Blog Tour- The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

How do you live your life if your past is based on a lie? A new novel in both verse and prose from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins.

THE YOU I’VE NEVER KNOWN
By: Ellen Hopkins
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Pages: 608
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

For as long as she can remember, it’s been just Ariel and Dad. Ariel’s mom disappeared when she was a baby. Dad says home is wherever the two of them are, but Ariel is now seventeen and after years of new apartments, new schools, and new faces, all she wants is to put down some roots. Complicating things are Monica and Gabe, both of whom have stirred a different kind of desire.

Maya’s a teenager who’s run from an abusive mother right into the arms of an older man she thinks she can trust. But now she’s isolated with a baby on the way, and life’s getting more complicated than Maya ever could have imagined.

Ariel and Maya’s lives collide unexpectedly when Ariel’s mother shows up out of the blue with wild accusations: Ariel wasn’t abandoned. Her father kidnapped her fourteen years ago.

What is Ariel supposed to believe? Is it possible Dad’s woven her entire history into a tapestry of lies? How can she choose between the mother she’s been taught to mistrust and the father who has taken care of her all these years?

In bestselling author Ellen Hopkins’s deft hands, Ariel’s emotionally charged journey to find out the truth of who she really is balances beautifully with Maya’s story of loss and redemption. This is a memorable portrait of two young women trying to make sense of their lives and coming face to face with themselves—for both the last and the very first time.

Purchase links:

Goodreads | IndieBound | B&N | Amazon | Powell's |BAM |S&S

I'm sure my review won't make much of a difference; by now, readers should know if they like Ellen Hopkins or not. Of course I absolutely love her and her books. They are such heart-wrenching, insightful, and realistic reads, and she makes the characters so relateable, even though they are going through things we may never have to deal with (or have dealt with personally, though I know many of her readers find comfort in her books, knowing they are not alone). This book is no different; the only difference is that it's told both in verse (her normal style) and prose. Ariel's side is told through verse and is beautifully written, and then there's Maya's side, told in prose as well as journal entries. The two cross paths in a way I never would have guessed and it was a roller coaster of emotions reading their scenes together.

All in all, another fantastic book from Hopkins that I highly recommend and as I do finishing each new book, I am already looking forward to her next novel.

About Ellen:
Ellen Hopkins is a poet, freelance writer, and the award-winning author of twenty nonfiction titles and five NY Times Bestselling novels-in-verse. She has published hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from aviation to child abuse to winegrowing.

Ellen mentors other writers through her position as a regional adviser for the Nevada chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

She is a regular speaker at schools; book festivals and writers conferences across the US, and now throughout the world.

Social Media Links:
Goodreads | Website | Twitter |Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr

Blog Tour- Traffick by Ellen Hopkins

The sequel to “Tricks,” Hopkins’ latest book follows five teenage victims of sex trafficking — from all walks of life and gender orientations — as they try to extricate themselves from their current situations and find a new way of life.
TRAFFICK (Tricks, #2)
By: Ellen Hopkins
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Pages: 528
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Five teens victimized by sex trafficking try to find their way to a new life in this riveting companion to the New York Times bestselling Tricks from Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank.

In her bestselling novel, Tricks, Ellen Hopkins introduced us to five memorable characters tackling these enormous questions: Eden, the preacher’s daughter who turns tricks in Vegas and is helped into a child prostitution rescue; Seth, the gay farm boy disowned by his father who finds himself without money or resources other than his own body; Whitney, the privileged kid coaxed into the life by a pimp and whose dreams are ruined in a heroin haze; Ginger, who runs away from home with her girlfriend and is arrested for soliciting an undercover cop; and Cody, whose gambling habit forces him into the life, but who is shot and left for dead.

And now, in Traffick, these five are faced with the toughest question of all: Is there a way out? How these five teenagers face the aftermath of their decisions and experiences is the soul of this story that exposes the dark, ferocious underbelly of the child trafficking trade. Heart wrenching and hopeful, Traffick takes us on five separate but intertwined journeys through the painful challenges of recovery, rehabilitation, and renewal to forgiveness and love. All the way home.

Goodreads | IndieBound | B&N | Amazon | Powell's |BAM |S&S

I was so excited when it was announced that Ellen was writing a sequel to Tricks. While it's not my absolute favorite Hopkins book, it's easily in my top 3. It's so great to jump back in to these five teens' stories, essentially picking up right where things were left off in Tricks, and seeing them dealing with their experiences and their attempts to move on from them. Of course, I'm particularly interested in Seth's story the most, being a gay man as well, but each story is so compelling and enthralling that it's hard to put the book down for any length of time. And the verse format makes it even easier to just think to yourself "Just one more section.".

I don't think Hopkins really needs any extra help in selling her books. By now, everyone should know how simply fantastic her writing is and how emotionally raw yet hopeful her storytelling is. As it is, I highly recommend this sequel.

About Ellen

Ellen Hopkins is a poet, freelance writer, and the award-winning author of twenty nonfiction titles and five NY Times Bestselling novels-in-verse. She has published hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from aviation to child abuse to winegrowing.

Ellen mentors other writers through her position as a regional adviser for the Nevada chapter of the Society of ChildrenÕs Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

She is a regular speaker at schools; book festivals and writers conferences across the US, and now throughout the world.

Social Media Links:
Goodreads | Website | Twitter |Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr


You can follow along with the tour here!

