Blog Tour: Blood Moon by Teri Harman

Hey, everyone!  I recently read Blood Moon by Teri Harman and really enjoyed it! If you are looking for a great story with witches, ghosts, danger and lots of romance, this is just the book you want to pick up! My review will be up a bit later, but today I'm participating in the blog tour for this magical story!

Please welcome Teri Harman to Stories & Sweeties!

Quick! Give us five words that best describe Blood Moon:  enchanting, mysterious, thrilling, emotional, magical

The witchcraft in Blood Moon feels very authentic. How much research went into making it feel so real?
I’ve always loved witches, so I have a lifetime of reading about and watching witch stories. But I also read a few books on Wicca and Natural Magic, relying heavily on the techniques and beliefs of Natural Magic to design the witchcraft.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever been given?
My dad always says, “There’s no such thing as writing, only rewriting.” There is always room for improvement, for change that takes a story from good to great.

Tell us about your ideal writing space. 
I’d love to sit at a desk, in a comfy chair, in a large room lined with bookshelves, packed full of the best books. The desk would face a large floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks a beach on the Oregon coast. I’d throw open the window, drink in the smell of ocean water and trees and then write the day away.

Who are your favorite authors? What are you reading right now?
I have a lot, but some of my favorite authors are Roald Dahl, Sarah Addison Allen, Kate Morton and Marissa de los Santos. Right now, I’m about 60 pages into “The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope” by Rhonda Riley. It’s strange and fascinating; I can’t wait to see where it goes.

What kind of books did you love to read as a teenager?
I’ve always loved to read the wondrous and haunting. As a teen, I read and adored such books as Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” series, “The Witch of Blackbird Pond,” “The Bean Trees,” and many others.

Which of the characters in Blood Moon was your favorite to write and why?
It’s hard to narrow it down to one, but I’d have to say Simon. He was hard – early on he sounded like a 50 year old man, according to my literary agent – so I had to work at making him an authentic 19 year old guy with complex emotions and a heart wrenching back story. Plus, he’s the heartthrob of the story so it’s hard not to like him. :)

Time for some fun questions!!
Favorite snack while writing?
Lately, although I’ve never been much of a candy person, it’s been Sour Patch Kids. Current, unhealthy addiction.

Favorite movie?
Oh, so many! But since we are talking witches, my favorite witch movie is “Practical Magic.” I watch it at least once a year.

Favorite color?
Green

Favorite band and song right now?
It’s a tie between Imagine Dragons “Every Night,” and Walk the Moon “Shiver, Shiver.”

Favorite teacher from your school years?
My English teacher junior year, Mrs. Baskins, who sadly and unexpectedly died from a stroke near the end of the year. She was so kind and loved books.

And everyone who visits Stories & Sweeties answers this one:  Do you like cupcakes? :)  Frosting or cake better?
Heck yes! I’ll take a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles any day!

Thanks so much, Becky! Really fun questions!
Thanks for stopping by Stories & Sweeties, Teri! I can't wait for more from this series!

FIND TERI HARMAN ONLINE:

WEBSITE  ♦  TWITTER  ♦  FACEBOOK  ♦  GOODREADS

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.

(click cover to add at goodreads!)

Coming January 24, 2014

Philomel/Penguin

Book 2 in the Souls series

Paul has always known he was a Protector, fated to serve a Speaker who could hear the voices of spirits lingering after death and help those souls find peace.

Vivienne ignores the voices of the dead.

Paul has always followed the Protector’s rule book, preparing diligently for the day when he’d be matched with his Speaker and fulfill his destiny.

Vivienne never does what she’s told.

So when Paul is matched with Vivienne, they both find the pairing less than satisfactory. But a kidnapping, a malevolent spirit and power stronger than both of them may just prove that they are two halves of the same whole.

In a stunning story about the beauty of fate and the power of secrets, Mary Lindsey returns to the world of Shattered Souls with a breathtaking thrill-ride of a novel.

My thoughts:  YES!!! Shattered Souls was a great book and I'm so happy to see a revisit to the world of Soul Speakers & Protectors!  And with such a gorgeous cover!!  I think this may be my favorite 2014 cover so far.

Becky's View: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
♦publisher: Disney Hyperion
♦release date: May 14th, 2013
♦hardcover, 304 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: acquired from trade

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?    

Review: With this spin-off of her Hex Hall series, Rachel Hawkins' books hold their place on my shelves as some of my favorite books. In her distinctive style, she gives us one more story that is so entertaining and just plain fun to read.  

