tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73114675344276008172024-03-17T01:41:14.549-04:00The Book BratzThe Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09270267455058718110noreply@blogger.comBlogger2247125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-86014290439252149432022-01-23T00:00:00.005-05:002022-01-23T00:00:00.264-05:002022 Debut Author Interview: Carolyn Tara O'Neil!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HDANRstH5DQ/X86my8rojOI/AAAAAAAAERs/FKdaMDJpFtIHKyhF08M33iSA8dX6s8oKwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HDANRstH5DQ/X86my8rojOI/AAAAAAAAERs/FKdaMDJpFtIHKyhF08M33iSA8dX6s8oKwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h280/image.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></span></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;">In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as </span><b style="text-align: left;">many</b><span style="text-align: left;"> debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2022 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the end of 2021, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Carolyn Tara O'Neil and her novel <i style="font-weight: bold;">DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE</i>, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Carolyn on the blog today to answer some of our questions! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8in_-rTeps/XfGO8Hue6xI/AAAAAAAAKOM/h3zPAkPtf80TBbjuL9DZWcSmmpQ0e2qEwCEwYBhgL/s1600/About%2BThe%2BAuthor.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="1600" height="121" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8in_-rTeps/XfGO8Hue6xI/AAAAAAAAKOM/h3zPAkPtf80TBbjuL9DZWcSmmpQ0e2qEwCEwYBhgL/s640/About%2BThe%2BAuthor.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CW7qtJ9ZWz8/YFKbR9JSjiI/AAAAAAAAE7M/IfS4ZY_i1UoZytnhhCFE9ZdSxhPMrTdowCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CW7qtJ9ZWz8/YFKbR9JSjiI/AAAAAAAAE7M/IfS4ZY_i1UoZytnhhCFE9ZdSxhPMrTdowCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="180" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><blockquote><br /><br />Carolyn Tara O’Neil grew up in a tiny New York City apartment filled with thousands of books. Every Friday she went to the public library for even more reading material. She now lives in a slightly smaller NYC apartment with slightly fewer books, and still goes to the library every week. In between then and now, Carolyn has lived in France, Spain, and Japan, and has dedicated her career to the education and rights of young people. She loves to travel, study languages, and spend endless hours discussing TV, books, great hiking trails, and how we can work together to build a more equal society. </blockquote></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b>Keep up with Carolyn: <a href="https://www.carolyntaraoneil.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/CarolynTara" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carolyntaraoneil/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19483066.Carolyn_Tara_O_Neil" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pGJwsjIxdw/XfGOSRnxP7I/AAAAAAAAKOE/0HyMbijETWQD4ulDt4-24EHhAMo-DLIawCEwYBhgL/s1600/Interview.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="1176" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pGJwsjIxdw/XfGOSRnxP7I/AAAAAAAAKOE/0HyMbijETWQD4ulDt4-24EHhAMo-DLIawCEwYBhgL/s400/Interview.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Bratz:</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you so much! I grew up in a little apartment stuffed to the brim with thousands of books -- so it’s no joke when I say I’ve dreamt of publishing a novel my whole life. It is a joy to know that people will read my book, and that I’ll soon see it in bookstores and libraries. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">That said, the experience is a rollercoaster as high as the stratosphere! There’s so much doubt and anxiety in this journey. At the end of the day -- it’s almost trite to say it -- the only thing that matters is writing. The next story in one’s heart is more important than whatever came before, published or not. That never changes.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">There’s nothing like losing yourself in a story, disappearing into the mind of a character. That feeling is a comfort to me. In a way, it’s home. I dedicate every Sunday to writing. For 5, 6, even 10 hours straight I will sit down and immerse myself in a story. I love the satisfaction of a long writing session. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The hardest thing was working in a pandemic! I’m a big believer in writing routine, and coronavirus messed with my routine tremendously. </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Book Bratz:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where did you get the idea for DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span>Although I chose to write about the legend of Anastasia, it was the stories of everyday people in Russia that excited me the most. I wanted to explore the suffering experienced under the Tsar’s rule, the hope and idealism around the revolution, and the severe disillusionment that followed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The extremes of income inequality that existed then – echoed in America today – also drew me to this time period. My own biracial family came from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, and as a child I attended both public and private schools. I’ve seen the extremes of income inequality close-up my entire life, and I felt that the Russian Revolution provided a useful point of comparison for our lives today.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">My book is dual-POV so I try not to play favorites! Excluding my protagonists, there is a certain young Czech soldier with an important role in the book. He is sweet and fearless and has a surprising family history, and, just MAYBE, becomes something of a love interest for one of the main characters. ;-)</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Bratz:</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Are there any other books or authors who give you inspiration for your own writing?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Omg, so many! Justina Ireland, Stacey Lee, Elizabeth Wein, Tonya Bolden, Ruta Sepetys, Sherri L. Smith, MT Anderson -- all magnificent historical fiction writers in the YA category who I just can’t get enough of, and who have taught me so much by example. And then there are other writers who write completely different genres -- like Kristin Cashore, or Katherine Paterson, or Brandy Colbert, or Shamim Sarif, or Gita Trelease -- who inspire me in different ways. </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What do you hope that readers will take away from DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE? </span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have so many hopes: that readers will enjoy it and love my characters. That it will make them think. That it will spark their curiosity to explore a part of history that we don’t study very much in this country, unless you choose to in college. That readers will consider what it means to have a fair and just government, and what kinds of sacrifices are necessary to create one. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also I’m hoping they'll be inspired to create fanfiction and fanart, because that was my world for so long!! :-D</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b>Do you plan on returning to the world of DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?</span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writing is my secret garden! I find that the less I say to anyone while I’m in drafting phase, the more it flourishes. That said, Daughters of a Dead Empire is a standalone. Whatever comes next will share a lot of the same themes, but may surprise you!</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOoJ4_3NPIo/XfGNuLYpcbI/AAAAAAAAKN8/HthSCupmV10s5Fr1IRU4mxgoPVFQ9MH4gCEwYBhgL/s1600/About%2BThe%2BBook.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="1600" height="142" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOoJ4_3NPIo/XfGNuLYpcbI/AAAAAAAAKN8/HthSCupmV10s5Fr1IRU4mxgoPVFQ9MH4gCEwYBhgL/s640/About%2BThe%2BBook.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EQsdFmYJk4k/YFKd3cmFR6I/AAAAAAAAE7U/-qBFOEmrpLIbS3DC-6OoY5XOAn-8QMHZgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EQsdFmYJk4k/YFKd3cmFR6I/AAAAAAAAE7U/-qBFOEmrpLIbS3DC-6OoY5XOAn-8QMHZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w213-h320/image.png" width="213" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Title: </span></b><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Daughters of a Dead Empire</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author: </b></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Carolyn Tara O'Neil</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Publisher: </b></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roaring Brook Press</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Publication Date: February 22nd, 2022</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55780553-daughters-of-a-dead-empire?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TE1A4LUocE&rank=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQOirv3dLac/YADt3LK7RtI/AAAAAAAAEdU/dAwvk0yvmtICrezWrw2YavnZEJEReGRJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Goodreads%2Bcopy.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Summary: </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Seventeen-year-old Anna is running for her life. She barely escaped the massacre that killed her family, and now a relentless Red commander is after her to finish the job. If she can just reach the Tsarist army, she’ll be safe. But first she must convince a peasant girl to smuggle her across communist territory. And when the peasant turns out to be a communist herself, Anna must hide her true identity at all costs. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sixteen-year-old Evgenia is poor and pissed off about it. Her Red soldier brother badly needs a doctor. Evgenia will do anything to raise the money – even selling a wagon ride to a spoiled bourgeois girl. Only it’s the worst mistake Evgenia’s ever made. A rogue commander is following them, and he’s out to kill the wealthy girl and anyone who helps her. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the girls flee across the war-torn Russian countryside, they find that they have more in common than their prejudices led them to expect. To survive, Anna must trust a revolutionary who wants to destroy her world. And Evgenia must decide whether the life of her new friend is worth more than the change she so passionately believes in.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thank you so much to Carolyn for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about <b><i>DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE </i></b>and can't wait for it to be out in the world on February 22nd</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">! </span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="Celebrate So Excited GIF by Hey Violet" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/3o7btWyOD1QLDZGqly/200.webp?cid=790b7611da0d06261684c04d935af8d0f7a642982f9ac812&rid=200.webp" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzYoVidGDAk/YADt71i6WsI/AAAAAAAAEdY/w_5AJG4pekcsRWu64wE6odP5H5L9cadzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzYoVidGDAk/YADt71i6WsI/AAAAAAAAEdY/w_5AJG4pekcsRWu64wE6odP5H5L9cadzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-76076467853367544592021-11-30T00:00:00.002-05:002021-11-30T00:00:00.230-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Memories! <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" /></a></div></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" style="font-family: verdana;">That Artsy Reader Girl </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div>
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">This Week's Theme:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Bookish Memories! </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1.</b> Reading in during math class. I would always end up in trouble but it was always 100% worth it! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>2.</b> Attending BookExpo in 2018 and 2019! This will forever be my favorite bookish memories! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>3.</b> Breaking my ankle at BookExpo in 2019. Most people wouldn't consider it a funny memory, but it is comical to me because it is such an Amber thing to do. (I even walked around on the broken ankle all day because I was in denial!) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>4.</b> Creating The Book Bratz! Of course the birth of our. blog made the list! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>5.</b> Going to my first ever book signing event in 2014/2015! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6.</b> Meeting all of my blogging friends in person! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7.</b> Meeting Taherah Mafi and Ransom Riggs at the <i>Restore Me</i> launch party! It was literally a dream come to true to meet my idols. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8.</b> Meeting Jennifer L. Armentrout at BookCon in 2014/15! She was so sweet and the first author that I have ever met in person!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>9.</b> Staying overnight in Manhattan for BookExpo 2019! (Sadly, it got cut short because I fell and broke my ankle, but it was fun while it lasted.) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10. </b>Being part of the book community! <br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;"><blockquote>What are some of your favorite Bookish Memories!? Leave your link to your TTT below so we can stop back! </blockquote><p style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gPbmWJD6tc/YSumtfrbVII/AAAAAAAALK0/X1o5wAXV31IssTpIe9bQrCU-hNd6VAIMQCPcBGAYYCw/s500/Sig%2BAmber.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gPbmWJD6tc/YSumtfrbVII/AAAAAAAALK0/X1o5wAXV31IssTpIe9bQrCU-hNd6VAIMQCPcBGAYYCw/w246-h148/Sig%2BAmber.png" width="246" /></a></p></span></div>Amber @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16855611904025657911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-47519335321869627842021-11-25T00:00:00.038-05:002021-11-25T00:00:00.256-05:00Books We're Thankful For This Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AKCfsi6b0zQ/YXrtAsBqJmI/AAAAAAAAGMw/qqq2BAoa4Lwwilo5MtW10yXqks6ke01TgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/shutterstock_740329201-scaled.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AKCfsi6b0zQ/YXrtAsBqJmI/AAAAAAAAGMw/qqq2BAoa4Lwwilo5MtW10yXqks6ke01TgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/shutterstock_740329201-scaled.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy Thanksgiving! To celebrate this holiday of giving thanks for those that we appreciate, we just wanted to take a moment to let you know that we are so, so thankful for all of you. You make us excited to gush about books every single day, and we truly wouldn't be where we are without you. So thank you, thank you, thank you for making our book blogging dreams come true!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Something else that we're thankful for is pretty much a given -- books! So to celebrate the holiday, we're rounding up some books that we're grateful for this year. Without further ado, let's jump into it:</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L5HAqSxUMjE/YXrt08JhRiI/AAAAAAAAGM4/QL8NRGh-ZHwaUXugYSQ0R7oEshtaQbT1wCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1335" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L5HAqSxUMjE/YXrt08JhRiI/AAAAAAAAGM4/QL8NRGh-ZHwaUXugYSQ0R7oEshtaQbT1wCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/image.png" width="130" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dm5gl38aBag/YXrt5SPDfHI/AAAAAAAAGM8/rVMXHJtkcwsD0idWOSC4FIyM2E8DWzh-gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dm5gl38aBag/YXrt5SPDfHI/AAAAAAAAGM8/rVMXHJtkcwsD0idWOSC4FIyM2E8DWzh-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SMQ8ASqitrE/YXrt7mBvOtI/AAAAAAAAGNA/0MlPysHOl54O9d1CIEy1hf6Dj28ugW52QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1358" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SMQ8ASqitrE/YXrt7mBvOtI/AAAAAAAAGNA/0MlPysHOl54O9d1CIEy1hf6Dj28ugW52QCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ULRVqdzxjEY/YXrt9ok2SQI/AAAAAAAAGNE/zmJ1w3TK0bUXdGd8_P4RanbM566n_AWggCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ULRVqdzxjEY/YXrt9ok2SQI/AAAAAAAAGNE/zmJ1w3TK0bUXdGd8_P4RanbM566n_AWggCLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/image.png" width="134" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lQPJWJwKwJU/YXrt_naheZI/AAAAAAAAGNI/Gn4I35_IHt4tsAIgj9_EONxIgAjc07DXACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="678" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lQPJWJwKwJU/YXrt_naheZI/AAAAAAAAGNI/Gn4I35_IHt4tsAIgj9_EONxIgAjc07DXACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GsxW14o2utQ/YXruCO44ErI/AAAAAAAAGNM/1gbDh1koykA0RoOMZTKHjTon1H2qovjzQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1335" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GsxW14o2utQ/YXruCO44ErI/AAAAAAAAGNM/1gbDh1koykA0RoOMZTKHjTon1H2qovjzQCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/image.png" width="130" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n7sScneGv3M/YXruEW1uZLI/AAAAAAAAGNQ/HGcKLMkvYN456Nn2OFeRu06cJ5ej2izKQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="467" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n7sScneGv3M/YXruEW1uZLI/AAAAAAAAGNQ/HGcKLMkvYN456Nn2OFeRu06cJ5ej2izKQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a1WIBUslSnk/YXruH7BA55I/AAAAAAAAGNY/0fSMauXQeQA7XoFt9UiPY-ZOR7I3GS9jgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a1WIBUslSnk/YXruH7BA55I/AAAAAAAAGNY/0fSMauXQeQA7XoFt9UiPY-ZOR7I3GS9jgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mNL5r8Y4l3k/YXruMmdZbyI/AAAAAAAAGNk/pPgLzlrIkAI_yDji0Yl1EXV7A2bz91TowCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1351" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mNL5r8Y4l3k/YXruMmdZbyI/AAAAAAAAGNk/pPgLzlrIkAI_yDji0Yl1EXV7A2bz91TowCLcBGAsYHQ/w132-h200/image.png" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GHSfgPFYUmY/YXruOYLFiVI/AAAAAAAAGNo/aHMgprAoNC05u4MkDdT27u9oDieHs6aygCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GHSfgPFYUmY/YXruOYLFiVI/AAAAAAAAGNo/aHMgprAoNC05u4MkDdT27u9oDieHs6aygCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J-k3-r0OIBY/YXruQ4ly7aI/AAAAAAAAGNs/9q-vP4Lgy5474Vw1Cbudew6P7fNCIv4owCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J-k3-r0OIBY/YXruQ4ly7aI/AAAAAAAAGNs/9q-vP4Lgy5474Vw1Cbudew6P7fNCIv4owCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AoVctK46hug/YXruTAo7qvI/AAAAAAAAGN0/jx7V9Rhm3-knA4xolzqZvivUrhVVsq-zACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="635" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AoVctK46hug/YXruTAo7qvI/AAAAAAAAGN0/jx7V9Rhm3-knA4xolzqZvivUrhVVsq-zACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yoNlR6hr9EU/YXruVTsT_9I/AAAAAAAAGN4/U29UFw4R1Hcy0vU9XCk7SvJqdoirrD0ygCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="678" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yoNlR6hr9EU/YXruVTsT_9I/AAAAAAAAGN4/U29UFw4R1Hcy0vU9XCk7SvJqdoirrD0ygCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ivhHtkVtP0o/YXruYKnPzoI/AAAAAAAAGOA/QAX0m5AGwHEZoGBDQ42pLeYTSXZcY8THQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ivhHtkVtP0o/YXruYKnPzoI/AAAAAAAAGOA/QAX0m5AGwHEZoGBDQ42pLeYTSXZcY8THQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rZXeZ4kjhXM/YXruaL8DGPI/AAAAAAAAGOE/8kYQhCIgA9UvyM7Ka20oXgbhPbwO_3GdwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="435" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rZXeZ4kjhXM/YXruaL8DGPI/AAAAAAAAGOE/8kYQhCIgA9UvyM7Ka20oXgbhPbwO_3GdwCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/image.png" width="129" /></a><br /></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So those are some books that we're thankful for this year! What are some of yours? Do you agree/disagree with some of our choices? Comment down below and let us know! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you need us, we'll be diving into the mashed potatoes today and spending the holiday with friends and family...Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-05DCgTvutpk/YXrsv-QJi2I/AAAAAAAAGMo/w1KXEYhxOr4HwQlbIo7DbaUpe0KEkKHHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy%2B%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="480" height="267" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-05DCgTvutpk/YXrsv-QJi2I/AAAAAAAAGMo/w1KXEYhxOr4HwQlbIo7DbaUpe0KEkKHHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy%2B%25281%2529.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECGBGpee2AY/YXrsEVhtHUI/AAAAAAAAGMg/eZAG0vwgMrgmGX_d7FwHguaqdgoSdKvfACLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECGBGpee2AY/YXrsEVhtHUI/AAAAAAAAGMg/eZAG0vwgMrgmGX_d7FwHguaqdgoSdKvfACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-29323828966962706612021-11-23T00:00:00.021-05:002021-11-23T00:00:00.223-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I’d Love An Update On<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" /></a></div></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" style="font-family: verdana;">That Artsy Reader Girl </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><p><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>This Week's Theme: </b></span><span style="font-family: courier new, courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>Characters I’d Love An Update On</b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After finishing a good book where I fall in love with some of the characters, it's natural to want to know how the rest of their lives continue (especially since I'm such a big romance reader and really want to know how their happily ever afters go!). For this week's Top Ten Tuesday, we have to pick ten characters (or sets of characters) from books we've read that we'd love an update on. So without further ado, here are my picks:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1. Mateo and Rufus from <i>They Both Die at the End </i>by Adam Silvera. </b>I know Adam has actually hinted about this several times, and I would love to know if the two of them meet up again, even if I know it'll make me cry like a baby.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>2. Elliot from <i>Fresh </i>by Margot Wood. </b>Because she's so dang hilarious, and I'd love to see if she ever ends up really getting her life together.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>3. Warner and Juliette from the <i>Shatter Me </i>series. </b>Because let's be real: here at The Book Bratz, Warner and Juliette are our favorite characters of all time, so we want to know how the rest of their story plays out.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>4. Zoey and James Stark from the <i>House of Night </i>series. </b>I had the meanest crush on James Stark back when the books came out, so I would just really love to see where he is now. *swoon* </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>5. Meredith and Whit from <i>The Summer of Broken Rules </i>by K.L. Walther. </b>Because I've shipped them from the very first second that they were on the page together, and I would just love to see how that relationship is blooming right now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6. Meg & Micah from <i>Never Saw You Coming </i>by Erin Hahn. </b>Micah is another character that I had a big huge crush on while reading, so I'd love to see where he is now, and how thinks are going with him and Meg (and their families).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7. Josh and Clara from <i>The Roommate </i>by Rosie Danan. </b>Anytime these two are on the page together, there's bound to be blushing and good times. So I'd love to see how things have changed for them, as well as what has stayed the same! We get a peek into their life in <i>The Intimacy Experiment</i>, which is a companion novel, but I'd love to see another book that focuses just on them, just so I can see where they are now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8. Lila & Orion from <i>A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow </i>by Laura Taylor Namey. </b>While we get a glimpse into their lives at the end of the novel, being in love with someone from a totally different country from you has its struggles, I'm sure -- so I'd love to find out how they're making their relationship work right now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>9. Shay and Dominic from <i>The Ex Talk </i>by Rachel Lynn Solomon. </b>I mean, come on. This is one of the best books I read this year, and I could always use more Shay and Dominic. I want to see what they're up to right now. *mega swoon*</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10. Pretty much any love interest from any Christina Lauren novel. </b>They're all perfect and I'd love all of them in my life right now, please.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So those are ten characters from books that I'd like an update on! Does anyone else wonder what they're up to? Have some others that you'd like to check in on? Comment down below and let me know!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WVN69XFn0mA/YXhj9gT0xGI/AAAAAAAAGKw/s6nkXfHr5QYXJCvRogwS1VLoR3ZYUM2tQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WVN69XFn0mA/YXhj9gT0xGI/AAAAAAAAGKw/s6nkXfHr5QYXJCvRogwS1VLoR3ZYUM2tQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-31361492012117478172021-11-22T00:00:00.008-05:002021-11-22T00:00:00.238-05:00Book Blitz & Giveaway: Merry Ex-Mas by Elizabeth Janette<div style="margin: 0px auto 15px; text-align: center;">
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>Merry Ex-Mas</strong><br /><strong>Elizabeth Janette</strong><br />Publication date: November 10th 2021<br />Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance</span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s been ten years since Delaney Silverman last stepped foot on the Silver Bells Christmas Tree farm her family owns and operates, but when her father dies, she has no choice. Even if it means mending fences with her estranged mother. The last thing this reformed wild-child-turned-Manhattan-marketing-pro has in mind, though, is a second chance at first love. But after life brings her face to face with the sexy, ex-fiancé neighbor boy, she realizes he’s everything she never knew she needed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Travis Harper knows two things to be true: 1. It’s time to adopt his foster daughter and build a custom home life for themselves, and 2. Laney Silverman is the last woman he’d ever trust with their hearts, even if she<em> is</em> everything he’s ever wanted. Especially since she has a bad habit of walking away from him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will twelve days be enough to give two former lovers a Merry Ex-Mas?</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59495446-merry-ex-mas" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/31UYZmD" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">EXCERPT:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Releasing her grip on the luggage, Laney wrapped her arms around her mom, pulling her into an awkward embrace.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ruth stiffened. “What . . . are you doing?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Hugging you. Apparently it’s what people do when they’ve lost someone they love.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Yeah, well, stop it. I don’t need your sympathy.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whatever emotion Travis thought he saw when looking at Laney’s mother, it wasn’t there now. When she drew back and studied Ruth’s face, no tears clouded her eyes. No grief etched her expression. Only annoyance, pure and simple. Like always. Laney dropped her arms. Same old Mama. Lovable as a freaking porcupine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><em>Deep breath, girl. You can do this. For Dad. </em>She peered up at the house. Despite the generous square footage of the single-story bungalow-style house, from the outside, the home appeared smaller, darker without her father’s presence. She swallowed hard to dislodge the lump of grief wedged in her throat and forced herself to enter the house.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Crossing the threshold tugged at the threads of memories she’d kept squirreled away. Not all of them welcome. It took only one whiff of the familiar cinnamon coffee scent before the years magically melted away, and she was eighteen again, chafing at the bit, dying for just one ounce of the freedom her friends possessed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Laney shook off the ghosts that held her hostage and tried to only focus on the positive memories. The ones with her dad.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As she made her way through the living and dining room toward her old bedroom, a smile pulled at her lips as fond memories bubbled up. She’d been closest to her father and everywhere her gaze landed brought forth an image of him to warm her heart. Fingers drifted over the couch, threadbare now but still located in the same place against the wall. Her father’s most-coveted possession, a black leather recliner, nestled in the corner of the living room. The mantle above the stone fireplace where Christmas stockings once hung. The oil paintings of snow-covered barns in the middle of a forest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">An image of her father wafted through the recesses of her mind. Happy and smiling. The world could be falling apart around him, and he’d still be as jolly as good old St. Nick. Hard to believe he was gone. The urge to cry swelled, but she tamped it down like a good girl and turned away, plastering a smile on her face.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Where on Earth are you going?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“To my bedroom.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<em>Your</em> bedroom?” Her mama tsked. “Good heavens, child, it stopped being <em>your</em> bedroom ages ago when you moved out.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Laney used a foot to push open the bedroom door and stopped dead. “Good Lord Almighty, Mama, what have you done?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was like Santa’s workshop had materialized right in the middle of the room. Her mouth hung open as she gawked at the atrocity. Where once stood a vanity filled with cheap cosmetics only a teenager would buy, now a fake Christmas tree loomed, wilting under the weight of too many ornaments. Garland hung from the high shelf spanning the top of all four walls. A toy train chugged its way around the room. A workbench sat along one wall with a dozen or so holiday crafts waiting to be finished. The walls had been stripped of the soft turquoise blue hue her sixteen-year-old self had painstakingly selected, and replaced with a dreadful shade of gold that mirrored the tree ornaments.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And her daybed? Nowhere to be found. The half dozen or so NSYNC and Jonas Brothers rock band posters were conspicuously missing too. Gone were her hot-pink curtains, fuzzy beanbag, and black shag rug as well as anything remotely resembling her teenage years. All signs of her life there had been erased.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><em>She’d </em>been erased.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Author Bio:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Born to parents who loved to read, it’s no surprise Elizabeth Janette’s lifelong love of literacy led her to become both a teacher and a writer. In fact, writing about getting RIF’d from her teaching job in the 2008 recession is what led her to publish an essay about the experience. From then on, she was hooked. Now days, when she’s not teaching sassy 5th graders, Elizabeth Janette writes romance that both sizzles and thrills. And when she’s not teaching or writing, she works for her local chapter of the National Writing Project teaching teachers how to teach writing. Visit www.elizabethjanette.com to connect and sign up for her newsletter.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.elizabethjanette.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7429184.Elizabeth_Janette" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorelizabethjanette" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorEJanette" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/author_elizabeth_janette/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We'd like to thank the team over at Xpresso for allowing us to be part of this book blitz! If MERRY EX-MAS sounds like the type of book you'd be interested in, don't forget to add it to your TBR! What are some of your favorite holiday reads?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0TNtDEtfbg/YZAep_v28HI/AAAAAAAAGPs/OqgZjqH-DwQI0bEZdeQaXxt0fTV6WbLvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0TNtDEtfbg/YZAep_v28HI/AAAAAAAAGPs/OqgZjqH-DwQI0bEZdeQaXxt0fTV6WbLvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-55235359172917932792021-11-18T00:00:00.015-05:002021-11-18T00:00:00.209-05:00Book Blitz & Giveaway: Warming by Winter Heart by Michelle Cornish<div style="margin: 0px auto 15px; text-align: center;">
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>Warming My Winter Heart</strong><br /><strong>Michelle Cornish</strong><br />Publication date: November 22nd 2020<br />Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance</span></p><blockquote><p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can’t run from love forever . . .</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When Lexi Blair comes home to Little City from LA for Christmas, she gets the surprise of her life—the ex-fiancé she thought was dead is very much alive and wants her back!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s Christmas Eve and Lexi’s seen a ghost. Or . . . she thought he was a ghost until her mom admits to faking his death so Lexi would come home for Christmas.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After a humiliating run-in with her ex—which results in Lexi disowning her mother—she hides out at her best friend’s tree farm, babysitting a nameless puppy while her friend and hubby tend to a family emergency.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But farm life comes with a few perks Lexi isn’t expecting—mainly a hunky farmhand who’s helping Lexi run the place until her friends return.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While Lexi ran <em>from</em> Little City, John ran <em>to</em> it, and she quickly learns he’s healing from past hurts of his own.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-family: verdana;">Can Lexi and John stop running before it’s too late?</span></em></p>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56161381-warming-my-winter-heart" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/3okrSjo" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warming-my-winter-heart-michelle-cornish/1138331319?ean=2940164422974" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://books.apple.com/ca/book/warming-my-winter-heart/id1541222453" target="_blank">iBooks</a> / <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/warming-my-winter-heart" target="_blank">Kobo</a> / <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Warming_My_Winter_Heart?id=tdwJEAAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US" target="_blank">Google Play</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">EXCERPT:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Before long, Mom has dinner on the table, and when we’re seated, she says grace. Mom’s always loved going to church on Christmas Eve, but after her big fight with Aunt Flora, she started going every Sunday and doing things like saying grace.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dad gives me a fully loaded, sideways look that says, “Yeah, your mother still hasn’t talked to your aunt and we still do these things to make it okay in her eyes.” I give him a nod. Does he know what they fought about that Christmas? He took a misdirected punch while he and Ian pulled Mom and her sister apart. That was before Ian became the biggest boob on the planet. Ugh.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oh, Lexi, I almost forgot.” Mom draws my attention back to the present. She grabs a box from the kitchen. “I got Christmas crackers.” Ooh. Seems hardly worth it for the three of us, but I do love Christmas crackers. Their gold and silver foil shines as Mom hands one to Dad and me then places one next to her own plate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I look inside the cracker for the pull tab and grip it firmly then cross my arms, offering the Christmas cracker to Mom on my right and reaching for Dad’s cracker with my right hand.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Ready?” Mom says. I’m transported back in time as I nod then Mom issues her standard Christmas cracker instructions. “On three. One . . . two . . . three!”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We all pull hard on our crackers against each other and our three little crackers pop and snap while bits of ripped paper scatter across the table. If Mom and Dad had a cat, it would have run for cover.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Ooh, look,” Mom says. “I got a magnifying glass.” An urge to make a snarky comment about Mom’s eyesight and “how did the Christmas elves know?” pops into my head, but I let it go. I just got here, no need to start a fight just yet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I check the table for my prize while Dad holds up a giant sparkly paperclip. “Not sure what this is about,” he says.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“It’s a bookmark, dear.” Mom touches Dad’s hand as she says it. She must have splurged on the premium crackers that encourage you to spend more money by showing you on the back of the package what you’ll get.