Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-book
Source: Purchased
Series: Hundred Oaks #3
Pages: 320
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

It took approximately 17 pages for me to put down Miranda Kenneally’s third book Things I Can’t Forget and take to the Twitter to rave about it.  Miranda just gets me.  She writes about girls and situations that I can relate to so easily without having to relate to it completely.  It’s like she somehow met Teenage Jessica and wrote about her, only her versions are more interesting and the girls play sports instead of the clarinet.

This time, our Hundred Oaks High protagonist is Kate Kelly.  She’s an exceedingly strict and devout Christian, and she’s a member of the Forrest Sanctuary Church (previously seen in last year’s StealingParker).  However, when her best friend Emily asks for her help to get an abortion, Kate begins to fall apart with guilt and shame.  She sinned when she took her friend to the clinic that day, and she really needs Emily to pray with her and ask forgiveness for what they did, the thing she can’t forget.  Hopefully, you can see why that’s a bit problematic.  Their strained relationship forces Kate to be a counselor on her own at Cumberland Creek Camp, where her fellow counselors and campers show her that not everything in life is so clear cut.

My girl Miranda writes some fabulously flawed and compelling female characters.  Jordan, Parker, and Kate are nothing alike, except for the fact that they are incredibly real.  It’s been a challenge for me to write this review (though I clearly enjoyed the novel), because Kate’s story hit me in a very personal and true way.  Kate is a difficult character to love.  She says so many things that smack of self-righteous judgment, and yet, every time I felt close to disliking her, I heard her words in my own teenage voice.  Granted, I was younger than Kate when I was at my most self-righteous, but it sure sounded like the ghost of Jessica Past.  I read this book with the perfect vision of hindsight, and I found myself wishing that I could hop in the TARDIS (with Ten and Rose, obviously) and put this in Teenage Jessica’s hands.

The most important aspect of Kate’s personality, to me, is that she actually and actively listens to those around her, and she truly puts thought into her decisions.  She isn’t just going along with the crowd to fit in.  Kate chose a hard path for herself, and it’s beyond commendable to see her stick to her guns, especially in the face of a grade A hottie like Matt.  Oh me oh my.  Miniature Poodle Matt Brown.  Teenage Jessica would’ve loved him too, with his guitar playing and no-shoe-wearing and easygoing awesomeness.  Miranda knows how to bring the hotties too, which you’ll already know if you’ve read her other two books.  Speaking of, all your favorite Hundred Oaks characters come out to play.  Who wouldn’t love more time with Parker and Corndog?

Things I Can’t Forget is sweet and painful, honest and thoughtful, hilarious and heart-breaking.  I know I’ll recommend this book again and again.  It’s the perfect read for Jessicas Past, Present, and Future.

Home Run Blog Tour & Guest Post

Stealing Parker hit shelves about a month ago, and we're helping Miranda Kenneally and Sourcebooks celebrate its release. Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker are both favorites around here and we can't recommend them highly enough.

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Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Curveball Dodging: Miranda explores the importance of recognizing your own self-worth instead of placing value on other’s opinions. 

This is a topic that’s super important to me.

When I was seventeen years old, I decided to apply for colleges outside of Tennessee. I wanted to try new things and see the world. I’d felt like that since I had gone to France when I was fourteen.

I applied to American University in Washington, D.C., and I was ecstatic when I got in. In high school, I had a 3.9 GPA and I made mostly As. Sure, I partied some and didn’t take school all that seriously, but I had drive and I knew I wanted to attend a great school so I would have great opportunities later in life.

After I received my acceptance letter to American University, the school guidance counselor called me into her office. She suggested that I go to the community college in the next town over, because I would probably fail in Washington, D.C. She thought I wouldn’t make it at a big school.

I went home, brokenhearted that she didn’t believe in me. But then I realized it didn’t matter what the stupid guidance counselor said. I wanted to go to D.C., so I was going there. End of story.

In my book Stealing Parker, Parker places way too much emphasis on what other people think. She lets the prejudices of others determine her behavior. People think Parker’s a lesbian just like her mother, so Parker decides to show them she’s not. She quits the softball team, loses 30 pounds, and makes out with lots of guys. Instead of people thinking, “Oh, Parker’s not a lesbian like her mom,” they think, “Oh, Parker’s kind of slutty.”

You can’t do something you don’t want to do in hopes of making people think a certain way about you, because nobody thinks the same way.

During the book, Parker learns what she thinks about herself is what’s important. She realizes that until she does what she wants to do, she’s never going to be happy and people aren’t going to know who the “real” Parker is.

Who is the real you? Have you ever let someone else decide your path?

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Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. She loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband. 

Where to find her...

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Kiss N' Tell Blog Tour & Guest Post

Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler

Coming up for Air:  Janet Gurtler explores her inspiration for the book and her character development of a girl who has to learn to forgive herself for a tragic mistake that upends so many lives.

I haven’t made a secret of the fact that this book was inspired by my son, Max, a cool dude who happens to have a severe peanut allergy. This book takes my worst fears and puts them it into action. I used to joke with Max that before he kisses a girl, he has to ask her what she had for lunch. Or dinner.  He doesn’t find it funny anymore.

We did have a talk when I decided to write this book. I told him that though it was fiction, it was partly to raise awareness of the dangers that kids with allergies face. And I told him of course, that it was something I never ever wanted to him to deal with. So no kissing girls. Ever. Ha ha. Not really the last part. He didn’t find that funny either.

Long before the character of Sam came to life for me, I remember hearing a story in the news, similar to the storyline in Who I Kissed, about a child dying from a ‘peanut butter kiss’. It stuck with me as a parent of a peanut allergy kid. How horrifying it would be for everyone. Including the child who accidentally caused a death. I also remember hearing a story about a kid at a birthday party who died when the knife used to cut the cake (peanut free cake) was tainted with peanut butter. I don’t know if that story was true, but when you have a child with allergies those types of things make an impression.

As a parent of a kid with severe food allergies, you get used to people who don’t understand the severity of the allergy. People who complain about not being able to take a peanut butter sandwich to a peanut free school when it is “all their child will eat.” On one level, I totally get that. Confession. I LOVE peanut butter. But on the other hand, something innocent has the potential to cause my child harm, or even cause death and I don’t want to let that happen. I’ve had to shake off my loathing to make people uncomfortable. I have to speak up. I understand that most people don’t mean harm when they send a peanut butter sandwich to school or open a bag of peanuts beside me in the airport. But I have to ask them to put away peanuts or nuts when my son is around. Or to ask their kids to wash their hands after eating something with nuts before playing with my son.

My strongest argument for why other people should care is -- how would YOU feel if your child (or you) caused the death of my son. I know I would feel pretty darn awful (to put it mildly), but what would it do to your child and/or you? How could a child possibly deal with something like that? How could a parent possibly deal with their role in something like that? And the thing is, it’s possible.

It’s about taking ownership of that possibility, but also dealing with the consequences of a very honest mistake. Who I Kissed looks at how an innocent girl, who unwillingly and unknowingly is involved in a death. A boy who is allergic to peanuts. It’s about thinking how that would affect you? How would you cope? What would you do?

Ultimately, like most of the books I write, I think there’s also hope in this book. And some lighter moments too. I created two characters, Aunt Allie and Fredrick to help Samantha deal and also to help the reader deal with the emotional intensity of the book.  Plus there’s hot boys. I like them too.

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An avid reader and chronic journal writer as a teen, after college Janet worked as a copywriter in radio and television. Somehow she was lured over to corporate sales and marketing where she worked for top consumer good companies until her son was born. Eventually Janet returned to her first love of writing and once she found Young Adult books she has never looked back.

Her first Young Adult book, Waiting to Score was published by Westside Books under the pseudonym J.E. MacLeod.

Janet Gurtler lives in Calgary, Canada, deliciously close to the Canadian Rockies with her husband, son and an untrained dog named Meeko. Janet does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot.
*Bio from Herman Agency Inc. 

Where to find her...

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: Oct. 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 245
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

After a scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back.

I really didn’t want to use such a pun in these circumstances, but I can’t help it—Miranda Kenneally has knocked it out of the park with her sophomore novel, Stealing Parker.  This is a contemporary that’s about more than romance.  It’s about choices, forgiveness, and being true to yourself.  And… yeah, okay, there’s also romance, and it’s both sweet and smoldering.

After her mother ran away from her family to be with another woman, Parker Shelton felt the need to prove how different she really was.  She quit playing softball, lost 20 pounds, and started making out with just about any guy who would show her attention.  Her best friend Drew signs her up as manager for the baseball team, where she meets fresh-out-of-college-and-super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot assistant coach Brian Hoffman.  Ignoring the scathing comments of her former friends and teammates as well as the members of the baseball team (especially academic rival Will “Corndog” Whitfield), she decides to go after what she wants, even when it’s very much off limits.  In the process, she gets more than she bargained for.

Parker is flawed, which makes her story believable, honest, and in all other ways worth your time.  She is aware that going after the baseball coach is wrong, despite the fact that there’s not an enormous age difference and that he obviously reciprocates the feelings.  The reader knows it’s not okay, but they get along so well and they have such great chemistry.  I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I thoroughly enjoyed following Parker through her journey of Brian vs Corndog.  She makes so many valid arguments for both sides, and they are truly teenage girl arguments.  Parker reminds me of me actually, and my friends from school, in countless ways.  Though you may never have experienced this, her struggle is universal.  However, my favorite relationship here isn’t between Parker and her love interests at all.  No, I’m totally Team BFF Drew.  I adore their Harry Potter movie marathons, specifically their commentary.  Any time there’s a reference to Oliver Wood, we all become winners.

If I can bring up one teeny nitpick, it would be poor Will’s nickname. Corndog?  Seriously?  I just wrote this whole paragraph about how this is the silliest nickname I’ve ever heard, but then I remembered: I went to school with a boy we dubbed Cornflake.  Who am I to judge?  At least Will sounds like he can carry a crazy name like that.

In all seriousness, Stealing Parker touches on loads of hot-button topics facing teens today— struggles with sexuality, identities, and religion, just to name a few—but it’s never heavy-handed.  It’s all presented as teens see it, which is refreshing.  Kenneally weaves another great tale around another strong heroine at Hundred Oaks High, and she can write the sexytimes like no one else.  I’m just glad I can go along for the ride.  I liked Catching Jordan but I loved Stealing Parker.

Entice Me Day: Magda

Meet Magda: The Chic Grigori.

Perfect in appearance, with golden blonde hair and tall, willowy frame, Magda is always dressed to impress. Armed with telepathic abilities, she’s prepared to get what she wants—and it’s Lincoln who’s caught her eye.  She knows her fashion designers from her fashion duds, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t still love to show off her fighting skills.

From the Royal Botanic Gardens with its magnificent sleek Sydney cityscape backdrop, Jessica reveals secrets Magda doesn’t want anyone to know.

Read Magda's full character bio here. Learn more about the rest of the characters on the Entice Me Day page, take the Embrace series quiz, and be sure to check out the Embrace series homepage and Facebook page.

Entice Teaser Trailer

The teaser trailer for the next book in Jessica Shirvington’s Embrace series is here!

In Entice, the war between Exiles and Angels is on—and Violet Eden is wanted by both sides.  Living a secret life as a warrior protecting innocent human lives isn’t easy. Knowing who to trust is key, but when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even her partner, Lincoln. And with Phoenix more dangerous than ever, Violet is truly on her own.

Next month, fans of the series will be able to meet up for an 8-day Entice Me Day celebration. Meet the characters, catch the reveal of the full book trailer and join Sourcebooks for the big party on September 15th where you'll get sneak peeks and have the chance to win prizes. 


Pre-order it now!Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova

Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-galley
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Pages: 384
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova got me really excited to read a story about mermaids from a guy’s point of view and it all sounded so dark and mysterious. The beginning of the story was really promising and introduced us to Tristan’s world as a part time lifeguard and guaranteed hottie who is fighting off girls with a stick so it seems.  One day, there is a particularly large storm and he swims out to rescue someone but gets dragged under the waves and disappears for three days with no memory of what happened.  Family secrets drift to the surface and Tristan finds out about the legacy that has been kept from him until now.

I want to start by saying that I enjoyed Tristan’s voice although I hated the fact that he was a bit of a man slut by reputation but I actually think he just doesn’t know how to say no, can’t stop himself from being flirty and friendly with everyone and basically needs to grow a pair.  Case in point, Tristan’s relationship with his best friend Layla which is frustrating at best.  He’s practically in love with her for the entire book but doesn’t actually ever tell her.  I get the “it’s complicated” vibe but come on Tristan! The only redeeming quality about Layla is that she is a strong independent girl who’s all “I belong to no one” which of course is how it should be.  The fact that she hangs around the school hottie all the time when they’re “just friends”?  Rather you than me is all I’m going to say although she never comes out and says she likes him in that way either although I think it’s obvious that she does and that makes her a glutton for punishment. 

With regards to the story, I could just about accept fish coming through the taps (faucets) and then turning into merfolk but I think this book lost me around the time we were introduced to creatures that looked liked men but had fish heads.  I get the feeling that either consciously or not, Cordova was heavily influenced by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as my brain kept on pulling up imagery from the film.

Then all sorts of other fantastical creatures came into play like fairies, vampires and shifters and I just thought it was all a bit ridiculous.  I would have preferred to keep those worlds separate to be honest as I was only ever interested in the merfolk story.  If I’m being completely honest, I wanted to stop reading the book at one point but I don’t quit easily and I don’t like leaving things unfinished (I’ve only ever had to stop reading a book once) so I carried on until the end.  I was frustrated at the lack of resolve – the relationship between Tristan and Layla hasn’t really changed, the quest is still ongoing and the creepy, evil mermaid with razor teeth is still out there.

I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t enjoy it more as I really wanted to love it.  I thought the beginning was really promising and I liked the idea that the story featured mermen which is something that we don’t often come across in stories (it’s usually just about mermaids) but it was a bit fantastical for me when other supernatural beings joined the foray and I felt frustrated with the lack of resolve in the story.   Unfortunately, this has meant that I’ve cancelled my pre order for the simple reason that shelf space is severely limited as it is (I have no more room for any more book shelves) and so I’m having to be very picky about what books I buy now.

I’m seeing a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads for The Vicious Deep so I’m not sure if it’s just me or not.  There were parts of the story I enjoyed but overall, I was disappointed.  As always, I would suggest looking at other reviews and/or reading it yourself and making your own mind up.

Summer Lovin' Blog Tour Reviews

The Summer of No Regrets
by Katherine Grace Bond

Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-galley
Source: Publisher
Pages: 304
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
The day Brigitta accidentally flings herself into the lap of a guy she's never met, her friend Natalie is convinced he's Trent Yves, egotistical heartthrob-in-hiding. When the boy, who calls himself Luke, is nearly eaten by a cougar, Brigitta finds herself saving his life, being swept into his spectacular embrace and wondering if she wants Natalie's fantasy to be true.

As the two spend the summer together raising orphaned cougar cubs, Brigitta still can't be sure of his true identity. But then again, since her grandparents' death, her father's sudden urge to give away all their possessions and become a shaman, and her own awkward transition from girlhood into a young woman, she isn't sure of anything. What is the truth? More importantly, can she accept it?

While He Was Away
by Karen Schreck

Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks FireAge Group: Young AdultFormat: E-galley
Source: Publisher
Pages: 256
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
"This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say. "The right thing." 

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next.  
All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone. 

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing. 

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

It’s hard to tell with the weather being moodier than Mad-Eye, but summer’s quickly approaching, and with it comes the new crop of books to read while relaxing in the sunshine.  Two new ones that will hit the shelves in May are The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond and While He Was Away by Karen Schreck.  While both stories share the backdrop of summer in a small town and deeper themes than your average beach read, I enjoyed them both for different reasons.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (...and giveaway!)

Release Date: December 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Pages: 288
Buy: Fountain Bookstore / Amazon
Description: Goodreads

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.

Catching Jordan is a hilariously fun book with a kick-ass heroine.  Jordan Woods has always been the girl on the football team, and she’s good enough to be the quarterback of her high school team in Franklin, Tennessee.  Her teammates (and the boys she’s grown up with) trust her and treat her like the captain she is, including her lifelong BFF Sam Henry.  Suddenly, a new (and super-cute!) guy named Ty Green comes to town, and he’s looking to play QB too.  She can’t have this, not while Alabama is talking about scouting her or before her NFL QB father, the great Donovan Woods, can finally come to see her play.  Dealing with her feelings for Ty, her anxiety over the upcoming Alabama-scouting game, and some odd things she’s hearing about Henry’s more-than-friendly feelings for her, Jordan’s got an interesting couple of weeks ahead of her.

Honestly, I love Jordan Woods for tons of reasons.  She is who she is, take it or leave it.  She’s always the girl with all the boys, and she more than holds her own against them.  I love how open she is about her sexual side and her slight pottymouth.  I haven’t found another girl like her in the other books that I’ve read, and I find Jordan to be so refreshing in that way.

Working perfectly in Jordan’s favor is Miranda Kenneally’s no-frills writing style.  It’s uncomplicated and straightforward, and it is excellent as Jordan’s voice.  Occasionally, I wish there would have been more details and description about how she felt during important conversations with Ty or Henry, but the more I think about it, the less that makes sense for Jordan.  She isn’t the type to get frivolous with her words; she says what she means, and she doesn’t feel the need to elaborate.  One of my favorite scenes (and the best example of this style) is Jordan getting ready for school and trying to make herself “girly” so she impresses Ty.  I think it’s great because it is the perfect snapshot of Jordan’s personality.  The best part is that her interpretation of “girly”- Chapstick, shea butter lotion, a fitted tee, and actual brushed hair- is the average 17-year-old girl’s definition of “every day.”  (I also love that Jordan’s girly look blows her teammates away!)  Because this style fits Jordan so well, I am curious to read Kenneally’s next book.  I am interested to see how her style will translate to a character that isn’t Jordan.