Amanda Hocking, author of the Trylle trilogy, gave me a little bit of her time to answer these questions...

Do you have any rituals when you are writing?

My rituals are pretty basic. Make a playlist, go into my office with my dogs, put music on and everything else on silent, and get to work. I also drink copious amounts of
caffeine, but that’s less of a “ritual” and more of a “necessity.”

 Are you a late night or an early morning writer?

Late night, for sure. I’ve always been a huge night owl. In my perfect world, days would start at 4 pm and end at dawn.

Would you delve into a different genre? Is there a genre you really want to write in?

I am absolutely willing to dive into anything, but so far, my ideas have mostly been of a similar genre. Some day, I imagine that I’ll write a horror novel or a contemporary YA. 

Read on below for more information about this amazing book, my thoughts and a cheeky chance to win a copy!

Released: February, 2017

Publisher: Pan Macmillan AUS

Synopsis: The Carnival is all she's ever known - but an old terror could tear it down.

In the spring of 1982, the carnival comes to small-town Cauldry, Louisiana. Then events take a dangerous turn. For Mara Besnick, the carnival is home. It's also a place of secrets, hidden powers and a buried past - making it hard to connect with outsiders. However, sparks fly when she meets local boy Gabe Alvarado. As they become inseparable, Mara realises Gabe is hiding his own secrets. And his family legacy could destroy Mara's world.

They find the word 'freeks' sprayed on trailers, as carnival employees start disappearing. Then workers wind up dead, killed in disturbing ways by someone or something. Mara is determined to unlock the mystery, with Gabe's help. But can they really halt this campaign of fear?

~ Goodreads ~ Pan Macmillan ~

* * *

What I Thought: I absolutely love anything to do with the circus, so I just knew I had to read this one. I have read only a couple of Amanda Hocking's other books, which I quite enjoyed, so I was happy when I discovered I liked this one just as much. I love that it is set in the past. I love that is has a paranormal feel. I love that it was so easy to read.

The characters were lovable. The storyline was lovable, however it quite cliche. When a story line is cliche, it can take away from the depth of the novel. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it.

The Good: Circus themes! Eeeeeep

The Bad: Hello cliches.

Rating: 4/5

Mad Claire

xo

Sometimes a whisper is as good as a shout... But in this case I just want to shout about this book!

Sara Barnard, author extraordinaire, gave me a little bit of her time to answer these questions...

What is your favourite perspective to write in and why? (First, second, third?)

First – I prefer to be inside my character’s head to properly explore and understand them. I tend to write very introspective characters, and I don’t think that would work so well in third person. I’ve never even attempted second!

Do you believe BSL should be learned by everybody?

If only! I think it should be more widely recognized and used, especially in schools. It would be great if it could be a language option like French or German. If that were the case, I think hearing people would at least be more aware of it than they are. We should be more deaf aware as a culture.

Read on below for more information about this amazing book, my thoughts and a cheeky chance to win a copy!

Released: January, 2017

Publisher: Pan Macmillan AUS

Synopsis: Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.
Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.
Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. 

From the bestselling author of Beautiful Broken Things comes a love story about the times when a whisper is as good as a shout.

~ Goodreads ~ Pan Macmillan ~

* * *

What I Thought: A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a beautiful contemporary novel that, quite honestly, brought a few tears to my eyes. It is the story of Steffi, a teenage girl who has Selective Mutism. Selective Mutism, like I learned, is not just about choosing when to speak. Coupled with several other illnesses, including anxiety, Steffi seems quite generally scared of life. She doesn't want to be though, and starts the year ready to prove to her family and to herself that she is more and can do more than what her illnesses allow. Teamed up with her boisterous best friend Tem, these two make me wish I had friends like these in school.

