Friday, January 31, 2014

New Year, New Books Day 31: Anne Blankman + Prisoner of Night and Fog


Welcome to Day 31 of New Year, New Books!! Oh my gosh, GUYS! It's the last day! I still cannot believe it! It's been a completely amazing month and I am so honored to be able to feature...

Anne Blankman
-author of Prisoner of Night and Fog (April 22nd, 2014)


Yes, I AM SO EXCITED TO CLOSE OFF NEW YEAR, NEW BOOKS WITH ANNE!! Prisoner of Night and Fog has been on so many of you bookster's MUST-READS of 2014 lists, so Anne stops by today to tell you a little bit more about her and to give away an ARC of Prisoner of Night and Fog!! 

Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Shelves: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: April 22nd, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Summary from Goodreads: In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.


The Genius Behind the Masterpiece

--I was named for a fictional children's book character.
--I was 5'8 by age 13.


--I used to fence competitively.
--I've lived in New York, Maine. Virginia, and England.
--I'm married to my college sweetheart



--My favorite smell is vanilla. Mmm. Now I want cookies.
--I'm also a librarian, so the bookshelves in my house are freakishly well-organized.

--I rowed varsity crew in high school and college, which means I suffered the indignity of wearing full-body unisuits. 




***GIVEAWAY***
Do not even try to lie. I know y'all are dying to read Prisoner of Night and Fog, SOO Anne is giving away 1 ARC of Prisoner of Night and Fog, open to US and Canadian residents!



Rules of entry:
1) US + Canada ONLY
2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!
3) The ARC will be sent out at the author's discretion.
4) Take the time to read this post with Anne, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 30, 2014

New Year, New Books Day 30: Maria E. Andreu + The Secret Side of Empty


Welcome to Day 30 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring...

Maria E. Andreu
-author of The Secret Side of Empty (March 11th, 2014)

Title: The Secret Side of Empty
Author: Maria E. Andreu
Shelves: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date: March 11th, 2014
Publisher: Running Press Kids

Goodreads|Amazon|

Summary from Goodreads: As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant. 

But it’s harder to hide now that M.T.’s a senior. Her school’s National Honor Society wants her to plan their trip abroad, her best friend won’t stop bugging her to get her driver’s license, and all everyone talks about is where they want to go to college. M.T. is pretty sure she can’t go to college, and with high school ending and her family life unraveling, she’s staring down a future that just seems empty. In the end, M.T. will need to trust herself and others to stake a claim in the life that she wants.

Meet Miss Maria!
Maria's website|Goodreads author page

Author Maria E. Andreu draws from her personal experience as a (formerly) undocumented immigrant to explore an issue that affects over one million children in the U.S. But while the subject matter is timely, it is M.T.’s sharp, darkly funny voice and longing for a future that makes this story universally poignant.

Maria E. Andreu is the author of The Secret Side of Empty, a young adult novel due out Spring, 2014 (Running Press). It is the story of M.T., a regular American high school senior who is just like everybody else with one important exception: she is undocumented. She was brought over as a baby and her parents overstayed their visitors' visa. Now, with graduation looming, and no social security number for a college education, a job, a driver's license and everything else her friends are planning on, she's got to make some tough choices that will impact the lives of everyone she loves. 


***GIVEAWAY***

Maria has provided me with THREE LOVELY ARCS OF The Secret Side of Empty to give away!!

If you want one, I suggest you enter to win! ;)

Rules of entry:
1) US ONLY
2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!
3) The ARCs will be sent out at the MY discretion.
4) Take the time to learn about Maria, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

New Year, New Books Day 28: Bethany Crandell + Summer on the Short Bus


Welcome to Day 28 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring...

Bethany Crandell
-author of Summer on the Short Bus (April 1st, 2014)


I'm so stoked to feature Bethany!! Her books, Summer on the Short Bus looks and sounds ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Something about that cover just absolutely makes my grabby hands ACHE.

Title: Summer on the Short Bus
Author: Bethany Crandell
Shelves: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Publication Date: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Running Press Kids

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Summary from Goodreads: Spoiled, Versace-clad Cricket Montgomery has seventeen years of pampering under her belt. So when her father decides to ship her off to a summer camp for disabled teens to help her learn some accountability, Cricket resigns herself to three weeks of handicapped hell. 

Her sentence takes a bearable turn as she discovers the humor and likeability of the campers and grows close to fellow counselors. Now, if she can just convince a certain Zac Efron look-alike with amazing blue eyes that she finally realizes there's life after Gucci, this summer could turn out to be the best she's ever had.

Summer on the Short Bus is a very non-P.C., contemporary YA with a lot of attitude, tons of laughs, and a little life lesson along the way.

Extremes with Bethany Crandell
Bethany's website|Goodreads author page

1) What would you do if Hogwarts sent you an acceptance -but you couldn't attend because your horrible aunt and uncle won't let you? ;)

Despite what the internet says, I’m quite certain this exact situation that prompted the invention of duct tape back in 1942--not to aid in WWII militaristic efforts.

2) What would you do if Steven Spielberg called you and told you he wanted to make your book into a movie?

Once the syringeful of Valium kicked in, I’d probably remind him that I don’t have any characters in my book that Tom Hanks would be a good fit for. Beyond that, I’d be telling anyone with ears how awesome I am--er…whoops! How awesome Steven Spielberg is. (Sorry, all this hypothetical awesomeness must be fogging my brain.

3) What would you do if J.K. Rowling asked you for writing advice?

I’d tell her exactly what my critique partner tells me:  “Trust your gut” and “just keep writing”. Even with her enormous success, I have no doubt that Ms. Rowling suffers from the same disease every writer I know is crippled by on occasion: self-doubt.  Every time we show up at the page, a little part of us wonders if what we’re writing even makes sense, or if anyone outside of our family would even want to read this piece of crap we’ve been wasting our time on. In the end, you never know, so you just have to buckle down and stick with it until it’s done.

4) What would you do if all the books in the world were terribly written?

Watch TV.  Probably not the literary-loving answer you were hoping for, but it’s the truth. I love a good story, but I don’t subscribe to the theory that good stories only unfold between the front and back covers of a book. Whether it’s a movie, TV show, book, or watching someone fall down in the crosswalk (they get back up, obviously), I just want to be entertained.

5) What would you do if you found out you could have one super power to have for the rest of your life?

Clearly it would depend on the super power. If I was invisible, I’d waste no time eating my body weight in chips & guacamole. If I can’t be seen then neither can my expanding waistline. But if I became clairvoyant I’d probably give myself a lobotomy. In theory, knowing what people are thinking sounds like a lot of fun, but the reality of that would be tough—just ask Sookie Stackhouse. 





***GIVEAWAY***
Bethany is giving away some really awesome prizes! We have:

1) A SUMMER SURVIVAL KIT! 
2) A Summer on the Short Bus swag pack!
3) ANOTHER Summer on the Short Bus swag pack!! 
Each of these prizes contain some really awesome goodies, guys! 

Rules of entry:
1) US ONLY
2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!
3) The prizes will be sent out at the publisher's discretion.
4) Take the time to read this post with Bethany, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

New Year, New Books Day 28: Heather Demetrios + Something Real


Welcome to Day 28 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring...

Heather Demetrios
-author of Something Real (February 4th, 2014)

I love this kid. Seriously, he is my ASIAN BROTHER.(Okay, no he is not actually my brother but I wish he was *sad face*)

Title: Something Real
Author: Heather Demetrios
Shelves: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Publication Date: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt BYR

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Summary from Goodreads: Winner of the 2012 PEN New England Discovery Award!

There’s nothing real about reality TV.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

About Heather 
Demetrios

Heather Demetrios, originally from Los Angeles, now lives in Brooklyn and various imaginary locales. She is the recipient of a PEN New England Discovery Award for her debut YA novel about reality TV stardom, SOMETHING REAL (Macmillan/Henry Holt), and is the author of the upcoming EXQUISITE CAPTIVE, a smoldering fantasy about jinn in Los Angeles (#1 in the DARK CARAVAN fantasy trilogy from HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray), both out in 2014. She is currently working on her second novel for Macmillan, a love story about a young combat veteran and a girl trapped in their small town, both struggling to escape the war at home. When she’s not hanging out with her characters, Heather is working on her MFA in writing for children and young adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.


