Reading Teen

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

[Indie Spotlight & Giveaway] Atlantis Riptide by Allie Burton

My thanks to Reading Teen for having me here today. I had fun creating the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, and I love the main characters in Atlantis Riptide, Pearl and Chase. Since Chase is an aspiring reporter I thought I’d let him interview Pearl.

Chase: Can you tell me your name?

(Her gaze travels around in a nervous gesture. Despite that, I can’t help thinking how pretty she looks.)

Pearl: Pearl.

Chase: Last name?

Pearl: I don’t give that out.

(She crosses her arms and leans back.)

Chase: Where do you go to school?

Pearl: I don’t.

(Interesting. Her answers are short and evasive.)

Chase: Where did you grow up?

Pearl: The circus…I mean I grew up near a circus. In a small town. You won’t have heard of it.

(Her rambling tells me she’s lying. But why? Not only is she cute, but she’s hiding something.)

Chase: What about your parents?

Pearl: My parents don’t get me. I never felt I belonged with them. I was different. (Her tough tone contrasted with the scared look in her eyes.)

Chase: Different how? (Did her parents not have the most incredible green eyes—sharp and intelligent? Or the long, flowing blonde hair?)

Pearl: I could…do things they couldn’t.

Chase: Like dive off from a high point into a shallow pool to save a toddler like I just witnessed?

Pearl: Something like that. (Her eyes saddened before she glanced at the ground.) Next question.

Chase: What about friends? A boyfriend?

Pearl: I just moved here. I don’t have time to make friends. And I certainly don’t have time to answer more questions from a hot, smooth-talking guy.

Chase: This is interesting. You’re interesting.

(She thinks I’m hot. Glad to know it’s not just a one way attraction.)

Pearl: Interesting is just another word for freak. This interview is over.

(She storms away from me.)

What questions do you want to ask Pearl? To ask Pearl a question, leave a comment below.

Or to get the entire story on Pearl and Chase and the Lost Daughters of Atlantis, you can read Atlantis Riptide, out now. The next book in the series, Atlantis Red Tide, featuring Pearl’s sister, Coral, will be out at the end of May.

Atlantis Riptide

Lost Daughters of Atlantis Book 1

Sixteen-year-old Pearl Poseidon ran away from the circus tired of her adoptive parents’ abuse of her special skills. As a runaway, she craves anonymity but when she saves a small boy from drowning she draws attention to herself and her special abilities. Boardwalk employee and aspiring investigative reporter, Chase Thomas, helps her with the rescue and witnesses her amazing dive.

Now, he has questions. And so do the police.

Unbeknownst to Pearl, a battle rages under the Pacific between Loyal and Non-Loyal Atlantean forces and each side wants to use her powers for their cause. Will the commotion in the ocean expose her secrets to the world? Will Chase’s reporter-determination ruin their chance for a real relationship? Will staying near the ocean she loves catapult into a battle royale?

Buy on Amazon

Comment below for a chance to win an eBook copy of Atlantis Riptide!

Giveaway is International

Ends 5/28/13

Blog Tour: Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne Author Interview & Giveaway

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (May 28, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312569041
ISBN-13: 978-0312569044
Buy the book on Amazon
Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.
Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .
Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected. . . .

Read Austin's review of Sky on Fire

Emmy Laybourne will be on tour in June as part of the Fierce Reads Tour.

Get all the info/dates:https://www.facebook.com/FierceReads/events

Sky on Fire is featured in our Spring 2013 Fierce Reads Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/w-F_U3TtW24

Watch the original Monument 14 Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfeyjuEMaOI

Follow Emmy Laybourne on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmyLaybourne

Emmy Laybourne’s Author Website: http://emmylaybourne.com/

Author Interview:
It’s such a delight to be here on Reading Teen today. I feel honored to be having this exclusive interview with Austin Reale.
Austin: If you could rewrite the series from another character's point of view, whose would it be and why?
Emmy: Max! Max Skolnik all the way. I’d love to hear the story of the terrifying sequence of events that takes place in the novel from the perspective of a seven-year old. And Max, with his colorful tangents that give us a peek into a very seedy world, is a TON of fun to write!
A Max Skolnik retelling of MONUMENT 14 might start something like this:
“I was on the bus and I was very tired, even more tireder than usual because in the night time I heard this loud crash-banging sound and I went into the living room and there was my Uncle Buck and he had our two trash cans right in the living room! The crash bang was him emptying out our trash cans right on the floor cause we have the silver metal kind.
And he’s yelling at my mom and she’s yelling at him all on the count of lottery tickets. He’s saying she threw out the winning ticket and she’s saying nobody ever wins those things, they’s rigged. And I yell, “WAIT. Are you talking about the lottery tickets that was right on the coffee table?” And he’s surprised to see me standing there but he nods, yeah, looking kind of like a big bear with his hairy chest and his gut hanging over.
So I goed into my room and I come out with the tickets.
And they’re both goggling at me and there’s beer cans everywhere and I say, “I keep all the lottery tickets I find.”
“Why?” asks my Uncle Buck.
“So you won’t yell at my mom all the time when you lose them.”
Then they’re laughing, oh, ha ha, what a kid you got there, Maggie. And my mom’s saying, he’s precious, ain’t he? Ha Ha.
You know how hard it is to get back to sleep when grown-ups are laughing?
So anyway, I’m on the bus and I’m tired and then I hear some hail clattering up on the roof of the bus and Mrs. Wooly says, “What the hay?” and then it gets scary...
I tell you, I could write like Max forever!
Austin: Do you have any writing traditions, things you always do while writing?
Emmy: I have LOTS of traditions. When I’m working on a book, I try to start work around the same time every day - for me this is around 9 am. And then I have a little ritual to get me started - I dim the shades, and turn on my Monument 14 playlist (it features a LOT of Radiohead). Then I take off my wedding rings, put on some nice smelling hand lotion, and sometimes I light a candle and say a little prayer to my muse. It usually sounds like this, “Please help me to write truthful, exciting prose today. Help me to stay focused and to follow my gut. Help me to tell a good story.”
Sounds dorky, I know, but it really works. Try it. You’ll see...
Austin: Monument 14 is obviously set in the future, but you've always been vague on exactly when it is set. Do you plan on giving more backstory on this futuristic setting in future books?
Emmy: MONUMENT 14 is set in the year 2024. You’re right that I’m a little vague about some of the details. This is one area of the book that I didn’t handle perfectly. Before I started the series, I could have done more “World building” - really taking the time to think through the changes that we could expect to find in the next decade. Instead, I just used a couple of ideas (like the “mini-tabs” that people use instead of phones, and some of the medical advances) and avoided going into much detail. In the books to come, SKY ON FIRE, which comes out May 28, and SAVAGE DRIFT, which will be out in Spring 2014, we learn a lot more about the world these kids are in. A LOT more!
Austin: What was your inspiration to write such a series?
Emmy: At the time when I had decided to develop some ideas to pitch my Agent, I had two small children - ages 5 and 2. When you have a 2 year old you spend a lot of time in Target (or at least I did!). It seemed I was there twice a week, picking up diapers or paper towels or laundry detergent. As I walked the aisles I started daydreaming about what it would be like to live there...
Austin: And finally, do you have any advice for young YA authors?
Emmy: My advice is to write and write and write. I recently spoke with a young woman at my old high school, George School in Pennsylvania. She told me that she’d finished a short story that she thought was really, really good. She wanted to know what I thought she should do with it - submit it to contests, try to get an agent, etc.
I told her that she wasn’t going to like my answer, but that the thing to do was to write five more stories. Then give them to her friends, workshop them, revise them, live with them and make them really sing. To get them to the most concentrated version of themselves - evocative, scary, delightful, surprising - whatever the stories themselves want to be.
And that when she had those five stories finished, then to go back and do another edit of that first story and then start sending her work around.
There’s nothing like practice, my friends. The more words you write, the better you get! It’s just that simple.
I really loved discussing my work with you, Austin. Thanks for having me on your site.
Tomorrow my book tour will head over to Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf. I’ll be discussing Character Development - specifically, how to juggle multiple characters within a large cast.

Monument 14: Sky on Fire Blog Tour Schedule

Monday 5/20

Squeaky Books

Tuesday 5/21

Reading Teen

Wednesday 5/22

Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf

Thursday 5/23

Book Haven Extraordinaire

Friday 5/24

Chick Loves Lit

Monday 5/27

Jean Book Nerd

Tuesday 5/28

MacTeenBooks

Wednesday 5/29

Princess Bookie

Thursday 5/30

YA Romantics

Friday 5/31

Adventures of a Book Junkie

GIVEAWAY:

One hardback of Monument 14 and one paperback of the sequel Sky On Fire

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 20, 2013

[Book & Audiobook Review] REBOOT by Amy Tintera

AUDIOBOOK
Reboot
UNABRIDGED
By Amy Tintera
Narrated By Khristine Hvam
PUBLISHER Harper Audio
Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
Release Date: 05-07-13
Buy the audio: Audible
Buy the book: Amazon

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes, she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now 17 years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren's favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie - Callum Reyes - is the worst she's ever seen. As a 22, Callum is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he's always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet, he's still her newbie. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line - or she'll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows that if she does, she'll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

At a Glance:

Reboot was like a mixture of Vampires, Zombies, Robots and Judge Dredd, though it was none of these things, and I ate up every bit of it. With action, twists, great futuristic world-building, and a cute romance, this is a book most people will really enjoy.

The Audio:

When I got this for review, I saw the name Khristine Hvam and it was an immediate yes. I loved her narration of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I wasn't disappointed in her reading of Reboot. She has a great voice, and has a good range of character voices. I love the intensity and emotion she brought to the book. I really feel like she helped make the book even better. Yes, this is one you should buy!

I Want to be a Reboot:

One of the great things a book (an author) can do, is make it to where, even if the situation is horrible, part of you still kind-of wants to BE the main character. I know that Wren is basically....well....dead, and that she's told what to do and her life isn't exactly awesome, but I still want to be her! She was just cool. I loved how hard core she was. Not just that fact that she could knock you on your face in two seconds flat, but also that after she did, she'd tell you to get your whiny butt up and let her do it again. I loved her flat, dry humor, and I loved that she was basically like a super hero. Yeah, if I die....I hope I reboot! And I hope it's after 179 minutes!

A Sad World:

Amy Tintera does a great job showing the desperation and decline of society. The way that the humans treat the reboots is both sad and sadly realistic. People hate what they don't know. I really felt like I could visualize the cities and HARC where the Reboots live. The Reboots' job is to capture criminals and sick people, bring them into HARC (or sometimes kill them), and never ask questions about why.

Gruesome Action and a Sick Twist:

The Reboots are definitely not timid when it comes to violence. There's quite a bit of fighting, bone breaking (then replacing of the bone....), shooting, blood and death. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, but I have to admit, I really like the action. Oh yeah, and there's something pretty disgusting that happens sometimes at lunch. I won't say just in case you haven't heard, but.....vomit.

178 + 22 = Adorable:

When Wren first meets 22 (Callum), she's anything but impressed. But after awhile, his adorable charms and never ending patience wins 178 (Wren) over. I really loved them together. I love how hard she was, and how he just let her insults roll off him. They reminded me a little of Katniss and Peeta in the way that he was pretty much useless in this arena, and she was completely proficient and callused, but still she needs him as much, if not more than, he needs her.

Book Doppelgangers:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy, Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Ward by Jordana Frankel

Content:

Sexual Content: Moderate
Profanity: Moderate
Violence: Heavy

For more details, click check out Reboot on Parentalbookreviews.com.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Second Hand Saturday 5.18.13

Welcome to Second Hand Saturday!

In an attempt to clear our bookshelves, and pass on great used books to our ~~stalkers~~ followers, we have decided to hold weekly giveaways of some of the books on our bookshelves! Every Saturday, we will post the books available, and the following Saturday, we will announce the winner and our next challenge. The winner will get to choose a book from the list and we will ship it to that lucky person! Each week we will have a different challenge to complete.

This Week's Question:

This week's question comes to us from Amber Hsu. "Have you ever read any series where the first/ or first few books are really great, but then the plot and writing gets really weird/worse?" I'm going to say Blood Red Road and Matched. I really liked BRR, but Rebel Heart was just TOO WEIRD. I couldn't handle it. I really liked Matched a lot, and I liked Crossed, but Reached was SO BAD AND BORING that I couldn't even finish. How about you?

Just comment below to be entered!

And this week's winner is...

FallingAngelSavy

Email me at Readingteen1(at)gmail.com with your book choice. Please put "winner" in the subject line. You have one week to claim your prize!