit)

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- giving Serenity a story no editor could resist. With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job. $0.99 on Amazon

The Golden Sky by Elisa
Hirsch (Memoir)

The night I met Cade I never wouldíve thought that two years later, after we were homeless street musicians in Hawaii, we would have a little girl and another baby on the way. Our son was born with the type of birth defects that make televangelists cringe. The ìdeath homeî gave him a really nice funeral, the kind Iíd never wished to attend. We lost it after that, totally cemented in our grief. Cade got into drugs, joined a rock and roll band, and I kicked him out of the house. That was how I met: Earl (an old man and unlikely best friend), the ìbig sagî (a middle aged woman who still flashed folks), Todda (the stripper next door), and Chris (a cowboy who fell in love with me). It wasnít until I killed a rogue skunk, and my daughter nearly choked on a fry, that I gave my husband another chance. But could our marriage recover from the death of our son? $2.99 onAmazon

Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts (Contemporary Romance)

Jason Vanderholt is the hottest actor under thirty with legions of screaming fans. Chloe Winters is a college student who hasn't gotten around to watching most of his movies. When they meet by chance, he is smitten, but it just isn't her fairytale. In fact, it could be her worst nightmare as her past, attracted by the bright lights of the media, comes back to haunt her. $0.99 on Amazon

Historical Romance
(Adult)

The Dukeís Divorce by Anne Gallagher Available late January 2012

A simple trip to the Scottish Highlands finds the Duke of Cantin with a bride he does not want. With her impeccable beauty and fiery disposition, Fiona takes Society by storm. As their prearranged divorce proceedings draw near, can Fiona change his mind? Check author's website.

Literary Fiction

String Bridge by Jessica Bell

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage-and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits ... $6.99 on Amazon ALSO: Music Sample!

Mystery

Sherwood Ltd. by Anne R. Allen

Sherwood. The name immediately conjures up images of Richard Greene, Michael Praed and Russell Crowe. Or maybe that sly fox in the Disney version. Only, in Anne R. Allen's latest rom-com mystery the fox is a coyote and there's no Robin Hood. Or is there? In her usual inimitable fashion Allen peels back the layers, one hilarious subplot after another, until you just never know what's real and what's not. Rather like the Robin Hood legend. When the Manners Doctor, Camilla Randall, flies into Robin Hood airport with a suitcase in one hand and a book contract in the other she thinks she's leaving all her problems behind and is about to start a new life. If you look very carefully you may just spot the Sheriff of Nottingham, Maid Marian and even Little John hidden away. But as for Robin Hood
himself... You'll just have to read it and find out. $2.99 on Amazon

Short Stories and Anthologies

The Initiate (Cloud Prophet Trilogy) by Megg Jensen (YA Fantasy)

Over a thousand years ago, the gods left Eloh's people and took their magic with them. To win back their favor, her people sacrifice ten female initiates every ten years. No has ever survived. There has never been a Chosen One. Forced into becoming an initiate, Eloh will try to find a way to beat the odds, stay with her boyfriend, and survive the fires that threaten to consume her. But will her lack of faith in the gods and her disbelief in their magic doom her to a painful death? $0.99 on Amazon

Eight by Karly Kirkpatrick (YA Paranormal Short Story Collection)

Prepare to be thrilled and chilled by Kirkpatrick's eight short tales in EIGHT. These eight stories, while short, pack a big punch. There are demon spirits, zombies, and even some human baddies. Each story comes complete with author's commentary. It also includes the previously unreleased short Grenades. $0.99 on Amazon

{CoverComingSoon} In His Eyes by The Indelibles (YA Anthology) - Available February 14th

Just in time for Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology! Twenty original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters - some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology. Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like ñ in his eyes. Add to Goodreads TBR

The contributors to IN HIS EYES include award winners, frequent "Top 100" placers, and hot 2011 debut authors: S.R. Wells, C.K. Bryant, Elle Strauss, Susan Kaye Quinn, Jessie Harrell, Magan Vernon, Lisa Nowak, Heather McCorkle, RaShelle Workman, Ali Cross, Karen Amanda Hooper, Cory Putman Oakes, Laura Pauling, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Sarra Cannon, Katie Klein, Cheri Lasota

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal by
Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper, Rita Webb, Wendy Swore, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin and Evan Joseph (YA Anthology)

Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the dÈcor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories. Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don't forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane-you never know when the shadows will snag you. Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction. $0.99 on Amazon

Young Adult

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn (Paranormal/Science Fiction)

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who canít read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who canít be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Rafís mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and sheís dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her. $2.99 on Amazon

Bound by C.K. Bryant (Paranormal Romance)

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia,has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kiraís life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior sheís falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive. $3.99 on Amazon

Become by Ali Cross (YA Urban Fantasy)

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where itís cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, sheís sent back to Earth where she Becomes the evil she despises and the good she always feared. When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her Choice has been madeóthat she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesnít count on, is a reason to want to changeósomething sheís never had beforeóa friend. $3.99 on Amazon

Exiled by RaShelle Workman (YA SF Romance)

Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them.

