Review: Ghost Town by Rachel Caine (#Ad)

Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

I was sent this review copy for free by Allison & Busby for the purposes of providing an honest review.

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the other books in the series. If you haven't read the previous book and do not want them to be spoiled for you, don't read any further.

This title includes a brand new and exclusive Morganville short story. When Claire is ordered to repair the systems that protect Morganville, it's not just cutting into her study time, it's a life-threatening problem. If there's one thing this vampire-infested town is serious about, it's security. But achieving the impossible only brings a whole new set of problems, and the upgrades have unexpected consequences: people inside the town are slowly beginning to forget who they are, even the vampires. Soon, the town's little memory problem has turned into a full-on epidemic. Now Claire needs to figure out a way to pull the plug on her experiment - before she forgets how to save Morganville... From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Ghost Town by Rachel Caine (#Ad)

News: Covers for The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and The Iron Witch

Lookie lookie! UK covers for new releases from Random House Children's Books coming next year!

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate (6th Jan 2011) - Lauren Kate's irresistible first novel, THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE, features the most ruthlessly ambitious heroine since Lady Macbeth. Natalie is utterly determined to cement her position at the top of the high school social ladder by becoming prom queen. When it looks like an interfering ex-boyfriend might get in her way, she devises a little prank to humiliate him. But when the prank goes devastatingly wrong, Natalie starts to lose control of her life. Caught in a web of dark secrets, shame and abuse of power, it's not guilt that eventually defeats Natalie. It's fate: the only thing she can't control... From Amazon UK

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney (3rd Feb 2011) - That's what they call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood at Ironbridge High School. A horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child left Donna branded with iron tattoos that cover her hands and arms - and magically enhanced strength, that she now does all she can to hide.

Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, Donna finally accepts her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie - the dark elves. Aided by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout, Donna must save her best friend's life - and that means betraying one of the world's greatest secrets and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family. From Amazon UK

Just to clarify, Lauren Kate wrote The Betrayal first, but Fallen and Torment were published in the UK before it.

Look at the pretties! Aren't they gorgeous?! I am SO excited to read them! What do you think?

Continue reading News: Covers for The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and The Iron Witch

News: Entangled by Cat Clarke Trailer

There is now a trailer for Cat Clarke's debut novel, Entangled!



How awesome does it look? And, having read the book, I'm loving the puzzle pieces! Genius! If you haven't yet, check out my review, and visit Cat's website and blog.

Continue reading News: Entangled by Cat Clarke Trailer

News: Boy's Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman iPhone App!

Great news for Malorie Blakman fans an iPhone users from Random House!

We have some exciting news about a brand new App created especially for the release of Boys Don’t Cry – it is out now to download from the Apple store, the press release below explains all:

"Random House Children’s Books has commissioned leading digital production company Somethin’ Else to create My CriBaby, an iPhone and iPod Touch app to coincide with the publication of Malorie Blackman’s new book Boys Don’t Cry, a powerful novel about teenage fatherhood. This app marks a first for both companies; it is Random House Children’s Books’ first iPhone app and the first iPhone app Somethin’ Else has produced for a publisher.

In a recent survey of teenage boys aged 13-19 published by Random House Group and children’s charity Coram, 77% of respondents admitted they would not know what to do if a baby cried; nearly half said they would struggle to change a nappy, and a third said that they would find it difficult to feed a baby. Dressing and bathing the baby were other areas of concern for teenage boys.

My CriBaby puts these skills to the test, challenging the user to look after a baby, doing everything from feeding and burping to playing, rocking and whispering to it. The game gets progressively harder and at the end of three (virtual) years the player is given a score. Facebook integration means this can be shared with friends.

The app will be available in two versions. A lite version will give users a 24-hour experience of the game, whilst a full version will offer virtual parenthood for up to three “virtual” years (12 weeks). Both versions will include the book’s first chapter and a link to Malorie’s re- launched website.

