Guest Blogger Showcase: Ash @ Typing Tiara

So this week I wanted to feature a bunch of my most favorite bloggers. The gals that I really enjoy reading because they are authoritative, thoughtful, and creative whenever they set out to post on their blogs. I am not sure if my readership is also reading them too but they should be!

Today we have a bit more of a serious post about the importance of YA lit which I really found insightful thanks to Ash @ Typing Tiara. Ash is "twenty-three years old with four Associate of the Arts degrees" (wow!) who is "happiest when reading young adult literature" and who totally fangirls over Sarah Dessen. Check her out on Twitter & Goodreads!

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When Jenny first contacted me about writing a guest post for her blog I was ecstatic, as a relatively new blogger (Typing Tiara is only a year old!) and basically an unknown I haven't had that opportunity before. Of course I said yes! I grew even more excited when she basically gave me free rein to write on whatever I wanted: writing, blogging, reading, YA in general. How is a girl supposed to choose just one of those topics? I think I had at least a dozen false starts, I rewrote this post at least double that in my head before ultimately deciding on...a MEDLEY. After all, who doesn't love a good medley?

I've always been a bit of a nerd, made worse when I was a child by the fact that we lived with my grandparents out in the middle of nowhere...I couldn't have friends over because we didn't want to disturb them and even if I could, there was no one close by. So I studied a lot, did homework, and READ. Oh did I read. I devoured books as fast I could get a hold of them. I read everywhere and everything. Even my Mom's romance novels and my Nana's National Enquirer magazines...probably not the best reading material for a kid. Books were my escape, I made amazing friends there, had amazing adventures; adventures I used to carry out on their huge property through epic battles, daring rescues, and visitations by mythical creatures.

Needless to say I grew up with reading, I loved it, but I really hit my stride when I became a true blue young adult. A member of the YA community though I didn't know there even was such a thing at the time. I learned through these books, they were still an escape yet they became more to me. I learned about the world around me, I learned about people, I began to UNDERSTAND. When I struggled with something, there was a book about it. I discussed these books with my Mom if the material was troubling, I questioned it, she'd read it along with me. We'd learn together.

These days YA Literature is the subject of a great deal of criticism. Critics say it is too dark, too unrealistic, not what children should be reading, and worst of all that it isn't real literature. Its fluff. This is just demeaning young adults everywhere. Taking away YA Literature, dismissing it as nothing, is no better than dismissing them. The darkness comes out of that dismissal. YA Literature gives them a voice, it lets them know they are not alone, that someone somewhere out there has gone through what they have and come out on the other end.

YA Lit matters.

Madeline L'Engle, one of my favorite authors, once said: "You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children". When I'm not reading, and when I have the extra time, I'm a writer. I participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) whenever I can. My audience? Young adults. Why? Because they understand and crave understanding of their own. Because they are flexible. Because they are forgiving and receiving. Because YA literature is every bit as important as literature written with adults in mind. Because they matter.

Guest Blogger Showcase: Bookworm1858

So this week I wanted to feature a bunch of my most favorite bloggers. The gals that I really enjoy reading because they are authoritative, thoughtful, and creative whenever they set out to post on their blogs. I am not sure if my readership is also reading them too but they should be!

Today we are featuring a gal I just got to know a little bit recently as I was designing her new blog template. Bookworm1858 is "a recent college graduate" who has "fallen even more in love with reading" as she has maintained her blog. Check her out on Twitter & Goodreads! I love this topic of what fictional character she would fix her sister up with!

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I was so happy when Jenny invited me to write a guest post for her! I love her blog and am happy to participate. I also want to thank Jenny for providing me with some ideas; the one that really struck my fancy was: what fictional character would I set my sister up with? Now that is both easy and hard.

It’s kind of hard because we don’t necessarily agree on what makes a good book boyfriend. My top picks for myself would probably be Will from Sophie Jordan’s Firelight and Will from Elizabeth Scott’s Perfect You. I like book boys named Will :) Also I would not share them with her-sorry sweetie! Another complication is her love of Edward Cullen from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series but I do not think he would be a good boyfriend, what with the stalking, possessiveness, and general creepiness so I’m putting my foot down and forbidding it.

But it was also kind of easy since one of our long-time shared favorite authors is Sarah Dessen. She doesn’t write insta-love but instead she shows the characters getting to know each other, how they make each other better, how they just plain work. So I would set her up with Wes, from The Truth About Forever, the boy who defines “sa-woon.” But it’s not just about appearance of course. Wes is sensitive and patient. He doesn’t always know what to say but he knows how to make a grand gesture. And maybe in the end, it wouldn’t work out but I think they’d have a good time while they lasted!

Guest Blogger Showcase: NC @ Truly Bookish

So this week I wanted to feature a bunch of my most favorite bloggers. The gals that I really enjoy reading because they are authoritative, thoughtful, and creative whenever they set out to post on their blogs. I am not sure if my readership is also reading them too but they should be!

