You Might Be A YA Writer If... And... He Loves Me...He Loves You Not...Poll

Hello Readers!

Hope everyone's week has kicked off to great start!

I had this super fun idea for a post last week, but I'll get to that in a sec.

First I wanted to take a poll from the readers who've read, He Loves Me...He Loves You Not...

So, I've been toying with the notion of rewriting. No... Not completely rewriting, but writing a second addition and adding Henry's POV to it. I've asked a few people who have read it and some say, "No don't!" While others say, "That might be interesting to read."

Truthfully, I love Henry. He's one of my favorite characters. Part of me thinks he deserves to tell his story. So in the end, I want to know what the readers think. What about Henry? Would you want to read his POV?


Now on to the fun part of today's post?

How many of you watch or listen to comedians?

Personally I love some of the ones that incorporate stuff like this into their acts.

You might be a (insert word here) if....

So I thought, how fun would that be if we did that for today's post? Let's face it. We all draw our inspirations from different places.

And...

If you're adult, sometimes its difficult to find yourself in the teen mind-frame when writing a YA novel. We might think we know what the current trends are in the world of teenagers, but that's not always the case.

Now on to the fun part. Here's how I dip into the teenage mind, lol.

You might be a YA writer if...

1. You casually eavesdrop on a conversation between some bubbly teenage girls while skimming the sales rack at Forever 21. Then you ask yourself,"Did she just say fugly?" Hmm... Fugly? Is that even a word? Maybe I can use that somewhere.

2. You observe your teenage brother with his dudes while they play basketball to catch up on current teenage boy speak.(I have to say, that from doing this I've learned that teenage boys lingo is totally and completely different from teenage girls.)

3. Google becomes your best friend and you've been sitting in front of your computer for the last hour typing in searches like; fashion trends for teens. (Yes, I have done this, lol.)

So let's hear some of yours....

You might be a YA writer If.... Finish this in the comment section.

Hopefully you've had fun with this!

I know I did.

Cheers!

Above The Earth Is Heaven...Below It's Core Is...The Everneath...

Gobble! Gobble! Readers!

Who's ready for Turkey Day? And what are you thankful for?

Me, I'm thankful for my family and my health because I wouldn't be here without either one. <3

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being 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 months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's 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... (summary from goodreads)

Who loves Greek myth re-tellings? (I do! I do!)

Seriously this book rocked.... Rocked hard... I'm talking like a Lynard Skynard eight minute guitar solo hard. And all in all its like a mishmash of several mythological re-tellings in one--which I thought was awesome.

But... it mainly focuses on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. And I don't believe until the Everneath it has been touched on.

What I loved most about this book was the relationship between Jack and Nikki. Loved the way the author brought out bits and pieces of it at a time and by the end of the book, you're weeping.

Trust me when I say this; Buy this book...Read this book... And love this book!

You won't be disappointed. <3

Cheers!

Happy Turkey Day!

Talking Destined, With Author Jessie Harrell and eBook Giveaway!

 Yay! Readers!

So I loved, loved, loved this book! And I am super excited to welcome Jessie Harrell to the blog today so she can tell you a little bit about her upcoming YA release, Destined.

DESTINED BLOG TOUR: EXAMINING THE OTHER FOOT

Hi everyone! I want to thank Lauren for letting me take over her blog today as part of the official Destined blog tour.  This is the first guest post I’ve ever done for someone else’s blog and I hope you don’t hate it. :) The twitter summary of my topic: u can improve ur writing by figuring out what happens when the shoe is on the other foot. Bottom line, if you’re a reader and not a writer, just go ahead and skip to the bottom to read about the novel and the contest.  **you can win a free e-book**

For those of you still with us, here’s my thought for the day --

I remember having to come up with a thesis for a 4000 level English lit class on folk tales back in undergrad.  (Not quite the most awesome class ever, but close.)  As I struggled to come up with something to write about, another student told me that my thesis needed to challenge a common idea.  You can’t just say: anthropomorphism is common in folk lore.  That’s not a thesis, it’s a fact.  A thesis would be something more along the lines of ancient peoples used anthropomorphism in fables as a way of doing x.  (btw - I had no recollection of what my thesis actually was for that class)  The point being, by learning that I had to challenge a belief to write a compelling paper, I learned to examine things from many different angles.

Fast forward to this spring.  Destined was sitting on my computer waiting for me to find the perfect tweak for it.  I knew the story was so close, but it was just lacking that little something.  After a talk with Georgia McBride (thank you, Georgia!), I realized I’d forgotten to look at my story from all the possible different angles.  I’d latched onto the myth of Cupid & Psyche as written and just accepted that Cupid was a spoiled playboy and Venus was a complete b!tch.  But was that the best way to tell the story?  If I could start from scratch, what would be their motivations, their backstory?

Which made me realize, despite being “gods,” these characters needed to be humanized.  Venus needed a reason to become irate with Psyche.  Cupid needed a reason to reject Psyche the first time he met her.  Along the same lines, I heard someone remark recently that the bad guys in stories don’t think they’re being evil.  They have their own perfectly logical explanation for what their doing.  To make all of my characters come to life on the page, I realized I needed to find those “logical explanations.”