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Banned Books Week- The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

"It's Omri's birthday, but all he gets from his best friend, Patrick, is a little plastic Indian brave. Trying to hide his disappointment, Omri puts the Indian in a metal cupboard and locks the door with a mysterious skeleton key that once belonged to his great-grandmother. Little does Omri know that by turning the key, he will transform his ordinary plastic Indian into a real live man from an altogether different time and place! Omri and the tiny warrior called Little Bear could hardly be more different, yet soon the two forge a very special friendship. Will Omri be able to keep Little Bear without anyone finding out and taking his precious Indian from him?"- summary from Amazon

I'm so honored that Random House emailed me about participating in their Banned Books Week blog tour, spotlighting some of their own banned books. There was only one book that I'd actually read and was surprised to see it there because I could not remember anything wrong with it when I read it as a child. So while I waited for my copy to arrive, I did some research. What I found were claims about racism in the book, and alleged condoning of white superiority.

First off, the book was written in 1985. Times have changed since then and we've become more of a PC world, where everyone has to walk on eggshells to avoid offending anybody for any reason. Secondly, when Little Bear and Boone are brought to life, BOTH speak in a stereotypical manner, but Omri is also shown over the course of the novel to think past the stereotypes that he's seen in books and movies and therefore learns more about each respective culture. He realizes that they're not so different from him and sees them as equals rather than just toys. We're all just people with the same wants, needs, emotions, etc.

The white superiority claim doesn't really make much sense when reading the book. It does start off with Omri thinking of all the fun he'll have with a live Indian toy, but that is quickly dismissed once Omri realizes that he has to take care of Little Bear (providing food, shelter, and other things). And honestly, with the way Little Bear takes over Omri's life, it's almost the other way around; Omri is actually very subservient to Little Bear in the beginning when they are first getting to know each other. As the book progresses, they (and Boone too) come to a friendship and understanding. Perhaps the claim would also have more legs to it if Omri didn't also turn Boone (the cowboy) and Tommy (a WWII medic) into live people too. He's not just owning an Indian or playing with an Indian; he is equal opportunity with the magical cupboard.

I'm honestly glad that I read the reasons why it has been banned before reading the book because it was hilarious to see those claims demolished with every page I read. I don't know which book those people read (if they read it at all), but it was certainly not the same one I read, which was one of friendship, loyalty (for everyone involved- Omri, his friend Patrick, Little Bear, and Boone), understanding, and respect for all people, no matter the race (or size).

Have any of you read The Indian in the Cupboard, either recently or as a kid? What did you think about it?

I also have a copy to give away of The Indian in the Cupboard as well as a Banned Books Week poster, all courtesy of Random House. The contest is open to US residents. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Friday, October 9 at 9pm EST, along with your email address.

Check out the rest of the tour-

Sunday, September 27- Good Books and Good Wine + Live to Read0
Monday, September 28- All About Romance + Bookie Moji
Tuesday, September 29- Word Spelunking + The Eater of Books
Wednesday, September 30- The Mod Podge Bookshelf + Curling Up with a Good Book
Thursday, October 1- ExLibris + Alice Marvels
Friday, October 2- Book Chic + Words Sweetheart
Saturday, October 3- YA Bibliophile + The Irish Banana

FTC: Received copy from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Blog Tour- Love Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Collateral comes a gripping novel about a woman caught in a love affair that could be her salvation...or her undoing.

Tara is gorgeous, affluent, and forty. She lives in an impeccably restored Russian Hill mansion in San Francisco. Once a widow, twice divorced, she’s a woman with a past she prefers keeping to herself.

Enter Cavin Lattimore. He’s handsome, kind, charming, and the surgeon assigned to Tara following a ski accident in Lake Tahoe. In the weeks it takes her to recover, Cavin sweeps her off her feet and their relationship blossoms into something Tara had never imagined possible. But then she begins to notice some strange things: a van parked outside her home at odd times, a break-in, threatening text messages and emails. She also starts to notice cracks in Cavin’s seemingly perfect personality, like the suppressed rage his conniving teenage son brings out in him, and the discovery that Cavin hired a detective to investigate her immediately after they met.

Now on crutches and housebound, Tara finds herself dependent on the new man in her life—perhaps too much so. She’s handling rocky relationships with her sister and best friend, who are envious of her glamour and freedom; her prickly brother-in-law, who is intimidated by her wealth and power; and her estranged mother. However perfect Tara’s life appears, things are beginning to get messy.

Writing in beautiful prose, Ellen Hopkins unveils a new style while evoking her signature poetic form that readers fell in love with in Collateral and Triangles.

Goodreads | IndieBound | B&N | Amazon | Powell's

REVIEW TO COME!

“After eight highly successful young adult novels-in-verse, I decided to explore more mature subject matter and wrote my first two novels for adults utilizing my signature verse-style formatting. I changed directions with my third, Love Lies Beneath, choosing to write in prose to better connect with an older audience, some of whom might be resistant to the fiction/verse merger.

I will continue to write YA, of course. (My twelfth YA novel publishes Fall 2015.) Teen characters are hugely appealing to me.
But some topics I want to write about demand adults as main characters. My first adult novel, Triangles, explores midlife directional changes, and my second, Collateral, follows a Marine couple through four deployments, with the inevitable consequences. Please visit the BOOKS page here to learn more.

Love Lies Beneath is sexy, chilling noir fiction about a woman who has it all—wealth, beauty, possessions; everything, except love, which she finally discovers at forty, after three failed marriages. While everything is perfect at first, things change when the doctor’s teenage son moves in. It’s then the lies begin to appear. But who, in fact, is the liar?

Expect the sequel to Love Lies Beneath in 2016 and more books for mature audiences in the future.”

