Triple Moon by Melissa de la Cruz Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Title: Triple Moon

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Series: Summer on East End #1

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 10, 2015

Source: Publisher

I was so excited when I saw that this book was coming out.  I have read most of the Witches of East End series and have really enjoyed them, so I was very excited that a "teen" version continuation of this world was going to exist.  Though, I was also a little worried too.  I wanted the feel of this one to match that of the others.  I went in with high hopes, and when that happens it is so easily to be disappointed.  Thankfully, that wasn't what happened.

Triple Moon is the story about sisters, twins to be exact: Molly and Mardi.  The twins are no ordinary girls.  In fact, they are both goddesses.  Their father is Thor, the Norse God of lightning.  Molly is the polished, sophisticated one.  She loves clothes and dressing up in expensive pretty things.  Mardi prefers torn jeans, has tattoos, and a tongue piercing.  The two can't be more different from each other and it shows in their interactions.  They can barely manage to get along for longer than a couple minutes at a time.

The two girls love to use their magic to pull pranks on those in the world that are normal.  They can't help themselves.  From messing with the color of someones hair to making people physically ill, they find it hilarious and fun.  Needless to say, they are a bit spoiled and don't really understand that their actions have consequences that go beyond them.

In this story, the girls are sent off to East End to spend the summer baby sitting for their fathers friend Ingrid.  This is meant to be punishment.  They had a wild time at a party where two mortals ended up dead and all signs are pointing to them.  While the twins deny any involvement, there is a small problem.  Almost the entire night is blacked out and they can't remember what happened no matter how hard they try.  So for the duration of the summer they are sentenced to spend it in quiet East End babysitting, working, and trying to figure out what exactly happened that fateful night.

So...I totally ended up devouring this book.  I just couldn't get myself to put it down unless I absolutely had to.  It.was.that.good.  I was not disappointed at all.  I got to see my favorite characters from the Witches of East End series (Ingrid was my favorite and we get a lot of Ingrid!).  We get to meet more characters.  And we get to learn more about this fantastic world.

From very quick research, it appears that Melissa de la Cruz took some liberties with Norse mythology, but that should only bother huge mythology buffs.  She changed a couple of genders here and there etc.  So just be warned that if you know your mythology you may find yourself a little irked with the freedoms that were taken, but please don't let that ruin the story for you.

There is also a bit of romance.  It can get a little intense at times, but it never really crosses the line where it becomes totally inappropriate for teen to read.  It does get a little steamy, but it is actually just a bunch of making out.

I really enjoyed visiting the old characters.  Quite a few make an appearance, but most notable are Ingrid and Freya.  They are background characters, so don't expect too much from them if you are already a fan of them from the previous books.  But you do get to see them, so yay!

Also, this book takes place approximately 10 years after the last book in The Witches of East End series.  It does actually refer back to things that have happened in those books.  Nothing too big, but there are some spoilers for those if you start out with this one.  I personally enjoyed reading it, but I did get some spoilers myself since I haven't read the last book of the other series yet.  I think I will be okay though.

I have to say that I loved this book.  It let me go back to East End and see the magic that is that special place in the world.  The world felt true to itself and didn't disappoint me at all.

My Rating

5 Stars!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

This review is based on an uncorrected ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway This giveaway is for the US only.  Must be 13+ to enter.  Must respond within 48 hours of being notified of winning or a new winner will be chosen.  Reading is Better With Cupcakes is not responsible for any lost/stolen/damaged items.

Check out the rest of the tour!

Gone With the Words – guest post - 11/2

Two Chicks on Books – Mel’s book playlist - 11/3

A Dream Within a Dream – review & giveaway - 11/4

The Forest of Words and Pages - Which Witch Would You Pick? - 11/5

In Wonderland – guest post - 11/6

Curling Up with a Good Book – interview - 11/7

Jessabella Reads – 10 Random Things About Me – 11/9

Once Upon a Twilight – Story in GIFs! - 11/10

Reading is Better with Cupcakes – review & giveaway - 11/11

The Book’s Buzz – guest post - 11/12

Addicted Readers – Character profiles - 11/13

Super Middle Grade Mondays Blitz: Author Spotlight – Krystalyn Drown with Giveaway #SuperMGMondays

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays Book Blitz presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

Today, we get up close and personal with

Krystalyn Drown

author of Tracy Tam: Santa Command from Tantrum Books.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Krystalyn spent thirteen years working at Walt Disney World in a variety of roles: entertainer, talent coordinator, and character captain. Her degree in theatre as well as many, many hours spent in a dance studio, helped with her job there. Her various other day jobs have included working in zoology at Sea World, as an elementary teacher, and currently as a support technician for a website. In the evenings, she does mad writing challenges with her sister, who is also an author. Krystalyn lives near Orlando, Florida with her husband, son, a were cat, and a Yorkie with a Napoleon complex.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

 

Describe yourself in three words.

