End of Year Survey Results: Your Top Books of 2012 and the Books You Can't Wait to Read in 2013!

Want to know what books were your favourites of 2012? How about the books you can't wait to read the next year?  

The top five debuts of 2013 according to you - that'd be good to know too, and then, of course, there's that all important question: who was your favourite book couple of 2012?  

Look no further, because I've got all the answers right here!

Thanks to everyone who took part in my end of year survey: I'll be contacting the winner early in the New Year!

Your Favourite Books of 2012

1.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2. CINDER by Marissa Meyer

3. INSURGENT (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth 

4. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

5. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFavers

The Fault in Our Stars has been on pretty much every end of year list, so it's no surprise that you guys voted it your top book of 2012.  This one was the runaway winner in the 'best books of 2012' category and it's one that I definitely need to read next year.  I can't ignore the hype any longer!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer was voted #2 by you guys - another one I haven't read.  I was actually offered this one for review a couple times last year, but I just wasn't sure if it was quite my thing. Maybe I'll have to pick up a copy and check it out after all!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth and Pushing The Limits were voted #3 and #4 by you -- I really enjoyed Insurgent (it didn't make my top ten, but I did enjoy it a lot!) and I thought Pushing The Limits was a great read - definitely one of my faves of 2012. 

Coming in at #5 on your list is Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. This is another one that completely passed me by (Ooops!) mostly because I mostly don't read fantasy at all, but it seems a lot of you guys really enjoyed this one!

The Books You Cannot Wait to Read in 2013

1. Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

2. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

3. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

4. SCARLET (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

5. Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis

Do you ever feel you are totally out of the loop? No? That would be me, then, because I have never read any books by Cassandra Clare, and this one just happens to be your most wanted book of 2013. So, I don't have much to say about Clockwork Princess, apart from the cover, which I think looks great. Hope y'all enjoy it! 

I have much, much more to say about books #2 and #3 on your list.  In a word: WANT!! I pre-ordered Just One Day a couple weeks back and I am counting down the days people, counting down the days. I've already heard amazing things about this one from a few of my favourite bloggers and I really can't wait to read it.  Ditto for ISLA. Anna and the French Kiss is one of my all time favourite books and I couldn't be more excited to read this one!

A whole lot of you voted for Cinder by Marissa Meyer as one of your favourite reads of 2012 and so I guess it stands to reason that you also can't wait for the follow up Scarlet, which came in at #4 on the 2013 Most Wanted List.  

At #5 is Shades of Earth, the concluding part of the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis.  I didn't get past the first book in this one, but I do remember that it had one of the most amazing opening chapters, like, ever! 

The Top Five YA Debuts of 2013

1. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

2. SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard

3. Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

4. TAKEN by Erin Bowman

5. POISON by Bridget Zinn

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans was the runaway winner of this one. It seems you all want to read this story, and I am right on board with you! I've heard a lot of good things about Level 2 already and I can't wait to get stuck in.  Also, the publisher sent cute treats out with this one - postcards and nail polish! I love cute treats! 

Splintered by A.G. Howard was #2 on your list -- this one isn't on my list of debuts to read in 2013, mostly because I generally don't get on with fairytale retellings, but I just checked Goodreads and it seems like this one is garnering a lot of amazing reviews already. I might just have to check it out!

#3 Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black and #4 Taken by Erin Bowman both sound like good reads. I'm on the blog tour for Dance of Shadows in February when Yelena will be along for a Delightful Debutantes piece.

Poison by Bridget Zinn comes in at #5 on your list of the 2013 YA Debuts you can't wait to read.  This is another one that's just a little too high fantasy for my tastes, but I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Favourite Book Couple of 2012

Tris and Four from the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth were your winners for Favourite Book Couple of 2012.  Aw, I love those two! The very worthy runners up were Mara and Noah from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.  Oh yes - Noah Shaw is one of my all time favourite book boys.  I should have asked y'all the Favourite Book Boy of 2012 question! Maybe next year!

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My Top Ten Books of 2012, The One That Got Away in 2011 and the One I'll be reading in 2013!

Here's a list of my favourite books of 2012, the 2011 book that missed out on last years list, but which I had to include this time around and the 2012 releases that I really need to read next year!

