Blog Tour with Author Interview and Giveaway: Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Book info:
Title: Let’s Talk About Love
Author:  Claire Kann
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 23rd, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Interview:
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, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?
I am an intense plotter who uses multiple word documents because I’m loyal and refuse to jump ship to Scrivener. Usually, I start with a flow of consciousness, where I write down all of my ideas about the plot, characters, and distinct story parts. From there, I sort through what I have and begin to group the portions into sections with headers:
Characters
Story Outline/Beats
Themes
Uncategorized Extras
Once that’s all filled out, I start writing. Writing is rewriting so I’ll have anywhere from 3-6 drafts of a story before I consider it finished.

How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?
I belong to the there are no original ideas left camp. Everything comes from and is inspired by something else. My story ideas usually come from asking, “What if X met Y?” or “What would happen if X got thrown in with Y and then Z showed up to the party?” Occasionally, I’ll have a personal eureka moment and say, “Wow, this terrible thing is happening to me—I should make a sci-fi story with aliens about it because aliens from another dimension make everything better. Or worse.”

How long have you been writing?
My creative anniversary is January 1, 2014. That was the day I decided I would give life to the stories in my head by using written words and turn them into books.

What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
Work hard and stay humble.
Keep your eyes on your manuscript, but it’s also okay to add someone else’s achievements to your list of goals/dreams.
If you need to say no to social obligations to stay home and write, then do it.
Go at your own pace—publishing isn’t going anywhere.
Listen to good music, eat good food, and don’t forget to enjoy your life.

What are your favorite:
Books/authors/genres:
My favorite books are the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.
I am a big fan of Brandy Colbert and Rainbow Rowell.
While I love most genres, I adore romance. All of my favorite stories usually have some kind of romantic plot or subplot.
Movies/TV Shows
I don’t think I have a favorite movie of all time, but I do watch a lot of TV. I love The Good Place, Fringe, Living Single, and Futurama. I also have an undying love for Sailor Moon and Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.
Music
Music is in my blood. I love just about everything except for country music and am always on the lookout for my next favorite song. My all-time favorite musicians are My Chemical Romance, Michael Jackson, SHINee, and Whitney Houston.
Food/Writing snack
Apples! Eating crunchy foods helps me concentrate. While I love Funyuns and Chili Cheese Fritos, it’s not a good idea to survive on those for hours at a time. I also make a divine coffee/hot chocolate mix every day before it’s time to settle in for work.
 

Author Bio:

Claire Kann hails from the glorious Bay Area where the weather is regrettably not nearly as temperate as it used to be. She has a BA in English/Creative Writing from Sonoma State University, works for a nonprofit that you may have heard of where she daydreams like she’s paid to do it. LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE is her debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

 
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Can't Wait Wednesday #37: Your Robot Dog Will Die by Arin Greenwood

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Okay, I'm going to admit that my pick this week is kinda based on judging the book by its cover.  There is a dachshund on the cover, a wiener dog.  Honestly, sometimes that is all it takes to sell me on something.  No, it really does sound like a fun, unique read.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

In the mid-21st century, dogs are all but extinct. An experiment gone awry caused every canine on Earth to become hyperintelligent. When as a species they stopped wagging their tails, hysteria ensued—followed by a program of mass euthanasia. Now the only surviving dogs are relegated to a sanctuary off the coast of Florida: Dog Island. There, they are studied in a wild, feral, and protected state. And there, too, their robot replacements are tested before being sold for mass consumption.

Seventeen-year-old Nano Miller was born and bred on Dog Island, as were her two best friends, Jack and Wolf. Life has been mostly wonderful except for annual heartbreak, when another robot dog is torn from her arms and replaced with the latest model. And more recently, there is the heartbreak of her brother, Billy, who vanished without a trace a year earlier. Wolf, there to console Nano, has suddenly become more than a friend. (Bad news for Jack.) With the excitement of a surprise first romance, Nano is happier than ever, in spite of her loss. But then she makes a discovery that upends everything she took for granted: a living puppy who wags its tail. And there is no way she is letting this dog go.

A world with no dogs?  That's a world I don't want to live in.  But I would want to for sure be the one who got to test out the robot dogs.  :-)    So, that's what I'm waiting for this week.  What book are you looking forward to? 

Oh yeah, I redid my button for this meme, do you like it? 