Goodreads | Website | Twitter |Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr

and I have a quick interview with Ellen:

1) If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

I’d go back long enough to tell my parents (both deceased) how much I loved them then and how much I appreciate them now. We think there’s plenty of time to tell people things like that, but we don’t really know how long we’ve got.

2) If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

Stephen King, Barack Obama, Johnny Depp, Elizabeth Warren, Ellen DeGeneres. My politics are showing, I guess. But that would be one heck of an evening!

3) Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

I’m currently writing the sequel to Love Lies Beneath and a YA called Chameleon, about parental alienation. In the future I might move into something a bit more speculative, but who knows? All I know is I’ll be writing until they pry my dead, cold fingers from the keyboard.

4) Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

In November I’ll be inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. I’ll hang on a wall with the best Nevada writers of all time, including Mark Twain!

5) What is your favorite scene in the book? Which scene or characters were the most difficult for you to write and why?

The final scene! I love writing twists. The hardest character to write in Love Lies Beneath was the protagonist, Tara, who’s not exactly likeable. But you do learn to relate to her as the story progresses.

6) What hidden gem do you have in your bookshelves?

A circa 1924 copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

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Blog Tour- What Remains by Helene Dunbar

What Remains by Helene Dunbar
In less than a second...

... two of the things Cal Ryan cares most about--a promising baseball career and Lizzie, one of his best friends--are gone forever.

In the hours that follow...

...Cal's damaged heart is replaced. But his life will never be the same.

Everyone expects him to pick up the pieces and move on.

But Lizzie is gone, and all that remains for Cal is an overwhelming sense that her death was his fault. And a voice in his head that just...won't...stop.

Cal thought he and his friends could overcome any obstacle. But grief might be the one exception.
And that might take a lifetime to accept...
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

Dunbar has another winner with this quiet but powerful book about friendship, guilt, romance, and heart transplants. It's such a compelling, poignant read that I strongly urge you all to go out and read it!

Helene Dunbar is the author of THESE GENTLE WOUNDS (Flux, 2014) and WHAT REMAINS (Flux, 2015). Over the years, she's worked as a drama critic, journalist, and marketing manager, and has written on topics as diverse as Irish music, court cases, theater, and Native American Indian tribes. She lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter, and exists on a steady diet of readers' tears.

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Blog Tour- From the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess by Meg Cabot

I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Meg Cabot's newest middle-grade book, From the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess, which is a spin-off of her beloved, awesome Princess Diaries series (and a bit of a companion piece to Royal Wedding, Book 11 in the series). Today, I'll be talking about what I would do and how I would feel if I suddenly found out I'm a prince but first, let's see what this new book is all about!

From the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess by Meg Cabot
"Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a completely average twelve-year-old: average height, average weight, average brown hair of average length, average brown skin and average hazel eyes. The only things about her that aren't average are her name (too long and princess themed), her ability to draw animals (useful for her future career as a wildlife illustrator), and the fact that she is a half-orphan who has never met her father and is forced to live with her aunt and uncle (who treat her almost like their own kids, so she doesn't want to complain).

Then one completely average day, everything goes wrong: the most popular girl in school, Annabelle Jenkins, threatens to beat her up, the principal gives her a demerit, and she's knocked down at the bus stop . . .

Until a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up to invite her to New York to finally meet her father, who promptly invites her to come live with him, Mia, Grandmère and her two fabulous poodles . . . .

Maybe Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison isn't so average after all!"- summary from Amazon


I feel like one of the perks of suddenly finding yourself as a prince (or princess) is being able to rub it in the faces of those who spurned you and made you feel less than, at least just a little bit. After that, this prince would be gracious and move on to bigger and better things. There are those people who stand by you through thick and thin, and you'll find someone who will love you for you (though finding that will certainly be difficult once you're a famous prince).

Anyway, as for other (more appropriate and classy) things I would do as a prince, I would want to try and help out with various charities to make life better for lower-income people, the homeless, and those affected by natural disasters. I'd also want to spend time and money promoting literacy everywhere and doing my best to ensure that libraries (both public and school) are properly funded and have current titles of all kinds of books (but especially YA though).

On the more selfish side of things, it'd also be nice to have a makeover and new wardrobe, like both Mia and Olivia Grace have in their respective books. I would certainly need it!! Until then, I'll just be a prince-in-training (Don't I look lovely?).

Macmillan is also providing me with a hardcover of From the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess and a tiara (which I'm wearing in the photo above) to give away on this tour stop! Just leave a comment telling me what you would do if you suddenly found out you were a prince (or princess), and make sure there's a way for me to contact you. The contest will run until next Wednesday, May 13 at 9pm EST.

Follow along with the rest of the tour, and come back for my review of the book on Friday!

Blog Tour- The Truth Commission by Susan Juby

The Truth Commission by Susan Juby
"Open secrets are the heart of gossip -- the obvious things that no one is brave or tactless enough to ask. Except for Normandy Pale and her friends. They are juniors at a high school for artistsl, and have no fear. They are the Truth Commission. Then, one of their truth targets says to Normandy: “If you want to know about the truth, you might want to look a little closer to home.” This dryly funny, knife-sharp novel, written as "narrative nonfiction" by Normandy herself, features footnotes and illustrations."- summary from Amazon

As part of the Truth Commission blog tour, each participant is doing the Two Truths and a Lie game! Leave your guesses in the comments below and I'll reveal my Lie later this week when I post my review of The Truth Commission!

1) I have been at a signing where I met Sarah Dessen and stood in line with David Levithan and Melissa Walker.

2) I do not like bacon.

3) I love rollercoasters.


Good luck guessing!

