Authors Are Rockstars Tour Stop - Melissa West!! Guest Post & Quadruple Giveaway!

Welcome, book lovers to my stop on the Authors are Rockstars tour!!

Today I'm featuring the author of the upcoming YA sci-fi romance Gravity,
  Melissa West! 

So, what makes Melissa a rock star?  Well, aside from writing a book that I've been salivating over for many, many months now, with an epic cover that is absolutely to die for and one of the best, most intriguing taglines out there? Here's what gives her rock star status to me: she's also a mommy, a wife, a collector of shoes (really, what good rock star isn't?), and she totally owns being a sore loser at Monopoly. :)  Now, I totally thought she rocked before, but then I found out this little tidbit:
 Melissa has commited to donating 10% of all sales of the entire Gravity series to the American Cancer Society. 
Wow. Just wow.  Her reasons for doing this are incredibly touching, and I'll let you read about it in her own words here.  But as some of you know, I'm a cancer warrior myself, so if you ask me, this incredibly generous act not only makes her a rock star, it makes her a bona fide hero of mine. :)  So, to show my gratitude, I'll be purchasing four copies---one for me, of course LOL---and three for giveaway! Check out the giveaways down below to win one!

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In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

Gravity comes out October 16th, 2012 from Entangled Teen.

About Melissa:

Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

GRAVITY is her first book.

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter

Guest Post:

Melissa's thoughts on making characters readers can relate to…even if they aren’t human:

It’s interesting that this topic was presented to me as I’ve been thinking a lot lately over what bonds a reader to a character. I think it’s easy to understand why we fall for characters like Katniss Everdeen. She may not be the most presentable lady. She isn’t funny. She isn’t cute. But she’s brave. She’s loyal. She cares more about her family than anything—than what’s right, what’s legal, what’s expected of her. That sort of determined love is admirable. Couple that deep love with her skill and bravery and suddenly it’s easy to understand why we root for her.

I think the traits that bond us to Katniss, or even to a person in our everyday lives, also apply to characters that aren’t human. The key is to make those nonhuman characters humane in their actions, in their emotions, in the way the human characters in our books sympathize with them. Suddenly we no longer care that “X” is a vampire, or werewolf, or angel, or demon…or alien.

Hopefully, readers quickly forget that Jackson is an alien and instead view him as the kick ass, super hot guy that he is. ;)

And now for the giveaways! 

#1 - Entangled Teen has generously provided an e-book of Gravity for giveaway!   

#2 - And as promised, I'm giving away three pre-ordered Gravity paperbacks.  
Both giveaways are open internationally. Must be 13 or older. You may enter both giveaways using the rafflecopter forms below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, everyone, and thanks for stopping by my Authors are Rockstars tour stop!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Chantress
by Amy Butler Greenfield

hitting shelves May 7th, 2013
from Margaret K. McElderry Books

description:
Sing and the darkness will find you.

Shipwrecked on an island seven years ago, Lucy has been warned she must never sing, or disaster will strike. But on All Hallows Eve, Lucy hears tantalizing music in the air. When she sings it, she unlocks a terrible secret: She is a Chantress, a spell-singer, brought to the island not by shipwreck but by a desperate enchantment gone wrong.

Her song lands her back in England — and in mortal peril, for the kingdom lies in the cruel grasp of a powerful Lord Protector and his mind-reading hunters, the Shadowgrims. The Protector has killed all Chantresses, for they alone can destroy the Shadowgrims. Only Lucy has survived.

In terrible danger, Lucy takes shelter with Nat, a spy who turns her heart upside-down. Nat has been working with his fellow scholars of the Invisible College to overthrow the Lord Protector, and they have long hoped to find a living Chantress to help them. But Lucy is completely untrained, and Nat deeply distrusts her magic. If Lucy cannot master the songspells, how long can she even stay alive?

Beguiling and lyrical, dangerous and romantic, Chantress will capture readers in a spell they won’t want to break.

My thoughts: This sounds like an amazing high fantasy! Shipwrecks, enchantments and the magic of music, a kingdom in peril, mind-reading hunters? OOOH, this sounds so good. Such a torturously long wait, but sounds to me like it will be well worth it!

