Lucky Leprechaun Hop—ASHFALL by Mike Mullin

I'm thrilled to be participating in the LUCKY LEPRECHAUN GIVEAWAY HOP hosted by Inspired Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer. It's simple. Lots of blogs. Lots of giveaways. Visit them all, and you're bound to win something. The odds are totally in your favor.


To enter other awesome contests, visit all the blogs listed on I am a Reader, Not a Writer!

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Today, up for giveaway is an ARC of

ASHFALL by Mike Mullin (Tanglewood, September 27, 2011)


I loved this book! You can read my review here!

From Amazon:

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don't realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever.

Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away.

Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait--to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano.

With nonstop action, a little romance, and realistic science, debut author Mike Mullin tells a mesmerizing story. Readers will turn Ashfall's pages breathlessly, and continue to ponder Alex and Darla's fate long after they close the book.

*****

It's easy to win! Two things to note...

1) This giveaway is open until 12:01 am on March 23, 2012
2) Contest is US and Canada only!

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

To enter other awesome contests, visit all the blogs listed on I am a Reader, Not a Writer!

DEAR TEEN ME!

I'm am so thrilled about this upcoming anthology for two really great reasons.

DEAR TEEN ME edited by Miranda Kenneally and E. Kristin Anderson (Zest, November 2012)


1) One of my very dear friends is E. Kristin Anderson, and I am so happy for her and this amazing anthology. I was with her at THE PLACE the very day she got the idea to start the Dear Teen Me blog.

2) I'm a contributor! Yes, I have written a letter to my Dear Teen self, and in November 2012, it will be shared with the world!

ADD IT TO GOODREADS RIGHT NOW!

PRE-ORDER IT FROM AMAZON OR BOOKS-A-MILLION!

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What is DEAR TEEN ME?

Here's the description from Amazon:

Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me.

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And who else, besides me, has written a letter for DEAR TEEN ME?

I'm going to give you the whole list along with titles for each of their pieces...