Back at school, Steffi is introduced to Rhys. Rhys is Deaf and due to her mutism, Steffi can use BSL to communicate with him - sort of. This starts the path to friendship and more, each learning that they are more than what they think they are. Rhys is more than what his Deafness allows, and Steffi has a voice she wishes to use. Rhys is a completely adorable character, and I couldn't help but root for him and Steffi throughout the story.

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a wonderfully written peek into the world of Selective Mutism, anxiety and the Deaf world. It is easy to be a hearing person, not understanding what it is truly like to be a deaf person. Through several different scenarios, Barnard shows what it can be like for a deaf person in the world and the ignorance of hearing people towards the deaf. She also shows what Selective Mutism is like, coupled with anxiety, and how it threatens to drown and swallow a person. This book will open your eyes, and hopefully, make you become more aware of the world around you - and the other worlds that you may not be involved in.

First thing I'm doing after writing this? Going to buy Barnard's other book - Beautiful Broken Things!

The Good: I love the relationship that Steffi and Rhys had. The explanations of Selective Mutism and the look inside the deaf vs hearing world.

The Bad: The story had a slow build up, and was fairly easy to gather where the story was going.

Rating: 4/5

Want a chance to win this amazing book? Enter below!

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Mad Claire

xo

(Banner thanks to: http://www.behind-the-pages.com/2014/05/aussie-blog-tour-rebel-by-amy-tintera.html)

Rebel (Reboot #2) - Amy Tintera

Released: May 28, 2014

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Synopsis: Wren Connolly thought she'd left her human side behind when she died five years ago and came back 178 minutes later as a Reboot. With her new abilities of strength, speed and healing - along with a lack of emotions - Wren 178 became the perfect soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Then Callum 22 came along and changed everything.

Now that they've both escaped, they're ready to start a new life in peace on the Reboot Reservation. But Micah 163, the Reboot running the reservation, has darker plans in mind: to wipe out the humans. All of them. Micah has been building a Reboot army for years and is now ready to launch his attack on the cities. Callum wants to stick around and protect the humans. Wren wants nothing more than to leave all the fighting behind them.

With Micah on one side, HARC on the other, and Wren and Callum at odds in the middle, there is only one option left...

It's time for Reboots to become rebels.

~ Goodreads ~

* * *

What I Thought: Rebel is the sequel and final book in the Reboot duology. Wren and Callum has escaped with a hundred other Reboots and are headed to the Reservation, where they hope to continue their lives in peace. However the Reservation is not as they expect, and their leader Micah has plans even more devious than they realise. Wren and Callum get locked in a struggle, with reboot against human, reboot against reboot and human against human in the mission to shut HARC down for good.

I really loved Reboot, and Rebel was no different. Wren's actions and Callum's humanity kept me glued to the pages, wondering how they were going to solve each and every obstacle they faced. With other old characters back and new characters introduced, Rebel is a whirlwind from start to finish. Just when you think they may just run away and BAM. Not a chance buddy.

Amy Tintera comes back again with powerful writing and moving characters, leaving me wanting so much more. It was well ended, but it honestly left me feeling a bit unsure whether that was truly the end or not.
If you've read Reboot then make sure you grab a copy of Rebel, because you can't afford to miss out! And if you haven't read Reboot, then you best jump on our bandwagon!

The Good: Loved this one as much as the first, with as much action and romance, if not even more!

The Bad: While the story end was well written, I would love to have another book. It feels like the story ended too quickly!

Rating:

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Mad Claire

xo

While We Run - Karen Healey
(When We Wake #2)

Released: March 31, 2014

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Synopsis: Abdi Taalib thought he was moving to Australia for a music scholarship. But after meeting the beautiful and brazen Tegan Oglietti, his world was turned upside down. Tegan's no ordinary girl - she died in 2027, only to be frozen and brought back to life in Abdi's time, 100 years later.

Now, all they want is for things to return to normal (or as normal as they can be), but the government has other ideas. Especially since the two just spilled the secrets behind Australia's cryonics project to the world. On the run, Abdi and Tegan have no idea who they can trust, and when they uncover startling new details about Project Ark, they realise thousands of lives may be in their hands.