Away for the weekend! Mumford & Sons! :D

I'm on vacation, dear blog friends!  Stories & Sweeties will be a bit silent this weekend, likely until Tuesday.  I'm taking off just a few hours down the road to one of my favorite beach towns (Monterey) to see one of my very favorite bands in concert!! Mumford & Sons ♥ ♥ ♥!! I absolutely love them---their music is so passionate, creative, unique---yeah, I'm a bit smitten with this amazing British band.  SO so excited to finally catch them in concert in one of their few appearances on this side of the world!

I'm ready for a weekend of amazing music, indulging on delicious food, walking the beautiful beaches of Monterey & Carmel, and just relaxing!  I leave you with a few of my favorites from this awesome band!!

This second one is actually a trailer for a british film adaptation of Wuthering Heights that came out a few years ago...they wrote the song for it. LOVE.

And finally---White Blank Page, filmed live so the sound is bit off BUT I absolutely adore that it's shot in a Welsh bookshop. ;)

Have a great weekend, everyone---I'll be back to blogging soon! :D

Becky's View: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone
by Kat Rosenfield
♦publisher: Dutton Juvenile
♦release date: July 5th, 2012
♦hardcover, 279 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult (recommend for 16+)
♦source: from publisher for honest review

An arresting un-coming-of-age story, from a breathtaking talent

Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death.

Review: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone has the feel of the old classics that have stood the test of time.  The writing is exceptional.  Beautiful, haunting, and truly exceptional.  The story is dark and not at all lacking in grit, as anyone should be able to guess from the subject matter. The mystery of Amelia's death unravels slowly and hauntingly, but with Rosenfield's writing, every word seems to have been carefully chosen to really sink the story and the imagery right into your heart and your gut.  Amelia's death is all the more grueling, Becca's emotions hit home all the more heavily, and the small town of Bridgeton seems to practically breath with a life of its own. 

The story flits back and forth between Becca and James' past and present, and then little bits of Amelia's story leading up to her death are thrown in.  The investigation plods on, fingers are pointed, and we get little tidbits of the town's back story that gives us a feel of how the town and it's people work.  I loved how the small-town gossip and the tragedy itself were practically characters in their own right---something tangible that slips through the front door and sits at the family table for dinner. 

While, for me, this story did start out a little slowly after the initial shock of the body being found, and the explanations of "this is how it works in a small town" became a little redundant at times,  there was a point about half way through where I stopped being able to put it down. The oncoming reveal starts rushing at you like a freight train as suspicions go horribly awry, Becca seems to be eaten up by her doubt and fear of her own future,  and the truth of what really happened on the night Amelia died eerily surfaces. 

A haunting and intense read.  I can't wait to read more from Kat Rosenfield. 

 Find Kat Rosenfield online: Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase Amelia Anne is Dead on Gone:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •   Indiebound  

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

The Art of Wishing
by Lindsay Ribar

hitting shelves March 21st, 2013 from Dial Books for Young Readers

description:

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

My thoughts: Who can resist such a completely amazing cover? Not me!! Genies!! How awesome is that? Not a paranormal being you see much, and especially not in the form of a hottie with pretty eyes...so I'm really excited to see how this story plays out! 

Becky's View: Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
♦publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
♦release date: July 17th, 2012
♦hardcover, 309 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Sky Chasers, book 2

Waverly and Kieran are finally reunited on the Empyrean. Kieran has led the boys safely up to this point, and now that the girls are back, their mission seems slightly less impossible: to chase down the New Horizon, and save their parents from the enemy ship. But nothing is truly as it seems…Kieran’s leadership methods have raised Seth’s hackles— and Waverly’s suspicions. Is this really her fiancé? The handsome, loving boy she was torn from just a short time before? More and more, she finds her thoughts aligned with Seth’s. But if Seth is Kieran’s Enemy No. 1, what does that make her?

In one night, a strange explosion rocks the Empyrean—shooting them off course and delaying their pursuit of the New Horizon—and Seth is mysteriously released from the brig. Seth is the most obvious suspect for the explosion, and Waverly the most obvious suspect for releasing him. As the tension reaches a boiling point, will Seth be able to find the true culprit before Kieran locks them both away—or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? With the balance of power precarious and the clock ticking, every decision counts… every step brings them closer to a new beginning, or a sudden end...

