Geek Girl Winner!

The winner of Geek Girl by Holly Smale is...

Anubha

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Review and Giveaway: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek + runway = a hilarious runaway hit! This bestselling UK debut is full of humor and high-fashion hijinks—and now it’s coming to America.

Harriet Manners is tired of being labeled a geek. So when she’s discovered by a modeling agent, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself. There’s only one problem: Harriet is the definition of awkward. Does she have what it takes to transform from geek to chic?

Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious new trilogy. It was also the #1 bestselling YA debut of 2013 in the UK, where it was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Best Book for Teens. With all the humor and fabulous shenanigans of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, Geek Girl is about to become an international superstar.

Best Bits: I love a good British comedy, so when I read comparisons to Louise Rennison's books I was itching to pick this up. In some ways it met my expectations, and in others it fell flat. The thing that I enjoyed most was, surprisingly, the conflict between Harriet and her best friend Nat (who wants to be a model, and is not spotted). I think it was realistic that there would be conflict between the two after Harriet gets chosen to be a model, despite having zero interest in fashion. The friendship drama was more about honesty, rather than jealousy. It was sort of refreshing to read a book where the main character is gaining maturity in a friendship, rather than dealing with a best-friend-turned-mean-girl.

I also really appreciated the family support that Harriet has throughout the book. Sure, both adults are a big misguided, but it's apparent that they care about Harriet and her happiness. This is particularly true of Annabel, Harriet's stepmother. Throughout the book we see her trying to make decisions in Harriet's best interest. This doesn't mean that she's a perfect character, as she sometimes bases her assumptions and decisions on what she believes Harriet would want, rather than asking her. I think that may be one of the overall messages of this book. Every character has their flaws, but that's acceptable. None of the characters are meant to be perfect. That's always a good message to send.

Nit Picks:  At times I felt like Harriet was a middle-grade character. She is dealing with your typical teen issues (aside from being spotted and turned into a model), yet she reads more like a child. I had an internal debate about whether this was due to being overly sheltered...but it's hard for me to believe that a character can be so naive. At some points in the read it drew me out of the story.

Geek Girl 
By Holly Smale
Published by HarperTeen
384 Pages
Received for Review

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Teaser Tuesday (October 14) - As You Wish by Cary Elwes

What is teaser tuesday?

It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"And while a leap of faith would be required to presume that the other characters in the film (most notably Buttercup) would not immediately spot the resemblance between Westley and the Man in Black, the audience was free to make the connection (which of course, they did). Still, it had to look right. Despite going to great lengths to create dozens of perfect masks, the makeup department still wound up having to use dark makeup around my eyes in some scenes to create a seamless transition between mask and skin, much like what I understand they do with all the folks who play Batman." 
-As You Wish, Pages 38-39, by Cary Elwes. 

Also, I'm hosting a contest on Twitter for a book of your choice! If you follow me at Twitter.com/Cornucopiaofluv and retweet the contest you're entered to win!   

5 Year Blogoversary!

Holy bananas! I actually almost forgot that it was time for my blogoversary (shh, don't tell the blog). This is a huge milestone, especially since my career often gets in the way of being as active here as I would like to be. Let's rewind to 2009. I was a junior in college and I wanted a way to share my love of books. I was inspired by sites like The Story Siren, and even though I had absolutely NO KNOWLEDGE of HTML, I thought I would be fine to start it up.

Well, many broken html codes later, and here I am. I still have to google things, but I've met a great community of bloggers. I've seen the good, the bad, and seen a lot of changes within our community. I went on hiatus, fell back in love with blogging...and next year I am determined to make it to BEA so I can finally meet some of you in person! I'll pin my header to my shirt each day so hopefully people recognize me ;)

So...now it's time for a contest. Guess the covers, and you'll be entered in to win your choice of any three books from this list (or any YA books, really)! If you want a bigger version of the hint images, click away!

 

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Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

4th Annual Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop
April 17th to 24th
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Read Now Sleep Later

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 As long as The Book Depository ships to you, enter away!