So my advice to you as writers is to turn each of your characters around and look at them from the other side.  You’ve got good guys and bad guys, but how would they act if the shoe was on the other foot?  How would the story be different if you were telling it from the “bad guy’s” perspective?  Would he or she really seem so bad?  

** I note that Lauren does this incredibly well with her new novella He Loves Me, He Loves You Not, telling the story of the “other woman” in a way that makes her the more sympathetic character. Not any easy task.

DESTINED BLURB AND CONTEST

For those of you who skipped ahead, START READING HERE.  :)  Here is where you get to learn how to win Destined.  But first, the blurb:

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.(summary from goodreads)

If you leave your e-mail address in your comment, you'll be automatically entered to win an e-copy of Destined. The contest will stay open for 48 hours after the post goes live, and then Jessie will use random.org to select a winner. Available formats include .mobi, .epub and .pdf. And please be sure to visit the other stops on Destined's official blog tour for chances to win copies of Destined and other goodies.

Check out the list below!
1-Nov Once Upon A Twilght -  Book Trailer +Interview Ebook giveaway
2-Nov Books With Bite - Interview Ebook giveaway
3-Nov Living in Literary La La Land Guest Post Ebook giveaway
4-Nov I am a Reader, Not a Writer Guest Post Ebook giveaway
5-Nov Paper Hangover Interview Ebook giveaway
6-Nov Nikki Katz Interview Ebook giveaway
6-Nov Fictional Distraction Review Ebook Giveaway
7-Nov Daisy Chain Book Review Interview Ebook giveaway
8-Nov MundieMoms Review + Short Story Ebook giveaway
9-Nov Safari Poet Guest Post Ebook giveaway
10-Nov Good Choice Reading WOW CONTEST + Review Ebook giveaway
11-Nov LM Preston Guest Post VLOG - Read a Scene Ebook giveaway
12-Nov An Avid Readers Musings Interview VLOG Ebook giveaway
13-Nov Skyla11377 Review Ebook giveaway
14-Nov Dark Readers Interview Ebook giveaway
15-Nov Shortie Says... Character GUEST POST Ebook giveaway
16-Nov A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews  Guest post - Sneak Peek Ebook giveaway
17-Nov Stuck In Books Character Interview Ebook giveaway
18-Nov From A to Z Review  Ebook giveaway
19-Nov Turning Pages Interview Ebook giveaway
20-Nov A Tale of Many Reviews Guest Post Ebook giveaway
21-Nov Read My Mind - AliseonLife Interview Vlog Ebook giveaway
22-Nov S.A.Larson Review Ebook giveaway
23-Nov Starry Sky Books Prize pack giveaway + Guest Post Ebook giveaway
23-Nov Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My! Prize pack giveaway Ebook giveaway

Thank you for dropping in on this stop of the blog tour.  Hope you found a useful nugget from my advice.  And better yet, I just hope you love reading Destined as much as I loved writing it.

Jessie Harrell

jessieharrell@me.com

Take A Walk On The Dark Side...

Happy Hump Day, Readers!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm super excited for Halloween! My fav holiday! Whoo!

So today I'm posting my last three stops on the A Whisper To A Scream blog tour! YaY!

Some people don't like to walk on the dark side... I do. The dark side is sinister and challenging. I'll forever be a huge fan of dark and creepy books. I guess I can thank R.L Stein and V.C Andrews for that. Their books fueled my hunger for the dark and creepy.

I think I will probably always write dark books. Sometimes I like to throw in a few romances here and there, but for the most part most of my books will be creepy, dark, and horrific.

Here are a few that I'm working on; Sineater. (This is the first YA book I've ever written that's told entirely from a male POV. Trevor is my MC and he's pretty bad-a**.)

The Lady in Red~ This one is fun so far... It's a YA re-telling of the tale of Elizabeth Bathory.

And this one is my favorite..... :) Vlad & Liz a YA re-telling of Dracula... BEFORE he was a vampire...Personally, I think he was driven mad after Elizabeth and that's what led him to drink blood in the first place.

And if you guys didn't get a chance to check out my guest posts & interviews, check them out here!

Interview on Nymphaux with Jill!

Interview on Courtney Reads!

Guest Post on Jessie Harrell's blog!

And tomorrow you can check my out my vlog of the creepiest scene from A Whisper To A Scream on L.M Preston's blog.

One more thing..... If you're an R.L Stein fan, like me....

Cheers!

Happy Halloween!

He Loves Me...He Loves You Not

Yay!

Today is the release day of my steamy YA/romance novella, He Loves Me...He Loves You Not.

Riley loves Henry. Henry loves Riley, but he's dating Callie.

Riley Davis is mixed up in an emotional love triangle that she wants out of.

But she can't help the way she feels about Henry Garner. She's obsessed. And she's convinced that her on the sly relationship with Henry is going to end badly.

