YA Summer Reading Review: Return To Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Everyone keeps asking me for fun summer reading recommendations so I have decided to compile a list and give a a series of reviews for each of them. Sound good? Good.

When I think of summer reading I think of laying out by the pool with my nose stuck in a paperback. Sure i could suggest heavy dystopians or dark fantasy books but I like my summer reading a little less heavy. I mean, a little substance here and there is crucial to making the book worthwhile but there needs to be a really good balance.

The first book I am going to suggest is RETURN TO PARADISE by Simone Elkeles.


This book was completely engrossing and had the perfect blend of summer romance and solid teen message. Told from alternating perspective's of bad boy Caleb who's shady past casts a big shadow over his life, and former victim turned survivor Maggie who's hardship has made her stronger. When we meet Caleb he is struggling with the secrets of his past he has tried to hide from, a life and girl he left behind because he felt unworthy and the consequences of his actions.


Maggie was the victim of a hit and run accident that not only left her crippled but hit her close to home. Very close. The driver convicted of hitting her happens to be her next door neighbor and twin brother to her best friend. As if that wasn't bad enough. She felt drawn to him and started seeing him after the accident that is until Caleb just up and ran away. Eight months passed by and not a word from him. Maggie has almost gotten over him and decides to go on a summer tour with other teens who's lives have been impacted by drugs and alcohol, their goal being to help bring awareness to other youths and low and behold who should also happen to be on the trip...the boy that left her behind.

Sounds kinda heavy, huh? Well it all lightens up when hormones and emotions run rampant and not only does the story blossom into a great "coming of age/overcoming problems" message book, it has one of my favorite summertime romances that are blush inducing. Caleb is pretty darn swoon worthy and him and Maggie together are SO PERFECT!

I HATE blogger, I'm giving away ARC's and I'm going to Splash Town.:)

I have been in a reading frenzy for the past month. Between Book's picked up at the Teen Author Day at Romantic Times and my fairy godmother sending me books from BEA...well you get the point. Shall I show you? Yes. I think I will.

OMG!!!! Right? Yes, that is Bloodlines, Enthralled, Crossed and FOREVER! How bout them apples?

And I have read a bunch and guess what...THEY ARE AWESOME!!!

The problem with reading so many great books is when you have to stop to review them. *Sigh* Well, I had about 7 books read and I knew I needed to take the time to review them but, it's summer, and it's hot, and I just wanna read more......yeah, you get the point. Well, I finally sat down and knocked out a couple reviews for Paperback Dolls and then discovered today that BLOGGER HATES ME. It deleted 2 of my reviews that I worked hard on. *boo hoo hoo*. I know I know I know...I should have saved them in word but I didn't and I a little upset about it.

WHY BLOGGER WHY???

Anyway, I am done with messing around with reviews and posts for the day. I did manage to get my post for Favorite Boys of Teen Fiction for Paperback Dolls next week and GUESS WHAT...I am giving away a couple of my signed ARC's (One from BEA;). And now, I am taking my white, pale body to SPLASH TOWN! I am really excited. It's the first water park I have been to since I moved here. Hopefully I don't blind anyone with my whiteness--Hey, I'm an Irish redhead living amongst a bunch of tan Latinas...I have good reason to worry;)

Have a great weekend! 

Peace & Love

Review of Enclave by Ann Aguirre

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.


As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

What if all of your favorite post apocalyptic and dystopian books were able to marry and produce offspring? The outcome of such a phenomenal mash-up would have the potential to be the most uber fabulous, end all of end all stories. It would have action, adventure, struggle, zombies, sickness, corrupt leadership, strong protagonist, and amazing characters. In fact, it would be exactly like ENCLAVE.

This book has it all and then some!

At first I feared that there was too much going on in the book and fought the urge to compare it to other popular books in this genre. But, sooner rather than later, I forgot why I was so skeptical and surrendered all to the plot. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!

The story is really made of three different parts. The first (and longest storyline) focusing on the people who have been surviving the apocalypse underground for centuries--never setting their eyes on the sun and everything "top side". Underground they have developed a type of government and assign people jobs (this was very reminiscent of City of Ember). Some people are born to be breeders, some builders, and others hunters. The Hunters are the group of people that go through the tunnels and collect food and try to remove "The Freaks" which are zombie like creatures that live underground and one of the threats to the settlement. However, there is another threat to the long term survival of the enclave and that is their life spans. For an unknown reason, most likely from nutrition or lack of sunlight, the people born and living in the underground enclave's do not live long, in fact their Elder is 25 years old.

