Title: Ask Me
Author: Kimberly Pauley (Twitter)
Publisher: Soho Teen
Publish Date: April 8, 2014
Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher

Ask Aria Morse anything, and she must answer with the truth. Yet she rarely understands the cryptic words she‘s compelled to utter. Blessed—or cursed—with the power of an Oracle who cannot decipher her own predictions, she does her best to avoid anyone and everyone.

But Aria can no longer hide when Jade, one of the few girls at school who ever showed her any kindness, disappears. Any time Aria overhears a question about Jade, she inadvertently reveals something new, a clue or hint as to why Jade vanished. But like stray pieces from different puzzles, her words never present a clear picture.

Then there’s Alex, damaged and dangerous, but the first person other than Jade to stand up for her. And Will, who offers a bond that seems impossible for a girl who’s always been alone. Both were involved with Jade. Aria may be the only one who can find out what happened, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she becomes a target. Not everyone wants the truth to come out.

Just when it seems as though the paranormal genre has given readers all that it had to give, the dedicated authors who write it give us something much more than we could have ever expected. In the case of Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley, I'll readily admit to not expecting too much from the novel due simply to the extreme lack of hype surrounding it. So, imagine my surprise when the novel ended up blowing me away. This is the type of novel that captivates, enthralls, terrifies and consumes you long after the last page, giving you all you could want from the genre and so much more.

Ask Me presents as a fairly cut-and-dried paranormal novel, but we quickly realize within the first chapter, that there is much more to the story than the synopsis implies. Our protagonist, Aria, is an oracle, or a Sybil, a being of immense power and foresight. Yet her persona offers us the exact opposite. She's fragile, resentful of her gift and does her very best to block out the world - if only to block out their questions. If she hears the questions, she has to answer, and she's found that has made her extremely unlikable in social circles. When a classmate is murdered though, Aria knows she must learn to harness her gift, if only to stop a serial killer's mad rampage.

I found that the characters within Ask Me, for the most part, heightened the plotline immensely. Whereas Aria's power and demeanor grows in strength throughout the novel, we sense immediately that both Will and Alex are forces to be reckoned with. While one is outwardly aggressive, the other is quietly dangerous and outwardly personable. I'll admit that I knew the killer from the start of the book, but it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the novel, or the final reveal at the end of the book. I felt as though the characters held an equal footing in terms of development, and this created clear character arcs to heighten both the plot and the mystery.

 In all honesty, I found Ask Me to be an immensely satisfying paranormal novel with delicate and haunting touches of darkness throughout. While not outright horror, there is a subtle rage to our killer that taints the pages red and bathes us in a lurking danger that we're never quite immune to. By adding Aria's gift, we see the connection between her paranormal power and brute humane strength being used as power over others. While Aria believes her gift is a curse, she realizes that there is a power to it that can be used for either good or evil, and she must master it, learn it and fully embrace it before it's too late. Her journey, her confusion and her pain makes the novel stronger; perhaps even stronger than the mystery itself.

Overall, I was completely surprised by Ask Me, and it's the type of novel that I'd recommend to any readers of my blog, simply because it was that well written and fleshed out. I give this book a very high 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal mysteries and horror stories. 

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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And now, a giveaway! The generous folks at Soho Teen have provided me with an extra copy for a giveaway for my readers. This giveaway is open internationally and will end promptly at midnight PST on 4/14/14. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today, I'm super excited to welcome debut YA author, Jennifer H. Lyne to the blog to promote her brand new book, Catch Rider, which was released by Clarion Books on June 4, 2013. I actually reviewed the book today, too, and you can view the review HERE.

The beautiful thing about Catch Rider is that it's less of a book about horses and more of a book about horse people. Jennifer took some time out of her busy day to answer a few of my questions about the book and some of her inspirations. Plus, be sure to keep reading for a giveaway of this great book!

1. In Catch Rider, you immerse the reader in what might otherwise been an unfamiliar world of horses and horseback riding. What sort of research did you have to do to make the story feel this authentic for the reader?

