Tag Results
263 posts tagged to be released
Book Addict 24-7 Welcomes: Mindy McGinnis!
Welcome to Interview Fridays!
Mindy McGinnis is our featured author this week!
Mindy is the author of one of 2013’s most anticipated young adult novels, Not A Drop to Drink! Mindy’s debut is set to release in late September, and with an original premise and a gorgeous cover, it’s definitely on my to-read list!
Remember to check out Mindy’s links throughout her interview (Change up for this week: the links within her author bio show where to find her!)
Enjoy!
___
Author Bio
“Mindy McGinnis is a YA author and librarian. Her debut, NOT A DROP TO DRINK, is a post-apocalyptic survival tale set in a world where freshwater is almost non-existent, available from Katherine Tegen / Harper Collins September 24, 2013.
She blogs at Writer, Writer Pants on Fire and contributes to the group blogs Book Pregnant, Friday the Thirteeners, From the Write Angle, The Class of 2k13, The Lucky 13s & The League of Extraordinary Writers. You can also find her on Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook.”
Check out Mindy on Goodreads here.
___
Upcoming Books
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Genres: Young adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
“Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.
Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn’t leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.”
Check out Not A Drop to Drink on Goodreads here.
Where to pre-order Not A Drop to Drink:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powells |BAM | Chapters
___
1. Not A Drop To Drink has a pretty interesting theme that touches on the very real fear modern society has of running out of water. Of all the global issues at hand, what attracted you to the topic of decreasing water resources?
“I actually have the boyfriend to thank for the inspiration.
He’s an avid documentary watcher, and he happened to have one rolling called Blue Gold when I was at his place one time. It focused on this topic precisely, and it left me thankful for my own backyard pond.
After seeing the film, I dreamt that night of teaching my little niece how to operate a rifle so she could help me defend our water source. I woke up and told the b/f -
“Hey, I think I wrote a book in my head just now.””
2. Your debut’s cover is stunning! Can you explain to us the process in which that particular cover made it onto your book?
“I have the amazingly talented Erin Ferdinand at Harper to thank for my cover.
It is lovely, and I’m so happy with it. There really wasn’t much of a process. I was asked what ideas I might have, and I gave them a list of things I *didn’t* want - no faces was a big one for me.
I want my readers to see themselves as the characters.
I also didn’t want any ball gowns, but given the topic, I didn’t think that was likely.
My only feedback was that DRINK felt like a very blue / green book, and if we could make that happen it’d be cool. And they came back at me with that, and I said, “Um… good job.””
3. If given the chance, what other global issue would you write about, or feature in a future novel?
“Not sure, honestly.
To me I think water is just THE BIGGEST all pervading thing. We ALL need it. We CAN’T create it. It’s insane to me that more people aren’t freaked out about it, to be honest.”
4. Can you tell us the book that turned you into a young adult fan?
“Ha. No, I honestly can’t.
I’ve been a YA librarian for about ten years so I can’t even begin to answer that. I will say that when I began working as a YA librarian I made the mistake of being a little dismissive of it as an art form. I still thought of it as easily digestible, watered down forms of “real” books. Then I picked up THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO by Patrick Ness and was thrown onto my ass by it.
OK, never mind. I guess I *can* answer the question.”
5. Can you tell us how you planned Not A Drop To Drink when you first came up with the idea?
“I’m a complete pantster. I just start typing.
I know generally where things are going to go, but I just let the story happen. DRINK totally just fell out of my head. I know that’s really attractive, but that’s pretty much what happened.”
6. There are a lot of fantastic debuts coming out in 2013, how does it feel to be part of such a fun and exciting year?
“It’s pretty awesome.
I’m a member of three groups that are all 13 debuts - The Lucky 13s, Friday the Thirteeners, and The Class of 2k13 - and they’re populated by wildly talented (and highly entertaining) people.
As a lifelong reader and complete book geek, I’ve been having the best time going into book stores and airily declaring, “Yeah, I know her. And her. And him. And her. And oh yeah… that person? We totally tweet.””
7. The publishing world is growing and expanding beyond the conventional forms of publishing (i.e. physical vs digital)—do you have any specific opinions on how this change in publishing might affect your writing career? Do you think it is an exciting change, or do you think that the publishing world has a risky future ahead?