And now, here's an interview with Susan:

1) How did you come up with the idea for The Truth Commission? Were you ever involved in a Truth Commission yourself?

I was working on another novel, and was brought up short when I realized that I was using big chunks of the personal story of someone close to me. I abandoned that book and began thinking about who owns true stories, and what that means for artists and writers and their friends and family members. That led naturally to The Truth Commission. I have not been involved in a formal truth commission or even an informal one. I do love to speculate about what may be going on behind the scenes in peoples’ lives. I like to say it’s because I’m a writer, but it’s also because I’m nosy. That said, I don’t want anyone poking into my business!


2) Two books are releasing this year from you- this and the sequel to Home to Woefield. Can you tell us about this other book?

Republic of Dirt is a follow-up to Home to Woefield as it’s known in the U.S. and The Woefield Poultry Collective as it’s known in Canada.

Republic takes place a couple of months after the first book ends. Our intrepid farmer, Prudence, an overly idealistic Brooklyn girl who has inherited a derelict plot of land named Woefield Farm, feels like she finally has things on track. Then she’s felled by a mysterious health condition.

Her motley crew of farm hands consisting of Earl, an elderly, reclusive bluegrass legend; Seth, an agoraphobic heavy-metal blogger in early recovery from alcoholism; and Sara, an 11-year-old girl with a flock of elite show poultry, struggle to keep things together without her.

Efforts are complicated by a renegade mule, attempts to turn a hideously ugly child’s playhouse into a high yield roadside farm stand, and an electrical station’s worth of crossed wires.

The book is told in four, first person voices and is basically about what happens when passions collide with pride and what it takes to save each other, our small part of the planet, and ourselves. I had a lot of fun writing the further adventures of Woefield Farm and its incompetent but endearing inhabitants.


3) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or if you don't like those, do you have a favorite snack to have while writing, or as a reward for writing?

Excellent question! I’m not a Jelly Belly person. My vice is sour jujubes. And raspberry chocolate sticks. And Barbra’s Jalapeno Cheese Puffs. I should really cut back on my vices.


4) What are you currently reading, or are about to start? Any 2015 books you're excited about reading?

2015 is shaping up to be a terrific year for books. Books I’ve read and adored recently include The World Without Us by Robin Stevenson, Best Friends Through Eternity by Sylvia McNicoll, Mosquitoland by David Arnold and The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma. I’m excited to get my hands on All the Rage by Courtney Summers. And I’m extremely thrilled to be going on tour in May with Susin Nielsen, whose new book, We Are All Made of Molecules, is astonishingly touching and charming.


5) You teach creative writing at two different universities and also give workshops. What do you love about teaching, and is there a piece of advice you love to give to writers?

I now just teach at one school: Vancouver Island University. I’ve loved teaching since the first time I tried it when I was in grad school. I’m still surprised and quite thrilled to find myself a writer. Writing our stories is empowering. It’s also tough. Teaching writing involves conveying what I know about craft and giving writers the permission to go for it. Writing classes also help writers get connected. This can be a lonely business. We need all the community we can get. When a new writer finds her or his voice, it’s like magic.

My advice is to a) do whatever it takes to get the words down and b) push past your comfort zone. Don’t be polite in your creative writing! Surprise yourself and others.

Blog Tour- Wild by Sophie Jordan

Wild by Sophie Jordan
"A good girl goes fabulously bad in the final book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s sexy New Adult romance series, in which three Ivy League suite-mates seek higher knowledge of just how far they can go.

Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of sexual adventure at the secret campus kink club?

In the shadowy den of the kink club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to sexual experience. Now he’s telling her to go home—“good girls” don’t belong here!

Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget—one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss . . . that leads to another . . . and another . . . and. . . . Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs.

Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other."- summary from publisher

About the Author:

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler. You can find out more on her website, or follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Here's a small excerpt from Wild:

“I gotta go,” I said hurriedly, turning to walk around the Jeep, ready to climb in the backseat, not even caring how obvious I was in trying to put distance between us by unnecessarily circling around the vehicle.

I felt him move behind me before I felt his hands on my arms. “No, you don’t,” he growled. “You don’t get to run away again.”

I squeaked as he hauled me back against his chest. My spine stiffened iron-rod straight against the wall of his broad chest. I felt my eyes go huge in my face. He was touching me. Again.And I was freaking out on the inside. I sucked in a deep breath, determined that my freak-out stayed internal only.

“Let me go. They’re coming.” My heart hammered violently in my chest and I didn’t know if it was because we were about to get busted by my friends or because his body felt so unbelievable against mine. Okay, fine. It was both.

His mouth brushed my ear as he spoke, spiking sensation to every nerve in my body. “Are you embarrassed, Georgia? You don’t want them to see me with you? Don’t want Pepper and Reece to know about us?”

“There is no ‘us.’ ”

“Oh, but there will be. We both know why you came tonight.” His fingers flexed, each digit a burning imprint on my forearms.

“Yeah?” Was that breathy croak my voice? “Why?”

“Because you haven’t been able to forget what it felt like to kiss me, and you want to know if the rest of it will be that good, too.” He bit down on my earlobe and a whimper escaped my lips. “It will be.”

An invisible band squeezed around my chest. I swallowed against my constricting throat. “Arrogant much?”

“It’s okay. I haven’t been able to forget either. I can still remember the way you taste.”
Oh. My. God.

I swallowed a moan and lurched free from him. Swinging around, I faced him and felt my knees go weak at the look in his eyes. Heavy-lidded and deep, his blue eyes looked almost indigo as they stared down at me.

