Swoon Thursday (42)

It's that time again! We created a HOT meme, and if you're new to the game, here's how to join in the fun:

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

Without further ado, here's ours:

RACHEL: First, I must say that this week was a challenge as the book I read, DREAMLESS by Josephine Angelini, has a few different choices--but almost all of them would've been spoilerific. And deleting names just looked way too corny LOL. So, here are some options to get you curious about who these could be referring to (same guy? different guy?) until the book hits stands this June (*grin*):
First, the Twitter swoon:

She kissed him, and this time she completely let herself go with it just to be sure.-DREAMLESS Swoon #YABound

And now, an extra, longer bloggy swoon:

He guided her down tot he ground, careful not to crush her underneath him. The tiny voice started yelling. She tried to ignore it because this guy felt amazing, but no matter what the rest of her body was saying, the damn voice wouldn't shut up until she pulled away from him.

TARA: Swooning over LIES BENEATH by Anne Greenwood Brown:

Her mouth found mine. Her lips were warm and soft. She tipped up her chin, and my mouth slid down her throat to her collar bone and then her shoulder-LIES BENEATH Swoon #YABound

KELLY: Swooning over DEAD OF NIGHT by Lynn Viehl:

Jesse didn't put me back on my feet until he kissed me breathless. Then I was the one who didn't want to let go-DEAD OF NIGHT Swoon #YABound

NEREYDA: Swooning over THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET by Katy Cross:

She started to turn back to the window but Griff was staring at her with a glint in his eye she found hard to ignore. He watched her as though she were some kind of exotic animal-one he thought might bite him, even as he was sticking his hand into the cage-THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET Swoon #YABound

EILEEN: Swooning over GLIMMER by Phoebe Kitanidis:

HIs lips taste so good. I kiss back hungrily, never wanting it to end.-- GLIMMER Swoon #YABound

TRISH: Swooning over THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas

His mouth was soft and smooth upon her skin, and the kiss sent a red-hot line of fire up through her arm that singed her cheeks. She fought against the urge to step back. Or smack him-THRONE OF GLASS Swoon #YABound

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: In 140 characters . . . or, perhaps a bit more if you need to cheat LOL, SWOON us!

Spotlight: This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

This Is Not A Test

by Courtney Summers
320 pages
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Review Copy via NetGalley
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads | Amazon | BN.com

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually wantto live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what doyou hold on to?.

Book Review

As a fan of zombies and Young Adult fiction alike, I rather enjoyed this book. This Is Not A Test, the message that was broadcast by a female voice over and over during this particular zombie apocalypse and who later was baptized as Tina-T, is not your typical zombie book. There's gore, death, and all what you would expect to find in a novel about zombies, but TINAT is actually very character-driven. You end up very invested in all the survivors' stories and from the beginning you are feel very inclined to pick sides and in your head decide who will inevitably meet their impending death.

Sloane, the main character, is a very depressed and suicidal young girl. She and her older sister, Lilly, are constantly beat by their abusive father, a fact that forces the sisters to formulate a plan to escape. Lilly, being the older sister, ends up taking charge of this plan and saving money to get herself and her sister out of their father's home. Eventually Lilly splits and leaves Sloane alone with her father. Faced with Lilly's abandonment and her father's increasing violent behavior, Sloane makes the decision that she no longer wants to live in this world. Only, Sloane doesn't get a chance to put her plan into action because before she knows it, zombies are all over the place and her survival instinct kicks in. She ends up running away from home and meeting up with a group of teens who seek shelter at their high school, where they barricade the doors and make a temporary home for themselves.

The real grit of the story is in the characters' individual personalities and the things they are capable of. Being stuck in a school gym with other teens that you may not have necessarily talked to in the school hallway, coupled with the fact that you may very likely die, has a way of bringing out the worse in all these characters. Sloane, constantly reminding herself that she isn't supposed to be there, because she doesn't be alive in the first place, is unknowingly the strongest of them. I had a hard time believing that Sloane truly didn't want to live. She sort of reminded me of the character Andrea in the popular TV/Comic Book series "The Walking Dead". This book was a very entertaining book. It starts off slow as it gets into the characters' stories and the conflict that arises between the survivors, but it really picks up with zombie action in the end where unexpected things surely happen. 4-Stars.

