The Story Siren

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-03-16T18:00:00.001-04:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: September 14, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Overall:
Source: Bought
Interest: hype

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before -- and survival.

I think I'm probably the last person to finally get around reading this. The book has like 600 some five star reviews on amazon, the debate of Team Gale vs. Team Peeta reigns supreme on my twitter. It's the series that just won't go away.

And now I understand why.

I must admit, when I read the summary, I wasn't intrigued, when I saw the cover... still not intrigued, saw all the positive reviews still not.... went to ALA Chicago, where the coveted Catching Fire arcs flew off the table like million dollar bills (is there million-dollar bill?)... I didn't get one, and I really didn't care. (I KNOW! Don't judge)

But I finally sat down to see what all the hype was about, I didn't think it would be able to live up to it all, but it did and then some. I'm not going to a conventional review, because honestly I don't have anything to add to the discussion, just look at this as another reason why you should read it if you haven't.

I'm not sure what makes this book such a great one. It has all the elements of a great literary work, alluring characters, riveting plot, remarkably written.... but what makes it so great? I wish I knew.

It was addicting, and I was the unsuspecting victim.

Read it.

That is all.

(ETA: sorry Lenore forgot to mention.. I'm Team PEETA!)

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View an in depth look into my Star Rating

Library-Loving Blog Challenge

2010-03-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

I have a message from author Jennifer Hubbard. Last year she started the Library-Loving blog challenge to help raise money for local libraries! Here is a little bit of information about the project in case you would like to join in the cause!

A group of bloggers, most of them writers, will be using their blogs, Facebook accounts, or other social media to raise money for local libraries, bookmobiles, and literacy causes. They are looking for bloggers or Facebookers to join in. If interested, please email jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com by March 21.

Last year, this effort raised over $1600. This year's challenge will run from March 23-27. Here's how it works:

Participants put up a blog post during that week (Facebook or other media can be used for people who don’t blog.) Participants agree to donate a certain amount of money for every comment they receive on that post by a certain date. (Example: “Donating 25 cents per comment to my local library, for every comment received by noon on March 27, up to a maximum of $100.”) The money goes to the local library, bookmobile, or other literacy-based charity of his/her choice. Donation caps are allowed, and participants will receive a suggested template for the blog post.

Libraries have suffered in this economy like everyone else--budget cuts are affecting all levels of government. But at the same time, library usage is increasing, not only because the books, tapes, DVDs, CDs, etc., are free to borrow, but because libraries provide so many other services--assisting people with job searches, for example.

For more information, see also http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/158131.html or email jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com.

Prize Packs of AWESOMENESS- Winners

2010-03-15T19:26:00.000-04:00

I have three winners for the three prize packs of awesomeness!

The winner of the Little Miss Red prize pack is:

April

Incarceron prize pack:

Jill

Vlad prize pack:

Marty

Congrats to all the winners and thanks so much for stopping by and signing up for the contest! All winners have been contacted by email!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2010-03-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 480
Overall:
Source: Book Fairy/Publisher
Interest: Debut Author

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

(summary from Goodreads)

WOW.

That would be my one word review for this book... WOW.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up, and to say that I was utterly unprepared for it's magnificence, would be an understatement. This book evoked such strong emotion. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was bawling by the end of the story. For me, the stories that awaken your emotions are always the most powerful and memorable. And I don't read many books like that, so when I do, it tends to really stand out.

What's so interesting about this book is that I hated Samantha durning most of the book. For me, I need a personable character, especially the MC. That didn't happen right away with Before I Fall, actually it didn't happen for most of the story.... but I still couldn't put it down.

I thought I had this story figured out, I thought I knew what was going to happen. But I didn't. I could see Samantha changing day by day, but I never anticipated what ultimately she had to do.

Oliver didn't shy away from the authenticity of the teenage persona. It was honest portrayal, which I think teens will be appreciative of. Not to mention it has a very positive message, for everyone.

Cannot wait to read more of Oliver's novels. Unbelievable!

Plot:

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View an in depth look into my Star Rating

In My Mailbox (71)

2010-03-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Other by Karen Kincy (Flux/July 1, 2010)

Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.

Flirting with Disaster by Rhonda Stapleton (Simon Pulse/March 9, 2010)

Felicity is a total romantic. That's why she follows her heart—not the rules—in her job as a cupid. But when Felicity turns her matchmaking magic on her best friend, Andy, it's Andy who breaks their golden rule: friends always come first. Andy is so wrapped up in her new guy that she's ditching everyone else. How can Felicity stop her BFF from letting a BF come between them?

Meanwhile, Felicity decides to get over her crush on Derek by setting him up with someone else—but in her impulsive haste, she accidentally matches him with the whole school, and now everyone is in love with him. The entire student body is headed toward heartbreak, just weeks before prom. Does Felicity have what it takes to make everyone's heart happy...including her own?

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti (Viking/May 4, 2010)

Lani and Erin are bonded for life. One thing that connects them is their fascination of fate. Lani wonders how much of our lives has already been decided and how much we can actually influence. Since the Unknown can unexpectedly change our lives forever, how much can we really control?

From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can't deny the intense connection they share. It feels like she's known him forever. She's not sure if he feels it, too. But it doesn't matter. Because Jason is Erin's boyfriend. Lani is determined to ignore her feelings for Jason, no matter how powerful they are, rather than risk hurting her best friend.

How long can Lani keep running from the boy who might be her destiny?

