Cover Reveal - Empowerment: Fight Like A Girl

We are excited to announce a cover reveal for Sacrifice (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3)! 

Not only will you get the chance to read an awesome book, but all the profits from its sale will be going to a great cause to help solve the cruel mystery of lupus - the Lupus Foundation of America (www.lupus.org).  May is Lupus Awareness Month, so it's no accident the publication date is on May 1. 

Title: "Empower: Fight Like A Girl"
Genre: Anthology of short stories ranging from crime mysteries to paranormal thrillers
Publisher: Words Empower Media
Release date: May 1, 2014



“Women of TV have united against lupus! Presenting "Empower: Fight Like A Girl", a special collection of short stories by top women writers from some of your favorite shows, including: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Family Guy, Person of Interest, Grimm, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Law & Order: SVU, Star Trek: Voyager, Eureka, Twisted, The 100, Malcolm in the Middle, Millennium, Being Human, The Shield, Castle, Chuck, Gilmore Girls, and Game of Thrones. In this anthology, you'll discover supernatural thrillers, crime mysteries, horror, comedies, and more." 

Authors contributing stories to this volume include:
Amy Berg
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong

Akela Cooper
Liz Edwards
Jane Espenson
Shalisha Francis & Nadine Knight
Lisa Klink
Pang-Ni Landrum
Lauren LeFranc
Kam Miller
Jess Pineda
Jennifer Quintenz
Lisa Randolph
Kay Reindl
Kira Snyder
Jeane Wong

Check this out!
The book is now available:

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/empower-fight-like-girl-words-ebook/dp/B00K0VQ7TM

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22026558-empower

ARC Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Stats:

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Page Count: 304

Buy Link: Amazon

Favorite Quotes:

“…grief is slippery, a tangle of thorns that dig in so deep you don’t know where they stop and you start. You don’t know where you are. I think of Caleb... He has thorns too, and I wonder if he knows where his end and he begins.”

“…I knew he understood grief. I didn’t know that it had spilled out of him and into the world.”

“I feel his smile then. I don’t just see it anymore. It crawls inside me, curls up alongside all my grief. Confuses me, just like I said.”

“I want to have his hair in my hands while he holds me.”

“’Emma,’ he says, and it’s too soon to say it, way too soon, but what’s in my heart is in his too and he touches my face, cupping the side of my jaw and my name is a prayer in his voice, four letters of joy.”

Elizabeth Scott is one of those authors that just gets people. Most of all, she explores emotion, and she does a fabulous job in her writing, as you can see from the above quotes. I am never disappointed after any of her novels.

That being said, this story was touching. Heartbreaking. The premise hooked me right away. Emma’s mother is dead, being kept alive by machines because she is a human incubator. Emma is pissed. Dan, her step-dad, is keeping her mother alive so that the baby inside her can live. She talks to her mom at the hospital daily, keeps her up to date with things at school, but she can’t be in the same room as Dan for more than a few minutes.

Now, this perfect valedictorian is beyond caring. Until she meets the notorious car thief at her school, Caleb—a trifecta of gorgeousness with a lot of crazy.

Emma soon finds out that first impressions can be wrong. A common past of tragedy links the two together.

Things I loved:

• The romance that blossoms between the two. Well written, sigh worthy. Sweet.

• Relationships. Olivia, Emma’s best friend, is always by her side and knows her needs often before Emma does. Even though they grow apart because of Caleb, Olivia is a strong and dependable friend. Dan and Emma’s constant tension is so tangible it jumps off the page. Caleb’s entire family is beyond sad. They treat him like he’s not even there because of an accident they blame him for. I really connected with the characters and their feelings through the whole book.

• The way Emma’s mom is described. The memories they made are strung throughout the pages. Even though she’s not alive in the story, I felt what a great person she was. She hated peas. She put her wallet in her purse first. She made peanut butter and corn chip sandwiches. She loved better than anyone could.

• Emma’s end epiphany. To find out what this is, you have to read the book.

Rating: 4/5 Good Read!

--BUY HEARTBEAT NOW HERE--

ARC - Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (Release Day)

Stats:

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Date of Release: January 7, 2014

Page Count: 352
Buy Link: Amazon.com

Favorite Quotes:  

“’Girl, it’s so not personal. She should hook up with a Hoover, because that girl needs the BS sucked out of her.’”

“I grab it and jam it onto my head. It’s tight, but it fits, and it only smells like dead fish a little bit.”

“’It ain’t a big deal. Either you love it or you don’t. Either you can do it or you can’t. And, kid? I been watching you for years, and I know you can do it. The question you gotta figure out is, do you love it?’”

