Blog

alyssa rose ivy, cover reveal, derailed

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Kathryn Cooper

I’m happy to be a part of the book cover reveal, hosted by AToMR, for an upcoming “New Adult” book, Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy. Expected release date is September 26, 2012.

When you’re lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home.

Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind.

Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible.

And now here’s the cover . . .

Beautiful right?! I love the purple sky, her bright blue eyes, and the pretty farmland by the tracks. This gorgeous cover was designed by Once Upon a Time Covers.

The author is giving away an eARC. Use the rafflecopter below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Like the sound of this book? Check out some other books by this author.

a healing heart, Book Review, melissa a hanson

Book Review: A Healing Heart by Melissa A. Hanson

Kathryn Cooper

Title: A Healing Heart
Author: Melissa A. Hanson
Publisher: Melissa A. Hanson
Release Date: February 2012
Pages: 270
Series: none
Source: author
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

On a bitter cold winter night Bailey Walsh’s family was killed in a traffic accident. Two years later as she lives with her aunt and uncle in Southern California, Bailey is still plagued by the nightmares of that terrible night. Everywhere around her are reminders of what she lost. Even her aunt, in a cruel twist of fate, is not just her mom’s sister, but her identical twin. Babysitting Riley, a spunky two-year old, is a sweet distraction and one constant light in her life. One day as she takes Riley to the park she meets Collin McKenna, a senior at her high school and her life is changed forever as he helps her find herself and realize her life is worth living. As the romance between them grows her broken heart begins to heal. However, still nagging in the back of her conscious is the fear that her new found happiness could come crashing down and she could lose everything she loves, yet again. Outside forces begin to tear them apart and Bailey must learn to trust in herself and realize that she is worthy of happiness. That sometimes love and healing comes in unexpected forms.

My Thoughts:
This book was so great! I love when a book opens my heart and emotions. Bailey had suffered so much in her young life. She was the sole survivor of a car crash that killed her parents and two siblings. I couldn’t imagine that! The author explores all those emotions involved in that healing process. Bailey goes to live with her aunt and uncle who’s two kids are off to college. Obviously Bailey had some difficult moments, but babysitting little Riley was the sunshine in her life.

The Point of View switched from Bailey to Collin. A few times one particular side character/ villain narrated which was interesting. Sometimes there was too much irrelevant details like what they ordered on the menu that slowed down the story. But the story was so beautiful that it didn’t bother me too much.

This was the sweetest love story! A Healing Heart will pull at your heart strings.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: very mild ( d***-5 )
Violence: none

I received the book from Melissa A. Hanson. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

author interview, jessica day george, utah book month

Utah Book Month: Author Interview with Jessica Day George

Kathryn Cooper

As part of the Utah Book Month celebration I got to interview Jessica Day George, a Utah author!

Me: Since we are celebrating Utah Book Month, what is your favorite part about living in Utah?

Jessica: My husband and I live here by choice, because we love being in a city (Salt Lake) where everything is so conveniently laid out. There’s all the shopping, movies, restaurants your heart could desire, but they’re all less than 12 miles away. So fabulous!

Me: That would be nice to live so close to everything. What kind of books do you like to read?

Jessica: I’m not picky, I’ll read anything that’s good!

Me: I know it’s like asking you to pick a favorite child, but do you have a favorite book that you’ve written?

Jessica: SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW is my baby. I worked on it off and on for YEARS, tons of research went into it, because it’s based on my favorite fairy tale and I wanted to do justice to it.

Me: I haven’t read that one yet! I really need to. I love your Princess series (1- Princess of the Midnight Ball, 2- Princess of Glass, and the upcoming 3- Princess of the Silver Woods). What inspired you?

Jessica: As I was writing SUN AND MOON, based on my favorite fairy tale, someone said they were working on a book based on their LEAST favorite fairy tale, in order to “fix” it. I don’t hate The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but I find the story weird and a little confusing. So I decided to fix it! And then I wanted to take different princesses out of the story, and let them have other fairy tale adventures!

Me: I’m a mother of 3 young boys so I know how wild life can be with young kids. How do you find the time to write?

Jessica: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Oh, it’s horrible, isn’t it? I try to keep my story in my head every day, so if I get some time in the afternoon I can do a bit. And every Saturday my poor husband takes the kids for hours. He goes to the library, does all the grocery shopping for the week, walks the mall . . . He’s even started taking the baby, who’s only six months old!

That’s so great! Right now I get up at 5:45am to try to blog and write before my kids wake up. Too early!

SPEED ROUND

Chocolate or Vanilla?
CHOCOLATE! The darker the better!

Fries or Tater Tots?
Fries! With Utah-invented fry sauce, of course!

Flip Flops or Tennis Shoes?
Tennis shoes. I can’t stand anything between my toes!

Ocean or Lake?
Ocean. More sea monsters, better beaches.

Big City or Country?
I am a city girl. (From Idaho. Don’t laugh.)

This was so much fun! Thank you Jessica for the interview. Now, here’s a little bit more about Jessica Day George and her amazing books.

About The Author:
Jessica Day George earned a BA in Humanities/Comparative Literature from Brigham Young University, where she enjoyed classes in Pottery and Old Norse, and dutifully forced herself to take Algebra and Biology. Originally from Idaho, she now resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, their young son, and a five pound Maltese named Pippin.

To learn more visit her website: http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com

Jessica Day George’s Books:


Uncategorized

And the winner is . . .

Kathryn Cooper

After 1,241 entries in my Young Adult giveaway hop with the choice between a book from the River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren, the winner is . . .

Jenn
I know there were probably more than one Jenn that entered so look for an email from me. I just sent it. Thank you to everyone who entered!! Look for my next giveaway hop on September 6th.
jenni james, persuaded, waiting on wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday: Persuaded by Jenni James

Kathryn Cooper

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly post, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , where we spotlight a book we are anxiously waiting to be published.

