At the end of 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, Ginny had her bag stolen in Greece with her aunt's 13 little blue envelopes, the letters inside giving her instructions for European adventures. Unfortunately, she only got through envelope #12.
Ms. Johnson continues the story in The Last Little Blue Envelope. The final envelope turns up in the most unusual place...in an email. Oliver, a Brit traveling in Greece, happened to purchase Gin's stolen bag when his own was lost. He tracks her down and makes a proposal...in return for giving her back her letters, he and Gin follow the instructions which will lead them to some of Aunt Peg's artowrk. They sell it and split the profit 50/50. What alternative does Gin have?
The Last Little Blue Envelope is a fun read. It has great characters, a fun story and good writing. While it helps a little to have read the first book, Johnson makes it easy to dive right in without prior knowledge of the characters. So, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of The Last Little Blue Envelope. To read my full review, click here.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Putting Makeup on Dead People
Donna finds new purpose in her life at the less likely place--a classmate's funeral. It's been four years since the death of her own father. She's been stuck on what she wants to do after high school. Who knew the answers would come next to a coffin? Putting Makeup on Dead People is a heartfelt and at times funny tale of Donna and how she finds she can turn a tragedy into a gift to help others. An unique twist on the whole dead people premise that has a heroine you can't help but love.
Click here to read more
Click here to read more
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Interview with Michele Poague
Check out a new interview with the author of The Healing Crystal series, Michelle Poague, on YABC.
See advice for young writers, her upcoming stories, how she deals with rejection letters, and more!
Click here to read the interview.
See advice for young writers, her upcoming stories, how she deals with rejection letters, and more!
Click here to read the interview.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Prisoners of the Palace
Seventeen-year-old Liza Hastings' dream of being introduced to London society comes to an abrupt end after the tragic deaths of her parents. Penniless, Liza ends up becoming the lady in waiting to Princess Victoria. She finds Kensington Palace filled with whispers and intrigue. Duchess Lehzen uses Liza to help her know what Princess Victoria's mother, The Duchess and Sir John Conroy real plans are for the Princess. Liza finds herself in the middle. Prisoners in the Palace shows us a wonderful view of Victorian life through the eyes of Liza. A very engaging and moving tale.
Click here to read more
Click here to read more
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Dark Parties
Sixteen-year-old Neve hates how her whole life is planned out. She lives in the Protectosphere, a dome like enclosure that her ancestors built after The Terror. Only the lucky ones live there. But luck depends on who you ask. Her friend Sanna stages 'dark parties' where she hopes to recruit others to their secret rebellon. At one of Sanna's dark parties Neva is kissed by the mysterious Braydon. She can't deny the chemistry she feels. Something that's lacking with her own boyfriend Ethan. Then one of her friend's is taken, and Neve is determined to find out what happened. In this society no one questions the government or they becoming The Missing. Neve's grandmother warned her of this very thing before she ended up gone. Neve wants to find out the truth the government is hiding even if this means she might go missing too. Dark Parties has a heroine who risks everything in order to find the truth.
Click here to read more
Click here to read more
Thursday, May 19, 2011
May Book Giveaways
Don't miss our incredible May Book Giveaways:
A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness
- 2 winners will receive a copy of the book and four buttons
(Must be 14 years of age to enter.)
Click here to enter!
THE TIME TRAVELING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky
- 5 winners will receive a copy of the book
Click here to enter!
THE CYCLING WANGDOOS
- 10 winners will receive a copy of the book
Click here to enter to win this cute picture book!
A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness
- 2 winners will receive a copy of the book and four buttons
(Must be 14 years of age to enter.)
Click here to enter!
THE TIME TRAVELING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky
- 5 winners will receive a copy of the book
Click here to enter!
