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Today I have for you all an interview with Mercy Amare, indie author of the new YA/New Adult book, You Got Me! This was a very fun interview to conduct and I hope you all enjoy it. :D~~~~~~~~~~~~TBP: Tell us a little bit about yourself.MA: My name is Mercy Amare. I am 23 years old from Arkansas. I wrote my first novel at age 14, it sucked, and since then I haven't stopped writing. Hundreds of songs included... I love to read! I love caffeine, specifically NOS Energy Drink. I also have an unhealthy addiction to the TV series: The Lying Game, Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Gossip Girl, and Pretty Little Liars. 
TBP: Describe You Got Me in nine words or less.MA: Letting go of the past. Falling in love.TBP: What inspired you to write You Got Me?MA: I have no idea, honestly. I was just at work one day, and the idea popped into my head! I started writing. Then stopped. Then changed the characters, A LOT, then re-wrote, and there you have it. :) Ideas usually come to me when I'm walking, or driving... Always random times for no reason at all.TBP: What is one of your favorite YA book series? MA: My absolutely favorite, hands down, is Stalk Me by Jillian Dodd. I adore that book series.TBP: If you could co-write a book with any author, past or present, who would it be and why?MA: This is a tough question. I have SO MANY favorite authors. But, I think I would say Colleen Hoover. Her stories are breathtakingly amazing! I would love to just hang out with her for a couple of months, and see her in action. It would be incredible. 
TBP: If you could bring back any no-longer-with-us character on the TV show The Vampire Diaries, who would it be? (If you are not caught up on the show, this can prove spoiler-ish so to read the answer, highlight the gap with your mouse with precaution.)MA: Well, considering Jeremy just died, this is a tough question. I miss Aunt Jenna, Alaric, Jeremy, Vicky, John, Anna, Grams, Lexie (we did NOT get enough of her)... I'm sure I'm missing some... Gah... Can I say tie? This is the hardest question EVER.
Fine, Jeremy. I need Jeremy back! lol.Haha! I think I agree with you, though prior to recent events, I'd have definitely said Alaric. TBP: Your bio says you play guitar, bass, and drums. Which is your favorite and why?MA: I love playing them all for different reasons, so really, it depends on my mood. The drums are just FUN, and when I play them I always get really hyper. It's a rush.... The bass is laid back. I don't have to think, at all, when I play. It's relaxing, and it's nice. (Though that may just be from the 9 years of experience). The guitar is my first love. I've been playing 11 years, and I play well (not being "big headed", it's just a fact). It's amazing to see the look on peoples faces when they see me, a GIRL, play so... good... I honestly couldn't chose between them.TBP: You mentioned that you've had a lot of not so great jobs in the past. I feel like there has to be a funny/odd story in there somewhere from one of them. Do tell?MA: I have had a LOT of jobs. I have worked for all the major cell phone companies: AT&T (call center & store), Sprint (store), and Verizon (call center & store). I've worked in a lot of call centers. (I was a telemarketer for a week. Most miserable week of my life). I worked at a Wells Fargo call center for a few months. We were very slow there, and I was bored a lot. I spent 20 minutes sometimes waiting on a call. While working there, I wrote a 47k word book. All on the company watch. Needless to say, I got laid off (along with hundreds of others)... Did I mention being an author is my favorite job?TBP: You are putting together a soundtrack to your life. What are some of the songs on it? MA: My soundtrack would be so crazy. I've done so much in my life, and I'm thankful for it. Road trips have always been a HUGE part of my life, and each road trip has it's own sound track: Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts (I had pit passes to their concert in Little Rock. I went to Tunica with my bf (Waking up in Vegas (TUNICA): Katy Perry). Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus (I blame Six Flaggs St. Louis for this). Baby by Justin Bieber (I was drunk, don't ask! lol). I Am Not a Whore by LMAO (YouTube the song). Clumsy by Fergie (described by love life from age 16-20). Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon (me and my husband's song)... :) This is just the beginning.I totally get the Miley Cyrus thing. Well not totally (can't stand her, personally). Call Me, Maybe would be on mine because I heard it constantly while I was staying with a friend in NJ for two months over the summer. So I understand how that ind of thing happens. lol. TBP: Anything else you'd like to add? MA: Yes, thank you everybody who is still reading! And thank you, Briana, for having me today! This interview was so much fun! :)~~~~~~~~~~~~
And thank you, Mercy! It was great fun. :D
I hope you all enjoyed that interview, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by!
