Contest: Win Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison!

Angela has kindly donated a signed hardcover copy of Taken By Storm! Here's a little something about it:

"Sometimes only love can save you...

Seventeen-year-old Leesie Hunt has rules: no making out. No sex. And definitely no falling for a non-Mormon. She pours all of her passion into poetry, thoughts of escaping her tiny town and getting into her dream school, BYU. The Michael Walden arrives in Tekoa and everything changes. He is a free diver, which means he can hold his breath for minutes at a time. This is how he survived the storm that took his parents' lives, and the world as he knew it. Leesie and Michael couldn't be more different: his dreams are tied to the depths of the ocean and hers to salvation above: Yet they are drawn to each other, even when jealousy, unbearable rules, and haunting memories threaten to tear them apart. Every time Michael goes diving, Leesie is afraid he'll never come back up. He is drowning in tragedy and she knows it's up to her to save him. Somehow. But when temptation becomes too strong to resist, who is going to save her?"

~CONTEST CLOSED~

To Enter:
Fill out this form.

Official Info:

• Only open to U.S residents
• December 15 is the deadline.
• Good luck! =)

*Thanks to Angela! =)

~CONTEST CLOSED~

Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison

Title: Taken By Storm
Author: Angela Morrison
Publisher: Razorbill (March 5, 2009)
Pages: 304
Reading Level: Young Adult

"Sometimes only love can save you... Seventeen-year-old Leesie Hunt has rules: no making out. No sex. And definitely no falling for a non-Mormon. She pours all of her passion into poetry, thoughts of escaping her tiny town and getting into her dream school, BYU. The Michael Walden arrives in Tekoa and everything changes. He is a free diver, which means he can hold his breath for minutes at a time. This is how he survived the storm that took his parents' lives, and the world as he knew it. Leesie and Michael couldn't be more different: his dreams are tied to the depths of the ocean and hers to salvation above: Yet they are drawn to each other, even when jealousy, unbearable rules, and haunting memories threaten to tear them apart. Every time Michael goes diving, Leesie is afraid he'll never come back up. He is drowning in tragedy and she knows it's up to her to save him. Somehow. But when temptation becomes too strong to resist, who is going to save her?"

Taken by Storm has completely TAKEN ME BY STORM! I was expecting a cliche romance; the whole Romeo and Juliet forbidden love plot, but instead, I was met with a completely heartbreaking story line that totally inspired me.

The plot was exciting and full of romance at the same time. Every time Michael dived into the water, I'd hold my breath to see if he ever came back up. The obstacles that both of them had to go through were tough and deep. They went through so much. It was amazing to see how both characters grew as their relationship progressed.

Michael was one of those guys whom I found captivating in a dark, brooding sort of way. Morrison revealed, piece by piece, the puzzle of Michael's parents' death to Leesie. It was the only reason he was closed and secretive to Leesie. Leesie on the other hand, was mostly open. I thought that she was too religious-oriented, but without that, and without her parents' rules, the book would be kind of bland. The way others treat her at school was really an eye-opener to what really happens at school. She was made fun of, just because she was a Mormon..

Overall, Morrison has completely enthralled me with this novel. Read it. You'll love it.

Cover:

Ending:

Writing:

Overall:

*I borrowed this copy from my sister who got it from Angela, thanks for sending a review copy!

Author Interview: Angela Morrison

Today, I'm happy to feature Angela Morrison! I had the pleasure of interviewing her and I was lucky enough that I could! Angela is the author of several YA books, Taken By Storm which was an amazing book, and Sing Me To Sleep which is due March 2010. Please welcome Angela! =)

Did you ever think you were going to be an author?
I always wanted to be an author, but I wasn't sure I would ever break through that brick wall into publishing. After I finished my MFA, it took me almost four years to finally land a contract.

What are you strengths and weaknesses in writing?

I'm best at dialogue. That's what comes out first. I'm worst at plotting. My editor is great at it. I've learned so much from working with her.

How are you and Leesie alike? How are you different?