Quiet. Determined. Quirky.

 

Describe your book in three words.

Scientific. Magical. Santa-riffic

 

Tell us about your day job.

I’m a substitute teacher. I used to be an elementary teacher, but I love how subbing gives me more time to spend with my family and to write.

 

Which writers inspire you?

Judy Blume because she understood what it was like to be a preteen, Richard Peck because of Bel Air Bambi and the Mall Rats as well as all of his historical novels, JK Rowling because Harry Potter.

 

What is your writing process like?

I know the beginning, a few main points in the middle, and the end. Then I sit down and write. I send one of my critique partners (Dianne K. Salerni) my chapters one by one for feedback. Once I have a rough draft, then I write an outline and revise from there.

 

What are you reading right now?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Again.

 

Do you have an author crush?

Maggie Stiefvater. The way she writes her characters leaves me in awe.

 

Quick questions:

Physical books or eBooks? Physical books

Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi

Twitter or Facebook? Facebook

Song you can’t get out of your head right now? Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

Sweet or salty? Sweet

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Write on computer or notebook paper? Computer

 

Tracy doesn’t believe that Santa can deliver all of those presents in one night with out a little help from science. A flying sleigh can only be powered by jet engines, and Santa’s magical abilities can only be the result of altered DNA. In order to test her theories, she sneaks onto Santa’s sleigh and ends up at Santa Command, the place where a team of humans monitors Santa’s big night. When Tracy attempts to hack into their computers, she accidentally introduces a virus to their system. As a result, three states get knocked out of sync with the rest of the world. Before the night is over, Tracy has to fix time and help Santa finish his deliveries. And she has to do it all with Santa’s magic, which she doesn’t believe exists.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound | iBooks | Google Bound | BAM

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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Design the Life You Love by Ayse Birsel

Title: Design the Life You Love: A Step by Step Guide to Building a Meaningful Future

Author: Ayse Birsel

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Teen Speed Press

Publication Date: October 13, 2015

Source: Blogging for Books

I have to admit, when I first got this book I was a little disappointed.  For whatever reason I thought it was going to be different than what it actually is.  I thought that it would be a bit more on the artsy/craftsy side of things to help me figure out how to build a meaningful future.  And while it is this to a certain extent, I had wanted it to be more so.

However, once I got to looking at it closer, I do really like the concept of the book.  The purpose of Design the Life You Love is to help you, the reader, look at your life and the things in your life differently.  To have a more proactive approach to it.  This book is more like a workbook than anything else.

Design the Life You Love is set up into differing sections: an introduction, warm up, deconstruction, point of view, reconstruction, expression, living the life, and the end is only the beginning.  Each section works to guide you to the over all goal of the book - changing the way you think about your life.  There are activities, sayings, and things to think about in each section.  It is really quite cool.

I really like also that Design the Life You Love repeatedly tells you to use a sketchbook to continue on with certain activities once you run out of space in the book itself.  It also has templates for you to follow for later.  This really lends to letting you use this book over and over again.  I think that is absolutely fantastic.

So while Design the Life You Love didn't end up being what I thought it was going to be, it is still a really great and useful book.  If you are looking to find something to help you get a new outlook on your life and to help get you thinking proactively, you should really check it out.

My Rating

3 stars

This review is based on a copy provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

What We Left Behind by Robin Talley Blog Tour!

Title: What We Left Behind

Author: Robin Talley

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: October 27, 2015

Source: The Irish Banana Tours

Diversity in books.  This is something I never really thought about until I became a book blogger.  I just read whatever looked pretty.  Then I read my first LBGQTIA not very long ago (review for it is HERE).  However, it didn't really click with me that it was my first.

I have never tried to not read books that are classified as LBGQTIA in genre, I just some how have never really read them.  It was all purely accidental.

