Posts Tagged ‘Wolf Pack’
In the Book Blogging world–Wednesday is considered WOW day–Waiting on Wednesday! This is when book enthusiasts talk about up and coming reads they covet. But today it’s a little different on my blog. I’m going to share a book that I recently finished that is just plain WOW!!! As in–you are going to want to put this one on your Waiting on Wednesday list ASAP! Okay…stop tapping your foot impatiently. I’ll let you know what the book is before I get carried away talking about it…
PIVOT POINT by Kasie West
Coming February 12, 2013
I bet you’re wondering how I got to read it so early. Lucky me–Kasie is part of Michelle Wolfson’s Wolf Pack!!! When I found out my agent had copies of PIVOT POINT, I bullied and threatened her to put me first on the ARC Tour!!! Soooo glad I did that! *grin* Here’s a little bit a about PIVOT POINT…
Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with–her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school–but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through…and who she can’t live without.
“Kasie West is a master of suspense. The unique structure–seeing two alternate realities playing out at once–leaves you pleading with the characters, don’t answer that phone, don’t go to that house, don’t talk to that person. PIVOT POINT is at once tense and romantic, challenging and engaging. It’s a truly remarkable debut.” (Robison Wells, Author of VARIANT)
“West’s debut is an expertly plotted, delightfully clever story. Addie’s dual realities pull the reader along to a startling—and devastatingly unavoidable—finale. I can’t wait for the next book!” (Kiersten White, New York TimesBestselling Author of PARANORMALCY)
“With superb storytelling, a masterful blend of paranormal and normal, a helping of wit and humor, and a mouth-watering romance, PIVOT POINT is one of the most delicious books I’ve read.” (Elana Johnson, Author of POSSESSION)
You can Pre-order PIVOT POINT here…
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of PIVOT POINT
I’ll be honest. Most of the time I know what’s going to happen in a book. Maybe not the smallest details, but the big picture is usually there–I’m a good predictor. If the writing is really good–and most of the time it is–it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. But from time to time, I like it when I’m stumped, frantic and half-crazed, wondering where this novel is going to end. PIVOT POINT by Kasie West took me there and I loved it!!!
Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if” and I was immediately fascinated by this and what it meant for the story line, but also because it is a life concept that has always intrigued me. Have you ever had that urge to take one road and found a way to talk yourself out of it, only to end up stuck in traffic wishing you had listened to your instinct? Addie has the ability to look down both of those roads and decide which one has the better outcome. BUT…knowing both paths doesn’t necessarily make choosing any easier. In fact, sometimes being cognizant is even harder. PIVOT POINT had me on the edge of my seat trying figure out how it was going to end. Without giving any spoilers–I’ll tell you it ended perfectly–with the proper balance of satisfaction and anticipation for the next book. I LOVED this book and it still has me thinking!!!
Kasie West
I love to write–too much. It’s a sickness really. My debut novel, PIVOT POINT, will be published by
HarperTeen Feb. 12, 2013. (Followed by its sequel a year later.)
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, my comtemporary YA novel, will be published in the Fall of 2013 (HarperTeen).
You can find out more about Kasie West and PIVOT POINT here…
So, what do you think about PIVOT POINT? What about the concept intrigues you the most? Have you ever had one of those moments where you made that pivotal choice? Was it a good one or a bad one?
Tags: Book Review, Kasie West, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Michelle Wolfson, Pivot Point, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary
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I know your jealous.
I got to read an ARC of Linda Grime’s debut novel IN A FIX!!!!
How did this wonderful thing happen to little old me? Well, Linda and I are Wolf Pack Sistahs. We share the same amazing agent–Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary!!!! And to prove how wonderful Michelle is, she has allowed me to use my ARC of IN A FIX for a contest giveaway. I’ll pause for a moment while you to get excited…
While I’m waiting for you to stop jumping up and down, I’ll tell you a little bit about Linda Grimes and IN A FIX…
In a Fix
September 4, 2012
Tor Books
The start of an original new urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan
Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.
This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable… that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.
Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years — both skilled adaptors — step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.
Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.
“A fast-paced, sexy romp with characters as original as its intriguing premise!”
— DIANA GABALDON, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF OUTLANDER
“Linda Grimes’s fast paced supernatural debut is fresh, fun, and sexy, and heroine Ciel Halligan faces both the outlandish and the deadly with a perfect balance of equanimity, irreverence, and nerve. I can’t wait to see where her wild adventures lead her next!”
