New This Week!

New This Week! is a weekly feature in which I showcase some of the titles released in the Young Adult world throughout week. Each picture is linked to its respective Goodreads page, so if a cover appeals to you be sure to click on it to learn more about the book.

Week of: September 25th - October 1st, 2011

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This is a list of the books that come out through the week. This list is NOT in chronological order, but instead alphabetized. To see the books on the date that they are actually published, please be sure to "like" Missy's Reads & Reviews on Facebook.

Guest Author - Eleanor Moran

Today I have the honour and pleasure of introducing you all to Eleanor Moran - Author of Breakfast in Bed

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sphere (21 July 2011)
• ISBN-13: 978-0751545494

Photos courtesy of Publisher

1. Please tell us a little about yourself

I’m an executive producer for drama at the BBC, and have worked on heaps of shows from Being Human to Enid, a single film about Enid Blyton starring Helena Bonham Carter. It’s been a real struggle to juggle the writing with such a busy job, and I’ve written great chunks of my 3 books on trains, rushing to set in Cardiff, or early in the morning when I’d much rather press the snooze button. I’ve always lived in North London, bar a brief three years in Brighton for university, but I’m soon to leave the BBC after a decade, and spend 3 months in LA finishing book 4 and writing my first script. I’m terrified but excited. 

2. Where did the idea for Breakfast in Bed come from?

All my books come out of a romantic dilemma or phenomenon that I see happening around me. My first book, Stick or Twist, came out of my own dilemma about whether or not to get married to my long term boyfriend. Breakfast In Bed’s heroine is 31 year old Amber, a sous chef in a busy restaurant kitchen and recent divorcee. I turned round in my mid 30s and realized that of my 6 closest girlfriends, 4 of them were already divorced. I was fascinated by how it feels to be ending that chapter at the time when you would hope it was just beginning.

 

3. What would be on your breakfast in bed tray, and who would you like to be delivering it?

Ooh, well partly I’d like it to be Nancy Mitford so she could tell me outrageous stories about her and her sisters but if we’re going to get romantic about it, I wouldn’t kick Bradley Cooper out for dropping crumbs on the sheets! I’d like him to make me French toast with maple syrup and a side of blueberries, even though it’s about the most fattening breakfast there is (other than an Egg McMuffin).

4.  What are you working on next?

I’m writing a very emotional story at the moment, about a girl who is estranged from her best friend and then receives the shocking news she’s died in a car crash. As her feelings gradually develop for Sally’s widower, she must try and come to terms with the looming shadow cast by her death.

5.  What book/s are on your bedside table?

At the moment I’m reading Skippy Dies, which I absolutely love. It’s set around an Irish boys boarding school, and it manages to be funny and tragic all at the same time. It’s the width of a doorstep so the pile beside it gets ever larger. I also loved A Visit From the Goon Squad, which won the Pulitzer Prize, and I recently re-read Heartburn, Nora Ephron’s acerbic, hilarious account of her marriage breakdown. The woman’s a genius (When Harry Met Sally is my favourite film). I absolutely adored Jo Jo Moyes’ latest, The Last Letter from Your Lover which was wonderfully romantic without being schlocky.  

Many thanks  Eleanor for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions.

Good luck in LA!

You can find out more about Eleanor here

Facebook page here

DizzyC

Breakfast in Bed - Eleanor Moran UK Giveaway

The lovely people at Little, Brown have generously offered 2 copies of Breakfast in Bed by Eleanor Moran to lucky winners (UK addresses only)

I have decided to give entry forms a go. So please bear with me if this is not working 100%.
I don't feel comfortable with folks leaving email addresses so hopefully this will work better.

Please fill in the form and then leave a comment to let me know you have entered the giveaway.

Many thanks and good luck!

Ends 7/10/11
UK Addresses only
Please see giveaway policy.

Mother nature is confused!

Phew!  I am sitting here in a Summer dress and wondering how to keep cool.  

