I'm super excited to be part of Simone Elkeles' Better Than Perfect tour! It's a really cool tour, as well: the posts are like snapshots of the character's texts, which give extra insight into the attached extracts! Awesome! And, of course, all this in celebration of one amazing author and one of her brilliant books! So I hope you enjoy!! :D
DEREK’S MOBILE PHONE
Uprooted to Chicago, Derek is
missing the company of his old roommate Jack back in California. Just what is
with this mad new family he has been forced to live with? Find out in the
extract...
Thank you Bloomsbury for letting me be part of this awesome tour! I'm loving the book!! I hope you all read it and love it - oh, and that you love the new paperback cover! :) And you can check Better Than Perfect out on Goodreads and Amazon, as well as following Simone on her Blog, Twitter and Facebook! ---
Blurb From Goodreads!
Ashtyn's life just got complicated. Her boyfriend is being distant and her sister's back at home after ten years - with a stepson in tow!
Derek has a perfect body, THE sexiest smile and a car - Ashtyn's only way to escape from her crazy life. But Derek likes to play by his own rules and is keen to take Ashtyn on a ride she'll never forget. As they spend more and more time alone together, will Derek's flirty games drive Ashtyn wild?
A sweet and steamy romance from New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles.
Ok, so those of you who read my earlier post on #PenguinChats might remember what this is all about. Those who didn't: don't worry! You don't need to jump back to another post: I'll explain it all really quick before you get onto the fun stuff! Well, the basic idea of #PenguinChats is to connect us bloggers and readers with authors on Twitter for a 30 minute chat. Our first authors are, you may have guessed, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - we get to chat with them 27th January at 8pm GMT and all you need to do to take part is use the trend #penguinchats - squeee! That's TOMORROW PEOPLE!!!!! SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!
Also, there are a whole bunch of blogging partners, myself included, that have a whole load of scrummy Beautiful Creatures content. This is one of them - fun Beautiful Creatures Character Profiles! I hope you enjoy them:D
To check out more and to find out all the blogging partners taking part, head on over to the Penguin Chats Blog!
Quotes From . . .
Ethan
“There
are only kinds of people in my town. The stupid and the stuck.”
“I’m
a freak, you’re a freak. Your house makes rooms disappear, my house makes
people disappear. Your shut-in uncle is nuts and my shut-in dad is a lunatic,
so I don’t know what you think makes us different.”
“Maybe
you don’t have to be a Caster to have power. Maybe you just have to fall for
one.”
Lena
“You’re
not the only one falling.”
“In case something happens tonight, I just
wanted you to know; I love you, Ethan.”
“You’re
a Mortal. You can’t understand. I don’t want to see you get hurt, and that’s
what will happen if you get too close to me.”
Link
“Ladies,
ladies. There’s no need to fight. There’s plenty of this to go around.”
“I
know I’m an idiot, but there’s one girl in my head right now.”
“You’re
not gonna kiss me, are you?”
Macon Ravenwood
“Do
you know what lengths I will go to, to keep her safe for five months? What it
will cost me? How it will drain me, perhaps, destroy me?”
“I
warned you that this friendship would be dangerous, that it could develop into
something more. A future between the two of them is an impossibility.”
“Mortals.
I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was
done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures.”
Ridley Duchannes
“Take
a good look Hot Rod. This is the last time you’re ever gonna see me.”
“Got
any big plans for your birthday, Cuz?”
“Don’t
look so wounded. We had fun while it lasted.”
Amma
“Nonsense.
That boy doesn’t have power anymore than I have a tail.”
“Nobody
messes with my boy. Not Abraham Ravenwoood, nor the serpent or Old Scratch
himself, you hear.”
“I’ll
take care of this. I’ll tell him he can’t see her anymore.”
Squee!! Now I'm even MORE excited!! Didn't even think it was possible! And if you aren't totally bouncing up and down with excitement about the #PenguinChats interview, then read this awesome extract - the fourth chapter! Enjoy! :D
Ok, so those of you who read my earlier post on #PenguinChats might remember what this is all about. Those who didn't: don't worry! You don't need to jump back to another post: I'll explain it all really quick before you get onto the fun stuff! Well, the basic idea of #PenguinChats is to connect us bloggers and readers with authors on Twitter for a 30 minute chat. Our first authors are, you may have guessed, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - we get to chat with them 27th January at 8pm GMT and all you need to do to take part is use the trend #penguinchats - squeee!
Also, there are a whole bunch of blogging partners, myself included, that have a whole load of scrummy Beautiful Creatures content. This is one of them - fun Beautiful Creatures Character Profiles! I hope you enjoy them:D
To check out more and to find out all the blogging partners taking part, head on over to the Penguin Chats Blog!
