Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham - Book Blast - Win 50 Dollars to Amazon

Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham

Publication Date: June 12, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

1 Concert

2,000 Miles

3 Ex-Best Friends

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends. Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3. But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books. Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show. Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

Winner of the 2011 SCBWI Book Launch Award

Add it on Goodreads, and order it on Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Praise: 

Hilary Weisman Graham's debut is a fun, bubbly and heartwarming coming-of-age story of friendship, love, and ultimately, finding yourself and being true to who you are --- no matter what. It's one of those books that has a little bit of everything, for everyone... one of my favorite YA Contemporary reads of 2012 so far! ~The Teen Book Guru

What an amazingly written book! Graham has done the very difficult job of capturing the distinct voices of three very different girls. ~Author Katie McGarry

This book has it all: wit, great prose, lots of true-to-life teenage angst, rock stars, and a terrific plot. I can't wait to see the movie version! ~Author Lee Harrington

The ultimate road-trip, friendship ride! Made me want to hop into the car with some of my friends and head cross-country. Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are unique, well-developed, and likable characters. I enjoy this book a lot. ~Author Colleen Clayton

About the author:

Hilary Weisman Graham is a screenwriter, Emmy-nominated TV producer, filmmaker, and the author of Reunited (Simon & Schuster – June 12, 2012), her debut young adult novel.

In 2007, Hilary was selected as a contestant on the Mark Burnett/Steven Spielberg-produced reality series On the Lot: The Search for America’s Next Great Director. Out of a pool of 12,000 submissions, Hilary made it onto the show as one of the eighteen finalists and stayed in the competition until only nine contestants remained, making her the longest-standing female director.

Among Hilary’s many film-related honors, her personal favorite happened on On the Lot, when Carrie Fisher (best-selling author/screenwriter/Princess Leia) watched one of Hilary’s short films, looked her in the eye, and said, “I am jealous of your writing.”

Hilary lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband and son, but still manages to do business Hollywood and is currently at work on a screenplay for The Disney Channel.

You can find out more about Hilary Weisman Graham on her website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter.


Giveaway Details:
$50 Amazon.com Gift Card
Ends 6/12/12

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Knee Deep by Jolene Perry - Guest Post & Excerpt

Knee Deep by Jolene Perry

May 1, 2012 by Tribute Books 

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.

Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.

Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.

Add it on Goodreads, or buy it on Amazon or Smashwords.

Guest Post by Jolene Perry:
Sometimes a story is more personal than you expect it to be.

I read an article in an online newspaper that talked about the YA books coming out that year which dealt with abusive relationships.

I'd part mapped one out a while back, and thought maybe I'd work on it - all evidence that the market had just gotten an influx of them didn't sway me the way it should have…

The more I wrote in the story, the more personal it became.

I was not ever hit by my boyfriend in high school. He never screamed and yelled at me - though I heard him trashing his room a few times when I left after an argument, and he didn't hesitate to show me when he was pissed about something.

He'd pick fights with me over the phone and hang up, knowing it meant I'd sneak out to "straighten things out."

There was one really horrible night with him that I'd blocked from my mind for a long time, that I remembered when I was writing, so I used it.

I see these cases my husband talks about with women who are beaten and bruised and making up excuses and going back over and over. One ended in murder a couple of weeks ago. A case my husband will be prosecuting when it goes to trial.

The abuse story I told is nowhere near that dramatic, but so much of Ronnie's story was mine. WAY more than I realized while I was writing it. When I got to the end, and started writing down the parts of her story that were real (I always do this for my author site), I realized more and more how much of me was in that girl.

I stared at my computer screen in shock.

I had one of my best friends, who was a guy, who I shared more with than I probably did to most of my girlfriends - (like Luke from Knee Deep) and a boyfriend I'd known since I was a kid (like Shawn from Knee Deep) And I felt this draw to my boyfriend, only because I'd known him for so long, not because we really had anything left in common.

I felt more like I was stuck in this relationship, and didn't even realize I didn't want to be there until I visited a friend in college and saw how much more LIFE was out there. It was just that the idea of this one person had been in my head for way too long.

And where did I end up? Married to the best friend.

People talk about writing what you know, and then talk about keeping yourself out of your books. But you know what? I KNEW that situation - and I know I'll get some bad reviews (like you always do - ESPECIALLY when you tackle a tough topic) that are going to say that Ronnie's actions weren't believable.

But here's the thing - I told her story, the best way I knew how. Ronnie's reactions with pieces of my truth. And there are some drastic differences, but there are also some startling similarities. So, to me, Ronnie's actions were completely and totally understandable.

And that's the story of how Knee Deep came to be.

Excerpt:

My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls. “In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different. Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea? Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except...I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me knew it was weird that Luke was here without Shawn. I thought it, and did nothing. But again, it is just Luke. “What’re you doing here?” Shawn asks. His dark eyes fix on Luke. “I figured you’d be here, man.” Luke stands up. “It’s like we always ditch together, right?” Romeo and Juliet kissing in the pool on the TV screen probably isn’t helping anything. Maybe Shawn won’t notice, or maybe it’s just sending my heart into crazy flutters because this tension between Shawn and Luke and, I guess, me, is happening during the most romantic scene of the movie. “Uh, I don’t know.” Shawn’s still scowling, his brows pulled low and his jaw tight. “You would’ve hated it,” I say. My eyes catch his, but his are as black as his mood seems to be. I’m so stupid. Why did I have to let Luke stay? “Yeah, maybe.” Shawn’s narrowed eyes go from Luke to me, back and forth, as if judging the situation. Really? What did he think could possibly happen between Luke and I? Even if this is suddenly on my top three ‘most awkward moments’ ever. I can’t even think about what the other two might be. Maybe I’ve just found number one. “Romeo and Juliet all day.” Luke laughs, but I know him well enough to see he’s trying really hard to be relaxed. His shoulders are too stiff, and his normal stance is too rigid. I wonder if Shawn sees it too. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Luke’s trying hard to keep his voice light. “Yeah.” Shawn has yet to return Luke’s smile. “I almost never see my girl anymore.” It’s like I’m on the edge of my seat, tension pinpricking every part of me. I’ve never seen Shawn like this. “Well, I should get my ass to rehearsal anyway.” Luke gives Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading outside. I don’t watch him go. My eyes are on Shawn, trying to figure out what to expect next. “What the hell was that?” His sharp gaze is now pointed directly at me. I stand up and lean to the side, trying to be relaxed. “It didn’t seem like a big deal this morning.” Maybe if I play it off as nothing Shawn won’t be so mad. He knows Luke and I are friends. No big deal, I tell myself again. But I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or Shawn. “Was he here when we were texting?” he asks. His voice may be low, but not in a good way. It’s low in a way that makes him sound like he’s past the edge of reasonable anger. My body’s screaming for me to take a step back, which makes no sense. This is Shawn. My Shawn. “No.” But I’m weakening by the second, almost shaking inside. His jaw tightens again. My eyes close as I remember, and dread fills my chest. “He got here as I sent my last one.” Is that bad? Good? “And you didn’t think to tell me? What the hell is that?” I jump at the sharpness of his voice. Shawn doesn’t need this stress. I know this. I reach forward to put my arms around him. We just need to hold one another for a minute, then it’ll all be fine. He stops me, grabbing my arm—hard—just above my wrist. “This is not okay.” His jaw is set. “Hey.” My voice shakes. My body shakes. I’m actually scared of Shawn for the first time ever. I jerk my hand once, but he tightens his grip...impossibly tight. My lungs can’t pull in a breath; there’s just not enough air in the room anymore. “Shawn, you’re hurting me.” He can’t mean to hurt me. He can’t. His face is stuck in a sharp scowl. “He’s your friend.” My voice is crying. I want to try and pull my shaky arm out of his grasp again, but I’m afraid to; he’s squeezing so hard. Tears are hot against the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over. “How would you feel if I spent all day with some chick?” The words come out as angry spit from between his teeth. I open my mouth to answer but can’t, the lump in my throat has taken over. All I can think about is that I need to find something to say so he’ll let me go. Some way to get the air through my throat to form words. “It’s just Luke,” I plead, sucking in a breath. “Whatever.” He throws my arm back at me, turns, and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind him. My body jumps at the sound. I stumble backward onto the couch. I’m like a leaf battered about in the wind. Nothing’s working right. I need to sit. Normally I’d run after him, but I have no idea what to expect. And I’m afraid. Of Shawn. He’s never been that way before. Ever. He’s moody and particular, but this seems...extreme. I’m cradling my wrist with my other hand, afraid to look at any possible damage. It hurts to move it. What just happened here? How did it happen? It’s like there suddenly must be something fundamentally wrong with the universe. But the TV’s still on. My house looks normal and quiet. I’m still breathing, but Shawn, my Shawn, just hurt me. Lying down seems so anti-climactic, but I can’t bring myself to do anything else. When Juliet realizes Romeo’s dying the sobs take over, and I pull my knees to my chest as if making myself smaller will somehow dull the pain. It doesn’t.

