YA Author's Appreciation Event: Featuring Rebecca of Kindle Fever and Andrea Cremer

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

ANDREA CREMER

©REBECCA @ KINDLE FEVER

I’ve always loved to read and ever since I knew how to, I’ve been known to stay inside and read while the other children were outside playing. I’ve come across amazing series since then and my reading habits have no doubt changed drastically over the years, especially since I fell into the habit of reading English novels. Books have always helped me getting through rougher times as well, but this post won’t be about one of those. Instead it will be about a book opening my eyes and that’s the reason my love for the genre Young Adult even started!

When Suz invited me to write a post for her YA appreciation week, I knew right away who I had to write about. This author made me overlook my own stupidity of stubbornly thinking I didn’t like Young Adult novels at all; that they were all too ‘simply’ written. Had I read any indicating this? Yes, but definitely not enough to judge an entire genre. So, who am I talking about? Andrea Cremer!

A lot of my Goodreads friends had recommended Nightshade to me this year, but I’d never thought too much about it until quite recently when I spotted their new, gorgeous covers. I know, I’m awful! But that's how they caught my eye again and I finally decided to listen to the recommendations and give Nightshade a go. Let’s just say it surprised me a whole lot. I was hooked right away and loved every single thing about it; characters, mythology, plot… you name it. And it definitely wasn’t written in that ‘simple’ way I dislike. I even loved it more than a lot of the Adult series I’ve read in my days! Sometimes I even think that Young Adult novels actually contain more emotions and tension than Adult ones, since they don’t actually type out everything like Adult novels do (whether steamy or gory scenes), and I’m a sucker for those kind of reads.

After this point my reading habits were turned quite upside down and it was an amazing wake-up call. Why would I judge YA as a whole for a few bad reads? I don’t even see my own logic. I was mainly scared to come across reads I wouldn’t like, which is kind of stupid, since I will find those occasionally in any genre. Since then I’ve read and loved extremely many YA novels, and I now choose my reads based on blurb, not genre specifically. If it sounds interesting, why not give it a try? It’s how I found YA. What Cremer managed was to help me get to know myself a little better and what I want in a book. I’m not locked to one thing anymore, but have spread my views and I’m so happy she helped me open my eyes!

I realize this might sound pretty logical to many already. Maybe I lived under a rock and was so limited in my reads for such a long time that I just wasn't used to stepping far outside my current comfort zone. I’m just grateful that Cremer’s work helped me with that and to not judge my reads, but instead see if they interest me. Now I’ve accepted the fact that I can’t limit myself to specific genres and I’ve noticed I enjoy my reads a lot more these days. Every time I read an amazing YA, I’m extremely glad I decided to pick up her work! So thank you, Andrea.

If you haven’t read her work, you definitely should! It’s amazing, unique and thrilling.

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Anna of Books To Brighten Your Mood and Simone Elkeles

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

SIMONE ELKESE

©ANNA @ BOOKS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR MOOD

Hello and Happy Holidays first of all! Before saying anything else I just have to thank Suz for her amazing idea and for creating this feauture! I'm really flattered that you considered me to participate!

So, my name is Anna and I'm the blogger behind Books to Brighten your Mood and this is my first ever guest post, so forgive any awkwardness I'm sure will be visible by the end of it! I'm 26 years old and I live in Athens, Greece. Reading is essentially a second nature to me, so blogging just came along my being introduced to different genres and finding amazing recommendations through other blogs, so I thought of creating my own place and maybe introduce in turn to other people some of the books I love!

For the YA Author's Appreciation Event I could speak for noone else but one of my favorite ever YA authors: Simone Elkeles!!!

I mean this author is trully so amazing that anything she has written goes automatically in my TBR list! I just love everything about the way she delivers her stories, the characters she creates just stick to my mind and in overall, picking a book of hers means that I won't be able to put it down as soon as I pick it.

I'll never forget the day I received my copy of Perfect Chemistry! A good friend of mine had just read it and insisted that I should immediatelly go grab my own. And for that, I am forever grateful to her!

What made Perfect Chemistry so special to me wasn't the fact that it was my first YA contemporary book that I enjoyed. Granted, it was among the first but what made it so special was the sensitivity with which Simone Elkeles handled delicate issues in this book that along with a riveting story had me glued to the pages of the book.

Elkeles just has the undeniable ability to create well developed and memorable characters and I'm not talking about the main ones only...I remember that I just wanted to learn more about Alex's brothers and I didn't even knew back then that this book would be part of a trilogy. I just picked it solely on my friend's recommendation without knowing anything about the author or having read any reviews. And that way I was completely lost in the magic of this book. And not only that, but by the end of it, it was like Alex and Brittany were my own friends.