From the moment we meet Izzy Brannick in Spellbound (book 3 of the Hex Hall series) I was so taken by this spunky youngest member of the tough Brannick Family, so you can imagine my excitement when I first heard she would be the main character in this new spinoff series.  I was not disappointed.  She has a fresh voice, so different from Sophia's hilarious constant snarkiness, but still bright and sure of herself, tough in a way that shows the no-nonsense way that she was raised as a Brannick, and sweetly naive to the ways of the outside world.  She's still so funny (how could any character written by Hawkins not be?), but with the fear and sorrow that she feels for her missing sister, we get to see her vulnerable side as well.  She's faced with some major challenges---both in proving herself as a creature hunter and in facing down the hallways of her new high school. 

The story weaves around and keeps you guessing as Izzy works to discover the mystery of the ghost haunting the school and who is behind it.  She makes some great friends for the first time in her life and discovers that being normal definitely has it's up and downs, but she learns to love it and knows she will miss it when it's time for her to move on.  More mysteries pop up when she meets a very unique guy named Dex who she comes to suspect of packing some pretty deep secrets...just one more thing to investigate, all while trying to figure out her growing feelings for him.  Romy is another super quirky character---leader of the school's "ghost hunting club" and the one to give Izzy her first experience of having a best friend.  

The ending was exciting and pretty surprising! Some might disagree, but I certainly didn't see it coming.  The twists kept coming and, for me, even as the ending neared, the guilty party could have been anyone! I really enjoyed this one all the way through---another fast-paced and incredibly fun read from Rachel Hawkins. I hope it continues (though sadly I've heard that this will be a stand-alone).

 Visit Rachel Hawkins online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase School Spirits:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

 

Super Six Sunday: 6 books I'm looking forward to reading next!

The lovely ladies over at one of my favorite book blogs, Bewitched Bookworms, have started a new fun listy post for Sundays and invited everyone to join in! Normally, I don't post on Sundays since it's the first day hubby and I have off together each week, but since they are pre-announcing post subjects, it will be an easy one for me to schedule ahead of time (something I am trying to get into the habit of doing anyhow LOL)  SO here goes! Here's my first Super Six Sunday post!

In no particular reading order! :)

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

I've been hearing fantastic things about this one for a long time!

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

Another that I've been excited about for ages.  Involves the ghost of Jacob Grimm!

The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman

Did you read The Grimm Legacy? Well if not, you should, because it was delightful. :)  This is a companion novel---can't wait!

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey

Based on Poe's Annabell Lee---enough said for me. 

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge
A UK title that got rave reviews from Carina's Books, so I know it's going ot be amazing!

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
LOVED Masque of Red Death, so how could I not be super excited for this one!

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {49}

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 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)

I'm back, guys!  I hope you all didn't forget about me! Here are most of the books that I got in the past few weeks, I know there were a few more, but for the life of me in all the chaos, I can't seem to remember which ones they were.  

For review:

Reboot by Amy Tintera
I wasn't initially drawn to this one, but after taking a look at it and reading a few pages it's caught my attention! Looks good!

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

Golden Girl by Sarah Zettel
I am likely starting this series next. Read first chapter of Dust girl and I'm hooked.  A fairy story set in the dust bowl...and then in glamorous 20s hollywood?? I'm IN.  

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
Been looking forward to this one, plus the finished copy is super gorgeous with all the gold foil. 

 For review:

Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

I'd never heard of this until it popped up in my mailbox! It looks pretty gritty.

Uncrashable Dakota by Andy Marino

This one drew me to it's steampunkiness. :)

Altered by Gennifer Albin

Book one was just ok for me..but I think now that the story's been set up, it's going to take an interesting turn..especially with the way book one ended.  

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

THis looks pretty cute. Devil Wears Prada set in Disneyworld. :)

Faking it by Cora Carmack 

I somehow ended up on several lists for unsolicited NA books, but they don't really strike my interest. I'm going to be passing this one to someone who loves them, hopefully!  

The Weekly Nutshell:

Well, since it's my first day back from hiatus, nothing went down on this blog this week.  But the events I had while I was away all went really well and, guys, thank you so much for all the sweet compliments on my daughter's pictures!  I love them and know she had such fun taking them! 

Gimme some...Bloglovin'

Just a quick note: I know google reader is suppose to go down sometime VERY SOON. Quite sad about that since it was always so easy and convenient to scroll though all the blogs I follow everytime I logged in to write a blog post, but AH well. :(  So, like so many others, I've moved over to Bloglovin'.  Please click below to follow me through there! Thanks, everyone!