About The Author

Courtney Summers can't wait for the zombie apocalypse. Also she is the author of CRACKED UP TO BE and SOME GIRLS ARE, FALL FOR ANYTHING (available now) and THIS IS NOT A TEST (June 19th, 2012), four edgy young adult novels published by St. Martin's Press.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Spotlight on Spectral by Shannon Duffy

ebook 329 pages

Published April 10, 2012

Tribute Books

Find it on Amazon

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.
As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

I love a good witch book, so I had to read this the second it was available, and I wasn't disappointed. Jewel is an amazing character. Her parents have been lying to her her entire life, and it leaves Jewel feeling disconnected from everyone, except her little brother. And she has good reason for feeling this way. I won't give spoilers, so you'll have to read it to find out what I mean, but let me just say that Duffy throws a twist in here that is truly awesome. Actually, she throws quite a few twists in the story by the end. And oh, the ending! Loved it!

Of course Jewel gets the attention of not one but two completely hot guys. Chase and Roman are both into Jewel, but there's something about Roman that's different--something Jewel is drawn to. The dynamic between the two is so well done, and there's plenty of conflict to go around.

Seriously, I don't want to spoil any of the twist and turns this book has, so go read it yourself and fall in love with Jewel and her friends.

Author website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Miniview with Shannon Duffy

Team Roman or Team Chase?

That’s a tough one because they’re both hot in their own ways. Chase is the boy next door, all American athlete type, with a heart of gold, persistent as heck, and abs of steel. Roman is sexy, mysterious, guitar playing, Italian with a slight lyrical accent to boot. I’ve always been a sucker for an accent so maybe I’ll choose him. J

What's your favorite type of butterfly? (I loved the butterfly references in this book!)

Thanks, Kelly. I love butterflies and the story of the butterfly. I love all sorts of butterflies, really, but especially the really colorful ones like the one on the cover of Spectral. Here’s a picture of a Purple Spotted Swallowtail that’s a very rare type of butterfly. Isn’t it beautiful?

Where is your favorite place to write?

I mostly write in my office where a lot of my favorite things are.  Here are some pictures of my little space. I love lots of color for creativity. The balloon picture I bought from the same artist that did the cover for Spectral. I love the whimsical feel of it. I keep some of my favorite books handy and usually there’s a cup of coffee on that desk, or a diet coke depending on the time of day. Sounds like a lot of caffeine, but I swear I drink lots of water, too! J And Marilyn Monroe! Love her, so she surrounds this space quite a bit. Then the chair under the window is for my husband to sit in while I read my latest works. He’s my first critique. If something sounds off to him, I change it.  

Blog Tour: Spectral by Shannon Duffy

 

 

ebook, 242 pages

Published April 10th 2012 by Tribute Books 

 

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

EXCERPT

 

Roman leaned back to study me and his jaw relaxed. He pulled me against him again and thankfully he changed the topic. “Hey, thanks for coming.”

“No problem, I’m having a blast.” I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and then wrapped my arms around his neck, entwining my hands behind him. He was a lot taller than me, so I stood on my tip-toes as he held me tightly. My shirt had shimmied up a bit, and I was totally aware of his warm hands against the bare skin on my lower back. His touch sent shivers down my spine.

We danced against each other, the music and neon lighting transforming our bodies into fluid rhythm. His toned chest through the soft fabric of his t-shirt and the gentle sway of his hips against mine was intoxicating.

I tried to gather my senses. “Where are you from anyway?” I asked, realizing I didn’t know much about him.

“Italy originally. But I’ve been traveling around a bit.”

“Ah, that’s what it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your accent…I was wondering where you were from.”

He chuckled. “You’re the one who has an accent.”

“Touché…and I guess we have more in common than we first thought, huh?”

Amusement warmed his eyes. “Oh yeah? You’re from Italy, too?”

“No, not that part. The traveling around part. My family’s like a pack of gypsies you could say,” I forced a half smile.

“True?” His voice rose at the end of my name softly as he tilted my head up towards him.

