Blogger Blooms (2)

'Blogger Blooms' is a highlight of some young adult book blogs that I've recently just discovered. These blogs don't exactly have to be new, they could be old as well. Three to four blogs will be featured for every post and I give a brief description on their blog. :)

Gaby over at Oh My Books! is a blog that I check quite often ever since I discovered it a week ago. She's a very active blogger and has various features on her blog. Her contents on her blog are reviews, author interview, contests, book news, guest posts, and a couple of memes. And also, she's an international blogger, which is very cool!

Emma over at What's Cracking Coops? is a blog that I just discovered yesterday! Emma is an australian blogger who loves reading, writing, and photography! She has review, cover craves, and participates in some memes. I look forward to checking out more of Emma's blog!

Bailey over at IB Book Blogging is a 16 year old IB student, who obviously, loves reading. She likes paranormal and fantasy, just like me! She participates in various memes and has reviews on her blog. Bailey is another active book blogger, she has posts almost daily. Her blog is great!

Those are all my blogger blooms! What are yours? Any blogs that have bloomed to you?

In My Mailbox (41)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It is a list of the books that I've received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, or from trades.

For review:

FLEDGING: JASON STEED by Mark A. Cooper
The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green
Beautiful Dead: Arizona by Eden Maguire
Manifest by Artist Arthur
It's a Book' by Lane Smith
THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger
The Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin
Hush by Eishes Chayil
The Twin’s Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman
Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein
Secondhand Charm by Julie Berr

Trade:

Shadowland by Alyson Noel
My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

Won:

Everlasting by Angie Frazer

Bought:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Sorry for no pictures this week!

Author Interview: Tricia Mills

Tricia Mills

Books:

• Heartbreak River
• Winter Longing

Tricia Mills grew up in Kentucky and got her degree in print journalism. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, a marketing assistant, and a magazine managing editor, and she now freelance writes and edits full time. She and her husband live in Tennessee.

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Describe Winter Longing in five words or less.
Love, loss, and love again.

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
Strengths: Hopefully, it's authentic characters and strong settings that are a character in and of themselves.

Weaknesses: Like most writers, I second-guess myself a lot and then chew my fingernails to nubs for fear that people won't like the books.

How are you and Winter alike? How are you different?
Alike: We both grew up in small, rural towns where we felt nothing ever happened.

Different: I have no talent at sewing or designing (but am envious of those who do).

Are any characters in Winter Longing based on real people?
No. Characters are usually a mishmash of characteristics from people both real and fictional.

The cover for Winter Longing is gorgeous, did you have any input on the final outcome?
I love the cover, too! I've been very fortunate with covers. I don't really have any input on the covers at all. That's true for most authors. We just cross our fingers we get something good.

Any new projects you might be able to share with us?
One song I mention in the book as one that Winter listens to while she's going through her grieving process is "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin, particularly the chorus.

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Thanks so much to Tricia, for stopping by!

Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

Title: Winter Longing

Author: Tricia Mills

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 272

Publication Date: August 12, 2010

Source: Publisher

A plane crash in Alaska takes
Winter’s first love away forever . . .

When Winter's boyfriend is killed in a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, she's robbed of the future she'd only just allowed herself to believe might be hers. Winter and Spencer had been destined for one another. And after his death, Spencer's presence continues to haunt her.

But when her next-door neighbor becomes an unlikely friend, Winter begins to accept all that she can't change. Can she open herself to a new future . . . and a possible new love?

Winter Longing is beautiful, sweet, and heartwarming novel that touches your heart. When Winter's boyfriend dies, it devastates her and affects her so deeply that she can't trust herself to open up to another love. The connection that Winter and Jesse forge is simply so wonderful. I felt every emotional heartbreak and every emotional decision that was made between them.

Winter is really an empathetic character that anybody could relate to, despite her unique position. The emotional trauma that she went through was easily relatable to me. I could really feel how she feels. Apart from that, Lindsey's life also had a big impact in the story. Mills not only pays attention on Winter, but also touches on Lindsey's problems as well, creating a more diverse storyline.

