Book Spotlight: The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . . Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady. When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

From Goodreads.com

       The Trouble with Flirting is a lose retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. The main character Franny can’t believe she’s actually attending the prestige Mansfield Summer Theater Program. Sure, she’s not actually participating, she’s working for her aunt, sewing the costumes for all the productions. She prepared herself for a summer in the sweat shop, what she didn’t prepare herself for were Alex and Harry. As the two boys take residence in Franny’s life, the real fun begins. 

I really enjoyed The Trouble with Flirting. I loved Franny as a character. She was cynical and sarcastic and sounded just like your typical teenager. I love books where the main character is someone you can totally relate to, someone you can see yourself being on a regular basis. Sometimes characters have a tendency to kill a good story just by the fact that they annoy me to no end, but this book wasn’t like that. 

Now, Alex and Harry. Two guys who are completely different, but oh so swoon worthy. Alex is your boy next door sweet while Harry is your confident center of attention character. I enjoyed Franny’s dynamic with both of the boys, but I have to admit, I had my favorite from the beginning. I won’t be telling you who it is because for once the main character picked the same guy I did! Seriously, that hardly happens. 

Overall, the story was well written and fun. The characters were believable and relatable, and I laughed more than once at certain people’s antics. This was my first book by Claire but I’m thinking I really need to read Epic Fail that’s on my shelf. I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen and I felt like Claire did a great job taking the story and making it her own. 

The Trouble with Flirting comes out February 26th, 2013. Let me know what you think!

Happy reading, 

Valia 

That Time I Went to a Book Signing

I love the writing community for many reason. 

       Seriously, if I start naming all the reasons I'll probably never stop. The support, the encouragement, the sheer awesomeness of the authors and bloggers is too overwhelming. 

Last night I got to experience a bit of that awesome with the Get Real tour put on by Sourcebooks Fire for their wonderful authors. If you guys haven’t read anything by Miranda Kenneally, Lisa and Laura Roecker, and Janet Gutler, you should (no, seriously, you should). 

Here are their books and here are their summaries. 

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder..

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

She Never Thought A Kiss Could Kill. . .

Samantha is new at school and just recently joined the swim team. She’s been flirting with one of her teammates, Zee, who invites her to a party and just as quickly dumps her for another girl. Hurt, but pretending not to care, she turns to his best friend, Alex, and gives him a kiss. And he dies—right in her arms. Alex was allergic to peanuts, and Samantha had eaten a peanut butter sandwich right before the party. She didn’t know. Overnight, Samantha turns into the school pariah and a media sensation explodes. Consumed with guilt, abandoned by her friends, and in jeopardy of losing her swimming scholarship, she will have to find the inner-strength to forgive herself for the tragedy.

        Awesome right?

Guys, I can’t even tell you how much fun I had with these awesome ladies. Miranda and Janet are so sweet, and Lisa and Laura are by far too fun for words. By far, my favorite advice from the night came from Miranda. She said, 

“Find one person you’re writing to and keep writing.” - on how to keep writing after rejection. 

Honestly, that’s amazing advice. Not everyone is going to love your books, but there’s going to be that one person who reads it and it changes that life and I love that. After the signing, we went out to Baskin Robins and basked in some robins (Ha, that makes no sense but I'm kind of tired so roll with it). 

We laughed so hard I think my cheeks are perpetually indented (not that I’m complaining). The encouragement from the evening is something I’ll always cherish. I'm beyond pumped to keep working on my NaNo project, you guys have no idea! 

Author friends are the best! You guys should check these fabulous ladies and their books and keep up with NaNoWriMo if you’re participating. 

Much love, 

Valia 

Book Haul: 7 September 2012

Hello darlings,
Look what I got for you!! I know, it's been a while! Enjoy all these awesome books and my late night babblings.



Special thanks to:
Tor.com
Joy Preble - http://www.joypreble.com/index.htm
Brenda Padons - http://www.brendapandos.com/
Jennifer Archer - http://www.jenniferarcher.com/
Paper Lantern Lit - http://www.paperlanternlit.com/
Brigid Kemmerer - http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/

What did you get in your mailbox?

