Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a very, erm, CONTROVERSIAL holiday. I myself don't have strong feelings on it one way or another, but I happen to be quite close to someone who does. I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a page of her story with you.

* * *

Valentine’s Day is not my favourite holiday. In fact, if I were to list my favourite holidays, Valentine’s Day would hover somewhere near rock bottom — several ranks below Labour Day but ahead of Boxing Day, because if there’s anything that makes me sicker than shopping, it’s obligatory shopping. And Valentine’s Day is about nothing if not shopping.

I should know. I work at Walmart.

I wipe a strand of sweaty red hair out of my face. I have never been so happy to clock out. My register has featured an endless parade of balding men bearing Hallmark cards and ticked off women who are trying their best to look like they really couldn’t care less about being single on the most romantic day of the year.

I’m not buying any of it, literally or figuratively. I just want to get home.

* * *

Dear, dear. A bit of a downer, isn't she? I'd better get back to her story right away. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! *throws cookies in the air and flees*

Cover Reveal: CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE by L.M. Augustine + Giveaway

Today, I'm delighted to be a part of the cover reveal for CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE by L.M. Augustine! And let me tell you, this cover is adorable. I can see why he raves about the designer, Allie Brennan.

So, about the book. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE is a YA romance, coming out this April. Try this blurb on for size:

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them. 

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I ♥ Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she'd have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

Are you ready to see the cover? Scroll down!





Keep scrolling ...






Not quite far enough ...

Ta-da! You see what I mean? Adorable. And I love the title design.

But it gets better. To celebrate the cover reveal, L.M. is holding a giveaway! Two lucky winners will get an eBook of their choice, and one person will get an eARC of CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE as soon as they become available! (This will be in late March or early April. If you win, you'll get an email the day after the giveaway ends to inform you.)

I ought to urge you to enter, but I'd actually prefer that you DIDN'T enter the giveaway, because that way my chances of winning are better. (Just kidding. But really. Don't enter.)

Even if you don't win the ARC, you can still get sneak peeks at the book by following the author's Facebook page, blog, and Twitter account. You can also add the book on Goodreads. I recommend doing all of those things -- every Facebook like and Goodreads add brings us one step closer to having the ENTIRE FIRST CHAPTER to read.

I like first chapters.

So that's the end of our cover reveal! Enter the giveaway, check out the links, and don't forget to comment with your thoughts on the cover!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WHISPERS IN AUTUMN: TCWT Blog Chain

Hello, friends! As the title indicates, this post is part of the Teens Can Write Too blog chain, which is brilliant. If you're a teen writer and don't already know about it, I HIGHLY recommend that you check it out†.

This month, TCWT is celebrating small presses and self-publishers. In keeping with that, the blog chain's topic is:

“Choose one self-published book to read, then briefly review it or talk about your experiences reading it.”

I was worried about the topic at first, not sure how I would get my hands on a self-published book. I didn't think my regular method would work so well.

But then I mentioned this on the blog, and John (the blog owner and Supreme Cake Lord) was awesome and kind enough to contact his friend Trisha Leigh, and she was in turn awesome and kind enough to send me a FREE ePub copy of her book, Whispers In Autumn.

I got the book at 8:42 PM. About an hour later, I decided to read the first chapter, 'just to get a feel for the book.' At 1:30 AM, I read the last page.

This book is that good. It kept me up for hours. I read it on the couch. I read it in the bathroom. I read it in my bed. And now it is my very great pleasure to review it on my blog.

WHISPERS IN AUTUMN: REVIEW

There are three major things that I always assess about a book. They are:

1. The Cover
I confess it -- I'm a cover snob. I do not like covers that look like they were made by a ten-year-old with Photoshop. I have read and loved books with awful covers, but I always feel a little ashamed to take them out in public.

This cover, on the other hand, is gorgeous. I love the font. I love the colors. I love the leaves in her hair. I would like to have a hard copy of this cover just to carry around.

2. The Characters

Oh. My. Lucas. He was possibly my favorite thing about this book. (I mean, he's smart, he's sweet, and he smells fabulous. What more could a girl want?)

I also thought Althea was an excellent POV character. I connected to her and enjoyed her voice. She did grate on my nerves sometimes with her refusal to realize things that seemed obvious to me, and her occasional use of the phrase 'banana balls' jolted me out of the story whenever it occurred -- it just didn't seem to fit with her character. But overall I liked her, and I LOVED her hair.

All other characters fit neatly into the picture. None particularly stood out to me, but they felt real, and that's all that counts.

3. The Storytelling
In a market saturated with dystopian novels that taste like chicken, Trisha Leigh has created beef. Her world was vibrant and immersive: vaguely reminiscent of The Giver, but with defining elements that set it apart from anything I have ever read.

And she made me feel. I fell head over heels for the romance. I was genuinely horrified by the villains. I may need therapy to recover from the death of [***SPOILER DO NOT READ WHAT COMES NEXT TRA-LA-LA-LA-LA Lucas's fish††. TRA-LA-LA-LA-LA OKAY YOU CAN KEEP READING AFTER THIS***]

And so I rate this book a thick slice of pumpkin pie, still warm from the oven. You should go read it. Meanwhile, I will be kicking back with the sequel, which I got for my birthday last week. Winter Omens, here I come!

