ELEVATED Cover Reveal

About ELEVATED: The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.

Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.

But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.

Buy Links:

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/elevated

iTunes:

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18947183-elevated

Praise for ELEVATED:

"ELEVATED will take you on an emotionally gripping journey through the highs and lows of first love."

~Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There and Forget Me Not

"Poignant, raw, and intense, ELEVATED is a novel that will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page."

~Stasia Ward Kehoe, author of Audition and The Sound of Letting Go

About Elana Johnson: Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, Abandon, and Regret, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.

Social Media Links:

Website/blog: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElanaJ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/possessionthebook

Tumblr: http://elanajohnson.tumblr.com/

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/elanajohnson

League of Extraordinary Writers: http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com/

WriteOnCon: http://writeoncon.com/

Elana on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4044383.Elana_Johnson

Rafflecopter Code: Copy and paste this into the HTML side of your website/blog. People can enter to win $15 Paypal cash by helping to spread the word about ELEVATED.

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Book Review: BEING SLOANE JACOBS by Lauren Morrill

Out Jan. 7th, 2014 from Delacorte Press
*received via NetGalley for an honest review*

From Goodreads: Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

This is another beauty I read over Christmas break during my "oh so brave," kindle-only road trip. This one reminded me of two of my all-time favorite movies: Parent Trap-- without the setting up the parents part, and The Cutting Edge--but with less romance ON the ice.
Though I didn't read this book in one sitting, I read it eagerly and happily. The story is told from the POV's of two Sloanes from two very different backgrounds, each running away from their issues and convinced that it would be easier to trade places (and master a new sport!), than to face their own lives.  There's plenty of scheming, pretending you know something you're clueless about, adjusting to different wardrobes, living environments, and hot boys. I'm still thinking about this book weeks later. It's not just hockey and figure skating, it's real family issues, sports performance, and yes, boy drama.

BEING SLOANE JACOBS has a believable plot (which considering the premise is rather amazing). Both Sloane Jacobs are funny, relatable, and walk-off-the-page real. Lauren Morrill, I've decided, is a master. She's now on my read-everything-she-writes, not-questions-asked list. So, no surprise here that Lauren's MEANT TO BE, is on hold at my library. I am confident I will enjoy it just as much.

Have you read BEING SLOANE JACOBS? What is your favorite book of 2014 so far? Your favorite of 2013?
My favorite surprise book (of 2014) that blew me into happy is Julianne Donaldson's EDENBROOKE.

Please sit down if you're not already.
Did you do it?
Are you seated securely? Do you have smelling salts close at head?
Okay, I'll tell you:
Julianne Donaldson was better than Jane Austen.


But back to BEING SLOANE JACOBS. Read it. You will love it whether you're a sporty girl or not.

Happy Birthday, DEFY!

The first I heard of Sara Larson's fantasy, girl pretending to be a boy, DEFY was through one of my CP's. She told me this was her second favorite book of all-time, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. When it popped up on NetGalley, I grabbed it, sent it to my kindle, and did my "I'm so cool I got this book" dance. But that I didn't open it. I was afraid.

What if it wasn't as amazing as my CP thought?

In seventh grade when I started to seriously work on my creative writing (and I had a gem of a teacher who encouraged me), I wrote so many stories of girls pretending to be boys at boarding schools, on soccer teams, in battle, etc.. And yes, I had the boob wrapping, awkward locker scenes, as well. I LOVE these types of stories, but they have to be done just right for me to be sucked in.

The other reason I was slow to open DEFY was because I'd met Sara at LDStorymakers and I rather like her. I didn't want to NOT like her book, so the safest course of action was to put off reading it. (Not only is she tall and gorgeous, but she is also outgoing, easy with everyone, and just plain fun.)

Finally, over my first road trip with only a kindle for my reading pleasure (scary!), I got over my fears and opened DEFY.
AND gulped it down in five hours straight. Any book that keeps me up late reading is a winner (IMO).
If you enjoy fantasy, butt-kicking heroines, love (triangles), and page turners, give this one a go. But I'm warming you, make sure you have time to set everything else aside because DEFY will suck you in to the last page.

From Goodreads:
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect? 

Brown Paper Packages aka Last Minute Gifting

If you're like me this year, with eight days to Christmas, you're still scrambling to finish gifting.
Here are some of the favorite books at our house to get your book giving spirit going and help you finish your list!

Board Books:
CAVEMAN A B.C. STORY

This is not your average alphabet book. This one tells a story in 26 words. Even our ten-year-old likes to read CAVEMAN and it's a hands down favorite for potty training our two-year-old.

BIG CHOMP

Picture Books (Do you call these a series?):
PETE THE CAT, ELEPHANT & PIGGIE, FANCY NANCY

Chapter Books:
Boy: DRAGON SLAYERS ACADEMY

Girl: Is your Fancy Nancy lover too old for picture books? Have no fear, Jane O'Connor saved the day with NANCY CLANCY chapter books.

Family Read Aloud:
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER AND A TALE DARK AND GRIM

Middle Grade:
THE EVER AFTERS, MAY B (perfect for Little House on the Prairie lovers), and RUMP

 UPPER MIDDLE GRADE:
 Two series my ten-year-old absorbed this year: REDWALL and THE JANITORS















What books are you giving to the little people in your life? Any favorites my family missed?

SWITCHED by Cassie Mae REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!!

****This copy was provided to me by Netgalley or an honest review****

From Goodreads:
Ever since high school, Kayla has been crazy for gorgeous football player Talon. But before she could muster the courage to tell him, he became a hot item with her beautiful BFF, Reagan. The only person who knows Kayla’s secret is Wesley, Talon’s best bud—and he’s got it bad for Reagan. Now they’re all in college together, hanging out 24/7. For Kayla, seeing the two lovebirds together is absolutely unbearable. So Kayla and Wesley hatch a plot to drive them apart before Talon has a chance to give Reagan the Christmas gift she’s been waiting for.

Soon enough, the once happy couple is fighting. Reagan suddenly can’t get enough of Wesley’s goofy sense of humor, and Talon seems to be paying more attention to Kayla than a guy who’s “only a friend” ever should. But just when everything seems to be falling into place, Kayla and Wesley accidentally spend a night together and discover a hitch in their plan they never considered: that switching partners may not lead to a perfect ending after all.

First line: I love my best friend’s boyfriend. But I swear I saw him first.

Note to anyone who decides they want their best friend’s significant: suck it up and deal, otherwise you end up like me – surrounded by your friends, but feeling 100% alone.

This is the second of Cassie Mae's books through Random House Flirt. Her first one, FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI, I reviewed (and adored) here. If you follow my blog you know I fell for Cassie Mae a few years back and read her entire blog, start to finish in two sittings. She is hilarious and not afraid to let it all hang out. I knew then that I'd read anything of hers and happily beta if she'd ever ask me. Yup, I was smitten. And I still am. She writes funny, sexy characters, awkward situations, and plenty of mishaps along the way.

SWITCHED was everything I'd come to expect from her, but it still read fresh, new, and holy cow the guys in this novel were hot. Wesley had my drooling. I kept thinking, come on Kayla, realize he's the one for you. Cassie managed to write two characters (Kayla and Wesley) I loved even when they were trying to break up their best friends and that (the likable characters) isn't not easy to pull off. Reagan I wanted to clobber more times than not, but she was great too. The condom war was hilarious!

I think of this story as a love square (do such things exist?). Some of my favorite scenes were Kayla biting Talon's nose, she and Wesley's snowball fight, when Talon helps her into the Open Mic night, and when Kayla eats Talon's mom's burnt cookies.

If you're looking for a fun, NA read, I hope you'll give this one a try.
You can find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

In addition to the giveaway below, I'm allowed to choose one person at random who comments on this blog between now and Dec. 8th at midnight to win their own NetGalley review copy of SWITCHED.

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IWSG Hard vs. Hard Core: In search of balance

In my writing I swing from two extremes:

Hard

and

Hard Core

I want to find a happy, healthy medium between I suck, my writing sucks, I have no good ideas, and I can't make dinner or listen to an entire sentence not coming out of my own head because I am on the rollingest roll in existence. This book baby won't even need to be edited.

Instead I want this

and this

so I can feel this

So tell me, dear readers, how do you find that beautiful balance? 

THIRD LIE'S THE CHARM by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Happy Release Day!!!!!

I first found out about The Liar Society books through Janet Gurtler, another great YA contemporary author who publishes through Sourcebooks Fire. When she posted the covers on her blog I had to read the books. And then when I read the first one I immediately delved into the second one. So guys, this is a time I can shout from the rooftops that the books are as good as their covers.
Also, I'm always intrigued with people who can write collaborations and the idea of sisters working together on a book is rather intriguing for me. (Jolene Perry guest posted about it here.)
I couldn't wait for the final book in this thrilling saga to come out, so when I recieved a review copy from Netgalley I did some jumping and I little bit of dancing;)

Here's the cover, it's my least favorite of the three, but fitting for this final book.

From Goodreads:
New friend into old, the bond of the Sisterhood will never grow cold.

Life at Pemberly Brown is a whirlwind for Kate Lowry. Determined to finally destroy the secret society responsible for her best friend Grace’s death, Kate joins the Sisterhood hoping to go all Trojan Horse on their asses. But the night of her initiation another student at Pemberly Brown dies in what looks like tragic accident.

Kate knows better.

Kate and her faithful ginger, Seth Allen, immediately uncover a connection to the boy’s death and the secret societies that rule Pemberly Brown. But it’s not until Kate begins receiving pages from Grace’s old journal that she begins to piece together what really happened the night she died and how it connects to Pemberly Brown’s most recent tragedy.

Meanwhile, Kate’s ex-boyfriend Liam is following her around like an angry guard dog and she’s falling hard for the mysterious Bradley Farrow. Both boys are tied up in the mystery that surrounds Pemberly Brown, but only one of them can truly be trusted.

In this chilling conclusion to The Liar Society series Kate will fight to save her school from the evil that lurks beneath its hallowed halls. But will her quest destroy her or finally lead her to true love? She can only hope her third lie’s the charm.

*****

As you guys know, I don't want to spoil the ending for everybody. But know I ached for Kate and the difficult decisions she had to make, in love, in friendship, and all in the name of bringing down the Sisterhood. There are twists, surprises, and a rather satisfying end. So great work L & L Roecker, for writing a great conclusion to a series I've thoroughly enjoyed. Read this book. But read THE LIAR SOCIETY and THE LIES THAT BIND first:)

Have you read this series? Are you as happy with the character development and humor sprinkled into this chilling ride? I reviewed another great book, RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kinneally out today over at Sporty Girl books if you'd like to check it out.
What's your most anticipated read for this month? Please share, because I don't want to miss it:)