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I had high expectations. Lauren Morrill put together an excellent love/figuring out who you are story in Meant to Be. Although bits of the plot drew me through the story with curiosity, overall, it fell flat.

The premise is a twist on The Parent Trap, which, funny enough, one of the characters mentions. Two girls have the same name and decide to switch places. Sloane Emily is supposed to be going to four weeks of ice skating camp to recover her reputation from a failed junior nationals competition three years earlier. Sloane Devon is headed to four weeks of hockey camp because her coach has given her an ultimatum for an anger problem. Neither girl wants to be at camp. Both girls are tired of being themselves with all the crazy pressures in their lives. Sloane Emily has to be perfect, always smiling for the camera, because her dad’s a senator. Sloane Devon has an alcoholic mother who’s in rehab.

Both camps are in Montreal. Both girls stay at the same hotel.

Things I liked:

• That the POV switched between the girls.

• The near-beginning part where both girls meet at the hotel and don’t get along.

• Both male love interests and their tour-guiding qualities around Montreal.

• Andy, Sloane Devon’s doubles partner, has a great personality.

--BUY "BEING SLOANE JACOBS HERE--

Review (Release Day): Countdown by Michelle Rowen

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape. GAME OVER -Goodreads
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Stats
Publisher: Harlequinn Teen
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Page Count: 336

Favorite Quotes:
"That's all it was. Just a small shadow of emotion smothered under a blanket of icy darkness."

"Ellis Enterprises was a fity-story building made of silver and glass that sat in an otherwise empty section of the city like a cold, sparkling gem under the overcast skies." 

"I'd never told anyone I'd met on the streets, holding my secrets close as if they might keep me warm on cold nights."

"His words held naked eagerness."

"Despair took hold of me with a clawed hand, crushing me in its grip."

Things That Bugged Me:

• Very reminiscent of The Hunger Games as far as rules that change as the competition progresses.
• This book breaks a lot of writing rules, which hopefully doesn't impede other readers' experience. There are several spots where questions come two in a row or dialogue questions are answered with a question. Also, words were repeated close together: "...wall in an entirely silver room. Floors, ceiling, walls..." Sometimes Kira and Rogan seem to be having two separate conversations with each other (the dialogue was choppy). Once in a while I couldn't get on board with the characters' observations (Kira says Rogan has nice eyes and a sexy smile-- an unusual combination. She also notes in her mind that Rogan is a near-seventeen year old which doesn't seemed odd for her to think in that specific way. Plus the author says he's seventeen later, so it seems unnecessary at that point. Then there's "frowned so hard that it hurt." How do you do that to yourself?). It does a lot of telling instead of showing with details ("It was large and grand, with rich fabrics and beautiful artwork."). There are way too many adverbs ("already nearly healed.") And THE CLICHES KILLED ME.

"door didn't look any worse for wear"
"illnesses ran rampant"
"guilty as sin"
"The emotion I'd seen there a minute ago had left the building."
"waiting for the other shoe to drop" 
"Wouldn't want to throw more wood on the fire beneath us."
"more fuel for the fire"

 If any of these had been worded in an unusual way, I wouldn't have had an issue.

• Personality bloopers. Of course, no one but the author knows what the characters are really like, but I did come to know them during the course of the story. The cuss words were just thrown in there and didn't fit either Kira or Rogan, both misunderstood teens. Sure, they've lived the hard life, and Rogan has been in juvie and is about to go to an adult prison. But, if he wants to impress Kira, it doesn't seem logical he'd throw in some damns every now and again. I felt the words were just included because that's how teens are perceived as talking.   
• There is a part where Rogan and Kira are walking along a fence while they've being chased. Unrealistic.
• After Kira rolls her ankle, we are constantly reminded about it. At one point it was mentioned three times in about five pages.
• Their romance evolves over the course of 2-3 days. It was way too fast. Even another character commented on the quick time frame. I guess when you're in a life or death situation...But Kira finds out a huge secret about Rogan, something so huge she should immediately want revenge, and yet she still falls for him.
• Kira goes from one extreme to the next: I hate him, he's interesting, I can't possibly like him, BOOM- head over heels (cliche on purpose). I didn't find enough things about Rogan (besides their stilted conversations) that would cause her to develop passionate feelings for him. I wanted to see the cute sideways glances, hairs standing up on the back of her neck from a touch, sweet whispers--anything that could blossom into you're-more-than-my-friend thoughts.
• Some phrases took away tension: "Rogan scrambled to turn around..."
• Rogan takes too long to correct a huge misconception Kira and the whole world have about him. It was frustrating, and I never figured out a good reason for him to wait. 
• Rogan: "You think you can figure out what makes me tick other than the countdown in my head?" Kira: "Don't make fun of me." WHAT? How is that statement making fun of her. This goes back to the two different conversations going on at once. 
• Oliver: cute, but (SPOILER) does every book have to have one guy with two girls fawning over him?
• The only thing I adored about Rogan was how protective he was about Kira. Not much else stood out. I want the boys in my books to be so well described that I swoon. Didn't happen.
• Random facts contribute to weak world building. The majority of the US population was killed in a plague. Some survived. How? I wanted to see more of what happened previously rather than just be thrust into this new world without much explanation. If other things hadn't been so familiar and reminiscent of today's times, it wouldn't have mattered.

