2011 Debutante Event Winners!

Hello Everyone! Sorry, about the delay!!! I know I was suppose to post this yesterday but mum and I had a Desperate Housewives Marathon which was hard to turn down because it's the best show ever! Anyway, back to winners!

Julia Karr Giveaway

Signed ARC + necklace

#392 - Logan Turner

Amy Holder Giveaway

Signed ARC + Swag

#34 - Cass

Bad Taste in Boys Giveaway

Pre-Order 

#805 - Ivy

Possession Giveaway 

Pre-Order 

#15 -  Natalie Aguirre

Dearly, Departed Giveaway

Finished Copy ( Signed)

#452 - Laura Montoro

Rival Giveaway

Pre-Order

#33 - Tiffany Dall

Across the Universe Giveaway

Signed ARC + Pin Buttons

#363- Belle Découverte

The Liar Society Giveaway

(2) Pre-Orders

#110 - Savannah Smith

#138 - Crystal Fulcher

Haven Giveaway

Pre-Order

#418 - mary ann

Unearthly

Pre-Order

#305 - A Canadian Girl

The Faerie Ring

Pre-Order

#54 - Dazzling Mage

Wither

ARC + 'Special' Swag

#247 - April X

I will be sending email very tomorrow morning, it's 10pm right now and my brain is fuzzy with all the entries I have counted. So first thing tomorrow I will be sending email! Just a quick note that Winners have 48hrs to reply after the email.

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Five - Closing Post, Winners and a Survey ( Please HELP! )

Merry Christmas Guys!!!! Anyone receive BOOKS for a present???

While your Christmas might look like this ...

My Christmas usually look like this ...

 

BUT THIS YEAR .....
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS -

So while Mum is preparing a Christmas Lunch with the whole shebang, I'm writing to closing post to my 2011 Debutante Event. It was my own event with the whole shebang and I'm very sad that it's over now. I've met fantastic authors who are masterminds to next year's YA Debuts, learned three times more about them then anything I learnt this year at school and I think I going to miss them when this event is over ... ( wait, it's already over)

I also wanted to give a HUGE Thank-you to everyone who participated in this event! If it wasn't for you there wouldn't have been a 2011 Debutante Event. So thanks guys! And now since I'm not into the mushy stuff....

IF YOU HAVE MISSED A POST/ GIVEAWAY OR ANYTHING FROM THIS EVENT HEAD OVER HERE

The Winners of the 'Spread the Word' Contest is...

...

...

...

Lynne! ( Claimed)
Mrs Deraps

I have sent an email to both winners. Please email me back in 48hrs or I will have to pick new winners.

Winners for the Debut Books will be announced on 31st of December. Best of luck to everyone! If you haven't entered them, you still have time!

Now, I have made a survey about the Debutante Event! From the feedback I get, I will try make the next Debs event BIGGER and BETTER! The Debs would love to hear back from you guys too!

I'm also giving away 10 bonus entries to the giveaway of your choice who everyone who fills out the survey. It's really quick! ( Only 8 Q's)

Fill it out HERE

Thanks for participating and Merry Christmas Everyone!

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Four - All About Wither + Giveaway

Well, my lovely readers,  we are up to our last post before a closing post tomorrow! The winner of the Spread the Word Contest will be announced tomorrow along with some other 'stuff'. Anyway, let's turn the spotlight on the beautiful cover of Wither....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Profile

Name - Wither ( Goodreads )

Author - Lauren DeStefano ( Profile )

Release Date - 22nd March 2011

Genre - Dystopian

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Insiders Scoop on Wither

1.) I began Wither with the intention of it being a short story for a contest my agent told me about. Several pages in, I realized that not only was it going to be a full-length book, there was no way I could wrap everything up without making it into a series.

2.) I wrote the first draft of Wither in its entirety within the month of September, and during most of that time I was bedridden with the flu.

3.) When I began writing Wither, I had no clue what Rhine's story would be, or where she had come from, or even that her name was Rhine. When she popped into my head, all I knew was that she was someplace dark, and she was terrified of wherever she was going.

