An Awesome Author: Kimberly Pauley

I am pleased to say that this segment of An Awesome Author is an exclusive interview with Kimberly Pauley. Kimberly Pauley is the fantastic author of a new vampire themed book, Sucks To Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Teen Vampire (maybe). Which is a hilarious story about a girl who has to decide to 'turn' (become a vampire), just like her parents, or to stay human. Which turns out to be a very difficult choice when she finds out if she turns she won't be able to see her best friend ever again and that if she stays a human she might end up loosing her family. Sucks To Be Me arrives in bookstores on August 26th.

My Review of Sucks To Be Me

Kimberly Pauley's Website
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How did you come up with the idea for writing a book on a girl with vampire parents and the whole idea of her having to decide to become a vampire or not?
I was lying awake one night thinking about how most vampire novels all seem to kind of have a similar plot (keep in mind that this was back in 2005) where the vampires are evil and everything is really serious and creepy. I thought it would be fun to turn all of that on it’s head and do something funny and silly instead. And I thought it would be even more fun, given how most teens feel about their parents, if they were the “boring” vampires.

Why did you choose to write about Vampires?

I wouldn’t say I actually chose to write about them in a way…I actually have lots of little ideas at night and I usually just jot them down and forget about them until later. But once I started writing, Mina just kind of took over and the story kept going. I actually put aside some other books I was working on because her voice was so strong in my head.

Which character in the book do you have most in common with?
I’d probably say Serena, other than that I never tried the Goth thing. And I do actually like Siouxsie and the Banshees. And I’m way shorter. And I’ve got a bit of Uncle Mortie’s sense of humor…but I don’t want to have a whole lot in common with him, so I’m gonna go with Serena. Hey, wait, maybe George! I like George a lot. Can you tell I’ve never thought about this before? Okay, I’m going to go with George. Even though he is a guy.

If you had to decide to become a vampire like your parent or stay human, what would you choose?
If the loved ones in my life were vampires already, I think I’d turn too (assuming they are vampires like I wrote about in Sucks to Be Me where they can go outside during the day…I’m a bit of a night owl, but I’d hate to be melted down to a puddle just by stepping out into the sun.) It would definitely be important to me to have my family with me. What’s the good of living forever if you’re all alone?

Why did you choose to write a Young Adult book?
Mostly because I love YA literature. It’s awesome stuff. Some of the best books out there today are written for teens and tweens.

Are you going to write any more books?
I’m working on a sequel to Sucks To Be Me now and I’ve got a number of other partly completely projects. Not sure at this point what will make it to print, but I’ll definitely write more books!

[If so] will they be as humorous as Sucks To Be Me?
I tend to write “funny” when I write for teens & tweens, so I can pretty much say “Yes!” or “Heck, yeah!” It’s like I can’t help it, honestly. I’ve tried to write serious sometimes, but it usually winds up switching itself to funny no matter what I do. That’s not a bad thing though…I like a good laugh.

What advice can you give young readers on writing a humorous novel?
Make yourself laugh. Or, at the very least, giggle. If you don’t think it is funny, no one else will either. And, especially with dialog, try reading it out loud.

Is there anything you would like to add?
Just that I’d like to thank everyone that has read the book so far (and all the people that will read it too) – without readers there’d be no authors and without authors this world would be a boring place. Readers rock!

The Brothers Torres

"So there's this guy, right? And he's known this girl forever..."

Written by: Coert Voorhees

Pages: 316

My rating 1-5 stars:

4 Stars

Frankie Towers has known for Rebecca Sanchez a long time. They have grown up together taking swimming lessons and just hanging out in their small home town 20 miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico. But something changed in High School; Frankie can't stop hoping that one day they would be more than friends. But that stirs up some trouble when John Dalton beets him in asking Rebecca to Homecoming. John Dalton is on the soccer team with Frankie's older brother Steve and he is the son of the two richest people in their small town. Frankie gets into a fight with John, which opens him up to the world of Steve. Steve hangs out a lot with the cholos, who start talking and letting Frankie hang out with them after the fight. But when another incident happens with John, Steve wants revenge. Which brings Frankie to wonder if Steve will do too much to keep his reputation with the cholos...

This book was great. It opened my eyes to a different culture and I got to practice my Spanish reading on the Spanish words that are somtimes used. I really enjoyed hearing the story from Frankie's point of view. I really felt like I knew him and that I had known him for a long time. I also could just visualize the town that the characters live in. Coert did an amazing job of bringing this book to life with every word. After reading the book I have added New Mexico to one of the places that I want to visit in the future to actually get to see all of the culture that is adresed in THE BROTHERS TORRES.I recommend this book to every high-schooler out there because I know that you will live reading about what people do to get a good rep. And if you are looking for a good discussion book this would be great for that reason.

~*~ Due to content in this book, I do not recommend this book to any one below the age of 15.~*~

Click Here to buy the book.

Farworld: Water Keep

"By ourselves maybe we can't do much. But together..."

Written by: J. Scott Savage

Releases to public:

September 12th, 2008
Preorder

Pages: 432

my rating 1-5 stars:

5 stars!

