Reverie Book Reviews

Your favorite YA book trailer of 2010? VOTING!

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:29:00 +0000

Here's some trailers you have all voted for. Watch, then go to the bottom and vote.

You can vote for up to TWO trailers. If ther's any that didn't make the list you have untill Friday at midnight to add entries to the comments below. (Please leave link to enusre I add the right one)

What's your favorite YA book trailer of 2010?online surveys

Bloody Valentine Trailer is here

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:20:00 +0000

GO HERE to check out the new book trailer for Melissa de la Cruz's new book, Bloody Valentine, coming out Dec 28!

I'm SO EXCITED for... NEAR WITCH!

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:50:00 +0000

OK so some of you might wonder why the hell I'm posting this... well it's because I am freakishly excited for Victoria Schwab's cover reveal. Not ONLY is her cover GORGEOUS and trust me it is BEAUTIFUL, but I have read it and LOVED it and it's just as bit as enchanting as the author who wrote it. A must read next summer!!!

Here's what it's about:

"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget."

Janice Hardy Guest Post- About Sequels

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:02:00 +0000

Going Once, Going Twice…

Sequels are hard. Seriously hard. Bang-your-head-against-the-wall-hard. But they’re also amazing learning experiences because you really need to master some pretty tricky writing techniques to pull them off. Like…

Backstory
You thought dealing with backstory in a regular book was a pain? Try writing a sequel where the entire first book is backstory. And you have to get that information into the sequel so those who didn’t read book one can keep up, but not so much that it bogs down the story and bores return readers. After several failed attempts, I finally found a system that worked for me.

1. Pretend readers already know this stuff
On the first draft of my fantasy novel, Blue Fire, I didn’t try to add in the backstory. I just wrote it as if everyone knew what I was talking about. I referenced past events, past characters, past fears, whatever came up in the natural development of the story. Whenever I got the urge to explain, I stopped myself. But I did add a little “might need more here” note to remind myself that my first instinct was to elaborate at that spot.

2. Explain key info the first time it’s presented
On the next pass, I looked at all those backstory references and asked myself, “Would someone who hadn’t read this understand what I was talking about from the context of the paragraph?” If yes, I left it as it was. If no, I added a little explanation. “Little” is the key word here. A line or two, a paragraph tops, is all you need. If you feel the urge to write more than that, find another spot to slip it in so the backstory isn’t all one big chunk.

3. Check my notes
I also checked those notes where I thought I should add more. Some places I really did need to elaborate and it was indeed a natural place for it. Often, I could add more there, so a quick mention earlier on was all I needed to keep new readers on board. (this happened when the note was close to the first mention of that topic). For example, I might introduce an old character, have a few lines of dialog as they interacted with my protag, then slip in some backstory to remind readers who they were.

Plot
You’d think plotting out a sequel would be easy, because you already have this entire story to draw from, but that was as much a hindrance as a help. My first instinct was to simply continue the story as if the book had never ended. Problem was, that made book two feel like something tacked on to the end of book one, and it didn’t have a solid story of its own. While you can do this once you’re a well-known author, when starting out, each book needs to stand on its own. Things I tried to keep in mind:

1. Give the book a book-worthy goal
My first drafts of Blue Fire ended up being a continuation of The Shifter. I kept trying to pick up where I left off. Finally, I pretended I’d never written book one and approached book two as its own story. What was the core conflict? What were the characters trying to accomplish? That made it easier to find the driving story and create my plot.

2. Don’t forget to escalate the stakes
The biggest gaff I made was not having my stakes escalate at all in the first draft. From page one, the risk was, “Nya could get caught by the Duke.” But since it never got worse than that, the story felt flat. It was like book two was a really long climax to book one. I had to go back and start smaller, giving Nya other risks that grew bigger and bigger until the “get caught by the Duke” risk was the climax risk. It had to follow the same escalating stakes structure as book one.

Characters
Character growth is important in any story, but when you’re writing a series, you have to pace your growth just like you pace your story. And that includes your secondary characters, otherwise they’ll feel two-dimensional and pale next to your protag. A few tricks I used:

1. Let your characters grow some, but not too much
Nya still had to make mistakes, but she couldn’t make the same mistakes. She had to learn from what happened in The Shifter, and apply that to Blue Fire. But she also needed to keep some flaws that I could work with in book three.

2. Let your secondary characters shine
Sequels are great times to dig a little deeper into those sidekicks and friends. Give them a bit of the spotlight and let them show they’re not just cannon fodder. Giving them a stake in the plot and allowing them to drive some of the story really fleshed out the book and deepened not only their characters, but my protag as well. Nya isn’t in this book alone, so why shouldn’t her friends have their moments? Giving them a larger role also made it easier to come up with plot elements, because I had more to work with to cause trouble, and more for Nya to care about to up the stakes.