Exceptionally touching and heartbreaking, Winter Longing will surely strike a chord within you.

Cover:

Ending::

Characters:

Writing:

Overall:

Guest Post: Inara Scott (Delcroix Academy) & Giveaway

Inara Scott

Books:

• Delcroix Academy

Inara grew up in winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. Consequently, she spent much of her childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world her whining, she fled the cold climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific NW, where she practiced law for ten years before getting up the courage to quit her day job and write full time. A proud author of children's and young adult fiction, Inara firmly believes that great literature doesn't have to be depressing or written for adults. You can find her online at Twitter (@inarascott), on Facebook, and at her website: www.inarascott.com.

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Hi everyone,

I’m excited to be here and tell you a little bit about Delcroix Academy: The Candidates and some of the people you’ll meet there. To start off, here’s a little about Dancia, the heroine of the story:

Fourteen (almost fifteen) year-old Dancia Lewis is is girl everyone sees but no one knows. She likes it that way. In fact, she does everything in her power to make it that way. Because Dancia is dangerous. From crashed cars to guys in comas, Dancia can Make Things Happen just by thinking about them. Horrible things. Things that hurt people. Even when – or perhaps especially when – she’s trying to help.

Dancia lives in a small town in Washington state, in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. She’s pretty sure one day Rainier is going to explode and dump lava all over the city and everyone she knows. Her luck is just like that.

Where did Dancia come from and how did I capture her voice? All I can say is that Dancia flows onto the page right out of my head. She isn’t me – for one, I’ve got no dangerous telekentic powers – but she is someone with whom I’d love to have a conversation. If we went to school together, think we’d be best friends.

The two other most important people you’ll meet at Delcroix: Jack and Cam. First off, Jack:

I didn’t see the kid running toward me until we were about to collide. He was looking over his shoulder and scowling at the road behind him, eyebrows knit together like a dark smear across his forehead. He had long legs and arms, black hair and pale skin. I thought I saw the scrawl of a tattoo across one bicep.
“Hey!” I yelled, ducking out of the way just in time to avoid being flattened.
He stopped and spun around. His gaze darted wildly from my face to the road and back. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He brushed it off with an impatient, trembling hand.
I saw panic in his eyes, and fear in the rigid, jerky way he kept moving, as if he couldn’t afford to stand still.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He looked over his shoulder again, and then took a step closer to me. Grabbing my shoulders, he peered right into my face. “If a man asks if you’ve seen me, say no, okay?”
Beautiful silvery-grey eyes stared out from spiky black eyelashes. I froze, unable to tear my gaze from his.
“Okay?” he repeated, shaking my shoulders. His voice cracked.
I gulped, my heart pounding in my chest. Suddenly, I had a taste of the fear that seemed to consume him. “Should I call the police?”
“No!” His voice cracked again. “No,” he repeated. “Just say you haven’t seen me.”
He let me go and started running down the block.

Who is Jack? He’s the boy you know at school who insanely hot but always in trouble. You look in his eyes and see the soul of a poet, but know that poet is buried under a life full of heartache. Is Jack redeemable? I guess you’ll have to read the books to find out!

Finally, there’s Cameron Sanders, Student Recruiter for Delcroix Academy…

“Call me Cam.” The boy stuck out his hand for me to shake. He was tall, way taller than me and I’m a good five foot nine. In middle school, I really had to slouch to hide the fact that I was the tallest girl in my class. Naturally, Grandma is always on me to stand up straight.
“Hi, Cam.” I tried to wipe my hand surreptitiously on my shorts, because it had suddenly become damp and the last thing I wanted was for him to think I was one of those people who always have sweaty palms. I couldn’t avoid meeting his eyes, so I did, and instantly, I got this fluttery feeling in my chest. Even though I knew it was impossible for a guy that attractive to ever notice a girl like me, his gaze felt warm and inviting. He had an air of athletic outdoorsy-ness, like he could run a marathon or climb a mountain and look gorgeous doing it.
Reluctantly, I extended my hand.
“Great to finally meet you, Dancia.” He closed his palm over mine and I could barely keep from jumping when an electric shock rippled through my arm.