THE CYCLING WANGDOOS
- 10 winners will receive a copy of the book
Click here to enter to win this cute picture book!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Weaver
Mary feels like she'll never be good at word weaving. It doesn't help that her mother Abigail is so talented. Mary hates being under her shadow. Then on the way to get some milk she encounters a gnome-elf who tells her he'll exchange a wish for some of her milk. Mary does just that but instead of reciting better stories, strange yarn charms appear. The Weaver is a cute, engaging tale of a girl who longs to fit in and the wish that doesn't quite turn out the way she'd hoped.
Click here to read more
Click here to read more
Monday, May 16, 2011
Interview with Gwen Hayes!
Last month I got a chance to ask Gwen Hayes, author of FALLING UNDER, a few questions. Check out her answers below!
Welcome to YABC, Gwen! Thanks so much for doing this interview for us! First off, tell us a little about your debut, Falling Under.
Thank you for having me! Falling Under is, at the heart of it, a love story. It's about a girl who meets the boy of her dreams...literally...the boy she dreams about suddenly enrolls at her school but also still visits her dreams. He's got a dark purpose for being there and the closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she falls into.
What drew you to writing for teens, and how is it different than writing for adults? Do you prefer one over the other?
I don't have a preference, really. My teen stories are usually about opening up your heart for the first time while my adult stories tend to be about trying to learn how to re-open your heart like you did the first time.
You have self-published several e-books in the past. Tell us about your journey from self-publishing to your first print debut with Penguin.
If I'm an advocate for anything, it's keeping an open mind and doing what works for you.
My journey began in epublishing because the length of those stories worked the best in electronic format. I'd always pursued print also--but I don't believe that my smaller publishers are stepping stones to get to New York. Nor do I think I would ever go all self-publishing or all print publishing. I make those decisions based on the story and where I think it will do the best.
There are also so many savvy people in publishing that I want to work with--for instance the story I have coming out from Samhain Publishing in May was a result of wanting to work with editor, Imogen Howsen. She's got an amazing writing voice and I'd always wanted to do a project with her as editor. My short story, an adult rom/com called Let me Call You Sweetheart was fun to write and fun to publish.
What did you do when you found out you sold Falling Under to a major publisher?
Truthfully, it didn't sink in for awhile. I was excited, of course...but it felt a little to close to a daydream to be real, so I was pretty casual about it.
Who was your favorite character to write in Falling Under and why?
I love writing Donny. She's fun and layered and says things I wish I could get away with.
Were there any television shows, films, songs, or books that helped fuel your creativity and inspiration while writing on Falling Under? Do you have a playlist?
So many people ask me if I was inspired by Labyrinth or Alice in Wonderland...and the truth is I haven't seen either. And I won't until after I'm done writing the sequel now that everyone thinks I'm so close to them.
I do have a playlist. There is a snippet of it here: http://iLike.com/p/uN1reM:16wwte
In Falling Under, Haden visits Theia in her dreams. Did the idea for this book come to you in your dreams?
This book HAUNTED me. For reals. I saw the first scene in my head and then it never went would go away. It actually creeped me out. I mean...some of the those scenes are really weird and I didn't understand how I was coming up with them. Because I am not all creepy. ....No really, I'm not.
Tell us about the "Cheese Pact" you have with some of your Twitter friends. Do you adhere the Cheese Pact in Falling Under?
The Cheese Pact is a very mysterious thing. It involves cheese and a pact. And the first rule of the Cheese Pact (written in Cheez Whiz) is that there is no Cheese Pact. (But if you look carefully, you will see that there is some instance of cheese in all of my books. No, seriously. Go look.)
Which book is sitting on your bedside table right now?
My Kindle has a bajillion books on it on my bedside table right now. Waiting for me to finish this interview and go read them. All of them.
What is your go-to snack when writing or revising?
Cheetos. And Diet Rockstar. (Yes, I realize that isn't exactly health food.)
So, what's next for Gwen Hayes?
I have a short story out at the end of May and I'm revising (and licking Cheeto cheese off my fingers) the sequel to Falling Under right now. It's called Dreaming Awake.
