Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Violet had made a decision after seeing Mike at lunch that afternoon. She needed to do something for him--and for his sister--to try to make up for everything she'd thought and for the horrible things she'd accused Megan of doing.

~pg. 276, Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

I'm Guesting!

Today I have the esteemed honor of being featured on my friend Draven Ames' blog, Another Slightly Scary Story. Please, go check it out, and enjoy!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Author Love:

In 2011, which new/old

authors have you

discovered and

loved?

Now this is a tough one, I must admit. Not because I can't think of an answer, but because there were so many authors I discovered these past few months that I love!

First up is the awesome Lauren Oliver. I have only read Delirium, but if her other writing is anything like this book I am in for some excellent reading. Her words grab hold of you and won't let go until you finish them. That simple.

Next is Veronica Roth. Now, I've known about Ms. Roth and her debut YA dystopian Divergent since 2010, but technically she's a 2011 newbie since her book just came out. And let me say I LOVE IT. If you haven't read Divergent yet you need to. Trust me. It can best be summed up in one word: FOUR.

And for my third choice, I'm gonna go with the lovely Kimberly Derting. Ms. Derting is another author that's been around for a while, but one that I only recently read (recently as in last month!). She, too, has a way with words (though not as eloquently as Lauren Oliver) that manages to pull you in and keep you there until you turn the last page. Her YA paranormal series is awesome and I'm loving every bit of it!

Look What I Got!

Just wanted to share all of this with you. When I found out my book is going to be published, I of course told all of my friends (no one knew before that). There were congratulations, good jobs, way-to-gos and the likes. But one friend took it a step further. She decided to use her amazing talent to create something for me that I will love forever.

This...






This is my Main Character. And my friend drew this. By hand. In only a couple hours!

Yeah.

I wish I had that kind of talent with my writing. I'm sure we all wish we did, right? Can you imagine how many books would be out there if we could write something equivalent to this in only a couple of hours? Agh!

A huge thank you to Andrea...you definitely have a gift. And now, thanks to you, so do I.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Pledge

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week's selection has such a cool premise that I can't wait to read it...and the cover isn't bad, either. If you've never heard of this one, you might wanna add it to your To-Be-Read List now. My choice this week is...




The Pledge
By Kimberly Derting
Pub Date 11/15/11

product description from goodreads.com



In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.



I love that description, and the cover is mysterious (and the model looks a bit like Kimberly herself, IMO)...and it's coming out just in time for Thanksgiving!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

She slipped her hands beneath the front of his shirt, slowly running her fingertips over his chest and back down to his waist. He turned in her arms and smiled, but his grin was filled with mocking suspicion. "Are you trying to distract me, Violet Ambrose?"

~pg. 189, Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Monday Must Reads!...Divergent!!

Okay so if you happen to follow me here at writers write, right?, then you may have noticed that there is no Meet an Author Monday post today. That's because I neglected to contact an author last week to set up an interview for today. My apologies.

Now, I foresee this happening more in the future, so to offset my lack of organization I've come up with a replacement for those missed Mondays. Please say hello to Monday Must Reads!This little meme has been created for the sole purpose of showcasing books that I think you, well, Must Read (hence the title).

This week I've gone dystopian again (it's becoming my new favorite next to paranormal), going for a book that I know you've all heard about. If not, get thee to a bookstore NOW, because you are so gonna want to read...

Divergent

By Veronica Roth

product description from goodreads.com

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

I'm not going to post a review for fear of revealing things about this book. I'm just going to say that you Must Read Divergent...now!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Back to the Basics:
What was the first book

you reviewed on your

blog?

The first book I ever "reviewed" on my blog was an adult book that lots of people have heard of, but one that many of you may not have (you know, since most of us are really into YA). And I thought that since I'm such a nice guy, I'd copy that review for you here...check it out!

Just wanted to mention a great book - "Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn. Check out her website athttp://www.gillian-flynn.com/ for her bio (which is cool) and another of her excellent books, "Sharp Objects".


