Cover Reveal: Found (The Crescent Chronicles 3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy and Giveaway!

Title: Found (The Crescent Chronicles, # 3)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Expected release date:  Summer 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Cover Designer: Once Upon a Time Covers; http://www.onceuponatimecovers.com/
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours





Book Description:
Levi might be hot, strong, and have a cool set of wings, but it's not enough to make up for keeping Allie in the dark.
Allie's tired of being left with more questions than answers. She's tired of loving a guy who refuses to level with her. Most of all, she's tired of her life spinning out of control.
Desperate to save Jess no matter the personal cost, Allie has to face the possibility that the only one she can trust is herself.


About the Author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Alyssa is giving one of my readers an ecopy of any one of her books (your choice) via Smashwords!!! To win just leave a comment on this post. Good Luck! Entries will be taken until midnight February 5th. 

Titles available for giveaway:
Flight (The Crescent Chronicles, #1)
Focus (The Crescent Chronicles, #2)
Derailed (Clayton Falls, #1)
Veer (Clayton Falls, #2)
Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy, #1)
Perilous Light (The Afterglow Trilogy, #2)
Enduring Light (The Afterglow Trilogy, #3)

Waiting on Wednesday: How My Summer Went Up In Flames

How My Summer Went Up in Flames
Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Expected Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads:
Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie just wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But with every mile marker that passes, Rosie discovers a new sense of self…and that sometimes the best revenge is moving on.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

Watch Me Disappear by Diane Mulligan Virtual Book Tour

New Adult 

Title: Watch Me Disappear

Author: Diane Vanaskie Mulligan

Date Published: 8/2012

Lizzie Richards isn’t excited to be starting over at a new school for her senior year, but she’s trying to take her mother’s advice and make the most of it—the only way she can: By disobeying her strict parents’ rules. Lizzie’s father has moved the family around every few years to advance his career, so she has never had a chance to develop the kind of “BFF” relationships she thinks most kids have. She’s bracing herself for another lonely year at her third high school when her neighbor Maura gets sick of watching her little brother when she could be partying. Thanks to Maura’s plotting, Lizzie becomes everyone’s new favorite babysitter. Seeing her opportunity, Lizzie decides to break her mother’s rules by using Maura’s computer to create a secret Email address and Facebook account. She is quickly friended by Missy, a fellow transfer student as eager for a friend as she is. Things are looking up for Lizzie until Maura’s ex-boyfriend Paul sets his eye on Missy. Caught between her new best friend and the neighbor whose friendship promises instant popularity, Lizzie doesn’t know what to do—because she’s fallen for Paul, too.

Virtual Book Tour January 14 - February 4

January 14 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

January 15 - Magical Manuscripts - Review

January 16 - Lov Liv Life Reviews - PROMO

January 17 - Mom With a Kindle - Interview/PROMO

January 18 - Addicted to YA Books - Review

January 19 - Snifferwalker - Review

January 20 - My Cozie Corner - Review

January 21 - Lovely Reads - PROMO

January 22 - Queen of All She Reads - Review

January 23 - Comfort Books - Interview/PROMO

January 24 - A Thousand Lives - Review

January 25 - My Devotional Thoughts- PROMO

January 26 - Book Briefs - Review/Interview

January 27 - Andi's YA Books - Review/Interview

January 28 - Books For Me - Review

January 28 - Sweet Southern Home - Interview/PROMO

January 29 - Oh, The Books You'll Read - Review

January 29 - My Neurotic Book Affair - Review

January 30 - Above Average, Below Special - Review

January 31 - Getting Your Read On - Review

February 1 - A Bibliophiles Thoughts - Review

February 2 - My Bookmark Blog - Review

February 3 - Books and Needlepoint - Review/Interview

February 4 - Reading With Anacrasia - Interview/PROMO

About the Author     Diane Vanaskie Mulligan began writing Watch Me Disappearduring an after-school writing club she moderates for high school students. This is her first novel. She holds a BA in American Studies from Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s degree in teaching from Simmons College. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she’s the managing editor at The Worcester Review and the director of The Betty Curtis Worcester County Young Writers’ Conference You can also find her occasionally strumming her guitar and singing at various bars in central Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband. Website: www.dvmulligan.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/DianeVMull Facebook: www.facebook.com/DianeVMulligan Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/dmvanask Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/pub/diane-mulligan/53/839/124 Buy Link ·  Amazon Kindle Store ·  Smashwords. ·  Createspace  ·  Kobo ·  Sony eBook Store ·  Diesel eBook Store ·  Barnes and Noble

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Release Date: 8/2012
Published By: Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

My Thoughts:

Hannah Harrington has quickly become one of my favorite YA authors. Both of her books made my favorites of 2012 list and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Watching Chelsea grow from an annoying, butt kissing, spineless, wanna be to a strong, compassionate person was an incredible journey. Once Chelsea realizes the severity of the situation she has created she starts to question everything she is and the only way she can think of to fix her mistakes are by keeping her mouth shut. Literally. She decides to take a vow of silence and even though she loses her so-called friends and is repeatedly made fun of she sticks to her vow and learns a lot about who she wants to be.