I think we all know a Cam Sanders – hottest guy in the school and everyone’s best friend, you’d hope he would be a jerk so you could hate him and be done with it, but he’s too darn nice. But why is he so interested in Dancia? He’s a junior, and could have any girl he wants – why is he paying so much attention to the girl no one knows?

I hope you will want to get to know Dancia, Jack and Cam a little better – Delcroix Academy: The Candidates is in stores AUGUST 24th!

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Trailer

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Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that’s not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia’s mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just … happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to people, believing this way she can suppress her powers and keep them hidden.

When recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy offer her a full scholarship, Dancia fears her days of living under the radar may be over. But Delcroix is a school for diplomats’ kids and child geniuses — why are they treating Dancia like she’s special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make her feel welcome. And then there’s her mysterious new friend Jack, who can’t stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at Delcroix, and he wants Dancia to help him figure out what…But neither Jack or
Dancia could have imagined what’s really going on behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

Up for grabs: Two copies of Delcroix Academy for two lucky winners

Contest Information:

• fill out the form below
• September 14 is the deadline
• open to US only
• check my contest policy
• contest closed *

In My Mailbox (40)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It is a list of the books that I've received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, or from trades.

For review:
Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Freefall by Mindi Scott
The Shadow Project by Herbie Brennan
Max Cassidy by Paul Adam

Gift:
Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens (signed)
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Trade:
Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Bought:
The Fallen 1: The Fallen and Leviathan by Thomas E. Sniegoski
The Fallen 2: Aerie and Reckoning by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Take me There by Carolee Dean
Echoes by Melinda Metz

And... and.. also... the bestestawesomecoolestever box arrived as well.. Sadly, they weren't for me, they were for my sister, but I am stealing them (I shall try to at least)... Here are some pictures:

I'm very excited!

Contest: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

Up for Grabs: A copy of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

Contest Information:

• fill out the form below
• September 17 is the deadline
• entrants must be 13 years or older
• open to US only
• check my contest policy
• contest closed *

Author Interview: Eileen Cook

Eileen Cook

Books:

• Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood
• What Would Emma Do?
• Unpredictable

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. Her latest release, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was released in Jan 2010.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

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What are some of your strengths and weaknesses in writing?
I think my two strengths are writing humor and having an honest voice. Writing funny is something that I believe either comes easy for you or not. I've always been the "funny one" so it seemed natural to bring that to my writing. By having an honest voice what I mean is that I respect my reader. I don't talk down to them or assume I have all the answers. I hope to show my characters as real and flawed people who hopefully learn and grow.

I can think of lots of weaknesses. Whenever I read a really great book by another writer there is that moment where I'm jelous of what an amazing book they've made and I wonder if I'll ever be able to write like them. That's the good news about writing is there is always more to learn. I feel as if each book I've written has gotten a bit better. When I read one of those great books by someone else I try and figure out what I can learn from that writer.

What is the feeling you get when you see your book/s in the bookstores?
Like finding out that chocolate has no calories. A mix of joy and surreal all at the same time. I want to stand next to the shelf and tackle people when they come near forcing a copy into their hand.

I have always wanted to be a writer. When I was a kid (Okay, up until my first book actually came out) whenever I was in a library or a bookstore I would always find the place on the shelf where if I had a book it would go and I would stick my hand in and shove the other books over making space for my future books. It was something I had dreamed about for so long that when it finally came true it almost didn't seem real.

