Stranger Than Fanfiction | YA Road Trip + Giveaway!

Mar 17

Stranger Than Fanfiction YA Road Trip + Giveaway!

Guys, I’m so excited to be partnering with The Novl to bring you this post and an awesome giveaway for Chris Colfer’s new book, STRANGER THAN FANFICTION! I can’t wait to share my YA road trip–inspired by the road trip Cash and his fans take–with you, but before we get to that, let’s just lay the groundwork, shall we?

Stranger Than Fan Fiction

Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime–but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he’s been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.

SOUNDS. AMAZING. You guys are going to have the chance to win a copy, plus some awesome goodies, at the end of this post! But first, road trip.

If you’re new to Tripping Over Books, first of all, hi! Second of all, I LOVE books about road trips. They’re one of my favorite things to read. So when the loverlies at Little, Brown asked me to pick  YA books and create a road trip to their settings, I had a hard time picking just 5! But in the end, I’d LOVE to visit all of these places and hang out with my favorite characters while I’m there.

Stop 1: Henrietta, Virginia

Henrietta

Sure, weird stuff happens in Henrietta, but Ronan and Gansey and Blue are there, so I’ll deal. Hopefully they’ll also take me to Monmouth Manufacturing and The Barns and CABESWATER.

Stop 2: Colby, North Carolina

Colby

I need to visit this place (or wherever in North Carolina is the most like it), because this beach town is magic. Sarah Dessen said so, and the stories she sets there live up to the hype always.

Stop 3: Wherever Willowdean Dixon Lives, Texas

Dumplin

I’ve never been to Texas, but I’ve always wanted to go. Preferably when it’s not deathly hot, but that’s for another time. I ADORED DUMPLIN’ and Willowdean, and I’d love to hang out with her and talk about Dolly Parton all day.

Stops 4 & 5: Jandy Nelson’s California

California

Jandy Nelson is one of my very favorite authors, and ever since I first read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, I’ve wanted to visit Flying Man’s and Gram’s garden and see Joe and hear him play. I’d basically give anything to go to the places she describes and see what her characters see. This goes for I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, too.

So those are my 5 YA destination spots! What are yours?

And now, for the giveaway! Little, Brown is being so awesome, and is giving away this prize pack to one lucky winner!

Stranger Than Fiction Prize Pack

Rules and regs: Giveaway runs from 3/17 through 11:59 pm on 3/24. Must be 13 or older, a resident of the United States, and respond to my winner notification within 24 hours, or else the prize pack goes to someone else! That’s it, friends! Have at it!

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Fortnight of Fright | Frightlopedia Review + Giveaway

Oct 18

Fortnight of Fright

Frightlopedia by Julie Winterbottom Review + Giveaway

FrightlopediaFriends, I’m very excited about today’s Fortnight of Fright post! I have to say a big thanks to Estelle at Workman Publishers, I received a copy of Julie Winterbottom’s FRIGHTLOPEDIA and instantly loved it. It’s the perfect mix of facts, great artwork, fun stories, fables, crafts, and spooky illustrations. Any young (or old!) lover of scary, silly, creepy things will get a big kick out of it.

FRIGHTLOPEDIA is set up exactly like an encyclopedia–separate entries for different topics–with bonus entries like how to say “boo” in different languages, how to make fake blood, a bracket at the end to help you find your greatest fear. I love this. It’s the perfect balance of facts (spiders, the Paris Catabombs, flesh-eating plants, and more), urban legends (being from New Jersey, I have a soft spot for the Monsters entry, because it mentions my Jersey Devil), how-tos (the aforementioned fake blood is accompanied by entries about conducting seances and how to escape from quicksand), and a few ghost stories sprinkled in for good measure (all delightfully creepy).

There was one neat feature that I didn’t notice right away, but once I did, I appreciated it from a practical point of view (I know, boring). But! Since FRIGHTLOPEDIA is aimed at younger readers, and we all know that sometimes younguns have different tolerance levels for scary things, there’s a Fright meter at the beginning of each entry.