 Yes, I am at home in the UK and yes, it is the last few days of September!

We are enjoying an Indian Summer.  It is 28 degrees today and expected to stay that way into the weekend.   The weather folk are predicting SNOW for October.  The weather has gone mad.  

Mother Nature knows that this is Autumn, as the trees are changing colours, shedding leaves and the conkers are on the ground, BUT horticulturists are noticing that some flowering shrubs that normally flower in April, and did so this year, are flowering for a 2nd time now.  That is 6 - 8 months early.

Read the full story here - BBC news

DizzyC  

Double Clutch Review

Double Clutch (Brenna Blixen #1)
by Liz Reinhardt
Released September 6, 2011

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

When people ask me why I review self-published works as well as works published by major houses instead of just reviewing for major houses only, I want to point them in the direction of fabulous books like this one. If I just reviewed for publishers only, then I would miss out on some really incredible stories.

Double Clutch is not a book that is driven only by its plot. As a matter of fact, the plot takes the backseat to character development. Sometimes in stories, this is a downgrade because the story tends to drag and there always seems to be too much brooding and melodrama. Thankfully, this is not the case AT ALL with this book. The funny thing is that Brenna starts out as a strong character to begin with - she's pretty confident and sure of herself with a nice dose of independence. However, we get much more from her as we proceed through the novel. She grows significantly, maturing and adapting to everything that comes along with being a teen, as well as having a boyfriend and feelings for a guy that seems to be a little more than just a friend.

Normally, this is where I post my doubts about how a love triangle could possibly be good for a story.. but I just can't do that with Double Clutch. This is one of those instances where there are two guys that are attracted to Brenna that are both flawed but inevitably both nice guys who show their adoration in different ways. Relating to the main character and trying to figure out which guy is best for her really keeps you turning the pages in this because it isn't a typical cookie cutter love triangle. This is one of those rare instances where there's no clear "better" choice for Brenna and that really turns the intrigue up. Jake and Saxon are both great guys in their own ways with their own sets of pros and cons. Add to that a history and story between THEM as well (not romantically), and your head is spinning from all of the revelations and swoon-worthy moments between the three of them.

As far as romances go, I give this book an A+ and then some. I would have loved to see a little more to the plot - maybe a little more conflict. Like I said though, the story keeps you so hooked with everything going on with the main characters, there's no way I could give this anything less than 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Double Clutch and cannot wait to read more in its sequel, Junk Miles.

(Note: Older YA)

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Purchase

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► Buy The Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted by: Breaking The Spine

May 22, 2012

Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

Vacations, a hot guy, talking to fish ... and said hot guy following you back home? Okay, the last part is a wee bit creepy but the premise of this book definitely has me intrigued! The only problem now is waiting for May 2012 to arrive!

What are you waiting on??

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This Week's Topic:
Top Ten Books I Want To Reread

1. Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer - This is more in preparation for the release of the movie. I always like to re-read books before I watch the movie.
2. Hex: A Witch and Angel Tale, by Ramona Wray - It's one of my favorite YA reads, so I'd like to revisit the world soon.
3. Of Bees and Mist, by Erick Setiawan - There's so much going on in this book, it took me a while to read.. yet, it made me feel so amazing afterwards that I would like to relive that amazing feeling.
4. The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis - I haven't read these in YEARS, so why not?
5. Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side, by Beth Fantaskey - I absolutely fell in love with this book and could not put it down when it first came out.
6. The Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling - Actually, this is more of a "really read it this time" instead of "reread it" because I started but never finished.
7. The Wicked Years series, by Gregory Maguire - The last book in the series comes out soon and this makes me sad. But I would like to read this series over again because it is so amazing.
8. Arson, by Estevan Vega - It's a great book... do I need any more reason?
9. Wynter Chelsea series, by Becca Ritchie - I'm having Amanda and Dustin withdrawals, so I'll have to just reread the first two books until the next comes out!
10. Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto - This is the only book I've ever given less than three stars to and I seem to be one of the very few that didn't enjoy it. I feel like I'm missing something, so maybe a second chance would help out?