What was the hardest aspect of writing Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood?
It is the same thing I find difficult with writing any book- writing on the days when it doesn't come easy. Somedays it feels like you can't stop, the words just fly. Then there are the other days. It can be hard to sit down at the computer when you feel like NOTHING is happening and everything you put on the page doesn't work. There is a famous author who once said, "you can't fix a blank page." When I'm having a bad day I remind myself to keep moving forward. I can fix something if I get it down on the page, but if I don't write anything I'm no further ahead.

How are you and Lauren alike? How are you different?
Oooh. I don't think I've ever been asked this before.... I like Lauren. Yes, I know she's the villian and she does some lousy things, but I still felt bad for her. Much like her there are times I get caught up in being too focused on what people think of me instead of worrying about being who I am. Lauren is so worried abut making sure she looks perfect to everyone that she doesn't even know what would make her happy anymore.

One way that I'm different from Lauren is I would never betray a friend. I am so lucky to have great friends that I could never do anything (at least on purpose) to hurt them. Plus, since I'm completely uncoordinated I would never make it as a cheerleader either.

Is there anything you want readers to take from Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood?
Most of all I hope readers enjoy the book and find it fun to read. If there is a "lesson" to be learned then I would want it to be that living well is the best revenge. We worry too much about other people instead of keeping the focus on our own lives and doing what we need to be happy.M

Any must-have's while writing?
I have to have my laptop, a cup of hot tea and my dogs. The lap top is obvious, the tea helps keep me going and the dogs are my distraction and stress reliever. It's hard to be stressed when petting a dog belly.

What's next for you?
I am just finishing up my next book which will be out in January! Right now it is called The Vindication of Hailey Kendrick, but the title could change. It takes place in an elite boarding school where a prank goes very wrong and Hailey has to decide who her friends are and what really matters. I'm also working on a ghost story that I am really enjoying- so stay tuned for that too!

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Thank you so much to Eileen, for stopping by!

Author Interview: Chelsea Swiggett

Chelsea Rae Swiggett

Books:

• Rae

Chelsea Rae Swiggett is eighteen years old and will soon be heading to college to major in English and immerse herself even further into the world of books and writing. She currently serves on the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board. Visit her blog at http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com/.

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Interview was taken before release of Rae. *

What are your strengths and weaknesses in writing?

I've been told I have kickass metaphors, so I'll list that as my strength. As far as weaknesses go, I think I have a lot of them. I tend to have a niche in my fiction ideas - death. Morbid much? But I love ghost stories and I try to make my ideas a little more unconventional. As far as my physical writing goes, I tend to jump scenes a lot or use too many commas/hyphens. There are many more I could list, but I'll try not to degrade myself too much.

You've been telling a lot of us that your extremely nervous about the release of Rae, if you weren't a blogger yourself, will this level of nervousness decrease? Or it doesn't make a difference? ...Thinking the fact that people you know and people who you talk to will be reading and maybe reviewing a book that YOU wrote. :)

Yeah, it's pretty hectic since I've been a part of the book community for so long. I've met a ton of awesome reviewers and writers and the thought of them reading my writing is nerve-wracking, especially since some of them will be reviewing it. But I've always wanted to be a writer so the anxiousness is just something I have to deal with. It's so worth it.

The cover for Rae is freaking amazing! Any thoughts on it? Did you have any input for this final cover?
Thanks! I love it. I think the art department did a great job - I had pretty much no say in it, actually. It's part of the Louder than Words series, and each book has a specific color theme; mine turned out to be my favorite color, green, so I lucked out. Several friends have told me the cover girl looks like me, which I think is ironic.

Any of the characters in Rae based in real life?
All of them! It's a memoir. :) But I'm writing a fiction book right now and I feel like my friends and family influence a lot of the characteristics of my characters, although I make them each their own person. I can sit and people-watch for hours, like a creeper, and something about someone will stick and end up part of a character.