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Something shiny catches my eye on the floor. “Ooh,” I say, leaning over in my chair to pick up my prize. “I got a pen.” I hold it up like it’s some kind of trophy. At least it’s something useful. I place it on the table right next to the fuschia paper crown that also spewed forth from the Christmas cracker.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Put on your crown.” Mom flutters her hand in my direction. She’s already wearing hers. Dad somehow “accidentally” ripped his, so it won’t stay on his head. Lucky guy. I put on the crown. My cheeks burn a bit, and I feel like I’m ten again—the last year I remember actually liking these silly crowns. I scan the table hoping a bottle of wine has materialized in the last few minutes. Nope.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" src="http://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/11/WMWH-hundred-in-a-fifty-five.png" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Author Bio:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Michelle Cornish is a recovering CPA with a passion for stories. Writing mostly romance and women's fiction with strong female heroines, Michelle's books often include nods to her former life as a CPA. When Michelle’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her two boys and husband in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://subscribepage.com/michellecornish" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> / <a href="https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16470961.Michelle_Cornish" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MichelleCornishAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/Chellevester" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/michellejcornish" target="_blank">Instagram</a> / <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/michelle-cornish" target="_blank">Bookbub</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Cornish/e/B06VVP9C91" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!</strong><br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We'd like to thank the awesome team over at Xpresso for having us be part of the blitz today! If WARMING MY WINTER HEART sounds like the type of book you'd be interested in, don't forget to add it to your TBR!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ID0sksQbZlU/YZAV5VePrKI/AAAAAAAAGPk/kIIE_5_1w84LgPWvrcKMM5dfysD3BJ1nwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ID0sksQbZlU/YZAV5VePrKI/AAAAAAAAGPk/kIIE_5_1w84LgPWvrcKMM5dfysD3BJ1nwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-56269047942546212122021-11-17T00:00:00.016-05:002021-11-17T00:00:00.232-05:00Waiting on Wednesday: Something Wilder by Christina Lauren<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking The Spine</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read!</span> </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-akoI8CgMpwk/YXl_Mj4TL_I/AAAAAAAAGLg/IVxVP_ZvhDkmJrE_60Ig_RCJ3_fOoP2NwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="112" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-akoI8CgMpwk/YXl_Mj4TL_I/AAAAAAAAGLg/IVxVP_ZvhDkmJrE_60Ig_RCJ3_fOoP2NwCLcBGAsYHQ/w204-h320/image.png" width="204" /></a></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>Something Wilder<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b>Christina Lauren<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Gallery Books<br /></span><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Publication Date: May 17th, 2022</b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59345253-something-wilder" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTrfo3xE5Xk/X8sndqmkKII/AAAAAAAAK1Q/tXrE53IHLswIerzZjz8Ob6yJAGmEwS9fwCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h88/Goodreads.png" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"></b><blockquote><b style="font-family: verdana;">Summary: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As someone who is a huge fan of all of Christina Lauren's books, as soon as I found out about this one, I had to add it to my TBR. I just couldn't wait! Even though the cover isn't revealed yet, I knew I wanted to talk about this book, because I'm eagerly counting down the days until May, and I just can't wait any longer. Christina Lauren books are some of my favorite romances to read, and I know that this one is going to be such a treat!<br /></span></p><h4><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so I can stop back! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrDhoUvHN6c/YXl_oKeRpEI/AAAAAAAAGLo/NF8UXL7xPo0Ypcp1ildGv8_u2EESO8sSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrDhoUvHN6c/YXl_oKeRpEI/AAAAAAAAGLo/NF8UXL7xPo0Ypcp1ildGv8_u2EESO8sSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></h4>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-3136014823370728582021-11-09T00:00:00.052-05:002021-11-09T00:00:00.249-05:00Blog Tour: You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sy6qLH2He8/YWsxu1v0lRI/AAAAAAAAGGU/Tgac72YfVcoj9NG4dKUJaQJLz6_AAvMIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/120-HTP-Banner---INKYARD-PRESS-YA-Google-Form.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sy6qLH2He8/YWsxu1v0lRI/AAAAAAAAGGU/Tgac72YfVcoj9NG4dKUJaQJLz6_AAvMIgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h160/120-HTP-Banner---INKYARD-PRESS-YA-Google-Form.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hi everyone! Today on the blog, we're very excited to share an excerpt of YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY by Eric Smith, who is one of our favorite authors and literary agents to work with. So without further ado, let's get into it!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;"><b>ABOUT THE BOOK</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u0sip2K55to/YWsyEujc3UI/AAAAAAAAGGg/L7wT4xHNVb89ROwnzbW2gHZSb2TV9uoHgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u0sip2K55to/YWsyEujc3UI/AAAAAAAAGGg/L7wT4xHNVb89ROwnzbW2gHZSb2TV9uoHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w213-h320/image.png" width="213" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Title: </b>You Can Go Your Own Way</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Author:</b><span style="text-align: left;"><b> </b>Eric Smith</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Publisher: </b>Inkyard Press</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hardcover, 336 Pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>Publication Date: November 2nd, 2021 </b><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55920774-you-can-go-your-own-way?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=fH44vxuUn8&rank=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J1ELlw0JsvY/X_i6Vh6EfpI/AAAAAAAAEak/b-iiCZTbnLAmMGUJfYS1EbbAgsi2Yzb-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h88/Goodreads%2Bcopy.png" width="200" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b><blockquote><b> Summary: </b>Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés. Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. She lost all her friends. Her boyfriend dumped her. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town. But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?</blockquote></div></span></div><div><span><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #351c75; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Lobster;"><div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b>Buy the book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Your-Own-Way/dp/1335405682" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-can-go-your-own-way-eric-smith/1138256191" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335405685 " target="_blank">IndieBound</a> / <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/you-can-go-your-own-way/9781335405685" target="_blank">Bookshop</a></b></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #351c75; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Lobster;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</span></b></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-16rS04kLn6I/X_M5c-Ebp8I/AAAAAAAAEZw/n8CG-Zo8J-U_kNG4xqNTNdkpBXOU0ULeACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-16rS04kLn6I/X_M5c-Ebp8I/AAAAAAAAEZw/n8CG-Zo8J-U_kNG4xqNTNdkpBXOU0ULeACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zZz4X4nzd-k/X_jANS6rnYI/AAAAAAAAEbM/86pdyUKJSJkDuuVeR8PISAiNTwUi0PTiQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zZz4X4nzd-k/X_jANS6rnYI/AAAAAAAAEbM/86pdyUKJSJkDuuVeR8PISAiNTwUi0PTiQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n0PF5yNxlaY/YGISj0yKxRI/AAAAAAAAE9g/NolY72a67JgAnMKsdpd2ikHlx6zKiR2EwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n0PF5yNxlaY/YGISj0yKxRI/AAAAAAAAE9g/NolY72a67JgAnMKsdpd2ikHlx6zKiR2EwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5adSsnYtC8Q/YWsybLfCzGI/AAAAAAAAGGs/8GdP2bYVytg4Yp6bvdTRc-WB-xz7MZRywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1047/ERIC_SMITH_AUTHOR_PIC_credit_HannahSiddiqui.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5adSsnYtC8Q/YWsybLfCzGI/AAAAAAAAGGs/8GdP2bYVytg4Yp6bvdTRc-WB-xz7MZRywCLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/ERIC_SMITH_AUTHOR_PIC_credit_HannahSiddiqui.JPG" width="134" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></span></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eric Smith is an author and literary agent from Elizabeth, New Jersey. When he isn't working on other people's books, sometimes he tries to write his own. He enjoys pop punk, video games, and crying during every movie. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and best friend, Nena, and their son, Langston.</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b>Keep up with Eric: <a href="https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/ericsmithrocks" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://www.instagram.com/ericsmithrocks " target="_blank">Instagram</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3435685.Eric_Smith" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: xx-large;">EXCERPT</b></span></div><div><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">CHAPTER 1</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Adam</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The playfield is truly the heart of every pinball machine. All of the player’s goals are right there, splayed out in front of them. And like life, it’s up to you to find a way to reach them, with the tools you’re presented. In this case, it’s a ball.”—</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE ART AND ZEN OF PINBALL REPAIR BY JAMES WATTS</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The sound of collective screaming and a massive crash shake my entire workshop, and I almost stab myself with a piping-hot soldering iron.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Adam!” my mom yells from inside the arcade. If another pack of junior high kids from the nearby Hillman Academy “accidentally” flip over a machine trying to get it to tilt, I am going to lose it. I grip the iron, the cracked brown leather wrapped around the metal handle squeaking a little against my skin, and shake my head, trying to refocus. Maybe I can finish this before it’s time to pick up that custom piece—</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And another crash rattles the walls. A few parts tumble off my shelves, tiny intricate pieces of metal and glass, bits of copper wire, all clinking against my table.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I attempt to catch a few of the electronic pieces, trying not to burn myself with the iron in my other hand, and then a hammer falls off the perforated wall of tools in front of me. It collides with a small cardboard box full of pinball playfield lightbulbs, and I wince at the small crack and pop sounds.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Goddammit,” I grumble out. I toss the soldering iron aside and try to clean up the mess. At least those lightbulbs are like, ten bucks a dozen on arcade wholesale websites. But pinball machines have a lot of lights.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Adam!” This time it’s Chris. “Dude, where are you?”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m about to bolt from the workshop when I remember Mom is out there. I reach for the latest read I promised her I’d finish—We Built This Gritty by Kevin Michaels, a book on launching small businesses by an entrepreneur here in Philly that one of her colleagues is teaching at the county college—and immediately yank my hand back. The soldering iron had gone right in between the pages when I tossed it, and the book is already smoking. I pull the iron out and set it aside and flap the book around wildly, little wisps pooling up from inside the bright orange book. I flip it open.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s burnt right down the middle. Great. Something tells me she won’t be able to trade this back in at the campus store.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I glance over at The Beast and give the forever-in-progress Philadelphia-themed home-brewed pinball machine a pat, the glass still off the surface, wires and various parts splayed out over the playfield. My well-worn copy of The Art and Zen of Pinball Repair by James Watts sits smack in the middle of everything. I’ve still got a way to go before I can try playing Dad’s unfinished machine again, but if anyone is gonna get me there, it’s Watts. If I could just get a free chunk of time in between the studying and the arcade and the—</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An array of swears echoes from inside the arcade, snapping me back.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Right. Chris. Mom. Chaos. Potentially broken and nearly irreplaceable machines worth thousands of dollars.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I unplug the soldering iron and place it in its little stand, like a quill pen in an inkwell. I wedge the now-toasty book under my arm and take a few steps to pick up some speed, to get a little force, and I push my shoulder against the dark red wooden workshop door. I push, gritting my teeth. The splintering surface presses into my arm, stinging with the pressure, until finally, the wood squeals against the frame, shrunken in and wedged together due to the sharp Philadelphia winter.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The whole workshop is like that, really, casting a major contrast to the polished, well-kept-despite-its-years pinball arcade. The cracked workshop table that is way more rickety than it has any right to be, tools showing their age with hinges that refuse to move and metal pieces falling off shrinking wood and weak plastic handles, vintage pinball parts that maybe still work, a concrete floor with a surface that’s chipping away, revealing dirt and dust, lightbulbs I don’t even remotely trust. My sad excuse for a drafting table sits off to the end of the workshop, and I’ve never really used it, preferring to fuss with plans right on the messy workshop table, next to all of Dad’s scribbles.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We could clean it up, have this room match the rest of the arcade. But I love it. It reminds me of him.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The door swings open suddenly and hits the wall inside the arcade with a loud bang.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44eab66c-7fff-5233-cf13-a28d601b4095"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And it is absolute chaos here.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;">~~~<span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We'd like to thank Inkyard Press for inviting us to share this excerpt today! If you're interested in YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY, don't forget to add it to your TBR!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-cca9a795-7fff-cf05-6840-6f47eee460de"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHb3KG9KWT8/X_jAoVQx_5I/AAAAAAAAEbU/KwKnAsUlMMQg0FPX8FUgqrWGrtSma52BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHb3KG9KWT8/X_jAoVQx_5I/AAAAAAAAEbU/KwKnAsUlMMQg0FPX8FUgqrWGrtSma52BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-23374825404967694252021-11-06T00:00:00.001-04:002021-11-06T00:00:00.244-04:00Calling All 2022 Debut YA/NA Authors! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--t2kz8YBO4k/YXrxmxLCIeI/AAAAAAAAGOc/t2rvAWnoFRcXrxpvB0VaPaiTRYtv3m9zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/marcos-paulo-prado-tcyW6Im5Uug-unsplash-scaled-e1615501484783.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--t2kz8YBO4k/YXrxmxLCIeI/AAAAAAAAGOc/t2rvAWnoFRcXrxpvB0VaPaiTRYtv3m9zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/marcos-paulo-prado-tcyW6Im5Uug-unsplash-scaled-e1615501484783.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span data-offset-key="76kt9-0-0" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true"><span style="color: #14171a;">Are you a 2022 YA/NA debut author who wants to be interviewed on our blog? We've already started compiling information for next year's interviews, so if you'd like to speak with us, we'd love to have you. </span></span></span></span></p><div><span style="color: #14171a; font-family: verdana;">If you're interested, we'd love to send you a list of 6-7 questions for an interview post to go up the month of your debut's release. They'd be super conversational and nothing too strenuous, just to give readers a feel for you and your book! We can also collaborate on potential giveaway posts as well.</span></div><div><span style="color: #14171a; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #14171a; font-family: verdana;">You can get a feel for how these interviews work by checking out our <a href="https://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/search/label/2021%20Debut" target="_blank">debut interview</a> tag. </span></div><p><span style="color: #14171a; font-family: verdana;"><span data-offset-key="76kt9-0-0" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true"><b>If this sounds like something that would interest you, please fill out the Google form <a href="https://forms.gle/pdH36vTkQ65pRqig9" target="_blank">here</a>. We're looking forward to working with a great lineup of 2022 debuts! :-)</b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span data-offset-key="76kt9-0-0" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoTmllc-Sv8/YXrxdIPJr2I/AAAAAAAAGOY/bLVh9W14Em4xSWDBwG20ZMGTn4CwM0JEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoTmllc-Sv8/YXrxdIPJr2I/AAAAAAAAGOY/bLVh9W14Em4xSWDBwG20ZMGTn4CwM0JEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-50898301340383205562021-11-05T00:00:00.018-04:002021-11-05T00:00:00.261-04:00Who's Participating in NaNoWriMo This Year?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvlHxJs1_rg/YXrpoteg0nI/AAAAAAAAGME/CQqzVYuRZP0zLa0kH13n6NeArFzdmR35gCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/e025c436ee87d3f468f4325776a4cc49.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="900" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvlHxJs1_rg/YXrpoteg0nI/AAAAAAAAGME/CQqzVYuRZP0zLa0kH13n6NeArFzdmR35gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h236/e025c436ee87d3f468f4325776a4cc49.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy November! For any of the writers out there, you know exactly what that means -- it's time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! We've been participating every year for almost a decade now, and we're so excited to jump into it again. Which means it's time for our annual question: <b>who's participating in NaNoWriMo this year?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Is this your first year? Are you a returning Wrimo? Are you doing a "lighter" version of it this year? Instead of drafting a brand new novel, I'm going to use this year's NaNo to work on revisions of my thesis novel for my MFA program. I know that's not technically the "rules," but NaNo can be whatever you want it to be! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, how's the first week of NaNo going for you? Are you reading this and deciding to jump in? Do you have questions about the process? Comment down below and let us know everything you want to know about, and we'd love to answer!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Power to the writers this month -- use that leftover Halloween candy as fuel! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ob98aWq6L94/YXrpx2sbguI/AAAAAAAAGMI/EDXF0-fcGo0ByAFu4o4t5UAYhiwjOC_SQCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ob98aWq6L94/YXrpx2sbguI/AAAAAAAAGMI/EDXF0-fcGo0ByAFu4o4t5UAYhiwjOC_SQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9r235m-qtk8/YXrrpFxgXRI/AAAAAAAAGMY/3phCzSxJNu4LPJJFzOZMIU_pKOxG9ByIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9r235m-qtk8/YXrrpFxgXRI/AAAAAAAAGMY/3phCzSxJNu4LPJJFzOZMIU_pKOxG9ByIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-21020791858048796742021-11-04T00:00:00.009-04:002021-11-04T00:00:00.238-04:00Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Dark Queen by M. Dalto<div style="margin: 0px auto 15px; text-align: center;">