What I Appreciated:

• The action starts right away. Kira wakes up in a dark room, you find out her family has been murdered, and then the mysterious boy in the room clues her in that they're about to die.
•  I needed to keep reading. Besides the fact that the romance was rushed, the pacing moved smoothly along with lots of near-death scenes.
• I couldn't guess what events awaited the character in each level.
• I didn't expect the progressive technology introduced.
• Fun and cute ending. 

In the end, I'm glad I read the book because I had this weird must-read feeling (it might have had a lot to do with finding the cliches! I did enjoy Where's Waldo? as a kid). But, the story was interesting. The author's note mentioned that it had originally been released as an adult book and the story was re-released after it had been adapted to YA. I'd be interested in reading the book as it was originally released just to see the differences.

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Blog Tour: The Secret Side of Empty- Playlist and Giveaway

The Secret Side of Empty by Maria Andreu

We'd like to welcome author Maria Andreu on her pre-release blog tour of The Secret Side of Empty. Check out a synopsis below. We are especially interested in such a controversial topic. With Obama's 2012 immigration law reform permitting illegal citizens to stay in the country if they'd been brought here as children and shows like The Fosters producing story lines that bring to light the plight of undocumented aliens, this story cannot come out at a more perfect time.

ABOUT The Secret Side of Empty

It's the story of a teen girl that is American in every way except for in one very important way: on paper. She was brought to the U.S. as a baby without proper documentation, so she's "illegal." As the end of the safe haven of her high school days draw near, she faces an uncertain future. Full of humor and frustration and love, The Secret Side of Empty speaks to the part in all of us that has felt excluded or has had a secret too scary to share. What M.T., the main character, finally discovers is the strength of the human spirit and the power that's unleashed when you finally live the truth.
We asked Maria what music inspired the writing of this novel.

Playlist

Music played a big part in the writing of The Secret Side of Empty, both from the way I envisioned certain scenes to songs that put me in the right mood for writing.  Since the story is inspired by my own story, there are a few “oldies” mixed in.  Here are my favorites:

The Smiths song “Here Comes Your Man” makes me think of a certain mood that the main character has when she’s around her boyfriend, like she wants to impress him and be more than she is.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDzDm-KGCs4

“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – M.T., the protagonist, goes to visit a friend in college (even though she’s in high school) and goes to see an a singing group.  They do a capella stuff.  It’s so deeply unhip that it’s cool:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0iw89L6aFo  I once saw an all-guys singing group do this in a college I visited and the moment always stuck with me.

One Republic’s “Stop and Stare.”  I love how this song builds.  I bet M.T. and Nate, the couple in the love story in The Secret Side of Empty, had this playing in the background while they were kissing one day:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwd6UHasXP4

  

M.T. likes to ride her bike a lot.  She listens to this song while doing it.  It’s moody and vibey:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l8PSdxy-_s

There is a character named Josh who decides he’s going to take on M.T.’s “musical education” by sending her links to obscure songs.  (I think he has a bit of a crush on her, but he’s got a girlfriend and she’s got a boyfriend).  Here is one song he sends her:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6etaa5hovA

This is another song Josh meant to send but which didn’t make it into the book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AVd5RVukcs

M.T. goes through a lot of hard times through the book.  When she is really feeling down she listens to songs like this one.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqy7SnE-i1c

M.T. doesn’t particularly celebrate her Latina heritage at the start of the book, but when she’s hanging out with her friends she does get into this song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zp1TbLFPp8

Giveaway Info

Maria is giving away two separate prizes on her tour, a $250 Amazon Gift Card AND a Kindle Fire.

1)      For a chance to win the$250 Amazon gift card, ORthe Kindle Fire leave a comment on her blog post for that day. Winners will be randomly selected on September 30th.