Today we are featuring my book twin, NC from Truly Bookish. She & I tend to read the same things & think the same things about what we read. Check her out on Twitter! This is such excellent advice & I am so pleased to be able feature it!

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Branding your blog and changing reading taste

My name is NC and I have been blogging at Truly Bookish for about a year and a half. When I first started blogging, I was torn between branding my blog exclusively for young adult literature or making my blog more of a general book review blog.

Branding your blog to a specific genre encourages niche readers who are excited about your blog since you review books that they are interested in. There are exclusively YA blogs, paranormal book blogs and romance blogs that I adore and for awhile, I regretted not having branded my blog as exclusively YA. I love the look and feel of branded blogs, it just feels like you can lose yourself in the world they specialize it, whatever it may be.

But what happens when you have a particular brand and your reading taste changes? What do you do when you have a YA blog and you become interested in adult historical fiction? Do you read those books on the side and never review them on the blog or do you review them regardless?

I chose to have my blog, Truly Bookish, be a general book review blog even though when I started out, I exclusively reviewed YA books. As time went on, my reading tastes changed to include historical fiction and Christian fiction, something that surprised me since these are genres that I really had no interest in a few years ago. Even though I love blogs that focus on certain genres, I’m happy I left mine open and more flexible to my changing tastes. I still review a lot of YA books, but I diversify a bit more now.

Have your reading tastes changed over the years? What did you like before and what are you reading now? Do you have a branded blog? If yes, do you ever read outside of your genre and do you review these books on your blog? Leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Guest Blogger Showcase: Melissa @ Writer Grrl Reads

So this week I wanted to feature a bunch of my most favorite bloggers. The gals that I really enjoy reading because they are authoritative, thoughtful, and creative whenever they set out to post on their blogs. I am not sure if my readership is also reading them too but they should be!

Today we have Melissa from Writer Grrl Reads. She is "a reader, a writer and a compulsive alphabetizer. Fitting then, that [she is] also a library technician in training." Catch her on Twitter & Goodreads. I LOVE this account of her daydream come true!

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I can't even remember a time when I didn't love to read. From the day that my mom helped me to sound out each and every word of Little Bear on my own, I've never looked back. My mom always wanted me to read "good quality" books, so I read Little Women, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and all the other books that she thought were appropriate for my age. She hated that I read Sweet Valley books, or Babysitter's Club, so I used to sneak up to the checkout counter, my arms full of whichever titles I had grabbed off the shelves, and stuff these treasures into my backpack. Then, I'd head off to find my mother and let her know that I was ready to leave, a copy of Black Beauty clutched in my hands. Perhaps my love of reading grew from those moments, the thought that I was defying my mother by reading illicit materials, underneath the blankets with a flashlight, when I was supposed to be sleeping. Throughout my entire life, books have always been there for me. I escaped into fantastical realms as a means of getting away from bullies and I dreamed of what life would be like once I found my one true love.

Years later, while in university, I obtained a part-time job at an independent bookstore. This was, hands down, the best job that I've had thus far. It was every reader's dream job: access to thousands of titles, advance reading copies in the staff room and the chance to recommend my favourite books to customers who were looking for a new book to capture their hearts. Sometimes, I'd imagine a dashingly handsome man approaching the till to pay for a book, only to find that it was a copy of one of my all-time favourite novels. We'd strike up a conversation, and find that books were just the starting point for all of the things that we had in common.

Then, one day, a rather handsome man did come into the store, looking for a book about cats. I happened to be working in the children's section on that quiet summer day, and we chatted for a while about books. I didn't think much more about the encounter, until I saw him again, and again, and again. In fact, he came into the store about half a dozen times, each time stopping to chat for a while. Then, in the midst of a busy Christmas shopping day, he asked me if I'd like to go for coffee. I, of course, agreed. Finally, my dream come true -- a literary, book-loving man! Five years later, we returned to the very same bookstore and, in the same place that he had asked me for coffee, he got down on one knee and asked me if I would be his wife. And, as they say in books, we lived happily ever after.

I Know, I Know!

I have been really neglectful the past couple of weeks or so. Things are a bit hectic (in a good way!) lately but I promise you that next week will sparkle because I have a whole week of fantastic guest bloggers with some really awesome posts coming!

Books & Movies: The Twilight "Saga"

This one has been kicking around for a while. I've held off because both I didn't want to say more negative stuff about Twilight than I already have (considering how large a rip-off it is of one of my favorite authors) AND because I wanted to see if any dictionary would really change its definition of the whole "SAGA" word used so freely in the movie titles of all the Twilight books.

But every dictionary, even in its most LOOSE definition of saga states that it is a story based on the GENERATIONS of a family in a slow, leisurely fashion. Basically the day-to-day happenings of a family through the great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, etc.

