Thu 26 Jan 2012

First Page: DARKER STILL

Posted by annastan
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New York County, Municipal Jurisdiction

Manhattan, July 31, 1880

New York City Police Record: Case File 1306

To whoever should have the misfortune to review this closed—but still unresolved—case, I extend my condo­lences. I tell you truly that all persons involved have been insufferably odd.

All we know directly of Miss Natalie Stewart, disap­peared at age seventeen, is what you will read here in what was left behind as an absurd testimonial.

Herein you shall find pertinent newspaper articles enclosed by Miss Stewart regarding Lord Denbury and his infamous portrait. There are also letters from involved parties.

I am left to conclude that everyone involved is a certifi­able lunatic. Should you wish to indulge yourself and read a young lady’s foolish reveries on such highly improbable events, so be it. Should you believe any of it, I hope you have no business with the New York Police Department now or in the future.

Regards,

Sergeant James Patt

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Leanna Renee Hieber

About the book:

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1880. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart’s latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing… Lord Denbury’s soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

What people are saying:

“You’ll love it if you love murder mysteries with a supernatural twist… the story is so different from other fantasy novels that have been coming out recently. This chilling tale will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very last page!”–Seventeen Magazine

“Hieber applies some real imagination to the story…A good romp with effective suspense.”–Kirkus

“This smart novel will have wide appeal.”–Shelf Awareness

“A hypnotic web of suspense and romance…”–Booklist

Released: November 8, 2011

About the author:

Leanna Renee Hieber graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Miami University, a focus in the Victorian Era and a scholarship to study in London. She adapted works of 19th Century literature for the stage and her one-act plays such as Favorite Lady have been produced around the country.

Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in her Strangely Beautiful series, landed on Barnes & Noble’s bestseller lists, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), and has been optioned for adaptation into a musical theatre production currently in development. Foreign rights have been sold to Poland and Thailand. DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, hit the Kid’s/YA INDIE NEXT LIST as a recommended title by the American Booksellers Association. Foreign rights have been sold to China (Complex translation, via Taiwan) and Turkey.

Leanna’s short fiction has been featured in anthologies Candle In the Attic Window and the upcoming Willful Impropriety: Tales of Society and Scandal and the upcoming Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (TOR). A member of performers unions AEA, AFTRA and SAG, Leanna works often in film and television and lives in New York City with her real life hero and their beloved rescued lab rabbit. You can visit her at http://leannareneehieber.com.


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Tue 24 Jan 2012

First Page: THE CABINET OF EARTHS

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1. A Tangled Family

It was his own grandmother who fed Henri-Pierre to the Cabinet of Earths, long ago when he was only four. Don’t misunderstand! It happened like this:

They were dark and cold, the first days of 1944 in Paris, and between the winter and the war, everything was bad. There was never quite enough to eat, and the rooms they lived in were never really warm, but when the electric lights winked out, Henri-Pierre and his grandmother lit a candle and huddled around its friendly yellow glow, feeling almost comfortable despite everything.

“Hands are for making things,” she told him. Her own were slim and nimble and had magic in them that could turn an odd end of wood into anything you asked for: a tiger, a salamander, a tiny ship with paper sails. Once upon a time those hands had helped make the Cabinet, and the Cabinet was maybe the most beautiful thing in the world, with the mysterious bottles glimmering behind its glass front.

“What do we keep in our bottles, little one? she asked him sometimes, and he would make the wrongest of guesses, just to hear her laugh: “Lemonade! Water! Tea!”

“Not in our bottles,” his grandmother would say (their own private joke), and she would lean forward and whisper the secret into his ear:

“In our bottles we keep Time.”

So Henri-Pierre knew what Time must look like: black grains of earth, straining like something hungry against the bottle glass.

Excerpt copyright © 2012 Anne Nesbet

About the book:

On their first day in Paris, Maya and her little brother, James, find themselves caught up in some very old magic. Houses with bronze salamanders for door handles, statues that look too much like Maya’s own worried face, a man wearing sunglasses to hide his radiant purple eyes–nothing is what it seems. And what does all that magic want from Maya? With the help of a friendly boy named Valko, Maya discovers surprises hidden in her family tree–grandmothers who walked in magic, a cousin so unremarkable she’s actually hard to see, and a terrible family habit of betraying one’s brother. To save her own brother, Maya must take on the magical underworld of Paris . . . before it is too late.