If you can handle some adult subject matter, "Dark Places" is an awesome book. Amazing writing with very creative description that doesn't overpower the story, which is well developed.


The main character, Libby Day, is the sole survivor of a massacre who grows up under the eye of the public and without the proper guidance or support to handle what happened to her family when she was a child. Her brother is fingered as the killer by her and spends his life behind bars while Libby tries to deal with her new life.


Enter a secret "Kill Club" who likes to delve into true crimes that approaches Libby with questions about her testimony all those years ago. After prompting questions, Libby begins to wonder about her brother's guilt. To avoid giving away anything, I'll just say that the truth finally comes out and it's a shock - to Libby AND to the reader.


This novel isn't very long, but by no means a quick read. It pulls you in from the beginning with it's short, precise sentences and excellent pacing. You immediately begin to care for the characters - especially Libby and the horrendous trauma she experienced. With chapters written from the point of view of both Libby's mom and her brother on that horrible day, you find yourself caring about them as well.


"Dark Places" is recommended as a great mystery with spot-on writing, perfect pacing, and excellent characters...enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday: Ultraviolet

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week's selection has such a cool premise that I can't wait to read it...and the cover isn't bad, either. If you've never heard of this one, you might wanna add it to your To-Be-Read List now. My choice this week is...

Ultraviolet

By RJ Anderson

Pub Date 6/2/2011

product description from goodreads.com

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

Doesn't that sound so cool? And lucky for us it's only a few weeks away!

Teaser Tuesday!

First off let me apologize for no post yesterday. I began a much-needed vacation and I'm spending this week deep in Edit World (it's a sad, lonely world, but I have to be there). So, I'm pre-building the rest of the posts for this week, and though I'm going to try, I can't promise I'll be back on to read your comments (but please comment anyway!).

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I stand next to the chasm. I hear the roar of the water. I scream into the hand that covers my mouth and thrash to free myself, but the arms are too strong; my kidnappers are too strong.

~pg. 344, Divergent by Veronica Roth

Happy Friday the 13th!!

Due to Blogger being totally aggravating for the past two days, there will be no TGIF post today.

So to everyone out there, Happy Friday the 13th!!

We Have a Winner!!

Wanna give a huge shout out to all of you who stopped by and commented on my giveaway posts (yes, there were two of them)...you all are awesome! And another big thanks to Suzy Turner for offering up two copies of her YA paranormal debut, Raven!

So, on to the winners...


The two winners of an ecopy of Suzy's book Raven are...

Mindy!!

and
Rachel!!

Congratulations, ladies...email me your email addresses and I'll forward them on to Suzy, who will send you your prize (or a link or something to it)!!


And now, on to the winners of my Blogoversary giveaway.

Did you catch that?

I said winners--plural. As in, I've added more than one winner! That's right. I thought that I'd do a solid for all my lovely followers and throw in a couple extra prizes. Please, hold your applause.

Now, on to the winners of my Blogoversary Giveaway (and what they each win)...

1st place - $25 to Online Bookstore

Margay!!


2nd place - $15 to Online Bookstore

Hilde!!


3rd place - $10 to Online Bookstore

Theresa!!

A huge congratulations to all the winners, and an even huger (yeah it's not a word, sue me) thank-you again to all of you. You guys have made this past year of blogging one filled with humor and insight and friendship that has really pushed me forward toward my dream. I couldn't have made it to this point without your outstanding support.

Thank You!!

And to all the winners, please email me so I can get with you on your winnings!

And you have until Monday 5/16. I'll choose new winners then, so hurry and email me (jmanni32@yahoo.com, in case you can't access it on my profile page)!!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Eleventh Plague

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week I've gone dystopian. I love YA dystopians and this one looks like it's gonna rank right up there with the best. If you've never heard of it, please take a look at...


The Eleventh Plague
By Jeff Hirsch
Pub date 9/1/2011

product description from amazon.com

In an America devastated by war and plague, the only way to survive is to keep moving.

