Waiting on Wednesday: Sophie Jordan double feature!

I missed last week's WoW due to a nasty case of the flu so today, I'm doubling up on one of my favorite authors who has two awesome books I can't wait to read!

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

Unleashed
Uninvited #2

by Sophie Jordan

Coming February 24, 2015

Harper Teen

Summary:

What if the worst thing you ever did was unforgivable?

Davy’s world fell apart after she tested positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome. She was expelled from her school, dumped by her boyfriend, abandoned by friends, and shipped off to a camp that turns HTS carriers into soldiers. Davy may have escaped, but the damage has already been done. The unthinkable has happened. Now, even worse than having everyone else see her as a monster is the knowledge that they may have been right about her all along. Because Davy has killed.

On the run from government agents, Davy is rescued by Caden, the charismatic leader of an underground group of rebels. Despite Caden’s assurances that the Resistance is made up of carriers like her, Davy isn’t sure she can trust them. Then again, she doesn’t even know if she can trust herself . . . or her growing feelings for Caden. But if she doesn’t belong with Caden and his followers, is there anywhere she can call home?

Why I want it:

I loved how unique Sophie's concept is, and her execution is even better! As this was my first Sophie Jordan novel, I had no expectations going in. With Uneashed, I definitely have expectations, but I also know that Sophie can deliver! Plus, since Sophie's a Texas author, I've had the opportunity to really get to know her this year at a variety of different events. She's a great author and has also become a good friend.

Why I think you should want it:

I think the summary of Unleashed is misleading because it completely ignores Sean. Sean, who spent all of February starring in my dreams.... Oh, right, this is supposed to be why YOU should want to read Unleashed. Well, Sean. Sean's abs (which are supposed to be on prominent display for the first 30 or so pages of Unleashed). Also Davy who, despite being kinda spoiled at the beginning and kinda clueless sometimes and a piano prodigy and oh, yeah, might have a killing gene and all that, is extremely relatable. She's someone I sympathize AND empathize with, which is important at least to me. Combine the very well-rounded and dynamic characters with Sophie's flair for storytelling, a unique premise, and a solid world full of real details that keep everything grounded, and you've got a great book. Can't wait!

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Wild
Ivy Chronicles #3

by Sophie Jordan

Coming November 18, 2014

William Morrow

Summary:

A good girl goes fabulously bad in the final book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s sexy New Adult romance series, in which three Ivy League suite-mates seek higher knowledge of just how far they can go.

Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of sexual adventure at the secret campus kink club?

In the shadowy den of the kink club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to sexual experience. Now he’s telling her to go home—“good girls” don’t belong here!

Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget—one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss . . . that leads to another . . . and another . . . and. . . . Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs.

Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other.

Why I want it:

I also want Wild for the same reasons I want Unleashed; Sophie's talented and a friend. However, I also want Wild because she drove me wild with Foreplay and Tease. I'm in my 20s, and while I love ya and will always read it, sometimes I also want characters who are dealing with adult things like I am. I may not be in college anymore, but I still strongly identify with the struggles that Pepper, Hunter, Reece, Emerson, Shaw, Georgia, and Logan are dealing with. I'm particularly excited about Wild because I'm still dealing with a bad previous break-up, and I think I'm really going to relate to Georgia's story.

Why I think you should want it:

I haven't read any of Sophie's straight-up romance novels, but I can tell she's good. Really good. Passion is at the heart of the Ivy Chronicles with a huge helping of sexual tension on the side. Sophie is great at demonstrating beautiful moments of both physical and emotional intimacy, and even the scenes that aren't, um, direct portrayals of smexy times are sexy, sweet, steamy and everything in between. When even Hunter's novella "Crash" (part of the Fifty First Times anthology) makes me crave more of this series, I know I'm hooked. The Ivy Chronicles is a series with something for everyone, and I really think Wild is going to be the best yet!

Will you be reading either Unleashed or Wild? Share your thoughts and your picks for today's WoW in the comments!

 

Cover Reveal: Unleashed by Sophie Jordan

You guys. I am SO HAPPY to help my good friend Sophie Jordan reveal the cover of Unleashed, which is the highly-anticipated sequel to the AH-MAZING Uninvited. Uninvited is one of my top reads for the year so far, and I can't wait to see what happens next! Also, Sean shirtless. Sophie has promised me that Sean is shirtless for a significant portion of Unleashed (or at least the beginning), and I greatly look forward to that beautiful imaginary sight! :D And now, the moment you've all been waiting for:

Unleashed

Uninvited #2
by Sophie Jordan

February 24, 2015

Harper Teen

 

Summary:

What if the worst thing you ever did was unforgivable?

