Delightful Debutantes #35 - Sangu Mandanna and The Lost Girl.

A great big welcome to the first Delightful Debutante of 2013!  

Sangu Mandanna is here today to tell us all about her life as a debut author and other fun things. I've heard a lot of great things about The Lost Girl -- it's a book that's been recommended to me over and over again, and I can't wait to read it soon!

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Hi Sangu! Congratulations on the UK publication of The Lost Girl!

Hi! Thank you – and thanks for having me here!

What is the story behind the story of The Lost Girl?

Well, the story behind the story, quite literally, is Frankenstein. I was in my second year at university and we were reading Frankenstein for my British Romanticism course. I’d read it before, but not for years and rereading it made me think about in a whole new way. I wanted to write about creating a living being from scratch, literally stitching life together, and I wanted to write about a monster. I kind of wanted to tell a story from the point of view of Frankenstein’s monster. And after a few false starts, I finally found Eva and she began telling me her story.

                                                                                         

Name some interesting facts that readers may not know about The Lost Girl:

Eva’s name was not originally Eva! In fact, my publisher in the US bought the book – as did my publishers in the UK and Germany, some months later – while Eva was still called ‘Echo’. The change to ‘Eva’ came very late and, as you can imagine, was quite jarring for me. But it suits her and I got used to it very quickly. It felt right.

Another fact a reader may not know is that the book once had a very large subplot involving a circus. At one point Eva even ran away with the circus. Now I’m not saying that was my best idea ever, but I do kind of miss the circus…

 Can you give me a rundown of your path to publication from when you first started to write the story of The Lost Girl right up to when you got ‘the phone call’ to tell you of your publishing deal? I love hearing these stories!

It’s a very, very long story, so I’m going to try and break this down into something resembling brief (ha. Ha.)

I was fifteen when I sent my first submission to an American publisher and got a very polite form rejection in response. I was crushed, of course, but to be honest I feel for the editors at that publishing house – it was a terrible manuscript! But the sweet thing, the thing that made me bounce back from my very first rejection and try to get published again and again, was the fact that one of the editors had scribbled a handwritten note at the bottom of the form letter. ‘It’s not for us, but there’s something here – don’t give up!’

I didn’t give up. Seven years, five (dubious) manuscripts and about fifty rejections later, I wrote The Lost Girl (then called Echoes) and sent query letters out to agents in New York. The book needed a lot of work and I’m not surprised some of those agents said no. Then one agent happened to take a look and liked it. She felt it wasn’t quite what she was looking for, but she referred me to a friend of hers. And that friend, Melissa, liked it enough to want to represent it (yay for Melissa!) I did some edits for her and then we signed.

(Okay, so I’ve failed miserably at making a long story short, but at this point I might as well finish, right? And you said you love these stories! Bet you’re wishing you hadn’t…)

So I got my agent and she made magic happen. About a month after we signed we got our first bite of interest from a publisher, then another, and then I went into a tizzy. See, I was on a plane with my then-fiance-now-husband, flying to Bangalore to visit my parents, and we had a layover in Dubai and I switched my phone on. And there was a text from Melissa saying an editor wanted to talk to me. And I spent the next flight freaking out and saying things like ‘But why does she want to talk to me, Steve? WHYYYY?’ and Steve, somewhat disgusted with my unnecessary panic, was like ‘er, because she’s an editor and you wrote a book and maybe she likes it, you daft dimbo?’ (he didn’t say the last bit, but I’m fairly sure he was thinking it)

So we got to Bangalore, I talked to the editor, and then to the editor from the other publishing house, and then it was kind of up to Melissa and me to choose who we wanted to go with.

And that was how I got my book deal. (And now it feels like that story was only a little shorter than The Lost Girl.)

Five top tips for aspiring authors:

1.      The most important one, to me anyway, is not to give up. Because I think it’s so easy to be daunted and disheartened. But if you love it enough, you will get there. So don’t give up.

2.      Write for yourself. Not for your friend who likes Twilight, or for that really cool agent who’s looking for a dark fantasy, or for the market because ‘paranormal romances seem really popular’. Write what you want to write, what you want to read. Otherwise you’ll lose heart very quickly. And it’s just not worth it.