What people are saying:

“A-shimmer with magic”–Horn Book

“Charmingly creepy”–Kirkus

“Evocative prose and a confident narrative voice”–Publishers Weekly

“Readers will be swept along by the novel’s swift pace”–Shelf Awareness

“A unique, interesting fantasy with just enough suspense to keep readers turning the pages into the night”–VOYA

“Reading this book is like discovering a treasure box full of rare and wonderful things. If you open it, you’ll find a brave and good-hearted girl hero, the mysterious streets of Paris, and a magical cabinet full of life itself. The writing is luminous and absolutely compelling. It’s the best thing I’ve read in a long, long time.”–Sarah Prineas, author of The Magic Thief

Released: January 3, 2011

About the author:

Anne Nesbet teaches film and Russian literature at the University of California, Berkeley.  She lives near San Francisco with her husband, several daughters, and one irrepressible dog. You can visit her at www.annenesbet.com.


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Tue 17 Jan 2012

First Page: LOVE & LEFTOVERS

Posted by annastan
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My Family’s Summerhouse

 

My mother

 

doesn’t understand

that this

 

is a summerhouse

(meant to be lived in

only during the summer.)

 

It is almost Labor Day.

 

Next week,

I’ll start my sophomore year

at Oyster River High School

in Durham, New Hampshire,

 

because she doesn’t have the courage

to go home

to Boise, Idaho.

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Sarah Tregay

 About the book:

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father. By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this “vacation” has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up.

But understanding love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you’ve lost it?

What people are saying:

“The author does a terrific job of keeping the plot moving by using poetry to her advantage. Reluctant readers will appreciate the brevity while poetic souls will appreciate the format.”–School Library Journal, Starred Review

“A verse novel with real depth to accompany all that white space.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The formal variety of Tregay’s poems creates an immediacy that should maintain readers’ interest and sympathy for Marcie. With multiple shredded relationships and friendships, there’s more than enough angst to go around, as Marcie rages against the decisions her parents have made, as well as her own.”—Publisher’s Weekly

“Although the words are simple, the themes of Love and Leftovers are not.”—VOYA

“Amazing. The most delicious love story I’ve read in ages.”–Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author of SHINE

Released: December 27, 2011

About the author:

Sarah Tregay is a graphic designer. When she isn’t jotting down poems at stoplights, Sarah can be found hanging out with her “little sister” from Big Brothers Big Sisters. She lives in Eagle, Idaho, with her husband, two Boston terriers, and an Appaloosa named Mr. Pots. You can visit her at www.sarahtregay.com.


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Thu 12 Jan 2012

First Page and Giveaway: THE GATHERING STORM

Posted by annastan
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Win a signed copy of The Gathering Storm! Details at the end of this post.

CHAPTER ONE

 Fall 1888, Saint Petersburg, Russia

An afternoon spent solving quadratic equations would have been infinitely more pleasant. I smelled like a salad. Cucumber slices for soothing puffy eyes. Blackberry vinegar for brightening dull skin. Goat’s milk and honey for softening rough hands. I politely declined when my cousin offered a pinch of her goose lard and pomegranate facial cream.

It was Friday afternoon and our lessons had been cancelled at the Smolny Institute so everyone could prepare for the ball. Because dressing up like a doll was much more important than studying literature or learning arithmetic.

Matrimony. That was the true mission of the Smolny Institute for Young Noble Maidens. It was nothing more than a meat market for Russia’s nobility, where princes from all across Europe sent their daughters, intending them to marry off well. So there I sat, Katerina Alexandra Maria von Holstein-Gottorp, Duchess of Oldenburg. Great-great-granddaughter of Empress Josephine on my mother’s side, great-great-great-granddaughter of Katerina the Great on my father’s side. Princess of the Royal Blood. Royal meat for sale. I would have rather been dead.

Once I told Maman I wanted to attend medical school and work at one of Papa’s hospitals in Saint Petersburg or Moscow. I always accompanied her to the Oldenburg Children’s Hospital when she made her charity visits at Christmas and Easter. I thought it would be wonderful to take care of sick children and discover cures for diseases. But Maman was horrified at the idea.

“What man would marry a doctor?” she asked, not bothering to wait for an answer. “What a foolish notion!”

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Robin Bridges

About the book:

A royal court steeped in magic.

A dark prince with a hideous plan.

A young girl with a forbidden power.

