Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they've always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school's foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they're meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don't return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls' relationships-and their friendships-be able to survive?
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published January 3rd 2012 by Walker & Company
The International Kissing Club is a book that will instantly make you happy. The characters are lively, fun, and unique. Each have definitive personalities, and quirks that make them exciting. Ivy Adams' (which is actually the pseudonym for three friends who write together) book switches from the perspectives of 4 best friends. In many cases, books that switch so much vex me, mainly because I feel as if I can't connect enough with the characters. Ivy Adams manages to make the characters enjoyable though. Each character is so close with the others that you learn a lot about them all, from both them and from their friends. I will however say that some of the friends out shone each other.
The story starts off with a very embarrassing incident which automatically makes you want to continue reading. In just the prologue, Ivy Adams, made me feel sympathetic towards our first leading lady.
Piper is the fearless friend. Despite her fearlessness, she is easily embarrassed. Still she puts on a brave face, and it is she who starts the international kissing club. While I can say that I don't have any major problems with Piper, I slowly lose sympathy for her over the course of the novel. She, in fact, becomes my least favorite of the characters. Her insecurity is the main reason why. I don't want to reveal her actions with in the novel, but while her part in the International Kissing Club is very adventurous, I feel she is out shined by some of the other main characters.
Mei however is not that character. Mei, who was adopted from China as a baby, is a character I thoroughly enjoyed. She was also the one character I felt I didn't connect enough with. I actually wanted more of Mei and her time in China.
Cassidy was a blast to read about. I connected with her character and her time in Australia excited me to no end. If Adams was to write a spin-off focused on one of the girls I would want her to do so with Cassidy. I definitely want to know more about what happens with her and her very crush-worthy beau, Lucas.
Finally, there is Izzy. Izzy, who is environmentally aware, and compassionate, and my favorite character in the novel. It is she I rooted for as I read, and she I wished to have a happy ending with one popular boy in town. Izzy and Cassidy actually made the book a very enjoyable read for me. Mei, did as well, as every glimpse into her adventures seemed to make me smile.
I've probably seemed a bit strict about my analysis of this novel, but I actually quite enjoyed it, which is why I am so opinionated. Adams writing style is perfect for the type of book she wrote, and though I had discrepancies with the amount of time spent on Mei, the book did not fail to please me. It's a fun, light read that is great for when you are in a bad mood, or even when you just need something to read that can make you laugh.
I can say I really liked the fact that the cover works perfectly for the story line, and each girl is depicted spot on.
Overall, the book was a really good read, and once I got past Chapter 3, I didn't stop reading until I finished (which ended up being around 3 AM). I would recommend it to all YA Contemporary lovers, especially to those just leaving Middle Grade reading.
4/5 stars
You can meet the ladies behind Ivy Adams on the IKC website: http://theinternationalkissingclub.com/about-ivy/
It's the final day of YA Excerpt Week, and time for our last guest.
Today, we have Shelly Crane, author of the YA series, Collide, Devour, and Significance.
She has brought with her an excerpt from her Devour series. Check it out, and be sure to enter for a shot at an e-copy of Devour for Kindle. Consume, book two of the series, releases May 22!
Clara has it all. A wrestling star boyfriend, popular friends, all the right school activities...pretty much a perfect life...up until her parents died. Now she lives with the Pastor and his family and though they take good care of her, she feels alone. Then her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of trouble when a new guy, Eli, comes to town. Clara is fascinated with him but hides it until something happens. Eli confesses to her that she gives him something he's never had before...something he needs. Everything is about to change for this normal, pretty, popular girl in a supernatural way.
Devour - An Excerpt
“She eats lunch with you?”
“Afraid so. You may as well get used to it now. We hardly ever get new kids at our school and the girls I hang out with are...forward when it comes to guys. You can back out now and I wouldn’t blame you.”
“No. No, I like a challenge.” I looked at him sideways to see him smiling in his profile. “So the spirit squad? I didn’t peg you as a cheerleader.”
“You pegged right. I’m not,” I laughed. “Spirit squad decorates for games and sells tickets and ribbons and stuff. We try to pep people up for events.”
“I see. Sounds interesting. And cheerleaders can’t do this?”
“Not when they’re too busy getting busy in the bathroom before the games.”
He laughed and I looked at him with a smile. He was so different somehow.
While gazing at him I forgot to watch where I was going and plowed right into a freshman, but he may as well have been Andre’ the Giant. He was huge and the fact that I was a girl apparently had no effect on him.
“Watch it,” he growled.
“Sorry.”
“Why don’t you just take your,” he slapped my butt hard, “pretty little pampered spirit squad butt back to where you belong and get out of my way.”
“Whoa, pal,” Eli said and pulled me behind him. I was surprised by it but grateful. “Don’t talk to her like that and don’t ever touch her again.”
By this point there was an eager crowd with the word fight dancing in their eyes.
“Who are you, Pippy?” Everyone laughed and snickered. “If I were you I’d watch it. You’re not making a very good first impression at this school. First, you’re hanging out with spoiled ice queen over here, and now you’re messing with me. I’d just go around me and pretend you never got in my way if I were you.”
“Sure. I’ll do that after you apologize,” Eli said calmly.
“I don’t apologize to brats who get everything they want. She should apologize for bumping me.”
“I did,” I mumbled at the same time that Eli said, “She did.”
“Whatever-”
“Get to class!” Mr. Brank called from his classroom and everyone scattered. “Now.”
“Later, Pippy,” the big freshman jerk called. “Later, spoiled brat.”