Persuaded (The Jane Austen Diaries #3)
By Jenni James
Publisher: Inkberry Press
Release Date: July 17, 2012

Will he take her back, or fling her aside like she deserves?

Three years ago Amanda made the biggest mistake of her life when she let her friends persuade her to reject the guy she loved. They were convinced he was a loser and wasn’t good enough for her.

Now Gregory’s back in Farmington . . . taller, stronger, hotter than ever, and worth millions. Those gorgeous girls who snubbed him before are now falling at his feet and he’s enjoying every moment of it.

Can he see past the pain Amanda caused him and give her a second chance? Or will she forever regret losing the only guy who truly loved her?

I guess this book has already come out, and I didn’t realize it! I loved the first 2 books in this series. Persuasion is my favorite of Jane Austen’s books so I’m really looking forward to reading this one.

What books are you “Waiting On” today?

Book Review, intangible, j. meyers

Book Review: Intangible by J. Meyers

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Intangible
Author: J. Meyers
Publisher: J. Meyers
Release Date: January 2012
Pages: 264
Series: Intangible #1
Source: author
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

My Thoughts:
This book was really great! I seriously enjoyed it. The characters were fun and easy to like. I loved the relationship between Luke and Sera. They’re twins, 17 years old, and have so much fun teasing each other, but of course they love each other and would do anything for their sibling. The point of view switches from Luke to Sera and other side characters. I think the narration from the other characters was interesting and added to the read, but on the other hand it made it easy to put down when the POV switched. That’s not always a bad thing though. I need to be able to put down the books I read so I can take care of my 3 boys.

I was really surprised with the inclusion of some paranormal characters. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I won’t ruin a possible surprise for you, but if you don’t like paranormal creatures you might not like this book. There were great twists and turns throughout. I was elated one minute and brokenhearted the next. I loved the surprises! This was such a great read. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild with 1 moderate instance ( jokes, passionate kissing in a motel room )
Language: mild ( d***-4, a**-2, God-23, h***-13, middle finger-1, b****-1 )
Violence: moderate ( vampire feedings, sexual assault, bullying a homosexual, murders, tortures )

I received the book from J. Meyers. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

utah book month

Utah Book Month: Mini Challenge: Who’s That Sidekick?

Kathryn Cooper

I know I don’t actually live in Utah (I’m a Texan), but I did live there for four years while attending Brigham Young University. Plus Utah is home to many of my favorite authors. Let’s celebrate! See the Utah Book Month website for more mini challenges, author interviews, and giveaways.

MINI CHALLENGE: Who’s That Sidekick?

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE sidekicks. A great sidekick always enhances the book for me. Where would Harry Potter be without Ron or Hermione? Seriously! These books didn’t all have “sidekicks” exactly so some of these are just side characters.

Today you get to remember some great sidekicks/ side characters in books by authors living in Utah. I’ll give you the names of the 8 characters with the covers of the book options below. Try to remember which book they’re in. Click the covers to see the book info on Amazon. Maybe the book synopsis will jog your memory.

Fill out the FORM when you know which character goes with which book. Then go to the Utah Book Month Grand Giveaway page to get 5 entries for completing my mini-challenge. Good luck!! A few hints are at the end of the post. 😉

1. Minho
2. Warren
3. Xander
4. Poppy
5. Razo
6. Jude
7. Bruke
8. Tasey


  
Books:
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) by Brandon Mull
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Matched by Ally Condie
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Witch Song by Amber Argyle


Hint: Two of the “sidekicks” aren’t people. One is a pink taser, and another is a dog.
If you need another hint highlight between ( ) to see who’s the main character of the book.

1. Minho and (Thomas)
2. Warren and (Kendra and Seth)
3. Xander and (Cassia)
4. Poppy and (Rose)
5. Razo and (Isi)
6. Jude and (Grace)
7. Bruke and (Brusenna)
8. Tasey and (Evie)

Have you read any of these books? Did you LOVE them?

stacking the shelves

Stacking The Shelves (3)

Kathryn Cooper

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tygna’s Reviews, is a weekly post where bloggers list the books they recently acquired. The books can come from anywhere: publisher, author, giveaway, library, bought.

Click the book’s cover to view on Amazon and the title to add to your GoodReads.

For Review:
Choosing Charity by Terri Ferran (My Review is already posted)

Borrowed:
My friend Kiera let me borrow the following 6 books. Thanks girl!
Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson
The Rancher’s Promise by Jillian Hart
A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart
The Lawman’s Christmas Wish by Linda Goodnight
Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight
The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight

Thank You to Terri Ferran via The Book Bug Blog Tour and Kiera!

stacking the shelves

Stacking The Shelves (6)

Kathryn Cooper

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tygna’s Reviews, is a weekly post where bloggers list the books they recently acquired. The books can come from anywhere: publisher, author, giveaway, library, bought.

Click the book’s cover to view on Amazon and the title to add to your GoodReads.
 Katya's World

For Review:
Katya’s World by Jonathan L. Howard

Giveaway:
Eve by Anna Carey and
Once by Anna Carey (won from contest on Anna Reads)

Thank You to Strange Chemistry and Anna Reads!

Uncategorized

Writing Blog

Kathryn Cooper

If you didn’t already know, I’m an aspiring author. I’m currently writing a young adult novel. My friend Kiera is also an aspiring author and started a writers’ blog recently, Aspiring Writers Unite. She said I can contribute a post whenever I want to talk about my writing. I put up my first post today talking about my writing progress and goals. If you want to read it click HERE. Any of you aspiring authors?

Have a wonderful weekend!! Yea it’s Friday!