Saturday, August 29, 2009

Look What I Bought !

This week was pay week, this means.... MORE BOOKS! :) First I picked up The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan. It's the Sepetember book for the YAedge book club and after an extended absence I'm planning on returning to the book club. Check it out for yourself; just click on the book club badge on the left sidebar.

I also picked up a copy of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey which won the vote for which book I should purchase next. There's a whole new poll up for my next paycheck to be sure to vote in that one. :)

And now for the pretty pictures and info on the books.


The Demon's Lexicon

by Sarah Rees Brennan



McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)

ISBN: 9781416963790




Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side


by Beth Fantaskey



Harcourt

ISBN: 9780152063849



Don't forget to vote in the polls and leave me a comment letting me know you voted. You could win a set of 8 James Patterson titles. (US residents only please)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Review: Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

Found another great book for all of ya. And you must be interested in this one because it got second place in my first ever "What should I review?" poll. :) Check it out:



Invisible Touch

by Kelly Parra




MTV Books (Simon & Schuster)

ISBN: 9781416563372


Release Date: October 2008

from the publisher's website:

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

my thoughts:

I loved reading Invisible Touch; I scarcely wanted to put it down (but despite working in a bookstore my bosses tend to frown on reading during working hours). Kelly Parra did an excellent job of getting Kara's feelings and fears across. I was right there with Kara as she tried to solve the puzzle of the signs. A connection with the main character is one of the primary elements I look for while reading a book, and I was definitely connected to Kara throughout Invisible Touch.

Aside from the suspense of Kara trying to solve the mystery, there is Kara's romance with Anthony. The relationship felt real even though it seemed to move quickly. Kara's gift gives her an edge; Anthony comes out of nowhere, but Kara knows that she can trust him.

I also like the way the family issues were handled. Once again, things felt real, in fact they could almost be called frustratingly so. It was easy to feel Kara's frustrations with her mother and the lies she was forced to tell so her mother would believe she was a normal teenager.

I'm curious to see if Kelly Parra will write more with Kara and Anthony, but regardless I'm looking froward to reading more from her. Invisible Touch is a title I seriously recommend you check out. Kelly Parra is also the author of Graffitti Girl which I haven't read, but I'm going to be looking for a copy of it now.



PS -

Don't forget about the James Patterson Promo! Vote in any of the polls on the left sidebar and then leave a comment letting me know you voted. Either comment here or on the original promo post.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Promotion: Big James Patterson Giveaway!

I've got a great promotion for ya! Check it out:


ENTER TO WIN A SET OF JAMES PATTERSON PAGETURNERS!

MAXIMUM RIDE – IF SHE LIVES, THE WORLD LIVES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

Read “MAX” - the newest book in the bestselling Maximum Ride series.

On sale in paperback 09/01/09!

Still reeling from their most recent adventure, Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock must head out to sea to uncover the secret behind a brand new series of disasters—fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii, hundreds of ships are being destroyed. As if that weren’t enough, they’re also being tracked by a criminal mastermind with, oh yeah, an army of mercenaries. Can the flock save themselves and the ocean, and the world, from utter destruction?

What can you win?

Two winners will receive a prize pack of bestselling James Patterson titles including:
Maximum Ride: Max (paperback)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (paperback)

Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever (paperback)

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (paperback)

Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (paperback)

Maximum Ride: Manga (paperback)

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (paperback)

Daniel X: Watch the Skies (hardcover)






How do you enter?

Since this is my blog this is the part I get to call the shots on. In order to be entered for the prize pack in this promotion you need to vote and comment. Here's what I mean. See those two polls on the left sidebar? You need to vote in either one or both polls. Then leave me a comment on either this post or any of the subsequent posts letting me know that you voted. You don't have to tell me which book you voted for. Unless of course you read it, loved it, and need to gush about it. If that's the case, then gush away.

And now for the fine print:

The Maximum Ride: Max Promotion is open to legal US residents who are at least 13 years of age as of August 24, 2009. There will be two prizes for each Promotion. Each prize consists of the following eight (8) books: Maximum Ride: Max (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (paperback); Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever (paperback); Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (paperback); Maximum Ride: Manga (paperback); The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (paperback); and Daniel X: Watch the Skies (hardcover). The approximate retail value of each prize is $72.00. Winners will be confirmed on or about September 28, 2009 by email. Prizes will only be shipped to confirmed winners with addresses in the US. Prizes will be shipped within 30 days after a selected entrant is confirmed as a winner.