In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for survival.

But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever.

Love it! Be sure to keep an eye out for this one guys.

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I kept hearing Chiz's voice saying "Him with you, wishing he was with her." I kept waiting for the tears to come, but they didn't. I stayed in my room all day listening to loud rock music. It was so loud that Oliver came to my door twice telling me to turn it down.

~pg. 108, The Ocean by Mia Castile

Meet an Author Monday...Suzy Turner!

"Meet an Author Monday" is my way of showcasing up-and-coming authors (published and soon-to-be) to help get their names and books out there for others to see. It's a quick little interview just so you guys can get to know someone you may not have heard of before!

Please help me welcome the lovely Suzy Turner to the blog today. Suzy is the author of the upcoming YA Urban Fantasy Raven, being released via Amazon.com. Please check out her website and read all about this really cool book. And be sure to check out the end of this post, where Suzy offers a giveaway! Now, on to the interview...


Hi Suzy! I see from your website that you began your writing journey as a newspaper journalist, moving on to becoming an editor for a publisher and a magazine before trying your hand at fiction. Would you say that journey helped shape the writer you are today?

Absolutely. No matter what kind of writing you do, it all helps you become a better writer. I wrote all kinds of things, from short pieces about car accidents to movie reviews (Suzy's Big Screen Scene!) to stories about real people (those were always my favorite). I was more of a features writer than a journalist, though; I found that I wasn't any good at actually going out and getting the stories, which is why I became features editor before my leap to magazine editor. Both of these positions gave me good enough editing skills...although, having said that, it's not always so easy to edit your own work, which is why I asked a few friends in the industry to edit and proofread Raven for me.


Your YA Urban Fantasy, Raven, is self-published. What stood out in the self-publishing world that made you go that route vs. a traditional one?

After receiving 20 rejections from literary agents, a friend of mine mentioned that they knew someone who had epublished their book on Amazon and it had reached the top 100 in their genre. I was intrigued, of course, and so I read up about it. That's when I heard about Amanda Hocking! I've always believed in myself and so I thought, why not? If Raven doesn't sell too well, at least I'll receive plenty of feedback about what I'm doing wrong and learn from my mistakes. But hopefully that won't happen! Naturally, I'm hoping readers will love Raven!


I just watched the Raven trailer and I loved it! Was that a difficult thing to create? Do you think book trailers are the way to go in terms of marketing?

Thank you! It was actually quite easy to create and I loved every second of it. I can't wait to get my teeth into my next one! A friend and fellow author, Pauline Barclay, suggested I give it a go using Windows Movie Maker after she made hers. I used some of my own images and sourced others from the internet (making sure there were no copyright issues first). I did the same with music...which I adore. As soon as I heard that track, I knew it was perfect for Raven. I do think that book trailers can be of benefit to authors. I put the link to my video on Facebook, Twitter and any other social networks I could find and I've had quite a few hits already. People seem to love it!


You write in both YA and Adult (chic-lit to be specific). Do you find one genre more/less challenging than the other? And which do you enjoy writing most?

I can't say that either is more or less challenging to be honest. Both genres are great fun to write and I love reading both styles myself. If I had to say which I prefer to write, I'd probably go with YA purely because of the fantasy element. I can get really carried away! Lately, I have been concentrating more on Raven and its sequel, December Moon. My chick-lit novel, Forever Fredless, is still in the works.


And finally, the question I ask all my interviewees: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one book, which would it be and why?

Oh, that's a really tough one! I'd probably have to go with Robinson Crusoe as I could use as much advice about life on a desert island as possible! No, but seriously? Probably Harry Potter...because JK Rowling is a genius.

http://suzyturner.com

http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Thanks so much, Suzy, for stopping by today...I really enjoyed it! And as an added bonus, Suzy has been kind enough to offer for a giveaway not one but TWO e-copies of her YA debut, Raven! How great is that? Simply comment on this post between now and Wednesday at midnight (hmm, me thinks I have another contest ending that night, too!) and I'll announce the winners on Thursday. Thanks again Suzy!