3.      Be very, very good with spelling and grammar. (I’m not great at grammar, so I’m one to talk, but still…) Your power is in your words, so they need to be the best they can possibly be. It’s very easy to reject a manuscript full of spelling and grammatical errors. It looks sloppy and most agents and editors don’t have the time or patience to look past the careless mistakes and see that there’s a good book underneath somewhere. Make that good book shine so brightly no one can miss it.

4.      Be polite. Because it’s just good manners, but also because people in publishing tend to talk to one another. So if you’re polite, friendly and fun, they’ll like you. The last thing you want is to send a snotty reply to a rejection and find that that agent/editor is now telling other people in publishing what a lunatic you are.

5.      READ. You can’t do enough of this. The best writers are mad, hungry readers, the kinds of people who get the evil eye from their husbands over a posh restaurant dinner because they’re reading a book under the table. (Hmm? What? No, I’ve never done that…)

Four books you would recommend to anyone who loved your book:

 Tabitha Suzuma’s Forbidden and Carol Rifka Brunt’s Tell The Wolves I’m Home (because readers have told me my book made them bawl their eyes out, and these lovely, amazing books made me bawl my eyes out); Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go(another weepy, but also for the clones, the way the book questions humanity, and the slightly spooky, vague sci fi feel); and I would definitely recommend Frankenstein because The Lost Girl wouldn’t exist without it!

Three books you loved in 2012:  

Tell The Wolves I’m Home is probably my favourite read this year! Also This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers and For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund.

Two books you can’t wait to read in 2013:  

The third (and final?) book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth (I don’t think it has an official title yet). And Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma.

One literary couple you love: 

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. They’re not a ‘couple’ the way the word is usually used, but they do often come as a package deal and I love their relationship! (If I’m going to cheat, I’d also say Harry and Hermione. Because they should have been a couple.)

What are you working on now?

A few different things, but nothing officially ‘to be published’ yet. My favourite current project is a fantasy about a teenage ‘Batman’-esque girl who’s out to find her mother’s lost memories and punish the thief that stole them.

US and UK Cover Art for The Lost Girl

Find Sangu Online:  Website ||  Twitter || Facebook

Read All About It: News, Deals and Cover Reveals from Michelle Hodkin, Lauren Oliver, Cat Patrick, Amy Plum & More!

Here's a round up of the latest book news, deals and some cover reveals that I've discovered over the past few weeks!  It's also basically a digest of all the exciting news stories that come my way and which I've mostly already posted on my twitter and Facebook feeds, so if you want up-to-the-minute book news and you don't want to have to wait around for me to type this up, you can follow me on those sites!

 Like DaisyChainBookReviews on Facebook  ||   Follow  @daisychainbooks on Twitter 

And then you'll never miss a thing! 

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Love this cover for The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.  I don't know about you, but the ending of the last book pretty much ripped my heart right out -- (dramatic much?!)  -- and I can't wait to find out how things turn out for Mara, Noah and co. There doesn't seem to be an official synopsis for this one yet, and in any case we have a wait for the book - it releases October 2013. I want it now!  

Book Deals, Book Deals, Book Deals....

Samantha Young Announces Down London Road:

On Dublin Street was one of my favourite books last year, so I'm super excited to read this companion novel!

Here's the synopsis: 

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece 

Down London Road (On Dublin Street #2) releases May 2013.

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Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg 

David Levithan at Scholastic Press has acquired Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club and the forthcoming Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality. Her new YA novel poses the question: can a guy and a girl be just friends? In the story, which spans five years, two continents, one BBC sitcom, and countless questions about their friendship; Macallan and Levi are put to the ultimate test when a relationship-changing secret is revealed. Publication is slated for spring 2014; Rosemary Stimola of the Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for North American rights.

The Executioner's Daughter by Jane Hardstaff

 THE EXECUTIONER'S DAUGHTER is a fast paced adventure set in the underbelly of the Tower of London and on the banks of the Thames in Tudor times. Moss is a young girl who hates her life. She's a prisoner in the Tower of London, her father is the executioner, and it's Moss who has to catch the heads in her basket... But when she discovers a hidden tunnel that takes her to freedom she also unearths a terrifying secret, and discovers that her life isn't what she believes it to be. It's only when she runs away from the Tower and meets the mouthy rascal called Salter that she learns the true value of freedom and choice.
Paskins said, 'This is a rip-roaring adventure with characters that leap off the page. Moss and Slater's tempestuous relationship will particularly appeal, and there's a touch of darkness too, to make readers shiver.'