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (Simon Pulse/May 18, 2010)

Hanover Falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. Seattle, Copenhagen, Osaka–they’ve had plenty of attacks. But when humans begin dying in Claire Benoit’s town, the panic spreads faster than a rumor at a pep rally. At Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. But the big news in Claire’s mind is the fact that Matthew Engle–high-school soccer god and son of a world-renowned lycanthropy expert–notices her. And flirts with her. A lot.

That night, Claire learns that she is the latest in a long line of Benoit werewolves, and that contrary to popular belief, all werewolves are female. Killing humans is forbidden by the code of the pack, but a rogue werewolf has been breaking that law, threatening the existence of Claire’s new pack. As the pack struggles to find and fight the rogue werewolf and Claire struggles with her lupine identity, her heart and her loyalties are torn in two. Claire must keep her new life a secret from even her best friend–and especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt…and with whom Claire is impossibly and undeniably falling head-over-paws in love.

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (Simon Pulse/May 4, 2010)

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Claire de Lune and Shade came in an awesome silver package and was wrapped with ribbon and a tag... I wanted to share it's awesome-ness so I took some photos!

OHHHHH... what a pretty shiny silver package, i wonder what is inside!

OH PRETTY BOOKS!

You know what I got in mine... what did you get in yours? Sign the Mister Linky below to share your IMM!

For Example:
Name: The Story Siren
Blog URL: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/11/in-my-mailbox-53.html

New Reads (March 7-13, 2010)

2010-03-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

Out This Week:

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Flirting with Disaster by Rhonda Stapleton

The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee

Keep Sweet by Michele Dominguez Greene

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Poisoned Honey by Beatrice Gormley

Forty Weeks from Monday by Patricia Hetticher

Split by Swati Avasthi

Scandal by Kate Brian

Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs by Ron Koertge

New in Paperback:

How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Chancey of the Maury River by Gigi Amateau

Likely Story by David Van Etten

Author Event: Lauren Oliver

2010-03-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

I don't get to attend as many author events as I'd like, and it's isn't often that I get to attend two events so close together, but after attending the Julie Kagawa signing just a few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to attend another author event the weekend after!

On Sunday, May 7, I drove 125 some miles to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see debut author Lauren Oliver! Her novel Before I Fall was released earlier this month, and I couldn't pass up the chance to meet Lauren after reading her awesome debut!

I meet up with some other bloggers for lunch at T.G. I. Friday's which was right across the street from Borders. I'm all about not getting lost when I travel! So, Chelsea from The Page Flipper, Tirzah from The Compulsive Reader and Sara from The Hiding Spot, along with Tirzah's mom, and Sarah's boyfriend, and myself enjoyed a nice lunch talking about books and authors and everything in between.

I love meeting up with bloggers, it's like getting an instant best friend, there is never a lax in the conversation! After lunch we headed back over to Borders to wait for the signing.... we did a lot of shelf browsing. The Anne Arbor Borders was a big store, but it didn't have the massive YA section that the Louisville Borders did. Regardless we had a wonderful time perusing the shelves and talking books.

They had an excellent "Author Event" area. I've never been to a store that had anything like that. It was very cool! Once Lauren arrived the store members introduced her. She talked about her inspiration and reasons for writing Before I Fall, a little bit about her history in the publishing world, some personal insight, and she also read a few passages from Before I Fall. And she gave out candy for asking questions! I asked about the cover! Isn't it gorgeous?! And they served some delicious coffee-cake and coffee samples durning Lauren's talk and reading! YUM!

We also meet a fellow literary lunatic Beth, that hosts her own blog about all things Twilight at TWI-sessions! She's an aspiring author herself!

Overall another great author event! Lauren was beautiful, savvy, hilarious and so very sweet!

I also wanted to mention that if you've bought a copy of Before I Fall, you should enter Sharon's of Sharon Loves Books and Cats contest! Lots of AWESOME goodies, singed books, swag and gift cards!! And if you've already bought it or planning to, why not enter!! But hurry the deadline is March 15!!

And PICTURES:

Bloggers!! Chelsea, Tirzah, Sara, and me!

Lauren reading from Before I Fall.

Lauren and I!

Check out Lauren's nails! HOW COOL!

Canvas Print Contest!

2010-03-11T20:06:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the wonderful people at UPrinting.com, I have a 16 x 20 Rolled Canvas to giveaway to one lucky winner. And the great thing is....you can customize your own! Uprinting.com is a online printing site which offers business cards, canvas prints, and the ability to print online. Be sure to check them out!

Prize details:

16 x 20 Rolled Canvas
Specifications: 1 Business Day Turnaround
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

Contest info:

Open to US only
Contest ends Wednesday, March 27, 2010
To enter, please fill out the form below

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Author Guest Post: Y.S. Lee

2010-03-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Y.S. Lee

Books:

The Agency: A Spy in the House

Website

The Agency: A Spy in the House

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past.

(summary from Amazon.com)

From Y.S. Lee:

Hello! This is the 6th of 8 guest posts I’m making as part of the T2T blog tour. As an ex-professor and writer of historical fiction, my theme is Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Victorians. Yesterday, I talked about Cadavers and Childbirth at Chick Lit Teens. Today, my subject is the Great Stink of 1858, which forms the backdrop of my novel.