Apart from that, what makes Simone Elkeles so special an author to me is the fact that she knows how to stir the feelings she intends on her readers. Not many authors can claim they can achieve that. She just takes her readers along her characters' journey and while reading her books you can actually feel and understand her characters and their motives. Either you like her story or not,noone can say that her characters act in a non consistent way.

For all that, Simone Elkeles is among my favorite YA authors and one whose work I trully admire. She was the reason I started frantically searching for any similar stories out there as soon as I finished Perfect Chemistry and the reason I was stupidly grinning for almost an hour after I finished reading her story. So, even if she didn't introduce me to the YA contemporary genre she managed to make me obsessed over the genre!

Thanks Suz for having me over at your place! I had a really great time!

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation Featuring Valerie of Stuck In Books and Cassandra Clare

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

CASSANDRA CLARE

By VALERIE @ STUCK IN BOOKS

 Valerie from StuckInBooks.com

As we head to the new year, I've been thinking about where my blogging adventure started, how I got stuck in books.  Interestingly enough, I haven’t always been an avid reader. Shocking, I know but I had a few books when I was young that captured my interest but nothing more. Now, my life seems to revolve around reading. What changed? As I think back about it, I can really pin point it to two authors. The first one is Stephenie Meyer who wrote the Twilight Series. She got me reading but she’s not the one who sent me down the road to loving YA urban fantasy. After I read the Twilight Series, I tried very hard to find other books that spoke to me so I haphazardly picked up books in YA looking for a repeat performance. Then a friend at work recommended The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I literally sailed through the first two books but had to wait on the third because it wasn’t out yet. In her books, I discovered what it is that I love to read.

 

That discovery has driven my reading choices ever since. Strong central characters just like Clary and Jace are a must. Clary doesn’t know how to be a shadowhunter but she’s determined and doesn’t give up. Jace is strong, talented and has a weakness for Clary. The world is familiar enough to real society that I’m not lost in a constant parade of things I don’t know and can’t keep track of. But it’s also a world of mystery and discovery for me. The plot is action packed with twists and turns that catch me by surprise. The clues that are left in the lines of pages are enough to keep me thinking but not enough to give things away. The love interest is strong and hot but doesn’t take over the entire plot. When you combine these elements you have a perfect book for me.

 

 

Now when I read, I look for urban fantasy or paranormal that have strong characters and fast action. No one writes like Cassie but I’ve found a few I would stand up next to her as just as good in different ways. Jennifer L Armentrout comes to mind. I have LOVED everything she has written and can’t wait to read more. Julie Kawaga is another one that creates those perfect stories for me. And I’m always comparing what I’m reading to these idols that I have. Thank you Cassandra for helping me discover my passion in reading and for getting me stuck in books!

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation Featuring Valerie of Stuck In Books and Cassandra Clare

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

CASSANDRA CLARE

By VALERIE @ STUCK IN BOOKS

 Valerie from StuckInBooks.com

As we head to the new year, I've been thinking about where my blogging adventure started, how I got stuck in books.  Interestingly enough, I haven’t always been an avid reader. Shocking, I know but I had a few books when I was young that captured my interest but nothing more. Now, my life seems to revolve around reading. What changed? As I think back about it, I can really pin point it to two authors. The first one is Stephenie Meyer who wrote the Twilight Series. She got me reading but she’s not the one who sent me down the road to loving YA urban fantasy. After I read the Twilight Series, I tried very hard to find other books that spoke to me so I haphazardly picked up books in YA looking for a repeat performance. Then a friend at work recommended The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I literally sailed through the first two books but had to wait on the third because it wasn’t out yet. In her books, I discovered what it is that I love to read.

 

That discovery has driven my reading choices ever since. Strong central characters just like Clary and Jace are a must. Clary doesn’t know how to be a shadowhunter but she’s determined and doesn’t give up. Jace is strong, talented and has a weakness for Clary. The world is familiar enough to real society that I’m not lost in a constant parade of things I don’t know and can’t keep track of. But it’s also a world of mystery and discovery for me. The plot is action packed with twists and turns that catch me by surprise. The clues that are left in the lines of pages are enough to keep me thinking but not enough to give things away. The love interest is strong and hot but doesn’t take over the entire plot. When you combine these elements you have a perfect book for me.

 

 

Now when I read, I look for urban fantasy or paranormal that have strong characters and fast action. No one writes like Cassie but I’ve found a few I would stand up next to her as just as good in different ways. Jennifer L Armentrout comes to mind. I have LOVED everything she has written and can’t wait to read more. Julie Kawaga is another one that creates those perfect stories for me. And I’m always comparing what I’m reading to these idols that I have. Thank you Cassandra for helping me discover my passion in reading and for getting me stuck in books!

