Blog Tour: Griffin Rising - Darby Karchut - Tens List

Darby Karchut is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, Griffin Rising. Thank you for being here today, Darby! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Top 10 Favorite Movies:

10. Ben-Hur

9. Raiders of the Lost Ark

8. Dances with Wolves

7. Gladiator

6. Last of the Mohicans

5. Master and Commander

4. Ladyhawke

3. Braveheart

2. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (I have action figures.)

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. (I have action figures AND a lunchbox.)

Thank you for sharing your favourite movies with us, Darby; and thank you so much for being here today! 

Darby Karchut can be found on her website. 

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For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever.Taking on the identity of father and son, Griffin and Basil forge a special bond where honesty and trust go hand in hand to secure Griffin's destiny as a Terrae Angeli. Griffin's belief in himself and the love of a mortal girl are the perfect combination in overcoming the darkest days of his life. But will it be enough for him to succeed? For Griffin, it's time to angel up.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: May B - Caroline Starr Rose - Tens List

Caroline Starr Rose is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her new release, May B. Thank you for being here today Caroline! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy! 

10 places Caroline has visited/lived.

Saudi Arabia (lived from 1977-1980)

Spain

Germany

Switzerland

France

Hong Kong / mainland China

Jamaica

Australia (lived there as an exchange student in 1989)

Mexico

England

Thanks for hosting me!

Thank you so much for sharing this list with us, Caroline! Thank you for being here today! 

Caroline Starr Rose can be found on her website, and on her blog. 

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I've known it since last night:

It's been too long to expect them to return.

Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Possess - Gretchen McNeil - Tens List

Gretchen McNeil is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her soon to be released, Possess. Thank you for being here today, Gretchen! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

TOP TEN THINGS I DISTRACT MYSELF WITH WHILE STRESSING ABOUT A BOOK RELEASE

10. Pedicures. I’ve gotten sort of obsessed with them, changing my polish like every three of four days. It may be mentally unhealthy, but at least my toes are pretty.

9. Shoe shopping. Okay, I’ve always been a shoe shopper (my closet is packed) but I’ve definitely been allowing myself to indulge more recently. I consider it comfort food…for the soul. Besides, it coincides with #10.

8. Online jigsaw puzzles. At my day job, I have lots of downtime. Instead of habitually checking my Amazon rating or my Goodreads star meter, I’ve been doing jigsaw puzzles online. Yes, I realize this makes me sound like a 70 year old woman. But at least I don’t have an ulcer. Yet.

7. The Cooking Channel. I find cooking to be therapeutic and recently my TiVo is full of cooking shows, and I’m cranking out new recipes several nights a week. My recent fave? Ina Garten’s engagement roast chicken. Lemon garlicky goodness!

6. Old episodes of Twin Peaks. I realize I’m dating myself when I say that I watched this show in high school, but whatever. I borrowed a friend’s DVD box set and I’ve been working my way through. Dammit, this show is genius. Creepy, crawly, scary, whacky, fantastic genius.

5. Sudoku. Like jigsaw puzzles only nerdier.

4. Walking the dog. I swear I’ve lost 20 lbs. in the last few months, hauling my 6lb Maltese all around the neighborhood. After about an hour, he looks at me like, “Really? Can’t we just go home now, crazy lady?” Hey, it relieves stress!

3. Books on haunted houses. I’ve become strangely fascinated with first hand accounts of haunted houses, mostly in England and Ireland. This can’t be healthy, can it? (Oh well, maybe it’ll inspire a new book…)

2. Happy hours. Okay, like with shoe shopping, it’s not like I need book stress as an excuse to hit my favorite L.A. happy hour locales with friends, but it certainly relaxes me. =)

1. Chocolate. I really don’t feel I need to explain this.

Thank you for this awesome list, Gretchen, and thank you for being here today! 

Gretchen McNeil can be found on her website, her blog, and on twitter.

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Gretchen McNeil is an opera singer, writer and clown. Her YA horror/paranormal POSSESS debut with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins, August 23, 2011. Her second novel, TEN – YA horror/suspense about ten teens trapped on a remote island with a serial killer – is tentatively scheduled for a Fall 2012 release. Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she currently sings with the LA- based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk (http://www.cirqueberzerk.com). Gretchen is also a founding member of the vlog group YARebels (http://www.youtube.com/yarebels) where she can be seen as "Monday."

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Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Airborne - Constance Sharper - Tens List

Constance Sharper is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, Airborne. Thank you for being here today, Constance! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Top 10 phrases that would never cross Avery's lips.

1. Mason, you’re my savior. I’m totally swooning at your feet. *Swoon*

2. Mason is so cute. I could never fight with him.

3. Leela, I really think you should date my ex-boyfriend Nate. I think that is absolutely fine and you two make a cute couple!