— VICKI PETTERSSON, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC SERIES
You can Pre-order IN A FIX here…
*Amazon
*Barnes & Noble
*Powell’s Books
*Indie Bound
*Books-A-Million
Kimberly’s Review of IN A FIX:
If you follow my reviews, you’ll find that the majority of what I review is Young Adult novels. But I really do enjoy reading other types of books, particularly when they are books from people who have already won me over with their personality and writing style. Linda Grimes is one of my Wolf Pack Sistahs. We’re both represented by the lovely Michelle Wolfson, giving me the squee-worthy opportunity to read Linda’s debut novel as an ARC.
IN A FIX is kick-ass creative! I found the idea of Aura Adaption to be extremely interesting and never did Grimes lose control of the concept. The premise wasn’t bogged down in back story and considering all the people moving going on, I was extremely impressed that I always knew who was who–unless I wasn’t supposed to.
Ciel was an extremely likable character. Flawed and fun, with just the right amount of gumption. And the boys??? Gahhhh Grimes had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out which one I liked more. Seeing as they were all pretty steamy, it was a lot of fun trying to decide. I raced through this debut novel and I can’t wait to read more by Linda Grimes. <3
Linda Grimes grew up in Texas, where she rode horses, embarrassed herself onstage a lot, and taught high school English to students who were more interested in heckling her at the theater where she moonlighted than in learning to conjugate verbs. Somewhere after horses and before teaching, she spent a semester abroad at Stockholm University, where she picked up enough of the native language to become linguistically entertaining. At least, her Swedish teacher seemed entertained when Linda, while attempting to relate, in Swedish, how her aunt had laughed at her, instead claimed her aunt had peed on her. (In Linda’s defense, you’d be surprised at how similar “laughed at” and “peed on” sound in Swedish, at least to American ears.)
Linda currently resides in northern Virginia with her theater-god husband, who succumbed to her charms after seeing her in a musical number at the now defunct Melodrama Theater in San Antonio. (There’s nothing like a rousing chorus of “If You Wanna Catch a Fish You Gotta Wiggle Your Bait” to hook a man for a lifetime.) They managed to spawn two brilliant and gorgeous children—a daughter and a son—both possessed of such generosity of spirit they will no doubt fight over who gets to support their parents when the time comes.
Like her globetrotting main character, Linda has spent her share of time overseas, where, among other things, she witnessed—up close and personal—a police takedown of purse snatcher in Paris, became a bit too acquainted with a gun-running couple in Ireland (through a misunderstanding while breaking into the ruins of a castle closed for the season), and almost froze to death in an ice cave in Switzerland. She has since decided that writing is slightly less hazardous than travel, and tends to stay firmly planted behind her keyboard, torturing her characters instead.
*** You probably want to know how you can win my ARC of IN A FIX. In the comments, please tell me who’s appearance you would like to slip into? Who would you like to be an Aura Adaptor for? Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so that I can let you know if you’re a winner!!!
BTW…You can find out more about Linda Grimes and her debut novel IN A FIX here…
*Blog/Website
*Twitter
*The Debutant Ball
*Facebook
Tags: Contest, In A FIx, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Linda Grimes, Michelle Wolfson, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary
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Here’s your Monday mash-up!
*TOUCHING THE SURFACE has a new release date–October 30th!!!! I know that means that I’m making you wait a little bit longer, but it also means that I get to launch my book during my favorite time of year. I can’t help but be excited–only eight months to go!!!
*Guess what’s available for pre-order??? Yup–TOUCHING THE SURFACE is on Amazon. I can’t even begin to tell you how cool this is. *does a little twirly dance* Feel free to stop over and hit the like button for the hardcover and for the Kindle ebook or…you can even pre-order it now. OMG!!!! I can’t believe I’m finally getting to say that.
*Want to learn some funky facts? You can now find out more about me and TOUCHING THE SURFACE on the Simon & Schuster website. Kimberly Sabatini-Author Revealed. You can even sign up for email updates.
*Friday night was a blast. I got to head to one of my favorite Indie bookstores,Oblong Music & Books, for their monthly Hudson Valley YA Society Event.
Jennifer Laughran (Andrea Brown Lit) Introducing Kate Ellison and Lauren Oliver!!! Yes, you heard me correctly.
Kate Ellison and Lauren Oliver talking about books and writing.
Lauren Oliver, Kimberly Sabatini, Kate Ellison *squee*
Linda Hanlon got a picture too. And yes, Lauren is really that tall and doesn’t Kate wears really cool tights?
Woot!!! Got to share Class of 2k12 swag and my ARC of TOUCHING THE SURFACE with some new friends and my buddy April from Good Books and Good Wine.
So, have you pre-ordered any highly anticipated books off of your wish list lately? I have to confess, I just pre-ordered all the Class of 2k12 books that are currently available. I wish that would make them come faster!!! I also pre-ordered IN A FIX by my Wolf Pack sistah Linda Grimes!!!! I can’t wait to read them all!!!!
Tags: Author Revealed, Hudson Valley YA Society Event, Jennifer Laughran, Kate Ellison, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lauren Oliver, Linda Grimes, Oblong Books, Pre-order on Amazon, Pub Date, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack
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Are you excited to read ENDLESSLY by Kiersten White? You should be.
You can pre-order ENDLESSLY here…Barnes & Noble, Amazon, IndieBound and for additional links check Goodreads.
Kimberly Sabatini’s review of ENDLESSLY by Kiersten White…
*Sigh* I am so bleeping sad that the Paranormalcy Trilogy is over. I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC of ENDLESSLY through my agent Michelle Wolfson’s Wolf Pack ARC Tour. But the fact that Kiersten is an agency sister plays no bearing on my delight in reading ENDLESSLY and my disappointment that it’s over.
I am going to miss Evie and all the characters in her paranormal world. They were unique and I know that they will never come my way again. 🙁
What else did I love about this book and all the books in the trilogy? I adore Kiersten’s humor for starters. I always find myself laughing at her quirky bleeping way with words and her creativity. Her take on the paranormal world is delightful. And my favorite thing about the books? It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that Kiersten writes fluff, because it’s just so much fun to read, but if you’re paying attention, she has depth and layers to what she shares with her audience. She gives deep thoughts and guidance in a way that is never patronizing. She doesn’t talk down to her readers–she wins them over and is a role model through her characters. I mean–who wouldn’t want to grow up to be just like Evie. And I’m not just saying that because I want a pink taser!
Without a doubt, ENDLESSLY comes to a fulfilling end, but I may never stop asking Kiersten to whisper in my ear about what happens to Evie in five, ten, twenty years–she’s become a friend and I don’t want to let her go.
Congratulations, Kiersten–You’ve done a fantastic job. Can’t wait to read your next book. <3
You can find out more about Kiersten White, ENDLESSLY and the Paranormalcy Trilogy here…
*Kiersten White’s Website
*Kiersten White’s Blog
*Twitter
*Facebook
*Goodreads
Tags: Book Review, Endlessly, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Michelle Wolfson, Paranrmalcy Trilogy, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary, YA Author, YA Book, YA Novel, YA Writer
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It’s Sunday. Technically it’s Super Bowl Sunday and I’m sitting in the middle of a football party in my living room. I’m in the big chair in the corner with my lap top and a heavy-duty set of ear plugs, digging into this last conference post that took place last Sunday. I’d like to say this is dedication, but truly it’s not. I’m *gasp* not a football die hard and I only feel compelled to even be in the living room (instead of hiding upstairs) because my kids think I should be thrilled about this spectacular sports event. I do not begrudge them the excitement and passion of the game, I feel the same emotion when I go to the “Super Bowl” of kid lit writing events. To each his own and if you like both…more power to you. Let’s kickoff this last conference post!
Sunday January 29th, 2012
8:30-9:00 AWARD PRESENTATION for the Tomie dePaola Award and the Art Showcase winners but first a HUGE shout-out for the staff of the SCBWI.
Feel free to stop reading and give them a little standing ovation…I’ll wait.
Now, on to the Portfolio Showcase Winner: Mike Curato
This could have easily been a picture of me standing in front of the cupcake counter at the Magnolia Bakery. Mike obviously knows how to capture a moment!
You can check out the art from the rest of the winners on the SCBWI Conference blog and also find artwork from more of our talented illustrators on the SCBWI’s Illustrator Gallery.
9:00-9:15 SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT by Jane Yolen
I don’t know about you, but I get tingly just thinking about Jane Yolen speaking–she always captures my attention and has something fantastic to say. This year was no exception. The SCBWI has started the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant.
Here is what Lee Wind on the SCBWI Blog had to say about it…
“Congratulations to Mary K. Whittington for winning this year’s inaugural Jane Yolen Mid-List Author grant! A published author who hasn’t had a new book come out in a while, Mary recently had a stroke, and is halfway through writing a new novel using voice recognition software. Jane calls Mary her hero, and hopes the grant helps her get that novel finished and out into the world.
And our cheers as well to Ann Whitford Paul and Barbara Diamond Golden for their honor grants.
More information about the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant (and how to nominate a mid-list author you know for next year) will be forthcoming on scbwi.org, where you’ll find information on all the author and illustrator Grants and Awards.”
Yes…Jane Yolen is made of awesome!
9:15-10:15 PANEL: METHODS TO THE MADNESS: THE PROCESS OF MAKING PICTURE BOOKS: Featuring the Bookmakers Dozen and moderated by Laurent Linn
Don’t hate me–I loved the Bakers Dozen, but there were just too many people for one panel. So many, I’m not even going to list them all. It took me the first half hour of the presentation to figure out who was who. But I did jot down a couple gems from Peter Brown…
*If you plan on making a career in this business–you have to be an idea factory!
*You need to take the reader into account–you don’t want to make the best book ever that no one reads.
*You don’t want to be the last one to write a vampire book–you want to be the first one to write a robovamp book. Don’t steal that.
Time to goof off a little before the next panel…Lin said to stretch.
Scott, Jodi, Kim and Sam
Allan, Justin and Scott…ready to tackle the agent panel. LOL!
10:30-11:30 PANEL” THE CURRENT MARKET FOR YOUR WORK: FOUR AGENTS’ VIEWS
Moderator (LO) Lin Oliver
(GK) Ginger Knowlton, Agent, Curtis Brown LTD.
(RB) Regina Brooks, Founder and President, Serendipity Literary Agency, LLC
(CR) Chris Richman, Agent, Upstart Crow Literary
(KW) Ken Wright, Agent, Writers House
***I’M INTERRUPTING THIS BLOG WITH A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT…THE GIANTS HAVE SCORED A TOUCH DOWN!!!! EVERYONE SEEMS EXCITED. NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMING.***
State of the market…
(KW) Every time I make a submission, editors are asking where is this book going to go and how is the author going to get me there. The days are gone when someone can acquire a book just because they “like it.”
(GK) Exciting, Exhilarating, Exhausting
What are you looking for?
(CR) Voice…but a lot comes down to the hook.
(KW) I choose based on what I know about individual editors.
(RB) My job is to come up with ways to position the book.
(GK) Lots of debut novels being published, so agents and editors are looking for fresh voices.
(KW) YA is going to continue to trend.
On building a career author…
(GK) Nurture every connection–small community, play nice.
(CR) The more attractive you can make yourself, the more likely we are to want to work with you. (No…not physically attractive. *head thump*)
11:30-12:30 CLOSING KEYNOTE: KEEPING YOUR FOCUS by Kathryn Erskine
I love how animated and enthusiastic Kathryn is!
F-freedom
O-organization
C-creativity
U-understanding
S-sharing
Here’s the best of each category…
FREEDOM
*Create whenever you can.
*Free yourself from the guilt that you’re taking time away from other people.
*Free yourself from self-doubt. Do you remember what books got awards when you were 15? No–you remember what books moved you.
*Whenever you think about hanging it up–remember there is a kid out there who needs you.
ORGANIZATION
*Organize your workspace.
*Organize your MS–Scrivener. (I’m a personal fan.)
CREATIVITY
*To be creative you really have to take care of yourself.
*Being creative is hard, sublime, ridiculous.
*You’ve got to do what works for you.
UNDERSTANDING
*What do you want to say?
*Understand your audience–how to relate you your readers.
SHARING
*At some point you have to let your “baby” out into the world, but have it ready. Taking some time to do it right is worth it.
*Published of now, take some time to connect with your readers NOW.
STAY FOCUSED…
*You know your passion–that’s why you’re here.
*talent plus determination.
*Books save us.
12:30-1:00 DOOR PRIZES AND CLOSING REMARKS
1:00-3:00 AUTOGRAPH PARTY!!!!!!
Chris Crutcher and Me!!!!
Making a cyber friend into a real life friend. Cindy Rodriguez and Me. And yes, I have on my TEAM WOLF PACK T-shirt!!!!
Class of 2k12 love–Me and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
Kim and Kathryn Erskine–totally LOVE her!!!!
Kathryn Erskine signed one special for my Fishkill Frogs!
Me and my best buddy, Jodi Moore–author of WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN. *love*
Me and the love triangle queen, Cassandra Clare.
Cheryl Klein is AWESOME!!! That’s all I have to say. *grin*
Lin Oliver signing for my boys who ADORE her books!!!!!!
The perfect end to a perfect weekend. (Magnolia Bakery)
Hope you enjoyed my virtual tour of the NY SCBWI Conference. Next I’ll be heading to the Eastern PA 20th Annual Pocono Mountain Retreat, where I’ll be spending the weekend with…drum roll…Laurie Halse Anderson. *SQUEE* If you’re not too far away, think about signing up, I’d love to hang out with you.
Any conferences in your future? Tell me where you’re heading–I always love to hear about your writing adventures and I’d love to read about what you’ve learned along the way. Were you at NY? What was your highlight? And who won that Super Bowl? And were you watching?
Tags: Cassandra Clare, Cheryl Klein, Chris Crutcher, Class of 2k12, Jane Yolen, Jodi Moore, Kathryn Erskine, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Magnolia Bakery, NY12SCBWI, SCBWI, Super Bowl, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack
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By the time you grab your coffee and read this, I’ll be eating a bagel at the Marketing Workshop at the New York SCBWI Conference. That’s a thumbs up for bagels and marketing knowledge and a raspberry for getting up that early in the morning. Thinking ahead–yes, I AM talking about me. *gives you the stink eye* I planned out today’s blog post and Monday’s because I’ll be spending my first day after the conference in bagel detox. And sadly, reclimbing Mt. Laundrious as my kids have come to call that pile of clothes in their closet that almost touches the ceiling. Cheeky little bugger aren’t they. So, since I was out in the wild at the train station, this morning, I thought that In The Wild would be a wonderful theme for today’s blog.
Not too long ago I mentioned that my local B&N had relocated the YA department from–right next to the kids section…to snuggled up in the adult section. I asked my friend Linda (who works there) how the change was going and she gave it a thumbs up. I also promised some pictures of the new arrangement…
A display table that is chock full of books and the aisles behind the table are all YA!
So many of my favorite titles and authors hanging out on the shelves.
Sorry, these didn’t look this blurry on my phone. Grrrr…
And as I was wandering around, petting and hugging the books, I found some books that I’d never seen out in “The Wild” before. You can click on the picture to find out more about the book and it’s author.
Double Apocalypsie Trouble–Click on the pic for a link to more info about Brodi Ashton’s EVERNEATH and click HERE for more info about TEMPEST by Julie Cross
UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi–An Apocalypsie!!!
THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney–one of Michelle Wolfson’s Wolf Pack!!!!
DARKER STILL: Magic Most Foul Book #1 by Leanna Renee Hieber–Also and Apocalypsie!!!
Another Apocalypsie!!! FRACTURED by Megan Miranda
Another Wolf Pack author!!! Two out of three of the PARANORMALCY series by Kiersten White–Did I tell you that I’m reading ENDLESSLY RIGHT NOW!!! Yes, be jealous.
My class of 2k12 girl–Robin Bridges with THE GATHERING STORM Book#1 of the Katerina Trilogy
Apocalypsie Double Trouble! Click on the picture for a link to Brodi Ashton’s EVERNEATH and click HERE for more on TEMPEST by Julie Cross.
My Simon Pulse Housemate–Lucas Klauss with EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE
Apocalypsie and NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR Marissa Meyer and CINDER!!!!!
I can’t even tell you how exciting it is to see all these books out in the wild. So exciting!!!! Can’t wait to stop in again soon and see who else is peaking out at me from the shelves.
FYI–I’ll be blogging about the conference when I get back, but in the meantime you can follow the conference live from twitter–just follow #NY12SCBWI I’ll do my best to keep you up to date. So, have you read any of the books that I’ve spotted out in the wild? What did you think? Any that you’re lusting for?
Tags: Apocalypsies, Arissa Meyer, Barnes & Noble, Brodi Ashton, Daisy Whitney, Julie Cross, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Leanna Renee Hieber, Lucas Klauss, Megan Miranda, Michelle Wolfson, Robin Bridges, Simon Pulse, Touching the Surface, Veronica Rossi, Wolf Pack, YA Author, YA Book, YA Novel, YA Writer
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