Top Ten Tuesday: Colorful Book Covers

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! 

This Week's Theme: Colorful Book Covers

Today's post involves rounding up some color book covers, so I pulled together some that I love. Without further ado, here are my choices! I'm a big fan of the bright, illustrated, pastel, and very rom-com themed colors:

         

So those are ten colorful book covers that I love! What are some of yours? Comment down below and let me know!

2021 Debut Author Interview: Miel Moreland!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many 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!

At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Miel Moreland and her novel IT GOES LIKE THIS, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Miel on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Miel Moreland writes character-driven contemporary Young Adult novels. Born and raised in Minneapolis, she has a Midwestern heart but wandering feet. When not making pop music references and celebrating fandom, she is likely to be found drinking hot chocolate and making spreadsheets. She currently resides in Boston

Keep up with Miel: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Miel: Absolutely surreal. I’ve wanted to be an author since I was five or six years old, once I realized this was a job people had, and now my book is coming out! Part of me still feels like it’s early 2018 and IT GOES LIKE THIS is just something fun between me and my critique partners. It’s difficult (but exciting!) to try to grasp the fact that people I don’t know are reading it, and my story is becoming part of someone else’s story. 

The Book Bratz:  In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Miel: Is it a cop-out to say the best part of the writing process is any part that’s going smoothly? Although I do enjoy revisions in general, once I have a plan for them, starting revisions is often difficult for me because I always have to add tension—and that’s not at all natural for me! I hate giving my characters more problems. 

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for IT GOES LIKE THIS?

Miel: IT GOES LIKE THIS came out of a number of interests or threads in my life that all finally converged together into this one book. I’ve been a pop music fan for most of my life, and for a couple of years before I started drafting IGLT, I researched the music industry and played around with a few music-centric short stories. I started writing the novel about a year after I graduated from college, when I was thinking a lot about changing friendships. And I’d been reading some books where the band (or the team, group, and so on, depending on the book) breaks up at the end of the book. I wanted to write a book that started where the others ended. What happens after? I felt I was presented with this question: does growing up always mean growing apart? I don’t think the answer is always yes. 

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Miel: This is such a difficult question, and during different drafts, I had a different favorite band member. Eva might have been my favorite to write overall, simply because I spent the most time in her head and so feel closest to her. Gina was the most difficult, because it took me a long time to be able to identify and articulate her arc, and then longer to properly build it into the book. But I adore her, and she is worth every re-written chapter. 

The Book Bratz: Are there any other books or authors who give you inspiration for your own writing?

Miel: So many! I’ll shout-out just two authors right now: Tess Sharpe and Zan Romanoff. 

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from IT GOES LIKE THIS? 

Miel: It’s okay to change your mind, more than once, about what you want, what you need, and in what places and relationships you are able to be your truest, fullest, most seen and respected and beloved self at any particular moment in your life. 

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of IT GOES LIKE THIS in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Miel: I don’t have any immediate or formal plans to return to the world of IT GOES LIKE THIS, but I would love to at some point! At minimum, I am hoping to share some bonus short stories (including at least one AU, because this is a fandom novel at heart) within the next year. I’ve been working on a few other novels over the past year, but I’m always wary of talking too much about specific projects until deals are announced!

Title: It Goes Like This

Author: Miel Moreland

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: May 18th, 2021

Summary: Eva, Celeste, Gina, and Steph used to think their friendship was unbreakable. After all, they've been though a lot together, including the astronomical rise of Moonlight Overthrow, the world-famous queer pop band they formed in middle school, never expecting to headline anything bigger than the county fair. But after a sudden falling out leads to the dissolution of the teens' band, their friendship, and Eva and Celeste's starry-eyed romance, nothing is the same. Gina and Celeste step further into the spotlight, Steph disappears completely, and Eva, heartbroken, takes refuge as a songwriter and secret online fangirl...of her own band. That is, until a storm devastates their hometown, bringing the four ex-best-friends back together. As they prepare for one last show, they'll discover whether growing up always means growing apart. 

Thank you so much to Miel for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about IT GOES LIKE THISand can't wait for it to be out in the world on May 18th! 

Why Does Seeing Writers Write Make Us More Motivated?

Hi everyone! Today's post is a little different than a bookish meme or a review -- instead, I'm going to talk about writing. As many of you may know -- if not all of you, by this point -- I (Jessica) am a huge romance writer and reader. If it has a steamy or swoon-worthy storyline and it's a contemporary, the chances are it's probably already on my to-read list. Which is why, of course, I've been a huge fan of Jane the Virgin for so long. I'm currently on my eighth rerun because I just can't get enough of it!

And that's when I noticed something -- for those of you who don't know, the story follows Jane, a young Latina woman living in Miami who goes through some pretty hilarious, stressful, and even scary circumstances (which I won't spoil for you!). But one of the biggest parts of the story is the fact that Jane is an aspiring romance novelist, which you see unfold a lot on the screen. And this is what I've noticed: Every single time there's a scene where Jane is working on her novel, or getting a burst of writing inspiration, or staying up until the sun rises to add words to her manuscript, I feel this sudden urge to pick up my own laptop and work on my own book. Every single time. It's seriously like magic -- any time I need some motivation or inspiration to write, I end up watching an episode or two of Jane the Virgin. It's my magic cure for writer's block. 

And I thought I was alone in that endeavor, but apparently not! Plenty of people I've spoken to said that they too feel more motivated to write when a character in pop culture -- whether it's a show or a podcast or even another book that follows another writer -- features someone who is chasing their dream of becoming published. And it really made me think about it -- why exactly is this? My unofficial guess is that there's something about seeing a character in a story that you love achieving the same dream that you want that just really lights that fire in you and makes you want to hit the ground running with your own work. But maybe it's just the fact that Jane the Virgin is a show centered around a woman who is an aspiring writer and a hopeless romantic -- AKA, just like me -- so I see a lot of myself in Jane and aspire to be a lot like her. Who knows? All I know for sure is that an episode or two of the show is like my magic writing potion on the days where the words just won't come, and that's pretty cool.

So I wanted to ask, because I was curious -- does this happen to anyone else out there? Does seeing someone else in a book or movie achieving their writing goals make you want to put the pen to the paper (or your fingers to the keyboard!) yourself, or is this just a me thing? Comment down below and let me know!

Blog Tour: These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

Hi everyone! Today on the blog, we have an excerpt from THESE FEATHERED FLAMES by Alexandra Overy, courtesy of Inkyard Press. So without further ado, let's get into it!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: These Feathered Flames

Authors: Alexandra Overy

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Hardcover, 496 Pages

Publication Date: April 20th, 2021

 Summary: When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates are decided at a young age. While Izaveta remained at court to learn the skills she’d need as the future queen, Asya was taken away to train with her aunt, the mysterious Firebird, who ensured magic remained balanced in the realm. But before Asya’s training is completed, the ancient power blooms inside her, which can mean only one thing: the queen is dead, and a new ruler must be crowned. As the princesses come to understand everything their roles entail, they’ll discover who they can trust, who they can love—and who killed their mother. 

EXCERPT

Excerpted from These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy © 2021, used with permission from Inkyard Press/HarperCollins.

Chapter One

The prey wasn’t meant to be a child.

When Asya had smelled the sharp tang of magic—strong even before she emerged from the tree line—that possibility hadn’t so much as fluttered across her mind. It was never meant to be a child.

But the scent of magic was undeniable. That indistinguishable combination of damp overturned earth and the metallic copper of blood, cut through with the acrid burn of power. It was overlaid with the cloying sweetness of waterose, as if someone had tried to mask it.

A futile attempt.

And Asya was sure this time. The person they were looking for had to be here.

The comfort of the forest stood at her back, the dark canopy of trees stretching behind her in every direction. The fading sunlight could not break through the writhing tangle of branches, so in the shadow of the trunks, it was dark as twilight.

Most people feared the forest. Stories of monsters that lurked in its depths, witches who lured unsuspecting children in and tore out their hearts. But to Asya it had always felt safe, the gnarled trunks and rustling leaves were like old friends.

“This is it,” Asya said, inclining her head toward the clearing in front of them.

