Newsletter 8 Part Two

New and Coming Soon in the UK:

The Resistance by Gemma Malley (4th May)
Warriors of Ethandun by N. M. Browne (4th May)
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (7th May)
Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda (7th May)
Envy by Anna Godbersen (7th May)
My Dating Disasters Diary by Liz Rettig (7th May)

What everyone is reading:

• Ashley is reading Dreamland by Sarah Dessen.
• Kate is reading Extreme Kissing by Luisa Plaja
• Polo Pony is reading The Off Season
• PG is reading Stolen
• PM is reading Kissed by an Angel.
• Hope is reading The Beef Princess of Practical Country by Michelle Houts
• Bookworm is reading S.A.S.S.: The great call of china
• Donna is reading Stake That!
• Book Resort is reading Going too Far
• Maggie is reading Maggie's Story by Dandi Daley Mackall
• Laina is not reading much right now

New and upcoming releases:

A Kiss In Time by Alex Flinn (4/28)
Sloane Sisters by Anna Carey (4/28)
The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Iboston (4/30)
Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita (5/1)
The Plague- Joanne Dahme (May 4th)
The Awakening: Ghost Hunteress by Marley Gibson (5/4)
Dark Guardian No. 2: Full Moon- Rachel Hawthorne (May 5th)
Wings by Aprilynne Pike (May 5th)
Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker (May 5th)
Girlfriend Material- Melissa Kantor (May 5th)
The Visibles by Sara Shepard (May 5th)
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot (5/5)
The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones (5/5)
Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joesph (5/5)
So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones (5/5)
Kiss of Life- Dan Waters (May 12th)
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow (May 14th)
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker (May 14th)
Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund (May 14th)
Waiting For You- Susane Colasanti (May 14th)
The Vast Fields of Ordinary- Nick Burd (May 14th)
Swoon- Nina Malkin (May 19th)
You Are Here- Jennifer E Smith (May 19th)
Vampire Kisses No.6: Royal Blood- Ellen Schreiber (May 19th)
Love you Hate you Miss you- Elizabeth Scott (May 26th)
One Lonely Degree- CK Kelly Martin (May 26th)

Blog Tips:

• Make sure you keep authors happy. If you promise a review then get it done. Free books are free to you. The author still has to pay and/or makes no money from it.
• Don’t request ARC’s until your blog is well developed. You’ll make yourself some enemies.

Melissa Walker stopped by to tell us a little bit about her new book, Lovestruck Summer.

"When I started writing LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, I knew I was going to need a ton of random, fictional band names to use in the book. I couldn't think of them all on my own, so I asked my blog readers to weigh in, and they came up with GREAT stuff! I used dozens of these fake band names in the book, and I'm so grateful. Look for them if you get a chance to read LOVESTRUCK SUMMER!" –Melissa

Newsletter 8 Part One

If you know someone who would like to receive this have them email Ashley at princessashley9@gmail.com

• Hi, everyone! My name is Maggie: obsessive reader, writer, and creator of BeanBagBooks.

I primarily read and review from the YA genre, but occasionally from Adult. My reviews are quite honest--I don't sugar-coat things. If I don't enjoy a book, then I'll tell you, and vice versa. Along with reviews, I am a member of Waiting on Wednesday, where I preview a book that is yet to be released.

I also have a second blog, called Musings of a Fledgling Writer. There, I post about the various thoughts that circle through my head in a given day. It's kind of random, but a fun place to escape to.

So, hopefully you readers will check out my blogs and enjoy them. Happy Reading!

• Hey I'm Jill from Reading is Bliss where I review any and all YA fiction I can get my hands on. I started this blog in January and I love it more and more every day. I love books and I love to speak my opinion which makes reviewing books sort of a must for me. I participate in IMM and try to update as frequently as I can. I also host contests, guest blogs, and interviews. My reviews are always honest while still bringing out the best points with the worst in every book I review. My favorite part of blogging is being involved in such a wonderful and welcoming book blog community made up of people just like you. Thanks for being so amazing! And be sure to check out my blog Reading is Bliss. Thanks!

