SUMMER FUN MIDDLE GRADE & YA BOOK GIVEAWAY & ASK THE EXPERT INTERVIEW

Happy Monday! We're officially on summer break. Yay!

It's going to take me a bit to get to your blogs today. I have to take Anna Li to 7:15 am swim practice everyday until she gets her drivers license. Hopefully that's coming really soon.

First I have some winners to announce.

The winner of REBORN is Deb Marshall!

And the winner of THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS is Krysten Hager!

Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your books. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I’m doing a summer fun giveaway of some middle grade and YA books that I hope you’ll enjoy and my last Ask The Expert Interview for this year. Details of the giveaway will be after the interview.

I’m excited to have Ann-Marie, an 11th grader here, to share about the books she likes to read and how she finds out about them.

Hi Ann-Marie! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your school, and what you like to read.

I’m almost 17 and I go to Northwest High School. I’ve been in choir for six years. In my spare time I like to paint, draw, read and browse YouTube. I used be into dystopian themed novels like Divergent and The Hunger Games. But now, I have a wider range in tastes.

Does the fact that your mom’s an aspiring author affect what you read?

Not really, because the kind of books my mom likes to write appeal to a younger audience. I tend to read things that are at a more mature level like Edgar Allan Poe.

2. I still like dystopian novels but have branched out in my tastes too. How do you find out about the books you read? What about new books coming out?

Usually the books I read are through on self-discovery. I typically don’t read the popular books because they don’t appeal to me. But I hear about books from my friends, and if they sound interesting, I’ll give it a go.

3. That’s a great way to find out about books. What are you reading now?

I just finished The Fault in Our Stars and the Divergent series. Right now I’m in the middle of reading 1984. I’m also reading My Trip Abroad by Charlie Chaplin and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

4. I definitely want to read The Fault in Our Stars and am hoping to read it in audio version. What books are you waiting to be released?

Nothing right now.

5. Do you buy most of your book or get them at the library?

I rarely use library services. Either my mom buys hard copy books for me, I borrow them from friends or I get them online to read on my Kindle.

How often do go to a bookstore?

I like to visit bookstores to see what they have. My favorite is Schuler Books because they have a wide selection of all different kinds of books.

6. I’ve heard great things about Schuler Books. Do you read any teen book blogs, author blogs, or author or publisher websites? Become a fan of an author on Facebook? Why?

No. I’m not really into the blogging world.

7. Has your teacher or mom recommended any blogs or websites to your class or to you?

My teachers talk about Sparknote.

8. My daughter uses them too. Are there things your favorite authors could do that would make you more likely to visit their website, their blog, or become a fan on Facebook?

Being relatable is always a good thing. Having a user-friendly web site is important too--one without a billion things that require you to be “in the know” to know what it is. I like author bios, which helps you if you want to get to know the author or have to write a paper about them. Also, I like being able to contact the author. Let’s say, you’ve finished their book and you’re confused about something, I’d like to be able to contact the author to get an answer.

9. Those are great tips on author websites. Have any authors visited your school? 

We had authors visit in elementary school like Lisa Wheeler and Ann Purmell, and middle school with book signings and a chance to ask questions, but we haven’t had any in high school.

10. The author visits really dropped for my daughter too in middle school and high school. Is there anything you’d recommend that an author do to make their presentation more interesting to you and other kids at your school?

It’s not interesting if the person drones on about the typical stuff. I like it when they give a little bit of backstory, like why they wrote the book, and if any of the characters are based on real people. I also like to know the deeper meaning behind a detail in the book—it could have a deep, beautiful meaning, but you won’t know unless you’re the person who wrote it or the author tells you about it.

Thanks for all your advice, Ann-Marie.
 
So I have some books I won and ARCs I received from Harper, Penguin, Random House, and Walden Pond to share with you today. Click on the titles to read a blurb from Goodreads.

 

 

 

THE HERO’S GUIDE TO BEING AN OUTLAW
WANDERVILLE (ARC)
OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY (ARC)
THE WELLS END (ARC)
GUILDED (SIGNED BOOK)
THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

So there will be five winners. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through July 5th telling me your two top choices. I’ll announce the winner on July 7th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome. But I will pick at most one winner from Canada due to postage costs and any winner not from the US or Canada would win a $5 Amazon Gift Card.

Here’s what’s coming up:

On Wednesday I have a guest post by Pam Torres and a giveaway of her MG book IT’S NOT JUST A DOG.

Next Monday I have an interview with Lindsay Cummings and a giveaway of THE MURDER COMPLEX, her YA futurist thriller that I really enjoyed.

Next Wednesday I’m interviewing debut author and follower Jessica Lawson and a giveaway of her MG historical fiction book THE ACTUAL &TRUTHFUL ADVENTURES OF BECKY THATCHER. This is a fun read and I loved Becky, the adventurous middle grader who has a great voice you can’t help loving.

Then I’ll be off until Wednesday, July 2nd when I have a guest post by Tara Dairman and an ARC giveaway of her MG contemporary novel ALL FOUR STARS.

The Monday after that I’ll be participating in the Just Couldn’t Put It Down Blog Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices for you.

And don’t forget Casey’s Agent Spotlights.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!