We started to walk and heard the bell. We were still a couple hallways away from class and I saw no point in rushing now.
“Thank you,” I said after some time. “I have no idea who he was, but he apparently knows me.”
“I don’t think he does if he thinks you’re a pampered, spoiled brat.”
“You don’t know me,” I said but thought it sounded defensive so I added jokingly, “I could be a horrible drama queen who stomps freshman under my leather stiletto boots.”
“I highly doubt that,” he rebutted and looked at my feet, then dragged his gaze back up to my eyes. “Besides, I don’t see any stilettos.”
I realized we’d stopped in the hall and were now just standing there, looking at each other.
“Thanks. Really. You didn’t have to do that. Now you’ve already made an enemy and it’s the first day.”
“Yeah, but I made a friend too.”
Gosh, his eyes were so breathtaking. It made me feel like I had Jell-O knees looking at him. His face changed and he cocked his head a little before opening his mouth slightly. He looked surprised this time though. He had that same look before, last night, when Tate and I had been fighting; like he was in ecstasy.
“What is it?” I asked.
He shook his head and smiled sheepishly at me.
“Sorry. You’re just...um. We better get to class.”
“Yeah,” I said nodding.
Shelly is a YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read. Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.
On to the giveaway! One of you lucky Listers will have a new e-book via Kindle, or a Kindle app!
Shelly is giving away a copy of book one of the Devour series to one of you Listers! So enter the rafflecopter below, and check out Shelly's huge list of novels!
Hey again everyone! It's time for today's second excerpt and giveaway for YA Excerpt Week here on Mera's YA Book List! Check back everyday for new excerpts, giveaways, and awesomeness!
And they are all still open!
This one is a awesome one!
Not only are you getting an awesome excerpt to read, 3 of you lucky Listers will get a bookmark for Janell Rhiannon's Invisible Wings! One of you Listers will get both a bookmark and a paperback copy of Janell's novel, Invisible Wings!
And the bookmarks are so totally signed! I know right?
Now onward to the magic!
On her fifteenth birthday, Arabella finds out she’s on the path to becoming a full-fledged Virtue angel. When the Voice fills her with a blinding light, her angelic mission is revealed: she was put on Earth to guide and guard teenagers. She hears their darkest thoughts and their secret wishes. She must help them realize their true destinies…and she can time travel to do it. The moment the first star pops into the twilight sky, Arabella shimmers into action on invisible wings. 12 Twilights 12 Destinies 12 Teenagers who will never be the same
This excerpt is actually a sneak peek at Chapter 10 of Invisible Wings!
Chapter 10
The Sweetest Sound Home is a journey that begins with a shooting star. You travel on purpose through swirling diamond dust and cold purple dreams through the atmospheric barrier where you catch fire with life. You are the shooting star of your own life as you fly toward your destination of skin and bones and guts and a home. Sometimes four walls and roof get confused with a home. Home is where the love that nurtures you rises like a song at sunrise. It’s where you learn what being precious feels like in your mother’s eyes. Home is where you learn what being safe feels like in your father’s arms. Home is where love is in the refrigerator next to the milk and cheese. You can take your first steps anywhere. Nalae packed up her clothes in a dirty orange backpack as the sun rose every Monday through Friday. She used a big safety pin to keep her backpack closed. She scooted out of the car looking around to make sure that no one from school was there. She hiked the backpack over her shoulder and walked across the Wal-Mart parking lot and went into the store. She didn’t intend on buying anything. She didn’t have any money. Nalae and her little sister used the Wal-Mart bathroom because they lost their house to the bank three months ago and lived in their car. If she got in the bathroom early enough, no one stared or asked stupid questions. She splashed cold water on her face and washed her hair with hand soap. She hated how the foamy soap made her hair stiff and fuzzy, but it was better than being called grease-head. She used the brown service towels to wash her arms and legs. The last thing she always washed was her feet. She balanced on each leg, one at a time, to get each foot in the sink. She scrubbed the soles as hard as she could, but she could never quite wash the homelessness off of them. So far, no one from Wal-Mart tried to stop Nalae or her sister from using the bathroom. She gratefully wiped down the sink and the mirror and the floor every morning. Today in class, Nalae realized that she forgot to exchange her dirty clothes for her school books when she went back to the car after she left the Wal-Mart bathroom. Her little sister had needed her hair brushed. She had tangles from sleeping with her head smashed into the corner of the door and the back seat. It took longer than Nalae expected to smooth the wild matted mess her sister woke up with. She hurried out of the car to walk the two miles to school. She was only five minutes late to her first class, but the teacher marked her tardy anyway. “Why are you tardy, Nalae?” our teacher asked. “I don’t know. I didn’t get up early enough, I guess.” “You have lunch detention. That’s two tardies in two days.” “OK,” Nalae said out loud. But I heard what she said inside her head. What am I supposed to tell her? That it’s a long walk from the Ford Expedition to school? That I had to get ready in a public bathroom? Nalae’s eyes watered as she sat at her desk with a backpack full of damp dirty clothes and no binder or homework. I could hear her mortified voice repeating, OMG what if someone finds out? I handed her some notebook paper and a pen. “Thanks,” she whispered. Homework and damp clothes were the least of Nalae’s problems. Her stomach grumbled with emptiness. She wrapped her arm across her waist to muffle the sound of her homelessness. She refused to look up at anyone in class, but she did keep looking at the clock on the wall that always ran three minutes slow. OMG, this class takes forever. Stupid clock. The second hand tapped each black dot, one by one, circling around the clock face over and over all morning long in every class until the lunch bell rang her relief. Kids crowded into the cafeteria line. Quite a few kids who she used to know, but who she now mostly ignored. They didn’t know her father lost his job and that she lived in a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot, but they knew her mother died two years ago. They knew that soon after the funeral, Nalae withdrew from polite high school society and went underground. She started dressing in black from head to toe, smudging black kohl around her eyes like an Egyptian princess and dyeing her dark blonde hair jet black. She dropped out of honor choir and