An alien princess exiled to Earth. An arrogant boy. One week to get back to her planet or she'll die. And, her only chance for survival? She must help the boy find his soul mate. Piece of cake! $0.99 on Kindle

The Secret of Spruce
Knoll by Heather McCorkle (Urban Fantasy)

Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt sheís never met. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with ìchannelersîóa magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands. Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do theyóand they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though. $4.99 on Amazon

Destined by Jessie Harrell (Retelling)

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. $0.99 on Amazon

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller (Paranormal Romance)

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winterís protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magickal realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own. Will love prove thicker than magick? $3.99 on Amazon

Untraceable by S. R. Johannes (Thriller)

Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe heís dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon sheís enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And
itís going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves. $2.99 on Amazon

Rival Demons (Book 5 of the Peachville High Demons Series) by Sarra Cannon (Paranormal Romance) Available January 20th

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Order of Shadows, Harper finds herself thrust into the strange and beautiful world of the shadow demons. But crossing through the portal doesn't mean she is safe. The Order of Shadows is determined to bring her home and transfer the Prima line to the Harris family. They send their most vicious hunters after Harper. Hunters who will not stop until they have found their prey. Determined to keep her safe, Jackson takes her deep into an underground world filled with dangers of its own. Here, Harper will begin a journey that will teach her more about herself and her own path than she ever imagined possible. Add to Goodreads TBR

The Legend of Victor Standish: Under a Voodoo Moon by Roland D. Yeomans (Urban Fantasy/Romance)

Can love kill? Yes ... if you love a ghoul who hungers for your flesh only slightly less than she does your heart. Yet to the lonely street orphan Victor Standish, who has risked his life for a meal, to find love (even for one magical French Quarter night) is worth dying in the morning. $2.99 on Amazon All profits go to the Salvation Army.

Getting Sideways (Book 2 in the Full Throttle Series) by Lisa Nowak (Contemporary)

Getting shipped off to live with his uncle Race was the best thing that ever happened to fifteen-year-old Cody. Then a wreck at the speedway nearly ruined everything. Codyís making every effort to get his life back on trackówriting for the school paper, searching for the perfect girlfriend, and counting the days until he gets his driversí licenseóbut thereís no escaping the nightmares that haunt him. A chance to build his own car seems like the perfect distraction. Until Cody realizes heíll have to live up to Raceís legendary status. But thatís the least of his worries, considering he doesnít have his dadís permission. All he has to do is the impossible: keep Race from discovering his lie until he can convince his dad that racingís safe. Yeah, sure. Thatíll be easy. $3.99 on Amazon

Tangled Tides by Karen Hooper (Sea Monster Memoirs)

Yara Jones doesnít believe in sea monstersóuntil she becomes one. When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious. Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his peopleóuntil he falls for Yara.
The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the processóor she might open the gateway to a love thatís deeper than the oceans. $4.99 on Amazon

Here by Denise Grover Swank (SF Romance)

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before. Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly heís volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant sheís been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where heís really from. $2.99 on Amazon

The Veil by Cory
Putman Oakes (Paranormal Romance)

Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi. Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to beóthe house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says . . . $7.99 on Amazon

Embrace by Cherie Colyer (Paranormal Romance)

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. Itís responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve. Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes heís a guy harboring a secret, but sheís willing to risk the unknown to be with him. Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that arenít there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors canít find the
answers, Madison seeks her own. Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover. $6.99 on Amazon

Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos (Paranormal Romance)

Unrest stirs deep in Scotts Valley. Filled with uncertainty, Julia anxiously awaits Nicholasí return. Phil, holds the pieces of Juliaís fragile psyche together, secretly hoping Nicholas stays away forever. But Alora secretly conspires to reclaim her talisman and strip Julia of
everything she holds dear. Little do they know, a war is coming and more than one vampire would like to see the Prince of Vampires overthrown. Can Julia bargain with fate? Find out how it all ends in this explosive grand finale of The Talisman Trilogy. $3.99 on Amazon

How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon (Science Fiction)

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war? $2.99 on Amazon

Fireseed One by Catherine Stine (Science Fiction/Thriller)

Fireseed One is a journey into a tricked-out near-future earth where 18 year-old Varik has inherited a vast ocean farm, following the suspicious drowning of his Marine biologist father. When Marisa, a beautiful and devious terrorist, destroys the world's food source, Varik is forced to travel to a lethal hotzone, teeming with dangerous nomads and a strange cult to search for a magical hybrid plant that may not even exist. The catch? He must take Marisa along, the only person who seems to know way, way too much key information. $2.99 on Amazon

The Missing by M.A. Leslie (Paranormal)

Eight-year-old, Ethan Doyle is just a normal kid whose biggest problem in life was to fight for the attention of his busy parents from his older twin siblings. But, after his aunt and uncle tragically die, his family takes in his teenage cousin, Kelsey, and moves to a spooky old, manor house in a new town. At first, everything seems fine, but when he begins to see and speak to a spirit named Lucas, his biggest problem becomes, just staying alive. Lucas was ten years old when the spirits of the house came to him and asked him for help setting their spirits free. Unfortunately, he never made the deadline and as a result the spirits took him and made him a part of the house as well. As he soon finds out, the only way he can save his own soul is to save the souls of the missing boys in the house. With his own deadline in place, Ethan enlists the help of his cousin Kelsey to solve the twenty-year-old mystery of THE MISSING. $0.99 on Amazon

