Monday Giveaway: Starters by Lissa Price

First up, last weeks winner of Partials by Dan Wells is Tandra S. Congratulations! You should have received an e-mail from me.

Well the votes are in, and it was close. One vote close.

This week, I'll be giving away Starters.

Starters by Lissa Price

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .



Ways to Enter...

+1 for accepting the terms and conditions
+1 for picking next week's giveaway
+2 for following this blog
+3 for following me on twitter @carrie716
+4 for leaving a blog comment
+5 for tweeting about the giveaway (you can do this once per day)
+10 for blogging about the giveaway

You must be at least 18 to enter (13+ with parental permission) and have a U.S. shipping address. 


Again, help me choose next week's giveaway (leave your choice in the comments). If you're not familiar with these books, click on the image to read more at Goodreads.

OR

I've gone fangirl

Recognize them?

Maybe...maybe not.

It's NKOTB, or The New Kids on the Block. And when I was 14, they were the rage among my friends. My crazy eighth grade friends, who staged pretend weddings, created pretend photo albums, and lived out pretend lives where they walked around calling each other "Mrs Knight" and "Mrs McIntyre."

Where was I?

Well...probably with my head in a book. But I'd occasionally look up long enough to smile and laugh at it all. Not trying to be judgmental...I just didn't get it.

I was not a fangirl.

Flash forward twenty years.

Recognize this?

Most likely. Whether you love it or hate it, Twilight has become all the rage in recent years especially among those junior high friends of mine. They're all grown of course, with husbands and kids and busy lives. But everytime a new movie is released they find babysitters, dress up, and stand in lines for hours to see the midnight premiere. And they come back the next day. And the weekend after. And they buy t-shirts, posters, CDs, and stand in even more lines to get the DVDs the night they are released.

Where am I?

Well...probably buried in my writing. But I occasionally look up long enough to smile and laugh at it all. Once again, not trying to be judgmental...I enjoyed Twilight. I just don't get the obsession.

I am not a fangirl.

Flashforward to yesterday...

I may or may not have taken off work for the Hunger Games premiere which I bought tickets for in February. I may or may not have waited in the movie theater last night for nearly three hours until the movie started. I may or may not went to see the movie again later that afternoon.

Okay I did all of that...and more. And for once I finally get it.

I think I'm becoming a fangirl.

What about you? What do you go 'crazy' for?

Monday Giveaway: Partials by Dan Wells

First up, last weeks winner of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver is Nata A. Congratulations! You should have received an e-mail from me.

It was close, but Partials edged out Bewitching as this weeks giveaway.

Partials by Dan Wells

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

You must be at least 18 to enter (13+ with parental permission) and have a U.S. shipping address.

Ways to Enter...

+1 for accepting the terms and conditions
+2 for following this blog
+3 for leaving a blog comment
+4 for tweeting about the giveaway
+5 for blogging about the giveaway
 
And as a bonus this week, you can earn 25 extra entries by following my fellow writer, blogger, and CP, Amber. Either follow her blog or her twitter account, @amberafterglow. Your choice. And while you're over visiting her blog, be sure to sign up for her fabulous giveaway of Lola and the Boy Next Door.

Again, help me choose next week's giveaway (leave your choice in the comments). If you're not familiar with these books, click on the image to read more at Goodreads.

OR

Enter below...

Happy Friday!

Yea! Friday, finally here, and I couldn't be happier!

And now for what made this week awesome...

1. New books!

2. Blog posts I Loved!

• Sarah Allen writes about living in the present at From Sarah, With Joy.
• Ashley Nixon on Villains. 
• The importance of starting off with emotion at Moody Writing.

3. Wonderful Readers!


Thank you for the amazing comments and suggestions left on Hating my WIP. Special thanks to Rena for her carrot and stick suggestion. So, putting it to use,


4. Change Write Now!

Nearly done with the first week and I'd say I did pretty good. Part of the challenge was to give up one bad habit, so I gave up the daily diet coke. I was addicted to the stuff...like daily. Tough the first few days (talk about caffeine withdrawal), but getting better. And I haven't slipped...despite the can in our fridge.