This first part of the book not only introduces us to the characters and their way of life underground, but also to the relationships that become very important through out the rest of the story. In particular that of Deuce, the huntress, and Fade the orphan boy who joined the enclave only years earlier. It is the bond between them that leads us to the second part of the storyline. Together they are exiled from the enclave and forced to try to make it "top side" where gangs of boys are the main threat (this part reminded me of The Hunger Games where Peeta and Katniss are in the arena).

The third part focuses on Deuce, Fade and a couple of new friends and their journey to find a safer place to take shelter. As they travel North we see how the stress and uncertainty of the journey effects their bonds and how they strive to persevere in a hostile world.

Though there are lots of things that on their own would and have already made interesting stories, joined together they made something really awesome. I was very sad when it ended because I wasn't ready to close the book. I was pleased to discover that there is another book in this series coming out in 2012...it just can't get here soon enough!

2011 is definitely proving to be full of amazing books and ENCLAVE is one of my favorites!!!

Win a copy of WITHER and ARC of FEVER by Lauren DeStefano

GUESS WHAT!!!!!!!

In honor of author Lauren Destefano's 3,000th follower on Twitter, she is giving away an ARC of Wither, as well as (wait for it…) an ARC of its sequel, Fever. Fever is so brand new that it has not been printed. She has a word document open RIGHT NOW, at this VERY MOMENT, full of copyedits for Fever. Somewhere, in the magical building where books are printed, there is a chunk of space that WILL SOON BE OCCUPIED BY THESE ARCS! That is how early this giveaway is. Maybe there is an empty space in the mail truck that will soon be occupied by this ARC on its way to your house, if you are the lucky winner. Here is what you will get:

An ARC of Fever. As I just mentioned, these haven’t been printed yet, so there will be a wait before your winnings ship. When will Fever ARCs be printed? I don’t know, but, whenever it is, it will definitely be before the rest of the world gets to read this book.

An ARC of Wither. Now wait a minute, you’re saying. Why would I want an ARC of Wither when it’s already published?

Well I’ll tell ya! Lauren DeStefano will personalize this ARC. If you bid on her ebay auctions for charity a few months back, you know that she does full-service personalization. She'll sign it, write custom messages, sprinkle the pages with chocolate chips if you ask her to (although I don’t recommend that last thing). In her ebay auctions, someone asked her to draw a cat wielding a lightsaber, and SHE MADE THAT HAPPEN.

Now, I absolutely LOVED this book and the author has impressed me to the point that I will automatically pre-order all of her next books....so a tiny part of me doesn't want to share this contest with anyone, but the other part of me wants the world to fall in love with this series too!



How can you enter?

• Step 1: Tweet, facebook, or blog a link to this giveaway
• Step 2: Comment on Lauren's blog with a link to your post. If you mentioned it on twitter, facebook, and your blog, you can comment up to three times with a separate link to each mention. If you comment more than three times, the additional comments won’t be counted.
• Step 3: Tell friends!

The winner will be chosen via a random number generator.

The giveaway will end at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, May 31st, with a winner being announced later that day.

Oh, and this giveaway is INTERNATIONAL! =D

REVIEW: Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

*This review was originally posted on Paperback Dolls

Nick Gautier’s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.

His new principal thinks he’s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can’t even mention and the girl he’s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.

But more than that, he’s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn’t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them...

INIVINCIBLE picks up right where INFINITY left off....and I mean immediately following the event of the first book. I loved that I was able to get right back into the story.

Nick is trying to deal with the fall out from the Zombie attacks in the first book and due to his new found abilities and his new supernatural "friends", Nick is juggling a lot of different things.

Once again, the relationship between Nick and his mother really shines through and is one of the things that makes me love Nick's character so much. With his mother unemployed all of a sudden, Nick's friend the Dark Hunter Kyrian, arranges for his mother to have a job at the bar Sanctuary. What Nick's mother is unaware of is that Sanctuary is run by a group of Were's and also happens to be a popular hang out for the supernatural, but there are more dangerous things than the crew at Sanctuary. Death himself has decided to pay Nick a visit and "help" him with his powers.

What is more...all of a sudden Nick is getting attention from the hot chicks at his school and despite the fact that he is wearing a cast on his arm, the new coach recruits him for the football team. In a blink of an eye Nick finds himself not so uncool anymore, but is his luck really changing or is there more evil hands working behind the scenes???

