Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: You Too? - 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories - Edited by Janet Gurtler

Book info:

Title: You Too?
Author:  Various Authors
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date:  January 7th, 2020
Publisher:  Inkyard Press
Source: E-galley from YA Bound Book Tours which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars


Synopsis: 
A timely and heartfelt collection of essays inspired by the #MeToo movement, edited by acclaimed young adult and middle-grade author Janet Gurtler. Featuring Beth Revis, Mackenzi Lee, Ellen Hopkins, Saundra Mitchell, Jennifer Brown, Cheryl Rainfield and many more.

When #MeToo went viral, Janet Gurtler was among the millions of people who began to reflect on her past experiences. Things she had reluctantly accepted—male classmates groping her at recess, harassment at work—came back to her in startling clarity. She needed teens to know what she had not: that no young person should be subject to sexual assault, or made to feel unsafe, less than or degraded.

You Too? was born out of that need. By turns thoughtful and explosive, these personal stories encompass a wide range of experiences and will resonate with every reader who has wondered, “Why is this happening to me?” or secretly felt that their own mistreatment or abuse is somehow their fault—it’s not. Candid and empowering, You Too? is written for teens, but also an essential resource for the adults in their lives—an urgent, compassionate call to listen and create change.

Add to Goodreads

Purchase Links:

IndieBound - Harlequin - Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Chapters
 

My Review:
Because I have my own #MeToo story, I was definitely interested in reading this book and being able to recommend it to others.  While I didn't completely finish the book, it's not because it wasn't worthwhile to read.  It's because after a while the stories started to depress me a bit.  Yes, I definitely connected with and felt so much about the stories and authors was true for me as well.  And I do think it is an important book to have and for others to read.  But for me I couldn't keep going because in the end, I just was getting more and more depressed. However I still will try to purchase it for my school library, because I think it is helpful to read and know that other people have dealt with situations that still today we don't always feel we can talk about or actually confront those who have done these things to us.  There was even something in one of the stories that was very much that thought, that she wondered if she had only spoken up sooner or even done more if she could have saved others who might have had to go through what she did. There was also in one story something that really stuck out to me because it is something I have struggled with as well.  There was a guy I who was a part of a group of friends I had from my part time job about 10 or so years ago. He said something that really stuck out to me, about how a girl only thinks a guy flirting is creepy when she is not attracted to him.  In the one story that made me think of this comment, the author talked about how her boss, a boy that was like 19 when she was still 16 or 17, who was her boyfriend, did treat her special at work because she flirted back with him and let him touch her.  Gave her extra time off, better jobs to do, etc.  She quit when they broke up because it was too hard to see him every day.  Her next job she found and was told shortly after that she'd only been hired because of her large chest.  She was also told by those same fellow female coworkers if she would just flirt back and play along with the much older male manager's flirting and advances, she would again get lots of special privileges like easy tasks, more weekend days off, and the like.  But with this much older man, it was creepier to her and unwanted.  And in the end, when she did not give in, she ended up losing her job, and the other women who did use those tactics to their advantage were not happy with her putting up the resistance and causing problems.

Another big topic that came across and really stuck with me was about how we are taught as women not to be rude or make a big deal out of things.  I currently work with a man who is about 20 years older than me, and he has always done things or said things that kind of are creepy in a sexually forward manner at times. But because it isn't anything major, no touching or any threats because he's not in a role of power to me, and other than those occasional comments he's really a pretty nice guy, I don't do anything.  Even though other girls, younger than me, making him at least 40 years older than them, have expressed similar feelings about it.  I should say something, I should, right?  But is it worth it?  That's the way our society works.  And I hate it.  But am I still a part of the problem not saying anything myself?  So those are the things that made me not finish the book for myself. Although I did read through a few of the stories of authors that I have read before and wanted to support them as well.  

I do highly recommend it.  Just know that it will be a hard read for a lot of it, but worth it, and these stories deserve to be heard.

About the Editor:

Janet Gurtler's young adult books have been chosen for the JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION and as BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS from the Canadian Children’s Book Center. Janet lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband, son, a chubby black Chihuahua named Bruce and a Golden Retriever named Betty White.

Website - http://www.janet-gurtler.com/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4147574.Janet_Gurtler

Twitter - https://twitter.com/janetgurtler

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/janet.gurtler

GIVEAWAY:

We are giving away two copies of YOU TOO, signed by each author, entries are automatically entered with a donation to RAINN on our YOUTOO Fundraising Page.  

https://fundraise.rainn.org/team/273355

 

Blog Tour Organized By:

YA Bound Book Tours

ARC Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Book info:

Title:  Wilder Girls
Author:  Rory Power
Genre:  Young adult
Release Date:  July 9th, 2019
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Source:  ARC won from Bookish First which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  2.5 stars

Synopsis:
It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.