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>The Dark Queen</strong><br /><strong>M. Dalto</strong><br />(The Empire Saga, #4)<br />Published by: Parliament House<br />Publication date: November 2nd 2021<br />Genres: Fantasy, New Adult</span></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">For fans of Elise Kova, Sarah J. Maas, and Holly Black.</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For centuries, the Empire has been enslaved to an infallible, revered Prophecy—one that controlled every thought and action, banished those who questioned its integrity, and promised to bring peace and tranquility to those who followed blindly and believed unconditionally.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the Prophecy is flawed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Amid broken promises and mournful lamentations, fates are changed, and dreams are destroyed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When an ancient force resurfaces and threatens to destroy all they know, new alliances are formed as the heirs to the Empire’s throne struggle to put aside personal differences for the good of their realm.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Before it’s too late.</span></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Empire Saga is best enjoyed in this order:</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Two Thousand Years</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Mark of the Empress</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. Beginning’s End</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">4. The Dark Queen</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37534606-the-dark-queen" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/3GtAInn" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-queen-m-dalto/1138700606" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://books.apple.com/ro/book/the-dark-queen/id1581618657" target="_blank">iBooks</a> / <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-dark-queen-12" target="_blank">Kobo</a> / <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/The_Dark_Queen?id=YJMXEAAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US" target="_blank">Google Play</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">EXCERPT:</span></strong></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Prologue</span></b></p>
<p><em><span style="font-family: verdana;">Welcome back, Empress.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alexstrayna felt cold.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It wasn’t like when she had been outside for too long without an overcoat or a cape. Or as if she were caught out in the rain without an umbrella and the chill of the evening air had penetrated through her clothes until it reached her bones.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">No, it was the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night after a nightmare, body slick with sweat and heart racing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was the chill of <em>fear</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wherever she was, it was dark. She sensed the cool smoothness of stone around her, yet when she cast her arms out she couldn’t feel any walls. From the smell of damp rock, however, she knew they were there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And they were cold.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was paralyzing. Instead of running, or trying to find a way out, she wrapped her arms around herself as if to retain whatever last bit of inner warmth she possessed. Huddled within those biting, stone confines, she tried to keep her teeth from chattering and her body from seizing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where was she? And how did she get there in the first place?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She had just watched the others pack and head off on their trek to the Borderlands. She and Jamison had stayed behind, and as they were returning to the palace…</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-family: verdana;">Crystal.</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She had approached them with no limp, no hobble, no sign of any outward injuries. In fact, the way she had snuck up on Alex in the palace gardens, catching her completely unaware, it was as though she hadn’t been in the infirmary just moments before, allegedly healing from wounds inflicted upon her by Lexan.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She remembered seeing Jamison in the distance, sprawled on the ground, immobile. And that man…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She had never met him before, but those eyes—they bore into her soul as if she should have recognized him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A sob choked in her throat as her head throbbed with pain.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mom!</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite the ache, Alex’s head whipped upward, and she stared desperately into the gloom. Sarayna? What was she doing there?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She tried to gather her legs beneath her, but they felt like lead. The pounding in her head—it was getting worse. Alex had to warn her daughter and maybe Sarayna could at least escape whatever this was, could tell Reylor and Treyan…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Alexstrayna.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Her name echoed off the stones as if someone were there with her, watching her all along.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Who’s there?” she rasped; her throat was raw as if she had been screaming. Had she? She couldn’t remember anything since her path crossed Crystal’s in the gardens.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A smooth, feminine chuckle resounded around her. “Oh, we are going to have a fine time together, you and I.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Who are you?” Alex demanded, her voice growing louder. She finally regained her footing and pushed herself up into a standing position.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The pain within Alex’s skull was almost unbearable, but her eyes began to adjust slowly, taking in what was, indeed, a room. The moss-covered walls confirmed the smell of dampness and the sound of trickling water could be heard. There was a brightening light above, shining through the darkness from a window. It was as if the suns were rising on a new day—like a dawning ray of hope that she was going to escape this hell. Wherever it was.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although every muscle in her body was tense, as if the frigid air was eating away at her from the inside out, she started toward the light.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And that voice remained all around her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Laughing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Until we meet again, Empress,” it said, just as that light exploded within the room.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For a moment, illuminated by the flash, Alex swore she saw a throne—a black marble chaise carved into the wall. Upon that throne was a female clad in black.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A woman wearing her face.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Before she could take a step closer to investigate, that light exploded not only in that dark room, but also inside her head. The brightness intermingled with the pain that had been building between her eyes, bursting like a million pins and needles through every pore of her body.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Everything went dark as Alex screamed.<br />
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<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Author Bio:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">M. Dalto is a bestselling New Adult author of adventurous romantic fantasy stories, having won a Watty award for excellence in digital storytelling for her debut novel, Two Thousand Years, in 2016. She spends her days as a full-time residential real estate paralegal, using her evenings to pursue her literary agenda, and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, playing video games, and drinking coffee. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband, their daughter, and their corgi named Loki.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://authormdalto.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17495218.M_Dalto" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDalto/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/MDalto421" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/author.mdalto/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!</strong><br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you so much to Xpresso for having us be a part of this tour!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66X4j6cw1aE/YXw7MPPwEGI/AAAAAAAAGOk/rc1i7xvfuzkc9jTxSlYLfb2uzVl-DRiGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66X4j6cw1aE/YXw7MPPwEGI/AAAAAAAAGOk/rc1i7xvfuzkc9jTxSlYLfb2uzVl-DRiGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-4795182944953494482021-11-03T00:00:00.018-04:002021-11-03T00:00:00.241-04:00Waiting on Wednesday: By the Book by Jasmine Guillory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking The Spine</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read!</span> </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--1dYj5ZUHmM/YXl9XGFvXaI/AAAAAAAAGLQ/7DrCT-fN81owRvOi5Q3Xbb0gKYHnZVAagCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1812" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--1dYj5ZUHmM/YXl9XGFvXaI/AAAAAAAAGLQ/7DrCT-fN81owRvOi5Q3Xbb0gKYHnZVAagCLcBGAsYHQ/w212-h320/image.png" width="212" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>By the Book</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b>Jasmine Guillory</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher: </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">Hyperion Avenue</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publication Date: May 3rd, 2022</b></span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58950845-by-the-book" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTrfo3xE5Xk/X8sndqmkKII/AAAAAAAAK1Q/tXrE53IHLswIerzZjz8Ob6yJAGmEwS9fwCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h88/Goodreads.png" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;" width="200" /></a><div><b style="font-family: verdana;"></b><blockquote><b style="font-family: verdana;">Summary: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing right out of college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, living at home, still an editorial assistant, and the only Black employee at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">All she has to do is go to the author’s Santa Barbara mansion and give him a quick pep talk or three. How hard could it be? </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn and—it turns out—just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn't there before.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">As someone who is a huge fan of Jasmine Guillory's books, I was really excited when I found out about this one! Not only that, but finding out that it's set in a publishing house just made it even more exciting for me, because I love books that are set in the field that I'm in. Jasmine Guillory's love stories never disappoint, and I'm eager to get my hands on a copy of this one, hopefully soon!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><h4><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so I can stop back! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ss3K6wGVDCQ/YXl9wk67bxI/AAAAAAAAGLY/I__fpyP2eQgc4DjaOhOTAPBZ73gHaDVXACLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ss3K6wGVDCQ/YXl9wk67bxI/AAAAAAAAGLY/I__fpyP2eQgc4DjaOhOTAPBZ73gHaDVXACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></span></h4></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-84604478739617782972021-11-02T00:00:00.029-04:002021-11-02T00:00:00.246-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Would Hand to Someone Who Claims to Not Like Reading<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" /></a></div></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" style="font-family: verdana;">That Artsy Reader Girl </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><p><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>This Week's Theme: </b></span><span style="font-family: courier new, courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>Books I Would Hand to Someone Who Claims to Not Like Reading</b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about the ten books I would hand someone who claims to not like reading. I <i>love </i>this idea, because there are so many incredible books that I've read that I think would grab people and really hook them and show them all of the amazing things that reading has to offer. So without further ado, in no particular order, here are ten books that I would hand to someone who claims to not like reading, hoping to change their mind. These books all gripped me and made me laugh/cry/gasp/swoon in the best of ways, and I know that someone who is apprehensive about reading would pick one of these up and get hooked:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--CZWboBmN3w/YXgs1gg1jNI/AAAAAAAAGJg/zk1SosEc3Tks7Br7sk3qdqCO1Rk5KNq0QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--CZWboBmN3w/YXgs1gg1jNI/AAAAAAAAGJg/zk1SosEc3Tks7Br7sk3qdqCO1Rk5KNq0QCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/image.png" width="130" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vR48KsGcXE0/YXgtAgAPKNI/AAAAAAAAGJk/4oXJErhiHJkZuh_AsuNvdClLvyjUmwdiACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vR48KsGcXE0/YXgtAgAPKNI/AAAAAAAAGJk/4oXJErhiHJkZuh_AsuNvdClLvyjUmwdiACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pxrD93ookVs/YXgxcMDFdXI/AAAAAAAAGJw/zAoAY5hiEB0z7fHQ_1CdPPGr-xyeceesgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pxrD93ookVs/YXgxcMDFdXI/AAAAAAAAGJw/zAoAY5hiEB0z7fHQ_1CdPPGr-xyeceesgCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/image.png" width="129" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_lmOGKt0v0c/YXgxetoca-I/AAAAAAAAGJ0/xgGmoQe4cRoa4RcOdWQ3tcoA2uV0r9wSQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="635" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_lmOGKt0v0c/YXgxetoca-I/AAAAAAAAGJ0/xgGmoQe4cRoa4RcOdWQ3tcoA2uV0r9wSQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NF9Gv-e31_Y/YXgxjjjCcRI/AAAAAAAAGJ4/fCOHleSUAOkitOlq5c3mtqSKbj8Z3bzawCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NF9Gv-e31_Y/YXgxjjjCcRI/AAAAAAAAGJ4/fCOHleSUAOkitOlq5c3mtqSKbj8Z3bzawCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZlcQtsQXZms/YXgxmu3qVlI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/LcZi2SqBk2M2m4t3_IMSWiyJeC75GujtACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZlcQtsQXZms/YXgxmu3qVlI/AAAAAAAAGJ8/LcZi2SqBk2M2m4t3_IMSWiyJeC75GujtACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vsGDhRueB74/YXgyAQIuqrI/AAAAAAAAGKQ/QTYjO_czd24CUXzNfV4x7EuB0qgUaZ-8gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vsGDhRueB74/YXgyAQIuqrI/AAAAAAAAGKQ/QTYjO_czd24CUXzNfV4x7EuB0qgUaZ-8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/image.png" width="134" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rFYigPGEy40/YXgyDC0DmFI/AAAAAAAAGKU/CuE5crljOqMkDNB0_f7vxNmyhVXgUQERACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1952" data-original-width="1399" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rFYigPGEy40/YXgyDC0DmFI/AAAAAAAAGKU/CuE5crljOqMkDNB0_f7vxNmyhVXgUQERACLcBGAsYHQ/w143-h200/image.png" width="143" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Di0XJvRiAvI/YXgybW7UTFI/AAAAAAAAGKg/9w7z4KfmK4QqEOBe3densDA912KiSI8aQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Di0XJvRiAvI/YXgybW7UTFI/AAAAAAAAGKg/9w7z4KfmK4QqEOBe3densDA912KiSI8aQCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/image.png" width="129" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fsV0Bk7CMq0/YXgyev5m2TI/AAAAAAAAGKk/tJXVOWT6z8E4t0Ru_6IecPrl88ebi4PfgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fsV0Bk7CMq0/YXgyev5m2TI/AAAAAAAAGKk/tJXVOWT6z8E4t0Ru_6IecPrl88ebi4PfgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a><br /><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So those are ten books that I would hand to someone who claims to not like reading! Have any of these books changed <i>your </i>perspective on reading? Do you have other suggestions that you would include? Comment down below and let me know!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80UBduuYTgI/YXgsb8xtTVI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/q9H_mukHotM8s4hPOOzmzJEcDuKTdeHVACLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80UBduuYTgI/YXgsb8xtTVI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/q9H_mukHotM8s4hPOOzmzJEcDuKTdeHVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-41597370036377114262021-11-01T00:00:00.001-04:002021-11-01T00:00:00.245-04:00October 2021 Blogging Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6CAzk29OpnI/X8srsa4kzcI/AAAAAAAAK14/ce1sJWP6bs8BLE6M13z1fI2aKTqt-K-EACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Monthly%2BBlogging%2BRecap.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6CAzk29OpnI/X8srsa4kzcI/AAAAAAAAK14/ce1sJWP6bs8BLE6M13z1fI2aKTqt-K-EACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Monthly%2BBlogging%2BRecap.