New This Week!

These are just some of the books that were released this week!
Click on the picture for more information.

Now In Paperback

Before & After: Lisa & Laura Roecker

Lisa and Laura Roecker are sisters-turned-writing-partners with a love of all things Young Adult. Some call it arrested development, but the sisters claim it keeps them young. Plus, its cheaper than Botox. Lisa and Laura live in Cleveland, Ohio in separate residences. Their husbands wouldn't agree to a duplex. THE LIAR SOCIETY is their first novel.

Learn more at lisaandlauraroecker.com

We are absolutely blown away by the support we have received in the days leading up to The Liar Society's release. Fellow writers, readers, friends and strangers are changing their hair to pink and helping us spread the word about the book. It has been unexpected and thrilling and emotional and we're so incredibly thankful to be apart of this amazing community.

If you would have asked us this question on March 1st, we might have said "confused" because no one could find the book in stores! It was a wee bit anti-climactic. But lesson learned, just because a book has a release day of March 1st does not mean you can actually find it in stores on March 1st. Now that the book is actually out there in the wild, being read (hopefully) and enjoyed (double hopefully), we are very proud. We set out to do something and actually did it! If you had known us in high school this is not as easy as it sounds!

Reviews for The Liar Society
**My Review**
i swim for oceans
The Book Pixie
IB Book Blogging

Find Lisa & Laura Roecker
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Buy The Liar Society
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Anatomy of a Boyfriend, by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy Of A Boyfriend
Daria Snadowsky

Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: January 9, 2007
Series: N/A
Genre: Romance, Young Adult
Pages: Paperback, 416
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4/5 (Avg 3/5)

Before this all happened, the closest I'd ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Okay, so maybe that sounds pathetic, but it's not like there were any guys at my high school who I cared to share more than three words with, let alone my body.

Then I met Wes, a track star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too. I couldn't believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing—and touching—parts of the body I'd only read about in my Gray's Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring. It was scary. It was fun. It was love.

And then came the fall.

I read a lot of reviews for this book - both good and bad, which is pretty much what intrigued me enough to pick it up and read it. For all intents and purposes, I can see exactly why the reviews are so split in half. I can see why people would really like it, where others wouldn't like it at all.

The funny thing about this is that a lot of older (read: not teen) readers comment about the graphic sex in this book and the fact that this is a YA book with the two main characters having sex. Really, all I can say about that is that (1) the title of the book should have warned you right away, and (2) it's about time we stop trying to act like teens don't have sex. They do. Sorry to break it to you if you didn't know, but it just kind of happens.

Having said that, I can say that I personally had two things that irked me most about this book. The first being the main character, Dom. I understand that she's a teen experiencing her first love, but I can't say that I relate to her that much. Her whole character just screams desperate and clingy. The only thing I applaud her for is admitting up to these faults, but it still didn't make them any easier for me to digest. I think her mood swings also completely caught me off guard. One minute she'd be really hot with Wes and the next, snap!, suddenly he's the worse person on the face of the earth. She was selfish. She expected Wes to choose her over everything and blamed some bad [even tragic] events in both of their lives for him not completely doting on her 24/7 and them not getting more sexy time together. I wanted to smack her for not at least acknowledging some type of empathy and remorse for that. She also changed major things about herself because she wanted to feel closer to him, then completely changed back when things went awry. Altogether, Dom was a headache for me.

The other thing was that the actual love between the two felt a little distorted. What was described in the book was more like fascination and lust instead of real, true love between Dominique and Wes. The friendship felt real. The love? Not so much.

Despite those two major things, I did enjoy this read. Even though I couldn't relate to Dom, this did seem like a pretty accurate portrayal of first love for teens. Everything is so dramatic, yet vastly exciting because everything is so new. I don't think that the sex scenes were too bad. It's nothing worse than what I've heard described on TV for teens these days, so it shouldn't be so shocking. The ending of the book was a little unexpected. Really, I expected Dom's best friend's brother to play a bigger role in this book. I think it was because he was so hyped up through Dom's description. But you only see one scene with him that kind of leaves you scratching your head, wondering if you'll ever find out what the heck it was all about. A hint: you don't.

This book is rated a shaky 4 from me, though it's more like a solid 3.5. The writing was good and fit this story well. There wasn't too much overkill on description, rather it was more about character interactions and feelings. Overall, this book is worth at least giving a shot.

Find Daria Snadowsky
Website

Buy Anatomy of a Boyfriend
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Gods of Dream, by Daniel Arenson

The Gods of Dream
Daniel Arenson

Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 21, 2010
Series: N/A
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: Kindle Edition
Source: eBook, Author
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4/5)

What are dreams? Some think they are figments of our mind. But what if they were wisps of a distant, magical world... a world you could visit?