And Henry has a secret. A secret that could make or break one relationship. But which one will it be? His relationship with Callie? Or his romantic entanglement with Riley?(summary from goodreads)

This was one of the most emotional books that I think I've ever written. And as most of you can see from the summary, it's about a love triangle. And it's told from the other woman's perspective. I don't know about everyone else, but I like to pick boundary-pushing subjects to write about. What can I say? I like to challenge myself. After He Loves Me...He Loves You Not I have one more novel releasing in 2011 and it drops December 20,2011. Asphodel is the first in a trilogy called The Underworld Trilogy. Also I have a huge line up for 2012.

First up at the end of Feb will be Remember Me My Love... another YA/Romance but, this one is actually based on a true story.

Hope you guys get a chance to check out He Loves Me...He Loves You Not!

Cheers!

Riley loves Henry. Henry loves Riley.

Hi Everyone!!!!

Sooo tomorrow He Loves Me...He Loves You Not my eBook novella comes out!! YaY! This book was so much fun to write! So today I'm posting chapter one for you to read! Hope you enjoy it... And I hope it makes you swoon :)

Chapter 1

"Love prefers twilight to daylight.”~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

Friday night is for lovers. An early morning tryst. A passionate dalliance.

It’s two in the morning, but I can’t sleep. I’m anxious because I know he’ll be here any minute.

I watch the moonlight as the glowing beams seep through my open window and dance along the hardwood floor. A minute passes. Then five. Next ten.

A cool summer breeze whips through my pale blue curtains and the sound of soft footsteps cuts into the silence engulfing my bedroom. He pushes back the curtains and I swear I can see his perfect smile gleaming in the dark.

Henry.

The anxious feeling subsides as the springs in my mattress squeak and Henry crawls into bed with me. His warm fingers slide over my bare hip and I shiver. My time with him is limited so when I get it, I’m happy, so happy that I cry. His touch thrills me, electrifies me, and sends a jolt throughout my body.

“You’re too far away,” he murmurs. His voice reminds me of the man in black. Deep, raspy, sexy.

I let out a restrained laugh. “I’m right next to you.”

“Still not close enough.”

He tugs on my hip bone and I scoot backwards, closer. So close that I feel like at any given moment we might melt together and become one.

He exhales into the curve of my neck and his hot breath trails down my back, igniting my insides. I swallow hard, so consumed with my desire for him that the burning sensation coursing through my veins is overwhelming. I contemplate telling him to hold me forever. To never let me go. But I don’t. That might sound too needy. Too desperate.

He kisses my hair and whispers, “I missed you.”

I reach for his arm pulling it around me tighter. Goosebumps rise all over my body as his fingertips tickle my stomach. My voice quivers, “I missed you, too.”

I find his crystalline blue eyes in the dark and he crooks me a wicked yet beautiful smile. “Kiss me.”

And I do. I kiss him fervently and passionately. My lips flutter overtop of his in a frenzy of seductive bliss and inside I tell myself I’d rather suffocate than sacrifice a moment from kissing him to come up for air.

He rolls over, half on top of me and clutches my bare thigh. I’m delirious. Lost in him. My fingers dig into his back as his lips brush against my collar bone.

Henry. Henry. Henry.

Inside I’m screaming. Don’t stop. Never take your hands off me. I love you.

But those thoughts are unrealistic fantasies.

He’s taken. Some other girl’s property. And just like me, she anticipates a gentle brush from his lips. She anticipates his warm enchanting smile, and his tender loving touch.

