Pink Fire Pointer April 2013

Signed Book Giveaway Hop


I'm so happy that Kathy has a signed book giveaway hop, because I collect signed books and if you have visited my blog before then you know that most of my giveaways are signed books. So I searched and searched for the perfect book and I decided on Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers. I have met Lisa a few times and last year I picked up an extra copy of Personal Demons to giveaway on my blog. So today is that day! All entries must be via rafflecopter form.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Cover Reveal, Interview and Giveaway: Everything Breaks

I'm excited to welcome children's author Vicki Grove! Vicki has a new book coming out this Fall and today she's here to talk a little about EVERYTHING BREAKS and to share the cover. Vicki's publisher Penguin is also giving away a copy of EVERYTHING BREAKS to one lucky reader!


What was the initial inspiration for the novel?

The initial inspiration for Everything Breaks was a horrific memory from high school~ three boys, on prom night, drank a few beers then missed a switchback curve on a high bluff road. They were driving what has always been pretty much my fantasy car, a 1967 cherry red Mustang convertible. I picture that moment when the car was like a bright flying fish against the twilit sky, then it crashed and burned on the beach below. Most of my books, maybe all of them, have begun with a resonant memory that I wanted to plumb. I just finished reading a novel about a marine biologist, and in the afterward the author confessed that she felt justified in making up some of the weird fish the biologist came upon because "many real fish are stranger than any I could create." That's how I feel about book ideas. Real life events, the ones that linger in memory, seem to me to often be far stranger and more mysterious than anything I could come up with using sheer imagination.


What would I tell readers about the book?

Well, this book is a departure for me, in that it's supernatural and my other books have been realistic, though the last one, a Medieval murder mystery, had supernatural touches. I would rather very young readers didn't touch this book. Fifth graders are too young, in my thinking, because not only is it loaded with some of the grittier ideas from Greek mythology but it also deals with some of the toughest issues of the present. I do think Tucker, the sole survivor of the crash in the first part of the book, goes through something like the Orpheus myth, in that he enters the Underworld to try and bring back his friends, or at least to ask them questions he can't stand not to have answered. But then he must figure out how to reach the light again himself if he wants to survive his own pain, grief, and guilt. I have to say, I lost both of my parents within a few months of each other a couple of years ago, and I was taking my own trip along with Tucker as I wrote, wishing questions I had for both my parents had been answered, trying to figure out what remained of them that I could still absorb into my life and have. I cried a lot while I wrote this book. My editor said she cried when she read it.

How do you feel about the cover?

I like the cover of Everything Breaks a lot, partly because the trees resemble the ones that canopy the gravel road leading to my house, here deep in the Missouri Ozarks. And partly because the dog, though a monster, has a doggish look, especially his raised paw. He could almost be my dog, Imogene. Except that Imogene's a typical creek hound, and the dog on the cover is actually Cerberus the Guardian of the Underworld. I think the cover is spooky, and I like that it expresses the moment when everything could have come out differently for the boys in the car behind those high-beam headlights. When things break, they often break very, very fast. In an instant a fantasy car can become a great flying fish, curved upward for an instant before heading straight down to fiery oblivion. Yeowww. That sounded pretty grim, huh? The book is scary, I think, but not that grim.


I adore your last question, Cari. What is the best part of sharing a new book with the world?

I've been a freelancer for nearly thirty years, and I can never get through my head that someone might actually do me the honor of taking a book of mine into her hands, cracking open the spine, and reading a story that came from my heart and experience, as all my stories seem to do, since I write pretty close to the bone. In this book, a character based on my dad, Tucker's step-grandfather, starts telling him stories, and in some ways those stories keep Tucker sane. I think stories do keep you sane. Your description of yourself on your blog says something like you're just trying to juggle life, books, and blogging. I laughed out loud at that~ so true! All us bookies are friends at heart, I think, valuing the same basic things, learning our lessons more through fiction than through that strange trickster, reality. Sharing a new book is like renewing a bond, keeping close to the good fight that readers and librarians are engaging in daily. Here's to us! all good wishes, and thanks for having me! Vicki



Synopsis:
Tucker was supposed to be the designated driver. But there was something about the beauty of that last true summer night, that made him want to feel out-of-control just once. He drank so much and so quickly that he was instantly sick. That left Trey to drive. "I'll catch up to you later," were the last words Tucker would ever say to his friends as he heaved by the side of the road. It was the last time Tucker would ever see them alive.