About the author:

Jolene Perry grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.

After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.

She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.

Find out more on Jolene Perry's website and the Knee Deep website.

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday - Review from a Tween

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

October 11, 2011 by HarperTeen 

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim. 

Review by Taylor: 

I expected Deadly Cool to be a light murder mystery. Was I wrong? Yes, very. Deadly Cool had that action, that mystery and suspense, and a touch of romance with I really loved. 

So, lets start off with the characters. Hartley Grace Featherstone is our protagonist. At first, she did seem very annoying and whiny. When I got about 20 pages in, I knew why and I didn't care that she acted like that. Hartley was very outgoing, caring, and I guess you could say she was kind of sympathetic. No matter what happened around her or to her, she was always trying to figure out why. 

Chase reminded me of that boy next door even though she thought of talked about her ex-boyfriend in that way. He was always there for Hartley and when she brought up something that had been discussed with Shiloh, he didn't go crazy like a Jack Russell on Red Bull but he did get kind of angry.

Now, the plot and writing style. We of course follow Hartley, your average high school girl, except for a little thing. She keeps coming across dead bodies of her fellow classmates. When Courtney Cline is murdered, and Hartley finds her in her ex boyfriend's closet, she sets out to find out who did it and why. She was like a teenage Nancy Drew and I know it said that in the book but I automatically thought of Nancy Drew within the first 30 pages.

The writing style was one that I don't come across very often. I was immediately sucked in and I might, just might, have stayed up a little past my bedtime reading this. I very rarely do that so that proves something.

Overall, Deadly Cool was something I was not expecting and I am going to keep enjoying Gemma's writing style until she quits writing. If you want a quick, action packed book with a bit of romance, Deadly Cool is the book for you.

About the author:

Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer.

Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.

Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.

Find out more at GemmaHalliday.com. 

About the guest reviewer, Taylor: I am 12 years old and obviously love reading. I remember when I was really young and my mom would always read me a bedtime story and I knew every one word for word. I first started reading YA in fifth grade when I read 'Someone Like You' by Sarah Dessen. That is still my favorite book to this day.

The Destiny of Shaitan by Laxmi Hariharan - Win an Amazon Gift Card

The Destiny of Shaitan 
by Laxmi Hariharan

Kindle bestseller The Destiny of Shaitan is a delicious blend of gods & humans, sacred & profane; a gripping ride offering a glimpse into your own power. Partially set in a futuristic Bombay, this coming of age story is painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world. When Tiina accompanies Yudi on a mission to save the universe from the ruthless Shaitan, she seeks more than the end of the tyrant; she seeks herself. Driven by greed and fear for his own survival, Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying everything in his path. Tiina wants Yudi to destroy Shaitan, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Shaitan being killed by his son. But she finds that Yudi is hesitant to do so. The final showdown between Tiina, Yudi, and Shaitan has unexpected consequences, for Shaitan will do anything in his power to win the fight. The stakes are high and the combatants determined. Will Shaitan's ultimate destiny be fulfilled?

Add it on Goodreads, or buy from Amazon.

Praise for The Destiny of Shaitan:
“Rarely is the Indian view of the world set in the far future, the land of science fiction, which almost exclusively seems to be the domain of the Western World. How refreshing it therefore is to read Laxmi Hariharan's coming of age drama partially set in a post-apocalyptic Bombay. A must read!!”
– Cary Rajinder Sawhney, Creative & Executive Director, London Indian Film Festival. 

“A delicious blend of gods and humans, sacred and profane; an enlightening spiritual journey entertainingly disguised as Sci-Fi. It will take you on a gripping ride, catapulting you into a world that gives you more than a glimpse of your own power and potential. Let this author show you where we can all be headed when we get out of our heads and limitations and into a richer and deeper place, the expansive world of imagination."
- Pippa Merivale, Author of Rescued by Angels & Harps of Gold, pioneer Colour Therapy, Founder Metatronic Healing System.

"The Destiny of Shaitan is mind-blowing, dark, humorous, and clever. It took me on a powerful journey inwards, which was a surprise, as I'm not generally drawn to Sci-Fi or Fantasy. I love the scene where the planet is covered with water and Yudi rescues Tiina. It's core message is unity. I believe it will appeal to people across all ages."
- Sonia Ducie Dip.CSN.AIN, Numerologist, Author of eleven Numerology books.