4. Despite how much Nate drives me up a wall, I’m not quite ready to kill him yet.

5. Let’s go camping. Nothing bad can happen to us out there.

6. You absolutely saw a harpie in my room. Would you like to meet him?

7. The best thing you can do is provoke a harpie. Make fun of them. Call them a pigeon. Nothing bad can come out of it.

8. I’m giving up on my friends. I won’t follow them to the ends of the Earth to save them. It’s just not me.

9. High school gossip is what keeps stuff interesting. I enjoy a few good rumors with me at the center.

10. At this rate, I’m going to graduate on time.

Thank you for this fantastic list, Constance, and thank you for being here!

Constance Sharper can be found on her blog. 

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Avery knew she had a knack for attracting trouble, but even she is shocked when a six-foot-something harpie shows up on her doorstep. Coping with the existence of a mythological race? Okay. Unwittingly finding herself in the middle of a vicious harpie conflict? A little less okay. Having to rely on an arrogant harpie boy who gets under her skin? Now that is something Avery isn't sure she can handle.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: The Girlz of Galstanberry - Garen S. Wolff - Tens List

Garen S. Wolff is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her books from The Girlz of Galstanberry series. Thank you for being here today, Garen! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

10 reasons why it's great to go to Galstanberry Academy

1) Classmates are brilliant, driven & diverse girls (Remember: We RUN the world!)

2) The traditions- High Tea, Pearling Ceremony, HouseSisters, & more.

3) No Mom & Dad (Yay!!)

4) Galstanberry Fall Regatta & Winterball

5) Stylish Blazer & Beret!

6) You can be yourself

7) Sisterhood that extends beyond graduation.

8) Carillion Bell Tower

9) Inspiring Female Alumnae, Faculty & Staff

Two of the Galstanberry residence halls are name after these accomplished women.

Toni Morrison (left)-First African American woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature

Madeline Albright (right)- First woman United States Secretary of State.

10) The History

Thank you Garen for this awesome list, and for being here today!

Garen S. Wolff can be found on her website, and on twitter.


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The Galstanberry team is hosting the Galstanberry Grand Gift twitter contest for US residents only. The prize includes:

1) Book #1

2) Book #2

3) Stickers

4) Bookmark

If bloggers want to participate, they just copy and paste the tweet below:

Follow @GalstanberryFan, and RT this for a chance to win the Galstanberry Grand Gift!http://t.co/vdVLz4v #giveaway #contest

Once someone tweets this above phrase, they will be automatically entered into the contest. The contest ends July 29 @ 3 p.m. You can tweet it as many times as you want.

Blog Tour: Sharks & Boys - Kristen Tracy - Character & Author Tens Lists

Kristen Tracy is here today with a couple of character tens lists courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her new release, Sharks & Boys. Thank you for being here Kristen! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Top ten reasons why boys and sharks do not mix.

1. Sharks have rows of razor-sharp teeth.

2. Sharks have indiscriminate appetites.

3. Sharks are a deadly mix of omnivorous AND curious.

4. Sharks always win the hit-and-run attack.

5. Sharks always win the bump-and-bite attack.

6. Sharks always win the sneak attack.

7. Shark repellant doesn’t work.

8. A shark’s investigative bite may result in death.

9. You can’t reason with a shark.

10. Boys taste delicious.

Top ten reasons why you should never get stranded on a deserted island.

I’m not just going to speak for myself here. I am going to speak for all of humanity.

People need access to their computers.

People need tap water.

People need taco stands. (with salsa options)

People need new music all the time.

People need to watch soccer on television.

People need to go to the movies.

People need cupcakes.

People need to own dogs.

People need to ride roller coasters.

People need to watch Stephen Colbert.

People need beds, and society, and other people to love.

Top ten reasons why it’s GREAT not having a twin.

10. If you’re having a bad hair day you don’t have to watch an identical head of hair having a great hair day.

9. People don’t constantly inspect your face for a distinguishing mole to make sure that you are you and not your twin.

8. When you fall in love you never had to worry, will this person accidentally cheat on me one day because they confuse my twin for me?

7. You never have to decide (along with your twin) what to wear to the annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsberg, Ohio.

6. If your twin turns out to be a psychopath and ends up on national television, you yourself will never be confused with being a psychopath who ended up on national television.

5. You will never confuse a mirror for your twin in public.

4. If your twin grows up to be a jerk, you don’t have to worry about defending the reputation of your evil, jerk-twin for the rest of your life.

3. You will never be mistaken for and then harassed by your twin’s enemies.

2. You never have to try to stay the same weight or a lower weight than your twin in order to escape being referred to as THE BIG TWIN.