Tucker’s grief and guilt are just about unbearable and he wonders how he can continue living himself. When he meets the Ferryman who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers that divide the world of the living from the world of the dead, Tucker gets a chance to decide: live or die. The temptation to join his three best friends on the other side may be too much for Tucker to overcome. A gripping, haunting and emotional read.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



To learn more about Vicki visit her online at: http://vickigrove.com/

TLA Meetup 2013

Wow I can't believe it's time for TLA! Jen from I Read Banned Books, Kate from Ex Libris Kate, Stephanie Pellegrin, and I are so excited to not only attend TLA but get everyone together.

Come hang out at Jake's Burgers on 515 Main St on Thursday, April 25th, 8pm! Map and menu here. This is an all-ages venue, but full bar. We'll be taking up the entire upstairs so there is room to eat, drink, and mingle.

This is open for everyone: Readers, Writers, Bloggers, Authors, Publishers, friends, family, and cute single guys. Ok maybe I'm just asking for that last one!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi

I'm so excited to help Texas author, Mari Mancusi with the cover reveal for her new book SCORCHED! SCORCHED is published by Source Books; who, in my opinion, has amazing authors like Miranda Kenneally, Geoff Herbach, and Joy Preble! I absolutely love the cover and can't wait to read SCORCHED! What do you think about the cover and blurb?

It all started with one of those Scholastic Book Club flyers, being passed around my elementary school. As I scanned the pages my eyes fell to one particular book and I found I couldn’t look away. The cover depicted a mighty dragon, filling up almost the entire page—claws outstretched, teeth bared, fire blasting from its throat. At the bottom, there stood a girl, wielding a mighty sword, determined and unafraid as she took on a creature ten times her size.

The book was Robin McKinley’s Hero and the Crown. And the cover is still one of my favorites—even today. (As is the book itself!) In fact, I reread the paperback so many times it eventually fell apart. But my love for dragons has lasted forever.

Now I have my own dragon book. Set in our world—in our time—with one last dragon egg, unearthed from a melting glacier and ready to hatch.

But will this dragon have the power to save our world? Or will its very existence serve to tear us apart?


Release Date: 09.03.13

About the book:
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Brown is used to her grandfather's crazy stories, so she never believed the latest treasure he brought home was a real dragon's egg. Not until their home is invaded by soldiers trying to steal it and a strange boy who tells her the world as she knows it will be wiped out in a fiery dragon war—unless they work together to stop it. Meantime, there's a different voice whispering to Trinity, calling to her, telling her what to do...the dragon inside her egg is not ready to give up without a fight.


Read Chapter 1 of SCORCHED



Mari Mancusi always wanted a dragon as a pet. Unfortunately the fire insurance premiums proved a bit too large and her house a bit too small--so she chose to write about them instead. Today she works as an award-winning young adult author and freelance television producer, for which she has won two Emmys. When not writing about fanciful creatures of myth and legend, Mari enjoys goth clubbing, cosplay, watching cheesy (and scary) horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure—playing videogames. A graduate of Boston University, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon, and their dog Mesquite.

To learn more about Mari visit: http://marimancusi.yolasite.com/

Review: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting


Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars


Short Version
: Dead Silence will not disappoint fans of the Body Finder series. If you are new to the series, Violet has the gift to find the bodies of those who have been murdered. Each body carries a unique echo that calls to her and the killer has a matching imprint that only Violet can see/hear/smell. Violet has a hard time controlling it so she is always pulled into danger because she's compelled to follow the echo or imprint. The Body Finder books are told from Violet's point of view and the killer's. Kimberly's writing is impeccable and by far one of my favorite authors in YA. Kimberly really brings the creepy factor when she tells the story from the killer's point of view! If you haven't read this series pick it up today!


