Cover Reveal and Giveaway: ETERNAL (Winterhaven #3) by Kristi Cook

It's time for the much anticipated cover reveal to 
Winterhaven's third and final book to the series, Eternal!!! 

Eternal
Winterhaven #3
by Kristi Cook


SUMMARY

THERE’S NO HIDING FROM DESTINY…

In the final book of the Winterhaven trilogy, Violet McKenna and her friends find themselves right in the middle of a vampire war. The stakes have been raised, the danger unavoidable now. As the Warriors’ senior year draws to a close, not everyone makes it out alive. Who will be left standing at the end of it all? Will Aidan be a part of Violet’s future, or is he just a specter of the past?











ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Kristi Cook

YA author Kristi Cook is a transplanted southern gal who lives in New York City with her husband and two kids. Her YA debut, HAVEN, was released in Feb. 2011 by Simon Pulse.

Website, GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter,

US ONLY

Must be 13 or older to enter

Winner has 48 hours to respond to email claiming their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Enter via Rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover reveal & giveaway for:

http://gcrpromotions.blogspot.com/

A "Buzz-Worthy" Review: HOOKED by Liz Fichera

Hooked

by Liz Fichera

Expected release date: January 31st, 2013

Published by: Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary

Format read: eARC

SUMMARY 

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done. 

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.

But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED.

BOOK TRAILER - Hooked by Liz Fichera

MY REVIEW

I never thought that I would fall for a girl named Fred; but I did, I really did...

Liz Fichera puts it all out there in Hooked - bullying, inequality, racism, addictions, the test of relationships, loyalty and love. I love when an author can be completely honest with her characters and their situations. Makes the characters stronger, believable and memorable. Both main characters are teens that are raw and definitely not perfect by making some bad mistakes and, sometimes, learning from those mistakes.

Fred is a Native American girl who loves to play golf. Golf is a lifeline for Fred, not only does she enjoy and excel at it, but it also helps distract her from the stresses in her life. Her family lives on the reservation; her father works as the groundskeeper at the local golf course and her mother is an alcoholic who tries to help make ends meet as a waitress at an upscale restaurant. Life is not easy for Fred, especially at school, surrounded by 'rich white kids' who tease and bully her because of her heritage.
So when the high school golf coach asks Fred to be on their all-boy team, it is no surprise when Fred hesitates and almost says no. It is no surprise when her teammates ignore her and the whispers and teasing from her classmates get worse. Fred remains quiet and does what she knows best, golf.

Ryan, the school's golden-boy-golf-star, really took me by surprise. His best friend, Seth, was kicked-off the golf team for more than one reason and Ryan was just as angry about the decision and changes. When Seth went overboard to bully and hurt Fred, I thought that Ryan would step up and be the good guy, the typical 'knight in shining armor' - and I was so wrong to assume. He was anything but that. Peer pressure influenced Ryan's decisions so many times. Even though as time went along and he was getting to know more about Fred, like her, help her. When the real stuff would happen, he would give in to his peers and pull away. This made me so angry. But, as difficult as it was, I understood where Ryan was coming from - and he needed to go through the things that he went through with Fred in order to become the person that he did in the end. Just like Fred.

I really liked how the story was told from both Fred's and Ryan's point-of-views; being able to see exactly what they were thinking and going through made me understand their differences and choices which was definitely needed for this book.

I am very much looking forward to Hooked's companion novel,
Played, which is to hopefully be released in 2014! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Liz Fichera

Liz is an author living in the American Southwest by way of Chicago. 

Her YA debut HOOKED releases in January 2013 from HarlequinTEEN. 

Its companion, PLAYED, releases in 2014.

Official Website, Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube 

Waiting On Wednesday #45: Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine. 

This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night and, quite possibly, to make our shelves look all pretty too :)

What I'm waiting on... 

Ashes on the Waves

by Mary Lindsey

Expected release date: June 27th, 2013

Published by: Penguin

Genre: Young Adult

SUMMARY

Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make a wager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem Annabel Lee, Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love.

Why I'm waiting on 'Ashes on the Waves'...

It's a gothic novel about true love!

It's based on an Edgar Allan Poe poem!

(Which I need to re-read asap to refresh my memory!!!)

"Can the bonds of true love ever be severed?"

Can't. Wait.

What are you waiting for???

SPECIAL EDITION {Black and White} COVER REVEAL and Guest Post for WHILE HE WAS AWAY by Karen Schreck

I am SOOO excited to share this cover reveal with all of you today!!!
A NEW black and white exclusive cover from Sourcebooks Fire for...
WHILE HE WAS AWAY

And one of the most endearing and heartfelt guest posts I have ever read by an author...
Karen Schreck

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

How Inspiration Can Come From Anywhere:

Even a Trip to the Grocery Store

and a Handful of Long-Lost Photographs

By Karen Schreck

  

I sometimes wonder what my mother would say if she knew that her story—one of the saddest, sweetest love stories I’ve ever heard—was retold in a new way in my young adult novel, While He Was Away.

Now Sourcebooks Fire is sharing the story yet again, in a second, exclusive edition, released nation-wide at Walmart.  The fact that Sourcebooks believed enough in While He Was Away to bring it to life the first time felt like a much-needed confirmation of years of hard work.  The fact that they are standing behind my book again in this way . . . well, it feels like a miracle.  I’m truly grateful.

I wonder what my mother would say to this incredible news? I like to think she would be grateful too.  I like to think she would be happy.  She wanted her story heard after all.  So much so that it was one of the last things she told me, just before she died.

One rainy night when I was fourteen, right before cancer left her too ill to talk, let alone drive a car, my mother said, “Come with me.  We’re going shopping.”  We drove to the little local market and wandered up and down the aisles, as she threw in a can of tuna, some dishwashing soap, and other little things we didn’t need.  We paid for these little things.  She looked anxious and tired, still she hadn’t said a thing; we hadn’t spoken a word.

It was only when we were parked in our driveway again that my mother said, “I was married once before when I was very young.  He died a hero in WWII.”

And that was that.  Soon after, she died.

I thought about my mother’s mysterious love story for many years.  I talked to relatives, found long-lost photographs.  The story took seed in me.  It flowered into a novel about a young women whose boyfriend leaves for the Iraq War.  In her loneliness, she seeks out a grandmother she’s never met, whose first husband died in WWII.  She seeks out a character inspired by mother.

A late night drive, a few words spoken in the dark.  Even things as simple as this can inspire a novel.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

While He Was Away Walmart-Exclusive Cover Reveal

This new cover took my breath away!
If you know me at all, you know that I have a 'thing' for black/white covers with just a touch of a color - especially when that color is PINK!
Isn't it stunning?! I loved the original paperback cover, but this one is definitely a must have too!
I really like how they kept the same theme and the font too...

What do you think??? 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

While He Was Away
by Karen Schreck
Original release date: May 1st, 2012
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary - Romance

Original Paperback Cover

SUMMARY

One year - he'll be gone for one year and then we'll be together again and everything will be back to the way it should be.

The day David left, I felt like my heart was breaking. Sure, any long-distance relationship is tough, but David was going to war - to fight, to protect, to put his life in danger. We can get through this, though. We'll talk, we'll email, we won't let anything come between us.

I can be an army girlfriend for one year. But will my sweet, soulful, funny David be the same person when he comes home? Will I? And what if he doesn't come home at all?...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Karen Schreck

Karen Schreck is the author of the young adult novel WHILE HE WAS AWAY (Sourcebooks Fire, May 2012), as well as the novel DREAM JOURNAL, which was a 2006 Young Adult BookSense Pick, and the award-winning children's book, LUCY'S FAMILY TREE. The recipient of a Pushcart Prize and an Illinois State Arts Council Grant, Karen received her doctorate in English and Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She writes and teaches for a living, and she loves visiting schools and other gatherings of readers and writers to talk about her books the writing process.

Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter 

Clayton Falls Blog Tour: Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy (Review & Giveaway)

Good morning! I am so excited to be on the Clayton Falls Blog Tour today!
Please be sure to check out the blog tour schedule on Xpresso Tours from more reviews and info! 

Derailed

Clayton Falls #1

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Release date: September 23rd, 2012

Published by: CreateSpace

Genre: New Adult - Romance 

Format read: eBook

SUMMARY

When you're lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home.

Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind.

Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible.

BOOK TRAILER - Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Derailed is FREE on Amazon until the end of this blog tour!!!

MY REVIEW

Derailed is a story about a girl who is trying to mend her broken heart by learning how to forgive, not only others but herself too. A journey to trust in herself and that it is okay to give love a second chance.

Molly has hit rock bottom - she's been going through the motions for a long time and she's finally realized that she can no longer go on this way. She drops out of law school, and having no other place to go, she decides to go back to her hometown for a while to hopefully bury her feelings and figure out what she's going to do with the rest of her life. 

But before she even gets to Clayton Falls, we already know, it is definitely not going to be easy hiding out in a small town where everybody knows everyone's business before anyone else does. Especially when no one knows why she's left school and the true story as to what happened to her fiance. 