Princess Kandake by Stephanie Jefferson (Fantasy) Available February 1, 2012

In Nubia a woman can be whatever she chooses. At 14, Kandake knows exactly what she chooses...Prime Warrior of Nubia. But her grandmother has said that she will follow her father on the throne. Refusing to abandon her warrior dreams she continues to train. When her brother is kidnapped, Kandake learns she must be both queen and warrior to win his release! See Author's Website

Middle Grade

Blink of a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs (Fantasy)

Discovering sheís connected to dragons is one thing, but when another dragon is caught hanging out in the fifth grade, Meia thinks things couldnít get any worse. Is she ever wrong! Trouble is brewing in the cosmos and Deglan believes this new dragon holds the answers, but his hopes are crushed when the leader of the exiled dark dragons ambushes them. The fate of the dragons and possibly the whole world falls to Deglan and Meia as they
search for the only creature powerful enough to send the dark dragons back into the abyss. What they encounter along the way makes the adventure worth fighting for. $6.99

Paperback preorder

New Year's Goals

2011-12-31T12:00:00.001-05:00

My new year's goals. I don't want to call them resolutions -- that makes my goals too predictably broken. I mean, when have I ever stuck my exercise plan or done anything else I "resolved" to do? Probably never. But I'm a goal-oriented person by nature, so I figure if I set some goals for myself, I'll have something to go after.

And if I write them down and share them, now I'm accountable for meeting those goals. So here goes:
1. Do a complete and thorough edit of my co-written manuscript.
2. Work with Nikki to find a home for said manuscript.
3. Write that companion novel to Destined I've been talking about.
4. Exercise at least once a week.
5. Try to be a better teacher to my daughters (i.e., get some patience).
6. Read, read, read.

Now, I know the last one I'm going to do anyway, but now I've built in a fail-safe. At the end of 2012 I can guarantee that at least 1 of my goals will have been reached. LOL!

What are your goals this new year?

Winners Announced

2011-12-29T11:28:00.000-05:00

I've now been on contact with both winners from the Midwinters Eve Blog Hop and thought I'd share their selections with you.

Leslie from Illinois picked Clarity

Mai from the Philippines picked Wither

Congratulations to both ladies and THANK YOU to all who entered and joined the blog. I hope to see many of you back here in 2012.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2011-12-27T07:46:00.001-05:00

Just in time to spend your gift cards or give your new e-readers a work out, we have some debut YA book birthdays this week.

Living Violet by Jaime Reed
Book 1 of The Cambion Chronicles

He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

Archon by Sabrina Benulis

There are some things worse than death . . .

For years, Angela Mathers has been plagued by visions of a supernatural being—an angel with beguiling eyes and magnificent wings who haunts her thoughts and seduces her dreams. Newly freed from a mental institution where she had been locked away for two years, Angela hopes that attending Westwood Academy, the Vatican’s exclusive university, will bring her peace and a semblance of normality.

But Angela isn’t normal. With her stain of dark red hair and alabaster skin, she is a blood head—a freak, a monster, and the possible fulfillment of a terrifying prophecy. Blessed with strange, mystical powers, blood heads hold a special place in the Academy. Among them, one special blood head is more powerful than them all: the Archon, the human reincarnation of the dead angel Raziel. And when the Archon arises as foretold, it will rule the supernatural universe.

Barely in control of her own life, Angela has no ambition to conquer an entire universe, not when she’s suddenly contending with a dangerous enemy who is determined to destroy her and a magnetic novitiate who wants to save her. But the choice might not be her own . . .

Torn between mortal love and angelic obsession, the young blood head must soon face the truth about herself and her world. It is she who holds the key to Heaven and Hell—and both will stop at nothing to possess her.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

My friend, co-author and Bookanista, Nikki Katz, has been talking up this one, so I know it's going to be good!

COVER REVEAL:

2011-12-23T12:23:00.000-05:00

I met a new author on twitter the other day and her debut YA novel is coming out soon. She just released her cover today & it's BEAUTIFUL! So without further ado, I give you ~ OPPRESSION by Jessica Therrien

There are others like her. Many of them.

And they have been waiting for her for a long time.

OPPRESSION tells the story of a young woman who discovers that she belongs to a secret society of individuals with extraordinarily long life spans and unusual abilities. Fearful of prophecies about their only daughter, her parents kept her hidden from the world – and the society – for as long as they could. But when their own untimely deaths leave her to fend for herself, the truth of her origins and the fateful prophecy find her at last. Joining the ranks of such widely popular works as the Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, and the Mortal Instruments series, Mrs. Therrien's paranormal romance/adventure promises to be the next fan-favorite in its genre.