Personal Note:
The Body Finder Series is really special to me. I remember reading The Body Finder and wanting everyone to read it! The Body Finder, Desires of the Dead, Last Echo, and Dead Silence were all five star books for me. I have interviewed Kimberly a number of times and I met her as a debut author in the first year I had my blog. I feel like I got to see her grow as an author at the same time that my blog grew up. I can't wait to see what Kimberly Derting comes up with next!

Warning if you haven't read The Last Echo do not read the long version because it contains spoilers, but don't worry I have no plans on telling you much about Dead Silence. I hate spoilers and wouldn't do that to my readers. You have been warned! If you haven't read The Body Finder, Desires of the Dead, or The Last Echo stop reading now!

Long Version:
After you read the prologue you are going to need to take a break. No I'm serious you are going to wonder what Kimberly has in store for you!

In The Last Echo Violet was forced to fight for her life and in Dead Silence she is now dealing with an echo of her own. The echo is this eerie music that can't ever be turned off. Her family is trying to be supportive, but Violet just wants everyone to stop. My heart breaks for her. In Dead Silence Violet learns more about her ability from a very unlikely source.

I was also really happy to see my boyfriend Jay get more time, because we hardly saw him in The Last Echo. Jay is supportive, but he is tired of who Violet has become since joining Rafe and his group. The only thing I was really hoping for was that Violet would punch Rafe and that never happened!

The killer is completely psycho and will creep you out. I have no idea how Kimberly comes up with the murder scenes, because they feel so vivid!

I don't think anyone will see the ending coming. I know I had questions, but I'll leave that up to each reader. If you do read it, tweet or email me so we can discuss!

To learn more about Kimberly Derting visit: http://kimberlyderting.com/

Guest Post: Stephanie Burgis

I'm so happy to welcome author Stephanie Burgis! Stephanie's new book Stolen Magic is available where ever books are sold. Stephanie wrote a wonderful guest post on magic and mischief! Also be sure to visit Stephanie's website to read the first three chapters of Stolen Magic!



Magic and Mischief by Stephanie Burgis

In real life, I’m an oldest child - or in other words, the one traditionally expected, in most families, to be “the responsible one”. I’ve always been fairly quiet, polite, and a compulsive rules-follower in an awful lot of ways.

So maybe that explains why it is so incredibly freeing for me to write from the perspective of incorrigible Kat Stephenson: youngest sibling, rule-breaker, magic-user, and mischief-maker extraordinaire.

Kat’s never afraid to break any rule that doesn’t make sense to her - or to punch someone if needs be! She throws herself into reckless adventure and danger, whether it’s leaping onto a highwayman’s horse or racing down the ancient stairs of a secret passageway leading to a smuggler’s cave.

Most telling of all, in her version of early-nineteenth-century Regency society, where girls are expected to be quiet and obedient and magic is the greatest scandal of all, Kat turns out to be a magical Guardian, with a secret mission to fight against malevolent magic-users. She’s anything but a proper young lady!

A refined young lady in Regency England might decide to pack extra handkerchiefs when taking a trip to a house party full of snobs ready to sneer down at her and her family. Instead, here’s how Kat handles her own journey (from the opening of Stolen Magic):

Despite what either of my sisters may say, I actually possess a great deal of common sense. That was why I waited until nearly midnight on the last night of our journey into Devon before I climbed out of my bedroom window.

Luckily, my family was staying on the first floor of the inn, so the rope I’d brought along in case of emergencies was more than long enough. Luckier yet, I knew a useful secret: it’s much easier to sneak out in the middle of the night when you can make yourself invisible…

Maybe I’ll never be a true Kat myself. But I secretly wish I could be.



Stephanie Burgis grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, but fell in love with Regency England when she discovered the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. The author of Kat, Incorrigible; Renegade Magic; and Stolen Magic; she decided to be a writer when she was seven and sold her first short story when she was fifteen. Stephanie lives with her husband, fellow writer Patrick Samphire, their son, and their dog in Wales. Visit her online at http://www.stephanieburgis.com.