A slight smile tugged at her lips. Two years ago, when her great-aunt had first deemed her ready to try tracking herself—to follow the magic with only her mortal senses once they were close enough to the source—she’d found it impossible. More often than not, she just led them in circles until Tarya gave up on her. But today, Asya had managed it.

She might not be as unwavering as her aunt, as strong or as dutiful, but at least Asya had succeeded in this.

She glanced over at Tarya, waiting for her reaction. But her aunt stood stiller than the trees, an immovable presence in their midst. The shadowed light filtering through the leaves cast her face in stark relief, carving deep hollows into her snow-white cheeks and emphasizing the wrinkles at her brow. She could have been a painting—one of the old oil portraits of the gods, soft brushstrokes of light adding an ethereal glow to her stern face.

It made her look otherworldly. Inhuman.

Which she was. One of the creatures that prowled these trees.

While Asya, or any other mortal, could smell the residual magic, her aunt could feel it. No amount of waterose or burned sage—or any of the other tricks people tried—could hide magic from Tarya.

Her dark eyes flickered to Asya. “Correct,” her aunt murmured, a hint of satisfaction in her soft voice.

In front of them, the comforting trees gave way to an open paddock. It had been allowed to run wild, chamomile glinting yellow in the long grass, like sun spots on water. Purple-capped mushrooms pushed their way through the weeds, intertwining with the soft lilac of scattered crocuses.

The tinge of pride in Asya’s chest melted away, replaced by a thrumming anticipation. The paddock could have been beautiful, she supposed. But the cold apprehension burning in her stomach overshadowed it, darkening the flowers to poisonous thorns and muting the colors like fog. It was always like this. Ever since the first time Tarya had taken her on a hunt. Once she was left without a task to complete—a distraction—Asya couldn’t pretend to forget what came next. She’d hoped it would get better, but she still couldn’t shake the lingering fear.

She shifted her feet, trying to ignore the erratic rhythm of her heart. She hated waiting. Each frantic beat stretching out into an eternity.

She just wanted this to be over.

After all, her sister had always been the brave one.

But that was why Asya was here. Why she had to follow this path, no matter how she wavered. She owed it to her sister. They were the two sides of a coin, and if Asya failed, then her sister would too.

Tarya’s words—the words Asya had to live by—pounded through her. This is our duty. Not a question of right or wrong, but balance.

Her aunt stepped forward. She moved silently, slipping like a shadow untethered from its owner, from the gnarled trees and out into the overgrown paddock beyond. She didn’t speak—she rarely did when she felt a Calling—but Asya knew she was meant to follow.

Asya took a shaky breath, touching one finger to the wooden icon around her neck. An unspoken prayer. She could do this.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra grew up in London and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her undergraduate degree in history at UCLA, followed by her MFA in screenwriting also at UCLA. She loves writing in all formats, from novels to screenplays to graphic novels, always centring on fierce women and morally grey characters, often with a bit of magic and murder. When she’s not writing, she can be found baking, fangirling over her favourite books, or cuddling her cat.

Keep up with Alexandra: Goodreads / Twitter / Website / Instagram

We'd like to thank Inkyard Press for having us share this excerpt today -- if you're interested in THESE FEATHERED FLAMES don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Waiting on Wednesday: They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read! 

Title: They'll Never Catch Us
Author: Jessica Goodman 
Publisher: Razorbill
Hardcover, 284 Pages
Publication Date: July 27th, 2021

Summary: Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the course. The sisters do have one thing in common, though: the new girl, Mila Keene. Both Stecklers' lives are upended when Mila comes to town. Mila was the top runner on her team back home and at first, Ellie and Stella view her as a threat. But soon Ellie can't help but be drawn to her warm, charming personality. After her best friend moved away and her first boyfriend betrayed her, Ellie's been looking for a friend. In a moment of weakness, she even shares her darkest secret with Mila. For her part, Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are similar. Mila is smart and strong--she's someone Stella can finally connect with. As the two get closer, Stella becomes something she vowed she'd never be: distracted. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters.

