Tag Archives: YA literature

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.

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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.

Shades of the Future Blog Tour Tantalizing Day Ten!

On Enigmatic Day Eight, we chatted on the TeacherWriteBookaholic blog about how night dreams can affect our daily lives.

Today, July 27, I’m thrilled to be on The Daydreamer blog talking about what your daydreams can tell you about yourself. I daydream, and I’ve learned which ones to pay attention to and which ones are just for fun. Won’t you stop by The Daydreamer and share some of your ideas about dreams, daydreams, and seeing the future?

My Shades of the Future blog tour schedule has the latest and greatest information about stops and nifty prizes I’m giving away. Next week will be a review only tour, which means you won’t be hearing from me. Instead you’ll be reading what other people are saying about my debut novel.

Feel free to download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a different sample by email. Simply send a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Shades of the Future Blog Tour Notable Day Nine!

Today we’re going to lighten up and have some fun with an interview on the Aside from Writing blog. I’ll tell some little known facts about myself, including my favorite candy, my favorite social media, and the book I always wish I’d written. I hope you’ll stop by and share some of your favorites.

My Shades of the Future blog tour schedule has the latest and greatest information about stops and nifty prizes I’m giving away.

Feel free to download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a different sample by email. Simply send a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Shades of the Future Blog Tour Enigmatic Day Eight!

Our dreaming minds send messages to us. Sometimes our dreams can affect our moods and how we go about our days. Sometimes, as in the story I’ll tell you today, dreams become reality. Please stop by the TeacherWriteBookaholic blog and share your stories the intersections of dreams and waking life.

My Shades of the Future blog tour schedule has the latest and greatest information about stops and nifty prizes I’m giving away.

Feel free to download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a different sample by email. Simply send a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Shades of the Future Blog Tour Swim into Day Seven!

Dream Seekers Adventures blog is the sensational stop of the day, July 24!

Many young people don’t like reading. I know, right? How can that be? Today I’m chatting about how to get kids reading and how to get them to love it. I’m going to tell you about my Magic Bullet for creating readers. I hope you’ll come by and share any ideas you have.

My Shades of the Future blog tour schedule has the latest and greatest information about stops and nifty prizes I’m giving away.

Feel free to download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a different sample by email. Simply send a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Shades of the Future Blog Tour Sizzling Day Six!

We’re starting off the second week of blog touring with My Pathway to Books.

What was your first car, and whatever happened to it? I’m warning you right now, this post isn’t pretty. It isn’t about the cute little Volkswagen or sexy Camaro some of you might have driven as a first car. No, it’s quite hideous. I hope you’ll come by and share in the misery of my first car.

Feel free to download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a different sample by email. Simply send a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

My Shades of the Future blog tour schedule has the latest and greatest information about stops and nifty prizes I’m giving away.

I look forward to seeing you at My Pathway to Books!

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Blog Tour for Shades of the Future Day Five!

We’re concluding this first week of blog touring with the top down in the convertible cruising on over to Jo Ramsey’s blog. Jo is a chaptermate of mine from YARWA, (that’s Young Adult Romance Writers of America,) and is a prolific author.

Mariah Davis gains the ability to see the future with a pair of sunglasses she finds in the White Cottage Restaurant. Have you ever known about something before it happened? That’s the subject of the post today. What kinds of uncanny things have you encountered? Ghosts? Premonitions? Mental connections? I’m sharing and I hope you will too at Jo Ramsey’s blog.

Check my Shades of the Future blog tour schedule for the latest information about stops and prizes I’m giving away.

Don’t forget, you can download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a different sample excerpt by email by sending a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

Happy reading!

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Blog Tour for Shades of the Future Day Four!

My next stop, July 19, is with Selkie Reads Stories. I met the fabulous owner of this blog on Goodreads, and she’s interviewing my main character, Mariah Davis. It’s a fun and quirky interview with Mariah talking about nicknames, high school, and ninjas versus pirates.

You can download a sample of Shades of the Future.

You can also get a sample by email by sending a blank message to shades of the future {at} gmail {dot} com.

Check my Shades of the Future blog tour schedule for the latest information about stops and prizes I’m giving away.

I look forward to seeing you at the Selkie Reads Stories blog!

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.

Blog Tour for Shades of the Future Day Two!

Today I’m thrilled to be at the fabulous Doctor’s Notes blog. You’ll get to read and see pictures of my cute little granddog, a rescue pet.

Mariah Davis, the main character in Shades of the Future, works at Happy Paws Pet Rescue. In honor of that and of all the rescue pets I’ve owned over the years, I’m donating 10% of the royalties from this book to an animal rescue program.

I hope you’ll stop by Doctor’s Notes and share a bit about your pets, too.

Check my Shades of the Future blog tour schedule for the latest information about stops and prizes I’m giving away.

Purchase Shades of the Future at  Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Sony Nook, Smashwords for all digital formats including Apple.