Farworld is the one place 13-year-old orphan Marcus Kanenas feels normal. Farworld is a place where everyone can use magic. The animals talk, and some even tell jokes. He even has a friend there, a girl whose name he is not sure of because Farworld is just a dream. This is the only way that he can escape from reality. Farworld drowns out the bullies trying to beat him up, and being treated like an outsider because he has to live in a wheelchair.
That is until one day a mysterious man who claims to be a lawyer for his parents comes to the school saying that Marcus needs to go with him to see his eagerly waiting parents. Sensing that this lawyer is a fake he tries to get away from the school. Which ends up with him somehow landing in a river in a strange land where he meets the girl in his dreams, Kyja. He finds out that he is in Farworld, which isn't just in his dreams but actually exists! Kyja is sort of an outsider just like him; she is the only one in this magical world that cannot use magic. She has been trying to learn how to use magic with the help of Master Therapass, a great wizard. It turns out that Master Therapass knows who Marcus is, but how can that be when Marcus has never been to Farworld before?
Marcus discovers more about who he is when him and Kyja embark on a journey to save Farworld from the evil wrath of the Dark Circle. The Dark Circle is an army of evil creatures such as Summoners, Thrathkin S'Bae (wizards who use dark magic), the undead, and Unmakers. To do this they must consult the elementals of water, land, air and fire to open up a drift between Earth and Farworld.

Farworld: Water Keep is a magical book that not only has a great plot, genius characters, and has awesome action scenes but it also has a very strong moral to it. I really enjoyed the plot because it kept me hanging onto the book and wondering what could happen on the next page. Marcus and Kyja really have a great bond in the book, which makes them 'magical' characters (pun intended). In the book they realize that even though by themselves they can't do much, together they can be unstoppable. At first when Master Therapass tells Kyja that "The real power of magic lies within you. Who you are, what you do, and... what you may become." she doesn't believe him but as the story goes on she starts to realize that he is right. I believe that the moral doesn't just apply to her but to everyone. That everyone has their own 'magic' in them, if they realize it or not. Let’s not forget those action scenes, which were great. They kept the book going at a nice pace.
I recommend this book to students from middle school all the way up to high school and that enjoy books about believing in yourself, and that deals with magic.

Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head

“Move over Ramona Quimby… Samantha Hansen is ready to ROCK!”


Written by Nancy Viau

Releases to the public:
August 20th, 2008

Pages: 192

My rating 1-5 stars:
4 stars

Samantha Hansen is just a 10 year old and is still in elementary school, but don’t let that fool you she probably knows more about science and rocks than you do. Which is probably why most of all the kids in her class make fun of her whenever she goes ranting on about rocks. Samantha gets very excited when her mom tells Samantha and Jennifer (Samantha’s older sister) that they are going to go to the Grand Canyon for a whole weekend. But Samantha might run in to some trouble because of her lacking of the ability to control her anger. She has to try really hard not to loose her temper and yell at her sister when she messes with her rock collection or when a fellow student picks on her because of her love for rocks. Getting to go to the Grand Canyon isn’t the only reason she is trying so hard to be calm. She also wants to try and get her mom to tell her why her dad died and why her mom doesn’t mention him that much to her.

I ab-so-lutely enjoyed this book. It was well written and the plot was great. It had me thinking what Samantha was thinking and wondering what she was wondering. And I even got a little bit mad when she was. Which brings me to say that Samantha was an astonishing character. Nancy Viau made her so realistic that at the end of the book I felt I was with Samantha the whole time and had known her for a long time. Samantha’s older sister, Jennifer was very realistic too. In fact, she even reminded me of my younger sister because even though she does something it is usually Samantha who gets in trouble. But Samantha and Jen do have times where they get along, even if it is for a few seconds. Which is the same with my sister and I. I picked up a moral in this story and that is even if someone did something that may bug you, be the better person and ignore it. Don’t get upset about it, just count to ten in your head. Samantha’s story deals with friendship, family, sibling love, and relationships, which is all packed in with a lot of humor. I would recommend this book to 3rd graders and up. It is definitely going to be on the top with Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby.

To preorder this book click here.

The Joy of Spooking: Fiendish Deeds

"It's the terrible town on the hideous hill..."


written by: P.J Bracegirdle

releases to public:
August 5th, 2008

pages: 215

my rating 1-5 stars:

4 stars

Joy Wells is a huge fan of the renowned author Ethan Alvin Peugeot. She can't help but think that E. A. Peugeot might of wrote one of his famous scary stories, "The Bawl of the Bog Fiend", about the bog that is right next to where she lives in Spooking.
Spooking is a small and way older town compared to it's neighboring town, Darlington. Darlington is where Joy goes to school, due to there being no school in Spooking. Joy hates going to school there, almost all the kids from Darlington joke and make fun of Joy, and her brother Byron just because they come from Spooking. The kids aren't the only ones in Darlington that want to get rid of Spooking and the bog. After a school assembly about the future of Darlington, Joy and her brother uncover a plan to get rid of the bog, that may possibly be the home of the Bog Fiend in Peugeot's story, and eventually Spooking itself!

Fiendish Deeds is an awesomely spooky gothic themed book. I really like the gothic theme of it, it is sort of like Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events but it has a different feel to it. Which makes it all the more spellbinding. Joy Wells is also a wonderfully created character, very believable. As I read the book, I wanted to step right into it and help Joy save the bog. And her brother, Byron, is just as wonderfull.
The plot was great. I was always wondering what was going to happen next and right when I wasn't expecting it BAM there was a surprising twist that caught me toataly off guard.
I recommend this book to any one around the ages from 8-16. Some adults might like it too, if you think it mght be good then odds are you will.