Last but not least, what has been your biggest SQUEE! moment since becoming a published author?
Email from readers. And fan art. That was so cool to get fan art!
Thanks so much, Gwen. Click the link below to order Falling Under right now!
Welcome to YABC, Gwen! Thanks so much for doing this interview for us! First off, tell us a little about your debut, Falling Under.
Thank you for having me! Falling Under is, at the heart of it, a love story. It's about a girl who meets the boy of her dreams...literally...the boy she dreams about suddenly enrolls at her school but also still visits her dreams. He's got a dark purpose for being there and the closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she falls into.
What drew you to writing for teens, and how is it different than writing for adults? Do you prefer one over the other?
I don't have a preference, really. My teen stories are usually about opening up your heart for the first time while my adult stories tend to be about trying to learn how to re-open your heart like you did the first time.
You have self-published several e-books in the past. Tell us about your journey from self-publishing to your first print debut with Penguin.
If I'm an advocate for anything, it's keeping an open mind and doing what works for you.
My journey began in epublishing because the length of those stories worked the best in electronic format. I'd always pursued print also--but I don't believe that my smaller publishers are stepping stones to get to New York. Nor do I think I would ever go all self-publishing or all print publishing. I make those decisions based on the story and where I think it will do the best.
There are also so many savvy people in publishing that I want to work with--for instance the story I have coming out from Samhain Publishing in May was a result of wanting to work with editor, Imogen Howsen. She's got an amazing writing voice and I'd always wanted to do a project with her as editor. My short story, an adult rom/com called Let me Call You Sweetheart was fun to write and fun to publish.
What did you do when you found out you sold Falling Under to a major publisher?
Truthfully, it didn't sink in for awhile. I was excited, of course...but it felt a little to close to a daydream to be real, so I was pretty casual about it.
Who was your favorite character to write in Falling Under and why?
I love writing Donny. She's fun and layered and says things I wish I could get away with.
Were there any television shows, films, songs, or books that helped fuel your creativity and inspiration while writing on Falling Under? Do you have a playlist?
So many people ask me if I was inspired by Labyrinth or Alice in Wonderland...and the truth is I haven't seen either. And I won't until after I'm done writing the sequel now that everyone thinks I'm so close to them.
I do have a playlist. There is a snippet of it here: http://iLike.com/p/uN1reM:16wwte
In Falling Under, Haden visits Theia in her dreams. Did the idea for this book come to you in your dreams?
This book HAUNTED me. For reals. I saw the first scene in my head and then it never went would go away. It actually creeped me out. I mean...some of the those scenes are really weird and I didn't understand how I was coming up with them. Because I am not all creepy. ....No really, I'm not.
Tell us about the "Cheese Pact" you have with some of your Twitter friends. Do you adhere the Cheese Pact in Falling Under?
The Cheese Pact is a very mysterious thing. It involves cheese and a pact. And the first rule of the Cheese Pact (written in Cheez Whiz) is that there is no Cheese Pact. (But if you look carefully, you will see that there is some instance of cheese in all of my books. No, seriously. Go look.)
Which book is sitting on your bedside table right now?
My Kindle has a bajillion books on it on my bedside table right now. Waiting for me to finish this interview and go read them. All of them.
What is your go-to snack when writing or revising?
Cheetos. And Diet Rockstar. (Yes, I realize that isn't exactly health food.)
So, what's next for Gwen Hayes?
I have a short story out at the end of May and I'm revising (and licking Cheeto cheese off my fingers) the sequel to Falling Under right now. It's called Dreaming Awake.
Last but not least, what has been your biggest SQUEE! moment since becoming a published author?
Email from readers. And fan art. That was so cool to get fan art!
Thanks so much, Gwen. Click the link below to order Falling Under right now!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Are You Going To Kiss Me Now?
Fran doesn't 'connect' with her mother or sister and misses her father who left them for a bimbo chef. Then during dinner, Fran's father makes an announcement about his future. Fran is so angry, she flees the restaurant and crashes at her friend Jordan's house. Once there she finds a contest in Seventeen magazine. She enters an essay about her father's death, not thinking much about it until she gets a phone call. Fran has won first place in the Seventeen magazine contest and part of her prize is a trip to Africa with some celebrities. She's excited to go with the very people she loves to read about until the plane crashes and she finds that not all glitters behind the celebrity masks. Are You Going To Kiss Me Now? is a hilarious romp where celebritiy and reality worlds collide. Guaranteed to have you laughing!
Click here to read more
Click here to read more
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Free Comic Book Day: Saturday, May 7th
Saturday, May 7th, 2011 is Free Comic Book Day across the nation!
If you love comics, then you probably already have your calendar marked for Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic shops all around the U.S. allow patrons to pick up a free comic book.
Different stores have different rules, of course, so please observe them! Many places have designated comics which are free, while other items in stock are still regular price, so ask before you grab.
Not really into comics and/or have a reluctant young reader in the family? This could be a great time for you to venture into a comic book shop and pick up a little something.
Free Baltimore!
Rumor has it you can pick up Baltimore: A Passing Stranger by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola for free at ANY comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day. YES!
NHFCBD
If you live in or near New Hampshire, you should visit Jetpack Comics on Saturday, May 7th, where you can meet a plethora of comic book artists and authors including but not limited to Tom Sniegoski, Christopher Golden, Ed McGuinness, Joe Hill, Rich Woodall, and Jason Ciaramella!
Superpowers and Spandex
Superhero films always have a lot of build-up and anticipation, and many have been box office blockbusters. Now, when a film based on a novel is announced, I always encourage folks to read the book before they see the movie. I say the same for comics and graphic novels. For more of my thoughts on movies and book-to-movie adaptations, click here to jump to my blog.
If you love comics, then you probably already have your calendar marked for Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic shops all around the U.S. allow patrons to pick up a free comic book.
Different stores have different rules, of course, so please observe them! Many places have designated comics which are free, while other items in stock are still regular price, so ask before you grab.
Not really into comics and/or have a reluctant young reader in the family? This could be a great time for you to venture into a comic book shop and pick up a little something.
Free Baltimore!
Rumor has it you can pick up Baltimore: A Passing Stranger by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola for free at ANY comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day. YES!
NHFCBD
If you live in or near New Hampshire, you should visit Jetpack Comics on Saturday, May 7th, where you can meet a plethora of comic book artists and authors including but not limited to Tom Sniegoski, Christopher Golden, Ed McGuinness, Joe Hill, Rich Woodall, and Jason Ciaramella!
Superpowers and Spandex
Superhero films always have a lot of build-up and anticipation, and many have been box office blockbusters. Now, when a film based on a novel is announced, I always encourage folks to read the book before they see the movie. I say the same for comics and graphic novels. For more of my thoughts on movies and book-to-movie adaptations, click here to jump to my blog.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
April Giveaway Winners Announced
Congratulations to our April Giveaway winners!
Our Grand Prize Winner:
iLiveiLaughiLoveBooks
Runners Up:
texdd1
coolccs.anki
seescootread
jessie.cochrane
sross12
Clarity by Kim Harrington
spicedice45
hpfchamber
drea70
liforda
booksatmidnight
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
ittssierraily
readergirls
anne.leonard3
Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachal Ward
theimageintree
Monday, May 02, 2011
Falling for Hamlet
Life is crazy for Ophelia. She's used to being in the media spotlight as the on again, off again girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. She loves Hamlet and accepts his wandering ways, knowing he'll always come back to her. Then tragedy hits the palace with the sudden death of the King. Hamlet goes mad with fears his uncle has murdered his father. Ophelia worries for his sanity. She knows she should leave but can't. But by then it's too late. Falling for Hamlet is the modern retelling of Hamlet told through the eyes of Ophelia. Only in this story she lives to tell the tale.
Click here to read more
Click here to read more
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