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's time for our October 2021 blogging recap! It's hard to believe that we're already coming up on the ending few months of 2021, but it definitely happened! So without further ado, let's take a peek into all of the things we accomplished on the blog this month:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>In October.</b></span><b style="font-size: xx-large;">..</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>....We reviewed tons of great books!</b></span></div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Check out our <a href="https://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/p/reviewed.html" target="_blank">review archive</a> to see what reviews we added this month!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>....We interviewed some 2021 debut authors!</b></span><br />This month, we interviewed <a href="https://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/2021/10/2021-debut-author-interview-kalena.html" target="_blank">Kalena Miller</a>!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">....We rounded up some of our favorite spooky reads! </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You can read all about our favorite spooky picks <a href="https://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/2021/10/halloween-spooky-book-roundup.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">....We created an exclusive pencil set with Longhand Pencils! </b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This was easily one of the best promotional things we've ever done, and it was <i>so </i>much fun. If you want to see our exclusive set, enter to win a set for yourself, or learn more about Longhand Pencils, you can check out that post <a href="Interview & Exciting Giveaway with Longhand Pencils!" target="_blank">here</a>! <b>The giveaway runs until 11/4, so don't forget to enter!</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">....We had another installment of The College Diaries! </b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jessica talked all about starting her thesis classes in her MFA program, which you can read all about <a href="https://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-college-diaries-starting-mfa-thesis.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What was your favorite thing that we did on the blog this month? What are your recommendations for future posts/reviews? Comment down below and let us know! :-)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now it's time for November, which means tons of delicious Thanksgiving treats! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uo2sSroP7bs/YXrky34rAGI/AAAAAAAAGL4/JNGw3iC48CIjojdpV0_3SEp2gNNEEvuAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uo2sSroP7bs/YXrky34rAGI/AAAAAAAAGL4/JNGw3iC48CIjojdpV0_3SEp2gNNEEvuAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2MTVw5amoc/YBMWCnTaTDI/AAAAAAAAEhM/9AIZ36-aZvITujfWJNm027z7B-qxONhYACLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2MTVw5amoc/YBMWCnTaTDI/AAAAAAAAEhM/9AIZ36-aZvITujfWJNm027z7B-qxONhYACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p> </p>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-31218179410943412152021-10-31T00:00:00.042-04:002021-10-31T00:00:00.423-04:00Halloween Spooky Book Roundup!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqH9s1DLWyk/YUzY3Dw0tNI/AAAAAAAAF6s/qqGA3gJydmQk_DaWE4McACzBRF70r5YHACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/happy-halloween-lettering-quote-banner-banner-hand-written-lettering-quote-happy-halloween-cute-bats-vector-illustration-127974962.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="800" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqH9s1DLWyk/YUzY3Dw0tNI/AAAAAAAAF6s/qqGA3gJydmQk_DaWE4McACzBRF70r5YHACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h234/happy-halloween-lettering-quote-banner-banner-hand-written-lettering-quote-happy-halloween-cute-bats-vector-illustration-127974962.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of our favorite holidays is finally here! <b>Happy Halloween, everyone!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pb4H5rZt-ik/YUzYI5oIyGI/AAAAAAAAF6c/7UROJNgjzqQ4QKIXCXFlAfMYn1IIy53BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pb4H5rZt-ik/YUzYI5oIyGI/AAAAAAAAF6c/7UROJNgjzqQ4QKIXCXFlAfMYn1IIy53BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course, the best way to celebrate is with a themed bookish roundup, which is one of our favorite things to do. First, a bit of a disclaimer -- Jessica is a total chicken and doesn't read that many "scary" books, but the occasional mystery or thriller! So there are definitely some extra-scary picks out there that may have not made it onto the list. But without further ado, here's our spooky books roundup!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kAwJfxq7V0Y/YUzZE-CKbgI/AAAAAAAAF6w/qjrA66V5U9In6TLzpgj9hcGhzVKso8hZwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1328" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kAwJfxq7V0Y/YUzZE-CKbgI/AAAAAAAAF6w/qjrA66V5U9In6TLzpgj9hcGhzVKso8hZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/image.png" width="130" /></a> </span><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zPO087U11NI/YUzZLdmqAbI/AAAAAAAAF64/W9h-ZNjuD8c0_gWppY3W9qwliYWffqpQQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zPO087U11NI/YUzZLdmqAbI/AAAAAAAAF64/W9h-ZNjuD8c0_gWppY3W9qwliYWffqpQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/image.png" width="129" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BhiKWGVHZRc/YUzZR_zLdFI/AAAAAAAAF68/jykYSde0DDIqKb0Mr1xznfEGyuAsK2zTgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BhiKWGVHZRc/YUzZR_zLdFI/AAAAAAAAF68/jykYSde0DDIqKb0Mr1xznfEGyuAsK2zTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LyY6SkpMARQ/YUzZW-cw4jI/AAAAAAAAF7E/lGdxsOLZc8E26f-vV0ghrgZCPH73T7sKQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LyY6SkpMARQ/YUzZW-cw4jI/AAAAAAAAF7E/lGdxsOLZc8E26f-vV0ghrgZCPH73T7sKQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PHlT56oD3RI/YUzZa6xM0XI/AAAAAAAAF7I/tNcJoPLQaXgVUly_KgOO90qj1a_aAXEUgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PHlT56oD3RI/YUzZa6xM0XI/AAAAAAAAF7I/tNcJoPLQaXgVUly_KgOO90qj1a_aAXEUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/image.png" width="129" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2TDDBLNJiUo/YUzaW981lFI/AAAAAAAAF7Y/jyaKpLZrQ88BC0FarABkoHYIf6C0kaZMgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="844" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2TDDBLNJiUo/YUzaW981lFI/AAAAAAAAF7Y/jyaKpLZrQ88BC0FarABkoHYIf6C0kaZMgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0QoBaPt8WLA/YUzaZlV8w0I/AAAAAAAAF7c/5fMOPqC7iCsNVy4d8MxOS1V0wtMC81MDACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0QoBaPt8WLA/YUzaZlV8w0I/AAAAAAAAF7c/5fMOPqC7iCsNVy4d8MxOS1V0wtMC81MDACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i49LxwpdMiQ/YUzacnIcFKI/AAAAAAAAF7g/c5gkfKCVhGEJhAg0qPq_tz4UlYga1KOYwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="520" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i49LxwpdMiQ/YUzacnIcFKI/AAAAAAAAF7g/c5gkfKCVhGEJhAg0qPq_tz4UlYga1KOYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w132-h200/image.png" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JfrQx-hQADE/YUzak-PSCbI/AAAAAAAAF7k/Pllh7mf-gVkq1pDQTiSuOWU68wftFLDogCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JfrQx-hQADE/YUzak-PSCbI/AAAAAAAAF7k/Pllh7mf-gVkq1pDQTiSuOWU68wftFLDogCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zHlMWGB7IgE/YUzam13WgoI/AAAAAAAAF7s/PZlDrc1WR6EEExMXw4GOeQAETsVXfS7hwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zHlMWGB7IgE/YUzam13WgoI/AAAAAAAAF7s/PZlDrc1WR6EEExMXw4GOeQAETsVXfS7hwCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bV9GyMVJx-o/YUzasCSwZtI/AAAAAAAAF74/YOlM9QTEWGYZylQm_8M02Dw4elmjL0G0ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bV9GyMVJx-o/YUzasCSwZtI/AAAAAAAAF74/YOlM9QTEWGYZylQm_8M02Dw4elmjL0G0ACLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/image.png" width="130" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kOwRg6Z86aE/YUza7mzktLI/AAAAAAAAF8I/FG917E17Md42RX1iXkpxLaZ_iwz1rqa-wCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kOwRg6Z86aE/YUza7mzktLI/AAAAAAAAF8I/FG917E17Md42RX1iXkpxLaZ_iwz1rqa-wCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-adYEnVzKm_s/YUzbA4DxyfI/AAAAAAAAF8M/HWs1oNy4NrI34N2yOJgxqeSG0AS-vyIoQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-adYEnVzKm_s/YUzbA4DxyfI/AAAAAAAAF8M/HWs1oNy4NrI34N2yOJgxqeSG0AS-vyIoQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OxGj4Hu8H2o/YUzbDvCtFlI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/6w6CXDoTVfANzTdlxCgKEmDRtqXKctHEgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OxGj4Hu8H2o/YUzbDvCtFlI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/6w6CXDoTVfANzTdlxCgKEmDRtqXKctHEgCLcBGAsYHQ/w138-h200/image.png" width="138" /></a> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wdxVV7HTyBk/YUzbH1jJvvI/AAAAAAAAF8Y/cK-WJGn6KCstA5lXYxEbuqCpF70Vm49TACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wdxVV7HTyBk/YUzbH1jJvvI/AAAAAAAAF8Y/cK-WJGn6KCstA5lXYxEbuqCpF70Vm49TACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/image.png" width="133" /></a><br /><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So those were some spooky books that we rounded up to celebrate Halloween! Have you read any of them before? What did you think? And which extra-scary ones are we missing that you think should've been included? Comment down below and let us know!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you need us, we'll be eating our weight in Halloween candy and fearfully prepping ourselves for NaNoWriMo tomorrow!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_Xv-6tIM1g/YUzYR4sC70I/AAAAAAAAF6k/SGzfz23jwX8ZN_fSp0yTaEkvTjjMFA49gCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy%2B%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_Xv-6tIM1g/YUzYR4sC70I/AAAAAAAAF6k/SGzfz23jwX8ZN_fSp0yTaEkvTjjMFA49gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy%2B%25281%2529.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHeKRSD_gl8/YUzYCcyTlJI/AAAAAAAAF6Y/33XBYm9RhK4N5Yf9BGp8e4NUAwR1DWHPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHeKRSD_gl8/YUzYCcyTlJI/AAAAAAAAF6Y/33XBYm9RhK4N5Yf9BGp8e4NUAwR1DWHPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-55045731008306970522021-10-29T00:00:00.002-04:002021-10-29T00:00:00.289-04:00Book Blitz & Giveaway: Blue by L.E. DeLano<p><a href="http://xpressobooktours.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" src="http://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/BlueBlitz.png" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></a></p>
<img alt="" src="http://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/10/Blue.jpg" style="display: inline-block; float: left; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px;" />
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>Blue</strong><br /><strong>L.E. DeLano</strong><br />Publication date: October 26th 2021<br />Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult</span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When Blue Mancini’s mother picked her name, it ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A year ago, Blue’s brother, Jack, was involved in a car accident that killed the father of her classmate, Maya Rodriguez. Luckily for Jack, he got out of a manslaughter charge and into a plea bargain thanks to the top-notch lawyer hired by Blue’s wealthy parents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The fallout is now affecting Blue as Maya returns to school determined to carve out a pound of flesh from the only member of the Mancini family she can reach. On top of that, Blue has a demanding mother, a father who’s never around, a drama-addicted best friend, and a secretive new guy who’s determined to make Blue his own personal cheer-up project. It’s a perfect storm of misery.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When Maya’s social media taunts and in-person digs finally push Blue to retaliate, they find themselves in afterschool detention and forced into a project meant to foster cooperation and civility. As the layers of their tangled drama unravel, Blue learns more about Maya’s life—and her own sense of privilege—when secrets are revealed that cast a new perspective on everything in Blue’s world.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57756355-blue" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/3G9vxZB" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blue-l-e-delano/1139909207?ean=9781736473108" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/blue/id1578399542" target="_blank">iBooks</a> / <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/blue-133" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">EXCERPT:</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My stomach tightens so hard I feel like I’m going to puke. I glance at my phone again, and the texts from last night are still there.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maya’s back at school</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">my mom saw her mom at Target</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maya is back</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">did u see her pic on IG</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">Did you hear about Maya?</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I shove the phone back down in the pocket of my coat and I blow on my fingers to get them warm. I should have remembered my gloves but the whole morning is a blur and I had to get out of my house and now I’m sitting in my car in the cold and I can’t bring myself to turn the key in the ignition.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The phone comes out again. I have got to get a grip on myself. I know better, but I open up Instagram and find her picture. She looks good. Well, better than the last time I saw her, which wasn’t a great time for her. Or me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last night, I stayed up trying not to obsess about this and nursing a throbbing hand—which makes me tired and wishing more than anything I could go back to bed and forget the rest of this semester. I’m going to be late for school if I don’t get it together. The phone drops from my hand when a fist slams repeatedly into my window, scaring the hell out of me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Jules!” I shriek. “What the—”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Got tired of waiting,” she says, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat. “You better get moving or we’ve got another unexcused tardy.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I suppose it’s a good thing she lives four houses down, but right now I wish she lived in a neighboring town and took the bus.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Let’s go.” I stuff my phone down into my coat pocket, trying to ignore the way it’s vibrating again. Jules’s eyes drop down, having heard it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“So is everybody all up in your business?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oh God,” I moan. “All day yesterday and still going this morning. This is such a non-event. It really is.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Did you see her pic?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Yeah, but I don’t think that was meant for me.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jules raises her brows. “You don’t?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Nah,” I say with what I hope is a careless shrug.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><em>“Back at Audubon and nobody’s gonna keep me down,”</em> Jules reads aloud while looking at her phone. Obviously, she had the picture open. Maya, in her bedroom, wearing a blue hoodie and smiling, both thumbs up. Her hair is longer now and she looks really pretty.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I think she means more like, the world in general isn’t going to keep her down,” I tell her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I guess,” Jules agrees, only she doesn’t sound like she agrees even a little bit. “Lauren says Maya’s got Poly Sci third block with Jones.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Well then,” I force a smile as I start the car. “I guess we’ll find out if my theory is right.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“She better not think she can start something.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Jules.” I give her a look. “Drop it, okay? I mean, she and I barely know each other.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I don’t think that’s true anymore.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“No, it’s still true.” I reverse out of the driveway so fast, Jules rocks sideways in her seat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Whoa! Don’t go psycho on me! I’m just sayin’!”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“And I’m just saying; drop it. I’ve got enough of a feeding frenzy going on around me without you hopping on the boat, too.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“You really don’t think that pic was meant for you?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I stomp the brake just as we’re moving forward, and Jules rocks in the seat again.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“You honestly think I’m trying to keep Maya down? Like I don’t want her to succeed? In spite of—in spite of everything?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jules holds up her hands, finally realizing, I guess, that my nerves are a jangling, dangling mess.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I’m not busting on you. I’m on your side, remember?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“There aren’t any sides here,” I remind her with a sigh. “Not for Maya, or for me. Neither one of us had a thing to do with it.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Yeah, but dude—your brother killed her <em>Dad</em>.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I put the car in gear and drive.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SAfUiN7DqLY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br class="blank" /></span></p>
<img alt="" src="http://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/LE.jpeg" style="display: inline-block; float: left; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px;" />
<blockquote style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;">