The app is designed to reflect the main theme of Boys Don’t Cry: teenage parenthood. The novel is the latest book from Malorie Blackman, the acclaimed young adult author of the bestselling Noughts and Crosses sequence. It focuses on seventeen year old Dante, whose ex-girlfriend turns up at his house and leaves him with the baby daughter he didn’t know he had. The book follows Dante as he comes to terms with fatherhood and how drastically it will affect his life. The hard hitting novel gives a voice to a group largely ignored by society.

My CriBaby is available to download now from the Apple Store:
• FULL VERSION
• LITE VERSION"

Continue reading News: Boy's Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman iPhone App!

Calling All YA Bloggers - Idea for Blog Tour

For my day job, I work as an assistant on a project which aims to get schools more involved in the Olympics and Paralympics through PE and other areas of the curriculem (technology: designing things, foreign languages: the languages of countries taking part, history: how the East End of London, where the park is situated, has changed over the years, etc). Even the Mascots, Wenlock and Madeville, were created to get younger people interested.

While doing some research today, an idea came to me. I myself may not be a huge sports fan, but that doesn't mean that some of my readers aren't. So the idea of doing something sports related for the Olympics might be a good idea, and thought possibly you guys may be interested too?

There are no definites at this point, this is just me seeing if anyone is interested. But what I thought so far is having an Olympic sports blog tour on blogs at some point. Possibly during the games? Before it? I don't know. Each blog could read Olympic sports related book, and see if we can get every sport covered, i.e. one blog does football, another boxing, another Gymnastics, and so on. If you want to see, here are lists of the Olympic Sports and Paralympic Sports. We could see if the books covered can be by British authors, but that's not hugely important. Can see if we can get authors to do interviews or guest posts regarding the Olympics, past Olympics, athletes, etc etc.

EDIT: I originally said UK blogs as London is hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games this time round, but athletes from other countries take part don't they? So why not try and get interest and support for them through reading sports related books in their countries? Open to everyone!

This is just an idea, as I said, and not at all set in stone. If anyone is interested, or has any other ideas, please comment.

EDIT: If anyone is interested, can you actually email me at joannestapley[at]gmail[dot]com instead please? If you've commented already, no worries, I'll sort that out, but if not, please email about your interest. Comment for everything else :) Cheers.

Continue reading Calling All YA Bloggers - Idea for Blog Tour

Review: Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (#Ad)

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I was sent this review copy for free by Quercus for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Pack life is about order, but Bryn is about to push all the limits, with hair-raising results. At the age of four, Bryn watched a rabid werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by Callum, the alpha of his pack. Now fifteen, Bryn's been as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule. Little fazes her. But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum's orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her parents come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It's Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences. A thrilling new YA adventure, with an electrifying link between a tough heroine and an exciting boy-were at its heart, Raised by Wolves will leave you howling for more. From Amazon UK

Werewolves and the paranormal, you've got to love it. Or you would if you're me. Regular readers of my blog will know how much of a fan I am of all things fantasy and paranormal, so I was really looking forward to reading Raised by Wolves when I picked it up. Having finished reading this book, I'm not sure what I think. I liked the novel, but I wasn't as wowed as I expected to be.

The whole premise of this novel is something I haven't come across before - not in anything other than The Jungle Book. An orphan child, Bryn, is taken in by a pack of werewolves after a rabid wolf attacked and killed her parents and went for her. The alpha of the pack, Callum, Marked her (read: bit), and through doing so, created a bond between her and the rest of the pack. If she doesn't keep her walls up, Bryn will be mentally connected to every single wolf in the pack. She knows pack law, she knows about dominance and she knows she isn't really one of them, but it's the only life she knows.

