Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Hey everyone! Here's another snipt from my current WIP Demon At My Door

Scene: Dinner

Thanks for Stopping by :D

Shinedown Concert Video!!

Here's a couple videos of the Shinedown concert I was at last Wednessday! Rock On!! :)

The Lovely Bones Book Givaway

http://oldpeoplewritingforteens.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/598/#comments

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the kind comments last week!! *HUGS* Everyone's snips rocked!

Snip: Demon At My Door (SUPER DUPER ROUGH CUT)
Scene: Follows party-almost-rape scene. Here's who's at the door :)
_________________________________________________________________

Snipped! :)

WOW!! Check out this massive book giveaway!

I usally don't post other people's contest's on my blog, but these two are giving away lots of good books, so here's the linkies:


http://stephanieloveswriting.blogspot.com/2009/12/book-giveaways-slightly-better-than.html


http://tabwriter.blogspot.com/2009/12/december-book-giveaway.html



Good luck guys!! :D

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

SNIP: Demon At My Door (Hot off the keys rough draft)

Scene: Party--my MC has been tricked into a room alone with a boy:


thanks for reading

Nat from Demon At My Door Profile

Name: Natalie (Nat) Sugarman

Age: 16

Nickman: Sugarman

Best Friends: She doesn’t really have any friends…but does a secret boyfriend count?

Favorite Musical Group: Veronicas

How Does She Spends Her Free Time: Having secret relationships with people out of her league, and fending off nightmares of a five-year-old soul stealing demon

Appearance: 5’5”, A curvy size 7, Likes the emo look—anything black works just fine. Long, straight, unnaturally black hair, and brown eyes.

Personality Traits: Nat is a dianosised paranoid schizophrenic, but she know’s she’s not crazy. Just because everyone doubts her story about exchanging her soul to a five year old demon to save her mother’s life doesn’t mean it isn’t true and if it wasn’t for her mom blabbing her mental issues to the entire prep crowd, her life would still be peachy.

Extracurricular Activities: Does making out count??? If not, how about avoiding people at Licking Heights at all costs?

Talents: Artistic

Favorite Book: Wuthering Heights
Favorite Color: Black

(Photo of Missy Peregrym as Nat)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Hey guys!!! Loved the snips last week! Hope eveyone's Nano Projects are going well.

Snip from my NaNo project (Caution Rough Draft): Demon At My Door

Scene: Secret Boyfriend Stew pulls MC into Janitors closet.


Thanks for checking it out and commenting!!! Much appriciated! See you next Tuesday

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Hey everyone!! Here's another snip from my Nano project.

Snip: Demon At My Door (Word Count: 326)---CAUTION SUPER DUPER ROUGH DRAFT :)

Scene: Book Store


Thanks for checking it out guys :)I enjoyed reading everyone's comments!!

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Okay everyone here's another snip from my Nano project, so (CAUTION: REALLY REALLY RUFF DRAFT) LOL

WIP: Demon at My Door (Tree house scene--Ending a secret summer fling) Word count: 464


Thanks for checking it out guys!!!! :)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Hey guys this snip is from my NaNo project DEMON AT MY DOOR (There is a trailer on the post below if you care to watch it--I'm a nerd I know LOL)

This scene is starts right on page one, so I jumped to where the dialog starts :)

Snip: Demon At My Door (Words: 345)

Thanks for checking it out guys! :) Now back to the grindstone!!

My Nano Project

Teenage Hillbilly Hell Snip

Thanks guys for taking a peek at my smexy scene for THH :)

Breakup Bible by Melissa Kantor

Plot: "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?"

Plot: Okay I loved the beginning! I think we all can relate to having your heart broken by some boy, but I found myself telling her to quit whining over Max and move on already. Yeah, Yeah Yeah. I Know easier said than done, but she has her opportunity, but she just can't seem to get past Max long enough to take it. So I liked the novel, and would recomend it to anyone who like romantic comedies.

Dark of the Moon (Dark Guardian Series) by Rachel Hawthorne

PLOT: "I've loved him forever, but he can never be mine.

brittany is determined to prove herself to the Dark Guardians. And yet she's been keeping a devastating secret: She hasn't experienced any of the intense, early signs of change that mark a Dark Guardian's transformation. The only intense feelings she has are for Connor—and she's kept that a secret, too. But she knows she'll never truly have Connor's love if she's not a Shifter like him.

At the first full moon after her birthday, her greatest fear is realized: She doesn't transform. Brittany is so desperate to become a wolf that she'll go to extremes she never thought possible . . . and put all the Dark Guardians in incredible danger."

Review: I cannot say enough good things about this series! I love, love, LOVED it! I'm so excited that there will be a book four. Put this on your must read list. :)

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

Plot: "From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. When Josh was a 12-year-old seventh grader, he was sexually abused by his history teacher, the young, beautiful (and married) Eve, who manipulated him into believing they were in love. Carefully crafting a narrative structure, Lyga flashes between that traumatic time and the present, when Josh, now a senior (at the school where The AstonishingAdventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl took place), learns that Eve is being paroled. The author handles heavy material with honesty and sensitivity, capturing both the young Josh's excitement and his realization that his pleasure brought its own sort of guilt. Years later, he still struggles: he flies into rages (he punches a baseball coach in an opening scene), and he experiences flickers, brief moments which feel like actual immersions in the past. Josh also has trouble pursuing Rachel, who seems like a perfect match, because he cannot trust his physical instincts; he is, as his psychologist puts it, afraid to do anything at all because it might be the wrong thing. Details like Josh's obsession with calculating baseball statistics round out his character; the statistics speak to his intelligence and, more tellingly, to his attempts to control his world. Even his inevitable face-off with Eve proves a revelation. Readers may find the ending too neat, given the extent of Josh's problems, but in their richness and credibility the cast—Eve included—surpasses that of the much-admired Fanboy. Ages 16-up. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition."