5. Cover Reveal! 

Gennifer Albin's cover reveal for Crewel is supposed to happen today. I am beyond excited. This book is one of my most anticipated reads for 2012. If you haven't heard of it, check it out here.

6. Giveaway!

My giveaway for Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver is still going on. Also come vote between Partials by Dan Wells and Bewitching by Alex Flinn for next week's giveaway. As of this posting, I think Partials is in the lead, but it's close.


7. Weekend Plans!


Writing and lots of it. I'm taking Rena's advice and giving myself a carrot (and a stick). I'm letting my family, my friends, and the blogging world know...I will not be going to the Hunger Games movie next Friday unless the draft is done. And anyone who knows me, knows I've been counting down the days until March 23rd for a long, long, long time. I bought my tickets back in February. I took the day off work. Darn it, I will not miss that movie.

So this weekend I will do nothing but write.

Hope you all have a good one!

Hating my WIP

For the past few days I've been hating my current WIP.

I'm less than a handful of scenes from finishing this current draft. I know how it's going to end. I know what I need to write. But whenever I sit down at my computer, the words won't come. Instead I get a barrage of you can't do this, this book sucks, and maybe i should change that scene in chapter two.

So then I do this...

And contemplate an ending where I blow up my world and kill off my characters and be done with it. Then I feel bad, so I go pin all the pretty pictures on Pinterest to make myself feel better, and before I know it another day is gone.

Don't get me wrong. I really truly love my story, my characters, and writing them. I already wrote this story...several times over. I even queried it. And last fall, an agent invited me to resubmit once the writing was stronger.

So I ripped it apart and put it back together. Gave my characters bigger goals and tougher conflicts. I've taken class upon class (I highly highly recommend Margie Lawson) and I can see the difference.

There are a few thousand words left to go. Few enough that I could finish this draft before the week's over...maybe even tonight.

So what am I waiting for?

I have no idea.

Anybody else get like this near the end? Please tell me I'm not alone.

Monday Giveaway: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

First up, last weeks winner of Fever by Lauren DeStefano is Cheyenne Teska. Congratulations! You should have received an e-mail from me regarding the giveaway.

And this week I'm giving away...

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and ?ame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

You must be at least 18 to enter (13+ with parental permission) and have a U.S. shipping address.

Lots of ways to Enter...

+1 for accepting the terms and conditions
+2 for following this blog
+3 for leaving a blog comment
+4 for tweeting about the giveaway
+5 for blogging about the giveaway

Also help me choose next week's giveaway (leave your choice in the comments).

OR

Enter below...

Awarded, Tagged, and Challenged

Happy Friday!

First up, I was awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award from Amber Clites. Thank you Amber!

The rules:

1. Thank the blogger who gave you the award and provide a link.
2. List 7 interesting things about yourself that your readers might find interesting
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers, provide links, and let them know!

So Amber, thanks again! :) As for the 7 interesting things...well not sure how interesting I really am, but if you go here you'll find 10.

Also Amber tagged me in The Lucky 7 Meme.

The rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know

So here I go (7 lines in all there unedited glory)...

"Hungry?" he asks. We’re parked in front of a generic freeway diner, one of the thousands off I-70 advertising $3.99 weekday specials and Kids-eat-free Fridays in giant neon letters across tinted windows.

"I guess," I say but he’s already climbing out of the car. I don’t like this distance between us. This unease. But I don’t know how to fix it. I get out, slamming the car door closed, and follow him inside.

I also recently realized that I posted a huge novel of questions from being tagged in the '11 Questions' game and never asked any of my own (yeah, chain letters always die with me too). So here it goes:

1. If your WIP had a theme song, what would it be?
2. How did you come up with the name for your main character?
3. About how long does it take you to complete a first draft?
4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
5. What's your favorite candy bar?
6. Early bird or night owl?
7. Name one thing you're looking forward to this year.
8. If you could have one question answered about your future, what would it be?
9. What is your favorite part of the writing process?
10. Are you going to see Hunger Games on March 23rd? If not, why?
11. Team Peeta or Team Gale?