*Note: The above blurb is not what will be printed on the back cover. ZOVA is still working on that, but what I've seen of it looks awesome. Can't wait to share that with you when it's ready.

Here's an excerpt from the novel:

When I left Cearno’s in a state of half sleep, I found the door to my apartment ajar. I grabbed the knob and pushed it open with caution, assuming I had forgotten to close it all the way.
“Hello?” I asked, just in case.
No answer. I shut the door behind me.
It wasn’t until I reached the top of the stairs that I felt something wet on my palm and realized I had blood on my hand. I made my way to the sink, looking for where I’d cut myself when I heard her.
“It’s not your blood,” Kara said from behind me, making me jump a foot in the air.
“What are you doing here, Kara?” I asked, callous and guarded. The last time I’d seen her, she’d stabbed me in the leg.
She was slumped down in the corner, sitting on the floor of my kitchen, a bloody mess.
My face registered with shock. “What happened to you?”
I waited for an answer, but she only glanced at me briefly, annoyed by the question, and continued staring off into the distance.
“Are you hurt?”
If she wasn’t going to talk to me I would find out for myself. I knelt down in front of her, looking over her blood stained hands, arms and face. She seemed fine.
“It’s not my blood either,” she said, her eyes finally meeting mine.

Cover Reveal ~ CHOSEN ONES by Tiffany Truitt

2011-12-22T07:04:00.002-05:00

My thanks to Entangled Publishing for allowing me to be part of the big cover reveal for Tiffany Truitt's debut YA novel, CHOSEN ONES. This cover is fabulous and I know you dystopian lovers out there are going to be salivating! Ready?

And here's the book blurb:

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads and keep your eyes peeled for it come April 2012.

Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop

2011-12-21T00:01:00.002-05:00

Woot! I'm thrilled to be participating in the mid-winter's eve blog hop! I'm also feeling very fortunate because Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer, has allowed Oasis for YA to co-host the hop with us. This hop-stop is International if the Book Depository ships to your country.

I'm using Rafflecopter and the only mandatory entry is to follow this blog. You can get an additional 2 points for following me via twitter or following my author fan page on Facebook. Comments are not mandatory, but are loved. <3

Up for grabs is your choice of ONE of the following YA novels that I loved this year ~ the winner will just have to notify me which ONE they select. (Note: I will send the paperback version if it is available.)

Destined ~ me

Where She Went ~ Gayle Forman

Spellbound ~ Cara Lynn Shultz

Falling Under ~ Gwen Hayes

Wither ~ Lauren DeStenfano

Daughter of Smoke and Bone ~ Laini Taylor

Clarity ~ Kim Harrington

Starcrossed ~ Josephine Angelini

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to stop at the other hops when you're done!

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2011-12-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

Guess what? There's a debut novelist celebrating her book birthday this week.

Please help me congratulate Helen Landalf on her debut novel, Flyaway.

Stevie Calhoun knows how to take care of herself. It’s not like her mom hasn’t disappeared before. So why is Aunt Mindy making such a big deal of it now? It’s not like Mom’s really doing meth. Stevie makes sure of that. Whatever. She’ll go home with Aunt Mindy if it will keep her from calling Child Protective Services—but it doesn’t mean she’ll stay. Mom will come back. Mom always comes back. And Stevie will be there when she does.

But when Stevie meets Alan—frustrating and fascinating and so-different-from-everyone-she-knows Alan—and she starts helping out at the bird rehab center, things begin to look different. Even the tutoring and the ridiculous outfits Aunt Mindy’s forcing her into might not be so bad. Not that Stevie would say it out loud. She can’t. Because how can anything be good if it doesn’t include Mom?

Sounds pretty good, right? Kirkus reviewed it by saying it's realistic teen fiction without the dark elements of Ellen Hopkins.

Anyway, if for some reason I don't make it back on the blog before the holidays (other than my upcoming giveaway hop), let me just wish you all A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Cover Reveal

2011-12-19T08:11:00.000-05:00

Don't you love seeing new covers, all sparkly and shiny and fresh? Well, I know I do, and I've got a great one to share with you today ~ Sleepers by Megg Jensen.

To celebrate the re-launch of SLEEPERS in January of 2012, Megg is giving it a new cover with artwork from the incredible PhatPuppy.

Synopsis: An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

On sale now for only 99 cents!

Sales outlets for SLEEPERS:

http://meggjensen.blogspot.com/p/where-to-buy-meggs-books.html

Megg on the web:

Website: http://www.meggjensen.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meggjensenauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/meggjensen

Debut Author Challenge 2012

2011-12-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

Since I couldn't find any debut YA book birthdays today, I figured I'd bring you up to speed on my 2012 debut author challenge goals... The debut author challenge is hosted by The Story Siren each year and encourages readers to try out books by new authors. I LOVE THIS!

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE:

To read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1st 2012 - January 31st 2013.

RULES & GUIDELINES:

You must have a Blog to post your reviews or be a member of Goodreads.
Your blog must be written in English.
Deadline to join is May 31, 2012.