“Personally I’m a paper person.
I like holding a book. I do use an iPad to read occasionally, but mostly I like paper. However I know plenty of people that love e-books, and who cares what the medium is? Audiobook, hardcover, paperback, e-book - whatever! It’s still a story being delivered to someone in THEIR preferred manner. So more power to them. I’ll give it to them however they want it.”
8. Can you share three of the most important things a writer needs to remember when sending out query letters and finished manuscripts to agents and/or publishers?
“1) You’re not perfect.
You did not just write the best thing ever written. Seriously, if I’d not been so ridiculously self-inflated and refused to look for critique partners, I probably could’ve been published a lot sooner. Instead I was convinced of my genius and stuck in the query trenches for a decade.
2) Subjectivity.
It never ends. At every level there will be people that don’t like your book. There will be agents that don’t like your book. There will be editors that don’t like your book. There will also be people that love your book, AN agent that loves your book and AN editor that loves your book. Now, the thing to remember here is that if YOUR MOM doesn’t like your book, you are totally back at square one and need to rethink everything.
3) Homework.
Do it. Know your market. Know your agents. Know what you’re doing and be professional.”
9. What are some of your favourite genres and books in the young adult age group, and which genres do you think will gain more popularity in the future?
“I like a fresh dystopian or post-apoc, I lean towards post-apoc.
I declare that straight, hard-core SciFi will be the next thing to blow big. At least I hope so.
Also, I’d love to read some great, non-creature, straight-up ghost stories.”
10. What do you think is the biggest global issue that we, as consumers, should keep an eye on (besides the depleting sources of water)?
“Nope. Water. It is everything. Without it, we are so stinkin’ dead.”
___
Thank you for stopping by, Mindy!
I hope you guys enjoyed this week’s interview! Check back next Friday for another awesome interview!
Happy reading!
Cover Reveal: Becoming A Legend by B. Kristin McMichael!
Cover designed by Ravven!
Becoming A Legend by B. Kristin McMichael
Publication date: June 6th, 2013
Series: The Blue Eyes Trilogy, #2
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
“Arianna Grace is about to turn seventeen and her life has been very complicated lately. She is the leader of four clans of night humans: dearg-dul, baku, tengu, and lycan. While the four clans seem to get along better with each other, there is internal conflict on both sides of her family, not to mention the three boys vying for her attention.
Edward Lucan is making a chase for the power to lead the baku clans and is playing his cards by using his nephew Andrew to lure Arianna into a trap. Unfortunately for Lucan, Andrew has his own plans. He has spent the last year waiting for Arianna to see him as more than a friend, and he now finds it necessary to make a move for her affection, despite his uncle.
In the dearg-dul estate, Arianna discovers that the ambitious Lord Seeger has been laying his own strategies for power and is slowly poisoning her. After getting away with her grandfather’s murder, he is setting his sights on her. Luckily for Arianna, her team is on to all of the plans and is making some plans of their own. Will it be enough to keep Arianna safe? Several people close to Arianna have been keeping secrets. If Arianna is to take power and control of the night, she will need to know the truth. Will someone finally tell her what it truly means to become the legend everyone is waiting for, before it is too late to turn back?”
Check out Becoming a Legend on Goodreads here.
___
Check out book 1, The Legend of the Blue Eyes on Goodreads here.
___
Author Bio
“Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats.
When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in Biology working as a scientist. In her free time she is hard at work on multiple novels; as each day passes, she has more ideas for both current and future novels.”
Find B. Kristin on the web:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
___
Happy reading!
Backward Glass by David Lomax
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Genres: Young adult, Sci-Fi, Thriller
“Crack your head, knock you dead, then Prince Harming’s hunger’s fed.
It’s 1977, and Kenny Maxwell is dreading the move away from his friends. But then, behind the walls of his family’s new falling-apart Victorian home, he finds something incredible—a mummified baby and a note: “Help me make it not happen, Kenny. Help me stop him.”
Shortly afterwards, a beautiful girl named Luka shows up. She introduces Kenny to the backward glass, a mirror that allows them to travel through time. Meeting other “mirror kids” in the past and future is exciting, but there’s also danger. The urban legend of Prince Harming, who kidnaps and kills children, is true—and he’s hunting them. When Kenny gets stranded in the past, he must find the courage to answer a call for help, change the fate of a baby—and confront his own destiny.”
