Blog Tour: Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott

Rating: 4 stars

Pub Date: February 24, 2015

Publisher: scholastic

Genre: young adult sci-fi, contemporary fantasy (at least, that's what I categorize it as!)

Format/Source: ARC, from the publisher

Status: Book 2 of the Fire & Flood series
Links: Fire & Flood review (also 4 stars)

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour, which was organized & hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. The full tour schedule can be found HERE.

Summary:

In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

Waiting on Wednesday: Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Salt & Stone
Fire & Flood #2

by Victoria Scott

Coming February 4, 2015

Scholastic Press

Summary:

What would you do to save someone you love?

In FIRE & FLOOD, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

Why I Want It:

Crap is getting REAL in the Brimstone Bleed, and also Guy Guy Guy Guy Guy! Mkay? Great! But srsly, I love that Tella loves her brother and wants to help him. I'm really intrigued not just by what's going on in the race but also by the world Tori is building. There's some crazy conspiracy that's about to blow up, and I can't wait to get the details!

Why I think you should want it:

One thing I get tired of in YA is too-perfect heroines. A lot of people find Tella unlikable and shallow, but I found her to be flawed and REAL. If you're looking for a character who starts out not being a badass but works at becoming one, then this series is for you. Also, Tori is a wonderful, wonderful person, and if you don't know her, you should. She's the best! You can check out my full review here for more reasons why this book worked for me.

Have you read Fire & Flood yet? Are you also waiting on Salt & Stone? Share your thoughts & your WoW picks/links in the comments!

The Warrior Excerpt & Giveaway

Today I have a bit of a treat for you guys! I'm part of Victoria Scott's V Mafia street team, and she shared with us an exclusive excerpt from The Warrior, which is the conclusion to the Dante Walker trilogy. In Victoria's own words: "If you've read either of the first two titles, you'll know that each book includes a letter from Dante Walker. I've never shared one before the release of the book itself, but this time, just for you–I am." She then invited us to share the letter with our readers along with an awesome giveaway for some special Dante Walker jewelry! There's only four and a half more weeks until Dante's story concludes so I hope this has you excited to see what will happen with our favorite reformed bad boy. Enjoy!

Pub Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: young adult paranormal, urban fantasy
Status: Final book in the Dante Walker trilogy
Summary: War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.

Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll.

Dante is built for battle, but even he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace something inside himself he never has before—faith.

Excerpt: 

Working for the devil turns you into something unfixable. It makes you a demon, forevermore. It teaches you to feel anger before anything else, and to fight dirty for those things you believe yours. But I don’t work for the devil anymore. I work for the good guys, even if I don’t act like one. My job now is to protect my girlfriend from my former boss, and to rescue my friend from hell.

No, I don’t work for the devil any longer. But I am still the man he made me. I am still angry, and volatile, and dangerous. I don’t like the things he’s done, and I’m not about to sit back quietly. After all, he taught me better than that. He loved me with the kindness of a serrated blade, and fed me from a spoon dipped in terror.

He made me into a monster.

But I will bite the hand that fed me.

—Dante Walker

Pre-Order Links:

 

Giveaway: 

Open internationally. Winner will receive a Collector necklace and a pair of Dante Walker earrings. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Texas Stars Recap

Heather Reid (HR): Pretty Dark Nothing is a good read for Halloween because it's creepy, has demons. Faith or fear, love or lies. The second book will be out in September 2014.

Krissi Dallas (KD): I wrote the Phantom Island series. It's about a group of teens at summer camp who find a portal to magical island. It's got adventure, romance, magic, drama, friendships. There will be four more books, but with time gap between them.

Jeramey Kraatz (JK): The Cloak Society is about a supervillain society. My main character was born into it; his parents run the organization. Teen superheros show up during heist; he saves one and has to decide if he can be a good guy but also prove himself to parents.

Mary Gray (MG): The Dollhouse Asylum is about teens who have been granted asylum from apocalypse, but have to reenact tragic love stories or die. It's a standalone. I'm working on something different. It's the type of story about one big moment so it's a standalone.

Victoria Scott (VS): The Dante trilogy is about a seventeen year old guy, sexy, cocky, who goes to work for the devil collecting souls.

Q1. Plotter or pantser?
MG: I was a pantser, but that may change. To be seen.
JK: Talking about plotting versus pantsing with kids, I thought it meant people pulling pants down. I'm a plotter. I always start with about 20 pages so I've got about 2000 words under my belt. I have to know where I'm going.
KD: I'm somewhere in between. I know my major points and make it up in between. I like my characters to dictate where they go. I recommend My Story Can Beat Up Your Story [by Jeffrey Schechter]. Every project is different.
HR: I am a pantser. Yeah... I've tried plotting, but...no. It hems me in, feels like I'm handcuffed. The story starts organically with a character. I do plan ahead each day so I know where I'm going and what I want from each scene but nothing too rigid.
VS: I want to be a pantser, but I'm totally a plotter. I write a one-sentence pitch for my book, then write one main internal goal and external goal. For example, a character wants to buy a house (external goal), but her internal goal is that she wants a family. You often have to let go of the external goal to achieve the internal goal. I write out act 1, 2, 3, then add in bullet points. I think of scenes and where they should go.