What's on your Top Ten this Tuesday?

My baby is all growed up!

My youngest, AJ is a big boy today.  He is 4 years old!

Daddy and AJ (1 hour old)

4 years ago today AJ was in no hurry to make an appearance.  He was 10 days late and needed  rocket fuel to get him to budge.  I was induced, as I had started labour and broke my waters on the 25th, so the clock was ticking and AJ had a train to catch!
Nice easy labour of just over 3 hours!  :)


Happy Birthday, AJ!


Carol

Review - Persuade Me - Juliet Archer

• Publisher: Choc Lit (15 Sep 2011)
• ISBN-10: 1906931216
• ISBN-13: 978-1906931216

The Blurb

When do you let your heart rule your head?

When it comes to love, Anna Elliot is stuck in the past.  No one can compare to Rick Wentworth, the man she gave up ten years ago at the insistence of her disapproving family.  What is she's missed her only chance for real happiness?

This contemporary re-telling of Jane Austen's last completed novel is the second book in Juliet Archer's  Darcy & Friends series, offering fresh insights into the hearts and minds of Austen's irresistible heroes.

Now, I have a confession, between you and me, I have not read Jane Austen's novels, but from what I understand Juliet Archer stays true to the characters and plot of Persuasion.  I also understand that you do not need to know the Jane Austen novel to enjoy this re-telling of the classic.


I fell in love with this story from page one.  The idea of Anna still in love with a summer affair she had ten years ago with the gorgeous Rick.  


Anna, lecturer, gave up love at the request of her family.  Now lives alone in a top floor flat wondering what could have been with Rick.  


Rick has moved on in location and relationship stakes.  He is now Dr Rick Wentworth, Celebrity scientist, living in Australia,  with a model girlfriend to keep him company.  He is not short of admiring fans.


Fate brings Rick and Anna back together when Rick tours England to promote his book and visit his sister, who happens to live nearby.  Their paths were meant to cross.


There is a fabulous cast of characters including Anna's eccentric father,  Sir Walter, with his obsession with mirrors and  his 'youthfulness', and his other daughters, Lisa and Mona, Mona's husband Charles and the in-laws the Musgrove's and Rick's family.


There were times I wanted to shake Rick and Anna for not ceasing the moment or for not speaking up when they had the chance.  There is a lot of surmising going on between these two characters and if only they would communictate. 


Sometimes it felt like the story was slipping into the past with Sir Walter's antiquated views and mannerisms.  He is quite a character.   


I really enjoyed getting to know all these characters and discovering the connections between the families.  A romantic modern day tale.




I am putting Juliet's other novel on my TBR list along with Jane Austen's Persuasion. 

4.5 out of 5 for me!



Find out more about Juliet Archer  here

Thank you ChocLit for sending me a review copy

We have winners!

Congratulations to the 5 winners of a copy of (un)like a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes...................

Jo

Sophia

Nel

Shazjera

Holly

There will be another great giveaway on Friday!

DizzyC

Festival of Romance and Shortlist for Awards

The website, Festival of Romance, celebrates International Romantic Fiction bringing together authors and readers.


There is a convention happening on 21st and 22nd October 2011 at Hunton Park, Nr Watford, Herts, UK


Some of the highlights scheduled are

Carole Matthews celebrity author interview

Book fair, panels, debates and reading group

Meet authors and fans from around the world

Competitions and quizzes

Writing workshop with Sue Moorcroft

Learn from the experts how to write romance

Chocolate tasting with Choc Lit

Meet the Mills and Boon editors

Win a publishing contract with Xcite Books

Fashion show, Book Awards and Ball

New Talent Award for unpublished writers

Judges: Donna Condon, senior editor at Piatkus 

and Jane Judd, literary agent


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The shortlist for their awards have just announced today!