† Even if you aren't a teen writer, TCWT is cool. Just CLICK THE LINK.

†† And yes, I realize that this is not the sort of death that is supposed to cause deep emotional trauma. I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS, OKAY?!

BLOG CHAIN SCHEDULE:

February 5^th – http://the-writing-junkie.blogspot.com/

February 6^th – http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com/

February 7^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/

February 8^th – http://fida-islaih.blogspot.com/

February 9th – http://sarahhudsonscribbles.blogspot.ca/ <-- YOU ARE HERE!

February 10^th http://avonsbabbles.wordpress.com/

February 11^th http://notebooksisters.blogspot.com/

February 12^th http://mirrormadeofwords.wordpress.com/

February 13^th http://www.lilyjenness.blogspot.com/

February 14^th http://www.writerbewildered.blogspot.com/

February 15^th http://realteenreader.wordpress.com/

February 16^th http://epistolarygirl.wordpress.com/

February 17^th http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com/

February 18^th http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (They'll announce the topic for next month’s chain.)

Eighteen

This is a daunting post to write. This is a daunting DAY to live. Because it's the last day. The last day before I turn eighteen. The last day before I am officially, legally an adult. The last day, in effect, of my childhood.

I've never put much stock in birthdays. I have my own definitions for age. Babyhood is when you depend on the adults in your life for everything. Toddlerhood is about rejecting that life, becoming a person with a distinct identity -- a child instead of a baby. But even children form their ideas about the world through osmosis. They live to be taught.

Then comes teenagehood, the second toddlerhood. With this stage comes a swarm of new ideas and contradictory instincts. You begin to question everything you absorbed as a child. You learn to take two opposite points of view and find the good and the bad in both. You find yourself disagreeing with the people you trust most. I've been there. I know the roller-coaster of adolescence, and frankly, I love it.

It's what comes next that scares me. Adulthood. Defined by me as the state of being physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually independent. Which is fine when you're a TEENAGER. But now here I am, teetering on the edge of eighteen, and suddenly adulthood seems much less fine. Independence? Ha, forget about it. I just want a pacifier and a nightlight, please and thank you.

Fortunately, I don't have to do this alone. I have been given the best girls on Earth as sisters, a clever and caring woman for a mom, and a passel of other people I'm proud to call my family and friends. I also have a God whom I trust and a passion I believe in. These are my lifelines. With these, I will make it through. Somehow.

When I started, I meant for this post to summarize the things I've accomplished so far -- sort of a pep talk to get myself through the next year. But I've changed my mind. I'll just close with this:

Today, I teeter on the edge of a cliff. Tomorrow, I try my wings.

How To Acquire Books While Broke

Is it just me, or are there A LOT of really excellent books coming out these days? I know that my TBR pile is shooting through the ceiling. However, in this economic climate* I cringe to spend money on anything but VITAL PURCHASES, like winter coats and haircuts and new Doctor Who episodes**.

How, then, am I supposed to get my hands on the books I so desperately desire? There is no way I'll touch a pirated copy, but I simply can't afford to pay for any but the most precious tomes.

After wrestling with this problem for some time, I think I've finally found an approach that works for me. And so I have prepared this handy guide to enlighten anyone who struggles with a similar dilemma. Behold:

HOW TO ACQUIRE BOOKS WHILE BROKE:

(IN TEN EASY STEPS)

Step 1: Get bored. Go on Twitter.

Step 2: Hear about FABULOUS NEW RELEASE, OHMYTOES YOU MUST READ. Investigate said book online. Drool.

Step 3: Hasten to library website. Find book in database. Put book on hold.

Step 4: Wait for book to arrive. (This usually takes about three years.)

Step 5: Discover that book has arrived at library. Dance and sing all the way down the street.

Step 6: Read book. Love book. Sleep with book on pillow.

Step 7: Realize that book is two days overdue. Reluctantly return book to library.

Step 8: Go looking for book. Remember that book lives at library.

Step 9: Weep.

Step 10: Remember that Christmas/your birthday/Bastille Day is approaching. SUBTLY HINT to all relatives and friends that "WOW, IT WOULD BE SO GREAT TO HAVE THAT BOOK ON MY VERY OWN SHELF, BUT OH WELL, I GUESS IT ISN'T MEANT TO BE."

Step 11: Repeat SUBTLE HINT as often as necessary.

Step 12: Receive MYSTERIOUS PACKAGE for Christmas/your birthday/Bastille Day.

Step 13: Open package. Discover book.

Step 14: Scream in delight. Hug everyone. Go hide under bed to reread book.

Step 15: Rinse and repeat.

~~~

Yes, it really is that simple. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Twitter.


* I'm not quite sure what this phrase means, but I think it's something approaching: State of being a broke teenager who is working for minimum wage and trying to save up to move out and pay for important things like RENT and FOOD and so, so much more ...

** Yes, I just lumped Doctor Who in with winter coats and haircuts. I JUST REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO CLARA, OKAY?!