My Review:
I was really excited about this one.  I mean, the cover, the synopsis, it just all sounded really good.  But it took so long for anything really to happen. And then, when it did, it wasn't really anything that exciting.  It was about a third of the way through, and I got excited, but then, really nothing happened.  We never really find out for sure what caused what they had.  Or what the people in the world outside were doing.  Had this actually affected the outside world?  I'm guessing not.  And what kind of experiment were they even doing?  There were so many different offshoots of the story, and at the end when we start finding things out, they don't all fit in, and something about climate change was inserted as if they were trying to make the story about that or something, but it all just really didn't add up to anything.  The ending was very inconclusive, not sure exactly what happened.  It was also kind of hard to feel much for the characters, honestly, they weren't really relatable, and nothing about them made me even that sympathetic to them.  I'm sorry to say this one is the first book in a long time I've rated below a 3.  As I saw another person say, if I hadn't really kind of had to review this, I probably wouldn't have actually finished it.  But I just kept hoping the final answers would make all of the story worth it.  Unfortunately they did not.  
 

Three Young Adult ARC Mini-Reviews

I'm going to share the three young adult books I've read so far this year.  All are ones that I will recommend to students and possibly purchase for the library where I work. 

Meet Cute:  Some People are Destined to Meet - an anthology edited by Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Published:  January 2nd, 2018
Source:  E-galley from Netgalley
Genre:  YA romance
My rating:  4 stars

It took me a bit to get into the stories, there were a few at the beginning that didn't really hit the "cute" part of the phrase "meet cute" in my opinion.  But as I got going, so many of the later stories won me over.  A few of the stories were done in second person, which isn't always a favorite of mine.  Like the Imagines book, I couldn't get that far in.  But then others in here that tried that point of view, did work.  I got to read something by Dhonielle Clayton, getting me ready to read her book The Belles soon.  I have to admit though, the first book that left me grinning like an idiot was Armentrout's story.  Of course it had to do with a library, so it was totally the nerdy girl type of story I love.  That was totally what I consider a "meet cute".  Then I also loved the story that took place on a subway, seeing the perfect guy on the subway train that was crossing the opposite way, and then having the girl use it as a project for her statistics class, it was just so cute! 

The book had a variety of stories, not all were necessarily just contemporary romance, there were several LGBTQ stories as well as different races and cultures.  And I will say, that even though a few of the stories were  not my cup of tea, all of them were very well written.  I will be purchasing this one for my school library for sure.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of "how they first met" from some of today’s most popular YA authors. 

Readers will experience Nina LaCour's beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard's glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon's imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno's story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick's charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants. 

This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert:

Published:  January 30th, 2018
Source:  Physical ARC received from Publisher
Genre:  YA fantasy
My rating:  4 stars 

This was a very unique story, even with its familiar themes throughout it.  A book of fairy tales that are coming out into the "normal" world.  A reclusive woman who after writing the book and publishing only a few copies, disappears.  Her daughter on the run, having to move with her own daughter from place to place, seemingly whenever their luck gave out, or maybe someone from the fairy tale world showed up.  The fairy tales weren't ones that were your standard stories.  Nope, they were all pretty grim, pretty dark.  And I mean even grimmer than the original Grimm Brothers' fairy tales.  The characters were all very interesting, and I definitely got to one point where I figured it was going to leave us hanging, and we'd have to wait for the the next book to come out to get some answers.  However, even though this seems to be a series, at least it is listed as book 1 on Goodreads, I feel like it ended in a way that doesn't give a chance to go on.  At least not with the characters we followed in this story. But I guess we'll see how that goes!

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. 

Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed:

Published:  January 16th, 2018
Source:  Physical ARC received from publisher
Genre:  YA contemporary
My rating:  5 stars 

I picked this book up on a Tuesday, and could barely put it down.  It was really good.  Reading about a girl who used her camera to help her deal with her shyness and awkwardness in public was very unique, but made a lot of sense.  I enjoyed the relationship Maya had with her parents, as well as her aunt.  The small town she lived in was probably pretty accurate for how things can be.  For a while I was mad at Maya for giving up what probably was the perfect guy for one that would only cause her heartache, but in the end it worked out.  And while the way even that went when it was time for college was a little heartbreaking, it was realistic, and I liked it.  The way her time in the city was portrayed at the end was also fun, especially when I knew the places she was talking about.