And sadly she has something that I don’t…

All of him.
~~~~~~
An hour later, he’s putting his pants on, kissing my forehead and sliding back out my window.

“Stay,” I say, softer than a whisper.

I know he won’t. He never does. And for me to think that he ever will is wishful thinking.

He doesn’t hear me. He’s gone. And I lose it.

I shove my face into my pillow and scream. Cry. Sob. An agonizing, dull pain pumps through my heart and I feel like I’m dying inside.

I’m trembling, tucked into a ball. I’m so weak that it makes me sick.

If I was a strong person, I’d tell him to fuck off and never crawl back through my window ever again.

I’d tell him that what we’re doing isn’t okay. Cheating is morally wrong. But I love him so much it makes my whole body ache when I think I might never see him again.

Now I truly understand what it feels like to be the other woman.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Hope you enjoyed this!

Cheers! <3

Blow Me Up. Break Me. Shatter Me Into Pieces.

I have to start this review out by saying this was one of the novels that I had been anticipating the most as far as new releases go. Well...I have a top ten list actually, lol.

Anyway, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is the story of Juliette, a teenage girl whose touch kills.

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. (summary from goodreads)

I don't think there are enough words to describe how much I loved this book. The two things I loved the most; One, Mafi's writing style is brilliant. So poetic and beautiful. And two, Adam, Adam, Adam. Seriously. He's a tatted up bad ass--which I think is awesome. But there's so much more to him and you're honestly surprised by it. You think he's one thing, but he's not... He's the complete opposite.

Shatter Me will leave you breathless, make your heart race, and leave you wanting more. Much..Much.. MORE!

Shatter Me is Tahereh Mafi's debut novel and you HAVE to check it out! It drops 11/15/2011


*ARC was provided by the publisher for a fair and honest review*

Cheers!

All Will Be Unveiled!

Happy Tuesday Readers!

I have a special treat for you today! First let's wish Trisha Wolfe a happy book birthday, yay! Her novelette, Unveiled releases today and is packed full of dystopian awesomeness!

Check out the trailer!




Amongst the wasteland lies the gleaming city of Karm. A Camelot-esque utopia built from the ashes of a dying world.

Seventeen-year-old Fallon is no daughter of Karm.

She's its assassin.

Raised by a secret society of rebels, she's bent on bringing down the king's sham of an existence. But her first mark, one of the king's top knights of the Force, makes her question everything. Even her heart.

And here's what Trisha has to say!

So excited to have this opportunity to post on your blog, Lauren! Thank you. And thank you for hosting the trailer reveal! It just makes it that much more real, and I love it.

UNVEILED goes live today. It was originally scheduled to release on the 27th, but I think this is what’s called a soft release. There’s no POW! BAM! getting it out there. It’s more like a gentle nudge into the world.

I did a guest post earlier this month on the reason why I chose to write a short story, but I’m still getting asked some questions about the story in general. So I think I’ll answer them here.

UNVEILED was born from my current WIP (work in progress). A book I’m working on right now. I had an idea to break from the manuscript and write something that I could weave into the story later on.

The book will involve the characters you meet at the beginning of the story: Zara, Sebastian, and Devlan. But the short story is centered on side characters that we won’t see until much later in the book. I felt that it would be a cool way to tie both sides of the story together. Often, I only read a book from one point of view. I wonder what the other characters think, feel, or how different a story would be told from their POV. The world I’m building is very intricate, and I felt more than one person’s perspective could really bring it all together.

The book doesn’t have a home yet. Because, well, it’s not finished. But I hope to see that dream realized, and for Zara to have a voice and tell her story just as Fallon did.

UNEILVED takes place in the future, an alternate future where the world has been destroyed by war and a virus. A leader rises up with access to rare technologies and builds his ideal realm based off of King Arthur’s Camelot. But, in this world, everything is not as simple and good as it seems. Fallon, an assassin for the Rebels, discovers some of Karm’s secrets and takes hold of her own destiny.

I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did writing it. It really is close to my heart as I’m in love with these characters, and I hope to see them all find a home.

Awesome Trisha! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Unveiled is available on Amazon for your kindle.

On B&N for your nook.

Or you can download it on Smashwords.

I promise you this is a great read! Especially if you're a dystopian lover.

Cheers!

Tomorrow I'll be posting the winners of the Pride Giveaway, Yay!

Fly Me To The Moon......New novel teaser.

Do you ever get an idea for a novel and it stays with you and it feels like you'll never shake it?

That's how I feel with my current WIP. I can't shake it. Maybe that's because it's kind of steamy. And I've never tackled writing a steamy novel. So this is kinda fun for me.

How many of you love old movies? I always have. Probably always will. There's something special about them. The way everything is portrayed. Society. Culture. Romance.

One of my all-time favorites is Splendor In The Grass. It stars Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty. And if you haven't seen it, watch it because it's one of those movies that sticks with you. And I could watch it repeatedly and never get tired of it.

Anywho, its about a young couple in high school, an obsession, a changing view of relationships in the world. And lastly, a twisted tragic love story... A good tagline to describe it. Love makes you crazy.

Where am I going with this? That movies reminds me of my current WIP... Of course the book is different, but it is about that crazy, obsessive kind of love.

And my inspiration, aside from thinking of the move. Stay by Sugarland. The song is amazing and sometimes it just takes the smallest thing to send a writer's imagination reeling....

And it seems like Mine is reeling more often than not.... LOL... So here's a teaser and a picture of the cover for....