Don't forget to check out Mercy Amare's books!
Don't Tell (Novella)
Kindle / Nook
You Got Me
Kindle / Nook
TBP: Tell us a little bit about yourself.CA: First, in spite of my name, I’m not a guy. I hope nobody’s disappointed, because I’m pretty pumped in general about being female. I’m one of those crazy people who always wanted to be a writer, ever since I could manage to hold one of those fat red pencils in my chubby little hand. I’m the daughter of a preacher and a teacher, who were always very encouraging and didn’t laugh at me when I said I wanted to grow up to be a famous writer and artist. (Obviously, this still remains to be seen.) I’m married to a really great guy who puts up with my creative Gemini, split-personality craziness, and we have two amazing daughters. In addition to writing, I sing, paint, draw, work at an independent bookstore, and do professional voice-overs (something I started doing back when I worked full-time in radio). Oh, and I have a 3-year-old miniature Australian shepherd named Layla. She’s my first dog ever, and I’m ridiculously smitten.
TBP: Describe Being Henry David in nine words or less. (Can be individual words or a sentence.)CA: Lost boy + nature, friends & Thoreau = discovery and hopeTBP: You have a Masters Degree in Creative Writing. As someone who is considering the pursuit of one, myself, what would you say is one of the most important and useful things you learned in your studies? CA: I think the most important thing I learned is that it’s critical to share your work with other people and get constructive criticism. The workshopping process (when instructors and peers critique your writing) can be both encouraging and brutal, but you need honest input in order to grow. You start to really get a feel for what you’re doing right, and what you need to improve. And after a while, you learn what criticism to take to heart, and what to discard. To be honest, even though I did a lot of writing for newspapers, magazines and radio before I got the Masters, I doubt very much I would have gotten this book published without grad school. (Fiction and non-fiction are so different.) Plus, I made some fabulous lifelong friends, and we still meet regularly to laugh, drink wine, and workshop our stuff!TBP: Your bio says that you sing semi-professionally. Could you tell us a little more about that?CA: Sure! I’ve loved singing ever since being in the cherub choir at my daddy’s church, and music has always been a source of joy for me. I’ve sung in choirs, small groups, bands, in musicals, you name it. As for the semi-professional singing (which basically means I get paid for it, but it’s not how I make my living), I was the lead singer in a blues/rock group for about six years (and played a mean tambourine and cowbell, I must say), and I currently sing in venues all over New England with my husband in an 11-person a cappella group. (P.S. I even met my husband in college choir!)TBP: Fate or free will? If you believe in a degree of both, which side do you lean more towards and why?CA: That’s a very interesting question, and it’s one that I definitely mulled over when my character, Hank, finds a copy of Thoreau’s Walden at Penn Station. Does the book actually belong to him? Is it fate that it was right by his side when he awoke? Or, is it simply a book that was discarded at the train station by some random person, and Hank stumbled upon it? My book is all about what Hank chooses to do after finding the book, so I think it’s more about free will than fate. In general, I believe it’s about what you choose to do with the circumstances of your life that matters. I guess I like the thought that we have some element of choice!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much, Cal! (Check out her website.)
What did you all think? If Being Henry David sounds like something you'd like to read, I'm giving away (in partner with Albert Whitman) a copy to one lucky winner!
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Author Bio: Molly Cochran, author of the teen paranormal romances LEGACY and POISON, has written 26 published novels and four nonfiction books under her own name and various pseudonyms. Her books include New York Times bestselling novels GRANDMASTER and THE FOREVER KING, coauthored with Warren Murphy, and the nonfiction DRESSING THIN, also a NY Times bestseller. She has won awards from the Mystery Writers of America (Best Novel of the Year), the Romance Writers of America (Best Thriller), and the New York Public Library (Outstanding Books for the Teen Age).