Leesie lives in the house where I grew up, goes to my high school, and shares my faith. At first I gave in to the temptation to make her too much like me. I saddled her with all of my worst high school experiences in the first five chapters. It was awful. A wise advisor pointed out she needed major revision. I changed her up. Gave her my sister's long, beautiful hair, another sister's mad driving skills, and my son's friend's vintage leather jacket. She started to become her own person. (And Michael fell in love with her hair and jacket!) Leesie's family is very different from mine. I modeled her father on my grandfather. And I think her mom is me. Every character I create comes out of my heart and emotions, so they are all kind of me, but Leesie struggled more than the others to be herself.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing Taken By Storm?

Getting Leesie's voice to click. It took many, many revisions, rejections and critiques until I started messing around with the collage format. Once I put Leesie's voice into her poetry, I knew I'd found the best way to share her with readers.

Is there any scene/part that is your favorite in Taken By Storm?

Most of my favorite scenes got cut! TAKEN BY STORM was seriously overweight when I sold it to Penguin. We cut a third of it. And then I had to rewrite a lot of it to make it work after the cuts. But I guess my favorite scene is the ending scene. That changed very little from my first draft. My favorite line is when Leesie says, "I'm way better online than I am in person." I think a lot of us word and book lovers can relate.

Do you have any "must-have's" while writing?

Bleck Zebra gel pens, pale pink paper, and my kidney shaped lap desk.

Your upcoming novel, Sing Me To Sleep is due March 2010, can you tell us a bit about it?

My daughter sang with the Junior Amabile Singers--a competitive girls choir--when we lived in London, Ontario. I always wanted to set a novel in that world. But I didn't have a story. Then a quiet tragedy happened in Amabile's young men's choir, and Razorbill decided to wait on publishing the sequel to TAKEN BY STORM. So I had a heart breaking story for inspiration and the opportunity to shape it into my art. SING ME TO SLEEP has a power far beyond me. Stop by my website and read the first chapter where you'll meet Beth, SING's ugly duckling heroine.

What is the best piece of advice for those young aspiring writers out there?

When I was a young aspiring writer, I hated that old advice, "write what you know." It gave me writers block for decades. But, when I finally got down to writing a novel, I wrote about what I knew. But it's so much more than that. To write, you have to draw from everything you've ever experienced, learned, imagined, and dreamed and refashion it as story. So, I tell young writers to write what they are dying to know, write what they just learned and are jazzed about, write what they dream, write from their deepest beliefs, and write what they miss so much it makes their hearts ache. I left the small town where I set TAKEN BY STORM as fast as I could, but I was so homesick for it that I returned the only way I could--in my imagination.

Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?

Reader's might just be interested in knowing that this fall I finally wrote the sequel to TAKEN BY STORM, UNBROKEN CONNECTION. Razorbill hasn't signed it yet, so I'm not sure if or when it will be published. Watch my website for updates.

Thank you Angela! =)

In My Mailbox (14)

IMM is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren!

I had an awesome week with books! =)

For review:


A Match Made In High School (ARC) by Kristin Walker
The Good Girl's Guide To Getting Kidnapped (ARC) by Yxta Maya Murray
The Naughty List (ARC) by Suzanne Young
Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe
Scones and Sensibility (ARC) by Lindsay Eland
The Line (ARC) by Terri Hall
The Mark (ARC) by Jen Nadol
The Shifter by Janice Hardy

Bought:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I think this is the best week yet! I got a lot of great titles. I can't wait to start reading all!

What did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link below!

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Title: The Espressologist
Author: Kristina Springer
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1 edition (October 27, 2009)
Pages: 192
Reading Level: Young Adult

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

The Espressologist is a great debut from Kristina Springer! The whole idea of this story was something really unique.

Jane and Em are both funny and entertaining characters. The relationship between them is comfortable and natural...just how best friends should be! Cam was a character, but I wasn't really able to know him as well as I should have. Springer should have enhanced his character more so that readers would really be able to see the relationship building between him and Jane.