Review - Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi

Book info:

Title:  Americanized:  Rebel Without a Green Card
Author:  Sara Saedi
Genre:  Memoir
Release Date:  February 6th, 2018
Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source:  ARC received from Publisher
My rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham’s books, AMERICANIZED: REBEL WITHOUT A GREEN CARD is the true story of one teen’s experience growing up in America as an undocumented immigrant from the Middle East.

 

In AMERICANIZED, bright-eyed, straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible secret at age thirteen: she was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. Only two years old when her parents fled Iran, she didn’t learn of her undocumented status until her older sister wanted to apply for an after-school job, but couldn’t because she didn’t have a Social Security number.

 

Fear of deportation kept Sara up at night, but it didn’t keep her from being a teenager.

She desperately wanted a green card, along with clear skin, her own car, and a boyfriend. AMERICANIZED follows Sara’s progress toward getting her green card, but that’s only a portion of her experiences as an Iranian-“American” teenager. From discovering that her parents secretly divorced to facilitate her mother’s green card application to learning how to tame her unibrow, Sara pivots gracefully from the terrifying prospect that she might be kicked out of the country at any time to the almost-as-terrifying possibility that

she might be the only one of her friends without a date to the prom.

 

AMERICANIZED combines the timely topic of immigration with poignant and engaging voice that young readers won’t be able to put down!

My Review:
Just like the last line of the synopsis above says, this was one book that was hard to put down.  As a child of the 80s, this book was a real eye-opener to me about political issues and other history that took place during that decade, as well as the ones before and after.  I remember hearing a lot of the terms discussed in the book, but growing up as a white, middle-class child, those were things I heard on the news, that I never watched, and hated the fact that my parents made me turn off whatever afternoon show I would rather watch, or even switch off MTV during a video I loved so that they could see what was going on.  Obviously, the author of this book had a very personal connection to issues and people such as the Ayatollah Khomeini, the American hostage situation in Iran, the Iran-Iraq war, and more.  The author lived in Iran with her family until she was 2 years old, at which time her mother and older sister moved to America to escape all of the scary things that were going on.

To  learn that all of the ways we think of for Muslim women to dress, and the other conservative ways actually is newer to the country instead of something that has been a constant, well that blew my mind.  So much to learn from this book.  I always love when a memoir explains the family dynamics and culture of a country or group of people I don't have much experience with.  This book reminded me a lot of Mindy Kaling's first memoir:  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (as referenced in the synopsis), but also of Kunal Nayyar's (The Big Bang Theory) memoir:  Yes, My Accent is Real:  And Some Other Things I Haven't Told You.  I love hearing how families of other cultures are different from my own, and even sometimes just how similar we all are at the heart of things.  

Not only did I learn more about historic events and Iranian culture, I also learned a lot about how someone becomes a citizen of the United States, but especially about what they have to do just to get a green card.  I learned that some terms didn't mean exactly what I thought they did, what they sound like they mean.  For instance, an undocumented immigrant isn't necessarily here illegally.  It could mean they are just waiting on their applications to be processed.  They may be here on a work visa, and not have a green card yet.  Getting those documents can mean getting a social security number, which then means that they pay taxes on the money they earn when they work.  

I honestly feel that this is a really great book for all of the students at my high school to read.  There are those that are growing up sheltered, like I did, that will learn so much from this story, that can help them to make well informed decisions on how they vote and who they vote for.  For my students that may be in a similar situation, worried about DACA and the other bills being passed or taken away, this is a great book to read and know that others have gone through the same process, and understand.  That it can work out, you just have to be persistent and patient at times.  

I'm very glad that I read this, and can't wait to get a copy to put in my school library for my students (and teachers) to read.   

Release Day Blitz: xo, Zach by Kendall Ryan

Book info:

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Title:  xo, Zach

Author:  Kendall Ryan

Genre:  Adult contemporary romance

Release Day: Jan 23rd, 2018

Synopsis:

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The first time we met was at a party.

Your ex arrived to show off the person he'd left you for last month, and you asked me to pretend to be your date. 

I was more than happy to help. You were attractive, smart and witty--and that kiss we shared? It left me wanting you for days. 

The second time we met was in my office on campus where we were both surprised to discover you were the new master’s degree student in poetry that I would be working with. You promised to be professional. I did no such thing.

The late nights and intense study sessions spent alongside you majorly throw me off my game. I want you, and I fight with myself daily over this fact. 

I know I'm crass, that my sexual innuendos and dirty mouth annoy you, but I live for those two bright spots of color in your cheeks. If that's the only reaction I can get out of you, I'll gladly take it. 

You hate Mondays so every Monday I slip an anonymous poem into your bag and your smile gets me through the week.

I think I'm falling for you, and I know it's wrong. I know that I'm only supposed to be your adviser and nothing more, but here's the thing. I think you're falling for me too. 

xo, Zach

  

Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2h9bQaa

Amazon Paprbk: http://amzn.to/2zfQSxW

iBooks: https://goo.gl/Hbtc41

Nook: https://goo.gl/N9ELpt

Kobo: https://goo.gl/9ruZks

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/3kqqdo

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Audible:  Live release, narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York!

Excerpt:

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"This is serious, Poppy. Will you promise?"

"What am I promising?" This man had a way of getting me to say things, to feel things, to admit things that I might not have otherwise. I wasn't sure if it was because he was older and wiser and that much more cunning at these types of discussions, or if it was just because being near him seemed to physically lower my inhibitions. He was like a walking shot of tequila. 

"I need you to promise me that if anything physical happens between us—that it will be very consensual, and very sex-positive. I need you to understand that I will worship you and make you come So. Many. Fucking Times."

He annunciated those words so clearly and slowly, I felt them with every beat of my heart, every pulse of heat between my legs.

Oblivious to my hammering heart, Zach continued. "But I also need you to know that if I do or say anything you don't like, all you have to do is say so and everything will stop. Just the word no, Poppy. Use it and I promise to leave you alone."

"Leave me alone as in stop mentoring me, stop helping me in the program?"

His face was serious and he shook his head without even considering it. "I will never stop mentoring you, as long as you want it. Giving in to our attraction—or not—will never be a condition for my help. I want you to succeed, and it has nothing to do with how much I want you in my bed. Do you understand that?"

I felt myself nodding my head. 

I knew what he was saying. Despite how aggressively Zach put his feelings on the subject of us out there—I knew he'd never betray my wishes. 

"Okay," I murmured.

He considered me for a long moment, neither of us blinking. 

"Why did you approach me that night at the party, Poppy. Did you find me attractive?"

Was he fucking serious?

Of course I find him attractive. Actually, attractive was too weak a word. I found him mesmerizing. Addictive. Enchanting. Impossible. 

"I'm not saying I do, but if I wanted something to happen ..." I swallowed a wave of nerves and took a shallow breath as Zach's mouth curved into a grin.

"Something as in finding out how many times in a row I can make you come using my mouth, my hands, and my ..."

I held up one hand. "Yes. That. How would it work, isn't it, like, forbidden?"

God, why did the word forbidden make me feel even hotter? 

About the Author:

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A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTREST | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | NEWSLETTER

 
 

Release Day Blitz with Giveaway: Dear Dwayne, With Love by Eliza Gordon

About The Book:

Title: DEAR DWAYNE, WITH LOVE

Author: Eliza Gordon

Genre:  Adult contemporary romance

Pub. Date: January 23, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 380

Formats: Paperback, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, TBD, Goodreads

Synopsis:

Wannabe actress Dani Steele’s résumé resembles a cautionary tale on how not to be famous. She’s pushing thirty and stuck in a dead-end insurance job, and her relationship status is holding at uncommitted. With unbearably perfect sisters and a mother who won’t let her forget it, Dani has two go-tos for consolation: maple scones and a blog in which she pours her heart out to her celebrity idol. He’s the man her father never was, no boyfriend will ever be—and not so impossible a dream as one might think. When Dani learns that he’s planning a fund-raising event where the winning amateur athlete gets a walk-on in his new film, she decides to trade pastries and self-doubt for running shoes and a sexy British trainer with adorable knees.

But when Dani’s plot takes an unexpected twist, she realizes that her happy ending might have to be improvised—and that proving herself to her idol isn’t half as important as proving something to herself.

* * *

This is a work of fiction. While Dwayne Johnson p/k/a The Rock is a real person, events relating to him in the book are a product of the author’s imagination. Mr. Johnson is not affiliated with this book, and has not endorsed it or participated in any manner in connection with this book.

About the Author:

Eliza Gordon has excellent taste in books, shoes, movies, and friends, and questionable sanity in the realm of love. Best leave that one alone.

In real life, she’s an editor, mom, wife, and bibliophile and proud parent of one very spoiled tuxedo cat. Eliza writes stories to help you believe in the Happily Ever After; Jennifer Sommersby, her other self, writes YA and is repped by Daniel Lazar at Writers House.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Eliza’s Newsletter| Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details: 

• International 
• 1 winner will receive a DEAR DWAYNE, WITH LOVE Prize Pack including a finished copy of the book and swag! International.  
• Ends on January 31st at Midnight EST!

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Sunday Post #88 and Stacking the Shelves January 21st, 2017

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.  As I mentioned last time I did this, about two weeks ago, I think I want to try to start doing this post again.  Will just depend on time though.  I keep having some issues with either tours getting postponed, or finding that for some reason I wrote down a tour, but am not actually scheduled for it. So this week I'm ending up with three days that have nothing on them.  I won't stress if I don't have time to fill them in.

This week was not the greatest. We had Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.  And then it was so cold on Tuesday that they cancelled school. So it was a three day week, which was nice.  We had a snow day the week before as well.  Friday, when I was taking my trash out, I did something to my back, twisted or sprained/strained a muscle.  It was so bad that I went to Urgent Care Friday afternoon. The doctor gave me a muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory, and today I'm feeling a lot better. Still hurts though.  I didn't get much writing done last week. :-(  Not sure how much I'll get done this coming week either.   But I am hoping to get another sewing lesson from my mom.  Next weekend I'm scheduled to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at my 2nd job.  Which sucks, because it means I won't have any days off after today for about two weeks.  We'll see if my back is all better by then, I may see about having someone take my hours if possible for one of those days.  

I've also found a couple new challenges I might join into.  One was a challenge that the faculty sponsor for our LGBTQ club at school set for them, it was to read 10 LGBTQ books this year.  I am going to count Meet Cute as one, and then read some others like by Adam Silvera, or the one that the movie Love, Simon is going to be based on.  The other challenge is one that I will have to see if I can fit in, and it is catching up on series, by reading one a month.  I have so many series I either have only read the first book in, or that I want to start, that I am thinking this would be a good one, if I can fit it.  If I decide to do it, I'll do a separate post just for that challenge.

Here's what you missed last week on my blog:

• Reviews:  Crazy, Sexy Notion by Sarah Darlington, Unconditionally by Erin Lyon (giveaway), Three Young Adult ARC Mini-Reviews:  Meet Cute, The Hazel Wood, and Love Hate and Other Filters.
• Promo Posts:  Always on My Mind by Ali Parker, Searching for Gertrude by D.E. Haggerty, Lions and Tigers and Boys by Tawny Stokes, Sugar Lump by Megan Gaudino, Musings of a Gossip Queen by Victoria Bright,  Arachnosaur by Richard Jeffries (giveaway), Pulse by K.E. Osborn, Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen, and On the Edge by Dani Collins (giveaway)
• Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Wanted to Read in 2017, But Didn't Get To
• Cover Reveals:  Caution on Ice by S.R. Grey, Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen, To New Beginnings by Corinne Mazille, and Recovered by Jay Crownover
• Can't Wait Wednesday:  The Lantern's Ember by Colleen Houck

Coming up this week on my blog:

• Review:  Americanized by Sara Saedi
• Promos:  XO Zach by Kendall Ryan, Dear Dwayne, With Love by Eliza Gordon, Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann, and Neesa by Dina Haynes
• Can't Wait Wednesday
• Possible reviews:  Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren, On the Plus Side by Alison Bliss, Without Merit by Colleen Hoover, Miss Me Not by Tiffany King, Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reid, Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia, and Three Blind Dates by Meghan Quinn

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  I have a few I've collected the last two weeks.  Here they are:

Both of these were sent from the publisher for me to review.  

I won these two books from Take Me Away to a Great Read.  

Another book from the publisher.

I won this book from a giveaway on Facebook!

I had already received an ARC of this to read, but the publisher sent me a finished copy as well!  I'll be sure to add this finished copy to my school library where I work.

Also from the publisher.

I've got a lot to read as you can see!  It's been a great couple of weeks for free books. The really good thing is that I didn't buy any of these.  :-)

How was your week?  What did you add to your shelves this week?