Stella Paskins, Publisher at Egmont Press, bought 2 books with World English Language rights, from Gillie Russell at Aitken Alexander. The first book, THE EXECUTIONER'S DAUGHTER will publish in Spring 2014.

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More Book Covers of Awesome....

Lots of lovely new covers this month including the new book by Cat Patrick (Sounds awesome!) and a Die for Me novella from Amy Plum. 

 The Originals by Cat Patrick || Publication date: May 2013.

A riveting new story from Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created. 

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By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt || Publication date: April 2013.

Nobody can know the truth - her life depends on it. I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. Names in alphabetical order, names with meanings, names I knew, names I'd never heard of. How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past - those were the instructions. The past. As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already. Holly is fifteen years old, but she's only been "Holly" for a matter of months. Because of something that happened, she and her family have had to enter witness protection and have all assumed new identities. All, that is, except her sister Katie, who is autistic. Starting at a new school mid-term is hard enough at the best of times, and Holly has no clue who she is any more. Lonely and angry, she reaches out to friends - new and old. But one wrong move will put all their lives in danger...

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UK Cover

US Cover

 Parallel by Lauren Miller || Publication date: June 2013 (UK) || May 2013 (US). 

Abby Barnes had a plan. Get into a great college, major in journalism, and land her dream job at a major newspaper. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, she's stuck on a Hollywood movie set instead, wishing she could rewind her life. But the next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. A collision of parallel worlds has left Abby living a new reality every time her younger parallel self makes a new decision. Forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go on her plans for the future and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally in reach.

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Die For Her (Revenants #2.5) by Amy Plum || Publication date: April 2013.  

Set in the romantic and death-defying world of the international bestselling Die for Me trilogy, this digital original novella follows Jules, a brooding, immortal French artist who has fallen in love with his best friend’s girlfriend.

Jules Marchenoir is a revenant-an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save human lives. He’s spent the better part of the last century flirting his way through Paris, but when he met Kate Mercier, the heroine from Amy Plum’s Die for Me trilogy, he knew his afterlife had changed forever and he had found the love of his life. Until Kate fell for his best friend, Vincent. Now Jules is faced with an impossible decision: choosing between his loyal friend and a love truly worth dying for.

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From Book to Screen....

Exciting news regarding Lauren Oliver's Delirium, the Divergent movie and more! 

 FOX orders Delirium Pilot:

From TV Line:

Delirium, penned by Karyn Usher (Prison Break), is based on a bestselling trilogy by Lauren Oliver about a world where love is deemed illegal and is able to be eradicated with a special procedure. But with 95 days to go until her scheduled treatment, lead character Lena Holoway does the unthinkable and falls in love. Oops. Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope join Usher as EPs.

Lauren Oliver UK Event:  Lauren Oliver will be doing an event at Waterstones Piccadilly in London on Tuesday 19^th March. Full details including ticket prices here: clicky

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Slated by Teri Terry Optioned for Film:

 

Orchard Books are delighted to announce that the film rights for Slated by Teri Terry have been optioned by Altus Productions 4 Ltd. The film company is run by Paul Brett and Tim Smith who were executive producers on The King's Speech, staring Colin Firth.

Slated published in the UK in May 2012 to great critical acclaim. It is Terry's debut novel with the second book in the trilogy, Fractured, publishing in April 2013.

The Story: 

Kyla's memory has been erased - her personality wiped blank - her memories lost for ever.

She's been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems.

Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

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Kate Winslet in talks for Divergent role:

From EW.com:

EW has confirmed an earlier Variety report that Kate Winslet is in talks with Summit Entertainment to co-star in Divergent, the Neil Burger-directed adaptation of the popular Veronica Roth novel that’s due in theaters March 2014.

Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) has already been cast as heroine Beatrice Prior in the YA drama (and intended trilogy), that takes place in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago. The male lead–mysterious and alluring “Four” — has yet to be cast and the studio is mum on the role Winslet is close to taking. But a good guess would be the villainous and brilliant Jeanine Matthews.

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Lots of exciting book to TV/Movie news this time round --   I'm not a huge fan of dystopian but Lauren Oliver's Delirium is one of the series I've stuck with, so I would probably check it out if it gets picked up.  I'm super excited for the Divergent movie and I think Kate Winslet is a great choice for Jeanine Matthews. I can't wait to see who they cast as Four. I hope they get it right! As for Slated -- I haven't read that book. It seems a little dark for my tastes but with all the positive reviews floating around (and now optioned for a movie!) maybe I should check it out. Have you read that one? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

Sources: PW Children's Bookshelf,  Book Trade.Info,  Goodreads, Amazon , TV Line and EW.com.

 

Hello 2013 Mega Giveaway - More Books Added!

With less than a week left to enter my 2012 Mega Giveaway, I've decided to add a couple more books to the prize pack! If  you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for? Get those entries in now! The competition is international and ends January 31st.

So in addition to all these books:

Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Shift by Em Bailey

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris (ARC)

Perception (Clarity #2) by Kim Harrington (HB)

This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel (HB)

Eternally Yours (Immortal Beloved #3) by Cate Tiernan (HB)

League of Strays by L.B. Schulman (ARC)

Unrest by Michelle Harrison (ARC)

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman

Rage Within (Dark Inside #2) by Jeyn Roberts

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

VIII by H.M. Castor

Fracture by Megan Miranda (ARC)

Rift by Andrea Cremer

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (ARC)

Winners can also choose from these books:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood (ARC)
Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan (ARC)
Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer (ARC)
The Tragedy Paper (Elizabeth LaBan)

* Anyone leaving a comment for entry points can comment here or on the original topic -- both count towards entries.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


UK Readers - There is still time to enter The Dance of Shadows ARC Giveaway and the giveaway for the Beautiful Creatures Illustrated Movie Companion - both end tonight so get those entries in -- details in the sidebar!

Reviewed by Jen: Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi, Burn Mark by Laura Powell & Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby.

Whenever I sit down to write a review I like to have the book I am reviewing in front of me.   Most of the time I don’t even bother to pick it up, but having it there seems to make whatever writers block I am feeling disappear.  So you can imagine my panic when I sat down at my desk at work to start writing and my copy of Sarah Mussi’s Angel Dust was gone!  I knew I had brought it with me that morning and thought I was losing my mind when I couldn’t find it.  I haven’t seen it since.  Although, I do know where it went.  One of my students confessed to swiping it from my desk and since then it has spread like wildfire throughout my classes.  Angel Dust has officially been declared “THE BEST BOOK EVER!!” by the students who have read it. 

Angel Dust is the first fallen angel type book that I have read despite the popularity of the Fallen and Hush,Hush series.  I tend to prefer demons over angels and was skeptical that Angel Dust would hold my interest, but I absolutely love the cover which has a dark and gothic look.  Luckily, the main character, Serafina is anything but a typical angel.  Sent to “collect” the soul of 17 year-old Marcus on her third day as an angel of death Serafina makes a fatal mistake: rather than allow Marcus to die, she saves him.  In order to correct her mistake and allow Marcus to continue to live she is forced to make a deal with the one person she should be staying the farthest away from. 

I liked the gritty nature of this story.  While Serafina is an agent of God, she is not all pure and holy.  She is far more human than she is angelic.  Once she descends upon earth the world she enters is filled with violence and sin. Serafina is shocked by the brutality of the humans she is sent to collect.  She is also confused by the feelings she has for Marcus and allows herself to be blinded by love.  Ultimately sacrificing everything she is in order to save the one she loves the most.

Although the story is complex and multi-layered I think what my students loved about it was the realistic portrayal of life on the dark-side.  This is not a story where love conquers all and everyone lives happily ever after.  This is a story where love can turn as ugly as the world it desperately tries to overcome.  The tone and mood of Angel Dust is dark and melancholy and reminded me another book I loved: Brenna Yovanoff’s Smoulder.  Fans of dark romance and gothic love stories will absolutely not want to miss Angel Dust.  

Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi.  Publisher: Hot Key Books.  Release date: August 2nd 2012.  Ages: 12+. Jen's Rating: 4/5.  Source: Received from publisher for review. 

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Laura Powell’s novel Burn Mark is an interesting blend of paranormal fantasy and dystopian fiction.  Set in a world where witches are hunted by the government and burned alive at the stake this altered version of London explores the darkest depths of humanity.

 

Although being a witch can be deadly there is nothing Glory wants more than to receive her “fae,” which will solidify her position as the heir apparent to her coven and instill in her great power.  Lucas, on the other hand, despises witches and relishes his role as a Witchfinder working for the Inquisition.  Unfortunately, Lucas’ future is in jeopardy when he too receives a “fae”  and suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted.

Burn Markis not a fast paced read, but it certainly is an interesting one.  The author does not shy away from the use of disturbing images and violence to make her world come alive for the reader.  Just knowing what the consequences for Glory could be if she was caught using witchwork for evil purposes made me nervous as she sought to reinstate the reputation of the coven as one to be feared.  I also found her relationship with Lucas to be one mired in tension as he struggles to come to grips with his new fate and is forced to place his trust into someone who represents the things he has been taught to hate.  While Lucas can be a little difficult to warm up to I thought that Glory was very endearing and I wanted to know that she was not going to be burned alive.  

Another aspect of the book I found interesting was the society itself.  Although the book is fantasy it is not unlike the real world where people are persecuted every day for their race, religion, or beliefs.  I liked the twist of using a minority population of witches to make a statement on government persecution of innocent civilians based on a trait that cannot be controlled.   I also enjoyed the change in Lucas when begins to see Glory for the person she is and starts to realize that everything he has ever believed about his family is based on lies.

If you are looking for a book that is action packed and filled with forbidden love Burn Mark may prove to be a tedious read.  It takes the story quite a bit of time to really get going, but in the end the wait was worth it.  

Burn Mark by Laura Powell.  Publisher: Bloomsbury.  Release date: June 7th 2012.  Ages: 14+. Jen's Rating: 4/5.  Source: Received from publisher for review. 

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If you are looking for a fun read I would definitely recommend Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby.  On the surface Shooting Stars seems like a typical fluffy teen romance: girls trips over boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl follows boy across the country to rehab in order to take pictures of him in compromising positions for a tabloid magazine.  Pretty common plot devices, right?  But trust me, Shooting Stars in not as typical as it seems!

 

Jo Foster is one of the world’s youngest, and smallest, paparazzas in Los Angeles.  Although she is actually sixteen most people mistake her for about twelve, which is fine for Jo.  Her diminutive size has allowed her to go where no photographer has gone before.  The stories of her escapades have become legend throughout the paparazzi who circle like vultures around L.A.’s celebrity society.  It is her age and size which allows Jo to be chosen for the job of a lifetime.  All she has to do is travel to Boston to follow superstar Ned Hartnett (think Justin Beiber) into rehab.  Unfortunately, Ned is the only celebrity that Jo has ever had any feelings for and taking a job that would betray his trust so fully is not sitting well with Jo.  Ultimately Jo sells out when the price is too good to pass up, but how much will Jo’s job actually end up costing her?

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this one after the first few pages.  Although Jo is sixteen she comes off much younger in the first few chapters.  I had a difficult time buying her as a character that was meant to be taken seriously.  Also, her puppy love crush on Ned was portrayed as a bit ridiculous, which made it even harder to see her as a teen nearing adulthood.  Things change though once the setting of the book shifts from L.A. to Boston.  The more time Jo spends getting to know the other patients in the rehab center the more grown up she seems.  Her crush on Ned evolves into a friendship that is much easier to relate too, although her feelings towards him remain romantic.  The internal battle that Jo is having about her betrayal of Ned grows more intense and it finally appears that Jo has one thing her colleagues lack: a conscience.  

Another aspect that I liked about this book was that just when you think you think you can predict what will happen next the author throws out a major plot twist.  I love those, “didn’t see that coming” moments and this book actually has quite a few.    Overall I thought that Shooting Stars was a fun read and sometimes that is all you need!

