In My Mailbox- Week of July 23 + Retrospective

I did a vlog this week. It cut me off in the end but I was done anyway.



Books Shown:

The Cowboy and the Princess by Lori Wilde (paperback, July 2012)
Lessons from a Scandalous Bride by Sophie Jordan (paperback, July 2012)
Waking Storms by Sarah Porter (hardcover, July 2012)
Love and Haight by Susan Carlton (hardcover, July 2012)
For What It's Worth by Janet Tashjian (hardcover, July 2012)
Crewel by Ginnifer Albin (ARC, Oct 2012)
Outpost by Ann Aguirre (ARC, Sept 2012)
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (hardcover from library, April 2011)
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (paperback, June 2012)
Crazy by Amy Reed (hardcover, June 2012; not shown)
The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent (hardcover, August 2012; not shown)

and here's my retrospective for the week:

Monday- I put up my final BEA 2012 recap and now I don't know what to post on Mondays!! Leave ideas in the comments if you have any!

Wednesday- I reviewed See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles, which is out in stores now.

Thursday- I helped reveal the cover of Senshi by Cole Gibsen, and am also hosting an international contest that ends this coming Friday evening at 9pm EST!

Friday- I took part in the Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone blog tour (hosted by Mod Podge Books!), so I reviewed the book and interviewed the author!

Blog Tour- Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
"Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death."- summary from Amazon

Wow, this is a really amazing debut. Rosenfield's prose is so atmospheric that it really makes you feel like you're in the small town. It's really a character-based story and I love that you really get to find out a lot about the characters.

The dual narrative is really interesting and I will admit that I always looked forward to Amelia's chapters. I wanted to know what happened! There's an interesting twist at the end that I really liked. But Becca's chapters are just as good, detailing her conflicting feelings and thoughts about her town, her boyfriend, and her future.

Anyway, definitely pick up this book. It's wonderful and I'm excited to see what Rosenfield has in store for her readers next!

and here's an interview with Kat:

1) How did you get the idea for Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone? Was it difficult to alternate the chapters between two different characters?

My idea for AMELIA actually began in the same place that the book does: with a dead girl who nobody knows, lying in the road on the outskirts of a small, isolated town. I think I've mentioned elsewhere during this tour that my book started out as a sentence instead of a story; I was doing a writing exercise in which you forget about the characters, the plot, the setting, and just try to come up with the most perfect, poignant, grab-em-by-the-throat first line you can. So it wasn't until after I'd written that line — which became the first line of the book — that the bigger idea of AMELIA started to take shape. I also didn't plan to use a dual narrative; it was something that just happened, organically, as I began to write. So while it was a challenge later on to figure out where and how to bring those narrative threads together, the actual act of switching between two perspectives felt very natural.


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

I haven't eaten a Jelly Belly in... wow. Ten years, maybe? I'm not much of a candy person. I also tend to forget to eat when I'm working, so more often than not, I'll finish writing and realize that my entire nutritional intake for the day consists of, like, an almond. At which point I usually order pizza, not to reward myself, but because I can no longer feel my legs and need sustenance brought to me immediately.


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

I'm still freelancing full-time as a writer for MTV's Hollywood Crush and Barnes & Noble's SparkLife blog, so I've got plenty to keep me occupied. And I'm also working on a second book. It... has words in it. (Sorry, not ready to share any more just yet.)


4) What book(s) are you reading now, or are about to start?

I'm between books right now; I just finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and I'm about to start Tara Altebrando's The Best Night of Your Pathetic Life.

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

Cover Reveal- Senshi by Cole Gibsen

I've got a great cover to reveal to you guys today. It's the sequel to Katana by Cole Gibsen and it's titled Senshi, set for release in March 2013!!

Are you ready to see it?

Isn't it awesome?! I love it.

Not only am I helping to reveal the cover, but I also have an INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY too, courtesy of the author Cole Gibsen!

Cole runs her own Etsy shop and 1 winner gets their choice of something from the shop! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by Thursday, August 2 at 9pm EST. Like I said before, this is an international giveaway so anyone can enter! Good luck to all!

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles
"Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges - until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal.

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. Her dad is always busy planning how to increase traffic to the family business. Her Mom is constantly going off to meditate. Her sister Sarah, who's taking a "gap year" after high school, is too busy finding ways not to work; and her brother Holden is too focused on his new "friend" to pay attention to her. And then there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, and the center of everyone's world.

If it wasn't for Ran, Fern's best and oldest friend, there would be nowhere to turn. Ran is always calm, always positive. His mantra "All will be well" is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe.

But when their lives are unexpectedly turned upside down, Fern feels more alone than ever, and responsible for the event that wrenches the family apart. All will not be well. Or at least, all will never be the same."- summary from Amazon

Oh my gosh, this book is amazing. I've been meaning to read Knowles' work for a while now but only just got around to it now, with her fourth book. This is a wonderful middle-grade novel that really deals with death and the guilt and emptyness that it leaves in its wake. It's just such a realistic snapshot of a family, both before and after the accident- there's humor, heart, growth, and healing.

The relationships between all the characters were handled really well and it was interesting to see them go through this turmoil and turbulence. Knowles really knows how to deal with each character's grief and how that translates to their relationship with other certain characters.

Fern is a great main character and her voice was so real. Charlie was great too and I enjoyed seeing him interacting with people in various scenes because, as a toddler, he pretty much just says whatever and it's usually hilarious. I also loved the setting of a diner- it provided for some funny scenes.

Basically, this is a fantastic book and it really makes me want to read all of Knowles' books, past and future. Definitely check this one out!

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

Book Expo America 2012 Recap Part 4

This is the final BEA post and whew, it's been a journey! There's still a little bit left to go, so bear with me.

Before I start, I completely forgot about a few things that happened during Tuesday and Wednesday on the floor:

1) Upon arriving Wednesday, I immediately went to the Lerner booth to try and get an ARC of Skylark by Meagan Spooner. I wouldn't be around for her signing on Thursday since I had a train to catch but I really wanted the book. Meagan happened to be there right when I arrived at their booth and introduced herself after I asked about Skylark. It took some convincing, but they eventually gave me a copy (hardcover) and Meagan signed it right there for me. She was the sweetest!! I'm very sad I have to miss her book launch event! I hate being broke.

2) I got an ARC of Level 2 by my friend Lenore Appelhans! Once again, Justin Chanda, head of S&S Childrens Publishing, saved the day. I had tried to get one at BEA Tuesday, then at TAC, then again Wednesday morning sometime and lo and behold, I got one! He only had two left so I was so grateful I made it in time. And I say "once again" because I met Justin at ALA back in 2010 when they were giving out Zombies v. Unicorns ARCs (I had missed them at BEA the previous month). They were only giving them out at Holly Black's signing if you bought a book. I had the David Levithan/John Green signing to go to so wanted to try and grab an ARC before they were all gone. He initially said no and I was like "Ok, well thank you for your time!" (I'm not a blogger who gets upset at being denied), and talked to my awesome friend Meaghan until I had to go. As I went back through the S&S booth, they were getting out the ZvU ARCs and Justin said "Hey" and gave me one! I was so grateful and had no idea how high up he was at S&S. Then he saved the day again- he is one awesome, sweet guy!

Alright, back to Wednesday night. So I left the Javits and went back to the hotel. My roommates had left already, so I was by myself for this final night. I relaxed a bit and tried to read Hourglass by Myra McEntire on my computer, but I made the mistake of getting into bed under the covers to do it. After 3 days of non-stop action and little sleep, I was friggin' tired. I meant to just rest my eyes for a couple minutes, then go back to reading. I fell asleep for almost an hour (yes, with my laptop still in my lap), luckily waking up just 10 minutes after the time I had wanted to leave at to grab dinner before the rooftop party. I immediately rushed out and grabbed the subway down to near the Hudson, where the party was being held.

I wanted to go to Shake Shack while in New York City and there was one right near the party! It was fate. Not only that but when I walked up to go in, I saw Susane Colasanti and Elizabeth Eulberg sitting outside eating their own meals. I wanted to make sure it was Susane though before saying hi, so I ordered and then very slowly walked back outside, all the while staring at Susane. I came over to their table and said hi. We chatted for a while, then I had to go back inside to check on my food cuz my pager wasn't buzzing. Turns out they'd been calling it for like 10 minutes, but it never rang for me!! Anyway, the food was amazing, though I couldn't finish it all. But what was really amazing was that I was having dinner with SUSANE COLASANTI AND ELIZABETH EULBERG!!! I love these two authors (and all their books) and they're such sweethearts. It was great chatting with them about books, the weather (Susane is a weather expert, having been a former science teacher), their upcoming events together, and pretty much a bunch of other stuff. I loved it and hope they did too!

We then walked over to the Tribeca Pointe Building and took the elevator up, wherein Susane chatted with a person who lived there and said she was jealous of him for living there. Being in the solarium/on the rooftop was AMAZING, as you can see from my pictures, but they really don't do it justice. Susane and I pretty much went around the whole wrap-around and took pictures of everything.

Once that was done though, I fell into awkward mingling mode where I pretty much stand off by myself, sipping my champagne (which I'm not a fan of, but felt I needed to finish anyway- they had some Sprite or something too, so I refilled my glass with that, lol). I did get taken pity on by Charlotte Bennardo (such a delight to chat with), Tamara Ireland Stone (who says I was a delight, but I think she's lying, lol), and Alyssa Grosso (I told her I'd grabbed her book the previous morning and she was happy about that). I did also finangle myself into Meagan Spooner's chat with someone (cannot remember who, and I feel so bad about that!) and that was nice, though the bottom of my champagne glass fell off during the discussion- embarrassing! Meagan actually also came up to me later and told me to introduce her to people I knew, lol. Literally, right at that moment, Zoraida Cordova (who's lovely too) came by and said hi, so I introduced them to each other. We had a chat about how hard it is to mingle.

I also chatted with Andye and Amy of Reading Teen, Gretchen McNeil, Jenny Han, Julia DeVillers, Crissa Jean Chappell, and Lenore Appelhans but I also missed some people there! It was sad when I then heard about some authors and bloggers who had been there without my knowing! I left after a few hours, but not before I won something (notebook and signed poster!), grabbed a swag bag and got pictures with Gretchen, Crissa, and Elizabeth. It was such an amazing night and I was so happy to be a part of it.

I walked back to the subway by myself (Mitali helped me with directions), got back to the hotel, and started to pack because I had to bring all my stuff with me to the Javits as I was leaving straight from there to Penn Station. I put on my Hush Hush shirt and sang and danced around while I packed my books and clothes. OMG MY SUITCASE WAS SO HEAVY! I left out my Land of Stories tote cuz it was smaller than the others and would be perfect for what I needed the following day.

Thursday morning, I overslept a bit (my alarm didn't go off) and made it to the Javits about the time it opened. My first stop was the Entangled Booth because the previous day, I'd been chatting with Sara of Novel Novice and Tiffany Truitt and was told to get a copy of The Chosen Ones. But when I got there, nobody was at the booth, so I looked around a bit for a copy of The Chosen Ones that wasn't the display copy. I didn't find any, so I just took the display copy (making sure first it was the actual book) and then rushed over to Kirstie Alley's line. I'm not proud of what I did, but hey, at least I reviewed it (as part of a blog tour) and didn't sell it on ebay.

I luckily made it to Kirstie's line when it was still short. I was probably about 10 people back. I was near the cute boy from the Chris Colfer and Tim Gunn lines again, but was too shy to say anything. However, I did chat with a lovely lady (we exchanged business cards) while we waited in line. They said Kirstie wasn't doing personalizations, but she secretly was- she'd ask you what your name was when you got up there. I was too star-struck to say anything other than my name and thank you. If I had been able to say something, I'd let her know how funny I thought she was and how much I loved her. She's such a funny, outspoken lady and I love that! She was also only signing postcards of her cover with info printed on the back. But still, I have a Kirstie autograph now!

Since the Kirstie signing took WAY less time than I originally thought, I was able to stop by Alexandra Bracken's signing (so happy I got to say hi to her!) and Jackson Pearce's signing (apparently she saw me at TAC, but wasn't sure it was me so she didn't come up to say hi, lol). I also stopped by a couple booths since there wasn't much for me to do that day. I swung by Flux to see if they had any Narc goodies (tote bag, bookmarks, etc.) but they did not. I did swing by Little Brown's booth and was excited to see copies of Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan left out! I thought I was going to miss that book drop, but I guess they did it early. I asked about Return to Me by Justina Chen, but was told ARCs hadn't been printed yet (BUT THEY HAD- I saw copies in various peoples' BEA hauls). That made me sad cuz I love Justina's books so much!

I then left a little after 11 so I could get to Penn Station to take my train back home. I went to the cab line outside Javits (my original plan of walking with my stuff would not have worked. AT ALL.). I shared a cab with a lovely lady who worked at a publishing house, but not in YA, though one of her co-workers is a YA author. I'm trying to remember which author it was because I had already received an advance copy of the book and was excited about it. Why didn't I write this down?! If I remember, I'll come back and edit.

Anyway, I took the train back home and all was well. Another AWESOME BEA. I can't wait for next year!!

Pic 1- An amazing view from the rooftop party
Pic 2- Elizabeth Eulberg and I!!
Pic 3- Crissa Jean Chappell and I!!
Pic 4- Gretchen McNeil and I!!
Pic 5- Kirstie Alley signing!
Pic 6- Alexandra Bracken signing!
Pic 7- Another amazing view from the rooftop party.