GEEKY CHIQUITAS: ya bound book tours

Book Blitz: Written on My Heart by Cole Gibsen -- GIVEAWAY!!!

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Written on my Heart

by Cole Gibsen

Release Date: 07/28/15

Entangled Embrace

New Adult

Summary from Goodreads:

It's been six months since Ashlyn Daniels was kicked out of her home. Six months since she stood up to her abusive stepfather and got a busted rib—and seeing all her things set ablaze in a backyard bonfire—for her trouble.Never going back. She doesn't need trouble...especially if trouble is tattoo artist Lane Garrett, who's six-feet-plus of tattooed hotness and a complete ass.

Lane has spent the last decade fighting to support his family. To protect them. There's no room for romance, even with a fragile (yet amusingly feisty) stunner...even if she somehow manages to invade his world and his heart.

But while some secrets are as visible as ink on the skin, others must remain hidden at all costs...

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10:03 AM
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Cover Reveal: The Lemorian Crest (Cobbogoth #2) by Hannah L. Clark

2015 ya books

The Lemorian Crest (Cobbogoth #2)

by Hannah L. Clark

Release Date: July 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

After being raised from infancy in Boston, Mass., Noria (a.k.a Norah Lukens) has no idea what to expect upon entering New Cobbogoth, where she never would have guessed that paths of light can make you vanish; doors can lead to realms both near and far; myths and legends are actual history; a mere kiss can seal two souls as one; and, of course, a stone is never “just a stone.” Her Uncle Jack’s stories never could have prepared her for the magical and dangerous place her native realm is turning out to be.

When the Gihara’s promises begin to crumble, her best friend and soul-mate Jamus (a.k.a. James Riley) is in more danger than ever. Then when his father Lylend abandons her to search for an ancient relic called The Lemorian Crest and she is taken captive by the very people she’s risked everything to save, Noria begins to lose faith in the Cobbogothian gods and the mission they sent her home to accomplish.

Only when a series of new friendships and loyalties are forged in the most peculiar of places, does Noria dare hope again. Hope for Jamus’ safety, for their future together, and for the survival of the entire Cobbogothian race.

Book 1: Uncovering Cobbogoth was published in 2014 by Cedar Fort Publishing.

12:34 PM
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Book Blitz: How (Not) To Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts (Excerpt + GIVEAWAY!!!)

book blitz

How (Not) To Fall In Love

by Lisa Brown Roberts

Release Date: 02/03/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Finding true love on the other side of the tracks was never so much fun in this heartfelt and hilarious contemporary novel.

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Covington doesn't know the difference between a pawn shop and a thrift shop. Even her dog eats gourmet food, so she’s totally unprepared when her car is repossessed from the parking lot of her elite private school. Turns out her father, a semi-famous motivational speaker, has skipped town, abandoning his family while his business collapses. Even David Letterman comes up with ten reasons why her father won’t ever return home.

Desperate to sell her expensive jewelry for much-needed cash, Darcy discovers that her dad’s brother runs a funky thrift shop on a street full of eccentric characters, including a coffee shop owner named Liz and one supremely hot fix-it guy named Lucas.

Darcy finds some solace hanging out with her uncle and Lucas in the thrift shop and working in Liz’s coffee shop, while the rest of her life falls apart. The time she spends with the uber hot Lucas helps takes her mind off her family’s troubles, even though she’s sure he’s only nice to her because he works for her uncle, especially when she meets the cover girl beauty she thinks he’s dating.

Can Darcy find the courage she needs to adapt to the necessary changes brought about by her family’s drastically reduced lifestyle? And will she open her eyes to the amazing realization that Lucas wants much more than friendship from her?

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Pre-Order Link:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

EXCERPT:

“Truth, Darcy,” Lucas said. “How’s everything going? For real.”I stumbled and he put out a hand to steady me, which didn’t help since the sudden warmth of his touch made me even more klutzy.“I’m okay,” I said, once I’d figured how to walk again.“You’re lying,” he said conversationally, like he’d asked me about the weather. He tossed his long dark hair out of his eyes and I swallowed, trying to maintain my composure. “You’re worried about something. More than usual, I mean.”My lips parted in surprise. “How can you tell?”He shrugged. “I just can.” I gazed down at Toby, whose tail wagged at warp speed. “It might help to talk about it,” Lucas said, his voice soft.I glanced at him, startled at the intensity I saw in his eyes. I turned away, pretending to be interested in the jumble of model airplane kits in the window of the run-down hobby store.His hand brushed mine, lacing our fingers briefly, but before I could catch my breath, he released my hand and took hold of Toby’s leash. He cleared his throat. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
Friends. Right. Of course. I let go of the leash, letting Lucas take over. “Yeah,” I said, my voice a little wobbly. We walked in silence and I wondered if I’d hallucinated the whole almost-held-my-hand thing.“If you don’t tell me what’s up, I’ll just ask Charlie.”I took a deep breath. Inhale calm. Exhale obsessive need to analyze potential hand-holding event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn't recovered from the teenage trauma of nearly tweezing off both eyebrows and having to pencil them in for an entire school year. This and other angst-filled memories inspire her to write YA books about navigating life's painful and funny dramas, and falling in love along the way.