Thankfully, I was able to participate in this blog tour hosted by The Irish Banana for What We Left Behind by Robin Talley.  I am going to be perfectly honest here.  I had no idea what this book was about when I signed up for the tour.  I signed up because the cover is pretty (just look at it!).

I am glad that this cover pulled me in.  I am glad that I got to read this book.  It has helped to broaden my reading horizons and for that I am extremely thankful.

What We Left Behind is a book about love, friendship, and most importantly self discovery.  Our main characters are Toni and Gretchen.  They are two humans in love ready to go off to college.  They are supposed to be going to different colleges but in the same city, Boston.  However, the day before they are both supposed to leave Gretchen drops a big bomb on Toni.  Gretchen tells Toni that she will not be following "their" plan and that she will actually be going to NYU instead.  They decide to not break up and deal with a long distance relationship.  They have been together for 2 years and they love each other more than anything.  Now they have to discover who they are as individuals and not as a couple.

This next bit may be a bit spoilerish - but I really need to express my thoughts on this - so just warning you.  It really probably isn't, but just in case.

This book has made me think a lot and it has taught me a lot.  Before reading this one, I never once really gave a though to the use of gender pronouns.  I knew that I would always use whatever gender pronoun someone asked me to use for them, out of respect, but I never thought much further beyond that.  I never thought or realized how hard it can be for someone to decide what gender pronoun is the best for them to use for themselves.

This goes the same for what sexuality category you fall under.  I never gave much thought on how hard it can be for someone to come up.  I just never realized.

And that is just it, until I read this book - I JUST NEVER REALIZED.  So thank you, Robin Talley, for writing about it.

By the way, I don't think a reader can avoid thinking and contemplating these very thoughts when they read this book.  These two parts are very much a large part of this story.

Ok - the spoilerish part is over.

I could get into the characters and my thoughts on them, but that would give away some key parts of the story.  I will say this though.  I liked one of the main characters more than the other.  I also liked quite a few of the side characters - especially the ones that would speak their minds and tell the main characters whats what - because I couldn't yell at them or tell them myself.  

Overall, I felt that the story was a good one, but it was pretty heavy certain topics - gender pronoun use, gender identity, and chest binding to name a couple.  There were also some words that I had to go look up to ensure I was understanding what they meant correctly.  Not that that is a bad thing, but I would have liked some of them to have been explained a little bit better.

But all that being said, I find myself having a some what better understanding of all of these topics now.  I think this is one that people should read to help them find a stronger understanding and/or to see that there are others out there with the same questions that they have.  The lessons really make it worth the read.

My Rating

3.5 stars

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | The Book Depository

This review is based on an ARC provided by The Irish Banana Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the rest of the tour!!

Week 1:

Oct. 26: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A

Oct. 27: Addicted 2 Novels - Review

Oct. 28: One Way Or An Author - Fan Art

Oct. 29: Emily Reads Everything - Review

Oct. 30: Reading Is My Treasure: Top 10

Week 2:

Nov. 2: The Cover Contessa - Guest Post

Nov. 3: Good Books & Good Wine - Review

Nov. 4: A Book & A Latte - How I Write

Nov. 5: Kelly Vision - Review

Nov. 6: Reading Is Better With Cupcakes - Review

The Conjurer's Riddle by Andrea Cremer Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Title: The Conjurer's Riddle

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: The Inventor's Secret #2

Publisher: Philomel Books

Publication Date: November 3, 2015

Source: Publisher

So last week I posted my review for the first book in this series, The Inventor's Secret.  Hopefully you didn't miss it, but if you did you can find my review of it HERE.  Just to quickly remind you, I enjoyed it quite a bit.  So, needless to say, I was really excited about reading second book, The Conjurer's Riddle.

I will do my best to avoid spoilers for either of the books in this review.  However, since this is the second book, there may be a couple unavoidable and unintentional spoilers for book 1.  So please consider yourself warned and to proceed reading this review at your own risk if you haven't read The Inventor's Secret yet.  However, if you decide to not read my entire review, please don't go before you visit the end of this post.  Penguin Teen has happily allowed me to host a giveaway for a paperback copy of The Inventor's Secret AND a hardcover copy of The Conjurer's Riddle.  You want to enter.  Trust me.  So make sure you go and enter!

