Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

This weekend is one of favorites of the year, for in addition to honoring our veterans, it marks the official “kick-off” of summer. Family get-togethers, blockbuster movies, swimming, naps in a hammock, summer TV programs, bike rides, long walks...and of course, lots more time for reading... 

We offer up this patriotic themed cyber-dessert in celebration, and wish all of our readers and have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend. 

Audio Book Winner!

The winner of an audio book copy of FATED is...

JILL THE OWL!

So Jill, please e-mail me at admin@tinaferraro.com with your contact information, and we'll make sure the book finds it way to you!

Thanks to all who entered! 

Giveaway: Audio copy of FATED by Alyson Noel

Recently we offered up an audio clip "sneak peak" into the first book of Alyson Noel's latest YA series, FATED.

Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter's sanity, Daire's mother sends her to live with the grandmother she's never met, a woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are--the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker: one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and dead.
 

There, on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But its when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. And Daire is forced to discover whether Dace is the only guy shes meant to be with or if he's allied with the enemy shes destined to destroy. 

Now we're offering a giveaway of an audio copy of this book!  To enter simply tell us in our comments WHERE you most would like to listen to an audio book.  (On a school bus? In a hammock?? On a beach in Hawaii???)  The winner will be chosen at random next Thursday, May 24th.  Good luck!        

What's Fresh with Jessi Kirby's IN HONOR...

A devastating loss leads to an unexpected road trip in this novel from the author of Moonglass, whose voice Sarah Dessen says “is fresh and wise, all at once.” 

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it. 

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Hello Jessi, thanks so much for visiting YA Fresh! Please share with our readers at YA Fresh what your YA novel IN HONOR is about. 

Jessi: IN HONOR is the story of a letter, a mistaken last request, and the road trip those things lead to.


What was your first piece of creative writing ever (that you remember)?

 Jessi:It was a short story I called Journey to the Center of the Earth, about being in a drilling, space shuttle type thing with my friends. The only part I really remember is that while we were on our way to the center of the Earth, we did makeovers on each other.

When you need that extra push to stay on task, what motivates you the most? Jessi: Usually the deadline that’s looming in front of me.

 Which of your characters would make a great future president? Why?

 Jessi: I think Honor from IN HONOR would make a pretty good president. She’s fair and has a great sense of duty.

 On average, how long do you let a story idea marinate before you dive in and start building it? Jessi: It varies, but typically a few months. I do a lot of note taking and brainstorming until I feel like I have a decent idea of who the characters are.

Jessi Kirby is the author of Moonglass, published in May 2011 by Simon and Schuster. She is also a former English teacher and librarian, wife, mom, beach lover, runner, and lover of Contemporary YA, strong coffee, and dark chocolate. In that order. Visit her website, www.jessikirby.com

Welcome Shannon Greenland!

We are happy to welcome author Shannon Greenland today, to talk about her writing, and her brand new YA release, The Summer My Life Began.

Here's the blurb on the book:

Elizabeth Margaret--better known as Em--has always known what her life would contain: an internship at her father's firm, a degree from Harvard, and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is, it's not what she wants. So when she gets the opportunity to get away and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em learns that her family has some pretty significant secrets. And then there's Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can't resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels that for the first time ever, she is really living life on her own terms.

Hi, Shannon!  Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale? 

Shannon:  I started my writing career with romantic suspense. It was my critique partner that told me I had a young voice and should try YA. I made my first YA sale networking at a writer’s conference.

Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule. 

Shannon:  I’m up at 5 every morning. I write for an hour before I go to my day job, write during my lunch break, and tend to write about an hour at night, too. It all depends on deadlines, marketing, and publicity demands, too.

Please tell us about your novel, THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN, and what we can expect from your characters. 

Shannon:  It’s my first YA single title full of summer fun, a cute surfer boy, family secrets, a girl that breaks the mold, and did I mention cute surfer boy?

Haha, sounds great!  What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it. 

Shannon:  Of course I do! But mums the word or my agent will strangle me.

Would you like to close with a writing tip? 

Shannon:  Write what you want to write and eventually you will see your dreams to fruition.

Lovely!  Thanks so much for visiting with us, and we encourage all our readers to check out your books!  

Sneak Listen to Alyson's Noel's Newest Series!

We've got an audio clip of New York Times' bestselling author, Alyson Noel's, latest YA series, The Soul Seekers!  

The first book is called FATED, and here's the blurb:
 

Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughters sanity, Daires mother sends her to live with the grandmother shes never met, a woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are- the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker: one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and dead.
 

There, on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But its when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. And Daire is forced to discover whether Dace is the only guy shes meant to be withor if hes allied with the enemy shes destined to destroy.


FATED Intro



Enjoy this preview of the introduction, and be sure to check back next month when we'll be holding a giveaway of one audio copy to one lucky commenter!

Prom Dates To Die For Twitter Party!

Prom Dates To Die For Twitter Party hosted by Buzz Books!  And you're invited!

Join us tonight -- Sunday, May 6th from 8 - 9 pm CST -- and use the hashtag #promdates2d4 and join the authors of Prom Dates To Die For for a little party with playlists and treats!  


Hope to see you there!


~Kelly

Prom Dates to Die For

Happy release day to a new young adult anthology titled PROM DATES TO DIE FOR!

Hey Fresh friends! Five authors have shared entertaining tales of prom dates gone wrong with a paranormal twist. And I'm excited to have my story in this great collection!