Not only is Speechless an excellent and entertaining read but it also has a strong message. I think Speechless would be an fabulous young adult book club book.

Anxiously waiting the next Harrington masterpiece, no pressure though:)

Breathe by Elena Dillon Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway

Breathe
Elena Dillon

Genre: Young Adult Romantic Suspense

978-0-9886353-0-2 Breathe Mobi
978-0-9886353-1-9 Breathe EPUB
978-0-9886353-2-6 Breathe Print
978-0-9886353-3-3 Breathe Smashwords

Word Count: 62,300

Cover Artist: Alexa Dillon

Smashwords

Book Description:

Jasmine’s life wasn’t normal for a 16 year old girl. It hadn’t been normal since
the murder of her older sister, Daisy, two years ago. Her life had been changed forever. The monster that murdered Daisy was never caught. That was the reason
her family decided to move away from their hometown in Southern California,
to start over. Hopefully in a place where the last name Rourke wouldn’t bring on
staring or judgment or morbid curiosity.

In Lafayette, Louisiana things are quite a bit different but in a good way. Good manners, Cajun accents and a whole lot of Southern Hospitality all make her think
things are going in the right direction. On top of that the most gorgeous boy she
has ever met is interested in her. Her new friends are better than she could have
hoped for even if she is worried about what they might think when they find out
who she is. Life would be perfect if odd things didn’t keep happening. Creepy phone calls, texts, and flowers in her locker start adding up quickly to something terrifying. Could the Monster have followed them to Lafayette? Was he coming
after her this time? Maybe she was just worrying unnecessarily…or not.

My Thoughts:

Dillon has written an interesting and suspenseful novel that is completely appropriate for the YA crowd without it feeling watered down. After reading Breathe I realized that I haven't really found a lot of suspense novels in the YA genre. I would love to see this trend grow.

A new town, a new school, and new everything, that's what Jasmine thinks her family needs the most right now. You can't really blame her, she has been holding the family together for the past two years ever since the murder of her older sister. 

Dillon's novel is very easy to read and get caught up in. The story flows quickly and I  couldn't wait to see what would happen chapter after chapter. I loved what a strong character Jasmine was, even if she does make some really stupid mistakes at times. I really enjoyed Easton and his super southern family. They were so much fun to read about. 

OK, here is my little nitpicking moment. Even though I really liked Easton as a character I was a little disgruntled with the insta love between him and Jasmine. I kind of wish the book had been a little longer so that we could have had more time for Easton and Jasmine to be that into each other. 

The ending of the book wrapped everything up really well and overall I  enjoyed Breathe. I will definitely be looking forward to Dillon's next book. 

About the Author

Elena lives and writes in a suburb North of Los Angeles. She has never lived anywhere
besides California which is probably a good
thing since she hates being cold and is terrified to drive in the snow. She loves being a wife and a mother to her three kids and three dogs, although really the bulldog is the fourth child who has never matured beyond the toddler stage.

A self-proclaimed nerd, she has been writing
since she was a child. She has only recently,
however, come out of the closet about this to her family and friends. They now understand better, but not completely, why she talks about characters in stories as if they are real people.

http://www.twitter.com/ElenaDillon

http://www.facebook.com/ElenaDillonAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16153090-breathe

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6581148.Elena_Dillon

https://plus.google.com/u/0/

http://elenadillon.com/

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Page 1 of Breathe

Most days I can almost forget someone murdered my sister. I try to go through every

day like a normal sixteen-year-old. I can eat breakfast, go to school, do homework, but then something will remind me that my family will never be the same. I’ll see my mom looking out the kitchen window—she has this blank look and her clothes are hanging on her. I worry she doesn’t eat enough to stay alive. Or I catch a glimpse of the picture on the coffee table we took three Halloweens ago, when Daisy and dressed up like crayons, and Caedan and Lily were Skittles. It seems like a long time ago, and then, again, I remember it like it just happened. We finally moved two weeks ago. Mom decided we couldn’t continue to live in Burbank.