Character Profiles
Ethan Lawson Wate
Ethan
is 16 years old and is the books narrator. Six months prior to the start of the
book his mother was killed in a car crash and, since then, his father has
become a recluse, rarely leaving his library. Ethan dreams of leaving Gatlin to
travel the world and fears becoming stuck like many of the town’s residents.
He
meets and falls deeply in love with Lena Duchannes, a Caster, and also
discovers that he and his family are more involved with the darkness of the
Caster world than he could have ever imagined.
Lena Duchannes
Lena
is an outsider in a small town like Gatlin, regarded with suspicion by many who
misunderstand her. She was born a Natural Caster – an extremely rare type of
Caster with incredibly powerful supernatural abilities. When we first meet her,
Lena is awaiting her 16th birthday, when she will discover if she will be claimed
by the Dark or the Light. Her deepest fear is of becoming Dark and turning into
a cruel and evil Caster.
Before
moving to Gatlin, Lena has recurring dreams of a teenage boy who saves her and
when she meets Ethan, she realises he is the boy in her dreams. But can he save
her? Or will her Caster powers be too dangerous for a mortal like Ethan?
Link
Wesley
Jefferson Lincoln, better known as Link, is Ethan’s best friend and the on/off
love interest of Lena’s cousin Ridley Duchannes. His life, like Ethan’s,
changes upon the arrival of Lena in Gatlin when he discovers the existence of
the Caster world – and falls in love with the dangerous Siren, Ridley.
Macon Ravenwood
Macon
‘Melchizedek’ Ravenwood, is Lena’s uncle and was chosen to watch over her until
her 16th birthday. Despite his reputation as the ‘bogeyman’ of Gatlin, he is kind,
generous and will go to any length to protect those he loves. He is rarely seen
without his dog Boo, whom he describes as his “eyes.”
Ridley Duchannes
Ridley
(born Julia) Duchannes is Lena’s cousin and childhood ex-best friend, as well
as the on/off girlfriend of Link. She became Dark on her 16th birthday and is also
a Siren – a seductress who can easily entrap and control human minds. Ridley is
wild, stubborn and rebellious, and when armed with a red lollipop, can make
people do anything she wants. Despite being Dark, she genuinely cares for Lena
and risks her life to help Ethan and Link save her cousin.
Amma
Amarie
Treadeau, better know as Amma, is Ethan’s nanny and has been with the Wate
family for many years. She cares for Ethan as any mother would, after his own
mother died and is fiercely protective of him. Amma is also a Seer – she is
able to see back to the past and also see into the future, as well as contact
the spirits of the deceased.
Yay! I don't know about you guys, but I'm scary excited! And how gorgeous are those poster/pictures?!
Now, last post I showed you a brilliant extract from the book's prolgue. Today, you're getting the awesome first chapter! Hope you enjoy it! :D
Ok, so those of you who read my earlier post on #PenguinChats might remember what this is all about. Those who didn't: don't worry! You don't need to jump back to another post: I'll explain it all really quick before you get onto the fun stuff! Well, the basic idea of #PenguinChats is to connect us bloggers and readers with authors on Twitter for a 30 minute chat. Our first authors are, you may have guessed, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - we get to chat with them 27th January at 8pm GMT and all you need to do to take part is use the trend #penguinchats - squeee!
Also, there are a whole bunch of blogging partners, myself included, that have a whole load of scrummy Beautiful Creatures content. This is one of them - a fun Beautiful Creatures Quiz! I hope you enjoy it! :D
To check out more and to find out all the blogging partners taking part, head on over to the Penguin Chats Blog!
1. What type of Caster is
Lena?
a)Siren
b)Healer
c)Natural
d)Destroyer
2. Who is Ethan’s
ex-girlfriend?
a)Ridley
b)Savannah
c)Emily
d)Lila
3. What scent does Ethan
notice is often around Lena?
a)Lavender and patchouli
b)Rose and strawberry
c)Raspberry and jasmine
d)Lemon and rosemary
4. Where do Lena and Ethan
find the locket?
a)The library
b)Ravenwood Manor
c)Amma’s bedroom
d)Ethan’s fathers office
5. What are the names of
the ancestors that Ethan and Lena see in their visions?
a)Lawrence and Elizabeth
b)Ethan and Genevieve
c)Alexander and Mary
d)John and Joann
6. Who is described as
being “dressed impeccably, as if it was, I don’t know, 1942”?
a)Macon Ravenwood
b)Mrs Lincoln
c)Savannah
d)Amma
7. What is the name of the
song Lena plays on her violin?
a)Sixteen Moons
b)Midnight Spells
c)Black Magic
d)Spells and Secrets
8. What is the name of Aunt
Mercy’s Siamese cat?
a)Marilyn Monroe
b)Margot Fonteyn
c)Lucille Ball
d)Vivian Vance
9. Who does Ridley call “Hot
Rod”?
a)Ethan
b)Link
c)Carlton
d)Emory
10. Macon describes his dog
Boo as what?
a)His eyes
b)His ears
c)His nose
d)All of the above
Hmmm, good questions! Do you guys know the answers? :D
Well, to inspire you, y'know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna put in some more awesome Beautiful Creatures movie pics. AND the utterly enticing Prologue of Beautiful Creatures - though you've probably read it if you're attempting this quiz! Ah well. ;)
P.S. You can find the answers at the bottom of the page...
