(BLOG TOUR) Guest Post and Giveaway: Author Tens List (HENRIETTA, THE DRAGON SLAYER)

AUTHOR BIO:
Beth coaches and teaches writers and those who want to write. She's done so in two of her favorite places in the world (so far): the San Francisco Bay Area and Paris, France.

Raised in Sonoma County, California, Beth knew she wanted to be a writer from a young age, and started at age 7 by writing her first book about her family's cats with her brother.

Beth started teaching writing by teaching it to ESL students in Oakland, California. Soon, they were surprised to be writing short stories in their new English-language skills, and most importantly, they were enjoying it. (Well, most of them were.)

Certified as a Creativity Coach and an EFL-instructor, Beth is driven to help writers and authors get their message out into the world, gain confidence in their self-expression and discover how they can get noticed and sell books to their audience.

AS A WRITER AND AUTHOR
Determined to get published, Beth published her first journalism article in the Paris Free Voice while she was living in the City of Lights in the early 1990s. It only took four tries and five rewrites!

From working in journalism for 15 years, Beth switched her focus to fiction, and now writes fantasy and science fiction. She currently has a young adult fantasy novel under consideration by agents and editors.

Beth hasn't forgotten her love of nonfiction and is the author of two books on writing, THE WRITER'S ADVENTURE GUIDE and OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK.

On her off-hours, Beth enjoys the outdoors, gardens, watches movies, and reads!

Beth is married to singer/song-writer and high school physics teacher, Ezra Barany.

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Author bio and photo courtesy of Beth Barany WEBSITE.

Book cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

I received a finished copy of HENRIETTA, THE DRAGON SLAYER as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE.

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I'm excited to have author Beth Barany here today to discuss her Top Ten List of Guilty Pleasures from her book HENRIETTA, THE DRAGON SLAYER. So, without further ado, take it away Beth!

Henrietta, the hero of my new YA fantasy, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, is a hard-working gal. To be the kingdom's legendary dragon slayer and a former army scout, she's been busy.

Okay she was hard working.

At the start of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, she's been traveling toward the warm beaches, so ready for a hard-earned vacation.

But ...

Even though she can't stomach the thought of one more kill, in order to save her dying mentor, she must go on one last quest. And forget laying in the sand of the southern beaches.

But will misfit companions, seasickness, and an ego maniacal king derail the quest for the healing stone? And will she be able to cut past her conscience and kill the dragon?

To get a taste, read an excerpt of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer here.

And you'll just have to read it the rest of the book to find out what happens.

“When Beth asked me to review her book I was so excited! The book is a beautiful story about friendship, a heroine, and a quest to kill a dragon. Who wouldn’t be excited? The entire concept sounded interesting and I was not at all disappointed.” — Brittany Morrow

What other readers are saying!

While she's adventuring across Bleuve and to the Oro Islands, she definitely has her guilty pleasures.


So here's my list.

Top Ten Guilty Pleasures of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer

1. Holding a wooden mug in her hands in front of a roaring fire at an inn.
2. A well made knife that she either bought or made herself.
3. Her special rainproof leather coat and leather boots that she's worn all along the Traveler's Road.
4. Running the hills around her village in the Skye Mountains.
5. Doing acrobatics atop a horse with her dragon-slaying partner, Sytiphell.
6. Sharing her dragon tales with Jaxter.
7. Singing (Shh! don't tell anyone.) Nobody knows that she loves to sing. She never sings solo around others.
8. Jenever (It's a drink Henrietta discovers in the Oro Islands.)
9. Any homemade meal cooked by Jaxter. The man can cook!
10. Hanging out with her friends around the camp fire

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What is your favorite guilty pleasure that you care to share? I'd love to know!

Comment to enter to win a copy of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer. If you comment, you also enter to the Grand Giveaway for the necklace featured on the cover of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer. Winners chosen at the end of August. Giveaway rules HERE.

For more information on Beth Barany, visit her WEBSITE.

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(BLOG TOUR) Author Interview: G.S. Wolff (THE GIRLZ OF GALSTANBERRY)

AUTHOR BIO:
Author, Scientist, Professor, and Medical Student! A true Renaissance young woman that has lived in Boston, New York and Washington D.C. Born and raised in Michigan she attended the prestigious private school Detroit Country Day from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade.

Miss Wolff is an '07 alum of Wellesley College, a women's college renowned for its prominent alumni, such as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, and Diane Sawyer. Throughout her Wellesley years, she conducted biological research at Duke, Wayne State and MIT. She graduated with a B.A. in Neuroscience.

Additionally, she holds a Master of Science (MSc) from Wayne State University's School of Medicine. During the 2009-2010 academic year, she moved to Washington D.C. to conduct research at the National Institute of Health (NIH) as an Intramural Research Award Fellow.

