Interview with Lindsey Loucks, author of The Grave Winner and INT giveaway!

I met this terrific indie author at a twitter party (which by the way, is still my favorite twitter party to date), and boy, am I glad I did! Lindsey is a terrific author and everyone should read her awesome book, The Grave Winner!

Goodreads Book Description: Leigh Baxton is terrified her mom will come back from the dead -- just like the prom queen did.

While the town goes beehive over the news, Leigh bikes to the local cemetery and buries some of her mom’s things in her grave to keep her there. When the hot and mysterious caretaker warns her not to give gifts to the dead, Leigh cranks up her punk music and keeps digging.

She should have listened.

Two dead sorceresses evicted the prom queen from her grave to bury someone who offered certain gifts. Bury them alive, that is, then resurrect them to create a trio of undead powerful enough to free the darkest sorceress ever from her prison inside the earth.

With help from the caretaker and the dead prom queen, Leigh must find out what’s so special about the gifts she gave, and why the sorceresses are stalking her and her little sister. If she doesn’t, she’ll either lose another loved one or have to give the ultimate gift to the dead – herself.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb: Lindsey R. Loucks works as a school librarian in rural Kansas. When she's not discussing books with anyone who will listen, she's dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she'll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to reenergize.

She's been with her significant other for almost two decades.

Links:

Buy The Grave Winner on Amazon.

Buy The Grave Winner at Barnes & Noble.

Add The Grave Winner to Goodreads.

Check out Lindsey’s website.

Follow Lindsey on Facebook.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter.

Author Interview

1.I love that you are a librarian as well as a writer. Can you talk a little about your journey and how your experiences as a librarian influenced your writing? 
Sure! I’ve always been a book freak, so becoming a librarian and a writer seemed like a natural progression. As a librarian, I get to visit with kids of all ages about their reading likes and dislikes. One thing I learned from them is to start a story off with a bang and then keep the pace rolling along, sometimes at breakneck speed, until the end. That’s something I tried to do with The Grave Winner.

2. Why YA horror? 
Well, I had a terrifying childhood, and I mean that in the best way possible. My parents loved some of the old horror movies and they practically lived and breathed anything by Stephen King. When I was old enough to handle movies like The Exorcist and Stephen King, I couldn’t get enough. Now, I’m constantly on the hunt for something to scare myself silly.

3. I love your characters. Did any of your characters surprise you? If so, which one?
Thank you! I think the only one who surprised me was my main character Leigh. Underneath her rough exterior, she has an enormous heart. After what I put her through, she still puts others’ needs before her own. That takes a special type of person, especially for someone who’s only fifteen!

4. The setting of your novel is creepy-- did you spend a lot of time in graveyards to get the right feel? Also, do you have a store that you've gone to similar to Whaty-Whats? 
I only went to the cemetery once with my best friend since first grade. We wandered around and talked about life and death all while the sounds and sights drilled into my head. We had a great time!

Whaty-Whats is based on a real place in my hometown. I’d go there often with my other best friend, and I loved every second of it. It was mostly the unique smell of the place that I enjoyed but also the fabulously unique clothes. I once bought a Harley Davidson tank top there with the motorcycle decorated in glitter. *sigh* I need to go back there one of these days because I miss that store!

5. If you could be sorted into a Hogwarts house, which one would it be and why? 

Ravenclaw because I’m a knowledge junky. Though at times, I can be a Slytherin-type, too…

6. What was your favorite YA read of the past year? 
Probably The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson. It’s book two of the Fire and Thorns series. It’s a pulse-pounding thrill ride threaded through with one of the sweetest love stories I’ve ever read.

7. Favorite show of all time? 
Firefly. I would give a couple of toes to have it back on the air.

8. Tell us about your cat. Is he/she anything like the awesome Elf in your book? 
Well, he does sleep a lot, but that’s the only thing he has in common with Elf! Other than sleeping, his latest hobby is staring at the light switch in the living room. I guess I should go stare at it too since it must be awesome. His name is Jesse, and he’s my spoiled baby.

9. Can you tell us what you are working on now and if we are going to see the awesome characters from The Grave Winner back again? 
I have a sexy/scary novella coming out in August, and I’m about halfway done with the sequel to The Grave Winner. I’m super excited about both of these!

Thanks so much for having me!

Well, thank you so much for being here! Now enter to win some awesome loot including a signed copy of this great book!

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Review of The Grave Winner by Lindsey Loucks and INT giveaway

Goodreads Book Description: Leigh Baxton is terrified her mom will come back from the dead -- just like the prom queen did.

While the town goes beehive over the news, Leigh bikes to the local cemetery and buries some of her mom’s things in her grave to keep her there. When the hot and mysterious caretaker warns her not to give gifts to the dead, Leigh cranks up her punk music and keeps digging.

She should have listened.

Two dead sorceresses evicted the prom queen from her grave to bury someone who offered certain gifts. Bury them alive, that is, then resurrect them to create a trio of undead powerful enough to free the darkest sorceress ever from her prison inside the earth.