Her almost forever home is Colorado, though she occasionally pines for the days when she lived within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean. Her house is full of books, boys, several four-legged prima donnas, and lots of laughter.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

10:27 PM
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Blog Tour: Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

audiobook

Crossing the Ice (Ice #1)

by Jennifer Comeaux

Release Date: 08/03/14

Narrated by: Emily Stokes

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Summary from Goodreads:

Falling hard never felt so good.

Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.

The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though...

The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross?

4:10 PM
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BOOK BLITZ: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid + GIVEAWAY and GUEST POST!!!

adi alsaid

Let's Get Lost

by Adi Alsaid

Release Date: 07/29/14

Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

Available Now!
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Indie Bound * Harlequin.com

Early Praise:

“Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid’s debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.” – School Library Journal

“Five love stories, beautifully woven together by a special girl in search of adventure, hope, and full appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A do-not-miss. ” – Justine Magazine

“Moving and poignant.” - Glitter Magazine

“An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut.” – Kirkus

"Leila's quest to find the Northern Lights takes readers on a captivating cross-country journey, where four strangers' adventures collide into one riveting tale of finding yourself." ―YABooksCentral.com

“This will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teen about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.” –Booklist

About the Author
Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut.
Let's Get Lost Website!

Author Links:

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***GIVEAWAY***

1 signed hard cover copy of Let’s Get Lost

1 Let’s Get Lost luggage tag

1 Harlequin TEEN notebook

1 Let’s Get Lost sachel

1 Harlequin TEEN tote bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

GUEST POST: Adi’s First Trip Alone

My sister likes to say that before I came back from my trip to Israel, she’d never heard me speak. That’s probably an exaggeration, but not an extreme one. When I boarded the plane to Israel on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, I was a shy kid, reserved, talkative only with my closest friends.

My brother puts it a different way: “Before, you couldn’t decide if you cared or not. Then you decided you didn’t.” He said this when we shared an apartment in college, when I was doing things like taking spontaneous road trips to Baker, California just to have lunch, or founding a student organization at UNLV called Students for the Advancement of Silliness. I brought my first girlfriend to the top floor of a library and rained down thirty notecards with book quotations on them. I wrote editorials in the school newspaper about choosing to be happier.

Let me be clear about this: I didn’t notice it happening. In Israel, I read a lot. I walked around a lot. Though fluent in Hebrew, I didn’t speak a lot, because outside of my grandmother and some cousins, I didn’t know anyone. I could have made friends on the basketball courts where I played, or the bar full of American expats and travelers from all over the world, but I didn’t. By the end I was having more and more conversations with people there, because I’d learned that if I didn’t I could go days without saying a word. But that didn’t feel like growth; it just felt like loneliness, which wasn’t anything new. I had fun in Israel, and though I’d imagined something life-changing (I brought a notebook, thinking that maybe I’d write a book while there), I left thinking it hadn’t happened. The first day I returned to Mexico and had coffee with a friend, within twenty minutes, she said, “You’ve changed.”

It’s not like I went to Israel and came back a new person. I was simply more myself. The layer of shyness that usually hid parts of me from the world was washed away by the Mediterranean, or burned away from my skin from the suntan I gained on the beaches of Tel Aviv. I broke out of my proverbial shell, deciding, as my brother pointed out, that I no longer cared to reside within it.

Here’s what I’m trying to get at, and why Leila’s travels in Let’s Get Lost serve as the perfect backdrop to five coming-of-age stories: Travel leads to self-discovery. You grow, even if you don’t notice it happening. Especially if you do it at the age I did, the age the characters in the book are, the world seeps into your cracks and pulls you further out.

1:40 PM
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Book Blitz: Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

2014 books

Fan Art

by Sarah Tregay

Release Date: 06/17/14

Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

When the picture tells the story…

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.

Available from:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository

An Excerpt from Fan Art, by Sarah Tregay:

Chapter Four

No. No, no. No.