4.) Two years prior to writing Wither, I wrote an adult literary novel that accumulated more than 140 agent rejections. I took the hint and put it in a place where it will never see the light of day. Even though it's not a particularly strong manuscript, and certainly not commercial by any means, I'm proud of it. By completing that first manuscript, I'd accomplished my goal of writing a book, proving to myself that I had it in me. I consider it a necessary step to have taken.

5.) It's important to me that my characters feel human. For that reason, I never plan their personalities in advance. When I make new acquaintances, I can't possibly know everything about them; I have to spend time with them and see what sort of people they are, and they often surprise me. I apply the same thinking to my characters.

WAIT!!!!! STOP, DON"T SCROLL DOWN JUST YET!!!!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Wither for review AND I would just like to share a "mini" review of it with you right now. Not a terribly long one, I don't want to bore you to tears :) I'll do that another time.

The Short Story? - W.O.W ( Work of Wonder) Lauren DeStefano, knowing that you will read this post, I salute you! You have renewed my faith in my ability to judge a book by it's cover ;) However, I wanted everyone to know that Wither is more than a pretty cover, it's a beautifully written Debut that perfectly portrays the the dark side of Scientific Revolution.

Rhine lives in a world that is dark, full suffering and death yet she can still love and hope. In a society where woman have no say, she fights harder then ever for freedom. Even when she is tempted by the luxuries of the Rich, she is determined to go back to the life she knew, the one filled with suffering and death. To me it was Rhine's strength and independence, her powerful characterisation that lingered long after the last page.

It wasn't the beauty of the cover that causes this remarkable debut to still linger inside my head. It's the powerful characterisation. It's the ability to write a beautiful novel about both suffering and hope. It's the mastermind of fresh new talent. it's not one thing that makes Wither special it's everything.

Okay, so much for short but you just write a paragraph about a book that is so unique. It's a book makes you want to gush on and on about how good it is or just not say anything at all because it's beyond words. I highly recommend everyone to add Wither to their must reads of 2011. The only person you will disappoint is yourself.

Other Review -
All About {n} Bree's Books The Compulsive Reader

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Time !!!

Lauren and her awe-some Publicist has offered (1) ONE ARC of Wither and a special piece of Swag to one of you! The swag is so special, I don't even know what it is!!! So it must be pretty special and everyone likes special right?

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- US ONLY ( Ouch! Sorry Int'l, my thoughts are with you)
- MUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON ONE of Lauren's POSTS
- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)
- Must Fill out this FORM
- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Three - All About.. Lauren DeStefano (Wither)

Hello Lovelies! Today I bring you our last Debutante for the whole event! You know it's feels so long but short at the same time! I think I'm going to miss the event and my lovely Debs but they will be fine! Anyway, I also reading Wither right now which is REALLY good, look forward to a mini-review tomorrow and a giveaway....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutante Profile

Name - Lauren DeStefano
Debut - Wither ( Goodreads )
Genre - Dystopian
Website - HERE
Twitter - HERE 

Lauren DeStefano was born in New Haven, Connecticut and has never traveled far from the east coast. She received a BA in English from Albertus Magnus College recently, and has been writing since childhood. She made her authorial debut by writing on the back of children's menus at restaurants and filling up the notepads in her mom's purse. Her very first manuscript was written on a yellow legal pad with red pen, and it was about a haunted shed that ate small children.


Now that she is all grown up (for the most part), she writes fiction for young adults. Her failed career aspirations include: world's worst receptionist, coffee house barista, sympathetic tax collector, and English tutor. When she isn't writing, she's screaming obscenities at her Nintendo DS, freaking her cats out with the laser pen, or rescuing thrift store finds and reconstructing them into killer new outfits.

Dream Debutante -

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

Ten random things you probably didn’t know about Lauren DeStefano:



10.) My favorite color is purple

9.) I collect Asian ball-jointed dolls. They creep most of my friends out, but I adore them and will often get them custom-made to look like my favorite characters. I do a similar thing when playing The Sims.

8.) My fifth-grade teacher made a yearbook for her graduating class. I was voted most likely to publish a book. (Note: My fifth grade teacher is mentioned in my acknowledgements).


7.) As a child, my birthday candle wish was for the same thing every year: A sibling.