1. And the number one reason why it’s GREAT not being a twin, If your twin ever takes naked pictures that end up on the Internet, you never have to go around worrying that the whole world thinks they have seen your naughty bits.

I love these lists, Kristen!! Especially this last list! Thank you so much for being here today! 

Kristen can be found on her website, and on twitter. 

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When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks--and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.

Synopsis taken from goodreads. 

Blog Tour: Aurora Undefined - Kate Hinderer - Tens List

Today, Kate Hinderer is here with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, Aurora Undefined. Thank you for being here, Kate! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

10 people that have inspired you.

I loved the idea of writing about 10 people who inspired me. Some people came to mind immediately. Others took some thought. But all of the people named below have helped form me into the writer and person I am today.

Paul Salsini – The best journalism professor I ever had. He taught me the importance of showing not telling. He taught me the great power that only a few words can have. He pushed me to go beyond the basics of writing to create my own voice.

Gemma Cremers – My high school advisor. She was the first person who believed I could be a journalist and it was a good profession for me to enter into. She also served as the newspaper advisor when I started the paper as a Junior in High School.

Madeleine L’Engle – The author I wish I could be. She wrote real life and sci-fi; but all her books were filled with real human emotions and experiences. She didn’t waste words and she made every scene count.

Maureen Melody – My high school history teacher who helped me see writing was a true talent of mine. She also helped me realize the importance of revealing the truth, even if it is hard to hear and hard to write.

Thomas Friedman – A journalist an The New York Times and author of the first non-fiction journalism book I ever read: From Beruit to Jerusalem. His experiences confirmed my love for the profession.

Oscar de la Renta – Random, I know. But this fashion designer is one of the reasons I love writing about fashion. He has a way of flattering the female figure and making women look absolutely stunning in everything he makes.

Louisa May Alcott – A revolutionary of her times, making money with her writings when women weren’t seen as true professionals. She not only made a living but also became one of the few female authors that goes down in history and is read by generation after generation.

Amanda Hocking – While, paranormal isn’t my personal focus, she has established something that all ebook authors strive for… notoriety for her online writings without a single traditionally published book. She’s an inspiration to every want-to-be author.

My Parents – I can’t leave them out! My parents helped me and inspired me along every step I took. And even now, while I’m on my own, they still encourage me and push me to be better.

What an awesome list! Thank you so much for being here today, Kate!

Kate can be found on her blog.

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Aurora is entering her senior year and everything around her seems to be falling apart. Her best friend has joined the cool crowd and she struggles to grapple with the loss. But when tragedy strikes, Aurora realizes what loss is really all about and how moving on becomes a fight of the will, mind and heart.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Flying Blind - Deborah Cooke - Tens List & Giveaway

Deborah Cooke is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, Flying Blind. Thank you for being here, Deborah! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

What are the top ten places you want to visit? (Past, present, future)

1. Bali

2. Morocco (again)

3. Paris (again). Actually I'd like to visit it in the 12th century.

4. Sicily

5. Saskatchewan (is it really that flat?)

6. the Arctic (In summer, please.)

7. Venice (again) This time in the 13th century. Or maybe the 17th.

8. Newfoundland

9. Ireland. I could maybe live there for a year, really check it out.

10. Japan. Again, living there would be best. Probably would need several years.

Thanks for this list, Deborah! I have to say that I would love to visit Ireland, and of course Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan! Thank you again for being here today! 

Deborah can be found on her website, and on her blog.

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Giveaway 

Deborah's publicist has graciously provided Lost For Words with a copy of Flying Blind for giveaway. 

Thank you!

Giveaway is US only.

Giveaway will end June 30, 2011. 

Please fill out this FORM to enter. Comments, while appreciated, will not be counted as entries. 

Thank you! 

Blog Tour: From Bad to Cursed - Katie Alender - Tens List

Today, Katie Alender is here with a tens list for her new release From Bad to Cursed courtesy of the Teen Book Scene. Thank you for being here, Katie! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below. Enjoy!

Ten Reasons You Shouldn't Get On Kasey's Bad Side

(1) She's very good at making friends with ghosts. Angry ghosts. Powerful ghosts.

(2) She will totally sneak into your room at night and surround you with creepy dolls, so when you wake up, you will definitely pee your pants.

(3) She's smart. Like, super smart.

(4) She's paying attention even when you think she's not.

(5) There might have been that one thing with the broken arm...

(6) ...And that one thing with the house that kind of, um, isn't there anymore.

(7) She's spent a year in a mental hospital, pretending to be crazy. Which is probably enough to make anyone a little crazy.

(8) She's always been the "good" daughter. So chances are, if it comes down to your word against hers... you're in trouble.

