Waiting on Wednesday: One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly waiting to get into our hands.


This week I'm waiting on....

One Past Midnight

By: Jessica Shirvington

Summary:

Above all else, though I try not to think about it, I know which life I prefer. And every night when I Cinderella myself from one life to the next a very small, but definite, piece of me dies. The hardest part is that nothing about my situation has ever changed. There is no loophole.

Until now, that is... 

For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ′other′ life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other.

With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what - and who - is she really risking?

Why I Want It:

I am becoming such a fan of this multi-verse sub genre. It absolutely fascinates me for some reason, and I cannot wait to see what Jessica Shirvington (author of the Violet Eden series) does with this!

One Past Midnight will be released on July 22, 2013 by Walker Children's

Penguin, Nora Roberts and Thanksgiving

PENGUIN GROUP (USA) AND NORA ROBERTS

HELP TACKLE HUNGER IN MARYLAND

The “Be Thankful” initiative urges support of our less fortunate neighbors

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family around an extravagant meal and be thankful for all the security and stability in our lives.  But it’s also a reminder that a cold winter is ahead, and it is therefore important to acknowledge our less fortunate neighbors, which is why Penguin is proud to support The Maryland Food Bank, with Penguin’s first ever “Be Thankful” initiative.

#1 New York Times bestselling Penguin author, Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and has a deep affinity for her home state, having set many of her more than 200 novels in Maryland.  Her recent NY Times bestseller, “Thankless in Death” is a suspense thriller which centers around loved ones coming together for Thanksgiving.  The brutal reality of hunger in Maryland sadly has its own frightening narrative. “I was shocked to discover that the Maryland Food Bank distributes more than 34.6 million pounds of food - the equivalent of almost 29 million meals each year - and despite that significant effort, families still go hungry in our region,” stated Nora Roberts.  “I am proud to help raise awareness of this issue and to applaud the incredible work that local food banks do daily to eradicate hunger in Maryland.  The holiday season is a great reminder to capture the spirit of giving thanks and helping those in need.”

Penguin would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Governor Martin O’Malley, who is committed to ending childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015.  “One hungry child is one too many," said Governor O’Malley. “Because of its connection to student achievement, workforce strength, physical health, and behavioral health, we’ve made eradicating childhood hunger a priority in our State.”

“We are delighted to support The Maryland Food Bank for the first time.  The negative cascading effect that food insecurity can have on a person, a child or a family, is devastating. Penguin is proud to recognize the tireless efforts of The Maryland Food Bank and its commitment to lead the fight against food insecurity and hunger,” said Leslie Gelbman, President of Mass Market Publishing, Penguin Group (USA). To mark the occasion, Penguin Group (USA) is making a $10,000 donation to The Maryland Food Bank.  “There are more than 457,000 people in our service area who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and more than a third are children,” says Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Deborah Flateman.  “The emotional toll of hunger is especially high during the holidays.  Families are struggling to put food on the table, heat their home, and at the same time keep traditions alive, so their children feel normal – at least for one day.  This gift will go a long way, and help many, many families in need.”  The donation ensures that over 20,000 meals will be made available to the citizens of Maryland who are in dire need of food assistance.

You too can become involved in the “Be Thankful” initiative by donating food or volunteering; to view a complete list of the affiliated food banks and or participate in a Virtual Food Drive, please visit Feeding America’s national Food Bank Locator at http://bit.ly/9ociO.

###

About the Maryland Food Bank

The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization, leading the movement to end hunger throughout Maryland. For more than thirty years, the Maryland Food Bank has partnered with communities across the state to distribute food to individuals and families in need.Through carefully-crafted programs, the food bank aims to meet the immediate needs of Marylanders while simultaneously working to find long term ways to reduce hunger statewide. Currently distributing 79,000 meals per day – nearly 29 million meals annually – the Maryland Food Bank will continue to expand its efforts until hunger ends.

The Maryland Food Bank www.mdfoodbank.org operates from three facilities: one in Baltimore, one in Salisbury, and one in Hagerstown. Through an extensive network of soup kitchens, pantries, schools and other community-based organizations, food is distributed throughout 22 counties, including Baltimore City, and Somerset, Wicomico, and Washington counties – some of the most food-insecure regions in Maryland.

About Penguin Group (USA) 

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group.  Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (www.penguin.com) is part of Penguin Random House plc, the international media company.