BOOK GUIDELINES:

Must be a young adult or middle grade title.
Must be the author’s YA or MG debut, released in 2012.
If an author has a previous novel published for adults or children, they can still qualify for the challenge.
If an author has a previous YA or MG title, they do not qualify for the challenge.

So far, I've read 21 debuts in 2011. Not too bad... Here's a list of some YA books that I hope to read in 2012:
Everneath - Brodi Ashton
Touching the Surface - Kim Sabatini
Renegade - J.A. Souders
Incarnate - Jodi Meadows
Sweet Evil - Wendy Higgins
Auracle - Gina Rosati
Of Poseidon - Anna Banks
Harbinger - Sara Wilson Bienne
Elemental - Emily White
Illusminate - Aimee Agresti
Slide - Jill Hathaway
Fracture - Megan Miranda
Born Wicked - Jessica Spotswood
When the Sea is Rising Red - Cat Hellisen
Grace Mercy - Robin LaFevers
A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton
The Demon Catchers of Milan - Kay Beyer

Sure, it's ambitious, but I'm sure I can do it. Plus, these all look SO GOOD. 2012 is shaping up to be a great year and I personally can't wait.

Happy Book Birthday to Getting Sideways by Lisa Nowak

2011-12-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

Getting Sideways: Book 2 in the Full Throttle Series

Getting shipped off to live with his uncle Race was the best thing that ever happened to fifteen-year-old Cody. Then a wreck at the speedway nearly ruined everything. Cody's making every effort to get his life back on track-writing for the school paper, searching for the perfect girlfriend, and counting the days until he gets his drivers' license-but there's no escaping the nightmares that haunt him.

A chance to build his own car seems like the perfect distraction. Until Cody realizes he'll have to live up to Race's legendary status. But that's the least of his worries, considering he doesn't have his dad's permission. All he has to do is the impossible: keep Race from discovering his lie until he can convince his dad that racing's safe.

Yeah, sure. That'll be easy.

Haven't read the first book? Running Wide Open is on sale now for 99 cents.

Running Wide Open: Book 1 in the Full Throttle Series

Cody Everett has a temper as hot as the flashpoint of racing fuel, and it's landed him at his uncle's trailer, a last-chance home before military school. But how can he take the guy seriously when he calls himself Race, eats Twinkies for breakfast, and pals around with rednecks who drive in circles every Saturday night?

What Cody doesn't expect is for the arrangement to work. Or for Race to become the friend and mentor he's been looking for all his life. But just as Cody begins to settle in and get a handle on his supercharged temper, a crisis sends his life spinning out of control. Everything he's come to care about is threatened, and he has to choose between falling back on his old, familiar anger or stepping up to prove his loyalty to the only person he's ever dared to trust.

Praise for Running Wide Open:

"It doesn't matter if you are a racing fan or not, Running Wide Open will captivate you and capture your heart." - Cari J, Amazon reviewer

"The roar of engines practically explodes off the page in this compelling, heart-thumping debut. Cody Everett is a straight-shooter with attitude, smarts, and whip-cracking wit; he doesn't pull any punches, and neither does author Lisa Nowak. The collision of Cody and the world of stock car racing makes for a great story, one of the best I've read in a long time. Running Wide Open is a book not to be missed." - Christine Fletcher, author of Tallulah Falls and Ten Cents a Dance

"The racing is easy to understand and does not get in the way of a rattling good story. I still couldn't put it down on a re-read." - Elisabeth Miles, Amazon reviewer

"We race stock cars during the summer and even though this is a recommended read for Young Adults, we are seniors and enjoyed every page. We can hardly wait for the sequel to come out. MUST READING!" - Maxci Jermann, Barnes and Noble reviewer

"I say read this book, it's fun, it's beautiful, it's a very cool read that will give you a feel-good state of mind. Awesome read." - L.E.Olteano, Butterfly-o-meter Books

Author Bio:

In addition to being a YA author, Lisa Nowak is a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass. She writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are. She enjoys dark chocolate and stout beer and constantly works toward employing wei wu wei in her life, all the while realizing that the struggle itself is an oxymoron.

Lisa has no spare time, but if she did she'd use it to tend to her expansive perennial garden, watch medical dramas, take long walks after dark, and teach her cats to play poker. For those of you who might be wondering, she is not, and has never been, a diaper-wearing astronaut. She lives in Milwaukie, Oregon, with her husband, four feline companions, and two giant sequoias.

Connect with Lisa online:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lisa_Nowak
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LisaNowakAuthor
Google +: http://bit.ly/LisaNowakGooglePlus
Blog: http://lisanowak.wordpress.com/
Subscribe to her newsletter for updates about coming attractions: http://bit.ly/LisaNowakNewsletter

An Author's 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-09T14:01:00.001-05:00

I'll save you the build up and just give you the 12 most-wished-for items on any authors' list. Go ahead, you know the tune, sing along!

On the 12th day of Christmas, the book gods gave to me:

12 awesome reviews

11 interview posts

10 twitter RTs

9 new Facebook followers

8 plus Ks on Klout

7 adoring new fans

6 new story ideas

5 million sales!

