Showing posts with label Putnam Juvenile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Putnam Juvenile. Show all posts

Cover Reveal: Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee by Mary G. Thompson




Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee
Author: Mary G. Thompson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Suspense
Released: October 11th 2016
Publisher: Putnam
A bittersweet homecoming holds dark secrets in this heart-wrenching story of loss, love, and survival for readers of Room.

When sixteen-year-old Amy returns home, she can't tell her family what’s happened to her. She can’t tell them where she’s been since she and her best friend, her cousin Dee, were kidnapped six years ago—who stole them from their families or what’s become of Dee. She has to stay silent because she's afraid of what might happen next, and she’s desperate to protect her secrets at any cost.

Amy tries to readjust to life at “home,” but nothing she does feels right. She’s a stranger in her own family, and the guilt that she’s the one who returned is insurmountable. Amy soon realizes that keeping secrets won’t change what's happened, and they may end up hurting those she loves the most. She has to go back in order to move forward, risking everything along the way. Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee is a riveting, affecting story of loss and hope.


Mary G. Thompson was raised in Cottage Grove and Eugene, OR. She was a practicing attorney for more than seven years, including almost five years in the U.S. Navy, and is now a librarian in Washington, DC. She received her BA from Boston University, her JD from the University of Oregon, and her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School.

   

Cover Reveal: The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh



Can we take a moment of silence and admire this perfect cover?

If you've read my review on The Wrath and the Dawn, then you know this is one of my favorites of this year! Yesterday, the cover for the sequel, The Rose and the Dagger was reveal. And just look at the perfection!


The Rose and the Dagger
The Wrath and the Dawn #2
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: May 3rd 2016
Review Source: Putnam Juvenile
The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Book Review: The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson




The Shadow Cabinet
Shades of London #3
Author: Maureen Johnson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: February 10th 2015
Review Source: Putnam Juvenile

The thrilling third installment to the Edgar-nominated, bestselling series.

Rory and her friends are reeling from a series of sudden and tragic events. While racked with grief, Rory tries to determine if she acted in time to save a member of the squad. If she did, how do you find a ghost? Also, Rory’s classmate Charlotte has been kidnapped by Jane and her nefarious organization. Evidence is uncovered of a forty-year-old cult, ten missing teenagers, and a likely mass murder. Everything indicates that Charlotte’s in danger, and it seems that something much bigger and much more terrible is coming.

Time is running out as Rory fights to find her friends and the ghost squad struggles to stop Jane from unleashing her spectral nightmare on the entire city. In the process, they'll discover the existence of an organization that underpins London itself—and Rory will learn that someone she trusts has been keeping a tremendous secret.


(This review contains spoilers for The Madness Underneath).

The Shades of London is one of my favorite paranormal series. The Madness Underneath ended in one of the most torturous cliffhangers ever and the wait for The Shadow Cabinet was just as torturous.

We left off with Stephen dying in a car accident after Rory escapes from Jane’s house. The whole team is convinced that Stephen’s ghost is out there somewhere, so they are all looking for it. They are also out looking for Charlotte who has been kidnapped by Jane and her crew.

In the Shadow Cabinet we finally get a lot more information about Jane and her past. We learn about these twins, Sid and Sadie, friends with Jane years ago. Sid and Sadie used to practice a sort of black magic and test the boundaries of life and death. They are ultimately the reason Rory’s and Jane’s lives intertwine. I can’t go into much detail about that without totally spoiling it. This was the most interesting part for me in the whole plot though, because it really explains why Rory is so important and why Jane needs her.

Stephen, I really wish I could tell you ALL THE THINGS Stephen, but sadly I can’t because telling you anything about him and the search for his ghost would totally spoil the whole thing. Stephen’s death though will cause more than a little animosity between Callum and Rory despite Boo’s efforts at smoothing things out between them.

The Madness Underneath had a bit more romance, and while I wish there had been more in the Shadow Cabinet as well, there is a good reason why there isn’t.

Reviewing The Shadow Cabinet without spoilers is practically impossible! So much is happening ALL.OF.THE.TIME!

I specially enjoyed Jerome taking on a bigger role in this book. He comes back to the story when he introduces Frankie to Rory after they find Rory trapped in a mausoleum. Frankie was a super fun character and addition to the team, she has a super optimistic personality and she is also a bit strange (in a good way).

The Shadow Cabinet brings us character development, major character development actually. For example Rory, without going into spoiler territory, is almost a different person but yet still the same Rory deep inside. I wasn’t surprised though, the stuff she is dealing with is enough to send any sane person to the nut house.

Of course in the best Maureen Johnson fashion The Shadow Cabinet leaves us with another painful cliffhanger!
Overall I was very happy with this third installment, and I’m anxiously waiting for the next one!