Review: This novel had me curious from the start. I had to understand why this male MC was so angry. Once I figured out why, I wanted to help him move past it. This was out of my normal pleasure reading novels, but I couldn't put it down. It was nicely written and had great voice.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Plot: "Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along."

Review: I love it when the MC has a plethora of boys pining for her attention and this book feels that guilty little pleasure for me. Belly is the typical teen who learns to deal with boys that find her attractive.I liked this novel because it had you guessing who she would end up with.

The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams

PLOT: "For the past nine years, Helena Waite has been returning to summer camp at Southpoint. Every year the camp and its familiar routines, landmarks, and people have welcomed her back like a long-lost family member. But this year she is returning not as a camper, but as a counselor, while her best friend, Katie Bell remains behind. All too quickly, Helena discovers that the innocent world of campfires, singalongs, and field days have been pushed aside for late night pranks on the boys' camp, skinny dipping in the lake, and stolen kisses in the hayloft. As she struggles to define herself in this new world, Helena begins to lose sight of what made camp special and the friendships that have sustained her for so many years. And when Ransome, her longtime crush, becomes a romantic reality, life gets even more confusing."

Review: This is a lovely tale of the beauty of friendship, and how every relationship has it's ups and downs. There is a brutally honest "first time" scene I found refreshing. So many times in YA it just fades to black. I really liked the characters in this novel, but the ending felt a little lacking to me. But for all you curious writers out there, pick it up and thumb through it :)

Tuesday Teaser!!!!!!!!!!!!

This my shiny new intro to The Dying Curse :) Hope you like it!

Snipit: The Dying Curse (YA Paranormal Romance)


Thanks for checking it out :)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Hey guys teaser time! Thanks for reading my stuff and commenting, much appreciated :) I thought there were some really good posts last week, keep 'em coming!

So I posted a little something from a WIP I'm working on. :) Super rough cut!

Title: I LOVE YOU, NO MATTER WHAT

Snip:

Thanks for checking it out guys! And thanks for the feedback :)

Good Reads

The Market by J.M. Steele

Product Description
'High school senior Kate Winthrop is about to find out just how much she's worth.

After stumbling across the Millbank Social Stock Market, Kate is horrified to discover that out of the 140 girls in her class, she's ranked a bleak 71. Sure, she's not drop-dead gorgeous, and her "fashion" choices leave a bit to be desired...but 71?! Determined not to accept her fate as a "junk bond," she and her best friends quickly set out to make her the fastest rising stock on the Market.
Armed with a sexy new haircut and killer wardrobe, Kate puts her plan into effect -- and the analysts take note. In a matter of weeks, her stock value soars, and "Blue Chip" status is within reach. But what begins as a fun social experiment quickly turns into an obsession, one that threatens to ruin her reputation, friendships, and a chance at first love. Will Kate survive the highs and lows of the Market, or will her security crash and burn?'

Review: I know this book got some mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it! Lot's of teen/first love romance and I just had to know who was really Kate's friend and who was playing her. I read this book in about a day, very quick, fun read. It's not realistic though...so just keep that in mind and just go with it. :)

Geek Girls Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaster and Darcy Vancy

Plot: "When Bethany -- self-proclaimed geek girl -- makes the varsity cheerleading squad, she realizes that there's one thing worse than blending in with the lockers: getting noticed. She always felt comfortable as part of the nerd herd, but being a member of the most scrutinized group in her school is weighing her down like a ton of textbooks. Even her Varsity Cheerleading Guide can't answer the really tough questions, like: How do you maintain some semblance of dignity while wearing an insanely short skirt? What do you do when the head cheerleader spills her beer on you at your first in-crowd party? And how do you know if your crush likes you for your mind...or your pom-poms?
One thing's for sure: It's going to take more than brains for this girl genius to cheer her way to the top of the pyramid."

Review: I'm a romance junkie...so if you are like me and love those sappy, stories where the unattainable boy falls for the slightly geeky girl this one's for you! I really enjoyed it and read it in about a day :)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Hey guys! Thanks for the Teenage Hillbilly Love last week! :) Since I was a tease and cut you off...I'll post the very next segment of the story so you can see what he wanted to show her...

Snip from my WIP: Teenage Hillbilly Hell



Snip:

Thanks for the comments guys :)

Immortal by Gillian Sheilds

Plot: "Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness.

Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate."

Review: The concept of the story was really good, but I found myself just skipping some of the predictable things and some of the over-kill in the description department. It was just an okay book for me.

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Hey All! Here's a snip from my WIP Teenage Hillbilly Hell. Thanks for taking a peek! I can't wait to see what everyone else has come up with :)


Title: Teenage Hillbilly Hell

Snippit:

Thanks for the comments guys :)

Full Moon (A Dark Guardian Novel) by Rachel Hawthorne

Plot: Lindsey is wild and reckless, a natural rebel--maybe because her entire life was laid out for her even before she was born. Her parents are among the most powerful members of the Dark Guardians, an ancient tribe of werewolves and they arranged Lindsey's betrothal to Conner long ago. The next full moon is coming all too soon, and then her commitment to Conner will be final--no turning back. She should be happy...so why can't she stop thinking about gorgeous, brooding Rafe?

When a dangerous threat on the pack escalates, so do tensions between Connor and Rafe. A fight over Lindsey is imminent, but will it be to the death?

Excerpt: Supposedly, dreams reflect our hidden fears and secret desires, all clamoring for attention. The one I’d had last night had been so vivid that even now, as evening drew near, it still made me squirm in my chair. I sat against a wall in the counsel room where the elders and the Dark Guardians—protectors of our society—were discussing how best to ensure our survival. Because I hadn’t yet experienced my first transformation, I was considered a novice and was not allowed to sit at the large, round table with the others. This was okay by me, because it gave me the freedom to let my mind wander—without anyone noticing that I wasn't paying attention.

In my dream, I'd been standing in a clearing with my declared mate, Connor, our arms wrapped around each other so tightly that we could barely breathe. The full moon served as a spotlight.

Then dark clouds drifted over the moon, and everything went black. Still holding him near, I was acutely aware of the muscles and bones in his body undulating against me. He grew taller and broader. My fingers were in his hair, and I felt the strands thicken and lengthen. His mouth covered mine, but his lips were fuller than before. The kiss was hungrier than any he'd ever given me. It heated me from head to toe, and I thought I knew what it was to be a candle, melting from the scorching flame. I knew I should move away, but I clung to him as though I'd drown in a sea of doubts if I let go.

The hovering clouds floated away, and the moonlight illuminated us once again—only I was no longer in Connor's arms. Instead I was pressing my body against Rafe's, kissing him, yearning for his touch. . . .

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair with the memory of how desperately I'd wanted Rafe. It was Connor I was supposed to long for. But I'd woken up in a tangle of sheets, clamoring for another of Rafe's touches—even if it were only in a dream.

Squirming again, I felt a sharp elbow in my ribs.

"Be still, will you?" Brittany Reed whispered harshly beside me. Like me, she would soon be turning seventeen and would experience her first transformation with the next full moon.

I'd known Brittany since kindergarten. We were friends, but I'd never felt as close to her as I did to Kayla—whom I'd met only last summer, when her adoptive parents had brought her to the park to face her past. We'd connected on a deep level almost as soon as we met. We'd spent the past year sharing our lives through emails, text messages, and phone calls.

During the last full moon she'd discovered that she was one of us and that Lucas Wilde was her destined mate. I can't imagine how frightening it would be to have so little time to prepare. We Shifters can't control the first transformation. When the full moon rises, our bodies react to its call. But now Kayla sat at the table with the others.

The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is usually a time when as many of our kind as possible come together to celebrate our existence. But this year a pall hung over us as we gathered at Wolford, a village hidden deep within a huge national forest near the Canadian border. All that remained there of what had once been a vibrant community were a few small buildings and the massive, mansionlike structure that serves as the home of the elders who rule over us. The residence also houses most of us when we're here for the solstice celebration.

We've always been a secret society. Even though we have lived among the rest of the world, we show our true selves only to each other. But recently, we discovered that Lucas's older brother had betrayed us by telling someone in the outside world about our existence. Now some scientists who work for a medical research company called Bio-Chrome were determined to capture us and discover what makes us tick—or more important, what makes us transform. They wanted to patent this ability, develop it, and use it for their own financial gain. But being dissected and studied wasn't how any of us wanted to spend our summer vacation.

Although we hadn't seen any signs of Bio-Chrome scientists since Lucas and Kayla had escaped from their clutches, none of us believed they'd given up their quest so easily. We were all on edge because we could sense an impending confrontation—the way animals sense a coming storm. Nature had made us attuned to danger. It was the reason we hadn't gone the way of the dinosaur.

Review: Rachel Hawthorne is by far my favorite YA author. So if you haven't read any of her novels...run out and get one right now! She has several contemporary YA novels and her Dark Guardians trilogy is phenomenal! I just finished book two in this series, which is what I reviewed above and it was just as fabulous as the the first novel Moonlight. I can't wait to start Dark of the Moon. Rachel's style of writing is very smooth and very readable. I have fallen in love every time I have read one of her novels. She is my writing icon. Read this series :)

The Dying Curse on YouTube

Okay...So I was really bored today and discover Windows Movie Maker on my computer. I threw together a video for my WIP The Dying Curse and posted it on youtube. Check it out! To all my writer friends...we all need to make one, it's fun! :)The Dying Curse Trailer

Jennifer's body by Audrey Nixon

Book Cover Description: "The sign says Welcome to Devil's Kettle, Pop. 7,036. Come See What's Cookin'! No, seriously . . . that's what it says.

Some people find it hard to believe that a babe like Jennifer Check would associate with a dork like me, Needy Lesnicki. But we had history. We'd been the Wonder Twins since we were proverbial, and sandbox love never dies. Or at least that's what I thought.

But after that night in the woods, Jennifer was different. She looked different. And then the killings began. . . .

A lot of people ask me if I'm sorry I did it. I'm only sorry I didn't do it sooner."

Review: Okay, I had no idea this is a soon to be released movie as well...But let me just say the book was seriously creepy. Jennifer Check is the weirdest character I have read in a YA novel in quite a while. I can't wait to see this movie, if it's like the book I don't think I'll be disappointed. :)

Check out the movie trailer:
www.jennifersbody.com

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Madison Avery

Plot: "With her purple-tipped hair and Goth style, Madison didn't fit in when she was alive, and she has real problems now that she is dead. She went to the prom with popular and handsome Josh, but when she found out that her dad had arranged the fix-up, she ran off with the dangerously charming Kairos. This was a bad idea. Kairos is a dark timekeeper who needed to strike down Madison because his own time was about to run out and when he tried, she stole his amulet. This event sets off a unique adventure in which Madison is stuck somewhere between life and death. Caught up in a world of dark and light reapers, seraphs, and guardian angels, she has to fight to get the correct amulet and to reunite her body and soul so that she can live out a life cut short. The characters and their specific jobs and places in the hierarchy of heaven and earth are hard to follow, perhaps because this first book in the series is the setup for those that follow. The final chapters are by far the best as readers finally get a handle on all of the intricacies of the story and become attached to some of the characters, such as Grace, a funny and charming guardian angel who often speaks in limericks.–Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO
Copyright © "

Review: I think the age group for this novel is grades 7-10, with that being said, for that age group this novel is great. But for someone like me who enjoys the more romantic side of YA fiction is was a little slow. The story line was great, very original, and kept me interested. So if you're not a romance fan, this one's for you.

Updated Query

Okay, so this query thing has been driving me nuts! So I have worked over my qery yet again and posted it on Absolute Writes website. I have gotten some pretty good feedback so far, which is exciting. Now, let's just hope it turns some agent heads. LOL :) Best of luck to all of you working on queries!


Here's my newest!

Thanks for the feedback :)

Query For My WIP The Dying Curse

Thanks for checking it out guys :)

Hazing of Meri Sugarman by M. Apostolina

Plot: "College freshman Cindy Bixby equates popularity with belonging to a sorority. She pledges Alpha Beta Delta and idolizes her sisters. Their president, Meri Sugarman, is the most revered and powerful student on campus. These girls get all A's without going to class, have the best parties, and are flown by helicopter to Vegas whenever they desire. Cindy overlooks the fact that they call her Bow Wow (she thinks it's a term of endearment) and give her horribly humiliating tasks. When Meri's former boyfriend shows an interest in Cindy, however, she is kicked out of the sorority and learns that Meri will hurt anyone to get what she wants. Cindy and her friends then set out to eliminate the evil coed's power over the school. Alpha Beta Delta is more like the mafia than a sorority; the girls routinely use wiretapping, blackmail, and torture."

Plot: This book was funny and a great college-aged read. The love scenes where super-sexy and I rooted for Cindy Bixby to get the mean girl Meri the whole time. This is the first book in the series, so I am looking forward to reading the rest.

Geek Charming by Robin Palmer

Plot: "Dylan Shoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest boyfriend, the most popular friends, and a brand-new “it” bag that everyone covets. But when she accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own personal frog: selfprofessed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh convinces Dylan to let him film her for his documentary on high school popularity. Reluctantly, Dylan lets F-list Josh into her A-list world, and is shocked to realize that sometimes nerds can be pretty cool. But when Dylan’s so-called prince charming of a boyfriend dumps her flat, her life—and her social status— comes to a crashing halt. Can Dylan—with Josh’s help—pull the pieces together to create her own happily-ever-after?"

Review: I didn't love this one. I had a hard time relating to the female MC. I did like the male MC of the story but there wasn't enough of a romance to keep my head in the story. This story reminded me of the old eighties movie, "Can't Buy Me Love," only with out the heart-warming love story.

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Hey Guys it's that time again! :)

Snip from: The Dying Curse




Thanks for looking :)

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

PLOT: "Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future."

REVIEW: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! This book made me fall in love with Cam and Morgan. I rooted for them the whole way. And I absolutly LOVE Pip! Very few things in life make me cry, and I found myself getting a little misty over this one!

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Here's a tiny teaser. :) I'm excited to say I am FINALLY getting close to having this one done. Can't wait to see everyone elses!

WIP: The Dying Curse snippit


Thanks for looking :)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback Much appriciated :)

This is from my WIP: Teenage Hillbilly Hell (349 words)

Thanks for looking :)

Carter Finally Gets it by Brent Crawford

Plot:

"Will Carter is about to start high school and worries about finding his place and making his mark, especially when it come to girls. Carter isn't exactly smooth, he's got ADD and tends to stutter in moments of duress (expecially when fixated with boobs, tits, and belly buttons), but he has a great group of friends, dogged determination, and a wise sister who'll help him stumble through his freshman year, find his first love, face down the school bully, and learn who he really is. Crawford's debut is hysterical from start to finish. Readers will find themselves muffling uncontrollable laughter as they rush to find out what clumsy escapade Carter will plunge himself into next."

Review: Very rarely does a book actually make me laugh out loud, but this one did several times. For some odd reason I feel like I actually got inside an fourteen year-old boy's mind. This book reveals all those little things that a guy feels during momentous teenage moments in life. Great book, very funny. Make the time to read this one.

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!!

Hey guys :)

This is a part found near the beginning on my MS

This is from a snippit from my WIP: Teenage Hillbilly Hell (249 words)


Thanks for looking :)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again, it's Tuesday Teaser Time!

This is another excerpt from: The Dying Curse (454 words)

You'll meet some new faces in this one :) Can't wait to see everyone's



Thanks for looking :)

Tuesday Teaser Time!!!

Hey All,
I switched it up a little this week! Sorry it's a tad bit longer than usual. I try to keep it short for you guys because I know we have so many to get through, but I didn't know where to cut this one off.

Here is an exerpt from: The Dying Curse (781 words)


Thanks for checking it out :)

Look for me by moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn

Plot:

"A lonely teenage girl, an isolated inn by the ocean, a ghost, a mysterious stranger-sure, these are gothic cliches, but in Hahn's (Stepping on the Cracks) able hands, they add up to a stylish supernatural thriller. Cynda, the 16-year-old narrator, has trepidations about moving in with her estranged father and his much younger wife at the Maine inn that they run even before she hears that the inn is haunted, ostensibly by the ghost of a young woman murdered some 60 years ago. Soon after her arrival, handsome, sophisticated Victor Morthanos checks in for a month-long stay. Cynda's five-year-old half-brother, Todd, hates him on sight, but Cynda just as quickly falls in love: Victor alone understands her jealousy and resentment of Todd and her stepmother, and he alone truly appreciates her. By the time Cynda figures out that Victor is a vampire and the murderer of the ghostly girl, she is well on the way to becoming a ghost herself, as is Todd. How Cynda overcomes her thralldom makes for a deliciously spine-tingling story-all the more gripping for its sturdy psychological underpinnings."

~~Amazon Description

Review: Vincent gives me the creeps right away in this book! I thought for a while we were going to have a young girl in sexual situations with an older man. Thank god that didn't happen. LOL Anyway this was published back in 1995 so it there is nothing moder en about the story. Just a creepy guy with the same old same old standard vampire vibe.

Lost It by Kristen Tracy

Plot:

"Tess Whistle lives in Idaho with paranoid parents, who "became born again" after a kitchen fire. The book begins with an account of how she loses her virginity, then flashes back to the start of junior year, when she expected to stay a virgin until she is "at least engaged." Tess has plenty of phobias, mostly of the natural world where she could be "torn to pieces by a pack of recently relocated gray wolves." Just before her whole life crumbles, Benjamin Easter transfers to her school. Tess falls intensely in love without realizing "that you can't depend on another person to provide your own balance." And there's no doubt that Tess's life is out of balance: Her best friend is building a bomb, claiming she wants to blow up a poodle, her parents run off to join a survival camp, and Tess tells Ben she is diabetic as way of explaining her "juvenile" apple juice box, then maintains the lie."

~~ Amazon Description

My Review: I loved the tension between Tess and Ben. I was let down by the ending though...I needed a little more closer to their relationship than what I got.

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Plot:

"During the summer of her junior year, shy, quiet Ruby McQueen falls in love with the rich boy down the block. After their first motorcycle ride, Travis gives her a beautiful gold chain, and she wears it everywhere. Only later, while on a date with him, does she learn where he gets his gifts–he breaks into houses and steals jewelry. Ruby struggles with her conflicted feelings for him. Her parents are separated and hardly stellar examples when it comes to relationships. By spending time with the Casserole Queens (her librarian mother's senior-citizen book group) and listening to their life stories, the teen and her mother finally discover the role models that they've been lacking."

~~Amazon Description

Review: Let me just say I hate Travis Becker! Th evil part in me was very, very pleased with his ending. Muhahaha. I liked it,wasn't crazy over it. The relationship tension between Ruby and Travis was there, I just wish it focused more on that then the Casserole Club.

Demon Envy by Erin Lynn

Plot:

"Being a teenager can be hell-especially when you're friends with someone who was born there.
Kenzie Sutcliffe woke up to another normal morning-until a demon popped up in her shower. While trying to get rid of a monster zit, she dropped her acne lotion in the tub. And when fifty bucks' worth of it swirled down the drain, it freed a demon from his prison portal. A mysteriously geeky-looking demon.

So now Kenzie is saddled with a creature who looks and acts like every other guy she knows-that is, annoying. At least Levi has a job-if you can call it that. He has to stir up envy and jealousy in humans, or he starves. All he's tempting Kenzie to do is to crawl back into her bedroom and hide there forever. Because no one is going to be coveting her life after this."

~~Amazon Description

Review: I loved this book. Great Teen voice and very funny! This book really moves. I couldn't put it down. I took some major pacing notes from this book. I loved Levi, if I ever get a Demon I hope it's just like him! I highly reccommend this one!

Swoon by Nina Malkin

"Swoon, Connecticut, stands proudly on its heritage and the good behavior of its Lilly Pulitzer–clad inhabitants, so semi-psychic New York transplant Candice (Dice) sticks out like a sore thumb. On the autumnal equinox, Dice’s sweet and gentle cousin Penelope suddenly changes into a dangerous vixen, and only Dice is able to see that she has been possessed. Dice knows she must exorcise Sinclair, the ghost of a handsome young man from the colonial era, but she has fallen deeply in love with the appropriately nicknamed Sin. Finally, Dice follows Sin’s directions for an exorcism, which frees Penelope from his hold and releases Sin into his own physical form. The golem-like Sin finally reveals his goal: to exact revenge on the descendants of those who unjustly hung him for the murder of his fiancée. Since Sin awakens the quaint town’s denizens to all of their suppressed urges, this steamy and suspenseful romance with a psychic slant and time-travel twist will pull mature teens. The paranormal angle and several star-crossed love pairings will appeal to fans of the Twilight series. Grades 10-12. --Heather Booth"

~~Amazon post

Review: This one started off with a bang. Sin knows how to start some fun trouble. I was really into the book for the first 10 chapters...then it kinda fizzled for me. I loved the concept of the book though, and I think if some of the side stories were cut down it would have been amazing. Some people may totally disagree with me on this one, but I would say read the first few chapters...then skip to the end.


Heres the link to the book trailer:

Tuesday Teaser Time!!

Hello, it's that time of week again. So here is another excerpt of my YA contemporary MS that is still in progress. I have officially dusted it off to try to finish it. This teaser pretty much follows the last two teasers...so not as steamy, just info. I Can't wait to see what everyone else has posted.

Excerpt: I love you, no matter what. (249 words)


Thanks for looking :)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Plot: "Fifteen-year-old Laurel has led a sheltered, homeschooled life in a very small town, so when her parents decide to move and enroll her in high school, she has trouble getting used to her new life. A life, as it turns out, that’s not at all like those of other kids. One clear sign is a winglike blossom that blooms on her back. Oh, and her new best friend, the scientifically minded David, reveals under a microscope that her cells are more plant than animal. But it takes an encounter at her old home with the handsome but decidedly different Tamani to convince her that she is a faerie. She also learns it’s up to her to save her land from the evil influences that are trying to take it away from her and her family. This first novel is clearly designed to attract the Twilight set, though there’s significantly less edge (and blood). There is, however, a familiar triangle. Will Laurel choose solid, steady David, or will she be unable to resist Tamani’s lure? Stay tuned. Fine escapist fare, this neatly mixes the everyday with the otherworldly"-Amazon's description
Review: I love Tamani. David is a nice guy too, but there's just something about Tamani that draws me in. I really, really liked this one. It started kinda slow for me at first, but once Tamani came into the picture I just couldn't put it down. You got to check this one out.

Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Plot: "Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?"-Amazon description
Review: Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a sucker for vamp books. This one is just about a girl who knows that vampires exist and has to decide whether or not to become one. It was really cute, and there was a couple little love interests in there. Read it if you like vamp books, or are below 15 :)

Going to Far by Jennifer Echols

Plot: "All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over...."-Amazon Description

Review: Okay, this book was awesome! You have to make time to read this one. Meg and John's relationship is ultra steamy. I could not put this one down! This one's a have to!

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

Plot:

"Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her." -Amazon's description

Review: This book moved pretty quickly, it had some great flashback scenes to help you understand Parker. There was a lot of mention of mental health issues in this book, and I found that interesting because as a nurse I know how very real those issues are. I enjoyed this book, it was kinda suspenseful. I just had to find out why a girl that had everything would just throw it away. Read it if your board :)

Teaser Tuesday Time!

Hey guys, Tuesday Teaser time again. I went ahead and posted a little more of last weeks scene for you since I teased you so much with the ending. :) Thanks for all the awesome feedback last week! Enjoy.


Exerpt: love you no, matter what. (280 words)


Thanks for looking :)

My own work for my friends at Absolute Write "Teaser Tuesday"

I know this is not what I normal post here, but some of my wonderful friends at Absolute Writers have decided to do a "Teaser Tuesday" blog post. So this is from an original piece I worked on a while back.

Title: I love you no, matter what. (expert 311 words) WIP



Thanks for looking :)

Dead Girl Walking / Dead Girl Dancing by Linda Joy Singleton

Plot: BOOK ONE------Amber Borden has the worse since of direction ever! But that didn't stop her from trying to show the popular new girl the way to Jessica Bradley's in-crowd party. Things get totally screwed up when Amber gets them lost, and wind up in a graveyard instead. They eventually make it to the party and Amber over hears everyone call her a loser behind her back.

Upset, Amber goes home, and because she has the worst timing ever she gets hit by the mail-lady, which causes her to have an out-of-body experience. Amber finds that she has suddenly been body swapped with the most popular girl in school. Leah Montgomery. Can Amber survive as the most popular girl just being herself?

BOOK TWO---- Pretty much the same concept, just this time Amber's in a new body.

Review: I liked these little books. They were tiny, only like 250 pages each so I just read them back to back to make one big book. The end of the second one tells about Amber jumping into her next body...so there will be a third one. If you like sci-fi, good and bad angels kinda stuff you'll probably like these. For me, I dunno, I liked them...didn't love 'em.

To be Mona by Kelly Easton

Plot: I'm just going to copy and paste one from Amazon on this one.

'Sage Priestly is seventeen, and she longs to reinvent herself -- to strip away the fat, the past, the crazy mom, the unpaid bills. She longs to be her own version of the gorgeous and popular Mona Simms.
Sage starts dieting and exercising. She gets blond highlights and throws away all of her black clothes. Bit by bit she transforms herself. This is deeply troubling to her best friend, Vern, who is secretly in love with Sage just the way she is. But the boyfriend Sage wants -- the popular jock Roger -- suddenly notices her. And when they start dating, Sage thinks her life is turning around.
So why isn't Sage happier? Yes, Roger is a little too controlling and pushy, but isn't that what boys are like when you date them? What is it about the image Sage has created that just doesn't fit?
Smart, honest, and tough, Sage is a teen with more going for her than she thinks, but she still has a lot to learn.'

Review: Too many MC's in this one. I thought the concept of the story was great, but I thought this read was a little too confusing. I had to stop reading and look back a lot to find which characters head I was in since there were 4 different MC's (One girl: Sage, and Three Guys:Vern, Roger and Wal-Mart). I don't know...some people may like that, but I am a detail person, so this one wasn't one of my Fav's.

Perfect You By Elizabeth Scott

Plot: Kate's life is completely ruined. Her Dad quits his job to open his own dumb perfect you vitamin store in the mall, and then her best friend suddenly becomes popular and dumps her for the in-crowd. Kate's life suddenly sucks and there is no-one to vent to. She has no friends and nothing interesting to do with her life. That is until she starts a secret affair with the school's most infamous heart breaker, Will. Kate shouldn't like Will, so she tries to stay away from him, but there's just something about him she can't get enough of.

Review: Another great novel by Elizabeth Scott. It has great teen voice, and I love any book that the MC says "craptastic". I devoured this book in one sitting. Too cute.

Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Plot: Lauren is a teenage girl who seems to have everything...money, looks, and the guy every girl wants. Her relationship with Dave helps her feel apart of her high school's elite inner circle, and makes her question herself constantly...why me? Lauren is dumbfounded that someone as perfect as Dave would love her enough to be the only girl he's ever shared his secret with. Dave has made a promise of celibacy to himself because of his religious beliefs, and that is a major struggle for Lauren who constantly doubts the real reason he wants to be with her. Their relationship consists of limited touching and kissing and that does not help her to feel very wanted.

So after a year and a half of a no hanky-panky boring relationship with Dave things get shaken up a bit in Lauren's world when blast-from-the-past Evan returns into her life. Evan is unlike any boy she's ever known and now she realizes she's got a tough choice to make.

Review: For all you YA writers out there...pick this one up! It has great teen voice in 1st person present and makes you feel Lauren is really telling you the story. I loved this little YA contemporary novel...but I am a sucker for love triangles. So if ya got the time, get this one.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Plot: If you haven't read The Summoning then STOP HERE:

Okay...so your obviously past that one so let's move on to The Awakening. This is just one of those books that you just have to keep going on...no matter what, you just HAVE to know what happens next. I love Kelley Armstrong's style of writing, and the second book in this series just ties up SOME loose ends, but your really still not sure about why some of the things are happening. The gang is still on the search for Derek and Simon's dad in hopes that he will be able to unravel the mystery of the Edison Group, and Chloe is still learning how to harness her power as a necromancer (Someone who raises the dead). So basically they are still on the run...and still searching for answers, and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Review: I really enjoyed this one, and was counting down its release date. I'll definitely be picking up the third installment in the Darkest Powers Series when it comes out. So if you liked The Summoning, this one is a gimme...you just have to continue the story of lovable Chloe Saunders.

Thrill Ride by Rachel Hawthorne

Plot: Megan's taken a job at the country's top amusement park, Thrill Ride, against her new steady boyfriends wishes. It will be hard being away from her friends and family, but it's better than being stuck in Texas for the summer listening to her Mother and sister argue over summer wedding plans. After getting settled in, Megan gets a little taste of freedom. Living in a dorm, working by day, and partying by night with her sexy co-worker Parker, what could be better? Can her budding new relationship withstand a summer apart and while she's hanging around a hot new boy?



Review: Uber cute fluffy teen romance. Makes me wish to be 17 again. :) This one is a quick, fun little read. If you feel like getting wrapped up in a drama fill teen love story...read it.

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Plot: Okay, if you haven't read Wicked Lovely or Ink Exchange STOP HERE; but if you have...proceed :)

"Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.
Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.
In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos."

This book pretty much picks up pretty much where Wicked Lovely stopped. Of course it is critical to have read ink exchange as well to understand why Naill is so upset with the summer court, but this was a great set up for the next book in the series. I love how this book details Aislinn's struggle within herself to hold on to her mortal love (Seth) and push the faery king's (Keenan) advances aside. I finished the book, I was sad that is was over...I wanted to keep going. Can't wait until book four hits the shelves.

Review: Awesome read, dark and twisted in the best way. I can totally picture this series as movies or TV shows, great detail in her setting descriptions. Gotta get this one!

Need by Carrie Jones

Plot: Zara is sent off to live with her Grandmother in some little town in Maine because after her father's death her mother cannot care for own teenage daughter. When Zara meets her new classmates she developed connections with the sexy Nick and the overachiever Ian and finds she not the only one who notices something weirds going on. Zara soon learns this little town in Maine has a history of teenage boys going missing that is now repeating itself. Zara learns that a pixie king is kidnapping these boys to relieve his need, hunger for blood and will continue to do this until he is mated with a queen. It's up to Zara to untangle this mysterious web of secrets and save these boys.

Okay the stalking faery in the woods hooked me! Plus he leaves trails of gold glitter everywhere he goes, so it's proof she's not crazy, that he is actually real. I just wish a little more happened with the love interest in this book. Other than that excellent Read!

Review: If you are a Twilight fan, you'll love this book.

Check out this Link for the book I found at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m3E2AOU3AYXRAG

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Plot: Jennifer Harris has exactly one friend in her entire elementary school...Carmeron Quick. They are both out casted geeks who only fit in with each other. They are constantly teased and ridiculed. They desperate cling to each others companionship, and hold on to each other for dear life...that is until Carmeron disappears without a word. Jennifer is stunned when her classmates inform her that Carmeron is dead and she totally closes down, until her mom finally finishes night school, remarries and moves them into a better neighborhood at the start of her high school career. This move gives Jennifer Harris a chance to reinvent herself as Jenna Vaugh and finally be in the in crowd. Things are finally going great for Jenna, she's got the right friends, the right clothes and the right boyfriend...so why does she still feel like something is missing?

Okay...let me just say this book is NOT a typical YA romance novel. It's filled with some very deep and emotional issues that effect kids everyday, but is rarely discussed openly.

Review: I kept reading because it had some amazing flash backs that left me hanging and I just had to know how these flash backs helped shape Jenna. I enjoyed this book...until the very end. It didn't leave me with much closer and this is not the type of book that has a sequel, so if you don't like open endings...this ones for you.

When it happens by Susane Colasanti

Plot: "Sara is entering her senior year hoping that she'll find true love. She is encouraged when Dave asks her out. He is part of the in crowd, and she begins to hang out with his friends, at the expense of her relationships with her girlfriends. Next, readers hear from Tobey. He has slept with a couple of girls, but is uncomfortable with that kind of relationship. He thinks Sara is his real thing, and he asks her friend Laila to help him win her over. Tobey and Sara become partners in music class and find they have much in common. Dave, on the other hand, is a disappointment to her. When he pressures Sara to sleep with him, she finally realizes that she confused her attraction to his good looks and connections with honest feelings. Through alternating chapters, readers get the perspectives of Tobey and Sara about their developing relationship. The easy style of the writing reflects how teens speak, and some of the characters' language is realistically gritty. This is a fun romance with lots of dialogue."

I loved the story of Tobi and Sara, Couldn't put it down, I loved how it flipped back and fourth between her point of view and his! This helps you personally relate to each of them. You root for them to be together. There's a lot of references to pop culture items that helped me totally visualize the story. This was a very true to life teen romance.

Review: If you are looking for a fluffy teen romance novel that will leave you smiling, you'll like this book.

My Education As a Vampire by B. Michael Allen

Plot: The story is about a group of teens that get attacked and turned and find themselves trying to figure out how to survive in their new lives. This book was interesting, it was a different take then most YA, a little more geared toward the harsh reality of what a vampire really is vs. the romantic relationships they have (Which is what most YA vamp books are geared toward

I would think this would be a vamp book the the boys would enjoy, although young girls may be interested in the friendships in the book.

Sidebar: This is the authors first book and I picked it up at my local Barnes&Noble when he was doing a book signing. I met B. Michael Allen and he was a very nice guy, he told me this story actually started out as a bedtime story for his boys and they liked it so much he just starting writing it down everyday so he wouldn't forget the story.

Review: The book itself was very short, not real detailed, but like I said it was his first book..With that being said, if you like vampire stories you'll probably like this quick little read (only 176 pages) but just don't expect a lot of relationship drama. This book I thought would be geared more towards young adolescent boys because it's filled with more fighting and survival and not romance. There is a second book out called The Twins which I bought also and will get around to eventually.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Plot: Okay, we've all heard of Beauty and the Beast right...well this book is pretty much that story with a modern day twist told by the beast's perspective. The guy is a rich popular guy who can get any girl he wants and he's mean to anyone he feels is beneath him. So, with that being said Kyle Kingbury is really mean to this girl, he stands her up at a dance just for laughs, but what he doesn't realize is that Kendra is a witch. Kyle soon finds out when Kendra casts a spell on him what if feels like to be not so perfect anymore, and that looks aren't everything...

Okay, I can't give it all away but you get the idea. I know the story has already been done and we all know how it's going to end...just the same I was so captivated by this book I read it in one sitting.


Review: Pick it up if you are looking for a fairy tale with a modern twist, but if you're not interested in reading something you already know how it ends...skip it.

Take Me There by Susane Colasanti

Plot: "Rhiannon loves order, math, and Steve, but Steve dumped her for the manipulative, skanky Gloria. James loves serenity, designing software, and his friendship with Rhiannon. But his home is chaotic, and Rhiannon doesn’t know how much he cares for her. Nicole loves her math teacher, her friendship with Rhiannon, and her ex-boyfriend, Danny. But Nicole has a secret that threatens all of her relationships. Over the course of a week, Colasanti’s story, told in alternating narratives, describes how the three teens cope with the same events, each other, and their own issues. Each character’s voice is strong, and the dialogue is stolen right from the corridors of a contemporary high school. Readers, especially girls, will appreciate the very satisfying resolutions of all three characters’ issues: Rhiannon gets revenge and recognizes the depth of her friendship with James; James receives a surprising gift; and Nicole acknowledges the consequences of her father’s abuse and her conflicted feelings for Danny."

This book was okay...it kind of dragged on, at first I was interested, but then it just kind of fizzled out. I think this book would have been better if it were a little shorter and got to the point a little sooner.

Review: I've read better