First things first: yes, it really was called the Great Stink, and its name was in no way an exaggeration. Here’s how it came about. All through the history of the River Thames, Londoners dumped their garbage into it: food scraps, human waste, anything they didn’t want to deal with… it all went into the river. It’s a big river, though, and this was basically okay. They also used it as a source of water for cooking and bathing. Again, it was mostly tolerable. And then came the 1840s, and the invention of the flush toilet. Guess where they all flushed into? That’s right. Straight. Into. The Thames.

It wasn’t long before the river smelled bad. Made you feel queasy on summer days. Became the basis of jokes and cartoons. But the spring of 1858 was unusually warm, and the river was increasingly polluted. The stench became absolutely unbearable – and this is in a city with a high tolerance for industrial pollution. There was even a report of future prime minister Benjamin Disraeli running out of the House of Commons with a handkerchief over his nose, so nauseous was the stink. Londoners worried, mostly because (as I explained yesterday) the germ theory of disease wasn’t widely accepted. Instead, most people thought that bad smells made you sick – and living that close to the river was surely asking to be stricken down.

The good news is that the stink was so bad that citizens began to campaign for the clean-up of the river. This was a huge project that involved fixing and redesigning London’s ancient sewer system (something that comes up in the third Mary Quinn novel, The Traitor and the Tunnel). It was a project that would take years to complete. In the meantime, people still lived and worked beside the river; thousands walked across its bridges each day, and there were still ferrymen who ran water-taxis along its length. The royal family once took a pleasure-cruise along the river!

Although I’ve researched it, I still find the Great Stink hard to believe. As hygiene-obsessed 21st-century types, we have a low tolerance for bad smells. We shower constantly, flood our homes with air fresheners, and have best-by dates on all our food to minimize our chances of coming across something that smells iffy. I’m not saying that I want to experience the Great Stink firsthand – I think I’m properly modern in my queasiness.

But isn’t it compelling to imagine?

Ying is currently holding an "If I Were a Spy" contest over at her website. Enter there for a chance to win a signed copy of A Spy in the House along with a t-shirt!

For a schedule of blog stops on this tour for A Spy in the House, check out the Traveling to Teens Weebly or Ying's website!

The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

2010-03-11T07:07:00.002-05:00

The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

Release Date: March 9, 2010
Publisher: Candlewick
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Overall:
Source: Publisher
Interest: Traveling to Teens Tour/Debut Author

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past.

(summary from Amazon.com)

For some reason, I was really apprehensive about reading this novel. I was intrigued by the summary, I loved the cover, but I was lax about picking it up. And even now, I'm not exactly sure why I was hesitant to start it. But I'm glad I finally read it because I was pleasantly surprised!

The setting itself was enthralling... the cobblestone streets and smelly river of Victorian England, don't tell me that didn't get your attention! I even managed to learn a few things, that is always a positive. I wasn't just impressed with the setting, but with the characters as well. Especially Mary, she was the kick-butt heroine that I love reading about it.

This was easy novel to read, it wasn't too complex. The main plot was overshadowed at times by smaller subplots, but that is often the case in the beginning of a series. It's necessary sometimes to build that relationship with the reader, to give them something to look forward to in the succeeding novels. But even with that, I'm sure readers will be flipping through the pages to solve the mystery along with Mary and James. I know that is what I did!

This is a great start to a series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

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View an in depth look into my Star Rating

Author Interview: Angela Morrison

2010-03-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

Angela Morrison

Books:

Website

Sing Me to Sleep

THE TRANSFORMATION

Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

Did you notice a change in your writing going from Taken by Storm to Sing Me to Sleep? Was it easier/harder? Did you notice your writing style changing?

I wrote SING ME TO SLEEP under contract, so my Razorbill editor, Lexa Hillyer, and I batted a proposal back and forth until we had a rough summary worked out. Then she had to get the novel approved--before I wrote one word. TAKEN BY STORM was a long process of discovery. It took me YEARS to revise and sell it. I didn't have that kind of time with SING ME TO SLEEP. You can imagine the panic I was in. Beth's voice came to me right off--that was an amazing gift. I let her tell the story in her own words. Writing the lyrics for the choral numbers and Beth's compositions was tricky. Way different from Leesie's free verse poems. But Beth's first-person flowed a lot like Michael's first person did in TAKEN BY STORM.

SING ME TO SLEEP is told from single first-person viewpoint--so I didn't have to try to balance the story between narrators and formats. I scribbled scene after scene as fast as I could. I wrote all day and into the night. I ended up writing the first VERY rough draft in a single month. I researched, revised, sent it to my critique friends for feedback, and revised some more, and it was done. Lexa cried when she read it. Yep. I made my editor cry. Unheard of. But Lexa is a special editor. The whole writing and editing process took less than six months. That NEVER happens. I know I had a lot of help from unseen hands.

Describe your writing in three words.

emotion, truth, and love

Is there a different genre that you'd like to write? Maybe one you'd like to stay away from?

I DO write other genres. I am revising two very different romantic novels. The first is a historical YA called MY ONLY LOVE inspired by my Scottish coal mining ancestors' emigration story. It is to die for heartbreaking. And the second is a time-slip novel, MY TIME ASSASSIN, that I'm turning upside down. I'm adding a Bronte-esque heroine to the mix. Think, Jane Eyre meets the Terminator--but my assassin ain't no robot.

If you could travel back in time for a year, where would you go? And what three things would you take with you?

Oh, I would go to 1827 and travel with the Glovers from Scotland to Nova Scotia. I researched it all so much. I would love to go back and try to capture the real thing. I'd need to take a video camera, a solar-recharable battery pack for it, and a state of the art water filter. Ship's water was disgusting.