Something else that I loved about FRIGHTLOPEDIA? The illustrations. They have a little humor to them, I thought, especially because they reminded me of less scary versions of Stephen Gammel’s illustrations from SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. I loved Stefano Tambellini’s work throughout! Here’s a sample from his website:

Frightlopedia

Super fun, right?! I thought so, too.

I really enjoyed FRIGHTLOPEDIA, guys. If you have little ones, I can’t recommend it enough, especially now around Halloween time. Because of the way it’s structured, it’s easy to pass over things that might be too scary and focus on a craft or something less frightening. I loved the different types of entries as well, especially the ones on actual scary places. Those always fascinate me. Thumbs up, Julie Winterbottom!

Because I enjoyed FRIGHTLOPEDIA so much, and because the folks at Workman Publishing are dolls, I’ve got one copy of FRIGHTLOPEDIA to give away to one luck reader! HUZZAH!

A few ground rules: must be 13 to enter and live in the United States. The giveaway starts NOW and runs through the end of Fortnight of Fright (that would be the stroke of midnight on 11/1). Enter here to win!!

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Filed Under: Fortnight of Fright, Fun Stuff, Giveaway

Swoon Reads Tour | Event Recap + Giveaway

Jun 5

Swoon ReadGuys, this post is horrifically late and I feel like such a heel, I can’t even tell you. The lovely folks at Swoon Reads asked me to interview the authors for the last Swoon Reads event at the Barnes & Noble in East Brunswick and it was SO MUCH FUN! But then, life. I’ve barely posted for two weeks. WAHHH! The great thing, though, is that meeting Sandy Hall (A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT), Temple West (VELVET), Kimberly Karalius (LOVE FORTUNES AND OTHER DISASTERS), and Katie Van Ark (THE BOY NEXT DOOR) was super! We talked about books and writing and pastimes and favorite things and they were lovely.

So I wound up interviewing the panelists before the event started and then moderating as well. I don’t remember too many of the questions from the moderation portion of the evening, but there were awesome young people there who asked great questions and were totally into it and I loved them.

The one thing I DO remember from the event questions was some great news about all of the upcoming projects! Sandy Hall has a book coming out this fall, ALL SIGNS POINT TO YES (YAY FOR THIS), Temple West is working on the sequel to VELVET (YAY FOR THIS TOO), Katie is working on something sekret (very exciting), and Kimberly announced some awesome news that she’s going to be writing a sequel/companion book to LOVE FORTUNES AND OTHER DISASTERS! Huzzah!

Now, a rundown of the pre-event interview!

Q: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

Sandy loves watching TV (think Netflix binging), and is currently obsessing over Criminal Minds. Katie likes figuring skating and learning cool stuff under the guise of story research and recently took archery lessons with her hubs. Kimberly, the lucky duck, lives very close to Disney World and her family has annual passes, so she goes there ALL. THE. TIME. Epcot is her favorite park. Temple paints (check out her Instagram, pls) and loves going to the movies because she craves being creative even when she isn’t able to read (usually while she’s writing) and movies are like books for both sides of her brain.

Q: What’s the most impactful book you’ve ever read, as a reader or writer? (No, I didn’t help them at all with this question.)

Kimberly cited Francesca Lia Block in general, but her book ECHO in particular because it was the first time she encountered magical realism. Katie said that the books that inspired her own writing the most were CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally and the Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles. For her personally, THE SCORPIO RACES (GUH. I die.) Temple read a TON of Nancy Drew (fist pump, Nancy) and The Hardy Boys growing up, so those books had a huge impact on her reading. Sandy said ELEANOR & PARK because that book inspired her to evoke the same feelings she felt while reading in her own readers.

Q: What was the first seed of your story?

Kimberly told this awesome story about how, in college, the ratio of girls to boys was in favor of the boys BIG TIME, and it often resulted in dating people you wouldn’t normally date, so her friends came up with this elaborate future for themselves where they were all really glamorous spinsters. This whole scenario got her wondering why a teenager would be concerned with becoming a spinster on account of their being so young and having so much time ahead of them, and then the love fortunes and town evolved from there.

Q: Where were you/what were you doing when you first found out your book was going to be published?

Sandy was shoveling snow, Temple was babysitting, and Kimberly and Katie were both at work.

Q: How much, if anything, from your first draft remains in your published book?

For Temple, on a basic plot level, everything. On a structural level, nothing. VELVET used to have a ton of stream-of-conciousness, run-on sentences because she loved them, but as her writing style changed, so did her book (VELVET took 6 years to write). LOVE FORTUNES AND OTHER DISASTERS had lots of shuffling around. Sandy said it’s about 50/50, and Katie said about 75/25. Removing things and adding scenes

Q: How long could you remain unplugged before totally losing it?

Temple went 4 and a half months without a phone when she was studying abroad at Oxford. Kimberly doesn’t think she’d last very long because she uses the internet constantly while writing. Sandy went longer on this tour than ever without internet, but probably not more than 24 hours. Katie often takes vacations with her family out in the woods and is without devices for days at a time. I (well, all of us) couldn’t believe Temple lasted so long without a phone.

Q: Favorite fairytale or or folk tale?

Temple immediately responded with Beauty and the Beast. Katie is also partial to Beauty and the Beast, especially the movie version because of the library–of course. Kimberly loves Thumbelina, especially the original Hans Christian Andersen version. Sandy doesn’t do fairytales. (GASP! It’s ok.)

Q: What’s your least favorite thing about being on tour?

Touring is hard! Temple wasn’t getting a ton of sleep, so that was no fun. Kimberly had to figure out how to not get burned out from too much flying. Sandy doesn’t like flying really at all and doesn’t like being away from home. Katie said that she would love to be able to spend more time in the cities where they stopped, and also hated that they could only bring a carry on with them, which prevented her from buying lots of books on the road. (Understandable.)

Q: Best part of being on tour?

FOOD.

Q: Is there a particular scene in your book that you’re really proud of, either because you worked really hard on it or because it wasn’t clicking for a long time and finally fell into place?

Temple said that Holly made her add two scenes, but they are some of her favorites “because of THINGS.” They were wonderful to write and read and it was like a treat working with them because she added them at the end. Katie was particularly fond of her Halloween scene (you’ll have to read THE BOY NEXT DOOR for more details!). Kimberly’s favorite scene was when Fallon and Sebastian had their first talk because it was really fun to write. Sandy is really partial to all of her party scenes. Since she’s from New Jersey and didn’t live too far from Rutgers, she basically pictured college parties there and incorporated them into A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Then she said she could take us all to the exact spots she was thinking of when she wrote her party scenes.

I loved talking to these awesome ladies! And bonus? Their books are adorable and incredibly fun to read, and so thanks to the excellent folks at Swoon Reads, I’m giving away copies of each of their books! YAYY! You must be 13 or older to enter and live in the US. All good? Great! ENTER AWAY! Giveaway ends at midnight on June 12!

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Excerpt + Giveaway| Some Kind of Normal | Julianna Stone

May 16

Book cover Some Kind of Normal Julianna Stone

Some Kind of Normal | Excerpt + Giveaway

What is normal? For Trevor, normal was playing fast guitar licks, catching game-winning passes, and partying all night. Until a car accident leaves him with no band, no teammates, and no chance of graduating. It’s kind of hard to ace your finals when you’ve been in a coma. The last thing he needs is stuck-up Everly Jenkins as his new tutor, those beautiful blue eyes catching every flaw.

For Everly, normal was a perfect family around the dinner table, playing piano at Sunday service, and sunning by the pool. Until she discovers her whole life is a lie. Now the perfect pastor’s daughter is hiding a life-changing secret, one that is slowly tearing her family apart. And spending the summer with notorious flirt Trevor Lewis means her darkest secret could be exposed.

This achingly beautiful story about two damaged teens struggling through pain and loss to redefine who they are, to their family, to themselves, and to each other is sure to melt your heart.

Amazon| Apple | B&N | BAM | !ndigo | IndieBound | Kindle

I’m really excited to be able to share an excerpt of Juliana Stone’s SOME KIND OF NORMAL with you guys today! It’s a wonderful contemporary with great characters, a heart-warming romance, and difficult issues that aren’t always touched on in YA books. YAY!