I did not just do that. I can’t believe I just did that! Mason and I have been friends since third grade, and I have never looked at him like that. Other guys, yeah, but not him. It should be in the Bible. Thou shalt not check out thy best friend.

I wait a minute to catch my breath and the last shred of my sanity before I follow Mason into the locker room. I head for the sinks and splash water onto my face in an attempt to straighten out my thoughts. I’m okay with bent thoughts—I have them all the time—but checking out Mason? That’s going too far. He’s my best friend. And everyone knows friend crushes are the worst—even guy-girl friend crushes—drama, angst, broken hearts, you name it. It’s bad—real bad. And straight-guy-gay-guy friend crushes? I don’t even want to think about that apocalypse.

I take a deep breath and watch as the water collects along my upper lip. I mouth the words, Mason. Is. Not. Cute.

An Excerpt from Fan Art, by Sarah Tregay:

Chapter Six

In art, Ms. Maude has the lights off and the projector on, and we’re flying through art history at breakneck speed. We started the semester with the cave paintings in Lascaux and, with three weeks of classes to go, we are up to Marcel Duchamp and his urinal. Ms. Maude is certain we’ll get up to present-day art by the end of the term, but the class has a bet going—most of the girls say she will and the guys say she won’t.

I write $1 in my notebook and slide it across the table to Eden.

In my pocket, she writes back.

I’m about to write No way when Ms. Maude leaps ahead half a decade and sums up Dadaism in one sentence. No fair. She segues to the Bauhaus, and I know I should be listening. Those Bauhaus dudes are the founding fathers of graphic design.

But I’m not listening. You going to prom? I write. Again I slide my notebook to Eden.

She looks at me, an are-you-crazy? expression on her face.

I gesture at the note.

She writes something. Slides the notebook back. No.

Why not? I scribble.

She doesn’t wait for me to pass the notebook; she just reaches over and writes. No date.

Be mine.

She looks at me again then writes: I thought you were gay.

I freeze. How the hell does she know?

Eden takes the paper back before I write anything. And you want to go to prom with me?

Yes.

Not possible, she scribbles.

Why not?

Ms. Maude glances our way, and Eden pretends she’s taking notes on the lecture. When she slides my notebook back, it reads: You’re out of my league. Not to mention the wrong gender.

The wrong gender? I try not to look surprised and I ignore that part. What league?

The popular one.

I’m not popular. I’m in band.

Eden sighs as if I’m clueless, and she pushes my notebook back at me without an answer.

Please, I write. I didn’t know dating involved so much persuasion.

Why?

Because you’re cool. I offer her the notebook.

She reads my note and shakes her head.

I try again. Because I want to get to know you better.

She fake gags on her finger.

Because I’ll have a good time if you’re there.

Eden smiles.

And I have a prom date.

Undercover with Sarah Tregay’s Novel Fan Art

Guest Post by Sarah Tregay

I listen to a lot of audio books, and from time to time I’ll read something on a Kindle. While both are convenient ways to get immersed in a story, I miss seeing the book itself. Because I am a graphic designer in my day job, I enjoy the little details in a printed book, such as the typeface, an illustration, or a beautiful chapter heading. Hardcover books are a treat because you can peek under the jacket and see the art on the binding.

So, in case you borrow a copy of Fan Art from your library or read it on your iPad, here is the art under the cover:

Also, Melissa DeJesus did an amazing job illustrating the graphic short story within Fan Art:

About the Author
Raised without television, Sarah Tregay started writing her own middle grade novels after she had read all of the ones in the library. She later discovered YA books, but never did make it to the adult section. When she's not jotting down poems at stoplights, she can be found hanging out with her "little sister" from Big Brothers Big Sisters. Sarah lives in Eagle, Idaho with her husband, two Boston Terriers, and an appaloosa named Mr. Pots. Her next book, Fan Art, will be released in June.

Author Links:

***GIVEAWAY***

2 signed ARC’s of Fan Art (US/CAN only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

11:51 PM
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Book Tours: Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles {Review + GIVEAWAY!}

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Title: Twelve Steps

Author: Veronica Bartles

Publishing Date: 03/25/14

Rating: 4/5 stars

Amazon Amazon UK Goodreads

Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. There in Laina's shadow, Andi's only noticeable feature is her pretty awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.
When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina. After all, great hair must count for something.
Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. OK, maybe that's two steps in one.
Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities besides great hair. There have got to be at least three good qualities, right?
Step 7: Demand attention for more than just her shortcomings, and break out of her shell. Easier said that done, but worth the effort in the long-run.
When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi finds that her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and realizes she may need a new program--perhaps with less steps!
As cracks in Laina’s flawless façade begin to show, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

MY REVIEW:

Twelve Steps is a book about two sisters who go to the same highschool, and both think one is better than the other. Andi and Laina have a tight sibling relationship and are very close, but both have their own problems and insecurities. Andi is in love with Laina's best friend Jared, but Jared has been in love with Laina ever since. Laina, on the other hand, has her own troubled past which she keeps bottled up in her diaries. This is a story of how these two sisters find themselves and break out of their own shells.