In INVINCIBLE, we really get to know some of the characters better. There is back story given on some of the side characters and it was very touching and emotional at certain parts. Especially with Bubba and Caleb. One of the greatest things that the author is able to do though is write really tear-jerker moments but rebound with a touch of humor. It made the book easy to read.

I really love this series. This book is just as good as the first in the series and I can not wait another year to read the this book in The Chronicles Of Nick series. Sherrilyn Kenyon knows how to write from a young male's perspective and she does it in a way that still keeps a girls interest. I fully admit I have a HUGE crush on Nick Gautier and love all the different characters.

Peace & Love


*This book was given to PBD for review courtesy of the publisher

Review- Bite Club by Rachel Caine - Mornganville Series

After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire- accompanied by her friends and frenemies-to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville...

I really don't know how Rachel Caine does it, but every single book in this series is awesome!

Bite Club is full of action and more emotional scenes between some key figures in Morganville.

One of the most interesting things in Bite Club is the fact that the author tells the story from alternating perspectives--Claire and Shane's that is.

Shane takes up a hobby at the Athletic Club and his moods began to shift to the dark side. He is more short fused (than usual) and at times mean to others...including Claire. This is tough shift in his character but given everything he has been through, possibly a necessary inner struggle that he will have to make in order to actually grow. As if that isn't enough, the drama in Morganville is beginning to bubble over once again, but this time it is due in part to the dead bodies popping up where they are least expected and some unusual videos on the Internet. How will Claire and company solve the mystery and stop the threat if their tight knit relationships are unraveling?

Eve also takes on a hobby and has an interesting instructor that just happens to be Morganville founder Amelie. Eve's character like Shane's is really growing but in very different ways. And, Eve and Michael have their own emotional moments and they are very important ones. Fans of the couple will be on the edge of their seats reading those scenes.

Myrnin as always provides some interesting moments especially with his new computer that is very different in personality than Ada (his previous real thinking computer) and *gasp* he may be becoming my favorite male character--even above Shane! It is becoming more apparent that Myrnin feels something more than hunger pangs for Claire and with Shane being so moody and broody one can't help but wonder "What if"...

Rachel Caine is such a SUPER STAR in my opinion. Her writing is able to communicate with both female AND male audiences and is consistently good reading. If you are still on the fence about the series I must ask--What the heck are you waiting for?

Be sure to check out these interviews & extras from Rachel on PBD!

*Rachel Caine April 2011 Interview

*Paperback Proust interview with Rachel Caine

*Mynin Character Interview

*This book was given to Paperback Dolls  for review courtesy of Publisher

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

Fans of the always classic "star crossed lovers" storyline will fall in love with Firelight.

I breezed through this book in one afternoon while laying out in the sun. I was so engrossed in the story I forgot to reapply sunscreen and got a little burned...nothing too bad;). I loved the entire mythology and premise of the book. While so many YA books that have paranormal elements are geared toward Vampires, Shifters, Demons, Fae, or Angels, Sophie Jordan has centered her characters in dragon lore and I'm hooked!

Not only is the whole Draki (dragon people) mythology really interesting to me but the fact that the author has created a modern day world and placed the existence of Draki tribes scattered across the world and a race of humans known as "The Hunters" right in the middle if it, is just so cool. Instead of reading a Sci-fiction story that takes place in another realm or time, Firelight was relatable and the present day setting made it seem real to me.

The characters are fun and entertaining. I felt as if I understood the heroine, Jacinda and was able to sympathize with everything her character goes through. The side characters are appealing too...especially the hunky hunter Will. *sigh* He is definitely swoon worthy and as the story unfolds we begin to see how layered his character is! The forbidden romance between Will and Jacinda is really the soul of this story and it makes this a perfect summer read for YA fiction lovers!

Firelight was a super fun read and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. The only bad thing I can say about it is that it is an unfinished series-which means we have to wait for the next books to be written. But, with all the world building and set up for future books, it's sure to be worth the wait!

~Peace & Love

Review of Betrayal by Lee Nichols

Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive-one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar-Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good.

As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.

Ommigosh, this is such a fun book! I'm beginning to think 2011 is the year of AWESOME YA books, because I have yet to read a book that I didn't adore.

Lee Nichols is such a great story teller. She can communicate so many different emotions in fun and realistic ways. And, in Betrayal she really shows it off!

