Cover Reveal: GRAVITY by Melissa West

I'm so excited to be part of Melissa West's cover reveal!  You can visit Melissa at her website here, as well as on twitter.

Melissa's debut novel GRAVITY (October 2012) is the first in a trilogy with Entangled Publishing.  I can't wait to read it!  

Here's the blurb:
In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don't. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last
person she expected hovering above her bed - arrogant Jackson Locke, the
most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind
of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help
him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her
question what she's been taught about his kind. And against her instincts,
she's falling for him. But Ari isn't just any girl, and Jackson wants more
than her attention.  She¹s a military legacy who¹s been trained by her
father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can
know - especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the
information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping
silent will start a war.

Pre-order from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Melissa-West/dp/1620610914/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12844575-gravity

Are you ready for the cover?

Are you? 

SO PRETTY! Don't you think?  

Huge congrats, Melissa! I can't wait to read GRAVITY.  


Make sure you add it to your Goodreads and spread the word!

That's YA-more Blogfest & Is It Getting HOT in Here Blogfest

 It's here!  The That's YA-more Blogfest!  Get ready for some smokin' hot YA kissing. :)

My post is below, but you'll want to make sure to read all of the entries, so go here for the full linky list.  And feel free to join in at any time!  The Oasis Ladies will be choosing our favorite to win a free book, so make it awesome!

 ETA: Ooh YAY! I just found out about another blogfest!  The Is It Getting HOT in Here Blogfest. Since this blogfest also calls for a hot kissing scene to be posted on February 14, I can do a two-fer!  IF you're interested in joining this blogfest, sign up here.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to go home and face Mom and Lily.  The park was just ahead, so I crunched across the gravel and plopped into a swing. 

“It was perfect until you went and fudged it up,” I said aloud.  I closed my eyes, recalling the warmth of Paul’s lips on mine.  The way he’d pulled me closer.  The way he’d seemed ready to go further.  My stomach clenched again, and I took a deep breath.  Wow.  One kiss and I turn into a slut. But that wasn’t exactly true.  I didn’t want to go out and kiss just anyone—I wanted to run back and kiss Paul some more. 

“As if he’d even want to,” I mumbled, kicking at the gravel under the swing.

“As if who’d even want to what?”  Paul’s amused voice startled me, and I jumped, grasping at the chains to keep from falling off the swing.

“I—um—nothing.”  I kept my gaze on his shoulder, not wanting to see whatever might be in his eyes.  “Uh, what are you doing here?”

He shook his head and sat in the swing next to me.  “I came to find you, silly.  Why did you run out like that?”

I squirmed in my swing a little.  Why does he always ask me the hard questions?  Why do I want him to?  I avoided this kind of frank talk with Mom and Lily, shrugging off answering, or giving the answer I thought they wanted.  But, with Paul, not only did I want him to ask, but I wanted to answer.

Staring at the gravel under my swing, I blushed.  “I—well, you said you’d only meant to give me a quick kiss, and I thought I’d been too, um, enthusiastic, and—”

“Okay, whoa.  Stop right there.”  He turned his swing sideways, and grabbed the chains of mine so I faced him.  “Look at me, Em.”

My heart pounding, I raised my eyes to his.  They were serious and heated.  Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I tried to decipher his expression.

“I could kiss you all day and never want to stop.  I was only trying to be quick because I was afraid the librarian was coming back.”  His eyes smoldered at me and my breath quickened.  “I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to be too enthusiastic when it comes to kissing me.”

The muscles in his upper arms contracted as he pulled me closer.  “Let me show you,” he murmured, before pressing his lips to mine.

Book Lauches and Blogfests

Last week I took a road trip with my favorite writer friends to go to Tampa for the launch of Kristen Simmon's debut novel Article 5!

Here's the cover and blurb:

ARTICLE 5, the first installment of a dystopian trilogy for teens. Major cities have been abandoned, the Bill of Rights has been revoked and replaced with the Moral Statutes, there are no more police – instead, only soldiers. Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that life in the United States used to be different. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. She has learned to keep a low profile, but then her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.


Jessica, Christina, Tara, and I had such a fantastic time!

From left to right, Tara, me, Jessica, Kristen, and Christina.

Kristen had lots of fun elements including cookies, 5 gum, raffles, and a reading!

We also met Sarah from The Book Life!

This was an amazing launch for an amazing book, and I am so glad I got to be a part of it!  Go check out Article 5!!!


On another note, don't forget to sign up for the That's YA-more Blogfest!  It's coming up soon--February 11-14--and I can't wait to read all the smoochy goodness. ;)  Plus, if you enjoyed my almost-kisses from the No-Kiss Blogfest, then you'll really love my That's YA-more post.

Go here to sign up, and I will be visiting all the blogs during the blogfest.  Can't wait!

No Kiss Blogfest!

Here it is! But, I had two almost-kisses, and I literally couldn't decide which I liked better, so ... you get both.  I hope you enjoy them!  And don't forget to stop by Frankie Diane Mallis's blog and click through  some of the other participants!

These are both from my YA novel THAT SUCCS.  In the first one, Emmy is nervous about going on her first date, and annoyed with Paul, who she really has a crush on.

By the time Paul came back, I wasn’t as nervous about later.  In fact, I was excited.  But I still reveled in the warmth when he slid next to me.  Enjoying my improved mood, I turned to smile at him, and he smiled back.  I found myself trapped in his gaze—frozen.

            I didn’t even realize I was leaning toward him until I saw his pupils dilate.  He had started to lean, too.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but I knew I didn’t want to stop, even though my mind was screaming something at me.  Our faces were so close, I could feel his breath whisper across my lips.  I inhaled, and a strangely familiar scent made me lean closer.  My lips parted.

            The whistle to start the second half brought me back to myself.  I shot straight and pushed back, almost knocking into the girl I’d talked to earlier.  Oh my God, I just almost kissed Paul.  My heart pounded, and the butterflies in my stomach roiled.  The craziest part was, I really, really wanted to scoot back and continue where we’d left off.  I was afraid to even look at him for fear he was still sitting, ready to kiss me.  I wouldn’t be able to resist if he was.

In this second excerpt, Emmy has come to the library to cool off after an argument with her mom and her best friend.  She runs into Paul and they start to work on their history project.

Paul turned, scooting his chair so it was angled toward me.  “Can I ask you something?”  His brown eyes burned into mine, and my stomach flipped again.

“Um…okay.”

He dropped his eyes to his hands.  “It’s … kind of personal, so you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”  He paused for so long, I wondered if he was going to continue, which made my heart pound, worrying about what personal question he could possibly want to ask me.  Finally, he asked, “Why did you kiss Jake?”

I closed my eyes.  I wasn’t expecting that question.  What could I say?  I was jealous and upset?  I so wasn’t telling him that.  “I don’t really know, Paul.”  Why was everyone so damn obsessed with me kissing? My hand clenched into a fist as the anger I’d come to the library to escape bubbled up again.  Calm down.  He’s not Mom or Lily, and he doesn’t know about any of that.  Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my hand and opened my eyes, avoiding his.  He’d kissed someone, too.  I sighed.  “Why did you kiss Meredith?”

He took my hand, startling me into looking at him.  “I don’t know.  I didn’t want to, but when I saw you dancing with Jake, I just … I don’t know.”  He dropped his gaze again and rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand.  It sent tingles up my arm and straight to my stomach. 

Something strengthened inside me, and I felt bold.  “I really wanted to kiss you.”  I can’t believe I just said that out loud.

His eyes snapped up to mine, and the heat in them made me tremble.  He’s going to kiss me.  He leaned forward, eyes locked to mine, and I felt myself copying him.  It was just like in the gym, only this time, there wasn’t a whistle to stop us, and I didn’t want to stop.

As his breath touched my lips, the butterflies in my stomach suddenly flew up to my throat.  What if there’s a real reason for me to avoid kissing?  What if Jake was my fault somehow?

“I can’t.”  I closed my eyes and pulled away from Paul, my heart protesting painfully.

Coming Up in 2012

Oh my goodness!  I have some good news!  I FINALLY got a new computer!  It's so shiny and pretty and new and I just LOVE IT! Yay!

Anyway, can you believe it is going to be 2012 TOMORROW? I barely can.  It's so weird that another year is gone.  Although, I teach and have three kids, so to me, "year" is relative, and more related to the school year than the calendar year.  But anyway, I thought I would post about a couple of things that are coming up.

Firstly, THE END OF THE WORLD!!!

Just kidding. :D

Really, firstly, I've decided to participate in Frankie Diane Mallis's 3rd Annual NO KISS BLOGFEST!  What this means is that on Monday, January 2, I will post an almost kiss from one of my manuscripts.  If you'd like to participate, head on over to Frankie's blog and sign up on the linky.  Then come back on Monday and check out my post! Yay!

And then, around February 14, in honor of Valentine's Day, I will be participating in Oasis for YA's That's YA-more Blogfest, for which I will post an ACTUAL KISS from one of my manuscripts.

Yay, kissing!

I'm sure there will be posts in between, but I wanted to let you know about those two.  I can't wait!

So.  Are you making any goals or resolutions for 2012?  Let me know in the comments, and

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Heads Up!

Hi Everyone!

I have two quick things and then I have to get back to Christmas preparations (before my kids drive me crazy). 

First, the group blog I'm part of, Oasis for YA, is co-hosting a super fun blog hop.  It's called the Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop, and it's all about giving away books!  Go here, and hop around to enter to win books.  So simple, and so awesome!

Also, I'd like to ask you a favor.  My husband is in a competition for Florida's Best Artist, and I would be so grateful if you'd follow the link and click LIKE on his profile.  You can see his art here (my background!), or here, or here.   (And please ignore the terrible writing in his profiles, the contest people wrote them, and they're cringe-worthy.) Thanks!

Have a super wonderful holiday and New Year, everyone!

The Crabby Crabmonster

(Crabby Bear by M.Hsu at Deviantart)

Do you ever feel like this?  I know I do.  Whether it's just a bad day, or sickness, or crazy kids, or your spouse/significant other/dog/goldfish being a butthead, the crabby crabmonster can sneak up on you and rain all over your day.

But then what do you do?  One of the great things about social media is that when the crabby crabmonster shows up, there are people around to help cheer you up, or make you laugh, or just give you a cyber hug.

However, I have run into a couple of problems.  First, my worlds are colliding.  Too many of my in-person friends are now on twitter or facebook.  I can't vent about someone if they'll see my vent!  And a semi-vague vent isn't as cathartic. :(  Plus, people ask what you're talking about, and you have to lie, or avoid the question, or private message them.  It's just annoying.

My second problem is that with so many things going on in my life (I write, teach preschool, direct the handbell choirs at my church, teach Sunday School, am a Creative Memories Consultant, have three children, and am married (and a partridge in a pear tree)), I have stretches where I'm stressed, and the crabby crabmonster visits more often.  But I don't want to flood my social media with negativity.

So, what do you do?  Do you avoid social media when the crabby crabmonster visits?

And, to end on a positive note, if you celebrate Christmas, what are you hoping to get for Christmas, or what present are you excited to give? :)