I willed my eyes to stay focused on his as my heart rate climbed. “Yeah?” I asked, secretly hoping he would ask to kiss me, my eyes beginning to linger on his lips. I couldn’t tell if it was just the alcohol, or his total hotness that was making me swoon. Probably a combination of both.

Author website | Twitter | Facebook | Tribute Books | Amazon

Swoon Thursday (41)

It's that time again! We created a HOT meme, and if you're new to the game, here's how to join in the fun:

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

Without further ado, here's ours:

RACHEL: Still swooning over DREAMLESS by Josephine Angelini:

She kissed him, and this time she completely let herself go with it just to be sure.-DREAMLESS Swoon #YABound

TARA: Swooning over THE WEEPERS by Susanne Winnaker:

Twitter Version:

I leaned in and brushed my lips against his.  Sweet and warm. Joshua wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer.

Kelly: Swooning over DEAD OF NIGHT:

Whenever we touched, our heartbeats changed rhythm, as they did now, until they beat together in sync.--Dead of Night SWOON #YABound

NEREYDA: Swooning over SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins:

His mouth found mine in the dark, fiery and rough. I gave a tiny whimper before melting into him and pulling his face down to mine even harder. In that kiss we spoke all of the things we couldn't say. He kissed me with an urgency born of some strong, unstable emotion: fury.

EILEEN: Swooning over GLIMMER by Phoebe Kitanidis:


Twitter approved:

HIs lips taste so good. I kiss back hungrily, never wanting it to end.-- GLIMMER Swoon #YABound

 

TRISH:

"I barely brushed my lips down her cheek as I moved toward her mouth. Her nails tickled my chest, driving me insane. Kissing her became my single reason for breathing. --PUSHING THE LIMITS Swoon #YABound

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: In 140 characters . . . or, perhaps a bit more if you need to cheat LOL, SWOON us!

Spotlight: The Weepers by Susanne Winnacker

Hardcover, 261 pages

Published May 15th 2012 by Marshall Cavendish Buy it on Amazon

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?

I am a huge fan of dystopian and zombie fiction, so I knew this was a book I had to read. And it didn’t disappoint. The story starts by laying out the scene that has been Sherry’s life for the past three years. Her life is lived in a small bunker with her family. When they run out of food, they are faced with a grim decision. Leave their safe haven or starve. Sherry and her father must venture out into the rabies-infected world in search for food, and this is where the story kicks off. In her first encounter with the Weepers (rabies infected humans), Sherry’s father is taken. She then pairs up with the boy who saves her. Another survivor named Joshua who helps in the search for her father.

I loved everything about this book. Especially Susanne Winnacker’s voice. Her writing style is flawless. From the perfectly placed flashbacks, to the countdown of days since Sherry had lived in civilization, her writing style is fresh and unique and grabbed me from the very first line. It was gritty and dark and the emotions were so real I ached for each character. The moments between Joshua and Sherry are sweet and fleeting as their feelings bloom for each other throughout the book. But those small moments are even more beautiful in a world that is so broken.

The Weepers is a welcomed addition to the dystopian genre and has this reader hooked. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Tara

Miniview with Author Susanne Winnacker

1.) You get to pick any YA hero to be your book boyfriend for the week. Who do you choose?

Tucker from Unearthly. Swoon-worthy, down-to-earth kind of guy who would take me hiking through beautiful nature. No stalker, so that’s a plus too! ;)

2.) If you could be any character in YA fiction, who would you be and why?

So many characters I admire live in dystopian societies, so I’m not really keen on being them if that means I’ll have to live in their world. Maybe Puck from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater because I’d love to live on Thisby and see the Capaill Uisce (water horses), at least for a little while. What I like about her: She’s stubborn and tries to do the best for her family.

3.) Favorite candy on movie night?

Nachos with cheese and jalapenos.

4.) Who would win a battle between a weeper and a ninja?

I guess that depends on the ninja. A great ninja might stand a chance even without weapons. But Weepers are fast

If you want to know more about Susanne and her awesome books click here.

Cover Reveal (Take Two): MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY by Rachel Harris

My debut, MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY, has had a facelift.