It's intriguing. For the purpose of the world building, the pace starts off fairly slow. The reader needs to find out about the alpha, about the pack, about Bryn's place in it. The reader needs to know enough about this world to get why, when things start happening, something isn't right. That isn't to say that the world building is dull, it's really interesting finding out the rules and positions of the characters in the book. The only thing is, when things do start happening, the plot's pace gets only a little quicker, and stays there for most of the story. There aren't too many highs or lows, and though it's still a good story, it wasn't as action packed as I was expecting for a werewolf book.

There were times when the book started to remind me of some of my favourite adult urban fantasies; the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent, and the first book in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave. The plot is in no-way similar to these other novels, but aspects of the novel reminded me of them. The training, the way the werewolves shift. There was enough to make the meerkat in me stand to attention and rekindle my interest. But they were only moments.

The climax of the book, how things went, was a complete surprise to me. I didn't see any of it coming, and thought it was a pretty awesome twist, but it ended to quickly for me. I turned the last page expecting more. The danger didn't feel that dangerous, the love didn't feel that powerful. The book just generally wasn't as exciting as I was hoping it would be. Still, as I said, I did enjoy it, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the next book in the series, Trial by Fire.

Thank you to Quercus for sending me a review copy.

Published: 16th September 2010
Publisher: Quercus
Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Website

Continue reading Review: Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (#Ad)

2011 Debut Author Challenge

The Story Siren is hosting the 2011 Debut Author Challenge for the third year running next year! Where bloggers read a minimum of 12 debut authors' novels over the course of a year. And I, of course, am signing up! For more info, see the link above.

I'm going to edit this post as I go along. Books read:

1. Halo by Alexandra Adornetto - review - Published in the UK on 20th January 2011 - Atom
2. Across the Universe by Beth Revis - review - Published in the UK on 3rd March - Razorbill UK
3. Firelight by Sophie Jordan - review - Published in the UK on 3rd March 2011 - OUP
4. Siren by Tricia Rayburn - review - Published in the UK on 20th January 2011 - Faber & Faber
5. Forgotten by Cat Patrick - review - Published in the UK on 6th June 2011 - Egmont UK
6. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher - review coming in July - Published in the UK on 1st March - Orion Children's Books
7. One Seriously Messed-Up Week in the Otherwise Mundane and Uneventful Life of Jack Samsonite by Tom Clempson - review - Published in the UK on 2nd June 2011 - Atom
8. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon - review - Published in the UK on 1st May 2011 - Usborne
9. And By the Way by Denise Deegan - review - Published in the UK on 17th February 2011 - Hachette Books Ireland
10. The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter - review - Published in the UK on 22nd September 2011 - Mira Ink
11. Everybody Jam by Ali Lewis - review - Published in the UK on 3rd March 2011 - Andersen Press
12. Swim the Fly by Don Calame - review - Published in the UK on 9th May 2011 - Templar Publishing
13. Fury by Elizabeth Miles - review - Published in the UK on 1st September 2011 - Simon and Schuster

Continue reading 2011 Debut Author Challenge

News: Third Book in Perfect Chemistry Series by Simone Elkeles

Get ready to do a happy dance with me, ok? Be prepared to squee. Get your jaw ready to drop.

Ready?

Really? Are you sure?

Ok, ok, here it comes...




SIMONE ELKLES' THIRD PERFECT CHEMISTRY BOOK IS...

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles - Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys. From Goodreads

Can you give me a OMG!? Hello shower! Is this YA? Really, is it? Because... wow. I guess they kind of got a bit... hot. EEE I LOVE IT! And I love the switch of roles with this book! Oooh, I am dyyyying to read it! But what is he holding in his hand?

The only thing that worries me about this cover is what those people who like to have fun by ruining our fun by banning books might think. This doesn't look like a cover that will go under their radar. And this worries me. But I loooove it! I am sooo excited!

Continue reading News: Third Book in Perfect Chemistry Series by Simone Elkeles

News: Malorie Blackman Radio Appearances!

Some news from Random House UK regarding Malorie Blackman and her novel Boys Don't Cry.