What's the best advice for all those aspiring authors out there?
Write! Read! Just sit down and start something. And then finish it. Push yourself. The only way you can do something is to start it. It takes a lot of time and effort, but that's what you have to do. And remember that first drafts are supposed to be crappy, so just get everything on the page and edit it all later.

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Thanks so much to Chelsea for stopping by! Check out http://www.louderthanwordsbooks.com/ and her blog at http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com/.

Clean-Out Giveaway

Instead of trading all my extra copies that are just sitting on my shelves and lying on my floor, I've decided to take out 15 books from the pile and give it away. I have some arcs in this 15 book pile but they all are released. Here's the pile o' books:

(sorry for such a crappy picture, it was pretty dark when I took this)

PAPERBACKs:

Strange Angles by Lili St. Crow

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Seizer

What Matters Most: Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

ARCs:

Runaway by Meg Cabot

For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Paisley Hanover: Kisses and Tells by Cameron Tuttle

Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray

Boys, Girls, and other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

HARDCOVERs:

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Official Information:

• fill out the form below
• September 3 is the deadline - contest closed... *
• open to US only
• 15 winners in total
• books are chosen by random for each winner
• check my contest policy

Books up for Trade

I have quite a lot of books that are taking up my bookshelves... Some of these are extra copies and the rest are books that I've already reviewed and don't want anymore. So here's a list of books that are up for trade.

My books live in a smoke-free house, but with a pet dog. Although, my dog never comes upstairs (which is the floor my bedroom is located in), so technically, it's pet-free too. All books are in very good condition, unless stated otherwise.

updated: July 25 2011

ARCs:

Ten Things We Did and Probably Shouldn't Have by Sarah Mlynowski

Pearl by Jo Knowles

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Trial by Fire (Raised by Wolves, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Stay by Deb Caletti

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Shimmer (Riley Bloom, #2) by Alyson Noel

Nightspell (Mistwood, #2) by Leah Cypess

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Illusions (Wings, #3) by Aprilynne Pike

The Lost Saint (Dark Divine, #2) by Bree Despain

Family by Micol Ostow

Red Glove (White Cat, #2) by Holly Black

HARDCOVERs:

The Ivy by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Torment (Fallen, #2) by Lauren Kate (signed)

Darklight (Wondrous Strange, #2) by Lesley Livingston

Gone (Wake, #3) by Lisa McMann

DupliKate by Cherry Cheva

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3) by Jenny Han

Father of Lies by Ann Turner

Blood & Flowers by Penny Blubaugh

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

The Shifter by Janice Hardy

Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

PAPERBACKs:

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

A Match Made In High School by Kiristin Walker

White Cat by Holly Black

I am willing to ship anywhere as long as you are willing to do so too. This is on a first come first serve basis.

If you'd like to trade, shoot me an email at bookreviewsya(@)yahoodotcom, with the subject Book Trade, including the following info: what book(s) you'd like to trade and what book(s) you have for trade.

Happy Birthday... to me!

Today's my birthday!! Yay!

In My Mailbox (39)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It is a list of the books that I've have received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, or from trades.

I attempted to do a vlog... and I know I fail. I recorded this when there was thunder so it's awkward... and weird.. and fail... I mess up a lot too. :/

For review:

Something Like Fate by Susan Colasanti

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer

Sell-Out by Ebony Joy Wilkins

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Kiss in the Dark by Lauren Henderson

Bought:

The Ghost and The Goth by Stacey Kade

Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Trade:

The Line by Teri Hall

Other Goodies:

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Guest Post: Tricia Rayburn (Siren)

Tricia Rayburn

Books:

• The Melting of Maggie Bean
• Maggie Bean Stays Afloat
• Maggie Bean in Love
• Ruby's Slippers
• Siren (Egmont)

Tricia Rayburn used to save her weekly allowance for two things: the Scholastic Book Club and her family's bi-annual trip to the Smithaven Mall, where she loaded up on the latest Baby-Sitter's Club and Sweet Valley Twins books. Years later, Tricia discovered her love of writing for tweens and teens while taking a children's literature course in graduate school. Her first novel, The Melting of Maggie Bean, started as an assignment in that course, turned into her thesis, and was eventually published by Simon & Schuster as one of six launch titles for M!X, a line for tweens. Maggie Bean Stays Afloat and Maggie Bean in Love followed, and were joined by Ruby's Slippers and Siren in July 2010. Tricia lives on eastern Long Island.

