The Story Siren

In My Mailbox (53)

2009-11-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox explores the contents of my mailbox on a weekly basis. Of course I only mention the really cool things, like books! If you would like to participate and have your own “In My Mailbox” post, you can find more information here. (This post was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)

So, I had a vlog all ready to go, with Xander visits and everything.... and for some reason, I can't get it to upload on my computer. I'm so very ticked! Grrr.... my computer has been crap this week.

Instead, I have a picture montage of the goodies I received this week.

These are the books I recieved for review.... such pretty covers!

Splendor (Luxe series) by Anna Godberson
Shadowland (Immortals series) by Alyson Noel
Envy (Luxe series) by Anna Godberson
What I Wore to Save the World by Maryrose Wood (this is a series too)

I also won a contest at Becca Fitzpatrick's blog, I don't usually enter contest because 1.) I have horrible luck. 2.) I don't have enough room for the books I have!

But this was for a tank top! Here it is in all it's glory:

There was also a signed post card from Becca! How cool!!

I also got my business cards this week. I got these for free for hosting a contest for UPrinting.com. They're cute. And I can't really complain because they were free.

I did buy one book this week too:

Frommer's New York City 2010..... (why yes I am that anal!)

And just because I think the cover to What I Wore to Save the World is so cool.... here is is again:

And here's a picture of Xander I took today. He went and played and grandma and grandpa's today with his bestest buddy Tia so he is rather tired.

Okay so now you know what's in mine, what did you get in yours? You can sign the Mr. Linky below, if you would, please link your actual IMM post not your blog url, so that it is easier to find! Thanks!

The Demon King and The Midnight Guardian Winners!

2009-11-07T13:38:00.001-05:00

The winner of the signed copy of The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is:

Enna Isilee

CONGRATS! Thanks to everyone that entered the contest!

The three winners of The Midnight Guardian by Sarah Jane Stratford are:

Gwendolyn B.
Erin
Donna

CONGRATS! Thanks so everyone that entered!

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!

2009-11-07T12:18:00.009-05:00

I just found out that I have 1000 FOLLOWERS!! How insane is that! I cannot convey my excitement and yet at the same time my disbelief!! When I get home, I will be announcing a contest to celebrate the occasion. Thank you so very much!! Whether you are a follower, a subscriber, or a lurker, I so appreciate you all! THANK YOU!!!

YA Connection (Nov. 1-7)

2009-11-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

November 1-7, 2009

Alexandra Bracken (Brightly Woven) has some advice for bloggers. I thought it was a really insightful post, it's nice to be able to see from the perspective of an author.

Jackson Pearce (As You Wish) had an excellent vlog about using the "F Bomb"

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures has it's very own website and Ning Group! The official BC site is really cool!

Maggie Stiefvater released the cover for Linger, the sequel to Shiver. Along with the first paragraph(s) of the story. I CAN'T WAIT!

Malinda Lo (Ash) is heading to the east coats for some author events! You can check out her events page for all the official information.

Lisa McMann (Fade) is hosting her 2nd Annual Freaking Huge Contest of Thanks. Which should really be called the 2nd Annual Freaking Huge Contest of Awesome.

Rachel Vincent shares a peek of My Soul to Save! A little advice: You probably won't want to read this if you haven't read the first novel in the series My Soul to Take.

You should join the Facebook Fan page for Courtney Summers. Just do it, you'll thank me later. Speaking of Courtney Summers (Cracked Up To Be) she has this awesome post about writing a novel that has mean girls.

Check out these awesome author group blogs:

Blogger Blurbs:

Kelsey of The Book Scout reviewed How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford. "It was well written, unique, and the cover is great, too."

Samantha of Harlequin Twilight's Book Blog reviewed Ash by Malinda Lo. "I found myself hoping for a sequel in a story that doesn't need one, just because I wanted to spend more time with the characters and spend more time in this world that Malinda has created."

The Compulsive Reader reviewed Break by Hannah Moskowitz. "Hannah Moskowitz's debut novel is startling, blunt, and complete absorbing."

Lori of Pure Imagination reviewed The Maze Runner by James Dashner. "Overall I just flat out loved this book. I think you will too."

Drea of Book Blather reviewed Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen. "I really liked Little Black Lies. It was a quick read that was very hard to put down."

Diana of The Book Resort is hosting a Tenners Extravaganza!