never looked back. She punched her seven digit number into the computer at the cash register to get her free lunch. She was so grateful for the soggy sandwich with mix and match white and wheat bread slices stuck together by sticky yellow cheese that she thanked the cafeteria lady with a shy smile she rarely showed to anyone. In a corner booth, she ate not only in silence but in self-imposed exile. She ate the entire sandwich with her fingers ripping one small piece off at a time. It lasted longer that way. Her very best girlfriends, the ones who knew what her mother’s chocolate chip cookies tasted like hot and melting from the oven, didn’t eat with her anymore because they ate at Taco Bell or McDonalds. They wouldn’t be caught dead eating in the cafeteria where the disabled kids and immigrants ate…where she ate. She wasn’t sure if they were even her friends anymore. They all had cell phones and computers, but she didn’t have anything like that anymore. On the inside where it mattered, she felt relieved they ignored her because she didn’t have to lie about her dad losing his job at the insurance company or talk about how the Sherriff came and escorted them from their house. The disabled kids and immigrants never asked her why she was in there with them. They didn’t care. We understand the concept that “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” but we ignore it mostly. Every day the green grass blades bend and flatten under our feet as we walk from one place to another, with each blade remaining changed even after we are long gone. No one ever thanked the grass for softening their footsteps along the way to gym class. What if a pebble jumped into your shoe? How many steps would you take before you knelt down to remove it? You don’t think about the sacrifice of the grass until the pebble reminded you that your life used to be different. Nalae’s homelessness really began when her mother died, not the first night they slept in the car under the stars. Her mother went to the grocery store one day and never came back. Hours after she had left to buy butter, brown sugar and Hersey’s chocolate chips, her father got a phone call. Nalae remembered how he slumped over the counter and howled. It rattled her that her father’s body shook like an oak tree in a savage storm. She never worried about anything because her father seemed so strong on the outside. She tried to hug him as the tempest of tears ripped his invisible heart out by the root. “Don’t cry, daddy. Don’t cry.” When he could finally speak, Nalae’s father said with a voice as wretched as his sobbing, “A car ran a red light...your mother. She’s gone. They said she didn’t suffer. She’s gone, Nalae. What am I supposed to do?” At the funeral, Nalae didn’t shed a single tear. Pale pink roses draped her mother’s casket, trailing like a floral curtain down the church isle. Her mother used to love pink roses and the hymn Amazing Grace that the choir sang as the pallbearers wheeled the casket to the front of the sanctuary. At the cemetery, Nalae plucked a single pink bud from the casket arrangement and tried to recall the sound of her mother singing the hymn Amazing Grace while she baked chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen, but she couldn’t remember the sound of her mother’s voice at all. When she got home, she put the wilting bud into her jewelry box. Everyone said she looked so strong, but that was only on the outside. On the inside, Nalae shriveled up like a raisin. Have you ever noticed that the things that end up mattering most in life are the things most easily overlooked? Like the sun that spreads warmth across your shoulders or the sleepy smile of a baby while sugarplum-filled dreams danced in her eyes or the way your belly hurt when you laughed so hard the milk came out of your nose or the smile your mother gave you as you rushed out the door. Not until you lost it all would you appreciate any of it. When you have it, you walk right over it, like the green grass. Nalae’s loss colored her world with shades of silent gray and painful black. Her invisible heart broke. It was easy to live in a cramped Ford Expedition; it was hard to live without the voice of her mother singing in the kitchen while she baked chocolate chip cookies. It was easy to balance on one leg at a time and wash her dirty feet; it was hard to think she was forgetting her mother. It was easy to rim her eyes with kohl; it was hard to hold back the tears she couldn’t find. It was easy to forget the house they used to live in; it was unbearable to live every day without her mother and watch her father shrivel into a raisin. Daddy, please don’t cry any more. Please, don’t cry. It’s breaking my heart. Her father’s pain was tearing her invisible heart in half. So she lined her eyes with more kohl. Daddy, I don’t care about the house. Please, stop crying. Nalae’s darkest fear was that her father would die, too, leaving her alone with her little sister. What would I do? What would I do? So she wore black to save her from her fears. 1 I watched as Nalae did her homework in the dimming light of day. The sky began to turn from pale blue to pink until finally the twilight purple began to spread from the edge of the universe. The first star was just about to blink into the first blush of night colors and my human bindings released me. I touched Nalae like a warm fog and her eyes closed with sugarplum dreams. She saw her mother baking chocolate chip cookies while she sang: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me.... I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see. T’was Grace that taught... my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear... the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares... we have already come. T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far... and Grace will lead us home. “Mama is that you?” Tears blurred Nalae’s sight. Her mother turned around and smiled so brightly, Nalae shielded her eyes, “Yes, it’s me.” “Mama, I miss you so much.” “I’m sorry I had to leave you.” Nalae’s throat tightened and she didn’t recognize her own voice, “I’m so lonely.” “Don’t be lonely my sweet girl.” “I’m afraid because daddy’s so sad.” Her mother wrapped her arms around her weeping daughter and stroked her black hair until it turned blonde again. “My darling girl, I am always with you. I’m in the sunshine that falls across your shoulders. I’m in the stars you look upon. I’m in the love you and daddy and your little sister have for each other. Look for home inside the love Nalae.” 1 T he next day in class when Nalae opened her back pack it was full of pink roses. She looked around the room. “They’re beautiful,” I said. “Where did they come from?” Nalae was confused. “You’re mother.” Nalae’s eyes watered, “How do you know that?” “Weren’t pink roses her favorite?” “Ladies! Quit talking in the back,” our teacher sternly warned, “now!” I shrugged like it was nothing. I felt Nalae’s heart fill with warm remembrances of her mother. It was exactly what she needed. Sometimes, memories can heal us.
