Famous In Love Event - Giveaway

To help kick off this event in style I am hosting a giveaway. One winner will get a copy of Famous In Love, and this amazing tote in the picture below....

The very talented Becca from Pivot Book Totes made this custom tote that someone will win. You can visit her Etsy shop if you want your own custom order (or browse what she currently has available).

The contest is US ONLY and the winner agrees that their address can be shared with the publisher (for the book) and Becca from Pivot Book Totes in order to have your prize shipped.

*Your information will not be kept on file, and is only accessible to myself and will not be shared with anyone other than those specified above. Must be of legal age to enter or have parental consent to do so* a Rafflecopter giveaway

Famous In Love Week Kick Off. Q and A with Rebecca Serle

You may have heard me talk about a book called Famous In Love on this blog already. I ended up reading it and totally loving it right after I got it at Book Expo America. So much in fact I wanted to do a whole week in order to celebrate it.

First up I am interviewing Rebecca about Famous In Love, and all things love triangles and Hollywood....

1 Describe Famous In Love in Twitter format (140 characters or less)

FiL is about a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature-film franchise based on a book #Lovetriangle #insidery

2 If someone created a drink in honour of your book, what type of drink, and what would they include?

Personally, I'm a purist when it comes to cocktails--vodka and lemon, please! But I think the Famous in Love cocktail would probably be a little sweeter than my tastes-- and have some pineapple in it, naturally! And because some of my readers are in the under 21 age bracket let's keep it teen-friendly. Pineapple, crushed ice, cranberry juice, lime, and seltzer! Yum!

3. Is there a song that reminds you of Famous In Love?

There are a lot of them. There's an official Famous in Love playlist on www.rebeccaserle.com if you're interested!

4 Classic Hollywood vs New Hollywood? Who trumps in terms of celebrity gossip?

New Hollywood, definitely. The press is so different than it was years ago. I'm not saying that's a good thing but gossip is definitely at anall-time high.

5 Famous In Love feels very authentic. What sort of research did you do for this novel to capture that behind the scenes of Hollywood feeling?

That is the highest compliment I could receive, thank you. First and foremost I am a fangirl. I have been all my life, so all of my life has been research to write this book. Magazine stories, youtube videos, you name it, I've consumed it. I've also lived in LA, and continue to spend a lot of time there, so that helps. Just sort of seeing the place, the industry, and the way it functions. And then I sold my first novel, When You Were Mine, to be adapted by Hollywood and I REALLY got a look into how all of this works. Also I've been on
the set of a major feature-film franchise based on a book-- but I can't tell you which one. I've been sworn to take that secret to my grave. :)

6 What is your favourite 'on screen' Hollywood love triangle?

Probably the original--- Joey/Pacey/Dawson. But currently I'd have to go with The Vampire Diaries. The similarities between both of those shows (besides that they were created by the genius known as Kevin Williamson) is that the relationship between the boys is a strong, important part of the triangle. The complicated relationship Rainer and Jordan share is one of my favorite parts of Famous in Love.

7 If your main character were real, and you could give her one piece of advice, what would you tell her?

That she is talented. Paige is very concerned with getting August "right" and being "good enough." She was chosen! She's supposed to be playing her.

8 How do you plan to celebrate the release of Famous In Love?

I'm having a launch party at Books of Wonder on October 23rd from 6-8! If you live in or plan to visit NYC-- please come! There is also going to be some festivities post with family and friends. I worked hard on this book and it has been a long time coming-- I'm excited to celebrate!

Thank you for stopping by, Rebecca. Be sure to visit each day this week for another Famous In Love post. Up tomorrow is a special giveaway including a custom made tote bag!

Rebecca Serle is the author of When You Were Mine and The Edge of Falling and is an obssesive lover of all things teen entertainment - a trait  she tracks straight back to the WB and Pacey Witter. She grew up in Maui, and Los Angeles, and now lives in Manhattan. She writes about The Vampire Diaries for New York Magazine's Vulture, and she can be found on Twitter @RebeccaASerle

The Beast of Seabourne Blog Tour Stop

Today I get to share a little bit about a book from Spencer Hill Press/Spence City as part of their blog tour. An anticipated sequel to the award winning Obsidian Pebble.

Here is a little about the novel

"Oz Chambers has a wonderful secret; the obsidian pebble, gifted to him by his dead father, is an artefact of astonishing power.  The sort of power that makes the year eight science project a hands-down walkover thanks to the the pebble's genius avatar, Soph. But, there are sinister forces abroad who will do just about anything to get their hands on the pebble, and when fellow pupils start being attacked,  Oz finds himself in very hot water.  Soon Oz and his friends, Ruff and Ellie, are caught up in a centuries old mystery involving a missing ring, lava toothpaste and a murderous monster known as the Beast of Seabourne."