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888

As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

What people are saying:

“Bridges could become a worthy successor to Libba Bray with this historical fantasy. Her lush settings, secret rituals, and paranormal creatures make for an atmospheric political adventure… Katiya is a strong female hero whose further adventures are worth following.”–Voya

“An atmospheric and complicated vampire tale that’s worth the effort of reading it.”–Kirkus

“An imaginative, complex blend of history and magic.”–Publishers Weekly

 Released: January 10, 2012

About the author:

By day, Robin is a mild-mannered writer of fantasy and paranormal fiction for young adults. By night, she is a pediatric nurse. Robin lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband, one soon-to-be teenager, and two slobbery mastiffs. She likes playing video games and watching Jane Austen movies. THE GATHERING STORM is her first novel. You can visit her at www.robinbridges.com.

Giveaway:

Robin has been kind enough to contribute a signed copy of The Gathering Storm!

Just comment on this post to enter.

For extra entries:

-Be a follower of this site (just click “Join this site”) or a follower on Twitter [+1 entry each].

-Link to this contest on Twitter, Facebook, etc. [+1 entry per each link].

Please list your extra entries in the comments.

The contest is open in the US and Canada, and ends on January 26th at midnight EST.

Good luck and happy reading!


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Tue 10 Jan 2012

First Page and Giveaway: MAY B

Posted by annastan
[13] Comments

Win an ARC of May B! Details at the end of this post.

1

I won’t go.

“It’s for the best,” Ma says,
yanking to braid my hair,
trying to make something of what’s left.

Ma and Pa want me to leave
and live with strangers.

I won’t go.

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Caroline Starr Rose

About the book:

Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, or May B. as she is known, is helping out on a neighbor’s Kansas prairie homestead, “Just until Christmas,” says her Pa. Twelve-year-old May wants to contribute, but it’s hard to be separated from her family by fifteen long, unfamiliar miles.

Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned to the oncoming winter, trapped all alone in a tiny snow-covered sod house without any way to let her family know and no neighbors to turn to. In her solitude, she wavers between relishing her freedom and succumbing to utter despair, while trying to survive in the harshest conditions. Her physical struggle to first withstand and then to escape her prison is matched by tormenting memories of her failures at school. Only a very strong girl will be able to stand up to both and emerge alive and well.

In this debut novel written in gripping verse, Caroline Starr Rose has given readers a new heroine to root for, one who never, ever gives up.

What people are saying:

“Heroes come in all sizes, and my newest hero is a pint-sized girl called May B. Armed with only her book, a broom, and a lot of sheer grit, May B. faces the terrors of school, winter, and the west Kansas prairie. Caroline Starr Rose tells May’s story in simple, moving verse that captures the joy of family, the gloomy isolation of a dirt soddy, and the determination of one scared but indomitable young person. May B. is a girl you’ll be proud to know.”–Karen Cushman, author of The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the Newbery Medal) and Catherine, Called Birdy (Newbery Honor book)

“May B’s incredible adventure gripped me right from the beginning. You can almost hear — and feel — the cold prairie winds of Kansas whipping through the pages of Caroline Starr Rose’s impressive first novel.”–Deborah Hopkinson, author of Band of Angels and Girl Wonder (Jane Addams Award honor books)

“In language as stark and beautiful as the Kansas prairie, Caroline Starr Rose offers a tale of survival. With nothing sugar coated, and everything surprising, readers will fall into the story and connect to May B.’s resilient and humble character. A great antidote to the hooked-up, plugged in age.”–Kelly Easton, author of The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes and Hiroshima Dreams, and Hamline University Professor in the MFA Writing for Children and Young Adults program

“The language that streams through this book is timeless, transcendent, and graced with lyric spark, moving, always, the consequential story along. I listen for rhythms in the books I read, and I found them aplenty here. I look for heart, and found that, too—abundant and dear. Special books fit themselves into special places, and May B. has a new home here on my shelves.”–Beth Kephart, author of Dangerous Neighbors and The Heart is not a Size, and National Book Award Finalist.

 Released: January 10, 2012

About the author:

Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She’s taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, the freedom to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.

Caroline has recently returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at www.carolinestarrrose.com.

Giveaway:

Caroline has been kind enough to contribute an ARC of May B for a giveaway!

Just comment on this post to enter.

For extra entries:

-Be a follower of this site (just click “Join this site”) or a follower on Twitter [+1 entry each].

-Link to this contest on Twitter, Facebook, etc. [+1 entry per each link].

Please list your extra entries in the comments.

The contest is open in the US and Canada, and ends on January 25th at midnight EST.

Good luck and happy reading!