***GIVEAWAY***
Heather is giving away an ARC of SOMETHING REAL! I've heard so many good things about this one, guys!
Rules of entry:
1) US ONLY
2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!
3) The ARC will be sent out at the publisher's discretion.
4) Take the time to learn about Heather, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, January 27, 2014

{Review} Dangerous Girls By: Abigail Haas

Title: Dangerous Girls
Author: Abigail Haas
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Shelves: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery
Recommended for Fans Of: E. Lockhart, Jennifer Lynne Barnes, Sarah McCarry

Synopsis: Spring break in Aruba. A group of gorgeous and popular friends. Sex. Drugs. Alcohol. What could go wrong? When one of the girls is found brutally murdered, the whole world turns to point fingers at just one person: the dead girl's best friend, Anna. Locked in prison and put on trial, Anna must fight for her freedom and do everything in her power to find out who truly killed her best friend. But when all of the world is watching, will Anna sink or swim?


Review: Ugh. Ugh, ugh ugh. This book. There are so many words to describe it. Most of them are good, and some of them are bad (which I will refrain using because they are curse words). This was one twisted book. The ending was just... ugh. It was equal parts electrifying and terrifying. But mainly I was just like,



Yep. 

Ending: Before reading Dangerous Girls, I trolled through Goodreads reading the reviews, and 95% of the people said that the ending was just, cray-cray. And it was, don't get me wrong. The ending made me scream and curl up into a ball of mind-blownness. But it was also kind of... predictable? For many people, it wasn't, and I think that if you stay off of Goodreads and don't read all the reviews, then you won't know what is coming. But I just read so many darn reviews that I was like.. okay? Then I kind of know what is going to happen now. But the ending still shocked me either way. I was just... it was a psycho ending and I don't know whether to worship Abigail Haas or fear her. I think both, yeah?

Characters: The characters were FUCKED UP. The whole lot of them. Trashy, lying, cheating, raving characters. But that's like, 75% of high schoolers. Specific characters, such as the dead girl Elise, and her best friend Anna were really interesting.... Actually, they were both wackos. They were best friends, but their relationship was a perverse closeness that just made me shudder with disgust. There were many hidden dynamics underneath these characters, such as a deep and trembling sadness that must have taken hold in both of these girls and lingered there their entire lives. Jealously and betrayal certainly played a part in establishing each of their roles in this book. After reading Dangerous Girls, I just sat there and thought about the true amount of terrible, twisted and wicked people in the world and it scared me.

Storyline/Plot: Man, I finished this 400 page book in 3 hours because it was that good. Right off the bat, the story swings into action and the action does not die down until the very last sentence, so I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. Although I don't necessarily want to label Dangerous Girls as entertaining, it was like watching something horrible happen, and knowing you should look away, but you can't. A twisted kind of entertainment. Like the entire book.

Writing: The reason I gave Dangerous Girls 4 out of 5 stars is because the timeline being written in this story was a little weird. For me it was hard to distinguish just how far back an even occurred in Anna's memories. Since the book features settings and scenes that took place off of Aruba also, it made it a little confusing to read.

Conclusion: Well go ahead, read Dangerous Girls. If you want a book hangover, and you like to throw your books against a wall, then by all means. Go ahead. I won't judge you. Dangerous Girls is just too good not to be read.

New Year, New Books Day 27: Emma Pass + Acid


Welcome to Day 27 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring...

Emma Pass
-author of Acid (March 11th, 2014)

I am this Alasia girl right now.

Emma is such an amazing person. Seriously. She sent me an ARC of ACID all the way from the UK! Like,  A PARCEL FROM THE UK *jumps up and down* In addition to that, she's also written an AMAZING book! Acid has already been released to those lucky readers in the UK, but for you Americans, Emma and Delacorte Press are giving away an ARC for US residents!!!

Title: Acid
Author: Emma Pass
Shelves: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publication Date: March 11th, 2014 (US)
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Summary from Goodreads: The year is 2113. In Jenna Strong's world, ACID—the most brutal controlling police force in history—rule supreme. No throwaway comment or whispered dissent goes unnoticed—or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a horrendous crime she struggles to remember. But Jenna's violent prison time has taught her how to survive by any means necessary. 

When a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed, and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID, and try to uncover the truth about what really happened on that terrible night two years ago. They have taken her life, her freedom, and her true memories away from her. How can she reclaim anything when she doesn't know who to trust?