Forever Young Adult review Going Bovine by Libba Bray. "I really enjoyed reading this book. I mean, I didn’t Learn A Big Life Lesson or anything (other than “living your life is a good idea; being a slacker sucks,” but I had already learned that from pretty much every teen movie ever made), but Libba Bray kept me laughing, and guessing, and caring."

Flip the Page! Book Reviews reviewed The Everafter by Amy Huntley. "This whole book was one big mystery. You never knew what was happening or how Maddy got there."

Nicole of WORD for Teens reviewed Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. "It's not that Leviathan is a bad book. It's got a brilliantly designed concept executed with interesting characters. For some strange reason, though, it's just not up to par with Westerfeld's other books."

McKenzie of The Book Owl reviewed The Long Wait for Tomorrow by Joaquin Dorfman. "The idea was interesting, but it lacked the proper execution. I constantly found myself confused."

Contests:

Feel free to fill in your contest info in the Mister Linky.

Please use the Mister Linky as instructed.
Your Name: Put your prize here & deadline date!
Your URL: Put a DIRECT link to your contest.

Do you want to be included in YAC? Shoot me an email with your blog url. I have a folder in my Google Reader called YAC. Posts are chosen at random. Please use the subject: YAC.

Are you an author that has an event coming up? Let me know and I can mention it on a future post of YAC!

Have a suggestion of something you'd like to see on YAC? Or something you've seen that you'd like me to include every time, let me know.

Thanks! Have a great weekend!

Author Interview & Contest: Mari Mancusi

2009-11-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mari Mancusi is the author of The Blood Coven series: Boys that Bite, Stake That, Girls that Growl & Bad Blood. (Bad Blood hits the shelves in January 2010) And also two stand alone titles: Skater Boy and Gamer Girl. This is Mari's second visit at The Story Siren, you can see the guest post she did for the release of Gamer Girl. It's one of my favorites. Here's an interview I recently conducted with Mari!

What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Easiest?

The easiest aspect is coming up with ideas for books! I have a billion! I would never have time to write all the stories I would like to.

The most challenging aspect is to let go of the things you can’t control. You only have control over the book itself, not the cover, not the distribution, not the print run. You just have to write the best book you can and trust that your publisher will do right by it and it will get into the right readers’ hands. Also, it can be a challenge not to sweat the small stuff – like bad reviews. I swear, there’s some kind of weird writer mathematical formula where one bad review can snuff out the joy of ten glowing ones!

What’s the most rewarding aspect?

By far the most rewarding aspect is getting emails from readers who identify with the books. This was especially true with Gamer Girl, a book I wrote involving bullying. So many girls (and some boys, too) wrote to me confessing that they too have been bullied and that, after reading the book, they’ve decided to start standing up for themselves, just as my heroine Maddy does in the book. Those kinds of letters make me feel like I’m doing something right.

Is there a genre that you’d like to write? Is there a genre you’ll probably stay away from and why?

I’d like to do more post-apocalypse. I did a couple of books for Dorchester’s Shomi line (Moongazer and Razor Girl) that were futuristic and post-apocalyptic. It was really fun to imagine what life would be like in the future, after society collapses. And in Razor Girl I got to write about zombies! What’s not to love about that?

I’d probably stay away from straight historicals because I don’t have the patience to do the amount of research involved to create a totally realistic historical world and I wouldn’t want to cheat my readers. That said, I do enjoy reading them.

What's next for you?

Bad Blood, Book #4 in the Blood Coven Vampires series, is out in January. I also have a story in the My Zombie Valentine anthology, also out in January. I’m finishing up a book for Dutton called The Camelot Code, which is a YA Arthurian time travel. Young King Arthur comes to the 21st century and Googles himself and decides he doesn’t want to go home and fulfill his destiny.

Boys to Bite was first released in 2006. What did the recent make-over really entail? Was it just the covers or was there more to it?

I actually had the chance to update some of the pop culture references in the book, which was fun. It’s amazing the things that change in three years. And I put back the original cliffhanger ending to Girls that Growl that I had taken out when we didn’t know if there would be a book #4 or not. So I was happy about that. I also designed a website to go with the books, where readers could actually sign up to join the Blood Coven, which we advertised at the back of the books. (www.bloodcovenvampires.com) I’m all about making reading more interactive and this was one way I was able to do it.

Will Bad Blood be the last in the series? If no, how many books are slated for the series?

That’s actually an interesting question. My German publisher is ahead of my American one (they published Bad Blood back in July of this year) and they’ve already bought Book #5 as well. (Tentatively called Night School.) My American publisher has until January to decide whether they will publish book #5. That’s one of the reasons I’m doing a big publicity push for the revamped series – the more books we sell, the stronger case we can make to the publisher to publish Book #5 in the USA.