The best part, though, were the different customers that Jane had. They're quirky, fun, and interesting. Will. He was a character I was suspicious of ever since the beginning. I just wished that there was more conflict relating to him and Melissa. At first, he seemed like such a perfect guy, but then, nobody's perfect right?

The couples that she paired up were cute and charming...I especially loved the three freshmen couples she paired up! Too cute!

I've used cute so many times! If there's any word that'll describe The Espressologist, it's definitely going to be cute! =)

Cover: .3

Ending:

Writing:

Overall: .6

*Thanks to FSG for sending me a review copy!

Author Interview: Kristina Springer

I have Kristina Springer here on The Bookologist with us today! She is author The Espressologist which came out from FSG on Oct.

I love the idea for The Espressologist, how did you come up with it?
I'm a super big coffee freak so I like to go to coffee shops a lot. Like my main character Jane, one day I was people watching and I realized I could kind of tell what drinks people were going to order. I thought I'd write a book full of drink types and definitions and call it Espressology. Then when I started to write it it hit me that I should make it fiction and have a barista practicing Espressology and hooking people up.

What is your favorite hot drink?
Right now it's a Pumpkin Spice Latte. But my regular favorite drink is an iced nonfat mocha with no whip.

How are you and Jane alike? How are you different?
We have the same favorite drink so there are some similarities. :-) But Jane is much cooler and funnier than me.

The cover for The Espressologist is very eye-catching, what do you think of it?
I love it!

Do you have any must-have's while writing?
Coffee. You probably guessed that though.

If you were brought to a deserted island, which 3 books would you bring with you?
Good question! I'm totally not a re-reader so I'd probably grab Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, and Sophie Kinsella's newest releases.

What is the best piece of advice for young writers?
Don't give up! You have to be reeeeealy persistent and stick to it and always believe in yourself.

Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks for having me! And stop by my blog and enter my contest to win a bunch of cool stuff-- http://kspringer.livejournal.com/27364.html Contest ends 11/27.

Thank you Kristina! Be sure to check out her website!

Contest: Putnam Palooza!

I'm really excited for this contest. I actually was not going to be the only one who was going to host this contest, no surprise, my sister also was going to, again, she has this author week going on so it's all me! So, you may ask why Putnam Palooza..? Because all the books I will be giving away are all from Putnam Juvenile Publications!

I will be giving away these three a-m-a-z-i-n-g books:

• Finished copy of Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman
• ARC of Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony
• ARC of Sea by Heidi R. Kling

One winner takes all.

~CONTEST CLOSED~

To Enter:
Comment with your email. If you are not comfortable posting your email, please email it to me at bookreviewsya[AT]yahoo[DOT]com .

Extra Entries:
+5 follower of my blog (old or new)
+4 follower of The Undercover Book Lover (old or new)
+10 post this contest on your blog, must be a post.
+2 link- twitter (put @thebookologist,) sidebar, etc...

(Please leave links=)

Other Info:

• Open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.
• Dec. 17 is the deadline.
• Good luck! =)

For other info, check my contest policy, further questions, email me.

*Thank you so much to S @ Putnam! She made all of this possible. =)

~CONTEST CLOSED~

In My Mailbox (13)

IMM is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren!

Slow week but I can't wait to read all of them! =)

For review:

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Bought:

SWITCH by Carol Snow
Evermore by Alyson Noel- Yes I know, I HAVE NOT read the Immortal Series yet, shame on me!

SWAG:

• I got awesome SWAG from Joelle Anthony for her book, Restoring Harmony. Thank you Joelle!
  

That's my IMM post for this week. Have an awesome week you guys! =)

What did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link below!

Author Interview: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Today, I'm so excited to feature Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, authors of Beautiful Creatures! BC hits shelves by Dec. 1, but BC is in stores now!

When did you start to write? Why?
Margie: I began writing poetry in elementary school, but the first story I ever wrote was called “Princess Primrose,” and had a wizard named Gandalf in it. Wonder where I got that idea? J I loved to read and wanted be a writer so I could live in a book.
Kami: I wrote poetry obsessively as a teenager. I have at least forty journals in big, plastic tub. I got my friends a lot of dates.