Although the response to the initial cover was wonderful and enthusiastic, Entangled Teen has given my YA Magical Realism/Historical a new look…and to celebrate, I'm sharing a never-before-seen sneak peek, the first look at my new book trailer, AND hosting a GIVEAWAY!!!

But first, my beautiful precious:

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

EEP!! What do you guys think? I love the colors in this and I'm so happy to see the backpack, which is just such an important part of the story. I love the writing, the dress, the mood, the hint at the time travel....and seeing my name written in the bottom right corner kinda rocks, too :)

Please be sure to visit the fantabulous bloggers co-hosting this reveal to read a *second* never-before-seen peek, but for now, here is an *exclusive* new excerpt you can't read anywhere else:

“You are an artist?”

I decide to let the shock and awe in Lorenzo's voice slide. His face breaks into a breathtaking smile and I lose myself for a moment in just how gorgeous this boy really is. He scrunches his mouth, which just makes me think about kissing it again, and guides my finger to point to the sky, pressing his chest close behind me.

My eyes flitter closed and my body begins to sink against him.

“What do you see?”

At the wonder-filled whisper in my ear, my eyes open and my spine straightens. I blink to focus. “Clouds?”

I hear the soft chuckle under his breath and instantly feel stupid. This is a test. An artist’s test. A test I am going to pass with flying colors.

“I meant to say that I see an azure sky with wisps of magnolia-colored clouds,” I clarify, a smug smile creeping up my face.

“Very good,” Lorenzo says. “My father would look up and see nothing more than commonplace blue and white. He has no imagination.”

Proud that I proved myself imaginative, I sit taller.

Then he asks, “What about shapes? What objects do you see in the clouds?”

This test is harder. I let my eyes relax as I gaze above, hoping and praying I’m not as closed off as his dad. I’ve always loved art. It’s the one place I can make a name for myself—the one area I can just be me, without the mess of who my family is. But I’ve never really stopped to see the beauty in everyday things like cloud formations.

As I watch above, shapes suddenly pop out at me, and a grin creeps up my face. I haven’t stared at clouds since I was a kid, but he’s exactly right. This is art. “Well, right there—that one? That is a huge clock tower, and to the left below it is an elegant arched bridge.” Despite myself, I snuggle back into his hard chest and sigh. “I love bridges.”

Lorenzo stiffens behind me, and I look up to see him staring intently in Cipriano’s direction. I remember his promise not to touch me and go to move, but he snakes his arm around my waist, securing me against him.

As if nothing happened, he carries on. “They are quite beautiful,” he says, his whisper huskier now. I swallow and close my eyes as he presses his nose between my shoulder and neck, grazing my skin softly as he inhales deeply. “However, you missed the cherub floating down the celestial road.”

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY hits bookshelves everywhere September 11, 2012, and is available now for pre-order at IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, The Book Depository,  and Books a Million. You can add it to your Goodreads shelf here.

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and visit me at my Website

And here is the first look at my new trailer, designed by the awesome Rachel Firasek:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, what do you think?

Book Review, Author Interview and GIVEAWAY: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris!

Unraveling

By Elizabeth Norris

Release Date: 04/24/12

Hardcover/e-book

464 pages

Book Description from Amazon:

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

***

As soon as I saw the cover for Unraveling I knew I had to have it!  The book description sounded so different than most other books at the time with the sci-fi storyline.  I was anxiously waiting for the release of this book and it definitely did not disappoint!

Unraveling tells the story of Janelle Tanner, who is probably one of my favorite female characters!  Janelle isn’t your typical girl and she doesn’t have the perfect life or family.  Her father is an FBI agent who spends too much time on cases and her mother is bipolar and is at times barely functional, which has left Janelle with the burden and responsibility of taking care of her family including her younger brother.  She also lost one of her ex best friends when she slipped something in her drink at a party a couple years ago and she woke up in a car with her pants down and her underwear ripped.  To this day, Janelle still doesn't know what happened to her at that party.  But, even though her family has issues, she has a pretty good support system.  She has her dad who is a really good parent who just happens to lose himself in his work, she has her younger brother, her best friend Alex and her dad's partner an long-time family friend-Struz.  (I LOVED Struz!)