As for how many books there will be in the series, I’m not entirely sure. I have a lot of stories to tell about Sunny and Rayne and will keep writing as long as people keep reading! I know Germany has already talked to me about Book #6, but there’s no official deal in place yet.

Describe your writing in three words.

Funny, angsty, empowering

If you could travel back in time for one year, what time and place would you choose? And if you could only take 3 things with you, what would they be?

Ooh – good question. I think I’d go back to medieval England and live in a castle. As long as I could be a lady in waiting, that is, and not a serf. This way I could dress everyday in those beautiful embroidered gowns!

As for what I’d bring? Deodorant, bug spray, a fork!

Contest

One lucky winner will be the owner of the 3 newly repackaged books currently available from the Blood Coven series. That means you'll be getting a copy of Boys that Bite, Stake That & Girls that Growl!

Contest information:

deadline is November 20, 2009
only open to residents of the US

Please Read, before you enter!

As to further protect the privacy of my readers against unsolicited third parties, please do not leave your email address in the comments section. If you post a comment with an email address it will be deleted. If you have any complaints or suggestions about this new policy, please feel free to contact me!

To enter the contest please sign up on this registration form.

Check out Contest Policy/Privacy Policy

Please feel free to leave a comment on this post as well, since Mari was active in the comments section last time with the readers who commented. If you enjoyed the interview, I'm sure she (and I) would love to know it!

Books that Rock and should be on your Radar!

2009-11-05T10:23:00.005-05:00

I've read some awesome books lately. It's a little early for my to post reviews of them, but I want to share their awesomeness.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This one is coming out on December 1, 2009 from Little Brown Books for Young Readers (although Amazon.com does have it listed as in stock...) This one is a five star book! Yes, it's long, but it's made of awesome. Expect a full review in all it's glory sometime this month.

Captivate by Carrie Jones. The sequel to Need. This one is coming out on January 5, 2010 from Bloomsbury USA. Another book to join the 5 star club. Even more addicting than the first novel. Carrie Jones takes this book in a direction I did not see coming at all. Expect a full review of this gem closer to January.

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard. This one is hitting the shelves on January 7, 2010 from Viking Juvenile. 5 stars across the board for this one. I actually read this one a while ago after the suggestion from Michelle Zink and Vania. I devoured the thing in one day. It was just wow. I usually don't read books so far away from their release dates, but I'm so glad I did this one... fantastic! Expect a full review closer to January.

Books to Pine For (28)

2009-11-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

Books to pine for... a collection of various Young Adult titles that have yet to be released. Books to pine for are found on my aimless wanderings on Amazon.com and Young Adult author websites. Almost all the titles mentioned are not in my possession, but oh... how I wish they were.

to pine (third-person singular simple present pines, present participle pining, simple past and past participle pined)

(intransitive) To long, to yearn so much that it causes suffering. (yep that pretty much sums it up)

My original books to pine for post: Books to Pine For, has a wide range of titles, some have been released since its post date. I hadn’t intended to make Books to Pine For a regular feature, but I continued to find books that caught my interest, thus, more posts where made: check out all the books to pine for posts!

I know I just did one of these fairly recently.... but I couldn't resist another!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Green by Laura Peyton Roberts

7 Souls by Barnabus Miller and Jordan Orlando
Shadow by Jenny Moss

Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty
(This is also the UK cover, this book will be released in the US as The Ghosts of Ashbury High)
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Broadway Lights by Jen Calonita

Magic Under Glass by Jackie Dolamore
(I already feature this books, but this is a different cover, so cute! Does anyone know if this is maybe the UK cover?)
Epitaph Road by David Patneaude
(I do have a copy of this one to read!)

Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw
(Love this cover!)
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Spring Fling by Sabrina Jones
The Exile of Gigi Lane by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

In My Mailbox survey

2009-11-03T15:00:00.005-05:00

I have a survey below! I would very much appreciate if you would take a minute to give me some feedback. I'd love to hear what you have to say, this is an anonymous survey, so please feel free to speak your mind.

Thanks to everyone that participated! I think I have gotten enough feedback!

In you case noticed

2009-11-03T06:48:00.002-05:00

that a lot of images aren't visible. I do know.

Somehow magically my bandwidth exceeded it's self over night. If you had me make a layout for you in the past, this is effecting you as well. Sorry!

Unfortunately, I don't know why this suddenly happened and I don't have the time to fix it right now.