I was ready to tear my hair out while writing Blue Fire, but I’m darn proud of it now. It’s a story I worked hard to get right, and it was worth it in the end. Sequels have their own share of quirks and challenges, but if you can overcome those challenges, you might just wind up with a pretty terrific book.

Blue Fire Blurb
Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first.

Janice Hardy Bio
A long-time fantasy reader, Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, and BLUE FIRE from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel.

Link to Blue Fire Online Retailers

Website

The Other Side of the Story Blog

Music Monday: Marina & The Diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:14:00 +0000

Can I just say I LOVE everything this little lady touches! She's unique and quirky and I can't stop listening.

What do you think?

Decatur Book Festival FAQ

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:44:00 +0000

I am so excited about DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL! I mean we've got some AMAZING authors coming! Are YOU coming?

So I thought I'd take a second for those of you readers who will be coming to kind of do a quick FAQ. If you got any other questions leave them in the comments or email me.

*Ok so yesterday I mentioned on twitter that in order to get Cassandra Clare's CLOCKWORK ANGEL signed you MUST buy it from Little Shop of Stories. Don't panic. You can buy it AT the event/panel from the book store and get it signed. You can also bring backlist books for signing too. As far as I know there's no limit on books but be reasonable. After all, you don't want to carry 50 books around with you all day.

*Like I already mentioned, the books will be sold at the events. Imagine, brand spankin new book from your favorite author, signed!

*Photography is allowed but don't be distracting. This is more of a pointer for me since I'll be there taking pictures and getting all overly excited. If you want your picture taken let me know your name when you see me and preferably an email so I can email it to you.

* If you're coming let me know. I am planning a meet up and would love to meet you!

So you excited to meet these awesome authors? I AM!

If you have any questions, let me know. Also check their site, Decatur Book Festival, for information as well.

Music Monday IS BACK!

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:08:00 +0000

Now that summer's over and school's starting back up and with that all the summer romance flings float away on the summery breezes. Just like that, as if in an instant, a snap of the fingers and we're jolted back to reality. The mundane daily groans of school.

You ready?

I'm not. AT ALL!

But today as I mosey on over to campus, open my nonexistent books, pretend that the teacher makes sense I will think of the warm summer days and the relaxed summer evenings and the many books I read. Ok, I didn't read that many but there was always books around me.

This summer was great! I saw many, read much, photographed plenty and now... well you know what's next.

So I found a lovely summery romance song that fits perfectly.

Enjoy!

-Mike Posner "Gone in September"

Book Review: "Immortal Beloved" by Cate Tiernan

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 19:43:00 +0000

IMMORTAL BELOVED tells the story of a girl (teen, young woman?), Nastasya(Nasty) who's immortal. She's lived hundreds of years and at the beginning of the novel is with her long time friends Incy, Boz (and some the girl?). After witnessing Incy commit a heinous crime Nasty runs away. She ends up in a farm somewhere in a small(very small) town. Essentially a home for wayward immortals.

Ok. Let's stop right there.

First, I want to say that this book at first might seem a bit boring. I mean a fun party girl Nasty ends up in an old boring farm town. Yeahhh…. BUT I as I started reading I was greatly intrigued by Nasty's secrets and her power (or lack thereof) and this wayward home for immortals and what all that was about.

I had a few minor faults with it but the biggest downfall to the book's almost flawless story is the lack of climax. Although the story got exciting at parts, it lacked a true climax. Sadly, it could have been achieved with 50 more pages and still left a lot of room for the sequels.

THAT ruined the book for me. Just right at the end. *sigh* It wasn't even a cliffhanger. More of an abrupt ending. But, with that said, I am looking forward to the next book and I might just check out her other SWEEP series. She has great voice (which is rare) and great writing. Plus I loved Nasty's snarky sarcasm!

Book received at BEA, 2010.

Book releases September 7th but according to her blog Amazon and some Barnes & Nobles already have it.

In My Mailbox (August 21) +Giveaway Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 19:08:00 +0000

Thanks to Kristi over at the Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox weekly!

This past few weeks I've got all this. Mind you most of it has been from ComiCon when I went back in July. Yeah it's been a while. Some of these books I am giving away over at my photo blog in celebration of ClockworkAngel's trailer. And YES you can win one of THREE Clockwork Angel ARCs. (signed too if you want!)