Twilight is in no way, shape, or form, a saga. It's not. It's about maybe 3 years in the lives of vampires, werewolves, & this ridiculous human chick who can't decide whether she wants to be one of either faction or dead. There aren't generations of any sort in the books unless you count the HIGHLY marginalized parents & grandparents who show up in almost NONE of the story to give GOOD advice which is routinely ignored, as well as the one baby who really defies all kinds of rules of reality to be born instead of ripping apart her mother in utero.

Which I suppose makes this a rant because every time I hear the phrase "The Twilight Saga" I cringe & want to write 100 emails. But that accomplishes nothing because people will love Twilight regardless of the fact that it is misrepresented, an amalgamation of stolen ideas from another author, and completely full of bad writing. Ah well. C'est la vie.

But Twilight is still not a saga. And I'm VERY glad there are STILL no sparkly zombies.

Good Riddance BUT I Should Have Listened!

Well, I was warned. I was told not to install Disqus commenting system & I did it anyway thinking that it was just very necessary to have a way to reply to my commenters. EXCEPT I was getting too many email notifications & all my comments were being made, apparently, by me. So I deleted it. And now I have a bunch of comments that I appear to have made. I should have listened. Ugh. Well, Disqus is gone now! So happy to be rid of it.

Let's Talk: Plagiarism (A Few More Thoughts)

Due to the large readership of my previous post on plagiarism, I wanted to re-touch the subject now that I have taken a few steps back from the situation that prompted my first post. When I wrote the original I was somewhat peeved at the response of both those supportive & those condemning Kristi of the Story Siren for being found out to be a plagiarist.

First, my thought was that the situation was handled between all the parties involved & an agreement made that the matter was over with & to be kept quiet. For me that was enough because an agreement was made between the parties who were directly affected & the agreement was upheld by everyone within it. And it was enough because I never considered myself to be in the same blogging category as Kristi. However, what is enough for me, is clearly not enough for others & I think I can more understand why now.

But before I get into that -- plagiarism. The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. There are other, more in-depth aspects to it, but that is plagiarism in a nut shell. And it's not just an instance. It's a practice, a habit. Something that is done more than once! It's the process of stealing over & over while getting positive recognition.

5 Things YA Dystopian Fiction Taught Me About Romance

This is completely tongue-in-cheek, because you KNOW I love my dystopians!

1. Even if it's the end of the world, the apocalypse raining down fire & brimstone all around you, there is ALWAYS time for romance -- or at least some heartfelt angst. With zombies snapping their teeth at your jugular, your mind will definitely still have some room in it to wonder what it would be like for that one guy to run his fingers through your hair. Just give it a little time. You'll find out. Well, unless he's dead already.
   
   
2. If the guy you love is already dead, don't worry. Just hold out a little bit longer because even with less than 1% of the population remaining, you will ALWAYS find your one true love on the journey toward saving yourself, your family, or your civilization. Because all the heroes are already on their way to saving the world when you finally decide to do it yourself. It's just in their blood.
   
   
3. And the lower the number of available male specimens in the area, the more likely it is that they ALL will fall in love with you. It's not uncommon for 2 if not 3 or 4 guys to find you irresistible even before you have any kind of awesome character growth turning you into someone really worth while. Just learn to expect it. You won't have much of a choice.
   
   
4. It will probably not be clear why any of you feel the way you do about each other but be assured that it will cause a lot of indecision, thus distracting you a great deal from the horrible situation you're in, what with it being the end of the world & all. Hey, it's easier to think about love than death, right?
   
   
5. In the end, you will either have to break a heart or one leg of your triangle will sacrifice himself to save your life, leaving you unsure of whether or not you really want to be with the one remaining. Because, when all is said & done, it's not about the end of the world or the fact that you saved mankind. It's really about which guy's team your fans were on & which team won!
   
   

What has Reading YA Dystopian Fiction Taught YOU?

Book Covers: Girl in the Red Sweater

I kept seeing the cover for These Girls on a lot of blogs lately & I kept feeling like I had seen it before... just not with that title. I seem to have a nose for covers that are similar or utilize the same model/art. But it wasn't until I was thumbing through ARCs from last year that I wasn't able to get to that I realized I had a copy of You Have Seven Missed Messages thanks to RandomHouse. Lo & behold this gal with the red shirt was also on the cover.

The books weren't published that far apart, though You Have Seven Missed Messages was published first. The covers were probably in the plans before the first one debuted. So it just makes me wonder if the graphic artist was the same or if there were 2 & they compared notes... or what? How do books end up with cover using the same art? I'm very curious!

Nevertheless, they are both nice covers! I like the coloring of These Girls best even if they did amputate her hand. But the best part is there are only 2 instead of the myriad versions of this guy that I have sniffed out over the years.

Copy Editing!

As you probably know, if you're a regular reader, I have a HUGE heart for the self-published/indie author. I mean I LOVE them to death. Some of my most favorite stories have been produced by those who have either been shunted away from or decided to shun Big-Pub. But after having mined a few gold nuggets from the sea of self-pub/indie only to find that the one major need seems to be affordable copy editing, I have decided to offer that service myself!

