That's YAmore Blogfest

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

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

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

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!)

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.)