What is something about yourself that most people would be surprised to know?

I'm a proud, proud GRANDMOTHER!!

What are you working on now, can you tell us anything about it?

Funny you should ask. I've mentioned the sequel to TAKEN BY STORM, UNBROKEN CONNECTION, that I wrote to fill my option clause with Penguin on a lot of other tour stops. You can read the first chapter if you click on the link. While I was picking out outfits for my SING ME TO SLEEP launch trip up to London, Ontario, I got a phone call from my lovely editor. Lexa broke the news that she was leaving Razorbill. Yikes. She is starting her own literary development company, called Paper Lanterns, Inc. I'm excited for her. And SING ME TO SLEEP was launching in just a few days. No worries for me, right?

WRONG! Poor UNBROKEN CONNECTION had lost it's best advocate. Monday evening when I got to my hotel room after a long, long day, there was a short and not particularly sweet rejection email from Razorbill's publisher waiting in my inbox. Nice. Three days before SING's launch. That's kind of the way things go in this business. My agent and I are discussing where to go next with it. I've got a lot of fans asking for it and support from you and a host of wonderful bloggers. That helps so much--believe me! I appreciate it all tons.

Thanks so much Angela for stopping by!

Angela also mentioned she would be stopping by to answer any questions readers have, so if there is something you'd like to ask Angela please feel free to leave it in the comments section!

Rules of Attraction Book Trailer

2010-03-09T06:26:00.002-05:00

I don't usually post about book trailers. Honestly they don't do much for me. But recently there have been some awesome book trailers, especially for some YA books (insert V's VLC Photo Productions) One of the first book trailers that I watched again and again was Simone Elkeles' trailer for Perfect Chemisty. It doesn't really do the book justice... it's a completely different tone than the novel, but it is hilarious! And sooo catchy. You can see it at Simone's website. Recently Simone did a trailer for her upcoming release Rules of Attraction (April 13) which is the sequel to Perfect Chemistry... and I love these two books. So... check out the Rules of Attraction trailer!! (Isn't Alex CUTE!)

(Book trailer for Rules of Attraction novel by Simone Elkeles, the sequel to Perfect Chemistry with Alexander F. Rodriguez playing "Alex Fuentes" and Giancarlo Vidrio playing "Carlos Fuentes". Catesby Bernstein plays "Kiara Westford")

The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison

2010-03-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison

Release Date: May 1, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Overall:
Source: Publisher
Interest: Series
Other Titles in the Series: The Princess and the Hound

He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds.

She was a once a princess, now living in the form of a hound.

Wary companions, they are sent—in human form—back to a time when magic went terribly astray. Together they must right the wrongs caused by this devastating power—if only they can find a way to trust each other.

But even as each becomes aware of an ever-growing attraction, the stakes are rising and they must find a way to eliminate this evil force—or risk losing each other forever.

(summary from Goodreads)

Harrison has a very unique story telling ability. One of the things I love about reading so much is being exposed to different writing styles. Harrison has one of the most lyrical and beautiful writing style. The writing itself feels like a fairy tale. Which makes absolutely no sense at all, but I just can't think of how else to describe it. The writing alone is enough to lull you into the story, regardless of what it's actually about.

This is more of a companion novel to The Princess and the Hound, you wouldn't have to necessarily read The Princess and the Hound, but I would recommend it to better understand some of the aspects in the novel. I do prefer the first novel, but I still really enjoyed reading this story.

I didn't quite connect with the characters this time around, this is the type of story where you feel like you are standing on the outside watching the characters instead of experiencing the story with them. Personally, I like experiencing the story with them.

I don't think this is a book for everyone. If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, real fairy tales, not the disney-esque fairy tale, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Overall, it's an endearing story that's beautifully written.

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View an in depth look into my Star Rating

Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton

2010-03-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton

Release Date: December 22, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Overall:
Source: Publisher
Interest: Debut Author

Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired...and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

(summary from Goodreads)

A great start for a series!

If your looking for a story with a lot of depth this isn't the book for you. But if you looking for something light, fluffy and feel good, than Stupid Cupid is right up your alley!

It's entertaining, funny.. lots of laugh-out-loud moments! The plot itself was a little predictable, but it was still interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. From the description, I thought it was going to be more along the lines of Felicity finding out she is related to the "real cupid"....possibly a descendant..... but really she just gets hired at a company and gets the title as "cupid."

The characters were fantastic, I really enjoyed Felicity and her friends. They just seemed very realistic, and they were not the stereotypical characters that you'd expect.

Overall, just a fun book! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series and hoping that cupid sends an arrow in Felicity's direction!

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Writing:

Cover:

View an in depth look into my Star Rating

In My Mailbox (70)

2010-03-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

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.)

Bought:

A Match Made in High School by Kristen Walker
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

For Review:

Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl (March 9, 2010/Knopf Books for Young Readers)
The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (March 9, 2010/Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
The Light: Morpheus Road by DJ MacHale (April 20, 2010/Aladdin)
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (June 1, 2010/Katherine Tegen Books)
White Cat by Holly Black (May 4, 2010/Margaret K. McElderry)
Hunted by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (March 16, 2010/St. Martin's Griffin)

From Amazon Vine:

The Clearing by Heather Davis (April 12, 2010/Graphia)
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles (April 13, 2010/Walker Books for Young Readers)

You know what I got in mine... what did you get in yours? Sign the Mister Linky below to share you IMM!