With help from the caretaker and the dead prom queen, Leigh must find out what’s so special about the gifts she gave, and why the sorceresses are stalking her and her little sister. If she doesn’t, she’ll either lose another loved one or have to give the ultimate gift to the dead – herself.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:  I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Grave Winner by Lindsey R. Loucks doesn't fall into an easy category. The genre is most similar to a YA horror/paranormal (like the wonderful Anna Dressed in Blood), but I don't want readers who aren't into horror to discount this book. It has a lot of really terrific paranormal elements and is a wonderful read. I'm not a horror buff either and I loved it! This book stars Leigh, a typical rebellious teenager that has just experienced what every other teen hopes not to experience-- the death of her mother. A popular girl at school has just come back from the dead, and Leigh is determined not to have her mother come back that way. But events take an ominous turn and she struggles to keep her family and friends safe as creepy things start to happen. She also gets into a bit of a romantic triangle between a cute graveyard caretaker and the brother of her best friend. Will Leigh be able to work all of this out in time?

I loved this book. Every time I thought I could pigeonhole the book, it surprised me in some way. I had some questions along the way that I wasn't sure would be answered, but they were, in a most satisfying way. The characters are terrific-- I think I would have been lucky to have friends like Leigh and Jo in high school. The two love interests sizzle, although I think I definitely have a soft spot for the best friend's brother, Callum. The setting is creepy and appropriate.

I have to mention this as well-- Loucks has the best swag I've ever seen any author have. The items she has are pivotal players in the book, and I was delighted to see how those elements revealed themselves. I think it's a talent to have swag that enhances the book even more.

Overall, a terrific and creepy read-- make sure you have a warm blanket, pet, or significant other to squeeze during the scary parts! I'll be watching Loucks career from here on out.

Now enter to win this great book and her terrific swag! 

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Character interview with Sebastian Fiscard from The Vampire Code by E.C. Adams and INT giveaway!

I'm so excited to introduce this sexy vampire character (my first vampire crush!).

Goodreads Book Description: 'The Vampire Code' is an Urban Fantasy Romance Novel about a young lawyer from Manhattan who agrees to defend a vampire wrongly accused of murdering a human.

In so doing she becomes the target of human hate-groups, primary among them the New Ku Klux Klan and the much more dangerous Vampire Resistance - a secret society of vampires who refuse to mainstream and obey the Vampire Code.

In the mayhem that is now Aurora’s life the only constant is Sebastian, the stoic vampire assigned to protect her. Nothing ever seems to affect him. Violence and politics are his life and there's no space for anything else.

Yet when an ancient curse starts killing Aurora slowly he's willing to go to unimaginable lengths to save her. Could Aurora have changed him the way he changed her? And how far are they both willing to go together so they can have the happy ending they both deserve?

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb:

A lawyer by profession, E.C. Adams started writing when she decided to take a break from her career and focus more on her expanding family.

Born in Malta, a tiny island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, she now lives there, but over the years, she's lived in Italy (Rome), England (London) and Cyprus (Paphos).

She loves Greek and Italian food, and throwing lavish parties at home, where all guests are expected to bring a +1 or more.

"The Vampire Code" is her debut novel and the first book in a Series by the name “The Fiscard Vampires”. 

Interview with Sebastian
Thank you so much for stopping by! Can you tell us a little about where you live?
I live in Manhattan, New York, where I work for the Vampire Council of Twelve. 

What is your favorite thing about being a vampire? Your least favorite? 
My favorite is the fact that I keep being given time to improve myself and leave a positive impact in the world. My least favorite is the way I so often fail to either improve myself or improve the world around me, no matter how much time I am given on this planet. It can get very frustrating. 

If any vampire would scare/intimidate you, who would it be and why?
I am not afraid of anyone in particular. My only fear in this life is that someone could harm my loved ones and I’d be powerless to help them. In popular culture, what is the fictional depiction of the vampire that would make you cringe and why? Probably Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, because it left the greatest impact on the minds of humans, painting the worse possible image of vampires.

Do you really like wine or is it really just tolerable? If so, what kind? (I'm guessing Cabernet-yum!)
Red wine, yes. If a red is properly aged and then allowed to air, I’d go as far as to say it’s exquisite.

What drew you to work with the Vampire Code?
I couldn’t accept the fact that vampires should continue to live in secret, and it was always more clear to my community that if we were going to reveal ourselves to humans, we had to be prepared. The Vampire Code is the platform on which we built all of our efforts to integrate into society. It allows us to come to the human world with a set of promises that we, as a people, pledge to keep, in order that we may live side by side, with humans, in harmony.

Can you tell us a memory from your human life? 
Some of my best memories revolve around hunting with Louis the thirteenth, who was my King when I was still human. We’d be gone for days – a bunch of young men, their horses and their hounds – and we would forget the formalities and restraints of our noble lives. At the end of each day, we’d have mud up to our knees, our muscles would be aching from riding all day, and we’d share a hearty meal by a large fire while telling dirty jokes, gossiping about women and generally drinking and boasting too much. I cannot think of happier times in my human life.

OK, I have to know. Describe your perfect woman!
Personally, I value honesty and bravery, and have always found women who respect and assert themselves, very attractive.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Sebastian! Now stop swooning everyone, and enter to win this great book!