Much love, 
Valia 

In My Mailbox #37: The One With Bloopers Because I'm Dauntless!

Hello lovelies,
Yes, its time for another IMM and yes I might be a bit of a dork in this one. But I decided to be brave and share the madness with you anyway! :-)







Special thanks to: 
Tor.com 
Kristin at YA Fusion 
Michelle Zink 


If you're interested in signing up for my Blog Tour: 
http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com/2012/04/blog-tour-sign-up.html


What is in your mailbox? 


Happy reading, 
Valia

In My Mailbox #36: The One with the Special Surprise!

Hello darlings!
You guess it, it's time for In My Mailbox!





"I'm super excited!" I don't even realize how often I say that!
Hope you enjoy! ;-) 
Special thanks to: 
Tor.com 
Hyperion publishing 

Totally forgot! I received some swag from the awesome Bethany Griffin! Thanks! :-) 


What's in your mailbox? 


Happy reading, 
Valia

Reading for a Cure: Special Guest post by Diane Alberts

Hello lovelies, 
Today I have a special guest on the blog, one you've met before. Please welcome Diane Alberts as she talks about this awesome program, Reading for a Cure!

So, every month, the wonderful owners of Decadent Publishing put up a book that is dedicated as the Read For a Cure Book of the Month. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that all of the publisher proceeds earned off of the sale of KILL ME TOMORROW during April will be donated to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life program.

KILL ME TOMORROW was the first book I ever published, and you can read it—while helping to find a cure for the horrible disease that is cancer. It’s win/win, right? Read below for the blurb and a short excerpt, and then maybe think about buying it for a good cause.

Happy Reading!

Blurb:

Jasmine Baruch is a jinn—a supernatural being who fights demons with fire. While that's difficult enough, she's got bigger problems. She’s a virgin, and in the jinn culture, that is sheer blasphemy. Jinn are supposed to be passionate, promiscuous creatures—everything she isn't. Due to marry the next day, she takes matters into her own hands by using 1Night Stand. But, like the rest of her life, nothing is easy. The man chosen for her, though incredibly gorgeous, is a demi-sanguine; a half-human, half-demon--her enemy.

Gavin Werbato is looking for an easy night of sex. Nothing more, nothing less. Instead, he gets a gorgeous jinn convinced it is her duty to kill him. He can certainly think of better things to do with her soft hands than murder. He need only convince her of that…

Can the fire sparked when these beings collide be controlled, or will it consume their world as they know it?

Excerpt: 

She’d accomplished nothing at all.

Nothing.

A weight sank beside her on the bed, and she shrieked. She darted a glance at the door, but it remained locked. Of course it did— portals didn’t hold back demons.

“Good punch.” He laughed and rubbed his nose. “Some men might hold a grudge—but not me. I heal too fast.”

Indeed he did. A glance at his face revealed features as gorgeous as ever. This sucked for the self-pity party she’d been trying to throw.

She preferred him bloody and not so devilishly striking.

She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “Why won’t you just leave?” He caressed her arm in a lazy, seductive way, and she shivered. “Stop that.”

His hand stopped moving, but he didn’t remove it. “Why do I have to stop?” he murmured. “Why do I have to leave?” He traced an invisible path leading up to her shoulder. From there, he grasped a curl and twirled it between his fingers, as if testing its elasticity. Her scalp tingled at his tender tug, and a jolt of lightning shot straight to her stomach, causing her to bite back a moan.

“Because….” She lifted her head, and turned to face him.

His eyes were so blue they were nearly purple, which, combined with his light blond hair, made him a lethal opponent indeed. How could she resist such a gorgeous creature, knowing that it might be her last chance to rid herself of her virginity? Yet, how could she say yes? “Because you are half demon, and I am a jinn. We are adversaries, you and I.”

“I’m not an evil demi-sanguine,” he assured her calmly. “I don’t rape, kill, or pillage. I’m unremarkably human—plus a few small details. But you are hardly normal yourself,” he drawled with a lazy grin. “And I’d like to make love to you.”

Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords

Decadent Publishing

Trailer:

About the Author:

Diane Alberts current contracted works with Entangled Publishing are:  ON ONE CONDITION (February 2012, Ever After line), and DIVINELY RUINED (April 2012, Ever After line). Her current works with Decadent Publishing are: KILL ME TOMORROW (October 2011, 1Night Stand series),  RECLAIMED (December 2011), ABSOLUTION (March 2012, Honor Guard series), BROKEN (March 2012, 1NightStand series), and ESCAPE TO ME (TBA, 1NightStand series).

Diane Alberts has always been a dreamer and had a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author.  Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a bird named Nemo, and two clown fish named Blue and Jewel.

She is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing and Decadent Publishing. She is repped by her fabulous agent, Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. She has, as of this date, two books contracted with Entangled Publishing, and five books with Decadent Publishing. Her February release with Entangled Publishing, ON ONE CONDITION, hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List. She has a lot of projects currently being shopped around by her fabulous agent, and her goal is to write so many fantastic books that even a non-romance book fan will know her name.


Much love, 
Valia

In My Mailbox #29: The One with Variety

Hello lovelies,
Welcome to In My Mailbox! I'm super excited about the books I have to share with you this week!





So what do you think? 


Special thanks to Rosanne @ Penguin Group


What is in your mailbox?


Happy reading, 
Valia

A Walk in the Park with Megan Crewe & Giveaway!

Hello minions, 
It's another Walk in the Park! Today we have a special guest joining us, Megan Crewe the author of The Way We Fall (Review here). 

Welcome Megan! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by my blog.

Glad to join you!

What was your favorite part about writing The Way We Fall?

I think my favorite part was exploring all the intense emotions that the story brought out in the characters.  The fear of the virus, the struggle to hold on to hope, the sense of loss as more and more of the things they'd taken for granted failed or were taken away.  Writing those scenes was often hard, but I find it interesting to see what characters do when they're pushed to the edge.

Kaelyn was an interesting character. One I see to inspire those who read her story. What was the biggest challenge in writing her?

The biggest challenge with Kaelyn was making sure readers would really get to know her through her journal entries.  She's a fairly reserved and cautious person (though she opens up more as the story progresses), and that of course was reflected in her voice.  I had to find ways to show the other sides of her personality, that didn't go against her character.

I really enjoyed Gav as well. *le sigh* What was the best part about writing him?

What I enjoyed most about writing Gav was his unpredictability.  He's got a quick temper, and very strong principles and feelings, so I wasn't always sure how he was going to react in a given scene until I was actually writing it.  It can be a lot of fun to sort of "observe" a character in a situation and discover what they're going to do, and sometimes he'd provoke unexpected responses out of the other characters too!

Now, in The Way We Fall we are introduced to a harsh reality of sickness. Where did the idea come from? 

I've always found the idea of epidemics incredibly scary.  In fact, the only books that have ever affected me enough to give me nightmares were Stephen King's THE STAND and Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, which involve different sorts of viruses.  And I find it most fulfilling to write books that really get to me emotionally.  I wanted to write a story that would affect readers the way other epidemic stories have affected me.

Will Leo be a bigger part of the next two books?

Oh yes!  :)  Leo is one of the most important characters in the sequel.

What can you tell us about the rest of the trilogy?

What can I say without being spoilery…  Well, the next two books are not written in journal format (other than a brief entry at the beginning of book 2), but rather regular first person narration--still from Kaelyn's point of view.  They involve more action than THE WAY WE FALL, and I didn't think I could tell the rest of the story properly using a journal.  Also, I feel Kaelyn's gotten to the point where she doesn't really need the journal as a support anymore.

You will see all of the characters still alive at the end of TWWF at least once in the sequels.  Not all of them survive to the end of the trilogy.  There are also some new characters who enter the stage.  Not all of them survive either.  ;)  But then, if you've read TWWF you should know that no one is safe!

I can also promise explosions and at least one car chase.