For Example:
Name: The Story Siren
Blog URL: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/11/in-my-mailbox-53.html

Another Book Signing!

2010-03-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Sunday March 7, I will be heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend Lauren Oliver's signing for her debut novel Before I Fall!

I loved this book, so I am very excited to meet Lauren and some of my fellow bloggers!

If you are in the Ann Arbor area, you should come!

It's at Borders @ 2:00!

3140 Lohr Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Hope to see you there!!

Author Event: Julie Kagawa!

2010-03-06T10:10:00.004-05:00

On Saturday February 27, I drove the 264 miles to Louisville, Kentucky to see the fabulous author of The Iron King, JULIE KAGAWA!!

I'll try to skip over the boring-ish details.

I got into Louisville around two o'clock. I just went right to the Borders, to meet up with Chelsea from The Page Flipper, Susan from Wastepaper Prose and Julie! I was a little early since I wasn't officially meeting up with them until 3 o'clock, but I knew I wouldn't have a problem killing an hour in Borders.

The Louisville Borders was about ten times bigger then the one we have here in Fort Wayne. It was so much nicer and made ours look like a little whole in the wall. The YA section was FAN-TABU-LOUS! I so want some shelves like that in my house, if I ever get a new one.

We had dinner with Julie at Sake Blue a sushi place. I had the Cha-Cha... it was delicious and Julie ordered an eel. I know, the horror! She even tried to get me to eat it, which I did not. It was called the King Cobra... it was seriously a whole eel. Crazy! There was a lot of talking at the late lunch/early dinner. Books, writing, reading... it's amazing how people can connect over books!

After Sake Blue we headed back to the Borders Cafe to wait until the signing started at 6. There were a lot of people at the event! Including the fabulous tenners: Jessica Leader (Nice and Mean) and Kelly Creagh (Nevermore). It was so exciting, Julie read a passage from the book, answered some questions and then signed a lot of books! She is hilarious & cute and suffers from an extreme Mountain Dew addiction.

Pictures:

This is Julie and I.

This is my half eaten cookie... with an backdrop of The Iron King and Mt. Dew.

Myself, Jessica Leader and Chelsea.

The Mini Dew.

The real Dew.

My Cha Cha sushi.. nom nom.

Julie reading.

Group photo! (or proof that Susan was really there)

Kelly Creagh, me and Jessica Leader.

Contest Winners: Sing Me to Sleep & Token of Darkness

2010-03-06T09:51:00.000-05:00

I have two winners to announce today!

The winner of the signed copy of Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison is:

Kristy I.

Congrats Kristi!

The winner of Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is:

Angela H.

Congrats Angela!

(I have another contest for five copies of Token of Darkness, here!)

New Reads (February 28- March 6, 2010)

2010-03-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

Out this week:

Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

Borderline by Allen Stratton

The Line by Teri Hall

Exit Strategy by Ryan Potter

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

The Returners by Gemma Malley

Aries Rising by Bonnie Hearn Hill

Strike a Pose by Taryn Bell

Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Merlin's Harp by Anne Crompton

My So Called Death by Stacy Jay

Tagged by Mara Purnhagen

Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison

Riding Invisible by Sandra Alonzo

Eloise of Westhaven by Jean Archambault-White

Happyface by Stephen Emond

Out in paperback:

Exposed by Susan Vaught

Daughters of the Moon by Lynne Ewing

The Sight by Judy Blundell

Everything is Fine. by Ann Dee Ellis

The Girls by Tucker Shaw

The Book of Dreams by O.R. Melling

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

The Big Game of Everything by Chris Lynch

Stop Me if You've Heard this One Before by David Yoo

Author Interview: Claudia Gray

2010-03-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

Claudia Gray

Books:

Evernight
Stargazer
Hourglass

Website

Hourglass

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, an elite group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend--the vampire Balthazar--all her secrets threaten to come out.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas have orchestrated Balthazar's escape and are on the run, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they run, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything--but can it survive what's to come?

You write about vampires, which is a huge trend in literature right now. As a writer what trends do you see for the future?

I think it’s a mistake to predict this stuff, really – we can guess and try to suggest everything in the world, but in the end, the only people who will determine the next trend are the readers. I don’t think YA and the paranormal are going to part ways for a long time, though.

Describe your writing in three words.

Paranormal romantic adventure.

(I always think the “adventure” gets left out of the descriptions – not just of my books, but many in the same genre – but I think that’s such a key part of it!)

What the most interesting comment you've received about the Evernight series?

I’m most intrigued by the comments from people who have really connected with the supporting characters. As much as I love Bianca, Lucas and Balthazar, I have a lot of affection for the others too, so I’m always delighted and surprised when readers talk about how they have something in common with Raquel, Vic or even Mrs. Bethany.

Probably the most surprising comment I’ve ever gotten was from one reader who felt that Ranulf’s bowl haircut was “hot.” There really is someone for everyone.

Do you think having an online presence, blog/myspace/website, has helped you as an author?

Definitely. I don’t know that it has necessarily changed the way that I write, but being in touch with the people who enjoy the books, and hearing what it is that interests them the most – I can’t even tell you how encouraging that is. When I’m knee-deep in edits, or mired in revisions, and sort of overcome with that feeling that the writing will NEVER EVER be done, it’s completely amazing to be able to check into Facebook and see what’s going on with the readers and recharge with that energy. I’m perpetually blown away by how smart, caring and enthusiastic they all seem to be. Or maybe I just have extra-awesome readers.

Is there a different genre you'd like to write? One that you'll stay away from?

I definitely hope to write in other genres someday. Right now I’m seriously considering doing some paranormal romantic suspense for adults, or possibly more mainstream women’s fiction. I don’t know that there’s any genre I’d promise never, ever to write – I like reading almost everything, so I could imagine writing almost anything! – but I suspect hard SF isn’t going to be on the menu.

If you could travel back in time for a year, where would you? And what three things would you take with you?

I’d probably want to visit the early Roman Empire, for a few reasons: I’ve always been fascinated by that era, I have a lot of questions about life then that I could finally get answered, and also – significantly – that was one of the few times in history (more than 100 years back, anyway) where you could be sure of being able to take a hot bath. (You cannot overestimate the importance of this for a year-long trip.) With me, I would take some kind of universal translator that would allow me to handle the Latin, a healthy supply of antibiotics and a digital camera with an enormous memory card and some kind of solar-charging battery. I’d want to record everything I could!

What are you working on now? Can you give us any hints?

Right this second, I’m mostly wrapped up in HOURGLASS promotion, but as soon as we get that one launched, I will dive into a stand-alone book that will come out from HarperTeen in late 2011 (a few months after AFTERLIFE, the final book in the EVERNIGHT series proper, and a few months before BALTHAZAR, his spinoff novel.) I’m really excited about it, because it’s a major change of pace for me. It’s the story of Tess Davis, an English servant girl in 1912 who is plotting to get away from the wealthy, selfish family she works for while they’re on a voyage to the United States. She wants to be free to live her own life – and to get away from the lecherous young lord of the manor. But this is not her biggest problem. Upon boarding the ship to America, she meets Alec Marlowe – handsome, rugged, mysterious, wealthy and yet so obviously troubled that she knows it would be foolish to fall for him. Of course, she does. This, too, is not her biggest problem. Alec turns out to be a werewolf, and he’s being pursued by the Brotherhood, a group of violent, controlling, misogynistic werewolves who want to bring Alec under their power … and are willing to kill Tess if she gets in the way. You’d think that would be her biggest problem, wouldn’t you?

Her biggest problem is actually that she’s on the RMS Titanic.

It is definitely a little different for me, but I fell in love with the story and hope readers will too.

Thanks so much Claudia for stopping by!

Check out the remaining stops on the tour:

March 6 - The Book Cellar
March 7 - Confessions of a Wandering Heart
March 8 - Park-Avenue Princess

Author Interview: Amy Brecount White

2010-03-04T00:00:00.003-05:00

Today's interview is with Amy Brecount White, debut author of Forget-Her-Nots, as part of her Spread the Flower Love blog tour and contest! Forget-Her-Nots debuted, yesterday March 2nd.

As for the contest... Each blog on the tour will offer readers a single virtual flower which they can collect into a bouquet. At the end of each week, readers can submit their bouquet on Amy's site to enter themselves into the contest. The tour runs for four weeks, so you get four chances to enter.

Amy Brecount White

Books

Forget-Her-Nots

Website

Forget-Her-Nots

When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn't so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don't always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she's soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom.

What has been the best thing about becoming a published author?

It’s my dream come true. Success was far from instant when I started writing this book, and there were days when I felt like I was nuts to keep working on it. Now, it’s wonderful to know that my tenacity and patience paid off. It’s wonderful to connect with so many readers.

Describe your writing in three words.

Lyrical, sweet, moving. (I hope.:))

Is there a different genre that you'd like to try in the future?

My next novel, String Theories, is totally realistic, so that’s a change from the magic realism of Forget-Her-Nots. I am hoping to revisit the world of Avondale in a companion novel after that.

One you'll stay away from?

I don’t see myself doing paranormal or sci-fi, but I wouldn’t rule anything out. You never know what’s around the next bend in your road.

Do you think having an online presence has had an effect on the awareness of your upcoming novel, Forget-Her-Nots?

Definitely. My book has a very unfamiliar and original concept – the Victorian language of flowers – at its center. I hope that through my blogging, tweeting, and contests lots of people now know about the language and are excited to find out more in FHN. It’s also been incredibly fun. For lots of my guest posts, I’ve had to write about embarrassing moments and the romantic highlights of my own life. And I feel like I’ve made amazing new friends all around the world. I’m so impressed by the time commitment and organizational skills it takes to run a successful blog.

Wish there was such a thing when I was a teen!

What was the first flower you ever received from a boy and what did it mean?

Oh, wow. I’m sure it was a wrist corsage; those were very big when I was growing up in Dayton, Ohio, and it was probably the Homecoming Dance of my Freshman year in high school. I’m guessing it was white roses, because they matched everything. White roses symbolize “girlhood,” so my date could have done something a little more romantic.

If you could travel back in time for one year, where would you go?

Sometimes I think Regency England in the time of Jane Austen, but I’m feeling more like a frontier woman today, the Little House on the Prairie type. (I loved reading those to my kids, even my boys.) I love being outdoors with the sunshine, fresh air, and wildflowers, and they knew how to do amazing family meals. It was a hard and simple life, but they truly appreciated the good times.

And what three things would you take with you?

Oh, it would be hard to live without my laptop, but I guess a pen and notebook would have to do. (I’m going to count that as one.) My contact lenses or glasses, so I could actually observe the world around me. And I’d have to take my Epipen, so I don’t die from eating a nut or peanut! Severely allergic. I sound awfully practical, don’t !?