“I know you probably think it’d be some great joke to bang one of your brother’s friends, but I’m not going to be another notch on your bedpost . . . some girl you screw once and forget about the next—”

He moved fast then, closing the space that I had established between us. Oh, yeah. He was a jock with ninja-fast reflexes. I needed to remember that.

I gasped as his hand slid around my neck, fingers burying in the hair at the base of my scalp. He lowered his head, dropping his forehead against mine until our breaths clashed and mingled. His fingers pressed and massaged the back of my head, shooting sensation straight to the core of me. Holy hell. Was that some kind of secret pressure point?

His words gusted over my mouth. “You think we’d fuck just once?”

My stomach plummeted at his blunt words.

He took my hand and dragged it between us, pressing my palm to his crotch—against the outline of his cock in his tight baseball pants. It hardened, growing beneath my touch and I felt an answering ache clench between my thighs. God, it had been so long.

“This doesn’t feel like a joke to me. You don’t,” he growled in a tight voice. “I want to do things to you . . . things a clean, vanilla girl like you never dreamed of. Things that tool boyfriend of yours never came close to doing to you.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” I replied automatically.

At my response, Logan pushed my palm harder against him, rubbing the hard ridge of him. A tiny moan escaped me as the ache squeezed between my legs.

He angled his head. “I think you want me to do dirty things to you, Georgia.”


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Blog Tour- Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
"He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil. He’s . . . the librarian.

When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body!"- summary from publisher

REVIEW TO COME!

About the author

Michelle Knudsen is the author of The Dragon of Trelian and The Princess of Trelian, as well as the best-selling picture book Library Lion, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes; Argus, illustrated by Andréa Wesson; and Big Mean Mike, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Michelle Knudsen lives in Brooklyn, New York.

and here's an interview with Michelle:

1) How did you get the idea for Evil Librarian?

This was one of those stories that I just sort of started writing, without any idea what it was about. I was taking a break from a different, heavier novel, and suddenly Cyn’s voice was just there in my head, and I started writing down what I heard. I liked what she had to say, and so I kept going, writing to find out what was going to happen next. Cyn’s not a high-school version of me, but she does love a lot of the same things that I do ... including musical theater and swoon-worthy guys. I had a lot of fun with her story. Plus it gave me an excuse to listen to Sweeney Todd (and rewatch the video of the 1982 Angela Lansbury/George Hearn production) over and over again, which was possibly my most favorite research ever.


2) You've written a lot of books for younger children. What brought you to the YA genre? Was it a genre you'd read a lot from before diving into it?

I started out in children’s books on the editorial side, at Random House Books for Young Readers. I worked on everything from board books to early chapter books, and read everything from board books to YA novels, and so from the start I always felt comfortable reading and eventually writing books for various age groups. I’m not sure why it took me until now to write a novel for teens ... for a while my ideas just mostly seemed to come for younger books, and so those were the books I wrote. I could tell as soon as I heard Cyn’s voice that she was in high school, though, and knew her story was going to be for an older audience than my earlier books.

When I was in high school, there wasn’t anything like the amazing variety of YA novels that are out there today. Mostly back then I was reading adult fantasy and science fiction, but many of those had main characters who were young adults (and some have since been repackaged for the YA section). So I think that also helped set the stage a little for writing fantasy and paranormal YA stories of my own.


3) What's your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, your favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

I must admit, I’m not a huge jelly bean fan. If there are a bunch of jelly beans in a bowl, I tend to go for the green ones, but I know Jelly Bellies go far beyond the basic color/flavor spectrum. I would probably have to do some serious taste-testing to figure out my favorite. But as far as other candy-type rewards go, I really like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. For a long time those were my #1 go-to choice at the end of a night’s work. (I tend not to snack too much while actually writing — it makes it hard to type!)

4) What are you currently reading, or are about to start?

As usual, I’m in the middle of a few different books. My current bedside novel is Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity, which is amazingly good. I just started the audiobook of John Scalzi’s new novel Lock In (the version read by Wil Wheaton), and I’m liking that a lot so far, too. And I’m very slowly making my way through George R. R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons. (I read the first few Song of Ice and Fire novels when they first came out, long before the HBO series, and LOVED them, but I’m not finding myself as helplessly sucked into this book as I was the earlier ones. Still working on it, but it’s definitely my back-burner book; I keep it on my Nook and my phone for when I’m stuck somewhere without something else to read.) Not sure what will be up next; I have so many books in my TBR piles, and they all look so good — it’s very hard to choose!


Check out all the previous stops on the tour!

WhoRuBlog

Elizabeth O. Dulemba

Random Chalk Talk

Books 4 Your Kids

Green Bean Teen Queen

Katie's Book Blog

Word Spelunking

Summer Blog Tour- The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

For sixteen years, Daisy has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her brother? How can she know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

Check out my review of The Sound of Letting Go here.

Author Stasia Ward Kehoe heads to sunny Southern California to visit two awesome YA authors, GRETCHEN McNEIL and CAROL TANZMAN.

After spending a happy summer week at NOVELNOVICE.COM, discussing the writing process, my over-expressive eyebrows and other vital topics, I’m thrilled to be taking THE SOUND OF LETTING GO Summer Blog Tour (click that, you know, ‘cuz there are giveaways) on a virtual summer road trip with some awesome writer pals.

Today, I’m here at Book Chic with two amazing Cali-Gals (er, women): Gretchen McNeil, author of TEN and the upcoming GET EVEN, and DANCERGIRL author Carol Tanzman

SWK: Where should we set up our fantasy beach chairs?

GRETCHEN: Laguna Beach

CAROL: Malibu Beach!

SWK: Hmmm. I’m sensing a pattern here. Will it continue? What are we drinking you Pacific beach beauties?

GRETCHEN: Champagne

CAROL: Other than the sight of all the cute guys surfing? Mango-strawberry smoothies.

SWK: Nope. No pattern on the beverage front. Anyone else wondering what would happen if you spiked a mango-strawberry smoothie with some nice California sparkling wine…? But I digress. What’s stealing the sunshine from your summer, writer-lasses?

GRETCHEN: Worrying about the next book contract I don't have yet.

CAROL: Wrestling with my secret work-in-progress (hint: a supernatural mystery).

SWK: Boy, book contracts and plot problems. Ugh! When you’re fighting those summer blues, what helps put joy back into your summer?

GRETCHEN: Clearance sales at ModCloth and Unique Vintage.

(SWK: Might I say that Gretchen has the most awesome taste in clothes and I want her to take me shopping right now!)

CAROL: Going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. In a few weeks, I'll be visiting friends and family in Brooklyn, NY, which is the setting for both of my YA thrillers dancergirl and Circle of Silence. Here’s a picture I took in Brooklyn while researching my last novel.

(SWK (editorializing yet again): I LOVE NEW YORK!!!!)

Enter Gretchen’s amazing GET EVEN preorder giveaway HERE. (Giveaway deets: Pre-order your copy of GET EVEN from participating bookstores between now and September 15th and you'll get a signed, special edition booklet* with the first two chapters of GET DIRTY plus bonus material - FREE!)

Curious about Carol’s new thriller? Check out her website: www.caroltanzman.com

Stasia Ward Kehoe grew up dreaming of becoming a professional ballerina but she didn't grow quite enough (she is 5'4") or have sufficiently good knees (they are peppered with surgery scars) to achieve this goal. Instead, she went to Georgetown University from which she received a semi-unintentional BA in English. After working at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Random House Publishing in New York, City, and receiving her MA in Performance Studies from New York University, she married a dude who looks just like Clark Kent (the hot geek who turns into Superman), had four awesome sons, and moved to the Pacific Northwest where she now lives.

She then started writing with a vengeance, publishing her first young adult novel, AUDITION, in 2011. She advises not being too specific in your long-term goals however, if you decide to write a book, sit on your backside and don't get up until you have (a) died of starvation or (b) written the words "the end." THE SOUND OF LETTING GO is her second novel and her short-term plan is to write another so, as you read this bio, she's likely got her fingers glued to a keyboard.

Stasia also enjoys artichokes, chocolate (but, come on, who doesn't?), parentheticals (obviously) and turning on her car to an explosion of pop music because the last person to drive it was one of her teenagers--especially if the song is about heartache and healing and has a good dance beat.

You can find Stasia at her website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour- Amity by Micol Ostow + Giveaway

Amity by Micol Ostow
Connor's family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic break.

But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?

Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she's done before. As she'll do again.

The book will be out in stores on August 26. And courtesy of Egmont USA, I have a signed hardcover copy of Amity to give away. The contest is open to US/Canada residents and all you have to do is just leave a comment on this post by next Sunday, Sept 24 at 9pm EST. Here's an interview with Micol Ostow:

1) How did you get the idea for Amity?

It was coming time to pitch the second book for my contract with Egmont, and my first novel with them, family, had been a big departure for me tonally (it was much darker than my earlier work). So it felt important to me to try to write something that would serve as a companion to family, that the two might create their own little sub-genre. I was kicking around a few ideas but late one night, happened to come across the original “Amityville Horror” movie on tv (it was around Halloween). Something clicked in my head as I realized that I’ve always wanted to try my hand at pure horror – and what better subject than that classic trope, the haunted house? The original Amityville Horror story, too, fit nicely alongside family (based on the Manson family murders of 1969) as the inspiration for the movie came from a true crime.

Once that seed of an idea was planted, it was just a case of finding the right angle for a YA novel. I went back and forth as to whose story it would be – the boy who’d killed his family? His girlfriend? The sister who’d been killed? The house itself? I realized I really wanted to tell two sides of the same experience, which is how Connor and Gwen’s voices were born.


2) I've noticed that this book and your previous book for Egmont (Family) have been much darker than earlier novels of yours. What caused this transition? Do you still want to write lighter fare as well and move back and forth between the two? What are you currently working on?

I was finishing up my MFA in writing for children, and my then advisor suggested that since I’d already met all of my course requirements, I should try my hand at writing something “just for the heck of it.” I’ve been extremely blessed as a writer in that I came into publishing through the back door (as an editor) and therefore never had to write a whole novel on spec. So the idea of just sitting down to write without a contract or a deadline was completely novel and oddly liberating. The oddest thing about it, though, was what came out: two strange, dark short stories that would become the basis of family.

That said, I definitely go back and forth with what I like to read and write. I have a paranormal YA mystery coming out in 2015, but in the meantime, I’m working on a new, very young chapter book series about a seven-year-old girl in a traveling circus. I’m pretty lucky that my agent and editors (and readers!) allow me to be so diverse.


3) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, what is your favorite food to snack on while writing or as a reward for writing?

I don’t have one particular favorite flavor but I love the jelly belly sours. Although I always eat them too quickly and basically burn all my taste buds off.

I love sweets: candy, chocolate, pastries... but believe it or not, I don’t eat while I’m writing. I tend to work in concentrated bursts and trying to maneuver between Red Vines and the keyboard means I can’t really concentrate on either. Usually I save candy binges for after a good writing session, usually in front of some DVR’d reality tv, or a streaming horror movie.


4) What are you currently reading, or are about to start? Any books you're excited for?

My fellow Egmont author, Jessica Verday, has a horror novel out this fall called Of Monsters and Madness which looks amazing! Also Nova Ren Suma’s The Walls Around Us, which we have to wait until spring to read. Boo.

In the meantime, I’m keeping busy with Adele Griffin’s The Unfinished life of Addison Stone, and Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng.


Check out the next stops on the tour- Monday, August 18 will be at Actin' Up with Books and Tuesday, August 19 will be at A Dream Wihin A Dream.

Micol Ostow has written dozens of books for children, tweens, and teens, but Amity is her first foray into horror. I turns out, writing a ghost story is almost more terrifying than reading one. (In a good way.) Her novel family was called a “Favorite Book of 2011” by Liz Burns at School Library Journal, and her illustrated novel, So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), was a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens.

In her spare time, Ostow blogs with the National Book Award-winning literacy initiative readergirlz.com. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, her (utterly fearless) daughter, and a finicky French bulldog named Bridget Jones. Visit her online at www.micolostow.com or follow her on Twitter @micolz.

Blog Tour- Guardian by Alex London + Interview

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Goodreads
"In the new world led by the Rebooters, former Proxy Syd is the figurehead of the Revolution, beloved by some and hated by others. Liam, a seventeen-year-old Rebooter, is Syd’s bodyguard and must protect him with his life. But armed Machinists aren’t the only danger.

People are falling ill—their veins show through their skin, they find it hard to speak, and sores erupt all over their bodies. Guardians, the violent enforcers of the old system, are hit first, and the government does nothing to help. The old elites fall next, and in the face of an indifferent government, Syd decides it’s up to him to find a cure . . . and what he discovers leaves him stunned."

I absolutely loved Proxy and was so excited to read the sequel and see where things went from the end of the first book. Guardian is a crazy ride through this new overturned world and I really enjoyed following Syd on this new journey, especially with the prospect of an actual two-way romance this time.


and now I have an interview with Alex:

1) How did you get the idea for Proxy and Guardian? Will there be any more books in the series?

Proxy was the book I’d wished existed when I was a teen—an action-packed cyberpunk thriller with a gay protagonist that engages with the big ideas about the world we live in. It’s about the things that concern me—debt, privilege, inequality, justice, forgiveness, friendship.

Guardian, its sequel, has a very different set of concerns. While its still a thriller, it is certainly darker and more somber than Proxy. Our hero is dealing with the aftermath of some pretty intense stuff and I didn’t want to gloss over it or make it easy. Healing is hard and it doesn’t always work as planned. Sometimes, when things break, no clever plot twist can unbreak them. I wanted to explore how these characters live in a world where that’s the case. I wanted to question the values they have, the ideologies and the beliefs they hold and I wanted to create circumstances to test those things. So Guardian came from this urge to push my characters farther than I ever thought they’d go to see what happens. I think they emerge stronger, if not exactly unscathed. It is, hopefully, still a wild ride (and unlike in Proxy, there’s some romance!)

As of right now, there are no plans for more books in the series, but I have more stories about these characters I could tell and probably one day will. It may not be, however, with another book. What form these stories take is still very much an open question. But if the publisher wanted more books in the series, there is certainly more I could write.


2) These are your first two YA books. Before that, you'd written middle-grade fiction and adult non-fiction. What brought you to YA, and what was different about writing in this genre?

I don’t really write for a particular audience, but I do write books that have more appeal for a particular audience, so my middle grade books are usually about kids in that rage or written in a style that appeals to that age rage, but adults and teens can enjoy them too. It’s the same with YA. They are stories that (hopefully) young adults are drawn to and hopefully they speak to authentic young adult truths, but ultimately, the question of genre or audience isn’t one I think much about. I tell the stories I want to tell and I hope the right audience finds its way to them one reader at a time.


3) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, your favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

I like Jelly Belly’s just fine (I’ve actually done their factory tour twice) but whenever I finish a manuscript, I celebrate with a bag of Tate’s Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies. I tell myself I’ll only eat the suggested serving size. I usually eat the whole bag.


4) What book(s) are you currently reading, or are about to start? Any books you're looking forward to reading?

I can’t wait to read 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith and The Young Elites by Marie Lu, two very different YA novels by two very different YA writers, each of whom has such a vivid style and generous imagination that they make my jaw drop on a regular basis. I’m about to start reading David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks, which I’ve been waiting for for years—he’s my favorite living writer—and I can’t wait to dive into it.

Alex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tagsseries; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.

Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Blog

Read the Exclusive 3 Chapters from London’s new release, GUARDIAN here.

You can read the short story PUNISHMENT, the PROXY prequel on Wattpad for free right now! Meet Syd, Knox, and Liam (from Guardian) at 15.

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Blog Tour- Subway Love by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Subway Love by Nora Raleigh Baskin
"If her parents had never divorced, Laura wouldn’t have to live in the shadow of Bruce, her mom’s unpredictable boyfriend. Her mom wouldn’t say things like “be groovy,” and Laura wouldn’t panic every weekend on the way to Dad’s Manhattan apartment. But when Laura spots a boy on a facing platform, lifting a camera to his face, looking right at her, Laura feels anything but afraid, and she can’t forget him. Jonas, meanwhile, thinks nonstop about the pretty hippy girl he glimpsed on the platform—trying to comprehend how she vanished, but mostly wondering if he will see her again in a city of millions. If he searches, will he find her?"- summary from publisher

and here's an interview with Nora:

1) How did you get the idea for Subway Love?

I am actually not sure. I think I was talking to some students at a school and we were batting around ideas about a magical place where two characters would meet, like a ghost story, but I wasn’t really interested in that kind of story. I was interested in a story, however, about a love that is so real and so strong but couldn’t ever be realized. A romantic tragedy, I guess you’d call it. And the two ideas morphed together.


2) What are you working on now? Can you tell us anything about it?

I am working on another sort of tragic love story, but a very different one. About self-love and suicide and survival and about how falling for the wrong person can be both destructive and healing.


3) You have a dog and a cat. How did you get them, and do you have any funny anecdotes about them?

Of course, they are both rescue pets. Eli, my dog, is from Arkansas and Baby Kitty, my cat, was found on the north fork of Long Island. I am crazy for them both and I have too many stories to even begin. You really don’t want to get me started. My smart phone is filled with photos of them both. One of the best ways I communicate with my grown sons is by sending them photos of the pets doing cute things, like the cat climbing in the bathtub or my the dog asleep under the covers. Stuff like that… See, I told you not to get me started!


4) What's your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, your favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

I am not that fond of Jelly beans, I must admit. They stick in my teeth and they are not chocolate. But I certainly wouldn’t turn then down. I would eat all the black ones first. I like licorice. And since you asked, revising is the hardest part of writing and so I let myself snack while I am revising: chips, M&Ms, chocolate chips cookies, Oreos… Often my revised manuscript has lots of dirty fingerprints on it. I really need to stop doing that!


5) You used to be a creative writing teacher. What was your favorite part of that job? Did you enjoy teaching? Think you'll ever go back to it?

I still teach creative writing all the time to both children and adults. I enjoy it very much. The key is to remember I can’t really teach anyone anything. I can only share what I have learned and mistakes I’ve made. Writing is an art and it’s very individual. It is filled with rules…all that are made to be broken so that new voices and new forms of expression can be discovered. I see myself as giving permission and inspiration for my students to write. Reading is really the best way to learn “how” to write. It is a personal journey. It is a process and sometimes the only way in is straight into the belly of the beast, so to speak. Make mistakes. Take risks. And listen to your heart.
I know I sound corny, but I believe it.


To follow the rest of the tour, here's the list:

5/12/2014- Who R U Blog
http://www.whorublog.com/

5/13/2014- Great Imaginations
http://www.great-imaginations.com

5/14/2014- Word Spelunking
http://www.wordspelunking.blogspot.com

5/15/2014- Once Upon a Twilight
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com

5/16/2014- A Leisure Moment
http://www.aleisuremoment.com

5/17/2014- Random Chalk Talk
http://www.randomchalktalk.blogspot.com

5/18/2014- The Story Siren
http://www.thestorysiren.com

5/19/2014- Book Chic Club
http://www.bookchicclub.blogspot.com


FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Blog Tour- Burn Out by Kristi Helvig

"Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even more deadly than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James.

She is shocked when James accidentally fires one of her father's bio-weapons--weapons designed to work only for her. She'd felt a strange pull to James from the start, but the odds of someone sharing her energy vibration are statistically miniscule. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence."- summary from Goodreads

I have a hardcover copy of the book to give away, courtesy of Egmont USA! All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post by next Monday, May 5 at 9pm EST. US/Canada residents only! If you want to get extra entries, comment on the other blog tour posts happening this week at Curling Up with a Good Book, Live to Read, and The Cozy Reader. Curling Up's post will be up today while Live to Read and The Cozy Reader will be posting tomorrow (Tuesday April 29).

And here's an interview with Kristi:

1) How did you get the idea for Burn Out?

A strange combination of a watching a science documentary about the sun burning out, a song, a vivid dream, and a scorching hot day that left me wondering what would happen if the temperature kept rising. That dream also involved my main characters, Tora and James, along with some powerful weapons I’d never seen before. The story about one of Earth’s last survivors when our sun burns out early came pretty quickly after that.


2) You have a PhD in Clinical Psychology. How did you get involved with writing in general, and specifically YA sci-fi?

I started writing picture books and Nancy Drew fan fiction in early childhood, but never even considered that writing was a viable career choice. It was something I did for fun and aside from some angsty teenage poetry, I didn’t write again until a few years ago. Instead, I went to graduate school, got my Ph.D. and became a clinical psychologist. For several years, I worked on a locked unit with teen girls who’d been committed by youth corrections. They were smart, tough, and funny, not unlike my main character, and I learned a ton from them. After the birth of my second child, I started writing again and joined a critique group. I’ve always been a huge sci-fi fan (BSG is the best show ever!), but never planned on writing sci-fi until the aforementioned events in question #1.


3) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s), or if you don't like those, a favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

I’m not so much a jelly bean girl, but love, love, love Cadbury Creme Eggs. It’s really good for me that they’re seasonal or I’d be in trouble. I’m in the midst of edits for Book 2 right now and decided to have a Cadbury Egg for breakfast. I wish I was kidding. :)


4) What are you currently working on? Can you tell us anything about it?

I’m doing copyedits for BURN OUT: Book 2 right now and will finish by next week (I’ll deserve a Cadbury Creme Egg for sure!) After that, I’m finishing (finally) a YA fantasy about an assassin ballerina. I’ve been working on it in between edits and promotion for the BURN OUT books, so it will be nice to get back to it again.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog today! :)


Kristi Helvig is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist turned sci-fi/fantasy author. She muses about Star Trek, space monkeys, and other assorted topics on her blog and Twitter. Kristi resides in sunny Colorado with her hubby, two kiddos, and behaviorally-challenged dogs. Grab a copy of BURN OUT on Amazon, Indiebound, or Barnes & Noble.