Besides the obvious reason that Daisy’s murderer was never caught, someone was always staring at us with that look that said, “Isn’t it so sad what happened to the Rourke family?” But you know in their hearts they are thinking how glad they are it didn’t happen to them. It’s obvious they’re thinking my mom must have done something wrong. She wasn’t a good enough parent, didn’t supervise Daisy enough, didn’t call the police soon enough. They wanted to believe the murder of a teenage girl happened for a reason and they could avoid it, if they just did everything right. The thing is, I think the exact opposite is probably true.

So, three months ago, we had a family meeting. We got out a map of the US and each

chose a city and state. Mom and I did research on ours, Caedan picked his based on name only, and Lily did the spin-around-and-wherever-your-finger-lands routine. Thankfully, we pulled mine out of the hat. I don’t know how I would have felt living in Smackover, Arkansas. Caedan thought it was hilarious. He is so twelve.

Bella Andre on Why I Love Family-Based Romance Series

Please enjoy this guest post by Bella Andre, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards!  

Why I Love Family-Based Romance Series

A guest post by Bella Andre

  I love reading romance (I read one book a day when I can!), and one of my favorite tropes is the family-based series. I absolutely love Julia Quinn's historical romance Bridgerton series and have loved taking that idea of the big family into present day with my Sullivan contemporary romance series. What I love when I read - and what I want my readers to get from The Sullivans - is to feel like they're a part of the family, and to know each of the characters so well that they can begin to know anticipate what the will start saying and doing at family gatherings. I love it when I'm reading a big family scene and I know, "Oh, this character is going to react like this" or "This character will hate this!" I love it even more when the characters surprise me and I learn new things about them. One of the advantages of writing a series about a large family is that even as the hero and heroine are having conflict with each other, we can see them being loving towards their families, so we know the depth of love they're capable of. There are plenty of big family scenes in my Sullivan books for you to get to know each character, what they're like, and how they feel one another. Just like a real family, every Sullivan has a special relationship with each of the others. Smith and Sophie are extra close, as are Marcus and Lori. Ryan and Zach are so close in age that they spent a lot of time together as kids and have a special bond as adults.

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We've got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW! You'll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You'll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world's heart. All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win! To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that's where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love...usually where he or she least expects it. Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store. Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

• Sign up for Bella's newsletter at www.eepurl.com/eXj22
• Visit Bella's website at www.BellaAndre.com
• Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre
• Join Bella on Faceboook at www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

State of Emergency by Summer Lane Release Day

State of Emergency

By

Summer Lane

Release Day!

Barnes and Noble Link:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/state-of-emergency-summer-

lane/1114147276?ean=2940016000701

Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/State-of-Emergency-Book-ebook/

dp/B00B1G9FJE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358378816&sr=8-

1&keywords=state+of+emergency+summer+lane

Cassidy Hart is your typical High School graduate: A little shy, a little
sarcastic, and a little naive. But when an electromagnetic pulse takes
down the United States, she's forced to kick into full survival mode

when she gets separated from her father.
Yeah. Things suck.
But with the help of a handsome soldier named Chris, she just might
find her dad without getting into serious trouble.
Emphasis on might.
Oh. And there's the matter of avoiding getting killed in a world that's
quickly turned into an active war zone.
It's going to change Cassidy's life.
It's going to be a major pain in the butt.

Author Biography:

Summer Lane is the author of the YA/NA Dystopian Romance, State
of Emergency. She is a freelance writer, editor and lover of all things
feline. Summer is also the author of Snappy Social Networking: How
to Dominate the Blogosphere & Everything in Between. In her spare
time, Summer is the creator of the online magazine/blog, Writing
Belle, in addition to being a frequent contributor at NA Alley, a website
dedicated to all things New Adult.

Summer began writing when she was 13 years old, due to the fact that
the long afternoons after school were somewhat boring, and writing
stories seemed to make the time pass a little quicker. Since then she
has written many books about jungle cats, secret agents, princesses and
spaceships. She is also a non-fiction writer, but her debut novel, State
of Emergency, is her favorite book yet. You can find Summer hopping
around on the Internet by following her on Twitter @SummerEllenLane,
or on Facebook: Writing Belle.