Weekly Wrap-up and March Contest Winners

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews! It's a way to highlight the books that everyone got throughout the week.

Won From EpicReads.com:

Twinmaker by Sean Williams

High-stakes action combines with issues of friendship and body image in this timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of technology and identity.

You can be Improved....
In a near-future world in which technology can transport you anywhere instantly, can a coded note enable you to change your body-to become taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair is pretty sure the offer is too good to be true. But her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try, longing for a new, improved version of herself.

What starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious-but powerful-stranger called Q, Clair's attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.

CONTEST WINNERS:

Comment Contest Winner: Dazzling Mage

Winner of Liv, Forever: Kerry

Current Contests:

- April Comment Contest (Comment on any non-meme post and you're automatically entered)

- The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain Giveaway

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark 1) by Bree Despain

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

Best Bits: I love Greek mythology, so I jumped at the chance to read this one early. It's sort of a spinoff of the Persephone myth, but these characters exist in a world where Hades and Persephone were real...well, Haden does. Haden has grown up in the Underworld, known as the Underrealm, and it isn't pretty. He is driven by duty and regaining his lost honor (Zuko, is that you?). So, when he's sent above to find the girl who can save everyone things don't go as planned. I actually found it nice that he has to work on gaining her trust for most of the book. He basically seems like a creepy stalker/murderer at the start, so if she had fallen for him immediately I would have been bummed. 

Despain also devoted time for Haden to learn what it meant to be human, and what it means to have fun. Seriously, the Underrealm seems like a drag. There's a ridiculous class system, and brothers are pitted against each other. The least they could have is a view of something nice, right? Wrong. Daphne's character is an interesting one, and although I don't really get her motivation at the start of the book, I found myself rooting for her. She had just the right amount of skepticism when she found out the truth about what was really happening at Olympus Hills High. Sounds ominous, right? That skepticism was a breath of fresh air. Usually the dreamy dark and handsome guy says something that sounds totally out of touch with reality, and the girl believes it immediately. I don't know about you, but if some guy came up to me and said, "Hey, I'm from the underrealm and I need you to return with me to save everything and prevent a war" I wouldn't be jumping on the next boat down the river Acheron.

Nit Picks: I totally guessed who the baddie was going to be at the start. It didn't ruin anything for me, because the rest of the book hooked me, but I knew who was walking through the door with their villain monologue.

The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark 1)
By Bree Despain
Published by EgmontUSA
Received for Review 

You can check out a guest post by the author at Two Chicks on Books today, and tomorrow check out
another guest post and giveaway at Jenna Does Books! Thanks to Michelle at Egmont for including me!

ARC Review & Giveaway: Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington

When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, she has her own studio, her own supply of paints. Everything she could want.

Then she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy the ride.

But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To Malcolm.

Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.

  
Best Bits: As a reader, I appreciate a spooky mystery/ghost story. Liv, Forever didn't disappoint, and I was totally surprised by the ending. This is a feat in itself, because private school books have become popular over the past couple of years. I know part of the appeal is that many of us didn't go to schools like this, and there are so many things that could potentially happen that probably aren't going to occur at your average high school. In this particular book, I really enjoyed the way that Liv felt out of place because she was there with a scholarship, and not because she grew up with a wealthy family. She knows that she doesn't fit in, yet she doesn't throw in the towel. Yes, it's difficult for her to be an outcast, but she perseveres. Perhaps this is what drives her determination to figure out what's going on at Wickham Hall.

Hurrah for the lack of a love triangle. It's not that a great love triangle isn't appreciated, but lately it's felt like every YA book I pick up has one. I've felt this way since you-know-what series was released. So, it was nice to have Gabe as a male friend, and not have Liv struggling between two guys (even in the afterlife). In a way, it allowed me to appreciate Malcolm a bit  more, because he's supportive and not competing for anyone's affections. At the beginning I was a bit skeptical because he's the rich, popular guy...but I'll leave it up to you to decide if he's a good guy deserving of Liv's feelings, or he's her killer.