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

From the author's website: Gemma, a British city-living teenager, is kidnapped while on holiday with her parents. Her kidnapper, Ty, takes her to the wild land of outback Australia. To Gemma’s city-eyes, the landscape is harsh and unforgiving and there are no other signs of human life for hundreds of kilometres in every direction. Here, there is no escape. Gemma must learn to deal with her predicament, or die trying to fight it.

Stolen is a brilliant book, and is one that I think will appeal to a wide range of readers. It's shocking and, at times, difficult to read. It explores obsession, love, and the boundaries that lie between each. It's only published in the UK at the moment, but if you can get hold of a copy, I'd highly recommend it!

Newsletter 7 Part Three

Stephanie’s interview with Yan

1. Why did you start blogging?

Yan: Have you seen me rant? Blogging is an excellent method to vent out your inner frustration. That and I happen to like…ranting. Wow I am truly pathetic.

2. Why did you choose YA as your main focus?

Yan: -looks down at self- I think that is self-explanatory. But really though I was never a huge reader when I was younger. I read the occasional school books but nothing else. It was only during the 8th grade when Scholastic gave the school some free bookcases filled with new releases that I read my first outside of school book. The first book I ever picked up was The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. Truly amazing! Then my friend handed me Artemis Fowl as soon as she was done. Addiction! Then of course I stopped reading when school was over. –Sad Yan- 3 months later in high school. More school reading. Then came…Twilight! Granted I started to pick up some other books before that from the library while doing some volunteer work [requirement for school]. Reading Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, other not as popular YA authors. But Twilight was the craze! It was everywhere at school. People were talking; books were passed around, so I borrowed a copy[from the library]. Then I went crazy from there—borrowing 10 books each week, reading after school, in school, on the weekends. Nowadays I am not a frequent visitor to my library but I just stay home and tackle my piles. I still go to the library now and then.

Wait. Did I even answer the question? I don’t think I did, did I? Okay so here’s the deal, the down low. I am a huge sucker cliché plotlines and pretty covers. YA books so far have the best covers. I am a teen myself so I can pretty much relate to most topics.

3. What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Yan: …I like comments? …Yes that is true. Talking to authors, coming up with these most outlandish ideas ever! [see April Fools week. The evil baby as a result of my and Carol’s tender nurturing…okay so I happened to smack its head a few times and dropped it down the stairs but a few dusting and it’s good!] Talking to fellow bloggers, stalking fellow bloggers, pestering fellow bloggers, etc…

4. How did you gain more traffic to your site?

Yan: Easy. You wave a very shiny ARC in front of other YA bloggers. You lead them into a cage with your said shiny ARC. Then close it and lock it. If the competition is “unavailable” then you are the only one left. So that means you get the traffic. Problem solve. Key word is spread the word that you exist. Comment on other blogs, host giveaways or interviews, POST REVIEWS. If you mainly post about contests, like who’s giving away what, then many of us will not take you seriously. It might draw in some people but they will not stay long. Do not call yourself a “reviewer” if you do not review, and no, one or two reviews does not count. Basically befriend someone. I started out by just emailing people [Sharon and Carol!] and joined social networks and it escalated from there.

5. What are some advices you can give to fellow Bloggers?

Yan: Do not start your blog when you are in high school and a junior. This was the most awful decision I have ever made. Think about it, ACT, SAT, AP exams, evil teachers!, idiotic classmates! A social life, which I am sad to say has quite plummeted a bit [just don’t tell my friends that or they’ll drag me out of my house kicking and screaming]. I knew I should have started this when I was a sophomore…BE NICE! No one likes a snobby, greedy bastard, so good things will be awarded through good work. It will all work out if you are in it for the long haul.

Author guest blog:

Today we have the amazing Janette Rallison, author of Just One Wish, visiting us.

Enjoy!
_____________________________________

I admit that in a lot of ways my latest book, Just One Wish, is writing the story teens wish could happen—a girl goes to Hollywood to find a hot actor (Think Orlando Bloom, Robert Pattinson, or insert your own idol) to convince him to visit her sick brother before his surgery. I will not give away the plot, but I will say: romance follows.