ADDENDUM: Suzy's YA book Raven is now available on Kindle...go check it out here!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Book Blogger Identity:
What occupies your time when
you're not reading or blogging?

This one is pretty easy for me to answer right now. Writing. Yep, that's what's taking up my free time. Well, most of it anyway. I do make time for my dogs (I have three shih tzus that I LOVE) and for my TV (can't live without TV), but other than that you can find me either at the computer or with a notebook and pencil scribbling away. Now that I'm on deadline I have to write...have to.

Wait, you didn't hear? Yeah, I have a deadline. Why? Oh, because I'm gonna be published! Still can't get over that one. So I'm hard at work on editing the first book in my YA paranormal trilogy (Blood Born is slated for release next Spring), then it's off to the publisher to await yet more revisions. Then back to me and more editing, back to the publisher and more revisions...you get the idea. Then I'll be doing even more writing on the second and third books (can't wait!).

So needless to say this answer is pretty much going to apply to my life for a while--hopefully forever, because I don't intend to stop writing any time soon!

One (year) flew over the cuckoo's nest!

Wow, I can hardly believe it, but I've had this little blog up and running for a year! A YEAR!! Isn't that just crazy? Well, technically it's been over a year, but I kind of missed the anniversary date (it was April 14th). Oh well, I always say it's never too late to celebrate!

First I wanna say a huge thank-you to everyone that clicked that little Follow button in my sidebar. Don't be shy, you know who you are. Thanks so much you guys!

And as a way of saying thank-you, I've decided to have a giveaway. And since it's my Blogoversary, I'm making it super easy. All you have to do is make a comment on this post between now and Wednesday, May 11th at midnight CST. That's it! I'll use random.org to select a winner and announce it next Thursday.

Easy peasy, right? So please, comment and be entered to win.

But what's the prize? Well, how does cold hard cash sound? Good? Yeah, I thought you'd like that.


The winner of my Blogoversary Giveaway will receive $25 to the online bookstore of their choice! Which means this contest is also international! YAY!!

So hurry and comment. And even though there's no extra credit for spreading the word, please feel free to tell all your friends!
And again, thank you guys for making this past year a great one for me...you all ROCK!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Silence

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

The cover for this week's selection was just released Monday and I have to say that I love it. And I can't wait to actually see it in print because I already know it's going to have that shiny metallic finish like it's two predecessors. My WoW this week is...



Silence
By Becca Fitzpatrick
Pub date 10/4/2011

product description from amazon.com

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.




I don't know about all of you, but I can't wait to find out what happens between Patch and Nora. And what's a better almost-Halloween gift than an angel with black wings, right?

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

He settled down on the couch, where she'd been sitting by herself just moments before, without letting her go. There was a movie on the television, but neither of them paid any attention to it as Jay reclined, stretching out and drawing her down into the circle of his arms.

~pg. 287, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Monday Must Reads!...Delirium!!

Okay so if you happen to follow me here at writers write, right?, then you may have noticed that there is no Meet an Author Monday post today. That's because I neglected to contact an author last week to set up an interview for today. My apologies.

Now, I foresee this happening more in the future, so to offset my lack of organization I've come up with a replacement for those missed Mondays. Please say hello to Monday Must Reads! This little meme has been created for the sole purpose of showcasing books that I think you, well, Must Read (hence the title).

Today's selection is one of my new favorites. It's the beginning of a dystopian series that is so beautifully written I immediately became lost in the pages, only finding my way out with the final words. Please, go right now to your library or bookstore or ebook website and pick up a copy of...

Delirium

By Lauren Oliver

product description from laurenoliverbooks.com

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love--the deliria--blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold.

Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: she falls in love.

I'm not going to post a review for fear of revealing things about this book. I'm just going to say that you Must Read Delirium...now!