Posts Tagged: Delacorte Press

Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kauffman Tour and Giveaway

06 Feb, 2021 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment


I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the REBEL DAUGHTER by Lori Banov Kaufmann Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: REBEL DAUGHTER

Author: Lori Banov Kaufmann

Pub. Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it:  GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, AudibleB&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBDBookshop.org

A young woman survives the unthinkable in this tale of family, love, and resilience, set against the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.

Esther dreams of so much more than the marriage her parents have arranged to a prosperous silversmith. Always curious and eager to explore, she must accept the burden of being the dutiful daughter. Yet she is torn between her family responsibilities and her own desires; she longs for the handsome Jacob, even though he treats her like a child, and is confused by her attraction to the Roman freedman Tiberius, a man who should be her sworn enemy.

Meanwhile, the growing turmoil threatens to tear apart not only her beloved city, Jerusalem, but also her own family. As the streets turn into a bloody battleground between rebels and Romans, Esther’s journey becomes one of survival. She remains fiercely devoted to her family, and braves famine, siege, and slavery to protect those she loves.

This emotional and impassioned saga, based on real characters and meticulous research, seamlessly blends the fascinating story of the Jewish people with a timeless protagonist determined to take charge of her own life against all odds.

Based on an incredible true story!

AUTHOR NOTE AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:

Additional back matter includes an Author Note, which gives historical context and explains author’s inspiration for the book. Included as well is an historical overview by an eminent scholar of the period.

CHARACTER DRIVEN HISTORICAL FICTION:

Fans of THE RED TENT and THE DOVEKEEPERS will appreciate this incredibly detailed and accurate depiction of historical events, woven within a richly told and emotionally complex story of growth.

STRONG EMPOWERED FEMALE HEROINE: 

Despite the constraints of society and the savagery of war, Esther is an independent thinker exploring her identity and her faith—and showing unimaginable strength in the face of trauma.

HISTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE:

The destruction of the Temple in 70 CE by the Romans is a crucial part of the Jewish story, but it’s often lost amid more well known historical legends. The depiction of Esther’s faith is realistic and moving to a modern audience.

FAITH: 

The role of faith and family obligation is explored in depth. 

The story will resonate with people who love Biblical history, Israel and stories about faith, courage and family bonds.

REVIEWS:

“Esther’s remarkable, mysterious, and meticulously researched story is one that demands to be told.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The writing is clear, smooth, and accessible. An engaging story for historical fiction fans.”—School Library Journal

“Riveting!” Allegra Goodman, author The Cookbook Collector

Selected by the Junior Library Guild


Book Trailer:


Q&A

1.Which writer has had the greatest influence on you?

My grandmother. Although she was never published, she always wrote short stories and essays.  Her passion for books and reverence for the written word had a tremendous influence on me.

2. Advice?

Even though I always dreamed of becoming an author, I never found a way to fit it into my already bursting-at-the-seams life with 4 kids and a busy career. Finding thirty minutes of “quiet time” to write seemed about as realistic as running a marathon.

At the age of 50, I figured it was either now or never. It took me another ten years to finish so I’m hardly the best person to ask for advice!  I wrote in those stolen moments between work and family, carpools and laundry. But the thing is – those stolen moments eventually add up. 

I see myself more as a cautionary tale than an inspiration! ! But I suppose, if I can do it, you can too. It’s never too late. 

So my advice? START!!  

And my next piece of advice?  Don’t give up, finish! Some writers sprint to the finish line and some (like me) hobble. But if you keep going, you’ll eventually get there.


3. Favorite childhood books

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Happy Hollisters – a mystery series for children.  We used to get two every month in the mail (remember what that is?)  and my brother and I used to fight over who got to read them first. I also remember pouring over the biographies in the children’s section of the library. I don’t remember any of the books but I still feel the distinctive ink and paper smell of that neighborhood library and the blast of cold air from the noisy air conditioner.

 

4. Favorite book

An impossible question! There are so many outstanding books and incredible writers working today.

 

5.Favorite movies

I love movies that take me back in time to exciting historical events, shown through the eyes of someone there. Movies like Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, and Exodus to name a few.

 

6. Becoming a writer

Like most avid readers, I’ve always had romantic notions of being a writer. Struck by the muse, writing into the wee hours of the night and all that…..Being a writer always seemed more like a fantasy than a realistic career path. 

So I never actually decided to become e a writer. I did decide, though, to write this particular 2,000 year-old- love story. When I heard about the gravestone of Claudia Aster (on whose life Rebel Daughter is based), I was intrigued. I wanted to know more and slowly – very, very slowly since it took me 10 years! – I wrote her story. It still feels slightly pretentious to call myself a writer but maybe when I see the published book, I’ll feel like I earned the title!

 

8. Where do you write?

My corner desk in the attic, surrounded by piles of books, bills, recipes and other unruly papers that refuse to be tamed.

 

9. Book character most like me

Even though I love to read about (and identify with) bold, adventurous heroines who change the world, I’m probably most like Elizabeth Strout’s grumpy Olive Kitteridge or Agatha Christie’s stubborn old Miss Marple.

 

10. Music

Any classic Rock or old Country Music. When I’m sure my kids are at a safe distance away (like in a foreign country), I’ve been known to crank up the Dolly Parton and dance around the living room!

 

11. drink

Green tea with fresh mint if I’m feeling like being nice to myself and instant decaf coffee if not

 

12. Guilty pleasure book

I never feel guilty about the books I’ve read, only about the ones I haven’t. 

 

13.REBEL DAUGHTER takes us back in history to 70 CE,  a tumultuous time for the Jewish community in Jerusalem. What inspired you to write about this particular period of time? 

I didn’t set out to write about this period. I fell into it by accident! I was inspired to write Esther’s story after learning about the discovery of her two-thousand year-old gravestone, an exciting and important archaeological find. It was the mystery behind the stone that drew me in and made me want to know more. Who was she? How did a girl from Jerusalem become a Roman woman buried in Italy?

And from there, I began to research the time period. I was stunned that I knew so little about one of the most formative eras in human history. It is a fascinating period that has many parallels with our world today, especially the civil discord and religious fanaticism.


14.You tell the story of Esther, the daughter of a priest. Esther is brave, bold, and unafraid in spite of the challenges she faces as a young woman, including an impending marriage to a man she does not love.  Did you face any challenges in creating a character that was historically accurate yet infused with the ability to see beyond what was expected of her?  

Yes! That’s a great question because of course girls in the first-century didn’t have the freedom we’re used to today. Sexism was not only alive and well, it was considered necessary for the proper functioning of society. And I was absolutely committed to writing a book that was historically accurate. I felt an obligation not only to the real historical people whose story I was telling, but also to my readers.

So the challenge was how to portray a bright, curious young woman who lived thousands of years ago. For example, Esther had a thirst for knowledge, an innate human trait. She wouldn’t have gone to school, of course, but scholars have determined that there were women who were literate in first-century Jerusalem. So she probably learned to read and write at home. And in Esther’s case, from her father. I had to show how Esther navigated the very real gender barriers of the time.


15.You explore the daily life in Jerusalem in great detail – from chores and religious practices to the struggles between the Jews and the Romans. Can you share a bit about your research process?

I wouldn’t call it a “process”! It was more like an obsession. I had a sense of obligation to portray the time and setting as accurately as possible and a fanatic attention to detail. I read literally hundreds of books, dissertations and conference proceedings. I also worked closely with the leading historians of this era. Luckily, I live in Israel and had access to the artifacts at the Israel Museum, the archaeological sites all over the country, and the world-class scholars at Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University. My “process” is why this book took me 10 years to write! In retrospect, I realize that I went completely overboard with the research but it truly was a labor of love.


16. What were some interesting facts you discovered that did not make it into the book?

How much time do you have? There are so many! My first draft of the book was over 1000 pages because of all the “interesting facts”. My editor insisted that I couldn’t describe everything – how face cream was made from sheep fat or bread baked in clay ovens.


17.What do you hope readers take away from REBEL DAUGHTER?

I hope readers are taken away! I want them to have the feeling of going back in time. I want them to enjoy the trip. That’s my main hope. And if the experience makes them see our own world in a new light, then that’s a bonus.

 

About Lori Banov Kaufmann: 

As soon as she learned of the discovery of the first-century tombstone that inspired Rebel Daughter, Lori Banov Kaufmann wanted to know more. She was captivated by the ancient love story the stone revealed and resolved to bring it back to life.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Lori was a strategy consultant for high-tech companies. She has an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. She lives in Israel with her husband and four adult children.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

 



Giveaway Details:

2 winners will win a finished copy of REBEL DAUGHTER & Swag, International.


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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/1/2021

Nay’s Pink Bookshelf

Review

2/2/2021

FyreKatz Blog

Review

2/3/2021

onemused

Review

2/4/2021

Westveil Publishing

Excerpt

2/5/2021

BookHounds YA

Excerpt

2/6/2021

Fire and Ice

Review


Week Two:

2/7/2021

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt

2/8/2021

Hurn Publications

Excerpt

2/9/2021

Books and Zebras @jypsylynn

Review

2/10/2021

Not In Jersey

Review

2/11/2021

@emmesbooks

Review

2/12/2021

Books A-Brewin’

Excerpt

2/13/2021

Pop Reads Reviews

Excerpt


Week Three:

2/14/2021

ChristenKrumm

Review

2/15/2021

Jenguerdy

Review

2/16/2021

Locks, Hooks and Books

Review

2/17/2021

Cover to Cover Reviews

Review

2/18/2021

Lifestyle of Me

Review

2/19/2021

Down The Rabbit Hole

Review

2/20/2021

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt

 

Week Four:

2/21/2021

Adventures Of A Travelers Wife

Review

2/22/2021

Kait Plus Books

Excerpt

2/23/2021

@bookshelfmomma

Review

2/24/2021

Thepagesinbetween

Review

2/25/2021

Momfluenster

Spotlight

2/26/2021

Nerdophiles

Review


Title and Cover Reveal + Giveaway -The Beautiful and The Cursed

04 Oct, 2012 by in Cover Reveal-, page morgan, random house, The Beautiful and The Cursed 8 comments

Fire and Ice reveals the cover and title for a brand new YA book coming to you May 14, 2013…

The Beautiful and The Cursed
by Page Morgan
On Sale: May 14, 2013
From Delacorte Books
Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0-385-74311-2

Book Summary: Fans of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series and Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy will devour The Beautiful and the Cursed, a wholly original interpretation of gargoyle lore.
It was bizarre and inexplicable, but after it happened no one spoke of it and Ingrid Waverly was forced to leave her life in London behind. She had to trade a world full of fancy dresses and society events for Paris with her mother and younger sister, Gabby.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house her twin brother Grayson found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abbey. A creepy, old abbey with a roof lined in stone gargoyles that one could almost mistake for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson is missing.

Yet no one seems to be concerned about Grayson’s whereabouts save for Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant who has some secrets of his own.

There’s one secret about the city that he can’t keep hidden, though. There’s a murderer on the loose. And every day Grayson is missing means that there’s less of a chance he’s alive.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead–she can feel it deep in her soul–but she knows he’s in grave danger, and that it’s up to her and Gabby to find him before all hope is lost.

Only the path to him is twisted—and more deadly than she could ever imagine.

About Page Morgan: Page Morgan has been intrigued by les grotesques ever since she came across an old, black-and-white photograph of a Notre Dame gargoyle keeping watch over the city of Paris. The gargoyle mythologies she went on to research fed her imagination, and she became inspired to piece together her own story and mythology for these complex stone figures. Page lives in New England with her husband and their three children.
Links to Page Morgan Online:
The giveaway: A chance to win one of two ARCs!  Rules:
1. Open internationally
2. Giveaway ends at midnight October 12, 2012.
3. You may earn extra entries by referring others to this cover reveal and giveaway. They must name you in the Rafflecopter form for you to get credit. You’ll receive one extra entry for every person who names you. Thank you for spreading the word!

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Paper Covers Rock Book Birthday ARC Giveaway

14 Jun, 2011 by in paper covers rock 1 comment

Paper Covers Rock
by Jenny Hubbard
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published June 14th 2011
by Delacorte Books
ISBN 0385740557

At the beginning of his junior year at a boys’ boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there’s more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex’s writing for class. She also sees poetic talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them. Content: Underage drinking, swearing. Recommended for ages 16 and up.

Happy Book Birthday to Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard! To celebrate, Fire and Ice is giving away one Advanced Reading Copy. To enter to win click here and fill out the form. Giveaway ends June 28th and is open internationally to ages 16 and up.

Book Review- Passion

13 Jun, 2011 by in new YA fiction, passion 2 comments

Passion
By Lauren Kate
Hardcover

384 pages
Expected publication:

June 14th, 2011
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN 0385739168
series: Fallen #3
source: publisher

3.75 stars

“Every single lifetime, I’ll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever.”

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series hits stores Tuesday 14th June 2011

The first thing that drew me like a moth to the flame to the Fallen series were the covers. The first two are frame worthy and beautiful, even to the touch. The third one with a rose….not my favorite. It doesn’t really match the first two in the series. However, I will say that I enjoyed Fallen and Torment enough to get me out of bed early one morning at BEA to make the mad dash to the Lauren Kate signing table. And I was impressed that Delacorte Press was kind enough to give us all a hardback copy. That was above and beyond. Now, on to the story itself.

The pace of Passion is very slow with little action or tension which posed a problem for me since it’s hard to maintain my attention. This installment was snapshots in a travel log of the many different settings where Luce and Daniel have fallen in love across the ages. It is their story over and over exactly as it states in the book summary. You’ll get a short snippet of each new world and person involved. The interesting part for me was the actual setting and history behind each city where the announcers take Luce. Readers get a taste of Moscow, Milan, England, Prussia, Tibet, China, Egypt, South America and life in the prehistoric pre-civilized world. Lauren Kate takes you through the tunnels of time according to Luce’s heart’s desire and eventually, bent by the powers of her travel companion Bill.

Bill’s a newly introduced secondary character that I also struggled with. In my heart of hearts I missed all of the other characters from the first two books that I had grown to love. They are constantly lost in Passion, trying to catch up to Luce but never interacting in the storyline or given much face time. To me it seemed there was a lack of development of secondary characters. And I missed the competition Daniel faced in Simon and Cam. There’s no real force pulling Luce and Daniel apart other than Luce’s internal battle. Their story here seems repetitive. Does he truly love me or is his attraction to me simply an automatic response as a result of the curse?

Passion is told from two different points of view-Luce’s and Daniel’s, so if you are team Daniel you’ll be pleased to see things from his perspective. Ultimately, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions about who Luce really is, how the curse is overcome, what role the nephilim will play in re-writing history and how the star shots really work. Passion is great supplementary material, a companion novel, but not a star player for me in the grand scheme of things. I’m hoping book four brings us up to speed with the action and progression of plot I’m searching for. I can’t wait to find out more about Cam’s origin.

So when all is said and done, one question remains….will I keep reading the books? You bet! I’m hooked. I will be picking up Rapture when it comes out in 2012 with high hopes.

Be sure to visit Lauren Kate’s website for more on the Fallen series. And there is a play list folks. Click here to have a listen. Thumbs up on the book trailer, it is excellent.




Thanks to Lauren and Random House for being so generous.


Content: no warnings other than minor violence and a tiny bit of sexual tension. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Carrie Ryan SLC Utah Signing

31 Mar, 2011 by in Heather Gardner Photography Leave a comment

Last night I was able to attend the book signing for Carrie Ryan and let me tell you she is one sharp cookie! A great motivational speaker and storyteller, her third book Dark and Hollow Places was just released March 22nd by Delacorte Press. The first two in the series The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves speak of women’s resilience against a zombie apocalypse as well as standing up for what you believe in. The motivation for the story came from a story of her grandmother’s about wearing plum tights, some cans of tuna, her husband whom she married on April’s fools day and the desire to pass down stories from one generation to the next. Carrie shared her favorite all time reads with us which are The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen.

Ryan advised new writers to be persistent in your attempts to get published. She had a ten year plan for success herself. Colleague Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe, an instant NY Times bestseller went through 10 manuscripts before her book was picked up. Carrie was super supportive of all the local Utah authors in the audience which included: Ally Condie, Bree Despain, Elana Johnson, Jessica Day George, James Dashner, Brodi Ashton and Dan Wells. What a crowd!! We picked up some signed goodies which are being auctioned away for Japan below. Photos by Heather Zahn Gardner.

Review: Sleepless by Cyn Balog

07 Oct, 2010 by in sleepless 4 comments

Hardcover, 215 pages
Published July 13th 2010
by Delacorte Books
ISBN038573848X
3 stars

Eron DeMarchelle isn’t supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn’t encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human’s life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can’t deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can’t reach her. Eron’s time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn’t seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn’t recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her….

Even once they’ve become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won’t be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?

The premise of this book is the stuff modern day fairy tales are made of. A sandman who helps you drift off to sleep and then comes to life! The concept alone of a Sandman left me starry eyed after I finished reading. Cyn Balog has a way of putting imperfect teenage boys up against another love interest who is not of our of time or place and out of his element. This book had the same feel I got from her first, Fairy Tale. It accentuates the realities of teenage love…imperfect, coming of age and awkward characters doing their best to fit in, when are genuinely out of place. If you are looking for shiny happy people with embellished conversation this isn’t it. Nor is Sleepless a deep love story with richly developed characters. It reads more like a short story. But, I like Cyn’s style. It is quirky and she always throws in a few very unexpected twists.