Writing the Galstanberry series is just one of Miss Wolff's many accomplishments. She has been the recipient of multiple awards, such as the Hitachi Foundation's Yoshiyama Award; and featured in national publications such as, Ebony Magazine (October ‘09) and Essence Magazine (June ’10), for her mentoring program, OfficialCityPrep.

Currently, Miss Wolff is a medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM).

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Author bio courtesy of The Girlz of Galstanberry WEBSITE.

Book cover courtesy of GOODREADS.

Character pictures courtesy of author, G.S. WOLFF.

I received a finished copy of THE GIRLZ OF GALSTANBERRY as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE.

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Describe yourself in five words.

1) Spunky
2) Determined
3) Confident
4) Sassy
5) Clever
Interestingly, those are the 5 exact adjectives I use to describe my Galstanberry girlz…


What author and/or book has influenced your writing the most?

Authoress Isabelle Allende! Her book, House of Spirits, is pure genius. Seriously. Although she writes magic realism, I’ve learned tremendously from her. My writing reflects her use of vivid details in order to make characters and settings jump from the page. For example, I meticulously detail the sacred pearling ceremony in Book #2, from the grand tent to the faculty’s robes. Narration is also one of Allende’s literary gifts. Like her, I want readers to feel like they have a companion reading with them. A narrator that can emphasize the seriousness of particular moods, while joking about others.

How difficult was it for you to write in five different, yet distinctive, voices?

Great question! It was definitely a challenge to write 5 distinct voices. Each Galstanberry character represents an aspect of my personality. However, they are fully expressed in a particular character. For example, Lillian embodies the spunky and fun part of me. From singing while walking down the street (despite the strange stares) to performing at a fair—I am Lillian and she is me! The other material for the characters comes from my diverse group of girlfriends.


Was there one character that was harder to write than the others?

Nisha was perhaps the most difficult. She is quite complicated and although I can sympathize with her struggles, I’ve never experienced them to the degree she has. Regardless, it’s this complication that makes her very intriguing and relatable to girls.


Out of the five girls, which one is the most like you were at their age?

Funky Fei Chen! She marches to her OWN drum and thus reflects me 100% at 12 years old. I was (and still am) very confident and uninfluenced (to some degree) by others’ opinions. While some girls hung out at the mall, I was busy wrapping a hot dog in foil and seeing if it would cook under the hot sun in our backyard. Nerd—No; Adventurous—Yes.

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(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Dana Reinhardt (THE SUMMER I LEARNED TO FLY)

AUTHOR INFO:
Dana Reinhardt is a published author of young adult books. Her published credits include A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, Harmless, and How to Build a House.

Dana Reinhardt is originally from Los Angeles, but currently resides in San Fransisco, with occasional trips back to Los Angeles during summers.

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TOP TEN BOOKS YOU'D LIKE TO BE A CHARACTER IN

Many books I love I would NOT like to be a character in (The Executioner’s Song comes to mind, as does the Barry Unsworth novel Sacred Hunger which is about a slave ship) so it’s a stretch to think of books I’d like to be a character in since I tend to like dark books and sorrowful books. Come to think of it, it’s hard to think of any adult fiction that I’d want to be a character in, though I’ll do my best to come up with something, though I have a feeling the list will primarily include children’s literature. Also, it’s hard to do this when I’m away from home (as I am now) and my bookshelf. But here goes:

All of a Kind Family
The Great Gatsby
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
most Jane Austen novels
Harry Potter
Around the World in 80 Days
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Boxcar Children
Pippi Longstocking
The Borrowers


Great list, Dana! Thanks for joining my readers and I today!

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THE SUMMER I LEARNED TO FLY cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

Author Info and photo courtesy of GOODREADS and Dana Reinhardt's WEBSITE

I received an ARC of THE SUMMER I LEARNED TO FLY as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE

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For more information on THE SUMMER I LEARNED TO FLY and author Dana Reinhardt, visit her WEBSITE.

Click HERE to purchase THE SUMMER I LEARNED TO FLY from The Book Depository.

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(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Jason Ancona (THE SEXT CRIME)

AUTHOR BIO:
Jason Ancona grew up geeky in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, sporting braces, spouting gigahertz, and painting figurines. He turned frat boy in college, spending time with humans, speaking with said beings, and dancing like a dork--even with some females.

Jason Ancona snuck out of Bradley University with a marketing degree and fled to Los Angeles, where he donated a lot of dough to UCLA, writing screenplays for nearly a decade.

Author bio and author photo courtesy of www.jasonancona.com

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Great to have you on An Avid Reader's Musings again, Jason! Today Jason will be sharing his favorite books with us when he was ages 5, 11, 16 and 20. He's put together a great collage of his choices.