That was awesome right! Thanks so much Janell!
Janell Rhiannon has been writing since she was in grade school. In high school, her 9th grade English teacher suggested she consider a career in writing. After a decade in college and a Master's degree in history, she became a part-time college history instructor and eventually settled into teaching high school.Writing never stopped. Stories never stopped. READING fiction never stopped. Now, Janell writes and publishes her works on-line. Invisible Wings is her first YA novel, a compilation of short stories centered on teenage life triumphs and tragedies. Mythology and Fairytales are her favorite things to research and write about. Anything magical and mystical. She now resides in CA and continues teaching freshmen. Visit the author at Facebook @Janell Rhiannon and Invisible Wings.
If you want to see what projects are coming this year or find out more about the author, visit Janell Rhiannon's website:www.janellrhiannon.weebly.com Janell Rhiannon @ Facebook Invisible Wings@ Facebook theravenangel@ Twitter janellrhiannon.blogspot.com
Giveaway Prize! 3 winners will recieve one of Rhiannon's signed Invisible Wings bookmarks. 1 winner will recieve a signed bookmark and a paperback copy of Invisible Wings. This giveaway has one mandatory entry: You must be a Mera's YA Book List follower! And why wouldn't you want to be a Lister? Trust me, you'll be adored here! :) Fill out the rafflecopter to win!
Welcome to the page! Thanks for joining us today on Mera's YA Book List for YA Excerpt Week!
This is Day 4 of the event and things are only getting more exciting. If you haven't entered the previous giveaways or read the awesome sneak peeks and excerpts, click on the links below!
On to today! For Day 4 we are doing it big and today's first visitor is Brea Essex!
Now, if you read my review of Brea's novel, you know that I loved it so much, that it got my first 5 star review of the year. You can check it out HERE!
Now Brea has superbly agreed to giveaway an e-copy of her angel novel, Foreshadow for one of my lucky Listers! (Yup, that means one of you will soon harbor a copy of a super awesome novel. )
But more importantly here's some instant gratification that will guarantee you salivate over her novel, and your need to have it!
Thanks so much Brea and I hope you all enjoy this excerpt from Foreshadow, book one in the Shadow Imperium series.
****
At first, I just stood in the front yard, calling for Nuada. When she didn't appear, I started running down the street, still yelling her name. I didn't care if I woke the neighbors. I just wanted to find my cat.
I headed down to the park. I don't know why, but I felt drawn there. Maybe I'd find her hiding in a bush, or maybe she had climbed a tree and had gotten stuck. I continued to yell for her, pawing through the bushes and trying to ignore the scratches I got from the sharp needles and poking branches.
Suddenly, I felt a warm breath on my neck. "Looking for something?" a voice murmured in my ear.
I must have jumped ten feet in the air. I whirled, right fist raised. A hand closed over my fist, and an arm went around my waist, pulling me close, When I saw who it was, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Logan.
"Now Raena, you don't want to damage this handsome face of mine, do you?" he asked.
The fight had drained out of me, but I still attempted to struggle away from him. "Let me go!" I demanded.
He leaned in until his face hovered mere inches from my own. "You don't actually want me to let you go, do you?"
"Yes, I do! Cut it out!" I planted my left palm against his chest and pushed as hard as I could.
He finally released my waist, but he still had hold of my other hand. He ran a thumb across my knuckles. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to make a proper fist? You'll break your knuckles like that." He tsked. "Someday I'll have to teach you self-defense."
I relaxed my fist, but he still held onto my hand. He lowered our arms and swung them experimentally between us. "I always wondered what it might be like to hold your hand," he said softly.
"Huh?" I must not have heard him right.
"I said 'I bet you've always wanted to hold my hand.'" He smirked at me. "Now, if I let you go, will you promise not to run away?"
You can stalk Brea at these pages. Be sure to keep an eye out for Overshadow, book two in her Shadow Imperium series.
Brea Essex was born Gilroy, California, called the "Garlic Capital of the World". She graduated college with a degree in Medical Assisting. She lives near San Jose, California with her husband, their dog, three cats, and enough books to start a library.
Okay, Giveaway Time! One of you lucky Listers will have a e-copy of Brea's novel in a little over a week! Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.
Paperback, 272 pages
Published February 28th 2012 by Walker Childrens
Shooting Stars is a book I would definitely recommend to teens of all ages. It follows teen paparazzo Zo Jo as she goes undercover to take shots of a popular teen singer. When reading the synopsis, there are some assumptions that I'm sure many of you easily were lead too. I know because I made certain assumptions about the plot as well. However, what ensues definitely wasn't what I was excepting. Thanks Allison Rushby for definitely going against the grain. Want to know what I mean? Well, you'll just have to check out the novel. I will say this though. The big twist in the plot is a definitive change in the game. Genius move by Rushby as this twist doesn't become revealed until the book is more than half-way through it's 272 pages.