Winners will be announced on or around September 21st. You'll have about a week to contact me with mailing info before I pick a new winner.


So get moving. Vote! Comment! Spread the word! :)

Friday, August 21, 2009

Winners! Finally! :)

Ok yeah sorry, I'm late at posting the winners here. Blame it on the heat. So without further ado, with the help of the random number generator here are the winners:

Winner of Meridian:

Paradox

Winner of One Butt Cheek at a Time:

Lenore

Please email your mailing info to me at wantmyya at gmail dot com and I will forward it on to Amber Kizer. Thanks again everyone for stopping by. :)

Sweepstakes with Harlequin Teen and Gena Showalter!

Yay! I love Gena and this book looks awesome!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Review: The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart


I can't believe it took me this long to post this review! Loved this book, but I finished it about the time I was going out of town so I've been out of whack for the past week. It's the only excuse I have. lol

the info:

The Treasure Map of Boys
by E. Lockhart
Delacorte Press
http://www.e-lockhart.com/

from the author's website:

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more:

• Noel is writing her notes,
• Jackson is giving her frogs,
• Gideon is helping her cook,
• and Finn is making her brownies.
• Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already sucky reputation is heading downhill.

Not only that, she’s also:
• Running a bake sale,

• learning the secrets of heavy metal therapy,
• encountering some seriously smelly feet,
• defending the rights of pygmy goats,
• and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.

In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and — if such a thing exists — to find true love.

my thoughts:

While this is actually the third book featuring Ruby Oliver, this is the first I've read. Thankfully I was able to jump right in and understand everything that was going on. I still have every intention of reading the first two books though, because I totally love Ruby and want to read more of her story. Ruby just has a great voice, I love reading about her.

Despite that Ruby is having a big of a rough time in her life, this was actually a very fun book to read. I'm kinda hoping E. Lockhart writes some more about her. In the meantime I've picked up some other non-Ruby book by E. Lockhart to read as well. I can't wait.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Contest Extended

Ok Peoples...I need more than two entrants before I can pick a winner. The Amber Kizer interview contest has been extended through 12:00 noon Central time Tuesday August, 18. Leave your comments on the original interview post, not on this one. :)

Remember, US residents only please.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Author Interview: Amber Kizer

Hello again readers! Just got home from a weekend away and let me tell you, it is great to just lay around. :) But enough about me. I've got another author interview for you today. I know we haven't had one in a while, but I'm sure you're going to love this one. Today we are talking with Amber Kizer author of Meridian. So here we go:

Tell us a little about yourself.

Amber's bio: Amber is addicted to trashy reality television, sour candy, loud pop music, and the scent of fresh lilies. Like Auntie in Meridian, Amber finds inspiration in quilting and baking. She likes to write with book-specific scented candles burning and a book-specific playlist going in the background (for this book pine and fir-scented candles and Celtic fold and rock music). She lives on an island with a menagerie of animals and too many yet-to-be-read books.Amber's debut novel ONE BUTT CHEEK AT A TIME, was named a New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age. She loves to visit schools and book clubs and she enjoys hearing from readers.




What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?


My freshman year of college I developed a rare nerve disorder that, in the simplest of terms, means my legs don't always work, but always hurt. So I had to scrap plans for what I thought my life would be and start living the best way I can taking each day as it comes. Which meant I needed a career that could be very flexible. I never thought I'd be a writer, but books were always a part of our family and I'd really become a reader from age 13 on. So I started to learn the craft and worked very hard get where I am today. I love writing. I wouldn't change it and it's great because I can prop my legs up, or write at 3AM when the pain keeps me awake, or skip a day if it's too bad to function. It's really where I feel I'm supposed to be.

My mom is a middle school teacher and has been my whole life. I think loving teens is in the blood! It's such a horrible time (maybe not all, but most!), but teens aren't scared to explore and that's the best part of being part of this genre. So I've always spent time with the age group. I didn't set out to write YA because frankly when I was a teen I skipped from Ramona Cleary to adult titles. But Gert Garibaldi started talking to me and the rest is history. The only difference between YA and adult books is that the lead characters are teenagers, but the content is really similar. Good stories are good stories!

Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?




Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra-a Window to the Afterlife. She lives between life and death and must shepherd dying souls across. Of course it's not easy and her own life hangs in the balance as she learns how to do this. Here's the what's on the jacket:




Meridian has always been an outcast. It seems that wherever she goes, death and grief follow. On her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family's home-and though she's untouched, Meridian's body explodes in pain.Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and is hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. There she learns the secret her parents have been hiding for her entire life: Meridian is a Fenesstra, the half-angel-half-human link between the living and the dead.