Maybe I should just take my three kids with me instead!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Kristi!

According to the Secret Language of flowers the DAISY stands for innocence. The daisy is my favorite flower, I love the big bright face of a Gerber Daisy. They were the flowers I chose for my wedding.

Author Interview: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes & CONTEST

2010-03-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Books:

In the Forests of the Night
Demon in My View
Shattered Mirror
Midnight Predator

Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One
Snakecharm: The Kiesha'ra: Volume Two
Falcondance: The Kiesha'ra: Volume Three
Wolfcry: The Kiesha'ra: Volume Four
Wyverhail: The Kiesha'ra: Volume Five

Persistence of Memory

The Den of Shadows Quartet

Website

Token of Darkness

Cooper Blake has everything going for him—until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

Most of your novels have some sort of fantasy element, vampires, shapeshifters. Is there another genre that you'd like to write? Is there one you'd most likely stay away from?

Someday I would be curious to try a real, futuristic or intergalactic style science-fiction novel. I grew up on Star Trek and am a fan of writers like Heinlein and Orson Scott Card, but I have never yet had a story from that genre hit me strongly enough to force me to write it.

The only genre I tend to stay away from is real-life fiction. I like the world-building required with fantasy, and would miss it if I tried to limit myself to real life.

What is one of the most interesting comments you've received about your books?

The most interesting comments, to me, are the ones that take me completely by surprise. Sometimes people will find something in my books that speaks to them, but which I never realized was so powerful.
On the fun side of interesting, I love reading analyses of my books. As an English major and an English teacher, I talk a lot about things like “symbols” or “themes.” My books have these things, and sometimes people remark on the ones I intended, but I read reports all the time that find themes or symbols I never noticed, but which make perfect sense. One of my favorites is a running analysis of bird imagery and metaphors currently up on the message board.

Describe your "writing" life in the last three years?

In three years? Let’s see… three years ago it was February of 2007. I had just returned from a semester in Texas and finished the first Mancer book (a fantasy trilogy I started in NaNoWriMo 2006). That story, originally intended to be 50-thousand words of throw-away fun, turned into a three-hundred-thousand word trilogy, plus two other potential groups of stories in that world, which I call Castrili.

In the fall of 2007, I wrote Token of Darkness. In the fall of 2008, I finished All Just Glass, which I had been working on since 2000, and then last fall- 2009- I wrote a story called Promises to Keep, which will cause some major changes in Nyeusigrube if I am brave enough to publish it. I am now near to finishing an untitled work that will decide what happens with Promises. Meanwhile, I have also been editing Poison Tree, which is probably next in line for publication after All Just Glass.
In those three years, I also graduated from UMass Boston with a BA in English and Psychology, and from Northeastern with a Master of Arts in Teaching. I started dating my now-fiancée. March 1, 2007, I moved into my first apartment; my fiancée and I are now buying our first house.

Over all, I think I should describe these last three years as “epic” in all aspects of my life.

If you could travel back in time for one year, where would you go? What three things would you bring with you?

This is not an easy question to answer, because I love history, and there are many historical periods I would like to visit… and also because I am a science-fiction nerd, and time travel makes me nervous for the continuity of the space-time continuum.

Assuming we could avoid paradox or changing history- because I believe in the butterfly effect, and I am not brave enough to try to interfere even with “obviously” horrible events- and assuming I was immune to the diseased belonging to that place and time and could find a way to blend in so I did not get murdered or executed or exiled, I think I would want to travel back to one of the ages about which we know very little about, like the era before the rise of Ancient Greece, or very early Mesoamerica. There are gaps in our history books where we lose track of civilizations (or the lack thereof, which may be why there is so little archaeological record).

Practically, I imagine I would want things like food, antibiotics and basic medical supplies, and some guide to the language if such existed, but tossing practicality to the wind, the three things I would bring with me would have to be a notebook and pens so I could record everything, a camera with a whole lot of film (not digital, since I would hate to run out of batteries, and there would definitely not be any electricity), and… can I bring my piano? I would hate to go a year without my piano, and music is theoretically a universal language, but it would be a little awkward to travel with.

What is an interesting fact about yourself that most people would be surprised to know?

A lot of people are surprised to learn I’m very much a science-and-math nerd. Because I was an English major and am a published writer, I often run into the stereotype that I must be afraid of the other side of academics. Because I’m a *girl* and an English major and a published writer, it often shocks people even more to learn I love football (though I do need to specify that I’m loyal more to my team than the sport in general; I only watch the Patriots) and building things with my hands. I’m looking forward to working with my brother-in-law to strip down and redo the bathroom in my new house.

According to cognitive testing, I’m much stronger in performance than verbal- actually, I have a couple disabilities that effect my ability to process and recall verbal information, which caused me trouble in school despite my being a published writer. I can normally find a way to translate verbal information into a form that work better for me, but I far prefer to learn with my hands, by building things (or taking them apart).

Check out the rest of the tour here:

Thursday, March 4th @ Cynthia Leitich Smith
Friday, March 5th @ The Book Butterfly
Monday, March 8th @ Books by Their Covers

Plus! You can check out Random Buzzers where Amelia will be a guest!

I also have five (5) copies of Token of Darkness to giveaway! A HUGE thanks to Random House!

Official info:

please fill out the form below
entrants must be 13 years of age or older
contest deadline is March 17, 2010
open to residents of the US only
Check out Contest Policy/Privacy Policy

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Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

2010-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

Release Date: April 15, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 256
Overall:
Source: Author
Interest: Debut Author

Micheal, Tommy, Mixer, and Bones aren't just from the wrong side of the tracks--they're from the wrong side of everything. Except for Mr. Haberman, their remedial English teacher, no one at their high school takes them seriously. Haberman calls them "gentlemen," but everyone else ignores them--or, in Bones's case, is dead afraid of them. When one of their close-knit group goes missing, the clues all seem to point in one direction: to Mr. Haberman.

I'm not really sure about Gentlemen. It took me forever to get to this book... I think it might have been the cover.... freaks me out! But at the same time I found it kind of intruging, like I coudln't like away once I did look at it.

While Gentlemen was very well written and Northrop is obviously a very talented author, this novel just wasn't for me.I just never got sucked into the novel, never cared about what happened to the characters.

Mike the narrator, did have an excellent voice. His voice and the mystery surronding the novel is what kept me reading. I never expected the ending either. Which is actually a good thing. The ending was fantastic. Totally made the novel.

Overall it was excellently written, scarily realistic and gritty.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Writing:

Cover:

View an in depth look into my Star Rating

Contest: The Iron King!

2010-03-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

Saturday February 27, I attended an author signing for the fabulous Julie Kagawa author of The Iron King! I'll probably have a post all about it later this week.

But... while I was at the signing, I picked up a couple signed copies to have for a contest! SO... Let's have a contest!

I have TWO signed copies of The Iron King! One for residents of the US/Canada and one for all my international readers!

Official info:

please fill out the form below
entrants must be 13 years of age or older
contest deadline is March 19, 2010
Check out Contest Policy/Privacy Policy

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February Winner (Debut Author Challenge Prize Pack)

2010-03-01T17:26:00.001-05:00

First off, again, I want to thank everyone that is participating in the challenge! It's off to a exeptional start and it's all thanks to you! An extra special thanks to all those new participants that signed up recently! The 2010 Debut Author Challenge went from 263 partcipants to 283!! Wooohooo!

This month the Prize Pack Winner gets these awesome goodies:

Books

The Mark by Jen Nadol (signed)
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker (signed)

ARC

The Naughty List
Dirty Little Secrets

Bookmarks

8th Grade Superzero
The Mark (signed)
Shadow Hills (signed)
The Iron King (signed)
The Secret Year
Princess for Hire (signed)
Scones & Sensibility
The Naughty List
The Rise of Renegade X
Dirty Little Secrets (signed)
Forget-Her-Nots (signed)
Island Sting (signed)
Leaving Gee’s Bend
The Body Finder (singed)
A Match Made in High School (signed)
Mistwood (signed)
Faithful (signed)
Shade (signed)

Postcards

A Most Improper Magik
The Naughty List
The Stillburrow Crush
Three Rivers Rising (signed)
Dirty Little Secrets (signed)
Forget-Her-Nots
A Match Made in High School (signed)
Faithful
Mistwood (signed)

Other

Language of Flowers by Kate Greenway used by Laurel in Forget-Her-Nots
Handkerchief from Scones and Sensibility
Two The Naughty List stickers
Two Shadow Hills buttons and One Shadow Hills magnet
Everything’s Better with Highwaymen! button from A Most Improper Magik
The Cinderella Society goodie bag
Dirty Bear from Dirty Little Secrets
Change of Heart soccer ball
Two The Body Finder stickers
The Body Finder poster (signed)
The Body Finder tote bag
A Match Made in High School pencil
A Match Made in High School gum
your own journal with a special note from Kristina McBride

The winner of this prize pack of goodies is:

AN ADDICTED BOOK READER

(for her review of Lauren Oliver's, Before I Fall!)

PLUS!!!

Two other winners get these awesome swag-ish goodies!!

Swag Pack of bookmarks and post cards from:

Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy (signed)
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus (signed)
The Mark by Jen Nadol (signed)
Scones & Sensibility by Lindsay Eland
Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt (signed)
The Iron King by Julia Kagawa (signed)
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell
The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (two stickers)

The two swag pack winners are:

NOT YOUR FAIRY TALE

BEACH READING

A HUGE thanks to the following authors who donated to the January prize pack:

Jeri Smith-Ready (Shade)

Julie Kagawa (The Iron King)

Jen Nadol (The Mark)

Lindsey Leavitt (Princess for Hire)

Janet Fox (Faithful)

Suzanne Young (The Naughty List)

Amy Brecount-White (Forget-Her-Nots)

Kay Cassidy (The Cinderella Society)

Stephanie Burgis (A Most Improper Magik)

Suzanne Young (The Naughty List)

Kristin Walker (A Match Made in High School)

Lindsay Eland (Scones & Sensibility)

Jennifer Hubbard (The Secret Year)

Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder)

Anastasia Hopcus (Shadow Hills)

Irene Latham (Leaving Gee's Bend)

Kristina McBride (The Tension of Opposites)

Cynthia Omololu (Dirty Little Secrets)

Jame Richards (Three Rivers Rising)

Leah Cypess (Mistwood)

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (8th Grade Superzero)

Linda Kage (The Stillburrow Crush)

You can see a complete list of author helping out with the challenge, and all their pretty covers and links to author websites: here!

Thank you again to all the participants and to the authors! And Congrats again, to all the winners! I'll be emailing you soon to get your information! If you see this post before you get the email, please feel free to send me your address!!