A Few Questions I Had For Summer Or What Some Might Call An Interview              

1. So my first question is probably really obvious but I feel the need to ask

anyway... Are you a doomsday prepper? And If you aren't, are you thinking

about becoming one now that you've written a book about surviving when

disaster strikes?

I’ve always liked to be prepared for an emergency. All throughout High

School I would keep an emergency Go-Bag under my bed stocked with spare

clothes, medications and a few sentimental things I didn’t want to lose if we

were invaded by Russia or something…(not that I had a wild imagination or anything) I’m not a doomsday prepper, but I have always wondered what

would happen if some big emergency came up tomorrow. How would I cope?

I am a firm believer in being prepared for any emergency (I bought my dad

portable camping gear and waterproof matches for Christmas. Because yes, I am that girl.), so I just took that premise and came up with a story about a girl who has grown up with a dad who is a doomsday prepper.

2. I'm so glad to see that main character Cassidy has a sarcastic voice. Whatmade you decide to add that type of humor to a book about surviving theend of the world?

I have read a lot of books set in a post-apocalyptic environment, and I know

that that kind of novel can be depressing (doom, gloom, destruction..etc), so

I wanted my main character to have a little spunk. Sure, the modern world is collapsing, but at least Cassidy can find something to laugh about! Laughing is the best way to deal with something scary – both fictionally and in real life. I really believe that, and so does Cassidy. J

3. Handsome soldiers.... yum. Oh sorry, got distracted there for a minute

thinking of Chris Hemsworth in Red Dawn (oh MY) ok back to business.

What made you decide to write State of Emergency as a New Adult book

instead of a Young Adult book?

Ha! I loved that movie!! * swoons * My main characters are way past High

School. Chris Young, Cassidy’s love interest, is twenty-eight years old. Cassidy is nineteen, almost twenty. They’re both adults, and they deal with themes that fall into the NA ball field: Living without parents, falling in love seriously for the first time, even seeing people die. My book is also suitable for YA readers, though. I wanted to write a book that my younger brother could enjoy as much as my friends who are going to college.

4. Do you find that listening to music helps you when writing or does it

become a distraction? If you do listen to music is there a playlist to go

along with State of Emergency?

I love music! I would positively lost without it. I can write in complete

silence or in the middle of Starbucks, but my favorite environment is in

my office with a movie score playing in the background. Songs with words

are somewhat distracting for me when I’m writing (although I make an

exception for this when it comes to Ed Sheeran!). If I had a playlist for State of Emergency it would be a compilation of the soundtracks on my iPod. Think Red Dawn by Ramin Djawadi.

5. I know State of Emergency has just released but have you started working on another novel? If so is it also New Adult? (I love New Adult by the way)

Yes! I’m currently working on the sequel to State of Emergency. I also have a few other novels in the works, all of which will be New Adult, too. I love the story opportunities that the New Adult category gives me as a writer. It opens up so many new avenues for characters.

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Visit Summer at http://writingbelle.blogspot.com/ to read the prologue for State of Emergency

Guest Post: Bella Andre on Alpha Heroes & Happily Ever Afters

Please enjoy this guest post by Bella Andre, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards!  

Alpha Heroes & Happily Ever Afters: The Perfect Combo

A guest post by Bella Andre

  Alpha heroes are my favorite kind of hero: sexy, rugged, independent and take-charge. Yum! Take Chase Sullivan, the hero of THE LOOK OF LOVE, the first book in my best-selling Sullivan series. He's a jet-setting photographer, a mind-blowing lover, and is surrounded by gorgeous models all day long. But it isn't until he meets Chloe Peterson on the side of a road during a rainstorm in the Napa Valley wine country that he falls in love. One of my favorite things about an alpha hero falling in love is that all those alpha traits - his single-minded determination, his focus - are then devoted entirely to the woman of his dreams. Chloe's been burned by men before, but Chase is determined to show her that he's worth trusting. What follows is his relentlessly sexy pursuit of Chloe, because now that Chase has found love, he won't accept anything less. Each of the Sullivan heroes is an alpha in his own way. Marcus (FROM THIS MOMENT ON) is the de-facto family patriarch. He looks after the rest of his family and takes care of them. Gabe (CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE) is a take-charge firefighter. He rushes into danger to save lives - what's not to love? Zach (IF YOU WERE MINE) is a handy, self-sufficient mechanic and businessman. In addition to being wealthy and successful, he's useful with a wrench. What's hot is when those alpha traits are turned towards pursuing - and catching - the women of their dreams.