  A Night They’ll Never Forget. Five young adult authors cordially invite readers to five proms with a paranormal twist: – In Kelly Parra’s “Darkness Becomes Him,” teen supernatural hunters are hired to save a prom date hungry for souls. – Heather Dearly introduces us to a young reaper haunted by a past she doesn’t remember in “The Bone Flower.” – A prom queen seeks justice and revenge in Lena Brown’s, “Every Breath You Take.” – Aaron Smith gives us a loner musician called to save his classmates from an enemy only he can see in “A Kiss at the Threshold.” – Jenny Peterson’s heroine gets much more than she wished for on her prom night and 18th birthday in “Tonight, You’re Mine.” Frightful, fun and unforgettable.


Read what others are saying about PROM DATES TO DIE FOR:


“Prom Dates to Die For is like eating pistachios. One story isn’t enough. Dark humor and compelling story lines make this a delicious read.”

~Jordan Dane – Award-winning, Critically Acclaimed Author of THE HUNTED YA series with Harlequin Teen


“Prom Dates to Die For is a deliciously dark collection of prom-gone-wrong stories guaranteed to keep you curled up on the couch until you reach the end.”

~ Amanda Ashby, author of Zombie Queen of Newbury High and Fairy Bad Day

“Prom as you’ve never imagined it, with five talented authors unleashing their paranormal best in this memorable, page-turning anthology. Appearances by a dark angel, a ghost, a soul stealer, a demon hunter and a time portal help make Prom Dates to Die For a guaranteed pleaser for young adults and adult readers alike!”

~ Tina Ferraro, author of Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress and The ABC's of Kissing Boys

I hope you'll check out this fun YA anthology! PROM DATES TO DIE FOR is available in print or ebook.  If you are in the OKC  metro area, check out the book signing details here. Also, I'll be reminding you of a Twitter party event this Sunday for your chance win some goodies and chat with authors. Fun, fun, fun!

Happy reading!

Marley Gibson talks about RADIATE!

We welcome YA author Marley Gibson back to YA Fresh today to talk about her newest release, RADIATE.  

Hi, Marley!  Tell us about your book in ten words or less.

Marley: RADIATE is a story of how cheerleading saved my life.
  
Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

Marley: In RADIATE, I really love the relationship between Hayley and her mom, Nan. She’s a very strong woman who just wants to protect her child and she’s struggling because a disease that attacks you randomly isn’t something you can prepare for as a parent. I love the way she stands up to the doctors and is always telling Hayley to look at the bright side. I loved writing her because I’m the age now that my mother was when I went through my cancer...so I’m writing a bit about my mom, but also about how I might handle it at this age now if one of my step-kids had to go through something like this.
  
Tell us something fun about RADIATE. It can be a character detail, something that inspired the story, or a behind the scenes story from the writing process.

Marley: Well, the whole book, RADIATE, was inspired by the cancer that I went through in 1983 as a teenage cheerleader. So many times you read YA books about cancer or other serious diseases and they’re so depressing. I wanted to show that even though Hayley had this tumor and had to go through hospitalization, surgery, chemo, and radiation, she was still herself. She still had her number one goal of putting on her cheerleading uniform and getting on that football field to cheer. There’s a scene in RADIATE where all of the football players shave their heads at the pep rally because they think it’s going to make them tough for the season. That actually happened at my school--although not at a pep rally. Just one day, all the football players came to school with boot camp haircuts. Funny thing is...when my hair fell out, most of the competing schools just thought that I had that much school spirit and shaved my head too. LOL! I hope that these scenes in the book are very vivid and emotional, putting the readers right there into the action of what it was like for Hayley to make the varsity cheerleading squad and keep her spot.  

What is a favorite comment you've ever received from a fan?

Marley: Wow…I’ve had so much amazing fan mail...it really humbles me and blows me away. I think any time a fan writes to say that reading one of my books inspired them to write, I’m like, "Wow, that’s pretty cool." I did have one fan, an older man in his 50's, write to tell me that he knew he wasn’t my target audience, but he read RADIATE. When he was in college, he dated a girl who came down with cancer and they lost touch. He said that reading my book helped him reconnect in his mind with what she might have been going through and how her life changed overnight with her diagnosis. It helped him reconnect with her eventually, which was really cool.  

That's terrific. What are you working on now?

Marley: I’m working on a bunch of stuff! Aren’t all writers? LOL! I’m working on a proposal right now that also incorporates cheerleading and a new take on it. I’ve also got another contemporary romance coming out soon called CAN’T FIGHT THIS. And, hopefully this summer, the sixth GHOST HUNTRESS book will hit Kindles and Nooks everywhere. Thanks so much for having me!! = )

Wonderful, Marley, and thank YOU for spending some time with us and telling us about RADIATE. The book sounds amazing and inspiring, and one I'm not going to be able to put down!

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Earlier this year, we ran a blog post here, encouraging our readers to mention YA books they wanted to read. I named The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Jones, and I am here to report on it.

Here's the cover blurb:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Okay, I wholeheartedly recommend this book! I read it in one day, cover-to-cover, pushing real-life obligations away because I simply couldn't put it down. The storyline is easy to follow, but it's the sharp, crisp writing and the characters-who-jump-off-the-page that breathe such life into it.

And not that I think the author intended this, but I kept seeing a younger version of Hugh Grant in Oliver's role, which really, really worked for me!

So how about anybody else? Read any really good YA books lately?