Blog Tour & Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Title: Crash Into You

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Publication Date: 11.26.2013

Pages: 474

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Pushing the Limits #3

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Review:

Let’s get one thing straight—when I fell in love with Katie McGarry back in the summer of 2012, Isaiah was my least favorite character in Pushing the Limits. I absolutely adored that book, but I didn’t get why everyone was all, “OMG – I love Beth and Isaiah!” or “Beth + Isaiah = 4Eva”. I strongly disliked Beth and I wasn’t a fan at all of Isaiah’s. But then McGarry made me love Beth in Dare You To and I realized she might have a shot at making me care about Isaiah in Crash Into You.

Care isn’t the right word. More like head-over-heels-total-adoration. Isaiah is freaking amazeballs. He is this broken, loyal, fiercely protective guy that I cannot stop loving. He has his issues, sure, but he is a very real, complex character that I admit I wrote off way too easily.

And I can’t say enough about Rachel—she is a fantastically written character with her own issues she’s dealing with.  It think what I loved most about this romance (aside from the smokin’ hot kissing scenes and adorable banter) is that Rachel and Isaiah let themselves be totally vulnerable around each other. Their relationship is not easy and mistakes are made, but they grow and learn.

McGarry is a powerhouse writer—she packs an emotional punch that can level a reader in all the right ways. I adore her, her books, and I am beyond elated that one of my favorite side characters in Crash Into You is getting their own story in 2014. Make sure you grab this one ASAP!

Buy: Amazon

About Katie McGarry:

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

***Author Links***

http://www.katielmcgarry.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575371.Katie_McGarry

http://www.twitter.com/katiemcgarry

https://www.facebook.com/katielmcgarry

***GIVEAWAY***

10 finished copies of Crash Into You (US and Canada only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the tour for more chances to win: YA BOUND BOOK TOURS

Trailer: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Hey guys! I am so excited to share the trailer for Aimee Carter's new novel, PAWN. I have been a fan of hers since the Goddess Test series debuted, and this book is no different. I think you're all going to LOVE it.

Summary:
You can be a VII, if you give up everything. In a not so distant future, America has become a meritocracy. Upon your seventeenth birthday you take a test and are branded with a number signifying your status. For Kitty Doe, her dyslexia leaves her a “III”—part of the working class—and assigned far from her home and boyfriend. She’s ready to become an outlaw, until a chance encounter leads to an amazing opportunity. The niece of the prime minister—America’s leadership is now inherited and members of the ruling family are ranked “VII”—has been killed, and Kitty is asked to impersonate her. Now nestled in the ruling Harte family, Kitty begins to see the truth behind the pretense of equality and options for all.

Author: Aimée Carter
Imprint: Harlequin TEEN

Release: December 2013

Price: $17.99 / $19.99

Format: Hard cover

ISBN: 978-0-373-21055-8

Harlequin Teen is also holding a giveaway to win a copy of PAWN and a box set of the Goddess Test series! Go here to enter:

http://bit.ly/1auqi3b

Cover Reveal: A Little Too Hot

Copy
From USA Today bestselling author Lisa Desrochers, comes the third book in her sizzling New Adult series.

If you play with fire…

Tossed out of college and cut off by her parents, Samantha West is in pretty dire straits. So when her rocker best friend hooks her up with a job dancing at a gentlemen’s club, who is she to turn it down? Plus, there are rules to dancing at Benny’s: No touching, keep your clothes on at all times, and never get closer than three feet. Unfortunately for Sam, her first private client makes her want to break every single one of them.

Harrison Yates is scorching hot, but he’s got a past that involves being left at the altar not too long ago. Sam is determined to make him forget about his ex, but when she makes her move, it flings her life into a spiral of chaos she never saw coming.

Because Harrison Yates isn’t who he seems to be. And his secret will probably get her killed.

Giveaway
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Buy Links

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Cover Reveal: Seeking Her by Cora Carmack

ABOUT SEEKING HER by Cora Carmack
A few months after being honorably discharged from the military, Jackson Hunt is still struggling to adjust back to the real world. He needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he’s going to keep his own demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal.

Bodyguard (and baby-sitter) to spoiled-rich-girl Kelsey Summers isn’t exactly what he’d been looking for, but it’s a chance to travel, to get away from the home that has felt stifling ever since his return. It would be a pretty sweet gig if it weren’t for the fact that Kelsey’s father doesn’t want Kelsey to know she’s being followed. Hunt feels guilty (and a little bit creepy) as he watches her from afar. She’s vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When he sees her falling into the same patterns that he suffered years ago, he decides it’s time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know her is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her,the more he wants her.

Review: Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

Title: Foreplay

Author: Sophie Jordan

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 11.5.2013

Pages: 320

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Series: The Ivy Chronicles #1

Source: ARC from author

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs. 

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

Review:

The new adult genre seems utterly saturated with the same overdone tropes. Honestly I love what new adult books stand for—people who are forging their way into being adults, making adult decisions, and have adult relationships, but I also get so freaking annoyed with this genre and the way everyone is suddenly all over the NA trend.

This must’ve been what it was like when chocolate was first discovered.

But every now and then you find these diamonds in the lumps of coal. These glittering, sparkling stories that give you hope and make you fall in love with falling in love all over. That is Foreplay in a nutshell. Sophie Jordan utterly blew me away.

Pepper is a fantastic character because she’s just so ordinary. She isn’t a spectacular beauty and she’s been crushing on her bestie’s brother for years. And we all have those feelings of unrequited love, or that one crush we always thought, If they could just see me in this light…. Pepper finally gets her shot to do just that, but has to enlist the help of Reece.

I enjoyed Pepper, but I loved Reece. He’s that enigmatic blend of boy next door with a heart of gold and a dash of danger thrown in. But Reece is not an overdone, overly dramatic guy. I love that he knew what Pepper’s plans were regarding Hunter (eventually) and he was OK with helping her.

I think the best romances are the ones where a couple genuinely brings out the best in each other, and that’s what Pepper and Reece do—they bring out the absolute best in each other. They weren’t saving each other or helping each other heal from tragically broken pasts … It was a real relationship. Definitely one of the most tangible (and hottest) romances I’ve read in a while.

If you were like me and starting to feel exhausted by the NA genre, I’m telling you to give Foreplay a shot. Jordan will absolutely blow you away with these characters. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Buy: Amazon

Signing Event Info

Hey guys! In case you missed it, tomorrow there will be an epic signing event in Martinsburg, WV. Jenuine Cupcakes and I are co-hosting a panel and signing with Jennifer L. Armentrout/J. Lynn, Wendy Higgins and Brigid Kemmerer at the Books-A-Million at 2 pm.

Come and hear Jennifer, Wendy, and Brigid talk about books, writing, and those hot boys that seem to burn up their pages. Stick around afterwards for the signing, swag, and some yummy treats. Also? You'll get exclusive info on Jennifer L. Armentrout's hot new novella, Bitter Sweet Love.

The event is totally FREE. For more details and to RSVP, go HERE: https://www.facebook.com/events/170880049768099/

Can't make the event? No worries! I'll be live tweeting the panel and posting pics on Twitter: @irish_banana

Hope to see you there!

Racing Savannah Pre-Order Gift

I am a huge fan of Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oak series, and with book four, Sourcebooks is offering a special incentive for those of us who order Racing Savannah early. If you're new to this series, it's time to join the party and meet some of my favorite characters EVER.

They’re from two different worlds, but Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the
rules . . . get the next contemporary novel from blockbuster YA novelist Miranda Kenneally: RACING SAVANNAH!

Right before her senior year, Savannah’s father whisks the family off to Tennessee to work as head groom at fancy Cedar Hill Farms. Savannah finally sees it as the perfect opportunity to earn extra money as an exercise rider—no matter how many others don’t want a girl around the barn.  But she’s also caught the eye of Jack Goodwin, the owner’s son. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries. With her dream of becoming a jockey, Savannah is not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack.

A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally

We have a special offer for U.S. and Canada YA fans for the release of RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally in stores in a little over three weeks! If you pre-order the book, we will send you an exclusive horseshoe key chain—perfect for any busy teen on the go! You have until December 2 or until quantities run out.

Here’s how to get your charm:
1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Racing Savannah Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the horseshoe key chain! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Racing Savannah when it comes out in December!

Optional: take a pic of you and your horseshoe key chain and share it with Miranda Kenneally or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Miranda @mirandakennealy and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.

Blog Tour: Blythewood by Carol Goodman

Hey guys! Today I'm handing the blog over to Carol Goodman, author of the new novel, BLYTHEWOOD that debuted last month. 