Check out Backward Glass on Goodreads here.
Happy reading!
(Can I just say how awesome this looks?)
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Genres: Young adult, thriller, horror, photography
“Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it’s a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.
As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it’s no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux’s teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.”
Check out Asylum on Goodreads here.
Happy reading!
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Genres: Young adult, dystopian, sci-fi
“Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?
In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:
Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.
Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound’s underground fortress—the Silo.
Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she’d rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.”
Check out Gated on Goodreads here.
Happy reading!
Cover Reveal+Giveaway: Maverick by Anna Cruise!
This sexy cover was created by MaeIDesign!
Maverick by Anna Cruise
Publication date: May 21st 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
“Kellen Handler is in deep.
Ever since he can remember, he’s wanted to be a professional surfer. And he made it, rising to the top of the ranks, traveling the world and riding every break he’s ever dreamed of. His good looks and reputation for living on the edge—both in and out of the water—have made him an international superstar. But when his best friend dies in a tragic accident, Kellen wipes out big time, spiraling so badly that everything he’s worked for starts to disintegrate.
Tour officials scramble to do damage control and demand he work with a public relations company to clean up his bad boy image. It doesn’t help that the person assigned to him, Gina Bellori, has her own demons associated with the surfing world.
Against her better judgement Gina accepts the job and concentrates on repairing Kellen’s tattered reputation, despite his protests and despite the pain it causes her. With her past colliding with her present—and Kellen in the thick of it—she begins to realize that some secrets can’t stay hidden.
And suddenly, Kellen Handler is no longer worried about losing his career.
He’s more worried about losing his heart.”
Check out Maverick on Goodreads here.
Enter the Giveaway!
What you can win:
$20 Giftcard for Amazon! (Open Internationally!)
____
Author Bio:
“Anna Cruise has been writing and drooling over boys since middle school. Lots of years have passed but some things never change…
It Was You is her debut novel. She is currently at work on two Young Adult novels and two additional New Adult titles (including Tana’s story!)”
Find Anna on the web:
____
Happy reading!
Some of the awesome May 2013 releases!
Check out the rest on Riffle here.
What is Riffle?
Riffle is a new website that helps you organize books you’ve read, are planning to read, and books you’d recommend to your friends on Riffle! You can also create lists featuring specific lists of books for others!
You can ask for an invite here.
Happy reading!
Cover Reveal: Unspoken by Camille Dixon!
(Gorgeous and sexy cover for a very, very promising novel!)
Unspoken by Camille Dixon
Publication date: May 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
“Jaxon Michaels is every father’s worst nightmare for his teenage daughter, but Clarice Gibson knows him better than anyone. Best friends since the sixth grade, Clare and Jax have walked the fine line of friendship for six years.
But when Clarice’s friend Jessica starts dating Jax, Clare finds herself starting to notice him in a different way, one she’s not entirely prepared to face. As their senior year approaches and her true feelings are unburied, Clare begins asking herself the one question she vowed never to think about: What if she’s in love with her best friend? Their friendship is further strained when the captain of the football team - and Jessica’s twin brother - sets his eyes on Clare. As loyalties and friendships are tested, Clare and Jax find it harder to keep themselves firmly planted on the friends side of the relationship line.
A line they are getting dangerously close to crossing.”
Check out Unspoken on Goodreads here.
________
Author Bio:
“I’m a Southern girl who’s spent the last few years freezing my toosh off up north. Except for the snow, things are pretty good. I love sunshine, sweet tea, and romances that touch my heart. A lifelong romantic, I found my own prince charming at an online dating site. Six months later, he asked me to marry him. Picture Perfect is my debut novel.”
Find Camille on the web:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
________
Happy reading!
The Oathbreaker’s Shadow, Amy McCulloch
Release Date: June 6th, 2013
Genres: Young adult, fantasy, adventure
“Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all—not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.
A gripping YA action-adventure fantasy, the first part of a planned duology.”
Check it out on Goodreads here.
Happy reading!
Review: Sketchy by Olivia Samms (3/5 Stars)
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Author Info: Website
Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 238
Format: Advance Reading Copy
Source: NetGalley
ISBN: 147781650X
Rating: 
“A popular cheerleader—raped, beaten, and left for dead. An edgy outsider with a gift. Can they team up to catch a killer?
Bea’s life has been a mess ever since she got kicked out of private school and sent to rehab. Now clean, Bea is starting over at Packard High School, in a city shaken from two assaults on young women. The latest victim, Willa Pressman—the one who survived—doesn’t remember a thing. But Bea has a disturbing new “skill”: she can see—and then draw—images from other people’s minds. And when she looks at Willa, Bea is shocked by what she sketches.
Bea might be the only one who knows Willa’s secrets—and who can take down the killer before he strikes again.”
Check out Sketchy on Goodreads here.
Sketchy by Olivia Samms has a pretty cool concept: former drug-abuser has the quirky, but eerie, ability to draw whatever crosses a person’s mind. The mystery is disturbing and the fear is palpable, while the characters are unique and witty—despite the morbid content of the novel. Samms’s debut is a potentially powerful read that lacks strong dialogue, but makes up for it with an edgy premise.
Cover Reveal: Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman!
This gorgeous cover was designed by Steven Novak!
Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman
Series: Forever First #1
Release Date: June, 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
“Maddie Martin’s first weekend at college is nothing like she’s used to. It’s wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a frat party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she’s loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents.
Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle’s face.
Until it doesn’t.
Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Graduation Gala. Doing so means she’ll be assured another full ride scholarship. It’s an opportunity she can’t pass up.
But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing.
Days and months of seclusion - just the two of them. And it’s more than just music. It’s passion like Maddie never believed was possible.
The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again.
But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree?
And maybe it’s all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.”
Check out Touching Melody on Goodreads here.
______
Author Bio:
“RASHELLE WORKMAN lives on a mountain with her husband, three children, and three dogs. From her back porch she can see the city lights and imagine… She’s the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series (Sleeping Roses is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series.”
Find RaShelle on the web:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
______
Happy reading!
Review: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein (4/5 Stars)
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Author Info: Website
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Advance Reading Copy
Source: Edelweiss
ISBN: 0062130145
Rating: 
“No one crosses the wall of light … except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?”
Check out Arclight on Goodreads here.
Josin L. McQuein’s Arclight is a creepy, but very cool young adult novel. McQuein’s debut is teeming with individual stories begging to be told, as well as a mystery that pulses with a life of its own. Basically, who is Marina? We are plagued with this question for the majority of the novel as we follow Marina, the protagonist, and the other characters on her quest to self-discovery.
But the creepy tone of the novel is what will surely capture the reader’s attention. McQuein takes the common fear of the dark and twists it into her own horrifying perfection. She does not simply create monsters who lurk in the dark, she creates creatures who are made of the dark and so much more—giving them the disturbing ability to blend in with nearly anything.
Currently reading book (okay, novella) 49 of my #50bookpledge: Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer!
“Too many secrets. Not enough time.
Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.
But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.
His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.
He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.”
Check out Breathless on Goodreads here.
I love this series, so I’m excited for this one!!
Happy reading!
p.s. What are you reading?
Books coming out this week:
- Taken by Erin Bowman
- True (Elixir, 3) by Hilary Duff
- The Grass is Always Greener (Belles, 3) by Jen Calonita
- Game (Jasper Dent, 2) by Barry Lyga
- Furious by Jill Wolfson
- Dead Silence (The Body Finder, 4) by Kimberly Derting
- Breath (Riders of the Apocalypse, 4) by Jackie Morse Kessler
Source: The Story Siren
Happy reading!
Book Blitz: Volition by Lee Strauss!
Volition (Perception Series) by Lee Strauss
Expected Pub: April 16, 2013
“What doesn’t kill you…
Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.
They’re in love.
Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.
Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.
And their fight for survival has only begun.”
Check out Volition on Goodreads here.
Buy Volition on the web:
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Smashword
Bonus: Perception, the first in the series, is FREE on Amazon!!
Check it out here.
_____
Author Bio:
“I write YA time travel and merfolk chic-lit. I’m a married mom of four, and live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, famous for beaches and vineyards. I’m fond of Lindt’s sea salt dark chocolate and hiking in good weather.I write mature historical and sci-fi YA under the name LEE Strauss.”
Find Lee on the web:
_____
Happy reading!