To preorder/order this book click here.

Today's Cool Release!

Undone by Brooke Taylor is now in stores, so what are you waiting for? Go and buy it!

My review
My interview with Brooke

Serena Moore isn’t the most popular or most beautiful girl at the school. Kori Kitzler on the other hand is, that is until that day in eighth grade when Kori tells Serena that they have more in common then she might think. That short meeting in the bathroom brought Kori and Serena to be best of friends. There are so many rumors going around about Kori that Serena isn’t sure what to believe.
Serena’s mom and her friends don’t seem thrilled that she is hanging out with Kori the “dark angel”, who gets Serena involved in smoking, drugs and other stuff that Serena normally wouldn’t do. One day in Serena’s favorite class they are asked to write a list of five things that they hope might happen during the school term, “Their five ways to tempt fate.” Serena takes this assignment as a joke, her five things that she writes down aren’t that important.
When something immensely catastrophic happens to Kori, Serena finds out that Kori took the assignment far more seriously then her. Serena feels as though she has been left alone on this earth, and all she has are the list of five things that Kori wanted to complete. Serena is faced by many challenges that she normally wouldn’t complete, and that Kori would, while she struggles to make sure that Kori’s list isn’t left undone…
(My Summary)

New Moon

“I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole.”

written by: Stephenie Meyer

pages: 563

my rating 1-5 blood drops (a.k.a stars):
4~5


Summary(from Barnes and Noble)

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES…
For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning. . . .


I loved this book, it wasn’t as good as Twilight but it was still amazing. The reason I didn’t like it as much was because it had a spot that was very slow. But since I had gotten some warnings about the slow spot before I didn’t stop reading. Before I knew it was back up to pace again.


~*~ Due to content in this book I do not recommend for anyone under the age of 14 read it. ~*~

I apologize that this review was so sort and for the fact that the summary was borrowed from Barnes and Noble. The reason this is so, is because I am very busy traveling and packing until Thursday, which is when I will arrive at my home! I promise that when I get home there will be more reviews and interviews more frequently!

UNDONE: RELEASES JULY 22nd!!!

So Undone by Brooke Taylor is going to be released this Tuesday and I have got to say it is one of my FAVORITE books this year. So to celebrate the release I am posting a video advertising Undone. I have to say that it is one of the coolest videos ever!

To read my review of Undone click here.

AN AWESOME AUTHOR: Daniel Waters (Day 2)

Here is Day 2 with Daniel Waters. Today he will be giving young writers some great advice and you will get to learn more about who Daniel Waters is.
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Author’s Advice

What is some advice you can give teens on creating a plot that is complete with out any “loose ends”?
Ha! I’m probably one of the worst people in the world to answer this question, because I like loose ends, both as a reader and a writer. I also like red herrings, macguffins, the unknown, the unexpected, the unexplained, and the unresolved. And ambiguity! I like putting a book down and be left thinking about the “off-camera” aspects of the story. What was that character thinking? Why were there so many birds in that book? What happened to Holden after he told his story? Etc. Life is messy and doesn’t usually wrap things up with a pretty bow. Most endings look like beginnings to me.

Is there any other advice you would like to give to them?
Write and read every day. Learn to take criticism without being crushed or elated by it, but if you need to lean to one side, be elated. Learn to take a punch and learn not to throw one.

About the Author

What type of music do you listen to?
Just about everything, but I’m an unreformed and unrepentant metalhead at heart. I go through phases. Right now I’ve been listening to a great deal of psychedelic music from the sixties.

What are two things that not everyone knows about you?
I used to shout in a heavy metal band. I have a nasty crossover dribble.

What is your writing environment like?
Usually, a cluttered sunroom office. My record collection lines the walls, incense is burning. I wrote most of Generation Dead in a library and a local Papa Gino’s, so I still go to those places to write when I need a change of venue.

What made you want to become a YA author?
I didn’t set out to be a YA author initially, just an author. That said, I’m thrilled to be an author of YA books.
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Click here to read Day 1.

AN AWESOME AUTHOR: Daniel Waters (Day 1)

So you may have heard that this week the author that is stopping by for an interview will be here for not just one day but TWO. The interview is split in to 2 parts (Day 1 and Day 2). So as you know that today is part 1!

The author that is stopping by is none other than the brilliant Daniel Waters. Daniel Water's book Generation Dead was released this past spring. I read the book and absolutely loved it(click here to read my review). Generation Dead deals with teens in America dying, but they come back. They are called many names like 'dead kids', 'zombies', and 'living impaired'. As you can imagine they have trouble fitting into society. If you haven't read the book I suggest you buy it right now.