Coffee or tea

Almost always tea.  I can only handle coffee if it's more milk and sugar than actual coffee.

One thing you wish you knew about writing before you started.

That it's more important to write the things you write well *really* well and do the best you can with the rest, than to try to write a story that no one could find anything to complain about.  Because the latter is impossible anyway.  And people love books for the things they do really well, not for doing everything okay.

Favorite desert

The hardest question so far!  Um…  Three-way tie between pecan pie, blueberry pie, and raspberry chocolate mousse cake.

A world you wish you could live in

I'm actually very fond of the world I live in right now!  Most of the ones I enjoy visiting through books I think might be rather unpleasant to really exist in.

Favorite book growing up

The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

One place you always wanted to visit

The place I've most wanted to visit and haven't been able to yet would be Egypt.  Would love to experience that culture and history in person.

Megan, thanks for stopping by! 

Thanks for having me!


Now, for the giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway





The Way We Fall is out today!!! Go get your copy now! 


Much love, 
Valia 

Dark Days Tour Stop and Secret Project

Good morning minions,

Today I have a little catching up to do. Last week, I went to the Dark Days of Supernatural Tour and met some wonderful people. Tahereh Mafi, Veronica Rossi, and Ellen Schreiber were the featured guests at Changing Hands. 

I cannot express to you how excited I was to meet these ladies face to face. Ellen was there for tour last year and it was great seeing her again. Tahereh and I have been twitter friends for a while but this was our first chance to meet in person. 

I am glad to report there was no awkwardness (Yes, Tahereh, I said it). She is the sweetest person and you guys seriously need to get your hands on Shatter Me to read all about her mental writing insights. 

Veronica and I have only spoken a few times but she recognized me on the spot (which seriously made my day). She is adorable and oh so very talented. Under the Never Sky is one of my favorite books for sure. 

I love going to these tour stops not only to meet my favorite authors but to gleam some knowledge from their success. I enjoy hearing about the journey they had to take in order to sit behind that table in front of everyone with their books in their hands. It takes work and perseverance, long hours and large consumption of coffee, and always, always believing in yourself. I walked out of that building encouraged and with new friends (I finally met Farrah as well! You guys should follow her. She's awesome).



Now, I need encouragement because I'm in the process of querying. Im excited and terrified, trying to keep my head from exploding. But while I'm in this process I am still writing. This is where my new project comes in. It's new and different from what I'm use to writing, yet its also pouring out of me as if it needs to be written. I decided to let you glimpse a bit of the story and this is where Pinterest comes in. I have created a board specifically named Secret Project #1 that will be filled with pictures depicting what my story is about. 

Even if you can't follow, you can still see my board!

Right now, the board has two pictures that mean nothing to you but they will. I'm excited to include you in this process, letting you discover for yourself how I see my characters. I might hosts contests as well.
I did promise to be more involved with my writing this year and this is one way I can stay accountable. Also, make sure you check back for the special interviews and giveaways I'm hosting. I'm excited to share this journey with y'all.

So what do you think of my idea? 

Have a wonderful day!

Much love,
Valia

Dark Day of Supernatural Recap and a Whole Lot of Awesomeness

       Where do I even start? Do I talk about the fabulous authors I met? Should I mention the fantastic books they have written (and I had gotten signed)? How about all the awesome questions they answered? Or really, the fact that I went with my best friend and it was her first book signing (besides my own)? Maybe I should talk about all my fan girl moments? 

Oh, hello there. As you can tell I am still hyped on the awesomeness that was the Dark Days of Supernatural tour. While I try to gather my thoughts a bit, take a gander at this little video I made. :)

By the way, I absolutely love that song. Its just all kinds of perfect for the tour and I think they did a great job with it.

Now, on to the details. Josephine Angelini, Ellen Schreiber, Aprylinne Pike, and Veronica Roth are amazing!!!! I had to get that out of my system. They came up to the platform, were introduced, and then took questions of every kind from the audience. I love how easy going and sweet they all are. After all the knowledge was spilled into our midst, the book signing part came. Changing Hands had four lines set up, one for each author. I started with Josie and let me tell you, she is probably one of the most favorite people I have ever met. We’ve been talking for months but this was our first opportunity to meet in person. After I told her who I was she gave me a hug and we took a picture together.

