Bookanistas - In Love with Harlequin

So I have soooooo many books I'm trying to get through. Since the Bookanistas has taken flight, we all are swamped with books!

Good thing right?

Not so much when you read so many books you like!

Here are a few series from Harlequin Teen that you might want to check out or continue....

Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
Iron King, Iron Daughter and Iron Queen. Even a little novella called Winter's Passage fills in a few holes. Iron Queen is the newest with a release date of Feb 2011.

MY NAME IS MEGAN CHASE. I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. THIS TIME, THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.

Megan is much stronger in this book.  This series is amazing, fast paced with a love triangle and a few twists.  If you loved the 1st one, you will like this. If you haven't read the first one - go back, it's worth it.

Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent
My Soul to Steal is the most recent one released in Jan 2011. It's so hard to review a series because I don't want to give anything away.

High school junior Kaylee Cavanaugh is trying to balance her normal life with a newly discovered, terrifying ability to make life-and-death decisions—literally. Kaylee is a banshee, complete with an uncontrollable scream that rips from her when someone near her is about to die. And the more people she saves, the harder it becomes to guard her own soul from things that go bump in the Netherworld.

Kaylee's thoughts and emotions in this book were so real and insightful. In the end, I felt she made some good decisions and I was proud of her. Oh yes, and then there is Todd :) Another great trio. Sabine is completely terrifying as a mara, a Nightmare-giver who feeds on fear. I would read them in order. I think the mystery builds and clues are dropped along the way.

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

It’s taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I’m settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it’s not as if Noah is anything more than a friend... But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I’ve opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.

This is the second book in the One Hundred Candles series featuring Charlotte Silver by Mara Purnhagen. You can find the first book, Past Midnight, at local retailers and online.

I have never heard of the one hundred candle game (ritual?). Pretty cool.

This book is better than the first. Pacy and focuses on the ghost hunter part. I like that this is not a book about a teen who is estranged from her family and likes the "bad" guy. The parents are kinda cool in this book and the love is not the core thing. The ghost story is scary and the mystery is intriguing.

Outside In by Maria Snyder

Again, this is a series. Just like in Inside Out, the plot in was thrilling, suspenseful, and unique filled with twists I never saw coming. The first book is around a rebellion, the second is about a war. Snyder is not afraid to kill off characters so you can never feel safe getting attached to just one.
Outside In is a dystopian novel where people live ‘inside’ this giant cube that floats around in Outer Space, with a specific course and timing for destination. Trella is back. Only instead of after just winning the fight between the pop cops and the uppers, she finds the Committee wasn't the best way to go and has to step back in a lead.

ME? A LEADER? Okay, I did prove that there’s more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we’re free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He’s the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there’s outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.

Check out the other Bookanista reviews:

Katie Anderson raves about THE LIAR SOCIETY

Christine Fonseca applauds Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with Signed Book Giveaway

Carrie Harris celebrates THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE

Jen Hayley lauds DELIRIUM

Elana Johnson recommends Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with Giveaway

Jessi Kirby admires MATCHED

Myra McEntire gives some cover love for THE LIAR SOCIETY

Shannon Messenger commends THE LIAR SOCIETY with an ARC Giveaway

Carolina Valdez Miller salutes XVI with Signed Book Giveaway

Megan Miranda gives some love to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Lisa and Laura do a happy dance for Beth Revis

Shana Silver cheers for HERE LIES BRIDGET

Scott Tracey acclaims DIVERGENT

Bethany Wiggins praises Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS

Bookanistas - The Oracle of Dating Dynamic Duo Giveaway

COMMENT on the interview today and win a copy of both books!

(If I get more than 100 comments, I'll throw a second surprise giveaway for commenters. Don't forget - only followers are eligible. See, I don't ask 4 much :)

Today, I interviewed Allison van Diepen, author of The Oracle of Dating and the sequel The Oracle of Rebounds. (Harlequin Teen) as well as several other books.