When a truck comes barreling out of nowhere and hits her, Janelle knows that she died.  But she also knows that Ben-who she has known for a long time and always considered a stoner kid-did something to her and somehow brought her back to life.  Nobody believes that Janelle died, but she knows better.  So she goes looking for answers to the only person who can give them to her, Ben.  At first he denies it, but Janelle is persistent and doesn't give up.  Ben and Janelle start spending more time together, but she tries to figure out exactly what he is.  When she finally finds out, she discovers that he is somehow connected to a top secret case her father and Struz are working on, which seems to be the countdown to the end of the world.  Janelle, Ben, Alex and Ben's friends try to figure out how to stop it, but how many people will get hurt before they figure out that this problem is so much bigger than any of them thought?

Unraveling is an intense and emotional, non-stop action story that will surprise you and break your heart at the same time.  Janelle and Ben's relationship is a nice and slow build up with a cliffhanger that I never saw coming!  Janelle's relationship with her mom, dad, brother, Alex, Struz and Ben was so heartbreakingly sweet.  I LOVED the countdown at the beginning of each chapter which added to end-of-the-world race against time theme.  Unraveling is a fantastic, fast-paced sci-fi story with plenty of romance, action, suspense and mystery with plenty of turns to keep you on the edge of your seat!  I seriously hope that there is a sequel to Unraveling because I'm dying to know what happens next.  Unraveling is an amazing story you will not want to miss!

4.5 out of 5 sparkly stars!

 

Some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from Unraveling:

-"If the universe was going to give you superhero powers, they could have at least given you the ability to fly or something," I add, because apparently I don't know when I'm taking things too far.

He shakes his head, and his voice comes out barely above a whisper.  "I'm not a superhero."

But he saved me.

-Lives are made of strings of moments, and every once in a while, one of those moments is pivotal and defining.  It changes everything, alters you so completely that when you look back, there's a clear before and after.

-We sit next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, the sun setting in front of us, eating my favorite food in the world, and I just know-this is why I have a second chance.  This is why I back from the dead-so I could really feel alive.

-I put my hands on the side of his face, and I turn him so we're nose to nose, our foreheads touching.  We're both breathing heavily, and I wonder what he's thinking.  If his heart is beating so fast it's ready to explode out of his skin.  If he's glad that truck came barreling through ...and hit me because it brought us together.  If he realizes the smell of mint, soap, and gasoline now drives me crazy-in the best possible way.

-I'm finally broken-more broken than I was days ago when my body lay dead on the side of the road by Torrey Pines Beach.  

Broken.  There's no other way to describe it.  My insides are cracking apart, imploding.  Nothing can give me life again-nothing can make me whole.  Not even Ben.

This is Just Too Much.

***Author Interview***

1.   After leaving us with that heck of a cliffhanger, please tell us that there will be a sequel to Unraveling?

There will!

2.  Is there anything you can share with us about the sequel?  Name, release date, teaser quote or blurb?

The sequel, titled UNBREAKABLE, will be out next year in April 2013.  It takes place four months after the end of Unraveling and readers will get to see a lot more of Janelle, Ben, Barclay, Elijah, and Cecily.

3.  Janelle was such an awesome character!  LOVED her!  What would you say is her best quality?  What about her worst quality?

One of the things I love most about her is that she's smart, tough, and independent. But I think because of all three of those things, she makes mistakes sometimes. She puts a lot on herself and sometimes she should just ask for help.

4.  What is your favorite non-spoiler quote or scene in Unraveling?

 My favorite scene is about three quarters into the book and in the middle of a rainy night, and Janelle and Ben are in a laundry room.

5.  E-book novellas are getting pretty popular right now and are a great way to keep fans happy in between books.  Do you have any plans of writing any Unraveling related novellas?

I actually do have plans for that. They're not finalized yet, but I have three short stories I'm working on from Ben's point of view. They take place before, during, and after Unraveling.

6.  I LOVE your pink hair!  Do you ever wear any other hair colors besides pink?

I had always wanted pink hair! Unfortunately it's not pink right now :( It's back to my normal auburn/brown color. I really want to do something crazy like purple highlights soon. 

