Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Published: May 24, 2011
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Paranormal
Pages: 352

Since the age of fourteen, Emerson Cole has seen strange things – dead things – swooning Southern Belles, soldiers, and other eerie apparitions of the past. She’s tried everything to get rid of the visions: medication, counseling, asylums. Nothing’s worked.

So, when Emerson's well-meaning brother calls in yet another consultant from a mysterious organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to give it one last try.

Michael Weaver is no ordinary consultant. He's barely older than she is; he listens like no one she's ever met before; and he doesn't make her feel the least bit crazy. As Emerson ventures deeper into the world of the Hourglass, she begins to learn the truth about her past, her future--and her very life.

Ok, first of all, let me wipe the drool off my face as I continue on this cover-lust train. Anyhoo, in all honesty...seriously...look at that cover! I'm pretty sure the girl is walking into the floor. There's some serious gravity-defying nonsense going on, and I'm endlessly intrigued by the cover, alone. Then, there's that awesome premise. I'm loving the sound of this sort of time-travel, part past, part present novel. Hourglass sounds awfully rich and promising to me! What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

Author Interview & Giveaway with Joel McGrath

Joel McGrath is the author of Shrouded Secrets, and he recently took time out of his busy life to answer a few questions about his writing and Shrouded Secrets, in particular. I just reviewed it the other day, and having really enjoyed it, Joel heartily volunteered his time to share some thoughts. A little on the author: Joel is a nurse in New Hampshire by day, and a fantasy author by, well, every other time! He decided to write because he had the ideas to do so, and he knew he could find a place on the shelves. His goal is to inspire the imagination and trigger inspiration. Without further ado...the interview...

1. Who, or what (if anything specific) inspired Shrouded Secrets?

Shrouded Secrets was a hodgepodge of human behavioral observation. I guess you could say growing up in a family of nine siblings showed me that no matter how well you think you know someone, quite often you really don’t and it’s those secrets we all unfortunately keep, which helped me develop the basis of this story.

2. Describe Shrouded Secrets in five words or less, please!

Desiring more than we are.

3. Do you have a favourite character in Shrouded Secrets, and why?

The easy answer would be Danielle because she pretends that she is stronger than adversity; however, it’s David’s BF Ryan Plumpton. Ryan remains blissfully unaware of most social ramifications and because of his thick-headedness, he’s his own hero. Just like Teflon, no criticism seems to stick for long and so he lives jointly in the real world and his own fantasy world, thus proving the overall setting of the story is possible.

4. Who are your top three favourite authors?

My top three favorite authors may surprise you because none of them inspired Shrouded Secrets in any way at all. Number one would have to be the recently late Frank McCourt. Number two, Jane Austin, and number three is Charles Dickens. I’m sorry, Dickens is tied for third with Herman Melville for me.

5. What are your top three favourite books?

Bleak House, Dewey, and Bunnicula.

6. If Shrouded Secrets became were to become a movie, who do you think should play David and Danielle, and why?

Most likely someone that isn’t born yet, but that’s not a very sporting answer though. I’m not up to date on actors in this age group like I was a few years ago. However, if Shrouded Secrets were made into a movie in the past, I would have to go with Josh Hutcherson as David. I loved him in the Vampire’s Assistant and as an actor Josh is very believable in the roles that called for him to have an inner, secret anger. He’s actually brilliant at that.

Danielle would have to be Annasophia Robb. She was great as a snotty, little brat in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and she has range in other roles, which shows me that as Danielle evolved in the book, so could Annasophia on the screen. In the end, I would hope they would go the Harry Potter route and cast unknowns who need a break and could bring the characters to life as David and Danielle truly deserve.

7. Is there anything specific you'd like to tell your readers?

I want my readers to know that the darkness that we see in the world now, the same darkness that David and Danielle deal with in Shrouded Secrets, can be conquered without becoming muddied ourselves. What good is a hero if they are almost indistinguishable from the villain. That’s not to say that evil is purely one dimensional, or that those who fight against it are without error, but when it comes down to it, a person’s intent is everything.
**Joel also wants to exclusively offer to all you lovelies that chance to get his book for a fraction of the cost! If you're interested in purchasing the book from his online store, enter the code EK7TL2BU, and you'll get 10% off!**

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And now for the giveaway...Want to win a copy of Shrouded Secrets for yourself? One lucky winner will win their very own paperback copy! All you have to do is click HERE to fill out the form and enter. This giveaway ends on Tuesday, February 15th at 11 PM EST, and it's open internationally!

Talk to Me Tuesday is a brand new weekly meme where we will discuss anything (and everything) literary-related in an open forum of honesty. Questions for the next week will be posted one week prior to the post on the Features page. If you'd like to participate in this weekly feature, simply create your post, link back to me, and add your post to the wonderful Mr. Linky below. Have fun, and have at it!

This week's question: What is your favourite genre to read, and why?

I've actually seen this question floating around the blogosphere a lot recently, and it got me to thinking...why do I read what I read? It's no secret that young adult is my preferred genre, though I read pretty much everything, but that's an all-encompassing category, and if we're going with a true genre, I think my favourite would have to be fantasy or dystopian. There are so many reasons why this is, but when I actually thought about it, the main reason is pretty simple. I read to get lost in a story. I get my heavy dose of reality in every day life, so when I read a book, I want to be involved in a world that's a little different than my own.

Dystopian novels like Life As We Knew It and Delirium presented harrowing tales of a future world where hope is lost, but manage to keep the humanity of the characters and plot alive while showing us, in various shades of gray, the difference between right and wrong. Take, for example, the dystopian world of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's not a happy world, yet it has elements of our own, weaving characters through a world where there's a clear right and wrong, but there's a sense of a gray area that keeps you thinking and feeling for each character.

Then there are fantasy books like Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. It was one of my first ventures into a higher level of YA fantasy beyond my safety zone of Harry Potter (which will always be my absolute favourite). It's a world completely outside of our own, but the human elements let me lose myself in a world that nothing like ours. It has kingdoms, and royalty, and deadly battles. It's every bit as adventures as my wildest dreams, and reading those words is like living someone else's life. That's what I want from a fantasy novel, and that's what I've come to expect.

Here's what some of your fellow bloggers shared as their favourite genres:

A Buckeye Girl Reads says, "Urban Fantasy. (no surprise!) I like it because the heroines are strong and kick butt-there's also just enough romance without it consuming the whole story."

Linda from Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell says, "Fantasy! Because it has magic, new lands, battles, and well, it just is the best ;)"

Hannah from Every Little Thing says, "I like to read paranormal. Everything you read about is practically non-existing, so it's easy to escape into."

Theresa from Fade Into Fantasy says, "Paranormal romance, hands down! There's nothing like escaping to another land with a hot, sexy, dangerous vamp!"

Jen from Makeshift Bookmark says, "I know it's "tired" now, but I love paranormal romance. The way I see it, I'll never fall in love with a fairy prince. Why not get in the head of someone who does?"

So, while I'm doing my best to get into contemporary fiction more, fantasy and dystopian books will always hold that special place in my heart and on my shelf. I just can't replace the feeling I get from reading those stories!

Want to weigh in and do your own Talk to Me Tuesday post for this week? Go ahead and link up!