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Interview with EC Adams, author of The Vampire Code and INT giveaway!

 I'm so excited to introduce this next novel as well as the amazing author who wrote it! This was definitely one of my favorite indie books this year (although to be honest, I've been getting a really great stash in 2013, best year yet!).

Goodreads Book Description: 'The Vampire Code' is an Urban Fantasy Romance Novel about a young lawyer from Manhattan who agrees to defend a vampire wrongly accused of murdering a human.

In so doing she becomes the target of human hate-groups, primary among them the New Ku Klux Klan and the much more dangerous Vampire Resistance - a secret society of vampires who refuse to mainstream and obey the Vampire Code.

In the mayhem that is now Aurora’s life the only constant is Sebastian, the stoic vampire assigned to protect her. Nothing ever seems to affect him. Violence and politics are his life and there's no space for anything else.

Yet when an ancient curse starts killing Aurora slowly he's willing to go to unimaginable lengths to save her. Could Aurora have changed him the way he changed her? And how far are they both willing to go together so they can have the happy ending they both deserve?

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb:

A lawyer by profession, E.C. Adams started writing when she decided to take a break from her career and focus more on her expanding family.

Born in Malta, a tiny island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, she now lives there, but over the years, she's lived in Italy (Rome), England (London) and Cyprus (Paphos).

She loves Greek and Italian food, and throwing lavish parties at home, where all guests are expected to bring a +1 or more.

"The Vampire Code" is her debut novel and the first book in a Series by the name “The Fiscard Vampires”. 

Book Two will be published in 2013.

Author Interview
I love hearing stories about how writers got started. Can you grace us with your story? 
I always loved to write, but I never really thought of it as a career. I studied Law, and started working as a trainee in a law firm before I’d even finished my studies. In those days, I practically lived at the office, and writing a book was the last thing on my mind. There was always a subpoena that needed writing first!

Then in 2010, due to a complicated pregnancy, I decided to take a break from work, and was overwhelmed with the amount of free time at my disposal. Once I was done cleaning the house, and after re-organizing my husband’s socks so they all faced the same way, I found myself jotting down notes for what would be my first novel: “The Vampire Code”.

Why vampires? 
I could say a lot of clever, intellectual things, but in truth, I’m a fan of vampire fiction, (and fantasy in general), so it was a natural fit for me. It just made sense.

I love your characters. Did you have a favorite? In particular, which one was the most fun to write? Which one was the most difficult?
The main character and narrator in “The Vampire Code” is Aurora, a 28 year old lawyer. We spent hours together, inside my head, so she was the easiest to write.

I had the most fun writing the vampire Alexander Reubens. I love Alex because he is a whole lot of smoke and mirrors. You never know where you stand with him. You’re told he’s a genius and that he’s dedicated his (long) life to science, but somewhere along the way, he made such a terrible mistake that he was stripped of the Fiscard family name and placed under house arrest indefinitely. I modeled him physically on Ian Somerhalder, so perhaps in part, this also contributed to my pleasure in writing this character. (The flesh is weak and all that….)

The most difficult to write was, without a doubt, Sebastian, Aurora’s love-interest in the book. He is a four hundred year old vampire with a no-nonsense attitude. He’s lived multiple lives, is stoic, reserved, quiet, yet handy with guns and highly combat-trained. He is handsome, in an unassuming manner, but also a little scary. The trick was to allow all these characteristics to seep out of him throughout the story – like crumbs on a path – and make him an attractive love-interest for a spicy twenty-eight year old lawyer.

Which authors have inspired you?
This is a difficult one. As a teenager, I used to read mostly thrillers, because I was always borrowing books from my father’s extensive library. And I genuinely believe, now that “The Vampire Code” is complete, that the books I read in my “formative years”, for want of a better expression, have inspired my writing. I’m talking: Wilbur Smith, John Grisham, James Clavell and Tom Clancy.

Then as I grew up, moved out of my parents’ house and started building my own collection, I started gravitating more towards fantasy and urban fantasy. I have the greatest respect for Kim Harrison, J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jeanine Frost and the earlier Charlaine Harris books.

What was your favorite read in the past year and why?
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, because once a year, I buy a book and I stay up all night reading it, even though the alarm is set for 6am. And “The Hunger Games” was that book for me in 2012. It was special. It was perfect. It was the book of 2012.

What do you do when you aren't writing?
I work as a lawyer and I have three small children. Before I started writing, I used to read a lot. I would read every evening after work, and at weekends, so I’d go through one or two books a week.

Now, because I have the children and have added writing into the equation, I don’t have much time for anything else. The children come first, then my legal work, then writing. I don’t have time for much else – at least not for the time being.

What was the most fun and most difficult thing about writing this book? 
The most fun was talking to Aurora inside my head. The most difficult was the publishing process, of which I was mostly ignorant. I honestly thought it would be easier than it actually was.

Can you tell us a little bit about what is in store for Aurora without giving too much away? 
At the end of Book 1, Aurora is seen to have grown into an adult in her own right. In Book 2, her maturity will be put to the test. That is all I can say at this stage – both because I don’t want to reveal too much, and because I’m not 100% sure.