Strong, gritty writing, irresistible psychological suspense, and action consume the novel as Jenna struggles to survive against the all-controlling ACID. Seriously sinister stuff.

A peek inside Emma's "Desk"

I have a confession to make. I don't have an author's desk. I own a desk – it’s on the landing, in an alcove which used to be an airing cupboard – but I don't write there.

I used to work at a one when we lived in a tiny flat and the only space I had to write was a corner of our living room. And when we moved to this house, I had every intention of turning the spare room into a study and spending hours in there, being productive and organised.

Only it didn't happen.

The spare room faces north, and has two outside walls, so it's cold, and not very well lit. Sitting for hours in a chair hurt my back, and if the phone rang I had to run all the way downstairs, hoping whoever was calling didn't ring off before I got there (I never, ever remember to take the phone with me when I'm doing things upstairs). Plus we needed a room to store, well, stuff in… you can see where this is going.

Decamping to our sofa was the best decision I ever made. I'm within easy reach of the kettle (the kitchen is next door), it's cosy, I have a view up the garden, and best of all, G-Dog likes to snuggle up to me and keep me warm on those cold winter days (as I type this, he's s t r e t c h e d right out beside me with his head on my arm).

So I can't give you a peek inside my author's desk, but here is my author's sofa, complete with author's dog!


***GIVEAWAY***
One lucky US ONLY winner will receive an ARC of ACID! And, one lucky INTERNATIONAL winner will receive ACID postcards! 

Rules of Entry:
1) ARC open to US residents only.
2) Postcards open INTERNATIONALLY.
3) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email, or else I will be forced to pick a new winner.
4) The prizes will be sent out at the publisher's/author's discretion.
5) Please actually take the time to read this post with Emma. Authors are crazy busy, and deserve as much love as you can give them.
5) GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Stacking the Shelves #3 (For the month of January)

Happy Sunday and welcome to the second installment of Stacking the Shelves! For those of you who don't know, this is usually a weekly post (hosted by Tynga's Reviews), but I decided to do my posts by month. (This is only my second month of blogging!) Check out what I got for the month of January, and make sure to leave a comment for me, letting me know what you got too!

Physical ARCs- from publishers/authors for review

This month, there was A LOT of bloggy stuff going on with New Year, New Books! Plus, I was super stressed with work and studying for midterms, so there was definitely less ARCs for January. But that's okay! I finished and review so many library books, and I'm super happy about that! Here is what I did get:


1) Learning to Swim By: Annie Cosby
courtesy of Annie Cosby
2) Grasshopper Jungle By: Andrew Smith
courtesy of Penguin Teen
3) Rebel Belle (!!!!)
courtesy of G. P. Putnam's Sons
4) The Ballad of a Small Player By: Lawrence Osborne
courtesy of Random House
5) The Things You Kiss Goodbye By: Leslie Connor
Okay, technically I won this one, but I am still keeping my fingers crossed for a review copy I did put in a request for!
6) The Secret Diamond Sisters By: Michelle Madow
courtesy of Harlequin Teen
7) Ask Again Later BY: Liz Czukas
courtesy of HarperTeen and Liz Czukas
8) Independent Study By: Joelle Charbonneau
See #5.
9) Edgewood By: Karen McQuestion
courtesy of Karen McQuestion

Giveaway Wins
The giveaway wins this month were really awesome!!
1) Hardcover of Snakeroot By: Andrea Cremer
2) Hardcover of Fangirl By: Rainbow Rowell
3) Paperback of Evanescent By: Andria Buchanan
4) Paperback of Blurred By: Tara Fuller
5) Paperback of Out of Play By: Nyrae Dawn & Jolene Perry
4) Paperback of Catching Fire By: Suzanne Collins
5) Paperback of Time Between Us By: Tamara Ireland
6) ARC of Dreamless By: Josephine Angelini
7) SIGNED paperback of Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City By: Wendelin Van Draaen
8) Hardcover of Two Boys Kissing By: David Levithan
9) ARC of Pawn By: Aimee Carter
10) Paperback of Countdown City By: Ben Winters
11) Hardcover of Crewel By: Gennifer Albin
12) Paperback of Unbreathable By: Hafsah Laziaf
13) ARC of This Song Will Save Your Life By: Leila Sales
14) Paperback of Becoming Josephine By: Heather Webb
15) SIGNED paperback of The Almost Girl By: Amalie Howard
16) DVD of Safe Haven

PLUS AWESOME SIGNED SWAG FROM ELIZABETH LANGSTON (AND A TARGET GIFT CARD!), COURTNEY C. STEVENS, AND KRISTEN RAE!