The Conjurer's Riddle starts off right where The Inventor's Secret left off.  So you are thrown right back into the world with the characters you grew to love rather quickly.  The biggest difference in this story though is that Charlotte is in charge of the group.  Both Ash and Jack are in New Orleans with the rest of the resistance and she has been unofficially nominated the leader.  She was at least kind of expecting it, as Ash had suggested it to her, but it is still a difficult transition for her.

So in the beginning, Charlotte's main goal is to get the littlest children from the Catacombs to a safe haven and then to get the rest of the group to New Orleans - to where the rest of the resistance is stationed.

A lot happens on the way and after they get there.  This book is not short of any action.  A lot of it, again, revolves around Grave.  The poor guy.  Everyone wants him, but only Charlotte wants what is best for him.  She has to keep him safe at all costs, but she's not quite sure how to do that or who she can trust to help her.

I really enjoyed watching Charlotte grow a bit in The Conjurer's Riddle.  While she was already a strong willed individual that could think for herself, she had to come to that even more so.  She also had to figure out how to be a leader even though she was afraid. 

Andrea Cremer has written this series quite well.  Like Charlotte, I am still not quite sure who I am supposed to trust.  It is hard to tell who is lying to whom.  Are they lying to Charlotte? To themselves? To others?  Who is telling Charlotte the truth?

This series has really reminded me how much I enjoy the steampunk genre.  Then in this particular book I was shown just how awesome steampunk with the addition of pirates is.  Now I just want to devour more of that concept!

This is a fantastic series and I am looking forward to the next one.  Do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this one.

This review is based on an ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Don't Forget to Enter the Giveaway

Thanks to the awesome powers that be at Penguin Teen I am able to offer you the ability to enter for the chance to win both a paper back copy of The Inventor's Secret and a hardcover copy of             The Conjurer's Riddle.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is for the US only.  Must be 13+ to enter.  Must respond within 48 hours of being notified of winning or a new winner will be chosen.  Reading is Better With Cupcakes is not responsible for any lost/stolen/damaged items.

Check out the rest of the tour!!

Two Chicks on Books – guest post - 11/2

Reading is Better with Cupcakes – review & giveaway - 11/3

Jessabella Reads – 10 Random Things - 11/4

A Dream Within a Dream – interview - 11/5

Butter My Books – excerpt - 11/6

YA Books Central – review - 11/9

Please Feed the Bookworm – book soundtrack & review - 11/10

The Young Folks – Would You Rather? - 11/11

The Forest of Words and Pages – interview - 11/12

Seeing Double in Neverland – review & giveaway - 11/13

Read This! Round Up (#57)

Photo courtesy of KissinBlueKaren

Welcome to Read This, a collection of book reviews and giveaways that were posted in the past week or so from around the web. This is a collection of book reviews & contests from real reviewers. If you want to be included in the next edition start with the guidelines, then use the submission form.
Want to read more reviews? Check out Read This for a list of the latest reviews and stellar reviewers. You can also follow on twitter for the latest round ups. Read This is now accepting photo submissions for each edition.

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CONTESTS

• The Twisting by Laurel Wanrow (11/2)
• The Beat on Ruby’s Street by Jenna Zark (11/5)
• The Phoenix Year by David Blond (11/12)
• $30 Gift Card and Swag (11/25)

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YOUNG ADULT

• The Libby Garrett Intervention by Kelly Oram ~Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi ~Sofia @Platypire Reviews

-HISTORICAL

• Queen of Always by Sherry Ficklin ~Sara @Platypire Reviews

-HUMOR

• Maggie and the Mercury Retrograde by Anya Monroe ~J. Hooligan @Platypire Reviews

-HORROR

• Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski ~Reading is Better With Cupcakes

-PARANORMAL

• The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle ~KissinBlueKaren
• Fated by Peggy Martinez ~Maribel @Platypire Reviews
• Unbound by Peggy Martinez ~Keagan Rae @Platypire Reviews
• Life and Death by Stephanie Meyer ~J. Hooligan @Platypire Reviews
• Life and Death by Stephanie Meyer ~Keagan Rae @Platypire Reviews

-SCIENCE FICTION

• Return Once More by Trisha Leigh ~KissinBlueKaren
• Hourglass by Pauline C. Harris ~Caroline Andrus

-STEAMPUNK

• The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer ~Reading is Better With Cupcakes

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ROMANCE

• Wait for Me by Sarah Mayberry ~Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Pieces by Janine Infante Bosco ~Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers
• Bright Side by Kim Holden ~Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