Q2. How do you come up with your ideas?
HR: Anywhere. Pretty Dark Nothing came from own experiences with night terrors and depression when I was younger. What if that voice that tells you you're not good enough... this girl can see demons who exploit those fears. I saw a documentary on the Dust Bowl and got interested in that time period and want to do a story in that time. I have some ideas for that. I was sitting by the sea in Scotland when the character came, fully formed. I wrote four pages, couldnt do anything with her then because I was doing edits but maybe someday.
VS: I get my ideas kind of from ripping off other people. I heard about a book about a year and a half ago, loved it, but not what I expected so I wrote what I expected to, and that became Fire & Flood. Many ideas come from movies.
MG: I was living in Virginia and wanted to move to Texas. Since I couldn't move there yet, I wrote a book about going to Texas. I've been around manipulative people and wanted to explore that so I wrote about a girl trying to escape that poisonous relationship. I think the current day is lame because everyone is always on their phones; we don't interact so now I'm on a historical kick.
JK: This is the great and awful thing about ideas: they're everywhere, but I can only write so many of them. That's why there are so many unfinished novels on my computer. I read and collect comic books. I was doing a project in college and interning at Marvel for X-men, and I wondered, "What about this medium has me coming back? What do I like? What do I not like?" Villains exist for heroes to punch; then they disappear. There are lots of hero origin stories but not for villains. Oh, by the way, my cat's name is Loki. What would a kid supervillain be like? I filled notebooks full of questions. Writing a book is just answering those questions.
KD: I wanted to do something different. I couldn't do guitar because of my nails. I wanted to write novel or do music video with my students. Watching LOST, I started playing with an idea if a group of teens found an island. I spent a month plotting world and tribes. Spy novel I'm working on, had a dream, at flight school to become pilot, walked past window and a guy was there, but he was supposed to be dead.

Q3. What are you working on now in one word? [boy, authors ARE bad at math! :P]
JK: I'm working on the third book for Cloak Society. I hate this word, but... epic.
VS: Revenge.... prostitution....
MG: Guillotine

KD: Spy
HR: Sequel, sacrifice.

Q4. Favorite ice cream
VS: Fish food
MG: Cookie dough
JK: Chocolate w nuts
KD: Braums peppermint

Q5. Football: watch or fall asleep
KD: Watch football
[I think everyone else said they'd fall asleep]

Q6. Tea or coffee
MG: Hot chocolate
[Everybody else booed because hot chocolate wasn't an option, but I defended Mary's choice because she and I seriously don't drink tea or coffee. It's a religious thing.]

Q8. Who would win in a fight: you or the person to your left?
MG: Jeremy would win
JK: Krissi would win
KD: Heather would win

Q9. You have twenty bucks. What do you spend it on?
VS: Modcloth
MG: Books
JK: Books
KD: Books
HR: Books or Xbox games

Q10. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
VS: Mexican food
MG: Beef jerkey
JK: Cheese
KD: French fries or pizza

Q11. What are you watching on tv right now?
VS: Originals
MG: Rain
JK: American Horror Story
KD: Big Bang Theory
HR: Sleepy Hollow

Q12. Favorite city.
VS: Nola
MG: Austin
JK: Chicago
KD: Dallas
HR: Edinburgh

Q13. [I don't remember this question, which sucks because clearly it was a good one! May have been wrestling an alligator vs lion.]
VS: Death by alligator. I want the death roll!
MG: Can't face either one
JK: Alligator because it's cooler. Swampy and atmospheric.
KD: Alligator bec allergic to cats. Unfair advantage.
HR: Alligator because it will fall asleep if you flip it over.

Q14. Will you participate in NaNoWriMo?
VS: Yes! Just signed up. Going to continue my current wip [work in progress] but I just want to hashtag all day long.
MG: No. I would neglect my children.
JK: No.
KD: I would like to, but I need to finish my current novel.
HR: I can't do nano because I'm currently doing edits due December 15.

Q15. Who is your favorite hero or villain?
VS: Joker, all day long. Especially Heath Leger.
MG: Scarecrow, played Cilian Murphy.
JK: Gambit! I have a poster of Gambit framed on my wall. Gallactis is my favorite villain.
KD: Loki just because of Tom Hiddleston. Superman has been there all my life, but I currently love Iron Man. Maybe that's just RDJ.
HR: Wolverine, but maybe that's Hugh Jackman. Lex Luther.