Now enter to win this terrific book or a Vampire Academy book of your choice!
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Review of Vampire Code by E.C. Adams and INT giveaway

Goodreads Book Description: 'The Vampire Code' is an Urban Fantasy Romance Novel about a young lawyer from Manhattan who agrees to defend a vampire wrongly accused of murdering a human.

In so doing she becomes the target of human hate-groups, primary among them the New Ku Klux Klan and the much more dangerous Vampire Resistance - a secret society of vampires who refuse to mainstream and obey the Vampire Code.

In the mayhem that is now Aurora’s life the only constant is Sebastian, the stoic vampire assigned to protect her. Nothing ever seems to affect him. Violence and politics are his life and there's no space for anything else.

Yet when an ancient curse starts killing Aurora slowly he's willing to go to unimaginable lengths to save her. Could Aurora have changed him the way he changed her? And how far are they both willing to go together so they can have the happy ending they both deserve?

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:
I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Vampire Code by E. C. Adams is about a young and talented lawyer, Aurora, who is approached by Sebastian Fiscard, a vampire in the most prestigious vampire families, to help him defend his brother in court. His brother is being tried for murder because the vampire that he turned (his wife) killed another woman in cold blood. Aurora learns that the Vampire Code is set up very differently than the human legal system, so she navigates through this new territory as well as fights off her growing feelings for Sebastian. She is also being pursued by the Resistance, who wants to see her dead for showing her face in vampire court. Can Aurora survive in this brave new world?

I loved this book. LOVED. I don't say that lightly. And I'm even more happy that this is a talented new writer. There has been a ton of speculation as to where this book lies-- it's either New Adult or Adult (I think it's the latter), but honestly, it doesn't really matter. I think young adult readers as well as adult readers will gravitate towards this book because the characters are great (I think I have my first ever vampire crush, and I've read a lot of vampire books), the pacing spot on, and the world building with the Vampire Code just fascinating. There are also a lot of great plot twists that I won't tell you about so that you can discover them on your own.

My one small issue (and this is really just a personal preference that did not change the rating) is with the medical stuff later in the book. The details don't really make sense to me, but I was okay with glossing over that (which I usually am not okay with!) to get back to the story at hand.

Overall, one of the best indie reads I've gotten my hands on this year. I will be closely following E.C. Adams' career from here out.

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Ensconced in YA Turns ONE! Day 6: BIG thank you to our generous donors!

I cannot go this week without thanking my generous donors to this wonderful blogoversary giveaway. You absolutely need to check out all of their books and blogs, etc. These are amazing authors on top of being amazing people (and bookstore).

Ingrid Ricks, author of Hippie Boy: A Girl's Tale
http://ingridricks.com/

Diantha Jones, author of Prophecy of the Most Beautiful
http://www.diantha-jones.com/

Christina Smith, author of A Moon's Glow Trilogy and Affinity Series
http://www.christinasmithbooks.com/

Rachel Harris, author of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
http://www.rachelharriswrites.com/blog

AG Howard, author of Splintered and Unhinged
http://aghoward.com

Erika Kathyrn, author of Audie and the Angel
http://www.blondebookie.blogspot.com/

Samantha Durante, author of Stitch and Shudder
http://www.samanthadurante.com/

Howard Shapiro, author of The Stereotypical Freaks graphical novel
http://www.howardshapiro.net/

Ashley Farley, the author of Saving Ben
http://ashleyfarley.net/

E.C. Adams, author of The Vampire Code
http://www.thevampirecode.com/

Vicky Savage, author of the Transcender series
http://vickysavage.com/blog/

Kaitlin Bevis, author of the Persephone trilogy
http://kaitlinbevis.com/

Sara Zaske, author of The First
http://sarazaske.wordpress.com/tag/sara-zaske/

Victoria Scott, author of The Collector
http://www.victoriascottya.com/

Laura Lam, author of Pantomime
http://staticsplit.wordpress.com/

Andrea Colt, author of Torched
http://www.andreacolt.com/p/welcome.html

Lindsey Loucks, author of Grave Winner
http://www.lindseyrloucks.com/

Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Time Between Us
http://tamarairelandstone.com/

Scott Cramer, author of Night of the Purple Moon
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorScottCramer

Anna Silver, author of Otherborn
http://annasilverauthor.com/

Fiona Paul, author of Venom
http://fionapaulbooks.blogspot.com/

Antony John, author of Five Flavors of Dumb
http://antonyjohn.net/

Left Bank Books
http://left-bank.com/

I also wanted to thank some wonderful followers that have really stuck by me through thick and thin:
1. Amber H
2. Rachel S
3. Becky G
4. Naznin A
5. Jill O

Today's question: Do you have a blog? If you don't, do you want to start one? Why or why not?

There are a ton more and I wish I could name each and every one of you. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! This was an AWESOME WEEK!
Now Sign up to win some fab prizes!!!

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Ensconced in YA Turns One! Day 5: Traditionally published Authors that have changed my life

Before we start today, I just wanted to say that I was so excited about this terrific giveaway, that I gave away TWO prizes last night. So the mystery box of YA books and the signed Splintered hardback are gone, but tons more to win!