I don't know if you guys have read Legend, but I LOVED it! It was amazing. And now I can't wait for Prodigy!! To make me even more excited, the lovely people at Penguin sent over these teaser trailers for both the book and the online game it has inspired, as well as a sneak peek at the first chapter.
And for all you guys who live in the UK, guess what?!!? The lovely Penguins have offered two giveaway copies!! Enter now - this book doesn't come out until the end of January, so get your hands on a copy right this second!!!
And make sure you check out the two trailers and teaser! And ENTER if you live in the UK!! This series is awesome and I think you'll love it! Plus, what better Christmas/New Year prezzie? :D
I don't know if you guys have heard of it, but next year Bloomsbury are publishing one of the most amazing and anticipated books ever. The name of this book? Dance of Shadows. Don't believe the pure-awesomeness of this book? Well, check out the Facebook page Dance of Shadows - and keep on checking it! Loads of amazing things will be going up in the run up to publication in 2013. Also check out Yelena Black's Twitter Account and the amazing Book Trailer of Dance of Shadows. Now, to promote the book we have an amazing extra teaser for the book - an extract of Margaret Adler's diary. Keep an eye out for clues, everyone, and always keep this one question in your mind:
Where Is Margaret Adler...?
Dear Diary, [October
1]
Another first for me: I’ve at
last ridden the subway without one of my parents there.
Maddy, it turns out, is a
serious rare record junkie and likes to shop for vinyl. As in LP records. Like
our parents used to play back before, when the world was new (How can someone
who still sleeps with a teddy bear have such a seriously hipster hobby?) We
don’t even have a turntable here, but that doesn’t matter to her: She wants
“the 180-gram vinyl of the new Jack White” and there is nothing that will stop
her from going to get it. And because I’m her roommate, and because I was
looking for any excuse to go shopping, I tagged along with her to Academy
Records, which it turns out is pretty near Barneys. Not that my roommate was
interested in a cutting-edge clothing store.
Here’s the thing about living
in New York: There are a lot of people here. And if you go anywhere, you are
just surrounded by them, sitting on top of each other. I think that maybe
having to be in such close contact with so many different kinds of people makes
a person more tolerant.
And the subways are where you
really get to meet people in all their grumpy glory. The trip downtown to the
record store was no big deal, but on the way back, there was a homeless guy in
our car. You’d think everyone else would shy away from him, but that’s the
great thing about New York: You just accept that, whatever his problems, a
homeless man has as much right to a subway seat as anyone else. And so everyone
in the car was pretty chill.
And then he started talking.
To me. “You’re a dancer,” he said. He was six feet away, but Maddy and I could
both smell the alcohol on his breath.
“Um, yeah,” I said, just as
Maddy said, “Was it the leotard that gave it away?”
But he wasn’t really listening.
He waved his fingers toward my head and said, “You have an aura of . . . darkness around you. Darkness!”
“You have an aura of crazy around
you,” Maddy said. “Did I say aura? I meant odor.” Just then the
doors opened at 50th Street, and she pulled me out of the train and
steered me up to the street, saying, “Don’t let that bother you! I’ve ridden
the train like, three dozen times, and that was the only time I’ve been
accosted by some pervy weirdo. Anyway, we can walk from here.”
I acted like I didn’t care,
but I did. All I could think about were those missing girls and the voices that
I sometimes hear when I dance.
One thing was clear, though:
I’m not going to ride the subway anymore.
xoxo, Margaret
[October 1, later]
Dear Diary,
I’ve been thinking. Sometimes friends come in the strangest packages.
Maddy has turned out to be not a bad girl at all. In fact, she may be my best
friend in this weird place. She’s not as competitive as Anna and Chloe; I think
we’re a good team against those two haters. Life’s too short to spend cutting
others down, you know?
xo
Margaret
---
Whoa! Guys, don't forget to check out Margaret's other diary entries - keep on looking for clues! We need to know what happened to Margaret! Keep an eye on the Facebook Page to keep up with it all and look at the other diary entries!
And watch this space - we'll be having more Dance of Shadows stuff on this blog leading up to the big release date.... :D
Blurb From Goodreads!
