#UNBREATHABLE Twitter Party with the amazing debut author Hafsah Laziaf, Oct 29, 8pm CST

 I'm so excited to get the opportunity to host the #UNBREATHABLE twitter party for the wonderful Hafsah Laziaf who wrote this book!

Goodreads Book Description: One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often.

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process.

The race for Earth has begun.

Unbreathable is a tale of love, redemption, and sacrifice, and one girl's struggle to find her place in a world where she doesn't belong

About Hafsah: Hafsah Laziaf was born on the east coast on a hot summer day in 1993, raised on the west coast and is now stuck in the middle – in Texas – with more books than she can read.She’s the designer behind IceyDesigns andthe blogger behind IceyBooks.

Just a couple of reminders for the party: 
WHERE: Twitter
WHEN: October 29, 8pm CST.
PRIZES: Books, e-books, swag! Only one of the prizes isn't INT, so definitely come if you are INT!

Tips for the party: 
1. You should have a twitter account.
2. You should be following both @CAhnBooks and @IceyBooks to ensure that we see your tweets and that we can contact you with prize information.
3. After each comment, you should end it with #UNBREATHABLE or else we won't see it.
4. I'll be selecting winners RANDOMLY throughout the party, so the more you participate and the LONGER you participate, the more likely you are to win a prize.
5. Retweets will NOT count towards a prize. But these are nice to do for your fellow tweeters if you like what they are saying.
6. There will be one contest in the last 15 minutes. If we can't decide a winner easily, then all entries will be placed into a randomizer.
7. If we TREND, meaning if enough people attend and comment over a period of time, then I will be giving away a bonus prize!
8. Ask Hafsah all of your questions! I will be there to guide discussion if need be.
9. If you've read the book, NO SPOILERS! Nuff said.
10. The EASIEST way to follow a twitter party is to hook up your account to a chat program. I use http://twubs.com All you have to do is put #UNBREATHABLE at the top of the page where it says "Enter hashtags." It should prompt you to link up your twitter account. Say yes. Then you should be good to go! The other nice thing about this is that you don't have to type the hashtag after each comment, the program automatically does it for you. And you don't have to search for the hashtag, it automatically just follows the convo.
11. To those poor souls who don't have a twitter account. It's totally EASY. Get a twitter account! I finally got one for my blog, and it took literally seconds to set up. I'm so sorry, but if you don't have a twitter account, you won't be eligible for the prizes.

SO EXCITED! I hope to see a ton of people there! 8pm CST on October 29th for one hour! Be there!

COVER REVEAL for The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes AND INT giveaway!

You guys know how much I love Ms. Paula Stokes--she's got to be one of my favorite people in the world. Now I'm thrilled to be able to reveal the cover of the first book under her own name! :-)

Flap copy: 
To win back the one she loves, she’ll have to go to “war” . . . 

Soccer-star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but she's not the kind of girl to take defeat lying down. With help from her friend Bianca, Lainey resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, Bianca’s sure they can use the military handbook to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few dates, it looks like her plan is going to work! Perfect...except that her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with, if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be? 

My thoughts: I love this cover because Lainey looks like the kind of girl I'd love to hang out with-- cute and mischievous at the same time!

Paula's thoughts: I love this cover! It's full of happiness and hope and fun. It does a great job capturing the spirit of the story and the girl is a perfect fit for Lainey. Great job, HarperTeen :-)

But before I get to the contest, Paula wanted to introduce you to the staff of Denali, the fictional coffee shop where most of the characters work:
 

name: Lainey
age: 17
hair color: strawberry blonde
eye color: green
occupation: barista
likes: soccer, dancing, spray-tanning, celebrity stalking
claim to fame: I scored the winning goal at the state championships last season!!

name: Bianca
age: 17
hair color: black
eye color: brown
occupation: barista
likes: soccer, reading, hiking, hanging out with my brothers
claim to fame: I'm not big on fame. I'm more of a behind the scenes kind of girl.