It's crucial that Meridian learn how to transition human souls to the afterlife-how to help people died. Only then can she help p[reserve the balance between good and eil on earth. But, before she can do that, Meridian must come to terms with her ability, outsmart the charismatic preacher who's taken over Revelation, and maybe-it she can accept her sworn protector, Tens, for who he is-fall in love. Meridian and Tens face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos. But together, they have the power to outsmart evil.
Readers can find the first three chapters of MERIDIAN on www.MeridianSozu.com

The origin of the story:

This book is very close to my heart--the idea came from sitting vigil as my grandparents died (about 18 months apart). They both had very different dying experiences, though in both cases, as a family, we chose to work with a wonderful hospice organization (St. Vincent's Inpatient Hospice Care, in Indianapolis, IN).

With everything in life, I like to know as much as possible so I read and did a bunch of research on dying, the physical process itself, the psychological process, and people's near-death experiences. For this story, I wanted to explore the idea that the "light" people talk about as they die is an actual person and what that might mean.

What if everyday of a person's life was that of being a window to beyond? I wanted to give a face to death that wasn't the Reaper's, wasn't something out of nightmares. And saying "God" is there in death doesn't say much--what does that mean really? How does that look?

And from a science aspect we're all energy. Where does that energy go? And isn't a soul of any animal or plant worthy energy? How does that look? How does that fit with the major religions and cultural norms?

And I also wanted to explore some organized religion as fear based--the idea that people hide behind religion because they're afraid or upset or angry. How does that twist what can be profound and comforting in faith? The mob mentality is so easy to manipulate if you're good at it--I wanted a character (Perimo) who was good at it and used it.

Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

Both, I have a very intricate plotting system, but it's fluid. For me finding the story is like first finding all the puzzle pieces and then fitting them together. Some of that is advance work and some of it is discovery.

Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

Absolutely, that's how I met Gert Garibaldi, the star of ONE BUTT CHEEK AT A TIME and the next one FROM BUTT TO BOOTY. I was working on an adult romance and couldn't shut her up. I figured I'd give her a new document and she'd lose steam after 5 or 10 pages. She's still talking and has her own series! :)

Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

My favorites are always whatever project I'm currently working on-stuff that readers won't see for a couple of years-and of course those change as projects get finished and new ones start!

What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

I do a lot of baking and love to make really complicated cakes (photos on my website for those interested!). I read a ton-pretty much anything besides computer programming and math theory. And I usually am reading 20+ books concurrently, like most people change the channel on TV. I love basketball-watching and playing a mean game of HORSE. I raise chickens, have cats and a dog-feed wildlife and love to work in the garden. I make quilts as well.

If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

Like I said above, writing for me was a career choice based on my health and physical situation-unfortunately, that limits the options! But I'd love to own a tea room, be a cake artist or a florist, teach, breed chickens, be a mom...oh the list goes on and on! I have no shortage of interests!

Where can readers find you online?


www.MeridianSozu.com (for MERIDIAN and Fenestra book info)

www.OneButtCheek.com (for Gert Garbaldi's Rants and Raves series)

I have a e-newsletter that readers can sign up for (sent no more than once a month!)-this is the fastest way to learn about what's going on with the books, get sneak previews and exclusive contests. They can sign up for it on any of the websites.Of course you can friend me on Facebook and Goodreads too!

Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question of your readers! I'm working on a workshop for teachers about books that have Gutsy Girls in them. For me a Gutsy Girl is one who doesn't wait to be rescued, who solves her own problems (or seeks help), doesn't define herself by anyone else's standards, she's strong and capable, smart and kicks ass when she needs to (figuratively and metaphorically!)-my question to your readers is: What books do you love that have a Gutsy Girl character?

Thanks so much Amber for visiting with us today! :) Meridian is in my TBR and I can't wait to get started on it.

And thank you readers for stopping by. Be sure to leave a comment answering Amber's question, you could win a copy of one of her books! Contest runs til Friday August 14th. Get your answers in before 11:59 pm Friday night. US residents only please. If possible I'll announce the winners on Saturday (don't have my work schedule yet, don't know when I'll be home).

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Another Interview

Hey all! I've been interviewed again. :) This time by the lovely author Kay Cassidy. Stop by her blog to read and comment. At the end of the interview you'll see 3 truths and a lie. Try to guess the lie to be entered in her monthly contest.

http://www.kaycassidy.com/blog/