On Saturday she will be on BBC London’s Vanessa Feltz show at 10.30am discussing her new book Boys Don’t Cry and talking about the survey we recently ran asking teenage boys their opinions about parenting.

On Sunday she will be on BBC 4’s Open Book with Mariella Frostrup at 4pm (repeated the following Thursday, 4pm) for a YA books special! Malorie will be joined by Marcus Sedgwick and Gemma Malley who will be discussing what distinguishes teen novels today and what challenges and possibilities they present for the writer.

Continue reading News: Malorie Blackman Radio Appearances!

News: The New UK Covers for the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

Here are the full set of new UK covers for the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I think they're pretty cool mysel! What do you think?





EDIT: If you can't see the above images, try looking at this post in Firefox. For some reason, I can't see them in IE, but I can in Firefox.

And in comparison to the last lot...





Are they better? Worse? Are you indifferent?

Continue reading News: The New UK Covers for the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

News: Night Star by Alyson Noël Trailer

Lookie lookie! Here's the book trailer for Night Star, the sixth and final book in the Immortal series by Alyson Noël!

Night Star continues the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. In this installment, Ever and Damen face down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears—all in the hope of being together forever. Night Star is guaranteed to mesmerize fans and leave them breathlessly awaiting the sixth and final book! From ImmortalsSeries.com

Night Star will be released on 16th November in the US from St. Martin's Press, and on 4th March 2011 in the UK from Macmillan Children's Books

Be sure to check out the Immortals Series website and the Facebook fan page.

Continue reading News: Night Star by Alyson Noël Trailer

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie (review copy) - On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match. Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life. Except he’s not. In Cassia’s society, Officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work. When they die. But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own. And that’s when her whole world begins to unravel... From Amazon UK

When I first heard about this book, I was so intrigued! A book where the government chooses who you spend the rest of your life with?! This has got to be worth reading! Now I'm finished, I have to say, I was pretty disappointed.

The plot is pretty fascinating; a world set way in the future, where everyone is governed by probability and statistics. They live a way an "optimal" life as worked out by Society. They are Matched with the optimal partner, to produce optimal, healthy offspring. They eat what Society has found to give them the optimal nutrients to keep them healthy - regardless of taste. They are given the job they will do best at - the possibility of them may not liking it doesn't come into it. They die when Society states they've lived an optimal life, and it's probable that they will deteriorate and have a less than optimal life from that time onwards. The perfect life, right? Where everyone has what's best for them, live the best life they can? No!

There is no free will. It seems like there is, but there isn't. How they spend their free recreation hours on a Saturday evening is up to them - as long as it's either games, a showing, or going to the music hall. They get to have a free summer activity which they can choose - but involves them doing work. Society declared their culture was too cluttered, so everything was sorted, so there are now the Hundred Songs, the Hundred Paintings, the Hundred Poems, etc. Everything is controlled. Everything is worked out. Society considers all possible factors, and predicts the probability of even everyone's reactions to different events, their behaviour, and the type of person they will be. It's Big Brother gone mad.

This book is all about fighting, striving for change, for the right to choice and free will. What I liked most was the power that words held for Cassia. During his Death Banquet, Cassias grandfather gives her paper with two poems on them. Grandfather's own Grandmother was one of the people who were called to sort out the poetry and narrow it down to just the Hundred Poems. She stole some, and handed them down. These poems hold such importance for Cassia; not just because they are forbidden, but because of what they tell you - to fight. Society has also forbidden writing, so no-one ever learns how to write. They have their Scribes, where they can type, but they can't write with their hands. Ky, one of the guys who lives in her borough, can. And he teaches her. First, Cassia learns to write her name, and it's such a powerful moment, of almost ownership - she can write her own name. All these acts of rebellion - forbidden writing, forbidden poems, rebellion actually in the poem, and eventually, forbidden love - spark something inside Cassia. It's great to see her change from someone who believes in the Society, and that it keeps them safe, that they all live good lives, to someone who questions everything she knows.

