Teaser Tuesdays (23)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.


Today's book: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

“ ‘No. No, no, no, no.’ This was not happening. I refused to believe it, but my eyes opened of their own accord. My vision cleared enough to reveal Alona Dare, the Alona Dare, as she probably referred to herself, sitting in my desk chair atop layers of clean laundry, her sleek cheerleader legs drawn up against her chest. She looked paler than usual. Not altogether surprising for someone who was, in fact, dead.” (Page 83)

Here is how it works:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Meet Us At The Crossroads Tour Day 11: Tonya Hurley & GIVEAWAY

1. What inspired you to write Charlotte 's character?

I wanted to write a book that I wish I had in high school. I also wanted to write about the topic of feeling invisible, which is something I think everyone can relate to whether you’re an outcast or popular.


2. What was the first book you read that made you fall in love with reading (past or present writer)?

Where the Wild Things Are. We didn’t have much money and I used to check that book out every week from the school library. At the end of the year, the librarian gave the book to me. I had the book memorized in no time, so I put masking tape over the words and made up my own stories to the illustrations. I still have the book with masking tape over the words on a shelf in my office.


3. What paranormal author are you currently addicted to?

I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to any one paranormal writer.


4. What band or artist currently tops your play list?

Probably Yeah Yeah Yeahs.


5. Do you have any projects you are currently working on that you are able to share? And can you give us a little teaser?

There should be some Ghostgirl news and news on something else coming shortly. Stay tuned.









Tonya was incredibly generous with her swag packs and I was lucky enough to receive a *SIGNED* copy of the third Ghostgirl book: Lovesick! And I’m giving it away to one lucky random commenter from today’s post! Canadian and US addresses only please (I’m shipping it myself and it’s expensive). Sorry to any international people who comment. Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Contest will run until October 31st, 2010 12am EST.







HOW THE TOUR WORKS:

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page, and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween.

Shade by Jeri Smith Ready

Shade:
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.


Jeri Smith Ready has created an incredible and unique world where ghosts are common occurrences for anyone born after the Shift, a mysterious worldwide event that enables people to see and communicate with ghosts. Jeri’s first foray into the young adult genre was very well done with twists and turns that would keep any reader interested. Aura is not just someone born after the Shift, she is more special than even she can comprehend and Zachary has secrets of his own. After Logan’s death, Aura and Zachary become closer and strong feelings develop between them, but Aura is not quite ready to say goodbye to Logan. Because of the Shift ghosts are now able to sue for wrongful death and Logan’s case is supposed to bring him peace, but something goes terribly wrong and Logan becomes lost in his anger and bitterness. Determined to save him, Aura believes that he can change back if she helps him. Zachary is a wonderful guy who is willing to give Aura the space she needs to help Logan and overcome her grief, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book—there are so many mysteries to be unraveled and I’m anticipating the romantic development of Zachary and Aura’s relationship.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (22)

This is a fun weekly meme hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.


Books read last week:
The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore
ALPHA by Rachel Vincent
Shade by Jeri Smith Ready


The book I'm reading now:

Enchanted Ivy:
What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Ash by Malinda Lo
Mortal Sins by Eileen Wilks

Meet Us At The Crossroads Tour Day 10: Lucienne Diver

1. What inspired you to write Gina 's character?

Gina didn’t start out as a heroine. In fact, she was originally inspired by the big-haired girl from high school with the reputation who used to torment my sister. I never know exactly what pops an idea into my head, but one day, out of the blue, I was inspired to torment her back (fictionally, of course) with an eternity of bad hair days. Not only would being vamped and having to dig her own way out of the grave wreak havoc on her manicure, but centuries without tanning options or a reflection with which to check her hair and make-up would be her own personal version of hell. I wrote a short story called “Unlife Style.” I sent it to my writer’s group. They insisted it wanted to be a novel. Thing is, they were right. I guess if you walk around in someone else’s very stylish shoes for a bit, you get to know them—why they are as they appear and who they really are underneath. They grow on you…like a fungus. Gina was just that way. Once I knew who she really was (no longer that girl from high school, but now a persona in her own right), I had to find a way to bring her out. It’s only through adversity that we really discover ourselves and what we’re made of. Death…or unlife, anyway…was like that for Gina.


2. What was the first book you read that made you fall in love with reading (past or present writer)?

It was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I was in and out of the hospital all the time as a kid (severe asthmatic, much like a certain minor character in Vamped). For whatever reason, up until fourth grade, I’d start and stop books, not really feeling compelled to finish. But that year, I was laid up in the hospital, again, and my mother brought The Secret Garden to read to me when she came to visit. She left the book behind when she went home, and I couldn’t stand to wait for the next installment. I had to pick it up and keep reading. I don’t think I put it down again until I hit “The End.” It was all over after that. I’d read two or three books a day. My parents practically had to push me out of the house to insist that I play with other kids. Those in the books were just so interesting.


