Bookanista Thursday

Currently, I'm buried deep in writing, which means I have little time for reading or recommending, or you know, breathing.  So.  I won't be posting Bookanista recommendations for a bit.  But I will still be bringing you the links to the fab books they will all be talking about every Thursday, so please stop by, then check out the other Bookanista blogs!

• LiLa Roecker pines for THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS
• Shannon Messenger talks up THE PLEDGE - with a giveaway
• Corrine Jackson falls for UNDER THE NEVER SKY
• Beth Revis interviews and gives away a signed copy of CROSSED by Ally Condie
• Veronica Roth screams for THE NEAR WITCH
• Nikki Katz praises LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR
• Katy Upperman recommends THE PLEDGE

Bookanista Thursday: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

So the month of November is being featured as Just Contemporary month over at Basically Amazing Books and Chick Loves Lit, which I'm so excited about, since Contemporary is my first YA love. It makes me so very proud and happy when I find amazing Contemporary books, and VIRTUOSITY certainly qualifies!

From Goodreads:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....



My Thoughts:

This is a book that had me from the first intense page.  It's a book I fell into immediately and didn't want to put down. At all.  Carmen's voice sings from the start, and the tone is passionate, true, fragile, and strong, all at the same time. 

I am not a musician in any sense of the word, so this glimpse into Carmen's world was both enlightening and startling.  The intensity of the practice, the competition, and the pressures of this life are palpable in every word Martinez writes.  And her words are brilliant--crisp, vivid, and gorgeous in the best possible way.

Virtuosity is so many things--way more than the summary suggests.  It's a story of a girl facing her opponent, her inner conflicts, and her own talent, and it's so gracefully done I can honestly say it goes on the list of "Books I Wish I'd Written."

So check it out, if you haven't already!

You can also find Jessica on her website: www.jessicamartinez.com , Facebook, and Twitter!

And while you're here, check out what the other Bookanistas are talking about this week:

Elana Johnson gushes about THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

Shelli Johannes-Wells praises Addison Moore's books

Rosemary Clement-Moore gets all wrapped up in WRAPPED

Nikki Katz screams for LEGEND

Katy Upperman sets us all up for BEFORE I FALL


 

Bookanista Thursday

I'll be back with a review of VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez next week, but in the meantime, check out what the other Bookanistas are talking about this week!

Elana Johnson is crazy about Crossed and Shatter Me

LiLa Roecker swoons for Sirenz

Christine Fonseca interviews Kids Inventing! author Susan Casey

Shelli Johannes-Wells dishes on Become (Desolation Book #1)

Beth Revis celebrates books for which she’s grateful – with gigantic signed book giveaway

Megan Miranda marvels at How to Save a Life

Rosemary Clement Moore is wild for The Iron Witch

Veronica Rossi is amazed by Shatter Me

Bookanista Thursday: AUDITION by Stasia Kehoe Makes the Cut!

I have a confession to make: AUDITION by Stasia Kehoe, is the first verse novel I have read.  I haven't purposely stayed away from them or anything, it just never really occured to me to branch out into the genre.  I usually stick to reading traditional novels because they're familiar and I feel like I'm  "studying the craft" by reading them.

Then I read Kehoe's novel in verse, and let me tell you, THAT is a study in craft.

Honestly, the way she works with this art form left me completely wonderstruck at the fact that a beautiful, cohesive story could be told so eloquently through a series of poems.  I am in awe.  So without further adieu, I present to you AUDITION:

From Goodreads: 

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

My Thoughts:

As I said before, this was my first introduction to a novel in verse.  I read it months ago, and I am STILL in awe at how Kehoe so seamlessly wove together the moments that tell Sara's story, line by line, in beautiful, spare verse.  Finding the right words to write a scene in a is hard enough.  But this novel makes regular old prose seem like a luxury.  Somehow, Kehoe was able to get down to the most striking, pure words to tell Sara's story.  She makes a dance with them, and this dance is the story of a girl lost and then found.  

Maybe it’s because I am now a mother myself, far removed from 16 and its wants and wishes and insecurities, but I watched Sara set out apprehensively, then give herself over, give herself up to Remington for what, she wasn’t even sure.  And the entire time I hoped/prayed/wished she wouldn’t.  That she’d find another way.  But at the same time, I could also feel the draw of Remington--his dance, his adoration, and the idea of being his inspiration.  Kehoe manages infuse the complexity of Sara's relationships to Rem, dance, writing, and herself into seemingly simple poems and the result is graceful and eloquent.  It feels true.

Secondly, I am not a dancer, so reading this book was like stepping into a different world.  I was absolutely fascinated.  Watching  the struggle that Sara felt each time she stepped onto the floor--the structure vs. letting go, discipline vs. rebellion left me with a whole new perspective of that world.  It seems to me that it's one that is beautiful and brutal at the same time, and I can't imagine a more well-drawn picture.

Whether or not you're into dance, or novels in verse, this is a gorgeous book and an impressive debut, and lucky for you, it's in stores now!