AGE 5: OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO by Dr. Seuss, THE GIVING TREE by Shel Silverstein and THE JUNGLE BOOK by Rudyard Kipling

AGE 11: THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien, THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton and THE BLACK STALLION by Walter Farley

AGE 16: CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger, SHERLOCK HOLMES by Arthur Conan Doyle and WISE GUY by Nicholas Pileggi

AGE 20: A TIME TO KILL and THE FIRM John Grisham and PATRIOT GAMES by Tom Clancy

BOOKS I WISH WERE AROUND IN MY YOUTH: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling and THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

Thanks for sharing with my readers, Jason!

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For more information on THE SEXT CRIME and Jason Ancona, visit

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK

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Read my review of THE SEXT CRIME HERE.

I received an electronic copy of THE SEXT CRIME as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE.

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(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Into The Past (BLOODSPELL)

AUTHOR BIO:
Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. She received a bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Maine in International Studies and French, and a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. She has also lived in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City. She has worked as a research assistant, marketing rep, global sales executive, freelance writer, and blogger. A lover of other cultures and new experiences, especially of the culinary variety, she has traveled extensively across North America and Europe, and as far east as China, Indonesia, and Australia. She currently resides in New York with her husband, three children, and one very willful cat that she is convinced may have been a witch’s cat in a past life.

Amalie Howard’s debut novel, Bloodspell, evolved from a short story that took on an eerie life of its own, and is undoubtedly the result of a lifelong infatuation with witchcraft, vampires, and excessive amounts of chocolate.

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What books would you recommend for kids/young adults aged 7, 14, 16 and 20?

Seven is a great age because I think this is where you really start to develop an interest in books. I have a six-year-old son and I’m constantly on the lookout for interesting books for him. It’s definitely a key age to cultivate a love of reading. Here are some of the books I read around age seven, and some of the ones I would recommend for young readers:-

Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Magic Tree House, Pippi Longstocking, Beverly Cleary, the Famous Five and the Secret Seven (and pretty much anything by Enid Blyton), The Lightning Thief, Shel Silverstein poems, The Brothers Grimm, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess.

Twelve is a more complicated age because you’re in that space between child and teenager, so it may be hard to find books that appeal to a particular reader – it all depends on maturity or gender. At twelve, I was a voracious reader so I read anything and everything. Reading was my escape. Here are the books I devoured and would recommend at twelve:-

Little Women, Trixie Belden, Anne of Green Gables, White Fang, Black Beauty, the Narnia series, The Witches, the Harry Potter series, His Dark Materials, the Princess Diaries series, Coraline, the Eragon series, Lord of the Rings (for the more advanced reader), and anything by Judy Blume.

At sixteen, which is another odd age because it is in its own way a transitional age, I think you’re either a reader or you’re not. Readers at sixteen would most likely already have specific ideas of what kind of books or genres they are partial to. At sixteen, I read a wide variety of books mostly in the fantasy genre like David Eddings or Mercedes Lackey (of course, only when I had the time after reading very thick textbooks for high school). At sixteen, I would recommend the following books:-

The Belgariad and The Mallorean, Go Ask Alice, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo, the Hunger Games series, the Twilight series, The Mortal Instruments series, Fire or Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Lovely Bones, Romeo & Juliet, American Gods, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Atonement, Dracula, Girl Interrupted, Wintergirls.

Twenty is a more discerning age, and a reader would be more inclined to read a greater range of books, perhaps venturing into non-fiction or the classics. More than likely, readers at this age would be in college so finding time to read outside of their course-load would be a challenge. Here are some of the books I would recommend reading at twenty:-

Paradise Lost, Tuesdays with Morrie, Hyperion, Memoirs of a Geisha, Freakonomics, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Life of Pi, Great Expectations, Dune, Brave New World, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Confessions of a Shopaholic, In Her Shoes, The Passage, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

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Great choices, Amalie! Thanks for visiting today and sharing with my readers.

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TITLE: BLOODSPELL

AUTHOR: Amalie Howard

IMPRINT: Langdon Street Press

PUBLICATION DATE: 1 June 2011

PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: None

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

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For more information on BLOODSPELL and Amalie Howard, visit:

BLOODSPELL WEBSITE
Amalie Howard WEBSITE

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BLOODSPELL description and cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

Amalie Howard author photo courtesy of bloodspellbook.com.

I received an ARC of BLOODSPELL as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE

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(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Character Tweets (THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON)

I have a unique guest post for my readers today. Get a sneak peek into the characters of the novel, THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON, by reading some character tweets. If you've read the book, can you guess which username corresponds with with character? If you haven't read THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON, enter at the bottom of this post for a chance to win your own print copy.