1. E. Kristin Anderson—Want. Take. Have

2. Jessica LeeAnderson—Contents Under Pressure

3. Tom Angleberger—Shhhhhh!

4. Sean Beaudoin—Frame Me and Nail Me to the Wall

5. CharlesBenoit—Reinventing Me

6. Robin Benway—9 Things You Need to Know

7. Ilsa J. Bick—The Knife

8. Marke Bieschke—Dance Dance Revolution

9. Joseph Bruchac—First Kiss . . .ish

10. Jessica Burkhart—Trust Is as Important as Love

11. Josh A. Cagan—Thank You, Oily Pizza

12. Riley Carney—Nothing’s Impossible

13. Tera Lynn Childs—The Future Isn’t Everything

14. Jessica Corra—The Principal’s Office

15. Heather Davis—Raising Me

16. Daniel Ehrenhaft—Getting Stood Up

17. Laura Ellen—Losing Your Sight Shouldn’t Mean Losing Your Rights

18. Beth Fantaskey—I Hope You Dance—to the Theme from Bonanza

19. Caridad Ferrer—Jekyll & Hyde

20. Michael Griffo—Be Honest with Yourself

21. Janet Gurtler—The Skinny Girl

22. Kersten Hamilton—It’s About to Get Worse

23. Bethany Hegedus—Going All the Way

24. Geoff Herbach—You Are the Electric Boogaloo

25. Faith Erin Hicks—No Calls from Spielberg Yet

26. Nancy Holder—When Dance Was Your World

27. K. A. Holt—Lois Lowry and the Space-Time Continuum vs. Boys

28. P. J. Hoover—Seeping Through the Cracks

29. Ellen Hopkins—Finding Your Voice

30. Stacey Jay—Who Needs Luck?

31. Carrie Jones—Seizures

32. Mike Jung—Regarding Your Commendable Decision to Live

33. Stasia WardKehoe—Getting Past the Fear

34. Tara Kelly—Bad Girl

35. Miranda Kenneally—Pick Up the Phone and Call Him Back. Right. Now.

36. Stephanie Kuehnert—He Broke More Than Your Heart

37. Mary Lindsey—Hope Until the Last Second

38. Nikki Loftin—The Ramifications of Mouthing Off to Cute Boys

39. Katherine Longshore—The Best Days of Our Lives? Really?

40. Ken Lowery—Winging It

41. Kekla Magoon—The Balancing Act

42. Mari Mancusi—What the Bully Stole

43. Gretchen McNeil—All the World’s a Stage

44. Jodi Meadows—The Pursuit of (Moments of) Happiness

45. Saundra Mitchell—This Is Not Your Story

46. Hannah Moskowitz—Get Better

47. Jenny Moss—What I Really Want

48. Sarah Ockler—Dancing with the Dead

49. Lauren Oliver & Elizabeth Miles—Best Friends Forever (for Real)

50. Stephanie Pellegrin—Just Be Yourself

51. Mitali Perkins—First Kiss

52. Cheryl Rainfield—Keep Hold of Your Strength

53. Dave Roman—Special Delivery from Your Excellent Future

54. Jess Rothenberg—Stop Obsessing, Kiss That Guy, and Party Like It’s 1999

55. Jennifer Rush—All Roads Lead Somewhere

56. Amy Kathleen Ryan—Smile!

57. Tom Ryan—Sing It Out

58. Leila Sales—I’m Not Going to Give You Any Good Advice

59. Cynthia Leitich Smith— Friends in Dark Places

60. JessicaSpotswood—Finding Him

61. Erika Stalder—Boys, Boys, Boys…

62. Rhonda Stapleton—Chunky

63. Mariko Tamaki—Keeping Quiet

64. Don Tate—Stolen Jeans, Smoke Rings, and Self-Esteem

65. Melissa Walker—You’re So Right But So Wrong

66. Tracy White—100% True, Guaranteed

67. Jo Whittemore—All Kinds of Sexy

68. Sara Zarr—What Is a Friend?

69. Jennifer Ziegler—Facing Facts: Makeovers Don’t Change a Thing

HUNGER MOUNTAIN: The VCFA Journal of the Arts

I am honored to be featured in HUNGER MOUNTAIN, the VCFA Journal of the Arts. Please stop by, read, and comment if you get a chance! And thank you guys for all your continued support :)

READ THE ARTICLE HERE!

EARTHSEED by Pamela Sargent

This book first came out way back in the 80s (1983 I think, but I'm not exactly sure of the date), and sure, at the time, I wasn't reading YA because I was more stuck in that infinite Nancy Drew/Trixie Beldon loop. So I never heard of it and totally missed it. But now it's been re-released (and optioned for film by Paramount), and I was thrilled to get a copy after hearing it pitched at ALA Midwinter.

EARTHSEED by Pamela Sargent (Tor Teen, February 28, 2012)


What did I love about EARTHSEED?

1) Okay, it was written quite a while back, but even with that, it felt fresh. The science and emotions and adventure totally fit into today's young adult market. I'm actually awed at how well the author managed to do that.

2) It's like space and THE HUNGER GAMES all blended into one. These kids are on board a spaceship, but then they need to make sure they can survive on their own. And so they go to this part of the ship where it's like the outdoors. And it's so cool because I got just an amazing sense for how huge this ship had to be for this to happen.

3) The range of emotions these teens go through is vast (even bigger than the ship). Because when it comes right down to it, these are teens even though they have to learn to live on their own. And as teens, they have these crazy thoughts and emotions and do the most impulsive things. Even if you put the science fiction part of this novel aside, these characters are real and worth caring about.

4) Did I mention the author has won both the Nebula and Locus award?

5) A final thing that really makes EARTHSEED stand out among other YA books out there is the diversity. This ship has seeded people from everywhere on Earth, because in starting a new Earth on other planets, all races need to be represented, and I love how simply this is accomplished. Diversity at its best!

In short, I loved this book! EARTHSEED has it all, and the author has crafted a beautiful story of teens discovering who they are while facing the challenges of living in the real world with no one to guide them but themselves.

Highly recommended for girls and boys, seventh grade and up, fans of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, THE HUNGER GAMES, and GLOW.

Source of book: From publisher

From Amazon:

The classic YA science fiction adventure by Nebula and Locus Award–winning author Pamela Sargent

The ship hurtles through space. Deep within its core, it carries the seed of humankind. Launched by the people of a dying Earth over a century ago, its mission is to find a habitable world for the children—fifteen-year-old Zoheret and her shipmates—whom it has created from its genetic banks.

To Zoheret and her shipmates, Ship has been mother, father, and loving teacher, preparing them for their biggest challenge: to survive on their own, on an uninhabited planet, without Ship’s protection. Now that day is almost upon them...but are they ready to leave Ship? Ship devises a test. And suddenly, instincts that have been latent for over a hundred years take over. Zoheret watches as friends become strangers—and enemies. Can Zoheret and her companions overcome the biggest obstacle to the survival of the human race—themselves?

INVISIBLE SUN Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win! This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. And I also have to mention that I am loving Rafflecopter for organizing the entries!

Okay, the winner of

INVISIBLE SUN by David Macinnis Gill (Greenwillow, March 27, 2011)


is...

LEANNESSF!