Check out the little taste of the awesome below and then enter to win a copy of SOME KIND OF NORMAL!!

Excerpt from SOME KIND OF NORMAL

“You got any?” he asked.

“Any what?”

“Tattoos?”

“Me?” I had to laugh at that. Wow. Before last year that would have been grounds for major punishment. Heck, up until my senior year, I hadn’t been allowed to wear lip gloss. Now I wasn’t so sure that my mom would even notice, and since I avoided my dad whenever I could…

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “My skin is untouched.”

His eyes widened a bit, and I felt heat creep up my neck. Great. Now I was blushing again.

“Untouched,” he said with that lopsided smile that made my stomach dip. “I like that.”

“You do?”

“Yep. A clean slate. There’s something almost poetic about that, you know? Tragic too. How many people get a do–over?”

Trevor reached for my hand, and though my first instinct was to snatch it back, his long fingers enveloped mine before I had the chance. He turned my hand over so that my palm faced up and then traced the little blue lines that ran down my wrist.

I can’t lie. It felt weird and good, and my heart took off once more, so fast that I was surprised he couldn’t hear it.

“This is…kind of…like ink,” he said, his words a little slow as if he was thinking hard. “But it’s alive.”

He glanced up again, and all I could do was nod before my eyes dropped to his hand. Mine was still there, small and pale next to his large palm and tanned skin. I saw the thin blue veins that ran down my wrist, the ones that carried blood from my heart, electrifying my cells and feeding my body.

His thumb rested just beneath my pulse, and I swallowed thickly. Crap, he was going to feel how fast it was, and that would be embarrassing.

“Your fingers are rough.” I blushed harder and thought that there was no way I could sound any more like an idiot. Not even if I was trying.

“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s from playing guitar. I practice a lot so my calluses are nice and strong.”

“I used to play piano.”

Wow. Good comeback. I guess it was better than a clarinet or trombone, but really. Dork much?

…Had he always looked this intense?

“What?” he asked. He smiled again and I thought that on a scale of one to ten, his smile was a total eleven. “You’re into the classics. That’s cool. Didn’t picture that.”

“Really. What exactly did you picture?” Shoot. Did I really want to hear this?

“I don’t know. PBS and that Jane Austen?”

Okay. First off, I was impressed that he knew who Jane Austen was, and secondly…he knew who Jane Austen was!

I dropped my eyes, because I was pretty sure that my cheeks were as red as the roses planted just outside the library. Trevor Lewis wasn’t anything like what I thought he’d be. He wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t arrogant. He wasn’t slow or weird.

He seemed pretty normal to me.

You know, for a guy with tattoos and blue hair.

***

SOUNDS SO GOOD, RIGHT?! This book is definitely worthy of a prime spot on your TBRs, friends. You’ll love Trevor and Everly and their slowly building relationship. To ensure that you all have an opportunity to read about these two awesome kids, Sourcebooks Fire is giving away a copy to one lucky winner! HUZZAH!

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Juliana Stone

USA Today bestselling author Juliana Stone fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she split her time between baseball, books, and music—three passions that carried over into adulthood. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult and adult contemporary romance, and does so from her home in Canada.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Cover Boys Like You Juliana Stone

Also by Juliana Stone:

NEW IN PAPERBACK!

Boys Like You

Sourcebooks Fire

Two Broken souls…one hot summer

Nate Everet’s life was all about acoustic guitar, girls in short shorts, and hot Southern nights.Until the accident.

Monroe Blackwell’s life was full of soccer goals, flirty skirts, and bright city lights. Until the accident.

Now Nate has a best friend who might never wake up, a summer of community service, and enough guilt to drown him. Monroe has a family that’s falling apart, a summer of banishment to her grandma’s, and a choking grief that makes it hard to breathe.

Nate and Monroe are two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt. But together, they have a chance at acceptance and finally finding the forgiveness they crave.