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation Featuring Tiffany of For Those About To Read and Anna Godbersen

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

ANNA GODBERSEN

By TIFFANY @ FOR THOSE ABOUT TO READ

Ever since I read The Luxe, Anna Godbersen has been one of my favorite authors. She has this magical way of writing that entrances you. Whenever I read her novels, I feel like I’m standing in the room with the characters, experiencing their emotions, and seeing exactly what they do.

Godbersen’s plot lines are always fast paced and exciting. Since she writes historical fiction, all of her settings have an enchanting quality to them. When I read The Luxe, I felt like I was in a magnificent ballroom from 1899 wearing a to-die-for gown. When I read Bright Young Things, I felt like I was experiencing the excitement of the 1920s myself. The lyrical prose sucks you in and the whole thing just feels like a movie! It’s truly magnificent.

Aside from Godbersen’s gifted writing style, her plot lines are all crazy-good. She incorporates love, betrayal, and drama in a very realistic fashion. Some authors feel obligated to put a pretty bow at the end of the novels—Godbersen does not. If there were too many bad things that happened in a relationship for the characters to ever realistically work out their relationship, she lets it die. She doesn’t try to force happiness on her characters. Much like real life, sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. That said, it’s practically impossible to predict her plotlines because she has this way of adding things you would never expect.

I didn’t truly appreciate what a master storyteller Godbersen is until I read Splendor, the last book in The Luxe series. Godbersen masterfully plans out her novels and leads the reader on an epic journey. Her books are so artfully written that you don’t see the intricacy of the stories she’s created until a series is complete. Everything is so carefully interwoven and there is purpose in even the most random-seeming act. There are few authors as talented as Anna Godbersen, and she has certainly changed the way I read both YA and Historical Fiction.

❝WATCH THE TRAILER FOR THE BOOKS❞

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Evie from Bookish and 3 Self-Pub Author's

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

TAMARA R. BLODGETT, RUSTY FISCHER

& MR MERRICK

By EVIE @ BOOKISH

Hi everyone~! *waves* I'm very glad I can be here with you today! I just need to say: Susan, what a brilliant event! I'm very happy to participate and share some of my most fabulous reading experiences with everyone! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!

I'm relatively new to the blogging world (I know, looking at me being all cool and professional you wouldn't be able to tell haha - just kidding!). I started blogging at the beginning of this year and it's been a fascinating, enriching journey. Before I started my blog, I've been reading 2-3 books per month (I know, right?!), now I read 2-4 books per week, sometimes more, cause we all how it is...deadlines! I consider this a positive change, my husband - not so much (he thinks I'm crazy doing this "dungeons&dragons thing" all day long... Don't blame him, he's a practical guy:P). In truth, as much as I love reading and sharing my thoughts about the books I've read, blogging is also a very hard and time-and-energy-consuming "job". Thankfully, there are people out there who make all of this worthwhile. Other bloggers, readers, and of course... AUTHORS!

I'm here today to talk to you about three of the most fabulous authors I've ever met, authors who changed the way I read books, the way I write my reviews and the way I interact with other book-lovers and writers. Today I want to bow to them and say THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU! And I'm so grateful that you guys are out there, brightening the world with your fantastic, unique and heart-warming stories, sharing your talent with us –your faithful readers! I'm here today to talk to you about the brilliant and utmost talented Tamara Rose Blodgett (author of Death Whispers and The Pearl Savage), the insanely witty zombie-king of the literary world - Rusty Fischer (author of Zombies Don't Cry and Ushers INC), and the most charming and phenomenal Matt "LadiesMan" Merrick (author of Exiled).

I don't think I could ever fully convey how much I love them. No words can express that.

Tamara R Blodgett is insanely sweet and understanding, she is the nicest, most patient author I ever talked to, and the most fabulous lady in the whole world. Her Death Whispers was one of the very first self published books I reviewed on my blog and it changed the way I looked at self-pubs forever. Before that I was ignorant enough to think that self-pubs were just books not good enough to get picked up by publishing companies – boy, was I wrong! With her amazing, touching, funny, and undeniably cool story, she opened my eyes to a whole new, brilliant world of wonderful self-pubs! It’s thanks to her I am now a huge Indie and Self-Pub supporter! I admire her for being so hard working and gracious, for always being kind to me, even though I was just a newbie blogger at the time when we first met. I'm thankful for her presence in my life, for she is like a bright, shining star to me. My role model. A gem of a woman!