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Author Bio:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">L.E. DeLano comes equipped with a “useless” Theatre degree that has opened doors for her in numerous ways. Though mostly raised in New Mexico, she now lives in Pennsylvania with two adventurous kids and two ridiculous cats. When she’s not writing (which is almost never), she’s binge-watching Netflix and planning road trips.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Her debut novel, TRAVELER was selected as a Keystone To Reading Secondary Book Award finalist for school year 2018-19 by the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) and also voted one of The 20 Most Beautiful Books in the World for 2017 by MTV UK.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ledelano.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14778718.L_E_DeLano" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorledelano" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/LE_DeLano" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/le_delano/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kayt-Miller/e/B01DAED6EO/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br class="blank" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!</strong><br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We'd like to thank the lovely team over at Xpresso for having us be a part of this book blitz! If BLUE sounds like the type of book you'd be interested in, don't forget to add it to your TBR! And don't forget to enter the giveaway above for a fun prize, too!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSt5vELNplc/YXciZAPg09I/AAAAAAAAGHs/GVDwIb3Ag04AYfw6U_u1qnVT2WlRMBnkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSt5vELNplc/YXciZAPg09I/AAAAAAAAGHs/GVDwIb3Ag04AYfw6U_u1qnVT2WlRMBnkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-86868660497054649032021-10-28T08:00:00.037-04:002021-10-28T08:00:00.247-04:00Interview & Exciting Giveaway with Longhand Pencils!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9R4Z3oR-Vqc/YXcsOZ-eqRI/AAAAAAAAGH0/KBC6gxsNnoA7h6pHftWJsISrqi6gWLE2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1240/LP%2BLOGO%2BRESIZE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1240" height="283" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9R4Z3oR-Vqc/YXcsOZ-eqRI/AAAAAAAAGH0/KBC6gxsNnoA7h6pHftWJsISrqi6gWLE2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h283/LP%2BLOGO%2BRESIZE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>T</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">oday, we have such an exciting post that we are </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">so </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">thrilled to share with you all, so without further ado, let's jump right into it! When </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kasee from <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/" target="_blank">Longhand Pencils</a> reached out to us about wanting to collaborate on a special Book Bratz pencil set together, we were over the moon. Seriously. This was us fangirling among ourselves:</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-V4tDS1pmA/YXcs4DC_aDI/AAAAAAAAGH8/vxng0z33OVMZf2RaXZBGF5uMkYH8EB1_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="480" height="267" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-V4tDS1pmA/YXcs4DC_aDI/AAAAAAAAGH8/vxng0z33OVMZf2RaXZBGF5uMkYH8EB1_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Needless to say, it was a dream come true. And today, we're excited to interview Kasee on our blog, before unveiling the amazing Book Bratz pencil pack that she designed for us! (Plus, we'll tell you how you can win your very own set!) But first thing's first: talking to Kasee!<br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8hTXVvsrGs/YXcttu7H7LI/AAAAAAAAGIE/4jcUaFctbccEJt0X9WHSwnoQTFyYfObdACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/KaseeBailey-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8hTXVvsrGs/YXcttu7H7LI/AAAAAAAAGIE/4jcUaFctbccEJt0X9WHSwnoQTFyYfObdACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/KaseeBailey-3.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve had my share of looking at screens and pounding on keys. Haven’t you? Let’s take it back to the good ‘ol days — of lending cute boys your pencil, collecting animal-shaped erasers and scratch-n-sniff stickers, crafting love letters and diary entries, and most importantly — writing by hand.</span></blockquote></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b>Keep up with Kasee & Longhand Pencils: <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/longhandpencils" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/longhandpencils/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/longhandpencils/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxy8zqAsBNpeVRz-2wVv2cA?view_as=subscriber" target="_blank">YouTube</a></b></span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pGJwsjIxdw/XfGOSRnxP7I/AAAAAAAAKOE/0HyMbijETWQD4ulDt4-24EHhAMo-DLIawCEwYBhgL/s1600/Interview.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="1176" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pGJwsjIxdw/XfGOSRnxP7I/AAAAAAAAKOE/0HyMbijETWQD4ulDt4-24EHhAMo-DLIawCEwYBhgL/s400/Interview.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Bratz:</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Welcome to the blog! We're so excited to have you chatting here with us today. First thing's first: What's <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/" target="_blank">Longhand Pencils</a>?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you so much for having me! This is an honor. It's my dream to be an *honorary* Book Brat. So excited to chat with y'all! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Longhand Pencils is my dream business. As a writer and avid reader, it's my perfect marriage of two passions: writing and pop culture. I hand-stamp and sell pop-culture-inspired pencil sets, <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product-category/pencils/books/" target="_blank">including a large portion of book-themed sets</a>. I love reading and sharing about new releases through a unique medium that is functional and fun.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3UQrtXMF7E/YXcy5uZuFUI/AAAAAAAAGIg/aY2eg5og9LEsL29xckICqNTlMI2uZ175QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/KaseeBaileyPencils-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3UQrtXMF7E/YXcy5uZuFUI/AAAAAAAAGIg/aY2eg5og9LEsL29xckICqNTlMI2uZ175QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/KaseeBaileyPencils-5.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What made you decide to start Longhand Pencils?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Like I said, I'm a writer by profession and am always writing things by hand. When I was moving two years ago and discovered some stamped pencils I had gotten from a gift shop, I thought: I love these! But I want to have these stamped with things I love: my favorite books, movies, TV shows, etc. I wanted to be able to talk about pop culture of the day through pencils, a tool that represented what I love: words and writing. So I started researching how to stamp pencils, bought a machine, and got to work. It took me a while to get over the learning curve of hot foil stamping, but here I am, two years later, loving every minute of this fun business journey!</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZKOjzumHo8/YXcy-mb8X_I/AAAAAAAAGIk/ZxzkS_eTcqczkIunj4unrJRAb1pY9Bi5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/BaileyProductShots-6%2B3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZKOjzumHo8/YXcy-mb8X_I/AAAAAAAAGIk/ZxzkS_eTcqczkIunj4unrJRAb1pY9Bi5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BaileyProductShots-6%2B3.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Book Bratz:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How exactly are these pencils designed and made? It looks like such an awesome process!</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It really is a cool process! I use a hot foil stamping machine, which heats up and transfers the impression of the type onto foil, which embosses onto the blank pencil. (I have a few YouTube videos of the process <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxy8zqAsBNpeVRz-2wVv2cA?view_as=subscriber" target="_blank">here</a>.) For me, it requires a lot of precision and attention to detail, and with so many screens in our lives, it's a really cool activity I can do with my hands. (Lord knows I can't make bread or paint!) I hand-stamp every pencil, so the machine and I are a good team. :-)</span></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Fqm4glKCNQ/YXczCz8uyzI/AAAAAAAAGIo/-IpTtGBZAX4IV54TW7_MXvG5-rbCU4wngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Bailey%2BProduct%2BPhotosWarm-14%2B3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2048" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Fqm4glKCNQ/YXczCz8uyzI/AAAAAAAAGIo/-IpTtGBZAX4IV54TW7_MXvG5-rbCU4wngCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Bailey%2BProduct%2BPhotosWarm-14%2B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What's your favorite set that you have designed so far?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wow, this question is HARD. One of the first sets I dreamed up while starting the business was a set for all my favorite quotes and symbols from <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/sarah-desssen/" target="_blank">Sarah Dessen books</a>. Her stories had a huge impact on me growing up (and still do as a writer!), and I wanted to pay homage to that with a special pencil set. It's still one of my favorites. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some other favorites of mine are the <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/tropes/" target="_blank">Tropes pencil set</a> (which was inspired by my work with the team at Sourcebooks Casablanca), the <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/red-white-royal-blue/" target="_blank">Red, White, and Royal Blue set</a>, and the <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/jane-eyre/" target="_blank">Jane Eyre set</a> (my favorite book of all time!) Those last two are also some of the most difficult to stamp!</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdP_y5ZI0pc/YXczIqLKSVI/AAAAAAAAGIw/o4z9rJnrrxAWo3amzVcfN07iJFdJE2L2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Sarah%2BDessen.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdP_y5ZI0pc/YXczIqLKSVI/AAAAAAAAGIw/o4z9rJnrrxAWo3amzVcfN07iJFdJE2L2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sarah%2BDessen.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Bratz:</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> What made you decide to partner with us for a special Book Bratz kit?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Okay, well first of all, I'm totally fangirling about even collaborating with y'all! I love talking about books with people on social media, and I kept seeing TBB around the Twitter watercooler. I love The Book Bratz reviews and your passion for reading and sharing about books! I wanted to create a special TBB pencil set, designed with your brand and audience in mind. The Book Bratz are dearly beloved! Plus, I feel like us four are kindred spirits??? Let's take a reading retreat together sometime, okay? <3 <b>[TBB: We are <i>*totally</i>* down for this!!!]</b></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut76-DfCUbk/YXczLm1htDI/AAAAAAAAGI0/x8-mUE67WDwHmuRYs4wW9ZVVfv6WInI6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Tropes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut76-DfCUbk/YXczLm1htDI/AAAAAAAAGI0/x8-mUE67WDwHmuRYs4wW9ZVVfv6WInI6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Tropes.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What's your dream collaboration?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have done so many amazing collaborations, especially with authors and publishers. As a writer and reader, this is honestly the dream. I'm living it everyday! Also, recently, I got to work with Myriam from @peaches.obviously (on IG) who designed the most GORGEOUS <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/clinch-cover-coloring-book/" target="_blank">clinch cover coloring book</a>. I'm seriously obsessed with it. I've also got something cooking with my friend Abbi from @bybayjewelry which I'm super excited about. So truly, I've gotten to collaborate already with so many amazing people! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">As for a dream collaboration, I'd love to work with a major publisher on a book preorder campaign, or as a way to create buzz for a TV show (like Starstruck. Have you seen that? Hilarious!).</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S3PXHbkodeo/YXczQccx-dI/AAAAAAAAGI4/lwedXqcHjk01eckvdy9cy5ivW95eLzgDACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/BaileyProductShots-4%2B2.JPG.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S3PXHbkodeo/YXczQccx-dI/AAAAAAAAGI4/lwedXqcHjk01eckvdy9cy5ivW95eLzgDACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BaileyProductShots-4%2B2.JPG.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What's next for Longhand Pencils?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stamping, stamping, and more stamping! I'm always at work on restocking fan favorites, dreaming up new sets, and working on creating new fun, pop-culture themed products. I've also got lots of book sets in the works that I'm really excited to share! I've recently started an author discussion series with Jacob from @a.veryqueerbookclub, and we do fun IG Live Q&As with authors and give away pencil sets related to their books! We recently did one with THE CHARM OFFENSIVE'S Alison Cochurn and it was a blast. We have tons more scheduled and I can't wait.</span> </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-awHUGjuAKTM/YXczTtJWncI/AAAAAAAAGJA/RRd6vyPUR3MyxUzKsJJ8nvcuWmet_DO7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/lpbirthday-10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-awHUGjuAKTM/YXczTtJWncI/AAAAAAAAGJA/RRd6vyPUR3MyxUzKsJJ8nvcuWmet_DO7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/lpbirthday-10.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where can people find you if they want to check out your products and social media accounts?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kasee:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the internets. Ha. But really, I'm always around somewhere, haunting your local bookstore or online on IG, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, (and maybe one day, TikTok???) @longhandpencils. Send me a book rec or a meme and we'll be besties. You can always shop Longhand Pencils products in my shop at <a href="http://longhandpencils.com">longhandpencils.com</a>.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>And now, it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for...<b>the reveal of our special Book Bratz set with Longhand Pencils!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihvnPJFmz4g/YXcxa5lpuHI/AAAAAAAAGIQ/vkyVzy5ekkMCqX4swyD6c7WV5im3zDVYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4216%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2045" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihvnPJFmz4g/YXcxa5lpuHI/AAAAAAAAGIQ/vkyVzy5ekkMCqX4swyD6c7WV5im3zDVYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/IMG_4216%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Buy your own Book Bratz set <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/the-book-bratz/" target="_blank">here</a>!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh gosh, just looking at it again makes us tear up. Kasee was <i>amazing </i>and helped us come up with some great colors and phrases to include in the set.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are the six pencils that are in the set:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The Book Bratz</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Rom-Com Supremacy </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Spicy Books & Chill</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Just One More Chapter</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Book Buying Ban Who?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>I've Got a Book Hangover</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But that's not all...<b>to celebrate the collaboration, we're giving away TWO (2) sets of the Book Bratz pencil kit! </b>All you have to do to enter is check out the details pinned at the top of <a href="https://twitter.com/thebookbratz" target="_blank">our Twitter page</a>. The giveaway will only be running until 11/4, so don't miss out!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thank you *<i>so*</i> much to Kasee for not only crafting such a gorgeous set of pencils for us, but also for stopping by the blog today for an interview. And, if you haven't already, go head over to <a href="http://longhandpencils.com">longhandpencils.com</a> right this very minute to get yourself some gorgeous pencils, stationery, and more...including <a href="https://longhandpencils.com/product/the-book-bratz/" target="_blank">our set</a>! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EfY8yJtax64/YXcy2PT0I4I/AAAAAAAAGIc/_fc9avl4F-AKnPh6Xg1Gp0s6ValcynCMACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_1470%2B4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EfY8yJtax64/YXcy2PT0I4I/AAAAAAAAGIc/_fc9avl4F-AKnPh6Xg1Gp0s6ValcynCMACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1470%2B4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzYoVidGDAk/YADt71i6WsI/AAAAAAAAEdY/w_5AJG4pekcsRWu64wE6odP5H5L9cadzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzYoVidGDAk/YADt71i6WsI/AAAAAAAAEdY/w_5AJG4pekcsRWu64wE6odP5H5L9cadzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-9945257303958320502021-10-26T00:00:00.003-04:002021-10-26T00:00:00.273-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Thrilling & Chilling Reads! <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" /></a></div></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" style="font-family: verdana;">That Artsy Reader Girl </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div>
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier new, courier, monospace; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">This Week's Theme: </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Favorite thrilling and chilling reads!</span></div>
