Cover Reveal - THE REAL THING, by Cassie Mae!

Hooray!  We have another cover reveal on the blog today!  If you haven't read anything by Cassie Mae yet, you're missing out :)  She's awesome.

The Real Thing 

By Cassie Mae

Publication: August 19, 2014 by Random House Flirt

What it's all about: 

Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world. 

 When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.

About the Author (who is gorgeous)

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestsellers REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND and HOW TO DATE A NERD, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and SWITCHED. She spends time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20805873-the-real-thing

Pre-order it now: http://www.amazon.com/Real-Thing-Flirt-Adult-Romance-ebook/dp/B00ILWZAV8/

Cover Reveal: THE SOUL HEALER, by Melissa Giorgio!

It's been two months since Gabi Harkins first learned of demons and the mysterious hunters who battle them.  After discovering a few unbelievable surprises about herself, she simply wants to settle into a normal routine that involves dating her boyfriend Rafe Fitzgerald, hanging out with her friends, and eating lots of dessert.  But when her peaceful life is destroyed by the ultimate of betrayals, Gabi must rely on her wits -- and a few new crazy friends -- to survive her hardest challenges yet.

The sequel to THE SIGHT SEER combines action, romance, and a healthy dose of humor as Gabi struggles to learn the truth about the secrets that surround her life.

Sounds awesome, right?  Make sure to add it on Goodreads!  And if you haven't read THE SIGHT SEER, here it is on Amazon.

Now about the wonderful author, Melissa Giorgio!

Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English.  She's always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl.  Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels.  When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan.

Guest Blog: Theresa Paolo - Finding Inspiration

I'm super excited to welcome author Theresa Paolo to the blog!  Her book (NEVER) AGAIN came out in October.  She's here today to talk a little bit about inspiration for the book, as well as inspiration in general.  Take it away, Theresa!

Thanks, for having me!

Inspiration is a large part of being a writer. It doesn’t just stop at that first spark of an idea either. It carries on throughout the entire time you’re working on a book. It can be triggered by almost anything, at least for me it can. A conversation, a news story, a sign on a tree, a song, anything. And when that moment hits, it is the best feeling. I can never get the idea down fast enough. I carry three notebooks with me at all times, but even though I’m prepared, most of my inspiration tends to hit when I’m in the shower. Why wouldn’t it?

The inspiration for (Never) Again was sparked by a news story. It was a tragedy, and I remember thinking not about the people who were involved in the event, but about the family members and friends who were watching it unfold, bit by torturous bit on TV and the radio. Little information was known, but for the people watching the TV and listening to the radio, it was enough to know that their lives may be changed forever.

I thought about their stories, and how they were going about their lives just like any other day when they received word of what was happening. My thoughts turned into a story and Liz was born. A girl who was not handling the fact that her ex boyfriend was back in town. Compared to the event she would watch unfold on TV her problems were absolutely ridiculous. But I wanted the story to be real. How many times have you had a bad day and you think it’s the end of the world? And how many times have you seen something that makes you realize your problems are miniscule? That’s where the idea came together.

A few scenes in the book were inspired by things my Dad has said. He’d be happy to know I’m giving him credit. The inspiration for Zach’s grandmother came from a coworker who was going through a similar situation. And the first scene where Liz dives into the bathroom to avoid Zach is actually inspired by my own personal experience of dodging an ex.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. You just have to open yourself up to it.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Theresa!  Make sure to check out (NEVER) AGAIN on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

"Writers betray people."

Last week, I had the honor of meeting Justin Torres, the bestselling author of WE THE ANIMALS.  If you haven't read it, you're missing out.  In short, it's a haunting coming-of-age story about family, betrayal, and sexuality that packs one hell of a punch in a whopping 125 pages.

The book.

The signed book.  It's OK to be jealous.

Though WE THE ANIMALS is fiction, Torres admits that it's thematically autobiographical.  Hence, one of the most interesting conversations we had involved his family's reaction to the book.  He said it was tough.  When the book was first coming out, he spent a lot of time worried about what they'd think when they recognized themselves in the characters.

"Writers betray people," he said.

As someone who frequently writes from personal experience, that comment really stuck with me.  He went on to say that he doesn't know if it's right.  If it's worth it.

At any rate, it got me thinking.

P.S.  Justin Torres disapproves of the blogosphere.  Oh well :)

(left to right) Me with phenomenal writers Tom Chester, Noa Nir, Meagan Smith, and Justin Torres

(NEVER) AGAIN Bloghop

Today we're celebrating the release of Theresa Paolo's (NEVER) AGAIN, a contemporary young adult romance.  Check out Theresa's blog and find (NEVER) AGAIN on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

In honor of (NEVER) AGAIN, I'm going to talk about what I've sworn never to do again, only to break the promise to myself.  What is it?  Straighten my hair.

I have hair that I like to call the Bellatrix Lestrange look:  it's curly and crazy, just like hers, and if I dare to brush out the curls, I get a lion's mane of a mess.  So I frequently attempt to tame it with a straightener.  However, every single time I do it, I tell myself that it's the last time.  Why?

Several reasons.  For one, it's not good for my hair.  I have problematic hair to begin with--thin, frizzy, fragile.  Then there's the fact that my hair just does't look all that good when I straighten it.  Sometimes it does--if someone else does it.  But when I do it, I'm impatient, and usually, it just looks stringy, almost matted, and it loses its luster.  But I keep doing it anyway.  I get frustrated with the curls and, as though to punish my hair for misbehavior, I press it between two burning plates till it's so hot I can't touch it.  Yeah, not good.

I've done it to punish my curls.  I've also done it for boys who've said they prefer my hair straight.  (The wo  Now, looking back, I shouldn't have cared what they thought.  I prefer my hair curly, and that's what matters.  So, never again will I straighten my hair.

Yeah, right.

Me and my curly hair!

October Book Recommendation

Personally, October is my favorite month.  We've finally hit Fall, which means bonfires, hayrides, s'mores, and all the wonderful spooks that come out of hiding.  It's also great time to brew a mug of hot cocoa and sit outside with a good book!

For a good October/Halloween read, I recommend THIS DARK ENDEAVOR, by Kenneth Oppel.

The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions. 

In this prequel to Mary Shelley's gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor's twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and best friend Henry on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn. 

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love - and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Ever since reading the Matt Cruse series, Kenneth Oppel has been one of my favorite authors.  THIS DARK ENDEAVOR doesn't disappoint.  It's a page-turner that makes the Frankenstein story a lot of fun, yet doesn't lose any of its signature darkness.  Even if you're not a Frankenstein fan, I highly recommend it!

Find it here on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.

THE SIGHT SEER, by Melissa Giorgio - On Sale Now!

Everyone should hurry over to Amazon to buy the wonderful Melissa Giorgio's book, THE SIGHT SEER.  Here's the blurb:

Gabi Harkins likes to think she’s a pretty normal sixteen-year-old. She goes to school, suffers though an awful part-time job, and deals with a bratty younger sister. But when a potential shoplifter morphs into a monster right in front of her, Gabi realizes her life is far from normal—especially when that monster follows her home and ends up battling a boy wielding a sword in her backyard.

That boy, Rafe Fitzgerald, is a member of Silver Moon, an organization devoted to eradicating demons before they kill humans.  If this little bit of news isn't earth-shattering enough, Rafe reveals that he needs Gabi's help.  As strong as Rafe is, he does not possess the Sight--a rare ability that allows a hunter to See through a demon's glamour, enabling them to strike before the demon does.  But guess who does?

While Gabi is reluctant to face another demon, she knows she owes Rafe big time for saving her.  Together, they're thrown headfirst into heart-stopping situations as they battle newer and more frightening demons.  When she starts to fall for Rafe, Gabi knows her normal life is gone forever.