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We've got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW! You'll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You'll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world's heart. All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win! To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that's where the HUGE prizes are)</ em>

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love...usually where he or she least expects it. Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore</ a>, or the Kobo Store. Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

• Sign up for Bella's newsletter at www.eepurl.com/eXj22
• Visit Bella's website at www.BellaAndre.com
• Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre
• Join Bella on Faceboook at www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad by Naomi Rabinowitz Blog Tour and Giveaway

Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad
Author: Naomi Rabinowitz
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: October 8, 2012

Summary:
Shy, overweight Melinda Rhodes' sophomore year of high school isn't going so well. Her own mother mocks her weight. Her pants split in the middle of school, earning her the nickname, "Moolinda." She then loses first chair flute in band to Kathy Meadows, her pretty and popular nemesis.

Her luck changes when she catches the eye of Josh Kowalski, a rebellious trumpet prodigy and class clown. Josh has also been hurt by Kathy and asks Melinda to help take Kathy down. Mel figures that she has nothing to lose ... and Josh is adorable with gorgeous blue eyes and a winning smile. She agrees to team up with him and looks forward to finally getting back at her rival.

At first, the pair's pranks are silly, and as they work together, Mel comes out of her shell. Even better, she finds herself falling for Josh and it appears as if he might feel the same way about her.

However, their schemes become more and more dangerous and Mel is surprised to discover her dark side. Just how far will she go to get what she wants -- and is Josh really worth the risk?

My Thoughts:
From start to finish Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad is charming, adorable and reminds you of just how hard high school can be. Days when nothing goes right and it feels like the whole world is against you.

Mel is a great character. I think we can all see a little bit of ourselves in her. She stresses over clothes, diets, school, boys... you know all the normal high school stuff. Plus, she has her very own group of tormentors. When fellow band member Josh approaches Mel about putting Kathy, one of those tormentors in her "place" she loves the idea but also has reservations. Mel is basically a really sweet girl that  feels like she has been pushed too far and is ready to push back. 

Josh's personality is big, no really it's huge! He is one of those guys that seems really self assured. He's super talented and he knows it. He's a clown and he really enjoys rebelling. He feels like he also has a score to settle with Kathy and he wants Mel's help to settle it. 

Watching these two get to know each other and seeing how they bring out the good and bad in each other is really fun. Naomi Rabinowitz does an incredible job of writing believable character interactions. The conversations they have flow beautifully and never felt contrived. I really enjoyed reading Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad and highly recommend it to readers that enjoy YA Contemporary novels. As far as language or adult themes this book is pretty tame. There is a scene that includes underage drinking and there is some making out but nothing overly graphic. 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Naomi Rabinowitz has always loved being creative. Raised in Nesconset, NY -- a suburb on Long Island -- she was introduced to the arts at an early age. Her mother, Joyce, is a pianist; her father, Melvin, plays piano and guitar; her grandmother, Esther, was a talented knitter; her late grandfather, Morris, was a violinist; her late great uncle, Sid Robin, was a well-known jazz musician, who penned the lyrics to the popular big band hit, "Undecided."

Naomi's parents, who were both teachers, frequently took her to museums and concerts. During their summers off, her family traveled. By the time she was 15, Naomi had been to several European countries, as well as China, Japan, Israel, Egypt, Russia and Mexico.

Naomi's love for writing emerged when she was in the second grade and her poem, "The Four Seasons," won first prize in a local literary competition. She became interested in journalism in junior high when her English class was selected to write for Newsday's "Kidsday" column. 

She had as much passion for music. Though she began playing piano when she was three, she switched to her "true" instrument, the flute, when she was nine and eventually added tenor sax and clarinet to her list so that she could play in jazz band. She performed in almost every musical group from wind ensemble to orchestra (but never marching band!). In 2008, she released her jazz album FLUTE PATH.

Naomi received a B.A. in English from Binghamton University and an M.A. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University. From 1998-2012, she worked as a reporter/editor for national TV magazine Soap Opera Digest.

These days, Naomi writes, plays jazz flute and designs jewelry for her businesses Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. She lives in Queens, NY with her husband, Jonathan, and their cat, Maya.

LINKS:

*Book purchase link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NNXUJI

* Blog: naomirabinowitzauthor.blogspot.com

* Facebook: www.facebook.com/naomirabinowitzauthor

* Twitter: @NaomiRDesigns

Giveaway

Naomi will be giving away a CD of flute music, and a pair of hand-made earrings to one randomly drawn commenter on the tour. Check out other tour stops for more chances to win!