A suspenseful, page-turning sequel to When We Wake that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and make them call into question their own ideas about morality - and mortality, too.

~ Goodreads ~

* * *

What I Thought: While We Run was a a great sequel and an equally as great end to the series. This time, the story is told from Abdi's point of view - and we pick up after Tegan and Abdi have been with SADU for a while, pawns in their little game. After being tortured and spouting lies to rich people, both Abdi and Tegan are close to giving up, when they get rescued by a band of people called "Save Tegan".

While We Run was very different to the first book, and I found it a lot darker, which was difficult to handle. Our duo got themselves into tight spots in the first book, but this was different. Their entire being was changed, and it put a huge impact on the story.

Despite this, I did like how the story went. There were several twists and turns, none of which I really saw coming. This added to the intensity of the book and I couldn't really put it down! So if you have read the first book, you definitely need to get to this one!

**Sorry for the short review - I wasn't sure how to write my feelings without giving too much away.

The Good: Healey managed to end the book in a way I certainly didn't expect. It wasn't "perfect" but it fit the setting perfectly.

The Bad: Abdi and Tegan went through a lot, but Tegan seemed to deal with everything a lot better. A lot of it depressed me, especially when it was brought up over and over throughout the story.

Rating:

Want to win a copy of While We Run? (AUS only)


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Mad Claire

xo

Ignite Me - Tahereh Mafi
(Shatter Me #3)

Released: February 26, 2014

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Synopsis: The exciting and chilling conclusion to the internationally successful Juliette Chronicles series. With Omega Point destroyed, 
Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for 
all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. He 
promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world … but that’s not all he wants with her.

~ Goodreads ~

* * *

What I Thought: So wow. That's it. That's the end of the Shatter Me series. I have to admit, it was not what I was expecting at all. Don't get me wrong, I did like it very much, but somehow it just didn't capture me like the previous two books did. I was expecting BIG action, BIG finale, BIG everything. Sure, there is a fight and Juliette is badass, but that happens very close to the end of the book. Most of it was about relationships - between everyone, but of course, mainly between Juliette, Adam and Warner. Literally, that's what the book cycled through, over and over.

The one thing that really bugged me was Adam. He was absolutely nothing like he was in the previous books. Sure, he has plenty of reasons to be angry, but absolutely no justifiable reason to be such a god-damned ass. He was like a real-life Jeckyll and Hyde.
Warner of course, had to be the opposite. It was like a complete role-reversal from the first book. So if you have loved Warner all along, then you won't be disappointed. If you happened to be Team Adam, well you are most certainly bound to jump ship after reading Ignite Me.

Ignite Me was definitely not what I expected, but it was still a fantastic conclusion nonetheless. There are some powerful moments, plenty of strong emotional moments and I doubt you will want to say goodbye or be even close to being ready to leave this series behind - I know I'm certainly not.

Now, if you'll just excuse me, I'll be sitting in my corner with my feels for awhile...

The Good: Juliette is very different from the previous two books. Mafi has given her a new sense of strength and purpose and it really shines through.

The Bad: I expected more action, but alas, I can't have everything.

Rating:

Want to win a copy of Ignite Me? (AUS only)


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Mad Claire

xo

Welcome to Romancing YA!

Big massive humongous shoutout to Hannah Reads Books for helping me organise such an amazing event! Unfortunately she is having blog problems and couldn't be a part!

Our next stop for the Romancing YA event, on this blog, is Rainbow Rowell!

* * *


Today we have some quotes from Fangirl to get you excited about reading it!

~

“You’ve read the books?”
“I’ve seen the movies.”
Cath rolled her eyes so hard, it hurt. (Actually.) (Maybe because she was still on the edge of tears. On the edge, period.) “So you haven’t read the books.”
“I’m not really a book person.”
“That might be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said to me” 

~

“How do you not like the Internet? That's like saying, 'I don't like things that are convenient. And easy. I don't like having access to all of mankind's recorded discoveries at my fingertips. I don't like light. And knowledge.” 

~

“No,' Cath said, 'seriously. Look at you. You’ve got your shit together, you’re not scared of anything. I’m scared of everything. And I’m crazy. Like maybe you think I’m a little crazy, but I only ever let people see the tip of my crazy iceberg. Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and socially inept, I’m a complete disaster.” 

~

“It’s just … everything. There are too many people. And I don’t fit in. I don’t know how to be. Nothing that I’m good at is the sort of thing that matters there. Being smart doesn’t matter—and being good with words. And when those things do matter, it’s only because people want something from me. Not because they want me.” 

~

Taken from Goodreads.

* * *

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Released: September 10, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Synopsis: Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ The Book Depository ~


* * *

The Author...

Rainbow Rowell writes books.

Sometimes she writes about adults (Attachments and Landline).

Sometimes she writes about teenagers (Eleanor & Park and Fangirl).

But she always writes about people who talk a lot. And people who feel like they’re screwing up. And people who fall in love.

When she’s not writing, Rainbow is reading comic books, planning Disney World trips and arguing about things that don’t really matter in the big scheme of things.

She lives in Nebraska with her husband and two sons.

~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ 

* * *

Win a copy of Eleanor&Park or Fangirl!

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Mad Claire

xo

Welcome to Romancing YA!

Big massive humongous shoutout to Hannah Reads Books for helping me organise such an amazing event! Unfortunately she is having blog problems and couldn't be a part!

Our next stop for the Romancing YA event, on this blog, is Kasie West!

* * *

Ah, the month of love. I love February. I love love. And I especially love reading about it. Well, actually, that sentence made it sound like I’d rather read about it than experience it, which is not true. But the fun thing about reading about it is that I can get that new fun feeling of love over and over again. And today, I’d like to share with you some of my very favorite love books. The books that made me feel happy and giddy and full of all kinds of feels when I read them. Here they are, my top 5 books that made me fall in love all over again:

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I love this book. I love the type of romance shown in this book. The slow building, friends first kind. I get to know the love interest right along with the main character and fall in love with him as well. And the love interest in this book was so much fun. Quirky, funny, adorable. This book gave me all the smiley, giggly feelings that I love to get when I read.

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I mean who doesn’t love the adorable boy with the English accent. He was irresistible. It was fun to read a book set in France where the main character was not only struggling with trying to figure out how things work in a new place but dealing with new feelings for a boy too. It all built up so nicely to the payoff.

3. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I love Wes. Adore him. The mysterious quiet type. The type you have to pry open to figure out. And the way the main character and Wes get to know each other is adorable. Probably my favorite way ever—through a game of Truth. The game continues throughout the book and I love it so much.

4. Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. I love a good road trip book. There’s just something about being trapped in a car with someone that ups the tension and romance. You can’t escape the other person. You must deal with each other. It makes for fun conversation and fun situations. Plus, seeing all the different sites and scenes throughout is fun too.

5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith. I mean with a name like that, how can the book not be epic? And it was. I adored this book. Meeting a stranger on a plane and getting to know one another over the flight is a fun way to start a romance. It was perfect. It had me smiling from ear to ear throughout the book.

Trying to narrow this list down to five was nearly impossible. There are so many books I love that have been full of love. But this list is a great start. So fall in love. Read a book.

* * *

On the Fence - Kasie West

Released: July 1, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis: She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ The Book Depository ~


* * *

The Author...

I love to write--too much. It's a sickness really. My debut novel, PIVOT POINT, is out now with HarperTeen. (And will be followed by its sequel, Split Second on February 11, 2014.)

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, my contemporary YA novel, is also available for purchase! (HarperTeen).

~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ 

* * *

Win a pre-order of On The Fence!

