NaNoWriMo

It's over.

I actually finished a sucky first draft of something.

Damn.

How did you guys do?

2011 Debut Authors Challenge

The 2011 Debut Authors Challenge is hosted by the fantabulous Kristi of The Story Siren. Click here to check it out.

I actually completed the 2010 challenge (though, for monetary sake, I had to switch some of the books I wanted to read around) and I'm hoping I'll be able to complete this year, too, especially as there are SO MANY EPIC BOOKS coming out.

There are TWO LISTS here. One is my challenge wishlist, which has books I WANT to read and when they'll come out. The other is my actual challenge LIST of books I've completed, which will be updated as 2011 goes on. The ones on my wishlist all depend on my monies and what I get for review...

Who else is doing this challenge?

Challenge Wishlist:
Warped by Maurissa Guibord (1/1/11)
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (1/4/11)
XVI by Julia Carr (1/6/11)
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney (2/8/11)
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton (2/15/11)
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford (2/22/11)
Clarity by Kim Harrington (3/1/11)
Wither by Lauren DeStefano (3/22/11)
Entwined by Heather Dixon (3/29/11)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (5/3/11)
Possession by Elana Johnson (6/?/11)
Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray (7/5/11)

This wishlist'll probably keep growing...


Challenge List:
01. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Mouton [own, read]
02. Wither by Lauren DeStefano [own, read]
03. The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal [own, read]
04. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs [own, read]
05. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton [own, read]
06. Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney [own, read]
07. Hourglass by Myra McEntire [own, read]
08. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter [own, read]
09. Enclave by Ann Aguirre [own, read]
10. Across the Universe by Beth Review [own, unread]
11. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray [own, read]
12. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep [own, read]

Guest Review: The Wizard Heir

The Wizard Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Series: The Heir Chronicles (#2)
Publisher: Hyperion
How Received: bought

Sixteen-year-old Seph McCauley has spent the past three years getting kicked out of one exclusive private school after another. And it's not his attitude that's the problem. It's the trail of magical accidents--lately, disasters--that follow in his wake. Seph is a wizard, orphaned and untrained--and his powers are escalating out of control.

After causing a tragic fire at an after-hours party, Seph is sent to the Havens, a secluded boys' school on the coast of Maine. At first, it seems like the answer to his prayers. Gregory Leicester, the headmaster, promises to train Seph in magic and initiate him into his mysterious order of wizards. But Seph's enthusiasm dampens when he learns that training comes at a steep cost, and that Leicester plans to use his students' powers to serve his own dangerous agenda.

In this companion novel to the exciting fantasy The Warrior Heir, everyone's got a secret to keep: Jason Haley, a fellow student who's been warned to keep away from Seph; the enchanter Linda Downey, who knew his parents; the rogue wizard Leander Hastings, and the warriors Jack Swift and Ellen Stephenson. This wizard war is one that Seph may not have the strength to survive.

When people think of 'sequels', we think of a continuation of the book previous with the same characters and a certain amount of time passed. However, that isn't so in The Wizard Heir.

The Wizard Heir takes place a month or so after The Warrior Heir, and it follows a young wizard by the name of Joseph (aka Seph) McCauley. He's an orphan who's got some good looks, hits it off with girls, and tends to bring trouble wherever he goes.

After a nasty accident in Canada, he's shipped off to a 'special' all-boy school in Maine, called the Havens. It's run by a man (and wizard) named Gregory Leicester. He has a set of kids called Alumni, and the rest of the students are just...well, students. Seph starts out at a menial level of interest for the Alumni and Leicester, and then later becomes their main focal point.

During Seph's hard times, we're introduced to a new wizard, Jason. He's powerful. He's smart. And he's ambitious. He's almost like Seph's saving grace.

Together, they work to get free from the prison that is the Havens until one dies...or so we think.

Doesn't that sound like a good plot? There is a lot more to it, but given the basics of it, I loved it.I mean, who doesn't LOVE a good plot? If you don't, then you wouldn't like this book. Because it's plot is large with a fantastic cast of characters, like Seph. Seph is AWESOME. I like seeing the world as his shadow. He provides a fresh insight into Chima's world.

What did I disliked about it?

Jack and Ellen weren't portrayed the same as they were in the previous book. They were COMPLETELY different from the way they were in The Warrior Heir. It might be because that's what Seph thinks/sees of them, but I didn't care for it. Plus, this book has WAY too many typos, grammatical errors, and missing words for a finished, published book. I thought I was reading an ARC.

What I liked about it?

Seph was a strong main character, and easy to relate to. I liked him very much. The plot was good, not nearly as powerful as the first one I think, but still good. Aunt Linda, Nick, and Hastings were spot on from the previous story and I actually liked them both better. The ending to the book was very interesting, though parts were predictable. But I'm still astounded by the intricate finish on the story. I loved it.

Would I recommend this book? Oh yeah. But only if the person has read the first one. (This is the type of series you can jump in anywhere, but someone might not appreciate this book without reading the fantastic first book.) Chima pulled off another great story, and I can't wait to read the last installment, The Dragon's Heir.

Not That Kind Of Girl

Not That Kind Of Girl
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Series: ---
Publisher: Push
How Received: bought at signing

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.

But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

Siobhan Vivian is one of my favorite authors to actually talk to - she's just genuinely sweet and nice - and when I read her second novel Same Difference last year, I adored it. I was really excited to read Not That Kind Of Girl.

Siobhan didn't let down. Not That Kind Of Girl is a fantastically written story that any high school girl now is going to find a way to connect to. Siobhan has managed to capture high school perfectly: the pressure the girls and guys are under, what happens when a name gets stuck with you, the ups and downs of friendships, the chaos that can be student council. She even understands how a student can connect with a teacher and really look up to her.

I liked Natalie a lot. She reminded me a lot of me. I somehow doubt I would ever sneak out in the middle of the night to go make out with a boy - but then again, Natalie never thought she would, either.

By the way, Connor Hughes? VERY sexy. I can haz one?

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 9/10. A well crafted book that captures high school life pretty well - and a very smexy leading man.

Cover Comments: Oooooo. So steamy. And it captures the book really well, I think.

Birthday Bash: My Mom on... Me

A photo of little me, graciously supplied by Mumsie.


Happy 18th Birthday Sweetie!

I am Nicki’s mom and I’m honored that she asked me to guest blog on this, her most special day, her 18th birthday.

I’m often asked how I raised such a voracious reader, so I am here to share the story with you that’s never been told – until now (insert dramatic music here).

Nicki wasn’t always such a good reader (gasp! Egads!). She would read what she needed to for school, but nothing more than that. And I tried! I suggested books that started me on my reading road – A Wrinkle in Time, any book by author Judy Blume – but the interest wasn’t there. Her dad read all the time too. He loved science fiction, especially anything by author Anne McCaffrey.

In 1997, I wrote to Anne and asked if she could autograph a book for my husband for his Christmas present that year. As young parents, money was tight and I knew that this present would mean more to him than anything I could’ve bought. Anne was sick that year, but her daughter promised me something even greater – autographed book plates for every one of Anne’s books that he had. He treasured this gift.

When Nicki was only 6 years old, Jeff passed away from a short bout with cancer. He left behind his Anne McCaffrey books and I kept them stored because I hoped that one day someone would enjoy them as much as he did. When Nicki was about 8 and was looking for a book to read, I offered it to her, but it was too early. She liked the Animal Ark series, but still only read occasionally.

I tried again a few years later and Nicki was finally intrigued. She started with Dragonriders of Pern and never looked back. She loved it and read more. After that she read anything she could get her hands on. Today, she treasures those books just like my husband did and her love of reading was born. Now you know!

From there she started her blog as a way of sharing her love of books with others. And I’m so proud of what she’s accomplished here. This is her baby – she nutures it, works hard on it and protects it and she cares about you, her readers. I’m also asked if I helped her since I’m a professional writer and the answer is NO. I gave her the idea of a blog and she ran with it. What she’s accomplished is all her and shows what hard work can do.

Her blog isn’t the only thing I’m proud of. She’s an incredible person -- sweet, creative, unique, hard-working, passionate, funny, and so much more. She has big dreams and she’s already started to make them come true. It’s going to be fun watching what else she’ll accomplish. Nicki has a passion for life that people search a lifetime for.

