Tag Archives: YA fiction

Untellable Book Reviews

Untellable by Suzanne LillyUntellable is on a book review tour this week, and I’m giving away any backlist book to a commenter.

This week is also my granddaughter’s birthday. If you mention her initials, CM, in a comment and you win, I’ll give you TWO books!

Here are the upcoming dates and venues.

May 13:  Reviewing Shelf
May 14:  Brenda Maxfield’s Blog
May 15:  Musings From An Addicted Reader
May 16:  Long and Short Reviews
May 17:  Books in the Hall

Untellable will continue on tour through June 10. Here are those stops.

May 20:  Book Bling Blog
May 27:  My Devotional Thoughts
May 27:  Review  All in One Place 
June 3:  Queen of All She Reads
June 10:  Cocktails and Books
June 10:  Review  Kaisy Daisy’s Corner

If you missed last week’s tour, and you want to comment to win a new book, here are the excerpt stops.

May 6:  Andi’s Young Adult Books
May 7:  Christine Young Romance Writer
May 8:  Tinasbookreviews
May 9:  Welcome to My World of Dreams 
May 10:  Lily Pond Reads

Happy reading!

About these ads

Top Ten Books Teens Want to Read in 2013

The Young Adult Library Services Association, YALSA for those who want the acronym, posted a video of the nominees for the top ten books of 2013. So far, I’ve read three of them and have five on my TBR list. However, after watching the video, my TBR list just grew. I’m set for the summer!

Enjoy the video showcasing the 28 nominees from the top notch books.

Not including the books I already own or have read, I’m intrigued by Crewel, 172 Hours on the Moon, Butter, Monument 14, and Son.

Which ones look the most interesting to you? You can add your two cents by voting at the YALSA Reads4Teens webpage between August 15 and September 15.

Book Tour for To Dance in Liradon, by Adrienne Clarke

To Dance in Liradon book coverI’m happy to host this stop on the blog tour for the YA fantasy novel, To Dance in Liradon, by Adrienne Clarke, published by Soul Mate Publishing. She’s a fellow member of YARWA, a writing group for authors in all genres of YA writing.

Book Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Brigid O’Flynn is an outcast. A chance encounter with the Faerie Queen left her tainted in the eyes of the villagers, who blame the Faerie for the village’s missing women and children. Desperate to win the village’s acceptance, Brigid agrees to marry her childhood friend: serious, hardworking, Connell Mackenna. But when Connell disappears before their wedding, Brigid’s hopes are shattered. Blamed for her fiancé’s death, Brigid fears she will suffer the same fate as the other village outcasts, the mysterious Willow Women. Lured into Faerie by their inhuman lovers, and cast out weak and broken, the Willow Women spend their lives searching for the way back into Faerie. When Connell suddenly reappears, Brigid is overjoyed, but everything is not as it seems. Consumed by his desire for beauty and celebration, Connell abandons his responsibilities, and Brigid soon finds herself drawn into a passionate, dangerous world of two.

When Brigid discovers the truth behind Connell’s transformation she’s forced to choose between two men and two worlds. Brigid’s struggle leads her into glittering, ruthless Faerie, where she must rescue her true love from a terrible sacrifice or lose him forever.

Book excerpt:

Connell was waiting for her when she arrived. He took her hand without speaking and led her into the forest. Once they were safely inside the trees’ protection, Connell removed something from the heavy cloth sack he wore around his waist tied with a silken cord. It was a harp, the most beautiful instrument Brigid had ever seen. The tuning pegs looked to be made of gold and the strings of pure silver. When Connell touched them with his fingers, the music made her want to weep and sleep and laugh, all at the same time. She reached out to touch it, but Connell snatched her hand away.

“Forgive me, my love, but I cannot let you have it. As pretty as it is, it would burn your delicate fingers.”

“Why should it burn me and not you?” She thought it would be worth the risk to run her hands along the deep U of the harp’s neck.

“‘Tis no ordinary harp. It will only endure the touch of its owner.”

“How did you come to have it?”

Connell brushed his fingers gently across the strings. “It was given to me as a gift.”

“By whom?” Brigid asked, bewildered. There was no one in the village save for the lord himself who could afford such an instrument.

Connell leaned towards her. “‘Tis a secret.”

“If I am to be your wife, there must be no secrets between us.”

Connell seized Brigid’s hands and pulled her towards him. “I am not myself,” he whispered in her ear.

Author Bio and Links:

I think I became a writer because the world inside my head was so real and vivid, sometimes more so than the outside world. In some sense I have lived parallel lives, present in my real and imaginary lives in different ways. Because much of my childhood was spent searching for faeries or reading about them, it is natural that my work encompasses fairy tale themes and other magical elements. In the words of Tennessee Williams, forget reality, give me magic!

Adrienne has previously published short stories in The Storyteller, Beginnings Magazine, New Plains Review, and in the e-zines A Fly in Amber, Grim Graffiti, Les Bonnes Fees, The Altruist, The Devilfish Review, and Rose Red Review. Her short story, Falling was awarded second place in the 2008 Alice Munro short fiction contest. To Dance in Liradon is her first published novel.

An avid reader of fairy tales and other magical stories, a thread of the mysterious or unexpected runs through all of her work. When she’s not writing Adrienne can be found searching for faeries along with her daughters Callista and Juliet.