Q16. How long have been writing?
VS: I started writing 3 years ago in October.
MG: I grew up in a house where it was considered a waste of time to read fiction or write.
JK: I've always been a writer, but don't let that discourage you if you haven't always been. I didn't know would write for kids or even write fiction.
KD: Always. I wrote my first book in third grade. It was about a girl who formed band and became a rock star, then woke up and it was all a dream. I called it Golden Afternoon because I loved Alice in Wonderland and the flowers.
HR: Since I can remember. I used to compile stories I loved, rip them off [her notebook], staple them and carry around the house. When I was 19 or 20, I relized it could be a serious career. Just writing.

Q17. What did you read as a kid and what have you recently loved?
VS: R.L. Stine. Christopher Pike. The Lovely and the Lost & The Beautiful and the Cursed [by Paige Morgan].
MG: Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Recently, research and lots of nonfiction. Steelheart [by Brandon Sanderson].
JK: Lois Lowry. The Ruins. The Shining. If You Could Be Mine [by Sara Farizan].
KD: R.L. Stine. Christopher Pike. Trixie Belden. The Baby-Sitters Club. Sweet Valley High. Nancy Drew. Recently: Pretty Dark Nothing. Splintered by A.G. Howard. The Collector.
HR: Christopher Pike. V.C. Andrews. Anne Rice. Dean Koontz. The Archived by Victoria Schwab.

Q18. KitKats or m&ms.
VS: Kit kat
MG: M&ms
JK: Almond m&ms. I'm like an old man.
KD: M&ms
HR: I have an allergy to wheat so no kit kats or regular m&ms. I like peanut m&ms.

Q19. Favorite movie.
VS: What Dreams May Come
MG: Gladiator and V for Vendetta.
JK: Return of the Lving Dead
KD: True Beverly Hills
HR: Beauty and the Beast, animated.

Q20. Most important piece of advice about being an author.
VS: Decide why you're writing the book. Writing it for art's sake or yourself or being commercial. It is different, writing for yourself or wanting to sell. Artsy books, having a niche, those stories need to be told, but they are different.
MG: I don't get to write full time yet. I hate myself if I write just for the sake of writing. Write what you love. I write what's important in my heart. Imagine editing a novel you can't stand.
JK: Write. Sitting down and forcing yourself to write, after those 20 pages when it's no longer a really great idea. Pillage on. No, wait, pilgrim on? Whatever, keep going on!
KD: Study your craft. Be good at what you do. More than read the works of others. Read craft books. Don't do it halfway. Just read. Read everything, every genre. The best way to have a story is to have a story in your soul. That's not just books, but movies and tv. Study bad books, well not bad, but stories that don't resonate with you and figure out why.

Giveaway:

While at the event, I snagged signed copies of Victoria's The Liberator, Jeramey's The Cloak Society and Krissi's Windchaser for this giveaway. Open to the US and Canada. Ends 12 am cst March 27. Full giveaway policies are stated in the Site Policies tab at the top. All entries will be verified. Good luck!

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Benefit Signing Recap

Last fall, just a week or so before Thanksgiving, I took about an hour and half off from work to jaunt down to my favorite local Barnes & Noble to attend a special signing with Krissi Dallas, Mary Gray, Heather L. Reid, and Victoria Scott that benefitted Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Q1. Describe your book!
Victoria Scott (VS): My characters make worse decisions. I have a 17-year old boy who dies and works for devil collecting souls. He is not a good person. I wanted a character who makes bad decisions. When he meets someone who makes good decisions, will he stay the same or change under influence? Fire & Flood is about people in a race searching for one dose of a cure. Each participant is given an egg, which is called a pandora. The pandoras are animals with powers that may help win race.
Krissi Dallas (KD): I write out of happy places in my life. Phantom Island series is dealing with two settings. There's a certain magic at camp. You make relationships and learn things about yourself. But I also wanted the real world and magic world to have their own special magic. There's a world with elemental magic. You can deal with issues in a magical world that are easier to deal with than in real world.
Heather Reid (HR): My main character has nightmares, and then the nightmares come to life and enter reality. It's a scary, creepy book about love or lies, faith or fear, darkness or destiny. When I was younger, I suffered from night terrors and sleepwalking. I thought, what if a  teen girl saw demons. The voices that say you're not good enough, not pretty enough...they were real voices. It's all about what's beautiful and broken.
Mary Gray (MG): My story used personal experiences, and exorcised personal demons. I wanted a story that was enticing and captured the manipulation of a bad guy on women, but also had hope. I wanted to show an unhealthy relationship. I also love classic characters and wanted to showcase that. Cheyanne has to learn to remove herself from feelings with the bad guy.