Review: So...I'm going to be upfront about this: I didn't read Glow.  After seeing a few mixed reviews of it, I still meant to read it, but it just kept getting put on the back burner again and again.  When I received Spark for review with the promise that it was even better than Glow...well, I decided to take my chances and jump right into Spark. To be fair, if I hadn't liked it, I wouldn't have reviewed it at all, giving it the benefit of the doubt that maybe I didn't like it because I'd skipped the first and missed important details. But that was not the case with Spark. After just reading a bit of a summary for Glow, Spark had just enough clever flashing back to the action of Glow for me to not only follow the continuing plot, but to become fully immersed in it.

The story is told from a third person POV, with each chapter alternating between the three main characters: Seth, Waverly, and Kieran.  With so much intense action going on, and so much conflict and emotion running rampant through the story, this was the perfect way for it to be told. You really get a feel for how each one of them thinks, the mental processing behind all their rash decisions and actions.  Even as much as you get angry and want to smack some sense into certain characters, you can see how they have justified it in their own minds.  The three of them, along with the entire population of kids on the Empyrean have one single goal---to get back their parents from the New Horizon, the ship where they're being held hostage.  But all have different ideas of how to do it, whose to blame for them being left behind, and who to follow.  This leads to a dirty power struggle: Kieran overlooks his own morals to hold onto his captain's chair while attempting to outsmart the evil Ann Mather; Waverly rails against him for abusing his power as captain, while fighting off ugly accusations and harrassment about leaving the parents behind, and Seth is just trying to stay alive and prove his own innocence in the sabotage that is happening on the ship. It's heartbreaking to see them all forced to deal with much more than they should have to as mere kids, and in some cases, to see them make such crucial mistakes.   On top of that,  Kieran and Waverly both struggle with the fact that they've seemingly become enemies,  and Seth and Waverly grapple with growing feelings for each other.  And all the while, a new and vicious danger lurks on the ship that will change everything.

It's definitely an exciting and intense ride through space, a story of power, bravery, determination, and loss.  Spark has convinced me to go back and read Glow, and I'll definitely be continuing this series when the third hits shelves!

 

Visit Amy Kathleen Ryan: Website  •  Facebook

Purchase Spark at:   Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {15}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie's This Week in Books & Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts) Note: This is not a meme, but I'll be hopping around to any other book haul-sharing posts I come across!

So... I had a super happy book week!

For Review:
The Kill Order by James Dashner
Hubby was so happy we got this, he loves this series! I haven't started it yet, but I may start with this prequel!
Catherine by April Lindner
Lindner did such an amazing job with her retelling of Jane Eyre--can't wait to read this one of Wuthering Heights!
Adaptation by Malinda Lo
Super happy dance!! Lo is one of my very favorite authors---SO excited to get this one!
Trinkets by Kirsten Smith
Love the sound of this one---about three girls in a shoplifters anonymous group.
Iron-Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
I adore this cover!! This is actually a duplicate for me so this one is going on my Books to Trade list!

For review (cont.):
The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Palma
This sounds fascinating! War of the worlds, HG Wells, Poe, time travel...very cool!
The Time Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette by Bianca Turetsky
The illustrations in here are so pretty! I haven't read book one yet, but I hope to find time for both soon!

Bought:
Debutantes by Cora Harrison
Gorgeous cover, hope the story is as lovely! Sounds a bit like Little Women set in the 20s, so I'm excited to read it!
Traded for:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
So excited to read this one! I've heard a million rave reviews and I love Armentrout's Half Blood series!

Huge, giddy thanks to Random House, Hatchette, Atria, and to Aylee for the trade!:D

The Weekly Nutshell:
{Monday} Books for Trade (updated list)
{Mondey} Review: The Unnaturalist by Tiffany Trent
{Tuesday} Waiting on Wednesday: Strands of Bronze and Gold
{Thursday} Review: Lucid by P.T. Michelle
{Friday} Cover Story: 5 new gorgeous covers!

Happy reading, all! :D