Gifted/ Exchanged
I was actually gifted a lot of books (again) this month, so thank you to all those wonderful people! 

1) ARC of Marie Antoinette: Serial Killer
2) Finished copy of The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant from BenBella Books
3) ARC of Tales From My Closet from Traci @ The Reading Geek
4) ARC of Divided We Fall from Traci @ The Reading Geek
5) ARC of Torn from Traci @ The Reading Geek
6) ARC of Lost in Babylon from Traci @ The Reading Geek
7) ARC of Sorrow's Know from Traci @ The Reading Geek
8) ARC of The Poison Diaries from Heather @ Turning Pages
9) ARC of Girl of Wonder from Heather @ Turning Pages
10) ARC of A Corner of White from Heather @ Turning Pages
11) ARC of Flicker and Burn from Heather @ Turning Pages
12) ARC of The Prisoner of Cell 25 from ARCycling


So that's all I got this month, Chicas/Chicos. I would list my Netgalley approvals, but there were so many that I just binge requested. Anyways, for those of you who don't know yet, New Year, New Books is almost over! That means your chance to win surprise 2014 ARCS + signed swag are almost over! Plus, there are 50+ amazing authors being featured, with 50+ amazing giveaways!

Sorry I didn't really have much time to write this post, also! Back to midterm studying I go!

xoxo,
Fiction_TheNewReality

New Year, New Books Day 26: Teri Brown + Born of Deception


Welcome to Day 26 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring

Teri Brown
-author of Born of Deception (June 10th, 2014)

Out of like, the millions of "YAY" or "CHEER" gifs I found, this one is literally my favorite.

Title: Born of Deception (Born of Illusion #2)
Author: Teri Brown
Shelves: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publication Date: June 10th, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Summary from Goodreads: Budding illusionist Anna Van Housen is on top of the world: after scoring a spot on a prestigious European vaudeville tour, she has moved to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. Along with her handsome beau, Cole Archer, Anna is prepared to take the city by storm.

But when Anna arrives in London, she finds the group in turmoil. Sensitives are disappearing and, without a suspect, the group’s members are turning on one another. Could the kidnapper be someone within the society itself—or has the nefarious Dr. Boyle followed them to London?

As Cole and Anna begin to unravel the case and secrets about the society are revealed, they find themselves at odds, their plans for romance in London having vanished. Her life in danger and her relationship fizzling, can Anna find a way to track down the killer before he makes her his next victim—or will she have to pay the ultimate price for her powers?

Set in Jazz-Age London, this alluring sequel to Born of Illusion comes alive with sparkling romance, deadly intrigue, and daring magic.

First Lines from Novels with Teri Brown
Teri's website|Goodreads author page

I spend hours on the first line of every new book. Sometimes I come up with a great line that doesn’t end up being the first line. When I first came up with the concept of Born of Illusion the first line jumped out at me even before the name of the heroine…”I was thirteen the first time I broke my mother out of jail.” During the editing process, that line actually got moved to later in the chapter. Here are a few of the first lines of my favorite books.

·        1)  There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarter-backs, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus..."

·         2) Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York.

·        3)  When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie theater, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.

·         4) My wound is my geography.

·         5) When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

·         6) On a morning in mid-April, 1687, the brigantine Dolphin left the open sea, sailed briskly across the sound to the wide mouth of the Conneticut River and into Saybrook Harbor. 


***GIVEAWAY***
Teri is giving away an ARC of BORN OF DECEPTION! Here's how to win EXTRA ENTRIES!

See those first lines from books up there? *makes arrow to Teri's post* If you can guess which book each of those lines comes from, you can earn 5 EXTRA POINTS! However, only correct entries will count, so be careful!

Rules of entry:
1) US ONLY
2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!
3) The ARC will be sent out at the publisher's discretion.
4) Take the time to read this post with Teri, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway