YA Giveaway: The Collector by Victoria Scott

THE COLLECTOR

Whispering Minds YA Giveaway Day Five

 

So here's the scoop. I am in love with Dante Walker, the main character of Victoria Scott's novel, The Collector. Yep, I emotionally cheated on my husband with thoughts of bad boy, Dante. To be fair, I'm not even sure Miss Scott describes Dante's appearance, so it's not that he's a hot body who elicits this school girl crush on him. Well, not exactly. He is a demon, after all, so he must be pretty hot on some level.

 

No, my fangirl affair stems more from his personality which pops off the page and into your heart. Dante is a selfish, overly-confident dead boy, hell-bent on collecting the soul of an innocent and unsuspecting misfit. He's brash and used-car-salesman slick. He's everything I hate in real people, and yet I can't help myself.

 

Dante has collected my undying affections. Victoria Scott has collected my loyalty as a reader.

 

Dante collects souls, while Gemi, the main character of Whispering Minds, is also a collector--as shown in the excerpt below. 

 

    We were collectors.

    I collected books—stories of hope. Mom collected treasures, ugly things she found beauty in and hoped to rehabilitate. My dad bought hobbies—sports equipment for sports he never played. His yearly binges filled the spaces where Mom’s treasures didn’t reach. Together they had collected a lifetime of things and found no pleasure in any of it.

    Apparently, we also collected secrets.

 

 

If you enter the Whispering Minds YA Giveaway any time during the course of my contest, you, too, may collect a crush on one or more of my favorite authors, or other great prizes.

 

To recap what's up for grabs. In addition to some authorly swag and a sampling of Granny's Homemade Chai Tea, entering the contest makes you eligible for the following prizes:

• a copy of Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman. This novel is a must-read for every human being with a heart.
• a technology pack inspired by the cyber connection between Want to Go Private? and Whispering Minds. this includes a USB drive with a cut chapter of my novel--a missing night of Gemi's life, if you will.
• a copy of Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis, who takes survival of the fittest to a whole new level in her debut novel.
• a thirst quenching Drop to Drink Package that includes a truly awesome travel mug and a batch of chai to fill it with.
• a copy of The Collector by Victoria Scott. Yeah, I think I collected my thoughts on that up above.

Enter at will and don't forget to stop back next Monday for the reveal of Prize Number Six.

 

 

 

 



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Thirsty? Whispering Minds YA Giveaway: A Drop to Drink Pack

A DROP TO DRINK PACK

 

 

In honor of author Mindy McGinnis' dry world in Not a Drop to Drink, I have put together a thirst-quenching pack for day four of my giveaway.

 

A quotable Tervis Travel Mug and some of Granny's Homemade Vanilla Chai tea for your early morning commute.

 

I LOVE Tervis mugs. I've had one for years and was thrilled to find they are 100% customizable. Yours will come with a favorite quote from Whispering Minds' MC, Gemini Baker. The quote itself is as affirming as the scrumptious tea within.

 

If you're thirsty, check out the ways you can win these--or other prizes--below!

 

 



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Whispering Minds YA Giveaway: Not a Drop to Drink

NOT A DROP TO DRINK

Day Three of Whispering Minds 10 Day Giveaway

 

 

A week or so ago, I reviewed Mindy McGinnis' debut novel, Not a Drop to Drink, so I won't rehash the whole thing. I will tell you, however, that one of the things I loved most about this novel was the entire concept: survival of the fittest in a barren and desolate world.

 

This idea of gritting out an existence in less than stellar circumstances is what ties Not a Drop to Drink with Whispering Minds. In WM, Gemi faces down the stark landscape of her childhood. She, too, is a survivor of her circumstances. As are we all.

 

It doesn't take a water shortage or a dirty family secret to shape us into who we are. It simply takes determination and belief in something bigger, better and brighter.

 

And so I give you your own survival manuscript: Not a Drop to Drink.

 

Yep. It's yours. Free--along with some Whispering Minds swag. All you have to do is enter the drawing below and hope Rafflecopter pulls your name out of the hat on November 1.

 

Easy peasy, lemon squeazy--unlike Lynn's journey in Not a Drop to Drink. 

 

 

 

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Whispering Minds Cover Reveal

Thanks to my fabulous designer, Whispering Minds now has a gorgeous cover.

What you can't see is the story within. So here's a little blurb to tide you over until November 1st.

By day, a terrifying blackness eats at Gemini Baker's memories. Her nights are filled with unsettling dreams.

After the death of her beloved granny, seventeen-year-old Gemi is left with parents more interested in gambling than paying the bills, a best guy friend who's looking for love at a time when she has none to give and a dark childhood secret that just might be the key to her sucky life.

During her search for answers, Gemi turns to her cyber friends for support and quickly learns that nobody is who they seem. Not her granny, her friends or even herself. As her blackouts increase in frequency, a threat on her life has Gemi on the run...if only she can remember long enough to keep herself alive.

Thanks for your support!

Book Review: Not A Drop To Drink

First off, let me start by saying I know author Mindy McGinnis on a cyber level. We've been critique partners, sounding boards and friends. However, don't let my friendship with Mindy dupe you into thinking my review will be biased. Mindy is brutally honest, and I know she would want me to be as well.

So here goes...

In a nutshell, Not a Drop to Drink is about a young lady who faces a brutal world of survival. Lynn has no time for the softer side of life as she and her mom fight for every minute of every day.

In this post apocalyptic world, water is scarce and the pond outside Lynn's home is literally the tipping point between life and death. When tragedy leaves Lynn alone on her roof to protect the life-giving water, she is faced with fears greater than survival of the fittest--the need to rely on someone else.

This story is about the evolution of humanity in one girl's heart. Born into a violent world, Lynn has known nothing beyond the ever-present need to collect, purify and protect the water in the pond. She's killed for the pond. The question: is her soul too thirsty to quench?

What I loved about this book?

• A post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel that tackles the reality we may someday face. Water is scarce in Not a Drop to Drink. Humanity, more so.
• Mindy's unflinching view of what desperation looks like. She didn't sugar coat the troubles we would face in a world without a ready supply of water. Instead, she tapped into the pioneer-esque work ethic and problem solving skills that are sometimes lacking in today's world. Survival is not a game we can turn off when we get bored or tired or frustrated. It's a gritty reality that never ends.
• The water witching. Seriously, this brought back childhood memories of a friend of the family who could witch water. This crazy, unexplained ability to find water below the surface of the earth is nothing short of amazing.
• The characters. I think I may be in the minority, but Stebbs is by far my favorite character. I loved his time-worn view of the world--and of himself. He was the perfect mentor for Lynn, while Lucy brought the youthful innocence that had so desperately been missing from Lynn's life. Eli's sense of humor was much needed to alleviate the heaviness of the topic.
• Lastly, I appreciated Mindy's brevity. She didn't belabor unnecessary details. I read this book in a few hours and didn't skim a single paragraph. This is unusual for me, as I tend to skip the "boring parts".

What I didn't love?

• The epilogue. It felt so abrupt that I had to check the mirror to see if I'd been slapped in the face. I wasn't ready for the time jump. I'm not sure what I expected, but these last pages felt too pat, too clean, too easy for all the struggle Lynn had gone through before. Maybe I wanted another book between the end and the epilogue...you hear that Mindy?...just to satisfy my curiosity about what happened in between.

The big surprise?

• After reading other reviews, I find myself in the minority. I wasn't at all surprised by the ending. I expected it and wasn't remotely disappointed in the way it turned out. It was validating to see Lynn remain in character during the toughest moment of her life.
• That said, I was momentarily surprised by one death...but only momentarily. Then I remembered who wrote the novel and knew that this, too, was within the author's character. Survival isn't easy. It's painful and it doesn't play favorites. Mindy never once forgot that.

The romance?

• It's there, barely. Which I'm a fan of since that's one of the "boring parts" I usually skip. Strangely enough, I would have liked just a little more intimacy. Not necessarily physical intimacy between Lynn and Eli, but more of an emotional intimacy within herself. Yeah, I know, clear as mud.

There you have it. A brutally honest four point five rain drops for Not a Drop to Drink.