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Mad Claire

xo

Welcome to Romancing YA!

Big massive humongous shoutout to Hannah Reads Books for helping me organise such an amazing event! Unfortunately she is having blog problems and couldn't be a part!

Our next stop for the Romancing YA event, on this blog, is Bethany Hagen!

* * *

Like Ron Swanson, I am a simple person. Run the dishwasher and give me a beer, and you can consider me wooed. But the main character in Landry Park, Madeline Landry is a little more delicate than that, and with Valentine's Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to see what Madeline requires from the average woo-er.

Five Things Madeline Landry Loves

5) Reading

4) Taking walks in the rose garden

3) Her family

2) Her estate

1) David Dana

Five Things Madeline Landry Hates

5) Balls

4) Long, tedious dinners

3) Poorly drawn up wills

2) Injustice

1) David Dana

Five Ways to Win Madeline Landry's Heart

5) Read The Lady of Shalott to her

4) Ask thoughtful questions

3) Take her on a sleigh ride

2) Admire her estate as much as she does

1) Be David Dana

Five Ways to Turn Madeline Landry Off

5) Be rude

4) Give her expensive, showy gifts

3) Take her to a ball

2) Treat other people with disdain

1) Be David Dana

Top Three Things to Say to Madeline Landry

3) "Do you like King Arthur?"

2) "This is the most beautiful estate I've ever seen."

1) "I'm David Dana."

Top Three Valentine's Day Wishes for Madeline Landry

3) Lavender Chocolate

2) A book of obscure love poetry

1) David Dana

Bethany Hagen was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. She grew up reading Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen and all things King Arthur, and went on to become a librarian. Landry Park is her debut novel.

* * *

Landry Park - Bethany Hagen

Released: February 4, 2014

Publisher: Dial

Synopsis: Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ The Book Depository ~


* * *

The Author...

I have a basement full of books and a computer full of writing. I love drinking coffee and doing karate with my husband (usually not at the same time.)  I've been a model for a painter, stung by a sting-ray, stuck in a coma, and I used to dress up as a 1904 schoolmarm, but I got paid for it, so it's not weird. Currently the day job is in a library, so every once in a while I throw a temper tantrum about the Dewey Decimal system.

~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ 

* * *

Win a copy of Landry Park!


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Mad Claire

xo

Welcome to Romancing YA!

Big massive humongous shoutout to Hannah Reads Books for helping me organise such an amazing event! Unfortunately she is having blog problems and couldn't be a part!

Our next stop for the Romancing YA event, on this blog, is Leslie Connor!

* * *

Romancing YA Valentine’s Day

There is a game I play with my characters while I’m getting to know them. It goes like this: I think up a scenario—an everyday thing—and imagine how each character experiences it. I let the words roll out. I end up with mini-sketches of my characters that reveal who they are at heart.

In my upcoming title The Things You Kiss Goodbye (HarperCollins/Tegen Books, Summer, 2014), Bettina Vasilis is navigating two relationships. One is abusive. The other is forbidden. Here are three scenarios and reactions from Bettina, her high school boyfriend Brady, and the older guy she calls Cowboy. See what you think, then try it yourself with characters you know—from fiction or from real life. Be creative. Be poetic. Most of all have a Happy Valentine’s Day.

~A starry night.

Bettina: She cannot take her eyes off that sky. She knows that only the Van Goghs of this world can ever do that justice. Still, she wants to fill a tray of blue watercolors and dip a pen in white ink. Just to give it a try.

Brady: He doesn’t notice the stars until someone else begins to talk about them in slightly dreamy terms. He scoffs, “Poetry fag.”

Cowboy: He sits on the open gate of the truck up at the overlook. He likes how insignificant he feels under a sky so big. He’s cold but he doesn’t bother closing his jacket. She’s the warmest thing he knows. The years that separate them, well, that’s just some cruel trick.