About the author:

Laxmi Hariharan was born in India. She lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and is now based in London. She has written for various publications including The Times of India, The Independent, and Asian Age. She is inspired by Indian mythology. This chai-swigging, technophile enjoys long walks in the woods and growing eye catching flowers. The Destiny of Shaitan is her debut novel.

You can find out more about Laxmi on laxmihariharan.com, Twitter and Facebook.

Giveaway: 

There will be two winners! One winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, and one winner will receive an eBook of The Destiny of Shaitan. 

How to enter:

Answer the following question: Which futuristic city is The Destiny of Shaitan partially set in?

Giveaway Details:
Giveaway is open internationally. This giveaway will run until midnight EST on June 17th. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen using Random.org. Winners will be emailed, and this blog post will be updated to include the names of the winners. Winners have 3 days to contact me or a new winner will be selected.

Sorry! This giveaway is now over.

Winners:
Karen A. - $10 Amazon gift card
April H. - The Destiny of Shaitan

Let's Talk About Sex...in YA Books

Sexual Content in YA Books - 
Appropriate or Not?

Guest post by Deb Hanrahan

According to Wikipedia, the Young Adult genre is defined as books written, published, and marketed to adolescents and young adults. The Young Adult Library Service of the American Library Association defines a young adult as someone between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Most of us probably agree with this definition. So with that in mind, I have to ask; does sex have a place in YA books?

There is a huge difference between a twelve-year-old and an eighteen-year-old. And what about the adults who enjoy the YA genre? Should their interests and life experience be considered when asking this question? Literature featuring pre-teens and teenagers has been around for a very long time and has often been the target of controversy. Book like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Catcher in the Rye, and even Harry Potter have raised the eyebrows of some adults intent on protecting children. It seems to me that books are held to a higher standard than other forms of entertainment. After all, many parents are fine with their pre-teens watching shows like Family Guy or seeing a movie like Jackass, so why all this complaining about inappropriate content in books?

I must admit that as a parent of three teens I’ve fallen into this trap myself. When my son was a high school sophomore, he was required to read American Rust by Philipp Meyer for his summer reading. In mid-July, I received a frantic call from another parent who was concerned about the amount of sex in this book. (Because of my son’s age, I don’t screen his books. Plus, he reads much more than I read; I can’t keep up.) I checked out the offending scenes, and they were quite explicit. I was surprised that this was required school reading. Ironically, my son thought the sex scenes were stupid and unnecessary. He felt as if he was being pandered to. I let him finish the book (the other parent did not let her son continue reading it), but then I thought what if my younger daughter got her hands on this book? I would not be happy. Even though she fell under the same YA umbrella as her slightly older brother and should have been able to read it if she wanted to read it, I didn’t want her to read it.

As a YA author, I keep this incident in the front of my mind when I write a love scene. Maybe the intended audience for a book is older teens, but what if a ten-year-old picks it up. Would I be proud of what I exposed that kid to? Sure sex is everywhere, but do I want to contribute? But what if an explicit sex scene is truly necessary to either the plot and/or character development? Then I think that scene should be written in the most conservative manner possible, and the back cover should indicate the presence of sexual content (or strong language, or excessive violence.) YA writers are responsible for what they put into a young mind.

I know some think a rating system is censorship; I don’t. Parents can’t read everything their teens read just as they can’t monitor every video game they play or every TV show they watch. I’m all for making things a little easier for parents. Yes, teens want to be challenged, and they want books to be realistic. However, I believe this can be accomplished without writing an instruction manual. Every little detail doesn’t need to be spelled out. My girls (thirteen and sixteen) prefer romance without all the icky stuff anyway.

So what do you think? Should YA books contain sexual content? If yes, should there be some sort of rating system in place?

About the author:
Deb Hanrahan lives with her husband and three teenagers in the Chicagoland burbs. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Chemistry, she worked at a nuclear power plant for five years. Deb then left her career to stay at home with her three kids.

Seemingly, overnight, she went from being crazy-busy to having way too much time on her hands. With her husband working long hours and her kids pursuing their own lives, she had to reinvent herself. So, she decided to write that book she always wanted to write. Changing My Wardrobe is her first novel.

Find out more about Deb Hanrahan on her website.

I am featuring a guest post about a publishing/book related topic each Friday. If you are interested in writing a guest post, please contact me.

Last week, our topic was Why Do Indie Writers Need Editors? by Valerie Douglas, and the week before that was Indie Authors are on the Wrong Side of the Tracks by Darian Wilk.