Pearl

Bean and Henry have been best friends since elementary school.  They both have the strangest mothers in town and come from dysfunctional families.  Bean lives with her mother and grandfather Gus.  When Gus dies, family secrets come out.  Secrets Bean isn't sure she can deal with.  Who exactly was her grandfather?  And what secret is her mother holding from her?  Pearl is one of those stories that holds on to you with characters you'll love and care about.  Also it's a tale of hope, redemption, and even forgiveness.  A must read!

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Between

Elizabeth Valchar has everything going for her.  She's pretty, popular, and rich.  On her eighteen birthday her father lets her friends celebrate on his boat.  Seven people are on the boat but the next day only six remain.  Between is a paranormal mystery that has Liz search for what happened that fateful night.  What she finds will change her forever.  A must read for those who love paranormals with a twist.

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Review: Chicken, Chicken, Duck!

In Chicken, Chicken, Duck! by Nadia Krilanovich, Duck and his barnyard buddies are up to something. Click here to read more.

Review: If Rocks Could Sing

Along the Florida shores hides the alphabet.

Over many years, Leslie McGuirk has discovered fossiliferous sandstone in the shapes of letters of the alphabet. But not only has McGuirk collected rocks of each letter, she’s also found rocks that represent objects beginning with each letter (“‘B’ is for ‘bird.’”)

Click here to read more.

Don't Miss our June Giveaways!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Click here to enter to win one of five copies of Hourglass!
This giveaway is open internationally.

Family by Micol Ostow

Click here to enter to win one signed copy of Family and an ARC of What Would My Cellphone Do

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Click here to win a copy of both Shade and Shift!

Relic Master: The Dark City by Catherine Fisher

Click here to enter to win a $25 Visa Gift Card and a copy of The Dark City!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Enter here to win a $25 Sephora Gift Card and a copy of the book!

Giveaway and Interview with P.J. Hoover!

Here's your chance to get your hands on a Solstice Swag Pack from PJ Hoover! Check out my interview with her below and fill in the giveaway form at the end to enter. Good luck!

Where Mythology and Dystopia meet...

Piper’s world is dying. Global warming kills every living thing on Earth, and each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy humanity. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives with her mother who suffocates her more than the chaotic climate. When her mother is called away to meet the father Piper has been running from her entire life, Piper seizes an opportunity for freedom.

But when Piper discovers a world of mythology she never knew existed, she realizes her world is not the only one in crisis. While Gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals into turmoil, and she struggles to find answers to secrets kept from her since birth. And though she’s drawn to her classmate Shayne, he may be more than he claims. Piper has to choose whom she can trust and how she can save the people she loves even if it means the end of everything she’s ever known.

SOLSTICE is P.J. Hoover's debut YA novel and is the first front-list novel to be independently published by an Andrea Brown Literary Agency author. 

Thanks, PJ, for answering a few questions for us today! I totally loved SOLSTICE. It’s a unique twist on the whole dystopia theme. What inspired you to use Greek mythology in your story?

Thanks for the opportunity to be here! I love talking about SOLSTICE and the world it’s set in. So great question! I enjoy trying to pinpoint those things that spark my ideas. So many of my other stories, I can identify exactly what it was, but for SOLSTICE, it’s more nebulous. I think it came about as I was hearing about fairy tale retelling after fairy tale retelling, and sure, I love fairy tales. But what I love more is mythology, and I thought how cool it would be to work on myth retellings. And this is when I decided that I wanted to write a myth retelling for the young adult market.



Ok, I have to know. Reese or Shayne? Which one was your favorite to write?

Reese! First off, he’s the more dangerous of the two guys. Reese likes to break the rules. Reese is more willing to do anything to get what he wants. It’s not like Shayne is perfect. He has plenty of flaws. But there’s something about writing characters that walk on the dark side that makes the words flow easier (at least for me).



The world of Piper is fascinating and also frightening. Did your engineering background help with the research on the compound where Piper lives?

Thanks! I had fun developing the dystopic world Piper lives in. I started out with the world being pretty undeveloped, but as I explored it more, it started to expand. I think my engineering helped in trying to decide how much things would really change. Twenty years from now, yes, there will be new technology, but also, many things will remain the same. When we look to the future, we tend to think the world will change drastically. But with something like global warming, if it really does reach the extremes we see in Piper’s world, the global warming will be driving whatever changes come along.