Twins Cade and Tasha discover Dream, the land dreams come from. It is a realm of misty forests, of verdant mountains, of mysterious gods who send dreams into our sleep. Cade and Tasha seek solace there; they are refugees, scarred and haunted with memories of war. In Dream, they can forget their past, escape the world, and find joy.

Phobetor, the god of Nightmare, was outcast from Dream. Now he seeks to destroy it. He sends his monsters into Dream, and Cade and Tasha find their sanctuary threatened, dying. To save it, the twins must overcome their past, journey into the heart of Nightmare, and face Phobetor himself.

To describe it in one word: fabulous. This story, from start to end, keeps your attention. From the plot to story to characters, there is not one thing about it that doesn't draw you in and keep you there. The language used in the book is nothing short of completely captivating, and [dare I say] lyrical - though I vowed to never use such a word for words in all of my reviews. I can't help it, there's no other way to describe it. As a matter of fact, I've never seen the English language used so eloquently in a long, long time. It was amazing, to say the least.

I couldn't get enough of the characters in this one. They're so formal yet exciting, which I never really thought I could say together. Usually formal characters are a total snooze, but it worked well with this book. Our main characters in this story [twins, Cade and Tasha] come from a sad story and feel damaged in the beginning. However, they prove their worth in gold throughout the novel. Even though they don't feel like they're fit to save Dream in the beginning, they come through valiantly with courage, strength and so much more.

The other characters fit their parts perfectly in this book, but I think I was more amazed with the settings. The differences between the real world, Dream and Nightmare are vast. Typically with different settings, there are always many similarities and a few minor details that are changed. It's the total opposite with The Gods of Dream. Each is unique and you never get confused where the characters may be throughout the story.

I can't say enough good things about this story. From beginning to end, it has you on an emotional roller coaster that never seems to let up - especially the opening and closing chapters. The ending was a little predictable for me, BUT it wasn't even about the ending because I was still too caught up in all of the adventure throughout the book getting to that point. The writing is impeccable and a complete work of art. Even though it's not marked as so, I think this would be a great story for the older YA readers and it is a MUST READ for fantasy lovers. If you love Tolkien, you'll definitely want to give The Gods of Dream a try. I don't normally compare authors, but I have to make an exception in this case because it is THAT good!

Find Daniel Arenson Online
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Purchase The Gods of Dream
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Before & After: Kim Harrington

Kim Harrington lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son. When not writing, she's most likely reading, watching one of her favorite TV shows, or fantasizing about her next vacation. Her debut YA novel, CLARITY, is available now from Scholastic/Point.

Learn more about Kim at kimharringtonbooks.com

It still feels a little bit unreal. On the one hand, I know it's happening because I have a copy of the hardcover right next to me. But, on the other, it still feels strange. Maybe because getting published was a lifelong dream of mine. I tried for many years before I finally sold Clarity in 2009. (Even after you sell you still have a long time to wait to see your dream become actuality!) Now that it's almost finally here, I almost can't believe it. I'm very excited, but--to be honest--nervous as well.

Clarity has been out for a while now and it has been an amazing ride. The first time I saw it on the shelf in a bookstore...well...I cried. It was as if I couldn't believe it until I finally saw it for myself. And then my launch party was a few days after that and it was so much fun! I am so thankful for all the family, friends, bloggers, and readers who came out to celebrate with me. The best feeling of the last two weeks, though, is getting emails from absolute strangers telling me how much they love the book. I still worry constantly, about sales and stuff like that, but emails from readers always makes my day!

Reviews for Clarity
A Good Addiction
Book Noise
My Overstuffed Bookshelf

Find Kim Harrington
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Purchase Clarity
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Banished, by Jen Wylie

Banished
Jen Wylie

Publisher: Echelon Press
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Series: Tales of Ever
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: Kindle Edition
Source: eARC, Author
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4.5/5)

My life was normal. It sucked, but it was normal. At least until I got this new power. I can control fire. It would be cool if it wasn't so dangerous and if I knew how to use it. Pretty much my sucky life took a nose dive once I got it. Yup, everything gone. I suppose I should be thankful some uncle I never heard of took me in. Turns out the whole family isn't normal and my power is a lot more dangerous than I thought. I thought things couldn't get any worse. I was wrong. They banished me to Ever.

If I'm lucky, I might survive my first day.

The thing about short stories is that they are really hit-or-miss for me. I don't know if it's the fact that they are, indeed, too short as I'm spoiled by novels... or they just lack in some way. I didn't find this to be the case with Banished. From the very beginning, the writing had me hooked. It was grammatically correct, short and simple, yet completely enthralling.

The main character, Misha, is very easy to relate to. She's just an ordinary girl with ordinary feelings, but she just happens to have an extraordinary ability. She's really alone in the world, yet not weak. Quite the opposite, she's a very capable and strong character.