Main character Julia has been dealt a bad hand with an incident in her childhood and now the loss of her boyfriend Griffin in a car accident. You would think she’d be sad or depressed so soon after his death, but she seems emotionally disconnected. Griffin, the deceased, is a world class jerk, as was his best friend Bret Anderson. I was bothered by their personalities and behavior. The result was a feeling of “not so sure” about any of the main characters or how they will react. Reading Sleepless feels like you are watching everyone as an outsider rather than becoming involved or sucked in.

I liked Eron and I loved the little snippets we get of his history as a sandman to Julia. However, the last of Sleepless is cut short. We never get a good taste of him or Julia after his full assimilation into becoming a human. He has potential as the absolute dream, so I was wishing for more. Overall, I enjoyed Sleepless but was hoping for magical.

Best things about the book: The beautiful cover, the scenes at the ice cream store where Julia works, and the shock of the first few times Julia meets Eron.

Torment by Lauren Kate

30 Sep, 2010 by in book review, new YA fiction, torment 1 comment

Hardcover, 464 pages
Published September 28th 2010
by Delacorte Books
ISBN 0385739141
series Fallen #2
4.5 stars

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future…and that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. What if his version of the past isn’t actually the way things happened…what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

Oh my wow! Lauren Kate really blew me out of the water with this sequel. I have to admit I wasn’t a real fan of Fallen when I read it last year. But the covers to these books are so incredible you have to have them. They are hands down my favorite dust jackets in YA right now. I would recommend picking up Fallen and doing a refresher before reading Torment. There are parts where you will be totally lost unless you remember the plot and characters from the first in the series.

Torment really sucked me in quickly and I finished feeling like I need more. I think Lauren Kate has matured and deepened. The first big change that I saw in Torment was Luce’s personality. Finally she is breaking out of the love sick innocent doe eyed girl into her own strong presence. She stops accepting everything at face value and starts looking for answers on her own. You go girl! I like.

Second big change is the introduction of Miles. He added a new dimension to Luce’s solitary clueless life at her new school Shoreline. He’s good for her and Daniel, shakes things up a little. My favorite chemistry in Torment was between Luce and Miles during their travels into her past. And my second favorite scene is watching him throw some serious loops in the plot during Luce’s Thanksgiving dinner. It is awesome that he’s man enough to take on Daniel and fight for what he wants. This book will keep you on your toes, nothing is a given, there is no black and white anymore. Things that were taken at flat face value in Fallen have been flipped and twisted.

In short, pick this one up! You MUST read.http://www.laurenkatebooks.net/

Book Review- After by Kristin Harmel

17 Mar, 2010 by in book review 2 comments


published: February 9th 2010 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
(first published 2010)

details: Hardcover, 240 pages

isbn: 038573476X

3.5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: LACEY’S WORLD SHATTERS when her dad is killed in a car accident. And secretly? She feels like it’s her fault. If she hadn’t taken her own sweet time getting ready that morning . . . well, it never would have happened. Her mom wouldn’t be a basket case. Her brother Logan wouldn’t drink. And her little brother would still have two parents.

But life goes on even if you don’t want it to. And when Lacey gets the chance to make a difference in the lives of some people at school, she jumps at it. Making lemonade out of lemons is her specialty. Except she didn’t count on meeting a guy like Sam. Or that sometimes? Lemonade can be a pretty bitter drink to swallow

I won this author signed book as part of a facebook giveaway for moms…I love it when that happens! Thanks so much for being so generous Kristin. This was a sweet book which explores the grief of losing a parent as a teen or child. It came right on the heels of losing our little newborn puppy so I found myself in tears as I read it yesterday. Lacey, the main character (and also the point of view for the chick lit novel), tells the story of the day and year after she lost her dad to a tragic car accident. She stuffs her feeling and steps in to help everyone around her. What she didn’t expect was to swept away by Sam Stone, a new student who share some of her past. Her heart has walls and she turns a cold shoulder, questioning if there is a way to feel her father in her life anymore. As time goes on, the reader is taken step by tiny step along the slow pathway to healing. We learn what service can do to warm the heart and we fall in love with Sam.

What a sensitive and caring young man! He shows Lacey patience and compassion. This book does a good job of illustrating how family dynamics can change in the blink of an eye, and faith comes little by little. Three and half stars to “After.” Here is the author, Kristin Harmel talking about her book…

Teaser Tuesday-Dead Tossed Waves

16 Feb, 2010 by in Uncategorized 5 comments


The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
to be published March 9th 2010 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

details Hardcover, 416 pages

isbn 0385736843

synopsis from Goodreads: Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves

I read the Forest of Hands and Teeth a couple of months ago and can’t wait to read the sequel!Visit Carrie’s website to learn more: http://www.carrieryan.com/books.php