Purchase the book at:
Barnes and Noble $12.23
Amazon $11.55

Visit Daniel Waters Blog
Visit Tommy Williams' (character in Generation Dead) Blog
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Dealing With the Book

1. How is it to be a published author?
It is great. A lifelong goal achieved.

2. Generation Dead is a very unique story, I haven’t heard of any other book like it, how did you come up with the wonderful story?
Thank you. The initial idea for Generation Dead came from some news magazine show I’d seen on violence in schools. According to the program, it was becoming all the rage in schools across America to video tape planned fights or random acts of violence and put them up on YouTube for the entire world to enjoy. The show ran a number of the actual clips of young people hurting other young people. One of the clips featured a little boy in a coat that was too big for him waiting for the bus to arrive. A much larger boy ran into the frame and punched the smaller boy in the face, dropping him to the pavement. The little boy sat, alone and crying, bleeding from his nose and mouth. I think the zombies were my brains’ (my braaaaaiiiiiins’!) way of coping with what, to me, was a truly horrific subject.

3. In Generation Dead Phoebe is a goth, have you ever gone goth and worn all black like her?
Not goth exactly. I went to a Catholic high school with a dress code so it was hard to “go” anything, although I did wear a lot of black.
After I graduated, though, I grew my hair long. I guess I looked pretty scary and metal, but I really wanted to look like Robin Zander from Cheap Trick.

4. Are you more of a Tommy or Adam? Why?
Hmmm. I don’t think I’m polarized either way although I share personality traits with each. With Phoebe, too.

5. Did you ever play football in High School? Why did you make football be the sport that Tommy and Adam play?
I didn’t. I wrestled one season but was awful—no drive, I just wanted to get in shape. The book is set during the fall, so I needed a fall sport and of course having Homecoming, both the dance and the game, loom so large in the book (as it seemed to when I was still in school) made football the obvious choice. My personal sport of choice is basketball—although, like Adam and Phoebe, I love Frisbee.

6. I have heard rumors that you are writing a sequel to Generation Dead. What is the title? And when will we be able to buy it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble?
Kiss of Life. I don’t know when it will be released, probably next spring or summer.

7. How many books are you going to write about Phoebe and the rest of the Generation Dead characters?
I’m not sure, but there are definitely more stories I want to tell in the “world” of Generation Dead.

8. What is Phoebe up to in Kiss of Life?
She’s trying to make good on the promise she made to herself at the end of Generation Dead.

9. Are you planning on writing another book that doesn’t deal with Generation Dead?
Yes. I typically work on two or three projects at once, switching when I start to feel stale on whatever I’m working on. I find this tends to feed me creatively in the process.

Click here to go to Day 2.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

The winner of the Signed copy of THE ELITE by Jennifer Banash is....

BREANNA!!

Breanna,
I will be in contact with you shortly.

Stop by later on today because I will have an awesome author stop by!

Teen Tuesday

This Post Was originally posted on Teen Tuesday
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The Past week I got to read some great books and I got to post an interview with an awesome author! First, lets talk genres, in the past week I started reading books from the genre Vampires which so far is a great genre and I am loving the books in it. I also read a middle grade novel by a 2k8 author which was great.

First I want talk about Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Before this month I really had no idea the book and series ever existed (I had seen it in stores though; I never really looked at what it was about). I finally took the time to find out what the book was about and I watched some clips from the movie. And after hearing great things about the book around the blogging world, I decided to read it. So I went to borders and bought the first two in the series, Twilight and New Moon. I wanted to get Eclipse but unfortunately the wallet was saying otherwise. So once I started reading Twilight, I was hooked. It was way better than any Harry Potter book. I couldn't wait to read New Moon.

But before I read Twilight I read The Emerald Tablet by P.J Hoover, which comes to stores October 21st. TET is a book made for older middle grade students but it was still wonderful. It was fast paced but that didn't phase me due to the wonderful twists in the book. I did not expect the ending at all, which is something I love in a book.

I also read yet another vampire book. This one is called Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley. It releases on August 26th. This wasn't one of those scary more serious vampire books. It was very humorous. It is about a girl who has to decide to become a vampire like her parents or to stay human. Which turns out to be a difficult choice due to what would happen if she chose not to and she absolutely hates the thought of drinking blood.

Lets talk interviews. This past week I got to post my interview with Brooke Taylor, author of Undone which will be released July 22nd. Brooke is a really nice person and I was very glad I got the time to interview her. I got to find out a lot about her, including that she has traveled the world! How cool is that?!?! This week I will be posting an interview with an author again but it will be split up into 2 days, part 1 will be posted on Wednesday and part 2 will be posted Thursday. And in the interview a rumor will be found false or true about this author's book that everyone has been wondering.
This coming up week I am planning on reading and reviewing Puddlejumpers and Eclipse.

Sucks To Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Teen Vampire (Maybe)

written by: Kimberly Pauley

releases to public: August 26th, 2008

pages: 304

my rating 1-5 blood drops (a.k.a stars):

4 blood drops


Mina Hamilton has odd parents that are way different than every teen's odd parents; they are vampires. Mina's best friend is Serena, who knows nothing about Mina's parent's secret. Mina and Serena do everything together, they hangout, go shopping, and do sleepovers. When the Northwest Regional Vampire Council finds out that her parents have been keeping Mina a secret for all these years they give Mina a choice.

Mina has to decide whether to become a vampire like her parents or to stay human. If she chooses to become a vampire, she won't be able to see her friend Serena anymore. And if she chooses to stay human, she might end up loosing her family.