I grew up around horses, so most of the things I wrote about I already knew, but I did research to confirm them. One is example is Sid pulling the tooth out of the horse’s mouth. My friend Sandi Hooper Melnyk who lives in Ashland, Virginia, pulled a horse’s tooth that way when I was at the barn with her. I don’t remember what tools she used, but I do remember her squirting water from a plastic bike bottle in the horse’s mouth afterward, which still makes me laugh. In other cases, I had to go back and research. I didn’t show in the Maclay competition, so I did some reading on what kinds of courses they use, what the course requirements are, etc. I like doing research a lot, and I didn’t want horse people to read the book and find inaccuracies. I’m sure there are some in there, but I did my best.

2. Sid has a bit of a tough edge to her that can be misconstrued as cockiness. How did you balance her naivety with her resilient personality to ultimately make her likeable for readers?

Sid acts cocky, but people who do that are insecure. That behavior can hide deep uncertainty and fear of abandonment. I took the chance that some readers would not get this, or that they would get it and be turned off anyway. When I was trying to sell this story as a script in Hollywood, I was told that she was not likeable enough, and that I should make her more of an Everygirl protagonist, but I made the calculated decision to reject that advice. At some point, as a writer, you have to decide for yourself why you’re doing it in the first place, and what you want to say. Are you doing it to please people and make money, or are you doing it because you like to deal with reality, which is complicated.

3. What made you decide to use the first person point of view for Catch Rider?

I decided to use the first person after I had written 60 pages in third person, sold the book and was trying to finish it. I was having trouble feeling connected, like it was too forced, and the extra effort was not helping the story. So, I wrote it as though she was doing a long diary entry, and then the writing became really fun.

4. If you could describe Catch Rider in just five words, what would those words be?

Rocky wakes up in Covington.

5. Catch Rider wraps up very quickly and neatly at the end. Can readers hope to hear more from Sid's story? Why, or why not?

I wrapped it up more quickly than my editor would have liked. I like it when a movie ends and I’m staring at the screen thinking, “What?! That’s it?” Did you ever see the movie All the President’s Men? It’s before our time, but everyone should watch it. The director chopped of the entire third act! It’s kind of awesome. To answer your question, I’m not done with Sid, and there are going to be some surprises.

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And now...the giveaway! I'm offering up my ARC of Catch Rider to spread the word (and the fanfare) about this book. This giveaway is open internationally, and will end one week from today. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now and again, I find myself in the extremely fortunate situation of having multiple ARCs of the same novel for one reason or another. Rather than horde these bad boys like a snotty little princess, I feel the need to give them away to other bloggers who will appreciate them as much as I will! So, without further ado, here's what's up for giveaway this time!

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Venom by Fiona Paul

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Here are the Rules:

There will be FOUR winners. Using Random.org, I will select four names. In the order the winners are selected, the ARC prizes will be chosen. For example, winner #1 will choose from four books, winner #2 will choose from the three remaining books, and so on. You MUST be a follower to enter this giveaway. This giveaway is open internationally and will end promptly at midnight EST on Sunday, September 9, 2012. Please fill out the form below to enter! Good luck!

Click HERE to Enter!

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of this bad boy at BEA, then (by chance) received a second copy in the mail, which means that someone lucky is going to have an ARC for themselves! Up for grabs is the following: 

Title: Eve & Adam
Author: Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: October 2, 2012
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

Here are the rules:

You MUST follow this blog in order to enter. This giveaway is open internationally and well end promptly at midnight EST on July 1, 2012 at which point the winner will be selected by Random.org and notified via email. Still interested? Just fill out the form!

Click HERE to enter!

So, I'm back from my second year at BookExpo America at the Javits Center in NYC! Guys, it was such an amazing time (yet again). Now that I've been there twice, I can honestly say that it's equal parts awesome, thrilling, exciting, exhausting, nerve-wracking, painful (my feet will never be the same) and just plain fun. I highly advice everyone that ever has a chance to go to take it and run! It's an experience.

BEA might not be for everyone though. While I think this year was a lot more organized, it's still a cluster sometimes and, let's be honest here, it is completely and utterly draining. Most people arrive around 8 AM to get in line (some even earlier), and there are actually a few publisher events that take place in the morning, which take away from sleep, too. I think that the lovely Jenny from Supernatural Snark and I probably got a grand total of about 24 hours of sleep in 5 days. So, yes, it's tiring. Will I do it again though? Hells yes!