Nicki was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1992, but today it’s me who’s thankful. I’m thankful that I was blessed with such an amazing person to call my daughter. Sweetie, I wish you a wonderful 18th birthday and a lifetime of the same happiness and love that you have given me. I am so proud of you and I know Daddy is looking down, so proud of the wonderful woman you are becoming. We love you.

Love,

Lisa Iannucci-Brinkley – ‘MOM’

I hope you guys enjoyed my birthday bash - or, at least, enjoyed learning a little bit about me. I loved my week off and shall continue to relax for the rest of the day. A big shout out to my guest bloggers, and check back tomorrow for the first review in - well, a while.

Birthday Bash: Liz on Role Models

Soooooo.... Hi there. Miss Nicki O'Blogger has asked me to do a post for you all in honor of her spiffy eighteenth birthday. Yes, that's right peeps.

Eighteenth. She's an ADULT now. That means you guys now can look to this awesome book-reading, future-famous-author, harry-potter-richard-armitage-dragon-steampunk-loving person as a ROLE MODEL. And you SHOULD. Why? You don't need reason. She is a reason. If all the years that WORD has been gracing the internet and the blog-o-sphere haven't proved to you that this person isn't worthy of that title, than you just FAIL. Sorry.

I have known this person for six years, but I have never met her. I have probably written more things to her, than I have written on all my school projects (which is a lot) combined. She is the only friend I've ever cried with, ever told my secrets too, and the only friend that I trust with all of that. She is a beautiful person on the outside, and more importantly, on the inside. I am proud to call her my friend, and thrilled that she calls me her friend. Okay, okay, you're probably thinking, 'awww, that's cool'. But what makes her that special? She knows how to have fun, she knows how to support. She is unique in her own style, and doesn't let anybody change her. (That's a really awesome respectable quality, you know. People tend to over look that.) She's also kind hearted, but passionate. She'll let you know what she loves, hates, and what she doesn't care about. You have to be the person to not be offended by that, as I have learned, because she means no harm by it. It's just who she is, and she doesn't change that for anybody. This person has also gone through many trials and tragedies, and she still comes out on top. All these qualities and more, I believe, make a wonderful role model.
This also includes books.

Remember that, person-who-is-reading-this, that your role model MUST. LOVE. BOOKS. I don't know any other friend of mine that loves books as much as her, and I personally don't understand anybody who wouldn't. But when Nicki becomes an author, and if I hear one person say that they hate books, I shall come down upon them like the wrath of God. Because, to say they hate books would be to say they hate the authors, and to say they hate authors, would be to say they hate Nicki. NOBODY hates her. Not without facing me.

Now, that brings me back to the title of Role Model. You guys should look upon her as one of the most awesome Role Models out there....because if you don't, you'll have to face me. And my Sporks. AND you will go through life missing out on this fantastic person.

So, Nicole Elise the First. I wish you a very, very, happy 18th birthday and I hope it's one to remember. I love you, Nicki, and so many people out here love you too. Don't ever forget that.



I think this is an appropriate post for Thanskgiving, as Liz just made me cry.

I'm thankful for my friends.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Waiting on Wednesday: Angelfire

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

Angelfire by Courtney Moulton

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Series: Angelfire (#1)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 15 2011

Um. AWESOME SOUNDING MUCH!?

Birthday Bash: Melina from Reading Vacation

Hey Nicole,

I hope you like the little video I made.

I know you like Harry Potter and with the new movie coming out I thought it was a good choice.

The camera angles and shots are set up exactly the same as in the movie.

I had some help from my dad with the editing.

Happy Birthday!

Melina

[insert video here]



[NOTE] This is, undoubtedly, the best birthday vlog to ever exist in this history of guest volgs ever. IT'S HARRY POTTER WITH STUFFED ANIMALS. HOW. EPIC. IS. THIS!?

Birthday Bash: Susan from Wastepaper Prose

It’s not often that you meet someone you instantly hit it off with and the two of you become fast friends. It’s even rarer that it happens before you’ve ever met the individual in person.