I read Jessica Goodman's debut novel, THEY WISH THEY WERE US, last year, and I loved it so much. So when I found out that she had another thriller on the horizon, I eagerly added it to my TBR! You can even read my review of THEY WISH THEY WERE US here.

You guys, I am so excited to once again be shocked and thrilled by another Jessica Goodman book!!!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so I can stop by!

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Sound Like They Could Be Crayola Crayon Colors

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between! 

This Week's Theme: Book Titles That Sound Like They Could Be Crayola Crayon Colors

Everyone knows that Crayola has some pretty interesting color names. So I was excited to really put on my thinking cap this week to try to find some book titles that would fit as potential Crayola cover names! Without further ado, here are my choices:

         

So those are some book titles that I think sound like they could be Crayola crayon colors! What do you think of my choices? Do you have some of your own? Comment down below and let me know!

ARC Review: The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther

Title: The Summer of Broken Rules

Author: K.L. Walther

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Hardcover, 386 Pages
Publication Date: May 4th, 2021

Summary: Meredith Fox has been going to Martha's Vineyard for the summer as long as she can remember. But this summer is the first one back since the death of Meredith's sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin's big wedding. Unfortunately, Meredith's longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless. Luckily, she has the perfect distraction. Her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities. But her target just happens to be a very cute groomsman. She's determined to not let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. But as the week progresses, she can't help falling for him, which may cost her not only the game, but also her heart.

I received an advanced copy of THE SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I'm honestly so glad that I did, because I truly ended up loving this book! I seriously cannot gush enough about it. So without further ado, let's get into my review!

As the summary explains, Meredith Fox's family tradition is to return to their family camp on Martha's Vineyard every summer, but after the tragic death of her sister, she doesn't go back for a few years. But she finally returns right in time for her cousin's wedding, and while she's happy to see her family again, things just don't feel right without her sister there with her. But then Mer meets Wit, one of the sarcastic, hilarious, attractive groomsmen, and she ends up falling into a week-long whirlwind summer wedding romance for the ages...with a few little twists!

You guys, I seriously loved this book. I'm a sucker for beach romances and stories set around weddings, so I already knew that this book was going to be great. And I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a home run it was for me! I've been so busy and in such a bad reading slump lately, but as soon as I dove into this book, I couldn't put it down -- it was actually the first time in a long time that I ended up staying up super late to keep reading just because I wanted to read one more chapter and couldn't tear myself away from the story! It has been a very long time since that happened to me, and that's how I knew that I had finally broken out of my reading slump and got to dive into a sweet, hilarious romance that I just truly couldn't tear my eyes away from. I also loved seeing the camp-wide game of Assassin going on, and it sounds like the perfect family reunion idea. The entire setting of The Farm was just so sweet and funny and exciting, and I loved it. I truly just want to gush about this book for AGES. Watching the wedding prep unfold amid the family game of Assassin and Wit and Mer's budding romance while also remembering Claire...it was just hilarious sweetness all around!

Something else that I really loved was the fact that this is a story set in a small beach community over the summer, since that's actually what my current novel that I'm writing is also about! So it was really awesome to dig deeper both as a reader and a writer to explore the parts of a beachy romance that I love and even emulated in my own novel. Not only did I enjoy this story so much, but I also got to feel extra productive while reading because I kept telling myself (and my thesis advisor) that it was for "research." :-)

My favorite character in this book was definitely Wit. I thought he was so sarcastic and sweet and funny, and I thought his dynamic with Meredith was also really interesting and sweet. At times, I was a bit concerned (the same way Mer's friends were) about the way she seemed to be all-in with a guy that she only met less than a week ago, but as the story went on, I really started to fall for Wit right alongside Mer and realized just how quickly things can progress when you know that you've truly found your person. I definitely shipped them hard and loved seeing all of the antics, trials, and tribulations that they got into throughout the story! 

Overall, I absolutely loved THE SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet read to dive into poolside or while digging their feet into the sand. K.L. Walther is such a spectacular writer, and I really enjoyed the hilarious, swoon-worthy journey that she took my heart on when I curled up with her book, hardly able to do anything else because I couldn't put it down. If beachy contemporary romances are your jam, then trust me -- you do NOT want to miss this book!