Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Interviews With Authors: Amy Plum

Hiya everyone!  Fall is in the air, and with the weather getting chillier I have another great Interviews With Authors for you!  Today we have Amy Plum, author of the the popular book Die For Me.  Amy was kind enough to answer my questions about her book and what it is like being an author.  Die For Me is a paranormal tale of one girl's journey as she walks a fine line between a century-old rivalry.  Set in Paris, Kate has attracted the attention of Vincent, but there's more to him than meets the eye.  You can find my full review of Die For Me here.

Now I present to you, Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Amy Plum!

A Talk With Amy Plum

Author of Die For Me

By T.B.

1) What inspired you to write your debut novel Die For Me?

I had written a memoir (about living in the French countryside), which had gotten great feedback from publishers, but which hadn’t sold. So I wanted to try something in a different genre. I had just read TWILIGHT, and thought it would be fun to do a paranormal romance. And then one night when I was considering what to write, this sentence popped into my mind: “Ten days after I got my driver’s license, my parents died in a car wreck.” And all of a sudden, I had Kate’s character. After that, I just had to figure out what kind of paranormal creature she would fall for.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Deviant by Adrian McKinty

Deviant

Author: Adrian McKinty

Publisher: Amulet Books

3½ out of 5 stars

A guttural scream sliced through the frigid evening air, waking you with a start.  What could that have been?  Who would be up in the middle of the night?  You tiptoe quietly to your bedroom window and peek through the blinds.  Scanning the forest behind your house you think you see a glimpse of someone, but you can’t be sure.  Setting your worries aside you decide to just go back to sleep and forget about it.  But you won’t be able to forget it anytime soon, because in the morning you find out just what made that scream last night.  It was a cat.  The second in a row that was brutally murdered.  This has to stop, and soon…

Monday, October 17, 2011

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Virtuosity

Author: Jessica Martinez

Publisher: Simon Pulse

4½ out of 5 stars

I closed my eyes and let all of the tension drain out of my body.  My fingers were poised on my violin, ready to start strumming the bow across the strings.  Tonight would be the night.  But I couldn’t think about that right now.  I couldn’t think about the audience, the lights, or the judges staring me down.  I definitely couldn’t think about what would happen if I failed.  That was not a possibility.  I had to feel the music and let that show, because I didn’t get another shot after this.  It was now or never.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Giveaway Winner!


Our winner for the Crossroads E-Book Giveaway is...

Yto

Congratulations Yto!  I have already sent an email to the winner.  Thank you to everyone who entered!  Keep checking back for more reviews, interviews, and giveaways!

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

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Variant by Robison Wells

Variant

Author: Robison Wells

Publisher: HarperTeen

4½ out of 5 stars

They’re watching.  They’re always watching.  Every single move you make, everything you say, everything you do, is being recorded.  If you blink, they’ll know.  They have cameras everywhere.  Even if you can’t see them, they’re there.  Someone is always watching you, and taking note of everything you do.  You can never escape their watchful eyes.  There’s no real explanation why, but there are consequences.  One wrong step and you’re out… for good.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Charlie Woodchuck is a Minor Niner by Dalya Moon

Charlie Woodchuck is a Minor Niner

Author: Dalya Moon

Publisher: Dalya Moon (Smashwords)

4½ out of 5 stars

My pen hovers over my elective sheet for my first year of high school.  I have two choices.  I can either fill in one of the boxes for the girl’s electives, like Sewing and Cooking, or I can take a dive into the unknown and sign up for the boys-only shop classes.  I mean why not?  If a boy can do it why can’t I?  All I have to do is fill in that little box.  That’s it.  That’s all it takes for me to be known as the girl who took the forbidden shop class.  That girl is me, Charlie Woodchuck.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

OC Children's Book Festival Recap!

Last Sunday I was at the Orange County Children's Book Festival, and I had a blast!  There was a ton of great authors there, and the day was filled with signings, giveaways, panels, and readings.  This was my first time attending the festival, and I was a part of the YA/Teen Stage Press Corp.  I was mostly at the stage all day, as it was packed with panels and authors throughout the day!  Here's a recap of what went on at the Teen Stage:

"In-Be-Tween" Panel

Gitty Daneshvari (Moderator)- School of Fear series
Greg Taylor- Killer Pizza series
Helen Stringer- SpellBinder and Midnight Gate
Greg van Eekhout- Kid vs Squid and The Boy At The End Of The World
Mark Jeffrey- Max Quick


This was the first panel of the day, and it was made up of Middle Grade/Tween authors.  Each of them talked a bit about their books and read a chapter or two as well.  Gitty was a hilarious moderator, and she and the authors talked about their favorite memory as an author, and what their greatest fears as an author are as well (the most common answer was that no one would read their books and that they would have to go back to their day job).

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Stick by Andrew Smith

Stick

Author: Andrew Smith

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

5 out of 5 stars

My name is Stark McClellan.  You can call me Stick if you’d like, because that’s what I am.  A stick of a boy.

…and I’m ugly.
I have only one ear.  I was born that way. 
If you look closely you’ll notice, and then you won’t be able to look away.

But I’m not going to let this stop me.  It never has before.  I drive at night. I blow things up.  I steal cars.  I am going to get my brother back.  He’s always been by my side and I’m not about to let him leave me alone now.

I’m as unremarkable as canned green beans.

I’m Stick, and this is my story.