Guest Post:
One of the main reasons I set BLYTHEWOOD in precisely 1911 was because I knew I wanted to use the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.  For those of you who don’t know or have forgotten it since your high school history class, the Triangle fire is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in New York History.  146 seamstresses and workers died, most of whom were girls ages 16-23.  At the beginning of the industrial age factory conditions were terrible, and one of the reasons so few people survived the Triangle fire is that the managers would lock all the doors and exits while people worked so the seamstresses didn’t take unauthorized breaks or ever step away from their machines.  The fire sparked a real change in how workers were treated.  The disaster brought to attention a lot of the terrible conditions that factory workers had to deal with before conditions were regulated.  It’s a disaster that could really only happen in 1911, and one of the reasons I started the book with it was to root BLYTHEWOODin all the issues triangle fire brings up.  So much about BLYTHEWOOD is about the progressive movement, feminism, and the class tensions of the industrial era. Ava is working class girl who has lived through the Triangle fire suddenly being transplanted into a world of privilege, and that’s very hard for her to deal with.

About Blythewood:
At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she’s on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York’s mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended—and was expelled from. Though she’s afraid her high society classmates won’t accept a factory girl in their midst, Ava is desperate to unravel her family’s murky past, discover the identity of the father she’s never known, and perhaps finally understand her mother’s abrupt suicide. She’s also on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious boy who rescued her from the fire. And she suspects the answers she seeks lie at Blythewood.   

But nothing could have prepared her for the dark secret of what Blythewood is, and what its students are being trained to do. Haunted by dreams of a winged boy and pursued by visions of a sinister man who breathes smoke, Ava isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or getting closer to the truth. And the more rigorously Ava digs into the past, the more dangerous her present becomes.    

Vivid and atmospheric, full of mystery and magic, this romantic page-turner by bestselling author Carol Goodman tells the story of a world on the brink of change and the girl who is the catalyst for it all.




About Carol Goodman:
Bestselling author Carol Goodman’s books have been nominated for the IMPAC award twice, the Simon & Schuster/Mary Higgins Clark award, and the Nero Wolfe Award. Her second novel, The Seduction of Water, won the Hammett Prize in 2003. Visit her at carolgoodman.com. 



Giveaway:
Penguin is giving away a finished copy of Blythewood*! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Must be over 13 | Must be in the US*

Blog Tour: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Welcome to the first stop on the PAWN blog tour! I have been a big Aimee Carter fan since I read The Goddess Test back in 2011. She continually wins me over with her amazing characters and fabulous writing, and this new series is no different! Aimee agreed to answer a few questions for today:

Author Interview:

1. The premise from PAWN is vastly different from your last series, The Goddess Test. What inspired you to write it?

Many of the factors that are melted together to form the premise of PAWN come from modern day issues – some political, such as the state of our republic; some educational, such as the issue of standardized testing. Some are taken from pop culture as well, such as people who spend untold amounts of money trying to look exactly like celebrities. But the very heart of the story, about a girl who is forced to take the place of the Prime Minister’s niece, who was assassinated under mysterious circumstances after she began a rebellion against her family, came from the idea that one person, no matter who they are, can change the world.

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser when it comes to writing?

Action-wise, I’m a plotter, and a pretty detailed one at that. I need to know not only what point A and point B are, but how my characters get there as well. Emotionally, I let things unfold on the page. Sometimes I’ll have a romantic or an emotional scene planned, but mostly those happen in the moment as I’m writing.

3. Kitty, our heroine, has a lot going on. What advice would you give Kitty?

I would tell Kitty to keep her head down and stay out of trouble – but if Kitty were staying out of trouble, I wouldn’t have a story to write. So maybe instead, I’d tell her to trust her instincts.

4. What was your first reaction to seeing the cover for PAWN? Because I know I was blown away.

I absolutely love the cover. It’s exactly what I was hoping for, and in a way, it was like the cover designers at Harlequin Teen had reached into my brain and plucked it out. It’s perfect and immensely symbolic, and I love it like crazy.

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

You only get one life, and you’re the one who has to live it. So make it count.

About Pawn:

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Goodreads  - pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound |  Barnes & Noble |  Book Depository 

Publication Date: November 26th by Harlequin TEEN

About Aimee Carter:

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing at age eleven and later attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a degree in screen arts and cultures. Currently she spends her time continuing with The Goddess Test series and working on new projects. You can tweet her at @aimee_carter or catch updates on her website.

Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour:
Monday, November 4th - The Irish Banana Review

Tuesday, November 5th - Harlequin Paranormal Blog
Wednesday, November 6th - Alice Marvels
Friday, November 8th - The Cozy Reader
Monday, November 11th - Magical Urban Fantasy
Wednesday, November 13th - Me, My Shelf and I
Friday, November 15th - Books Complete Me