So a great twist doesn't always make a great novel. In fact, a great twist occasionally makes a very crappy novel depending on how it's executed. So, I'm sure you want to know a few more reasons why I liked the book enough to give it a 4 star rating.
Well, firstly, I have to say I like it because it succeeds in being a YA contemporary romance, without all of the, for lack of a better word, fluff. There's no dramatic chases. There's no helpless teen girl delirious in love. It's more realistic. Adding all of the fluff is way to easy, and I'm sure sometimes it slips in without the author meaning for it too (I've plenty a lovey dovey fluffy short stories I've written and then recoiled at the extreme levels of fluff I've included). So, it's very commendable to Rushby's ability to separate that ideal of romance that many females harbor from the romance of reality, which can be endearing all the same.
Another reason I like the novel is the characters. They are believable. Many of them have issues and I enjoy the fact that Rushby made characters that all have some flaws about them, even if these flaws are just acknowledged as being present, because everyone has flaws. Everyone has problems. I guess when most of your novel is set in a rehabilitation retreat showing these flaws becomes way easier.
Besides the flaws, the characters are great for different reasons. There's actually a boy-girl friendship that DOESN'T evolve into hidden feelings. There aren't those ever-present characters who are always so "high school". You know, mean girl sneers, eye rolling, and flipping of hair as a posse of evil chicks in mini-skirts scowl at the main protagonist. Yup, there is none of that. Thanks again, Rushby. And there is a totally crush worthy dude in the novel, and I am not talking about teen heartthrob Ned Hartnett.
Finally, I love the concept in general. I don't know about any of you but I have never glimpsed a fictional book on the subject of teen paparazzi..
Hey, hey everyone! Welcome to Mera's YA Book List. Today is day three in YA Excerpt Week, in which I, along with a group of awesome authors bring you juicy excerpts of their books (new and old), along with some fab prizes.
If you are just joining us make sure you follow the blog in any methods you prefer (to the left).
Missed one of the posts? Check out the other awesome excerpts and prizes here:
Today, we have YA author Kimberly Kinrade joining us for YA Excerpt Week!
About the Author
Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.
She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and the one man who is the love of her life. Learn more about her at KimberlyKinrade.com
Kimberly has awesomely brought with her excerpt from her two YA novels, Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire.
Paranormal teens with unimaginable powers. An evil organization with deep secrets. When Sam, a girl who reads minds, meets a boy who controls minds, she discovers her future isn’t what she thought.
Together they must escape and free the others… or risk losing everything–and everyone–they love.
“A thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read that had me sitting on the edge of my seta and eagerly awaiting the next installment.”
~Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews
Get the first two books in the Forbidden Trilogy (Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire) on Amazon and watch for the final installment (Forbidden Life) on June 26th, 2012.
Enjoy this excerpt from Forbidden Mind (Book 1 of the Forbidden Trilogy). Find it on Amazon here.http://amzn.to/pD0Wq8
***
No matter how many times I’d been drugged, I still woke up in a slight panic. My body maintained no sense of how long it had been. My subconscious mind had been shut out—definitely the worst part of any assignment. Wait….
Mary lay in the bed next to mine. That sucked worse.
She sneered at me from behind her blond hair. “Well, look who finally woke up. Took you long enough. So, looks like you had some trouble. Is Higgins’s pet getting lazy?”
“What do you want, Mary?” Though sick of her games, ignoring her would only inspire her to greater taunts.
“Nothing. Just waiting on the good doctor, like you.”
I slipped into her mind, like being stuck in the poisonous trap of a viper. ‘Thinks she’s so great… not that great… not even as pretty as everyone thinks… tits too small… and look at that black eye… looks like she finally screwed up… hope she gets what’s coming to her… she’s just a goody two-shoes… little priss.’
Well, nothing new there. Did she ever have any other kind of thought?
I raised myself on the bed—no IVs or wires stuck to my arms. The world spun just a little through my swollen eyes. Fake flowers in artificially bright colors stood on the table by the window, a futile attempt to cheer up the dreary grey walls and fluorescently lit room.
“Ah, Sam, Mary, you both wake. Good,” Dr. Sato said with a soft voice.
Why is she nervous?
Her pronounced Japanese accent, stronger than usual, gave away her unease. “How you feeling?”
I stretched my arms and moved my neck around to work out the kinks. The inside of my mouth reeked. “Fine, just a bit of a headache.” Probably brought on by my roommate. Well, and the black eye.
“And you, Mary?” she asked.
“I feel wonderful.” Mary crossed her long legs seductively and purred. Her slinky silver gown showed off more than it covered. Who the hell was she trying to impress in here?
Dr. Sato took my blood pressure, checked my temperature, and examined my eyes and cheek. “You bruised. Bone hurts, but you be better soon. Just no jumping.”
Again with the nervousness.
I slipped into her mind but met only gibberish, having never had a chance to learn her particular dialect. It unnerved me—nothing clear, as if I’d lost my hearing or eyesight.
“You go now. Headmaster Higgins expects you. You get dizzy or have troubles with eye, come back. And you take it easy until eye sees better. And no jumping too. Okay?”
I nodded and bit back a comment about how hard it would be to refrain from jumping everywhere.
My backpack sat on the chair by the fake flowers. I hopped off the bed—oops, does that count as a jump?—grabbed it, and walked through the long corridors to the exit. Confronting Higgins always made my stomach hurt, but getting away from
Mary made it worth it.
