Tuesday, November 27, 2012

CRUSHED by Dawn Rae Miller - Cover Reveal

Today I'm one of the blogs hosting the cover reveal of CRUSHED by my friend Dawn Rae Miller. It's upper YA and here is the pretty:


For seventeen-year-old serial womanizer Fletch Colson, life is a game and if he plays by the rules, he’ll win it all: his dream college, his parents’ money, and a hot (if a little vapid) girl on his arm. Really, it couldn’t be easier. All he has to do is get good grades, live a privileged boarding school life, and try not to mess up too much.

However, when he accepts the seemingly impossible bet to change his ways and be “just friends” with smart, beautiful, tempting Ellie Jacobs – a girl who seems hell bent on confusing him - Fletch’s whole world is turned upside down.

Suddenly, what seemed simple and clear, no longer feels right and Fletch must decide if winning it all is worth losing a piece of himself.

Pub date: December 11th, 2012! Only two weeks to go! 

And I'm having an exclusive sneak peek from CRUSHED for you. The scene is called "The Key Chain" and here it is:

The nurse, satisfied with my progress, releases me the next morning, but only after I swear to drink plenty of fluids and continue to rest.
But rest isn’t an option. I have finals. I have to study, especially after missing most of last week.  In the pile of books Calista brought over earlier, I found review guides from each of my teachers.
Since Harker has a reading week before finals, I have no classes. Just endless hours to sleep, eat, and make sure I know my classes inside and out.
In the middle of reviewing the Calc guide, someone knocks softly on my door – like they’re worried I might be asleep.
            “Come in,” I yell hoarsely.
Ellie peaks around the corner. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
My stomach flutters as she takes up residence on my desk chair. For once, I’m the one on the bed.
“Better.”
She tilts her head, like she doesn’t believe me. “You look pale.”
I close my eyes and re-open them lazily, positive this makes me look sicker. “I’m fine. Just a little weak. Food services is delivering my meals for the next two days, so I don’t have to exert myself.”
She laughs. “Well, aren’t you spoiled?”
This isn’t how I wanted to see Ellie. Not curled up on my bed looking like an invalid. And if my memory’s right, Sarah told me she’d heard about Lilah.
Which means Ellie knows too.
An uncomfortable lump forms in my throat.
I swallow hard. “Guess so.” I push myself upright, an effort that leaves me gasping.
“Are you okay?”
I wave her off and gasp for breath. “I’m fine. What are you up to?”
“Study break.” She swings side-to-side in the chair. “Brady told me you were back. I thought I’d come by.” She sticks her hand in her pocket and pulls out a tiny wrapped package. “Your Christmas present.”
She walks toward the bed. “It’s nothing fancy, but I thought you’d like it.”
Panic nibbles at me. Am I supposed to give her a present? I never buy gifts for my friends. I hold out my hand and she places it down softly without touching me. “I didn’t get you anything.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t expect you to.” Ellie curls and uncurls her fingers. “C’mon. Open it.”
I tear at the red wrapping paper. It’s a plain white box about two-inches long. I have no idea what it is.
“Fletch, the present is in the box, you know.”
“Right.” I tug off the top.
Inside, a giant red ‘s’ – Stanford’s logo – rests on a tuff of cotton. I hold the keychain in my hand, the weight suddenly more than I can bear and my shoulders sag. Even though I’ve never told her, she knows it’s my dream school.
“Do you like it?”
More than you know. “It’s perfect.”


Want to keep reading? You can read four more scenes on the following blogs:
Getting Dirty at the Pool - http://hayleyvornholt.com
The Bet - http://rachaelallenwrites.blogspot.com
Who Am I?  http://kathybradey.blogspot.com/
The Music Room http://waltzwithwords.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 12, 2012

Cover Celebration Contest

I know this seems a little late since I revealed my Impostor cover almost two weeks ago. But I'm in the revision cave right now. So today I'll finally celebrate my cover by giving away ARCs! Better late than never, right?
Here is the pretty again:
July 11, 2013. Add it on goodreads.


But sadly it's not an Impostor ARC I'll be giving away today (but soon). Instead I have two shiny ARCs of other Razorbill books for you. 
One winner will get: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff (January 8th, 2013)

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.

And the second winner will get: The Ruining by Anna Collomore (February 7th, 2013)

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.


I devoured both books. So good. Believe me, you'll want to read them!
And I'll add IMPOSTOR and THE LIFE BEYOND stickers and signed IMPOSTOR postcards!

The giveaway is open internationally and ends next Friday, November 23rd at noon EST. 
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment (preferably with your email address so I can contact you, but I'll figure out another way to do that, if you don't want to make it public).
You can get extra entries:
Spread the word about the contest on twitter, Facebook or your blog. + 2
Pin the Impostor cover on Pinterest or post it on your blog or Facebook + 2
Follow my twitter or blog + 1 each

Good luck!