Rusty Fischer... Rusty is just one of a kind personality! He's my zombie king, my hero, my fountain of nerdalicious awesomeness! Thanks to Rusty I know that Zombies can be cool, too! Ha! Rusty's zombies rock and there's nothing better in the whole literary world of supernatural. Seriously, this guy is such a fantabulous writer, if you haven't read any of his books yet, you are missing out SO MUCH! I admire Rusty for everything he's doing to keep us readers well entertained, even if it means overcoming his fear of camera and doing a kick-ass vlog! And have you read his blog posts?! They are so interesting and informative! He's awesome enough to share his publishing/writing/promoting experiences and gives priceless advices on many things. You ought to visit his site, like, now!

Last but not least, MR Merrick, the living definition of awesomeness. I don't even know where to begin... Matt is charming, sweet, always has a smile for everyone, always shows support, his kindness and fab sense of humor are legendary in the Land of Twitter, he's just unbelievably phenomenal, cheerful, smart and lovable! He burst into the literary world with the most fantastic self-published story ever written. No joke, Exiled will rock your socks (or face if you will) off! You thought Cassandra Clare was good? You haven't met Matt yet!

❝DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE AWESOME BOOKS!!!❞



❝OR HER FANTASTIC REVIEWS/GIVEAWAYS!!!❞

The Pearl Savage | Zombies Don't Cry | Exiled - Book Review!

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Anna of Literary Exploration and Scott Westerfield

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

SCOTT WESTERFIELD

By ANNA @ LITERARY EXPLORATION

Scott Westerfeld

Find Him On: Goodreads / Twitter / Author Website

I had The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld sitting on my shelf for the longest time before I finally picked it up. I read the book in less than a day and immediately ran out and grabbed up the rest of the series. The Uglies series is one of my favorite series of all time and I'll jump at the chance to read anything similar. I read this series right after reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and I'm happy to say it has really increased my love for Dystopians. Since then, I've developed a giant love for the author, Scott Westerfeld, because seriously that guy is amazing.

For those of you who haven't read  Uglies yet, the story is about a girl named Tally who lives in a society where everyone gets an operation to become "pretty" on their sixteenth birthday. Tally meets a girl named Shay, who doesn't want to be pretty. Shay wants to escape their city and live on the outside, and so she runs away. Tally is given the choice to help find Shay and betray her friend, or never become pretty at all. It's a great story about making choices, finding yourself, and falling in love. If you're a lover of dystopians, romance, adventure, (anything really!!) you're going to love  Uglies!

Since reading The Uglies series, I've also picked up Westerfeld's book Leviathan (which I sadly haven't read yet) and Peeps which is a vampire story. There's just something about the way this man writes that gets you hooked in from the very beginning. He has an epic way with words, and is such a master story teller. I'm not going to go into any analysis of his writing or anything, but he does have some pretty profound messages in his books as well. I mean, Uglies, a society of normal-looking people striving to be super model gorgeous?? I think that speaks for itself.

I think that's one of the things I love most about Westerfeld's books, they really make me think. It's not very often that I come across a YA book that makes me sit back and think about the way society works, or the way our world is driven by exterior images. Usually I read YA because it's fun and interesting, and I don't really expect to get much out of it other than entertainment. But Westerfeld manages to weave together the fun and excitement of YA and the thought-provoking images that adult novels provide. He makes you think, but he also makes you laugh, and cry, and sit back and enjoy yourself.

If you haven't read anything by Scott Westerfeld, you really should. Whether you're a steampunk junkie, a dystopian lover, or a vampire fiend he's got something for you! Maybe even check out some of his short stories before diving into something longer. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Some of Westerfeld's series:

The Uglies:
Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras

Leviathan:

Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Amanda of The Vintage Bookworm and Richelle Mead

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞ RICHELLE MEAD © AMANDA @ THE VINTAGE BOOKWORM

Hello all, and welcome to the YA Author Appreciation Event, hosted by the lovely Susan of A Soul Unsung. Which, of course, you should already know since you are currently on her blog. Anyway, I'd like to thank her for asking me to participate in this. It's a great honor! =) Thanks Susan!

Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda. I own the book review blog The Vintage Bookworm, which was created in December of 2010. Though I've been blogging on and off since 2006. I started a book review blog back in 2006 to meet other people who loved books just as much as I do and to get my opinion out on certain books.

 I am a young mother and wife who has loved reading even before really learning how to. Not only do I love reading, but I'm an aspiring YA author. My dream is to see a book with my name on it among other books that I love. I'm going to talk about one of the authors that inspires me the most. She inspires me to keep writing and to set high goals for myself, and she also inspires me to read. I can always rely on her to create an amazing book. If it has her name on it, I'll definitely be adding it to my overgrowing to-be read pile.