Nit Picks: I think I would have liked a little bit more exploration into the school itself. We're given bits and pieces of the history, but I'm all for creepy private schools to becomes characters themselves. They have the potential to be ominous, and I felt like I missed a little bit of that here. The ending was left open, so I'm hoping for a follow-up that might explore a bit more of that.

Liv, Forever
By Amy Talkington
280 Pages
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Published by Soho Teen
Received for Review

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February Comment Contest Winner!

The Winner Is....

Monique M.

I've sent a message with the details. Remember, you're automatically entered to win every time you comment on a non-meme post (reviews, cover reveals, etc). You can choose from any book I have reviewed during 2014!

 

January Comment Contest Winner

Congrats to Lynn K! 

You've won a copy of any of the books that I've reviewed this month!

Don't forget, you are automatically entered every time you comment on a non-meme post, and you have your choice of any books that I've reviewed in 2014.

Book Review: Going Rogue (Also Known As #2) by Robin Benway Blog Tour

Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver. Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux. Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo. Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names. Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies.

Best Bits:  Diving into Going Rogue was a bit like visiting family. It was fabulous to read about all the characters, and see what had been going on since the events in the first book, Also Known As. Despite that feeling of familiarity, I really enjoyed how this book felt different than the first. Yes, there is some chasing, some escaping, but the formula felt a bit different this time. Perhaps that's because Maggie doesn't have to hide who she is from her best friend, Roux, or her boyfriend. Sure, she may not always divulge exactly what's going on, but they know that she's a safe-cracking prodigy. Of course, it might have something to do with the fact that The Collective has turned against her family...or that there's a change of scenery toward the end of the book....All of these changes gave the book a fresh feel, while still maintaining the humor and suspense of the first.

Can I just take a second here to gush about my favorite character, Angelo? He is a fabulous yoda-like person filled with wise words. In the first book he's put on a pedestal. For good reason, he's awesome. In this book, however, Benway chooses to show that he isn't infallible. It made him a bit more human, and I love that. I'm also hoping that he becomes a surrogate parent to Roux.

Nit Picks: I wish that we had spent a bit more time in Paris, if I'm completely honest. This portion of the book was quite quick, and if the book had been even a couple chapters longer I would have loved it. Of course, that's probably because I haven't visited it yet and have unrealistic ideas about what it's actually like. Still, I'm going to romanticize it until I actually get there.

Going Rogue
By Robin Benway
Published by Walker Children's
320 Pages

Received for Review (thanks Bridget!)

 The published has been kind enough to offer a US resident the chance to win a copy of both books! I'm also throwing in a gift of my own (a necklace): 


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Giveaway and Spotlight on A Royal Birthday: A False Princess Short Story by Eilis O’Neal

This e-short prequel to The False Princess will appeal to fans of Shannon Hale and Tamora Pierce, giving them a new author to love and a new fantasy world to enter, a world filled with wizardry, mystery, and just the right touch of romance.

This prequel introduces the court of Thorvaldor, Nalia, its princess, who has reached the magical age of sixteen, and her best friend, Kiernan, the earl's son who loves her but feels he is too far below her in rank to dream of making a match with her.

The novel on which this e-short is based has received glowing reviews, been named a YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults, and made numerous state master lists (Georgia, Rhode Island, Utah, and Maryland)




I really enjoyed The False Princess (you can check out my review here), and I can't wait to read this prequel! It's on sale for 1.99 on Amazon right now. A happy birthday to this short! You can check out more awesome shorts from the publisher (EgmontUSA) on their Facebook page. 

They have graciously offered to let me give away a copy of The False Princess, and if you haven't read it, enter away! The contest is US/CA only. 

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Gratitude Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Gratitude Giveaways Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer! Enter the contest on the rafflecopter below, but please make sure to read the rules before entering!



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Fall Festival: Wrap-up & Final Contest

Thanks to everyone who helped out with Fall Festival! Since today is the final day, I'm wrapping up with the largest contest!

Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!
Check out Giveaway #4 and my anticipated fall releases here!
Check out Giveaway #5 and a guest post by L.T. Getty here!

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Fall Festival: L.T. Getty Guest Post and Giveaway #5

L.T. Getty obtained her degree in English from the University of  Winnipeg, and has studied creative writing both there and at the Canadian Mennonite University. She is an open-water scuba diver, has studied kendo, and currently works as a paramedic.

You can check out her website (and Fall Festival post) here! 

Autumn in Myth: The Life and Death Cycles

I’m a linear thinker – I like going from cause to effect in a straight-forward, logical sense. I don’t normally think of the various life cycles that we see all around us in nature – the way water flows, for instance, and the flow of the seasons from one to the next. However, when I study mythology, cycles stand out. For me, these cycles have a much more in-the-hands-of-fate feeling – which is perhaps a blow to my own personal views on fate and freewill.  Regardless, this appeals to me when I’m doing research for my stories. Because my novel dealt with a combination of Norse and Celtic Mythology, I’ll focus on those two, but first, I’ll touch briefly on probably the most famous myth of how we get our seasons in the western classic mythos: The story of Persephone.

Greek - Persephone

Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest, was responsible for making things grow. Her daughter, Persephone, was literally the goddess of spring. At some point in time, Persephone was stolen by Hades, the greek god of the dead, and taken to the underworld to be his wife. Demeter grew cold, and searched for her stolen daughter - nothing grew while her daughter was missing. When Demeter at last found Persephone, Persephone had eaten six seeds of a pomegranate – forcing her to stay in the underworld six months of the year. It was said that Spring was when Persephone returned to Demeter, and autumn was when she left her mother to return to Hades.  While she was with her mother, the world grew and flourished – and grew cold when Persephone returned to her mother’s side.

Autumn has a different significance to the many different cultures around the world – reflective in their mythologies and stories. Usually, the sequence goes in this order, though there is some variation:

Spring: Birth

Summer: Young to Mid Adulthood

Autumn: Twilight Years

Winter: Old age and death

Only to return to Spring – often, with rebirth – many classic mythos tells stories of deities slain and raising from the dead, only to return from the underworld – perhaps autumn represents that struggle before death or the journey to the underworld. One such cycle of death and rebirth can be found in the Norse Tradition.

Norse – Ragnarok

Ragnarok (The Fate of the Gods), or Ragnarøkkr (The Twilight of the Gods)

Rather than an ultimate beginning and ending, the Poetic Edda cited Ragnarok as the literal end of the world – that the subsequent battle between the kingdom of the gods (Valhalla) and the underworld (Hel) would result in the destruction of Earth and the other worlds connected to them – the death of most of the gods and the subsequent occurrence of various natural disasters, and the submersion of the world in water, where the world would resurface, several already slain gods would return, and the world would be repopulated by two humans, formed from a tree and beginning the cycle again and again. The universe in Norse mythology stemmed from a central holy tree, Yggdrasil, and it was said that the first humans came from this tree – the holy tree in which all the worlds were connected. It was said that this cycle had been going on and would go on indefinitely.

Less well-known to most of us today are the stories of the Ulster Cycle – although you might recognize some stories, such as Tristan and Isolde, and Deidre of the Sorrows. I highly recommend you research Cu Chullain and explore Irish, Welsh, and Scottish Mythology. The pre-Christian Celtic peoples had a very ancient set of traditions, which carried on even after the conversion process. While the gods have become heroes in many translations, these early stories went on to influence the western tradition of romanticism and folklore. Rather than a single mythology, we’ll consider an ancient festival that has significance in North-American culture to this day.

Celtic - Samhain

Samhain is a Gaelic Festival marking the end of the harvest season. It was celebrated from sunset October 31 to sunset November 1. The Celts had four other seasonal festivals that marked the seasons and had different significances: Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh.