SEDUCTION, the third installment in the LEGACY series, is scheduled for release later this year through her publisher, Simon & Schuster.
Two eBooks, THE TEMPLE DOGS and THE FOREVER KING, are currently available through online retailers. A third, GRANDMASTER, will be available soon.
Molly has lectured extensively and has taught writing at the college level as well as at a women's prison (where she was NOT an inmate). She also writes a blog on writing technique which appears on her website, MollyCochran.com. She is also on Facebook at facebook.com/molly.cochran1 and Twitter at Twitter.com/mollycochranYA.
She lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guest Blog by Molly Cochran
MEAN GIRLS USUALLY WIN…
(Except Sometimes)
You know them. They walk in front of the crowd, and others follow. If they wear yellow, the next day the halls look like a convention of canaries. They’re considered beautiful, even if they’re not. And they always run the show, whatever that particular show is about.
They are the leaders. The prime movers. The Mean Girls.
From time immemorial, they’ve been thorns in the sides of the rest of us, bullying, intimidating, and tantalizing ordinary mortals with the promise of acceptance into their inner circles.
For most of us, the best we can hope for is that the chief Mean Girl ignores us—because once she targets us, we’re dead meat. Suddenly we can’t do anything right, we always sound stupid, and our clothes belong in the Goodwill bin. But if she likes us… Ah, then the very doors to Paradise swing open.
For a while.
Until Mean Girl gets what she wants.
And then…
POISON, a YA paranormal centering around a boarding school located in a town with the largest percentage of witches in the United States, is about someone who gets used by a Mean Girl. It doesn’t matter that the “someone” is a witch with nuclear-strength powers. Or that the Mean Girl has connections going back 1600 years, to the court of Camelot and the wizard Merlin himself. Or that what hangs in the balance is the destruction of an entire plane of existence.
What happens is something that goes on, in varying degrees, in schools all over the world, in every generation: The Mean Girl gets her way, and everyone else has to pay the price for her selfishness until someone—that someone, the one who went along until it was almost too late—says no, and takes on all the consequences herself.
In POISON, those consequences amount to life and death. In real life, it usually only feels that way, but they can reverberate forever.
The point is, sometimes being accepted comes with too high a price. And even the most timid among us sometimes has to stand alone in order to save whatever is important to us—the people we love, our values, and our pride in ourselves.
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Thank you Molly! And now, check out Molly Cochran's books, Legacy and Poison!
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Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels Blog Tour
Giveaway & Interview!
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TBP: Tell us a little bit about yourself.HB: I write books for kids and teens from picture books like I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN (Candlewick) to my REAL MERMAIDS series (Sourcebooks) for tweens.
I grew up in a really large family on a small island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean where we had sleepovers on lobster boats, hiked to secret beaches, and got chased by wild cows through forest paths. Many of my books are inspired by the fun times I had growing up with my seven siblings and many cousins and friends. I’m a compulsive walker and train for half marathons and also love dark chocolate, bacon, and lemon Perrier water (in that order).TBP: What inspired the creation of your Real Mermaids series? HB: Water has always been a huge part of my life. My dad is a lobster fisherman and he used to take us on boat trips from our little island off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to the mainland where we’d sail through a canal and a boat lock to get to a fresh-water lake. I was always amazed by the purple jellyfish I saw on the ocean side, compared to the white jellyfish on the lake side of the boat lock. I often wondered; did the purple jellyfish know about the white ones and vice versa? And what other mysteries existed in those watery depths? That was the inspiration for my mer-world in the Real Mermaids series.TBP: Your "About Me" section on your website says you grew up on an island in the Atlantic. What is it like