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby.  Publisher: Walker Childrens.  Release date: February 28th 2012.  Ages: 12+. Jen's Rating: 3.5/5.  Source: Received from author for review.  

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Read more of Jen's reviews at X-treme Readers

 

Delightful Debutantes Revisited - Catching up with Kim Harrington!

It's been a while now since I started my Delightful Debutantes feature and I thought it would be fun to catch up with some of the original Debs and see how things have changed for them since their days as debut authors.  First up is Kim Harrington who has been very busy indeed since the release of her debut novel,  Clarity.  Future Debs Revisited include Amy Plum and Josephine Angelini, so stay tuned for those!

Fear not, this doesn't mean I'll be neglecting the 2013 Debs - I have a bunch of Delightful Debutantes interviews coming up over the next month or so including Sangu Mandanna (The Lost Girl) and Yelena Black (Dance of Shadows). Lots of fun!

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Hi Kim! Let’s catch up on what’s been happening in your writing life since we last talked way back in early February 2011 – Wow! Time has flown! Since then you’ve seen the release of Clarity, Perception, no less than three books in your Sleuth or Dare series, and now The Dead and Buried. Phew! You have been busy. How has it all been?

It’s been amazing. I love writing for both teens and kids, and hearing from readers via mail or email has to be the best part of this job.

What has been your best author experience to date? I love hearing about the exciting events authors get to attend, the travel opportunities, the fan mail – tell me a little about some of the best author experiences you’ve had.

I’ve had a couple letters that brought me to tears. One was from a girl who was bullied in school and found courage in Clare’s strength. Another from young fan who hated reading until she tried Sleuth or Dare and now she’s hooked. She made me a bracelet! I love all my readers.

Original US Cover || US Cover || UK Cover

I’m really enjoyed The Dead and Buried. I just love haunted house stories! Let’s talk about covers because we’ve seen a lot of different cover looks for this one from the original cover, to the brand new cover look and the UK cover (where the book is also going to have a whole different title!). What is your favourite cover look, and why?

While I appreciate them all and their differences, my favorite was the original US cover because it was so spooky! But I like them all. I love the tagline the UK cover has—so cool.

Can you name other books/series that readers of The Dead and Buriedmight also enjoy?

I would recommend Rosemary Clement-Moore’s standalone supernatural novels (THE SPLENDOR FALLS, TEXAS GOTHIC, etc.)

Clare from the Clarity series is one of my very favourite characters (I love her snark and her spunk!). I miss Clare! Do you miss writing her? If you were to write a Clarityspin-off series what character would you choose to write about, and why?

I miss writing her so much. I think, no matter how many books I write in my lifetime, she might always remain my favorite character. If I were to write a spin-off, I’d love to focus on Perry. I think there’s a lot of depth to him that could be brought to the surface as a main character.

Finally, what upcoming 2013 titles are top of your reading wish list?

Oh my, so many! The ones that immediately pop into mind are THE DARK BETWEEN by Sonia Gensler, 17 & GONE by Nova Ren Suma, and THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR by Mindee Arnett.

Thanks for having me!

My links:

 website – http://www.kimharringtonbooks.com

blog - http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/

facebook – http://www.facebook.com/kimharringtonauthor

twitter – http://www.twitter.com/kim_harrington

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Book Review: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington.

Product details:
Publisher: Scholastic.
Hardback, 304 pages.
Release date: January 1st 2013.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Source: Purchased.

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

Mean Girls meets Goosebumps in Kim Harrington’s The Dead and Buried, a chilling page-turner where things go bump in the night after the lights go out.

Think of haunted houses and you probably think scary old manors with cobwebs, creaky floorboards and basements of doom, right?  Not so in The Dead and Buriedwhich sees seventeen year old Jade Kelly move, along with her family, into the house of her dreams. However, lurking just around the corner from dreams are nasty nightmares, and when Jade’s little brother Colby claims that he’s been talking to a girl that nobody else can see, Jade begins to wonder if there’s more to this house of dreams than meets the eye.

And, of course there is.  There’s a reason why Jade’s dad and step-mom got their new house at a knock-down price.  And there’s a reason why all the kids at school have been whispering whenever Jade’s back is turned – hint: it’s not only because she’s the new girl, it’s because she’s living in a death house.  Dun-Dun-Dun! Turns out that Jade’s little brother isn’t just being a freaky little kid after all.  There really is a ghost in the house. Meet Kayla. She wants revenge.

