PRESS PLAY cover reveal!!!

I'm so excited to be a part of the COVER REVEAL for the forthcoming release from such an amazing author. Eric Devine writes with such undisguised honesty. His books are refreshing and so different from everything else on the shelves right now. And I love things that stand out.

About Eric Devine:

Eric Devine is the author of multiple works of Young Adult fiction, most recently Dare Me. He is also a veteran high school English teacher, where he spends as much time teaching as he does completing field research for his novels. His work has been listed by YALSA and Booklist for reluctant readers and for Best in Sports. He and his wife have two wonderful daughters and two not-so-wonderful Labradors. Eric’s next novel, Press Play, will be released 10/28, and he is currently working on two novels. Find out more at his blog, his Facebook fan page, or Twitter: @eric_devine


The first two chapters of his forthcoming novel, Press Play, are available on Amazon FOR FREE along with several excerpts of 'over the top' new titles. Download Book Buzz 2014 Young Adult edition at Amazon today!

Curious about Press Play?? Here's the blurb:

Does the truth really set you free? Pound by sweaty pound, Greg Dunsmore’s plan is working. Greg is steadily losing weight while gaining the material he needs to make the documentary that will get him into film school and away from the constant jeers of “Dun the Ton.”But when Greg captures footage of brutal and bloody hazing by his town’s championship-winning lacrosse team, he knows he has evidence that could damage as much as it could save. And if the harm is to himself and his future, is revealing the truth worth the cost? With unflinching honesty, author Eric Devine explores the debatable truths and consequences of the choices we make to get through each day intact.

Click here to see the intensely awesome cover for Press Play. 

You can enter to win a plethora of prizes such as:

A signed copy of Bethany Crandell's novel, Summer on the Short Bus, and a swag pack with bookmark and pin.

 

 An awesome 18x24” Unhinged poster, as well as a Splintered series swag pack.    

 An e-copy of Lisa Ann O'Kane's debut, Essence and some sweet swag pins.          

  A signed copy of A. Lynden Rolland's debut, Of Breakable Things and her swag pins and bookmark.


A signed copy of the horror anthology, Amanda’s Recurring A Nightmares, in which the incredible Justin Holley's short story, “Wildflower” is featured.                          

    

Again, click here to see the COVER and to enter to win one of these cool prizes!

YA Valentines Cover Reveal (part one)

2013 is halfway over, which means exciting times for 2014's debut authors! If you haven't already checked out the fun over at the YA Valentines clubhouse, you're missing out on GIVEAWAYS (yes, free stuff!!!), interviews, cupid's arrows, poems, videos, and cover reveals.

*record screeches to a stop*

Yes, that was cover reveals... plural.

It is my pleasure...

...to show you

...the amazing new cover for the lovely Sara B. Larson's debut novel, DEFY! (You can get your hands on an actual copy this January!!)

Here's a bit about DEFY:

In the novel, the fiercest member of a prince's elite guard is actually a girl disguised as a boy, who gets embroiled in a deadly game of thrones while keeping her secret, and realizes she has far deeper feelings for the prince than she thought.

I know. Amazing, right??? And so, without further ado...


*Drum roll please*

Isn't it gorgeous???

So excited! Come on '14!

Check out DEFY on Goodreads!

Click here to send Sara B. Larson a tweet, and let her know how much you love it!

The Next Best Thing Blog Hop

It's The Next Best Thing Blog Hop, and I've been tagged! Thank you, Phil Siegel, my fellow YA Valentine, whose YA debut, THE BREAK-UP ARTIST, will be released May 2014 by Harlequin Teen!



My turn:

1. What is the working title of your book?

OF BREAKABLE THINGS

2. Where did the idea come from?

I dug deep on this one because I don't think I've ever truly answered this question. Usually, I just tell the story about my sleep-hating son who forced me to make up stories while I incessantly rocked him. But that doesn't really explain how the idea came to me, does it?

There are so many things in my life I can't control- the weather, sickness, tragedy. Having children makes this fear all the more daunting. But when I'm writing, I control the world. I control everything. So what was the most powerful thing I could tackle? Death, I guess.