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Dancingisliving: Come watch me perform Swan Lake 2night @TrentonArena
Wonderbread: I’ll be there front row! Love u!
PrincetonBound: Me too!
BBB: Swan Lake? More like Ugly Duckling.
PrincetonBound: @BBB that was just lame. If ur gonna insult my sister at least b clevr
Dancingisliving: @PrincetonBound Who is that?
PrincetonBound: no idea

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PrincetonBound: Just got n 2 Princeton. What what?
Dancingisliving: Congrats, sis. Knew u could do it
BBB: u only got in cuz ur black
Dancingisliving: that is an awful thing to say. Who is that?
PrincetonBound: Ignore her, she’s just jealous.
Dancing is living: how do u know it’s a her?

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Wonderbread: I have the most amazing girlfriend in the world!
Prettygirl93: Aw. Thanks, Will.
Wonderbread: not u, psycho. We broke up 4eva ago. Talking to @dancingisliving.
Prettygirl93: whateva. U’ll be mine again. Trust me.
Dancingisliving: ur amazing too, Will! Luv u!
PrincetonBound: I’m puking over here
Prettygirl93: I mean really. What do you see in her anyway?
Wonderbread: Go away, Ashley. And stop following me. On Twitter and in real life.
PrincetonBound: what’s up with the wonderbread handle? What’s that supposed to mean?
Wonderbread: it’s a basketball thing. u wouldn’t understand.
BBB: Careful, Will. We all know who the real psycho is. Go take ur medication.
Dancingisliving: OMG! That is cruel. Who are u?
BBB: U’ll find out soon enough.

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LD: rents gone 4 weekend. Party at my house. I’ll tweet the deets
Prettygirl93: I’m there
BritBrit: me too
PrincetonBound: Me too
Dancingisliving: Sasha? How can u go to a party at Lauren’s house?
LD: It’s Lauren DeHaven. Not Lauren. Get it right, Freak.
Dancingisliving: See what I mean? How can u possibly go to her house?
PrincetonBound: As student body president, I need to be there to make sure there are no problems.
BBB: @Dancingisliving if you believe that ur dumber than u look
Wonderbread: @BBB I don’t know who you are but you better back off
BBB: @Wonderbread or what? Be careful, Will. I know all ur secrets. I know everyone’s secrets.

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Want to be able to connect the Twitter usernames with the actual characters? Comment on this post and one winner will be chosen to receive a print copy of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON. Contest is open to US/Canada only from now until 14 June 2011 (midnight EST).

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To learn more about THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON and author Leslie DuBois, visit her WEBSITE.

Read my review of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON HERE.

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TITLE: THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON
AUTHOR: Leslie DuBois
IMPRINT: Little Prince Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: 17 May 2011
PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: None

When fifteen-year-old Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she soon discovers that rich girls are just as dangerous as the thugs in her home of Venton Heights. Maybe more so. After catching the eye of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becoming the most popular girl in school, she earns the hatred of the three most ruthless and vindictive girls at Bridgeton. Can she defeat the reigning high school royalty? Or will they succeed in ruining her lifelong dream of becoming a world class dancer?


THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON description and cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

I received a finished copy of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE.

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Guest Post: Elana Johnson (POSSESSION)

AUTHOR BIO:
Elana Johnson’s debut novel, Possession, will be published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster) on June 7, 2011. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for free download. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog and WriteOnCon, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers. Elana is represented by Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary.

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Let’s Hear It For The Boys!

Okay, so now that I’ve got that amazing 80s song stuck in your head, let’s see where we can go today.

We’re nearing the end of the POSSESSION blog tour, and we’ve talked about everything from marketing, to tech, to world-building, to music that inspired the book. There have been some amazing giveaways, and some FUNtastic reviews.

Some of the reviews have mentioned the two male MCs in POSSESSION, Jag Barque and Zenn Bower, but I’ve noticed that we’ve spent a lot of time talking about Vi Schoenfeld (she is the MC after all).

So I wanted to explore the boys a little more. From the jacket copy, I think it’s pretty clear that there’s a love triangle in POSSESSION. (Sorry if that’s a spoiler for you!)

We meet Zenn in chapter one, and I have to admit that I really like Zenn a lot. He’s like the silent pillar in the background of Vi’s life. He’s always been there for her, even before they were matched.

We meet Jag in chapter two, and I’ll admit that he tends to steal the scene sometimes. He has a lot to say, but doesn’t always say it. He’s there for Vi in very different ways, but he wants her as much as Zenn.

But they both want her for different reasons—and not all of them are good.

When I was writing POSSESSION, I knew I needed two very different characters for Vi to interact with. This worked out quite well, because Jag was loud and, at times, overbearing in my head. He just wouldn’t shut. up. Ever.

Vi is a lot like him in some ways. Not sure if that’s good or bad, but there it is.

