In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created be Kristi at The Story Siren.


This week I received three wonderful books for review:

Guest Post: Shelia M Goss

Today I have a special guest post from Shelia M Goss, author of The Lip Gloss Chronicles! The second book in the series, Splitsville, is in stores now.

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5 Questions with YA Author Shelia M Goss

Shelia Goss gained success writing women’s fiction but decided to take a plunge into the young adult market earlier this year with the popular Urban series - The Lip Gloss Chronicles.

The Lip Gloss Chronicles explores the life of three Sassy, Urban, and Hip high school friends: Britney, Jasmine, and Sierra, who are high on fashion and a magnet for drama. The Ultimate Test was released in June but today she's talking about her newly released YA novel Splitsville – The Lip Gloss Chronicles Vol. 2

Why did you decide to write young adult fiction?

I've actually wanted to write books in the genre since being a teenager and reading Nancy Drew. What prompted me to finally take that plunge was hearing my friends complain about their teens reading adult books.

Why did you choose the subject of divorce for the second book in your Lip Gloss Chronicles series?

I like to write about topics that affect today's teens. I wanted to show the impact divorce has on kids and different ways teens handle divorce. In Splitsville, Jasmine believes she's the reason why her parents are having so many problems. Is Jasmine the reason why they are divorcing? No, of course not, but in her mind, it is. Divorce is scary for kids of all ages.

What other topics are discussed in Splitsville?

Teenagers spend a lot of time on the internet. I decided to show the dangers of improper internet usage by allowing one of the characters to communicate with a stranger they met online. Internet safety is important and bringing awareness to this issue will hopefully make teens and their parents think twice about time spent online and on social networks.

The third book in the series - Paper Thin is scheduled to be out in January 2010. Can you give us an overview of the book?

Paper Thin - The Lip Gloss Chronicles Vol. 3 tackles an important issue of teens and their weight. Sierra is the lead character in this book. I decided to tackle this issue because many teenage girls are struggling trying to look like unrealistic images they see in various forms of the media.

What do you want readers to get from your books?

Although my books are entertaining, I want readers to be conscious about the decisions they make in their lives. I also want readers to know they do not have to bow down to peer pressure. It is okay to be an individual and it’s okay not to be part of a clique.

Splitsville: The Lip Gloss Chronicles Vol. 2 is available in stores or from online outlets such as Amazon.com, BN, etc. To learn more about The Lip Gloss Chronicles series, be sure to visit the site for teens www.thelipglosschronicles.com or the author’s main site: www.sheliagoss.com.

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Thanks Shelia!

200 Follower Swag Giveaway Winners

The magical wizard at Random.org has spoken and the first prize winner who'll get a Hush, Hush poster, signed The Cinderella Society bookmark, signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmark, and Chick Lit Teens bookmark is...

#27 - Dahlia!

And the second place winner who'll get a Hush, Hush poster, signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmark, and Chick Lit Teens bookmark is...

#166 - Rachael!

Congratulations to you both! Remember that you have 72 hours to claim your prizes (via an email to chicklitteens@gmail.com), so make sure to do so ASAP.

Thanks to all of my lovely followers for your support, you guys rock! If you didn't win this contest, I'll have many more in the future.

Happy reading!

2010 Debut Author Challenge

The 2010 Debut Author Challenge is being hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

The challenge will be running from January 1 - December 31, 2010. The goal is to read at least 12 MG or YA books from debut authors that are released during 2010. My goal, however, is to read about 30. For more information on the challenge you can read this post.

I'd just like to say that TheTenners.com has been very, very bad for my TBR list. To support my claim, here's my list (in no particular order):

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
The Mark by Jen Nadol
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
The Naughty List by Suzanne Collins
The Line by Teri Hall
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopocus
The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez
Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
Sea by Heidi R. Kling
Other by Karen Kincy
Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland
Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Nightshade by Adrea Cremer
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Everlasting by Angie Frazier
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Wish by Alexandra Bullen

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

I can't wait for 2010!

(Bold = read/reviewed, Pink= in my possession)

Shadowland by Alyson Noël

At the start of this breathtaking novel, Damen and Ever travel to Summerland in search of an antidote to reverse a powerful poison. But instead of the cure they seek, they find something far more sinister: the truth about their existence and the fate lying in wait of an immortal’s soul.

Now, with Damen fighting to save them from the Shadowland, Ever turns to magick, hoping to break Damen’s curse. Along the way Ever encounters the mysterious Jude, finding herself drawn to him in a way that will test her love for Damen like never before . . .