OBT is a nonconventional 'life after death' story. The main character is broken in more ways than one. But, I could invent a world where she could be fixed both mentally and physically. Fixed, and then some.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

YA paranormal

4. What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

For Alex Ash, give me Twiggy (Lesley Lawson) at 17.

The boys? They are whoever you would like for them to be:

...although I can't deny there is a hint of Chace Crawford in their genetics. It's in the smile.

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

A girl meets death with opens arms in order to find her lost love, only to find her lost history and hidden strength along the way.

6. Is your book self published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Of Breakable Things will be published spring 2014 by Month9Books.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Originally, I didn't write Of Breakable Things to be published; I wrote it to get the story out of my head. I only worked on it maybe once or twice a week if I had time. So, I wrote for about a year until the entire 800 pages left me alone. Needless to say, once I decided to take a stab at submission, I needed to take a (few hundred) stabs at the word count.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Let's be difficult and go with authors instead. Mix in a little Victoria Schwab with a dash of Sarah Dessen, and a sprinkle of Madeleine L'Engle.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

See questions 2 and 7.

10. What else about your book might pique the readers interest?

Without body, Alex is left with mind and spirit. And without the boundaries of a physical shell, her mind can produce some radical things. Emotions inhabit everything from air to objects to words, and Alex can't see (or understand) many aspects of the world until she knows to look for them. In a world the mind can manipulate, it is difficult to understand reality, but Alex learns that love can withstand the cracks, and perspective might be the most breakable thing of all.

I'm tagging Bethany Crandell, the fabulous writer of the upcoming debut, SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS! My sister in agently crime, OneFour KidLit, and YA Valentines!

And I'm also going to tag my fellow Month9Books author, Vanessa Barger, whose debut YA, A WHISPERED DARKNESS, will be published in spring 2014! Here's her author page!

YA Valentines

Confessions of a bookaholic: My prediction is that in 2014, I will need to file for bankruptcy. The cause? The ridiculously insane amount of money I will spend on the new titles being released.

To cope, I can turn my worrisome head in the direction of some embarrassing dares, interviews, book chats, and other shenanigans involving bookishly nerdy love. I'm talking about this hilarious, little group of debut writers: the YA Valentines!

2014... 2/14... all sorts of adorable. Head over to check out the website, and if you're feeling especially vicious this morning, shoot a "cupid's arrow".  You want to know what that is??? Click on the link!
Spoiler Alert: There are already two arrows posted, and they involve singing, mermaids, rapping, and cookies. No, I didn't make that up.

There have also been some totally fab interviews, so if you haven't already clicked out of my lame little blog to check it out, do it now!

Oh, but just in case you're still here :) Today, there's a cover rave involving yours truly!

Happy Tuesday!

Interview with author Lisa M. Basso

MONTH9BOOKS ANNOUNCES A SHIMMER OF ANGELS: THE PERFECT MIX OF REAL LIFE, PSYCHIATRY and FANTASY in a YA NOVEL

Psychiatry, fantasy and real life come together in A Shimmer of Angels, as a young girl struggles with identity, secrets, and confronting her greatest fears. A Shimmer of Angels is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, or perhaps has felt like giving up entirely. It touches on themes of suicide, ostracism and emotional pain. The author, personally exposed to suicide through the death of a beloved family member, will donate a percentage of sales of this novel to a suicide prevention and outreach program in San Francisco, California.

ALR: Lisa, thank you so much for being here! I imagine you were anticipating 2013 and the release of your debut novel! Did you make a New Year's resolution?

LMB: I'm usually not one for New Year's resolutions, so I didn't make one this year, but I did make a promise to myself this year. Work harder. Last year I spent a lot of time working, taking my writing to the next level, but I also spent a lot of time trying to find a balance between work and personal. This year I had a new challenge. Get as much done as I can. So far this year, I've worked on two blog tours, lived through the release of my first book, A SHIMMER OF ANGELS, and turned the second book in the Angel Sight trilogy in to my editor for revisions. So now I'm working on plotting the third and final book in the series. Not bad since it's only February.


ALR: Busy lady! A lot of people, myself included, were anticipating this release. Can you tell us a bit about the book?