Few people walked the corridors of the clinic. Where were all the normal personnel?
I stopped at the front desk to sign out. Something’s out of place.
A movement caught the corner of my eye.
A boy, about my age, tall and muscular, lay unconscious on a stretcher. I only saw a glimpse through the electric doors to the surgical area. His messy blonde hair had flecks of red in it. Dried blood. A gash ran over his forehead. As the doors closed, his eyes flashed open and held mine for one long moment.
‘Help me.’
The mental message sent me staggering back in its ferocity. An urgent compulsion to respond overwhelmed me, a need to do as he’d asked.
Then the boy lost consciousness. My mind cleared, and whatever had grabbed hold of me disappeared.
***
Check out Forbidden Fire (Book 2 in the Forbidden Trilogy) and get it on Amazon here. http://amzn.to/ISOH5P
"She escaped, but she'll never be free."
"Time held no meaning as my mind darted in and out of memories. Past and present collided to create a full-sensory collage out of my life: playing hide-n-seek with my best friends Luke--who always cheated by walking through walls when he was about to be caught--and Lucy; Mr. Caldrin critiquing my sketches and offering ideas to make them more realistic; targets changing faces, blending into the same person, their thoughts rippling through my mind like waves. Through it all, a demon stalked me from the shadows of my memories, never quite showing its face, but crouching, waiting.
And then I dreamed...."
Sam and Drake may have escaped, but they aren't free--not with a powerful Seeker after them. As Sam struggles with the ethics of her new powers and embraces a blossoming physical relationship with Drake, Lucy and Luke face challenges of their own.
With forces coalescing inside and outside the Rent-A-Kid dorms, it's only a matter of time before the fire they started forces each of them to make choices they can't undo. But will it be enough to save them?
You can find Kimberly via these links!
YA and Children's Fantasy Author: Marketing Director for Evolved Publishing:
Onto the giveaway! Kimberly has donated an e-copy of the first novel in her series, Forbidden Mind, for one of my lucky Listers! To enter complete the rafflecopter below!
Hey everyone! Welcome back to YA Excerpt Week on Mera’s YA Book List! Today we are joined by Author Jenna Kay!
I have made it clear that I love, love love Jenna and her work, and I am excited for the second book in her series about Clarity Miller. Luckily for us, today Jenna is not only gifting us with a excerpt from her novel Mark of The Seer, but she is also showing us a sneak peek of book two, Broken.
I watched as she got in her car and took off for home. Sighing, I busied myself with the ho-hum motions of closing the store, doing mine and Janey's work. My body ached and my head pounded from lack of sleep, the nightmares I had been having for weeks now taking their toll. Sleep was easy for me to get to—I usually passed out right when my head hit the pillow. The problem was the dreams. They felt so real, waking me up in the early morning hours, leaving me wide awake and drenched in sweat. I was getting used to only sleeping two hours a night. I just hoped I could continue to go about life with a sane mentality.
Sam had been a no-show for a couple of weeks now, and I was beginning to wonder if I had made him up. Of course then I would catch sight of my tattooed hands and know without a doubt he was real—and possibly out of this world.
It was nine fifteen before I was finished. Setting the alarm and locking the doors I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the early November air.
Finally I could go home and rest, maybe even enjoy a few shots of tequila to shove me off to sleep. Heck, if I could just knock myself out for a few dreamless hours I would be totally grateful. Tiredly strolling to my car I noticed how exceptionally dark the night was. It was cloudy, windy, and smelled liked rain was on the way, possibly bringing storms in its path. On thinking that thought sprinkles started falling from the sky.
Only three of the six lampposts were operational around the supermarket, the dull orange glows barely lighting my footsteps across the parking lot. It was depressingly gloomy without the shine of the moon.
Halfway to my car I halted my steps, noting the change around me; Four apparent changes, to be exact, had occurred in the fifteen seconds I had stepped outside the store.
First, the temperature had dropped, like opening and walking into a deep freezer. With each breath I exhaled, little white cottony puffs flew in front of my face.
Second, the air had thickened, as if a giant vacuum cleaner had attacked the earth, sucking all the oxygen out of the atmosphere. Breathing was proving to be a challenge, my lungs working overtime with the air so heavy and dense.
Third, a creepy stillness had covered the region. No wind, no sprinkling rain, no nothing. Like God had hit the pause button on the earth, stopping its continuous spin.
Fourth—my hands, of course. My palms were tingling with heat, pulsating and glowing red.
The lampposts started to flicker on and off, snapping me from my reverie. I scanned the parking lot for anything out of the ordinary. While my eyes browsed the lot the three functional lampposts flitted out, leaving me in total darkness. Well, except for my glowing hands. I turned toward my car and my blood froze in my veins and a bitter frost flew over my skin, glaciating my bones.
Four guys, maybe teenagers, had appeared around my car. Two sat on the hood, one leaned against the drivers side door with his arms crossed and head facing down, and one was sprawled on top of the trunk with his long legs dangling off the bumper. They were all dressed in black, blending into the night. Even through the darkness I could see every detail on their faces, thanks to my flashlight hands. They all had pale faces and strong, flawless features, and my first mentation of these guys were that they were totally hot—but that thought rapidly vanished when they raised their heads and met my eyes with theirs. My breath caught in my chest and my heart sped up to my throat. I rubbed my eyes to make sure that what I was seeing was accurate.
Unfortunately what I was seeing was reality.