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"I'd love to know more about the research she had to do for Siren! I would love to have her discuss the different types of research that was required to write Siren due to its many mystical surroundings."

Before I began writing Siren, all I knew about the sirens of mythology was that they were lovely ladies who did some not-so-nice things to the poor sailors they lured in from the sea. I also knew they weren’t mermaids, even though the two have become quite interchangeable over time. What I didn’t realize was that they weren’t even close to being mermaids! Despite their waterfront location they had wings instead of fins, and were considered dangerous “bird-women”—not “fish-women.”

This discovery was about as far as my research went. I didn’t want my sirens to be birds! I wanted them to be as drawn to the sea as men were drawn to them. I wanted them to be able to swim underwater without ever having to come up for air. I wanted them to be physically dependent on saltwater so that the longer they went without it, the worse they’d feel and the weaker they’d become. And I wanted their relationship with the ocean to be the only relationship they couldn’t control.

So in some ways, my sirens are a mythological siren-mermaid mix. They lack tails and scales but can swim to the bottom of the ocean and back—and still have enough air left to sing seductive songs to poor, unsuspecting boys. Not quite the way things went down in The Odyssey…which actually makes Winter Harbor’s happenings that much harder for Vanessa and her friends to believe!

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Thanks so much to Tricia for stopping by!

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June by Robin Benway

Title: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June
Author: Robin Benway
Pages: 256
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: August 3, 2010
Source: Publisher

I hugged my sisters and they fit against my sides like two jigsaw pieces that would never fit anywhere else. I couldn’t imagine ever letting them go again, like releasing them would be to surrender the best parts of myself.

Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood—powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?

April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds—everyone’s but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they’ll always have each other.

Because there’s one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood.

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June has the perfect mix of many issues teenagers deal with today. It's realistic, humorous, and enjoyable. The novel alternates points of view with all three sisters; April, May, & June.

Benway's writing is very consistent... There won't be a time where the novel starts to get a bit dreary or dull. It wasn't monotonous, the book just kept getting better and better. The premise is very original and refreshing. The whole 'three-sisters-dealing-with-issues' was cliche but since that whole 'super-power' idea came, this novel was very different.

Having three alternate points of view will help the reader get to know each sister. The relationships between them were very realistic. June's that 'wanna-be' and vain type of person. She's very ambitious and caring regarding her reputation. April truly acted like the oldest sister, also had surprising feelings for this guy. Even though, she didn't get a long too well with June and May, she always cared for them and was there when they both needed help. May, who hates the fact of being invisible, was the middle-child. She was always being asked favors by the April, having to always fight with the June, deciding who's side to go on, you know.. that stuff.. May's relationship with April was better than hers with June's. All three sisters were very different, but at the same time, similar in a special way.

With a refreshing premise, awesome characters, consistent and humorous writing, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June is one to watch out for. Buy it, read it, love it.

Cover:

Ending::

Characters:

Writing:

Overall:

Briana McNair Photography

I just HAD to post this.. I just want to give a shout out to Briana.. The awesome blogger over at The Book Pixie.

I just recently discovered about Briana's amazing skills at photography just now! You guys totally have to check her out! Her works are amazing, they are beautiful, and gorgeous. Unfortunately, I don't think I can post her photos on here.. if you want to check out her photos (which, you should) go here:

http://bcmphotography.redbubble.com/

Isn't she JUST SOO TALENTED?

Oh, and she also has a Facebook fan page! Go like it here!

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Dumplin Design Studio Blog Makeover Giveaway!

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