Maria Andreu’s Bio:

Maria’s writing has appeared in Newsweek, The Washington Post and the Star Ledger.  Her debut novel, The Secret Side of Empty, is the story of an “illegal” high school senior.  It was inspired by Maria’s own experiences as an undocumented teen.  Since becoming a citizen, Maria has run her own business and has become a soccer mom. She lives with her 13-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son in northern New Jersey.

Links

Maria Andreu’s website- http://mariaeandreu.com/

Maria Andreu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WritersideofM

Maria Andreu on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maria.andreu.books

Thanks, Maria, for joining us. We wish you the best for the upcoming release of this novel!

ARC Review: Where the Stars Still Shine

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.-Goodreads
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Stats:
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Page Count: 352
Would Appeal To: Fans of Hannah Harrington's Saving June
Buy Link: Amazon.com
Favorite Quotes:

"His gaze slithers down from my face and gets caught on the front of my shirt."

"My fists curl into themselves and I stop myself from rushing to his defense, because this is Alex's story--one he hasn't told me--and I've come uninvited into the middle of it."

"His smile lacks the deep creases that usually bracket his mouth like happy parentheses."

"'Didn't Einstein say something about driving and kissing?' I ask. The tires squeal as he turns into the parking lot of a mostly vacant strip mall, puts the truck in park, and shifts me onto his lap. 'To paraphrase, he said if you can do both at the same time...' His lips find a spot on my neck, below my ear, and send heat rushing...everywhere, making me wonder if it's possible to be addicted to a person, like drugs, or cigarettes, or sadness."

"The tilt at the corner of his mouth absorbs my apology."

"Her hair tickles my nose, but her scent--the rose soap smell--reminds me of making oatmeal raisin cookies and singing a song about the moon."
  
Why You Must Check Out "Where The Stars Still Shine":

• Greek anyone? Not only do I want to be adopted by a huge extended family who does as much feasting as bickering, but I want to go down to the dock and see a Greek hottie with a bandana tying up his boat. Sidenote-- I learned lots of Greek words!
• The setting speaks. The first chapter is so well written. I was transported into a family with a parnoid transient who clearly doesn't put being a mother at the top of her priority list in just the first two pages. I ached for Callie, the more mature of the two. Just her chilly walk, sans hoodie, to the laundromat, was so revealing. I got to know her and understood her life without even trying.
• Intrigue. Callie's been kidnapped by her mom AND she knows it! Other stories I've read involve kids making such revelations, but she knows and seems to be okay with it. She even feels like she needs to take care of her mother. 
• Pacing. It's obvious from the summary that Callie goes back to be with her dad, but the quickness of this plot twist took me by surprise in the best way possible!
• Callie. I love a girl who knows what she wants. The chemistry between her and Greek boy (no spoilers!) is palpable. They roll with the moment. Of course, she doesn't realize how connected this will make them.
• Emotional. There's this fantastic scene at the end between Callie and her mother that just pops off the pages. It's gripping, it's I-can't-believe-you-said-it-like-that. It wouldn't tug so tightly on the heartstrings if Doller's wasn't impactful. 
• Lovable secondary characters. Callie's half-brothers are super cute. I also love her friend/cousin Kat. She is SO forgiving. But I know people like that. I appreciated that the end places great focus on the relationship between mom and daughter rather than other relationships that might typically hog the spotlight.
• Callie lives in an Airstream trailer out back of the house. How cool is that? Sneaking out when she wants. No direct supervision. Kind of sucks about the no hot water in the shower thing, but otherwise, it gives her the time and space she needs to think about her old life merging with her new one.

Things That Bugged Me:

• I waited about two weeks to write this review and forgot quite a few details when thinking back. This could have been my own fault because my mind has been overcrowded lately, but I was bummed. I thought it might stand out in my mind more. I certainly enjoyed the combination of romance and water!
• No one brings up the age difference between our main couple, not even her father. They only say he's not healthy for her and a bad influence. It was always there, a voice in the back of my mind, going, "cradle-robber" and "illegal." I wish someone had brought it up, especially since Greg was so protective over his long-lost daughter. 
• "Spoiler!": There is a misunderstanding between Callie and her boy toy when he blames her for meddling with his relationship with his mom. I didn't understand why he was so mad. I thought he could have been less quick to jump to the conclusion that she was responsible for this set up. Especially for a guy who seems to have fallen hard for her.

Final verdict: Romantic waves, first love, Greek Adonis, past secrets--Where the Stars Still Shine will make you believe that The One is hiding just off the dock and around the corner.

--BUY "WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE" HERE--