My original plan was to review all of the books in The Immortals series as they came out. However, upon reading Blue Moon, that plan went out the window. I could not find a way to put my thoughts on the book into words. In the presence of so many surprising curveballs and shockers, I couldn’t even begin to formulate a coherent review. My hope is to get back on track by reviewing the third book, Shadowland. So let’s see how it goes this time.

Once again, Alyson Noël has jam packed the novel with so much activity. However, unlike the other two, the pace slowed a bit for this novel. While the first novel was all about setting the story and the second was a continuation of that, setting up the greater plot, this one focused more on Ever and Damen. It really gave an in depth look at both characters – their pasts, presents, and the outlook of their futures. The development didn’t stop there though; it also focused on their relationship. After everything that happened in the first and second books, there wasn’t a lot of time to expand on their relationship. With the slower pace of this novel, however, Noël was able to do just that. This book really sets the tone of their relationship, intensifying the connection and making it sing. The spark from the first two books is transformed into a smoldering flame that is impossible to not get drawn into.

Continuing the trend of development, Shadowland also answered many of the questions I’d been asking, and more. From the value of their souls to where they go when it’s all over to the future of their relationship, everything is explored and expanded upon. It is probably this aspect that truly made this novel my favorite in the series thus far. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of action and suspense. But in all honesty, I’m that annoying person you dread sitting next to at the movies. I question, I point out plot holes and flaws, and I predict what’s going to happen from the get go. So when an author takes the time to examine some of the little discrepancies I love it.

Finally, I will never – no matter how many of her books I read – be able to anticipate Noël’s constant surprises. How she can come up with so many unseen, shocking twists I’ll never know. She is a master at leaving the reader wanting more. Summer 2010 is far too long a wait for the next installment in Ever and Damen’s adventures.

If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly suggest you do so now. With the plot and characters improving book by book, there’s nowhere for this series to go but up.

5 Stars!

Guest Post: Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Today, in place of Former Flame Friday, I have a great guest post courtesy of Dina Nayeri, co-author of the newly released Another Faust with her brother Daniel Nayeri.

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Daniel and I grew up in a lot of different places: Iran, Dubai, Rome,Oklahoma, to name a few. So we spent our formative years not really settled, the way other kids are. We were political refugees, which meant that the whole time we were living in Dubai and Rome, we were waiting for some other country to accept us. Ironic, since people pay a lot of money to go to Dubai and Rome for vacations. But when you've never been to America,the promise of "being accepted" is a really exciting thing that makes you run to the mailbox every day. The downside of all that is that it's hard to make friends and join a soccer team when you could leave any day without warning. I remember once when I was nine and in the equivalent of about fourth grade, I got the lead in a school play in my school in Dubai. The play was three months away and I was so sure (or really just hopeful) that we would leave for America within weeks that I told the teacher there is no way I would be in town long enough to play the lead. So the part went to some other girl. On the day of the play, I was a very grumpy extra.

Another side-effect of all this moving around was that Daniel and I were always in each other's business. We shared a room and toys and stuff, and since we were just learning English, we didn't have that many friends at the time. So here are some of the games we invented to entertain ourselves:

1) Claiming pieces of the floor, so the other person has to ask permission to walk across it (or straddle it, or avoid it, or leap across it).

2) Claiming songs, so the other person isn't allowed to sing that song without paying a penalty

3) Dina's favorite: cheating Daniel out of his pocket change by selling him intangible things or things that already belong to him (I am particularly ashamed of this one, because not only was it cruel, but Daniel didn't fall for it. I suspect now that he just rolled his eyes and handed over the cash)

4) Daniel's favorite: in lieu of learning English, he invented his own language, a very sophisticated one with its own grammar, special pronunciations, full set of usage rules, and working conjugation.

5) Another of Dan's favorites: singing annoying made-up songs to make me want to kill myself.

6) My current favorite: "would you rather." Has a better game ever been invented? I think someone actually wrote a whole book about this game."Would you rather" is (in the hands of the right person) possibly the world's best, most entertaining game.

Here are some things that I discovered about myself as a result of this super-genius pastime:

1) I'd rather be clinically obese and go to heaven (rather than be thin and go to hell), provided I'm allowed to hire a military-grade trainer, and someone can prove to me that hell isn't just the absence of being.

2) I would rather have sixteen ears and no mouth than sixteen mouths and no ears.

3) I would rather sleep on a bed of nails every day for a year than walk across a pit of de-fanged, non-poisonous snakes

4) I would rather lick the sweaty inner thigh of Richard Simmons than drink a cup of Thousand Island dressing

5) I would rather be the hundredth smartest person in the world than the single prettiest.

