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.
To leave a comment, click on the header. You have to be "in" the post for the comments to appear. THANKS!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Happy Book Birthday to Getting Sideways by Lisa Nowak

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
Friday, December 9, 2011
An Author's 12 Days of Christmas
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!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Join a Mid-Winter Giveaway Hop
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Happy Debut YA Book Birthday
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?
On the 8th, Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey joins the ranks of the published.
A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and dangerLenzi 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 WunderDry, 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?
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