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EROTICA

• Pyromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts #1) by Charmaine Pauls ~Caroline Andrus

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SCIENCE FICTION

• Armada by Ernest Cline ~Sofia @Platypire Reviews

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PARANORMAL

• Happily Evan After by Michelle Irwin ~Sofia @Platypire Reviews

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THRILLER

• The One You Feed by James Drummond ~Bob @Platypire Reviews
• The Mistaken by Nancy S. Thompson ~PaperVida @Platypire Reviews

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Super Middle Grade Mondays Blitz: Author Spotlight – Charles Curtis with Giveaway #SuperMGMondays

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays Book Blitz presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

Today, we get up close and personal with

Charles Curtis

author of Strange Country Day from Tantrum Books.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Charles Curtis is a writer and journalist based in New York City. He has reported and written for publications including NJ.com (where he is currently the site’s sports buzz reporter), The Daily, ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, Bleacher Report, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Charles has covered the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, golf, tennis and NASCAR. He has also written about television, film and pop culture. 

In addition, Curtis has also written, produced and was featured in videos for ESPN.com and The Daily. He has made radio appearances on stations including 92.9 The Ticket in Bangor, Maine, WLIE 540 AM in Long Island and on morning shows across Canada via the CBC. He can be reached on Twitter: @charlescurtis82.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

As a young 8th grade writer who published his first story in my school’s literary magazine, I was always encouraged to write what I know.

So when I sat down to write STRANGE COUNTRY DAY, I immediately knew my protagonist, Alexander Graham Ptuiac, would be a tall, skinny sports-loving new kid just starting middle school and trying to fit in. That’s because, at the age of 12, I was a tall, skinny sports-loving new kid just starting middle school and trying to fit in.

Alex’s first day of school starts out with a bang: During 7th grade orientation, he’s pulled into a room with his classmates for a ritual known as “Fresh Meet Friday.” When the event turns into a riot involving the older 9th graders, Alex discovers he has previously unknown superhero-like powers that propel him to punch the ringleader in the nose.

Unfortunately, my first day of middle school wasn’t nearly as mind-blowing as Alex’s, but I did draw a little bit from experience. I attended a private school where I was one of many new kids faced with making friends with a whole new group of students, many of whom already knew each other. Luckily, there were no hazing rituals I was forced to participate in (unluckily, I didn’t have comic book-like powers, either), but in STRANGE COUNTRY DAY, I tried to capture that same nervousness I felt about walking into a –well – strange environment, trying to fit in and attempting to adjust to an increased workload and new schedule.

In the past few years, I’ve often joked about how my interests in those days – I visited a comic book shop once a week to pick up my stack and played the card game Magic: The Gathering every day at lunch – are suddenly trendy now and lamented about how I would have been much happier if I’d been a middle schooler in 2015. But I realize now just how influential both were on my creativity and imagination.

The other huge influence? Sports, of course. I spent countless nights in front of the television (I promise, Mom and Dad, it was after my homework was done…most of the time) or at one of the many New York stadiums/arenas, taking in any and all Mets, Giants, Knicks or Rangers games I could watch. I always wish I could go back in time and tell my middle school self that one day I’d find myself in the press box at those very same arenas and stadiums. Middle School Charles would be blown away.

The one thing that truly separates me from Alex? With the help of those aforementioned powers, he ends up joining his school’s football team as a quarterback. Despite my love for the game of football, I didn’t have half the athleticism to even begin to think about playing on the gridiron.

But hey, adults – especially authors – are allowed to reimagine their pasts too, right?

 

Alexander Graham Ptuiac, the son of an inventor, wants to play for the school’s football team. During tryouts, and under the watchful eye of the team’s coach, he suddenly manifests mysterious superhuman powers. Alexander makes the team, but not before the some ill-intended adults take notice, putting his life in danger. 

Alex struggles to suppress and control his strange new abilities, worried about exposing his secret and being kicked off the football team. Then he befriends Dex, a diminutive classmate who can somehow jump as high as ten feet in the air. Seems Alex isn’t the only one at school with a secret. 

As the school year unfolds, Alex will find himself the target of bullies, holding hands with his first crush and discovering the shocking truth about himself and his parents.

Amazon | B&N | BAM | Chapters | Kobo | TBD | iBooks | Google Play | IndieBound

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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