Shortlists for Brand New Romantic Fiction Awards Announced

26 September 2011. The Festival of Romance is delighted to announce the shortlists for the inaugural Romance Reader Awards. Some seven publishers are represented on the shortlists, with a hat trick for independent publisher Choc Lit.

For the Total-E-Bound Best Romantic Read Award:

Juliet Archer - Persuade Me (Choc Lit)

Fiona Harper - Swept off her Stilettos (Mills & Boon, Riva)

Carole Matthews - Wrapped up in You (Sphere)

Sue Moorcroft - Love and Freedom (Choc Lit)

Talli Roland - The Hating Game (Prospera Publishing)

For the Choc Lit Best Historical Read Award:

Charlotte Betts - The Apothecary's Daughter (Piatkus)

Annie Burrows - Captain Corcoran's Hoyden Bride (Mills & Boon, Historical Regency)

Christina Courtenay - The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit)

Jean Fullerton - Perhaps Tomorrow (Orion)

Jan Jones - The Kydd Inheritance (Robert Hale)

  Check out the website and find out more details   at   Festival of Romance


DizzyC

Shut Out Review

Shut Out
by Kody Keplinger
Published by Poppy
Released September 5, 2011

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

Inspired by Aristophanes' play Lysistrata, critically acclaimed author of The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) Kody Keplinger adds her own trademark humor in this fresh take on modern teenage romance, rivalry and sexuality.

Even though I do own Kody Keplinger's debut, The D.U.F.F., Shut Out is the first book that I have read by her. Having said that, I went in with very little knowledge on the author (other than knowing people sing their praises for her debut) but finished the book with much respect for the author.

I like Lissa as a main character because she's very easy to relate to, yet there was something there that held me back from absolutely falling in love with her. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, though I'm pretty sure that it has to do with something that can't be mentioned anyway because it would be slightly spoiler-ish. She has the right idea in the book though and she executes it seemingly well with the help of some of the other female characters. I actually kind of like all of the girls that was part of the group in the book because they do develop a sense of camaraderie throughout this whole debacle that they've put themselves into when they normally would probably never get along. It was... sweet. I'm also probably going to be one of the only girls to review this book and say this, but I really don't think that Randy was as bad as Lissa made him out to be. She did break promises to him and any normal guy would be a little ticked, even though those promises should have never been made in the first place. Cash is obviously very swoon-worthy, so there's no need to spend unnecessary time singing his praises - just trust me when I say he's a great character.

While I normally cringe at books that have themes like female empowerment, this book was sprinkled with just enough to where you know it's there but it's not completely extreme nor overwhelming. I'll also be honest and say that I expected to see more dealing with the strike itself... or at least, I wanted to see more that dealt with the strike and the battle that followed.

Overall, this was a great read that deals with real life issues not always touched on in the Young Adult genre. Although it's loosely based on a Greek play, it most definitely stands strong with its own plot and voice. If you like a good YA Contemporary read, you'll want to pick up Keplinger's Shut Out.

Rating: ★★★★✩
Source: Purchase

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► Buy The Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

In My Mailbox

Hosted By: The Story Siren

Inspired By: Pop Culture Junkie

Author Request:
Ashes (Arson #2), by Estevan Vega

More than three months have passed since Arson and Emery were taken. Taken and then separated.

And experimented on.

Salvation Asylum is more like a prison than a psychiatric facility. Unknowingly, Arson has become a vital instrument in a campaign set to genetically alter mankind. Enraged, confused, trapped, and unable to fully manifest his abilities, he wonders if he will ever see Emery again. His new existence is one crawling with questions. Is Grandma alive? Where does the fire come from? Can he become more than a monster?

In Ashes, book two of the ARSON series, nightmare and reality collide as Arson must embrace what he is and the haunting realization that there may be others out there, others like him.

Author Request:
Double Clutch, by Liz Reinhardt

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the others?

Comments:

We all know from my review of Arson and When Colors Bleed that Estevan's books rock my socks, so it should be no surprise that I was beyond excited when I got an e-mail from him about Ashes. I'm desperately flying through several books right now in an attempt to get to this one ASAP. ;)

Double Clutch looks like something that is just too good to pass up, so I did what any sane book reviewer would do... uhh, I didn't pass it up. I'm currently working through it and, although I can't say much until I finish, I can say that I am very impressed with it so far!

Guest Author - Eloisa James

Today I have the honour and pleasure of introducing Eloisa James, Author of A Kiss at Midnight.  


I was very surprised to find out which time period Eloisa would like to drop into. It was also interesting to hear about how one of her latest characters is not behaving for her. :)

Photos courtesy of Publisher

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Books (4 Aug 2011)
• ISBN-13: 978-0749956912

1.  A Kiss at Midnight is a very entertaining fairytale written especially for adults. What made you decide to re-write fairytales for adults?

My father, the poet Robert Bly, was always fascinated by fairy tales, and finally wrote the book Iron John, a rewriting of that tale, so in a sense it’s a family business. I wouldn’t say that my inspiration comes as much from Iron John itself, as from the fact that while Dad was working out the ideas behind the book he talked compulsively about fairy stories.  He loved to challenge my siblings and me to “explain” such stories in cultural terms—to rewrite them in a way that made them socially relevant.

2. If you could drop into any period in time, where and when would you like to land?

I’d like to go the future.  While I’m fascinated by the past (witness my job as a Shakespearean, not to mention all the historical novels), I spent a certain amount of time dreaming—sometimes fearfully—about what the world will be like when my children are my age.  I hope Earth is a livable, happy place.  I expect that technology will be in place that I can’t even imagine.  I would dearly love to see that.

3.  Where is your favourite place to write?

I’m a professor of English literature (teaching Shakespeare), so I write the bulk of my novels during the summer.  My husband is Italian, and this summer we rented a little converted stable in Tuscany, in the middle of the vineyards.  It was on top of a hill, and utterly silent except for sounds of farm work and birds.  Writing in those surroundings is an absolute pleasure.  

4.  What are you working on next?

At the moment I’m finishing a version of the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling.  The book has caused me unexpected problems—although my Ugly Duchess is a darling and very funny, my hero decided to be a pirate and for a while it looked as if he wasn’t coming back to England at all.  I might as well add that before I was a writer, I found it very irritating when authors talked about their characters as if they were real people.  Now I realize why: because we structure their inner selves, if we’ve made even the smallest mistake in that early work, “they” don’t want to do what we have decided they should—at least until the aspect of their personality making the action unlikely is edited.  I had to change my duke’s childhood memories or he would have stayed on the ocean forever, skylarking in The Poppy, his pirate ship.  My website, www.eloisajames.com, has a great deal of information about each of my books, including some advance chatter about this one.

5.  What book/s is/are on your bedside table? 

I just finished The Help, which offers a fascinating look at a part of America’s history I really knew very little about, having grown up in Minnesota, far from the South.  At the moment I am reading a medley of books, all at once.  My daughter and I are reading aloud from a book that will be published in the US in October.  It’s a terrific young adult novel, written by an Englishman now living here:  Andrew Hartley’s Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact.  I highly recommend it to anyone with a YA reader in the household; we’re loving it.  I’m also reading Thea Harrison’s Serpent’s Kiss, a new paranormal romance in a series that I absolutely adore.  And finally, I’m reading an older book, Kingsley Amis’s The King’s English and much enjoying his scourge of “lazy and ignorant writers.”  I’m trying to avoid that grim fate.  I generally share all my reading adventures on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/eloisajamesfans, and invite all readers to drop by and share what they’re reading!

Thank you, Eloisa for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions.   

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James is published by Piatkus (paperback, £7.99)

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James was published on the 1^st September 2011 by Piatkus (paperback, £7.99)