What was the hardest scene to write?

Hardest to write was the scene in the Underworld when they visit paradise. There is so much to show, and the more shown, the more world building required. And at times it felt like I would never fit in everything I needed to and still keep the pacing moving forward on SOLSTICE.



Do you have a sequel planned?

Yes! SOLSTICE is part of a planned trilogy. I have an early first draft of the sequel but it still needs lots of work. Still it’s such an enjoyable world to write in. I would love to expand it with short stories and more books.



Who would your ideal cast be if a movie was made?

Well, if Bo Derek were younger, she’d be Melina. For Shayne, I’ll go with Kit Harrington from Game Of Thrones. For Zeus, a very young Sting. That’s pretty much all I’ve been able to come up with so far. But I did have fun picking stock images to use for my trading cards, shown here: (http://www.pjhoover.com/trading_cards.php).



What made you decide to have your book published in ebook format?

The main driving force was wanting to hit the market window. Dystopia and mythology are hot right now. With a traditional publisher, SOLSTICE may not have been out for a year and a half, and by then, the window for these trends could have faded into obscurity.



How long have you been writing?

I started writing in 2004 just after my second child was born. She was a great sleeper, and both kids would be fast asleep by 8:00. And I had a bunch of time on my hands. Hard to believe, right? I was working full time and had two kids! I’d always loved reading fantasy and decided I wanted to use my extra time to create worlds of my own.



Do you have any writing rituals?

I would love to say something like ‘I always meditate before writing’. Or ‘I only write after I’ve cleaned all the toilets.’ But as much as I’d like to, I am not that disciplined. Still, I do have certain things that make writing easier. Words flow better when my desk is clean. They flow better when the Internet is off. They flow better in a first draft. And I always work better once I’ve made a list of everything I need to get accomplished. It all helps free my mind of clutter.



What is your writing process like?

When I’m starting a new story, I do outline. I use Excel for everything, and try to come up with some semblance of a plot. But once I start writing that first draft, I do love when I diverge from the outline. I view it as a writing gift that I have to take advantage of. I think this is where the true creativity takes over.



What's next for you?

Oh, there are so many choices! I’m not sure. I’m working on a sequel to SOLSTICE, a middle grade fantasy, and a YA apocalyptic story. And aside from those, I have probably five other ideas kicking around inside my head that want their chance to hit the pages.

Thank you so much for interviewing me!


Thanks, PJ!

SOLSTICE is available as a $2.99 eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and iBooks. SOLSTICE will be released in paperback this summer.

-- This giveaway has ended --

Ashes, Ashes

Sixteen-year-old Lucy lives in a world that has been devastated by not only killer epidemics but from the dreaded consequences of Global Warming.  She now lives alone, barely surviving.  Then one day a pack of dogs finds her.  She also runs into a mysterious boy named Aidan who ends up helping her escape.  Aidan tells her of a group of survivors and asks her to join them.  She refuses until a disaster hits and destroys her home.  She ends up coming to Aidan's camp and is welcomed by a group of children,teens and elderly people. Right after she arrives, the dreaded Sweepers come and take a number of the people.  Lucy senses they are after her, though she doesn't know why.  Ashes, Ashes, is an engaging tale of a frightening world that could become our own. 

Click here to read more

Jen Calonita's Summertime Book Giveaway!

A special announcement from author Jen Calonita:

SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE AND I WANT TO GIVE AWAY SOME BOOKS!

I cannot wait to get into the pool or head down to the beach and just enjoy the fine weather. When I was in junior high and high school we spent our summers on the east end of Long Island (the very East End that Reality Check is set in) and back then I hated the beach. No joke. Sand in my Walkman (yes, Walkman), in my turkey sandwich, sticking to me along with the sunscreen. I just hated going down to the shore. Oh, how times have changed. But back then the only way I could survive those days down at the beach with my sun-loving parents and younger sister was to read. I would pretty much read a book every few days. I'm not kidding--what else did I have to do really? I dare say we didn't even have cable back then (how did I ever survive?)! I would devour this series called Sweet Valley High. Thankfully there were over two hundred books in the series along with all these super special books that were double the length. Basically I had plenty to read and I read A LOT. I drove my parents nuts begging them to drive me to the local independent bookstore to get another book several times a week. My paperbacks worked hard for me -- they had watermarks from being read in the pool with wet fingers. They had sunscreen smears on the book jackets and sometimes even food fell on them, but that's the beauty of a paperback -- it takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