name: Ebony
age: 23
hair color: flesh-colored?
eye color: brown
occupation: manager
likes: crushed velvet, piercings, playing bass for the Hellkittenz
claim to fame: I'm the hottest bald chick you’ve never met

name: Leo
age: 17
hair color: light brown
eye color: gray
occupation: cook/barista
likes: theater, baseball, astronomy
claim to fame: N/A

name: Cal aka “C-4”
age: 27
hair color: brown
eye color: blue
occupation: cook
likes: mixing hazardous chemicals, sniffing glue, funny cat videos
claim to fame: my beard is so big it gots its own Netflix account

name: Micah
age: 17
hair color: brownish black, but subject to change (my little sis likes to dye it)
eye color: hazel
occupation: prep cook
likes: punk music, vintage cars, cartoons, baking
claim to fame: Um…people say I make really kickass cookies and brownies? 

Name: You 

That’s right, YOU can be the newest member of the Denali staff because Paula wants to put you in her book! Your first name, physical description, and (if possible) your claim to fame, right there in the pages of THE ART OF LAINEY, with full-name mention in the Acknowledgments if desired.

To enter this contest:

1. You must be at least 13 years old (and willing to pretend to be 15 if you want to work at the coffee shop. We don’t want Lainey’s dad to get arrested for violating child-labor laws, right?)
2. You must be human. Sorry, there are no open positions for vampires, werewolves, zombies, selkies, aliens, etc.
3. You must be flexible. It’s always possible your particular you-ness won’t work in THE ART OF LAINEY. Perhaps your name is Lainey—two Laineys in one book would be a bit awkward, right? Perhaps you just fit better (or prefer to be featured) in LIARS, INC instead. I will make every attempt to put you in the book of your choice, but my editor and I maintain the right to cut you misbehaving movie extra if things just don't work out. But don't worry, because they will! ;-)  In the meantime, I’m also giving you a $25.00 gift card to Powell’s Books so you have something to read while you wait for your big debut. This contest is international. For more info on Powell’s shipping, click here.

link: http://www.powells.com/info/shipping.html

About Paula: Paula Stokes is half writer, half RN, and totally thrilled to be part of the world of YA literature. She started out writing historical fiction under a pen name and is now branching out into other YA genres. 

When she's not writing (rare), she's kayaking, hiking, reading, or seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She's petted tigers, snuggled snakes, snorkeled with stingrays, and once enjoyed the suction-cuppy feel of a baby elephant's trunk as it ate peanuts from her palm. Her future goals include diving with great white sharks, learning Krav Maga, and writing a whole slew of novels, not necessarily in that order.

OK now enter this awesome contest!!! I totally wish I could win myself!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Time After Time Playlist: Anna's Pick - Best of What's around by DMB and an INT GIVEAWAY!

This post will be one of the rare times this month I come out of hiding from studying for boards to say hello and do a promised post for a beloved author friend. It seems only fitting that I do this because I absolutely love Tamara Ireland Stone both as a person and as a writer and have been a long time fan of Dave Matthews Band. This way I get to combine my love of his music with my love for YA!

Goodreads Book description: Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds.

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

My thoughts on this book: I've actually already read this wonderful book (thanks, Netgalley!) and will just say fans of the first book won't be disappointed!

I have to once again post a wonderful picture of both Tamara and me at a book event :-)

Now to the song. It's been a while since I've read the lyrics to this particular song, but they really do fit Anna perfectly. Bennett and Anna are stuck in an impossible situation, separated by space and time, but they are such a great match for each other in every other way. Tamara told me the other day that she got the shivers when she reread the lyrics "Turns out not where but who you're with that really matters." It's so true.

And then the end of the song is so perfect, because it brings both Anna and Bennett full circle, and I can totally see her saying this to him: "Turns out not where, but what you think/ that really matters/ We'll make the best of what's around."