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Thu 5 Jan 2012

First Page and Giveaway: THE BOY PROJECT

Posted by annastan
[14] Comments

Win an ARC of The Boy Project! Details at the end of this post.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD:

an organized way of finding

answers to our questions

(according to Mrs. Sabatino)

Step 1: Ask a Question

Question: How can I find a boyfriend?

Monday, January 1

Bedtime

I am starting this experiment because I have no choice. Well, I have no choice unless you consider being a lifelong boyfriendless social outcast destined to die alone a choice. Which it isn’t.

To be honest with you I probably would have acted sooner if I’d known how truly desperate my situation was. Which I didn’t.

I was really in the dark about it. As dark as the closet I went into with Chip Tyler last night after he spun the bottle and it pointed to me.

Chip Tyler is a total dweeb. I’ve known him since kindergarten. I’ve grown up a lot since then. Chip hasn’t.  So I wasn’t exactly hoping that I would end up in the closet with Chip on New Year’s Eve, but I guess I was a little excited that I might finally find out what it feels like to be kissed. But no. As soon as he shut the door behind us, he took my hand in his. Then he shook it. That’s all.

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Kami Kinard

About the book:

Wildly creative seventh grader, Kara McAllister, just had her best idea yet. She’s going to take notes on all of the boys in her grade (and a few elsewhere) in order to answer a seemingly simple question: How can she get a boyfriend? Kara’s project turns out to be a lot more complicated than she imagined. Soon there are secrets, lies, and an embarrassing incident in the boy’s bathroom. Plus, Kara has to deal with mean girls, her slightly spacey BFF, and some surprising uses for duct tape. Still, if Kara’s research leads her to the right boy, everything may just be worth it…

What people are saying:

“This middle-school drama is hip to the moment, with break-up texting, kissing and popularity tug of wars…Kara’s boy-crazy experiment lends refreshing perspective on teen relationships, and the results point to self-enlightenment.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Kinard creates a highly credible middle-school universe of popular girls, dorky boys, unpredictable teachers, and volatile loyalties; she hits all the right notes as Kara learns that first opinions are rarely accurate and that the scientific method does not always apply to human beings.”—Publisher’s Weekly

“Kara McAllister will take you on a wild ride through the halls (and boys’ bathrooms!) of middle school and keep you laughing every step of the way.”—Kathryn Erskine, Winner of the 2010 National Book Award for Mockingbird

Released: January 1, 2012

About the author:

Before she’d finished seventh grade, Kami Kinard had written several books. Most people call these books diaries. Without the details garnered from these early works, The Boy Project might not have been born! A former high school teacher, Kami currently writes from balmy, buggy, and beautiful Beaufort SC where she lives with her husband and two children. You can visit her at www.kamikinard.com.

Giveaway:

 Kami has been kind enough to contribute an ARC of The Boy Project for a giveaway!

Just comment on this post to enter.

For extra entries:

-Be a follower of this site (just click “Join this site”) or a follower on Twitter [+1 entry each].

-Link to this contest on Twitter, Facebook, etc. [+1 entry per each link].

Please list your extra entries in the comments.

The contest is open in the US and Canada, and ends on January 19th at midnight EST.

Good luck and happy reading!


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Tue 3 Jan 2012

First Page and Giveaway: A CLOSER LOOK

Posted by annastan
[10] Comments

Win a signed copy of A Closer Look! Details at the end of this post.

It was New Year’s Eve, but I didn’t care how I looked—jeans and a sweatshirt, hair in a ponytail—done deal. Babysitting for a two-year-old could be messy so that outfit was a safe bet.

Too early to leave, I wandered into my younger brother Kyle’s room. He was packing video games for a sleepover at his friend Rob’s house.

“Got big plans for the night?” Kyle asked.

“While you’re frying your brain playing those stupid things, I’ll be making a cool ten bucks an hour.”

“For babysitting a kid that’s asleep?”

“It is New Year’s Eve. I could’ve gone to a party or done something else instead.

“Yeah, right—as if anybody asked you.”

Jerk. I hadn’t expected any party invites, and besides, I’d accepted this job over a month ago, so I was already booked even if something else had come along.

“Bite me,” I told him. “Next time you’re hard up for cash, don’t come to me looking for a loan.”

“Aw, you know I didn’t mean it,” he said. Then he Kyle-smiled me. That always worked on Mom, not on me. But I never could stay mad at the brat for long.