(9) She can boil water just by thinking about it. And broken air conditioners obey her whims. It's probably not worth finding out what else she can do with her mind!

(10) Even though she seems like a shy, awkward, scared girl, there's a really good chance that underneath her nervous exterior is a girl who knows what she wants. And knows how to get it.

***

Anyone who thinks they know Kasey from the first book is probably in for a bit of a surprise in FROM BAD TO CURSED... I know she surprised me!)

Thanks for having me today!

You are more than welcome, Katie! Thank you so much for being here and giving us the heads up about Kasey! 

Katie can be found on her website and blog, twitter, and facebook.

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Alexis is the last girl you'd expect to sell her soul for beauty and popularity. After all, she already has everything she needs--an adorable boyfriend, the perfect best friend, and a family that finally seems to be healing after her sister Kasey's unfortunate possession by an evil spirit.

But then Kasey tells Alexis about the mysterious new club she has joined, and the oath she has taken to someone named Aralt. Worried that Kasey's gotten in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend Megan decide to investigate by joining the Sunshine Club, too. At first, their connection with Aralt seems harmless. Alexis tries a new -- normal-- look, and finds herself reveling in her elegance and success.

Still, despite the Sunshine Club's outward perfection, the group is crumbling from within, and soon Alexis finds herself battling her own personal demons. She can hardly even remember why she joined in the first place. Surely it wasn't to destroy Aralt...why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

Synopsis taken from goodreads. 

Blog Tour: The Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross - Tens List

Today, Kady Cross is here with a couple of top ten lists courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, The Girl in the Steel Corset. Thanks for being here today, Kady! If you would like to follow along with the tour, you can do so here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

What are your ten favourite steampunk reads?

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Soulless by Gail Carriger

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook (this is an adult romance)

Bone Shaker by Cherie Priest

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Steampunk (comic book) by Joe Kelly

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Changeless by Gail Carriger

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (very dark comic book!) by Allan Moore

Journey to the Center of the Earth by H.G. Wells

Give me your top ten reasons why the "steampunk" era would be a good time period to live in.

- It has the coolest clothes

- I'd have an airship

- Automatons would do my bidding

- I could keep a brain in a jar as a pet

- I could communicate with the dead through the Aether

- Tesla. Tesla. Tesla.

- I could be a brilliant inventor, or a dashing adventurer.

- Women could wear pants -- and a top hat!

- I could drill to the center of the earth and not be melted

- My characters live there. :-)

What are ten of your favourite quotes of all time?

"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue."

— Dorothy Parker

"I don't care what is written about me so long as it isn't true."

— Dorothy Parker

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

Oscar Wilde

"Be excellent to each other."

- Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Life is like a box of chocolates.

- Forrest Gump

"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying."

— Oscar Wilde

As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.

- John Lennon

Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground.

- John Lennon

You can fix everything but a blank page.

- Nora Roberts

I love these lists, Kady! So many good books and quotes!! Thank you again for being here today! 

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In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Lemniscate and Angel Star - Jennifer Murgia - Tens List

Today, Jennifer Murgia is here with a few tens lists for her Lemniscate blog tour courtesy of Teen Book Scene. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. My review for Angel Star will be posted tomorrow as the last stop in the tour. I hope you enjoy!

What are your top ten favourite angel books?

– I’ll be honest – I haven’t read any really. I never wanted to be influenced by someone else’s take on angels so I purposely stayed away from angel books while writing Angel Star and Lemniscate. I’m ready to sit down and dive in though! So I’ll tell you what’s on my list – Angel by L.A. Weatherly, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut.

What ten places should you visit when in Pennsylvania?

1) Hershey Park, Hershey PA

2) Crayola Factory, Easton, PA

3) New Hope

4) Philadelphia – Independence Mall and Zoo

5) Pocono Mountains

6) Knoebel’s Amusement Resort

7) Gray Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park

8) the beautiful Amish communities in Lancaster, PA

9) Gettysburg – National Military Parks and Battlefields

10) Musikfest – 10 days of outdoor musical performances in Bethlehem, PA during August

Ten reasons why you should read Angel Star and Lemniscate.

1)to feel inspired

2) to help you figure out if your boyfriend is an angel

3)to simply lose yourself in a good read

4) to figure out the light in life

5) to understand the darkness inside you

6) to determine if you are Team Hadrian

7) to determine if you are Team Garreth

8) because angels are HOT

9)so you can join the discussions at the Angel Star Fan Club on Goodreads!

10) Because I will find you and quiz you on both books to see if you really read them!

Thank you so much for being here today, Jennifer! I'm going to have to track down a copy of Lemniscate one of these days! :) 

I have to say that I would LOVE to visit Gettysburg! I love these lists!! :)