4 foreign offers

3 newspaper stories

2 TV newscasts and

my book under every Christmas tree!

Join a Mid-Winter Giveaway Hop

2011-12-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

What could be better than all the holiday festivities we've already got going on? How about getting more blog followers and winning books?!?!

Join I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Oasis for YA for the Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop. It's December 21-27th and you can offer up any reading or book-related prize you like. (The one limitation is that you not have more than 3 entries per person so they can hop on to the next stop.)

If you'd like to join us, go here to read the full rules and sign up. You can schedule your blog post in advance (i.e. NOW), so you don't forget. Then, sit back and watch as fellow hoppers come to your site, quite literally from all around the world. It's an amazing thing!

Until then, I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying your families.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2011-12-07T16:53:00.001-05:00

So, I dropped off the planet there for a minute. Sorry about that. But I'm back again and I'm ready to wish these debut YA novelists a belated (or early) book birthday -- whichever the case may be.

On the 8th, Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey joins the ranks of the published.
A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Also, we have The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page..

Earlier this week saw the debut of KaSonndra Leigh's When Copper Suns Fall
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.

Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

Ooops - I almost forgot HUSHED by Kelly York. You can read my review here.
He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

What a fantastic line up of debut authors, huh?

Read a Book -- Help Endangered Species!

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm honored to be hosting Heather McCorkle and her novel, The Secret of Spruce Knoll. A special edition of Heather’s The Secret Of Spruce Knoll is releasing from Compass Press this month and she’s doing a special tour to go along with it. The special part, a percentage of the proceeds from every special edition sold (in every format) between its release date and 12-12-2012, will go toward Heather’s favorite charity that protects endangered species. Her goal is to make at least $10,000 for the charity.

Here's what you need to know about the novel:

Following the death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt she’s never met. Little does Eren know, the entire population are channelers—magical people who immigrated there when they were driven out of their homelands. Channelers are tied to the fate of the world, and as it slowly dies, they are going extinct—and they alone have the power to save the earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though.

As Eren and Aiden’s relationship develops, so too does a mystery in Spruce Knoll. The town holds many secrets—and many dangers. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren’s parents was no accident and that her life might be in danger too. Only time will tell if Eren can embrace her unwanted power and protect the only family she has left.

So, I'm sure you're salivating now already, but if that description alone doesn't make you want to read it, there's free stuff involved too! That's right, there are prizes during the tour, which goes from December 1^st through the 17^th. Prizes include a symbolic endangered species adoption of the winner’s choice (a $50 donation by Heather to the charity for the endangered species of the winner’s choice, and cute stuffed animal for the winner!), signed copies of her novels and great swag. For full details, and to enter, go here.

BONUS: For the tour Heather has asked each blog host to pick their favorite endangered species and she will tell us a fun or interesting fact about that animal. I picked the dolphin, cause they're the coolest. And here's the very interesting fact ~

As a highly intelligent marine mammal that loves to play and socialize, dolphins share a lot in common with people. The name dolphin literally means a fish with a womb~though of course they aren’t really fish, but whose to argue with the ancient Greeks who named them?!

To get your copy of The Secret of Spruce Knoll, click the links below:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Now, can you think of a better gift for that special someone on your list??

Cover Reveal

2011-11-30T12:52:00.000-05:00

My friend and one-time CP, Kimblery Sabantini, had her cover reveal today and it's so AMAZING that I wanted to share it too.

Come on -- you don't even need the book description to know you want this! So go -- add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads pronto. And in case you're still here, I present the Goodreads synopsis:

Life-altering mistakes are meant to alter lives.

At seventeen, Elliot Turner feels like she’s a failure in life and in the afterlife. She’s died for the third time and until she can remember her past and figure out the growth plan for her soul, she’s stuck at the Obmil Center for Progression. Elliot’s not surprised that her third stay in limbo guarantees her a rocky road to enlightenment, but she never expected her best friend, Julia to be mad at her. Things get even worse when Elliot meets Oliver and Trevor. One guy is as radiant as the sun and the other is dark and snarky and hates her for no reason at all. It doesn’t take long for Elliot to realize that the deeper she delves into her past, the more complicated it gets--she’s only touched the surface.

Awesome right? It's coming September 14, 2011 from Simon Pulse. Until then, stalk Kim on twitter, because she's WAY cool.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday!

2011-11-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

Let's hear it for Tuesday and the birthday of some fabulous new debut YA novels!

First up today is my friend and fellow Indelible author, S. R. Johannes with Untraceable (The Nature of Grace #1):
Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Now, if you haven't heard the news yet, Shelli got a great review from Kirkus. WOOT, WOOT! And if you still aren't convinced, check out the praise from Kimberly Derting and follow Shelli for a bit.
"Grace is a spunky, independent, nature girl who doesn't need a boy to save her. With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page—and still begging for more!"