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Karen DelleCava

About the book:

Freshman year is going well for Cassie, a standout sprinter about to move up to varsity, and Tommy, that cute sax player, has asked her out. But in a matter of weeks, Cassie’s got a secret: her hair has started falling out and she’s doing everything possible to hide it. Cassie’s horrified when she learns that it happened before, when she was three, and a trip to the dermatologist confirms what she’s feared—that all her hair may fall out. Cassie has alopecia areata and there’s no effective treatment. Eventually she confides in Tommy, but soon after, when he suggests they chill out as a couple, Cassie feels betrayed. Then at a crowded track meet, Robin, a rival on the team, exposes her secret. With her worst fears realized, will Cassie ever again be able to face her classmates, teammates, and most of all Tommy?

What people are saying:

“Readers will be rooting for Cassie and the way she proves that losing your hair doesn’t have to mean losing your spirit.”–Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of Among the Hidden, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults

“A Closer Look is heart-wrenching and funny. Cassie’s spirit and voice will keep readers intrigued, and athletes especially will identify with her grit.”–Rich Wallace, author of Wresting Sturbridge, an ALA Top 10 Book for Young Adults

“A Closer Look is a sensitive and honest novel full of authentic details that is sure to resonate with readers. Cassie is as real and alive as the girl at the next desk in homeroom, and teens will empathize with her struggle with shame and self-image.”–Erika Tamar, author of Fair Game, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and NY Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age.

“…This engrossing and well-written story will have readers empathizing with Cassie as she struggles to deal with this life changing condition.”–Children’s Literature, reviewer: Denise Daley

“There are a lot of great YA’s out there, but it has been a long time since I read one as hard-hitting and in-your-face as A Closer Look… –Rita Hubbard, Young Adult Book Central.

Released: November 1, 2011

About the author:

Karen DelleCava has always loved to write. Her mom still has all her creative writing assignments from middle school to prove it. Her fiction, crafts and party plans have appeared in Highlights for Children magazine. Karen earned a BS in Business Administration from Montclair State University. She’s member of the SCBWI and volunteers for the NY Metro Chapter. She also works part time as a yearbook consultant. When she’s not reading teen fiction, writing or playing Scrabble, you’ll find Karen jogging, biking or hopping around on her patio doing step aerobics. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons. A Closer Look is her first young adult novel. Visit www.karendellecava.com to read all of Chapter 1.

 Giveaway:

Karen has been kind enough to contribute a signed copy of A Closer Look for a giveaway!

Just comment on this post to enter.

For extra entries:

-Be a follower of this site (just click “Join this site”) or a follower on Twitter [+1 entry each].

-Link to this contest on Twitter, Facebook, etc. [+1 entry per each link].

Please list your extra entries in the comments.

The contest is open in the US and Canada, and ends on January 18th at midnight EST.

Good luck and happy reading!


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Tue 27 Dec 2011

First Page Revisited: JANE

Posted by annastan
[2] Comments

The pandas will be back after the new year with new first pages. In the meantime, let’s look back at a previously-posted first page. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

The chairs in the lobby of Discriminating Nannies, Inc., were less comfortable than they looked. I sat stiffly in the one nearest the exit, where, feeling like an impostor in my gray herringbone suit from Goodwill, I could watch the competition come and go. I’d had some trouble walking up the steps from the subway in my low pumps and narrow skirt. The new shoes chafed my heels, and I had to keep reminding myself to take small steps so as not to rip the skirt’s satin lining. I dressed carefully that morning, pulling my hair away from my face with a large silver barrette, determined to look the part of a nanny — or how I imagined a nanny should look — tidy, responsible, wise.

But I had gotten it wrong. The other applicants seemed to be college girls like me. One had situated herself in the middle of the taupe sofa and was calmly reading InStyle magazine; she wore faded jeans and a cardigan, her red hair tousled. Another, in a full skirt and flat shoes I coveted, listened to her iPod, swaying almost imperceptibly in time to the music. But maybe they weren’t feeling as desperate as I was, acid churning in my stomach, pulse fluttering in my throat.

Excerpt © 2010 April Lindner

About the book:

What if Jane Eyre fell in love with a rock star?

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, practical and independent Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance with her magnetic and brooding employer, Nico Rathburn—who just happens to be a rock star.

