Team Novel Teen Blog Tour and Giveaway for Captives by Jill Williamson

So…I’m not really sure what to say about Captives by Jill Williamson. I could say that Inspirational fiction finally has contender on the dystopoian fiction scene, but it’s probably not dismal enough for you if you’re a die-hard dystopian fan. (Unlike myself-sick of it already.) Or I could say that Captives is Teen Inspy fiction at it’s best. Williamson mimics the most popular themes in current teen dystopian fiction, skillfully incorporates biblical and social themes into her own unique story, and simultaneously raises the bar for everyone else. Of course, if you’ve read any of Jill’s other books, you probably expected no less. Personally, I think Captives is my favorite Jill Willamson book yet! It was awesome. But then, I kind of expected it to be awesome.

Don’t miss the chance to read Captives yourself, let me know what you think of the blurb below and I’ll enter you in a drawing for your own copy!

One choice could destroy them all.
When eighteen-year-old Levi returned from Denver City with his latest scavenged finds, he never imagined he’d find his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many—including his fiancée, Jem–taken captive. Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.
Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Land has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago … and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar’s dreams.
Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only his people, but also find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone inside the Safe Lands.
Can Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Land’s façade before it’s too late?

Still not sure? Check out the prologue and first chapter here or learn how Jill got the idea for the Safe Lands series here.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Captives by Jill Williamson by clicking on the links above, and click here for more information about Team Novel Teen.
Blooming with Books • Bookworm Reading • Chris Kolmorgen • Christian Book Review Blog • Christian Bookshelf Reviews • CTF Devourer • Emily Rachelle Writes • Heavenward Reviews • Jessica Laurie • Labor Not in Vain • The Life of a Teenage Writer • The Maniacal Bookworm • Mrs. Southern Bride • Oh, Restless Bird • Pages from My Journal • The Pen and Parchment • Rachelle Rea • The Ramblings of a Young Author • Realm of Hearts • Shadow Writer World • A Simple Life, Really?! • Surrendering All of Me • Terri Harr • Verbosity Book Reviews • Who YA Reading? • Worthy2Read • The Writings of Rosie

 

 

 

If We Survive, Andrew Klavan, and the 2013 Thriller Awards

“We were in the cantina waiting for a bus when Mendoza walked in and shot the waiter dead.” ~ If We Survive

That opening line hooked me and wouldn’t let go. A missions trip in Central America goes horribly wrong when Will and his friends are caught in the middle of a violent revolution. The latest novel from Andrew Klavan, (whom I’ve raved about before) If We Survive is masterful writing. The non-stop action draws you in and and keeps you furiously turning pages, yet Will’s internal struggle to make sense of the violence around him will make you consider your own beliefs about poverty, patriotism, and sacrifice. A great read from start to finish! Also, Klavan is a nominee for the 2013 Thriller Award in the Best Young Adult Novel category! (And the only nominee from an Inspirational publisher, btw.)

Team Novel Teen Blog Tour: Storm by Evan Angler

If you’ve read any of my previous ravings about the Swipe series, hopefully that’ll be enough incentive for you to check out book 3, Storm. If not, allow me to elaborate on the awesomeness that is Evan Angler’s latest book. Storm continues the non-stop action that I loved in Swipe and Sneak. The apocalypse gets scarier, the plot gets sicker, life gets hopelesser, plus we finally get some insight into Logan’s sister! (Who is totally the awesomest character in the whole thing, Mr. Angler if you’re listening…I really need more about Lily!) Side note: If you, like me, were over “mark of the beast” Christian apocalyptic fiction halfway through “Left Behind,” don’t let it deter you from this fabulous series! Angler takes it to a whole new level. Don’t miss this exciting series!

In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark lets citizen shop, go to school, and even get medical care—without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear. Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he’s been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receive some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days. In Storm, Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis’ army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it’s difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren’t sure if Logan’s sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis’ army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation—and the world—the weather has become less stable and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Storm by Evan Angler by clicking on the links above, and click here for more information about Team Novel Teen.

ADD Librarian • Blooming with Books • The Book Fae • Book Nook 4 You • Bookworm Reading  • Christian Book Review Blog • Christian Bookshelf Reviews • CTF Devourer •  Jill Williamson • Labor Not in Vain • The Life of a Teenage Writer • The Maniacal Bookworm • Oh, Restless Bird • The Ramblings of a Young Author • Realm of Hearts • Shadow Writer World • A Slightly Nerdy Bookworm • Who YA Reading? • Worthy2Read

Sweet Mercy Blog Tour

Prohibition….Gangsters….Bootleggers….Al Capone….and a 17-year-old girl named Eve Marryat who, in the tumultuous summer of 1931, learns the meaning of….

Sweet Mercy

Sweet Mercy
by Ann Tatlock
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: May 1 2013 by Bethany House Publishers

Premise:

When Eve Marryat’s father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve’s uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge. 

St. Paul seemed like a haven for gangsters, and Eve had grown fearful of living there. At seventeen, she considers her family to be “good people.” They aren’t lawbreakers and criminals like so many people in her old neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a “safe haven,” Eve is blissfully unaware that her uncle’s lodge is a transfer station for illegal liquor smuggled from Canada.

Eve settles in to work and makes new friends, including an enigmatic but affecting young man. But when the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. How can she ignore what is happening right under their very noses? Yet can she risk everything by condemning the man whose love and generosity is keeping her and her family from ruin?

Barnes & Noble * Amazon * Bethany House

 

Gangsters, bootleggers, and bums, oh my! I haven’t read a historical novel this engaging in a long time. Prohibition is such a cool era, but there’s not a lot of Christian fiction written about it. I was hooked right away. The characters are wonderful. Sometimes I wanted to strangle Eve, but her growth as a character was brilliantly rendered. I was drawn in to her struggles as her perceptions are challenged and she is forced to rethink her opinions of those around her. I haven’t read any Ann Tatlock until now, but that’s about to change. Don’t miss this delightful coming-of-age story! ~Claire

Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy Award-winning novel Promises to Keep. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association “Book of the Year” in fiction for both All the Way Home and I’ll Watch the Moon.Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her “one of Christian fiction’s better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories.” Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.

Website * Facebook * Goodreads

On this Tour… test your 1930′s Gangster knowledge with our trivia quiz, a different question on every post!

Why wasn’t Bugs Moran, the intended target, at the warehouse at the time of the Valentine’s Day Massacre?

Giveaway:

2 Winners, USA only: Print copy of Sweet Mercy, Ghirardelli chocolate, book themed pen & notepad.

2 Winners, world-wide: eCopy of Sweet Mercy

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Bethany House Publishers and Ann Tatlock. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours 

April 15 – May 3, 2013:

15 – Launch!

16 – I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - What was Prohibition?

17 – JoJo’s Corner – Review

18 – Letters to the Cosmos – Review

19 – The Broke Book Bank – Guest Post Meet the Lawmen

21 – The Wonderings of One Person – Molls and other Dolls

 - Books Mystify – Review

22 – Tressa’s Wishful Endings – Review, The Setting behind the Setting

-  Momma Bear’s Book Blog – Review, Meet the Cast

23 – CTF Devourer – Review

 - Christy’s Cozy Corner – Fun Facts About 1931   

24 – ADD Librarian - Review

25 – Worthy 2 Read – Review

26 – Green Mountain Couple – Just a Taste (to wet your whistle)

28 – Backing Books – Review

29 – Celtic Lady’s Reviews – Four Famous Gangsters

30 – A Year of Jubilee Reviews – Review

1 – The Jack’s Junk Drawer – Review

2 – Living a Goddess Life – Review, Recipe

3 – Grand Finale

The Journal of Best Practices

I don’t read non-fiction. I have good intentions, but little follow=through in this area. I think I can count on one hand the number of non-fiction books I’ve read for pleasure in the past 5 years. Um….3?

If I read an average of 150 books a year, (and Goodreads says I do) that means that non-fiction comprises approximately 0.007% of my reading. Consequently, when I actually finish a non-fiction book I feel like I should let the world at large know about it.

The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch

I LOVED this book. It is absolutely hysterical. If you have Asperger’s, know or have worked with someone who does, or are married, you will enjoy this book. (Also if you have ADHD…)

Biblical Villainess Extrodinaire…The Start of a New Trend?

So a while back I blogged about the Biblical Fiction trend and I also noted the emerging popularity of Judas Iscariot as a protagonist here. After further consideration (and the discovery of the book below) I think the new trend is actually Biblical villains!

This is probably a carry-over the villain trend we’re seeing with movies like Disney’s Maleficent… Anyway, I’m super-excited about Reign! Ginger Garret is an amazing writer and I can’t wait to see what her take is on Jezebel, arguably the most evil woman in the Bible! C’mon April 24th!

Team Novel Teen Blog Tour – Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker

Scarlett Blaine’s life in 1960s Georgia isn’t always easy, especially given her parents’ financial struggles and the fights surrounding her sister Juli’s hippie lifestyle. Then there’s her brother, Cliff. While Scarlett loves him more than anything, there’s no denying his unique behavior leaves Cliff misunderstood and left out. So when he wishes for a rocket to Jupiter, Scarlett agrees to make it happen, no matter how crazy the idea might be. Raising the rocket money means baking pies, and the farmer’s son, Frank, agrees to provide the peaches if Scarlett will help him talk to Juli. The problem is, Scarlett really enjoys her time with Frank, and finds herself wondering if, someday, they could be more than friends. Just as she thinks everything might be going her way, Cliff suffers an accident that not only affects the rocket plans, but shakes Scarlett’s view of God. As the summer comes to an end, Scarlett must find a way to regain what she’s lost, but also fulfill a promise to launch her brother’s dream.

Chasing Jupiter is fantastic. I had a hard time putting it down. Author Rachel Coker is way too young to be turning out fiction of this caliber! The setting is beautiful, I felt like I’d stepped back in time to rural Georgia in the 60′s setting. My only complaint is that the writing is so beautiful it’s almost heart-wrenching. I don’t usually do very well with heart-wrenching, but the thread of hope that runs throughout this story made it worthwhile.
*For more from the fabulous (and homeschooled btw, Whoot!) Rachel Coker see this Q&A about the book and her thoughts on a Chasing Jupiter movie!

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker by clicking on the links above, and click here for more information about Team Novel Teen.

 

Blooming with Books • Bookworm Reading • CTF Devourer • Gillian Adams • Jessica Laurie • Jill Williamson • Labor Not in Vain • Rachelle Rea • The Ramblings of a Young Author • A Slightly Nerdy Bookworm • Surrendering All of Me • Worthy2Read

Final Reading Challenge Update

I read 10,804 pages. for the 2013 Librarian’s Reading Challenge. That’s about 30 books between January 1st and February 28th. That’s about 5,000 less than last year but what can I say, life got busy! (Not gonna lie though, I’m looking forward to reading adult books again!) The last three that I read were all fantastic so you’ll hear more about them from me later.

Grave Consequences by Lisa T. Bergren

Avenger by Heather Burch

Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

Reading Challenge Update…Again

Only 3 days left! My current page count is only 8,142! This is sadly far below where I was last year. Oh well, life’s been busy… We’ll see how much damage I can do in the next 3 days. Snow’s coming!
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
More about this one later….

Domination by Jon S. Lewis
Love this series!

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund
I really liked the first book, but this one fell a little flat for me.

Vanquished by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
I love Debbie Viguie, but this series kind of lost me. I prefer her standalone series beginning with Kiss of Night.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
I have to admit, I love me some Vampire Academy! This series isn’t quite as captivating, but I’m liking it so far. (It also doesn’t hurt that there’s a Vampire Academy movie in the works!)

Reading Challenge Update

I may be the only one who cares, but I’m currently up to 5,961 pages, which is not even close to where I need to be. Excuse me while I go into panic-reading mode… Anyway here’s what I’ve read since January 16th.

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl
I really loved this. It reads kinda like Jane Austen and there’s a slightly satirical feel to it. The heroine, Althea, is just so honest about her desire to marry money. Men marry for beauty, why shouldn’t women marry for money? A delightful character and a charming story.

Perfectly Ridiculous by Kristin Billerbeck
Cute, cute, cute!

Just For Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Not bad a cute series about mermaids with cool hair.

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
An original time travel series, not entirely sure how I feel about it yet… The author is German btw.

The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
This was amazing! A bit dark, but a wonderful, magical read.

Starling by Lesley Livingston
I’m excited about this series!

The Sword in the Stars and The Errant King by Wayne Thomas Batson
Took a while to get into, but fabulous if you can keep all the characters straight.

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
Meh.

Double Crossed by Ally Carter
Love, love, love! Only available in eBook, but try to read it before you read Perfect Scoundrels, which is out RIGHT NOW!

Quicksilver by R. J. Anderson
I loved this one too! A companion book to Ultraviolet, which I reviewed here, but can be read as a standalone.