And now to pass the Kreativ Blogger Award, the Lucky 7 Meme, and the 11 Questions onto some wonderful bloggers...

1. Elodie at commutinggirl
2. Jennifer Fischetto
3. Gina at This Is Not Your Blog
4. Jenna at Finding the Write Way
5. Rena at Doctor Faerie Godmother
6. Daisy at Fresh As A Daisy
7. W. Chaser
8. Ashley Nixon
9. Amber at amberafterglow

And finally, I've decided to take a leap and join the Change Write Now Challenge. If you have health goals for 2012 and are looking for some motivation, today is the last day to join in!

Have a great weekend!!!

It's the first Wednesday which means time for another meeting of Alex J. Cavanaugh's ISWG.

This month, I thought I'd steal from Rena over at Doctor Faerie Godmother, and take a moment to appreciate my crit partners.

I don't know about you, but there is nothing that can set off my insecurities like an e-mail back from one of my CPs. They have there own special folder in my e-mail account, and whenever I see the (1) pop-up next to it, knowing I recently sent off some beloved piece I slaved over, my hands start sweating and my stomach starts turning. I'm usually biting my tongue and squinting my eyes when I open up the e-mail. What if they say it sucks? What if it just says 'WTF'? 

I don't know why I get like this because once I manage to pry my eyes completely open, all I find are helpful comments full of amazing insight and wisdom. My CPs have all been wonderful—full of great questions and suggestions that have encourage and challenged me to dig deeper and take my writing to a new level.

So to Amber, Nicole, Jenn, and Rena for your awesome feedback. And to my 'Margie' EPs Elise, Jenn, and Carlene. Thank you!  

Happy Book Birthdays!

There are two things I love about Tuesdays:

1. It's about as far from Monday as you can get.

2. I'm addicted to the pre-order button on Amazon, so Tuesday means the UPS man at my door with lots of shiny new books to read.

So here is what showing up at my door this week. Happy Book Birthdays to:

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

Check out the book on Goodreads and visit the author's website.


Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.

And Billy's nowhere to be found.

All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way.

It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.

Especially if it means everything changes.

Check out the book at Goodreads and visit the author's website. 

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser

Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

Check out this book on Goodreads and visit the author's website. 



All of these look amazing and I'm not sure where I'll start. What about you? What's on the top of your TBR list? Any other books coming out this week you're looking forward to reading? 






 

Monday Winner and a New Giveaway!

Happy Monday!

Congrats to Emily R. (you should have received an e-mail from me) on winning the giveaway for Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood and thanks to everybody who stopped by and entered.

This week I'm giving away....

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

 Now if you haven't had the chance to read Wither yet or would just like a refresher of the first installment in this awesome series, there's still time to win a copy over at Amber's blog. 


And for a chance to win Fever, enter below.

Some Favorites on a Friday

Happy Friday!

Here are some favorites of mine from this past week.

Favorite Book I Read:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. If you haven't read this yet, you should. And it's not too late to win a copy in my giveaway.

Favorite Book On My TBR Pile:

 
Fever by Lauren DeStefano. I absolutely adored Wither. If you haven't read Wither yet, there is a great giveaway going on over at my CP Amber's blog. Check it out!


Favorite Video: Okay this is a few months old but I didn't see it until this week. Loved it!



Favorite Blog Post: It's so easy to impatiently rush to reach our publishing goals, and neglect what it's really about - the writing. (I am sooo guilty of this). Natalie Whipple wrote an awesome post. Check it out!

Favorite . . . : This isn't really a favorite, more of the big heartbreak for me this week. He was my favorite Monkee and my sixth grade crush. Rest in peace, Davy Jones.



So what are your favorites? And what are you looking forward to?