Alexandra Tys

The Next Big Thing: Week 21

Last week, the lovely and talented Mindy McGinnis posted her Next Big Writing Project on her blog, Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire. Mindy's debut novel, Not a Drop to Drink, is scheduled to release in the fall of 2013. It promises to be an amazing tale--trust me, on this, as I've critiqued Mindy's work in the past and she's a phenomenal writer.

This week, I get to share a few writers whom I've had the pleasure to work with over the past few years. Each of the writers have extraordinary talents, and I won't be surprised if their names grace book covers in the near future. In fact, a few of them have already published short stories in the YA arena and one has published several YA novels. Their Next Big Things will be posted on October 31st.

But first, a few words about mine.

1- What is the working title of your book? Bryn

2- Where did the idea come from for the book? I have a background in psychology and am fascinated by the inner workings of the mind. While teaching my preschool class, I noted that some of my kids were nose pickers, some tippy-toe walkers and others compulsive liars. It made me wonder just how much of our behavior is set in stone and how much of it is molded by our life experiences. More importantly, what is our responsibility in knowing the genetic potential of certain traits?

3- What genre does your book fall under? It's a YA psychological thriller with a twist of steamy romance.

4- Which actor would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? To answer this question implies that I actually watch television/movies and would have a clue who the current actors and actresses are. Seriously, I haven't turned a television on in a half dozen years.

5- What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? If you knew that certain behaviors were genetic, would you allow the scum to be born?

6- Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? I'd love agency representation. Better yet, I'd love a publishing contract!

7- How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? I plan on thirty days. I'm outlining now and will start writing on November first for NaNoWriMo. Whispering Minds took twenty-six days, so maybe I can reach my goal!

8- What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? I think it would be a wonderful shelf-mate to Neil Shusterman's Unwind. They both touch on the ethical issues surrounding the sanctity of life. But if Neil won't have me, I would love to see it placed beside Sarah Darer Littman's Want to Go Private?. She's my writing crush, as I love how unafraid she is to tackle tough issues. She doesn't sugar coat the dirty and writes thought-provoking and relevant novels.

9- Who or what inspired you to write this book? It did. It's such a compelling topic that it hasn't let go of me in over two years. When I read Pat Brown's How to Save Your Daughter's Life, I felt like the timing was right.

10- What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? Sex, love, ethics, abortion and death. Ultimately, it's about balancing the good of all against the life of one.

And now for more awesome writers...
Aaron Bradford Starr
Amy Trueblood
Jennie Bozic (not new to writing, very new to blogging)
Khaula Mazhar
S.Q. Eries
T.K. Richardson


Mindy, thanks for the wonderful invite!


***
Rules:
Answer the above ten questions.
Name five(ish) new and amazing authors/writers

Great (and creepy) Things In YA Lit

They say good things come in threes. Those same peeps say bad things do as well. And since Halloween is right around the corner, I give you three awesomely bad things shakin' up the YA lit world.

WIN WONDERFUL THINGS FROM AUTHOR A.G. HOWARD

 

Visit her website, A Still and Quiet Madness, for more details.

CHECK OUT GENNIFER ALBIN'S INTERVIEW FOR 'CREWEL'

 

Watch it, order it and read it. You won't be disappointed! I promise. And if I'm wrong, may the gods of All Hallows Eve smite me with a rotten pumpkin.

 

GET READY FOR FALL WITH THE WICKEDLY CHARMING AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY THRILLING ANTHOLOGY

Release date October 29, 2012

 

It's not all about zombies--though they're in here, too. Rather, this exciting collection of stories is all encompassing when it comes to the end of the world. Scenarios include the living dead, God's mistakes and our own human follies. Disastrous, yes, but also filled with hope for this life and beyond.

 

Lest you're waffling after seeing the incredibly disturbing cover, YA authors Mindy McGinnis, R.C. Lewis and Ryan Graudin penned short stories for The Fall. (Me, too, and a handful of other dedicated YA writers.)

 

There, as promised, I gave you three books to chew on and wish for. Now hop on Amazon and preorder Splintered and CREWEL, join the giveaway craze with SPLINTERED and settle in with THE FALL to prepare for the end of the world.

 

Alexandra Tys~