Mina Hamilton is the perfect character for this story. She is funny, sarcastic, and she speaks her mind. I really enjoyed reading this book because it was written in Mina's point of view and you get to hear all her thoughts. I laughed out loud at least two times per each page. Kimberly Pauley did a great job of telling this amusing story. I hope that she continues writing stories that are as humorous as this was.
I recommend this book to all teens that like funny and relaxing reads. It is a great book to read during a rainy day or a day at the beach. So make sure you pick this book up when it comes to a bookstore near you.

~*~ Due to content in this book, I do not recommend that anyone under the age of 13 read this book.~*~

To preorder/purchase this book:
Amazon $10.17
Barnes and Noble $11.21

A Junior Book Review: The Emerald Tablet

After I read The Emerald Tablet by P.J Hoover I gave it to my 10 year old sister to read because I thought she would like it. After the summary (written by me) is my sister's review of The Emerald Tablet. If you want to read my review of The Emerald Tablet then click here.
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Benjamin Holt is used to having a normal life; that is if normal is defined by having the ability to use Telekinesis to fly a dead frog on a girl’s head in science class. He hangs around his best friend Andy, and his family, who can all use telekinesis too. He goes to a regular middle school, with regular teachers, in regular Virginia. That is until he sees his mom disappear by the ugly hanging picture in the hallway out his bedroom and is told by his mirror that he has to go to summer school for eight weeks. But he isn’t going to be spending summer school at his middle school in Virginia. He will be going to a school in a hidden country that the only way to get to it is by a teleportation device.

There he finds out that he isn’t human but a more superior species called telegens. At this school his powers aren’t special or something he has to hide, they are normal day-to-day things that everyone uses there. So now he is the normal kid, that is until he is unexpectedly chosen by the mystifying Emerald Tablet to be it’s champion. So now not only is he on a continent no human knows of but now the fate of the new continent is in his hands…

I liked The Emerald Tablet because this book comes to life in my mind. Mythical creatures pop out of the pages.Once you come to the end of this book you will not want to stop. I can not wait till the second book,The Navel of the World comes out!

Twilight

written by: Stephenie Meyer

pages: 498

my rating 1-5 blood drops (a.k.a stars):

5 blood drops!!

Isabella Swan is moving from her mom’s city apartment in Phoenix; to her dad’s little house in Forks, Washington. She hates Forks but she decides it is better than traveling around with her mom and her step-dad when he tries to get signed with a major league baseball team. So now she is stuck in the small, rainy and foggy, town of Forks; where everybody knows everybody. She immediately fits into her new school, which has a lot less students than her old school, she even has some guys that seem to like her and won’t leave her alone. But for some reason Edward Cullen hates her, she can’t understand why he seems to hate her when she hasn’t even talked to him.
One day before school Edward saves her from being killed by a van; just by using his bare hands to stop the van. That is the first clue. As she gets to know Edward she comes to realize that there is a part of Edward that is thirsty for her blood.

I cannot believe that I haven’t heard about this book until now! I was definitely been missing out on a lot. The first page or so of the book I was like ehh but once I got to the third page I could not stop reading. I have been hearing that a lot of guys won’t read this book because it is sort of a love story, but hey, it has VAMPIRES in it, how cool is that. This book was way better than any of the Harry Potter books, which I think the reason I am saying that is because Twilight is more of a book for High school students and Harry Potter is more for eighth graders. The ending of Twilight was great too, I can’t wait to get the answer to that HUGE question that is on my mind right now when I read New Moon.

~*~ Due to content in this book I recommend that no one over the age of 14 read it.~*~

For all you readers out there that enjoyed Twilight, I suggest you head over to Genre of The Month because July’s genre is Vampire books. Also, head over to The Compulsive Reader because she is doing a special on Vampires too.

The Emerald Tablet

written by: P.J Hoover

pages: 288

releases to public: October 21st 2008

my rating 1-5 stars:

4~5 stars

Benjamin Holt is used to having a normal life; that is if normal is defined by having the ability to use Telekinesis to fly a dead frog on a girl’s head in science class. He hangs around his best friend Andy, and his family, who can all use telekinesis too. He goes to a regular middle school, with regular teachers, in regular Virginia. That is until he sees his mom disappear by the ugly hanging picture in the hallway out his bedroom and is told by his mirror that he has to go to summer school for eight weeks. But he isn’t going to be spending summer school at his middle school in Virginia. He will be going to a school in a hidden country that the only way to get to it is by a teleportation device.
There he finds out that he isn’t human but a more superior species called telegens. At this school his powers aren’t special or something he has to hide, they are normal day-to-day things that everyone uses there. So now he is the normal kid, that is until he is unexpectedly chosen by the mystifying Emerald Tablet to be it’s champion. So now not only is he on a continent no human knows of but now the fate of the new continent is in his hands…

P.J Hoover has written a breathtaking adventure that will capture young student’s minds as they read about Benjamin’s remarkable journey in this new world. This book is destined to climb the charts when it releases in the fall. The book is full of likeable characters, mysteries and unexpected twist that will make you not able to wait for the sequel, The Navel of the World. This book is fast paced but do not let that stop you from reading it. You will surely not be disappointed. Even though this book is more for 4th graders through 7th grade, I know that teens out there will love the book just the same (I sure did). Do NOT hesitate to pre-order this book on Amazon or buy it when it comes out October 21st. 2008!

To view a review written by my ten year old sister click here.
To pre-order The Emerald Tablet on Amazon click here.