I hope you have as memorable of a summer as I had when I was growing up. To help you celebrate, I'm giving away one of my books in paperback a week, every week from July 3rd to August 29th. It could be a Secrets novel, or the new Reality Check paperback that just came out, or maybe it will be Sleepaway Girls, but it will always be a surprise! (No grumbling if you don't get your pick, okay?) Every week starting on July 3rd a new winner will be chosen at random and there are a bunch of ways you can enter to win. Here's how:

Each of the following will earn an entry:

• Follow Jen Calonita on Facebook and leave a comment saying, "I'm entering the Jen Calonita summer paperback-a-week giveaway!"

• Became a fan of the upcoming Belles series on Facebook, post on the wall, and leave a comment there saying, "I'm entering the Jen Calonita summer paperback-a-week giveaway!"

• Follow Jen Calonita on Twitter @jencalonita and leave a comment saying "I'm entering the Jen Calonita summer paperback-a-week giveaway!".

• Become an email subscriber of Jen Calonita's newsletter.

Winner will be chosen randomly each week and notified via email. Good luck and happy summer!

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions above and visit/join/comment at Jen's Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Drop by Jen's blog to say hi!

To learn more about Jen Calonita and her bestselling novels, visit http://www.jencalonitaonline.com

Review: Buglette the Messy Sleeper

Buglette, a small ladybug, tosses in her sleep. She rolls, she turns, she kicks. Despite her normally neat nick ways, Buglette is a messy sleeper. In her dreams, she does amazing things. She builds mountains and swings on the trapeze, but she wakes up to a mess. Her family worries that Buglette’s messy sleeping will wake the crow, so her siblings hatch a plan to hide Buglette away. But can big dreams be contained? Or will they cause big trouble? Click here to read more.

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I'm not sure I can accurately express how much I adored Myra McEntire's Hourglass. It's one of those books I'll be happy to read over again, and I can't wait to see how Myra fleshes out the rest of the series.

Here are just a few of the reasons why I wouldn't mind snuggling up to Hourglass again and again:

Simplicity - Yes, Hourglass is a sci-fi, time travel novel (with a bit of paranormal and romance mixed in), but you don't have to have a degree in quantum physics to understand how Em's world works. McEntire takes actual scientific theory and explains it in a way that's both easy to grasp and fun to explore. Hourglass isn't just for sci-fi or time travel fans.

Southern wit - I've read too many novels set in the South that focus so much on the culture and the sayings that it just feels fake. I start to wonder, has this author ever even been to the South? But Myra McEntire is a true Southern girl, which makes Em's voice authentic and addictive. And the humor! If not for anything else, pick this book up for the wit. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire novel, as well as shedding a few tears.

Click here to read the rest of my review!

I'm Not Her

Tess is the smart, geeky one while her sister Kristina is the beautiful, popular, athletic one in their family.  Kristina is on the fast track to getting a volleyball scholarship when tragedy strikes.  She's diagnosed with bone cancer.  Slowly Tess'  family starts falling apart around her. Both of her parents are in denial.  During this tough time, Tess finds herself pushed into being the strong one.  Beautifully written, I'm Not Her is an amazing tale of the powerful relationship between sisters.  This heartfelt, moving tale is one that I highly recommend.

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Scholastic Announces 10 Most Influential Books

Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced lists of the 10 most influential books selected by adults and children on the company’s online book community, YouAreWhatYouRead.com. Scholastic invites all readers to find their next great summer read through the top 10 lists, featuring a wide selection of books from contemporary fiction to the classics.

When asked to create their YouAreWhatYouRead.com “Bookprint” – the five books that helped shape who they are –15,000 participants, including more than 200 notable reading role models such as Bill Gates, Malcolm Gladwell, Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Suzanne Collins, Tom Hanks, Tony Hawk, President William Jefferson Clinton, and President George H.W. Bush, shared the five most influential books of their lives.

YouAreWhatYouRead.com tracks each book selected for a user’s Bookprint. Since the site’s launch last October, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has held the number one spot as most popular Bookprint choice for adults, while The Lightning Thief from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan currently leads the kids’ list.