3. What paranormal author are you currently addicted to?

There’s no way I can pin it down to just one! I work with so many incredibly talented people, that I’d have to list them all. In YA: Rachel Caine, Chloe Neill, Rosemary Clement-Moore. In fantasy: Carol Berg, David B. Coe, Lynn Flewelling, Sarah A. Hoyt, etc. In paranormal romance: Susan Krinard, Marjorie M. Liu, Patti O’Shea, Vickie Taylor, Doranna Durgin, Laurie Brown…. In urban fantasy: Faith Hunter, Diana Pharaoh Francis, DD Barant, S.L. Wright…. I could go on and on!


4. What band or artist currently tops your play list?

It changes depending on my mood. A shuffle of my tunes will find The Indigo Girls, U2, Train, Lisa Loeb, Matchbox Twenty, The Barenaked Ladies, Melissa Etheridge, Jim Croce, Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, Squeeze, Pink, Cheryl Crow, Norah Jones…. Again, the list is nearly endless!


5. Do you have any projects you are currently working on that you are able to share? And can you give us a little teaser?

Next summer, Samhain will release an urban fantasy of mine that got awfully close at the NY houses, but just didn’t quite fit in. I’m really looking forward to it! Here’s a teaser from the opening of the novel, tentatively entitled Bad Blood:

“Stake-out: a mind-numbing, bladder-busting exercise distinguishable from stalking by the ID you’re able to flash when the police come tap-tap-tapping at your Camaro door.”
-Tori Karacis, Karacis Investigations

I needed a shrink and a ladies room — not necessarily in that order.

(Note: the quotes come at the beginning of each chapter, either from Tori herself or from someone else in her incredibly crazy family…. You’ll have to read the book to see what distinguishes their particular band of crazy .)





HOW THE TOUR WORKS:

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page, and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween.

In My Mailbox (27)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi, over at The Story Siren.





Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Alpha by Rachel Vincent

ALPHA:
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE FAYTHE...

The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc, and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder, and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can--that will--change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for.
But life never waits until you're ready.

I had such trouble with the idea of saying goodbye to these incredible characters created by Rachel Vincent, and so I pushed back reading ALPHA for as long as I could possibly stand. Rachel's SHIFTERS series was an incredible journey of self-discovery and learning that to do what is right is not always doing what is easy. Following Faythe throughout the series as she becomes stronger in her abilities to eventually lead her Pride as a confident leader and initiate changes that will take the Shifters world to a whole new unexplored realm of possibilities. And with this--the final book--there never a moment of disappointment. Page-turning and action-packed, I found myself reading long into the night anticipating the next page. The choice Faythe has to make between Marc and Jace is heart-rendering and oft-times I felt my own heart breaking along side hers. The tears I cried with her brought me closer to the story, and I felt there were times I could reach out and touch the characters. Overwhelming responsibility is thrust upon Faythe before she feels she is truly ready, and in a fashion true to herself she proves that with every single ounce of her being she will fight to protect her Pride and for what is right.

Meet Us At The Crossroads Tour Day 9: Amy Brecount White

1. What inspired you to write Laurel 's character?

I wanted to write for the girl I was at her age. Someone who was intelligent and intensely curious, but longing for something more from her life.


2. What was the first book you read that made you fall in love with reading (past or present writer)?

I was a huge fan of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.


3. What paranormal author are you currently addicted to?

Just read Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy and can’t wait to see what happens next. Love the shapeshifter!!

4. What band or artist currently tops your play list?

I love Matt Nathanson’s “Come On Get Higher” and any Dave Matthews Band


5. Do you have any projects you are currently working on that you are able to share?

I just finished a contemporary novel called, String Theories. It’s about a girl who gets in over her head, the physics of relationships, a stream, and getting even.

And can you give us a little teaser? This is a paragraph from the opening scene at Annie’s neighborhood pool.

“Older girls sauntered by us in twos and trios, comfortable in their skin, laughing and flirting with the life guards, making plans that were way more exciting than anything in my future. It felt like there were all these emotions and colors swirling around me, but I was living in black and white.”

HOW THE TOUR WORKS:

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page, and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween.

On My Wishlist (22)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.



Everlasting by Angie Frazier:
Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.




Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley:
Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is. In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.




Don’t Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton:
After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift."
Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco.
Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head... or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger.

Meet Us At The Crossroads Tour: End of Week 1 Swag Giveaway

I hope you are all enjoying the Crossroads Tour; I love all the answers from all the authors! To celebrate the end of week one, I have a bunch of SWAG to giveaway!




In this week’s prize we have:

Ghost and the Goth bookmark (signed)
Everlasting bookmark (signed)
Forget-Her-Nots postcard
13 To Life bookmark (signed)
Under My Skin postcard (signed)
Dreaming Anastasia/Haunted bookmark
Revamped magnet
Hunger button
Everlasting button

Rules for entry:
- Contest runs until October 31st, 2010 12am EST
- Canadian and US addresses only please!
- Leave a comment about your favorite interview I have posted so far, and what was your favorite answer?
- Leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!