AN AWESOME AUTHOR: BROOKE TAYLOR

Earlier on this month I had the privilege to review Undone by Brooke Taylor, which will come to stores July 22nd. Undone is Brooke's first book and let me tell you that it was truly remarkable.
Brooke Taylor is a part of the Class of 2K8 , which is a group of writers whose first book (either in the Young Adult or Middle Grade age groups) came or is coming out in the year 2008. When Brooke isn't writing or reading books she goes horseback riding and spends time at the lake . She also enjoys traveling to places such as New Zealand and a Mara game reserve in Africa.

To read my review of Undone click here.

To purchase/pre-order Undone:
Amazon $11.55
Target $11.55
Barnes and Noble $12.74

To find out more about Brooke Taylor visit these sites:
Brooke Taylor Books
Brooke Taylor's Blog
Brooke Taylor's Myspace

I now present to you the marvelous Brooke Taylor:
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What inspired you to write Undone?

My initial inspiration for Undone was a license plate that read CCCCF8 (aka seize fate). I’ve always liked exploring the concept of fate and what control, if any, we have over it. But I think where Undone really came to life was once the two lead characters really started talking to each other. Then it kind of took on a life of its own.

Can you relate any of the events in Undone to your life?

While not very many of the actual experiences happened to me, the snap shot of high school and friendships and parties was very similar to my own high school experience.

And the whole idea for the list came from a work function I had to go to. It was this motivational speaker and I’m way too sarcastic to be motivated by a motivational speaker. But I gave it a shot and did the whole write down your impossible goals thing—and sure enough they all came true. It’s kind of amazing.

Are you more like Kori Kitzler or Serena Moore?

Serena definitely. I’m sarcastic and pretend to not take things seriously (see above) but really take them to heart. And like her, if one of my friends left anything in life undone, I’d be there to finish it for them.

Which character do you have least in common with?

At first glance, probably Kori—but I’ve lived life to the fullest, so we’re not completely different. And I’ve gone scuba diving with sharks, but I’m scared of fish—so I’m kind of complicated like Kori is.

I guess I’d have to say I have the least in common with Cole. She’s too sure of herself to ever be me.

Which of the characters do you like the most? Dislike?

I love Kori and Becks. I even like Parker for all his faults. The only character I don’t like is Chelsea, but look at her family—who could like anyone who came from that group.

Do you have any advice for young writers that aspire to become an author?

Don’t get too caught up in all the rules. First, just write and develop your own voice. Books with original voices are far more interesting than books that follow the rules.

What is your writing environment like? Do you listen to music while writing?

I do a lot of “writing” while driving. Unfortunately since I can’t actually write it down while driving I tend to forget some of my better dialog sequences..

Music helps the writing process. But only if the lyrics or tone really fit the characters.

Are you planning on writing another novel? If so, what will this one be like?

I am in the process of writing one, can’t share the specifics, but it will have a little bit of a thriller vibe to it. I’ve been sleeping with one eye open.

What is one thing that not many people know about you?

I think that most people are surprised to learn that I’ve traveled around the world. Not too many expect a couch potato to be that industrious .If I didn’t have photographic evidence, I probably wouldn’t believe it either.

Is there anything that you wanted me to ask and I didn’t?

Can’t think of anything! Thanks so much for the great interview!!

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Thank you Ms. Taylor for answering my questions and giving me a chance to read Undone, which was wonderful. i suggest to all you readers out there to go and pre-order Undone right now because if you don't you will most definitely regret it when all your friends have it on the 22nd and you don't!

Teen Tuesday- Kyle's First Post

The folowing post was originally posted on Teentuesday.blogspot.com.
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Hi. This is my very first post for Teen Tuesday you probably know me as the
Book Review Maniac. If not then go to bookreviewmaniac.blogspot.com which is my blog for author interviews, book reviews and much more.

First I want to talk about THE KITE RUNNER. I posted the review yesterday on my blog, so check it. I really enjoyed the book, but it wasn't a book that I could not put down. The story of it was excellent. The book was about friendship, love, family and mistakes that you wish you could take back.

I also got to read The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, which came out to stores last Tuesday. Here is a quote from my review:
"I loved this book! It reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter except that Chole isn't a wizard, she doesn't go to a wizard school... overall it was a great book that did keep me hanging on to every page... I recommend this book to every teen out there! ... buy it today!"

To read the rest of my review click here!

I also posted my inter view with Jennifer Banash, the genius behind her newest book THE ELITE. Which can be viewed here!

Coming up:

I am currently reading The Emerald Tablet by P.J Hoover; which is great so far.
I am also planning on reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and New Moon, which are the first two books to the Twilight Series. The last and forth book in the Series comes out August 2nd. I am planning on reading the first three before it comes out. Their is also going to be a movie for the first book, it comes out in December.

happy reading,
Kyle

The Kite Runner

written by: Khaled Hosseni

pages:372

my rating 1- 5 stars:

4 stars!!

