Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Deadly Little Voices

I'm thrilled to continue reading Laurie Stolarz's series with the latest novel Deadly Little Voices.

In case you haven't already snatched up your copy here's what's in store for this suspenseful series...

Camelia Hammond thought her powers of psychometry gave her only the ability to sense the future through touch. But now she has started to hear voices. Cruel voices. Berating her, telling her how ugly she is, that she has no talent, and that she'd be better off dead. Camelia is terrified for her mental stability, especially since her deranged aunt, who has a suicidal history, has just moved into the house. As if all of that weren't torturing enough, Camelia's ex-boyfriend, Ben, for whom she still harbors feelings and who has similar psychometric abilities, has started seeing someone else. Even her closest friends, Kimmie and Wes, are not sure how to handle her erratic behavior.

With the line between reality and dream consistently blurred, Camelia turns to pottery to get a grip on her emotions. She begins sculpting a figure skater, only to receive frightening premonitions that someone's in danger. But who is the intended victim? And how can Camelia help that person when she is on the brink of losing her own sanity?

Sounds soooo good!

Check out more about this chilling story on her website!

Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Project 17 and Bleed, as well as the highly popular young adult novels Blue Is for Nightmares, White Is for Magic, Silver Is for Secrets, and Red Is for Remembrance. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at lauriestolarz.com.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Holiday Cocoa

Hot chocolate is a great beverage at any time of year, but there’s something about wrapping presents that always makes me want to brew up a mug.


I often have the just-add-water packets in my cupboard, but I admit to having a serious weakness for the “made from scratch” version, or basically, brewed with milk (or half-and-half) and sugar and scoops of semi-sweet cocoa. From there, it’s anybody’s guess where we’ll go!

Marshmallows?

Whipped cream?

Peppermint stick?

Holiday sprinkles?

Cinnamon dusting?

How about you? Do you like a nice cup of hot chocolate at this time of year, too? And how do you like to serve yours?

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

December Baby :)

That's right, many moons ago I was born on a chilly evening a week before the Christmas holiday. Some people have asked me, "Doesn't it suck to have your birthday so close to Christmas?" Actually, it's never really bothered me!



It's always been fun to see the Christmas decorations and everyone getting ready for the holiday while I anticipated my birthday. It's like getting Christmas early, then a week later visiting all my family members and enjoying a great, big feast, with much gift giving!

But I don't know, some December babies may not enjoy having their birthday in December. I cannot speak for them. All I know is that it has always been pretty cool for me.

Any YA Freshers with December birthdays? Happy Birthday month to you, and Happy Holidays!

~Kelly

Monday, December 12, 2011

Our Winner!

The winner of one of my favorite holiday books, LET IT SNOW, is...

MEGAN!


So Megan, please contact me at admin@tinaferraro.com, and I'll get the book in the mail to you!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and keep checking back for our other frequent and awesome giveaways!

Monday, December 05, 2011

The LET IT SNOW Giveaway

I was buying a copy of LET IT SNOW by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle for a favorite teen recently, when I had the idea to grab a second copy for a YA Fresh holiday giveaway!


As some of you may remember, I fell like a ton of bricks for that book three Decembers ago (see that blog post HERE). It continues to be a favorite winter-themed book, one that I recommend to friends and readers all year long.

All you have to do to enter is jump down to the comments and tell us a favorite holiday book or movie. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced next Monday, December 12th. Best of luck!

Thursday, December 01, 2011

'Tis the Season...


Many packages under the Ferraro family Christmas tree contain books. Mostly with the words "From Tina/Mom" on their tags because the only thing I love as much as getting books is giving them. It's the time of year I splurge on hardcovers, coffee table books, cookbooks, boxed sets...whatever strikes me.

I have also been known to buy a book I am dying to read and wrap it with a simple "For Tina" on the card. Not that I am kidding anybody about who it is from, but hey, I have to make sure I get my fair share, too!

And each December, my thoughts inevitably drift back to the young mother I met at a holiday party who told me she was asking everyone to give her a book for Christmas--one they had read and felt she'd love--with an attached card saying exactly why they chose it. She felt it would give her personal one-on-one reading experiences with the people in her life, as well as quality breaks when her small children were asleep. I loved that idea then, and still love it today.

How about you? Is the holiday time a big book buying time for you, too? And any book in particular you are hoping to receive?