I don't know how many times recently I have read a book where I could tell the author really put their heart & soul into it. This was their baby & they were proud of what they had produced. Except there were glaring errors of punctuation, spelling, grammar, consistency, etc. My heart aches for the fact that I have then had to review with the inclusion of this embarrassing information because I always review objectively, leaving nothing out.

What my goal would be, then, is to provide affordable copy editing for those publishing their own works. I have a background in business & creative writing & read with a fine toothed comb. If you are an indie/self-pub author & would like to get more info on this service or a quote, please feel free to email me at dear[dot]opposition[at]gmail[dot]com.

AND keep an eye out because I will be taking review requests again in June.

Review: Hell's Game by Teresa Lo

Hell's Game by Teresa Lo

Release Date: April 5, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 231
Reading level: Young Adult

Synopsis

On Halloween night in Deer Creek, Kansas, Jake Victor, Ashley and Ashton Gemini, and Kristin Grace convince Ronnie Smalls to meet them at the town cemetery, which local folklore has always rumored to be the Gateway to Hell. Their intention was only to scare him, but soon the wicked prank becomes actual horror as the group learns the Gateway is all too real. After demons snatch Ronnie and drag him to Hell, the terrified foursome vow to keep what they had seen a secret.

Two years later, the group receives a mysterious letter, an invite to play a high-stakes game in Hell. If they win, they release Ronnie’s soul as well as their own from eternal damnation. If they lose, they are stuck in Hell forever. Choosing to play, they face nightmare after nightmare as each level escalates in intensity and forces them to face the seven deadly sins.

Inspired by the legends of the Gateway to Hell in Stull, Kansas, Hell’s Game explores the cruelty that teenagers can inflict upon each other as well as the horrors that exist amongst mankind. It is a dark, action-packed young adult novel that will both scare its readers and make them question the true meaning of evil.

-- from Goodreads.com

Review

I absolutely loved the story for Hell's Game. The entire premise reminded me of one of my most favorite series from the early 90s called The Forbidden Game by LJ Smith. Not to mention the entire book felt like it was a modernization of the great Point Horror masterpieces of the same era. I was immediately immersed in familiar ground & taken on a ride that was both expected & then completely new at the same time. I loved every second of the story; all the character interactions & growth as well as the great nuances of old & new story telling that abound on each page.

The idea of Hell calling down a game on people who had tricked an innocent soul into being kidnapped by Hell was pretty great. I loved the idea because, thanks to the way it was written, I was able to segregate reality from the very fictional story being told. I loved that we had quite a few character archetypes that managed to grow beyond their set molds like the pretty popular girl who is just really a witch, the meat-head jock who wants to be more, & the stereotypical smart Asian chick with a hidden past. Each character was well designed & fleshed out. Each level of hell was intricate & meticulously brought to life by Ms. Lo.

The biggest drawback for this book is the lack of editing that I found. Almost every page featured some sort of grammatical or spelling error, the omission of a word, the misuse of a word or its homonym, punctuation error, or the odd swapping of a character name from scene to scene as happens with Kristin's father who appears to be named both Nathan & Bryan depending on the scene. I find myself unable to recommend this book based on the number of errors in the editing because they were very distracting to me as I read the book. There were a number of times that I had to stop reading because I could not immerse myself anymore due to the errors. Then I came back because the story itself was so intriguing that I wanted to know what would happen next.

Overall this book gets a dual grade of 4 stars for the story & characters but it sinks to 2 stars due to the lack of editing & prevalence of errors. I felt the strong wish that I had been given the chance to copy-edit this book myself before it was published & sent out for reviews. I believe in the story & really enjoyed what I read. I just wish it had been presented with more professional editing than the copy I received.

Rating
Story	Editing

 

About the Author:
Teresa Lo is a writer living in Los Angeles. She is currently a cast member on Just Seen It, and she has contributed to Examiner.com, Yahoo.com, The Hollywood Reporter, The University Daily Kansan, and the USC School of Cinematic Arts website. She has published two books of short stories, and she has won various screenwriting awards. Most recently, she released the YA horror e-book, HELL’S GAME. She is a member of the international Horror Writers Association, and she is the Social Media Chair of USC’s Women of Cinematic Arts.

Find Teresa Elsewhere:
Official Teresa Lo Site
Facebook | Twitter

Purchase Hell's Game
Amazon

Review: 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Release Date: April 5, 2012 (US Publication Date)
Publisher: ATOM
Pages: 368
Reading level: Young Adult

Synopsis

Three teenagers are going on the trip of a lifetime. Only one is coming back.