<div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53138093-the-project"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="519" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589381478l/53138093.jpg" width="130" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53830110-the-companion"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591317592l/53830110._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40653206-take-me-with-you"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589826870l/40653206.jpg" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49088541-throwaway-girls"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="541" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1586363329l/49088541.jpg" width="135" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52215776-clown-in-a-cornfield"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572094644l/52215776._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49214110-the-year-of-the-witching"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576699036l/49214110._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50434066-horrid"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578941054l/50434066._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53018564-the-glare"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568070441l/53018564.jpg" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49169365-five-total-strangers"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593380489l/49169365.jpg" width="134" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36445966-here-there-are-monsters"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543858837l/36445966._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Indie Flower; font-size: x-large;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Indie Flower; font-size: x-large;"><b>Have you read any of these books? What books made your TTT this week!? Leave your link below so we can stop back! <br /></b></span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7P2b2mx0os/YNz7o622wFI/AAAAAAAALFA/4C7TQp0I8FwDA4b_qTZL0zm94walmwc8gCPcBGAYYCw/s500/Sig%2BAmber.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="120" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7P2b2mx0os/YNz7o622wFI/AAAAAAAALFA/4C7TQp0I8FwDA4b_qTZL0zm94walmwc8gCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h120/Sig%2BAmber.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /></span></div>Amber @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16855611904025657911noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-26275897545225476212021-10-20T00:00:00.019-04:002021-10-20T00:00:00.244-04:00Waiting on Wednesday: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking The Spine</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read!</span> </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C10atMXRl4g/YUtlXRJk3JI/AAAAAAAAF5k/GdbaJEGwhOgAYinRJ-5jDSJnVkiFGV7NgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C10atMXRl4g/YUtlXRJk3JI/AAAAAAAAF5k/GdbaJEGwhOgAYinRJ-5jDSJnVkiFGV7NgCLcBGAsYHQ/w208-h320/image.png" width="208" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>I Kissed Shara Wheeler</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b>Casey McQuiston</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Hardcover, 320 Pages</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher: </b>St. Martin's Press</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publication Date: May 3rd, 2022</b></span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58756420-i-kissed-shara-wheeler" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTrfo3xE5Xk/X8sndqmkKII/AAAAAAAAK1Q/tXrE53IHLswIerzZjz8Ob6yJAGmEwS9fwCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h88/Goodreads.png" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;" width="200" /></a><p></p><p><b style="font-family: verdana;"></b></p><blockquote><b style="font-family: verdana;">Summary: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm a huge fan of anything that Casey McQuiston writes, so when I found out that she had another book, I immediately added it to my TBR. Anything by Casey is basically guaranteed to hook me from start to finish, with plenty of swooning and laughing out loud in between. I'm already counting down the days until May 2022 so I can dive into this one! </span></p><h4><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so I can stop back! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unyKU4EykZg/YUtm-4dcdHI/AAAAAAAAF5s/t-SST0A8D9gw-_qN85Kp1_tn1O0jsAMCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unyKU4EykZg/YUtm-4dcdHI/AAAAAAAAF5s/t-SST0A8D9gw-_qN85Kp1_tn1O0jsAMCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></h4>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-29378237620329557022021-10-19T00:00:00.040-04:002021-10-19T00:00:00.256-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Online Resources for Book Lovers<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTD2wbW0tik/X8sqhdTwiEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/0L3hZD0g7c4bGkSSZAUHYnrHjhGACew2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Top%2BTen%2BTuesday%2B.png" /></a></div></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" style="font-family: verdana;">That Artsy Reader Girl </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><p><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>This Week's Theme: </b></span><span style="font-family: courier new, courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>Online Resources for Book Lovers</b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm actually really excited about this week's theme, because it's something different that really forces me to think -- online resources for book lovers! Basically, this prompt is described as listing any sort of website, resource, etc. that a book lover would enjoy. Some of these were really easy to come up with, and some of them were pretty hard! So without further ado, here are my picks for online resources for book lovers:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>. </b>This one is a given! It's my preferred method for logging my reads, writing reviews, and keeping up with bookish friends. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>2. <a href="https://twitter.com/home" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. </b>Book Twitter is easily our social media platform of choice! We love being able to chat in real-time with some of our favorite authors, fellow bloggers, and readers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook groups</a>. </b>Believe it or not, there are TONS of reader Facebook groups out there -- book clubs, general genre readers, specific groups for a certain author or book series...you can always find a bookish community on there! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>4. <a href="https://twitter.com/i/lists/1367209995373334539/members" target="_blank">The Welcome to YA Book Twitter list</a>. </b>If you're looking to jump into Book Twitter, we created a list of accounts to follow containing some popular YA accounts, readers, agents, literary agencies, teen imprints, and more! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>5. <a href="https://bookriot.com/listen/shows/heyya/" target="_blank">The Hey YA podcast</a>. </b>This is a YA-focused podcast from Book Riot that I listen to every week while I'm at work, and it really helps you stay up to date on the latest book releases, and they host some awesome roundups and book summaries that have helped me find new reads! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.yabookscentral.com/" target="_blank">YA Books Central</a>. </b>One of our favorite longtime YA book blog platforms! <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/" target="_blank">Bookstagram</a>. </b>Similar to Twitter, the bookish side of Instagram is the perfect place to find likeminded readers! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.shelf-awareness.com/" target="_blank">Shelf Awareness</a>. </b>This free newsletter hits my inbox every Tuesday with the latest publishing news, book releases, and drama...if you want to stay up to date with the publishing world, this is a resource that I absolutely recommend! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>9. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-n-podcast/id1261123192" target="_blank">The B&N Podcast</a>. </b>Tons of great interviews are hosted on Barnes & Noble's podcast! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10. <a href="https://bookoutlet.com/" target="_blank">Book Outlet</a>. </b>The only thing better than buying books is buying books at a discount! We've been using Book Outlet since back when we started blogging, and it was always a great way to score some deal.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So those are ten online resources for book lovers! Are you familiar with any of my choices? Did you learn about any new ones? Have any that you disagree with or think I forgot? Comment down below and let me know!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And don't forget to share your own resources with me -- I'd love to see them!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-RiN9rrVkw/YUoRwhW45yI/AAAAAAAAF4w/oIYJdHUWq8oX1ELqeO-yCGuQlZ8suAbqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-RiN9rrVkw/YUoRwhW45yI/AAAAAAAAF4w/oIYJdHUWq8oX1ELqeO-yCGuQlZ8suAbqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-47172818298436449472021-10-17T00:00:00.043-04:002021-10-17T00:00:00.247-04:002021 Debut Author Interview: Kalena Miller!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HDANRstH5DQ/X86my8rojOI/AAAAAAAAERs/FKdaMDJpFtIHKyhF08M33iSA8dX6s8oKwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HDANRstH5DQ/X86my8rojOI/AAAAAAAAERs/FKdaMDJpFtIHKyhF08M33iSA8dX6s8oKwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h280/image.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></span></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;">In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as </span><b style="text-align: left;">many</b><span style="text-align: left;"> debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2021 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Kalena Miller and her novel <i style="font-weight: bold;">THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX</i>, and we have been interested in it ever since! We even got the chance to read an ARC, and it was an absolute gem. We are so excited to have Kalena on the blog today to answer some of our questions! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8in_-rTeps/XfGO8Hue6xI/AAAAAAAAKOM/h3zPAkPtf80TBbjuL9DZWcSmmpQ0e2qEwCEwYBhgL/s1600/About%2BThe%2BAuthor.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="1600" height="121" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8in_-rTeps/XfGO8Hue6xI/AAAAAAAAKOM/h3zPAkPtf80TBbjuL9DZWcSmmpQ0e2qEwCEwYBhgL/s640/About%2BThe%2BAuthor.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ecD47ZJscLI/YWhddTuVANI/AAAAAAAAGFs/wLgUtSQTwMEIwP3eDUVtt4TN2GJLkbBTQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ecD47ZJscLI/YWhddTuVANI/AAAAAAAAGFs/wLgUtSQTwMEIwP3eDUVtt4TN2GJLkbBTQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kalena Miller grew up in College Station, TX with her mom, dad, and the most photographed hamster in history. After high school, she moved a thousand miles north to attend Carleton College, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Religious Studies. After a brief stint working as a paraeducator in Seattle, Kalena decided she missed school too much, so she spent the next two years pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Hamline University. Kalena currently lives in Hopkins, Minnesota with her husband, Kenny, and Toy Australian Shepherd, Toshley. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction and co-authors narrative nonfiction with her mom, Kathy Miller (check out her website here). She loves books that make her laugh and make her cry, preferably at the same time, and she firmly believes all quality novels should feature a cat.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b>Keep up with Kalena: <a href="https://www.kalenamiller.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/itskalenamiller" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/itskalenamiller/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20492895.Kalena_Miller" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pGJwsjIxdw/XfGOSRnxP7I/AAAAAAAAKOE/0HyMbijETWQD4ulDt4-24EHhAMo-DLIawCEwYBhgL/s1600/Interview.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="1176" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pGJwsjIxdw/XfGOSRnxP7I/AAAAAAAAKOE/0HyMbijETWQD4ulDt4-24EHhAMo-DLIawCEwYBhgL/s400/Interview.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Bratz:</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thank you so much! It honestly feels unreal! I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to share my writing with readers across the country, and it’s still mind boggling when I imagine total strangers reading my words. </span></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">I absolutely adore first drafts, so staring at a blank piece of paper is the best part of the process for me. I love the feeling of endless possibilities and getting to experiment without deadlines or other issues influencing the process. For me, revising tends to be more difficult. Once I have a complete draft, my brain balks at the idea of messing it up because I’m overwhelmed by the prospect of putting it back together. This is when my tendency to procrastinate kicks in. Whenever it’s time to revise, you can probably find me cleaning my house instead.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Book Bratz:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where did you get the idea for THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I was in a writing workshop, and one of my mentors told me I was skilled at writing sex scenes. I was so excited that I really ran with that compliment and started writing a book comprised entirely of sex scenes (as a joke). Well, it turns out that I enjoyed the characters and stories I was creating, so I backtracked to work on necessities like plot and momentum. The rest is history!</span></span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Julia was the first POV I started writing, and she remains my favorite probably. I love her humor, her zany non sequiturs, and the earnestness with which she approaches the sex pact. I also think her voice is most similar to mine, so I could really channel my own energy in her sections. The most difficult character to write was Alex. Those chapters have a slightly more serious tone due to the seriousness of his storyline, which didn’t come quite as naturally to me. This was also the furthest I’ve written outside of my own cultural experiences and my first time writing a male protagonist, so both of those things challenged me as a writer as well. </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Bratz:</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> What surprised you the most about the publishing process?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">How long everything takes!! Actually, the turnaround from this project being acquired to publication day was much faster than most people’s experiences, but it still felt like forever ago that I started writing this book. I think as writers, we get used to doing everything on our own schedules, but once there’s a whole company involved and a billion different voices and meetings, the publishing process slows down a lot. </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What do you hope that readers will take away from THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX? </span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Honestly, I just hope readers have a good time. This is a fun, light-hearted book, and I really hope I’ve created a story that provides people an enjoyable escape from whatever is happening in their lives. For teens reading my book, I want them to be reassured that it’s perfectly okay to feel overwhelmed and directionless. There’s all this pressure on high school seniors to plan the next forty years of their life, but that’s just not realistic. Climb on top of a roof. Have (safe) sex with your partner. Buy a gazillion pop-tarts. It’s okay to take a breath and enjoy where you are now. </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The Book Bratz:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Do you plan on returning to the world of THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?</span></span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Kalena:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">I don’t plan on returning to this world—at least there’s nothing in the works, but I won’t say never. However, I’m so excited to have a middle grade book coming out in the spring of 2023 with Delacorte. The story is about a middle schooler living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who’s thrust into the spotlight during a theatrical production of The Sound of Music. There’s friendship drama, family angst, and so many musical theatre references.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOoJ4_3NPIo/XfGNuLYpcbI/AAAAAAAAKN8/HthSCupmV10s5Fr1IRU4mxgoPVFQ9MH4gCEwYBhgL/s1600/About%2BThe%2BBook.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="1600" height="142" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOoJ4_3NPIo/XfGNuLYpcbI/AAAAAAAAKN8/HthSCupmV10s5Fr1IRU4mxgoPVFQ9MH4gCEwYBhgL/s640/About%2BThe%2BBook.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hisg7bovN1I/YWhfdTgLh3I/AAAAAAAAGF4/LAVykPYDp1gO_QNexMkhpHzmC5rlglw1ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hisg7bovN1I/YWhfdTgLh3I/AAAAAAAAGF4/LAVykPYDp1gO_QNexMkhpHzmC5rlglw1ACLcBGAsYHQ/w212-h320/image.png" width="212" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Title: </b>The Night When No One Had Sex</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author: </b>Kalena Miller</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Publisher: </b></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aw Teen</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Publication Date: </b>October 12th, 2021</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56989110-the-night-when-no-one-had-sex?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=RGk53J65UH&rank=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQOirv3dLac/YADt3LK7RtI/AAAAAAAAEdU/dAwvk0yvmtICrezWrw2YavnZEJEReGRJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Goodreads%2Bcopy.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Summary: </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thank you so much to Kalena for stopping by and answering our questions! We absolutely adored reading <i style="font-weight: bold;">THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX </i>(you can read our review <a href="https://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/2021/10/arc-review-night-when-no-one-had-sex-by.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and it's out in the world now for you to enjoy! Plus, that's not all -- until 10/24, we're giving away our ARC on our <a href="https://twitter.com/thebookbratz" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="Celebrate So Excited GIF by Hey Violet" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/3o7btWyOD1QLDZGqly/200.webp?cid=790b7611da0d06261684c04d935af8d0f7a642982f9ac812&rid=200.webp" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzYoVidGDAk/YADt71i6WsI/AAAAAAAAEdY/w_5AJG4pekcsRWu64wE6odP5H5L9cadzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzYoVidGDAk/YADt71i6WsI/AAAAAAAAEdY/w_5AJG4pekcsRWu64wE6odP5H5L9cadzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-12090220231233561262021-10-16T00:00:00.021-04:002021-10-16T00:00:00.247-04:00The College Diaries: Starting MFA Thesis Classes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8AcRa1LDhsI/YUzbhxbIb0I/AAAAAAAAF8w/W2ZRgwYk6_sMOhbGiMw1vGet8tWihMmBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/The%2BCollege%2BDiaries.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8AcRa1LDhsI/YUzbhxbIb0I/AAAAAAAAF8w/W2ZRgwYk6_sMOhbGiMw1vGet8tWihMmBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h280/The%2BCollege%2BDiaries.