{Blog Tour} Review: Solving for Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans

Solving for Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans
February 11th, 2014 · Self-published 
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 300

1 crush on your best friend +
1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +
1 Mathletics competition =
1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.

Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy.

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the
battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

After reading One, I was looking forward to Solving for Ex, especially since contemporary is my favourite. I’m glad to say I liked this one even more.

First, let’s chat characters: I quite liked Ashely, the MC of the story. I wasn't that big a fan of the cast of One so I was glad that I had a better experience with this new set of characters. To me, they felt a little more fleshed out. Minor or main, good or bad, each character added something to the story; I enjoyed getting to watch it all play out and see whether certain predictions of mine regarding characters came true.

Solving for Ex is light and a lot of fun yet lightly touches on the aspect of bullying, without weighing the book down or turning it into an “issue” book. Not that there’s anything wrong with issue books, just that this isn't one of them.

The cute math illustrations at the end of each chapter was a cute addition to the story and I enjoyed (trying to read) them. I must say though, most of them went right over my head... You see, maths is not my subject. I’m more of an English/words/literary type girl, hence my love for books. Despite Mathletes playing such a big role, you don’t have to be a whiz with numbers to enjoy Kopans' latest. Sometimes predicable but always entertaining, Solving for Ex was a cute, light and quick read.

3/5

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Blog Tour: Lila Shortcuts - Nate Interview, Review & Giveaway!

Welcome to the LILA SHORTCUTS blog tour! Read on for an exclusive interview with Nate, the chance to enter an awesome giveaway and to hear my thoughts on the latest Lila ebook out! I hope you enjoy.

Q&A with Nate from the Lila series 

1. What have you been doing since Losing Lila came out?
Well, Suki and I managed a little excursion to Nantucket. We bumped into Alex and Lila. Weird, freaky co-incidence. Anyway, now we're back living with my grandma and about to start High School. We're seniors. I didn't want to go but my dad said we had to.

2. Any love interests we should know about?
The world's a big place. My interests are many. I've been spending a lot of time backstage hanging out in Harry Styles' dressing room. Also, I've been on a few 'dates' with Max Irons though he maybe wasn't fully aware I was sitting beside him. How yum is he?

3. What drives you most mad about Suki?
That I can't keep anything secret from her at all. And she doesn't know the meaning of the word 'secret.'

4. You have a pretty awesome skill being able to astrally project, where's the coolest place you've been?
Area 51. have you seen Rosswell? It's a secret CIA base in the desert. Suki says I can't say what they have in there because no one will believe me but oh man...I wish I could bring a camera when I project. What they say about UFOs and aliens? It's all true.
Also it was pretty cool to go up in Apollo, the last space craft NASA sent into space. I could see Suki's shoe collection from all the way up there.

5. Now you've beaten the Unit and destroyed Stirling Enterprises (nice work by the way) what next?
Finish school.

6. So tell us, if you had to choose between Jack and Alex, who would you choose?
Can I not have both? Alex has the still waters run deep thing going on and believe me he is super hot in the flesh. That's a sight worth paying money for. And Jack has the dark, moody, glowering thing going on. Kind of like Demos. Only sexier. I couldn't possibly choose.

Lila Shortcuts by Sarah Alderson
October 1st, 2013 · Simon and Schuster
Source: Author
Format: Ebook
Page Count: 128

Five compelling new short stories based in the world of HUNTING LILA. Told from the perspectives of Alex, Jack, Demos, Amber and Suki - fans of this thrilling series now have a chance to delve into the minds of other characters, and see what they really think!

Mini-review:

I'm not the hugest fan of ebooks or short stories but I can never say no to anything Lila related and more than that, this was the first thing out of many attempts which finally succeeded in holding my attention during a rough reading slump. All five stories were enjoyable to read but Amber's was my favorite by far! If you're a fan of the Lila series and want MORE (whether it be Alex, Jack, Demos, Amber or Suki), this short ebook will definitely appeal.

4/5

Want the chance to win Hunting Lila, Losing Lila or The Sound? 
What are you waiting for? Enter here to be in it to win it!

LEVEL 2 BLOG TOUR: How Blogging Can Help You Get Published

Today I am pleased to welcome book blogger turned author, Lenore Appelhans, to the blog for my stop on the official Level 2 blog tour! Lenore's newly released debut, Level 2, published in Australia earlier this month on the 2nd of January and just last week for those in the US, UK and Canada so if you're interested in getting a copy, it's out now! I recently reviewed and enjoyed Level 2 and you can read my review here. It’s not every day a fellow book blogger releases their novel so for today’s tour stop Lenore is here to share how book blogging can help you to get published. I hope you enjoy!

5 Ways Book Blogging Can Help You Get Published

 

1. Discipline  Writing a novel takes a ton of commitment, but then, so does book blogging. You’re writing posts every day, you’re scheduling interviews and giveaways, and you’re hitting the social media. Before I started book blogging, I couldn’t imagine writing every day, but book blogging taught me that discipline, and when it came time to write LEVEL 2, putting words on the screen was routine to me. 

2. Craft  An excellent way to learn how to write a publishable novel is to read a ton of them. Book blogging pushes you to read more and to make critical assessments of what you’ve read.  Once you can recognize what works and doesn’t work in terms of pacing, characterization, and other craft issues, you have the basic tools you need to write fiction yourself.

3. Market savvy  Part of getting published is having a story editors want to buy, and as a book blogger, you are well aware of what’s out there, what’s been done to death, and what genres are currently exciting readers. Armed with this knowledge, you know what pitfalls to avoid and won’t be writing and querying yet another Twilight or Hunger Games rip-off.

4. Connections  In the course of managing your blog, you have contact with publishers, authors and other industry movers and shakers. It was through meeting authors via my blog that I realized publishing was an attainable dream, and their encouraging words gave me the confidence to go for it. When you treat everyone with whom you have interactions with respect, it can pay off in big dividends down the road. You never know who may be able to help you out in the future.

5. Higher profile  Building a blog is building a platform for yourself. When you provide relevant, high-interest content, you gain a following. That following may well be a selling point to publishers, because if your audience is interested in what you have to say, at least some of them are going to want to check out your books too.

Read an excerpt of the first 50 pages of LEVEL 2 here..

 "I pause to look around the hive – all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories… I’ve wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me."

Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in Level 2, the waiting room between Earth and Heaven, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend…and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her…

Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing in Level 2, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between Heaven and Earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves. A choice that will change everything…

THREE LEVELS - TWO LOVES - ONE CHOICE

Find LEVEL 2 at: Goodreads | Booktopia | Fishpond | Bookworld

Follow Lenore Appelhans at:
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

 

Giveaway Alert!

Win some Level 2 swag (including Level 2 postcards and a cool magnet to declare your love for Level 2) by entering the Rafflecopter below. Open internationally.

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Escape Publishing Blog Tour: Interview with Kate Cuthbert!

On the 14th of November, Harlequin Australia launched it's digital-first imprint, Escape Publishing! For those who aren’t familiar, don't worry, you won't be out of the loop for long because without further ado, I am pleased to present editor, Kate Cuthbert who has stopped by Reading Wishes for an interview and to tell us more about this new project – enjoy!



For those interested in submitting to Escape Publishing, how exactly does it work? What's the process like?
We've made it as easy as possible - just head on over to the website (www.escapepublishing.com.au) and fill in the online submission form. There are separate sections for everything we need, so you can't miss anything. Once you've hit that big red submit button, your submission will wing its way to my email inbox, where I will send you an acknowledgement of receipt. Then I'll read your first three chapters and get back to you as soon as possible. At the moment, my turnaround time is about 2 weeks to that first initial response. I'll either pass on your story, or ask you to submit a full manuscript. If it's the latter, once I receive the manuscript, I will give that a read also, and then get back to you with the ultimate 'yes or no'!

 

What types of manuscript submissions do you accept?
As long as its romance, we're interested! We're especially focused on Australian voice and stories at the moment, but we accept anything between 5000 and 250 000 words, any genre, any level of sensuality, any kind of story.



What can authors expect from Escape Publishing?
Freedom, flexibility, and fast response times. Our digital-first model means that we can take some risks, cater to niche, set some trends, as well as publish traditional romance titles. We're a small team, so we can be flexible on things like marketing ideas and initiatives, as well as move fast to take advantage of opportunities. And, as I said above, we're currently at about two weeks to initial response, and just over three months from acceptance to publication.



We also have the backing of Harlequin - the biggest name in romance, with over a century of publishing experience and a focus on romance. It's really the best of both worlds.

 

What about readers?
Escape is very focused on giving readers what they want and taking some risks - so look out for some unusual story lines, maybe some risky characters, some niche stories - the things that you've been looking for that, for one reason or another, you haven't been able to find in print.

 

What sets Escape Publishing apart from the crowd? How does it differ to other e-book publishers?
Hee! I think I'm anticipating many of your questions before you ask them! I think our freedom, our Aussie focus, and our fast response times are the big ones - we're really looking to take those risks, we want to promote Australia to a global audience, and we're moving quickly to do both!

 

Since I'm a YA reader and blogger, as are most of my readers, when can we be expecting a YA release from Escape Publishing?
Our first YA comes out in January - it's a YA Space Opera about a very resourceful young woman. We also have some more YA coming forth later next year.

 

And last but not least, any advice to authors who are thinking of submitting?
The best advice I can give you is to make sure your manuscript is ready. Our fast turnaround times mean that we don't have the resources to spend months on editing like in a traditional publishing model. So the barrier to publication for us is probably a little higher than with other publishers. Basically, to be accepted, your manuscript needs to be at near-publication levels already. So get some feedback - send it to people that you really trust to give an honest opinion. Probably not your mom. You need a critical eye to tell you where the holes are, where the characterisation fails, where the story gets a bit dull. Then edit, edit, edit. And proofread, proofread, proofread. And then, let it go, and hit that submit button!



Thanks for having me along, Rebecca! I hope I've answered all your questions, but if you or your readers have more, there are a myriad of ways to contact me and you can find them all on our website.

 

Find Escape Publishing on: Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook / YouTube



Escape Publishing Launch



Losing Lila Blog Tour: Feature On Locations

I am pleased to bring you the 10th tour stop on the UK & Australian blog tour for the sequel, Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson! Read on for a guest post from Sarah on locations!

Without further ado, the amazing Sarah Alderson!

Warning: there may be a spoiler or two if you haven’t yet read Hunting Lila yet. Beware!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Feature on locations...

I like to base all my books around locations I’ve been to or lived in. The opening of Hunting Lila was set in South London where I grew up (Lila was at the school I used to go to) and all the scenes later in the book in California were places I’d roadtripped to.

Losing Lila starts in Mexico – where Alex and Lila are on the run from the Unit. The book begins in Mexico City with a mad chase scene across the rooftops and into the cathedral. It’s a great location for a Bourne style chase because it’s such an intense city – it’s vast and crowded and hot and the Zocalo, which is the big square in the centre is filled with tourists making it the perfect place for a frantic, action-packed escape.

Losing Lila starts in Mexico

When I visited the city, I was a student and we stayed in a sketchy hotel in the centre which served in my imagination as the place Alex and Lila are hiding out in. We took the bus from there to Tulum, which is on the Caribbean Yucatan coast. And that’s where I sent Alex and Lila next.

Talum, located on the Caribbean Yucatan coast

Tulum is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve been there twice, once in 2000 and again in 2009. It’s this incredible stretch of white sand with palm trees fringing it, and crystal clear aquamarine ocean. When we were there they were filming an Ambre Solaire advert right in front of our hotel. That’s the kind of backdrop we’re talking about. I used the hotel we stayed in as the place that Alex and Lila stay. It was this collection of four cottages right on the beach, thatched with hammocks strung across the balconies. Insanely romantic and just what was needed after the stress and excitement of Mexico City.

Where Lila and Alex stay and also go skinny dipping *waggles eyebrows*

This is where they stay and it’s also the place where Lila and Alex go skinny-dipping. Ahum.
After Mexico the action moves once again to Oceanside in California, where Camp Pendleton Marine Base is located. Oceanside is a really pretty town on the coast just north of San Diego.

Oceanside in California

The pier there is lovely – it’s this wooden jetty that stretches so far out to sea and I knew when I walked along it that it would make a great spot for a scene between Alex and Lila.


A marina you migh spot in Losing Lila...

There’s also a marina right next door which came in handy too…but I’m not going to give anything else away!

I hope you enjoy the book!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
A massive thanks to Simon and Schuster for including me in the Losing Lila blog tour, and to Sarah for taking the time to write this awesome post! Make sure you check out all the other wonderful tour stops, featuring interviews, extracts, giveaways, guest posts and much more!

STORM BLOG TOUR: Interview with Chris Merrick!

Hello and welcome to the eighth stop of the epic Storm Blog Tour for Brigid Kemmerer's amazing debut. I’m very pleased to be apart of the tour as this book is amazing! You can read my review here. Now before you pull a Fred Flintstone and scurry off to pick up a copy of Storm, I suggest making use of, ELEMENTAL, the short story prequel, which for a limited time is FREE to download from Amazon! But before you go, read on for an interview with the lovely, Chris Merrick! Trust me, you don’t want to miss it! ;D 

Interview:

1. First impression of Becca? (mwah)
*blushes* I thought you were going to ask questions about the book.

2. What are your interests? Apart from being so damn fine?
My element is water, but we’re supposed to lie low, so Michael won’t even let me join the swim team. Luckily we live close to the Chesapeake Bay, so I can walk half a mile to see the water. I like being outside. (A shrug.) In the spring I’ll go out for baseball.

3. Who was your first kiss? Good/Bad/Scarred for life
I was twelve. Abby Sorensen did it in the school hallway on the way back from lunch. She’d never said a word to me beforehand. I think someone dared her to do it.

4. What are three things that mean the world to you?
Michael, Gabriel, and Nick. But don’t tell them.

5. What do you think of your element, water? Are you ever jealous of your brothers’ abilities?
I’ve never been jealous of them. Water...this is going to sound stupid. (Long pause.) It’s like, your element talks to you. It’s a part of me. All the elements are connected, so I can sense my brothers’ abilities, but wanting something other than water...never.

6. Siblings can be a handful but at the same time you can’t live without them. What’s something, either a quality or attribute, you love about each of your brothers?
Michael is strong. He keeps us together. Gabriel is fearless. He keeps us safe. Nick’s our moral compass. He keeps us from killing each other.

7. If you had to pick a theme song to represent your life, what would it be?
Something Beautiful by NeedToBreathe

Schedule:

Tuesday 24th April: This or That with the Boys of Storm - Shiirleyy’s Bookshelf

Wednesday 25th April: Fantasy Casting - saz101

Thursday 26th April: Brigid Q&A: YOU ask the questions! - Eleusinian Mysteries

Friday 27th April: Keeping up with the Merrick Twins + Review Roundup - Badass Bookie

Saturday 28th April: Storm Excerpt - Forget-Me-Not

Sunday 29th April: Video chat - Book Probe

Monday 30 April: Chris Interview - Reading Wishes

Tuesday 1st May: Guest Post by Brigid: Five Secrets of the Elemental Series - Amaterasu Reads

Where to find the lovely Brigid and her masterpiece, Storm!

Blog - Twitter - Facebook - Goodreads - Amazon - Book Depository

Giveaways!

You can fill out this form for EACH of the blog posts outlined below during the tour. 9 days, 9 bloggers, 9 chances to get extra entries in to win some AMAZING prize packs!!

International Prize Pack 1: Elemental (ebook) + Storm + Spark preorder
International Prize Pack 2: Elemental (ebook) + Storm + Spark ARC
International Prize Pack 3: Storm + Spark preorder

Australian Prize Pack: Storm ARC + Spark preorder

Australia/New Zealand Prize Packs (10 winners): 1 copy of STORM + 1 STORM book jacket + 1 SPARK book jacket

Thanks to Allen & Unwin and Brigid!!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY »

Gilt Blog Tour: Tudor Tuesday - Jane Seymour

Welcome to the third stop for the Tudor Tuesdays Blog Tour! Read on to find out about, Jane Seymour, who was known as Henry’s most beloved wife, an amazing teaser from Gilt and a giveaway! Make sure you grab the highlighted word as you'll need that to enter the giveaway at the end of alll the posts! Have fun and good luck!

Bio:

Jane Seymour, the third consort of Henry the Eighth, was born about the year 1504.

For six years Jane Seymour had been the lady in waiting to Anne Boleyn. Though Henry was interested in Jane, she was not willing while he was married. Jane's sweet and charming demeanour captured Henry's heart and they married just days after Anne was beheaded. Jane Seymour was the only one of Henry's wives to fulfil a Tudor queen's ultimate role -- the birth of a legitimate son. For this, she would be regarded as Henry the VIII's best wife.

But, ironically, unlike her predecessors, Jane Seymour was never crowned queen. Rumour had it that the king had postponed Jane's coronation until she proved herself capable of bearing heirs. The real reason though was that there weren’t enough funds to host the ceremony. The date was slotted for October 1536 -- within ten months of their wedding. But when October came, an outbreak of the plague and a series of uprisings in England's North prevented the ceremony from taking place. To pacify the rebels, Henry agreed to their demands that when the queen was crowned it would take place in the North, at York -- a promise that went unfulfilled.

Days later after giving birth, Jane fell ill from puerperal fever, a common cause of death for women after childbirth during that time. The queen made a slight recovery, but on October 23 Henry was summoned to his wife's bedside. Hours later, Jane died quietly in her sleep. She was 28 years old and had been queen for just 18 months. In his later years, Henry would remember his time with Jane as the happiest in his life. When Henry died in 1547, he left instructions to be buried with Jane, his most beloved of all his wives.

Teaser:

Kitty!” A girlish cry nearly dropped me to my knees. “Joan! Alice! I’m so glad you’re here!”

We turned to see Cat scampering the length of the great hall, dukes, duchesses, and courtiers scattering, bowing, and curtseying in her wake. Everyone watched her progress to see whom the queen considered important enough to greet with such ecstasy. The sleeves of her crimson gown billowed, tucked in at the wrists by gold-embroidered cuffs. A series of pearl-and-ruby ropes hung around her neck, anchored by a gold pendant enameled with a brilliant crowned rose.

Jane pinched my sleeve and I followed her into a curtsey of my own. It felt so strange making obeisance to my best friend.

“Oh, stand up for pity’s sake,” she cried, and threw her arms around me.

“Kitty,” she said, and then whispered in my ear, “finally, someone I can talk to!”

Giveaway - The Low Down:

Make sure you grab the highlighted word from my post and all the rest to enter to win one of 3 GILT prize packs. 3 people will receive a finished copy of the book, and some GILT bookmarks.

To enter fill in the Rafflecopter below once you have the words to complete this sentence

In the ____ of King ____ VIII, who you ____ can get you in, but ___ you ____ can get you ______

-     Contest is open to residents of the US only

-          Entrants must be 13 years of age or older

-          The winners have 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen

-          Please do not put your email address in the comment

Storm Blog Tour + Giveaways: The storm is coming . . .

A Storm is coming! Over the next week, forecasts are predicting a massive Storm front progressing steadily across the Southern blogosphere. Authorities warn of effects being felt across the globe, with multiple storm point touch downs, interviews, exclusive extras and massive prize packs. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to batten down the hatches for one epic storm event. Whether you're one of these lucky people who've already read Storm by goddess-turned-author Brigid Kemmerer, or you're impatiently waiting, you have to know that this is one of the most exciting young adult paranormals 2012 has to offer. Over the next nine days, nine bloggers are very excited to be bringing you the Storm Blog Tour! Tune in to your feeds and favorite blogs for never before seen character interviews, a video chat, an interactive Q&A with Brigid, and an exclusive excerpt from Storm itself! If that's not exciting enough, there are fourteen massive prize packs up for grabs, both AU/NZ and internationally! Check out tour dates below, and be sure to tune in to each stop to enter the giveaway!

Schedule:

Monday 23rd April: Chris/Becca/Hunter Interview - Read Me Love Me Bookmark Me

Tuesday 24th April: This or That with the Boys of Storm - Shiirleyy’s Bookshelf

Wednesday 25th April: Fantasy Casting - saz101

Thursday 26th April: Brigid Q&A: YOU ask the questions! - Eleusinian Mysteries

Friday 27th April: Keeping up with the Merrick Twins + Review Roundup – Badass Bookie

Saturday 28th April: Storm Excerpt - Forget-Me-Not

Sunday 29th April: Video chat - Book Probe

Monday 30 April: Chris Interview - Reading Wishes

Tuesday 1st May: Guest Post by Brigid: Five Secrets of the Elemental Series – Amaterasu Reads

 Giveaway Packs: 

  
International Prize Pack 1: Elemental (ebook) + Storm + Spark preorder

International Prize Pack 2: Elemental (ebook) + Storm + Spark ARC 

International Prize 3: Copy of Storm + Spark Pre-order

Australian Prize Pack: Storm ARC + Spark preorder

Australia/New Zealand Prize Packs (10 winners): 1 copy of STORM + 1 STORM book jacket + 1 SPARK book jacket (Thanks to Allen & Unwin and Brigid!!) 

 ENTER THE GIVEAWAY