If you haven’t yet immersed yourself in the world of The Shades of London I very highly recommend it!

Blog Tour: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh | Interview | Giveaway



Welcome to our stop on The Wrath and the Dawn tour for Renée Ahdieh. This tour is hosted by PenguinTeen.

The Wrath and the Dawn
The Wrath and the Dawn #1 
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: May 12th 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.


Interview



1. Where did the idea for The Wrath and the Dawn come from?

I’d always wanted to write a book based on The Arabian Nights, and when I began reading them seriously, the frame narrative from which the stories were based—the tale of Scheherazade—intrigued me. I soon learned it was a Persian story, so I was able to go to my husband’s family for research. Like so many of the best things in life, the idea came about naturally.

2. Without spoilers, were there any scenes you had to cut that you wished you could have kept?

Ah, this is tough! I did have to cut a storyline I really loved from the first book, just to make the plot as cohesive as possible. It involved the main character Shahrzad’s younger sister Irsa.

3. What were your biggest challenges in writing The Wrath and the Dawn?

I think the biggest challenge was doing justice to such a time-honored classic as The Arabian Nights, all while simultaneously making the story my own.

4. What do you enjoy most about writing books in a series?

The space I have to play with a story. I also love worldbuilding, and when you have this kind of space, I think the possibilities to make your world as rich and detailed as you desire are endless.

5. Can you give a hint of what's to come?


So I do want to stress that I’ve been told I’m a nice person—but not the nicest writer. People are going to die in the next book, and it may not be easy to stomach, but I can also promise lots of kissing . . . and maybe a magic carpet ride or two.



& Enter to win an ARC copy of The Wrath & the Dawn + other 2015 Penguin's titles!



I live in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with my husband Victor and our dog Mushu. My YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, will be published on May 12th, 2015. In my spare time, I like to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of my characters.

I’m also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as an active member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

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Book Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh + Giveaway



The Wrath and the Dawn
The Wrath and the Dawn #1 
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: May 12th 2015
Review Source: Putnam Juvenile

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.


OMG... can I have a moment here? *fans self* This book is beyond my expectations! Truly a gift to all book lovers! Thank you Renee for sharing this stunning, breathtaking story.

The Wrath & The Dawn is unique in many ways. So rich in words. With such perfect pacing.

Let me tell you, the very beginning of this book had me confused. The names. The words. All confusing. Yet, I did not give up. I re-read some parts until I understood what was going on and who was who. As the pages flew by, I realized this book is unique. Then I read this page…. Oh, boy. Did I fall. Hard. And I was lost in the beauty of this tale. I devoured the pages like a wilding looking for water. As I drank in the story, I needed more. By the time I realized the time, it was too late. It was 4 am. No lie. I was completely lost in this beauty.

Gosh, it is dark. It is sexy. And it is brilliant.

If you are a fan of The Game of Thrones, you know how Daenerys is sold to marry Dothraki Khal Drogo. At first, she hates him but eventually falls in love with him. Also, how at the beginning he thought of her as just his bride, a person to have intimate moments with and nothing else... but then he also falls in love with her? Yeah, this is how the story is. If you are clueless to what I am saying, let me just say… Beauty and the Beast.

To marry Khalid is an abomination to Shahrzad. Now her best friend is gone - she married Khalie as part of the ritual. At every dawn, the new bride is to be executed. YES, executed. As revenge, she sacrifices and volunteers to be his next bride. Her mission is to avenge all the death he has caused - to kill him. Yet, what she doesn’t know is that Khalid himself is doing this, not because he takes pleasure on the killings, but because it is a must.

Little by little, she becomes acquainted and begin to connect with him, later falls in love with him. She knows he is a monster, but her heart is telling her he is not. Yet, once she is told the truth, she realizes he is just a broken man with many baggage. Underneath the many layers of hatred people have against him, he is just a beautiful man taking the blame for everything. He is beautiful from the inside. He is selfless.

GOD, THIS STORY. IT IS BEAUTIFUL!

An enchanted story that will captivate your attention. A must read. Lovers of romance and fantasy would certainly adore this story. However, I recommend this book to EVERYONE! There is so much to say but it is best that you read it. Seriously, you must give this story a try. Do not let the first couple of chapters stop you. Trust me, it will be your new addiction.



Stop by Wednesday to read our interview with Renee Ahdieh & to enter another epic giveaway!




This giveaway is open International.


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Blog Tour: Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins | Interview | Giveaway



Welcome to our stop on Miss Mayhem tour for Rachel Hawkins. This tour is hosted by PenguinTeen.