And how can I forget the amazing authors that I have met this year? After I got over my fangirly squeal, I realized how down to earth, interesting, and just really cool people these authors were. I have to highlight two particular local authors who have totally changed my life.

1. Antony John -  Antony was the first author I met locally. He's written the amazing book Five Flavors of Dumb, along with a dystopian trilogy (the first book of which I am giving away). I actually met him through his wife who works in the same hospital that I do. I don't think they ever really expected me to go out, buy his book, and review it. Since then, we've had several get togethers-- talking about books, life and publishing. He's also been a fount of very valuable advice. He is savvy in more ways than writing, down to earth, and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I'm so fortunate to know him.

2. Fiona Paul - Fiona is the terrific author of Venom. I met her through Antony, and ever since, I've been getting tons of advice, great stories, and best of all, just plain good friendship. She is a wonderful person on top of being a super hardworking and talented author. If I ever feel down about how my non-existent book is going or how mean people can be on the internet, she's there supporting me every step of the way. Plus, I get first access to all of her awesome sauce books! Who's the winner in all of this? I would have to say... me.

Other authors that I just have to name because of how incredibly sweet, smart, and talented they all are in no particular order: Tamara Ireland Stone,
Lenore Appelhans, Elizabeth Richards, Lauren Oliver, Kathleen Peacock and AG Howard.

Today's question: Which traditionally published authors have you loved and why?
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Ensconced in YA Turns One! Day 4: Some of my favorite Blogs/bloggers

I also can't go this week without singing the praises of some of my favorite blogs/bloggers. I got this idea from Cover Contessa who unsurprisingly is number one on the list. You should join all of these blogs if you haven't already. They are amazing!

1. Cover Contessa - She is a terrific blogger-- not only has my back, but makes me remember why I love blogging so much. Her blog is really well put together, love her blogging name, and her style is unforgettable. It's unsurprising that her blog grows exponentially every day.
thecovercontessa.com

2. Winter Haven Books- I'm usually not into beautiful blogs, but how can anyone deny how GORGEOUS this blog is?? When I go to it, I salivate with jealousy. One day I'm going to have to contact their designer. Not only that, it's a great blog. I trust their reviews and they have terrific giveaways.
winterhavenbooks.blogspot.com

3. I Am A Reader, Not a Writer - No one can doubt this blog is the queen of them all. Kathy is amazing and seems to do everything extremely well. She is taking a well deserved break this summer, and I'm right there with her. I've been joining her amazing giveaway blog hops for several months now, and she has an impressive following. My numbers have never gone up as much as when I'm a part of these events.
http://iamareader.com/

4. Paranormal Book Club - She not only has a terrific blog, but she's a really fun person to chat with. She may not know it, but she's the reason that I got addicted to twitter. She had a fabulous twitter giveaway (which I totally need to do some day), and then I went on a rampage of finding all the great twitter parties there were!
paranormal-bookclub.com

5. Bookshelvers Anonymous - This blogger has a really great blog and at the same time, is really down to earth. She was there to support me in a rough spot, and I can't thank her enough.
shelversanon.blogspot.se

6. a GREAT Read - This blogger is also local, and I see her at many of the same events. It's fun to run into her and she always makes it a point to stop by if I'm involved in any blog hops.
jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com

7. Book Fever- Stephanie is a loyal follower of my blog, and tweets regularly supporting my blog. She has been such a great support.
bookfever11.blogspot.com

8. Bookworm1858 - I love this blogger because of the no frills approach of the blog. This blogger also makes it a point to visit my blog on a regular basis and leave comments on many posts. I really appreciate the support and really insightful viewpoints.
bookworm1858.blogspot.com

9. A Reading Nurse- She has blogged about my blog, she's put my button on her beautiful new site, and she works in the healthcare industry. In addition to this, she is an amazing and warm person, who has only been completely supportive and wonderful about everything. I'm so lucky to have made such a great new friend.
http://areadingnurse.blogspot.com/

10. Jenna Does Books- She and I have the SAME TASTE. It's so nice to read her reviews and nod at every single point :-) I've told her we have the same brain. And she puts on some terrific giveaways and has tons of followers for good reason!
http://jennadoesbooks.com/

Again, there are a ton of blogs out there that I love, so even if you aren't on this list, that doesn't mean anything!

Today's Question: What are your favorite blogs?

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Ensconced in YA Turns ONE! Day 3: Some Favorite Indie Authors who have changed my life

If you've been following me thus far, you know that one of the reasons I started my blog was to support indie authors and give them a bigger audience if I loved their books. I've come across several that have become good friends, supported me in one way or another, and all have wowed me with their awesome books.

In no particular order:

1. Ingrid Ricks (see Day 1 post). As you know from Monday's post, she is the author of the now New York Times bestselling novel, Hippie Boy: A Girl's Tale! I think the post speaks for itself :-)

2. Vicky Savage- Vicky was one of the first authors that I ever contacted, and Transcender: First Timer was one of the first books I've ever reviewed. That was when I got the reviewing bug. She's been my confidante, friend, supporter, and peer ever since. I don't know what I would have done without her! She has been a loyal supporter of my blog since day one. You should definitely pick up her books too-- they are fantastic.