So if you're visiting today, please excuse the ugly, "You've exceeded your bandwidth" banners. It most likely won't be fixed until later tonight.

Secret Santa/Holiday Swap

2009-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Do you feel like giving (and getting) a little something special this holiday season? Then I have two fantastic ideas that you might be interested in!

For the first one, I'm going to hand the post over to Kate from The Neverending Shelf.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Hello everyone, Kate from The Neverending Shelf here. I am taking over The Story Siren for a little bit to share with you some holiday news. As many of you know, the Christmas season is right around the corner, and this year I thought it would be a lot of fun to try a Secret Santa for the blogging community and its readers. Below is the basic information for the event:

Information:

* A sign up sheet has been created here: www.theneverendingshelf.com/2009/10/secret-santa.html for those wishing to participate.

* This open internationally to all book lovers. I am hoping to pair those in like countries. For example: Canadians with other Canadians, UK with UK, etc.

* Books given can be new or used. If used, please make sure they are in good condition.

* Sign-ups end on November 15th. I will email you your partner's information by Wednesday, November 18th.

* Please have your package sent out no later than December 10th.

* When you’ve sent out your package, please email me and let me know. And please also email me when you receive your package. I want to ensure that all who sign up receive something.

* And most importantly: HAVE FUN!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at neverendingshelf(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Holidays!

Second up is the Holiday Swap!

This swap is for Book Bloggers! The deadline to sign up is November 12!

For more information on the Holiday Swap, you can head to the web page. They have a sign up sheet available, as well as a FAQ and other goodies... like buttons!

Blast from the Past (2)

2009-11-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Last year I didn't participate in NaNoWriMo, so I shared some of my previous work with you. You can see the first Blast from the Past post.

I am participating in NaNoWriMo this year, but I still wanted to share this. Sharon, I think you'll especially like this one.

It's called My Cat My Family and I. Do you like the cover art?

This page one. It reads as follows:

My cat had babies.
My cat can walk.
My baby sister can walk, too.
I always do what my mom tells me to do.
Sometimes I play.

Isn't that a riot! My story goes on to say that I also have a rabbit and a dog, that I like to play with my baby sister and Dana (my next door neighbor) that I have a lot of cousins that are nice and I am nice too, and finally after I go home, I work. My dad and I plant the garden, we plant beans and fruit.

And of course it's beautifully illustrated as well!

This was from first grade, April 25, 1990.

Hope you enjoyed this year's blast from the past! And now I shall get back to NaNoWriMo.

Winners!

2009-11-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

The random number generator has spoken!

I have ten lucky winners that will be receiving a stunning finished copy of Beautiful by Amy Reed:

So Many Books, So Little Time

Bailey

Madison

Alicia0605

Khy

Ashley

Lauren

Emily

thekams

&

Amber @ A Little Pink in the Cornfields said...

Congrats to all the winners! I've sent you all an email please respond with your information asap!

Thanks again to Simon & Schuster for providing the copies to giveaway!

In My Mailbox (52)

2009-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia’s boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she’ll have to face…

When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building.

The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster.

Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…

Bought:

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Okay so now you know what's in mine, what did you get in yours? You can sign the Mr. Linky below, if you would, please link your actual IMM post, so that it is easier to find! Thanks!

YA Connection (Oct. 24-31)

2009-10-30T22:32:00.014-04:00

October 24-31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

The YA Connection is a collaborative column that was originally started by Kristi (The Story Siren) and Steph (Reviewer X). Steph is currently on a extended hiatus, so I'm swinging it solo for the time being. In it can be found links from around the YA blogosphere, including, but not limited to, contests links, author blog links, review links, and miscellaneous news pertaining to the age group.

Author Musings:

2010 Debut Author Jessica Leader (Nice and Mean) has a website!

Diana Peterfreund (Rampant) examines college admissions and ultimately reveals that a publishing is a novel is not a stunt to get into your choice of an Ivy league school. It's an excellent post for young writers!

Over on the MTV Blog authors, Stephanie Kuehnert (Ballads of Suburbia) & Jan Blazanin (Fairest of them All) share where they write!

Stacey Jay (Undead Much) shares pics from her Books, Blood and Bones signing. It looks like she had a great time, and what fun pictures!

I have two Cover Stories from Melissa Walker's (Lovestruck Summer) blog! Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis and Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga!

Mari Mancusi (Bad Blood) got to meet R.L. Stine and I'm totally jealous. I still have all my Goosebumps books from elementary school.

Check out the Live Twitter Chat with Lisa McMann (Gone)! It's Tuesday, November 3!

Cyn Balog (Fairy Tale) just released the title of her new novel FEVER! What's even more strange is that Hot Blooded popped on my iTunes as I am writing this.... "feel a fever burning inside of me!" Weird.

If you haven't seen this and are a reviewer, you should definetly check it out. Megan Frazer (Secrets of Truth & Beauty) is doing a series (?) on her blog entitled: Reviewers are People, Too and part two: Reviewers are People, Too Part Two: Don't Stalk Them.

Blogger Blurbs:

Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag has an idea. She's needing some blogging voices. Head over there and share your two cents.

For all you bloggers out there that are still worried about the whole FTC thing, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, shares a link to an excellent post that you will want to check out.

Natalie of Mindful Musings reviewed her favorite Halloween book: The Devouring by Simon Holt. "The book was very well-written and suspenseful, and kept me turning pages the entire time."

Sara of The Hiding Spot reviewed Possessions by Nancy Holder. "Possessions was a quick, creepy read that I liked overall, but I felt lacked depth in some aspects."

Reggie of The Undercover Book Lover reviewed Never Bite a Boy on the First Date by Tamara Summers. "Everything is perfect and the plot, the characters, the writing, makes for an vamptastic and romantically amazing novel!"

Donna of Bites reviewed Vampire Beach by Alex Duval. " What a yawn fest. I'd recommend these for a beach read but, in all honesty, I don't even think they're worth that."

Book Chick City reviewed The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks. "This is definitely a fun read."

Lea of YA Book Queen reviewed The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carry Ryan. "I enjoyed the dilemmas between Love and Commitment. I just wanted to smack some sense into a few people, though."

Jo of Once Upon a Bookcase reviewed Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine. "Compared to the other novels in the series, there is a lot more build up to the action and fighting at the beginning of the book, but that doesn’t make this book any less amazing."

In Other News:

The WICKED series by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie has been acquired by Dreamworks for FILM RIGHTS. Brothers Aaron and Matthew Benay, who have written the script for Pixar and Warner Bros.' 1906 (2012 release), have signed on to write the Wicked adaptation based on their own pitch, with The Gotham Group on board to produce.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo? I've signed up myself, but I'm not sure if I'll be a "winner" but I'm going to participate anway. Wish me luck!

Contests:

Feel free to fill in your contest info in the Mister Linky.

Please use the Mister Linky as instructed.
Your Name: Put your prize here & deadline date!
Your URL: Put a DIRECT link to your contest.

Do you want to be included in YAC? Shoot me an email with your blog url. I have a folder in my Google Reader called YAC. Posts are chosen at random. Please use the subject: YAC.

Are you an author that has an event coming up? Let me know and I can mention it on a future post of YAC!

Have a suggestion of something you'd like to see on YAC? Or something you've seen that you'd like me to include every time, let me know.

Thanks! Have a great weekend! and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

2009-10-30T14:00:00.001-04:00

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Release Date: August 25, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 627
Overall:
From: publisher
Interest: author
Buy the Book: Amazon/Indiebound

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two boys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is that they can have all of these things when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for all the wrong reasons. Five moving stories remain seperate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story- a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up.

Three words; heartbreaking, depressing & nightmare

I had a really hard time getting through this book. Not because it was poorly written, but because it was heartwrenching. I was disgusted, I was appaled, I was depressed.

I couldn't definitely feel a emotional change in myself the week I read this book. It took me a long time to want to read something again... and I just wanted something light and fluffy.

Hopkins is a powerful writer and I give her kudos for writing about these issues, I know I could never do it. I can't imagine the state you would feel after writing something like this. Hopkins amazes me, she never fails to touch a cord with me.

Thanks Ellen.

Gritty, graphic, real. Tricks is a powerful read.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Writing:

Cover:

View an in depth look into my Star Rating.

Amazon & Indiebound Associate. If you click from here and buy something. I will receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Fresh Face Friday

2009-10-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

Fresh Face Friday is a look at some new bloggers around the blogosphere. I have some Fabulous Fresh Faces to share with you this week! Here are my fresh face finds for this friday:

Michelle of Galleysmith. Michelle blogs about general fiction, but she reviews a healthy dose of Young Adult literature as well. It's sort of addicting like that. Michelle has great informative reviews. Plus, I LOVE her layout!

Sara of The Hiding Spot. Sara is a college junior majoring in Business. Her blog is dedicated to spreading the word about new and old books that she loves - Young Adult books in particular, but also some adult science fiction and fantasy mixed in.

Erin of Erin Explores YA. Erin's blog was originally started for a college course. She decided to keep it up after the class finished. She's especially enthusiastic about Canadian YA. And tries to highlight Canadian books and authors on her blog whenever possible.

Casey of A Passion for Books. Casey is a 21 year old with a passion for YA lit! Her favorites genres are paranormal and fantasy.

Leslie of That Chick That Reads. Leslie is a college student, majoring in English Literature. Just recently decided to turn her love of reading and sharing good books into a blog!

Mandy of Mandy Can Read. Mandy is a teen book blogger that decided to take her love of reading, and her talkative personality and put it to good use.

That's it for this Friday's Fresh Faces. There are more great blogs to come. If you'd like to be spotlighted on Fresh Face Friday just follow the link.

Contest: Because Angels are HOT

2009-10-29T00:05:00.015-04:00

Angels are hot. If you didn't know, you will. To celebrate the hotness that is angels, I have a little prize pack for you lovelies out there!

Here's what's up for grabs:

A finished copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Hush, Hush

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

A finished copy of Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

And a double sided poster of Hush, Hush

So, there will be two winners:

One winner will take home:

a copy of Hush, Hush
a copy of Fallen
a double sided Hush, Hush poster

Another winner will take home:

a double sided Hush, Hush poster

Contest info:

leave a comment on this post to be entered
extra entry for posting about this contest
more extra entries for participating in the cover puzzle (see below for more info)
contest is open to everyone
deadline is December 8, 2009
good luck!

Check out Contest Policy/Privacy Policy

Here is the information for the cover puzzle. I saw this on another book blog... I'm pretty sure it was ~~Enna Isilee of Squeaky Books~~(... okay it's not Enna.... who was it!) AHA! It was Alyssa of The Shady Glade!!!! But I thought this was one of the coolest things ever and I've wanted to have a reason to do it, so I am... now.

I have ten covers below, actually only a fragment of a cover. For every cover that you get correct you can gain one extra entry. DO NOT put your answers in the comments section! You can email me your extra entries at thestorysiren(at)hotmail(dot)com, subject: Angels are Hot contest.

Clue: all the book titles contain the word ANGEL! Good Luck!

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Did You Know? (random stuff about this blog)

2009-10-28T21:52:00.003-04:00

This is a list of features/sites/randomthings that you may or may not be aware of, and I just thought I'd bring some attention to them.

Books For Grabs

Books for Grabs is a site I recently created to pass on my books that I was finished reading so that others can enjoy them.

Bloggers (or anyone really) can submit a list of books that they'd like to pass on or give away for grabs. The list can have finished books or advance readers copies.

The books listed are not for sale but the grabbers must pay shipping to have the books sent to them. Please be aware if you grab a book, you will need to provide an address to where the book is sent. The lists have contact information for the owner, so you must be comfortable giving the owner your address.

If you'd like to grab or if you have a list of your own you'd like to post, check out Books For Grabs! Does anyone want to make a pretty layout for "Books For Grabs" I thought I had talked to someone about it, but I might be wrong. If you're interested, please email me!

Blog Roll

A good way to network with other blogs is to have a blog roll! I used to have a complete blog roll on my sidebar... but my blog roll is insane! So it has it's very own post that is linked from the sidebar. If you'd like to be added to the blog roll, please email me with the subject: Blog Roll!

Please note: my blog roll is not limited to book blogs or ya book blogs.

Young Adult Book Blog Directory (YABBD)

The YABBD is just what it's name implies. A directory of young adult book blogs. I have a huge list of blogs to add currently, so if you've emailed me in the last couple months... you will be added! I'm just a little bit behind updating the site!

If you'd like to be added to the YABBD, please email me, subject: YABBD.

There is also a page of YA Author Blogs, so if you are an author that would like your blog and/or website added please feel free to email me as well!

Advertise

I've only just started offering this, I'm not at all sure about what I'm doing, but I've been getting a significant number of emails about wanting to advertise on the site recently.

I'd like to have adds relevant to young adult literature. If you're interested in having an advertisement here, you can view more information about it, here.

Fresh Face Friday

Fresh Face Friday is a feature I started fairly recently to showcase new young adult book blogs. I feature a few blogs a couple fridays a month. I have a ton of blogs that have been submitted so keep on the look-out for yours! I'm loving the chance to discover all these great new blogs!

If you just started a young adult book blog and you'd like to be a Fresh Face, please fill out the information form. You only need to fill out the form once, it will be saved until your blog has been posted!

Sticker and Postcard Winners!

2009-10-28T21:40:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the custom sticker and postcard giveaways!

The winner of the 250 custom stickers is:

And the winner of the 100 custom postcards is:

Annie

Congrats to both winners!

I've contacted you both by email!

Informative Rant

2009-10-28T15:40:00.005-04:00

I hate to complain, I hate to whine, I hate to call someone out, but I'm going to do it. In an informative and hopefully in a non excessively bitchy way.

I had some time today to actually visit some blogs, which for me is a very big deal. While checking out some fellow book blogs I found a blog that shared a similar feature with my own. (If you are at all familiar with the book blogging world, this is not anything that is new.) I proceeded to follow the link to view the page of this similar feature. (it was a version of my New Reads)

But it wasn't a "different" version, it was my version, copied and pasted onto their site. You may say, there is no way that I could have known if it was my list or not. And to that I would say, it contained my typographical errors (I should probably work on that...), the titles were listed in the same order, and it had the same older version of some titles! Plus, it was the same format! It was my content without a doubt. And I found by chance, that this was not an isolated instance. After sharing my angst on twitter, please note that I did not mention any names, I was contacted by a reviewer that thought they were the culprit! Though they weren't. It only goes to show, that you can't assume that people know that you shouldn't copy and paste anything from another blog and pass it off as your own. Even something as innocent as a list. It takes a lot of time and effort for me to compile that list.

Now, I know I'm not the first person to post a list of upcoming titles. I'm not saying that you can't have your own list, because you can! But, don't copy and paste someone work and pass it off as your own! Or if you do, at least give them some credit! (This list was compiled with the help of The Story Siren) Was that so hard?

On the other hand, I'm not naive enough to assume that all people are omniscient. When you have an idea, I don't expect you do to a Google search to make sure that, that idea hasn't been used. I've been accused of a similar circumstances to this, only proving that, no, not even I am omniscient when it comes to book blogs! But obviously this person knew where they were taking the content from.

On another note, there has been similar instances where people have "borrowed" ideas. For example, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie (and I don't mean to drag Alea into this!) but Alea has this great feature called Lookalikes. Now I can't speak for Alea here, but I'm sure she wasn't the first person in the history of blogs that started posting about the similarities or similar covers. But I've noticed a lot of book bloggers that have "taken" this idea and started their own similar feature. Did they get their idea from Alea? I don't know. But if they did, I would hope they would make the feature their own.. change the title, add their own spin... and if Alea was their inspiration that they would link her blog.

Blogs have started "borrowing" my Books to Pine For. Again, I'm sure I'm not the first person to post about my wish-list. But please make this feature your own... change the title, and if you got the idea from me, please let that be known. You must have liked it enough to start posting it on your blog, be courteous to it's creator. Link love.

Let's not get this confused with a meme, like In My Mailbox, where participants are invited to post their own. And it's perfectly fine to share the same title, and I encourage participants to do so. This is also an instance where you would want to link where the post originated, which most participants do, and I thank you for that. Also, just as a general rule, or perhaps this is my own personal preference. As the host of the meme I like to be the only one to post a Mister Linky. Unless of course your IMM post is shared within a post that has other uses for the Mister Linky, that can be an exception.

I am a strong believer in link karma. I try to be an advocate for sharing links and follow my own advice. I know I've made mistakes at times, and please feel free to let me know when I have.

You might be asking yourself: Why do I want to link your blog?

For me linking is a great way to share information with my readers. I'm not trying to trap my readers here, I don't want my book blog to be the only one they read. I do want it to be one of the blogs they read, but not the only one.

Linking is a huge part of networking! (this is a good thing!)

Linking is just a small part of the networking process, but it's a great way to start. Linking is like saying "Hello, let's be friends!" You are building a relationship.

Getting linked is an ego boost. I'm not going to pretend like it's not. When I get linked, I always check out the site. If I like what I see there, these blogs get put on my radar and I almost always link them.

You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. If you link people, I gaurentee people will link you. What does that ultimately mean: more exposure on more sites and better rankings - which in turn means more links, more readers, more subscribers - and so on.

I'm not:

trying to make a scene. I'm just trying to shed some light on a situation that obvisouly still needs to be visited and discussed..... or at least mentioned from time to time.
complaining because I don't think my blog gets enough hits. I have a healthy amount of traffic.
trying to be mean.