-Kimberly Derting, author of the The Body Finder series (Harper Teen) and The Pledge series (S&S)

Contact information:

Email: shelli@srjohannes.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/srjohannes

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SRJohannes/249888602550

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/srjohannes

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5235537.S_R_Johannes

Book Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12731861-untraceable

Blog: http://faeriality.blogspot.com/

Check out Shelli's blog today -- she'll be giving away LOADS of books as part of her launch party (including Destined).

The next debut novel with a birthday today is Legend by Marie Lu:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

So, are either of these books going into your TBR pile?

Advance Review: HUSHED by Kelley York

2011-11-29T07:30:00.005-05:00

If you're looking for dark and edgy, look no further than Entangled Publishing's new upper YA thriller, HUSHED by Kelley York. Coming December 6, 2011. I thank Entangled for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

I was intrigued from the synopsis, but wasn't entirely sure what to expect going in. I shouldn't have been confused. The book was every bit as dark as the synopsis led me to believe, and more. The book opens with a scene where Archer is forcing one of the many people who harmed Vivian to write his own suicide note. Opening line of the novel:

“I feel that suicide notes lose their zing when they drag on too long.”

Now just try to tell me that the line doesn't get your attention. But here's what's really remarkable about the novel. As much as we should hate Archer for being a murdering sociopath, we don't, because he's been hurt so badly, and is just doing what will help his best friend heal from her emotional wounds. And I love that he's vulnerable, and shy, and was Vivian's perfect little abused puppy dog, always lagging at her heals no matter how many times she kicked him. Bottom line, Archer was a real, three-dimensional character.

And then comes Evan. Now, Archer has ALWAYS been in love with Vivian, but his feelings start to shift when Evan enters the picture. The change is subtle and the way we see that relationship develop feels very real. I admired how this wasn't an "issue" novel - certainly Archer's exploration into his sexuality wasn't the focus of the novel - and yet it was portrayed in an acceptable and positive light. I really admired York's skill in making me root for Evan and Archer's budding relationship.

Finally, you shouldn't think that this novel is all touchy-feely Archer's relationships with Vivian and Evan. People die. Quite a few people, actually. The cops knock more than once on Archer's door. And the tension is thick when Vivian starts coming unglued and demanding Archer pick her over Evan. You won't want to stop turning the pages right to the very end, as you demand to know: will he get caught? will Vivian rat him out if she gets caught? what's going to happen to sweet Evan?

All will be answered in a satisfying, yet far-from-perfect ending.

This is unquestionably an upper YA novel (not for those MG readers who "read up") and will appeal to adults as well. But, you've got to be prepared for DARK themes and to look at homosexuality from an open-minded perspective. Overall, I give the novel 4 Greek coins -- an OMG! rating. I highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to embrace the twisted, yet hopeful, story HUSHED has to tell.

To get your own copy of HUSHED, check out Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:13:00.000-05:00

Kariann Photography

As my family gathers around the table to Thanksgiving, here are a few of the many blessings I will be counting:

1. An amazing husband

2. Two beautiful and independent daughters

3. Supportive and loving parents

4. Friends & family who give of themselves and their time

5. An amazing job

6. A cozy home I love

7. Creative outlets

8. More than enough food on the table

9. The good fortune to be able to self-publish

10. All of you AMAZING people who have supported me and cheered for Destined!

I can only pray that 2012 will hold as many blessings in store for me & my family as 2011 has held. And from the bottom of my heart, I wish all of these blessings for you as well.

New Author Blog Hop

2011-11-23T07:22:00.004-05:00

This is a really exciting hop for me because I actually get to put myself out there as an AUTHOR. Somebody pinch me! I can't thank Saba at Of Thoughts and Words and Michelle at Oh! For the Love of Books enough for putting this hop together so that we newbie authors can get to meet each other and share our books with other book lovers.

So, for those who have come to get to know me and/or Destined better, here's the scoop:
* I majored in classical studies but somehow ended up as a lawyer
* I'm blessed with an amazing husband and two beautiful little girls
* Destined is my debut novel and is a YA retelling of the ancient myth of Cupid & Psyche

The back of the book description:

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

You can find it at any of these places:
Amazon (paperback) or (Kindle)
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Goodreads
Smashwords

And there you have it -- that's me and my novel in a nutshell. I can't wait to hop around and meet all the rest of you.

BONUS: If you leave me a comment (through the close of the hop on Nov. 30th), you'll be entered to win an e-copy of Destined. Just be sure to leave me your e-mail address too so I know how to contact you! Thanks for stopping by and happy hopping!

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2011-11-22T08:56:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you all, but after all the fun and excitement I had last week, I could curl up and nap for about 2 days. What? You didn't celebrate the release of Destined like I did? Oh well. To each their own. For those of you looking to celebrate some new releases this week, check out these debut YA titles by my fellow Indelibles authors. CONGRATS, ladies!

YESTERDAY was the birthday for the print release of Clockwise by Elle Strauss
A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward. Boy watching with her best friend would be enough excitement for fifteen year old Casey Donavan. She doesn't even mind life at the bottom of the Cambridge High social ladder, if only she didn't have this other much bigger problem. Unscheduled trips to the nineteenth century! When Casey gets talked into going to the Fall Dance, the unthinkable happens--she accidentally takes Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just 'brotherly' protectiveness? When they return to the present things go back to the way they were before: Casey at the bottom of the social totem pole and Nate practically the flag flying from the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her little brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again. Which, of course, she does.