This was a very quick and easy read, with all of the key components that make a wonderful story for me. The ending was satisfying, yet still left us with a small thirst for more. If you're looking for a story that flows smoothly with a simple plot and good cast of characters, I'd recommend trying Banished out for size.

Find Jen Wylie Online
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Purchase Banished
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Before & After: C.C. Hunter (& Giveaway!)

C.C. Hunter grew up in Alabama, where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and regularly rescued potential princes, in the form of Alabama bullfrogs, from her brothers. Today, she's still fascinated with lightning bugs, mostly wears shoes, but has turned her focus to rescuing mammals. She now lives in Texas with her four rescued cats, one dog, and a prince of a husband, who for the record, is so not a frog. When she's not writing, she's reading, spending time with her family, or is shooting things-with a camera, not a gun.

C.C. Hunter is a pseudonym. Her real name is Christie Craig and she also writes humorous romantic suspense romance novels for Grand Central. www.christie-craig.com

C.C. would love to hear from you. Because of deadlines, it may take her a day or so to get back with you, but she will reply. cc@cchunterbooks.com

Well, I’m pretty much like Kylie Galen, my character in Born at Midnight, when she ends up at Shadow Falls and learns it’s a camp full of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, witches and faes. By that, I mean I’m in an emotional tailspin—Nervous I might not live through this and scared that everyone won’t like me. Basically, I really, really just want things to go well.

This isn’t my first book-release rodeo. I write humorous romantic suspense novels under my real name, but this is my first young adult novel. It’s also my first book for St. Martin’s Griffin, and my first book under my pen name C.C. Hunter. So, it feels like the first time. And like first kisses, first dates and first job interviews, first time events are scary.

Wow! I'm so excited. I love getting all the reader mail where they tell me how much they enjoyed my story. I love signing books. I just left the Romantic Times Convention where we had a huge teen party and it was amazing. I got to talk to lots of readers and bloggers who had already read Born at Midnight and I loved every moment of it. Lots of readers stopped by and visited and it was just so good to meet and greet my audience.

Thanks again, Missy, for inviting me. I hope everyone enjoys my book.

Reviews for Born At Midnight
**My Review**
My Overstuffed Bookshelf
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
Addicted 2 Novels

Find C.C. Hunter
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Purchase Born At Midnight
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

C.C. has offered to give a copy of Born At Midnight to one lucky reader! Simply fill out the form below to be entered!

Details:
- International!
- Must be a follower of this blog.
- Contest ends Sunday, April 17 at midnight.

Click HERE to be taken to the form!

Born At Midnight, by C.C. Hunter

Born At Midnight
C.C. Hunter

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Series: Shadow Falls
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: Paperback, 416
Source: ARC, Publisher
Rating: 4/5 (Avg 4/5)

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

I think Kylie has to be one of the luckiest unlucky girls around. She gets in trouble when she's not at fault, she has parents that aren't really there for her and then she gets shipped off to a camped for troubled teens. It seems bad, right? Yet, it's probably one of the best things that could have happened to her.

From the very beginning of this novel, you can empathize with Kylie. When she's not happy with someone, you're not happy. If she's panicked, then you're in a panic. If she's happy, well... you get where I'm going with this. Kylie's character and voice is very strong in this novel and that makes the story that much easier to get into. Kylie definitely had her fair share of moments where you pitied her, but I think the friends and discoveries that she made at Shadow Falls more than makes up for everything else.

Throughout the story, I found myself wanting to be at Shadow Falls. Not only is it eerily fascinating, but the people there are equally as enthralling to me. From Miranda to Della to the camp counselors and fellow camp mates, the characters - big or small - took on lives of their own, each with their own distinctive attitudes and personalities. Aside from Kylie, I think I have to say that my second favorite character is Della. Although it seems that Della wouldn't be such a stand-out character in the beginning, she really did pop out for me. She and Miranda make the perfect friends for Kylie in their own individual ways. And their fights with one another? Classic. The love interest(s) was also a thing to be reckoned with. It looks like we might be setting up for a love triangle, which at this point could go either way. Surprisingly enough, I didn't detest it as I typically do with love triangles.

The ending actually caught me off-guard, which is encouraging and definitely welcomed. From the characters to the plot, everything in this story was wonderfully written. I love the voice that C.C. gave to her characters and I'm eagerly awaiting Born at Midnight's sequel, Taken at Dawn, to see what happens next with all of my favorite characters.


**FREE READ: St. Martin's is offering up Turned at Dark, a prequel novella (also Della's story) to Born at Midnight, as a free read on their site. Be sure to click here to check it out.

Find C.C. Hunter
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Purchase Born At Midnight
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound