Win Two YAs! (or I'm Not Above Bribing Readers for Reviews)

Tip of the Day: Get ready for WriteOnCon 2014, the free online kidlit writing conference August 26-27. I'm excited to check out the buzz again this year!

I want to start with a huge THANK YOU to all A2A readers who have read BLACKOUT or DESERTED! I am so grateful for the support and excited to work on book #3, which I never thought I'd say. (Me? A trilogy?)  I plan on releasing an unrelated YA contemporary novel this winter, and then Jenny and Zak's story in August 2015.

To celebrate other summer 2014 YA novel releases, I want to give away two of them that I loved:

 

THE FOURTH WISH by Lindsay Ribar is the sequel to THE ART OF WISHING but it also stands on its own. Why did I love it? Because Margo loves Oliver, a genie, regardless of the exterior form he takes. Margo is a positive, uplifting character who is fun to follow through her own transformation.

THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU by Lisa Schroeder is by our very own former A2A contributor! Why did I love it? Because the love story is sweet and non-angsty, and the dual povs from both Lauren and Colby are expressive and connected, but also unique.

All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a review on Amazon or B&N for BLACKOUT, DESERTED, or both, and leave the link to the review in the comments! You'll get one entry for each review you write and post below (for a total of 4 possible entries). Enter in the Rafflecopter below between 8/18-9/18. Sorry, open to U.S. mailing addresses only.

For links to the books on Amazon and B&N, go to www.DeenaLipomi.com.

Happy Second-Half-of-August!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Super Easy Weekend Giveaway! (or Enter Here for a Chance to BLACKOUT!)

Tip of the Day: Will you be in the Rochester, NY area on Friday, October 4? If so, make sure to check out Blue Falcon's EP CD Release Party! (Yes, they are one of Leo's favorite bands in BLACKOUT.) If you don't live in the area, just go to the link and check out their music. Their rock groove with witty lyrics promises to entertain.

Curious about BLACKOUT but don't have the extra cash, or B&N or Amazon or iTunes account?

Well now is your chance to enter to win a free copy in the format of your choice! (Even PDF if you want to read it on your computer.)

Just comment on this post between NOW AND MONDAY, SEPT. 16 AT 9PM EST saying you would like to enter to win (leave an email address or link of how to contact you). With the power of the Random Number Generator, I'll select a winner who can let me know which file type they would like to read.

That's it! Super easy, super quick.

Feel free to spread the word to anyone else you think may be interested.

And if you need a reminder as to what BLACKOUT is about:

When 17-year-old musician Leo and his 15-year-old scientist sister Jenny wake up in a ditch with pains in their hands, they wonder what happened on their drive home from their father’s house in rural Pennsylvania. Their only memory of the past twelve hours is of bright lights flashing through their windshield. Then the blackout.

Leo is content to chalk up the missing memories and throbbing hands to a concussion and nerve damage, but Jenny won’t let it go. Soon the siblings uncover clues that they stumbled upon a dangerous and illegal alternative energy project in the Appalachians – and that their father is involved. If they don’t discover the truth, Leo’s burning hands will destroy his music career before it begins, and Jenny will never know if her father is the mentor she's always trusted or a mad scientist who will stop at nothing for the success of his work. Not even if it means sacrificing his own children.

Available for $2.99 wherever ebooks are sold.



Thanks again for everyone's support!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Blog Hops

Tip of the Day: Did you catch the news about my forthcoming release? Check it out here. And then add it your book shelf on Goodreads. :-)

Under the advice of our fellow A2Agirl Megg, I recently took part in a blog hop hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer. I'd never even heard of a blog hop before Megg told me about them and now that I've done it I'd totally do it again. It's such a clever idea. Basically the host gathers together people with a similar sort of giveaway and using linky, links their blogs together. So, the one I did was for clean reads and I gave away a signed copy of Just Your Average Princess (which really anyone 11 and up can read). There were over 100 participating blogs and people wanting to partake in the contests just hopped from blog to blog entering the giveaways.

So why did I love this blog hop so much? Because it was the best giveaway I've had to date. And I've been doing giveaways for over three years now. Normally I get anywhere from 5-20 entries in any given giveaway. Even when the stuff I'm giving away is really good. For one of my earlier contests that I did, I gave away a signed book, bookmarks, chocolate covered espresso beans, and a $25 gift card for a bookstore. I also had second and third place prizes. Guess how many entries I had? Three. Yep, everyone was a winner. But doing this blog hop I had 373 entries! Talk about a big boost. I also gained a large number of followers both on my blog and twitter. And I saw lots of tweets about my giveaway that week too. Definitely a worthwhile way to promo your blog/books.

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

Middle Grade Mania

Tip of the Day: Check out the Unread Reader's My Book Boyfriend giveaway!

I'm back to working on my middle grade so that means I'm looking around for middle grade books to read when I'm not writing. And since it seems like middle grade books don't get nearly the same amount of book love YA books do (online anyway. I know plenty of young teens who love their middle grade books!) I'm going to occasionally spotlight ones that look especially good to me. Starting with:

Sarah Mlynowski's Whatever After, Fairest of All. First of all, I adore Sarah Mlynowski's books. She had me with her Bras & Broomsticks series. So of course I was drawn to her newest. Here's a summary from Amazon:

"A fresh, modern spin on a classic fairy tale--from bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski!

Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . .

Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White's fairy tale.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.

But hey -- we're heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince. And then she won't get her happy ending. Oops.

Now it's up to us to:
- Avoid getting poisoned
- Sneak into a castle
- Fix Snow White's story

And then, fingers crossed, find our way home."

I'm also especially drawn to S.R. Johannes' On the Bright Side. The cover grabbed me right away (background on how her cover was designed here) and then when I read the summary I was hooked. This one is waiting for me on my iPad right now. I started it last night and so far, so cute. Here's a summary from Amazon:

"On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby's should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future. 

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death."

The Land of Stories, The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer is the last book that grabbed my attention. And not because it's written by Kurt from Glee. Or because of the cover because while it is interesting, it isn't the type of cover that usually stops me in my tracks. And not because of the summary on Amazon (but I'll share it anyway) because really it's pretty meh:

"Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. 

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought."

This book grabbed my attention because I heard Chris talking about it when he appeared on Windy City Live and he made it sound so interesting. He talked about how he got the idea and how after he read fairy tales as a kid he was always left with so many questions. Like, how was Cinderella's wedding? What happened in the years following? Why are there a couple of princesses (Snow White and Cinderella I believe) married to "Prince Charming"? And are they brothers? He said his book addresses things like this and that made it sound really cool.

I hope you guys check out these books and I'll keep my eye out for more great middle grade to share with you!

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

Find Free & 99 Cent eBooks You'll LOVE!

Tip of the Day: Today is the last day to enter my Big Bash on my blog!

Source

I hear it over and over and over and over again: "Free ebooks suck! I wouldn't ever buy an ebook for 99 cents because, clearly, a cheap book is terrible and a waste of money!"

I'd venture to say this isn't true.

I can tell you exactly how to find a free and/or cheap ebook you'll have a great chance at loving.

1. Don't download an ebook that has mostly 1-star ratings. It's a logical statement, but you'd be surprised how many people see the word "free" and can't stop themselves from taking it anyway. Imagine you were at a food fest and some random dude walked up to you and said, "Would you like to try this deep-fried goat tongue, sprinkled with the essence of eel farts?" Would you take it? Doubtful. So don't download the ebook with all 1-star ratings.

2. But if you like deep-friend goat tongue, sprinkled with the essence of eel farts, then go ahead. Look, here's the thing - not everyone is going to like everything. Read the reviews. They are there for a reason. If everyone hates goat tongue, but you have an affinity for essence of eel farts, then give it a try.

3. Don't blame the author if you don't like the subject. I write YA fantasy. It's a little bit of romance, a little bit of snark, a little bit of silly, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of adventure. It's NOT Lord of the Rings. It's NOT classical literature. It's NOT for everyone on the planet. I want my books to find their audience, but that target audience isn't every breathing human who knows how to read. Only download ebooks with decent reviews that speak to the topics you like. Don't blame me if you wanted erotica - you're not getting it from my books. ;)

4. Ask your friends for a recommendation. Want a new book to read on the cheap? Ask your friends what cheap books they've read and enjoyed lately. Word of mouth is the BEST way to figure out what to read next. Just ask on Facebook. Trust me, you'll get a ton of responses.

5. Sample, sample, sample. Before downloading an ebook, sample it. Yes, most ebooks (at least the cheap ones, which are quite likely self-published or from small presses) allow you to sample the beginning for free. Read the first chapter or two. See if you connect with the writing and voice. If you hate it, don't download the ebook even if it's free. I think I'm back to that whole goat tongue/eel fart concept here.

So, there you go. A simple, but succinct, guide to navigating free and cheap ebooks. Are some of them terrible? Probably. But I'd wager the majority of them ARE NOT. Take a risk on a new author. You never know what you'll find!

*If you like romance, adventure, and magic with a teen protagonist, then try my first novel, Anathema. You got it, Anathema's free. ;) If, however, you enjoy high-brow, sophisticated, or contemporary romances or intense fantasy with a journey and many weird, magical creatures, then Anathema is not for you!

Want a free book from another genre? Take a look at this list on my blog and enter to win a $10 Amazon.com gift card while you're there.


Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

And the winner is...

Tip of the Day: get your ball gowns and tuxes out early this year and check out these Oscar predictions.

Welcome to all of our new blog, twitter, and facebook followers. We are glad you stopped by.

I'm pleased to announce the winner of The Awesome Valentine's Makeover Giveaway!

And the winner is...

Erin Shakespear

Congrats Erin, for not only having a cool name, but winning our contest. 

Just email us your mailing address at author2author(DOT)blog(AT)gmail(DOT)com and we'll get your books to you. 

Also, make sure to let us know which Kristina Springer book you'd like and which Megg Jensen eBook you'd enjoy. All the books can be browsed on our sidebar.  And check your email for your giftcard. We'll get it sent once we verify your email.

Thanks to everyone that entered. Make sure to check back. We often hold various contests throughout the year. Until then, just enjoy the blog!

Love Books? Win Stuff! (or Who Wrote the Book of Love?*)

*with apologies to The Monotones

Tip of the Day: Our Awesome Valentine's Makeover Giveaway is still going strong! Just go to this page and in the “Enter to Win” section type in your email or Facebook login. You get extra points for following our blog, liking our Facebook page, and Tweeting about the contest -- every day!

What a week of LOVE here at A2A! In honor of Valentine's Week, I want to share with you my five favorite YA romances that I read in the past six months. And here they are, in no particular order:



John Green's book is full of smart characters who aren't afraid to be smart and their honesty about their feelings for each other is refreshing.


HAMLET is a super clever, modern take on a classic romance that shows Ophelia's heartbreak and anguish very well.


DITCHED 100 percent delivers on the romantic comedy front, from the missed connections to the prom setting.


RITES & WRONGS is an adorable look at a girl whose anthropological observations may steer her wrong when it comes to love.



LOLA is a fun main character with a quirky style, rocker boyfriend, and sweet boy next door that equals a great romance.

I definitely lack a good romance writer gene, maybe because as a teen I wasn't as smitten as some of my friends with the idea of finding "true love" in high school. I have to work hard to write swoony romance in my novels. What YA romances do you think I should read? What are some of your favorites?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Things I Heart

Tip of the Day: don't forget to sign up for our Awesome Valentine's Makeover Giveaway. It's easy, just go to this page and in the “Enter to Win” section type in your email or Facebook login. You get extra points for following our blog, liking our Facebook page, and Tweeting about the contest! Don’t forget you can tweet about the contest or retweet  ours everyday!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

As a way to share the Valentine Love, I'm going to give you a list of five random things I’m Hearting right now.

Shari's Berries—after a long day at work yesterday I got home and found a package of these awesome chocolate covered strawberries on my porch. Yum yum, I’m in love. Thanks Mom and Dad!  

