Thursday, September 29, 2011

OC Children's Book Festival!

Hi again!  I wanted to let you all know that the Orange County Children's Book Festival will be taking place this weekend on Sunday, October 2 at the Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa from 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM.  It's free for all those who wish to attend.  I'll be there as part of the festival's Press Corp for the Teen/YA Stage.  I'll make sure to provide updates throughout the day with my new Twitter account as well.  You can reach me at @ftbotbblog.  Hopefully, I'll see you there!

An amazing group of authors will be there as well, participating in panels, signings, readings, and giveaways throughout the day.  Here's a look at some of the authors who will be there:

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I'm Now (officially) A Twit!


Hi guys!  I just joined the world of Twitter!  I know I've been one of the last to jump on the Twitter train, but I'm excited to be a part of it all!  I thought'd it'd be easier to connect with other bloggers and be more involved in the YA book community as well.  I've added my Twitter feed to my sidebar, so check it out!  I'll be going through the blogs I follow to follow them on Twitter, and if any of you want to follow me you can tweet me @ftbotbblog!  I can't wait to see you guys on Twitter, and I'm new, so no making fun of me :)

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf...
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!

Monday, September 26, 2011

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel

After Obsession

Author: Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel

Publisher: Bloomsbury

4 out of 5 stars

Your bedroom door slams shut with such force that it rattles the doorframe.  You jump, wondering how it could have closed when you’re all the way across the room at your desk.  The lock clicks, and suddenly, you know that he’s here.  An ominous shadow starts to form in the corner of your room.  It takes the shape of a towering man, and as he grows, it seems to suck all of the light out of your room.  You try to get out of your chair, but it feels as if a ton of bricks is pressing down on you.  You can’t move, and your eyes dart around the room in search of anything you could use as a weapon.  But it’s too late.  He’s reaching towards you, and that’s when the cold fear sets in.  You’re his now.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

(The Crossroads Experience) Interviews With Authors: Mary Ting + TWO Giveaways

Hi there!  Today we have another wonderful Interviews With Authors!  In honor of The Crossroads Experience Blog Tour, I have Mary Ting, author of Crossroads, here with us today!  Mary Ting was kind enough to answer my questions on where she got her inspiration for her book and what it is like being an author.  Crossroads is a paranormal romance that takes place on both Earth, and a place between life and death: Crossroads.  Claudia travels to Crossroads in her dreams, only to discover that it is home to alkins, half-human, half-angel beings.  Suddenly Claudia is thrown into an intense battle between good and evil, and she's at the center of it all.  You can read my full review of Crossroads here.

Now in honor of The Crossroads Experience Blog Tour I would like to present, Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Mary Ting!

And don't forget to check out the TWO giveaways at the bottom of the page!

A Talk With Mary Ting

Author of Crossroads

By T.B.

1) How did you get the idea to write Crossroads?

Crossroads was inspired by a dream I had in high school-chapters one and two. I also have to thank Stephenie Meyer for inspiring me. I knew that Twilight was based on her dream so I thought why not do the same with my book.

(The Crossroads Experience) Crossroads by Mary Ting

Crossroads

Author: Mary Ting

Publisher: World Castle Publishing

4 out of 5 stars

A breeze ruffles your shirt as it sweeps by you, teasing you to follow.  The air is sweet, and the sun is shining down casting a golden glow over everything it touches.  You can feel the dirt and pebbles under your feet as you make your way to the fields of tall, brown grass that seem to go on endlessly for miles.  You push through the grass, aimlessly walking to and fro.  You aren’t quite sure where you are, but you wouldn’t mind staying here for a while.    As you push aside a curtain of grass, that’s when you see him… and you know, you’ve been here before.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Between The Land And The Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

Between The Land And The Sea

Author: Derrolyn Anderson

Publisher: Derrolyn Anderson (Smashwords)

4 out of 5 stars

The water is all around you.  It’s too dark to see this far below the surface, but you can feel the water rolling over your body and you know that the waves are calm up above.  Suddenly, you tear away in the water, swimming wildly ahead.  You don’t know where you’re going, but you feel so wild and free.  This is where you belong, in the water.  As you near the surface you can see the sun streaming down through the water in dim rays.  Your hair streams behind you in wisps as you shoot upwards, wondering what awaits you above.  You rocket towards the surface, and break through the water.  When you look back to the shore a sudden pang of guilt races through you, as you suddenly realize that you should have never left.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Ashes

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Publisher: Egmont USA

5 out of 5 stars

Your chest heaves rapidly, up and down, up and down.  You try to calm down, but it’s hard to do so after what you’ve just seen.  The images are burned into your skull and you don’t think you’ll be forgetting them any time soon.  Your head spins as you try to raise yourself up, but it’s too much and you fall back down again.  The trees around you stand majestic and tall, and if you didn’t know any better you would have thought that everything is normal.  But it’s not.  You can smell the blood, and it’s overwhelming.  You shut your eyes tight and try to ignore the horror of it all, but you can already feel the burning bile coming up your throat.  This can’t be happening you think.  It is happening… and the Changed are on their way.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Interviews With Authors: Jennifer Archer

Hi everyone!  Today I have another wonderful Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Jennifer Archer, author of her new YA novel Through Her Eyes!  Jennifer was kind enough to take the time and answer some of my questions about her experiences as an author, and where she got the ideas for her book.  Through Her Eyes follows the story of Tansy who has just moved to Cedar Canyon, Texas with her mother and grandfather.  Her new home holds many more secrets than meets the eye, and Tansy is about to figure out just what this old house holds.  You can read my full review of Through Her Eyes here.

Now without further ado, here is, Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Jennifer Archer!

A Talk With Jennifer Archer

Author of Through Her Eyes

By T.B.

1) What inspired you to write your first young adult novel, Through Her Eyes?


I was substitute teaching one day and I saw a copy of the classic novel A WRINKLE IN TIME in the classroom. During a break, I picked it up and started reading. I had loved the book when I read it in middle school and I was surprised by how much the story still intrigued me as an adult. At the time, I had written novels for adults, but I began thinking I'd like to write a novel for a younger audience. I talked to my agent about it, and she said she thought I had the "voice" to write young adult fiction. I awoke the next morning with the character of Tansy whispering in my ear and the bare bones plot of the storyline on my mind.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

The Beginning of After

Author: Jennifer Castle

Publisher: HarperTeen

2½ out of 5 stars

I thought it was going to be like any other day.  I thought that this would be just another day out of the year, and absolutely nothing special would happen.  Well, at least nothing that would impact my life in some immense way.  There was no reason for me to think that today something would happen that I would look back on and wonder how I didn’t see it coming.  That’s exactly what happened though.  Except, now when I look back, I don’t just wonder what happened… I wonder where it all went wrong.