Here are a few things I learned this year: 

1. Flip flops, while completely comfortable on the showroom floor, do not make for great walking back to the hotel.

2. I can steal cabs like a good ol' New Yorker. I cannot, however, hail one to save my life.

3. Sometimes a free night with cheesecake is better than a night out in the city.

4. Book bloggers, as a whole, are just awesomesauce.

5. I am not, and will never be, a New Yorker.

6. BEA is an adventure each and every time you go.

 Jenny, Yours Truly, Dan Cohen (Author) and Danny

My BEA in Pictures:

 

Because I know a ton of you desperately wanted to go but couldn't, I'm going to be offering up a few of the copies I snagged just for you! So, without further ado...who wants to win an ARC of What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang?! 

Here are the rules: You MUST be a follower to enter. This giveaway is open internationally and will end promptly at midnight EST on June 22, 2012. As always, the winner will be selected by Random.org and will be notified via email.

Still want to enter? Click HERE!

***Disclaimer: Please note that these are singular copies that I received at the conference and also received for review. In no way, shape, or form did I slight other bloggers by taking duplicates to giveaway.***

Welcome to the kickoff of the very first Spencer Hill Press Giveaway Week! For those of you that don't know about Spencer Hill Press, here's a little background. Spencer Hill Press is an independent publishing house that specializes in science fiction, paranormal romance and urban fantasy for the Young Adult audience. 

With a host of talented authors and dozens of fantastic titles under its belt, Spencer Hill Press has become a veritable powerhouse. And, as luck would have it, yours truly is hosting the fantastic crowd with a whole bunch of goodies for all of you! Be sure to follow the week (through Sunday), and check out the great features and giveaways!

Welcome, Daniel Cohen, author of The Ancillary's Mark and the forthcoming Veil Trilogy!

Find Daniel on: Goodreads. Twitter. Blog.

Daniel is super excited to announce that his brand new shorts story, The Every-Mother Knows Best is now available for a PDF download!

Rich and inventive, Daniel has created a short story that harnesses hist-fic with a touch of the paranormal for an exciting, fast-paced read.  

Want to download it and try for yourself? Click HERE!

Daniel has graciously offered an ARC of Masters of the Veil, pictured to the left, as well as some sweet swag including, but not limited to some awesome MotV soda can jerseys! 

This giveaway is US & Canada ONLY, and it will end promptly at midnight EST on February 2, 2012.

As always, you do not have to be a follower to enter, but it is always appreciated!

Still want to enter? Click HERE to fill out the form!

Welcome to the kickoff of the very first Spencer Hill Press Giveaway Week! For those of you that don't know about Spencer Hill Press, here's a little background. Spencer Hill Press is an independent publishing house that specializes in science fiction, paranormal romance and urban fantasy for the Young Adult audience. 

With a host of talented authors and dozens of fantastic titles under its belt, Spencer Hill Press has become a veritable powerhouse. And, as luck would have it, yours truly is hosting the fantastic crowd with a whole bunch of goodies for all of you! Be sure to follow the week (through Sunday), and check out the great features and giveaways!

Welcome, Jennifer Armentrout, author of the Covenant series and more!

Find Jennifer on: Website. Twitter. Blog.

1. What made you decide to become an author? 

I always had a passion for writing, so it was the next step for me. Taking something that was a passion and lifelong dream and turning it into a career. 

 2. If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

 Ah, probably paranormal. I like the critters. 

 3. What are your three all-time favorite books? 

At this moment, because my all-time favorite changes: Soul Screamers Series, Demon Trappers Series, and Brotherhood series. Yes, I picked series as one book. 

 4. Zombies vs. Vampires - which would win, and why? 

Oh, man. I don't know. Because if a zombie bites a vampire, is the vampire now a zombie-vampire? And vice versus. It would be like a super race. 

 5. Describe Pure in five words or less, please! 

Every decision has a consequence. 

 6. Is there anything else you would like to tell your readers? 

A zombie vampire hybrid sounds like a good story, huh?

Jennifer has graciously offered an ARC of Pure, pictured to the left, as well as some sweet swag!

This giveaway is US ONLY, and it will end promptly at midnight EST on February 1, 2012.

As always, you do not have to be a follower to enter, but it is always appreciated!

Still want to enter? Click HERE to fill out the form!