Sigh. YA book boyfriend anyone? OK, I admit it, I have a bit of a crush on Anna too :-)

"Best of What's Around" - DMB

Hey, my friend
It seems your eyes are troubled
Care to share your time with me
Would you say you're feeling low and so
A good idea would be to get it off your mind

See you and me
Have a better time than most can dream
Have it better than the best
So we can pull on through
Whatever tears at us
Whatever holds us down
And if nothing can be done
We'll make the best of what's around

Turns out not where but who you're with
That really matters
And hurts not much when you're around
And if you hold on tight
To what you think is your thing
You may find you're missing all the rest

Well she ran up into the light surprised
Her arms are open
Her mind's eye is

Seeing things from a
Better side than most can dream
On a clearer road I feel
Oh you could say she's safe
Whatever tears at her
Whatever holds her down
And if nothing can be done
She'll make the best of what's around

Turns out not where, but what you think
That really matters
We'll make the best of what's around!

Spotify links:  Time After Time: Anna's Shelf (1991-1995) and Time After Time: Bennett's Playlist (1995-2012)

I hope you enjoyed this stop of the blog hop! Don't forget to see the other stops too and also enter the giveaway!

Here's the link to the entire blog hop :-) 

http://tamarairelandstone.com/tat-playlist-blog-hop/

Now, enter this awesome INT giveaway to win a hardbound book set of Time Between Us and Time After Time OR an autographed copy of Time Between Us!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans and US giveaway of one of his books SIGNED!

I'm so excited to introduce the next book! I literally just finished it an hour before writing this post. Before I get to the book, I'd like to take a few moments and gush about how awesome Left Bank books, our local bookstore, and the library system are in St. Louis! The reason I know about this book is because I'm an affiliate of Left Bank Books, and they asked if I wanted to publicize this book and author since Richard Paul Evans is going to be in St. Louis IN PERSON for a signing on Monday, September 23rd at 7pm at the St. Louis Public Library, Central Library, 1301 Olive St. Yup, guys and gals, that's TOMORROW!

Anyway, because Left Bank Books is just that amazing, they told me they'd be willing to do a giveaway for a signed copy of one of his books. In response, I was like, welllll, I've never read any of Richard Paul Evans' books so why don't I go to the St. Louis County Library and see if they'll get me a copy. While they didn't have a copy in their library, I requested it, and 24 hours later, the book was ready for me to pick up! That's what I call service!

Then for the double win, I read the book, and it's terrific!

Goodreads Book Description: My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

My Rating: Somewhere between 4 and 4.5

My Review:  As mentioned above, I was asked by Left Bank Books to check out this book. Man, I'm glad they pointed it out to me. Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 was an unexpectedly good read for me. I actually didn't know too much about the book before reading it, so all I knew going in was that it vaguely had to do with super powers.

Michael Vey seems to be an ordinary 14 year old, but we find out in the first chapter that he has a hidden power. To make matters worse, he has Tourette's, which gets him in trouble since he says the wrong thing at the wrong time because of it. His powers are a secret, however, so he is forced to suffer in silence. When the prettiest girl in school approaches him, Michael realizes that maybe it's not so bad being him after all. The two of them and Michael's best friend Ostin (yes, his mother mispelled the name of the Texas capital) band together to try to figure out the mysterious origin of their powers. They discover deeply buried and explosive secrets (pun completely intended), and Michael has to decide between what is right and what is easy.

Okay, so I totally ripped off a promo for a movie or something. Not sure which one that phrase came from (maybe Spiderman?), but just let it suffice to say that I totally didn't make that up by myself. Anyway, what makes this book is the characters. We've all read books about kids with secret powers-- it's been overdone. How many books similar to the X-men have we all read?  But Michael is hysterically funny and has a unique voice, which completely makes this book succeed. Add a feisty, cute love interest and a hilarious, sidekick best friend who is smarter than everyone else combined (including the adults), and you get a terrific, fast paced read. 

This book doesn't reinvent the wheel, and I'd like to see more growth in the main character, which is why it didn't get a perfect score, but this is only the first book, and it sets up the next two in style. 

Overall, a terrific and fun read, and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. 

Now, enter to win a book from the Michael Vey series signed by Richard Paul Evans (US only)! Winner gets to choose which book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Character interview with Roemi from Tag Along by Tom Ryan and US/CAN giveaway of a signed copy of his book!

I'm so excited to introduce Roemi, my favorite character from Tag Along by Tom Ryan!

Goodreads Book Description: It’s junior prom night. Andrea is grounded, Paul is having panic attacks, Roemi has been stood up, and Candace is trying to avoid one particular cop. Over the course of eight eventful hours, paths are crossed, plans are changed, messages are mixed, and four near-strangers form some unlikely bonds.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Blurb about the Author:
Tom Ryan was born and raised in Inverness, on Cape Breton Island. He spent his childhood reading, wandering the countryside, making up stories and bossing around his younger brothers. After high school, he studied English at Mount Allison University and then moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he studied film production. He currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with his partner and dog. In the future, he would like to write more books, travel the world, direct a feature film and eventually move back to beautiful Nova Scotia.

Character Interview with Roemi

Thanks for visiting my blog, Roemi! Can you tell us a little about your family and where you grew up?

My parents are both doctors who grew up in India. They emigrated to Canada before I was born, and so I’ve spent my entire fabulous life in not so fabulous Granite Ridge. They’re always telling me that they came to Canada so that their kids (i.e. yours truly, I’m flying solo here) would have more opportunities than they had, and I’m sure that’s true, but there are moments in January when I would kill to be chilling with my cousins back in my Mom’s hometown instead of staring out the window of a snowstorm, feeling totally tragic.

What is your favorite TV show? 
Omigod, where to begin? I was into True Blood for a loooong time, for obvious reasons, but now it’s just kind of ridic, so it’s not must-see-TV for me anymore. I just TIVO it and save up the episodes for sick or lazy days. I’m totally over Honey Boo-Boo, that kid got on my last nerve pretty quick. I’d have to say that at this point, the show I love the most is Breaking Bad, because that shizz is thirty-three million percent cray. Also, Jesse Pinkman is totally hot. Sorry, not sorry.

Who would you say your best friend is and why?

I’m not into the besties thing, although I let some of my friends at school think they’re the most important thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s just too much effort to spell it out for them. I like to think of myself as a lone wolf, a dazzlingly, dramatically, effortlessly, suave lone wolf with killer moves.

What's your favorite quote?

“I am a star. I am a bright big shining star.” Marky Mark in Boogie Nights 

Coffee or hot chocolate?

If I had sunglasses right now, I’d push them to the tip of my nose and give you a withering stare. Do you really need to ask? Chocolate beats rock, paper, and scissors, every time.

Would you rather-- get $1000 or receive a trip to the Caribbean that is double that amount?

A thousand bucks, any day. If I had a thousand bucks, I’d blow it on one incredible night with my friends. It’d be the kind of night that people talk about decades down the road. Legen – wait for it – dary.

Describe your perfect date.

Oh, it would have to start with a killer outfit. Skinny jeans, white belt, popped collar, you get the idea. I’d want to be a full on swag-demon, and it goes without saying that mister lucky had better show up looking pretty slick himself. Then we’d go for a romantic walk at the beach or some park or something like that before hitting up a fancy restaurant in the city. After that, we’d get milkshakes from Bizzby’s, and he’d take me for a fast drive on the highway. To finish it all off, a lingering kiss in the driveway before he drops me off. I’m swooning already.

Thanks, Roemi! It's been so awesome having your unique commentary on my blog :-) Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! Now enter to win a signed copy of Tag Along!

a Rafflecopter giveaway