for you not living by the water now and do you ever consider moving to some where nearer the ocean? HB: I miss the ocean so much. I love my new town and my wonderful friends but my dream is to someday have a seaside cottage to call my own so I can spend part of my time there. Thankfully, I’m able to visit my childhood village for a few weeks every summer with my family. I look forward to it all winter!TBP: If you could morph into any sea creature, which would it be and why? HB: An anemone, mostly because I love the way the word sounds. TBP: Describe your ideal type of day in regards to weather, temp, location, etc. HB: I’m a spring and fall person because I hate the cold or the sweltering heat. ‘Sweater Weather’ probably describes my ideal temperature best and of course, I’d have to pick an oceanside location for my ‘ideal day’. I’d start off with an hour-long hike near the water, then return to a cozy seaside cottage (notice a theme?) get myself a hot drink and snuggle on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and a good book. Can I also have a crackling fire in the fireplace, please?TBP: What was one of your favorite books growing up? HB: I’m from a family of ten so books were kind of community property in our house. I remember, though, that my godfather sent me my very own hardcover Trixie Belden for Christmas one year. I cherished that book because it was mine. All mine! TBP: Anything else you'd like to add before you go?HB: You can connect with me @: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you'd like to see where I did a previous interview with Helene, you can go HERE. You can also check out my review of the first book, Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings, in the trilogy HERE. And now, if you have already read the first two, here is your chance to win the final book in the trilogy.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can also buy them:
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Forty DaysStephanie ParentSelf-PubbedFebruary 12th, 2013Neima's Ark, #1Young Adult
Synopsis The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…
…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?
With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.
FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.
Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
Mouths are moving, people must be screaming, the trembling goats beside me must be squealing, but the only sounds left in the world are the crash of water and wind and the boom of thunder. I urge the goats forward, but as soon as they find their footing they slip again, and I do as well. It takes all my attention just to make some slow progress toward the ark, dragging the goats behind me, and I have to narrow my eyes against the increasingly sharp barbs of the raindrops. So I don’t even try to see what’s going on with my father and Noah, Munzir and the ruined fire. And I don’t see the shape approaching me as I stumble onward, till I’m only a few steps from the ark’s open doors—
—and a cold, wet hand grabs my arm.
It’s Jorin, his eyes wide and his lips moving furiously, though I can’t make out a single word. I try to pull away from him and he just comes closer, his mouth moving even faster; every minute facet of his expression beseeches me to listen, to understand. I’m doing my best to hold on to my anger against him, but it’s slipping away, a mere gust of hot air that means nothing as the world breaks into pieces around us. And then I no longer care what he’s saying; I only want to tell him: Go back, now, while you can still cross the river. I hope your home is strong. Stay safe.
Author Bio:Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.stephanieparent.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449665.Stephanie_Parent
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookCrazySteph
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Thanks to Stephanie, I have one ebook copy of Forty Days up for grabs!
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OR
You can buy a copy NOW!
Amazon
Blaze (ARC)
Laurie Boyle Crompton
Sourcebooks Fire
February 1st, 2013
14+ (YA)
For review from publisher / netgalley. Synopsis via GoodreadsBlaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now...ReviewWhen I accepted Blaze for review, I got the feeling that it was going to be one of those books that I'd either really like or really dislike. When accepting books for review, I try to stick to ones that I'm confident I'll enjoy, but I took a chance with this one. Suffice it to say, it was worth it!
First, I want to talk about Blaze. My initial impression of her was that she was fun, a bit quirky, and painfully naive/impressionable. She did not come off at all like a 17-year-old, but instead, more like she was only 15. I would see her about to get herself into a stupid situation and it was like watching a horror movie when you are screaming at the dumb bimbo not to go upstairs, but she can't hear you and does it anyway. She was also too forgiving when it came to her crappy friends, especially Amanda, whom I'd have completely disowned, pronto, after what she did to Blaze. However, no matter how much she frustrated me at times, I really loved her character and found myself constantly cheering for her. She was a flawed, yet refreshing, new voice in the world of YA heroines. She starts out fairly weak but, in the face of the sext photo backlash, really starts to grow up and out as a character. She was very genuine, unique, and had me riding shotgun next to her whilst on her emotional journey. One of my favorite characters was Josh, Blaze's little brother. Their relationship was by far the best in the book and it was so sweet! He could be a typical bratty 13-year-old, but he was also protective of his sister and I could tell how much he cared about her. The addition of Josh's various friends to the story was something that I loved and thought helped set this book apart from others out there. "Mark the Shark" was a total player and, quite frankly, a dick. His only redeeming quality was that he had the good graces to be ashamed of what he did and the consequences that followed. Then we have Quentin, and oh how I wish there had been more of him. I liked that there was a small amount of history between him and Blaze from when they were younger. Blaze + Quentin = a match made in comic book heaven! If only she hadn't spent so dang much time thinking about Mark. >_>
Blaze spends her free time being absorbed in reading and creating comic books and chauffeuring around a gang of soccer 'cretins', aka her brother, Josh, and his friends. Automatically this was something different and new for me. Both of these elements were part of what secured my growing fondness for this book. While I'm not all that knowledgeable on all things comic-book related, I loved the references and how the author managed to seamlessly incorporate them all throughout the book. (I have read Sin City so I appreciated that reference!) The family dynamics between Blaze and Josh, their mother, and their absentee father were very keenly wrought and helped to add even more dimension to the story. Then of course we have the issue of the "sext" photo and severe bullying. This is something that happens quite a bit throughout schools and towns all across the world and the aftermath is never pretty. It is a serious issue and Crompton managed to shine light on it in a very effective way. Despite her previous naivety, in the end, Blaze handled things very well and managed to stay fairly strong--*insert a mini breakdown here and there*-- throughout the ordeal. There was definitely a sense of hope laced all throughout this story, and I think that is very important. Sometimes it is hard to see past the current mess and seeming hopelessness of a situation. Furthermore, Crompton showed that while it can and will be very hard, things can get better. Her handling of the actual sexual content was something I also thought she did well in making sure it was necessary to the plot and, while a bit detailed, no more explicit than required.
Crompton's writing style was crisp and honest, knowing when to be deep and serious and when to lighten things up with some well-placed humor. She was able to make me wholly dedicated to the story she was telling, and I was able to immerse myself in Blaze's emotion. The writing flowed in a swift and consistent manner that kept me wanting to turn the pages.
The ending was nothing short of perfect. Actually, I'd say that about the whole last part. We get introduced to a few new characters, Butterfly and Maniac, a hip truck-driving couple. Blaze's dad makes his first actual appearance. The way the conflict was resolved between Blaze and her dad was pure epicness. Honestly, if I had rated this book based purely on the last 1/3 or so of the book, it would have been five stars all the way.
In Essence
Characters: Annoyingly naive heroine but lovable and shows significant character growth. Refreshing array of supporting characters.Writing: Very polished and genuine writing style. Plot: Both hilarious and emotionally wrought. An original take on the "sext" photo story line. Ending: Perfect!Enjoyment/Likability: The more I read, the more I liked it! Really enjoyed. Recommendable: Great for YA contemp fans!
Overall: With its unique comic book twist, Blaze was a harmonious balance of humor and depth. The story was good to begin with, but as it continued, it grew into something just shy of amazing. A terrific YA contemporary debut from an author showing a ton of promise.
Cover: Simple but cool! Lovin' the pink hair!
Buy Blaze
Amazon / B&N / Kindle / Nook
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Here is your chance to win a copy of this great book, thanks to Sourcebooks!
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Wild Awake
By Hilary T. Smith
Katherine Tegen Books
May 28th, 2013
Young Adult
Synopsis via Goodreads
Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:
1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.
Things that actually happen:
1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.
Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.
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I like lists, so the synopsis of this book immediately stood out to me when I saw it. And it sounds amazing! This book appears to have tons of potential to be outstanding and I hope it lives up. Can't wait to read this one. What do you think?
Today I have for you all an interview with Mercy Amare, indie author of the new YA/New Adult book, You Got Me! This was a very fun interview to conduct and I hope you all enjoy it. :D
TBP: Describe You Got Me in nine words or less.
TBP: If you could bring back any no-longer-with-us character on the TV show The Vampire Diaries, who would it be? (If you are not caught up on the show, this can prove spoiler-ish so to read the answer, highlight the gap with your mouse with precaution.)