It’s been more than forty years since NASA sent the first men to the moon, and to grab some much-needed funding and attention, they decide to launch an historic international lottery in which three lucky teenagers can win a week-long trip to moon base DARLAH 2—a place that no one but top government officials even knew existed until now. The three winners, Antoine, Midori, and Mia, come from all over the world.

But just before the scheduled launch, the teenagers each experience strange, inexplicable events. Little do they know that there was a reason NASA never sent anyone back there until now—a sinister reason. But the countdown has already begun.

-- from Goodreads.com

Trailer

Check out the rest of the book trailer vids here.

Review

I'm not sure where I first heard about this book but the moment I saw the above video, I knew I had to read it. I'm not one for watching book trailers but the way in which they were done was more intriguing than detrimental to the book & once I got into the pages I was NOT disappointed! Not only is 172 Hours on the Moon a fast-paced, thriller but it is also rich with character & some pretty creepy history too.

First, the whole idea of teens going into space is completely preposterous because of how much of a liability they would be but I loved that Mr. Harstad made it all seem so plausible. The story is mostly told between the points of views of the 3 teens: Antoine, a French teen looking to escape his own heart break, Midori, a creative Japanese girl who yearns for freedom, and Mia, a Norwegian rock band member who has no desire whatsoever to go into space. Each is unique with differing interpretations of their surroundings & the events taking place. Each places different value on different details & bits of dialogue which, when added all together, we are treated to a very well-rounded, full look at the story.

The history of the DARLAH station & the moon missions were maybe my most favorite parts of the story though the revelation of all the information behind everything came deliciously slowly. I loved the weaving of fact with fiction throughout the entire 328 pages, all the way to the very end with an epilogue of people who are landing on the in the future.

The story moved quickly & I was easily immersed right into the middle of the situation with the characters. The mood was dark & very creepy throughout which I greatly relished because, as a horror movie fan, I felt I was in the midst of one myself. The end of the book, the climax of all the build up, was absolutely fantastic & completely terrifying. I loved every minute of this book & would love to read more just like it so I hope it spawns a few similar ideas with their own unique spins.

172 Hours on the Moon is a must read for anyone who enjoys sci-fi thrillers. I found myself thinking of movies like Event Horizon, Pandorum, Supernova, & Sphere. Not to mention the multiple mentions of horrific Japanese superstitions about ghosts such as the Slash Mouth Woman which seriously added to the scary ambiance throughout the novel. I recommend that if you're easily creeped out, read this one with the light on & not under the covers with a flashlight!

My Rating:

 

About the Author:
Johan Harstad is a 31-year-old Norwegian author, graphic designer, playwright, drummer, and international sensation. He is the winner of the 2008 Brage Award (Brageprisen), previously won by Per Petterson, and his books have been published in over 11 countries. In 2009, he was named the first ever in-house playwright at the National Theatre in Oslo. His first novel Buzz Aldrin, What Happened To You In All The Confusion, originally published in Norway by Gyldendal in 2005, was made into a TV series in 2009 starring The Wire’s Chad Coleman. Harstad lives in Oslo and is working on his next novel.

More about 172 Hours on the Moon:
172HoursOnTheMoon.com
Facebook | Videos | Twitter

Purchase 172 Hours on the Moon:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Win a Blog Makeover from Inside the Kaleidoscope!

Rules:

1. You must have a blog (otherwise, what am I making over? :D) on Blogger.
2. Anyone can enter regardless of country or age because this is an online transaction only & no money or personal information ever needs to take place.
3. Contest ends: Wednesday, May 23 @ 12:01 AM.
4. Enter here

Five² Friday #002

Well, I've decided to try my hand at starting a meme. It's called Five² Friday & it's all about creating 5 lists of 5. I thought it might be fun to try because I have had such great feedback when I've done my past 5 lists of 5 posts. I'd love for you to participate with me! All you have to do is make a post on your blog (a link to this post isn't required but much appreciated!) where you write 5 lists of 5 items based on the topic set by me or suggested by other bloggers then add your link to the linky below!

This week's topic is: 5 lists of 5 on Characters.

Which ones do you love? Which authors always write the best ones? What makes a good character for you? Etc. You can use my list topics or get creative & make up your own! But above all else, have fun!

My Lists

5 Awesome Female Lead Characters

1. Auden from Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
2. Evie from The Paranormalcy Series by Kiersten White
3. Jenny from The Forbidden Game Series by LJ Smith
4. Lily from Vamplayers by Rusty Fischer
5. Scarlett from The Scarlett Wakefield Series by Lauren Henderson

5 Awesome Male Lead Characters

1. Ender from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
2. Four from The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
3. Kai from The White Lilac by Christina J. Adams
4. Thomas from The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
5. Will from The Firelight Series by Sophie Jordan

5 Fabulous Side-Kick/Secondary Characters

1. Grover from Vamplayers by Rusty Fischer
2. Iko from Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. Jenna from The Chemical Garden Series by Lauren DeStefano
4. Lish from The Paranormalcy Series by Kiersten White
5. Will from Divergent by Veronica Roth

5 Seriously Crushable Characters

1. Callum from The Scarlett Wakefield Series by Lauren Henderson
2. Catcher from The Dark & Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
3. Four from The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
4. Peeta from The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
5. Will from The Firelight Series by Sophie Jordan

5 Love to Hate/Hate to Love Villains

1. Devon from Dead & Beyond by Jayde Scott
2. Julian from The Forbidden Game Series by LJ Smith
3. The Old Man from Starters by Lissa Price
4. Plum from The Scarlett Wakefield Series by Lauren Henderson
5. Reth from The Paranormalcy Series by Kiersten White

Now it's time for you to get listing yourselves!