Amir grew up in the middle east. His mother died giving birth to him. He strives to make his father happy and for him to get a pat on the back from his father. He has one true friend, Hassan, who would do something for him a thousand times over, who protects him and makes his bed. That's right his best friend is the son of his father's servant.
Everything changes when he sees and does nothing to stop the town bully from doing something horrible to Hassan. He doesn't talk to Hassan anymore he even lans his day so he doesn't run into Hassan setting the kitchen table for breakfast. Then he does something that leads up to Amir and his father moving to America. He likes it in America, he has even found a girl that he likes. One day he recieves a phone call from one of his father's old friends in the middle east who is dying and wants Amir to go see him. When he gets there he realizes that his father's friend doesn't just want to say goodbye...

This is a great book. It was not a book that made me not let go of it until I finished it. that was because it was kind of slow, but it did have a powerfull and astonishing story that I will never forget. This book is mainly for adults, due to language, violence and adult topics. But I still think it is a good book for teens 15 years old and up. I recommend this book to everyone in that age group.

To All Generation Dead Fans

If you are reading this you have probably read Generation Dead by Daniel Waters. I have read and reviewed the book (click here to read my review). I thought it was a great book, well anyways, if you have read the book keep reading, but if you haven't read the book and plan on reading it don't read the rest of the post, due to slight spoilers.

*Slight Spoiler Warning*

Do you remember that in the book Tommy had a blog titled My So-Called Undeath, which was about his life as a zombie? Well I just found out that the blog actually exists!! How cool is that! I have read some of it and I plan to read more! It is really cool because it gives you some more information that is not in the book.
I know that some of you probably have already figured that it exists already, but oh well, this is for all you that don't.

Click here to view Tommy's blog!

"Why do you read?", July Edition

WOW this week is a lot of firsts for me! I have posted my very first author interview with none other than Jennifer Banash and my very first contest, which ends July 15 at midnight (EST). And now here is the very first edition of WHY DO YOU READ?, which is a series of interviews with reader/bloggers. If you would like me to interview you please read the note at the end of the interview.
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First Name: Carolina
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Blog URL: http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com

How old were you when you first became interested in reading books?

I first became interested in reading books when I learned how to read. I was 3 years old and books opened a whole new world to me. I loved that I was able to “transport” into the book and
live as the main character.

What is your most favorite book? Why?

Umm… I don’t really have a favorite book, I have many.

What is your favorite Series? Why?

Umm… again I don’t really have a favorite series I have many. Some of my favorite series are Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Evernight by Claudia Gray, Fearless FBI by Francine Pascal, The Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine, The House of Night series by P.C & Kristin Cast, The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, and The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.

Who is you favorite author? Why?

I don’t have a favorite author, I have many. I just can’t choose one. Ok some of my favorite authors are Meg Cabot, Rachel Caine, Richelle Mead, Cassandra Clare, Francine Pascal, Jane Austen, John Green, Scott Westerfeld, Tina Ferraro, and many more.

What is you favorite genre of books? Why?

Well, I have to favorite genres, fiction and urban fantasy.

How many books, in average, do you read a week?

I can read up to 20 books a week. It depends on how many books I get from the library. The average is 15 books.

Describe your favorite place to sit down and read a great book?

My favorite place to sit down and read a book is on my black mushroom chair by my window. I like to open up the blinds and let the sun through. My room is on the second floor so I have a pretty good view.

What bookstore do you go to the most?

I don’t really buy books because I’m always broke but when I do buy books I like to go to Half Price books or Barnes and Noble.

Which character (in any book) are you most like? Why?

Hmm… I think I’m more like… wow this is hard, I would say I’m more like Nicolette from Top Ten Uses of an Unworn Prom Dress. We’re both headstrong, funny, and would do anything to help our families. We are also very loyal to our friends, even if they sometimes don’t deserve it.

If you could bring only one book with you to a deserted island, what would you choose? Why?

Oh, this isn’t fair. Can’t I just bring all my books? I can’t choose one.


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Thank you very much Carol for stopping by and answering a few questions! Now, if you are a frequent reader and you would like me to interview you for next month (August) please email me at bookreviewmaniac@gmail.com! And remember to drop by Carol's blog to read her amazing reviews and comment!

Kyle

bookreviewmaniac@gmail.com

Oh and a Happy Independence day to every one!!! I hope you all have a great day with friends, family and whoever else you may be spending the wonderful day with. And I hope you get to see some great fireworks, I know I will be!!

CONTEST: THE ELITE by Jennifer Banash

Today is not just the day that I posted my first interview but it is also the day that I am going to hold my very first contest!!!!! Jennifer Banash has lavishly donated not just a regular copy of her book, THE ELITE but she has donated a signed copy of it!!! So to enter this contest all you have to do is comment on this post with your email address. To earn an extra entry in the drawing, just link this contest on your side bar (posting about this contest will not count, sorry) and tell me that you did so when you comment. The contest will end on July 15th MIDNIGHT (EST).
To view my review of THE ELITE click here.

To view my interview with Jennifer Banash click here.

The Summoning

written by: Kelley Armstrong

pages: 400

my rating 1-5 stars:

4~5 stars!!

Chole Saunders woke up to a dream, about her as a little girl seeing people that wasn't really there, in a house with a basement. Even though she know that she has never lived in a house with a basement, the dream seems very familiar.
She goes to school still thinking about that untypical dream, when a janitor asks her for her help. Chole has never seen this janitor before, she runs from him and when teachers try to calm her down he is there still asking for help. All the teachers say that there was never a janitor there, Chole was imagining it, or was she?
Because of this she is sent to Lyle House, which is a house for perturbed teens. While she is there she meets some other teens that don't belong there just like her but also seem a lot different then they seem. She also finds out that the house may have a mysterious and very strange past.
Chole starts on a incredible journey to discover the answer to all the questions about the Lyle House in this first book in Kelley Armstrong's newest trilogy Darkest Powers.

I loved this book! It reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter except that Chole isn't a wizard, she doesn't go to a wizard school and The Summoning is strictly a young adult book. The reason this book didn't get a solid five stars is because the beginning of the book is kind of slow. And the only part that has a lot of action is the very ending. But overall it was a great book that did keep me hanging on to every page. I cannot wait until the second book in the trilogy comes out!

I have really enjoyed reading books that are sort of fantasy and also reality teen book, like The Summoning and Generation Dead. It is a great new genre and the next book I plan on reading like those, is Evernight (once I purchase it off amazon). I recommend this book to every teen out there! So stop reading this review and go to the nearest bookstore or go to amazon.com and buy it today!

~*~ Due to content in this book I do not recommend this to any one under the age of 13.~*~

AN AWESOME AUTHOR: Jennifer Banash

This is my very first author interview! I am very pleased to tell you that I had the privilege to interview the brilliant Jennifer Banash, who just came out with her newest novel THE ELITE at the beginning of June. THE ELITE is the first book in her new series. The second book in the series IN TOO DEEP will be coming to a bookstore near you in January.

To read my review on THE ELITE click here.

To find out more about Jennifer or THE ELITE check out these websites:
Jennifer’s Myspace
THE ELITE’s Official Website

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What influenced you to write THE ELITE?
I went to high school on the Upper East Side, and I always wanted to write about that world—but from an outsider’s perspective, which is how I first came up with the character of Casey McCloy, who moves to Manhattan from Normal, Illinois, and really struggles to fit in. Even though I lived in NYC for my entire childhood, I always felt a bit uneasy in the exclusive social system of the Upper East Side, so I wanted to bring that perspective to the series.

Why of all places why did you choose Amsterdam for the vacationing spot for Drew to go to in the summer?
That’s a really good question . . . I felt that it just fit his personality. Drew’s kind of artsy and creative, and a bit moody as a character, and Amsterdam just seemed like the right choice as a base location for his summer vacation. It’s European, but not as crowded as other more widely visited tourist destinations during the summer months--I think Drew would want to go off the beaten path a bit, and not just visit the same old places as his peers at Meadowlark.

In THE ELITE, Sophie doesn't like the band Fall Out Boy. Is there any reason you chose Sophie to dislike this particular band?
Probably because I kind of detest Fallout Boy! They just exemplify the kind of whiny, over-produced, pseudo rock n’ roll that I despise. The fact that Sophie’s brother, Jared listens to them clearly speaks volumes about him as well.

What are some of your favorite singers/bands?
Actually, I made an iMix that everyone can download over at iTunes of the music that inspired me while writing THE ELITE. You can download, then listen as you read, which I think is pretty cool! Some of the bands featured on the ELITE soundtrack are The Radio Department, Elliot Smith, M-83, Daft Punk, The Teenagers, New Order, and the Mary Onettes—among others. The mix can be found at: here

What is some advice that you would give to a young writer on developing characters?
Just write what you know—that’s the easiest and most effective way to begin crafting believable characters. Also, read your dialogue out loud—if it rings false, you’ll hear it.

Out of all the characters in THE ELITE, which one are you most like?
They’re all based on little parts of me to some extent. On a bad day I’m a lot like Madison—bitchy and selfish. On a good day, I hope I’m more like Phoebe or Casey! The only characters I don’t have anything in common with are the parents of the series—but in some ways that’s why they’re so fun to write.

Is there any particular character in the book that you didn't like that much?
I guess if I HAD to pick someone to dislike, it would probably be Madeline Reynaud, Phoebe’s mom. She’s just incredibly emotionally selfish in terms of supporting and protecting her daughter, and extremely competitive with her as well in terms of her physical appearance—which is probably not the best recipe for a great mother/daughter relationship . . .

Which one is your favorite?
I try not to play favorites, but again, if I HAD to pick, it would probably be Drew or Phoebe ‘s little sister, Bijoux. I love writing Bijoux because she such a total bratlet. And Drew because it’s always fun to get into a guy’s head and get to walk around in his perspective for the day.

So, I have heard some rumors about you writing another book. Is this true? And if so, what is this one going to be about?
Yes, it’s true ☺ It’s about two identical twin sisters, Mina and Lucy Vanderbilt, whose parent’s buy Dracula’s castle in the midst of a mid-life crisis, and promptly ship the family off from NYC to Romania. It’s called BITTEN.

When do you think BITTEN will be published?
I'm not sure yet when it will be published--it's still in the process of being sold :)

Is there any hints you want to give your readers as to what is going to occur in the sequel to THE ELITE, IN TOO DEEP?
I can’t give away too much . . . or you guys won’t buy it! All I WILL say is that Casey and Drew are headed for tough times, and that the plot of IN TOO DEEP has something to do with reality television and an unbelievably fabulous sixteenth birthday party.

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I want to give a huge thank you to Jennifer Banash for letting me interview her.

THANK YOU!!