Huh... Looking at those now I see that I haven't evolved much in the last fifteen or so years. Way to go me. Also, thousand island dressing is the devil's work.

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Thank you so much Daniel and Dina!

Behind the Binding (1)

Behind the Binding (can you tell I like alliterations?) is a new semi-weekly feature that tells my own personal anecdotes about various books on my shelves. The idea came to me when I realized that a lot of the books I own have back stories to them. How did I find out about the book? Why did I decide to read it? Where was I while reading it?

That said, for the next few weeks I'm going to be giving the feature a trial run and seeing how you guys like it. If it's a "yay" then I'll keep it going, if it's a "neigh" then I'll put it to rest.

This week, with The Twilight Saga: New Moon being released, I've decided to tell a few cute back stories about New Moon.

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A few years back, right around the release of New Moon, I was just starting to dabble in YA. The only problem was that I was having trouble finding new books to read. Unlike now, when I just open up Goodreads or walk through the doors of Barnes and Noble and immediately see 3-4

books I wanted to read, back then I researched books. And I don't mean I just looked around, I

spent hours scouring Amazon Listmanias for books to read.

One night, rather late might I add, I came across a random book. Something called New Moon (remember at this time it was virtually unknown). The cover was pretty and the book sounded...interesting. Unfortunately, vampires weren't really my thing.

Nevertheless, I decided to show my older sister. Upon hearing that it was about vampires she went into a frenzy, telling me I could absolutely not read it (paranormal romance was not big for people our age, especially not vampire books). So, being a true little sister, I threatened to read the book for about a week and a half just to harass her, but I never actually did.

A few years later, guess who was the first person in my family to read New Moon and, consequently, forced me to read it? That's right, my older sister. Ironic much?

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Now one more funny story about New Moon, if you're not too bored with me yet.

About two years ago I went to my first ever author event, Libba Bray and Shannon Hale. As a part of the event they gave away various books. The very last prize was an ARC of The Host. As soon as Stephanie Meyer's name was announced everyone began cheering wildly. Now, I had no idea who the heck she was, so I just stood in the corner staring at them like they were crazy.

Then, at the end of the event we were all given gift bags. One of the gifts was a Twilight Saga poster and New Moon tattoos. Having no idea what they were, I figured I'd give them away, only no one wanted them.

In hindsight, I find it hilarious that at the time I couldn't find anyone who wanted a poster from Twilight. Now, I bet I could find at least 5 girls at any given moment who'd take it off my hands. Funny how things can change in only a few years.

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Enjoy New Moon!

P.S. Can you guess what tattoos I'll be wearing to the midnight premiere tonight (don't ask how I got roped into it)?

Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, a new boy at school who had a very mysterious gift – psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry and experiencing strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow been transferred to her.

Ben returns to school, but he remains aloof, and Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Camelia makes the painful decision to let him go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at Knead, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events uncovers secrets from Ben’s past – and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who – before it's too late.

Once again Laurie Faria Stolarz has delivered a spine-chilling tale full of suspense and mystery.

This second chapter in Camelia’s story was a great improvement from the previous novel, which was already great. Her life and relationship with Ben were perfectly balanced with the thriller portions of the novel. I especially liked how she toned the eeriness of the novel down and focused more on Camelia’s hobbies and relationships.

My big issue with the previous book had been Camelia’s friends, Kimmie specifically. In the midst of all of the horrors that were occurring in Camelia’s life, all her so-called best friend had cared about was ranting about how her father was being difficult. In Deadly Little Lies, however, Stolarz explored the relationship between the two and the issues with Kimmie’s family. This development not only fixed my previous issues, it also made Camelia and Kimmie’s relationship much more real.

In summary, the book was a quick, thrilling read and a great exploration of Camelia’s life, relationships, and psyche. Not only is it a great novel in and of itself, it also has all of the necessary loose ends to lead into an equally wonderful third novel.

4 Stars!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by Kristi from The Story Siren.

This week was rather quiet for me. I did, however, buy two awesome books (one of which came out nearly a month early!):

A Word on Contests

I'd like to take a moment to address a few issues concerning contests. In the past, my policy was that I would contact winners via email after announcing them here and they then had 72 hours to respond. However, I have recently made the decision to amend this policy.