Miss Mayhem
Rebel Belle #2
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Review Source: Putnam Juvenile



Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and best friend Bee has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can return her focus to the important things in life: school, canoodling with David, her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie, and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or connect her to David for life.

Throughout my pre-teen and teen years, I must say I was never into paranormal. Not that I was against it, I just never was curious enough… In order for me to read a paranormal book was extreme at that time. I was always reading my sad books or the Sweet Valley High/University series. Now with Rachel, she is one of the authors that made me fall in love with Paranormal. With her charming characters and sassiness, who wouldn’t be able to fall in love with her books?

On this second book of her series, Miss Mayhem starts right where Rebel Belle left off. And it was insane. Harper once again tries to prove that she is a very talented person, she can do multiple jobs at once. An overachiever. However, even the brightest of all must catch a break every now and then. In this sequel, Harper learns that sometimes having it simple sometimes can be more than enough.

Miss Mayhem is a quick-easy read that will keep you turning pages. With the touch of snark comments, Harper and the gang will keep you entertained. Not only will they teach you one or two thing about magic but they will also teach you about true friendship, family and most of all what’s more important in life, love. Rachel once again has outdone herself, read Rebel Belle and order Miss Mayhem now!


Thank you so much for coming to Once Upon a Twilight! I am a big fan of your books and I'm totally fangirling.

My first question to you is, what were you like in high school? Is Harper alike teenage Rachel? 

Haha, NO, Harper could not be any more different than High School Rachel. I was a chronic UNDERachiever, one of those kids who got good grades in subjects I loved, but subpar grades in things like chemistry and math. Thankfully, all the reading I did ensured that I DID do really well on standardized tests, so that helped offset that lackluster GPA. ;) And I certainly never did the Homecoming Queen Thing! Basically, I wasn't a popular kid or an outcast, but just that girl who read and wrote a lot, and could OCCASIONALLY be kind of funny.

I know you're a fangirl, yes I do follow you on Twitter. I know we share the love of GoT and The 100. Tell me, how do you cope after watching an insane episode (pretty much every episodes). Do you even recover? 

I'm lucky to be friends with other fangirls, so there's usually a lot of texting and/or capslock filled emails!

If you were given the role to play a character in The 100, who would you choose? Why? 

I'd like to be Clarke's BFF, the girl who doesn't actually do anything dangerous, but is like, "YEAH, CLARKE, YOU GO, GIRL!" I would also probably advise her to kiss Bellamy, let's be honest.

What are you looking forward in Game of Thrones season 5?

My Pretend Boyfriend Jon Snow killing the boy, letting the man be born (Yes, that's a quote form the books, and yes, I am a dork.)

Can you share with us your reaction when you first saw the ad of Rebel Belle on The CW website? 

There was MUCH flailing. I was actually in the Atlanta airport with several other authors, and when a friend first tweeted me about the ad, I thought she was maybe just seeing a "cookie" ad on the site, one of those, "You searched this, so here is an ad for that thing on Amazon!" deals. But then she got a screengrab, and one of my Author Buds was able to pull it up on her computer, and FLAILING COMMENCED! Then I took like a million pictures and put it all over the internet because duh.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I used to teach high school English, and as such, still have a pretty good grasp of Middle English.

When you go on tour, what is the one thing you must do before leaving your house? 

Hug everyone, snuggle my cats, and make sure I have my ID/money. I always remind myself that those are the two things I CANNOT forget on tour. Everything else can be replaced!

What YA would you recommend your fans to read, after yours, of course.
Kiersten White's books always have a great mix of humor and heart, as do Alison Cherry's. Also loved Ally Carter's newest, All Fall Down!

Thank you so much for answering our questions!!!


Rachel Hawkins was born in Virginia and raised in Alabama. This means she uses words like "y'all" and "fixin'" a lot, and considers anything under 60 degrees to be borderline Arctic. Before deciding to write books about kissing and fire (and sometimes kissing while on fire), Rachel taught high school English for 3 years, and is still capable of teaching you The Canterbury Tales if you're into that kind of thing.

She is married to a geologist, which means that they have incredibly strange dinner conversations ("So today at work, I wrote a chapter where killer fog, like, ATE PEOPLE." "Huh. Well, I was chased by an angry reindeer while trying to map parts of Norway." "Um...okay.")

Rachel also has a little boy whose main hobbies are playing video games, running around in circles, and plotting his Future Intergalactic Take-Over.

When not writing books, Rachel enjoys reading, travelling, and knitting (very terribly.)


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Waiting on Wednesday: Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins



Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Miss Mayhem
Rebel Belle #2 
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile


Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and best friend Bee has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can return her focus to the important things in life: school, canoodling with David, her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie, and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or connect her to David for life.
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