W.I.P. Wednesday - Ist Feb

Mandy Baggot
Photos courtesy of the author

Today we hear from Mandy Baggot

At the moment in the House of Baggot I am doing the final edits on my next novel, Taking Charge. Copies have gone out to my lovely beta readers and I am doing the final and horrendous line edit. This basically means I am going through the manuscript line by line, not reading the story at all but looking at the punctuation, the sense of it all (or not!) checking it actually reads in English and not ancient Inca!

So, my new novel is called Taking Charge and this one is set entirely in America. In 2010 I visited my dad in Michigan and it was the first time we had seen each other since he moved there ten years previously. We were supposed to stay for ten nights but thanks to 'that' volcano in Iceland we were there for twenty one nights instead! This gave me tonnes of inspiration - the place, the people, the way of life and the story for Taking Charge was born. 

Robyn Matthers is my heroine and she's returning to America from England because her dad has had a major heart attack. Because of something that's happened in her past Robyn is torn between feeling delighted to be back in her home country and terrified because it evokes unpleasant memories. By page two of the novel she has met the hot ice hockey player Cole Ryan. He appears to be Mr Perfect on the outside but underneath that muscular body and behind the ebony coloured eyes is a fragile person holding on to life by his fingernails. There is also an ex-boyfriend in the mix, the good-looking town cop Brad Willis who was Robyn's beau in high school and hasn't really moved on. But my favourite characters are probably Robyn's almost stepmother, trailer trash personified, Nancy, Robyn's loud, opinionated father Eddie and his hospital room mate Max. These three provide most of the comedic moments of the piece.

So, there's love, there are secrets and humour but does Taking Charge have a plot twist? Of course! It's a Mandy Baggot novel isn't it!!

http://www.mandybaggot.webs.com

@mandybaggot on Twitter

Link to Mandy's books on Amazon.co.uk here

Link to Mandy's books on Amazon.com here

I am looking forward to Mandy's next novel  :)


DizzyC

If We Kiss, by Rachel Vail

Charlie Collins has never been kissed.

She's never been in love, either. Charlie's beautiful best friend, Tess, has kissed three boys and has loved each one of them. Then Charlie unexpectedly finds herself falling for Kevin, and she's in a mess of trouble right away. For one thing, Tess is in love with Kevin. Even worse, his father seems to be dating Charlie's mom, who suddenly can't stop smiling. With no one to confide in, Charlie has to figure this one out for herself. But even as she tries to pull away from Kevin, she can't stop wondering, What would happen if we kiss?

When I first started reading If We Kiss, I was a little caught off guard by the tone from the main character. She seemed a little... immature. Needless to say, the first couple of chapters were a little rough to get through. Then, miraculously, it's told in the story that Charlie is just fourteen years old - and I had a very big Aha! moment. Suddenly, the voice made a whole lot of sense. Then, I felt bad.. and had to go and start all over. I'm telling this so people can go in with the knowledge that yes, the tone is a little on the young and immature side - but, that's because she is young and immature. And I am not saying she is immature in a negative way - just immature in a way that goes away with age and life experience.

Now, with that out of the way...

Despite her age and the things mentioned above, I really warmed up to Charlie through the story. She's a spunky character with a lot of humor and wit. She also had a lot of conflicting feelings and moments of doubt, all things that come with being a teenage girl. She was a genuine character that was easy to read and empathize with. Her best friend, Tess, was a solid character as well.. and reminded me so much of some of my female friends in school that fell in love with every guy that they kissed, it was a bit nostalgic. Reading now, of course it made me want to roll my eyes about a thousand times.. but, that is definitely a very real portrayal of how insanely intense your feelings are for everyone when you're a teen. I have to admit that I had a big problem with Kevin. I mean, his portrayal through the eyes of Charlie and Tess was that he was a nice character - oh, and a bit of a kissing slut. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I didn't see this "nice" character that they both fell for. He was really playing both girls, which is a big turn-off in my eyes. I did like how he called Charlie Chuck. It was cute. And I wish, wish, wish that George would have had a bigger role because he seemed like a decent character.. but I can't say for sure with the little time I got to read about him. Maybe next book?

There was an equal amount of drama and humor in this book that worked well for the story. Once I was over my little hiccup in the beginning, I really enjoyed If We Kiss. I was actually surprised at how fast of a read it was, but it made it no less enjoyable. The story flowed smoothly and keeps you turning page after page until the end. If you enjoy sweet little romances, I definitely think you'll enjoy this book.

My copy also had fun extras in the back that included an interview with author Rachel Vail, a kissing quiz and, my favorite, a sneak peek at the sequel, Kiss Me Again - a book that I WILL be nabbing as soon as it's available!

