#PenguinTeenOnTour Does Dallas

As I posted earlier this month, the #PenguinTeenOnTour promotion stopped at Half Price Books in Dallas last night and featured some pretty spectacular auhors: Allison Goodman, Sabaa Tahir, Rachel Hawkins, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Alwyn Hamilton. I was even given the opportunity to interview one of the authors prior to the event -- you can check that out below.

I'm one of the most introverted booknerds you'll ever meet, so I was nervous but it was an awesome opportunity that I just could not pass up. Especially after the pep talk my friend Sabrina gave me. =) Despite a couple snafus -- my hubby had to work late so he couldn't pick up the kiddo, meaning I had to drive an hour from work to home to pick her up from daycare and then back again since I only work about five minutes from Half Price Books (very dangerous, especially during lunch!), plus the author I was originally supposed to interview was delayed in Canada -- it all culminated into a very lovely event.

Before the event, I left Katie holding our seats up front and met up with the adorable Amanda from Penguin, who introduced me to Rachel Hawkins, who'd I'd be interviewing in lieu of Alison Goodman, as she was delayed en route to Dallas. Honestly, this last minute swap actually put me more at ease because I follow Rachel on Twitter and I know how down-to-earth and funny she is. Not that Alison isn't the same, but she's an Aussie and such a serious writerly-type that I was a bit intimidated. (But let's be honest...I find all authors a bit intimidating, which is why I laugh like a crazy person and mumble when it's actually time to talk to them, lol.)

So. I'm going to share my interview with Rachel -- which I recorded and it took me forever to transcribe this monring since I'm, ahem, supposed to be working -- and then some highlights from the event itself. Enjoy! =D

With Rachel Hawkins, author of the Rebel Belles series

Jen: For those who haven’t read the Rebel Belle books yet, give me the elevator pitch for the series.
Rachel: The Rebel Belle series is about a Southern debutante who gets super powers and has to protect a boy who sees the future who just happens to be her lifelong nemesis.

Jen: What inspired you to write the Rebel Belle series?
Rachel: I wanted to write something a) that was sort of set in the contemporary South which is where I’m from and b) also I wanted to write a book where I felt like a lot of the times girls like Harper the sort of head cheerleader, SGA president, overachieving type A type are the villains of a lot of YA books, and that’s not always been the case, I think. When I was in high school, those overachieving girls were actually very lovely people, they were very community-minded and that sort of thing. I wanted that kind of girl to be the heroine of her own story.
Jen: Love it! I’ve read the first book and YES to all of that.

Jen: What’s your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Rachel: Lololol. Uh, my writing process…a little bit of a plotter, a little bit of a pantser. So, I like to have an idea of where I’m going…I don’t just sort of dive in. I do something that I call the Mac Draft, which is when I come up with the idea for a book, I wait until I have a few scenes in mind and I go ahead and then I write those scenes, like the things that I know and then I can start sort of filling in. And so that way, it helps, too…I don’t really start writing the book until I’ve got about 15-20,000 words of those kind of scenes like that, and then it helps me see, okay, well, I was like really looking at the front of the book, like I’ve got a lot of stuff from the beginning but I really am not strong on the end and need to work there. Or, a lot of stuff from the middle, not so much from the beginning…need to work there. So, I found like that helps, and it also….I like writing things that I feel excited about. I don’t like putting off a scene that I’m really excited to write, just because it’s not the right time to write it. I feel like writing is so hard, so when you’re excited to write something like why shouldn’t you? You should sit down and write that right then and capture that, I think. And I think it comes across in the writing more often than not.
Jen: Definitely!

Jen: Which of your characters would you most like to go out and have a drink with?
Rachel: Oh, man…the aunts from the Rebel Belle books. Aunt Jewel is the main one. I had an Aunt Ruby and so that’s my little homage to her. They seem like they would be fun to have a drink with. I love old Southern ladies.
Jen: You’d fit right in here, then. 

Jen: If your characters were sorted into Hogwarts houses, which would they be?
Rachel: Oh, I got this. This has been, like, our favorite question on tour. So, Harper is for sure Slytherin, which I feel maybe a controversial statement, but as a Slytherin myself, I think she’s ambitious. And David is for sure Ravenclaw, although I think I may have called him Hufflepuff in another interview, so maybe he’s a Ravenpuff…or a Huffleclaw. Sailor is a Ravenclaw; Bee is a Hufflepuff.
Jen: I love the hybrid houses! I’m a bit of a Gryffinclaw myself.

Jen: I always love hearing what authors are reading (and getting recommendations!). So, what’s currently on your nightstand?
Rachel: I just read Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye, which is if Jane Eyre were a serial killer and it is AMAZING, like I loved it…it is SO good. I consumed it over tour and it was the most fun. I also read – it comes out in June – Kiersten White’s And I Darken…it’s amazing. I highly recommend it; it’s a totally different direction for Kiersten and I blurbed the heck out of it because I liked it so much. What else am I looking forward to??? I’m always excited for anything Victoria Schwab writes, and she’s got a new YA coming out in the summer.
Jen: Yes! I’ve already read it and it was AWESOME!
Rachel: I know [she and I've] talked about it because we’re friends but I haven’t read it yet.
Jen: Yeah, you’ll like it.
Rachel: Ah, I’m excited!

Jen: So, what book are you an evangelist for, that you wish you could force everyone to read and love?
Rachel: I feel like that for everything I read…so whatever the most recent thing that I’ve been reading is. I’ve been pushing Red Rising on all my friends lately. Because I wasn’t gonna read it because I was like, oh, I’m sort of over dystopian, things with people sorted by colors, but it wasn’t that at all. The first book, maybe a little more so, but after that it’s like space-crack, and I love it so much.
Jen: Haha, space-crack…I like that!

Jen: Is there an upcoming book that you’d battle the supernatural to get your hands on before it’s released?
Rachel: I mean, obviously, The Winds of Winter…like everyone else in the entire world right now. I’ve been a George R. R. Martin fan since the early 2000s, and I love those books very dearly.
Jen: I’m so not with it…I haven’t read the books or watched the show yet.
Rachel: That’s okay, though. Read the books…the show has disappointed me greatly in the past couple of years. I’ll still watch it because it’s like if the Harry Potter movies were bad, you know you’d still keep watching them, and that’s how I feel about the show.

Jen: So, what other projects are you currently working on?
Rachel: I have a middle grade coming out in October called Journey’s End and that’s also coming out from Penguin. I currently have a YA contemporary romance that my editor is looking at right now that I hope she really likes. It’s about Scotland and princes and shenanigans.
Jen: Oh, shenanigans!!!
Rachel: It’s kind of crazy.

Jen: Okay, last question! What’s one question that you never get asked that you wish someone would ask you in an interview?
Rachel: You know, I get asked so many good things. I don’t even know. If people could always ask me more about my cats because I can really spend a lot of time talking about my cats…like A LOT of time. And no one thinks it’s as interesting as I do, so yeah. People should ask me more about Nessie and Daenerys and Jasper Tudor.

About the author:

Rachel Hawkins was born in Virginia and raised in Alabama. This means she uses words like "y'all" and "fixin'" a lot, and considers anything under 60 degrees to be borderline Arctic. Before deciding to write books about kissing and fire (and sometimes kissing while on fire), Rachel taught high school English for 3 years, and is still capable of teaching you The Canterbury Tales if you're into that kind of thing.

She is married to a geologist, which means that they have incredibly strange dinner conversations ("So today at work, I wrote a chapter where killer fog, like, ATE PEOPLE." "Huh. Well, I was chased by an angry reindeer while trying to map parts of Norway." "Um...okay.")

Rachel also has a little boy whose main hobbies are playing video games, running around in circles, and plotting his Future Intergalactic Take-Over.

When not writing books, Rachel enjoys reading, travelling, and knitting (very terribly.)

Find Rachel:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads

On to the event!

image source

Despite having gotten seats in the front row, I didn't take many pictures. And since I was sitting so close, I didn't get a picture of the group as a whole either, so I borrowed the one to the left from Half Price Books, who put on a really great event. =) I always love signings at this bookstore because they're so chill and laid back. But they're always dangerous, too...I don't think I've ever left this bookstore without purchasing something.

Mary from Mary Had a Little Blog was the moderator for this event, and it's always fun to see her at these things, even if we don't always get a chance to chat. If you haven't checked out her "Mary in the Library" series, you really should. It's funny and insightful and full of good information.

I recorded the audio from the event, and I may transcribe all 42 minutes of it at a later date, but for now, I'm just going to share some of my favorite moments and quotes from the panel.

- One of the questions asked was if the authors would be able to survive in the worlds of their books, to which Sabaa replied, "Absolutely not. I would be so dead."

- Alwyn, after explaining that she was sick and didn't know if she'd make it out of the airport..."If Amani could walk across an entire desert, I can walk across an airport."

- Writing advice from Rachel: "What do you do when your character has a perfect life? Ruin it!"

- On being a writer/being inspired to write, April says, "I realized I like playing god."

- When asked which literary character they'd like to be, Rachel responded that she'd love to be a hobbit, but she does "not have hairy feet. Please do not put that on the internet."

- April to Alwyn, after a discussion on weird things they've googled in the name of research: "When I drug you, Alwyn, you won't even know it."

- Writing advice from Allison: "Never have a passive character," and "Learn to love the rewriting process."

- When asked how to make action scenes better, Sabaa admitted that she makes her husband act out the fight scenes with her...and that she watches a lot of Kung Fu movies.

After the panel, Katie and I got in the signing line, though she kept wandering off to go look at books and toys. She was a real trooper, though. And she wanted to have Rachel's Hex Hall series personalized to her since I'd already given them to her after cleaning up my shelves a bit. She's eight, and though she's a mature eight, she's not quite ready for this series, but she wanted to make damn sure that I remember they're hers now. :)

I'd already chatted with Rachel earlier so I didn't mind letting Katie take the opportunity to talk to her and have her books signed while I was chatting with Alwyn about Rebel of the Sands. Alwyn was so gracious and chatty, despite being sick, and she wrote some of the best quotes in my copies of Rebel! I didn't feel like I spent nearly enough time with each of the authors, but I had 20+ books to get signed and I didn't want to hold them or the line up. :( Plus, as is always the case when faced with someone I admire, everything I'd wanted to say went out the window as soon as I was actually standing in front of them. o_O

All of the authors were elated to see that despite the fact that I had ARCs for their books, I also supported each of them by purchasing finished copies, too. I mean, duh...I want them to be able to write more amazing books! =D I think April was most surprised, though, because I collect her books and had an ARC and HC edition of each, plus I was getting an extra copy of Wink signed for a friend.

I'm kind of miffed that I was rushing myself so much that I didn't get pictures of me or Katie with the authors like I usually do, but it was closing in on her bedtime when we left as it was. Here's hoping we get the opportunity to meet these amazing women and authors again! I can't wait to read each and every one of their next books!!!

Such a great event, but the tour doesn't stop here! These lovely ladies are headed to California next, and the full event schedule can be found below:

Tuesday, March 22nd —MIAMI, FL
7:00 PM Public Event @ Books & Books
265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134

Wednesday, March 23rd —CINCINNATI, OH
7:00 PM Public Event @ Joseph-Beth Booksellers
5030 Oaklawn Drive, Suite B, Cincinnati, OH 45227

Thursday, March 24th — NASHVILLE, TN
6:30 PM Public Event @ Parnassus Books
3900 Hillsboro Pike Ste 14, Nashville, TN 37215

Friday, March 25th —ST. LOUIS, MO
7:00 PM Public Event w/ Karen Bao @ The Charles City-County Library – Spencer Road Branch
427 Spencer Rd., St. Peters, MO 63376

Saturday, March 26th—ST. PAUL, MN
6:30 PM Public Event w/ Karen Bao @ Red Balloon Bookshop
91 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

Monday, March 28th—TORONTO, ON
2:00 PM Public Event @ Chapters Brampton
Market Hall, 52 Quarry Edge Drive, Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Tuesday, March 29th—DALLAS, TX
7:00 PM Public Event @ Half Price Books
5803 E Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75231

Wednesday, March 30th—SAN DIEGO, CA
7:30 PM Public Event @ Mysterious Galaxy
5943 Balboa Avenue #100, San Diego, CA 92111

Thursday, March 31st—SAN JOSE, CA
7:00 PM Public Event @ Hicklebee’s
1378 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125

Friday, April 1st—SAN FRANCISCO, CA
7:00 PM Public Event @ Books, Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102

I hope you have the chance to attend one of the remaining events or that you got to attend one of the previous stops. This was a truly amazing group of ladies...so funny and charming and just all-around awesome!

Huge thanks to Penguin Teen, Half Price Books, Amanda and Rachel at Penguin, Mary, and all of the authors involved for putting this fantastic tour together! And big, big thanks to Rachel Hawkins for taking the time out of her busy schedule to be interviewed before the event!

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Labels: alison goodman, alwyn hamilton, april genevieve tucholke, author tour, Bookish Events, favorite authors, half price books, penguin, promotions, rachel hawkins, sabaa tahir, signings

Breathtaking On the Inside and Out: WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Wink Poppy Midnight
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Source: signed ARC via #booksfortrade
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The intrigue of The Virgin Suicides and the "supernatural or not" question of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer coalesce in this young adult mystery, where nothing is quite as it seems, no one is quite who you think, and everything can change on a dime.

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

For fans of Holly Black, We Were Liars, and The Raven Boys, this mysterious tale full of intrigue, dread, beauty, and a whiff of something strange will leave you utterly entranced.

With each new April Genevieve Tucholke story I read, I grow more and more impressed with her uncanny ability to simply surprise me at every turn. True, this story features an unreliable narrator -- make that three -- but even so, I never saw that ending coming. And that's part of why I love the unreliable narrator so much. I consider myself pretty well-read, at least where the classics and YA are concerned, and that makes it all the more easy for me to find a plot tired and predictable. But the unreliable narrator really shakes things up. When you combine that with Tucholke's eerie style of writing, that sense of foreboding that never completely goes away, you're in for a very unexpected story.

I rarely have the time or opportunity to finish a book in a single day anymore, but that's exactly what I did while reading Wink Poppy Midnight. (Those are the three characters' names, by the way.) As I mentioned, I'm a huge fan of the unreliable narrator, especially when I forget that I'm not supposed to believe a damn word. Makes for a very intriguing story, one where I'm left guessing till the end.

In the beginning, I just wanted the bully to get their comeuppance, and it looked like that's where the story was headed. And then it took a strange turn, one that had me wondering just exactly who was the villain and who was the hero of this story. Especially with all of the constantly changing points of view and the short staccato chapters and the flashbacks. This book felt like it was written just to keep you confused, and I kind of loved that.

I honestly don't know if I know how to review a book like this without divulging too much. Because let's be honest...this is the type of book that it's best going into without any sort of expectations. It's a story of vengeance, of love, of hate, and everything in between. It shows us that in our truest nature, none of us is entirely a hero or a villain, but rather something in between, and we choose which way we lean.

There is no world in which I won't immediately devour and absolutely adore anything and everything April writes. I already want more of her delicious and scintillating words, want more of that feeling that nothing is as it seems. And this is why she is already one of my favorite authors.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

April Genevieve Tucholke is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and its sequel, Between the Spark and the Burn. She loves classic horror movies and coffee. She has lived in many places, including Scotland, and currently resides in Oregon with her husband Nate Pedersen.

Find April:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Labels: april genevieve tucholke, beautiful covers, contemporary, favorite authors, favorites, magical realism, must-read, penguin, reviews, unreliable narrator, wink poppy midnight

{Review} There's Something Horrible for Everyone in SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS by @apriltucholke

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Author: Stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Narrator(s): Robbie Daymond, Emma Bering, Nora Hunter, Jorjeana Marie, Julia Whelan & MacLeod Andrews
Series: n/a, horror anthology
Length: 13 hrs 12 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Source: borrowed audio from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror.

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

I find it really interesting to listen to anthologies these days. I still want a physical copy of this book for my shelves so I can leaf through it and re-read my favorite stories when I'm in the mood for a little horror or need to share a good scary story. But there's just something about hearing these creepy tales from some of my favorite authors…and having some of my favorite narrators give voice to the things that go bump in the night...

The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma - 3.5 stars
I think using this story to kick off the anthology was a brilliant idea. Nova's writing style is always eerily beautiful. It's not gory but still just creepy enough in the most human way. I don't know if it would have had the same impact if I'd read it after some of the others in this collection.

In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan - 5 stars
This story was inspired by Alice in Wonderland and it was epically epic in its creepiness. It seems like one thing and then morphs into something else, and I kind of loved it. The use of flashbacks only served to make the story seem even more otherworldly. Dat white rabbit, tho!

Emmeline by Cat Winters - 3.5 stars
I liked the writing style in this one, but I just found it too predictable. I just didn't connect with it, though the French accent the narrator used was lovely. I'm also not all that familiar with the stories that served as the inspiration for this piece, so that could have been responsible for some of the disconnect.

Verse Chorus Verse by Leigh Bardugo - 2.5 stars
I thought for sure this would be one of my favorites of the collection because of who the author is, but I was underwhelmed. It was eerie to an extent, but it never gave me chills or anything like so many of the other stories did, and I know that Bardugo can write such darkness into her story if she deigns to. Maybe it was because she was tackling a contemporary setting instead of her usual fantasy? Whatever the case, this story left me feeling very meh.

Hide and Seek by Megan Shepherd - 4 stars
I have a thing for Death personified. Or harbingers of Death. Really, anything where Death or the Afterlife is involved. And games of chance. This story was kind of fun, all things considered, but it was also dark, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Dark, Scary Parts and All by Danielle Paige - 4 stars
I didn't know what to expect from this story because I read the prequel novella to Dorothy Must Die and I enjoyed it so little that I didn't continue the series. But I actually found that I enjoyed this addition to the anthology, despite the fact that I figured out the twist pretty early on. But I do tend to connect to characters who embrace both the light and dark within. ;0)

The Flicker, the Fingers, the Beat, the Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke - 4.5 stars
Tucholke really knows how to build up to the creepy after just a hint of it in the very beginning of the story, especially with all the talk of "best scary movies", etc., between the characters throughout. That only adds to the atmosphere and sense of foreboding. And the not knowing...eeek!

Fat Girl With a Knife by Jonathan Maberry - 3 stars
Typical zombie story. I haven't read anything by this author previously, but I'm interested...mostly because of the character development. Dahlia was fierce but compassionate in spite of all of the bullying she'd succumbed to, and she makes a frighteningly good zombie killer.

Sleepless by Jay Kristoff - 5 stars
Dude. It's scary to get inside the head of a killer. Even scarier that Kristoff does it so well. Though, he did have a hand in creating the homicidal AI in Illuminae, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. I liked the inspiration for this one, as well, though I was also reminded of that Supernatural episode Houses of the Holy with the supposed avenging angel.

M by Stefan Bachmann - 3.5 stars
M is for murder. Mwahaha. I didn't get any creepy vibes from this story...just an urgent need to help Mischa discover the murderer's identity before it was too late. The story felt very much on the surface, like I could have read an entire book based on this premise and still never connected with it more than I did in this short story. It was rather bland to me.

The Girl Without a Face by Marie Lu - 3 stars
I love stories that totally lead me astray in the beginning, only to throw the shocking truth at me later. I also like stories where characters get their comeuppance. Marie Lu has proven to me time and again that she can write characters who are unaware of what they are, who struggle with right and wrong. But I most enjoy the characters who leave me on the fence, deserving of my contempt but also strangely deserving of my appreciation.

A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow by McCormick Templeman - 3.5 stars
Short, sweet and to the point. There are those who think that one sacrifice is worthier than another, and this story serves to highlight that fact. Magic, sacrifice, hunters...I can't pinpoint what exactly helped me to connect to this story more than others in the collection. I just know that I did.

Stitches by A.G. Howard - 4.5 stars
Most Frankenstein retellings I've encountered -- and I haven't read all that many -- focus on the brothers' relationship to validate the need to revive a person using some crazy science and medicine. This Frankenstein story, however, stems from a family's need to survive a tremendous loss that leaves them broken beyond repair and another family's need for redemption. Equal parts tragic and eerie, this story reminded me of why I like Howard's writing so much. She touches on many of the same themes as the original tale, from inconsolable grief to what makes a person human.

On the I-5 by Kendare Blake - 2.5 stars
I just did not connect with the voice in this story. Not as the main character described the monsters and not when it became apparent that she was a monster herself. I expected the anthology to end with a bang of a story, but it sort of just fizzled. Maybe I'm biased, though, because hitch-hiking seriously weirds me out. :P

I am sososo glad I listened this anthology. I may never look at some of the narrators the same again, but that just means they did their job thoroughly. ;0) I mean, obviously it appealed to every little evil bone in my body, but it's just such a good collection of stories. There's really, truly, honestly something for everyone in this anthology. And now I reeeeeally can't wait for April's new book in 2016 -- Wink Poppy Midnight -- because she makes reading creepy, abhorrent things such a delightful experience.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

April Genevieve Tucholke is a full-time writer who digs classic movies, redheaded villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband—a librarian, former rare-book dealer, and journalist—live in Oregon. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her first novel.

Find April:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Labels: anthology, april genevieve tucholke, favorite authors, favorites, halloween, horror, must-read, penguin, scary reads

Waiting on Wednesday: Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Wink Poppy Midnight
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: n/a
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: March 22, 2016

The intrigue of The Virgin Suicides and the "supernatural or not" question of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer coalesce in this young adult mystery, where nothing is quite as it seems, no one is quite who you think, and everything can change on a dime.

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

For fans of Holly Black, We Were Liars, and The Raven Boys, this mysterious tale full of intrigue, dread, beauty, and a whiff of something strange will leave you utterly entranced.

I actually don't know how I could have forgotten to add this author to my list for yesterday's TTT because she's another author I'll auto-buy. I absolutely LOVE April's writing style, and after reading the excerpt of this book, I think it just might be my new favorite of hers. And oh my goodness...THAT COVER!!! I think that even if I didn't like what was on the pages inside, I'd still have to own the hardcover just so that beautiful work of art could grace my shelves. But that's not going to happen because I already love it and I only got to read the first eight short chapters. Please, please, PLEASE let the ARC gods hear my pleas for an early copy of this book! March is so very far away...


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: april genevieve tucholke, beautiful covers, contemporary, favorite authors, grabby hands, magical realism, penguin, random house, waiting on wednesday (wow), wink poppy midnight

Waiting on Wednesday: The White Rose & Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: The White Rose
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 6th, 2015

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

I read The Jewel last Summer and I really enjoyed it. It was fun. Also, I think I like this cover even more than the first. So pretty.





's Pick:



Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Author: various, stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: anthology
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: August 18, 2015

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

I don't read all that many anthologies, but I loved April's series about delicious devil boys with sparks and burns, so I know she won't fail to impress with this collection of thrillers. And some of my other favorite authors' works are included, which makes me doubly excited to get my hands on this.


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: amy ewing, anthology, april genevieve tucholke, harperteen, penguin, slasher girls & monster boys, The Jewel, The white rose, thriller, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Spark and the Burn
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: Between, book #2
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Source: ARC received from author
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The conclusion to Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, this gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier is a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures and Anna Dressed in Blood.

Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world.

But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry.

The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me.

The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry—until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, witch hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. It isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own . . .

Prepare yourselves, friends, because Between the Spark and the Burn is no less of a wild ride than the previous book. And if I hadn't double-checked a thousand times, I wouldn't believe this was the conclusion to the duology. I'd have been completely satisfied with this book, if I knew another was on the way. But as it is, I'm left with even more questions and an undeniable desire for more of these characters' story.

I have to believe the author planned it that way, to leave her readers with a burning need for more. It almost seems like a cruel trick, though...like she's got a bit of River in her, too. Some will probably think that where she takes the romance is a trick indeed. But it felt right to me. At the end of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, I think Violet, River, and Neely were all connected by their shared experiences. And Violet was still questioning whether what she felt for River was real or just an effect of the glow. So, I don't think it was altogether unrealistic for her and Neely to find comfort and solace in each other while on the road in search of River and Brodie. I liked them together, even more than I liked Violet and River as a pairing, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Between the Spark and the Burn is a road trip book of sorts. Violet and Neely set off in search of River or Brodie or whoever is causing the ruckus that they've been hearing about on Wide-Eyed Theo's Stranger Than Fiction radio show at 2am. Along the way, they meet some crazies and make some new friends and hear even stranger stories that lead them on wild goose chase after wild goose chase. But one of their leads pans out and that's when things get really weird.

I thought the fact that we were no longer in Echo would be off-putting, but each new destination, each new group of zealots left me awestruck. It's nearly unfathomable how gorgeously and morosely Tucholke describes each new locale. Her gothic settings become characters themselves, and I want to get to know them better.

All the characters I loved -- or loved to hate -- are back in this sequel, plus a few new friends. The prose is still as visceral and haunting as ever, maybe even more so. And the creepy has reached new levels, especially when all is revealed. It all culminates into what is probably the perfect sequel to Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. And yet. And yet...I still want more. I'm hoping Tucholke is a lying liar like River and writes another book in this series. But I can see why she wouldn't. The saying is, "always leave them wanting more," is it not? I know I'll be picking up whatever the author decides to write next.

Check out my Review in a GIFfy for Between the Spark and the Burn, too!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

April Genevieve Tucholke is a full-time writer who digs classic movies, redheaded villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband—a librarian, former rare-book dealer, and journalist—live in Oregon. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her first novel.

Find April:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

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Labels: all the swoons, april genevieve tucholke, beautiful covers, between, demons, favorites, gothic horror, must-read, penguin, reviews