Zenn is still a mystery to me on many levels. He was much quieter, tending to fade into the background of both my mind, and the book. But he was always there, subtly reminding me that “Hey, I’m still here if you need me.”

Vi craves that steadiness in her life. Not sure if that’s good or bad, either, but there you go.

I didn’t set out to write two guys so that readers could pick teams. In fact, the feedback I’ve heard indicates that one of the teams will be non-existent. But I do think that most of us probably know a guy like Zenn and a guy like Jag. They both have value. They’re both strong.

Maybe after you read POSSESSION you’ll be able to see why choosing just one is hard for Vi.

So. Let’s hear it for the boys! If you haven’t read POSSESSION yet, who are some of your favorite literary males? What do you like about them?

Thank you so much, Elana for visiting today!

Bio and images provided by the author, ELANA JOHNSON.

I received an ARC of POSSESSION from the publisher SIMON AND SCHUSTER.


For more information on Elana Johnson and POSSESSION, check out these websites,

Sampler WEBSITE
Regal Literary YA Summer GIVEAWAY
Sneak peek at POSSESSION
Elana's BLOG

(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Tracy Deebs' (TEMPEST RISING) Top Ten

AUTHOR BIO:
Tracy Deebs is the YA pseudonym of romance novelist Tracy Wolff. Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.


Author photo courtesy of GOODREADS.

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First off, thanks so much to JL for having me here today. It’s so much fun to think about where I would live if I could pick anywhere …

SAN DIEGO, because I grew up there and I still miss it

THE LAKE DISTRICT IN ENGLAND, because I’m a huge fan of the Romantic poets, who hung out there regularly

AUSTIN because I live there now and love it. Such a great city to be involved in the arts

SEATTLE, because I love the vibe from this city. It’s so alive and exciting and yet completely laid back. Now if only it didn’t rain almost every single day

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, because it’s gorgeous and close to some of the most amazing surfing and beaches in the world

TUSCANY, because pasta is probably my favorite food of all time

BOSTON, because any city that gave rise to both Matt Damon and Aerosmith is a city I can fall in love with

THE FRENCH QUARTER IN NEW ORLEANS, because it’s dark history calls to me like few other cities ever have

PARIS, because I spent two of the best weeks of my life there

MAUI, because it has some of the most amazing surfing in the world, not to mention gorgeous beaches, fabulous food and incredible views


TEMPEST RISING cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

Great choices Tracy!

For more information on TEMPEST RISING and Tracy Deebs, visit her BLOG and the TEMPEST RISING FACEBOOK page. And don't forget to check out my author interview with her HERE.

Tracy Deebs will be participating in the Thrills and Chills Teen Book Tour. Click HERE for more information.

Click here to purchase TEMPEST RISING from The Book Depository.

(Blog Tour) Guest Post: THROUGH HER EYES Author Jennifer Archer

AUTHOR BIO (the short version)
Jennifer Archer was born in a small town in North Central Texas the same year Humphrey Bogart died, the same year "Beatnik" becomes a commonly used word in the American vocabulary and the first living being…a dog…orbits outer space on Sputnik II. Author Jack Kerouac’s ON THE ROAD and Dr. Seuss’s THE CAT IN THE HAT hit bookstore shelves that year, the play WEST SIDE STORY opens in New York City, and Bridgette Bardot’s movie AND GOD CREATED WOMAN sparks controversy over its sexual content. What is the year of her birth? She’ll let you figure it out.

Fast forward through a few unsatisfying jobs, running a business with her husband, and two beautiful babies. She decides to stay home and raise her kids. While doing so, the old dream awakes and nudges her. Jennifer signs up for a night class in creative writing at the local community college. Soon she's hooked. Six years, two completed novel manuscripts, a couple of children’s book manuscripts, four or five short stories, and a big fat folder of rejection letters later, She got “the call.” She's sold a novel! Her contemporary paranormal romantic comedy “Body and Soul.”

Being a published writer continually brings more fascinating people and fun experiences into Jennifer's life. Some are real, some only in her imagination…. she reminds myself daily how lucky sheis to be able to do work she loves. And, perhaps best of all, no pantyhose are required.

In THROUGH HER EYES, the main character, Tansy uses photography as a way to escape her loneliness. As a teenager, what type of activity or hobby would you engage in when you were having a bad day/week, etc.? What was it about this activity that soothed you or made you happier?

Tansy’s photography is a great source of comfort and distraction from her problems in THROUGH HER EYES. Like her, I moved a lot when I was growing up, and I turned to movies, music and books to get me through tough times in much the same way that she turns to taking pictures. I loved spending time in a dark movie theatre and getting lost in the story taking place on the screen. It was a great escape from my real life, and I learned a lot about storytelling through this hobby. My lifelong interest in movies may be one reason I’m a visual writer. I usually picture what is taking place in the story as if it’s unfolding before me like a movie.