3. Howard Shapiro- Howard is one of my new indie author friends. He wrote the fantastic YA graphical novel, The Stereotypical Freaks. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. But I cried because it was so moving. Since then, he's been a great friend and someone I really admire. We talk on a regular basis, and he tells me all of his adventures at BEA, etc. I can't wait for the sequel of Freaks to come out!

4. Christina Smith - Christina emailed me one day and wanted me to edit one of her books. I didn't realize how fantastic it would be! She is a terrific writer. We emailed at least 5 times a day, and it was one of the most fun exchanges I've ever had. We hashed out plot points, talked about our personal lives, and it was glorious. Since then, we've supported each other through thick and thin, and I'm so excited for her next book to come out!

5. Shawn Keenan - Shawn is someone I consider my crit partner, even though I haven't really written anything of substance yet. I met him after reviewing his book on Librarything, and he emailed me back, thanking me for the review. Since then we've hashed out one of his other books-- the wonderful The Intern's Tale, and his most current book, which I'm not going to talk about, but I think this is THE ONE. He's amazing and always supports what little I do write with really insightful comments. He also periodically guest posts on my blog with his terrific rants.

Other indie authors I love include: Stephanie Judice, Diantha Jones, Sara Zaske, Erika Kathryn, Leonie Rogers, Andrea Colt, Ashley Farley, Scott Cramer, Samantha Durante, Jennifer Lane, Kaitlin Bevis, Lindsey Loucks, Anna Silver just to name a few.

But honestly, if I worked with you, you are a favorite of mine. So even if you don't see your name on this list, that doesn't mean anything. I love all of you!!! :-)

Today's question: Who are some of YOUR favorite indie writers?

Now enter to win some great prizes!
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Ensconced in YA turns ONE! Day 2: Left Bank Books Appreciation Post and Blogoversary Giveaway!

I would be remiss if I didn't include how awesome local bookstores are and how vital they are to bringing awesome authors into town for events. That's why a love letter to Left Bank Books, our local bookstore here in Saint Louis, gets a whole post during my anniversary week!

I am so excited to have Antony John, one of the great YA authors in St. Louis, present his thoughts on our beloved local bookstore, Left Bank Books. As you all know, he wrote the wonderful Five Flavors of Dumb and Elemental, the first book in a dystopian paranormal trilogy.

Since this is the first Left Bank Books[http://www.left-bank.com/]-sponsored giveaway on Christina's much-lauded blog, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to explain exactly how the giveaway came to be (it's not as random as it seems), and why it's proof that St. Louis is an awesome city.

Here are some things people told me about St. Louis when I moved here in 2008:

1. It's a city that feels a lot like a town. (Which, I think, means that it has the amenities of a city without the overcrowding. Those amenities include some astounding indie bookstores.)

2. It's a city that loves books. (Very true, as it turns out. St. Louis has the second-ranked library system in the US. Also, the intersection beside Left Bank Books has been designated "writers corner," [http://www.missourireview.com/tmr-blog/2011/10/word-missouri-st-louiss-literary-heritage-comes-to-life-in-the-central-west-end/] with bronze busts of neighborhood authors and poets: Tennessee Williams; T. S. Eliot; Kate Chopin; and soon, William Burroughs.)

3. Where the rest of the world operates on the principle of six degrees of separation, St. Louis has streamlined things to two degrees of separation. (It's true! Going to events here is kind of strange, because within five minutes everyone has worked out that they all have the same friends. I don't understand how this happens, although it definitely saves us from awkward small talk.)

When it comes to bookstores, though, two degrees of separation becomes one degree. If you are an author in St. Louis, booksellers and librarians will TRACK YOU DOWN. Admittedly, it wasn't a particularly challenging task for the folks at Left Bank Books -- I can see the store from my house -- but as soon as I arrived in town they offered to hold a launch event for my first book, helped to set up school visits, and gave my books such prominent window placement that I felt like I was someone famous, like Jonathan Franzen (coincidentally, another St. Louis-raised author). Since then, they've organized YA panels for me, given me free all-weekend tickets to Comic Con, and helped me meet countless other authors.

Left Bank Books (and the other local indies) aren't doing it for financial gain, either, let me tell you. The profit they make from book sales at these events probably wouldn't buy a six-pack of Bud (or Schlafly [http://schlafly.com/]). It's all about their role as promoters of literature and reading in St. Louis -- a job they take VERY seriously. They even team up with local bloggers like Christina, because awesomeness should be shared among all bookish folks, you know?

Here's a final St. Louis tidbit: The city's indie bookstores were the first to band together to promote each other. Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, and Subterranean Books are just three of the six members of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance [http://stlindiebook.com/]. The Alliance has become a model for other cities, and is cooperative bookselling at its finest.

So if you're ever in St. Louis, please stop by Left Bank Books and say hi to Spike the cat.

To help us celebrate local bookstores, Left Bank books has generously donated a signed copy of Elemental by Antony John (US only).

Goodreads Book Description:
Sixteen-year-old Thomas has always been an outsider. The first child born without the power of an Element—earth, water, wind or fire—he has little to offer his tiny, remote Outer Banks colony. Or so the Guardians would have him believe.