The short little fillers in between Maya's chapters, telling about the person that would cause so many bad things to happen to people as well as to Maya's family indirectly were very eye-opening, and again heart-breaking.  They turned out different than a reader might have assumed from reading the book, and in the end there was even the sympathy you couldn't help but feel a tiny bit for that person who caused all the death and terror.

This is a DEFINITE purchase for my school library.  

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:  
A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape--perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

American-born seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home, and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and maybe (just maybe) pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school, a boy who’s finally falling into her orbit at school.

There’s also the real world, beyond Maya’s control. In the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates alike are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs. 

Review: Naming the Stars by Susan Koeford

Book info:
Title:  Naming the Stars
Author:  Susan Koeford
Genre:  Young adult mystery?
Published:  September 5th, 2016
Source:  Received from author for review
My rating:  3 stars

I was contacted by the author of this book back in May to review this title.  I didn't get to it until December unfortunately.  The story definitely has an interesting plot line.  I am unsure what genre to call it exactly, because it kind of seemed like some magic, but it wasn't anything actually magic.  

The  main character is a girl named Mary-Louise.  When we start the story she's coming home from swim practice where she has finally passed the basic test in order to move on to the next level. But when she gets home, it's like no one can see her or hear her.  Not only that, it's as if she's never existed.  She rides off on her bike, still with no one seeming to notice or see her, except for one boy.  The boy is someone who teaches swimming lessons, but he will only tell her his name is Fish.  Together the two of them try to figure out what is going on, how come her family no longer seems to see or remember her, and if anyone else besides Fish is able to see her. 

Fish is living above an old antique/flea market/junk store.  He says he is just watching the building while the owners are out of town.  While they are there he tries to take a picture of her, and it is with a REALLY old fashioned camera. But she doesn't show up in the picture.  She finds some other belongings down in the store, and one of the pictures of a girl from a long time ago turns out to be what Fish actually sees when he looks at her, not what she remembers looking like before she became invisible. 

All of this ties together, the people from the past that they find more of their belongings down in the store.  Fish has something in his past that also seems to tie to Mary-Louise.  When all of a sudden there seems to be someone out there who remembers her and can see her again, things really start to click into place.  Beginning with a "Have You Seen This Girl" photo on a milk carton that shows Mary-Louise's picture.

I like the idea behind the story, it definitely had some great ways to connect all the little pieces in the end.  Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it very much.  It was slow, and I had trouble picking it up as well as keeping my attention in the book as I was reading.  It was a short read, so I soldiered through, and like I said, the ending was good, everything wrapped up pretty neatly and uniquely.   
 

Discussion Post: This Review Should Come With a Warning - Or is it Okay to Review New Adult, Adult, and Young Adult on the Same Blog?

Today I'm doing my 3rd discussion post as part of the 2016 Discussion Challenge hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight. My first one was all about if teens are really as dumb as we think, and will expect what happens in books to be real life.  My second one was about giving ratings in your reviews.  You can go read my thoughts and then share what you think on those two HERE and HERE. Today I want to talk about the different age levels of books and how to review them on blogs.

So, recently I've started reading books that I would definitely not recommend to my high school students because of their sexual content.  It's not that in any way I want to censor what they read, I just know what is appropriate for me to suggest, and what isn't any of my business.  The reason I am thinking about this is because up until these past few months, the majority of what I read and blogged about was YA.  Once in awhile I'd throw in a nonfiction, memoir, or a Stephen King type of book.  None of which I would have an issue with a student of mine reading about.  But as I started this paragraph out saying, I seem to have gotten a bit of a trend with the types of books that I'm reading, and it all kind of started with the After series by Anna Todd.

I'm a 43 year old woman, so there's nothing wrong with what I read.  And I don't intend to be very explicit with my reviews.  I plan to talk about the story just like I would with any other book.  But since I usually only review books that I liked and finished, I will be saying good things about them.  So I guess my question to anyone who decides to join into my discussion post here is, should I be worried about who reads my posts?  I've started doing an "NA" in front of the new adult books I read, and then "YA" in front of the teen/young adult books.  Although some of my romances I'm reading aren't necessarily NA, but I feel silly putting the word "Adult" by itself in front of a review title.  I mean, I would have to do that with Stephen King and Dean Koontz, etc.