Music was less of an escape from my troubles, and more of an aid in helping me think through them. I was quite a brooder! I was a teen in the days of vinyl albums and stereos, otherwise known as ‘record players,’ rather than iPods and digital music. If ‘album’ and ‘stereo’ are foreign words to you, do a little research on Google and learn about the golden oldie days of turntables and skipping needles! If something was bothering me back then, I put an album on the stereo. Then I’d sprawl out on my bed or in my beanbag chair and engage in a little self-pity! I chose music that suited my mood – usually angst-ridden or sad, soulful rock. Some favorites were songs by James Taylor, a somewhat obscure Elton John album called Friends, and most anything by Neil Young. This habit has carried over into my writing rituals today. I make a music soundtrack for each book I’m writing and listen to it often while working. I choose music that fits the tone and mood of the story. If I’m stuck or just need a little help getting started on my work for the day, it instantly throws me back into the fictional world of the book.

However, my favorite pastime during times of stress was, and still is, reading. I found that books can be great sources of escape, comfort, and companionship, as well as entertaining. I loved losing myself in someone else’s life and world for awhile. I also loved the way books looked and felt and smelled. By that, I mean, I enjoyed looking at the covers, and the feel of the pages and the weight of the book in my hands. Yes, books have a scent! I still like the smell of libraries! All of the sensory detail associated with real paper and ink books is one reason I’m so resistant to take the plunge and buy an e-reader. I’m intrigued, and I can definitely see the advantages of having one (plus I’m all for saving trees) but I don’t ever want the day to come when “old-fashioned” books are a thing of the past. That would be a very sad day, in my opinion. Still, I believe it’s important to change with the times, and I’m sure the day is near when I’ll give in and buy a Kindle or a Nook. Besides being convenient, they’re just cool! I will continue to buy real books, though, for my keeper.

For more information on Jennifer Archer, visit her WEBSITE

TITLE: THROUGH HER EYES
AUTHOR: Jennifer Archer
IMPRINT: HarperTeen
PUBLICATION DATE: 5 April 2011
PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: Standalone

Sixteen-year-old Tansy Piper moves with her grandfather and her mother, a horror writer, to the setting of her mother's next book--a secluded house outside of a tiny, desolate West Texas town. Lonely and upset over the move, Tansy escapes into her photography and the dark, seductive poems she finds hidden in the cellar, both of which lure her into the mind and world of a mysterious, troubled young man who died sixty years earlier.

THROUGH HER EYES description and cover art courtesy of Goodreads.

I received an ARC of THROUGH HER EYES as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE.

Click here to purchase THROUGH HER EYES from The Book Depository.

(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Alex Smith's Tens List

AUTHOR BIO:
Alex Smith is 17 and lives in Hertfordshire, England. She started writing when she was just four and says, ‘to me, writing is like breathing’. She wrote her debut novel, Calling For Angels, at the age of 14, ‘as a way of relaxing’.

Alex is also a reviewer for the Guardian Children's Books website. Her first assignment was to film an interview with Guardian Children's Fiction Prize-winning author Michelle Paver.


The CALLING FOR ANGELS Blog Tour was arranged by Teen Book Scene.

Welcome to Alex Smith, author of CALLING FOR ANGELS. Today Alex will be sharing with us her Top Ten List of things she would like to accomplish in the next five years.

Travel. I have this list of the top ten places in the world I want to go to. Places like New York and going to see the Northern Lights. I'd like to cross some places off that list :)

To go to university and pass my degree. Not really sure what I actually want to study though!

Pass all my school exams, that probably would help....

This is going to sound seriously nerdy, but when I was little, I was obsessed with King Arthur. I used to love "Arthur, High King of Britain" which was written by Michael Morpurgo. So I'd like to read Malory's "Morte D'Arthur".

To keep writing. I hope I never stop.

Improve my public speaking. I talk too fast and and as my English teacher told me, I need to clear my "verbal clutter".

Become fluent in Italian. I'd like to live there one day.

Pass my driving test.

Learn how to cook properly. I'm not talking Michelin Star stuff, but something other than beans on toast.

I love the Lake District, I go there every year on holiday so I'd like to climb its highest peak, Scafell Pike.


Thanks Alex, for visiting today! Good luck with accomplishing all your goals!

TITLE: CALLING FOR ANGELS
AUTHOR: Alex Smith
IMPRINT: The Red Telephone
PUBLICATION DATE: 15 November 2010
PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: Standalone

Em never believed in angels. That was until she met Zak and Kai…

Em - shy, sensitive, with her head in the clouds - and Caitlyn - gorgeous, popular and talented - have been best friends forever, in a sleepy, nondescript town called Philiton.