6.) I am a huge craft nerd. With a little help through the internet, I taught myself how to sew and knit, and in college I’d pay bills making anime costumes for people to wear to conventions. Despite this, I have never been able to successfully crochet anything, and am the only person in history to have failed a crochet class.

5.) I have an orange tabby named Cecil, after Cecily, the youngest sister wife in Wither. They have similar personalities.


4.) If I could eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be bagels.


3.) My car’s name is Simon. I refer to him by name in conversation so often that people have mistakenly assumed I’m referring to a boyfriend or a relative.

2.) When I am deep into the writing of a manuscript that is especially dark, I develop a rash on the back of my left hand.


1.) The first book I ever read on my own was Harold and the Purple Crayon. I would sleep with it under my pillow and carry it along on play dates and into the bathtub. Harold remains, to this day, the literary character I most identify with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm laughing and I don't even know why!!! Hey Lauren, my favourite colour is purple too! *high five* Oh and the rash thing.. that's creepy O_O I named my right shoe Teddie and my left shoe Henry so when I lose a shoe everyone gets worried thinking it's a person! You got voted most likely to publish a book and I got voted the next Shirlena Johnson ( contestant on X factor who reached one million hits on YouTube because she was so hilariously bad ) .....

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Two - All About The Faerie Ring + Giveaway ( In't)

Book Review

NOT THE COVER - Just a stand in :)

Name - The Faerie Ring ( Goodreads )

Author - Kiki Hamilton ( Profile )

Release Date - 8th Sept 2011

Genre - Urban/Historical Fantasy

London, December 1871

Orphaned and picking pockets in London’s Charing Cross station to support not only herself, but her ‘family’ of orphans, sixteen year-old Tiki steals the Queen’s ring and thinks she’s solved their problems. That is, until Rieker, a pickpocket from the North End, suspects her in the theft and tells her that the ring is really a reservoir that holds a truce between the British and Faerie courts.


When he warns her that the fey will do anything - including murder - to recover the ring, Tiki is unsure whether to believe him or not. To complicate matters, Rieker seems to know something about the unusual birthmark on Tiki’s wrist. But when Tiki and her family are threatened the game changes and it becomes a deadly race to see who can locate the ring first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Message to YOU ( Yup, you're special)

THANK YOU Lisa for hosting the Badass Bookie 2011 Christmas Debutante Event! It’s so much fun to get to meet all these authors and read the inside scoop on their stories. I’m very grateful to be included in this awesome line-up of debuts!!

Probably like you, I've always been an avid reader. I started out writing a story for my daughter that was supposed to be short and light and fluffy —and it turned into something totally different. I finished that story and started another – THE FAERIE RING.

I’ve always loved the idea of things not being what they seem. That other dimensions or worlds exist side by side with our own, just beyond our ken; that the scope of our world is more than just the three dimensions that we are able to easily comprehend.

At the same time, I’m intrigued by the past, by our history, by what may have occurred that might not have been formally documented for future generations. The untold story, if you will. And I am particularly fascinated with those untold stories that have a thread of documented fact woven through them, which makes the reader question whether they are reading fiction or nonfiction. A story that makes the reader say..”what if?”

Which brings me back to my love of reading: you can go anywhere and be anything within the pages of a book. I hope you have a chance to read THE FAERIE RING and enjoy what you find hidden in the pages.

Reviews of The Faerie Ring -

"A delicious blend of urban fantasy, heart-stopping suspense and sizzling romance - THE FAERIE RING rocks! Pulsing with excitement this high-stakes adventure catapults you through the gritty slums of Victorian London, the glittering balls of the Royal Palace, and the menacing Otherworld, in a thrilling tale where no one and nothing is what it seems. Deception, twists, diabolical faeries, a gutsy heroine and a sexy love interest all woven into a spectacular wild ride. You'll devour every page - compelled to finish but never wanting it to end!" -Alyssa Kirk, Teens Read and Write



"I stayed up until 2 am devouring THE FAERIE RING - it was fantastic! Deeply imaginative and creative I was instantly absorbed into Tiki's mysterious world." -Ashley Simmons, Books Obsession


“The Faerie Ring is an intriguing, beautifully written, blend of historical fiction, mixed with the perfect dose of romance, mystery, and faerie lore, all set within the time period of Victorian London. I was completely enraptured with the story that I couldn't devour this debut novel fast enough.” - Katie Bartow, Mundie Moms


