Early IN THE AFTER feedback

I recently added a "reviews" tab to the blog. Soon they'll be reviews from all kinds of sources, but right now it's early reader reviews on Goodreads! These are all for my Uncorrected Advanced Copies. Take a look. So far so good!

I'm also lucky enough to read a ton of ARCs for other authors debuting in 2013. Over the next few weeks I'll be highlighting these, which include Ya Contemporary, Sci-fi, & Paranormal, each with a dash of something special. So check back Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays over the next few weeks to find out about these soon to be available books!

I know it's Wednesday, so any 2013 debuts people are waiting on?

 

ARC Spotlight – The S-WORD by Chelsea Pitcher

 

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

 
Recommended for fans of: Edgy YA Contemporary

THE S-WORD deals with a lot of issues including suicide, homosexuality, sex, bullying, and unequal gender perceptions (like how a girl will be called a slut while a guy will be called a stud). I love how complicated the characters are, just like in real life, these teens were not cookie cutter versions of a teen. They had problems, but each character had their own set of problems, some of which overlapped. I applaud Pitcher’s ability to give each character depth.

Angie, the MC is a mess, but understandably so. Her pain feels real as you experience life after Lizzie with her. She’s not always sympathetic, but she’s not meant to be. She’s a person who has to deal with a lot and somehow comes out in the end better for it.

THE S-WORD is available now for pre-order and will be release May 7^th.

 

IN THE AFTER ARC Giveaway

 

 Want to win an IN THE AFTER advanced copy? Of course you do! Luckily there’s a giveaway going on now at YA Books Central. Not only could you win a copy of my book, but also a copy of ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by my awesome Harper Teen buddy, Kate Karyus Quinn.





Click the link and check it out!

2012 Faves!

I read a lot of  great books in 2012, though I have to admit I read more 2013 ARCs than anything else. But now I’ve got an awesome new e-reader and I need some books to fill it up! So help me out…

 

What were your favorite books of 2012?

 

Here are a few of mine...

 

 

ARC Spotlight – THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR by Mindee Arnett

 

 

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Recommended for fans of: YA Paranormal with a dash of Romance

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR is a very unique take on a “paranormal school” theme. I really loved the world-building in this book. Everything feels very real…from Arkwell Academy to the dreams that Dusty and Eli share. Information unfolds naturally, putting you right in the various scenes. Sometimes stories with various kinds of magical beings bog you down with too much info, or frustrate you with too little, but this book walked the line perfectly. I also liked the way the mystery unfolds, it keeps you guessing…and turning the pages.

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR is now available for pre-order and releases March 5^th.

 

THE CADET OF TILDOR Release Tomorrow!

So the very first Class of 2K13 author to release this year is Alex Lidell, with her YA fantasy, the CADET OF TILDOR!

Here's a review I wrote a while back after reading an advanced copy:

This is the best fantasy novel I’ve read in a while. It has all the things you’d expect from a good fantasy, mages, sword fights, royal intrigue, and plenty of plot twists. It also has a kick-ass MC, Renee. What sets it apart for me is that Renee has flaws, which makes her relatable to the reader. In the beginning of the book, she’s stubborn and willful and only sees the world in black and white. This allows for her character to grow through the book, giving her depth. She never loses her willfulness, but begins to see the complexities of her situation and begins to understand that not everything is black and white. I love when an MC not only goes on a journey, but also grows as a character.

I also found the lack of romance refreshing. That’s not to say the Renee isn’t attracted to good looking men (she is sixteen after all) but the plot doesn’t fall into the all too common YA romance formula. I also like how Renee wants to be treated like her male counterparts, and ultimately is, including being trained, bruised, and battered.

 

If you want to check out more reviews, THE CADET OF TILDOR is on Goodreads. You can also enter to win a giveaway!

 

THE CADET OF TILDOR releases tomorrow, Jan 10th!

 

 

Woohoo 2013!

So 2012 was pretty awesome. I finished writing IN THE AFTER, wrote a first draft of book 2, plotted out a 1.5 novella, joined two awesome writers groups, and in non-author related stuff, got married!

But 2013 should be twice as great. My book is out June 25^th and I don’t think anything can beat that (ummm…don’t tell my husband I said that J )

As a debut author, I get to read a lot of ARCs…books that won’t hit the shelf until later this year and a few that will be out very soon (more on that on Wednesday.) So I can’t really do a looking forward to debut list, because I’ve read so many I was looking forward to.

A few new books in a series that I’m psyched for are:

 

 

What books are you looking forward to in 2013?