Shiny black eyes peered out at me from their pale faces. Not just really, really dark but black, with no whites around the pupils. With just one look at these devious characters I knew exactly what I was up against. They were definitely not human—I could tell by the animal-like glints in there ebony eyes.
My palms had stopped pulsing but the red lights glowed steadily. They were still burning like I was holding the hot end of a fire poker, but my head was elsewhere. My mind was focused on the sinister goth-looking guys who appeared to be out for blood, and their hungry eyes were zoned in on me.
Their glares held a visible grudge, as if they were violating me through their eyes. I wanted so much to run but found in a discouraging panic that my feet were super glued to the ground.
Fright, trepidation, painful ice-filled terror raced through my blood, shaking me from the top of my head to the bottoms of me feet. That was when the realism of the situation popped me square in the chin.
Was Sam telling the truth when he said he was an angel? And if that were true, is it possible that these dudes in front of me are demons?
Before I could speak the guy leaning on the drivers side door beat me to the punch.
“Clarity,” he said, his voice tender yet malicious. His hair matched the color of his shiny black eyes, falling just below his shoulders. He took a couple of steps forward, his moves fluent and light. The others followed, jumping up from their places on the car, their shifty eyes cemented on me. “Who a-are you?” I stammered nervously, my voice a small squeak.
He narrowed his ebony orbs, tilting his head to the side. They continued edging closer to me in smooth, graceful efforts. I could see that, to my disgrace, they were dangerously handsome.
“I believe the real question is what are you?” The others snickered except for the one with shiny gray, almost silver hair; He seemed unresponsive in his expression. The other two had very riveting hairstyles as well. One harbored platinum blond hair shaped into a high Mohawk, and the other had short and spiky blood red hair, much redder than Kora's new style. They were strangely and unnaturally attractive. But also they were extraordinarily brutish.
My body began to tremble, the fear finally winning over and taking control.
“I-I know w-what you are,” I whispered, my eyes presenting intimidation. Sam had been telling the truth. Holy. Crap.
“Good,” the black-haired dude replied, his lips curling into a sneer. “We know what you are, too.” His gaze drifted down to my hands.
I looked down at my hands. “You—you can see my tattoos?”
They all laughed, evil cackles of hatred. The black-haired guy narrowed his eyes once again.
“Yes, we can see your. . .tattoos.”
Instinctively I hid my hands behind my back. “I gotta go. . .”
“No, no, no, you can't go.” He laughed, shaking his black hair out of his blackened eyes. “No, see, we haven't been introduced properly. My name is Lukus.” Without taking his gaze of me he gestured to the others. “Go ahead, boys. Introduce yourselves.”
On cue platinum Mohawk guy raised a hand. “Markus,” he announced, his tone bored and careless.
“And I'm Stone,” spiky red-hair said.
Silver Head stood still as a statue, his expression wooden.
“This is Raine,” Lukus said as he slapped him on the back, adding, “He don't say much.”
I stood still, motionless, not knowing what to say. I wasn't sure what these guys were but if they were demons I didn't know how to react to their weird introductions. I hadn't taken any classes on Demon Etiquette.
“And you are Clarity,” Lukus said, licking his lips and roaming his eyes up and down my body. “Now that we know each other, let's get down to business.”
My heart was beating frantically against my ribcage. “What do ya want from me?”
Before I could blink an eye Lukus, fast as lightening, appeared right in my face, his breath the most horrible stench I had ever encountered. The other three moved just as inhumanly fast, trapping me into a heinous, tight circle.
“We want what every angel of darkness wants,” he whispered, his features twisting into a venomous sneer. “A Seer's soul.”
Angel of darkness? Seer's soul? What thecrap?
Lukus grabbed hold of my arms and my breath became snared in my lungs. Just one touch from him froze my entire body, my heart turning into a big ice ball. My lips trembled and my teeth chattered as the temperature of my body took a downward plunge. The smell of rot and decay hung thickly in the ice cold air. He tilted his head to the side, studying me with fascination.
“You do know what you are, don't you?” he questioned. “Your little angel must have informed you.”
I stayed silent, not understanding what was happening.
Markus snorted. “She doesn't know, Lukus. The angel is too late.”
“Quiet Markus!” Lukus roared, his eyes searing into mine. “If the angel is too late that means she is up for grabs.” He paused, looking at the others. “Looks like we're about to bag a Seer, boys!”
My stomach contracted in horror as a weak cry crawled up out of my throat. The cold was so harsh it literally took my breath away, my lungs aching from the pressure. Their voices echoed all through the parking lot, evilly taunting me.
“Such a tasty soul!”
“Little sweet Ra'ah!”
“Let's take her now, Lukus. NOW!”Lukus smirked, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Calm down, boys. Calm down.” He took his hand and gently stroked my cheek, his fingertips cold and biting against my flesh. “Let's take our time with this Chozeh.”
Ra'ah? Chozeh? Seer? What were they talking about?
“Don't t-t-touch m-me,” I stuttered, my teeth clicking uncontrollably.
Lukus laughed, then rubbed his nose roughly against my cheek, sniffing, as if he was trying to breath in my soul. “You said you know what we are—we want to hear you say it.” He continued sniffing my skin, as if savoring my smell.
Narrowing my eyes defiantly I responded, “S-screw y-y-you.”
My retort amused them as they let their offensive barks of laughter ring into the night. Numbness consumed my body, my legs failing me. Lukus let go of me and I fell hard to the pavement, hugging myself into a ball. The palms of my hands, for the first time in months, felt like ice packs, their red glow no longer blazing. My eyes flew upward and I found Lukus and the others had encircled me, like buzzards in flight searching for their next meal.