I might have had a few fan girl moments. Just a few...

 I actually ended up going back to talk to her after we were done in all of our lines. She is fabulously talented and a darling. And if you haven’t read Starcrossed, what is wrong with you? I’ve talked about it enough, you should all have it memorized by now. :)

Helen decided to have some ice cream with us

Ellen came next and she was so funny! She really liked my name and we joked how she has Valentine in her stories, so I can just put an ‘A’ on that and pretend thats me. 

Aprilynne is always a fun person to talk to. I’ve met her a few times before but this was the first time for her actual signing. She’s one of those fun people to talk about writing. 

Veronica was the last one I met, but I can truly say she is now one of my favorite people. We talked quite a bit about writing and really life in general. It was such an encouragement to talk to her! We already decided we’ll have more conversations! :)








I am so thankful to Changing Hands for hosting the event! It had a great feel about it and I adored the store itself. It was a blast having my best friend with me. She had her first ever book signed! :) Sarah and I ended up at Pink Spot afterward for some delicious ice cream.

I am so thankful to Changing Hands for hosting the event! It had a great feel about it and I adored the store itself. It was a blast having my best friend with me. She had her first ever book signed! :) Sarah and I ended up at Pink Spot afterward for some delicious ice cream. 

Overall, it was an amazing night! If you’ve never been to a book signing or a tour I highly recommend it. If you’re a writer, it is the best kind of an encouragement. I always take away buckets of advice from these things. I will definitely cherish the memories of this particular tour. 

Much love, 

Valia

Phoenix Comicon Recap

Prepare for a lengthy post :-)

Hello lovelies! As you can tell by my title I went to Phoenix Comicon this weekend. It was my first time at any convention and let me tell you, it was a blast! Now, unto the gory details. :)

Friday. We (my best friend and I! See IMM #3) arrived around 10:30 am and made our way to the Exhibitions Hall. Oh boy! I have never seen so many people doing so much wacky stuff! We got us some souvenirs (posters of fab movies) and proceeded to walk the lines. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. I really do mean enjoyment. 

Next, we made our way upstairs, searching for some of the panels. Before settling in any of the rooms, we made ourselves some cool accessories. Yes, that is a wand and yes, that is a tiara. 

Then, we headed to the panels. We met up with Shesten of I Heart Monster and shared a few words. She’s a sweetie and I loved the fact that I “met” her through her blog first. 

We went to a few panels, staying only long enough to grab a word of wisdom or two. After all, there was just too much to see and we wanted it all. 

Fairy Tales in the 21st Century was by far one of my favorite panels. The lovely ladies Jordan Summers, Aprilynne Pike, and Janni Lee Simner were fabulous and fun! So much wisdom for a newbie writer such as I. I had the chance to talk to Aprilynne afterwards. I met her a few months back and was so glad to see she hasn’t forgotten me! (Yes, a fan girl moment if you must). Have you read Illusions yet? It's amazing! :-) 

We ended up leaving early to head over to Body Worlds, but came back for the Zombie Walk and Amateur Voice night. 

Saturday. Heading over to the convention center around 10:30 am we made it to a few awesome panels. Of course that’s Paul Cornell! I could listen to him talk all day! :) After Robert Duncan McNeil we headed to the ballroom for some Spock fun! Yes, Leonard Nimoy in all his awesomeness! I have to say, that man is not only talented but hilarious! Aaron Douglas was next on our list and then we had to find some food. The need was overwhelming. 

Overall, Phoenix Comicon was a great experience. It definitely helped with my “missing-BEA-blues.” Of course, spending time with my best friend made it even better! 

Hope you enjoyed my little recap. I honestly could go on forever just talking about all the costumes we saw, but I rather not. Pictures speak louder than words! 

Now, I must get back to work! Slacker me! 

Much love, 

Valia