* I used UK 2012 release dates for this list - if anybody was wondering about the inclusion of certain books. :)

Want to see my 2011 list of favourites? It's here! 

So, onto my favourite books of 2012. 

Click on cover images to read reviews. 

NUMBER ONE 

No review for this one yet, as I read it just last week, but Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, one of my final reads of 2012 was also the best.  I literally couldn't put this book down until I was done with it.  Expect my review early in 2013. I can't wait for the movie of this one!

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NUMBER TWO

What I Said:

Totally addictive and all-consuming

Hands down the hottest book I’ve read all year.

On Dublin Street is a book with heart, and it is clearly written from the heart too.

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NUMBER THREE 

What I Said: 

An outstanding debut.

Brodi Ashton writes from the heart, never skimming the surface of raw emotion.

Everneath gets ALL THE STARS from me.

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NUMBER FOUR

What I Said:

A wonderful read.

Pitch Perfect.

This  book has passages to bookmark, quotes to remember, and words to savour, words that will make you think, words that you won’t forget. 

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NUMBER FIVE

What I Said:

Complex, creepy and all consuming.

I totally lost my heart to Noah Shaw.  

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is dark, haunting, atmospheric and eerie.

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Number Six: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard.
Number Seven: Rage Within (Dark Inside #2) by Jeyn Roberts.
Number Eight: Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum.
Number Nine: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry.
Number Ten: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson.

What was your favourite book of 2012?  What do you think of my list?

I'm a little surprised by the number of Contemps on there --a couple years ago I'd never read a YA Contemp and look at me now! I still haven't read any Sarah Dessen though, so I am still very much a YA Contemp novice!

The One That Got Away in 2011:

Because there's always one that gets away! I didn't get around to reading Divergent by Veronica Roth until this year, so I couldn't include it on my 2011 list, but now I've read it and I loved it, so it gets a special mention here!

The One I'll Be Reading in 2013.

Actually, there are two.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein appeared on almost every end of year list I've seen, so I simply must check both of those books out in 2013.  I've heard some amazing things! 

If your favourite book of 2012 is not on my list, let me know in comments and I might just check it out next year!

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Happy Holidays!

Image Source: We Heart It

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas full of yummy gifts and treats and great reads!

I'll be taking a short break from the blog over Christmas, but I do have some treats in store for you later this week including my Top Ten Books of 2012 and the results of my end of year survey!

I'll also be kicking off the New Year with a great giveaway, so make sure you check back for that on January 1st!

Until then, Happy Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful time!

Here's my Christmas Reading List - what's on yours?

The Diviners by Libba Bray 

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

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Book Review: Irresistible by Liz Bankes.

Product details:
Publisher: Piccadilly Press.
eBook, 224 pages.
Release date: December 6th 2012.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: 12+
 Source: Received from publisher for review.

When Mia gets a summer job in a country club, it's a chance to see into a whole world of privilege and passion she's never imagined.

Thankfully there's Dan to keep her feet on the ground. He's laid-back, funny and could be the perfect person to go travelling with when the summer's over.

But behind everything that happens in the summer, there's Jamie. Wealthy and sexy, he's got everything he could ever want, and enjoys nothing more than messing with people's lives for his own entertainment. 

Mia knows that any relationship with Jamie is a bad idea,  but as she's drawn into his dangerous and madly exciting world, she finds the one thing she can't stop is herself.

Sixteen year old Mia is at a crossroads in her life.  All she wants to do is travel, but instead she’s stuck at school where she’s faced day after day with unpleasant memories of her dodgy ex.  Mia wants more. She wants excitement. She should be careful what she wishes for.  By the end of the summer Mia will have had enough excitement to last her a lifetime. If only she had a crystal ball that could see into the future, Mia might realize that normal isn’t so bad.  But then, who wants normal when you can have a guy called Jamie Elliot-Fox?

Mia’s summer job at a castle-cum-posh country club introduces her to a whole new world.  It also introduces her to the afore-mentioned Jamie, the hottest bad boy in town and object of desire amongst females for miles around.  Jamie is used to getting what he wants, and what he wants now is Mia. Does Mia play it safe with genuinely nice guy Dan, or does she give into temptation and start playing dangerous games with Jamie?

If you’ve ever been there, you already know how this ends – because nice guys finish last, and bad boys who live in castles,  like to party all night and have drop dead gorgeous looks to boot - they win every time. But what Mia doesn’t seem to realize is that bad boys, well, they’re so-called for a reason.

Naturally, Jamie can turn on the charm, but he’s no prince charming. For one, he has a girlfriend, the beautiful and formidable, Cleo, the kind of girl who Mia should really know better than to cross. But cross Cleo she does, because like a moth to a deadly flame, Mia just can’t keep away from Jamie.   But is Jamie to be trusted? Or is he just playing games with her heart? And then there’s Dan – nice, dependable Dan who takes Mia on picnics, hangs out with her friends and makes an effort to get along with her family. Things Jamie would never do.  Mia doesn’t want to hurt Dan. The problem is she just can’s stop thinking about Jamie.

What’s a girl to do?

Irresistible is a fun, sexy debut from author Liz Bankes with a great relatable cast of characters and some genuinely laugh out loud moments.  The ending of Irresistible is ambiguous and leaves much to the readers’ imagination, but I, for one, would love to find out what happens next.  Is there a sequel in the works? I’m not sure, but I’d definitely be interested in checking out more of Mia’s mishaps and adventures.

Note:  Irresistible was originally pitched to me as a ‘New Adult’ read, but despite some pretty steamy moments, I would class this one as YA (Mia is sixteen) and as suitable for readers aged 14+, although it is listed on the publishers’ website as a 12+ read.

 

An Interview with Cora Carmack author of Losing It!

Today I have a fun interview with Cora Carmack, author of Losing It. Read all about Cora's journey as an author, her writing tips and the books she's most looking forward to reading next year.  I picked up a couple great tips and reading recommendations from this Q&A. Thanks so much, Cora!

Losing It by Cora Carmack

Publisher: William Morrow Paperback

Release date:  December 5th 2012

Ages:  17+ || New Adult 

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

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Q&A with Cora Carmack Author of Losing It

Hi Cora! Congratulations on the success of Losing It! What do you think has made your book such a big hit with readers?

I get asked this a lot, and I wish I had a more definitive answer! Honestly, I think it was a lot of things (including luck). All the stars just aligned. New Adult books have been getting a lot of attention as of late, so readers are hungry for more. Additionally, most of the New Adult books currently on the market are dark or emotionally-draining reads. I specifically wrote LOSING IT for readers looking to take a break from all the angst, and tried to make it exactly what I wanted to read in a book. I had a lot of great responses to the cover and the book description. And probably the number one reason the book did so well was the amazing book bloggers who read and championed the book. Bloggers are the biggest unsung heroes in publishing, and I, for one, would be nowhere without them!

I read Losing It when it was first published and I’ve been following your journey as an author via your blog.   Talk me through the journey you’ve taken with Losing It – from initial inspirations, right through your self-publishing journey and up to when you first attracted agent interest. It all sounds so exciting!

Well first, THANK YOU! And a journey is the perfect way to describe it! I wrote LOSING IT on a whim really. Until now, I’ve only written YA Fantasy, most of it dark and emotional (and before you ask… also unpublished). I was stuck in the middle of a work-in-progress and frustrated, so I took a break and started writing something completely different just to clear my head. Three weeks later, I had the first draft of LOSING IT. At the risk of sounding repetitive, the stars aligned and the story practically wrote itself. I decided to self-publish because I knew and had seen so many other New Adult authors do well in self-publishing. Of course, I knew it was still a long shot, but I took a chance. Luckily, it paid off. Buzz started building after the cover reveal. Bloggers who read advance copies kept it up. The book released in Mid-October and a little over twenty-four hours later it hit #1 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List. After that it hit the Amazon List, and then the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists. I think I got my first email from an agent on day three after publishing, and emails from interested publishers shortly after that. I talked to several fabulous agents, and picking was easily the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do. In the end, I signed with Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary. The New Leaf team pretty much blows my mind once a week with their amazingness, so I definitely made the right choice! Suzie negotiated the deal with Harper Collins, who actually just took over ebook sales. The team there is hard at work getting the book ready for the eventual paperback release. Considering I only decided to self-publish the book a little under three months ago, I’d say it’s definitely been a whirlwind!

I read on your blog that you completed the first draft for Losing It in just three weeks.  Do you have any top tips for anyone who struggles to get that first draft down? I’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo and I can tell you that after a month my first draft is a total mess and is nowhere near completion!

I did, and it was definitely the fastest I’ve ever written anything. My best advice is to make writing a routine. Treat it like a business, like your job. Write each and every day. And write something that you really love, so that you’ll be excited each time you sit down to return to the story.

Losing It made me laugh a lot! Some of the stories Bliss invents to get herself out of an awkward situation had me cracking up. (I’m totally talking about the cat!) Were any of these stories inspired by true events?

I’m so glad! I’ve been blessed to have a lot of laughter in my life, and wanted to put more of that into my writing. The cat story is not true (Thank God). But the thing that prompts her to say cats (the painted cat cookie jar) is actually a real family heirloom. I was sitting on my bed, staring at the computer screen wondering what I could possibly have her say. I knew it had to be absurd. And I looked at the cookie jar, and well, you can guess the rest. There are other moments in the book that are inspired by true events though. Namely the scene with the accordion and the um, unlucky, party that follows.

What was your favorite scene to write? (Garrick has to be involved, right?!)

Ooo. Very good question. Part of me wants to say the very first chapter because it was just such a joy to write and was exactly what I needed. The other part wants to say the scene in the bathroom after Bliss’s injury because it was so awkward and full of sexual tension that I was just dying and giggling as I wrote the whole scene. 

[I loved that scene!!]

Can you recommend some other New Adult reads to anyone who enjoyed Losing It?

Absolutely! I recommend anything and everything by Tammara Webber, M. Leighton, Abbi Glines, and Chelsea Cameron.

What is the best book you’ve read in 2012?

ACK! I’ve read A LOT of books in 2012. I’m going to have to give you several. And they’re all going to be really different, I warn you!

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

JACOB HAVE I LOVED by Katherine Paterson

WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED by Judy Blundell

DEITY by Jennifer L. Armentrout

THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath

REBEL HEART by Moira Young

CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson

What is the one book you cannot wait to read in 2013? (I know, really hard, right – you don’t have to stick to one – you can choose two. Or three!)

Well, I’ll try to keep the list short, since I went crazy on the last question. I adore Jennifer L. Armentrout’s YA and Adult writing, so I’m SUPER excited that she has a New Adult book called FRIGID coming out. I’m also looking forward to REQUIEM, the last book in the DELIRIUM trilogy.

[I checked out Frigid on Goodreads and it sounds awesome! Thanks for the rec!]

Congratulations on your three book deal with Harper Collins! Can you tell me anything about your next two books? I can’t wait to read them!

And I’m dying to tell everyone about them! Sadly, I can’t tell you much at this point, because they are works-in-progress, and things could chance. But I can tell you the second book is about Cade and the third about Kelsey. Both take place after LOSING IT—Cade’s while he pursues his Masters degree in Philadelphia and Kelsey’s while she travels the world.

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Find out more about Cora Carmack:   Blog  ||  Twitter

Extra, Extra!

The UK rights to Losing It by Cora Carmack have sold!

Cora Carmack's self-published NYT and USA Today bestseller, LOSING IT, to Gillian Green of Ebury, in a three-book deal, by Kate McLennan of Abner Stein in association with Kathleen Ortiz of New Leaf Literary & Media on behalf of Suzie Townsend.

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UK Cover Alerts: Requiem and Annabel by Lauren Oliver!

You know when I said I wouldn't be posting up any more cover alerts this side of 2013? Um....

There's just one more I have to show y'all! Here's the UK cover for Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver. And...if you look below you'll find the cover for Annabel, a Delirium short story which tells the story of Lena's mysterious mother.  Annabel releases in eBook December 26th, with Requiem following in March 2013. 

Let me know what you think of the covers! 

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Hodder  Stoughton

Release date: March 21st 2013

Ages: 14+

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Annabel by Lauren Oliver || Release date: December 26th 2012

 

Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery—a ghost in Lena's past. Until now.

Discover her secrets in Lauren Oliver's brilliant original digital story set in the world of New York Times bestsellers Delirium and Pandemonium.

Lena Halloway's mother, Annabel, supposedly committed suicide when Lena was only six years old. That's the lie that Lena grew up believing, but the truth is very different. As a rebellious teenager, Annabel ran away from home and straight into the man she knew she was destined to marry. The world was different then—the regulations not as stringent, the cure only a decade old. Fast forward to the present, and Annabel is consigned to a dirty prison cell, where she nurtures her hope of escape and scratches one word over and over into the walls: Love.

But Annabel, like Lena, is a fighter. Through chapters that alternate between her past and present, Annabel reveals the story behind her failed cures, her marriage, the births of her children, her imprisonment, and, ultimately, her daring escape.

Blog Tour: Read an extract of Irresistible by Liz Bankes.

 Maybe you've heard of Irresistible by Liz Bankes? It's the book everybody, and I mean everybody is talking about!

Read on for an extract from this a sizzling tale of bed-hopping, bruised egos, broken hearts and a bad boy who no girl can resist. Meet Jamie Elliott Fox...if you dare...!

Irresistible by Liz Bankes

Publisher: Piccadilly Press

Release date: Ebook available NOW || Paperback available April 2013

When Mia gets a job in a posh health/country club during her gap year, she is strikes up a friendship with the laconic and funny Dan. Dan is also working in the club and keeps Mia amused. However, she soon finds herself drawn to the wealthy bad boy, Jamie. Jamie is the beautiful and privileged Cleo’s boyfriend. Mia knows that her relationship with Jamie is wrong, but there’s something so dangerously exciting about Jamie that she just can’t stop.

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Irresistible by Liz Bankes

Chapter Three

‘O. M. F. G.,’ says Gabi with a dramatic handwave between each letter. She grips my arm across the table, nearly knocking my coffee over in the process.

‘What?’

‘Jamie. Elliot. Fox.’

‘Can you speak in normal sentences?’

‘He’s, like, famous, Mia.’

‘He seems like a knob. What’s he famous for?’

‘Er, for being rich and fit? You must have heard about him! God, it’s like you live under a bridge.’

Within a second she’s whipped out her phone and is scrolling rapidly. She hands it to me triumphantly. ‘Ta da!’

A few people who are quietly murmuring over their coffees look round at our table, which is something that often happens when we’re out together. It’s like Gabi has a volume dial on her voicebox that is always turned a few 15 notches above everyone else’s.

‘That was some quick stalking, even for you,’ I tell her.

‘But you want to see him, don’t you?’

‘No. Maybe. Okay, yes, I want to see him.’

I’d like to be all unbothered and cool, but I’m a bit intrigued by him. Obviously he’s good-looking, with his stubble and dark eyes. And his muscly chest that I haven’t actually seen properly, but I imagine being muscly. Not that I’ve been imagining him walking round in just his shorts, all wet from the swimming pool.

But he blatantly knows he’s fit or he wouldn’t go around kissing people in windows. Or staring. Why would he stare at me? What does he think I’m going to do – run outside and say, ‘Now you’ve glared at me through a window, I must have you’?

Gabi sees I’ve gone into a daydream and so does her usual trick of digging her nail into my hand. ‘Oi! Okay, so his Facebook is, like, really private, but me and Han met him and his friends that night we went to York’s.’

She says the night we went to York’s. She means the night we didn’t get into York’s and so stood freezing our arses off in a nearby bus shelter, passing round a Smirnoff Ice. It seems that these days it’s all about trying to get into clubs and places, when we always used to just go to people’s houses when their parents were away. I miss getting all excited about house parties and making playlists for them and putting all our money together to give to whichever tall person was going to go and try to buy drinks at the supermarket. I have no chance of getting into any clubs – I’m only just over five foot, so bouncers spot me immediately. Gabi has the most enormous boobs ever to have grown on a person, though, so she just strolls in.

Maybe if I get this job then I’ll be able to socialise in the 16 Radleigh Castle bar, like a sophisticated . . . er, woman, and drink port with Jamie Elliot-Fox. And kiss Jamie Elliot-Fox against windows. But without getting sacked.

While she’s talking about that night, I look at the first picture. There’s him in a suit, but with the shirt collar open. He’s leaning back on a sofa, casually holding a glass of wine, while the people around him, including two girls practically on his lap, clutch vodka bottles and generally look totally wasted. He’s fixing the camera with that same critical, amused look he had at the window.

‘You buggered off with those goths,’ she continues. Gabi thinks that anyone who doesn’t like pop music is a goth. Actually Han’s sister and her friends had turned up and were on their way to see a band, so I went with them.

‘They’re not—’ I try to interrupt.

‘Whatev. So you went with the goths and then I texted you saying we’d met all those Woodbridge guys outside the club and went to their house party – remember?’

‘Yeah, they were all called Tarquin or Octavian or something.’

‘So Jamie was there and that was the night I became Facebook friends with that guy Willem.’

‘William?’

‘No, Willem.’

‘That’s not a proper name.’

Gabi takes a sip of her hot chocolate dramatically. Well, to anyone else it would be dramatic, but it’s how she does everything.

‘Anyway, Max got really jealous and they were like actually going to fight, but Fat Steve calmed everything down.’

‘Really?’ I arch my eyebrows at her. ‘Max has never been in a fight, Gabs. We’ve never even seen a fight.’

‘Whatevs. You weren’t there. There was fighting in their eyes, Mia.’

‘Just not in reality.’

‘Exactly!’

‘So you’ve met him, then?’ I scroll through some more photos. He’s not in all of them, but every so often he’ll appear. On the beach in his shorts again, and wearing shades. In another suit, sitting by a bonfire. In most of the photos he’s got a drink in his hand, but he looks in control, in stark contrast to lots of the people around him.

‘Well, he didn’t talk much. He stood there drinking and watching everyone. Oh yeah, and he was with this girl, apparently. The poshest girl I’ve ever seen. Like a horse with loads of hair. But all these other girls kept crowding round him and he was whispering to them and making them laugh, like really flirty. If Max did that, I’d go schitz. He said something to this one girl and she took her top off and swung it round her head. Next thing, she’s looking around for him, but he’d walked off!’

‘Wow, he sounds just lovely.’

‘His friends said he lives in this pool house outside Radleigh Castle. How awesome is that? He has parties all thetime. When you work there we should totes go — Babe!’

We are interrupted by Max arriving.

‘Hey, princess,’ he says, pointing both fingers at Gabi. He shuffles over in his ridiculously baggy jeans, stopping briefly when the oversized cap he wears perched on the back of his head falls off. I’d like to point out that he is both white and middle class. Considering the amount Gabi bitches about other people’s dress sense, I think that she must go temporarily blind whenever Max is around. He slides into our booth. ‘Aight, baby?’

Okay, make that temporarily blind and deaf.

Max nods at me. ‘Mia.’

‘Hi, Max.’

Then Gabi and he start kissing, which, as is usual for them, carries on for about five minutes. I keep my eyes on her phone. A girl with dark curly hair keeps appearing in the photos, who must be the one Gabi was talking about, because she does have a lot of hair and is near to Jamie in most of the pictures. Her name is Cleo Farah. She is stunning, with big brown eyes, sharp cheekbones and coffee-coloured skin.

Max and Gabi are still firmly attached to each other’s mouths, so I look at the next photo. Jamie is dressed up again, but it looks like it’s for a family thing rather than a party. Maybe a wedding. He’s wearing a waistcoat and has his arm around a girl who looks about twelve. She must be his sister. He’s smiling, but not in the frowny way he is in the other photos – it looks more real. I suddenly realise how stalkerish this is and put Gabi’s phone down. At that second, my own phone starts vibrating in the bag on my lap. I’d turned the sound off after the ringtone nearly gave me a heart attack at Radleigh Castle. It’s calling from a private number.

The receptionist at Radleigh called me from a private number to arrange the interview. Maybe they’re ringing to say I got the job. Or that I didn’t. Or that I was seen watching Jamie in the swimming pool. There aren’t laws against watching men in shorts . . . are there?

I realise I’ve just been staring at the phone and haven’t actually answered.

‘Mia, it’s Julia Elliot-Fox. We’d like to offer you a waitress

position.’

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Extract posted with permission from Piccadilly Press.

Follow @LizBankesAuthor on Twitter.

 

Next Tour Stop: Read, Write and Read Some More.

Read All About It: News, Deals and Cover Reveals from Kimberly Derting, Katie McGarry, Rachel Hawkins, Becca Fitzpatrick and Many More!

Here's a round up of the latest book news, deals and some cover reveals that I've discovered over the past few weeks!  It's also basically a digest of all the exciting news stories that come my way and which I've mostly already posted on my twitter and Facebook feeds, so if you want up-to-the-minute book news and you don't want to have to wait around for me to type this up, you can follow me on those sites!

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Earlier this week I spied with my little eye the UK cover for Dead Silence, the fourth book in The Body Finder Series by Kimberly Derting.  I loved the twist at the end of The Last Echo, and can't wait to see how things work out for Jay and Vi in this one!

Dead Silence (Body Finder #4) by Kimberly Derting

Publisher: Headline.

Release date: April 2013.

A passionate love story. A deadly hunt. A burden to bear. The next in the gripping BODY FINDER series, for fans of Claudia Gray.

All her life Violet has grappled with her ability to sense the echoes of those who have been murdered and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Now that she has an imprint of her own, Violet's "gift" is intolerable. Torn between her desire to lead a normal life and the pressure from the Center to continue her work tracking down killers, Violet's world starts to unravel...and some of her most carefully guarded secrets are exposed.

When she learns that an underground group has been carrying out murders on the orders of their Charles Manson-like leader, Violet is pulled into one final deadly hunt...where her ability may not even be able to save her.

 

Book Deals, Book Deals, Book Deals....

 

Jeyn Roberts Announces The Bodies We Wear: 

 

Pitched as Kill Bill meets The Lovely Bones, The Bodies We Wear is the story of Faye, a girl hellbent on getting revenge against the men who stole her life and murdered the boy she loved.

People say when you take Heam, the body momentarily dies and you catch a glimpse of Heaven.

I was only nine-years-old.

I saw something else.

I saw Hell. 

Set in a world where a drug called Heam causes worldwide addiction and death, 17-year-old Faye is training so she can be strong enough to seek revenge. Eight years ago, Heam was forced on her and her best friend, Christian. She survived. Christian didn't.

But life never goes according to plan. A mysterious young man named Chael has shown up and suddenly her life has become a lot more complicated. He seems to know everything about her, including her terrible past. As she gets drawn into his world, she starts to realise that things aren't as black and white as she first thought. But too many secrets start tearing her world down. Trouble at school, with the police, and the people she thought might be her friends--even Gazer, her guardian, fears she's become too obsessed with destruction.

Love and death. Will Faye overcome her desires or will revenge destroy her?  

 

 

The Bodies We Wear will release in 2014 from Knopf.  The Dark Inside series is one of my favourites (and I so want a third book!!), so I can't wait to read this new offering from Jeyn.  P.S: Jeyn wants to write a third Dark Inside book, so if you want to read it, drop a note to her publishers and tell them how much you loved the first two books! 

 

 

 

Debut Deals.....

 

Night's Edge by Anne Blankman

 

Kristin Rens at HarperCollins's Balzer + Bray imprint has acquired Night's Edge, a romantic historical YA thriller from debut author Anne Blankman, in a three-book deal at auction. Gretchen, a 17-year-old Nazi who is the darling of Uncle Dolf (aka Adolf Hitler), is told shocking information by a Jewish reporter about the death of her father – information that forces her to question everything she believes. Publication is scheduled for fall 2014. Tracey Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.   

 

 Meet Me Here and Bound by Bryan Bliss

Molly O'Neill at HarperCollins's Katherine Tegen Books imprint has bought two books from debut YA author Bryan Bliss. The first book, Meet Me Here, scheduled for summer 2014, tells of once-inseparable childhood friends Thomas and Mallory, who haven't spoken since high school began, but are brought together by chance on the night of high school graduation. The second book, Bound, scheduled for 2015, is about a girl whose family has recently abandoned all their earthly possessions to join a charismatic preacher who has predicted the date of the apocalypse; when it doesn't come, she must choose between the love for her brother, faith in her parents, and belief in herself. Michael Bourret of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management brokered the deal for North American rights. 

 

Follow Bryan on Twitter: @brainbliss 

 

 

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

 

Arianne Lewin at Putnam has acquired a YA romantic thriller from debut author Kim Liggett, Blood and Salt, in a two-book deal at auction. Pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn, the story centers on 17-year-old Ash Larkin, who becomes entangled in a centuries-old quest for immortality. Publication is scheduled for fall 2014; Josh Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.  

 

Follow Kim on Twitter: @bloodandsalt 

 

 

More Book Covers of Awesome....

 

I haven't had time to do a cover post in a while, so this post is picture heavy! In this edition you'll find covers from *takes a deep breath* Katie McGarry, Colleen Hoover, Jessica Sorensen, Rachel Hawkins, Anastasia Hopcus and Siobhan Curham....

 

Unless there is a major awesome book cover reveal in the next couple weeks, this will be my last cover post of 2012. Enjoy! 

 

 

   

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date:  May 2013

Ages: 14+ 

 

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.... 

 

 

 

 Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Release date: December 31st 2012

Ages:  New Adult || 17+

 

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder: A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever. 

 

 

 

 The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

Release date: December 14th 2012

Ages: New Adult || 17+  

 

There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.

Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.

For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.

Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved. 

 

I'm not done yet.  Coming up - A Hex Hall spin-off, A Shadow Hills novella and a book described as Gossip Girl meets Lost! How cool does that sound?! 

 

 

 

 

 School Spirits (Hex Hall Spin-Off #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release date:   May 2013

Ages: 12+

 

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

 

 

Shadow Hills author Anastasia Hopcus has released Holiday Spirits (a Shadow Hills novella) just in time for the holidays! This one is available to buy on Amazon! 

 

 

 

 

 Winter break is fast approaching, and Persephone Archer is looking forward to one weekend at Devenish Prep where she doesn’t have to worry about her new supernatural powers or the mysterious affliction that plagues her boyfriend Zach. All she wants is to lounge around with her friends, and, even more tempting, spend some alone time in front of the fire with Zach. 

So when the friends are forced to work as stagehands by the school’s drama department, the group concocts a prank to convince the Devenish Players that the theater is haunted. The thing they didn’t count on was that the ghost stories might actually be true…

  

 

 

Author Siobhan Curham revealed the book jacket for her upcoming release Shipwrecked on her blog. Pitched as Gossip Girl meets Lost, I can't wait to read this one when it releases from Electric Monkey in June 2013. 

 

 

click for larger image

 

 

This is the first book in a major new series. "Lost" meets "Gossip Girl". It is the newest guilty pleasure!

 

 I jump at the sound of a whispered voice over my shoulder. But when I turn round all I see is sand, and the towering, green wall of the rainforest. I guess it must have been the breeze, but I can't help shivering. I have the weirdest feeling that we're being watched. Grace Delaney and her fellow dance students are en route to perform on a South Pacific cruise-ship when a freak storm hits and they find themselves stranded on a deserted island. With the tropical heat rising, passions and tensions swell to breaking point. And the island itself is quietly steaming with a terrible secret... 

 

 

And, Finally, Book to Movie News...

 

 

Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush Saga Optioned for Film:  

 

I mean, with the Twilight movies wrapping up, this was almost inevitable. 

 

Can't wait to see Patch on the big screen! ;)

 

From EW.com:

 

Forget vampires; these days, angels are where it’s at. EW can exclusively reveal that Becca Fitzpatrick’s bestselling Hush, Hush Saga is heading for the big screen. LD Entertainment has optioned the film rights to the four-book YA series, with Greek creator Patrick Sean Smith set to write the screenplay for the first installment.

 

You can read announcement in full here: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/12/04/hush-hush-saga-ld-entertainment/  

 

 

 

That's it for the round-up! Let me know your thoughts!

 

 

Additional info was sourced from: Publishers Weekly, PW Children's Bookshelf,  Goodreads, Amazon and EW.com.