That’s how it happened with Nicole and I. I had no idea how old she was, where she was from or anything else about her for that matter, but from the first tweet I thought to myself, “I’m going to like this girl”. She must have had the same thought because we hit the ground running almost a year ago now and have never looked back.

Well soon enough my blogger baby sister will be all grown up. It’s less than a week away now and I’m not sure the world is ready for this little spitfire. Don’t get me wrong. I adore her, but we have our fair share of differences and good-hearted debate that goes with them. One of the big ones being, Team Ash or Team Puck. (Excuse me, but Puck who?)

It’s been sibling rivalry from the start. That’s how we wound up sort of adopting each other, and she became my creative, crazy, and sometimes annoying kid sister. She’s been blogging longer, but I’m still older!

Outside of being really big nerds who relate better to books than people on some days, we have a surprising lot in common. Yes, we’re both readers and writers, but we also have an almost obscene love of all things fantastical whether they are in books, movies, or anything else, and we need music to exist. Journalism is also a passion for both of us. She’s an up and comer, and I’m already in the biz.

We didn’t actually meet until BEA where we spent the vast majority of the time texting in an effort to find each other and never making contact. Sometimes we saw each other in the distance and waved across autographing lines. Eventually we did find one another and there was much excited bouncing and hugging. I was her photographer and she was nice enough to get me a signed copy of Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. (See? Sisters can be sweet… Sometimes.)

Since then we’ve only become better friends. Of course the heckling hasn’t stopped, but I did decide to take a break to celebrate her birthday. Enjoy it kid sister because it won’t last long.




HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY!

Birthday Bash: Erica from The Book Cellarx

Birthdays! One of the favorite times of the year for many people. They bring excitement to the ears of many people. I absolutely love them, whether it’ my own or other people’s. My own birthdays have involved some awesome times, like almost getting kicked out of a mall for trying to kiss a cut out of Johnny Depp at Jack Sparrow on the cheek, to going to a book store over an hour away with my best friend to buy Heidi R Kling’s Sea in a legit store.

I think the one with Sea was one of my favorites – book on birthdays make them even better. I love getting book. I wasn’t exactly sure what to talk about, so I thought mentioning my top 10 list of books to give for birthdays!

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins – Hitting stores December 2nd, this is an all fun read set in Paris. Perfect for anyone who wants a fun read, that will make you laugh all day and swoon at the dreamy boys and awwww at the romance in it.

2. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken – This is a great fantasy that most people would just love to get! It’s one of the best fantasies I have read in ages!

3. Sea by Heidi R Kling – A quite epic debut set in Indonesia with a perfect romance. I could never tire of this one.
4. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols – This is a beautiful story that I could read over and over. Anything by Jennifer Echols is absolutely brilliant and will make you fall in love with Jennifer Echols’ way with words.

5. Salvaged by Stefne Miller – This is another perfect story – I love it so so much.

6. Rise of Rengeade X by Chelsea Campbell – SUPER HEROS AND VILLAINS! I am so not a fan of them, but with this great read I fell in love with it.

7. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus – I started reading this book pretty late in the night – little to say, I finished only a little before I went to school – and got no sleep.

8. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa – FEY! Lots of them. And hot boys - also known as Ash ( I know it’s your birthday Nicole, but I cannot promote your love for Team Puck). This quest-ish read is so much fun to read.
9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner – This is an epic dystopian – about the best I have ever read. It has everything a good book needs.

10. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White – This is one of the most original paranormals I ever have read. Pair that with the fun main character, Evie, and you have a fab read.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE! I hope you have a super fantabulously fabulous day! Filled with LOTS of books.



Note from Nicole: TEAM PUCK FOR THE WIN.

It's my birthday week and I'll do what I want.

So my birthday is on November 26.

Awesome, right? (I was born on Thanksgiving. Turkey babies for the win!)

So for this next week, I'm taking off. The Waiting on Wednesday posts and Friday Fronts/Feature Friday: Bookcase posts have been set up for weeks. But as for the rest of the days?

Well, I have some friends stopping by.

Tomorrow, Erica from The Book Cellarx.
Monday, Susan from Wastepaper Prose.
Tuesday, Melina from Reading Vacation.
Thursday, my guest blogger Liz.
And Friday? Friday, my mother stops by.