Q2. How did you get into writing and why?
KD: There's something in a writer where you see storylines around you. What if this happened? You create fantasies. I started writing things down as a child because I could see characters doing stuff. It wasn't until I was an adult that I had enough material, enough life experiences to put writing into a series. Let your creativity take you!
HR: If you love to write, don't worry about anything. Just put the words on the page. I remember when I was 4 or 5 years old, re-imagining favorite stories. I would staple pages together and tell my mom, "Look I have a book!" But I still wanted to be a Dallas cheerleader or an archeologist. Then I remember being 11 and wanting to be published author. I said would publish by 16. It didn't happen, but that seed stayed with me. It took seventeen long years of hard work; not everybody's journey is the same. If there's something you're passionate about or that you love, don't give up. You'll probably have to work hard, but don't give up. VS: *starts singing "Don't Stop Believing"*
MG: I loved essay questions as a kid. I always waited until end to turn mine in so teacher would see mine on top. My parents weren't very supportive of writing so it wasn't until I had my first child that I really started to write. I would be exhausted after playdates, but I would come home and want to have something special.
VS: I started writing just because I loved books. I worked in advertising after college. Get laid off a lot. What do I really want to do.... I didn't really like anything other than books.

Q3. How much time do you write a day?
VS: Two hours in the morning, two in the afternoon plus marketing, answering emails, online chatting, etc.
KD: I do most of my writing on Mondays and Wednesdays because I'm a part time teacher, and I'll meet with writing buddies and write for hours at a time.
MG: Since I have little ones, they come first. When all my kids are in school,I'll be able to write full time. It's whenever have time right now. I have to make it happen.

Q4. Does it "flow?"

HR: Sometimes, sometimes not. I write slowly, very deliberately, because I love words. I love the rhythm of words. You build momentum. At first it is hard, but the more you know the story, the characters, the better it flows.
KD: In the writing world, you're either a pantser or plotter. I'm a pantser, and we fly by seat of our pants. I let the story flow wherever it wants, but the revision stage is really important. By the third or fourth book, the characters know where they need to go. I do plot out points. Big scenes come out, but the way to get there, I have to fight for every word.
VS: I am a plotter. I loosely outline every book. I'm militant with writing. I do 2000 words every day. I always have an idea where the story needs to go and where words come out

Q5. How do you concentrate on writing and focus on story?
MG: One night a week, I'll take off, and my husband takes kid duty. In the afternoon,  if my kids can watch a show, I have some time. My best writing, though, actually comes in the car. Alone, in the quiet. 
HR: It depends on the day. Some days I'm focused on my book; other days my focus is on laundry or dishes. When I'm thinking over a scene, not sure where it's going, it takes time. But it's easier when I know where it's going. It helps to have friends to keep focus. A support system.

Q6. How are characters people? How do you have them in your head?
VS: My characters don't exactly feel like real people to me, at least until the third Dante novel was written, then I missed him. I could hear things he would say.
KD: Reading Dante, I can hear Tori. Dante and Tori are similar. Dante is a good guy.
VS: He's a horrible good guy.
KD: My characters' lives are different from my mind; I do think about what they would do in real life. I can't imagine being done [with the series]. It will be hard to say goodbye because it's such a reflection of your heart. There's no way to separate completely. It's hard to put out there, but it could be your story. It could be your friend who helps you walk through life. I do feel sad then they're hurt. I'm like, "I'm sorry! It's okay! Pep talk!"
HR: My characters live and breathe in my head. I write organically, definitely a pantser. I start with characters and get to know them before the story starts. I was writing a scene and I was like, "what? What are you doing?!" I knew that version was what really happened. She was telling her story to me, and I was just writing it down. There's a little bit of me in all my characters.
MG: I feel closest to my characters if I hear a song that encompasses their feelings. At the gym, I heard a song and I was like, "oh yeah! Standing up to the villain!" I heard a song in the car for the love interest and wrote a scene that didn't connect to any others, but I knew him in that moment. The villain is so real to me right now.

Q7. As you develop the characters, do the characters develop you in real life?
MG: I know a woman in real life who is having trouble standing up to her husband. My main character had to stand up to the bad guy. I told her, "you have to stand up to yourself." Sitting here, you think, yeah, stand up to someone who's abusing you, but I definitely learned it in that moment.
HR: Absolutely. My writing taught me a lot about my characters and about my own demons.
KD: One main villains in book is a female character. I find myself very fascinated with the way I wrote her. It's like if I gave in to every selfish, dark part of myself, and I realized that's how I wrote her. Villains aren't entirely evil. There are some that deserve what's coming to them, but there are others that are redeemable. They're the hero of their own story. I wrote her from dark place in myself.
VS: Fire & Flood didn't affect me, but definitely felt that way about Dante. He helped me get swagger in real life!