Amazon | Apple | B&N | BAM |!ndigo|  IndieBound | Kindle | Kobo |  Nook

Juliana Stone

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Giveaway Tagged With: , , ,

Character Profile + Teaser | Breaking Sky | Cori McCarthy

Mar 15

Book Cover Breaking Sky Cori McCarthy

Breaking Sky • Cori McCarthy

Guys! I’m excited to be able to share some extra goodies with you you today for Cori McCarthy’s adrenaline-fueled dystopian novel that focuses on teenage airplane pilots during a Second Cold War. Reread that sentence if you need to. AIRPLANE PILOTS. SECOND COLD WAR. It’s basically Top Gun, you guys, and I really enjoyed it.

To tide you over until I post my review, the awesome folks at Sourcebooks are hosting this tour to introduce you to some of the pilots from United Star Academy, tease you with some passages, and THEN they’re giving away FIVE COPIES of BREAKING SKY! WOOOO!

So, let’s not waste any more time. Are you guys ready to meet Sylph? (I hope so.)

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Blog Tour + Giveaway | What’s Your Winner’s Curse?

Mar 8

Winner's Curse

The LOVELY crew at Macmillan reached out and asked a bunch of bloggers to take part in a blog tour for Marie Rutkoski’s fabulous Winner’s Curse series in anticipation of the release of book 2, THE WINNER’S CRIME. I was equal parts STOKED and ANXIOUS about answering the question they’re asking of us, though! Because it’s HARD. But anything for this series, friends. If you haven’t started it yet, it’s time to do yourself a favor.

So, without further ado, THE QUESTION:

The ‘Winner’s Curse’ is an economics term that means you’ve gotten what you wanted – but at too high a price.  What would you pay too much for?

WHOA, right? WHOA. Have you guys ever seen the movie Little Women? The new one with Winona Ryder? Remember that one scene near the beginning when the sisters are up in the attic and they’re talking about what they want for Christmas and Amy asks for a cuter nose or limes or both and Jo asks for pens or something (I can’t remember the details of their wishes, and I can’t remember Meg’s at all), but Beth asks for the war to end so their dad can come home and everyone else is like, *crickets* and then–you can see this on their faces for a second–“Shit. We’re all assholes.”? I feel like I’m at a similar crossroads here. I could be superficial like my actual namesake and say, “I would pay too much money for books, and stuff from Ulta, and books, and scarves.” I could be like Jo and ask for things that would help me further my career or my dreams, like time to write or an awesome library job. Or I could be like Beth and say that I would pay too much money for my dad’s health to be better, a winning lottery ticket so my parents didn’t have to worry about money, societal equality, an end to bullying, and a host of other things. I’m having a real crisis about it.

So, I guess what I’m going to do is break it down for you: something superficial that I would pay too much money for, and something serious. Sound good?

Superficial first: I would hands-down pay too much money to have a huge library in my own house. I have so many books and not enough room for them all, so I’d fork over whatever cash I could scrounge up for not only someplace to store and showcase them, but a sanctuary for me to read as well.

Like this:

Home library

Or this:

home library

Or this (OMG THIS ONE. I WANT):

home library

I’d take this one, too:

home library

I want a big, airy, cozy space that’s big enough for all the books I have and all the books I’ve yet to buy, but with big fluffy couches and lots of windows and maybe a fireplace. AHHH, PEACE. *daydreams*

If I’m being serious, I’d pay all the money in the world for my dad to be in better health. Don’t get me wrong: He’s not ill or in danger of imminent death, nor am I sure that this would be a curse for me, per se. He’s just not 100%, you know? He had a very mild stroke a few years ago and has a pacemaker and a few other things going on. Everything is managed really well and he’s doing great, but like, he’s my DAD. Supposed to live forever. So I’d pay too much money for that in a heartbeat. Like, right now I’d do it. If my mom had similar issues, I’d do the same for her or anyone in my family. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO DIE, OKAY? Maybe we can all become vampires and live together forever. That actually sounds like a great plan, right? I thought so. I can see you nodding.