Twelve Steps is something that I was immediately drawn to right after reading the first few pages. I love reading stories about sisters, it's a kind of trope that I haven't been exposed to more. I think this book would've been very problematic if not handled as light and cutesy as it was. This one's premise is basically "We're both popular but we think the other one is better than the other" Not that I am undermining other people's problems, but that kind of premise would've lacked depth and emotional value if not treated correctly. It is not so relatable or rewarding to read, and would not have worked as well. Reading contemporary has always been difficult to me as I'm usually presented with books that contain the same premises and characters and love interests that it has gotten way too tiring. Twelve Steps was an enjoyable book that definitely exceeded my expectations. I read it expecting to read something with fluff, but got out with something more.

What I loved the most about this book is Andi. Andi was a compelling protagonist who spoke her mind and did whatever the hell she wanted no matter what. It was very easy to relate to this girl, as I myself am the second child in my family, and do strive to be better than my older sister. I found Andi to be a strong and independent character, and though she came off to me as manipulative with her schemes, bottomline is she had a good heart who put her sister first before anything else. This was proven throughout the book when every time she felt second-best or hurt, she was always more concerned about her sister's welfare rather than her own. She also came off as very feminist to me, and I found myself cheering "you go girl!" every time she delivered a piece of dialogue that made me root for her. Her snarkiness and witty humour all came hand in hand.

"First of all, you need to drop the competitive attitude. Dating isn't a contest. And no girl in her right mind actually wants to have guys fighting over her like she's some kind of prize. Laina's a person with feelings, not a trophy for the winner. And you're going to lose her entirely if you don't stop treating her like the toy at the bottom of your cereal box. She doesn't belong to you."

"I don't know what hurts worse: the fact that Jared is such a male chauvinist pig that he can't see why turning my sister into the prize to be won in a stupid pissing contest with Shane Crawford is a bad thing, or the fact that he's never even thought about fighting for me."

Laina was an okay character that I felt was underdeveloped. She didn't seem to progress from Point A at the beginning to Point B at the end. I felt no substantial character development. I was hoping that she would be the one to finally confess about what had happened to her (no spoilers!) but it was Andi had gone to tell the truth. But overall, I thought Laina was a great sister. What I didn't like about this book the most though are the male characters. Shane and Jared... Jesus, where do I even begin? I think I have had enough of scumbag misogynists, but they keep popping up everywhere! Again, there is no problem with creating problematic characters, but I hate it when they stay that way and don't develop. Shane was a crappy character, and yes he doesn't get the girl in the end, but with all chances to change, he never makes an effort and just keeps screwing things up. I was glad to see him go in the end. Jared, Oh God... I can vouch for Andi about how annoying this guy is. He is in love with Laina, but he leads Andi on and even kisses her and thinks it's okay. I don't like how the ending makes it seem like he's such a great guy who defends Laina - you spent the entire year thinking Laina was okay about what had happened just because it didn't technically happen so you automatically assume it was okay? I don't like how in the end he kind of gets Laina (it is implied...?) when he clearly doesn't deserve her or Andi. If Laina had known how poorly Jared treated Andi, I'm sure she'd leave him on the curb to die.

The only formidable guy character in this whole book is Dave, who treats Andi like a real person and doesn't use her at his disposal. But I wasn't too sure about the ending as I kind of saw Andi as someone independent and wished she hadn't ended up with any of them. I couldn't see the chemistry between her and Dave, so that contributes to that too.

Overall, Twelve Steps was a cute and fascinating read which I recommend to anyone who's in for something light and funny. It was really enjoyable and had some underlying themes, which were best to be just subtle given the tone of the book. It was well-written and had great plot pacing as well. Twelve Steps is definitely a great book of sibling rivalry and finding your place in this world.

About the Author

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy. When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes. TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel.

Author Links:

http://vbartles.com/

https://twitter.com/vbartles

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVeronicaBartles

***GIVEAWAY***

OK SO FINALLY, the GIVEAWAY!!!

Here are the giveaway details for this tour:

1 ebook of Twelve Steps & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours