Dystopian Giveaway Hop

Waiting on Wednesday

Sooooo....what book are we waiting on here at RFYF? An Historical Young Adult Murder Mystery, of course!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

A Most Dangerous Deception
(Palace of Spies, Book #1)

by Sarah Zettel

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Release Date: 15 November 2013

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don’t.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she’s impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love . 

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.

• Open to a random page.

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"I realized I was either completely nuts or there was a huge part of the world I simply didn't know about. I stopped believing in fairy tales and magic when I was six years old, so if I was going to believe any of this was real, it was going to take some convincing." p. 11

 The First Pillar (Everville, #1)

by Roy Huff

Review: The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Summary-

Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly. Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one,not even Julia's boyfriend, knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can't mourn Julia openly, and he's tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia's journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he's desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

 

Review-

I have a friend who would absolutely LOVE this book because she can relate to it ALOT. I read this book in one night because it kept me interested. I wanted to know if he would really tell everybody that he had been with Julia. By the end of the book he had but nobody believed him because he was poor and not popular and she had been rich and popular. Well, I can relate to this because I dated a guy that was kinda popular and got accused that I was lying till he finally told the truth about it 6 months later. But i would recommend this book to any teenage girl that wants to read a love story.

 

Publisher-Viking Juvenile

Reviewer rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Sierra Wells (Student at Franklin High School)

Thank you to the author for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange for a honest review!

Review: The Fury (The Fury #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Summary-

From the creator of the Escape from Furnace series, a ferocious epic of supernatural terror, perfect for Stephen King fans Imagine if one day, without warning, the entire human race turns against you, if every person you know, every person you meet becomes a bloodthirsty, mindless savage . . . That’s the horrifying reality for Cal, Brick, and Daisy. Friends, family, even moms and dads, are out to get them. Their world has the Fury. It will not rest until they are dead.
In Alexander Gordon Smith’s adrenaline-fueled saga, Cal and the others must uncover the truth about what is happening before it destroys them all. But survival comes at a cost. In their search for answers, what they discover will launch them into battle with an enemy of unimaginable power

 

Review-

OMG!!!! I absolutely loved this book. It kept me very involved and interested. I read it twice in the time I have had it. It is amazing and I probably would read it again. It is kind of gory in some parts but besides that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Hey I even cried at the very end when Daisy died because she was my favorite character! If you like gory, scary, fighting, and books that make you think. This is the book for you!

 

Publisher-Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!

Reviewed by~Sierra Wells (Student at Franklin Highschool)

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for the Future book program in exchange for a honest review!

Review: Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society

Summary-

The Atlantic Paranormal Society, also known as T.A.P.S., is the brainchild of two plumbers by day, paranormal investigators by night: Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. Their hair-raising investigations, fueled by their unique abilities and a healthy dose of scientific method, have made them the subject of a hit TV show: the SCI FI Channel's Ghost Hunters.

Now their experiences are in print for the first time, as Jason and Grant recount for us, with the help of veteran author Michael Jan Friedman, the stories of some of their most memorable investigations. The men and women of T.A.P.S. pursue ghosts and other supernatural phenomena with the most sophisticated scientific equipment available -- from thermal-imaging cameras to electromagnetic-field recorders to digital thermometers -- and the results may surprise you. Featuring both cases depicted on Ghost Hunters and earlier T.A.P.S. adventures never told before now, this funny, fascinating, frightening collection will challenge everything you thought you knew about the spirit world.

Review-
If you like true ghost stories and want to feel like your there in a sense, then this is the book for you! I loved this book! I didn't know somethings about places in here. I want to go visit some of the places in this book to see if they are really haunted.

Publisher-Gallery Books
Reviewer Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by~Sierra Wells (Student at Franklin Highschool)

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange for a honest review!

Review: Invisible by Jeanne Bannon

Summary-

Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that...

For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.
Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.
Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too…
Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power.
A coming-of-age story that will warm the heart.

 

Review-

I really related to this book because I am self-conscious and wish I had a better self-esteem. Sometimes I wish I was invisible and nobody could see me when i get embarrassed. I like how she grew major self esteem by the end of the book. And I hope one day I can have the self esteem like her!

 

Publisher- Solstice Publishing            

Reviewers Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Sierra Wells(Student at Franklin High School)

Thanks to the Publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program!!!

Cover Reveal: Fragile Brilliance by Tammy Blackwell

 

Expected publication: December 2013

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a fun meme that allows other bloggers 

to get an idea of what everyone else is reading 

and perhaps help to find our next must-read. So check out what WE are reading and tell us what YOU are reading!!