Now that we’ve got that slight downer out of the way, it’s time to give away things! HUZZAH! That’s right, as long as you are over 13 and live in the US, you are eligible to win one copy of THE WINNER’S CRIME by Marie Rutkoski, thanks to those aforementioned lovely folks at Macmillan. You may do a happy dance now. I’ll wait. *waits*

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Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this awesome blog tour! You can also visit the dedicated website for The Winner’s Trilogy for all kinds of super fun things!

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Blog Tour Book Review + Giveaway | In Some Other World, Maybe | Shari Goldhagen

Jan 17

I received this book for free from eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blog Tour Book Review + Giveaway | In Some Other World, Maybe | Shari GoldhagenIn Some Other World, Maybe by Shari Goldhagen
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on January 13, 2015
Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Relationships
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
four-stars

In December 1992, three groups of teenagers head to the theater to see the movie version of the famed Eons & Empires comic books. For Adam it’s a last ditch effort to connect with something (actually, someone, the girl he’s had a crush on for years) in his sleepy Florida town before he leaves for good. Passionate fan Sharon skips school in Cincinnati so she can fully appreciate the flick without interruption from her vapid almost-friends—a seemingly silly indiscretion with shocking consequences. And in suburban Chicago, Phoebe and Ollie simply want to have a nice first date and maybe fool around in the dark, if everyone they know could just stop getting in the way.

Over the next two decades, these unforgettable characters criss-cross the globe, becoming entwined by friendship, sex, ambition, fame and tragedy.

A razor-sharp, darkly comic page-turner, In Some Other World, Maybe sheds light on what it means to grow up in modern America.

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Filed Under: Adult, Blog Tour, Giveaway, Reviews

Save Me Blog Tour | Post + Giveaway

Jan 14

Save Me Blog Tour

I’m so excited to be participating in the blog tour for SAVE ME, a debut from Swoon Reads’ author Jenny Elliot! A paranormal debut with witches and WHALES?! How awesome is this?? (Awesome.) There are so many interesting things going on in SAVE ME, but for me, I was most intrigued by the whales. Who doesn’t love whales? They’re big and gorgeous and sometimes dangerous and are basically some of the closest things left on this planet to DINOSAURS. I MEAN. So in this vein, I wanted to share some cool things with you all about the whales in SAVE ME because they’re really important to the main character, Cara, as well as a very intriguing side story.

Book cover Save Me Jenny Elliott

Debut-novelist Jenny Elliott’s thrilling romance, chosen by readers, writers, and publishers for the first list in the new Swoon Reads imprint, pours on the tension and danger in an addictive combination that will keep you turning pages!

Something strange is going on in the tiny coastal town of Liberty, Oregon. Cara has never seen a whale swim close enough for her to touch it—let alone knock her into the freezing water. Fortunately, cute newcomer David is there to save her, and the rescue leads to a bond deeper than Cara ever imagined.

But then she learns something about David that changes everything, and Cara is devastated. She turns to her best friend for support, but Rachel has changed. She’s suddenly into witchcraft, and is becoming dangerously obsessed with her new boyfriend….

Cara has lost her best friend, discovered that her soul mate is off limits, and has attracted the attention of a stalker. But she’s not completely alone. Her mysterious, gorgeous new friend Garren is there to support her. But is Garren possibly too perfect?

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The Boy Next Door Blog Tour | Guest Post + Giveaway

Jan 11

The Boy Next Door

 

Book Cover The Boy Next Door Katie Van Ark

 

Maddy Spier has been in love with the boy next door forever. As his figure skating partner she spends time in his arms every day. But she’s also seen his arms around other girls—lots of other girls.

Gabe can’t imagine skating with anyone but Maddy, and together they have a real chance at winning some serious gold medals. So, he’s determined to keep thinking of her like a sister. After all, he’s never had a romantic relationship that lasted for more than two weeks.

But when their coach assigns a new romantic skating program, everything changes. Will this be the big break that Maddy’s been hoping for or the big breakup that Gabe has always feared?