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hi everyone! I just have a quick College Diaries update for you all today -- <b>I officially started my thesis courses for my MFA program! </b>For anyone who isn't familiar with the process, I basically get to take a string of three classes that focuses entirely on me writing, revising, and getting my novel ready for publication. It's the big pinnacle of the whole program, and I'm so unbelievably excited about it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyone who knows me knows that it's always been my dream to be a published author, and while an MFA degree definitely doesn't guarantee those chances, it still is such an incredible thing to do, and I'm so glad that I decided to take the leap and join the program. For the first time in a long time, I get to put my writing and my dreams of being an author first, instead of letting them sit on the backburner in favor of everything else I have going on. Not only has this program really helped me improve my writing, but now it's time for me to put the pedal to the metal and really focus on #BeachTownWIP! It also helps that I have an amazing advisor that I am <i>so </i>excited about, and I feel like she's really the best fit for me and my work.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I just -- ugh. I'm so excited. This isn't a very eloquent update by any stretch, but I really just wanted to pop in and let you guys know that it's finally happening...I'm almost done with my MFA program, and I'll have a finished and polished novel to show for it!! Eeeeeeep.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you're interested in keeping up with my MFA journey, you can also subscribe to my <a href="https://jesscozziwrites.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">author newsletter</a>!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nv2lGOmhGiw/YUzeDv7FbFI/AAAAAAAAF88/lln2Qqcr3b4ZBpmPrElRZg8BjkIMyADOACLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy%2B%25282%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="480" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nv2lGOmhGiw/YUzeDv7FbFI/AAAAAAAAF88/lln2Qqcr3b4ZBpmPrElRZg8BjkIMyADOACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy%2B%25282%2529.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xD5IaKvva60/YUzd6ST1LPI/AAAAAAAAF84/zY2EbxMLCpMx5_7IUPpmL6kgcnUT9HlIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xD5IaKvva60/YUzd6ST1LPI/AAAAAAAAF84/zY2EbxMLCpMx5_7IUPpmL6kgcnUT9HlIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-74227762827829258772021-10-09T00:00:00.021-04:002021-10-09T00:00:00.306-04:00ARC Review: The Night When No One Had Sex by Kalena Miller <div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IA31cOaqBhQ/YUjP7BQyt5I/AAAAAAAAF4k/dXdutC2t_V8EyqLDdBhS0aKveQn8stfNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/56989110.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IA31cOaqBhQ/YUjP7BQyt5I/AAAAAAAAF4k/dXdutC2t_V8EyqLDdBhS0aKveQn8stfNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/56989110.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Title: </b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">The Night When No One Had Sex</span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: verdana;">Author: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kalena Miller</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b style="font-family: verdana;">Publisher: </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aw Teen<br /></span></span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 5/5 Stars<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Hardcover, 320 Pages<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Publication Date: October 12th, 2021</b></span></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56989110-the-night-when-no-one-had-sex" style="clear: left; display: inline; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMgMiYSwoIw/X_oQlL0jXBI/AAAAAAAAEb0/5hWA8JWBgTUDbux7qZlG1I6Od4DTxH8CwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h88/Goodreads%2Bcopy.png" width="200" /></a></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Summary: </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F_HEhBVt_lc/X_oQzu8CqAI/AAAAAAAAEb4/heglNUYQ3EYxsIzruRxFh2NIhS9ONaQ0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Review%2Bcopy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F_HEhBVt_lc/X_oQzu8CqAI/AAAAAAAAEb4/heglNUYQ3EYxsIzruRxFh2NIhS9ONaQ0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Review%2Bcopy.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I received an ARC of THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX in exchange for an honest review, and I'm really glad you did, because you guys...this book is <i>hysterical</i>. Seriously. I loved this book so much and am already hand-pushing it on all of my friends because I want them to all read it and laugh along with me. If the title itself wasn't enough to grab your attention, then trust me, the </span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the summary explains, the story follows a group of high school friends who are all seniors who made a sex pact for their prom night. They secured a cabin in the woods without adult supervision, all of their romantic partners, and it seems like it's going to be a great night...until everything that could possibly go wrong <i>does </i>go wrong. It's a hilarious story of runaway cats, roleplay gone wrong, and lots of twists and turns. Trust me, this is not the type of story that you want to miss!</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I devoured this entire book in less than 48 hours and even read 200+ pages <i>in a single day </i>because I was so invested in the antics of all of the characters that I just couldn't put it down. I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt and I was also gasping at every single plot twist and shocking moment. I've been in a bad reading slump for awhile since I've been so stressed about other facets of my life, so it felt like this book found me at the perfect time. I was able to sit down and dive into a hysterical story that I found myself really getting sucked into. I definitely had "one more chapter" syndrome with this one, that's for sure! You get to watch everyone's nights unravel into pure chaos in so many different ways, and although there are a lot of different things going on with each individual couple, the title of the book lets you know that something interesting will be happening with <i>all </i>of them, that's for sure! And some of them are definitely things that you wouldn't expect.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Something else that was really cool about this book was the variety of different perspectives. You get to see the story from the perspectives of everyone in the friend group from time to time, broken up by transcripts of their absolutely hysterical group chat with its ever-changing names. Their dynamic with each other really reminded me a lot of my own friend group at home and the conversations we have, so that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I think above all, this is a story of friendship and all of the different forms its support takes, even among all of the chaos. Seeing them all together and supporting each other (and helping each other out of jams) really made me smile -- I just love books with such tight friendships, and that was really evident here.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My favorite characters of them all were definitely Kevin and Julia. Having such a big cast of characters means that there were so many different options to choose from and picking favorites was hard, but I loved whenever I got to see scenes between the two of them. Even as everything about their night was starting to go wrong and Julia's carefully laid plans (hehe) fell apart, it was clear how much love the two of them had for each other. And I also loved the way Julia would just casually blurt anything and everything about her and Kevin to her friends. She definitely kept the friend group on their toes, that's for sure -- even if she wasn't the only one!</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overall, I absolutely loved THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX. If you're looking for a book that makes you laugh so hard it hurts, fall in love, and watch the hijinks of a carefully planned prom night unfold in disastrous real-time, then trust me, this is absolutely the book for you. I'm absolutely a fan of Kalena Miller's, and I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work in the future, because reading this book was honestly such a delight!</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ydqe0PRIiBI/X_oQ5JqIS3I/AAAAAAAAEcA/k5NizFrY2hg2xesI5M0jB7pvZHdt2r8PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Rating%2Bcopy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ydqe0PRIiBI/X_oQ5JqIS3I/AAAAAAAAEcA/k5NizFrY2hg2xesI5M0jB7pvZHdt2r8PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Rating%2Bcopy.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WY9YA31e0OA/YUvM14VmYlI/AAAAAAAAF58/qQeAyBm7HdIgy6PSvlmj4_9WHZnXtYuLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/5.1%2BStar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="1200" height="66" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WY9YA31e0OA/YUvM14VmYlI/AAAAAAAAF58/qQeAyBm7HdIgy6PSvlmj4_9WHZnXtYuLwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h66/5.1%2BStar.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mmkwp26kPsI/X_oQ9be6PqI/AAAAAAAAEcE/_2svLEEvBY49Qh2eFRrNzGdworc2usZ9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BJess.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mmkwp26kPsI/X_oQ9be6PqI/AAAAAAAAEcE/_2svLEEvBY49Qh2eFRrNzGdworc2usZ9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BJess.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-34182494993709768552021-10-06T00:00:00.024-04:002021-10-06T00:00:00.216-04:00Waiting on Wednesday: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjjTU3SVyPs/X8spxIqJlrI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gG33vxuunG40NVwZXmwabJNV5jr7bEwMACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Waiting%2Bon%2BWednesday%2B.png" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking The Spine</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read!</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B2W2pZwcGto/YUtfsVnZZ9I/AAAAAAAAF5Q/K3P2ezIuNW48ep87OAulYpcwIRFdHxY9QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B2W2pZwcGto/YUtfsVnZZ9I/AAAAAAAAF5Q/K3P2ezIuNW48ep87OAulYpcwIRFdHxY9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w213-h320/image.png" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>The Love Hypothesis </span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b>Ali Hazelwood</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Paperback, 384 Pages</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher: </b>Berkley Books</span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Publication Date: </b>September 14th 2021</span></span><p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56732449-the-love-hypothesis" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTrfo3xE5Xk/X8sndqmkKII/AAAAAAAAK1Q/tXrE53IHLswIerzZjz8Ob6yJAGmEwS9fwCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h88/Goodreads.png" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;" width="200" /></a></p><p><b style="font-family: verdana;"></b></p><blockquote><b style="font-family: verdana;">Summary: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.</span></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I know that this book came out a few weeks ago, but I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet with all of the ARCs I had to get through and I had finals for my MFA program, but now that I finally have a little bit of a break, I'm really looking forward to diving into this one! I even had to do a writeup on the marketing of this book for one of my MFA papers, so I got to learn more about it and I'm extra excited to read it now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Has anyone here read THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS yet? What did you think of it?</span></p><h4><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so I can stop back! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bwTc7mBBS3Y/YUtj01e8G-I/AAAAAAAAF5c/thPaK2J6b_Qn4ljyXiDZsSEu0Yn9ps4pgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="320" height="192" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bwTc7mBBS3Y/YUtj01e8G-I/AAAAAAAAF5c/thPaK2J6b_Qn4ljyXiDZsSEu0Yn9ps4pgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div></div></span></h4>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311467534427600817.post-5472610502328742892021-10-04T00:00:00.032-04:002021-10-04T00:00:00.214-04:00Spotlight & Giveaway: Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman! <p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hi everyone! Today on the blog, we're shining a spotlight on FRANKIE & BUG by Gayle Forman, a fantastic author who we've always loved, and is publishing a new Middle Grade story! While we don't typically cover Middle Grade here on the blog, Gayle Forman always has a special place in our heart, so</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> we're definitely excited to make the exception. (And who knows? Maybe this will open up the door to us covering more MG titles in the future!) So without further ado, let's get into it!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;"><b>ABOUT THE BOOK</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d66FQDst768/YN0cu5VrQdI/AAAAAAAAFj8/qRztw5BR4gkQjQOCxYyM_VsNEwvqb4vigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/56651467.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1355" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d66FQDst768/YN0cu5VrQdI/AAAAAAAAFj8/qRztw5BR4gkQjQOCxYyM_VsNEwvqb4vigCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/56651467.jpeg" /></a></div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yr8SugPFrWc/YGISKF6EPdI/AAAAAAAAE9Y/6Ljw6KHR9po0krJQlg7F0ghIu59qWpn2gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Title: </b>Frankie & Bug</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Author: </b>Gayle Forman</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Publisher: </b>Aladdin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hardcover, 288 Pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>Publication Date: October 11th, 2021 </b><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56651467-frankie-bug?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Xyb13irXmu&rank=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" height="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J1ELlw0JsvY/X_i6Vh6EfpI/AAAAAAAAEak/b-iiCZTbnLAmMGUJfYS1EbbAgsi2Yzb-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h88/Goodreads%2Bcopy.png" width="200" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b><blockquote><b> Summary: </b>FRANKIE & BUG stars ten- (almost eleven!) year-old Bug, a feisty girl who just wants to play at the beach all summer, who is feeling left out as her older brother stretches his wings toward independence. And there is 11-year-old Frankie, sent from Ohio to stay with his gay uncle in Venice Beach for the summer: a trans boy who just wants the opportunity to be who he is. Wary of each other at first, Frankie and Bug bond over their mutual desire to catch the Midnight Marauder, a serial killer stalking Southern California in 1987. When the violence comes closer to home, what Frankie and Bug learn about themselves is far more important — family can be whatever you make it, love is stronger than blood, and it’s up to all of us to hurry toward justice. Additionally, FRANKIE & BUG conveys an important, and incredibly timely message about acceptance, friendship and showing up: one that we can all use right now.</blockquote></div></span></div><div><span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #351c75; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Lobster;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</span></b></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-16rS04kLn6I/X_M5c-Ebp8I/AAAAAAAAEZw/n8CG-Zo8J-U_kNG4xqNTNdkpBXOU0ULeACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-16rS04kLn6I/X_M5c-Ebp8I/AAAAAAAAEZw/n8CG-Zo8J-U_kNG4xqNTNdkpBXOU0ULeACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zZz4X4nzd-k/X_jANS6rnYI/AAAAAAAAEbM/86pdyUKJSJkDuuVeR8PISAiNTwUi0PTiQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zZz4X4nzd-k/X_jANS6rnYI/AAAAAAAAEbM/86pdyUKJSJkDuuVeR8PISAiNTwUi0PTiQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n0PF5yNxlaY/YGISj0yKxRI/AAAAAAAAE9g/NolY72a67JgAnMKsdpd2ikHlx6zKiR2EwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n0PF5yNxlaY/YGISj0yKxRI/AAAAAAAAE9g/NolY72a67JgAnMKsdpd2ikHlx6zKiR2EwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qthyt_0CjB0/YN0dfeMfjoI/AAAAAAAAFkE/fgdogMG2YgIP3V-RGGj_sJmMXi0XdNLogCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="190" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qthyt_0CjB0/YN0dfeMfjoI/AAAAAAAAFkE/fgdogMG2YgIP3V-RGGj_sJmMXi0XdNLogCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="171" /></a></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></span></div><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels for young adults, including the Just One Series, I Was Here, Where She Went and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than 40 languages and in 2014 was adapted into a major motion picture. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gayle published Leave Me, her first novel starring adults in 2016 and her latest novel, I Have Lost My Way, comes out in March of 2018. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gayle lives with her husband and daughters in Brooklyn.</span></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b>Keep up with Gayle: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/295178.Gayle_Forman" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.gayleforman.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/gayleforman">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gayleforman/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: verdana;"><b style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: xx-large;">GIVAWAY</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">If FRANKIE & BUG sounds like the type of book you or a young reader would be interested in reading, you're in luck: <b>we're currently giving away a finished copy on our <a href="https://twitter.com/thebookbratz" target="_blank">Twitter</a> account right now, until 10/11! </b>All you have to do is click <b><a href="https://twitter.com/thebookbratz" target="_blank">here</a></b>, follow us, and Retweet the Tweet. The giveaway is unfortunately U.S. only, but we wish you all the best of luck!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~<span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for inviting us to share this spotlight today, and for providing the giveaway copy for us -- if you're interested in FRANKIE & BUG, don't forget to add it to your TBR!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHb3KG9KWT8/X_jAoVQx_5I/AAAAAAAAEbU/KwKnAsUlMMQg0FPX8FUgqrWGrtSma52BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Sig%2BTBB.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHb3KG9KWT8/X_jAoVQx_5I/AAAAAAAAEbU/KwKnAsUlMMQg0FPX8FUgqrWGrtSma52BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sig%2BTBB.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>Jessica @ The Book Bratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00564338741274374361noreply@blogger.com1