In the wake of an unforeseen storm, desperate pirates kidnap the Guardians, intent on claiming the island as their own. Caught between the plague-ridden mainland and the advancing pirates, Thomas and his friends fight for survival in the battered remains of a mysterious abandoned settlement. But the secrets they unearth will turn Thomas’ world upside-down, and bring to light not only a treacherous past but also a future more dangerous than he can possibly imagine.

Today's question/comment: Please talk about your local bookstores. How have they affected you?

Enter to win some terrific prizes, including a signed hardback copy of Elemental (US only)!!! There are other prizes that are International :-)

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Ensconced in YA turns ONE! Day 1: Highlighting Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story by Ingrid Ricks and INT giveaway

This week, I'm celebrating Ensconced in YA turning ONE! Thank you SO much for all of your support! I have a big giveaway planned, so hold onto your hats! We'll get there in a second. But FIRST...

I am SO THRILLED to re-introduce Ingrid Ricks! She has JUST made the New York Times Best seller list and was the first interview I ever conducted. I'm so incredibly proud of her. She deserves it for being just an amazing person and a really great author too.

Goodreads Book Description: What would you do if your Mormon stepfather pinned you down and tried to cast Satan out of you? For thirteen-year-old Ingrid, the answer is simple: RUN.

Ingrid Ricks grew up in a dysfunctional, untypical Mormon family with an absent, freewheeling dad and an intensely religious mother who was desperate to ensure her family's eternal salvation. For years she yearned to escape the suffocating religious atmosphere cultivated by her mother at home by joining her dad on the road as tool-selling vagabond. When her parents divorce and her mother marries Earl--a cruel authoritarian who exploits his Church-ordained priesthood powers to oppress her family-- she learns the lesson that will change her life: she can't look to others to save her; she has to save herself.

Rating: 5/5 stars 

See my Amazon review at this link : Hippie Boy Amazon Review

Hippie Boy Book Trailer (created by Ingrid's daughter!)
Hippie Boy Book Trailer

 

Ingrid Ricks is a Seattle-based writer and speaker who focuses on overcoming adversity and embracing life. Ingrid lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters. She is also the author of A Little Book of Mormon (and Not So Mormon) Stories.

Enter my humongous BLOG GIVEAWAY with giveaways of books that I loved since Ensconced opened! I'll be doing this a little bit differently. I'll be selecting prize winners EVERY WEEK to keep people's interest (and mine) and to keep things under control a little better since this giveaway is the biggest I've ever tried to do! :-) Enter now!

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Interview with Elizabeth Norris, the author of Unraveling and Unbreakable and INT giveaway!

Goodreads Book Description: Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle's mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.

And that was before she died...and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth's destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Goodreads Book Description: Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

I have this one coming to me in the mail, will have a review up after I read it!!!

 

Author Blurb:  

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter. She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together. Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray, April 2012), is the story of one girl's fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

Author Interview

1. I love that you were an English high school teacher before you were a YA writer. Can you talk a little about your journey and how your experiences as a teacher influenced your writing? 

I was! I taught high school English in San Diego for six years. Being a teacher is what brought me to YA literature in the first place. I liked to know what my students enjoyed reading, so I read Gossip Girl and Twilight. At first I read YA novels in order to recommend good ones to my students, but I fell in love with them. I loved that they had everything: romance, great writing, high stakes. You can also actually see one of my lesson plans in Unraveling. The scene where Ben and Janelle argue about marriage proposals--that's from the AP class that I taught.  

2. Your main character, Janelle, rocks! I know a lot of people have been comparing her to Veronica Mars. Can you tell us what fictional character other than Veronica Mars (and maybe they are too similar to be friends) would be best friends with her and why?  

Thank you! I do really love Veronica Mars. I'm excited for the movie! I think Janelle and Katsa from Graceling would be best friends. They both work so hard to protect the people they care about. As long as they didn't have opposing causes they would be a great team. 

3. Did any of your characters surprise you? If so, which one?  

My minor characters always surprise me a little. Cecily was the biggest surprise in Unraveling. She actually wasn't even in the first draft--or really, she was but she didn't have a name. She was just a girl Janelle occasionally ate lunch with. But as I was editing, Cecily demanded to have a presence. 

4. If you could be sorted into a Hogwarts house, which one would it be and why?  

Ravenclaw. I actually did the sorting test with Pottermore and I think it's the love of knowledge and learning.  

5. What was your favorite YA read of the past year?

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood 

6. Favorite show of all time?  

There are so many! Probably X-Files or Buffy the Vampire Slayer 

7. Tell us about your dogs. 

I have a boxer and a pit lab mix. They're big and lazy and sometimes quite excitable. They also really enjoy playing ball. My pit lab mix loves her the ball and the boxer loves her so we do a lot of throwing it around the apartment. 

8. I love how on your blog you say one of your most favorite things is used books with inscriptions to other people. Do you have a favorite book and inscription that you could share with us? 

I have a copy of Pride & Prejudice that says "To Deena, may you find a love like this." 