Yes, my mother.

Because she's awesome.

So I'm going to go enjoy the week off, and I hope you enjoy the blog posts.

Feature Friday: Bookcases (17)

Who said storage had to be boring?




Curvaceous. Seriously, who wouldn't want this on their wall?


Image found from Flickr. Does it belong to you? Email me, and I'll give you credit!

Friday Fronts - The Mortal Instruments

They look GORGEOUS together - this is undeniable. And they are pretty, and well laid out.

But something about them throws me off. Maybe it's the fact that I hate having a tiny-tiny city in front of a giant giant person. I dislike the City of Ashes cover the most - probably the model. The City of Bones one is my favorite.

But maybe it's just me. I think that they're nice covers. Just... not my favorite.

Though my love for the bottom portion of each cover (the city, the title, how that's laid out) is through the roof!

It's the event of a generation.

I'm going to the midnight showing.

I'm super excited. I'll be all decked out in Ravenclaw gear.

What House are YOU in?

Harry Potter Week

Pure Imagination is running Harry Potter week!

And guess what? Today, I'm GUEST POSTING.

By "me", I mean, "My school's division of Dumbledore's Army had a lot of fun with this post."

Go check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Water Wars

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
Welcome to a future where water is more precious than gold or oil-and worth killing for.

Vera and her brother Will live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations.

Series: ?
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: January 1st 2011

I like dystopians. I like environmental stories. This one combines the two, and I've seen a lot of anticipation for it - hopefully, it will be as good as everybody thinks it will be.

Video: The Hunger Games' Scene

I normally avoid posting twice on a book review day, unless I'm doing a giveaway.

But Mockingjay.net posted this today, and I'd be insane not to share it with those of you who haven't seen it yet.

The person recording it is a fan of the book, and the actresses' in it are fans as well - and guess what? None of them are famous. They're all fans. And I think, honestly, that Liongate should look into casting whoever is playing Katniss. She looks the part and - clearly - can act.

If the real movie is half as good as this, I'll be delighted.

Branded

Branded
Author: Keary Taylor
Series: ---
Publisher: CreateSpace
How Received: author as part of tour

Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn’t commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul.These are Jessica’s nightmares. Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she’ll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. This is what she will fight for .But the nightmares rule Jessica’s life and she must find a way to stop the events that are pulling her toward her own judgment or become the object of her greatest fear. And lose Alex forever.

This book frustrated me. So much.

The principle was FANTASTIC. I loved the trial of angels; I loved that she was sucked into the dreams; all of that, I loved.

But once you look outside of that - even to the rest of the plot - it just didn't seem as well thought out as it could have been. Her family is brought up multiple times, but they don't really have any connection with the plot. Alex is your typical sexy, understanding, practically-no-flaws-besides-being-human main character. Jessica was a flat character who never really developed. You heard her htoughts, and she stated what she felt, but it never hit home with me.

To be honest, Sal was the only intriguing character.

And the writing leaves much to be desired. There's so much description. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE description. But I don't need to know how Alex sets the table, or hear him described fifty times, or read how Cole is nearly perfect six different ways. I get it. (Again, I feel like Stephenie Meyer is influencing the way people write, and she needs to stop. Even some phrases were similar, and let's face it - Meyer isn't exactly known for subtle description.)

I'm sad, because there's so much potential. But it's not there yet.

Final Comments: Keary Taylor has a lot of potential as an author, because the underlying idea is solid, but she needs to tighten up her writing a bit more before I can consider recommending her.

Giveaway: The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

This giveaway is over.

Guess what? I've got a FANTASTIC giveaway for you guys today!

I have one copy of the super adorable The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball for you guys. Isn't that AWESOME?

... wait, you've never heard about it? Here's the summary.

In a world where nothing is certain, a little magic couldn't hurt... right?

When Erin Channing's favorite aunt dies, Erin is bequeathed a pink crystal ball and a set of weird instructions. Granted, Aunt Kiki (aka Aunt Kooky) always lived "outside the box." But now Erin and her two best friends are convinced that the pink crystal ball holds the key to their future-or at least the key to getting dates...