According to Celtic Mythology, Samhain marked the time where the door to the Otherworld opened and for Fae and the dead to communicate with the living. Samhain was effectively the festival for the dead, and according to the Boyhood Deeds of Fionn, it said that the fae doorways were always open at Samhain. We get our origin of Halloween as people would leave ‘treats’ out for the fae and dress up in costumes to befuddle them – if carrying iron or salt wasn’t an option.  These however were not the pleasant faeries many of you were thinking of – the original fair folk were usually seen as tricksters, willing to steal people and bring them back to the fae realm.

These are just three ways autumn was viewed in three very distinct cultures and mythos.  Many mythologies share the notion of life, death, and rebirth – and while not every culture had a significant mythos regarding autumn, these ancient stories can still hold significance to us in this day and age, remembering where we came from and perhaps, if there is anything to be said for the notion of cycles, where we can go as a diverse culture.

A huge thanks to L.T. Getty for taking the time to write this post! As you all know, I love mythology, so I geeked out when reading this. Now, on to the contest :)


Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!
Check out Giveaway #4 and my anticipated fall releases here!

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Fall Festival: Waiting on Fall Relseases & Giveaway #4

One of the great things about fall is the huge number of amazing releases! I feel like every February/March I end up adding a ton of books to my Goodreads that are due out September-November...and I'm a super impatient person. Here are my most anticipated books of the fall (please note that the setup, for the sake of timeliness is inspired by Kristi at The Story Siren and her fabulous Books to Pine for posts): 

Relativity by Cristin Bishara - Published by Walker/Release Date: September 10 (Out Now!)

 Twinmaker by Sean Williams - Published by Balzer + Bray/Release Date: November 5

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: November 5

Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - Published by Katherin Tegen Books/Release Date: September 24

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: December 10, 2013

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - Published by HarperTeen/Release Date: September 10 (Out Now!)

Vicious by V.E. Schwab - Published by Tor/Release Date: September 24

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan - Published by Hyperion/Release Date: October 8

Beauty's Daughter by Carolyn Meyer - Published by HMH Books for Young Readers/Release Date: October 8

Hideous Love by Stephanie Hemphill - Published by Balzer + Bray/Release Date: October 1

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: September 17 (Out Now!)

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender - Published by  Scholastic/Release Date: September 24

The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot - Published by William Morrow/Release Date September 24

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle 2) by Maggie Stiefvater - Published by Scholastic/Release Date: September 17 (Out Now!)

Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!

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Fall Festival: Small-town Activities & Giveaway #3

I grew up in a very small town. Sadly, we don't do anything as cool as Stars Hollow, but locally there are a ton of fun activities. Being from Vermont the summer is full of farmer's markets and popup food trucks. Autumn brings out a whole new side to Vermont.

The Haunted Forest

Each year my family and I (yes, I totally would only do this with my family) visit The Haunted forest. During the weekend leading up to Halloween we head out to a local forest with trails, and watch as locals act out plays, jump out of the trees at you, and guide you through the woods. It's amazing. Sure, the acting isn't Hollywood quality, and I've never actually jumped in fright, but it's charming. Plus, I love the hundreds of jack-o-lanterns lining the path.


Applefest & Cinder Donuts

Photo courtesy of Ann Gordon

Sadly, the original Applefest that I went to every year is no longer being held. The owners of the Orchard that hosted were getting too old to continue to do it (plus it was in an extremely small town, so parking was always a mess...especially on the years it rained). I am looking forward to driving to a different Vermont town to attend Applefest this fall. Basically, it's a craft show, 4-H type of event. You can't beat people who are out on a nice fall day to enjoy the community...and there are fresh apple cider donuts. As someone who is actively trying to eat healthy, fall is tough...but I think an exception for a cider donut is a must!


Now on to today's contest:

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Don't forget to check out Bemused Bookworm's post!
Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!

Fall Festival: Interview with Kim Askew and Amy Helmes & Giveaway #2

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Thanks to Kim and Amy for taking the time to answer some questions! You can check out the website for their Twisted Lit series, or it's Facebook page.  

1. Okay, let's start with a this-or-that question. Halloween or Thanksgiving?

Kim: No contest: Halloween. I’d prefer the opportunity to dress up like a Victorian vampire over eating turkey any day of the year.

Amy: Thanksgiving. I love that there’s very little build-up, a lot of sitting around involved, and I believe mashed potatoes trump most Halloween candy.

2. I absolutely love reading mysteries in the fall, and I read Pride & Prejudice every Christmas. Do you have any fall favorites or rituals?

Kim: I like reading Gothic novels, like The Monk and The Castle of Otranto, in front of my fireplace. Every year at Christmas, my family and I have a tradition of watching Mikhail Baryshnikov in The Nutcracker ballet.

Amy: I don’t have any rituals, per se, but I have come to embrace football season because it gives me uninterrupted time to read when everyone else in my house is glued to the TV!

3. What's your favorite spooky read?

Kim: Stephen King’s The Shining still terrifies me. Also, anything by Poe. (Try reading The Tell-Tale Heart out loud before bed — I guarantee you’ll have nightmares).

Amy: Amy: I love all the spooky Victorian stuff; Henry James’s The Turn Of the Screw, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. But I’ve got to say, James Dickey’s Deliverance is the book that had me most freaked-out in the midst of reading it.

4. Horror movies: yes, no, or only if I can peak through my fingers?

Kim: Yes, I love the thrill of a good horror movie!

Amy: Only if I can peak through my fingers, but still ... it’s a small form of torture to feel that much unnecessary stress! 

5. Of course I can't forget to mention that you have a book coming out this winter. Can you tell everyone a bit about Anyone But You?

Kim: We decided to create a back story that explained why the Montagues and Capulets (in our case, the Montes and the Caputos) so detested one another. In fact, we weave back-and-forth in time between not one, but two love stories in our spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. One story takes place in the 1930s and 1940s, while the other is set in modern-day Chicago. You’ll have to read the book to find out how they’re connected!

Amy: There’s also a lot of Italian comfort food that factors in. You’ll want to devour this book, in more way than one! 

Don't forget to check out Debz' Fall Festival post!

Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!

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Dead Girls Don't Die Trailer Reveal & Contest

Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth. 
In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.

Pre-Order: 

Amazon

BN

Indiebound

About the Author

Jennifer Shaw Wolf grew up on a farm in the tiny town of St. Anthony, Idaho. She spent cold Idaho mornings milking cows in the dark and attended a school where Hunter’s Education was part of the sixth grade curriculum. She’s always been a writer, whether it was sewing together books to read to her little brothers or starting an underground newspaper in sixth grade. She met the love of her life at Ricks College, (now BYU Idaho), after he dropped her on her head. She graduated from Ricks and then Brigham Young University, Provo with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Now she lives in beautiful, green, (rainy) Lacey, Washington with her husband and four kids. She loves to produce videos, ski, ride horses, and read, but really all she has time for is chasing kids and writing.

 

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Anyone But You by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Anyone But You: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes (Book #3 in the Twisted Lit series)

Two Italian restaurants, both alike in dignity, in Chicago’s Little Italy where we lay our scene... After her family’s struggling eatery, Cap’s, falls prey to another of the Monte clan’s vicious and destructive pranks, sixteen-year-old Gigi Caputo finds herself courting danger during a clandestine encounter with Roman Monte, the very boy whose relatives have brought her family such grief. When the daughter and son of these two warring factions fall
for each other, their quest to mend this bitter family feud turns out to be a recipe for disaster. Their story is irrevocably linked to the summer of 1933, when two twelve-year-olds, Benny and Nick hop the turnstile at the Chicago World’s Fair. While enjoying some of the fair’s legendary amusements, Nick has a “love at first sight” encounter with Stella, a young girl who unintentionally causes a lasting rift between the two boyhood pals. Deftly winding its way through past and present day, this modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet has much to do with hate — but more with love.

Authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes are excited to offer a sneak peak at the third book in their “Twisted Lit” series of Shakespeare-inspired YA novels. This time around, they’ve put their unique spin on Romeo & Juliet. Published by Merit Press, Anyone But You will be released in January, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Powell’s.

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