But when new boy Zak moves into town, Philiton suddenly becomes a much more interesting place. With his meltingly hot looks, sense of humour and a smile that has even the hardest-hearted girls falling at his feet, Zak has the female population of Philiton Comprehensive School convinced he's an angel.

Usually, Caitlyn has the boys worshipping the ground she treads on, so it’s a shock when Zak seems to be more interested in Em. Cracks appear, tensions arise, but surely Em and Caitlyn’s lifelong friendship can survive?

Em feels beset by demons. At home, she’s looking after her grandmother, who is slowly deteriorating, whilst despairing at her normally sensible brother, who is going off the rails just to fit in with the ‘right crowd’. Even Zak’s unexpected attention causes jealous girls to shower Em with spite – not least Caitlyn. If only she had a guardian angel…

Then a second boy steps into Em’s life. Dark and brooding, a captive to the secrets of a past he’d rather forget, Kai, who has appeared as if from nowhere and fallen head over heels in love with Em, is the exact opposite of Zak.

And although he may not seem like it, Kai is the real thing. He really is an angel.

CALLING FOR ANGELS description and cover art courtesy of Goodreads.

Click HERE to purchase CALLING FOR ANGELS.

(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Jess C. Scott

AUTHOR BIO: Jess identifies herself as an author/artist/non-conformist. Her literary work has appeared in a diverse range of publications, such as Word Riot, ITCH Magazine, and The Battered Suitcase. She is currently working on several multiple-genre-crossing projects, including her trilogy featuring cyberpunk elves.

For more information on Jess C. Scott visit her at her:

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE Blog Tour was arranged by The Teen {Book} Scene.

THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE is the first cyberpunk novel I’ve read. What other works would you recommend a newcomer to the genre read? Why?

I’ve always enjoyed writing across several genres, and I guess my reading habits tend to reflect this. Here are some books that I’d recommend to introduce someone to the genre of cyberpunk!

1984 by George Orwell
this is a classic dystopian novel, as well as being an eerily prescient of the state of modern society

NEUROMANCER, by William Gibson
A classic work of dark science fiction—it is the classic science fiction novel that helped jump start the cyberpunk movement

THE THIRD WAVE, by Alvin Toffler
By the sociologist and futurist Alvin Toffler in 1980, about the new culture based on information


The following books have been recommended to me (blends elves, fantasy, urban fantasy, technology, etc)

LIFE ON THE BORDER (BORDERLANDS) by Terri Windling
A collection of stories based on the idea of magic, fantasy and elves returning to our world. The border is a place where the Elflands and the world meet; where neither magic nor technology reigns supreme

SHADOWRUN fiction
Blends cyberpunk and fantasy

And due to the visual imagery and thematic interpretations of the genre, movies and certain anime (Japanese animations), can come in very handy. The list at http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/cyberpunk-movies-by-decade/ is a GREAT resource (moves like The Matrix, Bladerunner, and Terminator 2 are on the list).


Thanks Jess for stopping by today! These suggestions look great and I'll be checking them out at my next trip to the library/bookstore.

TITLE: THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE
AUTHOR: Jess C. Scott
IMPRINT: Createspace
PUBLICATION DATE: 2011
PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: None

A thieving duo’s world turns upside down when an Elven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacorporation.

THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE description and cover art courtesy of Goodreads.

Click here to read my review of THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE.

(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Neesha Meminger

I am pleased to welcome author Neesha Meminger to An Avid Reader's Musings today. Neesha will be discussing her latest book, JAZZ IN LOVE (read my review here).


Jasbir, a.k.a. Jazz, has always been a stellar student and an obedient, albeit wise-cracking, daughter. Everything has gone along just fine--she has good friends in the "genius" program she's been in since kindergarten, her teachers and principal adore her, and her parents dote on her. But now, in her junior year of high school, her mother hears that Jazz was seen hugging a boy on the street and goes ballistic. Mom immediately implements the Guided Dating Plan, which includes setting up blind dates with "suitable," pre-screened Indian candidates. The boy her mother sets her up with, however, is not at all what anyone expects; and the new boy at school, the very UNsuitable hottie, is the one who sets Jazz's blood boiling. When Jazz makes a few out-of-the-ordinary decisions, everything explodes, and she realizes she'll need a lot more than her genius education to get out of the huge mess she's in. Can Jazz find a way to follow her own heart, and still stay in the good graces of her parents?

JAZZ IN LOVE is about a young girl who goes against her parents wishes in order to follow her heart. As a teenager did you ever disagree with your parents on a major issue? What was it and how did you resolve the disagreement? What advice would you give teenagers who are in a similar predicament to Jazz, be it about a boy, participating in an activity, or something else?

