May 14, 2013 • Comments

Hop over to Amazon for your free copy of The Second Virginity of Suzy Green!!

Hurry as the offer only lasts until May 17!

April 13, 2013 • Comments

To celebrate the Kindle edition of The Second Virginity of Suzy Green I’m giving away 5 free copies. All you have to do is link to this blog either through Twitter or Facebook or your website (or all three, to give you three chances of winning) and email me the link sarahantz(@)hotmail.com

After seven days, five winners will be randomly selected!

April 12, 2013 • 2 Comments

I am very excited to reveal the new cover for The Second Virginity of Suzy Green, which is being republished on Amazon. I LOVE it so much. And can’t thank Threedoorsup enough for such an amazing job! It is now available through Amazon.

March 6, 2013 • Comments

I’m thrilled to write a review for my fellow Entangled author Lisa Burstein and her latest book Dear Cassie

After being arrested on prom night (which you can read about in Pretty Amy, another awesome book) Cassie is sent to Turning Pines wilderness camp. Here she rooms with two other girls who have just as many problems as she does. She also meets Ben, who despite being attracted to she initially keeps pushing away.

Dear Cassie is beautifully written, with depth and understanding. We see all facets of Cassie’s character, from the snarky to the desperately vulnerable. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of a read. I couldn’t put it down and would one hundred percent recommend it to anyone.

March 5, 2013 • Comments

I’m thrilled to be touring Jessica Brody and her amazing new book UNREMEMBERED which is part of a compelling, romantic, and suspenseful new sci-fi trilogy for teens.

The only thing worse than forgetting her past…is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find a single survivor; which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating amid the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. She has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories…period. As she struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is, every clue raises more questions. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

Check out the Trailer

And now for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
A few years ago, I read a newspaper article about a teen girl who was the sole survivor of a plane crash. I was instantly fascinated by the story. Namely because they had no idea why she survived when no else did. I started brainstorming reasons as to why she was so lucky. One particular reason (a rather intricate, science-fiction-inspired one) stuck in my mind and refused to leave. It continued to grow and blossom until I had an idea for an entire trilogy. A trilogy that starts with a mysterious plane crash and a single survivor.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at sci-fi. It’s a genre that has fascinated me for years. And I’ve been very influenced by shows like Fringe and Lost and movies like Gattaca. When a previous series concept didn’t end up selling to a publisher, I took a very key aspect of that series (something I can’t reveal here as it’s a major spoiler for the book!) and turned it into this new trilogy.

What is your writing process like?
For the first 100 pages, I feel like a Disney Princess, floating out of bed and prancing to my writing desk while the birds chirp merrily outside and little furry raccoons make my coffee. For the second 100 pages, I feel like I’m trapped in the “pit of despair” from the Princess Bride movie, strapped to a torture machine that’s been set to maximum pain, while I haven’t seen the light of day for weeks. Then for the last 100 pages, I’m suddenly Snow White again.

What are you working on now?
I just finished writing book 2 of the Unremembered Trilogy, which is called UNFORGOTTEN. And I’m gearing up to start working on book 3, which is called UNTITLED. Haha! But seriously, I’m thinking of keeping that title. What do you think? It works for me!! Sara

What do you do when you’re not writing?
When I’m in the middle of a book, there’s not much else I can do when I’m not writing because my brain is always totally preoccupied with my story…even after I’ve finished my daily word count. Really, the only thing I can do is watch TV. It’s nice to focus on other people’s stories for a while.

Who do you like to read?
I’m obsessed with reading YA. It really is the best genre out there! But right now I’ve gotten really into Gillian Flynn. I’m reading Gone Girl and it’s truly AMAZING!

Reviews

“Unremembered is a story brimming with mystery and suspense, star-crossed love and mad scientists. I felt like a detective putting together the pieces of Seraphina’s forgotten past right along with her, and the masterful way the puzzle was finally revealed left me speechless.”—Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of Cinder

“Unremembered is an awesome book! I was pulling for Seraphina from the opening chapters, and couldn’t wait to read what happened next—and I LOVED the twist at the end.” —P.C. Cast, New York Times Bestselling author of the House of Night series.

“Gripping story…harrowing action…The first in Brody’s new science-fiction series should snare enough attention to have folks tapping their feet for the sequel.”
- Booklist

“Unremembered” is the first in a young adult sci-fi trilogy that is a page-turning adventure of self-discovery.” – Deseret News

“Fast-paced and sure to satisfy romance-oriented readers”
- Kirkus

Bio
JESSICA BRODY knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape. She is the author of 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, My Life Undecided, The Karma Club, and now, Unremembered. Her books have been translated and published in over 15 countries. She currently splits her time between California and Colorado. www.jessicabrody.com

Readers can download the first five chapters FREE! (Link below)

http://www.jessicabrody.com/books/teen-fiction/unremembered-series/unremembered/free-sample/

Like the Unremembered Trilogy on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/unrememberedtrilogy

Meet Jessica on tour this month!
http://www.jessicabrody.com/2013/02/the-unremembered-tour/

January 21, 2013 • Comments

It gives me great pleasure to be touring SMALL TOWN SINNERS by the fabulous Melissa Walker.

Does falling in love mean falling out of faith?

“Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver’s license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church’s annual haunted house of sin, Lacey’s junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn’t know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.”

Read an excerpt.

A few reviews:
“Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person’s beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family’s religion… Near the end, Lacey contemplates a verse from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Come now and let us reason together.’ It’s a good summation of what Walker asks of her characters and, by extension, of her readers.” –The New York Times Book Review

“A non-judgmental, nuanced, fascinating look at the teenage religious right… Walker writes an outstanding contemporary novel with a cast of characters who, far from being portrayed as hateful zealots, are relatable for readers of all faiths. The extremism of Hell House is tempered by the perfectly understandable attitudes and intentions of Lacey Anne, who struggles with what it means to grow up, to question and to think for herself.” –Romantic Times

“Both tender and provocative… Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a conservative congregation’s in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold.” –Publishers Weekly

“This secular story about religious people could easily devolve into camp mockery, but because Walker takes her character’s crisis of faith seriously and sensitively, readers will, too.” –Kirkus Reviews

Extra stuff:

Before Melissa writes the book, she does little interviews with her main characters. That information almost never makes it into the manuscript, but she likes having it. Here’s a tiny bit from Starla Joy, the best friend:

What makes you mad?
People who judge on looks. I really hate that. My sister’s the pretty one, but I’m smarter. And both of us know it.

What makes you happy?
Laughing. I love to laugh and I do it a lot. I can find the bright side of things. I do hate it when people fake laugh. Or when the say,“That’s funny,” but don’t laugh.

Favorite childhood memory?Probably just hanging out with Lacey and Dean. We played in the woods, went down by the river, just hung out together all the time. Lately adults give us looks for spending so much time with Dean—me and Lacey. He’s going through a darker phase and sometimes paints his nails. We know it’s no big deal but other people give him a hard time. And our parents suddenly don’t want us in the room together—like they’re expecting something bad from us. That bugs me.

What do you love about your mom?
That she stays out of my way.

What you hate about your mom?

See above.

Bio:
Melissa has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She is the author of the Violet on the Runway series as well as Lovestruck Summer. Melissa manages I Heart Daily, an e-newsletter and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens. Check out her website www.melissacwalker.com