____________________

Lora is reading: Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
AND
Crash Into You (Pushing The Limits #3) by Katie McGarry
Cindi is reading: The First Pillar (Everville, #1) by Roy Huff

Stacking The Shelves

Listed below are the books that were donated or bought by RFYF for the last two week. It's a list full of goodies so CHECK THEM OUT and add some to your TBR shelf!

*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

Donated For Review:

The White Aura(White Aura #1) by Felicia Tatum

The Vessel (White Aura #2) by Felicia Tatum

Devils Descendant (White Aura #3) by Felicia Tatum

The Princess in The Opal Mask (The Princess in The Opal Mask #1) by Jenny Lundquist

The Last Hybrid: Bloodline of Angels by Lee Wilson

When Will The Heaven Begin?: This is Ben Breedlove's Story by Ally Breedlove, Ken Abraham

The Last Enchanter (Celestine Chronicles #2) by Laurisa White Reyes

Shedding Light on the Dark Side: Defeating the Forces of Evil by Stephen Stirling

Battle of The Ampere (Michael Vey #3) by Richard Paul Evans

*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

Bought:

The Day Christ Died,  by Jim Bishop

Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades #2) by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades #3) by E.L. James

*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

Audio books:

Bared to You (Crossfire #1) by Sylvia Day

Reflected in You (Crossfire #2) by Sylvia Day

Entwined With You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day

Waiting on Wednesday

Sooooo....what book are we waiting on here at RFYF? A Young Adult VOODOO story, of course!!
~~~~~~~~~~~

This Wicked Game

by Michelle Zink

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: 14 November 2013

Claire Kincaid’s family has been in business for over fifty years.

The voodoo business.

Part of the International Guild of High Priests and Priestesses, a secret society that have practiced voodoo for generations, the Kincaid’s run an underground supply house for authentic voodoo supplies. Claire plays along, filling orders for powders, oils and other bizarre ingredients in the family store, but she has a secret.

She doesn’t believe.

Struggling to reconcile her modern sensibilities with a completely unscientific craft based on suspicion, Claire can’t wait to escape New Orleans – and voodoo – when she goes to college, a desire that creates almost constant conflict in her secret affair with Xander Toussaint, son of the Guild’s powerful founding family.

But when a mysterious customer places an order for a deadly ingredient, Claire begins to realize that there’s more to voodoo – and the families that make up the Guild – than meets the eye.

Including her own.

As she bands together with the other firstborns of the Guild, she comes face to face with a deadly enemy – and the disbelief that may very well kill her.

(Goodreads Summary)  

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall

Selena’s life isn’t turning out to be the fairy tale she imagined as a kid. That hope seemed to vanish long ago when her dad kicked her and her mom out of the house. This summer might finally hold the chance of a new beginning for Selena…but having to live with her snobby cousin in Lake Lure, NC while waiting for her mom to get out of rehab wasn’t how Selena was planning on spending her summer. She soon begins to wonder why she committed to give up her “bad habits” for this.

Things don’t seem too bad, though. Especially when Selena gains the attention of the cute neighbor next door. But when her best friend back home in Brooklyn desperately needs her, a secret that’s been hidden from Selena for years is revealed, and when she becomes a target for one of her cousin’s nasty pranks, she finds herself having to face the scars from her past and the memories that come along with them. Will she follow her mom’s example in running away, or trust that God still has a fairy tale life written just for her?

Guest Post-

How Much of My Personal Life Did I Put Into Purple Moon?

Many authors don't like to incorporate their personal life into their books, only because it's too revealing and they believe that fiction should be entirely—well, fiction. However, I believe that fiction comes across as more realistic when authors write from experience.

One of the reasons why I've always liked Taylor Swift's songs is because she writes from experience. Teenagers can relate to her songs because they've been through situations that she sings about in her songs. That’s also one reason why I wanted to be a teen author, because I wanted to be able to relate to the readers of YA fiction.

I had fun incorporating my personal life into Purple Moon. I gave the protagonist, Selena, many of my own qualities, such as: she’s an introvert, an artist, dreamer, loves coffee, and wears the same style of clothing as I do. One of the reasons why I loved writing Purple Moon was because it was similar to the journey that I was experiencing in my own life. In some ways, writing Selena’s story was sort of a healing process for me.