But there’s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane’s much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

What people are saying:

“I couldn’t put Jane down! Whether you love literature, romance, thrillers, or anything in between, you’ll get swept up in Jane all the way to its scrumptious, satisfying end.”-Sara Shepard, New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series

“There’s nothing plain about Jane. April Lindner executes the cool trick of being stubbornly loyal to the well-loved original while creating something totally new and captivating.”-Cecily von Ziegesar, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl series

“A sparkling new novel of impossible love, tragic deceit, and a wicked fine guitar solo.”-Anne Osterlund, author of Aurelia

“A remarkable, rocking good love story.” Justina Chen, author of North of Beautiful

Released: October 2010 by Poppy

About the author:

April Lindner is an Associate Professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Her debut novel, JANE, is due out from Poppy in October 2010. Her poetry collection, SKIN, received the Walt McDonald First-Book Prize in Poetry, and her poems have been featured in many anthologies and textbooks. She holds an MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Cincinnati. The mother of two teenage boys, she plays acoustic guitar badly, sees more rock concerts than she’d care to admit, travels whenever she can, cooks Italian food, and lavishes attention on her pets–two Labrador retriever mixes and an elderly guinea pig. April lives with her husband and two sons in Pennsylvania.


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Tue 20 Dec 2011

First Page: CATCHING JORDAN

Posted by annastan
[2] Comments

A Hail Mary and a Harem

 The Count? 21 Days Until My Trip to Alabama

I once read that football was invented so people wouldn’t notice summer ending. But I couldn’t wait for summer vacation to end. I couldn’t wait for football. Football, dominator of fall – football, love of my life.

“Blue forty-two! Blue forty-two! Red seventeen!” I yell.

The cue is red seventeen. JJ hikes me the ball. The defense is blitzing. JJ slams into a freshman safety, knocking him to the ground. The rest of my offensive line destroys the defense. Nice. The field’s wide open, but my wide receiver isn’t where he’s supposed to be.

“What the hell, Higgins?” I mutter to myself.

Dancing on my tiptoes, I scan the end zone and find Sam Henry instead, and hurl the ball. It flies through the air, a perfect spiral, heading right where I wanted it to go. He catches the ball, spikes it, and does this really stupid dance. Henry looks like a freaking ballerina. With his thin frame and girly blonde hair, he actually could be the star of the New York Ballet.

I’m gonna give him hell for his dance.

This is my senior year at Hundred Oaks High, and I’m captain, so I’m allowed to keep my players in line. Even though he’s my best friend, Henry has always been a showoff. His antics get us penalties.

Through the speaker in my helmet, I hear Coach Miller say, “Nice throw. This is your year, Woods. You’re going to lead us to the state championship. I can feel it… Hit the showers.” What the coach actually means? I know you’re not going to blow it in the final seconds of the championship game like you did last year.

And he’s right. I can’t.

Excerpt copyright © 2011 Miranda Kenneally

About the book:

What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though – she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team… and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

What people are saying:

“Whoever said football and girls don’t mix hasn’t read CATCHING JORDAN! I stayed up all night reading – I couldn’t put it down!”–Simone Elkeles, New York Times Bestselling author of the PERFECT CHEMISTRY series

“I fell in love with the hero on page 1, and CATCHING JORDAN just gets better from there. This feel-good romantic comedy about high school football is the novel I’ve been waiting for. I loved it!”–Jennifer Echols, author of LOVE STORY, ENDLESS SUMMER, GOING TOO FAR and FORGET YOU

“CATCHING JORDAN has it all: heart, humor, and a serious set of balls. With a clever, authentic voice, Kenneally proves once and for all that when it comes to making life’s toughest calls — on and off the field — girls rule!”–Sarah Ockler, bestselling author of FIXING DELILAH and TWENTY BOY SUMMER

“A beautiful novel with a competitive spirit both on and off the field. With a real and captivating depiction of high school relationships, CATCHING JORDAN shows the same reverence for the human heart that it does for the game of football.”–Karsten Knight, author of WILDEFIRE

Released: December 1, 2011

About the author:

Miranda Kenneally is the author of CATCHING JORDAN, a contemporary YA novel about football and femininity, coming in December 2011. Other books include THE GIRL I USED TO BE (fall 2012) and BAD, BAD THING (spring 2013). Miranda is the co-creator of Dear Teen Me. The Dear Teen Me Anthology will be published by Zest Books (distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) in late 2012. She enjoys reading and writing young adult literature, and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her husband. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Miranda is represented by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency.


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Thu 15 Dec 2011

Giveaway Winners

Posted by annastan
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The pandas are excited to have two new giveaway winners to announce!

The winner of Fetching is:

Mirka Breen!

The winner of Circus Galacticus is:

Rose!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Happy reading!


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