 

So tell me, what do you think about all this?  Do you think for me to review both types on the same blog is a horrible idea?  Do you think the way I'm differentiating in the titles is a good thing?  Or do you think I need to be worried about any of this if I don't intend to actually put the explicit stuff within my review?

I'm feeling a bit conflicted on this, because as a high school librarian, it is very possible that I might have students who want to follow my blog.  And then I don't know if it is bad for me to post things that I wouldn't tell them outright they should read.  Of course it could just be my silly brain that won't stop dwelling on the thought.

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you'd like to join into the discussion.  And this last gif is because I can't resist a Supernatural one any time I do a post like this.

Book Blitz and Giveaway: How We Began Anthology

How We Began
Authors:  Alexis Hall, Amy Jo Cousins, Annabeth Albert, Delphine Dryden, Edie Danford, Geonn Cannon, Vanessa North
Publication date: November 9th 2015
Genres: LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult

How does love begin? A glance, a gesture, an unexpected offer of help from a stranger…or from a good friend. A smile across a counter at a coffee shop or video store. A secret revealed in a song from another place and time. Or in a love ballad crooned at a high school dance.
In this anthology of never-before-published sweet LGBTQ+ stories, seven authors explore the beginnings of love between young and new adult couples. All proceeds will support The Trevor Project’s work with crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble

EXCERPT:
 

TruNorth by Alexis Hall

We play the O3 in London.
       The crowd is amazing, filling up this vast dome. When there’s that many people, they look like coloured beads, shaken back and forth by these huge ripples of motion.
       They’re here for us. To see us.
       There’s something almost physical about so much excitement and anticipation and all this… I don’t know what else to call it except love. Surging towards the stage, beating against my body, as if it’s trying to push right inside me. I never know if I’m flying or drowning or dying.
       But when I’m here, when I’m on stage and my face is on the screens and my voice is everywhere, I don’t care.
       It’s weird because it’s not the sort of thing you can really seriously want or imagine wanting. It’s too big. Too impossible.
       But now I know what it’s like, I do want it. I want it so badly it tastes like blood in my mouth.
       We close with Something About You—our first number one.
       I wish you could see what I see when I see you
       Cos then you’d believe there’s no reason to doubt you
       You’d know how your smile lights up my world
       Because to me, oh to me
       There’s something about you.
       It’d been waiting for us after The Next Big Thing. All we had to do was record it. The video’s a bit rough around the edges. Not the video itself—it’s Glyde’s handiwork, so slick as slick as can be—but us.
       Still learning our parts.
       It’s effortless now, though. We know how to move and how to stand together. Whose arm should be flung across whose shoulder. Who keeps his hands in his pockets. Who tucks his thumbs in his belt.
       Max, Me, Oli, Rayan, Callum.
       All choreography, but it’s meant to look natural.
       Glyde calls it “coordinated anarchy”. Vigorous young animals having the time of our lives.
       He really does call us that. With this awful fondness.
       We’re doing it now. Running to the edge of the stage, waving, blowing kisses, swapping places, jumping past each other, coming together at last. I rest an elbow on Max’s shoulder, put my left arm round Oli. Rayan leans against him on the other side. Callum, on the far end, folds his arms. Close but not touching.
       We’re publicity-still perfect.
       We did good tonight. I know we did.
       Adrenaline sparks beneath my skin even as my breath slows and my heart calms. It’s a hectic, electric feeling, not quite like happiness. This moment when I blur so absolutely into who I’m supposed to be and everything else falls away.

GIVEAWAY!
 

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Promo Interview and Giveaway: Diamonds are Forever (The Secret Diamond Sisters #3) by Michelle Madow

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What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas … but that doesn’t matter when you live there. Sisterhood, first crushes and scandalous secrets explode as Savannah, Courtney, Peyton, and Madison return in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, Michelle Madow's exciting conclusion to The Secret Diamond Sister series, releasing October 27th from Harlequin Teen.

Book info:

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Title: Diamonds are Forever

Author: Michelle Madow

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: October 27, 2015

Series: The Secret Diamond Sisters #3

Genre: Young Adult

Length: 368 Pages

ISBN: 9780373211524

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It's cold outside, but the drama is hot!

The Diamond sisters jet to the mountains for spring break, and Savannah's flirt-mance with an international pop star heats up as her pursuit of stardom succeeds. But is this romance meant to be, or has the right guy been in front of her all along? Meanwhile, Courtney takes the next step with her secret boyfriend—and future stepbrother—and as their parents' wedding approaches, the pressure's on to reveal their relationship.