*Mildly spoilery for first book*
For instance, in the first chapter we see our heroine, Emma, dealing with the outcome of the events that came to pass in Deception (book 1). As Emma tries to cope with the human loss of a friend (and the fact that others blame her personally for that loss) we read her inner struggle and dialogue with herself and they are all very real reactions a teen would have and think to themselves in similar situations. But, then we see how quickly a teens thoughts can shift when the guy she is head over heels in love with enters the scene. Let me tell you where Bennett and Emma are concerned, Lee Nichols writes some swoon worthy moments that had me blushing one minute and grabbing for the Kleenex the next. Their storyline is set up to be potentially EPIC. I don't mind saying that as a "Bennett lover" I am a tad worried about his character.;)

The action and mystery in this book is really great. I was guessing till the very end on who the "betrayer" was...within one chapter I had pegged three different people as being the bad guy (or girl, or ghost;)).

I also really loved the character development of the supporting characters. We really got to know them better and see how important their roles are in Emma's life. And, considering everything that goes down in this book...they will be very important in future books so it's good to have more insight.

I enjoyed Betrayal even more than I did Deception. The Haunting Emma series is fun, thrilling, romantic, and sometimes creepy without taking itself too seriously. These books are everything a YA series should be and I look forward to the next addition.

The only downside is...that's like a year away!!!

Peace & Love

This book was originally reviewed for Paperback Dolls. 

Mortal Instruments Giveaway! Win a copy of City of Fallen Angels and MORE

Paperback Dolls are featuring the talented jewelry designer responsible for creating book inspired pieces from Cassandra Clare's "The Mortal Instrument" series, Viviane Hebel. Vivane's love for handmade creations is evident in her work and she is constantly imagining and making new pieces.

Most of her creations usually come from her experimentation with materials and self-taught skills. She enjoys working with geometric shapes in a very contemporary way, as well as organic shapes taken from nature. Inspiration is everywhere.

 

Visit Viviane Hebel

WEBSITE - ETSY - TWITTER - FACEBOOK

Here is your chance to WIN a brand new piece inspired by Cassandra Clare's newest release CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS.

Gorgeous new handcrafted Stele Pen

Not only will you recieve this AMAZING piece, but we're adding to the awesome by including a copy of CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS!!!

That's right folks, you will be able to read the book while owning a handmade stele of your very own!

*To enter simply fill out THIS FORM and be sure to leave a comment below for Viviane Hebel;)

As usual, there are more ways to win:

+1 for each place you post about today’s contest on your blog, social network, or anywhere you can. Digg it, stumble it, twit it, share it with the world. Wherever you share it, make sure you add a link to it along with your comment.

This contest IS international. Giveaway ends April 22nd and the winner will be chosen by random.org on April 24th. We ask the winners to post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out. Also, we will try to contact the winners, but we ask that you check back to see if you’ve won.

*Remeber to visit Viviane Hebel's ETSY Store to purchase items and remember, a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to benefit the charity Reading Is Fundamental, which delivers free books and literacy resources to children in need.

This contest was reposted from Paperback Dolls.

Win an iTouch loaded with 6 YA books + More!!!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to iClue. Six authors with six different mysteries and six weeks of book giveaways on our favorite book blogs (including this one!). Once you solve my mystery, head over to iClue and enter your answer. That's all you need to do to be eligible to win the grand prize: an iPod Touch loaded with all the ebooks you see in the iClue banner. You're welcome to enter once for each author mystery. So let's start playing!

A little about my mystery

I love pop culture and love to include pop culture references in my books. But ... sometimes it can date a book or possibly end up tragically. For example, if today I wrote something specifically about Charlie Sheen, in two years it could read funny or not so funny or just plain odd. So instead I'd mention an actor who got fired from a popular sitcom because he had some issues with drugs and prostitutes. That's vague enough, that in two years it could be relevant to a completely different scandalous actor.

I also love music, but to me musical taste is so personal. I might love the song Raise Your Glass by Pink, but you might hate it and by extension think my character is lame for liking it. Still, music is such a huge part of teen lives, that I can't leave it out. And that's what today's mystery is about.

This is a first-time-ever-seen excerpt from SURRENDER the third and final Haunting Emma book which will be published in December. In it Emma is listening to a song Bennett has downloaded to her iPhone. Read the passage and see if you can figure out who the artist is and what song she's singing. If you know the answer, DON'T POST IT IN THE COMMENTS. Instead go straight to iClue and enter your answer. But if you're having trouble, check back tomorrow on PBD where they'll post the first clue to help you figure it out.


Surrender Excerpt on Paperback Dolls*

Want to find out more about Lee Nichols and her books? Visit her Website and her Blog!

~*~*Paperback Dolls and Lee Nichols Book Giveaway*~*~

Wait! There's more! Lee Nichols is so awesome that in addition to the iClue competition she has also graciously agreed to share a copy of each of her books - DECEPTION and BETRAYAL, the first two books in the Haunting Emma series with one of PBD's followers! 

What do you need to do? Well, Comment over on Paperback Dolls (.com)! Tell Paperback Dolls a quirky special reason why you deserve to win! Remember - do not share your iClue answer in the comments - that's for the iClue site. Just let us know why you deserve these spectacular books and one lucky winner will be chosen by Random.org on April 23rd and the winner will then be announced in our Week in Review feature on April 24th! 

Don't forget to tweet and share both contests! 

Bon Chance!

Review: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Everyone in town thinks Meg is volatile and dull-witted and that her younger brother Charles Wallace is dumb. People are also saying that their father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumors, Meg and Charles Wallace, along with their new friend Calvin, embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time.

Young people who have trouble finding their place in the world will connect with the "misfit" characters in this provocative story. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travelers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep into their characters to find answers.

A classic since 1962, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its pages. Meg's shattering yet ultimately freeing discovery that her father is not omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space, and the power of good over evil.

I’ll admit I was a little let down. My mother was really excited when she saw I was reading this book for school, and my mom has great taste in books so I expected a lot, but the story never really lived up to my expectations. I couldn’t help but feel that it was a little disheveled in places. I loved that the protagonist is female, and ordinary with braces, brown hair, glasses (girl next door kind of thing)… even if she was kinda annoying at times (all teens can be annoying;)). Time travel is always cool, and the unfamiliar planets (especially Ixchel with its sightless, faceless creatures) were incredibly fun to imagine. The crazy Mrs. W’s were very interesting, and if their stories are continued in further books, I’d be all over that.

The story itself is great – the classic battle of good versus evil in a sci-fi / fantasy setting. The image of evil as a dark cloud reminded me of The Nothing from The NeverEnding Story (loosely). The themes of individuality, love, and acceptance carried strongly throughout; even though they were almost shoved in the reader’s face, I’m ok with that since it is a children’s story.

What I didn’t like, primarily, was the character of Charles Wallace. For some reason, he really creeped me out. I understand he is supposed to be “gifted,” but his words and actions seemed far too adult for a 5-year-old. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the religious references made in several places in the story. Too many mentions of “God” turn me off. However, I am willing to admit that it was quite daring of the author to mix religion with some pagan aspects, like witches and crystal balls.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and definitely appreciate the themes and values, I was just turned off a little by the character’s lack of resolution and ability to be so easily distracted. As someone who is easily distracted myself, it made it hard for me to really stick with the story and become completely engrossed in it’s pages.

iClue...Do you? HUGE GIVEAWAY featuring 6 amazing young adult authors!

The Paperback Dolls are taking part in a spectacular giveaway! Author Lee Nichols will be sharing a clue with us later this month and guess what? We will also be giving out one copy of Deception and Surrender by Lee Nichols to one lucky reader here at Paperbackdolls.com So, check the schedule and collect the clues...will you solve the mystery?
Do You iClue?

• 6 Authors
• 6 Mysteries
• 6 Chances to Win an iTouch

Six authors were talking one day and realized that even though their books ran the gamut from sci fi to romance, contemporary to ghostly, they all had one thing in common: a really good mystery. These authors--Lisa & Laura Roecker, Mandy Hubbard, Adele Griffin, Kimberly Derting, Lee Nichols & Beth Revis decided they wanted to give their readers a little more mystery...and if they solved that mystery, there needs to be a great prize, no?

The authors are working with The Reading Room (a book review site) and a slew of amazing book bloggers to bring you an exciting new contest that will be running over the next 6 weeks. For each mystery you solve, you get another entry into the contest. The grand prize is an iTouch loaded with 6 AMAZING eBooks from the participating authors.

Here's how it works:

• Starting on April 4th a new author will be featured on the iClue Site each week.
• The author will post their mystery on the site on Monday.
• On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we will post links to The Reading Room and two book bloggers who will be posting a special clue to help you solve the mystery.
• Once you've solved the mystery you send us the correct solution using a form on the website.
• If you enter the correct solution you get one entry into the contest.
• Solve all 6 mysteries you get 6 entries to win the iTouch.

iClue launches next week (April 4th) with a mystery, featuring some of the characters from ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. Solve the mystery, get the password, and you'll get an entry to win an iPod Touch! So make sure you check back next week for this!