Who is this awesome person you may ask? None other than the amazing, and very, very talented Richelle Mead.

Richelle's Website
Richelle's Blog
Richelle's Twitter
Richelle's Facebook
Richelle's Goodreads

Bio, as taken from Goodreads:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy. 

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous. 

To be honest, I haven't read ALL of her books. Yet. I do plan on it, though. They all sound amazing. I've only read all six of the Vampire Academy series, plus the first book in the spin-off series Bloodlines. Which means I've read 7 out of the 16 that is currently out. I really need to catch up! I haven't read any of her adult books, which is included  in those 16. But they all sound amazing. Her adult series are: Georgina Kincaid and Dark Swan.


When you open a book by Richelle Mead, you can trust that you won't be disappointed. I've never been. I could go out and buy every book she's published, plus the anthologies she's in, and I won't regret it. (Though I do own the Vampire Academy series, plus the first Bloodlines book.) Richelle's writing reaches out and grabs you and doesn't let you off the amazing ride until the last page of the book. And then you're like, "Really? Did this just end? I want to know more!"

Her writing flows very well and she's just an amazing writer overall. I don't even know what else to say other than that. She makes you care for her characters; whether they are good or bad. You care! I can't tell you how many times I've cried over the Vampire Academy series. How many times I've cried and thrown stuff across the room, and wanted to literally jump into the book and smack someone or kiss someone. (Okay, seriously, do I really have to say whom I'd love to kiss? I think Dimitri is in every woman's dream. Well, okay, Adrian too.)

Her characters are so real to me and I can honestly say she is one of the top names on my list of writing idols. If I could even write a quarter as good as she does, I would be a happy woman. She inspires me to keep writing and to keep getting better at the craft.

She has changed reading and writing for me forever. She definitely has the best young adult vampire series out there. =) She's a great writer with unique story lines, plots, and characters. And that makes her one of my all time favorite authors.

I'm going to make it one of my new year's resolutions for 2012 to at least start on her adult series.

Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Laura of All Of Everything and J.K. Rowling

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

J.K. ROWLING

© LAURA @ ALL OF EVERYTHING

Hi everyone! *waves*. I'm Laura from All of Everything here today to share the YA author that I greatly appreciate. Why I started blogging stems from my love of reading, and my love of reading as voraciously as I do stems from this author. I know I'm not the only one writing about her but I think she greatly deserves the praise :]

J.K. Rowling

My parents encouraged my love of reading from a very young age. They would always bring me to the library and help me carry the stacks of books I always came out with. Close to Christmas, I overheard my dad on the phone with my uncle, who wanted to get me some new book that had come out that was getting really popular. That's how I got Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone. I think I may have finished it in a matter of hours, I was so engrossed. That book started my obsession.

Sure I have always loved books, but Harry Potter was the first book that got me excited, frantic and NEEDING to get the sequel as soon as possible. I started preordering the books as opposed to waiting for them at the library (which probably would've taken months!) The day Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out me and my family were due to leave for vacation. Well, I couldn't wait a week to get the last Potter book! So when we left we stopped by the mall pretty much right when it opened and I RAN to the bookstore to pick up my (preordered) copy. The workers were standing amidst piles of the books and handed me my copy with a smile and 'hope you enjoy'. Between sitting at the beach or on the deck, I finished it in two days. And I was blown away, as per usual.

J.K Rowling wrote a series that I fell in love with, that grew up with me, and from how old I am now, was pretty much a big part of half my life. Half my existence spent with Harry, Ron and Hermione at the magical place that was Hogwarts. I'm sure I was one of many who daydreamed of having magical powers and attending such a magnificent school. It was gold for the imagination.

Even though it's over, it's become such a huge part of my life and my love for books. It started so many discussions, and brought about some serious fangirling, of the book and movie kind. I had never been so crazy about a series before. And from Harry Potter have come even more amazing books to sit beside it and for me to preorder months in advance: authors like Cassandra Clare, Suzanne Collins, Christopher Paolini, Stephenie Meyer, James Dashner, Rachel Caine, Patrick Ness, Veronica Roth, Beth Revis, Tahereh Mafi, Marie Lu and so many more are proudly displayed on my shelf with books I've loved or will continue to love.

I loved reading before Harry Potter, but it set off some spark in me, and made me CRAZY love reading and made it a passion. I got more involved, learned about new books, widened my reading horizons and so much more. And down the line, years later, here I am blogging about books, and hoping to get into the publishing industry. Thanks J.K. Rowling. And thanks Suz, for letting me share :)