I also gave several secondary characters names of my friends and family, such as: Erica, Josh, Jeremy, Tara, Matthew, Mickey, Sarah, and Sam.

The friendship that Selena has with her best friend, Hilarie, was actually modeled by the best friend that I had throughout middle and high school. In Purple Moon, there’s a scrapbook that Selena made for Hilarie on her birthday. That was "inspired" by the scrapbook I made for Mickey on her birthday one also. Mickey is an extrovert, like Hilarie; and I’m an introvert, like Selena. She’s always been more of the independent type as well, and me, not so much.
What’s strange is that—after I wrote Purple Moon, so much of my life started to actually copy the story! Far too many ways to count, actually.

Do you like to read books where the author incorporated his/her life experiences into the story? Or if you’re a writer, do you include your own life experiences into the stories that you write? Has your life ever started to "mock" the fiction that you write, like it has with mine?

Fact or Fiction?:

Guess this fact or fiction, and be sure to stop by the next blog tour stop to see if you guessed correctly! (You’ll also receive one extra entry for the "Purple Moon" Prize Pack if you send me your guess.)

Enter the Giveaway HERE

 

Author Bio-

Tessa Emily Hall　is a 19-year-old author of Purple Moon, her YA Christian fiction novel to be published September 2013 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is also the editor over the faith department for Temperance Magazine, a column writer for Whole Magazine, a contributing writer for More To Be, as well as the PR for God of Moses Entertainment. Other than writing, Tessa enjoys acting, music, Starbucks, and her Teacup Shih Tzu—who is named Brewer after a character in her book, as well as her love for coffee.

Find “Purple Moon” on Amazon

Find “Purple Moon” on Goodreads

Like “Purple Moon” on Facebook

 

Tuesday, October 1^st: Dealing With Anxiety—The Spiritual IV: The Destiny of One  
Wednesday, October 2^nd: Q & A: Saved by Grace
Thursday, October 3^rd: Behind the Scenes: Name Meanings: Labor Not In Vain
Friday, October 4^th: Is It Okay To Be An Introvert?: Alex Inks It  
Monday, October 7^th: Story Behind the Cover Art: Candy Apple Books
Tuesday, October 8^th: Purple Moon Excerpt: Cherishing the Sunrise: Author Casey Bond
Wednesday, October 9^th: Q & A: Writing While the Rice Boils
Thursday, October 10^th: Behind the Scenes: Christian Human Videos: Writing in Wonderland  
Friday, October 11^th: Teenage Substance Abuse: Emily Rachelle  
Monday, October 14^th: Behind the Scenes: Lake Lure Academy of the Arts: Worthy 2 Read
Tuesday, October 15^th: My Middle & High School Experience: Hello Highlights  
Wednesday, October 16^th: Purple Moon Excerpt: Meatless Turkey Sandwich: Diane Estrella  
Thursday, October 17^th: Body Image Laurel’s Leaves
Friday, October 18^th: Behind the Scenes: Brewer’s Coffee: A Splash of Ink
Monday, October 21^st: Purple Moon Excerpt: Farkle at the Park: A Slightly Nerdy Bookworm
Tuesday, October 22^nd: Teenage Dating: Tell The World
Wednesday, October 23^rd: Q & A: The YA Book Stack
Thursday, October 24^th: How Much of My Personal Life Did I Put Into “Purple Moon”?: Read For Your Future
Friday, October 25^th: Fairy tales & Happy Endings + Contest Winners!:

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday

Sooooo....what book are we waiting on here at RFYF? A CREEPY young adult fantasy, of course!!
~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorrow's Knot

by Erin Bow

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Release Date: 1 November 2013

In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

(Goodreads Summary)  

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.

• Open to a random page.

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"The girl tucked her head inside her hoodie, knowing what was about to happen, much like a mobster who'd been taken away in the backseat of a rival crime family's car. But the guy didn't even try to hide his face. In fact, quite the opposite." p. 26

 Precious Blood (The Blessed, #1)

by Tonya Hurley, il. Abbey Watkins

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a fun meme that allows other bloggers 

to get an idea of what everyone else is reading 

and perhaps help to find our next must-read. So check out what WE are reading and tell us what YOU are reading!!

____________________

Lora is reading: Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
AND
Crash Into You (Pushing The Limits #3) by Katie McGarry
Cindi is reading: Precious Blood (The Blessed, #1)  by Tonya Hurley

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.

• Open to a random page.

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"Well I can't think of anything more unappealing than the smell of someone who's been playing some fantasy game marathon for the last week without taking a hygiene break. Emily wrinkled up her nose in disgust." p. 15 

 The Boy Who Loved Me

by Dusti Bowling