Want to know more about Stasia?  You can find her on:

Facebook

Twitter

Her Blog

Stages and Pages Tour

And don't forget to check out what the other Bookanistas are up to, especially ELANA JOHNSON, who has something VERY EXCITING HAPPENING TODAY!!!

Elana Johnson REVEALS something awesome!!!

LiLa Roecker announces a winner - plus a Past Midnight series giveaway
Christine Fonseca reveals books she cannot wait to read
Beth Revis interviews My Very UnFairytale Life author Anna Staniszewski
Shannon Whitney Messenger interviews Skyship Academy-Pearl Wars author Nick James & agent Jennifer Rofe – with giveaway
Shana Silver burns for Circle of Fire
Carrie Harris devours Deadly
Stasia Ward Kehoe travels to The Day Before

Mara Dyer Fabulousness!

If you are a fan of YA Lit, you've probably heard of a little book that just came out this week called THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER.  You know, the dark, twisty, sexy debut by Michelle Hodkin?  The one with this gorgeous cover:

And this BRILLIANT trailer:

But you may not have heard of the Gigantic, Enormous, Very Big, Very Huge MARA DYER Contest.

Believe me--like the book, this is NOT something you want to miss out on.  So go! Now!

Then check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week!

Elana Johnson interviews Elle Strauss, author of Clockwise
LiLa Roecker discusses S R Johannes' e-book experiment
Christine Fonseca is wowed by The White Assassin - with giveaway
Shannon Whitney Messenger loves Lola & the Boy Next Door – with giveaway
Beth Revis delights in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer – with giveaway
Shelli Johannes-Wells falls for Fracture
Carolina Valdez Miller adores Ashfall – with giveaway
 Shana Silver steps up to Audition
Corrine Jackson is crazy about Cracked
Stasia Ward Kehoe swoons for Swan and To Dance

 

  

New Fall Events!

So today I opened up my calendar to the month of October, and holy wow, it's shaping up to be a busy one! I've got lots of fun author events and appearances lined up.  Things like:

The Orange County Children's Book Festival
This is a FREE event and takes place on Sunday, October 2nd.  I'll be on the "Keepin' it Real Panel," which is hosted by superstar writer Heidi Kling, and includes authors Lindsey Leavitt (Sean Griswold's Head), Kirsten Hubbard (Like Mandarin), and Andrew Smith (Stick, Marbury Lens). More details here!


Debut Author Signing at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego

This event will take place on Wednesday October 19th at 7pm, with Kirsten Hubbard, Elana Johnson, and Corey Whaley. If you're in the San Diego area, come see us!


Oceanside Barnes and Noble: Four Fabulous Authors on One Night!

On Thursday, October 20th, I'll be teaming up with fellow debut authors Corey Whaley (Where Things Come Back), Elana Johnson (Possession), and Kirsten Hubbard (Like Mandarin), for a fabulous, fun-filled evening. Come see us!

SoCal Independent Bookseller's Association Author's Feast and Tradeshow

This event takes place on Saturday, October 22nd, and is one I am definitely looking forward to! I'll be the totally starstruck one with this list of attending authors.

1st IN HONOR Giveaway!!! Jacket Proofs and a Special Sneak Peek!!!

I love emails from my editor that end in multiple exclamation marks.  When I got the one titled "Jacket Proofs!!!" I dropped EVERYTHING to open it up and ogle the cover image of IN HONOR on my laptop screen.  It made me wish I had one of those mammoth-sized monitors that I could just stare at forever and ever.  But then last week, I got something even better from the UPS man:

The actual jacket proofs!!!

 

Why yes, I took them around my house and photographed them in various locations with my own red boots, but I had a reason, and the reason is this:

I'm going to give them away this week! 

(The proofs, not the boots. They were a gift from my hubby.)

And you want these. Know why?

On the back cover, which you can't see anywhere online, is Honor's travel companion, Rusty.  And whoa boy, is he perfect.  Rugged-looking like I imagined, with just enough revealed to hint at his hotness. 

AND THIS:

I'm going to do something special with these proofs.  Every road trip needs a playlist, and IN HONOR has one that's near and dear to my heart.  It's a playlist I listened to almost every day while I was writing the story of Finn, Honor, and Rusty.  I listened to it on my runs, while gardening, doing dishes, waiting in the school pick up line...everywhere.  It's how I stay connected to a story.  Each song corresponds to a scene, theme, or feeling in the book, and three lucky winners will get an exclusive sneak peek at the list all of the tunes that inspired IN HONOR.

BECAUSE... 

On the inside of each jacket proof I give away will be the IN HONOR playlist, hand-written, and signed by me.

How do you enter to win one of these???  Easy:

1. Leave a comment on this post. (+1 entry)

Want to earn some extra entries?

Tweet about the giveaway (+1)

Share the giveaway on Facebook (+1)

Link to this giveaway on your blog (+1)

Leave the links to these in your comment and I will count an extra entry for each one. (Max number of entries is 4.) 

This contest is open internationally and will run from today through Sunday, September 18th.  I'll post the winners that day.

Happy Monday!