9. Can you tell us what you are working on now? 

I'm working on another YA novel for Harper. In short, it's about a girl named Maya who has to work as an informant for federal agents and falls in love with a guy who's being recruited by the mob.

Now enter to win a signed copy of either Unbreakable or Unraveling or some great swag!

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A VERY detailed Review of Rewrite Redemption by JH Walker

I want to start this off by saying that I have always read books that I've reviewed. If I don't read it, I don't review it. So I'm going to make this particular review EXTRA detailed to show the two weeks that I spent reading this very long book-- two weeks I could have been reading other books. You guys know that I don't usually post spoilers, but hey, if that's what I need to do to prove I read this book, so be it. Also, this will not be like my other reviews. I was told I didn't put enough accurate details into the plot, so that's what you're going to get in this review.

Rewrite Redemption alternates chapters between two main characters in a first person point of view: AJ, a girl who gets periodically yanked back into time/location without knowing when it's going to happen. This unsurprisingly causes her a lot of anxiety, so she makes rules for herself at school so that people don't notice her just in case this happens at school (kind of effectively making her INVISIBLE, but not as a GHOST). She thinks (and it sure seems so) that this is why her mom died because she's the only one who has seen AJ disappear and no one believed her, and that her dad drinks all the time because he also sees her disappear after his wife died. So lots of guilt there. But by the way, they have enough money for a large house sized treehouse to be put up in the backyard (but it doesn't have a bathroom by the way). When she's in the treehouse, it makes her feel a lot more steady because apparently her powers are connected to trees, which she'll learn later. If she spends too much time away from trees or nature, she starts feeling drained of energy.

She also has two best friends Lexi and Ipod. All of them have been damaged in some way by their parents. Lexi has an awful relationship with her mother who I think sleeps around (I'm too lazy to go back and specifically look at this relationship), and Ipod gets beaten by his father all the time. This is how Lexi and AJ originally found Ipod but now AJ also magically has the powers to heal, so he basically gets beaten by his father, goes to see Lexi to heal him, and he hides out in the treehouse.

AT THE SAME TIME, we also get a first person perspective of a guy, Constantine, who doesn't originally live in the same city. First of all, his voice sounds just like AJ's and so especially since the chapter headings don't have labels for each character, initially this is very confusing. Constantine also can travel through space and time, and has been trained for a long time on his powers. Because he was being a high school guy, he changes time so he can simultaneously date some girl, go to a concert, and take his chem test. By rewriting time, his brother ends up in a wheelchair, depressed, and always just plays video games. There is a huge guilt complex here, but Constantine is prevented by some nebulous board of people (again too lazy to go back and get specific labels for these people) to go back and change things to the way they were because of RULES and the DANGERS of time travel and CHANGING THINGS.

Going back to AJ, she gets yanked back into time early in her childhood, NOT IN CURRENT TIME BUT A FLASHBACK, where she meets an Indian boy named Hosa, which will become important later in the story.

Back to Constantine, his family moves to the same town as AJ, and he can sense her power/skills and spends many chapters trying to find her in the school. This is EXTRA important because he wants to USE her so that he can prevent his brother getting in the wheelchair in the first place and trying/and succeeding to commit suicide.

At the same time, AJ has a makeover and takes off her hoodie so that people can see her for the hottie that she is.

Back to Constantine, he finally contacts Lexi, who helps them meet for the first time. AJ can also feel his power, and in the middle of the school, they stare at each other for a long time just sensing each other's powers. Constantine actually falls into her memories as they occur.

OK I was going to detail the rest of the story, which contains AJ having her worst nightmare come true and getting almost yanked in time/space during school, but Constantine saves the day by "stabilizing" her, and then she goes back to the time of cowboy and Indian, where she meets Hosa again, and almost gets raped by a cowboy, and Constantine meets up with Lexi so that he can try to save AJ. At the same time, Ipod gets beaten up by his father after Lexi's mom accuses him of impregnating her daughter, and sent to the military. So when AJ and Constantine go through a bunch of stuff like almost getting killed, Constantine getting shot right as they are going back to their original time. But of course survives after AJ heals him in the treehouse. This part DRAGS for me and it was more difficult to get through this part. Yes, there's lots of action, but I found myself being BORED.

THEN they have to go back and save Ipod by rewriting time BEFORE saving Constantine's brother (if you don't get the title by now, shame on you, REWRITE REDEMPTION, right???). Constantine has some inane idea that AJ and Ipod are together. I hate when characters don't communicate with each other. So he's like, okay well, I won't know you guys anymore, but it's for the best. I'm sure I'm not getting the details EXACTLY right, but again, I refuse to go back to the book to specify these things further.

So more things happen, and they end up rewriting everything perfectly, and Constantine really spearheads this effort before things start, but AJ and Lexi time things (as the people who carry out this plan) so that she ends up meeting Constantine shortly thereafter with a convenient phone message from Constantine in the future before things have been rewritten.

The End. I'm not putting a rating on this for various reasons.

For those of you that think that I just spent all day yesterday actually reading the book just to write this review TODAY, that's not true and probably isn't physically possible because it literally took me two weeks to get through it.

Hope you all found this illuminating.