Website: http://www.adrienneclarkewriter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ToDanceInLiradon

Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6436251.Adrienne_Clarke

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarkeadrienne

Buy Links:

(These links are provided to the author and do not result in commissions for this blog.)

Amazon: US: http://www.amazon.com/To-Dance-in-Liradon-ebook/dp/B009F94I3W/ref=la_B009HWWMT4_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349915685&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/To-Dance-in-Liradon-ebook/dp/B009F94I3W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1349972228&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-dance-in-liradon-adrienne-clarke/1112975145?ean=2940015710045

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/To-Dance-in-Liradon/book-J5YVsQBAyU26uuplRq4VrQ/page1.html?s=KS-iLsIhp0GoqVUvE-QpvA&r=1″

Cover Reveal for Untellable, My Newest Release

Tada! You’re one of the first to see the cover of my second novel, Untellable. It’s still YA, it’s still suspenseful, and it’s still set in the lovely town of Honey Creek.

Untellable by Suzanne Lilly

Aspen Dwyer, recently emancipated from foster care, is searching for a place to hide from a past with secrets too dark to share. Honey Creek, Ohio, presents itself as the best place to start a new life and stay undercover. There she meets Colton Moraine, a man with strong family ties and an even stronger sense of loyalty. His boisterous, loving family welcomes Aspen with warmth she hasn’t felt in years. She’s surprised at how quickly and deeply she falls for Colton. When a dangerous criminal comes to Honey Creek, intent on his revenge against her, Aspen must choose between two options. Should she stay and risk her life and the rejection of the people she’s grown to love? Or should she run again, and leave behind any chance of a happy future?

Untellable will be available in February 2013. You can read an excerpt on my Suzanne Lilly author website.

While you’re waiting for it to release, have you read my debut novel, Shades of the Future? Don’t miss out! Here’s what people are saying about it:

This is ultimately the coolest YA book I’ve ever read: You don’t have to be a teen to love this book! ~~~Long and Short of It Reviews

This is a charming YA book! The character of Mariah is someone you would love to hang out with–and the town of Honey Creek—let’s just say I would love to have grown up there! ~~~Judy Thomas, Amazon reviewer

If you’re a fan of YA that isn’t full of sparkling vampires, but instead addresses real issues for teens in a way that’s both touching and entertaining, I’d recommend Shades of the Future. ~~~It’s Raining Books

What Teens Really Want to Read

It’s not often I come across a post so insightful that I write another post about it. However, this morning I read a post by Elizabeth Langston, author of Whisper Falls,  talking about her first author’s event with a teen book club. After the reading, she chatted with the teens about what they look for in books.

Four main things I took away from her interview:

  1. Teens want more than just paranormal and Twilight knockoffs. They want books about all types of relationships.
  2. Teens want depth and complexity in the books they read. (This warms my heart, since I spend all day teaching kids to choose books with depth and complexity.) *sigh* I’m fanning my face right now. I love teens!
  3. Teens look to friends first for book recommendations. After that, they rely on librarians, parents, and online places such as Goodreads. (Are you reading this, all you politicos who suggest cuts to library services? Librarians are still KEY to getting teens to read. WE NEED LIBRARIANS.)
  4. The cover is everything when it comes to choosing a book.

What do you think? Do you have teens in your life who’ve shared some tips about what they like to read?

If you’d like to read more, check out Elizabeth Langston’s post Be Not Afraid.

More Hot August Shades of the Future Virtual Book Tour Stops

Twitter @suzannelilly
We’re still going strong on the virtual book tour for Shades of the Future. Yes, you can still win a new pair of designer sunglasses by leaving a comment on these blogs. I hope to see you at the blog stops!
  • Aug. 13 I’m starting off the fourth week of blog touring being interviewed by Tara Len Walker who asks some fun questions about my favorite things.
  • Aug. 14 What are five things you can do with a pencil? Think quickly, then compare your answers to mine at Lindsay’s Scribblings. She also asks a fun question about getting locked in a closet with Johnny Depp. *swoon*
  • Aug. 15 Today at Hope Dreams Life Love, I answer some questions about who I am as a writer.
  • Aug. 16 If you’re looking for a way to spend a day pampering yourself to the hilt, come by the Guilty Indulgence blog. I’ll show you how it’s done. Of course, if you have some fabulously indulgent ideas to share, I’d love to hear them!
  • Aug. 17 At Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem, I chat about the consequences of seeing into the future.
Want to see more? Just check out the video trailer for Shades of the Future.
Read some of the reviews at my Suzanne Lilly author website.
Try a sample of Shades of the Future, or get your own copy at these online locations.

Shades of the Future Review Week

If you’re still on the fence about buying this book, follow this week’s blog review tour, and maybe it will help change your mind. I won’t be commenting or posting at all. These are reviewers posting their thoughts about Shades of the Future.

  • July 30:  Long and Short Reviews: YA  On this site, Shades of the Future received a 5 star review and is nominated for the Book of the Month award. Get in on the action by stopping by the voting page on August 4th or 5th to cast your vote!  

LASR 5 Star review button

Don’t forget, the giveaway to a commenter this week is a pair of designer sunglasses from Shoebuy.com. Cathy C. Hall is the proud winner of the first round of the blog tours. Congratulations! You can follow Cathy on her blog or on Twitter as @cathychall.

Thanks for following my blog tour!

Watch the .