Review: Transfer Student by Laura A.H. Elliott

Transfer Student by Laura A.H. Elliott

Release Date: March 29, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 212
Reading level: Young Adult

Rhoe and Ashley would never be friends.
Even if they lived on the same planet.
But, they’ll become so much more.
They’ll transfer.

Earthling Ashley’s world revolves around winning daily popularity contests at Beverly Hills High School and surfing competitions with sweet scholarship prizes that will finally help her break free of her control-freak mother. Ashley never loses. Ashley never wishes on stars. But that changes when her senior class takes a field trip to the Griffith Observatory where conflicting feelings about her predatory best frenemy Tiffany causes Ashley to throw away her own carefully-crafted Queen of B.H.H.S. title under the bus.

Meanwhile on planet Retha, Rhoe misses his dad, loves his mom’s home-cooked Glechy crag with a side of ory sauce, is desperate to heal his sick brother and wants more than anything to win The Retha New Invention Competition. He and his best friend Yuke have worked for the past two years constructing the teleporting telescope Rhoe started building with his dad before he died in an airboarding accident. Rhoe’s never kissed a girl. Rhoe’s hero is the eccentric physicist, Ramay. But that changes when the telescope teleports Rhoe across the universe with an unintended side effect, Ashley and Rhoe transfer. They swap lives when they make the same wish at the same time.

Popular-surfer-turned-boy-geek alien Ashley must handle life on Retha as Rhoe complete with webbed feet, low-gravity, and an obsession with Yuke, all the while being hunted by Rethan spies and resenting her hairy, flat chest. Boy-geek-turned-popular-surfer Rhoe must fit in at Beverly Hills High School as Ashley, compete in The Laguna Beach Invitational without becoming shark food, dodge boys’ affections, cool his preoccupation with Tiffany and his new body, and find the healing rocks he believes will save his brother’s life.

If only it were that simple. Some wishes can’t come true. Some have to.

-- from Goodreads.com

Transfer Student starts off almost sleepily & sort of meanders it's way into the action. There was almost an alien feel to the Earth described in the first few chapters surrounding Ashley. I can't pinpoint exactly why that was but perhaps it was merely foreign to me to be in the inner circle with the supposed "in crowd" as they wildly hurtled themselves through drugs & sexual references while on a field trip. That Ashley behaved so masculine with regard to her sexual desires & daydreams that made me instantly dislike her. I think her cavalier & careless attitude toward it was unattractive. But she didn't stay unattractive long.

Rhoe struck me as more naive & juvenile than Ashley. I felt his personality & thoughts were more age appropriate & his dedication to his family was honorable. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see both his world & our world through his eyes. Sometimes I laughed out loud reading how he viewed things like cars & drinking water once he & Ashley had swapped bodies across the universe. I appreciated his side of the story by far more than Ashley's but Ashley did eventually grow on me too. There was some good depth & character growth among the two protagonists that I felt was handled very nicely & realistically.

Both the world we know & the alien world of Retha were brilliantly painted. It felt very tactile & relatable whether we were surfing the waves in LA or gliding through the air toward the divide between Retha & the Other Side. And once the story really got going, it was a pretty fun read. I did roll my eyes every so often at the gratuitous topic of sex/sensuality in all its various states & I feel I would have given this 4 stars if that part of the narrative had been largely absent. I do understand that hormonal teens finding themselves in the body of the opposite sex would be quite the sensory overload but I felt there was so much more that could be explored outside of that.

Transfer Student was a very interesting read. It's not meant for younger readers but belongs with more mature readers. The entire idea behind this book is fascinating & I would definitely look forward to more books in this world/series if the focus is slightly shifted.

My Rating:

 

About the Author:
Laura loves writing about enchanted road trips, birthday gifts that are out of this world, and alien romance while eating lots of popcorn. She lives with her hubby, and dog Oso, in their tree house on the coast of central California not far from her two grown daughters who love climbing trees as much as their mom. Laura is the author of Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale inspired by her life-long love of a little-known town, Avenal, CA, and her equal love of enchanted teenage road trips. 13 on Halloween is the first book in the Teen Halloween Series. Laura’s next book, Transfer Student, a YA sci-fi romance, will be released in March of 2012. 14 on Halloween, book 2 in the Teen Halloween series, will be released in the summer of 2012.