7.  What is your dream cast for your book?

I love Hailee Steinfeld from True Grit and I think she'd be the perfect Janelle. Ben is a little tougher. All the actors I think of for him are actually too old. I imagined him as James Franco from his freaks and geeks days or as the cover model from the book (he's perfect).

8.  Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

"We are Broken" by Paramore is definitely an awesome theme song for the book. 

9.  Describe your book in 10 words or less…

UNRAVELING is...

Janelle's fight to unravel Ben Michaels and save the world.

***GIVEAWAY***

Elizabeth Norris was awesome enough to offer to give away a signed hardcover copy of Unraveling to one lucky winner.  Open internationally!  Enter below and please note that I will be checking entries before contacting winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter.

She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.

Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray, April 2012), is the story of one girl’s fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

Read more of my reviews and author interviews at:

Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed

http://BooksandSparkles.Blogspot.com

Here is a list of my Author Interviews so far this month:

Abbi Glines

Ada Adams

Jennifer Lane

Jus Accardo (Untouched-Kale Character Interview)

Nyrae Dawn

Phoebe Kitanidis

Wendy Higgins

Swoon Thursday (40)

It's that time again! We created a HOT meme, and if you're new to the game, here's how to join in the fun:

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

Without further ado, here's ours:

RACHEL: First, I must say that this week was a challenge as the book I read, DREAMLESS by Josephine Angelini, has a few different choices--but almost all of them would've been spoilerific. And deleting names just looked way too corny LOL. So, here are some options to get you curious about who these could be referring to (same guy? different guy?) until the book hits stands this June (*grin*):
First, the Twitter swoon:

She kissed him, and this time she completely let herself go with it just to be sure.-DREAMLESS Swoon #YABound

And now, an extra, longer bloggy swoon:

He guided her down tot he ground, careful not to crush her underneath him. The tiny voice started yelling. She tried to ignore it because this guy felt amazing, but no matter what the rest of her body was saying, the damn voice wouldn't shut up until she pulled away from him.

TARA: Swooning over THE WEEPERS by Susanne Winnaker:

Twitter Version:

I leaned in and brushed my lips against his.  Sweet and warm. Joshua wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer.

Kelly: Swooning over KNEE DEEP by Jolene Perry:

Too Good To Cut Down Version:

Our eyes meet again, and there's no way we can stand like this and not kiss. Every cell in every part of me pulls and pushes toward him until our lips are together, sending waves of shivers through me. The kind that heat me up, fill me, and take me over in a way I want to be taken over again and again. His hands cup my face in his. I swim in him, get lost. My hands lightly grasp his wrists as his hands hold my face and our mouths slide together again.

NEREYDA: Swooning over SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins:

His mouth found mine in the dark, fiery and rough. I gave a tiny whimper before melting into him and pulling his face down to mine even harder. In that kiss we spoke all of the things we couldn't say. He kissed me with an urgency born of some strong, unstable emotion: fury.

EILEEN: Swooning over GLIMMER by Phoebe Kitanidis:


Twitter approved:

HIs lips taste so good. I kiss back hungrily, never wanting it to end.-- GLIMMER Swoon #YABound

TRISH:

"I barely brushed my lips down her cheek as I moved toward her mouth. Her nails tickled my chest, driving me insane. Kissing her became my single reason for breathing. --PUSHING THE LIMITS Swoon #YABound

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: In 140 characters . . . or, perhaps a bit more if you need to cheat LOL, SWOON us!

Spotlight: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

 

Summary
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . 


Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Review
Words cannot describe the emotions I'm feeling right now. I finished this yesterday, but the shock and the amazement of the sheer greatness of this book still hasn't worn off of me yet. I went into this book without many expectations, because this wasn't on my TBR list in the first place, and I have this pact not to read any reviews until after I've finished a book so my opinion won't be swayed. I had no idea what to expect with this book, and let me tell you, as I was literally tearing through this book, I loved it. Like, to the extent where I spent most of my social studies class just reading this. (It's the teacher's fault that she reads at half a foot per hour, and she insisted on reading a ten-page packet to us instead of just giving it to us and telling us to read it silently. She didn't even explain afterwards! It was just boring blah blah.)