Consider Your Fate to Be Sealed...

Sounds adorable and fun, right?

So if you want to enter to win, here's what you gotta do: fill out the form below. Live in the U.S. or Canada. And answer the question on the form.

Easy, right!?

Quick Recap:
[1] copy of The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
[1] winner in the U.S. or Canada
ends November 22

How To Win
[mandatory] fill out the form below

New Banner & Button

Hey guys!

I was bored, so I made a NEW BANNER for WORD. What do you think?

And if you're interested, here's a new BUTTON to go along with it. (It can also be found on the About WORD page.)


<a href="http://wordforteens.com" target="_blank"><img src="hhttp://i54.tinypic.com/20ab0c6.jpg"></a>

What say you, hmm?



[EDIT] Mary asked, "What program do you use to create these?" I use paint.NET, which is a free downloadable program you can get by going to - you guessed it - paint.NET

Guest Post: Jane Eyre - Classic Tale, Modern Lessons

The lovely people over at Dog Ate My Bog sent me an email a while back about doing a guest post.

We got sidetracked talking about our love of Jane Eyre.

I don't care what anybody says - Jane Eyre pretty much owes every other classic novel, tying only with Pride and Prejudice in epic awesomeness. The fact that Jane Eyre has a fantastic modern day adaption (Jane by April Lindner, which I adored) only makes this guest post more perfect.

So read this guest post: just a bit of info about Jane and how it relates to us today.

It's pretty awesome.

Giveaway Winner: Prisoners in the Palace

Nikki from Reading Obsessed won Prisoners of the Palace. Congratulations, Nikki!

Excerpt: Branded

Have you heard about Branded by Keary Taylor?

If not, you're about to.

Branded is about a girl who is continuously sucked into nightmares - nightmares where she stands trial in front of a group of angels for crimes she didn't commit.

And she wakes up every morning with the brand of the condemned on her back.

Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn't commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul. These are Jessica's nightmares. Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she'll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. This is what she will fight for. But the nightmares rule Jessica's life and she must find a way to stop the events that are pulling her toward her own judgment or become the object of her greatest fear. And lose Alex forever.

The premise is fantastic - and if you're not sure you want to read it, guess what? Here's an EXCERPT for you. A review'll be coming your way in a few days.

Just click read more to take a peek, and enjoy!

Feature Friday: Bookcases (16)

Who said storage had to be boring?




Because this isn't totally convenient. Can I color coordinate it to match the fabric in my room? I hope so... *loves*


Image found from Flickr. Does it belong to you? Email me, and I'll give you credit!

Friday Fronts - The Twin's Daughter

I own the ARC version of this, and this is a fantastic example of a shift in cover from ARC to final. The ARC cover (right) is so... blah. And THIS! THIS is beautiful! The fonts, the layout, how the girls create a dagger between them. The little blood droplet used as an apostrophe. So much love.

Giveaway: The Girlz of Galstanberry

This giveaway is over.

Garen S. Wolff, author of The Girlz of Galstanberry, visited WORD here a few hours ago - and is now back again to give away a copy of the book!

From the boroughs of New York, to the beaches of San Francisco, girls hail from all walks of life, to sport the violet blazer and pink beret of the Galstanberry Girls Academy.

All you have to do to win this cute MG book is visit the website and figure out which girl you - or the girl in your life - is most like!

Quick Recap:
[1] The Girlz of Galstanberry by Garen S. Wolff
[1] collectible Tabitha Crawford bookmark
[1] winner in the U.S. only
ends November 19

How To Win:
[mandatory] visit the website and figure out which character best represents you (or the girl in your life)
[mandatory] comment on the interview with that answer
[mandatory] fill out the form below

Interview: Garen S. Wolff

Today on WORD, Garen S. Wolff is swinging by! She's the author of the middle grade series The Girlz of Galstanberry, which works to send a pretty positive message to girls everywhere. And guess what - in a few hours, we're giving away a copy!

From the boroughs of New York, to the beaches of San Francisco, girls hail from all walks of life, to sport the violet blazer and pink beret of the Galstanberry Girls Academy.

But until then, tide yourself over with THIS INTERVIEW. Do it.