I don't have a corresponding giveaway for this recap since I didn't get anything signed, but I hope you enjoyed it and received some special insight into these awesome authors' minds. I know I'm really lucky that I get to call these amazing women my friends, and I love having the opportunity to see them often. Do any of their answers have special meaning to you?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Warrior

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

The Warrior 
The Collector #3

by Victoria Scott

Entangled Teen

Coming May 6, 2014

Summary:

War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.

Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll.

Dante is built for battle, but even he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace something inside himself he never has before—faith.

Why I want it:

I love Tori like crazy. That is all. I will always want all her books.

Why I think you should want it:

Tori is an awesome writer. She creates these amazingly-flawed-but-still-amazing characters who make you root for them even as you shake their head at their crazy antics. Dante started out as a seemingly irredeemable douchetastic asshat. He was shallow, crude, and arrogant. He was literally working for the devil. His only redeemable qualities were his ridiculous sense of humor (which was borderline obnoxious at the best of times so sometimes not-so-redeemable), his great fashion sense (because red chucks, guys), and his abs. Okay, and probably his hair too. But then, over time, Dante started growing a conscience. He began to think for himself, and he started making better choices. This series is ALL about Dante's redemption and his growth from super annoying douchenozzle from Hell to only-occasionally-annoying good guy. Trust me; it's great.



What's your pick today? Leave your links in the comments!

Fire & Flood Launch

 

Last Saturday was the official launch party for my good friend Victoria Scott's third novel Fire & Flood, the first novel of the Fire & Flood series from Scholastic (the party was hosted by the Half Price Books flagship here in Dallas, and I swear, that store is like my second home). If you've been living under a rock and don't know what Fire & Flood is, you can check out my Waiting on Wednesday post for it here or read either of these two excerpts or even my 4-star review for it. It was a great party full of some of my favorite bookish people like Tori (because duh), authors Julie Murphy, Jeramey Kraatz, Heather L. Reid, and Lindsay Cummings and bloggers Karen of Teen Librarian Toolbox, Marissa & Jasmine of Beneath the Moon & Stars, Bex of Bex Book Reviews and Two & a Half Fangirls (she's one of my Pandoras!), and Kari of A Good Addiction. There were also cupcakes and plenty of swag!

 me with Tori! <3

 me with Bex!

Tori with the AH-MAZING F&F display.

The feather was made out of book pages and 

looked ridiculously cool!

 

 Julie selfie-ing with the display.

WERK IT, LADY!

 Anyway, Fire & Flood is available via all major book retailers so you can certainly buy your own copy (it's only $2.99 via Kindle, Nook, and Kobo) or you can enter my giveaway for a signed copy. After the release of Fire & Flood, Tori shared news of book two of the series, which is entitled Salt & Stone and will continue Tella's, Guy's, and their friends' stories. You can add it to your Goodreads shelf here. From the description she shared with the V Mafia, her street team, I can tell Tori has upped the stakes, and I'm super excited for this next installment, which is due in 2015 from Scholastic. I'm not sure if we're allowed to share what exactly was in her note so I'll just say it sounds amazing until I'm given the okay, but you can be sure I'll have plenty of exclusive news to share as we approach Salt & Stone's release!

Giveaway:

 Because I'm me, I bought a copy of Fire & Flood and had Tori sign it for one of you, plus I picked up some awesome swag. I will be picking three winners. First place will receive the signed hardcover and some swag; second & third place will both receive signed Fire & Flood posters, postcards, bookmarks, and any other miscellaneous F&F swag I discover in my swag drawer. First place is open to the US & Canada; second and third place will be US only because shipping on tubes is so much more expensive on books, which makes ZERO SENSE to me, but whatever. Giveaway ends 12 AM CST March 18. All giveaway policies (can be found in the Site Policies tab!) will be enforced, and any entries not in accordance with the stated policies will be disqualified; ignorance is not an excuse. I will notify the winners via email so make sure you know which email you're using with Rafflecopter. Best of luck!

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Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Rating: 4 stars

Pub Date: February 25, 2014

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: young adult sci-fi, contemporary fantasy

Format/Source: ARC, from the publisher

Status: Book 1 of the Fire & Flood series

Summary:

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Top Ten Tuesday #29: Santa Wish List

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week the girls at B&B think up a fun theme, and participating bloggers post their favorite 10 books in that category. This week's theme is

Top Ten Books I Wish Santa Would Bring Me This Year

 Pretty self-explanatory theme, I think, although in my case, these books are really more pray-that-the-publisher-and-or-rafflecopter-take-pity-on-me or I'll-just-have-to-buy-these-myself because my family doesn't buy me books anymore unless I tell them what to get. I'm basically at the gift-card-only stage of life. Anyway, today, I split my group 5/5 into the ARCs that I need now or I'll die and the finished copies that I'm just really greedy for.

 ARCs:

1. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott. I am so excited about this book. Tori is an awesome writer in addition to being an amazing person. And I am happy to announce that this wish came TRUE. My sister occasionally gets my mail, and sure enough, she brough my copy over on Sunday! Yay! Thank you, Scholastic!

2. Cress by Marissa Meyer. Yes, I've already read Cress, but it was so incredible, I wish I had my own copy! Regardless if I do manage to snag an ARC or not, this will be a to-buy book for me. It's JUST that good.

  

3. Evertrue by Brodi Ashton. I reallyreallyreallyreallyreally want one. I desperately need to know what's going on with Nikki and Jack! Crossing my fingers I can win a copy!

4. What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick. My Life Next Door was incredible. I just need more Huntley Fitzpatrick in my life.

5. Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg. I adore Elizabeth's writing. Her books are more must-buys for me. Every year, I eagerly anticipate my next EE fix.

Finished Copies:

  

6. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. I have an ARC, which I will keep forever, but I think this will be a must-buy series. Tarver and Lilac...I ship them. And I want to hug that cover every night when I go to bed.

7. Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young. Lovely, lovely book. Chris is one of my new favorite book boyfriends. I love the sliding doors concept. After reading this, I'll definitely be picking up other books that use this device.

8. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I bought the ebook when it was on sale, but I think I'm going to have to splurge on a hardcover. This book is one of my favorites of 2013, and it has some interesting formatting that's just a little lost in the ebook. Nothing major, but it was just weird reading my Kindle copy after I've read a hardcover.

  

9. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano. I had an ARC of this, but I gave it away. Not going to lie, I still wrestle with that decision because it was one of the first ARCs I'd ever been sent directly from the publisher (not won from a giveaway or picked up at a con). However, I'm glad I could spread the love to someone else. I bought an ebook when it was on sale, but this is another that I really want a physical copy.

10. Dare You To and Crash Into You by Katie McGarry. Yeah...I think this is a must-buy series. I have a paperback of Pushing the Limits because I met Katie, and I like to get at least one thing signed by an author. However, that was before I read the series so I didn't realize just how far in love I'd fall with this series. I have ebooks of all three, but again, this is a favorite enough that I would like the whole set. Also, I just really want the cover of Dare You To because DANG. Ryan's biceps. That is all.

End of Year Book Survey

This lovely survey comes from Jamie, The Perpetual Page Turner. Feel free to grab and fill in your own answers, then link back to her page! 

 

 1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Contemporary: Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

 Contemporary romance: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Companion: Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Historical Fiction: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Paranormal: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Science Fiction: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Fantasy: Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Audiobook: Beauty Queens written AND narrated by Libba Bray

New adult: One & Only by Viv Daniels

Backlist: I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

Series ender: United We Spy by Ally Carter

New series: Camp Boyfriend by J.K. Rock (started in 2013)
& Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (started before 2013)

Standalone: Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Adult: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead (sci-fi) 

& Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols (romance)

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

 3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

Winger by Andrew Smith

 4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

Winger by Andrew Smith

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

1. Starbound trilogy by Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner.  

These Broken Stars was incredible. This book came out a 

week ago, and I already desperately need This Shattered World.

2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I didn't read this series 

until after Scarlet came out, but it's lovely. Each installment is better 

than the last. Need me some Winter!

3. Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Such an amazing fantasy series!

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Rainbow Rowell and Andrew Smith

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

One & Only by Viv Daniels (new adult)

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

The entire Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry. I know this seems like a cop out, but honestly, I read through  all three novels and the novella in one week. If that's not un-put- downable, I don't know what is!

 9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Several are on the list because I will be rereading a lot of series via audiobook before final books come out, but I think the top two books I'll probably reread the physical copy are going to be Cress by Marissa Meyer and Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

 

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

Male character: It's a TIE. Sturmhond in Siege and Storm and CAPTAIN Carswell Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles.
Female character: Cammie from Gallagher Girls. I will greatly miss Cammie and her adventures in my life.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Burning by Elana K. Arnold. Really just a gorgeous read.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 

United We Spy by Ally Carter. Individually, this book may not be the right fit for this question, but this series... I've been a Gallagher Girl for so long that I don't actually remember when I became one. It just means so much to me. Aside from Harry Potter, I have never felt such emotional upheaval at the end of a series simply because it was over (Vampire Academy came close, but I finished up that series knowing there was a spinoff with a set release date and that my favorite characters would at least show up on occasion). I still haven't quite accepted this yet, by the way. I still expect more installments. That's total denial, I know, but srsly, I wonder if there will be more. One day. Or a spin off. Or the girls pop up in future Heist Society or Embassy Row books. That would be fantastic. For more emotional rambling on the subject of GG and United We Spy, check out my review here.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

anything by Jennifer Lynn Armentrout

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

“I learned that life is so, so fragile. I learned that you can know someone for just days and never forget the impression he left on you. I learned that art can be beautiful and sad at the same time. I learned that if someone loves you, he'll wait for you to love him back. I learned that how much you want something doesn't determine whether you get it or not, that "no" might not be enough, that life isn't fair, that my parents can't save me, that maybe no one can.” - Beth Revis, Shades of Earth

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest (not including novellas or graphic novels): The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (85 pages)
Shortest full-length non-children's book: Forever by Judy Blume (178 pages)
Longest: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (570 pages)

 17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Clockwork Princess. The whole thing. Can we just hug right now? I need a hug.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

OTP ships: Will-Tessa-Jem. Yes. I ship that. Epilogue was PERFECTION. Sydrian. Jack & Nikki.
Steamy romance: Cam and Avery from Wait for You (NA)
Cute romance: TIE: Levi & Cath from Fangirl AND Morgan & Basil from Perfect Ruin
Bromance: Ryan Dean West & Joey Cosentino from Winger
Femship: Gallagher girls (all of them) from Gallagher Girls series
The elusive guy/gal friendship: Roar & Aria from Under the Never Sky trilogy (part TTEN)
Familial: Grace, Greer & Gretchen from The Medusa Girls

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

I have several (surprise, surprise): Everbound by Brodi Ashton, United We Spy AND Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter, Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare, Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, Biggest Flirts AND Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg, The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa, Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano, Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi, Just One Day AND Just One Year by Gayle Forman, Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

I'm not going to lie. I read what I want with very little thought of recommendations made to me. I'm a jerk like that. I'm always recommending books to people, but I very rarely listen to their recs to me. Also, the fact that I have over 5,000 books on my Goodreads shelves means that I probably heard of that book before you did (I know that sounds snobby). HOWEVER, there is one book and one author who stand out in the category. That book is Winger by Andrew Smith, which was passionately advocated by Justin Chanda of Simon & Schuster when he passed me a copy at TLA. It was an AMAZING read (full review here), and I'm so glad he spoke so highly of it and encouraged me to read it. The author is Jennifer L. Armentrout, whose books dominate TTT and WoW posts as well as many comments on my blog. I finally caved to peer pressure, and I've enjoyed all her books I've read so far.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

I did't clock it exactly, but I'm guessing ya contemporary romance

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

TARVER FROM THESE BROKEN STARS
*grabby hands*

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

The Collector by Victoria Scott

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

TIE!

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

Winger by Andrew Smith

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

 Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young. I've seen a lot of lovely reviews for this book (which was AMAZING), but I didn't hear a huge uproarlike with some of the "bigger" releases.

Book Blogging / Reading Life 2013

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013? 

ALL of them. Seriously, before this year, I didn't spend much time reading book blogs. 

Some of my specific favorites include:

The Whimsical Mama

Beneath the Moon and Stars

Peace Love & Fangirl

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Crystal in Bookland

Pandora's Books

Ensconced in Lit

The Perpetual Page Turner

My Heart Hearts Books

Andi's ABCs

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013? 

Camp Boyfriend by J.K. Rock. Even though I didn't rate it 5 stars,  this book was (I'll admit it) suprisingly deep enough that it required a lot of thought for the review. I just had a lot to say about it, and I feel like I said it pretty dang well. I also really like my review of Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo because we still laugh about it on twitter, and I posted it months ago.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

It wasn't much of a discussion, exactly, but I'm really happy with my post about book piracy.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

Best discussion posts are always on The Perpetual Page Turner. Jamie's perspective on life and blogging is so interesting and relatable. Also, she always has really cute surveys and stuff. Like this one...

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

TLA 2013. Also going to grab dinner with Kasie West, Debra Driza, Shannon Messenger, Amy Tintera, and about 20 other bookish ladies (including YA authors Julie Murphy and Jenny Martin) after their SWEAT YA tour stop in town.

6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?

TLA 2013. Also, Julie Kagawa said she'd read my blog. And liked it. EEP!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Surprisingly, my Champion review and giveaway has the most views by a significant amount. My Allegiant giveaway only held the title for like a month, and I am super shocked by that. I honestly don't know about comments because I don't have an easy way to figure that out, and I'm too lazy to check each post individually. I'm assuming it's a Top Ten Tuesday or a Waiting on Wednesday because those typically get more comments than even my giveaways. O.o WHAT?!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Any non-meme, non-giveaway post. Meme posts get a lot of views and comments because of the view-for-view, comment-for-comment thing, and giveaways obviously get lots of both. Other posts (particularly reviews) are the ones I actually put more work into, and yet, they're always the ones that don't get a lot of view/comment love.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

 The fact that I can schedule my blog posts. I don't think I figured out how to do that until...May? So my 6 month mark. That's pretty embarrasing. I would seriously type furiously the night before or day of a post. Now I have days where I blog furiously and days where I can just chill so that's nice. Also glad I discovered the events at the Irving Public library. Kristin hosts AMAZING booknerdy events. I'm very grateful to have been adopted by the bookish people of DFW, and I love getting together with them all for cupcakes and panels and FLAMING Mexican food! Literally, the Mexican food is always on fire.

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Yes and no. I'm a member of the Young Adult Book Club on Goodreads, and I failed pretty spectacularly at the quarterly challenges. It's much harder to do those when I've got review books coming in. But my States & countries challenge is coming in nicely. The A-Z challenge doesn't look so good with only 3 weeks left, but I think I can maybe swing it, even if I have to slightly cheat and change my books. But I DID complete my 2013 Goodreads annual challenge. 150 seems to be the golden goal for me. I didn't destroy it as much as I did last year (but in 2012, I frequently read one book a day, and that just wasn't feasible this year), but I still hit it in September.

Looking Ahead...

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

The Elite by Kiera Cass and School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins. I was SO excited for them this year, but once I had them, I didn't pick them up. Derp.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Impossible to pick. Here are my lists for most-anticipated sequels and top ten 2014 reads (some of the same books are featured. Sorry, but I'm not sorry).

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY BY JULIE MURPHY. Julie is one of the local bookish gals, and I just adore her. I was also looking forward to TRACKED BY JENNY MARTIN, but due to some crazy publishing weirdness, it seems it will be released in 2015 instead. :(

 4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

Once again, please go here to my top ten reads of 2014. We'll call it an 8-way tie.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I'm going to have a whole list of bookish resolution in a few weeks for a TTT post, but as far as blogging goes, I hope to continue my review kick. In my early days, I only posted one review a month, which is pretty bad. Now, I have a pretty good weekly schedule with days set aside specifically for reviews, and I have a list of backlist books that can supplement all the new release review books so I think I'm doing okay. I also really want to redesign my blog, and make it shinier and prettier, but that's going to depend on some financial voodoo. We'll see how that goes. As for reading, I want to continue my audiobook rereading spree. It's amazing how much material I catch in my audiobook rereads that I missed when I initially read these books.

Waiting on Wednesday: Fire & Flood

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Fire & Flood

by Victoria Scott

Coming February 25, 2014

Scholastic Press

Summary:

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Why I want it:

Brag time: Tori lives in Dallas, like me, and I love her. I see her at events around town a lot, and she's SO much fun to be around. In addition, the Dante Walker series is a sharply written masterpiece. I was rolling on the floor (well, my bed) with laughter while simultaneously wanting to rip Dante's clothes off and slap his stupid (and stupidly handsome) face. I'm always drawn to authors who can evoke really strong emotions out of me, and Tori is most certainly one such author. Additionally, as part of the VMafia, Tori's street team, I've been posting Fire & Flood teasers for months, and I just want this book NOW, dangit! Each local book even I go to, Tori's there with some new tidbit from this book, and I am saturated with want. Oh, and one time I actually got to hold an ARC for all of 10 seconds, and I thought I would cry when I had to give it back.


Disclaimer due to confusion in the comments: I DO NOT OWN THIS ARC. I was allowed to take this picture (I didn't even get to look inside) before I had to, regrettably, give it back. Your congratulations are kindly misplaced, much to my chagrin. I KNEW I should have fleeced Tori for this copy! Or just quickly run out of Barnes & Noble with it in my hand. You don't think she would have called security on me, do you? Dangit. Totally should have tried....and then blamed it on Dante (see below).

Srsly, just long enough to take the picture

Why I think you should want it:

BECAUSE REASONS. Honestly, Tori's writing is full of wit and sass and snappy banter and sexy red-converse-wearing henchmen-to-the-devil, but it's so much more than that. Her characters have so much depth and vitality to them. I honestly feel like they're real people. Sometimes, when I feel like doing something not nice like yell at an internet troll or flip someone off on the interstate or punch someone in the face, I honestly feel like it's Dante encouraging me to do it. #Dantemademedoit should totally be a thing. But really, there's an amazing emotional range present for both the characters and the reader. I'll talk about it in my upcoming review, but Tori also includes so much pop culture in her books that I feel they would be well-deserving of a place in a time capsule meant for the preservation of our current society. Also, boys. Dante is HOT, and if what I'm hearing about Fire & Flood is true, the new boys are just as delicious. So there you have it: humor, feels, and boys. 

Do you seriously NEED another reason? Really?! Well, aren't we greedy today. Okay, okay. Go under the cut and enter my giveaway for some lovely prizes signed by Tori, and in the meantime, feel free to share your WoW links.


PS If you want to win a Fire & Flood arc, I'm afraid I don't have a copy of that. But Scholastic does! They're giving away TWENTY arcs on Goodreads! Contest is open through January 3.