I don’t know how much you loved that but I definitely did! Keep reading for the exclusive of Broken, book two in the Seer Society series.
Broken Excerpt, Chapter One, By Jenna Kay
The vibration of my cell phone shook me wide awake, a digital clock on my nightstand reading three AM. I jerked myself up, which was a totally bad idea. My body was a big mass of pain due to the arduous workout routine I'd devised, which consisted of weights, punching and kicking a heavy bag, and karate.
Well, the little I'd read on karate, anyway.
I'd broken my arm the night of the Thanksgiving dance a few weeks back. The night Nick Reece shocked the entire town by killing Kevin Davis and then himself. Luckily the cast had come off, but the bad thing was that I had to wear a brace. I was also told not to do anything strenuous. Of course I was a really, really bad listener.
Yeah, I know it sounds crazy for a country gal like me to be learning to fight, but after recent events I'd felt it necessary to learn how to defend myself.
Oh, and being a Seer and fighting demons had a lot to do with it as well.
Grabbing the caustic-sounding phone I answered with a, “Yeah?” No one answered,though I could hear someone breathing heavily on the other end.
“Hello?!” I said with more force, beginning to get angry because if this was a freaking prank call or a pervert I was sooo about to go ballistic on them.
“C-Clarity. . .” A voice spoke softly but loud enough for me to recognize.
“Kora?” I exclaimed, becoming fully awake. “What's wrong with you? Do ya know what ti—”
“Clarity, can you come over please?” Kora cut in, surprising me with her defeated tone. My hands began to tingle with a familiar heat, signaling to me that something was up. Since I'd learned about my Seer abilities I was slowly beginning to trust my little “alarms” in the palms of my hands.
When they glowed green that meant that angels were near. When they glowed red that meant that demons were near. When they glowed a bright white light that meant that the Big Man upstairs was with me. Sam, my guardian angel, had informed me later of how special that particular light is—The most important of all.
The worst color was black, which didn't glow but covered the entirety of my Seer marks (crosses, wings, and crowns).
I felt my heart fall to my toes when I saw that my hands were covered with black, like I had stuck my hands in tar.
Jumping out of bed, cradling my cell phone between my cheek and shoulder whilepulling my long, tangled hair back in a ponytail I said, “I'll be right over.” I paused, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Kora. . .what's happened?”
“It's mom,” she whispered. “She's dead.”
* * *
The scene at Kora's trailer park was simply surreal. The Garlandton fire department was there, along with the police department. Flashing red, white, and blue lights lit up the park like it was the fourth of July. A coroners van was parked next to her trailer, and two EMT workers came down the dirt pathway carrying a gurney that I presumed held the body of Ms. Dodd. Then a realization hit me: Today was New Years Day. Yet another horrible day to remember, I thought sadly.
A woman reporter from the newspaper was busy questioning the coroner in hopes of squeezing out a juicy scoop. I busied myself with finding Kora, which was proving to be difficult because of the sea of people that had drifted into her front yard. It was almost impossible to find my little bestie in the maze of bodies.
Almost.
I found her sitting on her porch steps surrounded by two guys in suits wearing badges on their belts, and some of her fellow Trailer Parkers, as Kora liked to call her neighbors, who were being emphatically nosy. They were talking all at once, bombarding her with question after question. Checking out the clean-cut vacancy in her eyes I knew for an absolute fact that she was not comprehending anything coming from their fast, blithering mouths. A stark white blanket was wrapped around her shoulders. Pushing through the masses I reached her, which landed me some ugly comments and grunts from the trailer park peeps. Kneeling down in front of her, getting nose-to-nose with her, I wiped tears off her cheeks with the back of my hand. I cringed as I studied her deer-in-the-headlights expression. She reminded me of a lost child in a department store, looking scared, confused, and helpless.
“Kora,” I said lightly, gazing into her bloodshot eyes. “Kora, can ya hear me?”
Thanks so much for joining us Jenna! I'll let her close up! Remember to enter the giveaway via the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a signed poster and bookmark from Jenna!
What if there is a world not visible to human eyes, where angelic and demonic spirits are in a battle over souls?
Angel vs Demon. Good vs Evil. Light vs Dark.
What if God has a chosen few on earth, certain humans gifted with the power to see and fight alongside their angels. . .what if they walk among us? What if there was humans that could force demons away from humanity just by touching them?
When Clarity Miller meets Sam her whole life and destiny is transformed.
The morning she awakes from a dream with her hands burning, glowing, and showing of strange marks, her sanity is questioned, but Sam is there.
Clarity has been chosen by God to be a Seer, and Sam is there to help her understand.
After work one night she is forced to learn the truth about the spiritual realm and what lives in it. She learns that angels are real, and demons are after God's most precious creation.
Humans.
Clarity's so-called “normal” life is stripped away, forcing her into a supernatural web full of confusion, light, dark, and death.
She has a decision to make...
Walk away from it all, or...
Save souls from being dragged to hell.
If you like YA paranormal give the Seer Society Series a shot!
Book One: Mark of the Seer
Book Two: Brokenness
Book Three: Masquerade
Book Four: Destiny
Book Five: (undecided)
Hope you enjoy and be blessed!
Jenna Kay, author of the Seer Society Series and The Gracen Chronicles
Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they've always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school's foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they're meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don't return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls' relationships-and their friendships-be able to survive?
