Are you glad it’s the end of the week? I actually feel like my week is just beginning. I turned in my review of copyedits on BEHOLDEN to Patrick, my editor, and started playing catch up with everything I’ve missed the past two months between being in Prague and being in my editing cave. But now? Today? I started writing Book 2. And it is a blast to write something fresh again.
Here’s a photo of Book 1 going back to my editor. (It’s starting to look like an actual book!)
Thought For the Week
YA Lit Giveaways This Week
Don’t forget to check the sidebars here on the blog to make sure you’ve caught up with all the book giveaways we’ve got cooking. And in case you think you missed anything, you can always click here to get ALL the giveaway posts in one swoop.
The Rule of Three
by Eric Walters
Hardcover Giveaway – CANADA ONLY
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Released 1/21/2014
One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley’s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam’s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Rule of Three?
The Rule of Three is actually set in my neighborhood – the boundaries, the
street names, the parks, bridges and shopping strip. When I was writing the
story I often wandered around the neighborhood the way my character did.
Sometimes this was a little bit eerie as I walked through the deserted
streets in the middle of the night. There was a bizarre blur between my
story and real life. I’d be walking by the creek after a rain and think
things like ‘at least we have water for the crops’. I started thinking
about things like – should I get a gun, do we have enough food, water and
chlorine stockpiled?
Interestingly while researching the book I found that I’d been ‘captured’ by
the Google car on street level on Google Maps . . . see if you can find me
and my two dogs walking along Powderhorn Crescent in Mississauga. I’m
dressed in a red shirt, black baseball cap and two dogs, one little and one
big. See you on Google!
Purchase The Rule of Three at Amazon
Purchase The Rule of Three at IndieBound
View The Rule of Three on Goodreads
Fake ID
by Lamar Giles
Hardcover
Amistad
Released 1/21/2014
Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight…
My name isn’t really Nick Pearson.
I shouldn’t tell you where I’m from or why my family moved to Stepton, Virginia.
I shouldn’t tell you who I really am, or my hair, eye, and skin color.
And I definitely shouldn’t tell you about my friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy he was about to uncover when he died—right after I moved to town. About how I had to choose between solving his murder with his hot sister, Reya, and “staying low-key” like the Program has taught me. About how moving to Stepon changed my life forever.
But I’m going to.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about FAKE ID?
My favorite thing about FAKE ID are the two leads, Nick and Reya. An African-American boy and a Latina girl teaming up to solve a mystery. They appeal to me so much because they are like the people I grew up with. They represent a world I’m used to seeing (multi-colored/cultural) in real life, but have rarely seen in the pages of books (or on TV and movie screens) throughout the years. There’s a certain homogeny in YA fiction (or maybe just fiction) that tends to exclude people who aren’t the default, widely accepted protagonist. Growing up among the excluded, and wondering quite frequently and painfully why only certain people–those who looked nothing like me–could be heroes in the tales I loved, well, it sucked.
So, I’m super excited to present characters who don’t fit the mold. If somewhere there’s a kid who picks up my book, and breathes easy because he or she gets to read a story about people who seem a little more familiar than what they’re used to in other books, then my dreams have come true. And further, should I have children one day, and they get to read books that are more diverse and inclusive than what has been the norm, I can proudly say I (with some help from Nick and Reya) did my part to change the status quo, so they wouldn’t know the pain of exclusivity I felt growing up.
Purchase Fake ID at Amazon
Purchase Fake ID at IndieBound
View Fake ID on Goodreads
To win either book, just fill out the Rafflecopter below. We’ll handle the country according to where you are. 🙂
Books, Books, Books
I’m finally reading the ARC for Veronica Rossi’s INTO THE STILL BLUE, the last book in the UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy, and loving it. And here’s her new book trailer, hot off the press.
Victoria Schwab has a new teaser for THE UNBOUND, her upcoming sequel to THE ARCHIVED.
CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE has a cover!
My YASeriesInsiders.com sister, Jennifer L. Armentrout, has a new novella out:
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| Add it to your Goodreads list |
Have you seen this? It’s a great post about Ron Weasley and how he was treated in the Harry Potter movies.
Erased by Time and Blockbusters—The Cautionary Tale of Ron Weasley | Tor.com
And on the Harry Potter theme, here are:
15 Deleted Scenes That Will Give You All the Feels
What We’re Reading
Martina – I FINALLY finished THESE BROKEN STARS by Megan Spooner and Amie Kaufman. Wow. Just wow. I’m floored by the originality of the premise and the beauty of the writing. The two POVs were distinct, but worked together seamlessly. I adored both characters. And I can’t wait for the next installment in their universe.
I also read Lauren Oliver’s PANIC. This is another original premise, and one I won’t soon forget. I fell in love with Heather from the first moment, and Dodge is also a fantastic character. Lauren Oliver has a gift for making you feel for her characters, and this book is no exception. And the end? Read it. That’s all I’m saying.
Finally, I finished INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi. I am so SAD to see this series come to an end. The book went by too fast, yet the end felt inevitable and right. And Veronica’s writing, as ever, is such a pleasure to read.
Kate – I just finished reading THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis (yes, yes, I know, I’m late to the party). It was a simple, light read. Perfect since this week has been hectic for me! I really enjoyed it and will definitely check out the next books in the series. 🙂
Alyssa – Currently I am reading Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. It’s certainly an interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast story, and the Greek mythology in it is very cool, but so far it’s very very slow. I’m hoping it will pick up soon, but i’m definitely still very interested in it! What i’m really loving about it is the beautiful writing.
For example! “Almost immediately, I found the red door into the library. I opened it idly- and the breath stopped in my throat. It was the same room I remembered: the shelves, the lion-footed table, the white bass-relief of Clio. But now, tendrils of dark green ivy grew between the shelves, reaching toward the books as if they were hungry to read. White mist flowed along the floor, rippling and tumbling as if blown by wind. Across the ceiling wove a network of icy ropes like tree roots. They dripped- not little droplets like the ice melting off a tree but grape-sized drops of water, like giant tears, that splashed on the table, plopped to the floor.”
Also, that cover is just gorgeous.
Clara – I’ve been reading DOCTOR SLEEP by Stephen King, but due to a death in the family, I couldn’t read it this week. This book is the sequel to THE SHINING, and the little boy from that book is now all grown up and working in a hospice, using his special “shining” to compassionately help his elderly patients cross over (which is why they call him Doctor Sleep). This struck a little too close to home for me, so I put the book aside. Not that I had time to read this week at all. Once I get back to my regular schedule and have a chance to catch my breath, I will continue reading this excellent, addictive book. I really need to set aside a full afternoon to do nothing but read. Losing yourself in a book is a wonderful stress-reliever, don’t you agree?
Writing Tip of the Week
Inspiration
And finally, a little something to help us all get through the weekend and next week.
Have a fabulous weekend, everyone. Happy reading and writing!
Martina