The fact of the matter, is that I don't have the time or mental capacity to remember to email winners. More often than not I announce 2+ winners for every contest, which means 2+ separate email addresses to track down and emails to write. Therefore, from now on it is the responsibility of the winners to get in contact with me. This was actually a prestanding rule, but I have just kept up the habit of sending emails because I always feel bad when I have to give people's prizes away. But with more than enough emails to send lately, I just can't keep up with contest emails so I'm cracking down on it.

So what does this mean for you? Basically, just remember to check winners on all current and future contacts.

Thank you for understanding!

P.S. For more contest guidelines check out my standard contest policy.

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility!

Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

The Naughty List is the epitome of chick lit – fun and oh so flirty. From the first page Suzanne Young had caught my attention with her spin on the classic spy theme. The Smitten Kittens’ spy missions blended with the everyday trials of high school, life and cheerleading proved to be an interesting combination. Though I would’ve liked to see more of Tessa’s nighttime high-jinks included in the book, I was pleased with how the missions moved the story along. There was never a point when the spying or her everyday social life overshadowed the other. The two were constantly balanced and always interwoven, one leading right into the next.

One of my very few complaints about the book is Tessa’s naivety. While I understood her constant need to be peppy and upbeat, there were a few times when I felt that her judgment was just a little bit too cloudy. Although, I will give the girl props for trying to improve the view of cheerleaders everywhere and disprove all of the stereotypes.

All in all The Naughty List was a solid debut for Young and a great spring point for the rest of the series. I look forward to seeing Tessa and her friends’ characters developed more in the next book, as well as reading more about SOS’s continued sleuthing.

4 Stars!

If you liked this you may like… The Squad by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

200 Followers!

Wow, just wow guys! I cannot believe that there are actually 200 people across the world who actually want to follow my blog! When I started my blog a little over a year ago, I just wanted ten people to read my blog. I never would've imagined a response like this!

Therefore, I think some thanks are in order for all of you who've followed my blog. And so I present to you my 200 Follower Swag Giveaway!

One first prize winner will win:

• A Hush, Hush locker poster of Patch in all of his glory
• A signed Cinderella Society / The Great Scavenger Hunt bookmark from Kay Cassidy
• A signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmark from Lisa Schroeder
• A Chick Lit Teens bookmark (which I guess I could sign if wanted...)

One second place winner will win:

• A Hush, Hush locker poster
• A signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmark from Lisa Schroeder
• A Chick Lit Teens bookmark

Please enter all of your information into the form below, along with your extra entries by Tuesday, November 24 at midnight EST*.

Thanks again for all of your continued support, I really appreciate it!

P.S. Two other bloggers passed huge follower milestones this week: Jill over at The O.W.L. hit 75 followers and Kristi at The Story Siren broke1,000 (talk about amazing)! Make sure to go congratulate them as well.

*Open internationaly. Make sure to read my contest policy before entering.

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover...Or Can You?

Cover Judge is a semi-weekly feature that spotlights some of the gorgeous covers of the books on my wish list.

Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw

Release: May 1, 2010

Synopsis: “Evangeline,” he repeated, calling at a whisper. “Evangeline.” He was not calling that she may hear, he was calling that somehow her soul might know that he was devoted entirely to her, only to her. “Evangeline, I will find you.”

Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.

A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous love poem “Evangeline,” Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.

Cover: I first fell in love with this cover on The Story Siren's Books to Pine For post, then I read the synopsis and fell even in more in love with both the cover and the book. Maybe it has something to do with it being fall right now, but I just find the color scheme completely gorgeous. The orange and brown leaves against the model's dark hair and white dress is eye catching. And if that wasn't enough, the amber light filtering in from the top righthand corner is simply dazzling. The entire cover is airy and whimsical, but also mysterious.

SPOILER WARNING!!!!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Release: Fall 2010

Synopsis (from Maggie): "It's about after. What happens after you discover there are werewolves in the wood, after you've fallen in love for the first time, after you've lost what you think you can't live without, after you've become someone you can't live with."

Cover: I loved the cover Shiver and was a bit worried that the cover for Linger wouldn't live up to it. However, the cover designers at Scholastic have once again knocked the ball - or the cover- out of the park.

Like the first cover, this one is simplistic yet still beautiful. The stark white background and bright green trees is a throwback to the previous cover and still looks wonderful. I especially like how the covers progress through the seasons with the books, the first being winter and this one being spring. And once again, I love the cut outs of a wolf and, this time, a girl. In such a simplistic, yet stunning, way they were able to capture a snapshot of the story. Another cover to love!

As a special bonus for all of you Shiver fans, Maggie released the first paragraph on her website and blog earlier this week!

...grace...

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn't cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it's only me who's not firmly in my own skin.