10 Cult Like Books

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:35:00 +0000

I got a neat email from Kaitlyn at OnlineColleges where they put together a list of the Top 10 Books with Cult Like Following.

Top spot goes to Twilight.And no wonder, with the conventions, the frenzie, the Edward stalking you wallpaper... the candy?

So my next question is what are some YA cult like books? I asked Twitter and the two top answers were Hunger Games and Mortal Instruments series.

What do you think?

CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare book trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:25:00 +0000

I am so excited to FINALLY unveil this awesomeness! MTV's Hollywood Crush blog posted it today at 2pm and well, you can imagine my excitement! Go check out the post, tell Hollywood Crush why you love the books (and the trailer) and then come back and tell me what you think of it.

Enjoy!

As always thank you to my wonderful people at Simon & Schuster and Cassie for the chance to do this and for my wonderful team at Diabolical Toy! You guys talked me off the edge more then once! lol And did an amazing job bringing it to life!

Losing Faith- Recreate a Cover Entry.

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:59:00 +0000

I thought I'd give this a try. Especially with Kelsey encouraging me.

Princess Bookie's awesome contests are so much fun and I figure I want in on this one- recreate a cover for Denise Jaden's LOSING FAITH!

Here's my entry!

What do you think?

ClOCKWORK ANGEL Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:09:00 +0000

GO HERE for a chance to win ONE of THREE copies. And some goodies.

Book Review: "Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:52:00 +0000

I don't usually read adult books. Mostly because I enjoy YA more but the buzz behind this book, and the fact that the premise sounded so compelling, made me read this book.

I will say that was far from disappointed. The story follows a young woman's story of recovery. You see she had been abducted, tortured, raped, impregnated, hurt oh so badly. The book takes on an interesting perspective. The story is told as sessions with her therapist as she talks about her recovery now and her experience with the man who abducted her, The Freak. And oh yes, he definitely lives up to that name.

The book's very adult and mature but so well written, so painful and heartbreaking and the end leaves you absolutely gasping for air. It is a surprising book and very dark and the fact that I love it probably says a lot about the kind of stories I like. I like some pain in my books, some angst and this book delivers it on a blood shopping block.

It is a captivating story and if you're an older teen, like say 18… go and read it. A beautifully painful story worth reading.

Received book at BEA.

To buy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Indie Bookstore near you.

Book Cover a la Vania

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:55:00 +0000

DUDE! Who remembers me doing these?

It was like ages ago!

No rules this time. Just for fun! I'll post this random thing I did and you tell me what this story would be about. Whoever gives me the most creative submission gets a little bundle of swag from me.

READY? GO!

Beautiful Darkness and ComiCon

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:59:00 +0000

We met so many awesome people and thanks for everyone who came and picked up Beautiful Darkness!

Check out the rest og the pictures HERE!

Book Review: "The Duff" by Kody Keplinger

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Kody Keplinger's debut novel might look like an easy chic lit at first glance but don't let the cute bubble gum and poppy letters of the title mislead you.

Kody's novel is full of a sarcastic and spunky heroine who's not afraid to say what's on her mind and cuss. A lot. She's a brave soul but at the heart of it all she's the average girl. She's you. She's me. She's your next door neighbor. If she's a girl.

Through the jokes and the sexy innuendos Kody brings a heartfelt story to the forefront. A story of a girl who's going through major shit and who's found safety and escapism in an unlikely source. The school's man-whore.

The story's sexy, sweet, hilarious, and heartfelt and honest. Kody's voice is a fresh new addition to YA lit and I am looking forward to more from her --especially if it involves uber sexy boys. Bring on the charm!

But my favorite part is the lesson of it all. Who is "The Duff?" What is "The Duff?" Well pick up Kody's book and find out.

In stores September 7th from Little Brown, Poppy.

ARC received at BEA.

Check out Kody's blog for more info on her and her book.

Cassandra Clare's coming to ATLANTA

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:15:00 +0000

If you're reading this blog and you DON'T know who Cassandra Clare is you then HAVE TO come meet her. If you're a fan then need I say more?

Cassandra will be coming back to Atlanta this early September as part of her CLOCKWORK ANGEL book tour. She'll be speaking and signing at the super awesome Decatur Book Festival.

There will be many awesome YA authors there like Robin Benway, Kathleen Duey, Nancy Werlin, Christina Gonzalez and Alyxandra Harvey. So make sure if you're within a 5 state radius you come! No seriously, it's that awesome!

For more info on her tour and other dates and locations check out her BLOG.

She'll also be doing a very exciting uStream chat Aug 4th and more info's on her blog. She's sharing secret information. YAY!!!

And psssst, come back soon to see the debut of her book trailer.