 

Guys, I’m really excited for today’s post, from Katie Van Ark, the debut author of THE BOY NEXT DOOR. Everyone say hi! *waves to Katie*

When I heard that THE BOY NEXT DOOR was basically a YA The Cutting Edge, I got VERY excited, so I obviously couldn’t say no to a stop on the blog tour! (Thanks, Swoon Reads for including me!) I really wanted to know if all of the figure skating in the book was based on Katie’s own experience or if she had to do research on it. So I asked her! Here’s what she said:

 

I’ve spent over ten years now competing in figure skating and I drew heavily from my own training and competition experiences to create Maddy and Gabe’s story. I gave Maddy my absolute love of everything ice. I gave Gabe my own fear of jumping. I even took a pair test to help accurately convey the experience of skating as a pair.

The coolest thing about my own figure skating story, though, is that I didn’t start skating until I was an adult. Growing up, I always wanted to skate but my hometown didn’t have a rink. My father helped me build an outdoor rink one year in our backyard but with fickle lakeshore temperatures, it was a labor of love and we weren’t able to skate much on it. It was also pretty small – about ten steps and you were at the end of it.

After college, an old friend and I were at her New Year’s Eve party lamenting how out of shape we’d gotten since our swim team days and we made a New Year’s resolution to try a new sport together. We signed up for a skating class. I thought maybe I’d finally learn to do crossovers and stop without crashing into the boards. When our instructor taught us how to do a little two foot spin at the end of our first eight week session, we were hooked. When she told us that U.S. Figure Skating had an adult competition track with its own national competition, we had yet another resolution.

Like Maddy, my friend had a lot more natural talent – she kicked my butt at every jumping contest we ever had. But I was determined and dedicated and we both made it to several national competitions. Now that I have two little girls at home, I don’t get to train the way that I used to but I have a great group of ladies that I skate together with on a synchronized skating team.

January is National Skating Month and a lot of rinks celebrate with free skating sessions and sometimes even free lessons, so if you’ve ever wanted to experience Maddy and Gabe’s world in real life, check it out!

Thanks, Katie! 

Because the lovely folks at Swoon Reads are fabulous, and because THE BOY NEXT DOOR is really cute, they’re giving away a copy to one lucky winner! HUZZAH! Few rules: Must live in the US/Canada, be 13 or older, and respond to my “YAY, YOU WON!” email within 24 hours.

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Katie Van Ark (c) Jennifer HefkoAuthor Links/Info

  • Learn more about The Boy Next Door.
  • Learn more about Swoon Reads.
  • Join in on social media with #BoyNextDoor (bonus points if you also tag @SwoonReads!)
  • Add The Boy Next Door to your to-read list on Goodreads.

Visit Katie’s website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

 

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Best of 2014 Giveaway!

Dec 10

giveaway

Guys, I’m incredibly stoked to be participating in this giveaway from the brain of Ginger @ Ginger Reads. I love the idea of sharing my favorite book of the year with one lucky winner. Except, well, I couldn’t narrow it down. I KNOW. But I really couldn’t, and trust me, I tried. So instead of giving away one book, I’m giving away TWO. I literally could not eliminate one. Sooooo, that means that ONE VERY LUCKY PERSON can win copies of…drumroll, please…

Every Breath by Ellie Marney and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas!!

Giveaway

 

My review of EVERY BREATH will be going live shortly, but you can check out my review of HEIR OF FIRE to get yourself acquainted with the goods! If you haven’t read the first two books in this series, and you are randomly chosen by Rafflecopter to win this giveaway, we’ll chat. Sound good? OK, GREAT!

Now, the rules. The detestable rules! Alas, however, you must be 13 or older to enter, live anywhere Book Depository ships, and complete any mandatory options on the entry form. That’s it! Get to entering! You all WANT these books. I know.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There’s a bunch of other giveaways going on around the interwebs as well! Check out these lovelies for some other awesome prizes!

Ginger @ GReads!
Andi @ Andi’s ABCs
Jess @ Gone with the Words
Heather @ The Turning Pages
Jen @ Pop! Goes the Reader
Danielle @ Love at First Page
Sarah @ What Sarah Read
Brittany @ The Book Addict’s Guide

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