Oracle of Dating is a fun, engaging, and witty book for teens(like all Harlequin books coming out!). A great easy read for the beach or rainy day that you pass along to your friends and giggle about later. It has friendship, boys, and nuggets of teen relationship advice that I wish I had back in high school. It's also up to date with references to Facebook, blogging and Paypal, among other things.

For five bucks, the Oracle of Dating will tell you:
* How to flirt
* If that cute guy you're crushing on likes you, too
* Whether your new romance will last through lunch period
* And much more

No one at Kayla's school knows she's the famous Oracle of Dating—the anonymous queen of dating advice. She doesn't even have a boyfriend. Two relationship disasters were enough to make Kayla focus on everyone else's love life. But then her advice backfires on her own best friend. And Kayla starts to seriously obsess about Jared Stewart—the very cute, very mysterious new guy in school. Suddenly, the teen queen of advice needs her own oracle of dating—and she knows just where to find one….

The sequel, Oracle of Rebounds picks up where the first one left off.

As the "oracle of dating," Kayla is supposed to have all the answers about love and relationships. She's supposed to have the perfect relationship. But now that Jared is "taking a step back," Kayla feels like a total fraud.So the expert on dating starts taking her own rebound advice—and some from her friends—and stops moping around.

But when controversy erupts about the Oracle's advice, Kayla is sent reeling once again. Will anything work out for her this year? Yet when her friends start seriously needing the Oracle, Kayla begins to focus on what really matters.

Here's the interview with Allison:

Hi Allison, thanks for coming by with gifts :) First, tell us about yourself.

I’m a YA author from Ottawa, Canada, and I currently have five teen novels in bookstores. I’m also a high school teacher, and my first two books, Street Pharm and Snitch, were inspired by my experiences teaching at an inner-city school in Brooklyn. My next book, Raven, was a paranormal, and my two most recent books, The Oracle of Dating and The Oracle Rebounds, are light, fun teen romances which came out this year from Harlequin Teen. I love writing YA, and as you can see, my books are very different from one another. I follow my inspiration wherever it takes me.

How did you come up with the idea for The Oracle?

It was one of my sister’s friends who first called me The Oracle of Dating. I was about twelve, and my sister and her friends were fifteen. I became their dating guru. Over the years, as I’ve dated and observed others dating, I’ve seen distinct patterns, and have always wanted to write about them. A lot of the outrageous stories in the books are real experiences that have happened to me or people I’ve known.

It's amazing how much teen books come from our real lives. Can you talk a little about your journey to publication?I started writing when I was a teen. Once I became a high school teacher and wrote my first YA book, I bought a copy of The Writer’s Market Guide to Literary Agents, submitted query letters to five agents, and two requested to see the manuscript. A few months later, I signed on with an agent; he said it was my “unique voice” that attracted him to my writing, and he gave me some useful feedback on my manuscript. About a year later, he sold my first book,

I love that you did it the old fashion way from slush pile to publication! Can you tell us a little about your writing process?
In Jo Beverley’s words, I like to “fly into the mist”. I start with something that intrigues me – it may be an exciting scene that’s playing in my head, or a mysterious, sexy character. If the writing is flowing well, I know that I’m onto something. If it keeps feeling right, I keep going. Along the way, I stop and do some planning – for instance, I’ll make a few notes on what the next sequence of scenes should be, or on a few important plot points. I don’t like to plan a book in too much detail before I start writing it. For me, too much planning ahead spoils some of the fun.

What ways do you market your book as an author? What has worked well? What have you learned along the way?

I have a decent Internet presence, I think; I’m on Facebook and have a website. I have a blog, devoted to the Oracle series. I’ve bought ads on various sites which have directed people to my website. I’ve done guest-blogging and interviews on local TV, visited schools and spoken at conferences. What has worked well? I have no idea. It’s an endless topic of conversation among my writer friends. You can invest thousands of dollars in advertising, or exhaust yourself visiting bookstores, going to conferences etc. and see little change in your sales.