 Kayla Sloane wasn’t a nice girl in life, and I guess that’s why she’s such a nasty ghost, well, that and the fact that she wants to find out who killed her.  Yep – most people think that Kayla’s death was a tragic accident, but in actual fact she was murdered, and with her little brother at risk, it’s up to Jade to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

One of my favourite elements of Harrington’s work is her characters. Clare from the Clarity series remains one of my all time favourite characters, but Jade in The Dead and Buried is right up there too.  I like characters quirks. I like it when characters are not run of the mill – when they act like real people – with real interests and hobbies (here, Jade collects gemstones and I loved how Harrington wove this interest into Jade’s character and her past).  While I like a good romance, I like it too when characters are not wholly consumed by it, so while Jade catches the eye of two guys in particular, she always has time for her family and friends.  Because that’s how real life works, and that for me is why Harrington gets things right with her characters every time.

The Dead and Buried is fast-paced fun with the same blend of mystery and intrigue that made Kim Harrington’s Clarityseries such a great read.  Confession: I guessed the culprit pretty early on in this one, but I still had fun dissecting the clues and seeing where they would lead.  I also think that younger readers or those who are perhaps so familiar with murder mysteries will be kept guessing right until the end. The Dead and Buried is certainly a page-turner. I’m a big fan of Harrington’s fast-paced, witty style and I love how she seamlessly blends contemporary style and settings with paranormal elements, making her books fun but spooky too!

Eternally Yours Blog Tour: Author Cate Tiernan on her Influences and Inspirations for the Immortal Beloved Trilogy.

Author Cate Tiernan has stopped by  today as part of the blog tour for Eternally Yours, the third and final book in the Immortal Beloved series. Read on to find out all about her influences and inspirations for the series!

Eternally Yours (Immortal Beloved #3) by Cate Tiernan

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton.

Release date: January 17th 2013.

Ages: 12+

After 450 years of living, Nastasya Crowe should have more of a handle on this whole immortal thing....

After a deadly confrontation at the end of Darkness Falls, the second Immortal Beloved novel, Nastasya Crowe is, as she would put it, so over the drama. She fights back against the dark immortals with her own brand of kick-butt magick...but can she fight against true love? In the satisfying finale to the Immortal Beloved trilogy, ex-party-girl immortal Nastasya ends a 450-year-old feud and learns what “eternally yours” really means.

Laced with historical flashbacks and laugh-out-loud dialogue, the Immortal Beloved trilogy is a fascinating and unique take on what it would mean to live forever.

Guest Post: Cate Tiernan talks Influences and Inspirations:

 

In some ways, I feel like Immortal Beloved is my message to the world: you can always turn a corner, can always choose to do good instead of bad. You don’t have to commit for a lifetime—sometimes you can see no further than ten minutes into the future. Try to do the best you can with that ten minutes, even if your best at that moment is simply not being evil. I believe that and I live that every day, just as my characters do. To me it means no situation is stagnant—every situation can be changed, minute by minute. It also shows so clearly that nothing and no one is all good or all bad—there are parts of both in each of us, in everything. And choices have a lot to do with that.

When I first started plotting out Immortal Beloved, my inspiration was to explore an awful character, someone hard to like, someone who seems irredeemable. Then I wanted her to redeem herself. The three books show Nastasya painfully learning how to do that: realizing that each baby step is still a step, and even a big step back doesn’t change the fact that she’s still facing the right direction. We see her go from self-loathing and self-destruction to self-acceptance and a feeling of self-worth, and it’s such an amazing change, an amazing process. My hope is that there may be a reader who feels some of the things that Nastasya does at the beginning of book one, and be inspired to begin her own journey of change. I hope that seeing someone like Nastasya finally coming to believe that she’s worthy of love will help someone else see that about herself. Because each of us is worthy of love, you know? No matter what.