Interview with Micol Ostow

We're so happy to be chatting with Micol Ostow today, author of FAMILY. Check out my interview with her below!

Your book took me back to the 70s and finding my mom’s stashed copy of HELTER SKELTER. It was all the news was talking about at the time. I loved how you were able to capture the horror with free verse in a very convincing way.

My first question has to be what inspired you to write FAMILY?

I, too, read HELTER SKELTER at a young age and it made an impression. I've always been fascinated by people's dark impulses, and the concept of cult indoctrination. The more I learned about Charles Manson, the more unbelievable his story was to me. I had to explore it further.


What character gave you the toughest time to write?

I don't think I spend too much time in anyone's head other than Mel's, so any bumps in the road came from her POV. In the initial draft, there was a constant foreboding at the ranch, and everyone seemed dangerous and creepy. My agent was concerned that in that version, it was impossible to understand why Mel chose to stay with the family. I had to concentrate and creating a point of connection in the rewrites, which is where I focused on her friendship with Shelly. So that was something that took some work.


There’s some very intense stuff in your book. **Totally love this! Which scene was the hardest for you to write?

It was very hard for me to write Mel's recollection of her sexual abuse. It's probably a little icky to admit this about my own work, but I can't go through that scene without crying. Even though it's completely a product of my own imagination! It's upsetting to think about anyone having to cope with that kind of violence, and the fact that there are real-life Mels in the world breaks my heart. I hope I've managed to write about the subject with sensitivity.

I also reworked the ending in three different ways. Each time, I thought I'd nailed it. But my agent suggested some revises to the first version, and my editor had thoughts about the second. I'm very happy with the ending as it stands, but I love hearing others' feedback on it, because literally each draft was a complete evolution from the previous version (and no, I won't elaborate!).


Which scene was your favorite?

I can't say that I have a favorite, per se...but it was really satisfying to write an ending that felt cohesive and true to the character.


Who would your ideal cast be if a movie was made?

I'm afraid that's an impossible question for me to answer - since I've seen every single Manson-inspired movie ever, I've got too many pre-established images in my head! Obviously the "singer" would be Sharon Tate...

For what it's worth, my favorite bit of random casting was a made for tv version of "Helter Skelter" starring Clea DuVall as Linda Kasabian and Mary Lynn Rajskub as Squeaky Fromme.


Some writing questions:

What do you like best about being a writer?

It's a toss-up between MAKING UP STORIES FOR A LIVING, and working in my yoga pants. I mean, come on. It doesn't get better than that! :)


Why Young Adult?

Let's just say the genre chose me, rather than the other way around. It's just where my brain is stuck at, and where the writing goes to. Why fight it?


Best part of writing Y.A.

All of the intensity and emotion that comes with that age. There's no other time in life like it, when every experience feels utterly urgent.


What's your writing process like?

It's different with every book! But I'm beginning to see a pattern where I'm writing early in the mornings, and early in the evenings - during those times of the day when the "real world" mostly falls away. The afternoons are for emails, phone calls, errands, but the blurry times just after and just before bed are best for creativity.


What's next for you?

Another novel with Egmont! My first full-on spookfest! I'm very excited to write a ghost story. After so many years of reading them, it seems to be about time.

Thank you, Micol! And don't forget to enter our July FAMILY giveaway! Click here to enter.

Solstice

Piper's world is dying.  Global Warming is not a theory but a fact in the future.  Piper has been sheltered by her mother and thrives within their own botanical garden.  Then one day a beautiful mysterious woman shows up with a birthday gift for Piper.  Curious, Piper opens it.  Inside is a bird's feather that ignites.  Piper hides the box from her mother and thinks nothing about it.  That is until the next day at school when a very cute new boy shows up.  Piper feels drawn to him.  Later she'll find out why.  Solstice is an unique twist on the whole dystopia genre.  It blends a futuristic world with Greek mythology in such a way you'll want more.

Click here to read more

May 2011 Book Giveaway Winners Announced

Congratulations to these May Book Giveaway winners!



A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah E. Harkness

taylorzebrowski
athenasgrace17













THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky

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mimosastimulus
gabriellaonamission
taylorzebrowski
carlamrojas










THE CYCLING WANGDOOS by Kelly Pulley

ezimmerz
onion1128
tealskies
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drea70
jlongiaru
edysicecreamlover18
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nobodysangel113