FRIDAY is the debut of Tangled Tides (The Sea Monster Memoirs #1) by Karen Amanda Hooper
Yara Jones doesn't believe in sea monsters-until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people-until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process-or she might open the gateway to a love that's deeper than the oceans.

“...adventure, family secrets, and sizzling romance. I couldn't put it down!" ~Rae Carson, THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

What say you? Will you be picking up either of these intriguing new Indie reads?

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!

2011-11-17T07:30:00.022-05:00

Today is way more than my birthday. It's Destined's birthday. You can now get Destined in paperback format from Amazon or download a copy from Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Noble for Nook or Smashwords. Hey - I just learned it's even available on Book Depository.

Tonight I'm having a launch party at Jane Doe in Jacksonville and all are welcome! I'll be signing books while sipping wine and enjoying the ambiance of the coolest boutique in Jacksonville. I hope you'll join me if you're in the area.

Even if you're not, you can help me celebrate by joining in the blog tour -- today's stop is at Stuck in Books -- where you can enter to win an official Destined prize pack. You can also check out some of the fabulous reviews Destined's been getting on Goodreads. (Be sure to add it to your TBR list while you're there.)

But, I didn't think it was fair that someone else got to give you a present and I didn't. SO, I'm having a book birthday giveaway here on my blog too. You can win the ONLY doodled-in copy of Destined (this was too much work to do again), an autographed bookmark, and Psyche's butterfly ring as shown on the cover. **Due to shipping costs, the giveaway is for the U.S. only**

I'll leave the giveaway open for one week -- that means I will pick a winner on Thanksgiving. Good stuff, right? You can tweet once a day for extra entries. THERE IS A RAFFLECOPTER FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST TO ENTER BUT YOU MUST BE IN THE POST AND NOT JUST ON THE BLOG. CLICK THE BLOG TITLE. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

In the meantime, all I want for my birthday is your comment... you don't even have to tell ME happy birthday as long as you pass your good wishes on for Destined. :)

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

2011-11-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year, when the world falls in love...

Oh wait, I meant, it's that time of week, when we share birthday love.

This week's happy debut YA book birthday wishes go out to:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting asThe Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices,Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Oh, and then of course, there's Destined. But you all already know about that. :) OMG!! OMG!! SQUEE!!

2012 Mythology Challenge

2011-11-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

If you follow this blog, there's a "chance" you like books with mythology in them. Am I right? Well then, what could be better than a MYTHOLOGY CHALLENGE?

I'm planning on participating in the challenge -- hosted by About to Read -- in which the only goal is to read 10 YA or MG novels that have some sort of mythology in them. Could be Greek, Norse, Irish, Russian, you name it! (Oh, and I'm pretty sure Destined qualifies...)

If you'd like to participate too, head on over to About to Read and sign up. 2012 is right around the corner. Might as well set an early New Year's Resolution!

Happy reading, everyone!

Inspiration for the New WIP

2011-11-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

I got this idea on the 4 hour drive down to my mom's today and started furiously scribbling out pages of notes until motion sickness made me stop. I am so excited to get started on a new project, but I wanted some inspiration pieces first. So I trolled DeviantArt and came up with these:

Wondering if you can guess what my new WIP might be about??

Happy Launch Party Day!

2011-11-11T09:16:00.001-05:00

I know I already featured these three ladies and books on Tuesday, but I wanted to give an extra-special shout out to my Indeible friends, whose books all launch TODAY! Happy book birthday, ladies!

Please be sure to drop by their blog -- Dark CARMA -- to learn more about these books.

Because it still makes me laugh...

2011-11-09T20:20:00.000-05:00

Now the video -- despite being the funniest thing EVER -- has been banned for copyright reasons, but the clever composer (undaunted) has figured out a grainy way to post it. If you haven't seen this literal video yet (or even if you have), WATCH IT. Watch it to THE END. Some of the best lines are at the end.

You will laugh.

I promise.

November Giveaway Hop

2011-11-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

Hi and welcome to The Daily Harrell. Today I'm participating in the Giveaway Hop hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Tristi Pinkston. I wasn't sure I was up for another hop just after doing the Spooktacular Giveaway hop, but that badge is just too darn pretty. I've become such a sucker for marketing...

Here's how this is going to work -- since the contest is International, I'm offering one YA book (up to $10 value) from the Book Depository. So long they ship to your country, feel free to enter. Alternatively -- it being in the middle of the Destined blog tour and all -- you can win an ARC of Destined. If the winner is from the U.S., they can pick from a paper ARC or eARC. International winner can select the eARC option only.

The only requirement is that you be a follower of this blog. The contest will remain open until midnight EST on November 11th.

So there you have it. Want to win a YA novel or an ARC of my YA novel? Fill out the form and GOOD LUCK! Then, be sure to hop along to the rest of the blogs for more chances to win fabulous prizes.
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