Find Laura Elsewhere:
Laura's Blog | Twitter

Review & Interview: Dead & Beyond by Jayde Scott

Dead and Beyond by Jayde Scott

Release Date: February 22, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 199
Reading level: Young Adult

Everyone keeps a dark secret. That's what Amber Reed realizes when her boyfriend Aidan turns her into a vampire against her will. When something goes terribly wrong and her friend disappears, the clock is ticking, the walls are closing in on Amber, and the stakes are getting higher as she finds herself the pawn in an ancient war between three powerful races fighting for supremacy.

Amber is about to find out who Aidan really is...and the secret is nothing she ever imagined.

-- from Author

Review

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book when I first started reading. I'm not sure what I had expected & I think I may have mis-read the synopsis before I agreed to review it because it's a vampire story. I know. I don't do those. Ever. But once I got into the story, I found the writing & the characters to be very entertaining.

Amber, 18-year-old recently turned vampire & former housekeeper, is stuck in a large house in Scotland while her hunky 500-year-old vampire soulmate does his bounty hunting thing in other parts of the universe. She hasn't been particularly clued in to what vampires do or much of their history so she's a little out of her depth when she's alone. Enter the dangerous ex & the mysterious disappearance of a good friend, not to mention the strange, hardcore door to the basement guarding only a rusty pile of chains. Then there's the strange apparitions of blood, whispers, & a growing blood lust that shouldn't be possible for Amber. All of it makes for a pretty fast, fun read.

One of the things that always makes me wary of young human/old vampire pairings is the tendency for the author to forget the hundreds of years of experience & life that the vampire has had. They drag him down to the teenage level as far as maturity & intelligence goes. Or they don't make a good enough case for why someone who does possess a higher maturity level & intellect would be interested in a young human. Ms. Scott avoided this problem very nicely when she gave life to Amber Reed. Not only is the girl feisty, snarky, & alluring, she's also got an excellent head on her shoulders, great self-confidence, & the ability to relate to her centuries-old love on many different levels. She is believable in the role she plays & likeable at the same time.

I loved the mystery of this story. Not just in the plot but in the settings. We are treated to the beautiful & eery Scottish countryside as well as the dark & foreboding landscape of Hell. I was impressed with the fact that there was an abundance of ambience in the story which was presented in such a way as to not bog down the fast-paced story but somehow managed to just be there.

I wasn't fond of all of the reference to making out, sexual teasing, and the debate on whether or not to have sex. I felt that a lot of it was out of place within the context of the story & sort of left me with the feeling that this is not really positioned correctly in the YA genre. It's more of an urban fantasy with younger adult characters. There was also a bit of editing that needed to be tightened up (a few problems with grammar, punctuation, & spelling; and a few missing words).

That said however, Dead and Beyond is a very well-written book with relatable characters against a very moody, beautiful backdrop. I will probably, at some point, go back & read the first 3 books in this series to answer some of the questions I had.

My Rating:

 

About the Author:
Jayde Scott is a psychology graduate and writer most notable for creating the Ancient Legends series. She lives in London with her family and is a huge fan of baking chocolate cake and listening to indie music.

Find Jayde Elsewhere:
Jayde Scott Blog
Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Purchase Dead & Beyond:
Amazon | Barnes & Nobel

Interview

Where are you from?
I’m British, but I’ve lived all over the world. So I consider myself a bit of a nomad. My home’s wherever my heart is.

Tell us your latest news?
I’m currently in the process of migrating and learning a new language, which is tough but also a very interesting experience.

When and why did you begin writing?
As soon as I could spell. I used to read a lot of romance novels (think Barbara Cartland and Sandra Brown) and rewrite the ending.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Because I used to spend most of my spare time writing, I’ve always considered myself a writer at heart. When I became published, I just changed my status from querying/unpublished to published.

What inspired you to write your first book?
It was a novel called The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. I loved that book so much, I couldn’t wait to start working on my own vampire novel. That one’s still gathering dust in some drawer.

Do you have a specific writing style?
Like most writers, I do. I prefer first person past tense and have a tendency toward description and sarcasm. My first draft tends to be rather verbose, but I have an editor who’s not afraid to cut.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Ghosts exist and they’re not always good…or so I believe.

How much of the book is realistic?
The haunting poltergeist parts are based on research, so I’d say that’s pretty realistic.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
My romantic chick-lit novel, The Divorce Club, is pretty much based on my own experiences with dating and cheating. But I tend to stay away from heavy topics in my paranormal romance series, Ancient Legends. So, Dead And Beyond is pretty much fantasy, but I wouldn’t mind meeting a handsome, blue-eyed vampire like Aidan though.

What books have most influenced your life most?
Definitely The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien has taught me so much about description and character development, he’s basically shaped my writing. Also Anne Rice. Without her inspiring books, it might have taken me a while to realize that writing about vampires, fallen angels and demons is what I want to do in life.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Tough one, but I’d have to go with Tolkien.