I would have loved to do this (not the sick brother part, but the hot TV star part) when I was a teenager. I had a huge crush on Richard Hatch, the original Apollo in Battlestar Gallactica. I could wax nostalgic for quite a while about Richard Hatch, but I will spare you. Sigh . . . *Janette suddenly gets all dreamy* . . . Where was I again? Oh yes, writing the book Just One Wish.

The reviews for this book have been good, but a few of them have said in a dismissive manner, "Of course the idea that a girl could go to Hollywood, find the hot teen movie star, and have him fall for her is completely unbelievable."

Which always gives me pause for thought. Which part, I wonder is the most unbelievable--that she finds him or that he falls for her?

I actually researched this book by talking to a woman who used to be Harrison Ford's assistant. (She is now the assistant to another hot celebrity. What a cool job that would be! How come the career counselors in high school never mentioned this as a possibility?)

Did people sneak onto the sets? Oh yes. And she had some interesting stories about that too. Was it as easy as I made it sound in my book? Easier, actually. I made the main characters in my story have to work and rely on a bit of luck to get in, but that was because a) it made for a more suspenseful story and b) I didn't want to tell would be star-stalkers the easy way to sneak onto sets. It just didn't seem like I should be encouraging that sort of behavior.

Do movie stars ever fall for normal people? That we doubt this, says something about our society, don't you think? We somehow believe deep down that stars are not real people. They do not put their pants on one leg at a time, but simply stand in their room and wait for fairies to zap designer clothes onto their bodies.

I haven't done a survey but I imagine for every Brad and Angelina couple in Hollywood, there are famous people paired with normal people. For a while George Clooney's girlfriend was a woman he met when she waited on his table. Jonny Carson married a woman who he met walking on the beach--and by the way, she found out where he lived and purposely walked on the beach by his house in hopes of meeting him.

So go ahead and be cynical. I’m a romantic at heart and I think it’s all believable.

-Janette Rallison

http://www.janetterallison.com/
http://janette-rallison.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Jill for arranging this!

Newsletter 7 Part Two

Check out Garden of Books For Teens!

“Spring Breakup” by Stephanie Hale

Who would have thought that a nice, planned to be relaxing, spring vacation to Las Vegas could turn out so…well, bad. That’s what happens to Aspen in “Spring Breakup!” It all starts on the plain ride there when the airport loses her sparkly purple suitcase, now she hardly has any clothes. Soon enough though things go downhill when she gets food poisoning and Mrs. Illinois goes missing, and Aspen takes over her beauty pageant roll! Will Aspen be able to work out her troubles and still have a good time with her boyfriend and friends? Find out by reading “Spring Breakup” by Stephanie Hale!

“Willow” By Julie Hodan

When Willow’s parents die in a car accident while she is driving, her life shifts to a new degree of pain and sorrow. She cuts herself as an escape. However, when a boy discovers her secret and promises not to tell anyone, will more than just a helpful person come into the story? Or will Willow see a whole new path that she can take? Find out by reading “Willow!”

“Parties and Potions” by Sarah Mlynowski

Rachel and her sister Miri are teenage witches, living in a non witch world! They have to face the challenges of keeping their witch world a secret, or should they? They have to face that important question, she they tell their own Father? Should Rachel tell her best friend and her boyfriend? Can she really keep making excuses as to were she is? Rachel and Miri are living busy lives between preparing for the samsorta, going to witch and real school, and juggling their witch and non witch worl! Will they be able to do it?

“The Princess Plot” Review

Release date: May 1st, 2009

By Kirsten Boie

Jenna won a chance to be one of the starring roles in an upcoming movie about a princess! However, soon it seems like something might be wrong. She seems to resemble the real princess an awful lot and she learns about plans to use Jenna to rule the world, and that’s not for the movie. Will Jenna be able to get herself out of this mess?

Read By Carrie M.

Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

Meredith and Mallory Brynn are mirror twins born on either side of midnight one snowy New Y ear's Eve. They have always been inseparable. But after they are nearly killed in a mysterious fire on their thirteenth birthday, the bond that has always joined them unravels. They begin to have visions and dreams that reveal the deep secrets kept by the people around them. Meredith and Mallory realize they have each been given a gift: Mallory can see deep into the past; Meredith can see the future. But when they discover that one boy is not what they imagined, their lives will be changed forever. If they can survive . . .