Rating: ★★★★✩
Source: Young Adult Books Central

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Title: If We Kiss
Author: Rachel Vail
Series: If We Kiss, Book 1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Release Date: January 1, 2012

Purchase Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound

Author Profile: Rachel Vail

Rachel Vail
New York, New York

· Website
· Blog
· Facebook

Bio

I was born on July 25, 1966, in NEW YORK CITY, and grew up in New Rochelle, NY, with my mother, my father, and my younger brother Jon. (And down the street from my future husband, though of course I didn't know that until much later.)
Read More »

Books


More Books By Rachel Vail »

The Vincent Boys, by Abbi Glines

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

I swear, I can read a thousand and one books on high school loves and I just cannot get enough. It's as though I'm vicariously living through the characters since my high school love life was not so great.. and pretty non-existent, considering I never thought I truly loved anyone until my husband came around after high school. I had a nice amount of boyfriends, but love? Yeah, not so much. So, stories like this make me all warm and fuzzy.

With that said, I think it's kind of obvious that I loved this book. I loved the whole dynamic of the friendships between Ashton, Beau and Sawyer. I enjoyed the whole story of Ashton rekindling her old friendship with Beau. Even if it seemed a little shady to me that she did it behind her boyfriend's back, I understand the motive behind her decision to do so. Ashton was a great female lead, though I feel as if she lost a bit of her steam as the story progressed. She started out as a strong character, but toward the end turned a bit dependent on the boys to fight her battles for her. Normally, I'd really start losing respect for a character once that happened. However, having those chapters in her POV and understanding why she did it because she felt as though she deserved it.. well, I didn't lose all hope in her. Maybe because I know, given her situation and her actions, if I was in her shoes I would feel the exact same way. Is it completely, 100% rational? No, but when you're a teen and in love... everything is rational.

I also enjoyed the chapters from Beau's POV. Without those, I think I might have seen him and his actions as a little more shady than what I did. But once you get to see just how love-struck he has been with Ashton (and still is), then you kind of fall completely and madly in love with him as well. I also enjoyed Sawyer. To be honest, all three main characters were great but definitely had their fair share of faults in how their relationships got trapped in this whirlwind madness. Thankfully, they all owned up to their actions and things seemed to wrap up nicely with them.

The plot of this story is something we have all probably read before a time or two. What makes this one refreshing and stand out uniquely from the others is that we have characters who aren't perfect, but know that they're not perfect. Yes, they may make some mistakes and know they're making them even as they're doing it but they learn and face their consequences head-on. The characters really take precedence in this story, and the HEA that you get is really just the really good icing on an already delicious cake.

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Purchase

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Title: The Vincent Boys
Author: Abbi Glines
Series: N/A
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Kindle, 174 pages
Release Date: October 12, 2011

Purchase Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lie, by Caroline Bock

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .
Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .
When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .
Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

I don't know what I was expecting when I first started reading LIE. Obviously, not stories of fluffy kitties and puppies frolicking together in flower-covered meadows... but, I don't think that I was expecting such an intense story, either. It was a shock to the system, to say the very least.

I think the most unique part of the story for me was the fact that it was told in so many different POV's, yet it didn't get confusing in the least. To be honest, I think because the story was about such a sensitive subject, we actually NEED a lot of these POV's to understand just how everyone reacted to this. And the most eye-opening part about this was, besides the family of the victim, a lot of people seemed to literally worship Jimmy and was able to turn a blind eye to the horrific crime that he had committed. I expected it from Skylar and Sean, but all of the grown-ups, too? I applaud the fact that the author decided to write so many POV's and she did an INCREDIBLE job at fleshing all of the characters out so well in so little time. However, to have all of the characters (especially the grown-ups) make up excuses for Jimmy is a little unbelievable.

Speaking of Skylar and Sean: Ehh. Alright, I get it... Skylar's mother died and Jimmy was all she had, blah blah blah. But the way she worshiped the ground that boy walked on and seemed to not be able to even manage to exist without him really made my nerves stand on edge. I honestly do not get the dependency on one boyfriend - especially when she clearly had a father at home that was competent and there for her. My emotions for her fell flat from the very beginning. I started to have a little respect for her closer to the end but her actions throughout the entire book seemed to trump the little bit of redemption at the end. And Sean.. well, I can't say much about him for fear of spoilers. My feelings toward him were very roller-coaster, up and down throughout the story.

One character that did not have his POV written into the book was Jimmy himself. Honestly, there was so much told about him through the other characters that his POV was not needed.. but it didn't mean that I didn't want to know exactly what was going through his mind to make him do what he did. We get enough of an idea, but it doesn't make me any less curious. Though, it might be best that he didn't have a say in this story because I don't know if I could have handled it. Lisa Marie made my skin crawl enough with her behavior, so I could only imagine how dirty I would feel after reading any thoughts from Jimmy's mind.

Even though my emotions were all over the place throughout reading the novel, it was a very good read with a powerful message. If there was one thing I would have liked to change would be the ending. It was very abrupt and left a lot to the imagination as to what could have happened. This could have been left open like this on purpose and I could understand why. After being so emotionally invested throughout the story, I would have liked to see some concrete conclusion to the story. Besides that, it was a read worthy of the time.

Overall, with the subject matter at hand, I think this will be one of those books that people either love or not like because this isn't some contemporary romance with rainbows and sunshine throughout. This is raw and very real, dealing with a sensitive subject that may be a little too much for those with a weak stomach when it comes to hate crimes. However, if you can digest it.. it's worth the read.

Rating: ★★★★✩
Source: Young Adult Books Central

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Title: Lie
Author: Caroline Bock
Series: N/A
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Paperback, 224 pages
Release Date: August 30, 2011

Purchase Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that showcases the books that we have received throughout the week. As part of my IMM post, I feature the book's cover art, along with a link to the book's page on Goodreads.

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For Review (YABC):
Balthazar, by Claudia Gray

Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

For Review (YABC):

If We Kiss, by Rachel Vail

Charlie Collins has never been kissed.

She’s never been in love, either. Charlie’s beautiful best friend, Tess, has kissed three boys and has loved each one of them. Then Charlie unexpectedly finds herself falling for Kevin, and she’s in a mess of trouble right away. For one thing, Tess is in love with Kevin. Even worse, his father seems to be dating Charlie’s mom, who suddenly can’t stop smiling. With no one to confide in, Charlie has to figure this one out for herself. But even as she tries to pull away from Kevin, she can’t stop wondering, What would happen if we kiss?

For Review (YABC):
Irises, by Francisco X. Stork

TWO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

THREE YOUNG MEN: Then three men sway their lives: Kate's boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much-needed stability. Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

ONE AGONIZING CHOICE: Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darknesses in their sudden freedom. But it's Mama's life that might divide them for good -- the question of *if* she lives, and what's worth living for.

For Review (YABC):
Pretty Crooked, by Elisa Ludwig

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

For Review (Publisher):
Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Purchase:

The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Purchase:
Getting Over Garrett Delaney, by Abby McDonald

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock - all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized selfhelp guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

Purchase (Free via Amazon):
The Vincent Boys, by Abbi Glines

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe that’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

New This Week

Here are some of this week's Young Adult book releases. To learn more about each book, click on its cover art to be redirected to its page on Young Adult Books Central.

January 24, 2012

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This post is brought to you by Missy's Reads & Reviews. It spotlights some of the newly released books in YA - but it is not a comprehensive list to ALL Young Adult releases. To see these books on the date that they are actually published, please be sure to "like" Missy's Reads & Reviews on Facebook.

Winners!

Many thanks to Sphere for this generous giveaway

Congratulations to the winners........

NATHALIE GREEN

JENNIFER HANSEN

THERESA BAKER

KAT DUNCAN

CLARE BLUETT

DizzyC

Winners!

Thank you to Dee DeTarsio for this generous giveaway of 3 e-copies of her novel

Winners have been notified.

Congratulations!  The winners are......

Katrina     

Susan       

Sheena    

W.I.P. Wednesday - 25th Jan

Welcome to my new feature

W.I.P. Wednesday

I follow many authors and new writers via facebook, twitter and blogs. 

Often I see questions I feel sure are for research for their lastest WIP, or what their word count for that day is,  or the fact that twitter/facebook is keeping them from working and wonder.....

What are they working on now?  

When will we see the next book?

Now we can find out with W.I.P. Wednesday

Margaret James joins me today

Thank you for inviting me to be a guest on your blog today, Carol. I’m very happy to be here.

Right now, I’m busy revising my novel The Penny Bangle, which first appeared in hardback in 2007, but is going to be issued in paperback by Choc Lit in May. It’s the final story in my Dorset trilogy which started life as The Silver Locket and continued with The Golden Chain. The paperback versions of these stories are fairly radical rewrites of the hardbacks, which were more family-oriented and didn’t have as much romantic content as Choc Lit readers like. The paperback versions are substantially longer than the hardbacks – about 20,000 words longer, in fact.

I am really enjoying revisiting these stories, but I do find myself getting a bit confused about what I have added and what I have taken away. So it’s not a job to be doing late at night.

I’ve been very encouraged to see that lots of new readers have enjoyed the first two volumes in this trilogy - readers who prefer paperbacks to hardbacks, readers who prefer to read on their Kindles, and readers who find it difficult to get to public libraries where most hardbacks are to be found these days. It’s lovely to meet you all!

So what will be new about the paperback version of The Penny Bangle? That’s easy – a lot more romance, and more hero and heroine interaction. But I’ve kept in most of the family element because how families work is a subject of abiding fascination for me.

Some readers have found The Golden Chain a little bit staid after all the wartime excitement of The Silver Locket. So I’m hoping these readers will enjoy The Penny Bangle, which is set during WW2, so there is lots of adventure and danger in it. The bombs will be falling again…

Review - French Lessons - Ellen Sussman

French Lessons - Ellen Sussman 


Kindle edition (also available in paperback)


Publisher: Corsair (1 Oct 2011)
Kindle ASIN: B005KRUI6E


My first read on my Kindle


Set is modern day Paris, this novel is broken down into three separate stories involving three language tutors.


This novel was described as a romantic and emotionally charged novel set in Paris.  I have to say I was somewhat disappointed as I did not find this a romantic read and the description is mis-leading . I expected romantic Paris and for me it was more a contemporary look at affairs and deceipt in relationships, which in my view are rarely romantic. 
This did spoil my enjoyment to a certain degree. 


It took me a while to settle into the novel after the initial realisation that this was a different Paris than I expected.  The stories were well written and the characters were all very different and complicated souls.


I would like to read more from this author


3 out of 5  - It was ok 

Review - At Sea by Laurie Graham

• Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc (15 Sep 2011)
• ISBN-13: 978-0857381354
• Kindle  ASIN: B004EYT88I

Bernard Finch is a lecturer working on a cruise liner.  He deems his audience to be a nuisance and to be avoided at all costs once the tour and talk is over and the liner has left port.  One particular passenger Frankie Gleeson has unnerved Bernard so much that he takes to his bed!

The star of the novel is Bernard's wife of 20 years, Enid.  When the story begins we see Enid as the dutiful wife following her husband on his tours and supporting him in every possible way.  They have been married for 20 years and know everything there is to know about each other.  Or do they?

Frankie Gleeson is like a dog with a chew and will not give up on his belief that he knows Bernard from childhood.  

As the days go by on the cruise, Enid begins to wonder if she really does know Bernard as well as she believes she does.  She makes discoveries about her husband , activities to be enjoyed on board the liner and the unfamiliar world of the internet.

I loved the way Laurie Graham gave us just enough to know that Enid and Bernard had missing pieces to their history without giving everything away. I felt Enid's frustration about the situation. She left me wondering whether Enid still had unanswered questions about Bernard at the end of the novel.  I found the way Enid handled Bernard at the end  of the novel satisfying and funny.

5 out of 5 for me!

Thank you to Quercus for a review copy

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that showcases the books that we have received throughout the week. As part of my IMM post, I feature the book's cover art, along with a link to the book's page on Goodreads.

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For Review:
A Good And Useful Hurt, by Aric Davis

Mike is a tattoo artist running his own shop, and Deb is the piercing artist he hires to round out the motley crew at his studio of four. The last thing either expects is romance, but that’s exactly what happens when they follow their off-kilter careers and love lives into complete disaster.

When Mike follows a growing trend and tattoos the ashes of deceased loved ones into several customers’ tattoos, he has no idea that it will one day provide the solution—and solace—he will sorely need. And when the life of a serial killer tragically collides with the lives of those in the tattoo shop, Mike and Deb will stop at nothing in their quest for revenge, even if it means stepping outside the known boundaries of life and death.

Purchase:
The Alchemy of Forever, by Avery Williams

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

Purchase:
The Breakup Bible, by Melissa Kantor

Jen Lewis is having a great junior year. She is the features editor of the school paper, and she’s dating Max Brown, the paper’s editor-in-chief. Everything is perfect—that is, until Max says, “Maybe it would be better if we were just friends.” In shock and total denial, Jen wonders how she is going to deal with the pain of seeing Max in school every day. Her misery only intensifies when her grandmother gives her a book that she heard about on the radio. Dr. Emerson’s The Breakup Bible claims that “there’s no reason a woman can’t get over a breakup very quickly if she’ll just follow a few basic commandments.” Jen is doubtful. What does Dr. Emerson know about her and Max?

Purchase:
Jessica Rules The Dark Side (Jessica #2), by Beth Fantaskey

It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

Purchase:
Stargazer (Evernight #2), by Claudia Gray

The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning...

New This Week!

Here are some of this week's Young Adult book releases. To learn more about each book, click on its cover art to be redirected to its page on Young Adult Books Central.

January 17, 2012





January 19, 2012

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