Books to Pine For (27)

2009-10-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Books to pine for... a collection of various Young Adult titles that have yet to be released. Books to pine for are found on my aimless wanderings on Amazon.com and Young Adult author websites. Almost all the titles mentioned are not in my possession, but oh... how I wish they were.

to pine (third-person singular simple present pines, present participle pining, simple past and past participle pined)

(intransitive) To long, to yearn so much that it causes suffering. (yep that pretty much sums it up)

My original books to pine for post: Books to Pine For, has a wide range of titles, some have been released since its post date. I hadn’t intended to make Books to Pine For a regular feature, but I continued to find books that caught my interest, thus, more posts where made: check out all the books to pine for posts!

After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy
The Debs: Gloves Off by Susan McBride

Kiss of Death (The Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk
Choppy Socky Blues by Ed Briant

Folly by Marhe Jocelyn
The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Nearly Departed by Rook Hastings

The Complete History of Why I Hate Her by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Plus by Veronica Chambers

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

2009-10-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult/Middle Grade/12 & up
Pages: 512
Overall:
From: author
Interest: genre
Buy the Book: Amazon
/Indiebound

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history-it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Helena, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai camp - riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

Three words; fa, reaking, awesome!

Now I remember why I love fantasy so much! Especially a kick-butt high fantasy like this one.

Chima has masterfully created an intriguing world, with a cast full of memorable characters.

The chapters somewhat alternate between Han and Raisa. Divulging the depth of each character and the world around them, presented in their own P.O.V. I love when authors do this. I like that connection you get when the story is presented in this format. I am emotionally invested in these characters, I actually care what happens to them!

The plot was insane, in a good way. I didn't even begin to try to figure out where this story was going to take me, I had some inclinations (and they happened to be right) but it was nice just to go with the flow and let the story lead me where it wanted me to go.

The writing... I'm just going to throw masterful out there again, because it was just that. I was transported to another world. Fantastic!

I can not wait to read the rest of this series! I'm not looking forward to waiting, I can tell you that much. Will definitely be adding this one to my personal library.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Writing:

Cover:

View an in depth look into my Star Rating.

Amazon & Indiebound Associate. If you click from here and buy something. I will receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Demon Princess Winner

2009-10-26T18:42:00.002-04:00

The winner of the signed copy of Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen is:

linzReads

Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Contest: Hold Still

2009-10-26T18:30:00.002-04:00

I have one copy of of Hold Still by Nina LaCour to giveaway!

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, froma breakthrough new voice in YA fiction
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself

Details:

leave a comment on this post for an entry
contest deadline is Monday, November 9, 2009
open to residents of the U.S. & Canada

Check out Contest Policy/Privacy Policy

Fallen by Lauren Kate

2009-10-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Release Date: December 8, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
Overall:
From: Book Fairy Heather/Amazon Vine
Interest: plot & cover
Buy the Book: Amazon/Indiebound

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Three words; dangerous, dark & exciting!

Let me first start out by saying that I'm so perturbed by some of the summaries that I've found for this book! Why don't we just tell the whole frackin' story! No need to read the book.... just read this summary, let us ruin it for you! GRRR! I hate when they give away plot elements! I found this summary on Random House and I have to say, it's the best one! (I edited the one on Goodreads to this!) It's intriguing enough, but doesn't give away the whole story. Rant, done. On with the review.

This book was fantastic. I loved it. If this series is anything like what I am anticipating after reading the first novel, it's going to be epic.

It has all the elements of a great novel, there were just a few unsettling factors that I won't mention as to keep this spoiler free. But overall, I'm impressed!

The characterization is spectacular. Kate divulges enough about each character, allowing a sense of recognition, yet at the same time, you're questioning their very actions, wondering exactly who or what they are. Three dimensional characters, shrouded in mystery! I'm hoping that Luce regains some of her assertiveness as the series continues.

The writing was impressive. The drab descriptions of Sword and Cross transport you there along with the characters. Her descriptive writing is intense without being superfluous.

The plot was a little slow moving, but Kate was still able to keep me thoroughly engaged in the story. I had so many questions that I needed answered, and the pages couldn't be turned fast enough. And although a lot of my questions remained unanswered, it only added to the appeal of the story. There needed to be some remaining mystery. Twists that I hadn't anticipated in the least enhanced the plot as well.

Just an awesome story, I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Writing:

Cover:

View an in depth look into my Star Rating.

Amazon & Indiebound Associate. If you click from here and buy something. I will receive a small percentage of the purchase price.