What book are you reading now?
I’m currently reading and editing my new scifi novel, which is the first book in a new series, which shall be out by September. Editing takes so much time that I don’t have the time or energy to read anything else.

What are your current projects?
The fifth book in the Ancient Legends series, Forever And Beyond, which follows Amber and introduces a few new paranormal elements and lots of dark magic and betrayal.

Do you see writing as a career?
Definitely. I see it as a job and try to treat it as such. However, most of the time it doesn’t really work because life and other commitments come in between.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I think it’s always been there. I loved books as a child, particularly their smell, and begged my mother to teach me to read before I started school. Whenever I loved a book, I would reread it countless times to remember the passages that fascinated me. And then I would try to write something similar.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?
My most recent book is Dead And Beyond, which is a paranormal romance slash mystery. Having just been turned by her vampire boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Amber Reed is bestowed with the ability to see ghosts. Between trying to figure out how to control her bloodlust and solving the mysterious disappearance of a friend, Amber realizes someone wants to step into her shoes so badly, they'll do anything to take her place.

When one secret after another pops up, the only person who believes her is her enemy, Devon. Amber can't figure out if he's here to help or save his own immortal race from losing the ancient war against the vampires. What she does know, however, is that she can't resist his good looks just as much as she can't help becoming someone else...

In a world of dark magic and ancient enemies, three powerful courts fight for supremacy, and Amber might just be the pawn in winning this war forever. But how's a girl to survive when everyone wants her dead?

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Not editing while I write. It takes me forever to finish a chapter because I’m a compulsive perfectionist who keeps rewriting and tweaking until I feel everything’s the way I want it to be. I know you shouldn’t edit while you write but I just can’t help myself.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I’d say Tolkien and his talent for world building and fantastic characters. He can fill page after page with the most beautiful description and prose.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Writing the last chapter. I always get emotional and have a hard time finishing the last chapter.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Don’t wait for inspiration to find you. Write even when you don’t feel like it.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
See above. Also, continue to work on improving your style and prose.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you so much for reading my books.

 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

My Dream Reality Show Cast -- Fictional Character Style

I was reading the upcoming Top Ten Tuesday lists over at The Broke & The Bookish & was inspired by the topic of authors you'd like to see in a reality show (coming May 15). I wasn't sure how to write about that but I did think I could compile a list of characters I'd love to see. So here's my list of 12 Big Brother House contestants from YA fiction! And for the fun of it, I decided to cast them visually too!

The Guys

Ender (Ender's Game) photo: logan lerman  Obviously Ender was a little boy at the beginning of the book, but he was brilliant & grew into an amazing leader & strategist. I think he'd be fun to watch in a reality TV situation.	Four (Divergent) photo: drew roy  Almost exactly how I pictured Four as I was reading. I would want him in the reality show just for the pure fangirl love of it!	Grover (Vamplayers) photo: david blue  It was either this fab guy or Jonah Hill in my mind as I read Vamplayers. Grover is funny & full of pop culture so he'd be great to watch.
Lord Teddie (Entwined) photo: angus mclaren  If you haven't read Entwined, you should. Lord Teddie is a minor character but he is so hilarious that I think he'd make for a great reality TV cast member.	Minho (The Maze Runner Series) photo: bin won  Often surly, usually energetic & acerbically funny, Minho would probably strum up some competitive spirit & stir the pot in the house every day.	Peeta (The Hunger Games Series) photo: josh hutcherson  Josh made me a Peeta fan & Peeta is soulful & charming which are two things I like in a character. He'd be the peacemaker in the house I'll bet.

The Girls

Auden (Along for the Ride) photo: sarah paxton  Book-smart & somewhat introverted, Auden would be fun to watch as things around her began to get under her skin. Not to mention her insomnia would drive many people crazy!	Evie (Paranormalcy Series) photo: kristen bell  Evie was so Veronica Mars to me that I really saw Kristen when I read the books. She's perky, fashion-forward, & has a CW-ish show fetish which could bring all kinds of potential drama.	Jacinda (Firelight Series) photo: karen gillen  I think it would be absolutely fascinating to see if she began a romance with one of the guys & had as hard a time at keeping herself under control as she did in the books!
Jenna (Wither) photo: nicole gale anderson  Jenna is a wise, big sister type. She probably would be the one with her nose in a book while everyone is playing beer pong until someone picked her up & tossed her into the pool.	Plum (Scarlett Wakefield Series) photo: alexandra park  Bitchy, arrogant, & egocentric, she would definitely be the drama queen of the bunch. Though perhaps she might bond with Evie over their shared love of fashion.	Valentine (Ender's Game) photo: selena gomez  Valentine is the sweet, good girl with a genius IQ. She & Ender would have long heart-to-hearts & she would play mother hen with everyone else.