Even though Nastasya is immortal, I feel that she’s very human, with human insecurities, fears, and weaknesses. She also has the human ability to love, to connect with others, to empathize, to help. I wanted to show that it’s useless to deny weaknesses, because everyone has them and they’re part of life. The point is that she must learn to choose her strengths, over and over, to take a chance on connecting with other people, let down her guard, and learn to give and receive love. A strong person is not one who lets nothing affect her; a strong person is someone who allows pain in as well as healing, who feels everything and yet keeps going, day after day.

Some days, that’s all you can do.

In writing Immortal Beloved, I was influenced by so many things—basically everything a writer hears, sees, thinks about, experiences, or stands next to becomes fodder for their work. A picture of Iceland, a castle I saw in France, my fondness for Vikings, a dream I had—all of those swirled together as the book began to unfold in my imagination. I can build a character around a real person’s voice that I’ve heard, or from my reaction to a song. The fun part is figuring out how it all fits together, and the purpose that each one plays in the fabric of the book. Each person is there for a reason—how do they contribute? How do they interact? What’s the story I’m trying to tell?

           

This time, the story came out as Immortal Beloved. I hope you like it!

Cate.

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Cate Tiernan Online: Website || Twitter || Facebook

Book Review: The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris.

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Paperback, 496 pages.
Release date: January 17th 2013.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

How do you hold on to a love that is slowly slipping away from you?
Can you let go of the past when you know what is in the future?
And how do you cope when you know that every kiss is a countdown to goodbye?

This is the story of a love affair, of Ryan and Molly and how they fell in love and were torn apart. The first time Molly kissed Ryan, she knew they'd be together forever. Six years and thousands of kisses later she's married to the man she loves. But today, when Ryan kisses her, Molly realises how many of them she wasted because the future holds something which neither of them could have ever predicted…

 The story of Ryan and Molly, how they fell in love, then fell apart; The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris is a truly emotional read that will tug at your heartstrings – guaranteed.  Perfect for fans of One Day, The First Last Kiss has great characters, a compelling storyline and a bittersweet twist that will stay with you long after you’ve said goodbye to Ryan and Molly.

What if every kiss was a countdown to goodbye?

Ryan and Molly have known each other since they were teenagers. They’ve shared thousands of kisses, so many in fact that Molly can’t remember them all. She can remember the important kisses of course – the first kiss (A total disaster!), the real first kiss (much, much better), an engagement kiss, a wedding kiss, and then, of course, the last kiss. But what about all the kisses in between, and what about the first last kiss, the kiss that signaled the beginning of the end for Ryan and Molly, the kiss that split their lives into before and after,  the kiss that began the countdown to the end, the countdown to ‘nothing will ever be the same again.’

When we meet Molly she is moving out of her house, packing up the memories of her life with Ryan, because, love, just like a kiss can be fleeting, and nothing lasts forever, we all know that. Molly knows it better than most, because Ryan left, and now she’s alone.

Ali Harris – WOW! I bow down to you because this book blew me away.  Fun fact: The First Last Kiss made me cry on public transport. (I know!) Also, this is not something that happens to me ever, so when I say that this book is an emotional read, I am not kidding!   Also, while I immediately liked the sound of The First Last Kiss from reading the synopsis, I just wasn’t expecting it to fall in love with it like I did. The First Last Kiss is not only beautifully written, but the characters, oh, you will fall in love with these guys, not just Ryan and Molly, but the secondary characters too. Nanny Door. I loved this lady!

But back to Ryan and Molly.  The First Last Kiss takes us through their relationship from present day right back through time, so we get to know them from when they are just getting to know each other. We watch them grow up, fall together, fall apart and everything in between.  And I guess that’s why this book tugs at the heartstrings so.  I really felt like I knew Ryan and Molly while I was reading this book, and I guess it’s always hard to see things going wrong for people you care about.

We may still be in the first month of 2013, but I can safely say that I’ve already read one of my favourite books of the year.  I’m not a huge reader of chick-lit, and if not for the fact that I am a fan of Harris’s work from her career as a magazine journalist, I might have passed over this one, so if you’re thinking the same, I urge you not to.  This book is a truly great read, and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you’re thinking that it doesn’t really look like your thing. It is your thing, I promise. And it will probably (definitely) make you cry. But it will totally make you smile too.  The First Last Kiss is a total must read, so go read it!