In My Mailbox- FINALLY,V!

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:49:00 +0000

Yes, finally I post an IMM vlog. Enjoy!

Leave me comments love please! And leave me links to ur IMM posts. I wanna see what you got!

Ignore my "Um's" and rambling.

Authors vs Bloggers Debate: What Makes a Good Love Interest?

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Come back next week to check out the new debate.

Next week's topic is..... What works when it comes to book covers? (Must email me by Sunday if you want in and with your angel.)

Authors if you want to participate email me and vandsmedia[at]gmail.com

Infinite Days book trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:59:00 +0000

Go check out my photo blog for the premiere of my newest trailer for Rebecca Maizel's INFINITE DAYS!

Guardian of the Gate book trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:17:00 +0000

It's finally here! This trailer's been so great to work with for so many reasons but two of the main ones is that I got to work with one of my favorite publishers, Little Brown, who publishes some of my favorite titles! They such great taste and I was honored to do the sequel to Guardian of the Gate since Prophecy of the Sisters book trailer hold such a dear place in my heart! They have been so great and so patient to work with and I hope we get to do this again!

Thank you, Little Brown! Thank you!

Also, this trailer was a great collaboration with my wonderful team and friend Jeff and Gabriel who have not only been absolutely brilliant but have taken my work, my photography, and my trailer to a whole different world and you guys rock my socks! Looking forward to the next one!

And finally thank you to my models. You know who you are and why I love you to PIECES!

So without further ado:

Waiting on Wednesday: TWO for the price of ONE!

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:24:00 +0000

AHH!! This is a very exciting Waiting on Wednesday. I will dub this the friends edition since I know and adore both these authors.

Check out THE IRON WITCH by Karen Mahoney which comes out in February!

"Freak. That’s what they called seventeen year-old Donna Underwood in high school after a horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child. Her injuries and rehabilitation resulted in magically enhanced strength, thanks to the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. As a child of the alchemists, she is both blessed and cursed with a magical heritage that permeates her life with duty and sacrifice.

Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, she finally has to accept her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie: the Dark Elves. Aided by a gorgeous half-fey dropout, Donna must race to save her best friend’s life – even if it means betraying the secret of immortality and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family."

Check out Hannah Mosckowitz's INVINCIBLE SUMMER which I am not only reading but will be doing a trailer for! EEEK! Too bad you all have to wait till April 2011 to read! (I'm so evil)

Everything bizarre in Chase McGill’s life can be blamed on his four siblings. Between screaming baby Lucy, perpetually naked Claudia, Deaf but ASL-impaired Gideon, and wanderlusty Noah, Chase has his hands full trying to hold everything together. But during the summers, everything is perfect. Every year, they return to beach to revive their passions for sand, salt, and Camus—everything that will keep them young and beautiful forever.

And they will stay innocent. Chase is their anchor.

But Chase is slowly cracking. Noah’s never around to hoist him up. His parents are divorcing. How’s Chase supposed to resist the pull of adulthood as his eighteenth birthday creeps up and his whole family’s succumbing to the adulthood disease? Claudia’s promiscuity explodes, Gideon’s learning to sign, Noah’s talking about college whenever he’s not on one of his escapes. Even Lucy’s using full sentences. Chase thought they’d be invincible as long as they were together. But they’re not invincible. And after one horrible night, they’re not even together.

HOT HOT HOT.. no? You excited?

Teen Author Chat with Cheryl Renee Herbsman

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:42:00 +0000

TONIGHT!!!!!! We'll be chatting with Cheryl Renee Herbsman HERE. I can't wait to pick Cheryl's brain on this much loved book and I hope you all can make it. Come tonight at 9:30pm and get to know Cheryl and her book! :D

Book Review: "Spirit Bound" by Richelle Mead

noreply@blogger.com (Reverie) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:58:00 +0000

A bit spoilerish in the summary but I am all spoiler free!

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong...

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever. (Amazon)

Richelle Mead’s SPIRIT BOUND was an exciting addition to her series and with only one book to go I am sure like myself, many of her fans will be dying to know how it all ends.

I found Rose to have grown a little though I can’t say the same for the other characters. Dimitri irritated me and Lissa annoyed me. The only character I truly cared about was Adrian who seemed complicated, strong, and had some smarts and wits about him.

I have to admit that the story picks up more and gets you going more than the last one. I still miss the vim and vigor of her first three books and hope this next and final installment won’t fizzle but will sizzle with the great storytelling I know Mead possesses.

In the meantime, I shall wait and swoon over Adrian. Who’s with me?

Book listened to on audio.