The hair-cutting scene in JAZZ IN LOVE was directly inspired by my real-life experiences. I was not allowed to cut my hair, or shave my legs and underarms, and I went ahead and did all of the above anyway. Hey, it was social survival! My parents did not understand and were not in the least sympathetic to my struggles in conformity, so they responded in much the same way as Jazz's did, only amplified about a thousand times (truly). I will admit that my teenage years probably aged my mother far faster than she would've aged otherwise (sorry, Mom!).

Craig Blankenhorn, copyright 2010

I also wasn't allowed to date or go out with friends, wear makeup or skirts, or speak to boys I was not related to. Again, I did all of the above anyway, and had to face the explosive fallout :). I don't know if I would advocate other teens using the same approach I took to deal with my parents' restrictions. I only took those risks because (1) the payoff, to me, was worth whatever came after; and (2) I knew, on some level, that my parents would still love and support me in the end, after they were done ranting and raving and doling out punishments.

But what I always tell teens is that it's very important to know yourself, i.e. what you're willing to put up with, what you're willing to risk, and whether you are prepared for the worst and best case scenarios (it's important to play out both in your mind before assessing a risk); and to know your parents/guardians and their limits. Caregivers differ greatly in their styles and where one might be lenient, another might be far stricter and less flexible. So, it's very important to be clear and aware of your own situation when determining whether a particular action, behavior, or strategy would work for YOU. And as with anything else, it is of the utmost importance to be SAFE in whatever you do. If your primary caregiver/s don't know what you're up to, make sure *someone* that you trust and know well, does. And, if at all possible, find an adult - an aunt, grandparent, older cousin, teacher, counselor, neighbor, whatever - to confide in. You don't have to share *everything*, but it's important to seek different points of view from the adults around you - parents are always biased when it comes to their own kids ;-).


Great advice for teens, Neesha! Thanks for stopping by today and thanks also to The Teen {Book} Scene for arranging the JAZZ IN LOVE Blog Tour.

To learn more about Neesha Meminger and her writing, visit her website here.

JAZZ IN LOVE description and cover art courtesy of Goodreads.

(Blog Tour) Guest Post: Author Jason Ancona

I'd like to welcome Jason Ancona to An Avid Reader's Musings! Jason is the author of Debugging Tori Redding.

Fed up with her peers and their loose morals, Tori starts a new school program, the Not So Fast club, a group dedicated to keeping teens from doing everything they want to do--drink, have sex, and rush to grow up.

A severe toothache interrupts her plan, sending her to the dentist, where she's given an emergency root canal. During the surgery, she's electrocuted and ends up blacking out. When she awakes, her brain has the ability to function like a computer.

Tori uses her new skills and aggressive personality to charge up the club.
Hated by the entire school, she discovers that NSF now stands for: Narcs Suck Farts. Game on. Tori memorizes every school rule, issuing tickets for every little infraction.

After a serious crime occurs, Tori must use her talents to save a life, all while trying to free herself from her mind.
(Description courtesy of Goodreads. Picture courtesy of author.)


As my guest today, Jason will be sharing with you about his own teenage years.

What were you like in high school?

When I wasn't playing games on my computer, leveling up my character in Dungeon & Dragons, shooting guns in a Laser Tag arena, or losing money at cards to my nerd crew, I was doing cool stuff. Like singing along to Annie or The Sound of Music with my sisters. Since they loved those movies--I watched those A LOT.

During high school, I embraced my dorkiness, becoming unafraid to laugh at myself. I enjoyed entertaining others by mimicking the voices of characters on Saturday Night Live. There's a fine line between being a goofball and a complete idiot, and I'm sure I squiggled back and forth.

When the braces came off, I had the courage to ask a girl to senior prom. With a friend of course. Who I didn't even try to kiss.

I was innocent. And naive. And sensitive behind closed doors. Yes, I was a crier. Guess I'm just wired that way. Some things never change.

Did you follow the rules or were you a rule bender/breaker? Somewhere in between?

Somewhere in between.

My parents were disciplinarians, so I obeyed the letter of the household law. Never had a curfew. Probably because I never went anywhere. Most of the time I was in front of my computer, or in my basement playing cards with my friends.

Following the rules and respecting authority is how I was raised, so that's how I behaved.

Unfortunately, I had a huge error in judgment, breaking the rules on a fairly large scale. When I was in high school, the F.B.I. came to my house, taking my computer, color printer, and pristinely labeled disks. I'm sure the agents thought I was a freak when they saw all of the non-fiction books about various law enforcement agencies on my shelves.

Since I was a minor, and those records are sealed, I won't go into details. I will say that I was scared straight--been clean for over twenty years.

But I'm still crossing the line of being a goofball and an idiot.


Thanks so much for being here today, Jason! To find out more information on Jason Ancona and Debugging Tori Redding, visit his website and Goodreads page.