Gate 1 Travel—as a travel lover this is one of my favorite websites. I've bought a number of trips from them at a very affordable price. Plus, they email Deals of the Week for extra savings and offer trips to the US now.   

Hart of Dixie—a mixture of super cheesiness and just the right amount of romantic tension make this TV show so much fun. With quotes like these from the main character Zoe Hart: "There it is. Rock Bottom. I just played Dixie with my butt. This never happened, you hear me?" what’s not to love? The very Gilmore Girlesc town festivals are a riot too: Planksgiving and a Sweetie Pie dance that feature actual pies. Super cheesy, so of course I Super Heart it.

 Book purses—now I can admire these from afar, but if you happen to be super crafty here’s a tutorial on how to make your own.  So cute!

 

And of course I love our Makeover Giveaway, so make sure to go enter to win five awesome prizes that I’m sure you will Heart too.

Fun Friday: Winner of THE FIRST TIME Giveaway

And the winner is.....................

THE SECRET

WRITER!

Congrats! I just

ordered your book

and you should

have an e-mail

with information

shortly!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fun Friday: Sarah Dessen Giveaway WINNER!

Thanks for all the entries guys! We have a winner!

saraO

Congratulations Sara!!! I will message you for your mailing address and pop your prize in the mail.

In the meantime, check out this fun blog dedicated to Sarah Dessen. A year and a half ago she hosted a SARAH DESSEN CELEBRATION in honor of Sarah's birthday and 31 young adult authors and bloggers wrote tributes to Sarah. It was really cool! Here's a list of who contributed (I'm in there too!):

YA Authors - Melissa Walker, Elizabeth Scott, Leavitt Lindsey,Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Micol Ostow, amanda ashby, Sarah Ockler, Sarah Cross, Sara Zarr, Kristina Springer, Natalie Hatch, The Readergirlz, Emily Gale, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Holly Cupala, Sherryl Clark, Simmone Howell, Justine Chen Headley, Michelle Zink and Jennifer Jabley
YA Bloggers – Khy, Hope, Ally, Liz, Hannah, Jenny, Alea, Janssen, Jordyn, Shalonda, Kristi, YoungMomma, Sarah, Liv, Erika Lynn, Chelsea, Adele

…and more.

Fun Friday: Sarah Dessen Giveaway!

It’s our first Fun Friday and we’re celebrating by giving away the Sarah Dessen Deluxe Gift Set! It retails for $29.99 and includes three highly acclaimed novels by Sarah: Lock and Key, Someone Like You, and Keeping the Moon. It also includes a key pendant inspired by Lock and Key and a special message from Sarah herself. And it comes in a collectible jewelry box with hinged top! So freaking cute!

Comment on this post for a shot to win this awesome gift set. Mention that you became an A2A follower for an extra entry. Blog, facebook, and/or tweet about this giveaway (and tell us where) for bonus entries. Please note, we can only ship to the US and entries must be received by midnight EST, Thursday, January 13th. Winner will be posted next Friday the 14^th.

And remember to check in each Friday for various fun posts! Lots of guest bloggers, interviews, giveaways, and fun to come in 2011!

Release Week and GIVEAWAY!

Tip of the Day: Check out the way cute ad my publisher is running for Fake Boyfriend-- I love it!


YAY!! MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS came out this week! I'm so excited! And I've been getting lots of good reviews from all the biggies- Kirkus, School Library Journal, PW, and Booklist so I'm a happy girl! In case you're not sure what the book is about, here's the blurb:

Seventh grade was supposed to be fun, but Tori is having major drama with her BFF, Sienna. Sienna changed a lot over the summer—on the first day of school she’s tan, confident, and full of stories about her new dreamy boyfriend. Tori knows that she’s totally making this guy up. So Tori invents her own fake boyfriend, who is better than Sienna’s in every way. Things are going great—unless you count the whole lying-to-your-best-friend thing—until everyone insists Tori and Sienna bring their boyfriends to the back-to-school dance.

I'm giving away a copy of MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS this week on A2A! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and next Wednesday night at midnight EST. Thursday morning I'll announce the winner in my Tip of the Day.

Kristina, Miss See Me on the Shelves