The best marketing is word of mouth, and that’s not something you can predict. If your book resonates with readers, over time it will catch on, and your books will stay in print. An author doesn’t always know right away if that will happen. I certainly didn’t know that my first two books, Street Pharm (2006) and Snitch (2007), would still be in print today. I have the teens to thank for that, and their teachers and librarians. What I’ve learned is that the more time I spend writing instead of trying to spread the word about my books, the happier I am. This business is so unpredictable. I always remind myself to focus on the parts of it that bring me joy – writing, and corresponding with my readers.

What are you most afraid of? and why?
Any author fears their work not being sought after anymore. Most writers with long-term careers have had times when their books sold well and when they didn’t. Since I plan to keep writing for years to come, I hope I will always find interested publishers and readers. It’s important for a writer who wants longevity not to be afraid to switch things up a little – to write in different genres, for different age groups, or even under a different name. I don’t know what I’ll be writing ten or twenty years from now…and I’m happy with that.

Thanks Allison!

Don't forget to comment for the duet of Oracle books!

Check out these other Bookanista posts today!

Lisa and Laura Roecker and Myra McEntire spreads some love for SELLING HOPE
Elana Johnson is nuts about NIGHTSHADE
Christine Fonseca swoons over SIREN
Shannon Messenger marvels over MUSEUM OF THIEVES (plus she's having another epic giveaway).
Carolina Valdez Miller is struck by SHIP BREAKER.
Megan Miranda is in love with I AM THE MESSENGER

If you have a book, you would like the Bookanistas to consider, feel free to email me offline.

Bookanistas with a bit of "Majix"

Winner of the ebook lot is...Shalonda!

Congrads and email me for instructions.

Bookanista Book Review
Majix by Douglas Rees

What is it about?
Kestrel (don't call her Susan) Murphy is angry. Forced to leave her posh San Francisco Bay Area home by her father's illness, she's living in Jurupa (sounds like vomiting), Southern California. It's too hot. The people are stupid. And you have to chew the air to get the oxygen out of it. On the plus side, Kestrel is a witch. Well, a witch-in-training. And she's going acquire the magic she needs to get her life back to normal. At first, she barely notices the people around her-Aunt Ariel, who's taken her in and is herself a well-known white witch; Jose Iturrigaray, the quiet, talented young artist; Blake Cump, troublemaker extraordinaire; Laura Greenwood, who wants to be Kestrel's friend. But life has its own magic, and gradually Kestrel finds that much of one's success as a witch lies in being open to it.
What's a teen witch to do when she's stuck in the most unmagical high school in the universe? Create her own "majix." Take notes. And above all, avoid nasty classmates, heartless grown-ups and boys who may prove a little too distracting for a serious teen witch to handle….

Why I love this book?
It's nice to see a lighthearted paranormal - especially for younger teens/tweens- after all the dark books coming out. I love the snarky sense of humor and found myself rooting for Kestrel. I felt like I was reading a diary more than a book because she writes down her thoughts in what she calls a "grim-oire". :) Don't be fooled. Majix isn't just about magic. It touches on some real issues: a sick dad, a new school oddity, and the everyday teen struggles.

Cover Love
I love the pink and brown tones. I think the silhouette is a nice touch considering all the faces on most covers. It adds to the mystery a bit.

Here's a snippet (or read an excerpt)My name is Kestrel Murphy.
Never call me Susan.
I mean, who ever heard of a witch named Susan?
Which is what I am. WITCH is what I am. I do magic, which is what a witch does. A year ago, I was on the white side.
Lately, I've been leaning toward the black...I blame the universe. What's the point in being a nice little white witch in the universe I've got? If I could choose my own universe, I'd be a white witch in it. But black makes a lot more sense in this universe.
Not that I'm complaining. A witch never complains. But if I did, I'd have a lot to complain about. For instance: Richard Milhous Nixon High.

Harlequin Teen is getting out some great books in their first couple of years. Here are a few other HQ books you may want to check out:The Oracle of Dating
The Iron King
Inside and Out
Intertwined
Soul to Keep (series)

Also, if you missed it, you can also read a past interview with editor Natashya Wilson.

Other Bookanista Reviews!

• Christine Fonseca is coveting the cover of A TOUCH MORTAL
• Bethany Wiggins is totally team Jay with THE BODY FINDER
• Beth Revis recommends THE REPLACEMENT
• Carolina Valdez Miller talks up NIGHTSHADE
• Shannon Messenger raves about The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
• Lisa and Laura Roecker and Kirsten Hubbard are coveting 2011 covers

What do you think would be the hardest thing about being a witch?

It's Greek Week GIveaway! Double Date Review

Update: I am waaaaaaaaay behind on shipping book so hang with me. If you have not gotten it - i probably have not sent it. I have a stack going tomorrow and another next week when kids are in camp. Thanks for patience and understanding.

Have you watched Greek? Have you read the book?

I know what you're thinking.

Another book that's based on a TELEVISION SERIES or MOVIE?

Again?

I mean we've got Vampire Diaries, Clique...do we need more? Blah blah blah.

Well, Greek: Double Date, is worth the read. (not to mention the show is so worth watching especially if you want to relive your college years! Like me!)

Here's the summary:

Two dates—same night!

Major oops. When Casey Cartwright's brother begs her to be nerdy Dale Kettlewell's date to the sure-to-be-boring Honors Engineering Awards, Casey says yes. Even though Dale is totally not her type…and might have a crush on her. Ugh. But it's a nice thing to do, and Casey's always been the "nice" girl. But now, that night conflicts with the biggest event of the semester, the All-Greek formal. Casey already has a date lined up: hot transfer student Rob Howell.

What to do? What Casey does may surprise even herself….

Casey is a funny, snarky heroine and her boy problems can't help but make you relate. After all - havent we ALL gone out with multiple guys in one night (I guess i was the unlucky one then b/c I had a hard time getting one!)

Rusty, her brother, is just as quirky and after having a little brother of my own that was only a couple years younger - I felt right at home in watching them interact/fight/complain/help each other. Not to mention, the secondary characters are all quite silly and add to the story.

Especially the scenes with Ashleigh and Casey.

A few funny moments that stuck out to me:

• When Rebecca and Casey are hiding from a mouse for a long time in the kitchen. "Do you know how long we've been up here? I am this close to eating the box of salad croutons."
• When Casey is talking to Ashleigh about finding a date, Ashleigh suggests asking her brother for advice. Casey responds with: "Please! Me ask my brother to find me a date? Stars would have to collide in some universe-breaking fashion for that to happen." Ashleigh goes on to suggest hunting through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.
• When Dale, Cappie and Rusty are talking about Casey. "She'd dump him in an instant if you would commit. So do us a favor - put up or shut up - and no - this is not my anti-allergins talking!"

The easy dialogue is equally quick-witted and the book has a lot of silly moments that have you giggling out loud. I saw on Harlequin Teen that even Martha's author bio is totally fudged, and ridiculous (lets hope its fake - if not - sorry Martha!! :) So i think that's why the humor works in this book! The author obviously injects her own humor/lies. ;)

Have you watched Greek on ABC? This is a great way to ease into the TV series that is now into it's third season. So, check out this book if you want some fun light reading or if you want to see what the Greek show is all about. Also, the second book, Greek: Best Frenemies is coming out in Oct.

This week, you can head over to Harlequin Teen on Facebook to join in some of the Greek activities. They also have a fun Greek site up too.

Come on, when will you ever get to do Greek Week again?

So tell me, what was your biggest Dating OOPs in college and win a copy of Double Date!