He Loves Me... He Loves You Not.

As the tip of his tongue brushes against the roof of my mouth, I’m seeing fireworks. An explosion of colors. Brilliant and beautiful. And the explosions of beauty leave a trail of colored smoke in the sky. And a trail of colored smoke in my heart. Red. Bright red. The color of passion. The color of love.

He pulls away. “Come back.” I’m panting. His kisses knock the wind out of my lungs. I crave him, like chocolate, I want to taste him.

My legs are wrapped around his back and he places both of his hands on my cheeks and just stares. Two sets of blue eyes, gazing intensely into one another's. We’re gone. Swimming in seas of blue on some deserted uncharted island.

I’m fascinated. I can’t move. He’s a hypnotist. One snap of his fingers and I’ll be clucking like a chicken.

We’re both breathing. Soft and slow. And he reaches up and yanks the hair-tie from my hair. “You don’t know what you do to me.”

Then his lips caress mine. It’s only a brush, but the warmth overheats every part of me. Leaning back, my elbow bumps into the power button on the dryer and the old appliance starts moving. Spinning. Spinning like my head. Like my heart.

My hands are in his hair and his arms wrap around my waist tighter. I know what Henry does to me. I’m space bound. A rocket about to blast off. And I want Henry to send me to the moon.

Romeo... Romeo... Where For Art Thou Romeo?

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/ For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1.5

This is funny, but I actually played Juliet in Mrs. Webber's 9th grade rendition of the play at World Cultures night.

I've always loved this play. The tragic tale of star-crossed lovers from families who were sworn enemies and felt their only way out was death.

So when I heard of Juliet Immortal a dark twist on the tale of the jilted lovers it skyrocketed to the top of my TBR pile.

And just like Juliet for Romeo, I fell in love with it.

The most tragic love story in history . . . is a lie.

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.(summary from goodreads)

There aren't enough adjectives to express the way I felt about this book. Normally, it would have only taken me about a day or two to finish it because I'm a pretty fast reader, but when you're busy it makes little time for reading, lol. So it took me about a week or two to finish.

I'm elated that I took my time to savor every moment. Whether it was beautiful or tragic. Jay's style of writing is so poetic and haunting. And I was hooked from page one.

In her dark rendition, Romeo and Juliet are immortal beings. Romeo fighting for the dark and Juliet for the light. And in the end, even though for some it might seem tragic, true love does prevail. And it stands true to the fact that true love.... is never selfish.. It's not rude... And it's not jealous...

This book was amazing!

And I promise you.. you won't regret adding it to your TBR pile.

And Who's Ready 4 Some Awesomeness!

Happy Wednesday Writers!

First and foremost I have to share something amazing with you! Are you ready for it?

Amongst the wasteland lies the gleaming city of Karm. A Camelot-esque utopia built from the ashes of a dying world. Seventeen-year-old Fallon is no daughter of Karm. She's its assassin. Raised by a secret society of rebels, she's bent on bringing down the King's sham of an existence. But her first mark, one of the King's top knights of the Force, makes her question everything. Even her heart. (Summary from Goodreads.)


Isn't this book cover amazing?!? This is the cover for Trisha Wolfe's YA dystopian Novelette, Unveiled. And it's releasing September 27, 2011.

And I know you want to add it on goodreads, lol. So you can do that here.

Secondly, if you guys missed my guest post on P.K's blog, to celebrate the release of my novel, Pride, you can check that out here.

Lastly, I want to wish everybody a wonderful, writing Wednesday! And if you haven't entered the Pride giveaway, you can do so below!

Cheers!

Eek! Pride Book Birthday and Giveaway!

Hi everyone!

Today, I am super excited to celebrate the release of Pride, whoot, whoot!

This book is super important to me. If you read this book blog, you know me...

Almost all of my posts are written to try and spread positivity.

That's what Pride is all about. Positivity. And self-growth.

So to celebrate the release of Pride, I'm giving away two Pride T-shirts! Yay!

To enter the giveaway, you must be a follower of this blog. You can earn extra entries by following me on twitter and adding Pride on goodreads.

Finally, what I really want to know is how you have Pride. In the comments section, let me know!

Also, whoever wins, please take a pic of your self rocking your Pride shirt and tweet it or blog it or facebook it.

Have a little Pride....

and remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

Happy Tuesday!

You can buy Pride on:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Or order the paperback.

And don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Cheers!

Squeals!!!! PRIDE chapter 1.....

As most of you know, Pride comes out on Tuesday.... So, I'm super excited to share the first chapter!!! I hope you enjoy it!!!

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Chapter 1: When I Grow Up
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? ~ Nelson Mandela

Tears spilled onto my cheeks as I bolted out of The Limited. I pushed my way through the crowd of people, my shoulder brushing against a woman to my left as I picked up speed.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Watch where you’re going!”
I didn’t have time to apologize. My mother was gaining on me and the sound of her voice carried down the narrow, mall corridor, “Angela! You get back here this instant!”
I kept running and running. I stopped at the end of the corridor, hunching over to catch my breath. Again, my mother shouted, “Angela Marie Dunne!”
Right now, I didn’t want to be anywhere near her. First, she rushed me out of the house to go school shopping. Then, when I expressed interest in a pair of jeans I actually wanted, she humiliated me in front all the associates in the store.
“Seventy five dollars! Absolutely not!” I said, mocking her shrill high pitched voice.
My mother caught up to me as I stalked toward the exit. “Angela!” she shouted.
I didn’t answer. I was too overwhelmed with emotion. I didn’t want to say something I would regret. She appeared next to me, keeping up with me. I never knew her short, chubby legs could go that fast. “You don’t need a seventy five dollar pair of jeans,” she stated, calmly.
She was the most frugal woman in the world, I swear. She didn’t even shop at the mall herself. Most of the time, my mother did shopping for her clothes at consignment shops. I had to admire that quality in her. She’d give up anything for herself if she felt like her kids needed something more.
At the moment, I noticed her examining me. She could see I was a loose cannon. That any given moment, I would snap at her. She was trying her hardest to reason with me. But, at that very second, I couldn’t be reasoned with.
I stopped mid-stride, trying to keep calm. “But everyone at school has jeans like that! You never let me wear anything cool!”
My mother reached into the J.C Penney’s bag, pulling out a pair of twenty dollar jeans that we had purchased. “Aren’t these cool?” she asked, scrunching her eyebrows together.
“No!” I snapped, pushing the pants away. “They’re cheap!” I surveyed the shoppers passing by, hoping that I wouldn’t see anyone I knew.
The look of disappointment radiated from my mother’s face as she pushed the jeans back into the bag. Embarrassed, she fumbled with the bag, trying to get a firm grip on it. Remorse seeped out of me. I shouldn’t have snapped at her like that. I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Mom. The jeans are fine.”
My mother never really cared about what other people thought. I suppose that should have been a quality I respected about her. Instead, I hated it. Did she even remember what high school was like?
She had mousy brown hair that was an inch above the shoulders. It always looked unkept. She never styled it, fixed it, or even blow dried it. Her frame was frumpy but, I figured after having a couple of kids, well, that’s what did it to her. And the way she dressed. Ugh, the way she dressed always made me cringe when going out in public
with her. I mean my Mom was frumpy, but nowhere near the plus size section. Yet, she always insisted on wearing clothes that were about two sizes too big for her.
If you took a good, long look at my mother and me, you might question the fact that we were actually mother and daughter. I was a good seven inches taller than her with a thin, lanky build. My Auburn hair was thick, glossy, and naturally wavy. Occasionally, I’d wear it down, allowing the billowy waves to spread across my back.
The one thing my mother and I actually had in common was our eyes. We both had wide set, navy blue eyes. I once heard my father say he could get lost in my mother’s eyes. Secretly, I hoped that a man would tell me that one day.
“Oh, sweetheart, If we could afford to buy you those other jeans, it wouldn’t be a problem. We just need the money for other things.”
I smiled. I knew that raising two kids in New York City was something that didn’t come cheap. Living in New York City period, was something that didn’t come cheap.
We used to live in Brooklyn, which was a lot cheaper than living in Manhattan. But when my parents decided that they wanted my sister and I to go a better school, they moved us from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side.
The school I went to was Manhattan Prep. A school where it was normal to see the students being dropped off by limousines, wearing the most recent designer fashions, and arrive toting the most lavish Louis Vuitton handbags. They never warmed to me. I wasn’t like them. They were a part of the blue-blood, upper crust Manhattan society and my family couldn’t compete with that. Because we didn’t have what they valued most, money.
We weren’t poor, but my parents definitely couldn’t afford to buy me any kind of designer clothes. My mother and father worked hard, long houred jobs to make sure my sister and I could have the best education. I should have appreciated it. But I didn’t. I was selfish.
Our residence now, was a tiny, two bedroom apartment that cost a fortune. I wasn’t thrilled about the fact that I had to share my bedroom with my kid sister, Mirabelle, who was only in the eighth grade, but what other choice did I have?
My father even had to take a second job, so we could have a little bit of extra money. Although neither one of my parents ever complained about it. I was the only one that did the complaining. Sometimes I wished I could get past my longing for expansive material things. But so far, in my life that longing still lingered inside of me.
As we neared the exit, I spotted a petite, blonde woman to my right. Her green eyes focused on my blue ones. I broke away from her penetrating stare feeling a little violated. It was like being gawked at by a pedophile. I turned my attention back to my mother who still had a forlorn look on her face.
“Mom, I love the jeans, I swear,” I blurted out, hoping that my kind comment would make her feel a little better.
She was still upset. My mother never hid her emotions. Her child-like, blue, eyes told me everything.
I wasn’t like her in the emotions department. Me, I could feel totally lousy on the inside, but on the outside, you‘d think I hit the lottery. After being tortured repeatedly in school day after day, for the last two years, I mastered masking my emotions. The thing about bullies is, you can never let them see that they are getting the best of you. You can never reveal the way you cry because of something they said. That makes them glow with pride. It adds fuels to their fire because, bullies feed off of other people’s pain.
I never truly understood why the kids at school tormented me. My mother always told me it was because they were jealous. But jealous of what? I didn’t come from money, I was average looking and my family members didn’t rub elbows with all of Manhattan’s elite. It was obvious that my mother was delusional. Either that or she saw something in me that I had failed to notice.
When we were a foot away from the exit, I glanced casually over my shoulder. That woman who was staring at me earlier was following us. I tensed up, turning my head around.
My mother looked over at me, concerned. “What is it dear?” Her eyes probed me intensely.
I picked up my pace, walking faster. “There is a woman behind us, following us.” My mother began turning. I grabbed her arm. “Don’t look at her!”
My mother didn’t listen. She looked over her shoulder. “Angela, there are lots of people walking behind us.”
“Mom, I know what I saw,” I began, “she stared me a little bit ago. Now, she’s following us!” My mother snuck in another glance over her shoulder. “Do you know her?” I asked when she turned back around.
“I don’t even know which woman you’re talking about.”
I turned my head slightly, trying not to be so obvious. There she was, inching closer and closer, her blonde bob moving as she walked. “The blonde woman with the shoulder length bob,” I whispered, leaning in to my mother’s ear.
My mother looked over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes. At the same time, the woman caught up to us, yanking on my arm.
“Ahh!” I screamed out. Instinctively, my arms went out in front of me and I pushed the woman away. She stumbled slightly, pausing to catch her balance.
My mother stopped, throwing her arm in front of me, shielding me protectively. “Who are you?” my mother asked her high pitched voice now low.
The woman put her hand up in a calming gesture. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I just wondered if I could talk to you and your daughter for a second.”
How could she have known I was my mother’s daughter? Then, my eyes worked their way over to my mother. The way she put herself in front of me, would of told anybody she was my mother. She looked like a lioness protecting her cub. “About?” my mother inquired.
I watched the woman as her cat like green eyes scanned me from head to toe. “Has your daughter ever considered modeling?” she asked, moving closer.
That question took my mother by surprise. She scrunched her eyebrows together, puzzled. “What?” I have to admit, it took me by surprise too. My mother dropped her arm from in front of me.
The woman extended her hand. “My name is Olivia Lennox. I’m a modeling agent for The Fresh Faces Modeling Agency.”
My mother hesitated for a minute. She glanced up at Olivia’s face then back at her hand. Finally, she took Olivia’s hand, shaking it. “Annie Dunne. This is my daughter, Angela.”
Olivia smiled, turning her head in my direction. “Hello Angela.” I nodded in reply. I couldn’t answer her. This whole situation didn’t seem right.
Olivia led us over to a cast iron bench that was sitting directly to the left of the plexi glass exit doors. The three of us plopped down, squeezing into the confined seating arrangement. Olivia sat on one end, my mother was in the middle, and I was on the opposite end. Olivia reached over, patting my hand. I almost recoiled, tucking my hand in the pocket of my sweater. I didn’t know this woman. She could have been anybody. She could have been one of the deranged, homicidal maniacs who lured people out of the mall, piled them into a big white van, driving them off to some sadistic torture chamber.
Olivia pulled her hand away. “How old are you hun?”
My voice quivered. “Fifteen.”
I turned my gaze to the people walking through the mall in front of me, as my mother and Olivia engaged in some deep discussion. My thoughts began racing. My mind slowly drifted away from their conversation. Did Olivia really think I could be a model?
The definition of pluck is: to pull off or out; pick; to drag or snatch. That’s what Olivia Lennox had just done to me. She plucked me out the crowd at our local mall. It never occurred to me that agents actually did this, or that it was normal. Who just walks up to random strangers and asks them if they’ve ever considered modeling?
Still, there I was, sitting on a bench with my mother, and a modeling agent. This was unfathomable. I couldn’t even pinpoint what my emotions were gravitating toward. They were a jumbled mixture of fear, excitement, anxiety, and who knows what else? Part of the reason this whole scenario seemed fishy was that in my life, when I thought things were too good to be true, they were.
I always knew I was decent looking, but model material, really? Mental images of girls hailing the covers of Elle, Cosmo, and Vogue flashed through my brain. Could I even be compared to them? I didn’t think so. Those types of women were Goddesses of beauty. Those high standards were something I couldn’t even begin to compete with.
I was so absorbed in my own thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed that the conversation my mother and Olivia were having was coming to an end. I snapped out my trance, when my mother shoved into me, as Olivia slowly rose up from the bench. Then my mother rose slowly from her seat. I remained seated, feeling torn between which one of them I should be paying attention to. I looked at Olivia, then my mother. Then my mother again, then back to Olivia. Finally, I had reached an agreement with myself that I would just watch them both.
Olivia stuck her hand into the pocket of her brown, suede, business jacket, fishing around for something. She removed a business card, handing it to my mother. “Be at that address next Monday at 3:30 sharp if you’re interested.”
My mother took the card. “Thank you Ms. Lennox.”
Olivia laughed. “Please, call me Olivia,” she commanded, an all-around pleasant tone to her voice.
My mother nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Olivia.”
“No problem, Annie,” said Olivia. “You don’t mind that I call you Annie, do you?”
“Of course not,” my mother answered politely.
“Well then hopefully, I’ll see you both on Monday.” Olivia turned her gaze toward me. “Goodbye Angela.”
“Bye,” I said quickly. I hoped that if I said it fast enough, Olivia would leave sooner, rather than later.
I waited until Olivia disappeared from my view before I spoke. Once she was out of sight, my mother sat back down next to me on the bench. “Well mom,” I said. “What do you think?”
My mother put the business card into her purse. “I think we should wait and talk about this when we get home.” She stood slowly extending her hand to me. “I have to see what you’re father says.”
I took her hand, rising slowly from my seat. I eyed her oddly. “What? You don’t think she’s legit, do you?”
My mother nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
My mother held open the door for me as we walked through the exit. Well, there were two things that I had to recognize about today. One, maybe, just maybe, good things really did happen in my life. And two, today was the day that Olivia Lennox changed my life forever.

Sometimes Love...Can Be Deadly!

Happy Friday Everyone!

I've got some awesome things to share with you today!

First.... Check out the book cover for my YA/horror/suspense novel!!

Secondly, if you wanted to order a paperback copy of Famished or you want to pre-order Pride & A Whisper To A Scream you can do that here.
Lastly,I hope you all enjoy what's left of summer. :( It always goes by way too fast. And I hope you all have a great weekend!

Cheers!

Well, I'll Be Shattered....

Today we have all kinds of awesomeness going on!

First if you'd like to win a paperback copy of Famished and see what my favorite things to do during the summer are.....Check out my guest post on Jessica's awesome blog, here.

Secondly, if you missed my interview with the lovely Adrienne over at Paper Hangover. Where I talk about all my upcoming releases and agenting...... You can check it out here.

And lastly...... The book of the week..... Ta Da.

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 as The 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. (summary from goodreads)

Now, I won't be posting my review for a while since the book doesn't come out until November, but I will say this.....

Amazing is an understatement when it comes to Shatter Me. And also, it's one of the most unique and beautiful books I've ever read.

Now what are you waiting for... Add it here.

I promise you, you'll regret it if you don't.

Cheers!

Have a little Pride..... Teaser from my new novel... and Vlog post!

Hey Everyone!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Check out the teaser from novel, Pride, releasing 9-6-2011 and be sure to check out the Pride giveaway on goodreads!

Enjoy the weekend!

XVI .... Book Of The Week.

Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world-even the most predatory of men-that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past-one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer. (summary from goodreads)

I've been on giant dystopian binge lately. I can't help it really. There are so many awesome books in this genre.

This book intrigued me. I'd heard about it awhile ago and when I was at borders, I saw it on the shelf and had to have it.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of books that push boundaries. And I have a feeling that XVI isn't going to disappoint!

Cheers!

Love & Immortality... Book Review of The Goddess Test.

Hi Everyone!!! Today I'm super excited to share with you my book review of The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter!

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. (Summary from goodreads.)

I'm very picky when it comes to mythological re-tellings. Maybe it's because I'm obsessed with it and sort of a mythology buff. And in my opinion, only a few books have really done The Immortal Olympians justice. Destined by Jessie Harrell, The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordian, and now I can add The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter to that list.

At the beginning, I didn't think I was going to like this book. Now, I can honestly say, I am sooooo glad that I kept on reading. Because it was awesome.

My favorite part. The way Carter depicted Hades. (Hades is my favorite God out of the Olympians BTW.)He has evolved over the years and no longer goes by Hades, and he goes by Henry instead. And Henry has this mysterious, yet haunting appeal to his persona. Inside, he is just and genuine and cares for Kate deeply.

Every time I turned the page, I felt like I was receiving a gift. Carter did an excellent job of unraveling Henry's layers. There is so much more to a character than what they appear to be on the outside. I was deeply engrossed from chapter two on and I mentally pulled for Kate and Henry the whole way through.

The Goddess Test was a fascinating, thrilling, and romantic re-telling of the Hades and Persephone myth. In the end, I adored it.

If you are a mythology lover, like me. You NEED to read this. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Cheers!

Famished Giveaway Winners!!!

Happy Wednesday! Yay!

So today I'm going to announce the winners of Famished giveaway!

But first... Famished is now available on goodreads as an ebook.

And it is also available on Amazon!

And the winners are....

ebook copy~ Darlene!

And paperback ARC~ Regina! Yay! Congrats guys!

Famished Release Day & Borders Bonanza!!!!!!

So the day has finally arrived!!!! And let me just say that is has been crazy!!!

But it's official Famished has been released, yay!!!!

Tomorrow I'll be announcing the winners of the Famished giveaway!

There is no United States. There is no world. An asteroid has destroyed what the human race knew as earth and The Great Famine has wiped out most of the surviving human population. For the few remaining survivors, food is scarce-- precious--a luxury. A luxury that most humans can’t find.

Seventeen year old Georgina Carver is fortunate. She’s survived the destruction. She eats three times a day while the rest of humanity is plagued by The Great Famine. And she’s safe, hidden away in an underground colony with her family and several other families of survivors.

All of that changes the day she’s randomly selected to be a gatherer. Georgina must leave her safe yet simple world and venture out into a world unknown. A vast, dangerous, destroyed world that could literally eat her alive.

After Georgina is severely injured, her life begins to fall apart. She can’t remember how she got home or what happened to her while she was on the new earth. The boy she is crushing on avoids her and she keeps having visions that involve an unknown person with violet eyes.

As Georgina begins to unravel the truth, it doesn’t take her long to figure out that maybe her safe yet simple life isn’t that safe at all.

I did something a little different with Famished...

In the back of the book, are summaries and the first three pages of my next two novels. I thought that would be really cool... And unique.

Famished is available in ebook and paperback formats.

Ebook price~ 1.50 Paperback 9.99

Currently you can find the ebook on Barnes & Noble for the Nook. On Smashwords and Tomorrow morning on Amazon.com for the Kindle.

The paperback version will be out next week and available pretty much everywhere! YaY!

And now for the sad part Borders. :(

It's the only bookstore in my area. (B&N is 30 mins away.) And I felt like crying as walked through the store and noticed the empty cafe and half-full bookselves.

But.... Despite my depressed feeling, I did buy some pretty amazing books. And I'm hoping to get some more before the store shuts down.**Tear** Here's what I got....

1. The Fat Girl by: Marilyn Sachs(This is the one I'm currently reading.)
2. XVI by: Julia Karr ( I have heard nothing but great things about this one!)
3. The Goddess Test by: Aimee Carter (Where are all of my mythological re-telling lovers? I hope this doesn't disappoint!)
4. Rumors by: Anna Gobbersen (Yeah, I'm going to totally admit that I bought this book for the cover, but.... It sounds like a great read too!)

Check out Famished and some more of the awesome books I found!

Cheers!