Davy’s world fell apart after she tested positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome. She was expelled from her school, dumped by her boyfriend, abandoned by friends, and shipped off to a camp that turns HTS carriers into soldiers. Davy may have escaped, but the damage has already been done. The unthinkable has happened. Now, even worse than having everyone else see her as a monster is the knowledge that they may have been right about her all along. Because Davy has killed.

On the run from government agents, Davy is rescued by Caden, the charismatic leader of an underground group of rebels. Despite Caden’s assurances that the Resistance is made up of carriers like her, Davy isn’t sure she can trust them. Then again, she doesn’t even know if she can trust herself . . . or her growing feelings for Caden. But if she doesn’t belong with Caden and his followers, is there anywhere she can call home?

Teaser:

I thought being labeled a killer and losing everything—my future, family, boyfriend, friends—was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. It’s not. Finding out they were right. Finding out that’s exactly what I am?

That’s worse.

Pre-Order Links:

 

This cover is so perfect! I loved Uninvited, and I really can't wait until Unleashed is finally in my hands. What do you think? Leave your comments on the cover and the series below!

Davy's story starts by being Uninvited!

Pub Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: young adult paranormal (gargoyles & demons!) romance

Summary: The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

Available from:

   

About the Author

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

Author Links:

  

Dark Days of Winter 2014 Recap

Last fall, Aubry and Margot announced the Dark Days of Winter tour on a special Epic Reads Tea Time, and I was like, "Tennessee, huh? Time to visit the fam!" For the rest of the fall and winter, I planned and saved to get ready for my trip. On February 20, around 7 am, my sister, 4 month old niece, and I climbed into my car and began our 10 hour (not including stops, which were frequent because, hello, infant!) trek back to the homeland. Oh, and by the way, this happened:

For some context, this radar shot is from about 9:40 PM. The event started at...6:30? I think? That line of storms basically just sat around during the entire event, which was at the B&N just south of Nashville proper in Brentwood. The storms were so bad that the B&N employees asked us to stay inside. There was thunder. There was lightning. There were tornado watches. Kiersten joked that it was an ether storm, courtesy of Veronica.

This event will stand as one of my favorites because there were a lot of authors in the house, even more than the four actually on tour. I got to meet some of my favorites, and that just made my whole trip awesome! Although I wish I'd known in advance that they were coming because I totally own some of their books!

Left to right: Beth Revis, Victoria Schwab, Courtney C. Stevens, Ransom Riggs, me, Stephanie Perkins! Side note: Beth, Victoria, and Stephanie were kind enough to sign some extra books for me so...yeah. ;)

I was also really glad to see my college friend Aleesha at the event and blogger friend Jessica of Lovin' Los Libros. I may be a Texan now, but that doesn't mean that going back to Tennessee doesn't feel like coming home. <3

me with Jessica

Q1. All your books feature very strong heroines. Were you inspired by any other strong literary heroinces/
Sophie Jordan (SJ): There are soooo many in fiction. Anne of Green Gables. Also just what is fascinating, taking a character who is weak, put her through a difficult situation. She will gain strength and courage throughout.
Tahereh Mafi (TM): Matilda is my favorite heroine in fiction. She is one of the fiercest heroines, and she chose books over everything. I really admired her for her great inner strength.
Veronica Rossi (VR): Hermione. You can't get too much better than her, although I didn't actively model Aria after any character or even a real person.
Kiersten White (KW): I used to read a lot of high fantasy when I was younger, and it's always a lot of guys with powers saving the world with lots of girls who are their love interests. When I read the Wheel of Time series with not one, not two, but three love interests, I thought no. We need more strong girls. Boys are great; they make excellent kissing scene partners. I didnt have it growing up. My girls are not necessarily the strongest, but they do the best with what they have.

Veronica & Tahereh

Q2. Pantsers or plotters?
SJ: I have to sit down and plot to answer those questions. I think about things, make it plausible. I create a map and then don't always follow it at all.
TM: There's no one right way to write a book. One author may do it differently for each book. I say if you've got a finished book, you're doing it right. I like the first book to be organic. Then I'll have a loose outline. It changes book to book. I like that writing is a pants-optional lifestyle.
VR: I agree with that. The middle book is very different from the first or the last. Also, each genre may be different. I just wrote a manuscript which is 350 pages with little plot.
KW: I hate wearing pants... It varies book by book. Some I outline; some I didn't know I was going to write until I sat down to write it.

Q3. Do you feel self-conscious when writing? How do you break through when you don't feel good about what you're writing?
SJ: I can't call my mom because she tells me that's just stupid. So I tell my writer friends, and my husband asks who he needs to throat punch. I let it come in the first draft; I don't judge myself. I know it'll come with editing.
TM: Writers are so so weird, which is why this is fun. I have some days when I'm writing, and I'm in it, in the zone–Auto Zone–and then I go to bed and wake up and I'm like, "that was terrible! What am I doimg?!" In the span of twelve hours, I think I am a genius/I am the worst! There's no solution. It helps to talk about it. Ransom and my mom, anyone who will listen. The worst is when they agree with you, say, "you bring up a good point," and I'm like, "no stop! All I need is for you to agree with me!"
VR: Finding people who understand is key, but for me, it's a question whether I need to step away for a little bit. When you have those little crises, it's a fear thing. I like to go on a binge of things I find inspiring. We have such a great community, so many people you can lean on.
KW: I don't have that option. It's good to have author friends because they understand. Normal people don't understand like accountants...
[they asked their writer friends in the audience to share their thoughts, and this was the best answer]
Beth Revis: VODKA

Q4. Veronica and Tahereh, where are your books set in the modern world?
TM: I purposely did not want to clarify; I wanted it to feel like anywhere. But it was always in my mind as southern California.
VR: I also deliberately didn't say where, but I did a lot of research in central California.

Kiersten & Sophie

Q5. What was your favorite book to write?
KW: Mind Games. It was wonderful and obsessive and I totally lost myself to it. I wrote it in nine days and spent time editing it. Meanwhile The Chaos of Stars took a year and a half. It was the one that was least fun to write but means the most to me.
SJ: Firelight is special because it was my first ya. Now it is Uninvited because it's done. It's the near future, where I grew up, modeled after my school campus. There was a cage at my school that was the on-campus suspension room.
VR: It's not the one I finished, but the one I'm working on now because I'm so excited about it.
TM: Veronica and I are always seated next to each other because we're in love. We're getting married. Our husbands are attending. My answer is the same. I can't talk about what I'm working on now, but it is the best thing I've ever written.

Q6. If you could live in any book world, what would it be?
SJ: I don't know!
VR: Harry Potter.
KW: Harry Potter.
Audience member: Even if you were a Muggle?
KW: Of course I wouldnt be a Muggle!
TM: How dare you! I agree, but I'd also live in Stars Hollow with Lorelei and Rory Gilmore.

 ALL the authors!

Q7. What are your best tricks for getting past writers' block?
SJ: I skipped to a scene I was really excited about, and then I wrote the whole book out of sequence. Some people can do that; that's their process.
KW: have you ever heard of accountants block or plumbers block? Well, no, I did know of a plumber with plumbers block. I know what I need to do, but I'd rather watch 4seasons of dr. Who. Writers block happens when im writing the wrong story or I'm forcing the characters to do something they shouldnt. I messed something up. Getting started is the hardest part.
TM: I agree. That was beautiful. I have nothing to add.
VR: Yep. I agree.
KW: I wrote the hottest scene in book [Annie & ____ in Perfect Lies] for Stephanie Perkims and then knew I would have to format book to keep that scene. Sorry, I answered twice. That was so rude!

Q8. Where do you find your inspiration?
SJ: It's the little things that have happened in the course of our lives. The cage from my school stayed with me and when I needed it, I could pull it.
TM: I would just say writers are thieves. We steal anything from anyone and everyone. We are inspired from totally random things. When I'm thinking about a book, I put on headphones and go on tumblr and infinite scroll. So much talent. That's when I can't leave my house. I dive into a story. I surround myself with art and literature. If I can leave, I'll go on an adventure. You need input for output.
VR: There was an art teacher who looked down on a boy for creating a painting in four hours, but it didn't just take four hours. It really took nineteen years. You are culmination of your experience. It's hard for me to say this one particular thing is so inspiring.
KW: I draw my inspiration from Tahereh's life. People are so fascinating. I also get inspiration from consuming other forms of entertainment. Movies, music, travel to other landscapes.