 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"What's New" June YA Releases & Giveaway

Well, it's a bit late, but luckily nothing came out this month until the 4th anyhow! ;)  I'm not officially back from hiatus yet, but I did want to get this month's post up so you can all see what amazing titles there are in June!

So if you're new to Stories & Sweeties, here's a little run-down of this feature: at the start of each month, I do a little thing called the "What's New List & Giveaway" where you'll find a full list of the new releases in YA for the month, and entry to the giveaway. At the end of each month, one lucky winner will get to choose any new release as their prize!

First things first! The winner of May's giveaway was: Cheryl!  Congratulations! :D

  June 2013 Releases:
Just like previous months, I've put a little l♥ve by those books that I am really anticipating---whether I can't wait to read them or I just can't wait to have my own finished copy!

{4}
The Academy: Game On by Monica Seles
Breathe by Abbie Glines
Catch Rider by Jennifer H. Lyne
Confederates Don’t Wear Couture by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Elegy by Tara Hudson
The Elementals by Saundra Mitchell ♥
The Fallen Prince by Shea Berkley
Impossibility of Tomorrow by Avery Williams
The Keep by Veronica Wolf
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
Over You by Amy Reed
Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards
PODS by Michelle Pickett
Crushed by Sara Shepard
Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin
Shadow Train by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Tidal by Amanda Hocking
Tides by Betsy Cornwell ♥
When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

{8}
Insomnia by J.R. Johansson

{11}
Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn ♥
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross ♥
Born of Illusion by Teri Brown ♥
Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff ♥
Burning by Elana K. Arnold
Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin ♥
Deviant by Helen Fitzgerald
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal ♥
Ghost Time by Courtney Eldridge
The Girl Who Was Suppose to Die by April Henry
Infamous by Lauren Conrad
Linked by Imogen Howson ♥
A Matter of Day by Amber Kizer
Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox ♥
My Chemical Mountain by Corina Vacco
Plague in the Mirror by Deborah Noyes ♥
Rush by Eve Silver
The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson
The Secret Ingredient by Stewart Lewis
Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance ♥

{13}
How (Not) to Find a Boyfriend by Allyson Valentine
Ship Out of Luck by Neal Shusterman
The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman ♥

{18}
Defy the Dark (anthology) ♥
Intuition by C.J. Omololu
Praefatio by Georgia McBride
Proxy by Alex London ♥
Solstice by P.J. Hoover
Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood ♥
Tarnish by Katherine Longshore
Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller
A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger
The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Witch Fire by Laura Powell

{25}
After Daybreak by J.A. London
Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett
FML by Shaun David Hutchinson
Forevermore by Cindy Miles
Golden Girl by Sarah Zettel ♥
Hidden by Marianne Curley
In the After by Demitria Lunetta
Ink by Amanda Sun  ♥
Invisible by Marni Bates
The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton
A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury
Neptune’s Tears by Susan Waggoner ♥
Paradox by A. J. Paquette
Samarai Summer by Ake Edwardson and Per Carlsson
Since You Asked by Maurene Goo
Weather Witch by Shannon Delaney ♥
Winterveil by Jenna Burtenshaw

{27}
Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey ♥
The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Robin Palmer
The Feros by Wesley King
Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan


(All links go to Goodreads)
Please feel free to email me if you notice any YA titles missing! :)

Giveaway Details:
One winner will win a YA June release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends June 30th, 2013 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older.
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

A little hiatus...and a very storybook senior photoshoot!

So if the silence this week wasn't already obvious, I'm making it official.  I'm going to have to take a very brief hiatus, just a few weeks.  In the coming weeks, I have some house remodeling to finish, massive clean-up from said remodeling, and three parties to plan (two birthdays and a graduation).  Hoping to be back happily blogging and much less stressed out by the second week in June.  :D
I am going to try to have the "What's New" monthly post together and posted on time---and the June list? Brace yourself, because its a whopper of bookish goodness. ;)

So I'll leave you with a little photo sharing...my daughter, who's a book-lover just like her mama, and a few of her more bookish senior photos.  These were taken by my wonderfully talented bestie and frequent guest reviewer, Amy.  I'm telling you, if you're in the California bay area and want some awesome, creative photos done, she's the best around.  You can see more of her stuff and contact her at www.shuttercouture.com.

...and well, in this last one she doesn't have her books, but in YA we do love our bow-and-arrow wielding heroines, don't we?  She's been taking archery for about a year now and absolutely loving it, so we decided to work it into her photo shoot.

So, please pardon my blogging break.  I'll be back soon!