BEA 2012 Wrap Up + Winners

(Before I start rambling about my BEA experience, I just want to say that I stole all the pictures in this post are from Melissa at I Swim for Oceans because I'm lame and didn't bring a camera.)

This year was my second year attending BookExpo America, and I have to say the the event just seems to keep getting better. Authors, publishers and publicists, and fellow bloggers were there in force and I had an absolute blast meeting as many people as I possibly could. Of course, because I'm me and can be more than a little challenged in large groups of people, the trip was not without its entertaining moments. Let's start from the beginning shall we?

For those of you who read my previous BEA post, you know Melissa flew to Ohio a couple days early before she, my mom, my mother-in-law (also known as the Moms) and I flew to NYC absurdly early on Monday morning. I'm not a morning person. Not even a little.

See this photo?

That's me on the right pretending to be excited by life at 5:30 in the morning at the Columbus airport. That expression fell from my face the minute after Melissa clicked the button and I returned to my sullen, half-asleep, "are books really exciting enough to wake up at 3:30am for?" state of mind.

For those of you who have never traveled with me, I have a secret for you. I'm bad news for anyone that wants to be on time. Without fail, every plane I get on is late. Or catches fire (seriously). Or has mechanical failure. Or the entire flight gets canceled. Our flight to NYC was no different, and we were of course delayed because our crew was "resting". Super. Once everyone was properly rested, we managed to get to New York late but without further incident.

Once there, the days all sort of blurred together in a whirlwind of awesomeness. There were books. There were fantastic people. And there was exhaustion. When I get exhausted, I get slaphappy, and then things like this happen:

I have no excuse for this picture. This was taken at the Teen Author Carnival event Tuesday night, and all I can say is I was tired, it was late at night, and I was hungry. If you look in the hand not holding the Penguin water bottle, you'll notice I have a vise-like grip on a yellow wrapper. That would be a bag of peanut M&Ms (win!), which, along with the water, was absolutely keeping me from certain death at that point in the evening. I hadn't eaten much that day which might explain why I'm licking the water bottle. Or not. Whichever. Melissa, of course, was kind enough to document my slow dissent into death. Bless her.

One of the primary activities at BEA is standing in lines. Lots of lines. And then more lines. This might not sound like fun, but for me it's a blast as I'm surrounded by fellow book-lovers and often stumble upon bloggers whose blogs I follow or whom I've spoken to on Twitter, and that makes it all worthwhile. While waiting in one of many lines this year I was introduced to a hilariously horrifying cartoon called Salad Fingers, and sat with Melissa watching in rapt fascination and terror as she played episode after episode on her phone. If you haven't seen this cartoon, watch it immediately. I've been scarred for life and I want everyone else to be scarred along with me ;-) Seriously, his soft, lilting voice will haunt my dreams for years to come, as will his need to caress rusty kettles. Melissa and I may or may not have adopted British accents and whispered the creepiest of his lines to one another in the middle of the night just to freak the other out. Whuh.

Also, there was a pirate at the event this year. One who refused to leave Melissa and I alone to wallow in our pain (my feet still hate me) on the floor of the Javits Center while waiting for the Moms to get their books signed. He called her Melissa of the Helmers and me Jenny of the Zemanek and asked many a passerby what brew they were drinking. He went on to tell Melissa her hair was the color of the sun. I got no such compliment. Where was my "you have hair the color of tree bark", that's what I'd like to know. Apparently the pirate was fonder of Melissa than me. *cries* We took a picture with him but it hasn't been emailed to us yet, as soon as it's in my hands I'll update this post ;-)

In all honesty though, BEA is an unforgettable experience, and one I look forward to repeating again and again despite my body's protests at the moment. To all the wonderful people I met, thank you for making BEA 2012 the best one yet!

Oh, and don't even ask about my flight home. Yes, it was delayed. And it's possible I cried like a little girl when we sat on the runway for 2 hours. Travel + Jenny = MADE OF WIN.

Top: Me, Melissa, Author Dan Cohen, and Danny from Bewitched Bookworms. Lower left: New York City from the the top of the Standard Hotel. Lower right: The Empire State Building at night from our hotel room.

Lastly, I hosted a few giveaways prior to leaving for BEA and have finally drawn winners! Thank you to everyone who entered and to Jennifer Estep and the people at Penguin for providing such generous giveaways! Winners have been emailed.

DARK FROST + KISS OF FROST

Winner: Melissa

PENGUIN GOODIE BAG:

Winner: Cheryl

Charade Blog Tour: Tour of Italy + Giveaway

I'm thrilled today to be a part of the blog tour for Cambria Hebert's Charade, the second installment of her young adult Heven and Hell series. Throughout the tour, Cambria has been taking everyone on a tour of Italy with Heven and Sam–sharing diary entries from Heven's journal as well as photos of her travels–and today I get to share with you Heven's stop at the Trevi Fountain. Cambria also has an amazing giveaway for those following the tour, so be sure and check the bottom of the post for details!

Can you believe this is the final day for the Tour of Italy for the Charade Blog tour? This week of the tour has been my favorite so far full of so much Italian Goodness! But not to worry the tour is still going on til the 14th but today is the final Tour of Italy Day so we are ending it with a fabulous prize pack and another page right from Heven’s Travel Journal!!

For anyone who might not know Charade is the second book in the Heven and Hell series and in this book the main characters travel to Italy on a school trip… and because Heven and Sam have a mission to complete.

Let’s get on with the fun! So sit back and relax and be transported to Italy!

Dear Diary,
 

We went to the Trevi district today in Rome. I was completely awed by the Trevi Fountain. It’s this huge baroque fountain and its really famous. It’s made of marble and Travertine  and I have never seen this much of those materials all in one place.
 

The statues on the fountain, the carving is so detailed and incredible. The main figure on the fountain is Neptune who is the God of the Sea. He is trying to control an unruly seahorse.
 

The tour guide told us that if you throw a coin into the fountain then it will guarantee a visitors return  to Rome. So, I tossed one in… okay I tossed in two coins. Then Sam tossed two in…
 

So I am pretty sure that means that we will be back and hopefully whenever that is it will be completely for vacation and there won’t be any drama with demons.
 

This fountain is so romantic I couldn’t resist the chance to have a picture taken:

       
And then I took a few snapshots:

 

This was by far the most romantic stop during our site seeing here in Italy!

Heven

And that is the final exclusive peak at one of the pages of Heven’s travel diary. I love the picture of her and Sam.

 Thanks so much for stopping by Cambria and Heven! More information on Cambria and her books can be found here:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

  GIVEAWAY

In closing of the Tour of Italy Cambria is generously offering up a fantastic giveaway! The prize pack includes a tote bag with a cute Made in Italy stamp, a T-shirt that says “I went to Italy with Heven and Sam” (it also has a picture of Heven and Sam on it), an autographed note card a photo of Heven and Sam, 2 signed Bookmarks AND super exclusive swag: Heven’s Travel Diary. Complete with each journal entry and all the pictures of her and Sam! To enter, please just leave a comment on this post with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will run through midnight EST on Friday, June 15th after which time a winner will be chosen and announced on the blog. Good luck everyone!

CHARADE

Dying at the hands of a psycho was a shock. Having my life returned to me by an angel was incredible. Being named a Supernatural Treasure and being given Sam as my guard was pretty darn awesome. Acquiring a debt for it all—well, I should have seen it coming.

Now here we are, fighting demons from Hell, caring for a boy that I just don’t trust, and traveling to faraway places to return a treasure to its rightful place. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone wears a mask; everyone puts on a charade. It’s up to us to separate the truth from the lies and reality from fiction. A hard task when my new reality involves fallen angels, witches and dragons… and did I mention Hell?

Anchoring me down through it all is Sam. Sam, who must face tragedies of his own and is put to the test again and again.

If we fail in our task, life as we know it—life as you know it—will end. Forever.

BEA Bound + Giveaway

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to do a short post to let all of you know the blog will be quiet for the next several days as I'll be attending BookExpo America in New York City. For an incomprehensible reason, I've booked the same 6am flight I took last year even knowing how completely ridiculous I am at absurdly early hours. Apparently I don't learn from past mistakes, so once again my mother, my mother-in-law, and the adorable Melissa from I Swim For Oceans will all be trekking to the Port Columbus International Airport at the laughable hour of 4am. Whuh.

This is me (left) and Melissa yesterday at an event in Cincinnati:

We will not look like this on Monday. My eyes will be half closed and I most definitely will not be smiling until it's a more reasonable hour. Sorry in advance if you see me prior to 10am ;-)

PENGUIN PANEL

For those who aren't attending BEA but live in the in the New York City area I just wanted to list a couple events that are taking place this week in case any of you might be able to attend. First up, the fantastic people over at Penguin are hosting a panel at the New York Public Library on Tuesday, June 5th from 6pm to 7:30pm. From Penguin:

The Not-So-Secret Life of the American Teenager: Bridging the Gap between YA and Adult Fiction

On this panel, Penguin authors Laura Harrington (Alice Bliss) and James King (Bill Warrington's Last Chance) join forces with fellow YA authors Mari Mancusi (Blood Coven Vampire novels), Veronica Wolff (The Watcher series), and Emily McKay (The Farm) to draw comparisons between Adult literature and the growing YA market. How do these authors craft novels that both teens and adults enjoy?  Whether their characters are parents reconnecting with their teenage children or teens battling high school bullies or vampires, each author offers readers a glimpse into teenage life-the milestones, the angst, the blissful moments-that both teens and parents can relate to. Moderated by Lev Grossman, author of the New York Times bestselling novels, The Magicians and The Magician King, these authors discuss books that appeal to readers of all ages.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5th from 6 to 7:30 PM

WHERE: South Court Auditorium, located in the Stephen A Schwarzman Building on Fifth Ave at 42nd Street. (New York Public Library)

If you think you can make it, don't forget to register - you can do so HERE.

GIVEAWAY

For those of you who can't make it, Penguin is generously providing me with an amazing goodie bag to give away on the blog today. WOO HOO! This goodie bag includes:

- 1 copy of Veronica Wolff’s ISLE OF NIGHT

- 1 copy of Mari Mancusi’s BOYS THAT BITE

- 1 copy of Lev Grossman’s THE MAGICIAN KING

- 1 ARC of THE FARM by Emily McKay

- Bookmarks for Rachel Caine’s BITE CLUB and Veronica Wolff’s VAMPIRE’S KISS and other    cool swag, including a YA sampler.

To enter, please just leave a comment on this post and include a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US residents only and will run through midnight EST on Friday, June 8th after which time a winner will be chosen and announced on the blog. Good luck everyone!

TEEN AUTHOR CARNIVAL

Teen Author Carnival is an event that brings together a huge list of fantastic young adult authors for several panels as well as books signings. I can't wait to attend this event, and when I list the title for one panel in particular, you'll know why. The panel I'm most excited for: Where Have You Been All My Life (Let's Talk Boys). Win. I will be gleefully attending this panel and also possibly drooling.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5th 6:30pm to 9:30pm (after hours)

WHERE: Jefferson Market Library

You can find the full details and author list HERE.

SHADOW ON THE WALL SIGNING

Note: Shadow on the Wall is not a young adult book, but I wanted to include it in the list for those who might be interested. This title won the General Fiction/Novel category of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

I'll be back to posting on Friday, have a wonderful week everyone!

You're Invited to the Fair!

MIDSUMMER DREAM FAIR

So, I'm a little late. Many of you may have seen a myriad of posts similar to this one go up yesterday – which was when it was supposed to – and though it gave me a nervous tick to not post this on time due to my review schedule (being late is my number one pet peeve), I suffered through and am posting today ;-) *pats self on back*

For those who didn't see the posts yesterday, the Midsummer Dream Fair is very cool event running the entire month of June that will feature a variety of indie authors and fun giveaways. There will be books. There will be games. The flyer says there will be unicorns, but I'm not sure I believe that. If there are though, sign me up.

You can see the full schedule for the fair HERE as well as the blogs hosting each daily event. I will be sponsoring the amazing J.L. Bryan on June 23rd, so be sure and stop back then to see what we have in store for you!

Review: Shadow and Bone

SHADOW AND BONE

(The Grisha Trilogy #1)

Leigh Bardugo
Paranormal Young Adult/Fantasy
368 pages
Henry Holt and Co.
Available June 5th
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

MY THOUGHTS

Shadow and Bone is an intriguing combination of dark fairy tale and classic adventure story, charming us with a little magic and a touch of romance while subtly appealing to the side of us that relishes a sense of foreboding, proving to us just how much of a glutton for punishment we really are that the grim side of things would attract us so strongly. While we're gleefully distracted by the enchanting world of the Grisha and the discovery of Alina’s latent and entirely unique gift, Ms. Bardugo skillfully channels her Darkling character – weaving dark tendrils of doubt in and through the shiny newness of Alina’s world and planting seeds that grow with each page we read until we finally start to see what all the glitter and the wealth are masking. Light and dark both play off one another as well as face off against each other in this tale, combining to create beauty, safety, and protection just as easily as they cause pain, death, and destruction, and we read on with breath held to see just what degree of light and dark we’ll see next.

A loner her whole life, Alina is a young woman we can easily picture ourselves befriending were she to be someone we met in our everyday lives, her sense of alienation from all those around her, even her best friend Mal, radiating in waves strong enough to knock us over as she travels from one location and one phase of her life to the next no closer to finding a true home or family than she was previously. Her sense of solitariness only serves to make our connection to her feel all the more intimate–as though we alone know all her secrets and would gladly guard them against anyone we deem unworthy of her–and we devour the pages rooting for her to find someone or someplace to call her own. She’s got a smart mouth, an unrelenting determination, and an innate vulnerability; qualities that blend together to create a woman who doesn’t despair of her lot in life, and instead continually searches for something better for herself no matter how often it remains just beyond her reach.

It’s Alina’s palpable loneliness that ratchets up the intensity of what might otherwise be a more understated romantic thread, her unrequited love for Mal creating a hole in us from the first chapter, with each subsequent page acting as an emotional leech draining us until our emptiness echoes Alina’s own. Once we’ve quickly reached bottom Mal exits the picture and the Darkling enters it, his complex nature piquing our interest as surely as it does Alina’s, and slowly but surely his small attentions—enhanced by the physical and political power he wields—begin to fill both of us one drop at a time, and our emotionally dehydrated bodies absorb each taste with an increasing voraciousness until we can barely contain our need to be in the Darkling’s presence. Only when we’re starting to feel blissfully full do things shift yet again, emotions flung chaotically in a million different directions as the tentative comfort Alina’s found as a Grisha comes tumbling down around her.

Shadow and Bone is an extraordinary beginning to the Grisha Trilogy, one brimming with action, magic, and matters of the heart to ensure every part of us is fully engaged from opening words to concluding sentiments.

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Reveal: Entice

I'm super excited today to be a part of the cover reveal for the second book in Jessica Shirvington's paranormal young adult series, Entice.

What do we think? I really like the darker nature of it - it's a little grittier and a little more haunting than the cover for Embrace, but I love how the two are linked with the type treatment, the wings, and the use of purple.

Jessica and the fabulous people over at Sourcebooks Fire have provided a quick glimpse into what's in store for Violet:

“Two tutors and three students from the Grigori training center in New York were arriving in two days and I couldn’t be happier.  I was going to be able to learn from the experts and have people my own age to train with, something I really needed.  I was sure with their help I would be able to get over whatever it was that had been holding me back.

Griffin had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the two senior Grigori –the intelligence, resources and backup they could provide was much needed.  The Scripture that can decipher the identity of all Grigori, even those who have not yet embraced and are therefore defenseless, was at stake.

I would not stand by and watch it fall into the hands of exiles.  If they found they key to destroying all Grigori and gained the upper hand, the slaughter would not stop until all the humans knelt before them, worshipping them as gods.”

For those who can't wait until September 1st to read, fear not, you can check out the first two chapters of Entice HERE. Woot! Also, Jessica Shirvington will be coming to the US for a two week tour starting September 18th, and you can check for all the latest details regarding the tour on the Embrace website.

If all that goodness wasn't enough, Jessica has also posted a video blog wherein she discusses all sorts of fun things from the comfort of her very favorite chair. Enjoy!