Intriguing right? It sounds like a great follow up to the first novel in the series. You can add it to your Goodreads account and find out more information.

If you're interested in getting a copy, it's available TOMORROW (October 28th) so you don't have long to wait (and you can get the first novel immediately). It can be purchased at the following retailers....

Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Indiebound

For more details you can visit Rhys A Jones online via his website or Twitter. You can also find more details on the Spence City website.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

Amazing package of awesome from Scholastic Canada made my week. So excited to read all of these books. A huge thank you to Scholastic Canada for this amazing package.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Steifvater (goodreads)

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle (goodreads)

All Fall Down by Ally Carter (goodreads)

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury (goodreads)

A friend of mine sent me a package as well. I love the letter K that she made me. My favourite colour pattern too (back and red). I am excited to see About Time as I haven't yet.

What books made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

I have a VERY small Weekly Obsessions this week. Just one cover that caught my eye.

BOOK

Cover of The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough (goodreads)

I've been hearing nothing but amazing things about this novel. It's certainly been compared to a few brilliantly written novels so I am excited to check this one out. I am a sucker for romance stories and this one seems to have more than a dash of romance with much more happening behind the scenes.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends.

This weeks question is: 

SPOILERS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES!

Question of the Week: Characters, sometimes our favorites, die during books. If you'd get to choose, who would you bring back?

Wow. I guess I would bring back Finnick from the Hunger Games (I would have picked Lupin, but I would want Tonks back with him). I think Finnick deserved a much longer life.

Happy Weekend!

Compulsion by Martina Boone

Compulsion by Martina Boone

Release Date - October 28, 2014

Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 448 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received in exchange for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

There is something about a southern setting that makes magic just a little more believable. There is something about the history, and landscape that compliments this type of story and makes you believe in curses. Compulsion uses that to it's fullest advantage to create a delightfully enthralling debut that has all the elements of a delicious southern gothic.

Martina Boone has taken the landscape of South Carolina and made it a character. The island that Barrie will call home is as integral to the plot as any of the characters. The history of the island, the curse that these families are stricken with, and the isolated feel only add to the atmosphere and mood.

Barrie is realistic. That means she's flawed, and makes mistakes. She has a temper. She's quick to judge. She changes her mind on a whim, and is determined when she sets her mind to something. These qualities make her a character that is both angering, and enjoyable to read. Every choice she makes is one you can understand. The reader gets to know who she is, and therefore her actions and thoughts make sense. Having your characters actually behave within character allows the reader to accept their mistakes and flaws and Martina Boone knows and takes advantage of this.

The secondary characters are all just as fascinating. Mark, Barrie's godfather, steals every page he appears on. Barrie's Aunt Pru is as kind and caring as you could want her to be. Her cousin, Cassie, is an enigma with plenty of secrets still to unravel. Her desperation to leave Watson Island is a palpable thing that screams from her whenever she appears. These characters are all flawed, tragic, and  fit within this world. The world and the characters compliment each other effortlessly.

Eight and Barrie's romance gets off to a rocky start. Eight's gift (or is it curse?) is to know what everyone wants, and grant them their desire. Predictably (and wisely), Barrie equates this into distrust. She cannot trust Eight, or her feelings. How much is him using his gift, and how much are actual feelings? Wading through this provides plenty of angst, and some great tension. It's a barrier to the romance without a love triangle coming into play.

This novel blends magic and curses with realism. Some of the most honest moments are the real life situations these characters are dealing with. Barrie's grieving her mother. She's discovering things are not what she thought they were. She's finding out family secrets. These all ground the story and add a realism to even the most fantastical elements.

There is a compelling mystery woven throughout these pages. I am not going to say much, as it would be a spoiler, but it's a deeper mystery than what first appears. Family secrets are buried deep, and unearthing them is one of this novel's most engrossing elements. Things may appear that they are not adding up as you're reading, but once things begin to unravel, it all pieces together.

With plenty of secrets left to uncover, it's a perfect set up for this to be a series. Those who dislike cliffhangers will be happy to hear that this novel works on it's own. The majority of plot points are satisfactorily wrapped up with just enough to tease more. I am confident, however, that readers will breathlessly await more after finishing this novel.

A southern gothic tale filled with romance, family secrets, and plenty of magic. Fans of the Beautiful Creatures series will especially like this strong start to a new series.