However, apart from Ky, I didn't find the characters believable. They were two dimensional as opposed to three dimensional. I didn't feel anything for them, because there wasn't enough to make me feel. I was indifferent to everyone except Ky. I think this was also because of the pace. It's not fast or slow, it's average. And there's no real suspense. It all seems to be chugging along on on flat level. No rollercoaster in this book. At the beginning, I was intrigued, but then, until things started to develop with Ky, and we learned more about him, and the importance of words, I just wasn't interested, and, to be frank, bored. I read on because I can't start a book and not finish it. I just can't do it. But if I did, I would have stopped reading. I also think I've discovered that dystopian novels aren't really my thing. There may be a few dystopian novels that I like, but as a genre, I don't think it's my cup of tea.

I must say, it is the kind of book I think will make an amazing movie, so I'm really glad there will be a chance to see it on the big screen!

However, there is a lot about this novel that fans of dystopian will love. The way people are governed, the technology, the sheer wrongness of it all that makes a dystopian. I'm sure there are a lot of people who will - and who have - loved this book. I suggest you check out some other reviews of Matched (see below) before you decide just by my review. Matched could have turned out to be such an amazing boook, it had a lot of promise, it just unfortunately fell flat for me.

Thank you to Puffin for sending me a review copy.

Published: 2nd December 2010
Publisher: Puffin
Pre-order on Amazon UK
Pre-order on Amazon US
Ally Condie's Website

Other reviews of Matched:
I Was a Teenage Book Geek
Fluttering Butterflies
Pure Imagination

Continue reading Review: Matched by Ally Condie

News: Websites, Fan Pages, Themed Weeks and Class of 2K11!

More news for you all!

BLOOMSBURY CONJURES UP A NEW WEBSITE FOR HARRY POTTER

On 1st November Bloomsbury officially launched the ‘signature’ editions of the bestselling Harry Potter series. To celebrate this stunning new look Bloomsbury has simultaneously released a brand new Harry Potter book website – www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter

The website has been designed to complement the new book livery and for the first time the website has games especially designed for online play. Visitors to the site can play Magical Matches and Harry Potter Connection.

The website also features everything you need to know about the Harry Potter book series. You can read interviews with the author, find out more on the individual titles, watch videos of J.K. Rowling and download posters, bookmarks and desktop wallpapers.

The website will be regularly updated and is a brilliant way to introduce new readers to the magical world of Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts.

There is also a new Facebook Harry Potter fan page you should check out.




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Ella of A Clockwork Monkey has created a new fan page blog for all things Lauren Oliver. This is something I'm pretty excited about, seeing as I only just finished reading Before I Fall yesterday - which is amazing! The fan page blog is still being set up, but it's looking pretty good at the moment. Check it out - or read the About Me page for more info.




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Caroline of Portrait of a Woman had the brilliant idea of raising awareness of AIDs and HIV for World AIDs Day for a week of reading YA novels that deal with the illnesses from 28th November - 5th December. Check out her page on her blog for more info! And check out the bibliography for a list of books you can read.


And Emma of Asamum Booktopia is hosting an Anti-Bullying Week from 15th - 19th November to raise awareness of the anti-bullying campaign. She has a list of books you can read for the week, and welcomes suggestions.


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Class is out!

The Class of 2k11 is a group of 19 debut middle grade and young adult authors working as a team to promote our books and reading in general. As our novels make their way into the world throughout 2011, this website will keep you up on our activities and bring you along on what’s sure to be a wild ride. We’ll host some off-the-wall contests (with amazing prizes), put out a monthly newsletter and a weekly blog, appear at conferences and book signings around the country and share what we’ve learned about writing and publishing with you.

