Larkin's Book Bloggers

Fashion lovers everywhere are looking forward to Olivia Bennett’s new book in The Allegra Biscotti Collection series, Who, What, Wear. Who wouldn’t love to be the hottest new fashion designer?

Emma Rose is as busy as ever with school, not to mention her fashion career. Even though it is fun for the whole world to see her designs, it is hard to keep the big secret from her BFF and the entire school…she is Allegra Biscotti. But the secret is getting harder to keep, especially when Emma has to design an entire collection for a big pop-up shop in a month! Things get even more stressful when Holly tries to help her new friend get the attention of Jackson, Emma’s crush! Things are starting to look up when Jackson talks to her but then, Paige, the fashion editor of Madison Magazine calls to tell her she has to also design a Sweet Sixteen dress for one of the most popular girls in her school, Ryan Sinclare! All she can do is hope that Paige has a very good plan to keep her secret and still design a dress as Allegra Biscotti! Can she design a fabulous Sweet Sixteen dress for a girl in her school when her mom wants a simple, boring dress? And can she make a holiday line for a pop-up shop, keep her secret from Holly and explain how she got an internship from Allegra Biscotti? It seems like too much to juggle!  Will it all end well, or will Emma’s secret unravel?

I loved Who, What, Wear! It was relatable and inspiring. I loved that it kept you on your toes with more and more problems and crazy situations. The book made you want to laugh and even gasp at some parts. My favorite character was Holly. She was the person that everyone wants to be friends with. She was nice and popular without being a snob. I also liked Ryan Sinclare. She was popular, was always happy and had the best clothes – even though her mom wanted a plain, boring dress for her Sweet Sixteen. I loved Who, What, Wear all in all. This book is the book to read if you love secrets and above all, fashion!

Faith N., EMS Blogger

Stopping by Larkin’s Book Bloggers today as part of a blog tour courtesy of Teen Book Scene is author Mary Lindsey! 

Mary Lindsey’s debut young adult novel, SHATTERED SOULS, is scheduled for release December 8, 2011 from Philomel/Penguin.

Having received a B.A. in English literature with a minor in drama from the University of Houston, she currently teaches acting to children and teens at a private studio in Houston, Texas.

Mary lives with her husband, three kids, two dogs, her daughter’s pet rats, an Australian Bearded Dragon, and dozens of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Today Mary is going to talk with us about her debut novel and how she came up with her main character’s name…welcome Mary!

Shattered Souls deals with reincarnation, but I knew my main character would be different from the others in the story because of her past life amnesia. For this reason, she needed two distinct names: one to represent her past incarnations, and one for her current life. To this end, I needed an old fashioned, traditional name in addition to a modern one. The name Rose came easily and the origin is explained in this video on an earlier blog tour stop.

There are lots of names that have only recently become popular, and I mulled over loads of them. Nothing stuck. Then, while I was at the studio where I taught private acting classes, it just fell into my lap. One of my teen students asked if I would name a character after her. Her name was Lenzi and it was perfect. It was a cool, modern spelling of a traditional name. I loved it. Lenzi it was!

Happy for the perfect name, I finished my manuscript, queried, and received an offer of representation. It wasn’t until much later that I realized the name wasn’t quite as unique as I thought. Someone asked me–I don’t remember if it was my agent or a critique partner–if the name Lenzi was a shout out to my husband. Why on earth would my main character’s name be a shout out to my husband, I wondered. Then it hit me. My last name since marriage was Lindsey. Lindsey = Lenzi.

Duh.

I was mortified. I had never even made the connection I’d given her my name. I considered changing it, but honestly, no other name seemed to fit at that point, so Lenzi she stayed.

Thank you so much, Jennifer, for having me on your blog today!

Visit Mary Lindsey at Her Website:

http://www.marylindsey.com

For more information about Shattered Souls, please visit these websites!  And check back here soon for a review of Shattered Souls!

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Souls-Mary-Lindsey/dp/0399256229/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312213813&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shattered-souls-mary-lindsey/1101075440

Shattered Souls at Penguin

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399256226,00.html?Shattered_Souls_Mary_Lindsey

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9366996-shattered-souls

A huge thank you to Mary for stopping by and visiting us today!  And thanks to Teen Book Scene for hosting the tour!

Picking up where the 39 Clues series left off…

Around the world, at the exact same time, seven Cahills are abducted. And that’s just the beginning.

When you’re part of the world’s largest and most powerful family, there’s no such thing as vacation. After winning the 39 Clues and settling down into a normal life, Amy and Dan’s worlds become chaotic again after seven of their family members are kidnapped, and they have to steal a precious, ancient painting to free them. When the painting turns out to be a fake and one of their family is shot, Amy and Dan have to race against the clock and the Italian polizia to save their family.

The Medusa Plot, by Gordon Korman, is the first in a new 39 Clues series which was released on August 30th. I loved this book. I’ve read ALL of the books so far, and I suggest you do so as well, before reading it. The plot line was new and interesting, and the shooting incident made everything more suspenseful. The ending was good, though. If you haven’t gotten into this series yet, I highly recommend it. Fast paced, interesting and plot twists are the norm. All in all, this book was a fun read.

Audrey L, EMS Blogger

Courtesy of Around the World Tours…

Have you read Caragh O’Brien’s YA novel Birthmarked?  We were lucky enough to get our hands on an ARC before that hit bookstores back in 2010.  And then we discovered Caragh was a local teacher!  We visited with her at our neighborhood  Barnes and Noble (ok, Ellington doesn’t have a neighborhood B&N, but Manchester is close enough)  and became huge fans.  Now, Prized, the sequel, is due out in November – and it is fantastic!

SPOILER ALERT…IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BIRTHMARKED, READ WITH CAUTION!

When we last saw Gaia, she had suffered through two tragic losses and wondered if she would ever see Leon again.  Armed with a few necessary items and her newborn baby sister, Gaia had set out on the wasteland searching for the land her grandmother had hinted at.  As Prized opens, Gaia is barely surviving and is then rescued by a mysterious stranger.  She is taken to Sylum – a strange settlement where women rule, even though the men greatly outnumber them.  Immediately Gaia is challenged by their leader and must bow to their strange codes and rules.  Losing her sister and her sense of self, can Gaia survive here?  Will she discover the mysteries of Sylum before it’s too late?  Filled with twists and turns, Prized should not be missed!

Caragh O’Brien definitely did not disappoint with this follow up to her award-winning YA debut Birthmarked.  First off, I felt like Gaia walked into the twilight-zone when she entered Sylum.  I know it sounds great – women in charge, having all the power…but as you kept reading, it was just weird!  I loved the new characters in this one – especially Peter and Will, the two brothers who become closely involved with Gaia.  And I was definitely cheering when Leon returned!  Gaia was definitely a different character in this story – confused, challenged, unsure, and involved in a love triangle…or square as she put it!  It was almost as if she lost her focus – and after what she had been through in the first novel, I could see why.  I totally did not see the ending coming – and with one novel left in this trilogy, I cannot wait to see where book three takes us. 

Prized hits bookstores on November 8th – be sure to get your copy!

With author Caragh O'Brien at B&N!

Visit author Caragh O’Brien at http://www.caraghobrien.com/

Jen L., EMS Blogger

Arrive. Unpack. Get used to life. Pack up and leave. What happened to goodbye?  Imagine if this is the way your life was. What if you had to be on the go constantly? And you never get to say goodbye?

Mclean’s life is like this now. Ever since her parents’ ugly divorce, she has been on the move with her father because of his job. The thing is, she doesn’t really mind. Every time she moves to a new place, she has a chance to change her name and personality. It’s a way she can start over and fit in. However, when Mclean moves to Lakeview, she introduces herself as Mclean instead of a different name!  For once, she starts making new friends who like the real Mclean. One of those friends is Dave, who wants to know more about the real her. But how can she reveal more about her past when she has hid it from herself for so long?

I loved What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen.  It was full of surprises. I was laughing and sometimes crying as I turned the pages. It was one of those books. You’ll find yourself feeling for Mclean as she struggles to be herself, but also smiling as you see the love from her new friends. As soon as you start, you won’t want to leave this story!

Leah M., EMS Blogger

For more about Sarah Dessen and her novels, visit her website at http://sarahdessen.com/