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And don't forget I'm also giving away
(CLICK HERE TO ENTER!)

THE IRON WITCH by Karen Mahoney (Flux, February 8, 2011)

and its sequel...

THE WOOD QUEEN by Karen Mahoney (Flux, February 8, 2012)

SXSW Panel: Future of Publishing

This Friday...

1) If you will be in the Austin area, and...
2) Are interested in books and publishing,

Don't miss the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, all day Friday, downtown!

And yes, yours truly will be on a panel sponsored by the Texas Book Festival. Please come see me! :)

*****

For a full run-down of what peeps interested in publishing can do during the week of SXSW, check out this article in Publishers Weekly.

To register for the Friday conference or to get more information, check out this link.

*****

Here's the official blurb for the Friday conference as sent out by the Texas Book Festival:

Join us For a Future of Publishing Conference as SXSW Begins

Mini TOC Austin is a one day event of conversation focusing on Austin's thriving publishing, tech, and bookish-arts community.

This conference provides an opportunity for publishing and tech luminaries from Austin and around the globe to share how they are forging ahead in the publishing/tech/content space. The best and brightest of Austin (and SXSW's) art, business, craft, and technology community will be gathered for a day of collaboration and connecting around their shared love of the bookish.

The Festival’s literary director, Clay Smith, will moderate a panel titled “The DI(Almost)Y Author Marketing Platform” with writers Owen Egerton, P.J. Hoover, Jeff Potter, and Amanda Eyre Ward from 11:30am-12:10pm and will participate on a panel with writer Neal Pollack and journalist Ed Nawotka in the “What We Talk about When We Talk about Publishing” panel from 12:50-1:30.

When:
Friday, March 9, 2012 from 9:30am-5:30pm

Where:
St. David's Episcopal Church (map)
301 E. 8th Street
Austin, TX 78701

See you there!

THE IRON WITCH and THE WOOD QUEEN Giveaway

Up for giveaway today are two amazing books by one amazing author!

THE IRON WITCH by Karen Mahoney (Flux, February 8, 2011)

and its sequel...

THE WOOD QUEEN by Karen Mahoney (Flux, February 8, 2012)

I was thrilled to review THE IRON WITCH last year on my blog and for New Age Retailer! (And trust me, it is an awesome book.) Now you can win both THE IRON WITCH and its amazing sequel THE WOOD QUEEN!

From Amazon (for THE IRON WITCH):

When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.

From Amazon (for THE WOOD QUEEN):

"The wood monster is dead. I know this is true because I killed it. And yet my dreams are still full of fear and pain . . ."

To keep her best friend, Navin, from being killed at the hands of vicious wood elves, Donna Underwood stole the elixir of life. Now she’s facing an alchemist tribunal while her mother lies dying, succumbing to the elven curse that shattered her mind. In desperation, Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the fierce and manipulative Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her strange and burgeoning powers to help the wood elves, Aliette will free her mother from the curse. Along with Navin and Xan, the half-fey guy she’s falling for, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother’s life. But some secrets are better left untold.

Source of books: From publisher at ALA Midwinter

ADD THE IRON WITCH TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST.

ADD THE WOOD QUEEN TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST.

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Now for your chance to win both of these amazing books! It's easy! Two things to note...

1) This giveaway is open until 12:01 am on March 17, 2012
2) Contest is US and Canada only!

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

STARTERS by Lissa Price

There are books I enjoy reading, and then there are books I love. I'd been hearing so much hype for this one that I had to move it to the top of the TBR list. And I'm thrilled that once I finished, this wound up in the "books I love" category.

STARTERS by Lissa Price (Delacorte, March 13, 2012)


Okay, you're probably sitting there wondering what makes this book different from other dystopian novels out there. And if this is the case, I'm going to give you five reasons why this should be the book you definitely decide to pick up.

1) I found myself forgetting I was reading. (okay, I know this sounds weird. I'll explain). As a writer, lots of times when I read, I know I am reading. I am not lost in the story. But with STARTERS the writing was super clean. I forgot the fact that I was actually reading a book, and I got lost in the story. I love when this happens. Very nicely done!

2) The characters were worth caring about. The main character, Callie, had already been through losing her parents at the start of the story, but she still had a younger brother to take care of. And yes, there is nothing like younger children in danger to really up the stakes in a story. (but it's not a scary thing, so don't let this dissuade you.)

3) I have to mention to cover. It's so haunting (sort of like in that ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD kind of way). It fits in with YA covers on the market yet is distinct enough to stand out. It does a great job drawing in the casual browser, and the story follows through.

4) The story is unique. First off, it has a great premise, and then, not far into the story at all, came a plot twist I loved. It immediately upped the suspense and was super-well done.

5) This was a story I didn't want to put down. And this was a book I totally want to read the sequel to. I wish I had it sitting in my hands already.

So, in short, STARTERS is highly recommended for fans of DIVERGENT or MATCHED, boys and girls, 7th grade and up. Loved it!

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST RIGHT NOW!

Source of book: From publisher by request on Netgalley

Oh, and I kind of love the book trailer, too!



From Amazon:

In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .

Enjoy!

THE CHRONAL ENGINE Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered! The winner of

THE CHRONAL ENGINE by Greg Leitich Smith (Clarion, March 20, 2012)


is...

JULIE WITT!

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And don't forget I'm also giving away:

INVISIBLE SUN by David Macinnis Gill (Greenwillow, March 27, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

FEATURING: Rachel Coles and PAZUZU'S GIRL!

Today on the blog, I'm excited to feature my author pal, Rachel Coles! You may remember Rachel as I featured her back in September for her book INTO THE RUINS. Now, Rachel is back and ready to tell us about her new book!

PAZUZU'S GIRL by Rachel Coles

Add PAZUZU'S GIRL to your GOODREADS TBR list right now!

From Goodreads:

Morpho Wilson thought her life was difficult enough. Her father is Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian demon of plague and the Southwest wind. As a teenager Morpho struggles against her father, while trying to adjust to high school in a new neighborhood. The family is constantly moving in an attempt to elude Pazuzu’s murderous ex-wife, a demoness known for killing children.

Then something unique happens. A socially-impaired classmate becomes so intrigued by Morpho that he pursues her, despite the mystery surrounding her family and the danger that accompanies it.

But before their romance can grow the demoness tracks Morpho down, and now only needs an ancient artifact called the Tablet of Destiny to complete the destruction of the world. The tablet confers on its owner the ability to control the fate of everything and everyone on earth.

Once the tablet is discovered in the Middle East, the oldest and most powerful gods begin a battle for its possession, with the human population caught in the middle. Morpho, her family, and her new friend must decide, do they escape from the horrifying demoness or fight for their own destiny. How far will Pazuzu go to save his daughter from a hellish fate? Will his banishment from Heaven so many millennia ago end up being a curse...or a blessing?

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AND NOW RACHEL...

Thank you for having me on your blog today to talk about my new novel Pazuzu's Girl! One of the questions that people have asked about the novel was what inspired me to write it, and who were my biggest influences or favorite authors.

Pazuzu's Girl actually started out as an idea for National Novel Writing Month. I'd never heard of NaNoWriMo, and I'd never written a novel before, and so with the encouragement of the critique group that I go to, I got an idea and started writing. Pazuzu's Girl came from a moment of entertainment I got imagining how a demon would handle a teenage daughter, and wondering, as my own young daughter rolled her eyes at me, in a gesture entirely too old for her age, what it will be like when she's a teenager in a few years.

My favorite authors, who I hope have been positive influences on all of my writing, not just the novel are:

Neil Gaiman—for everything he ever wrote
Dan Simmons—for his Hyperion and Endymion novels
David Brin—for his Uplift novels and Kiln People
Terry Pratchett—for his Discworld novels
Ray Bradbury—for Halloween Tree, The Illustrated Man, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The October Country
and last but definitely not least, Clive Barker—for Weaveworld, Everville, Imajica, and the Books of Blood

If you ever get a chance to read any of these books and authors and haven't already, you are missing out. Neil Gaiman is my hero in his ability to create modern myth out of old myths and archetypes, often myths not as well known to the western world. This distinction also goes to Clive Barker. They both have a tremendous ability to send shivers up your spine and use eloquent language to do it. David Brin and Dan Simmons have the unique ability to not only engage in all-encompassing worlds that you can lose yourself in, but worlds and events that are paradigm-changing. Ray Bradbury defined an entire age of science fiction and realistic fantasy with turns of phrase that I still find myself going back and reading over and over thirty years after I first read them. Terry Pratchett's humor is unsurpassed in literature, fantasy or otherwise. These are all my writing heroes, and I hope that I have taken some lessons from them when I wrote Pazuzu's Girl.

*****

Pazuzu's Girl is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Journalstone website. It is available in both paperback and e-book.

If you want to contact me, I can be reached on Facebook at Rachel Bernstein Coles, Twitter at rcoles66, or my website at rachelcoles.wordpress.com

Thank you again to PJ for hosting me! Solstice is an amazing book, and PJ a talented story-teller and creator of myth and I'm honored to be on her site.

*****

Thank you so much, Rachel, for your kind words and for being here today!