How did it feel working with Margaret/Kami to write Beautiful Creatures?
Margie: Kami’s been my friend for so long, and she knows me so well. It’s easier to go through the craziness of writing & publishing a novel when a friend is going through it with you!
Kami: Margie is like my sister, and she is the best writer I know. Aside from the low ice supply at her house, she is the perfect writing partner.

How are you and Lena or Ethan alike? How are you different?
Margie: Like Lena, I love to write, and like Ethan, I love to read. Like both of them, I wear the same pair of ratty Converse most days, though mine are red. Unlike Lena, I have a nonexistent sense of style, and unlike Ethan, I only aspire to be brave.
Kami: I write poetry like Lena, and I’m fiercely loyal like Ethan. I don’t have any supernatural gifts, unless typing with three fingers counts. I also grew up with a lot of very strong women in my life, like Ethan.

If you could pick a theme song for Beautiful Creatures, what would it be and why?
Margie: Any song off the Spring Awakening soundtrack. When I wrote Beautiful Creatures, I played it every moment I wrote. It’s pure teen angst, beautiful, tragic.
Kami: The two songs that come to mind are both on Ethan’s playlist: “Lucky Man” by the Verve & “Show Me What I’m Looking For” by Carolina Liar. I listened to a lot of Southern rock and Soundgarden while writing BC.

Is there anything you would like readers to take from Beautiful Creatures?
Margie: As they say on www.castergirls.com, a true Caster is someone with the power to be themselves, supernatural or not. That’s what we wish for ourselves, and all our readers.
Kami: My favorite quote in BC is, “The right thing and the easy thing are never the same.” It’s hard to be yourself, to make the choices you want to make – not the ones your friends or family want you to choose. But it’s worth it.

Do you have any must-haves while writing?
Margie: Diet Coke or Starbucks. Wheat Thins. Earphones. Music. Reading Glasses.
Kami: Diet Coke, with lots of ice. The Comfy Chair. Pizza. Quiet.

What is the best piece of advice for those young aspiring writers out there?
Margie: Don’t give up. Don’t stop reading. Don’t stop. Don’t be afraid to show someone your writing. Remember there’s no such thing as a bad book, only an unfinished draft. It might take years, but if you work hard enough, you’ll get there.
Kami: Read great books, and just write. Forget outlines and arcs and perfection. Just write. And write about what you know. My first book, which no one but Margie will ever see, was about a fairy. There are no fairies in the South. Now I stick to what I know.

Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?
Margie: The YA community rocks! We feel like our writer and reader and blogger and twitter friends are an enormous extended family. You’re the people we’re on this roller coaster ride with, and we couldn’t be happier. THANK YOU!
Kami: It’s still hard for me to believe that we’re published authors. When I think about the YA authors I read and love, it’s hard to believe we’re part of the club now. I’m honored to be in it. For people who think YA isn’t “real fiction,” I dare you to write some. YA readers are hardcore.


You can keep up with Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl at www.BeautifulCreaturestheBook.com.

Visit Little, Brown’s Beautiful Creatures website at www.SomeLovesAreCursed.com.

Thank you Kami & Margaret! That was a fabulous interview! Be sure to get your own copy of BC since its in stores now! I know I will. =)

In My Mailbox (12)

This awesome meme is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.

I got awesome titles this week! =) My TBR pile is growing each and every day. =)

For review:

Girls Acting Catty by Leslie Margolis

Won: (I FINALLY won a contest!)

The Good Girl's Guide To Getting Kidnapped (ARC) by Yxta Maya Murray.
3 Secret Society ankh tattoos

From a friend:

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

From Eleni @ La Femme Readers:

The Cinderella Society (ARC) by Kay Cassidy *squee*
Epitaph Road (ARC) by David Patneaude
6 Secret Society ankh tattoos

Thank you so much Eleni! I basically screamed when I saw The Cinderella Society! :]
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So that's my IMM post for this week. Hope you guys had a great week as well!

What did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link below!