Peyton's figuring out a plan for her future, but she still feels guilty about getting her former bodyguard fired and wonders if she can get over him in the arms of someone else. But the biggest bombshell will change everything once again, because Madison's ready to tell the huge secret she's uncovered. And with the boy who betrayed her but who could be the love of her life fighting for his own life, she might need the Diamond sisters more than ever.

Add to your TBR List:  Goodreads

Buy Links:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Book Depository  |  Books A Million  |  iBooks

Author Interview:

1. What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start? Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)? If you plan it out, how do you do that? Outline, note cards, post-it notes, etc.?

I always write detailed outlines of my books before starting to draft them! I use Microsoft Word, and my outlines are scene-by-scene summaries of everything that I want to happen in the novel. I write everything down that I think of so I don’t forget anything. Outlining first is helpful for me because it gives me a broader look at the story so I can make sure the pacing will be on track. Also, it helps speed up my drafting process, because I don’t need to worry about plotting at all while I’m drafting since I’ve already figured it all out ahead of time.

2. How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?

I get my ideas from lots of different places! Remembrance, the first book in The Transcend Time Saga, was inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. The Secret Diamond Sisters series was inspired when I was walking through my favorite hotel in Las Vegas – the Wynn – and wondered what it would be like to live there. My upcoming Elementals series was inspired by my interest in Greek mythology and elemental powers. And the standalone YA time travel/parallel universe thriller I wrote this past year was inspired by a dream.

My one rule is this—whenever I’m struck with something that could be a book idea, no matter how terrible that book idea may be—I always write it down! That way I know I’ll never forget it.

3. How long have you been writing?

I’ve written for fun all my life! But I decided to write my first original novel for the goal of publication—Remembrance—at the end of 2008. I was a junior in college at the time. I managed to finish the draft by the end of my junior year, and I signed with my first agent in the beginning of my senior year!

4. What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

When you’re writing your first draft, pick a word count goal that you want to reach every day, and reach it six days a week. (Ideally, it’s great to write every day, but realistically, I think it’s good to have one day a week off for a “brain break.”) When you decide on your word count goal, pick something realistic to you. For me, it’s a minimum of 1,000 words a day. I know some writers who can write 3,000 words a day, and others who can only write 500. The important thing is that your goal is attainable to you, and that you write your words no matter what. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint! You’ll be surprised at how quickly your words add up.

Also, remember that if it’s your first time writing, it probably won’t be very good. My first original novel was only publishable because I wrote a LOT of fan fiction for fun before even attempting to write an original novel. That fan fiction was pretty bad, but it gave me the practice I needed to become a better writer.  

5. How important are names in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds, or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?

I choose names because I like the way they sound! I’ll have an image of a character in my mind, and I’ll browse baby name websites. Usually, a name will eventually pop out at me, and I’ll “know” it’s the right name for that character. I also try to make it so the main characters names start with different letters, since it’s easier to process while reading.

6. Favorite writing snack?

I don’t eat while working.

7. Favorite tv show/movie?

Favorite Movie: Back to the Future

Favorite Current TV Show: Fear the Walking Dead

Favorite All-Time TV Show: Lost (although the ending disappointed me).

8. Favorite social media site?

Facebook, because it can be used for everything, and nearly everyone I know is on it! 
 
  About the Author:


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Michelle Madow wrote her first novel, Remembrance, in her junior year of college. Remembrance is the first book in The Transcend Time Saga, a three part series about reincarnation and true love that Michelle successfully self-published. The series was inspired by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video. Michelle's latest YA series, The Secret Diamond Sisters, about three sisters who discover they are the secret heirs to a Las Vegas billionaire casino owner, was published in March 2014 by Harlequin Teen. The second book in the series, Diamonds in the Rough, released in November 2014, and the third book, Diamonds are Forever, will be coming out in November 2015. Michelle is active on social media networks and has toured across America to promote her books and encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing.

Michelle lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she is writing more novels for young adults. She loves reading, spending time with family and friends, traveling the world, shopping, Disney fairy tales, Broadway musicals, and loves talking with fans on Facebook (/MichelleMadow), Twitter (@MichelleMadow), and Instagram (@MichelleMadow).

To chat with Michelle and other fans about her books, join Michelle Madow's Street Team on Facebook!  
 
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Release Week Blitz Giveaway:

Michelle is offering up a fabulous prize during her Diamonds are Forever Virtual Tour event. One (1) lucky winner will receive a signed paperback set of The Secret Diamond Sisters, along with a swag pack that includes lipgloss, bookmark, sister postcards, pin! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

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