“Urban faerie fantasy meets Oliver Twist (with a dash of Cinderella) in this exciting tale of a street orphan who mingles with royalty to save olde England from dark magic. Plenty of action and suspence. Let's hope there'll be more adventures for Tiki and the handsome Rieker.” –O.R. Melling, award-winning author, THE CHRONICLES OF FAERIE


“THE FAERIE RING is an enchanting novel, woven with dramatic adventure, intriguing faerie lore and a charming love story! I couldn’t stop turning the pages even though I didn’t want the story to end!” –Kristi Diehm The Story Siren

Did you see the last one? THE STORY SIREN? ohhhhhhh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Time !!!

Kiki has kindly offered (1) ONE Pre-order of The Faerie Ring to one of you. Um, the only catch? There are additional rules for this giveaway ( and the next one) just one and it's not too hard so deal with it....

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- International
- MUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON ONE of Kiki's POSTS
- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)
- Must Fill out this FORM
- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty One - All About...Kiki Hamilton ( The Faerie Ring )

Debutante Profile

Name - Kiki Hamilton

Debut - The Faerie Ring ( Goodreads )
Genre - Urban Fantasy/ Historical Fantasy
Blog - HERE
Website - HERE

Twitter - HERE

Probably like you, I've always been an avid reader. There's nothing better than to escape into the pages of a book where you can go anywhere and be anything.

I've enjoyed writing on and off all my life, but to be honest, it was reading HARRY POTTER that inspired me to write a young adult novel. I will always be grateful to the brilliance of JK Rowling for reminding me of the power and magic of books.

I started off writing a "short" story for my daughter that was supposed to have mermaids and faeries in it, but halfway through my characters starting telling me a different story. A completely different story. So I wrote it down and kept writing until I had THE GETHEAS STONE. And there was not a mermaid or faerie in sight. It was my with my second book, THE FAERIE RING, that the faeries showed up.

Dream Debutante Dress -



Very James Bondish don't you think?



 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

 

I am really bad at talking about myself

but here goes: Hi. My name’s Kiki and I’m a writer. Seriously addicted. I also love music and tend to play it really LOUD all the time, even though I’m old. I’ve been learning to play the guitar the last couple of years, which I totally love. Sadly, I can’t sing on tune but that never stops me. :D I live near Seattle so I ski in the winter and swim in the summer. I’ve got a koi pond in my backyard with 16 koi and they all recognize me and swim up when they see me at the window or on the edge of the pond. One or two of the fish will actually let me pet them, which is cooler than it sounds.

I also have a 14 year old daughter who is my first beta reader and is nagging me right now to finish book 3 of THE FAERIE RING because she wants to read it. ;-) I also have a cock-a-poo named Molly who is obsessed with tennis balls. And that’s pretty much it. Oh, and I had a motorcycle when I was 18. But now I know better. Because I have a 14 year old daughter. Questions?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I don't know about you but I'm so so sooooo looking forwards to The Faerie Ring. Ever felt that unexplainable pull towards something? That's what I'm feeling right now and I haven't read a fantasy in a while so that's another good thing about it! *fist pump*

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty - All About Unearthly + Giveaway

I was too busy watching Vampire Diaries ( Just started and it's kinda scary) that I almost forgot to post this. I really should start scheduling...

Book Profile

Name - Unearthly  ( Goodreads )

Author - Cynthia Hand ( Profile )

Release Date - 4th Jan 2011

Genre - Paranormal

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Review, originally from Bibliophilic Monologues
HERE <--- Original

Move over, vampires (and werewolves). I think the Angelic Age is here. Corny? Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

I wasn’t sure whether I would like the novel. The cover is totally gorgeous but I was still hesitant and I am so glad to report to all of you that I was wholly, totally blown away by it. I have even decided to get the book in hard copy once it is out (and let me tell you, it is really difficult for a starving college student to find extra money for books) – that’s how much I love it.

I felt discombobulated when I started reading it but it was only for an instant until I realized what was going on. I know the synopsis makes it sound as though Clara has a sudden epiphany, a voice thundering in her mind – “Child, Thou Art Half an Angel!” but that’s not really what happens. I’ll leave you to find out what does but suffice it to say that it’s such a relief that the novel is one which avoids the too common “Main character is a supernatural/has powers/is magical and then main characters leads to freaking out/disbelieving/crying.” Yeah, those? Happen way too often.

Anyway, my point is, this is doesn’t happen in Unearthly and I am eternally grateful for it.

I love the way Ms. Hand takes the supernatural, dare I say divine and juxtaposes it with the mundane. You see, even angels (half as they may be) go through puberty and face the hallowed hell that is high school. Ms. Hand’s mythos is definitely engaging and the details are intricate enough to convince even the most hardened cynic (I am not one of them.)

But I think the greatest feat is her characterization. I love Clara and you know how important liking the heroine and, you know, weird as it might be, original. At the same time, it twists again so you are left utterly confused by the end of the novel. I still don’t know who I like better.

As for the technical bits, the writing is exquisite and there’s nothing that distracts you from the pace of the story. The plot is addictive and while I know the sequel is probably swirling in Ms. Hand’s mind right now, I’m dying (dying, do hear?) to find out what happens next.

So, read this! It’s about as awesome as it gets.

And here’s my favorite blurb of the book, by SQUEEE! Richelle Mead:

"Utterly captivating. Cynthia Hand has brilliantly spun the magic of angel mythology into a modern world of romance and suspense, creating one of the most addictive books I've read in a while. UNEARTHLY had me lying awake at night, wondering what would happen next." – Richelle Mead, bestselling author of Vampire Academyof a novel is. Especially for me. If I don’t like her (or love to hate her) I will not read the book. Clara is parts gawky, parts magical and parts human. An interesting mix in all. The love triangle is intriguing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Time !!!

Cynthia has kindly offered ONE (1) Pre-order of Unearthly to one of you! All you have to do is fill out the form. Um, comments are VERY VERY VERY much appreciated. It's the least you can do do make an author happy :)

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- US/CAN Only ( sorry)

- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)

- Must Fill out this FORM

- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

 

Badass Bookie xx 

Day Nineteen - All About ... Cynthia Hand ( Unearthly)

Hey Guys! Please welcome our tenth debutante, Cynthia Hand. You guys probably don't know BUT I have actually featured Cynthia before on my blog for a joint event earlier in the year. Anyone remember the Supernatural Showdown? Team Angel vs. Team Zombie. For the blogger who asked why I had the Team Angel button on my blog THATS the reason. You can check out the post HERE .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutante Profile

Name - Cynthia Hand

Debut - Unearthly ( Goodreads )

Genre - Paranormal

Blog - HERE

Website - HERE

Twitter - HERE

Cynthia Hand is a debut YA writer who grew up in southeast Idaho (very near the Wyoming border) and she still has a soft spot in her heart for that beautiful part of the country. She currently live in southern California with her husband and son. She also teach courses in creative writing at Pepperdine University

Dream Debutante Dress -

Cynthia's dream dress :) which she will
wear silver shoes and sparkling earring :)

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

From as far back as I can remember, I’ve loved books and reading, and I wrote my first short story (about a fairy being born in a tulip) when I was around six or seven years old—pretty much as soon as I could write. I kept writing stories all through grade school, most of them wildly fantastical musings on witches, fairies, dragons, mermaids, or other supernatural beings. None of these stories ever won the annual short story competition where the lucky young writer got to meet our local Idaho/Wyoming author Kenneth Thomasma, who was the author of one of my favorite books at the time, Naya Nuki: Girl Who Ran. I was crushed every year. I learned early on that if you wanted to win the writing contest, you should write stories about that time your parents got their car stuck in the snow on the side of a mountain just before dark. You should not write about a group of unicorns fighting to take over an island from an alien invasion. But I kept writing about unicorns anyway. Because it was fun.

Unearthly was my first time writing about angels, more than twenty years and a whole lot of school later. And I didn’t know I was writing about angels, at first. It started with me getting this girl’s voice in my head (hearing voices is usually a bad thing, for the general public, but for writers it’s when all the good stuff happens. . .) telling me about her purpose on earth. I thought, Huh, your purpose on earth. Intriguing. Tell me more, brain, tell me more. And then I lit on the fantastic image of a boy standing in the trees during a forest fire. And from that point on the story just seemed to unroll in front of me.

The angel connection came about when I asked the WHY questions. Why does this girl have a specific purpose on earth? Why does she think she’s supposed to save this boy? And I thought, Because she’s a hero, silly, and then I had one of those writerly flashes of genius where I remembered this obscure little passage from the Bible where it talks about the sons of god and the daughters of men, which is commonly interpreted as angels and humans, and how back in Genesis times they married and had children, and those children were the “heroes of old.”

Lightning strike! Wouldn’t it be awesome, I thought, if this girl is part-angel? How’s that for a head trip: Yes, sweetie, you’re one part human, one part divine being. No pressure or anything.

So that’s how Clara’s story began. It’s been quite the wild ride, full of pinch-me moments. I’ve become very, very grateful to that voice in my head. I love to write because writing is full of surprises. You can do so much more than you ever thought you were capable of. You can explore the world in an entirely new light. You can learn to fly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahhh the story behind the story. I write, when I feel like it but my ideas don't start with voices...I wonder if that's the reason I never finish them.... nah, it has something to with unimaginative mind :P Thanks Cynthia for the insight on the story behind the story. I think I'm more than intrigued about Unearthly now...

Badass Bookie xx

Day Seventeen - All About ... Kristi Cook

This the ninth time I have tried to write something interesting to introduce the Debutante of the Day and I'm running out of ideas...maybe I just copy and paste that one from the first day...kidding! :P Well, she's sweet, she's funny and she's a Deb! Ladies and Gent., please welcome Kristi Cook! ( for a moment I was going to start singing - she's beauty and she's grace, she's Ms/ Miss/ Mrs ? United States, anyone?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutante Profile

Name - Kristi Cook

Debut - Haven ( Goodreads )

Genre - Paranormal

Blog - HERE

Website - HERE

Twitter - HERE

As a child, Kristi Cook took her nose out of a book only long enough to take a ballet class (or five) each week.  Not much has changed since then, except she’s added motherhood to the mix and enjoys penning her own novels as much as reading everybody else’s.  A transplanted southern gal, Kristi lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

Dream Debutante Dress -

Kristi's Dream Dress

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

My name is Kristi, and I’m addicted to reading. There, I’ve admitted it! But seriously, I read a lot. As in, all the time. Since I was a child, I’ve always had my nose in a book. And when I’m not actually reading, I’m frequently thinking about a book I’ve read. As a kid, that’s how I went to sleep each night—thinking up new adventures for my favorite characters, or making up alternate endings for my favorite books. When I was twelve, I actually took a spiral notebook and pen and started writing the first few chapters of a sequel to Gone With the Wind. So I guess you could say I started off writing fan-fiction. Sort of.



It was an easy leap to writing my own original stories, but I didn’t have the courage (or the time, really) to try until I was grown, with two small kids toddling around and a lot of hours to fill. When I’m not writing, I’m still reading voraciously (on average maybe four or five books a week, mostly YA these days) or watching movies (I love to re-watch my favorites, over and over again!). I also like to take ballet classes, ice skate, and go to the theater (I live in New York City, so the theater’s good!).


But mostly, my head is usually in a book, both literally and figuratively—either one of my own, or someone else’s. And I like it that way!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Annnnnd that's a take! So now it's my turn to hog the spotlight! Thank-you very very very much Kristi for that interesting post AND I love your debutante dress, putting aside Miley Cyrus's current "scandal" I still think she has good taste :) So anyway guys, that's it for today BUT come back tomorrow because there just might be a giveaway *winks*
 

Badass Bookie xx

Day Sixteen - All About The Liar Society + Giveaway

Book Profile

Name - The Liar Society ( Goodreads )
Author - Lisa and Laura Roecker ( Profile )
Release Date -  1st March 2011
Genre - Mystery
Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.


To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)


Kate,


I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.


Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Character Interview with Kate Lowry

LiLa: Kate Lowry, thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with us today. We’re so excited to introduce you!

Kate: Thanks guys. I can’t stay long because Liam’s picking me up in like 5. He’s taking me over to the old Brown Prep buildings. Grace said there’s something I have to find there.


LiLa: Wait a second. Grace? I thought she died.


Kate: She did…well, at least, I thought she did. She’s been emailing me. I know it sounds crazy, but she says people are lying. She says her death was more than just an accident.


LiLa: That sounds really creepy, Kate. How do you sleep at night?


Kate: That’s not even the least of it. I’ve seen her. I’ve seen Grace. Only in flashes. But I know it’s her.


LiLa: Okay, now you’re scaring us.


Kate: I can’t tell anyone about it. Liam would never want to see me again and Seth would probably tell my parents to take me back to Dr. Prozac. And Maddie…don’t even get me started. She’d probably run off laughing to Taylor Wright or something.


LiLa: What is Maddie’s deal anyways? You guys used to be besties. Does it drive you crazy how she’s connected to Taylor’s hip?


Kate: Um…yeah. She’s wasting away to nothing. The only thing she seems to be eating lately are the tiny crumbs of Taylor’s affections. It’s kind of pathetic. But I do miss her. Just over a year ago her, Grace and I were inseparable. Now she won’t even look at me.


LiLa: Ugh. We’re sorry Kate, that sucks. But at least you have Seth and Liam.


Kate: Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without them. Seth has lived next door forever and even though he’s a mini-red-headed conspiracy theorist he’s also my only friend. And Liam. I’m not so sure about him. He’s super hot and smart and funny and hot…oh wait, I already said that. Yeah, I’m still trying to figure him out. Those rumors about him blackmailing the headmaster to get into Pemberly Brown have to be made up, right?


Oh crap, I just got another e-mail from Grace…time is running out. I have to find out the truth. And Liam’s honking. Gotta run!


LiLa: Okay, Kate, go catch your ride. We’ll see you March 1st! And, er, good luck with, um, e-mails from beyond the grave…


Kate: Yeah, I’ll need it. Thanks guys…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway time !!!

Lisa and Laura has kindly offered TWO ( 2) you heard right TWO of  you faithful reader ( yer I added a tricky question the in the form just to make sure you read this post .... *evil laugh*) one Pre-order of the Liar Society EACH. Unfortunately there's a hitch ( no it's not the tricky question) US/CAN ONLY.

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- US/CAN ONLY

- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)

- Must Fill out this FORM

- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

There was no tricky question, I just had to make sure you guys read the post :P

Badass Bookie xx

Day Fifteen - All About ... Lisa and Laura Roecker ( The Liar Society)

When I said twelve Debs I meant thirteen because The Liar Society is written by not one but two debutantes! Lisa and Laura Roecker are today's featured Debutantes and you probably don't want to hear me talk so I'll get on with it...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutantes Profile

Names - Lisa and Laura Roecker

Debut - The Liar Society

Genre - Mystery

Website - HERE

Blog - HERE

Twitter - HERE

We're sisters-turned-writing-partners with a love of all things Young Adult. Call it arrested development or immaturity, but it keeps us young and it's cheaper than botox.

Lisa Roecker read her first Nancy Drew book when she was 9, which she promptly abandoned for something far more interesting by Christopher Pike or Lois Duncan. She attended Miami University with a double major in Marketing (because her dad made her) and English Literature (because she loved it). She graduated and took a deeply boring job that paid the bills. Eventually she started writing with her sister to keep things interesting.

Laura Roecker watched Lisa read by nightlight and fell in love with books because her big sister said she should. She graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in Middle Childhood Education in an effort to relive those awkward years all over again. After teaching for several years and telling her students how much she'd love to write a book, she finally realized her dream when she found a writing partner in her sister.

Dream Debutante Dresses -

Lisa's Dream Dress ....

Laura's Dream Dress

In case you haven't realised Lisa's dress was kind of a joke.... :P she actually has great taste!

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

Lisa: We need to tell Badass Bookie’s readers all about us.



Laura: You mean about our glamorous writing life in Cleveland?


Lisa: Something like that. But let’s leave out the part about us wearing yoga pants and Uggs. Let’s pretend we wear day dresses and heels like Tim Gunn says we should.


Laura: I can get on board with a day dress. Oooh, by the way I totally picked out my debutante dress. But not in white. J.Crew is making a special dress for me in Navy. Gorge.


Lisa: Debutante dress? I didn’t know we could choose a debutante dress? And since when does J. Crew take custom orders?

Laura: J.Crew is surprisingly open to my style ideas. And I went ahead and chose your dress for you. Celery is such a good color on you.

Lisa: *single tear* OMG. Have you seen my skin in the winter? And why do I have to look like the mother of the bride? I hate you.

Laura: Oh stop sniffling and tell everyone about our writing process.

Lisa: No, I’m checking Twitter and I still haven’t recovered from the fug of the green dress. You do it.

Laura: Fine. Lisa always writes the first chapter because she’s the boss (and older, hence the mother-of-the-bride dress) and I edit her chapter and write the next one, send it back and we continue until the book is done. Happy?

Lisa: Wait, you left out how we talk on the phone for hours every day and write emails to each other using our joint email account.


Laura: Oh yeah. Our husbands want to divorce us because all we do is talk. About writing. And reading. And our Amazon rank.


Lisa: Cleveland plus yoga pan…er day dresses plus the same phone/email conversations every day plus a hot potato writing process plus a whole lot of editing and a few tears = Lisa and Laura Roecker.

Laura: And Chipotle and Frosties and Twizzlers and Diet Coke too. Speaking of, I could totally go for a burrito right now but I don’t want to look bloated in my ball gown.


Lisa: Ha! My dress jacket hides EVERYTHING.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haha I LOVE this post guys! Cleveland sound glamorous anyway, even if you guys wear yoga pants,eh, day dresses with your UGGs, I mean, heels :P I don't know what a frostie or a twizzler is but they do sound really good, hang on, let me google it... yep looks good! Lisa, smart thinking about the jacket, that way you can eat a full meal at the reception but still look good for the photos after it !

Badass Bookie xx

Day Fourteen - All About Across the Universe + Giveaway

Hey Guys, sorry we're abit late today! Beth and I lost track of time, our coffee trip turned into a shopping trip! Right Beth? RIGHT? ( I lied, we didn't do any of that shebang ...) Anyway just a heads up that Beth is have a giveaway of EPIC proportions over at her blog, there will be 100 winners! Best thing yet? It's INTERNATIONAL!!! ( HERE ) However, at the end of this post there is also a giveaway.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Profile

Name - Across the Universe ( Goodreads )

Author -  Beth Revis ( Profile )

Release Date - 11th of Jan 2011

Genre - Dystopian/ Sci-fi/ Fantasy

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awake on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into a brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Character Profiles

There are two main characters, Amy and Elder, and the book is told in alternating POVs.



Name: Amy Martin
Age: 17 years old
Birthplace: Florida, Earth
Physical description: Long red hair, pale skin, green eyes
Goals in life: To run in the NY Marathon, to be happy with her family and friends
Background: Amy likes running and races competitively at her high school…until her parents become a part of a mission for the first interstellar space trip. Amy chooses to be cryogenically frozen so she can go on the mission with her parents. In 300 years, she’s supposed to wake up with her parents on a new world. Problem is, someone woke her fifty years too early…


Name: Elder
Age: 16 years old
Birthplace: Godspeed, an interstellar space ship
Physical description: Brown hair, skin, and eyes
Goals in life: To become a good, strong leader of the ship, following in the footsteps of generations of Eldests.
Background: Elder wants nothing more than to prove himself as a leader. But just as his training begins, problems start up on the ship. Elder, as well as the rest of the over 2,000-strong crew, was born on Godspeed. What he didn’t know was that there were a hundred cryogenically frozen people on a secret level of the ship just below his feet. When one of the people—a striking red head who stands out amongst the monoethnic crew—wakes up fifty years early, her arrival is only the beginning of a whole new set of problems…including a murderer who unplugs and kills more frozens like Amy…

Early Review - HERE

For more information about my book, please visit my website—bethrevis.com—and be sure to check out the telescope for hidden extras!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Time !!!

Beth has kindly offered a Signed ARC of Across the Universe + Pin Buttons ( really cool ones :P) to one for you Debutante Enthusiasts or anyone who can't wait to read ATU ( I really should start my ARC...)

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- US/CAN ONLY

- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)

- Must Fill out this FORM

- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

Badass Bookie xx