Kiersten & Sophie, two of my favorites to hang out with

Q9. Do you get emotional while writing? How do you cope?
SJ: It's okay to cry. Better to be emotional because you want to evoke emotion in the reader.
TM: I write my books in bursts. When I am writing a character, I need to throw muself into their life, their emotions. I feel like I have a fever, hot, dizzy confused. I feel very deeply. If I can't feel it, you can't.
VR: I think I write for that reason. Otherwise it's boring. Who wants to read a book that doesn't illicit emotion?
KW: I have no emotions. I'm a robot.

Q10. Was it daunting to go into the last book of a series?
SJ: I thought knew how Firelight would end, but I wrote the ending, then wrote another. I had two equally viable endings. I wanted a chose your own ending, but my editor said no, I had to pick.
TM: I felt true fear when writing the third book because the third book is one big decision: choosing between this person or that person. She chooses to be awesome, I do whatever the hell I want. That was what I wanted to come across more than anything else. But yes, lots of threats. Emails and tweets. You guys have a lot of feelings! There's no way to satisfy everyone. Once you understand that, you have to go with your gut!
VR: I had more fear with the second book. We're usually writing a year behind. There was a whole host of things I was getting feedback on. By the time the third one rolled around, I found my true north again. I know what I want to do. I want my fans, my editor, my agent to be happy.
KW: Someone wrote a new last chapter to Endlessly. They changed everything. I found this amuaing, but I like how I ended it. It's an emotionally honest ending; there is a catharsis whether or not it ends how you wanted it to end. Young adult is about letting your characters grow through horrible experiences and leaving them at the gates of adulthod.

This is serious deja vu. I've seen Tahereh and Veronica on three Dark Days tours, Tahereh once at the Irving Library, Sophie about four times this year, and Kiersten at two different TLA conferences plust this tour. These ladies are awesome, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see them so much. Let's do it again! (actually, we ARE doing it again. Veronica will be in Dallas in July and Sophie in October)

I already posted my recap for the 2014 Dark Days of Summer tour, and to celebrate all the Dark Days-ness going on, I'm holding a giveaway! Two winners will be chosen, and each will win a set of four signed books with each set representing either the summer or winter tour. First place will get to choose which set they want, and second place will receive the other. This giveaway is US only.

Winter prize pack: signed copies of Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, Kiersten White's Perfect Lies, Veronica Rossi's Into the Still Blue, and Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me

Summer prize pack: signed copies of Kelley Armstrong's Sea of Shadows, Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die, Kimberly Derting's The Taking, and Kiera Cass's The One

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Top Ten Tuesday #44: Characters Who Are Musically Inclined

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 Musically Inclined Characters

Originally I thought I might go with characters I'd want as my best friend or my favorite book boyfriends, but I had to show SOME self control here. If I did book boyfriends, there's zero way I could limit myself to fifty, let alone try to cut it to ten. So instead, I was inspired to do a list full of characters who display some amount of musical talent, whether they sing or play an instrument. I did limit to those who can play and perform, not just music lovers or I'd want to include way more than the, erm, 23 characters who did make this list. Oops.

1.Drew & Virginia, Major Crush by Jennifer Echols. These two are, by far, my favorites on this list. Virginia is a saucy beauty queen majorette turned little drummer girl turned drum major. Then there's beautiful Drew, who is a goofy trombone boy who grows up and also becomes drum major. These two are enormously talented, and their chemistry is palpable. Sure, they don't pick up instruments for the majority of the book because they're busy directing the band (sometimes successfuly and sometimes not so much), but it's their passion for band and music that keeps them working hard at what they do and also keeps them together.

2. Davy, Uninvited by Sophie Jordan. Davy also doesn't spend much time at the keys of a keyboard in Uninvited so I hope she does get a chance to do so in Unleashed a little bit, but Davy's extraordinary talent helps to round out her character and gives one more piece of evidence that the HTC gene doesn't always prove a reliable judge of a person.

3. Jem, The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. Um, duh. Jem's music is an intrinsic part of himself. The scenes when he plays are so absurdly gorgeous; the writing is so descriptive that the words float off the page like sound. Also, Jem's playing led to so many lovely moments between Tessa and himself such as their introduction and, um, some other pretty great scenes. ;)

4. Bailey & Sam, Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols. I'm enormously jealous of Bailey's pitch perfect talent. I have decent pitch, but hers is literally perfect. I like that Bailey doesn't give up on music even though her parents forbid it. Once again, like with Will and Virginia in Major Crush, Jennifer uses her characters' passion for music as the catalyst for their relationship. Bailey and Sam spend much of DLS fighting about this and that, but it's their talent and their spark, their mutual respect and dedication to music that keeps them together.

5. Edward, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Say what you want about Twilight, but when you have lived over 100 years, you probably will find a hobby or two to be brilliant at. Edward is a phenomenal pianist, and I love the scenes when he plays. It shows a more human side to him. He's calmer when he plays. He also uses his talent to prove to his family how much he loves them, which I can respect.

6. Dee and Matt, Open Road Summer by Emery Lord. Man, I loved this book! I'll be posting a review soon, but I think Emery NAILED the songs in book. I often think that authors who write out lyrics use cheesy rhymes and cheap clichés, but Emery's lyrics for Dee and Matt both are meaningful. Dee shines as a rising star who uses her long-term relationship and devastating breakup as inspiration for a raw and relatable album while Matt is a former child star struggling to make sense of a very personal loss. Both of these characters use their music to guide them through their losses and realize the beauty of the lives they have. If you're wondering why I wrote out 'and' instead of using an ampersand, it's because these two are not romantically involved.

7. Tia & Will, Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols. Yep. As a former band girl, Jennifer earns three spots on this list. She just gets it. Tia and Will are a hot mess together, and the only time they're being true to themselves is when they're on the field. Tia is a major slacker who shines on the field while Will is an upstanding All-American Boy who also shines on the field, but after he moves to Florida, he allows himself to loosen up a bit. They're a good match. They make each other more complete.

8. Mik, Daughter of Smoke & Bone series by Laini Taylor. Sure, Mik isn't one of the primary players in the DoSaB series, but he and Zuzana provide much-needed comic relief and as well as a "normal" healthy human relationship, arguments and silliness and sweetness and love included. Mik's talent not only brought him to Zuz, but it also helps him interact with the chimaera. In Days of Blood & Starlight, Mik's violin playing helps him to entwine with the monster society in the sand castle (for the life of me, I can't remember the official term!) because his music transcends language. Once the chimaera escape back to Eretz, it's Mik's playing and his and Zuzana's presence overall that helps ease the tension between the monsters and the angels.

9. Lizzie, Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg. Lizzie's piano playing again is the catalyst for much of the book. Without her talent, Lizzie never would have attended

Longbourn; ergo, no piano, no book. And, like many books listed above, the music also helps intensify the connection between love interests. Will helps Lizzie get tickets to see his mother play and arranges a meeting between the two because he knows it will make her happy, even though he hides the fact that he's the one helping her. When Lizzie finds out, she realizes that what he did was for her, and it helps them grow closer. Awwww, squishy feelings!!

10. Destiny, Michael, & Isaac, Destiny by Cindy Ray Hale. I think it's really cool that Cindy includes male characters who aren't ashamed of their vocal talents. Too many people in our society consider arts education "unmanly" and a lot of fictional characters reflect that unfortunate sentiment. I like that the characters in the Destiny trilogy not only share their musical talent frequently, but they work hard to improve as well! Once again, the music is used as a plot device as the characters imitate what they're singing (Les Mis, but there isn't an actual revolution with guns and death and stuff in Destiny).

11.  Emme, Ethan, Sophie, Ben and Jack, Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg. I enjoyed Take a Bow, but I admit it's the Eulberg novel I remember the least. Still, this is the book that most exhibits Elizabeth's love for music, and I wanted to include it. This group attends a private school for the arts in New York, and music drives both the plot and the characters. Music is who they are. Elizabeth recently released an epilogue from ten years after the book, and it's so interesting to see how music continued to shape these characters after The End.

12. Mia & Adam, If I Stay by Gayle Forman. *sobs incontrollably* It's hard to talk about this book without getting really emotional so I'll just say that music is really important to this book and to Mia and Adam. There is one scene in particular between these two that is so beautifully written that I just can't even handle it.

 I personally love how I rarely can narrow my picks down to just ten, and even with cheating a lot and grouping musically minded characters from the same book, I couldn't even limit myself. You know you love it too. Do you have any favorite musical characters that I left off the list? Share your thoughts and your TTT lists in the comments!