LMB: A SHIMMER OF ANGELS is about sixteen-year-old Rayna who has been plagued with seeing men with wings, lost in a non-stop rotating door of therapists and mental hospitals, for several years, until her family moves to San Francisco and the sightings stop. Three months later, when Ray is just getting comfortable in her new life, she sees a set of wings on a new boy in her class on the same day one of her classmates turns up dead. Now Ray has to decide if she's willing to risk her sanity and her normal life to find out more about this boy and if he had anything to do with the death at her school.

ALR: I'm crazy about  stories that deal a bit with psychosis (pun completely intended). I don't want you to give away too many details, but when readers flip to the final page of your novel, what do you want them to feel?

LMB: After that last page, I'm hoping the readers feel the weight of what's happened to Rayna and everyone in her life. I don't want the readers to be sad by any means, but I do hope they are curious and wary and optimistic for what may happen in book two, because I sure have more up my sleeve. Cue evil laugh.


ALR: Ahem, I just have to say here...

So... are you Team Cam or Team Kade?

LMB: Aah! That's such a tough question. I'll wuss out and say I'm Team Rayna :)


ALR: A SLITHER OF HOPE, Book 2 in the ANGEL SIGHT series, will be available from Month9Books in February 2014! So, you are reliving the publication process all over again. What was your favorite part the first time around?

LMB: So far, I've enjoyed every part of the publication process. Yes, even the many rounds of revisions and rewrites. Maybe seeing the finalized cover for the first time. Since the cover is just as important as the back cover copy, it was a really big deal to me and my publisher that we get it right. And let me tell you, they got it so right. Ten minutes after I saw it, every computer in my house had the cover for A SHIMMER OF ANGELS up on the desktop. 


ALR: Writing a novel is an arduous process. Who or what inspires you?

LMB: My mom is a huge inspiration to me. She's always been the dedicated, hard-working type. While staying focused on her job and family, she also makes time for her friends and co-workers. She has the biggest heart and is the smartest, strongest woman I know.

Okay! Time for some random quick-pick responses:

 

ALR: What would you do if you won the lottery?

LMB: This would be fan-flippin'-tastic! I would quit my day job, but never writing, and travel, setting novels in all the places I've been.

ALR: If your life was a song, which one would it be?

LMB: Be Yourself by Audioslave. It isn't my favorite song in the world, but I love the message. As a teenager it took me a long time to find myself and be comfortable being who I really am. I use this song to remind me to be true to myself always.

ALR: If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

LMB: Teleportation. I hate flying with a capital H. But I love to travel. Thus, teleportation would be wonderful. Anyone offering it up as a possibility? No...well, not yet at least. Who knows, the future could be filled with anything.

ALR: If you could go back in time, where/when would you go?

LMB: I'd go back about twenty years and spend more time with my brother. He passed away when I was young and even another minute with him would last a lifetime in my mind.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Goodreads A SHIMMER OF ANGELS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13572197-a-shimmer-of-angels


Author of THE IRON WITCH, Karen Mahoney, says, “A SHIMMER OF ANGELS has a courageous heroine who finds herself in the middle of two gorgeous angels, a fascinating world, and a story that builds to an exciting climax - I'll be looking forward to more from Lisa M. Basso!"

ABOUT LISA M. BASSO

Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B. Lisa M. Basso is available for quotes, signings, video or podcast appearances, and all opportunities relative to A SHIMMER OF ANGELS.

Visit Lisa online at:


Goodreads Lisa M. Basso: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3201662.Lisa_M_Basso
Lisa M. Basso Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lisa-M-Basso/340213186037936?fref=ts
Lisa M. Basso Twitter: http://twitter.com/LisaMBasso
Lisa M. Basso Website: http://lisa-basso.blogspot.com/

 

 
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ABOUT MONTH9BOOKS:

Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually. A SHIMMER OF ANGELS is Month9Books’s first Young Adult release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information.
 

VISIT MONTH9BOOKS ONLINE:

Goodreads Month9Books: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/67761-month9books
Month9Books Blogger Central: http://month9booksblog.com/?page_id=477
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Month9Books Publishing Website: http://www.Month9Books.com