This starts very quickly and really cleverly. Emma meets Galen right off the bat, by bumping into him in her typical Emma-fashion, since she's really clumsy. What I like about Emma is how strong-willed she is, even though she's a horrible klutz. Emma also has her insecurities and her doubts, and she blushes, like any normal teenager, but she has a ton of spirit and will over all of that that virtually masks it. Throughout this book, you learn a lot about Emma, especially after all she's been through, and she is one tough chick. It's hard not to love her and want to have that inimitable (vocab word!) personality she does.

After Chloe, Emma's best friend, the unshakable ball of confidence, the person Emma used to shadow, is kille when a shark attacks her, you're really unnerved but also drawn in and eager for more. When it all unfolds, you're in Galen's point of view, which actually has its advantages. Since Galen knows more about the Syrena, he can sense Emma's Syrena presence and sees that she's definitely not like the other humans. And Galen's immediately drawn to Emma, which immediately engaged me, because after having the first chapter in Emma's POV, it seems obvious that they both really liked each other.

Emma tried to save Chloe from the shark, but in the end it wasn't enough. After this whole fiasco, Galen follows Emma up from Florida, where Chloe and Emma were visiting when Chloe died, to Emma's hometown, New Jersey. So, from there, Galen and Emma's bonds strengthen, and you see them falling in love. The ironic thing is, because you can see what both of them are thinking, that they think the other person has no interest whatsoever for each other when they're both basically smitten. And Galen is one very fine person to be smitten over. He was this gentle, caring guy who showed a mask of indifference, only because he had to, but Galen was really a very strong character and perfect for Emma. He wasn't that typical broody-yet-deep badboy. He's a Syrena prince. Those are the only words I can find that can do Galen justice.

The plot was just fantastic. The pacing was great, and everything played some important role. Anna was completely in control of what was going on, and I loved every minute of reading this book. There wasn't any action, per se, but it was just how everything was written that was great. There was drama, and I honestly loved learning about what happened. I loved the concept of this, because it was like a normal mermaid book, but with a new name and a great plot that backed it up. Simple, yet so completely perfect. One minute, I'm laughing, and the next I'm biting my nails, and then I'm screaming "WHYY?"

At the end, that cliffhanger that basically ensures me reading the next book. I didn't see it coming at all, but there were definitely clues. I tried to click the Next button on my Kindle because his is what went down:

*Reads end. Calmly puts Kindle aside, walks to parents and grandparents.*
(To Dad, shaking his shoulders): WHYYYY?? WHY??? *fake-sobbing* WHYY??

Dad: *Grunts*
(Walks over to Mom, laying head on her shoulders): *Still fake-sobbing.* WHY?? WHY??
Mom: What? Eileen, stop being so dramatic.

(Walks over to Grandma, and shakes her shoulders): (In Chinese) WHY?? WHY?? (Chinese word: 为设么?)

Yeah. So, why are you still reading this? Go and pre-order this book! You know you want to. :)

Favorite Scene
I've decided to do a little "Favorite Scene" just for my YA Bound spotlight reviews, since I'll be reposting most of my reviews that I write here to my own blog, so you guys have something new to look forward to, since sometimes I add a little song-related thing into the reviews on my own blog, so why not do the same here? Well, this one scene I can't forget is one between Toraf and Emma that just had me cracking up for minutes after I'd read it. (Warning: it will be slightly spoilery)

Rayna, Galen's twin sister, is supposed to mate with Toraf (it's a Syrena tradition), but Rayna never shows interest, even though Toraf makes it obvious he loves Rayna. So Emma tells Toraf to play "hard to get" during a Syrena lesson between them while Galen and Rayna are away. And what does Toraf do? Just as Galen and Rayna resurface from a swim, Toraf tells Emma that they're going to put on a show. And then Toraf KISSES Emma. And then Galen rams into Toraf and starts hitting him, and Rayna's just really hurt. And when Toraf brushes Rayna off, Rayna's EXTREMELY hurt. I just started cracking up when that happened.

Tell me what you think of that scene!

***Sorry for the long review, but I was in the mood to rant. ;))***