Best of all, we’ll tell you all about our books and how to get your hands on them. Like any team worth it’s salt, we each bring something unique to the table (or bookshelf). Whether you’re into dystopian, paranormal, realistic, fantasy or historical fiction, there’s a story here for you. Promise.

So come on in and poke around, enter our contests, win some stuff, visit our blog, ask us questions and read some great books. We’re glad to have you on our Team!

Getting the word out,

Team 2k11

Continue reading News: Websites, Fan Pages, Themed Weeks and Class of 2K11!

Atom's Book Blogger Party

A few weeks back I was invited by Atom to come visit their offices for a Blogger Party and a look at their forthcoming titles for Spring next year - so, of course, off I went yesterday!

I have one word for you: WOW! There were cakes, there was champagne, and there was book talk! Not just any old book talk - new books coming soon with pretty, pretty covers coming soon book talk! Ooooh, there was some oooh-ing going on, I can tell you!

But I should start from the beginning (please bare with me, I took no notes or photos - I didn't think I would write this, but it's needed). You enter the board room to the lovely people who work at Atom - Rose, Kate, Sam, Gina and Kirsteen - who give you a label with name and blog, and offer out champagne, juice and water, and tell you to help yourself to the absolutely beautiful cakes (that shouldn't have been eaten, in my opinion, they were THAT PRETTY!). Sarah (Sarah's Book Reviews) and Sammee (I Want to Read That) were already there, chatting to Karen (Reading Teenage Fiction) and Kate, so I joined them and discussed things such as how often reviews are posted, cakes, the clocks going back, hair, lots and lots. Once everyone had arrived (list to come), we all sat down around the table, where canvas House of Night bags awaited us, more on that later.

Then the presentation began. Oh my word, you have no idea what is waiting for you next year. There are US bestselling paranormals, highly acclaimed series sequels and novellas, new ventures for Atom with suspenseful thrilllers, translations and contemporary, exciting re-tellings, arty manga, re-published horrors, angels, zombies, and other monsters! Seriously, you have no idea how excited I am! Two of these books were Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe, ARCs of which were found in our goodie bags with such pretty pretty covers (see this week's In My Mailbox later in the week), along with a catalogue including some of the books mentioned. I know some of the other bloggers took notes and photos, so you can read about these books in more depth on some of the other blogs over the next few days, I assume.

EDIT: Sarah has a great write-up you can check out here.

We were also told about a new teen reviewers club, the Atomics, that they're going to start soon, which sounds amazing, if you ask me. We'll be sent a press release soon, so I'll provide more news on that soon - teenagers, keep an eye out, it looks exciting!

Then it was time for more mingling and chatting, looking at books - we were actually allowed to take any of the books we liked that were spread out across the table (again, see this week's IMM), eating of cupcakes, which were decorated for Nightshade and Atomics! Other people have photos, so be sure to check out the other bloggers' posts to see. Soooo pretty!

Then it was time for home, and even though I thought they shouldn't be eaten, I decided to take a cake home for later, and despite being careful... it smooshed over my books, and icing got everywhere. And unfortunately, three of my books are now ruined. Such a clever girl I am!

But it was a brilliant event, and it was great to see known bloggers and meet others, who were...



Ana of The Book Smugglers
Liz and Sarah of My Favourite Books
Molly of Words and Pieces
Rhys of Thirst for Fiction
Amanda of Floor to Ceiling Books
Matthew of Teen Librarian
Andrew of Pewter Wolf
Sarah of Sarah's Book Reviews
Sammee of I Want to Read That
Karen of Reading Teenage Fiction


Publisher events are just so awesome, I'm really looking forward to the next one!