~A glass of wine

Bettina: She sips it and thinks of her mother’s recipe for lamb and grape leaves. The rules are different when you have Old World parents. They don’t know that sixteen-year-olds aren’t supposed to drink wine. Her father poured these two inches for her. But then he won’t let her out with a friend on a Saturday night.

Brady: He wishes this shit were beer but he’ll swig it anyway. Maybe it’ll calm him down. He is pissed about the way the coach chewed on his ass this afternoon. That wasn’t his fault. The forwards were out of position.

Cowboy: The rim of the glass feels fragile—like it could break against your lip, never mind if you were clumsy enough to ping it against a tooth. He likes the taste. He lets it warm before he swallows. And he wonders how much healthier his family would have been if nothing on this earth had ever fermented.

~A dead bird

Bettina: First, there’s a wash of pity. Then helplessness. The feathers look alive in the breeze. But the position of the neck is wrong. The breast is still. She wants to open out its wing so she can see that hidden part—what is it called? The second digit? Is it creepy to want to see something that is always so concealed?

Brady: Stupid bird, he thinks. And why right smack in the path where he has to see it? He walks away saying, “I hate dead shit.”

Cowboy: Damn. Birds sometimes hit the glass sliders at his father’s farmhouse. They land on the deck unconscious, panting. They can come to and fly away again like nothing ever happened. That’s the best. This one is gone. He’ll get the shovel.

* * *

The Things You Kiss Goodbye - Leslie Connor

Released: June 24, 2014

Publisher: Katherine Tegan

Synopsis: Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when basketball star Brady Cullen asks her out, and she just about faints when her strict father actually approves of him.

But when school starts up again, Brady changes. What happened to the sweet boy she fell in love with? Then she meets a smoldering guy in his twenties, and this “cowboy” is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina.

Bettina knows that breaking up with Brady would mean giving up her freedom—and that it would be inappropriate for anything to happen between her and Cowboy. Still, she can’t help that she longs for the scent of his auto shop whenever she’s anywhere else.

When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life.

Leslie Connor has written a lyrical, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about family, romance, and the immense power of love.

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ The Book Depository ~


* * *

The Author...

My life began suddenly (you can even ask my mother) in an antique farmhouse outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I was born right on the family room floor ~ no time to get to the hospital! I swear, I’ve been in a hurry ever since.

When I was in fourth grade we moved to a neighborhood full of kids outside of Schenectady, New York. My Dad worked for a company that sold some of the finest printing papers in all the land. He often brought home big, beautiful, heavy books that pinned me to my chair when I held them in my lap, and I loved to turn the pages, look at the photography and illustrations and smell the ink.

As a kid I took dancing lessons and did gymnastics. I could be found upside-down in odd places like the middle of the stairway, not that I recommend it! My bedroom was a messy nest full of paint sets and paper scraps, embroidery threads and sewing projects. In school I was good at some things and not at all good at others. Still, I found my passions. I went to college, first at SUNY, Cobleskill, where I received an associate’s degree in agriculture, and later at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Ct. where I earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art.

At first, I was interested in children’s books from an illustrator’s point of view. But the writing part surprised me ~ came up from behind and tapped me on the shoulder. I realized that my head and heart were very full of stories and that I should pay attention! My ideas come from everyday life, and I write for readers of all ages.

I live in the Connecticut woods with my husband and three children. (Well, the kids are getting big and they all drive cars now so they come and go a lot these days.) We keep our bird feeders full, do a little gardening and stack a lot of firewood. I hike the trails near my home almost every morning. Then I make a pot of tea and get to work. Usually, my loyal Writing Dogs are right by my side. (Sometimes I even borrow dogs from my neighbors. You can’t have enough dogs.)

I love making artisan pizzas and pots of soup and my favorite treat is dark chocolate. I also love to ride my bike down to the diner to meet my friends for breakfast and more tea. (Hmm...that’s a lot of eating, isn’t it?)

Life is fine!

~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ 

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Mad Claire

xo