Throw in a bad break-up with her childhood sweetheart and other ghosts from her past - Molly's need to keep a low profile and out of the town's gossip is impossible to fathom. 

Molly is heartbroken in so many ways - I found it hard to relate to her, she blamed herself for everything that had happened to her fiance and her father. And I felt that she completely over-reacted to what happened with her ex-sweetheart; but she was 17 when that happened, and I have to admit, at that age, I know I wasn't one to be so reasonable or easily to forgave people over things that meant the world to me... but I was able to sympathize and feel her sadness and guilt. She wanted to be independent, protect herself from everyone - but in her situation, I knew that it wouldn't last that long. Especially after her first run-in with her old beau, Ben. Some feelings run deeper than you realize and it takes a strong, loving person to help you realize that. 

Some would say that there is a love-triangle that happens in this story, and I am going to disagree. Yes, there's another guy who is introduced and tries to force himself into Molly's life - and I have to say, he was so arrogant and pompous, I truly disliked him from the start. But, and I won't be spoiling anything by saying this because right from the start there is no denying that this guy gives no competition with what Molly is going through nor her "non-relationship" Ben. 

There are some secondary characters that are quite memorable, fun and at times hilarious - I adored Ronny the most! There's always that one person in the group that is always happy and their happiness is so contagious that you can't help but smile when you're around them. Kelly, Molly's childhood best friend - I really loved their relationship; it's one of those where even if you don't talk to each other for months on end, you always pick up right where you left off without a second thought. 

 Alyssa Rose Ivy has written a wonderful contemporary story that I highly recommend to all who love romance, second chances and swoon-worthy guys...

Book 2, Veer by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Release date: November 29th, 2012

SUMMARY

Only when you let go can you learn to live.

Between the death of her mother and pushing through law school without her best friend, it's been a tough year for Becca. Needing a break from Boston, she moves to a tiny coastal North Carolina town for a relaxing summer. After bumping heads repeatedly with a local cop, she realizes her summer will be anything but quiet.

Three years after a career ending injury ruins his chance to play Major League Baseball, Gavin has a distrust of northerners and lately girls in general. He wants nothing to do with a girl who is only in town for the summer.

When the two give in to their impossible attraction, they realize that they may just have found the key to freeing themselves from the ghosts of their pasts.

Book 3, Wrecked by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Release date: 2013

SUMMARY

When your past catches up, it's time to stop running.

Jake Mathews messed up yet again— but this time his misstep lands him in the hospital. He wakes up to find the girl of his dreams and the memory of having his deepest secret revealed.

Emily Taylor needs a break. She's been working double shifts as a nurse just to pay the bills while trying to heal a broken heart. The last thing she needs is to fall for a patient. 

Strapped with community service and the knowledge that he's disappointed everyone in his life, Jake is determined not to let Emily slip through his fingers. Emily wants Jake, but can she really open herself up to heartache again?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Alyssa Rose Ivy

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. 
After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter


GIVEAWAY
- Must be 18 years old and older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A blog tour and review for:

http://www.xpressobooktours.com

Beehive Book News #35: The "Running Out of Room" Edition

Good morning my little bookworms :) 

I hope you had a fabulous week in books too! 

Everyone here finally seems to be on the mend - germs be gone!!! 

Getting things ready for some really good book stuff for the next 2 weeks!

Be sure to keep stop back when you can to have a peek :) 

What happened on the blog last week...
- Review: Blaze by Laurie Boyle Crompton (YA)
- Guest Post: "Comic Book Cool" by Laurie Boyle Crompton AND a sneak peek of "Blaze's artwork" by Anne Cain
- Waiting On Wednesday #44: Unremembered by Jessica Brody (YA)
- Cover Reveal Teaser: Eternal (Winterhaven #3) by Kristi Cook (YA)
- Friday Reads #10

I'm linking up to: Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, Showcase Sunday,  
and In My Mailbox :)

What I purchased...
- Shadows (Lux Novella #0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (YA)
- Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (YA)
- Elixir, A Covenant Novella #3.5 by Jennifer L. Armentrout (YA)
- Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs by Donald J. Sobol (MG)
- Bad Kitty School Daze by Nick Bruel (MG)
- Balloon Toons: Baxter The Tweeting Dog by Doreen Marts (Children/MG)
- Monstrous Stories #1: Night of the Zombie Goldfish by Dr. Roach (MG)
- Monstrous Stories #2: Attack of the Giant Hamster by Dr, Roach (MG)
- Monstrous Stories #3: Frogosaurus vs. The Bog Monster by Dr. Roach (MG)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Green Team! by Christy Webster (Children)
- Lonely Souls (Witch Avenue Series #1) by Karice Bolton (YA eBook) <--- Kindle Freebie!
- The Paparzzi Project by Kristina Springer (YA eBook)

My Elizabeth Scott giveaway un-boxing :)
- Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
- As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
- Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
- Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
- On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
- Undeadly (The Reaper Diaries #1) by Michele Vail
- Speechless by Hannah Harrington
- Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins
- Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) by Michelle Rowen
- Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
- Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
- Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
- Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
- One Hundred Candles (Past Midnight #2) by Mara Purnhagen
- Beyond the Grave (Past Midnight #3) by Mara Purnhagen
- The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chornicles #1) by Kady Cross
- The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross

- The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa
- The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa
- The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa
- The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa
- The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Mentions and THANK YOU's...
- Elizabeth Scott, author of Miracle, As I Wake, Stealing Heaven and more! (YA)

What's happening on the blog next week...
Sunday: Book Confessions #2
Monday: Blog Tour (review) for Derailed (Clayton Falls Series #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Tuesday: Review for Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Byrnes (YA)
Wednesday: Waiting On Wednesday #45
Thursday: Review for Christopher Sat Straight Up in Bed by Kathy Long (Children)
Friday: Novella Review on Neverfall by Brodi Ashton AND Friday Reads #11

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

The Bad Book Swap Club

For all those 'bad books' you don't like or want to keep, 

here's where you can go to swap those bad-boys out :) 

Click for more info!!! 

Thanks SO much for stopping by today :)
Please leave your comments and links below!!!

Happy reading!!! xo

My #FridayReads {hash}Tag #10

Happy TGIF!!! 

It's time for Friday Reads!!!

#FridayReads is a hashtag that explodes on Twitter every Friday, 

and Bunny of Reading It brought it over to YouTube and blog world :)

And you can view Bunny's video here!

Here are my reads for today {this weekend}...

- Cinder by Marissa Meyer (YA)

- Derailed (Clayton Falls #1) Alyssa Rose Ivy (NA)

- Austensibly Ordinary by Alyssa Goodnight (YA) 

And in case you're interested, here's the link to the 

Cinder Read-Along!!!

Thanks for stopping by today :)

SOOO, what will you be reading {this weekend}??? 

COMING SOON: The COVER REVEAL to ETERNAL (Winterhaven #3) by Kristi Cook

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! 

The highly anticipated cover to 

the third book of the Winterhaven Series is going to be revealed on 

Thursday, January 31st, 2013 EST!!!

See you then :) 

Waiting On Wednesday #44: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine. 

This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night and, quite possibly, to make our shelves look all pretty too :)

What I'm waiting on... 

Unremembered

by Jessica Brody

Expected release date: March 5th, 2013

Published by: Macmillan (Farrar, Straus & Giroux - BYR)

Genre: Young Adult - Mystery and Romance

SUMMARY

The only thing worse than forgetting her past... is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author, Jessica Brody comes a mesmerizing and suspenseful new series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

Why I'm waiting on "Unremembered"...

There has been plenty of 'amnesia' type stories before, BUT...
Seraphina is different.
Her fingerprints and DNA are unfounded.
She is 'plagued be an ability she doesn't understand'.
Why is she running out of time to figure out who she is? What is the threat?
And why are there people who keep trying to make her forget things???
And of course: the alluring boy who knows and loves her but might not be trustworthy.

Actually, I was sold on the fact that the main characters name is Seraphina;
if she is not in the system and she doesn't know who she is or where she came from,
how does she know her own name? lol

SO many good things in this summary!
I am really looking forward to reading this one soon!

SO, what are you waiting for this week??? 
Please share :) 

#GeekGrlzRevenge Blog Tour: Blaze by Laurie Boyle Crompton (Guest Post and Illustration Sneak Peek)

Good-morning, book nerds :)
I am SO excited to be a part of the #GeekGrlzRevenge Blog Tour today!!!
Laurie Boyle Crompton, debut author to the soon-to-be released Blaze, has stopped by today with an awesome guest post about why the main character, Blaze, is "Comic Book Cool"...
ALSO, please scroll down to get a peek at some of the art that you will find in the book too!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Why My Character is... “Comic Book Cool”
by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Blaze’s character showed up in my mind like Blam! Pow! “Tell my story!” 
She’s really into comics and is sort of stuck in her life as an outsider, but she isn't ashamed of being a geek. She displays her superhero buttons proudly and is constantly drawing and reading comics. I couldn't wait to write about her. Of course, working on a project where studying comic books counted as research was a bonus!
My step-father has this Ah-mazing! collection much like the one Blaze’s dad has in the book and I remember staying up late at night reading through stacks of them as a kid. I would try to tell my friends about these awesome characters like the Silver Surfer and Iron Man, and I’d even try to imitate Thor’s Norse God way of speaking. This was before the movies made these guys more mainstream and I was definitely on the fringe with my obsession, but when I’d find another comic book nerd we had an instant bond.
As I was writing, Blaze surprised me when she fought back against Mark the way she did and I knew at that point I could just allow her character to take over. Of course things don’t go as she plans, but no matter what tight spots she finds herself in, she uses comic books to guide and empower her. Readers who aren't into comic books will definitely still enjoy Blaze, but my hope is that she will inspire them to check out comics for themselves, too!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Blaze

(or Love in the Time of Supervillains)

by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Expected release date: February 1st, 2013

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Young Adult 

SUMMARY

Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. 

And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. 

After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. 

Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. 

That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now.

You can see my review of BLAZE right here!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Here's a sneak peek of the illustrations that you can expect to see in BLAZE!!!

I am very pleased to introduce you to... Blazing Goddess!!!
Blaze's alter-ego comic book superhero :)

© 2012 Anne Cain

See more sneak peeks of the amazing illustrations by Anne Cain in this video where the author, Laurie, un-boxes her first box of author copies :) 

I am SO looking forward to getting a finished copy and seeing all of the illustrations in Blaze!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Laurie Boyle Crompton

Find out more about Laurie on her website right here!

Official Website, Goodreads, Blog, Facebook, Twitter 

A "Buzz-Worthy" Review: Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains) by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Blaze

(or Love in the Time of Supervillains)

by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Expected release date: February 1st, 2013

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Young Adult

SUMMARY

Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. 

And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. 

After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. 

Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. 

That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now.

MY REVIEW

Simple, yet riveting, Blaze should be on everyone's to-be-read piles and wishlists! Laurie Boyle Crompton has written an amazing debut full of teen angst, girl-power and geek fandom!

Blaze is a 17-year-old comic-book-geek girly-girl who is smart, snark-y and has a huge heart. Her father has taken off to NYC to pursue his acting career which has left her mother a bit bitter and overworked, so Blaze has had to step-up, pitch-in and play "soccer mom" to her 13-year-old brother and his friends. Since most of her free time is taken up by her brother's soccer practices and games, she  spends the time reading her comic books, working on her own comic book stories starring Blazing Goddess, her alter-ego, and dreaming about Mark the soccer coach.
  And then one day, Mark acknowledges Blaze's existence and Blaze's crush soars into space and she is determined to do whatever it takes to make Mark her boyfriend.
While out shopping one day with her friends, Blaze is trying to get their advice as to what she should do to get Mark to realize that she is the one he wants as his girlfriend; in the spur of the moment, her bestie snaps an unforgettable cell phone picture and sends it off to Mark.
Of course she has his attention now....
And then she learns, that being super-geeky-boring girl wasn't so bad after all.

Well, this book brought back all kinds of high school memories. Although, thank goodness, I never went through any of the bad stuff that Blaze had to endure, I do remember what it was like to have a crush and feel like it would be the end of the world if I couldn't make him mine. Even in my old age now, it is an indescribable feeling to have such a strong need to want someone to like you back as much as you think you like them. You barely know the person, personally. Yes, you see what he likes/dislikes in school, know his schedule by heart, who he's friends with, etc. But you don't really know his personality, what he's like at home, his family, etc. But for some odd reason, you just don't care. He's cute, you like him and no one can convince you otherwise. The things that some girls will go through to prove that they are worthy of a boys attention is heartbreaking.

I love Laurie's writing style; Blazes personality shines through - I felt her loneliness, anger, hurt, snark. I loved every single time she geeked-out about comic books and that she used her talent to release her feelings. I adored the way she and her brother, Josh, cared and took care of each other - the relationship that they both had with Josh's friends was amazing and so genuine. I loved how they kidded around with each other, but mostly, how these group of boys looked up to Blaze like she was their big sister too.

Plus, all of the comic book mentions (Blaze is a hardcore Marvel fan!) were so fitting and perfect! The ARC did not have any of the illustrations, so I'm sure that with the artwork included this book would easily become a 5-star rating for me.
A definite must read for all booknerds, geeks, comic book hero fans and more! Can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Laurie Boyle Crompton

Find out more about Laurie on her website right here!

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