Continue reading Atom's Book Blogger Party

Amazing Contest from Angela Morrison

You would not believe the awesomeness that is Angela Morrison. Not only is she sharing her writing process by posting each chapter she writes on her blog (that I have mentioned over and over again!), she's now holding a humongous contest for her readers. Check out what you can win:

~ 5 winners will receive a signed, paperback copy of TAKEN BY STORM

~ 5 winners will receive a signed, paperback copy of UNBROKEN CONNECTION

~ 10 winners will receive a signed copy of CAYMAN SUMMER, hot off the press - once it's been finished

~ 1 winner will receive a signed collection of all three
books!

~ 3 winners will receive a signed, first edition, hard cover copy of TAKEN BY STORM

~ 1 winner will receive a signed, marked, first edition, hard cover copy of TAKEN BY STORM

~ 3 winners will receive signed, first edition, hard cover copies of SING ME TO SLEEP!

~ 1 winner will receive a signed, marked, hardcover copy of SING ME TO SLEEP

~ 3 winners will receive a yet to be announced mystery prize

If that wasn't enough, Angela is also giving something to aspiring writers:

~ 3 writers will receive first chapter/synopsis critiques (no more than 10 pages)

~ 2 writers will receive 30 page/synopsis critiques

Is Angela incredible or what?! What are you waiting for? Get to her blog and start entering!

Continue reading Amazing Contest from Angela Morrison

Rant: New Covers, Then More New Covers, Then More...

I need to have a bit of a rant, and I know some people are going to disagree with me, but I just need to get it off my chest.

I love publishers, I think they're amazing! And I love authors too. But I understand that publishing is a business. Publishers want to make money, which is understandable, but sometimes the way they go about trying to make their money annoys me.

This is to do with covers. It annoys me when books come out with new covers for two different reasons. The first is when covers are changed in the middle of a series. This doesn't effect me much, I'm more interested in the story than the covers, but there are those fans out there who like to have a matching set. So what does this mean? That fan goes and buys all the previous books so they have a matching set, even though they already have them. Then a year or so later, those same books come out again with new covers before the series has ended. That same fan will then have to go out and buy all the previous books again with the new new covers. In this case, that one fan has bought several books three times, but we all know it's not just one fan. Lots of fans like to have a whole set that matches. So how much more money has the publisher raked in just by changing the cover? How much money are the fans wasting - and I say waste because they already own and have read the previous books - just so they can have a matching set?

The second reason is when a series seems to come out with new covers each year. There are the originals, then there are special editions; same as orignals but coloured edges, then with no title on the front, different coloured background, and coloured edges, and all the others. And that's not mentioning movie tie-ins, where there isn't just one cover for a particular movie tie-in, but several. As I said, every year there are new covers for a whole series. And fanatics will buy every single edition they can get their hands on. And what do the publishers hear? Kerching, kerching, kerching!

Don't get me wrong, I can understand publishing a series with new covers a long while after they were first released, I'm not saying books should have one cover indefinitely. It makes sense to change them agter a fair while to bring in new fans. But to change them so regularly?

In both cases, how much are these people spending on books that have exactly the same story inbetween the covers? How much are the publishers raking in by simply changing a cover - and as shown above, they only need to do something as small as making the edges of the pages a bright colour and people will go buying - how much do they get?

I am not one of these people. I don't mind mis-matched series, it's the story that I'm mostly interested in. Once I have a series, I'm not going to buy it again and again for the different covers when the books I have are fine. Saying that, I don't have a problem with those people who want matching series, or want every single edition available. If that's what they want, then go for it. But, for example, would the fanatics actually demand new covers if there weren't any available? I doubt it. They want them because they're available.

I don't claim to know the ins and outs of publishing, I don't know exactly where the money goes, I just know the money is being spent. And I think it's really unfair, and it feels like fans are being taken advantage of. There is no real reason I can see to change covers mid-series, or to bring out new editions of books so regularly, except to make money. And it annoys me.

On a similar note, it also annoys me when books are re-released with short stories at the back, and fans can only read that short story if they buy that book - even if they already have it. More money-making scheme. I shall be quiet now.

Continue reading Rant: New Covers, Then More New Covers, Then More...