Okay, so I have some mixed feelings about this one. I liked it; it kept me reading, but I didn't love it. When I read the first chapter I had high hopes. It had that folk-tale storytelling kind of feel going on and it felt almost like the first time I read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. This was no Practical Magic though.

I thought the idea behind the book was very interesting. Twins that see visions, but not the same type of visions. They each see a different side of the same event. It's a very interesting concept and I was intrigued enough to keep reading. I liked the character of the next door neighbor Drew almost more than I liked the girls though. He was much more likable and quite honestly easier to follow.

The book just seemed a little disjointed at times and often I found myself looking back to pick up a thread of the plot or to just try to figure out which twin was talking. It wasn't a bad read by any means, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. I'll probably still read the next book in the series just to see where she takes the storyline. Has anyone else read it? What did you think?

Newsletter 7 Part One

If you know someone who would like to receive this have them email Ashley at princessashley9@gmail.com.

• Ashley is putting this all together.
• Renee gave us some new releases!
• Renee’s Blog J
• Carrie M. gave us a book review.
• Stephanie W. interviewed Yan!
• RM spotlighted books!

Michelle's Reads has fantastic reviews.

UK Book: Numbers by Rachel Ward

From Amazon: Since her mother's death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else's, a number pops into her head - the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, Jem foresees a chain of events that will shatter their lives forever.

Numbers is a brilliant, fast-paced edgy thriller from UK publisher Chicken House. It has an original concept and realistic characters, along with one of the nicest book covers I've ever seen. I'd highly recommend it to fans of Kevin Brooks, who is one of the masters of gritty YA fiction. Also, look for a sequel sometime next year!

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New and Upcoming Books in the UK:

• Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen (out now)
• Wings by Aprilynne Pike (April 30th)
• The Poison Garden by Sarah Singleton (May 5th)
• Stolen by Lucy Christopher (May 4th)
• The Resistance by Gemma Malley (May 4th)

What everyone is reading:

• Ashley is reading Isabelle’s Boyfriend.
• Carrie is reading City of Ashes.
• Polo Pony is reading Lifting the Sky by Mackie D'Argie.
• PG is reading Wintergirls.
• Brooke is reading Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison.
• Paper Movies is reading Beautiful Boy.
• Stephanie is reading You are so Undead to Me.
• Vak is reading Wait Till Helen Comes.

Upcoming/New Releases:

• Gentlemen-Michael Northrop (4/15)
• Thirteenth Child-Patricia C. Wrede (4/15)
• A Map of the Known World -Lisa Ann Sandell (4/15)
• Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic-Suzanne Weyn (4/15)
• Breathing- Cheryl Renee Herbsman on (April 16th)
• Star Power: A Talent Novel by Zoey Dean (4/16)
• TMI by Sara Quigley (4/16)
• Because I Am Furniture-Thalia Chaltas (4/16)
• The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks (April 20th)
• Fragile Eternity- Melissa Marr (April 21st)
• Bad Girls Don't Die-Katie Alender (4/21)
• Why I Fight-J. Adams Oaks (4/21)
• A Kiss in Time- Alex Flinn (April 28th)
• The Awakening: Darkest Powers 2- Kelley Armstrong (April 28th)
• Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman (April 28th)
• Storm Glass- Maria V. Snyder (April 28th)

Blog Tip:

• Have a clear purpose with each post. Nobody wants a review mixed with an update, mixed with what to expect.

If you have any advice that you want here…. Email me! Princessashley9@gmail.com

Newsletter Statistics:

• We have 84 subscribers via email. We also have many blog subscribers.
• 14 of 24 people were unable to participate this time. We're getting better again. Yay!
  
• I would love to thank all of you who do such a fabulous job at getting things to me on time!

Comment from a reader: “The newsletter looks great.” ---Cheryl Renee Herbsman

Comment from a reader: “Yay! Great as ALWAYS! <3”--->