Meanwhile...we want to make sure to get the word out on this exciting month-long event! And that's where you come in...you, and six autographed books...

Help us spread the word, and you'll be entered for a prize to win six autographed books, one from each of us! There are lots of ways to enter!

You can tweet! 


You can blog!
(If you paste the html code under the banner into your blog, it will automatically show up, all linked directly to the contest. If you put it into the post, be sure you're on the "edit html" tab of Blogger.)




<center><a href=http://bit.ly/icluecontest"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvy4Kck3bzlB2X85SnO1NLOOZnLK2vjNEzI-aBzAdp5iNxFQ6dCusMnu6I5_SrnFPdG1agwtC-5Lax5tvfhrXF2-Yde6R1q-etFYekT__cQh2pebH3Z21P479YNcQk0iudnfVsG84Hxb90/s1600/icluebanner-rsd.jpg"/></a></center>

You can spread the word however you like! And for every way you spread the word, we're going to enter you in a contest for a grand prize pack of all six of our books, signed! And don't forget to come back to the actual event for your chance to solve fun mysteries and win an iPod Touch!! (And yes--before you ask, the contest IS open internationally--both prizes!)

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick to become a GRAPHIC NOVEL!!!

*This post was borrowed from Paperback Dolls
Sea Lion Books to publish Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush as a graphic novel.

ATLANTA, GA – March 31, 2011 – Sea Lion Books announced today the acquisition of the comic book and graphic novel rights to Becca Fitzpatrick's New York Times bestselling Young Adult novel Hush, Hush. A romance laced with intrigue, it is the story of a young girl torn between desire and suspicion in her love for a fallen angel. A true psychological thriller, Hush, Hush was the first book in a trilogy, with the story continuing in Crescendo and concluding with the forthcoming Silence, which is scheduled for release in October 2011. The series has a worldwide following, with sales of more than 1 million books in 35 countries.

“Becca Fitzpatrick is a huge bestselling author,” said Kuo-Yu Liang VP Sales & Marketing for Diamond Book Distributors. “I think this series is a great addition to Sea Lion Books line up of projects and should be a major hit for them”.

Hush, Hush is the story of Nora Grey, a studious sixteen-year-old girl from Coldwater, Maine. It has been a year since her father's murder and she is not interested in much other than her schoolwork. Then she meets Patch, a bad boy—and fallen angel. Though unwisely attracted to him, Nora finds herself caught in a battle between the fallen and the immortal. Choosing the wrong side could cost Nora her life.

Becca Fitzpatrick is delighted to have her book brought to graphic novel form. "Hush, Hush was my first book, and it's so thrilling that it has been embraced by so many readers. I'm delighted to be working with Sea Lion to tell Patch and Nora's story through graphic novel format!"

Sea Lion Books shares the delight in working alongside the bestselling author on the adaptation, and feels that Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series is a fantastic addition to its graphic novel line.

Hush, Hush #1 is scheduled to debut in winter 2011. The creative team on the project will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Becca Fitzpatrick was born in Utah, and raised in the Midwest. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class, she attended Brigham Young University where she earned a degree in Community Health. After her husband surprised her with a writing class as a present she began work on Hush, Hush. Becca Fitzpatrick is a #1 New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today Best-Selling author. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: YALSA's Teens' Top Ten pick, included in the 2009 Association of Booksellers for Children Best Books for Children Catalog, Winter 2009 Indie Next List Top Ten pick, Spring 2011 Indie Next List pick, Barnes & Noble's Best Teen Books of 2009 selection, 2009 Barnes & Noble Dark Romance for Teens Holiday Gift Guide selection, CBC Favourite Children's Books Top Ten Pick, First YA title selected for Barnes & Noble's First Look Book Club, and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Series. Becca Fitzpatrick lives in Colorado with her family. You can visit Becca on the Internet at http://beccafitzpatrick.com/


ABOUT SEA LION BOOKS:
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Sea Lion Books LLC is a newly established publishing house which specializes in all formats—hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market and in urban fantasy and young adult genres. Sea Lion Books LLC recent roster of authors include: International Bestselling author, Paulo Coelho, New York Times Bestselling authors, Richelle Mead, Richard A. Knaak and F. Paul Wilson plus more to be announced in the upcoming months. Contact David Dabel at David@sealionbooks.com . You can visit Sea Lion Books on the Internet at http://www.sealionbooks.com/