It’s a busy week for me. All kinds of stuff going on AND I’ve got the SCBWI NY Conference this weekend! *squee*  Kicking off the fun, I’m having lunch on Friday with my fabulous agent, Michelle Wolfson. In case you didn’t catch it from the title of this post–I love Michelle Wolfson!!!! I absolutely can’t wait!!!!

And you, dear reader, get bonus points if you leave a comment about your favorite Michelle tweets or #hashtags on Twitter. And if you’re not following her–you know what I’m going to suggest, right?  Go!!! @WolfsonLiterary

Best comment gets a surprise prize!!!

Tags: Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary

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I am revising like a fiend. If you squint your eyes a little bit, I almost look like a Wolfson Wolf Pack Cub–keeping up with the pack. And I love it because the Wolf Pack is fabulous and I’m so proud to be a part of it. My Wolf Pack girls are insane, crazy producers and what makes them special is that they don’t just write quickly, they write amazing books.

(Usually this is me–slowly chewing on my thoughts in the corner. LOL!)

That’s why I wanted you to check out what’s new and coming your way. Wahhooooooo…

Kierten White: The author of the New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy (Paranormalcy, Supernaturally, and Endlessly) also has Mind Games, the first in a new series, out on February 19th. And she has an Egyptian mythology-based standalone, The Chaos of Stars, following in fall 2013, with the sequel to Mind Games in February, 2014.

Daisy Whitney: By day, Daisy Whitney is a new media producer, reporter and on-air host. At night, she writes novels for teens and is the author of THE MOCKINGBIRDS and its sequel THE RIVALS (Little, Brown). Her third novel WHEN YOU WERE HERE releases in June 4th, 2013 (Little, Brown), and her fourth novel STARRY NIGHTS (Bloomsbury) hits shelves in Fall 2013.

Kasie West: her debut novel, PIVOT POINT, will be published by HarperTeen Feb. 12, 2013. (Followed by its sequel a year later.) And THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, her contemporary YA novel, will be published in the July 2, 2013 (HarperTeen).

Linda Grimes: is an author of light urban fantasy. Her first book, IN A FIX, was published by Tor in September 2012. The second in the series, QUICK FIX, will be released in the summer of 2013 (8-20-13).

Jennifer Iacopelli: Her first novel, GAME SET MATCH, will be released by Coliloquy in Spring 2013! (Cover coming soon!)

See I told you–awesome! What are you looking forward to reading from the Wolf Pack? Did you get your hands on any of these ARC’s yet? Since you can’t have these just yet, what are your Friday Reads?

Tags: Daisy Whitney, Game. Set. Match., In A FIx, Jennifer Iacopelli, Kasie West, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Linda Grimes, Michelle Wolfson, Mind Games, Pivot Point, Quick Fix, Starry Nights, The Chaos of Stars, The Distance Between Us, When You Were Here, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

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Sorry I’ve been off-line for the holidays. I contemplated taking the week off but decided not to, then my server was getting work done and I couldn’t get a post up. After that, I had family in, kids sick and lets just face it, I spent some extra time reading. I remember the first Christmas (1999) in my current home. My brother bought me the first Harry Potter book. I was teaching 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at the time and I kept seeing all these kids carrying around these Harry Potter books but I hadn’t actually started reading them yet. I can remember opening up the book on Christmas morning and thinking how much I love it when a gift giver knows you better than you know yourself.

I had no children at the time, so I settled into a comfy chair by the fireplace, eating clementines and reading HP1. Of course, then I had to run out to the store to grab the rest of the HP’s that were already in publication. This year, since I had sick kids on the couch for a few days, I pulled up the same chair in front of the fire, put in ear plugs and read, read, read. It was blissful. Sometimes it’s nice to be forced to slow down a little.

You can see how I got distracted from my blog, right? *grin*

But I’m back!!!! Woot!!!! And isn’t that what a new year is all about? Reflecting and making some resolutions…

Last year at this time, I was biting my nails in anticipation of 2012–the year my book would be published. I can remember my husband leaning over as the ball dropped and saying…”this is your year!” And it was. It was amazing. So many wonderful things happened to me in 2012. What am I the most grateful for? I have a huge list, but for here, I thought I’d focus on a few of my favorite things involving my publishing journey. Here’s the format: What I’m grateful for, plus a tip or two for the aspiring or newly minted author.

*The first two things I’m grateful for aren’t things–they are very special people–my agent Michelle Wolfson and my former, but always editor, Anica Rissi.

Tip: This triangular relationship is more important than any book you write. Why? Because people are always more important than things. The book will be a common ground that you all share, but books happen in peaks and valleys. One day you are at the top of the world and the very next you are old bubble gum on someone’s shoe–it’s inevitable. But, you should never be old bubble gum to your editor and agent. They should be the type of people who love you for yourself–who see all the books that live in your soul–whether you write them or not. I’m so grateful–that’s exactly what I was blessed with.

*I’m also grateful for two very amazing groups of people–my debut author siblings–The Class of 2k12 and the Apocalypsies.

Tip: Do you remember the Who’s down in Whoville and how they needed each little voice just to be heard? That’s how it works. It is hard to stand alone in a sea of books and get noticed. It was awful nice to have friends to “amplify the noise.” But more importantly, it’s just lonely being all by yourself. It was such a wonderful thing to be surrounded by friends who knew exactly what you were going through. Prior to February 2011, I spent a huge amount of time dreaming of the moment when someone would buy my book. And of course I had day dreams of covers and book signings, but I never really had a clear picture of what happens behind the scenes and neither did any of my debut author friends. Honestly, it can be very overwhelming at times. We made ourselves a support group–a kind of family. We shared the bits and pieces of the things we did know. And we worked together to figure out the rest. It helped–it helped a lot. These are the people who I cried to when things felt bad. These are the people who prevented me from doing stupid things. These are the people who laughed with me and cheered for me. I love these people and I will be friends with this amazing group of authors for the rest of my days. Don’t pass up a chance to have a group of friends like this.

*I’m really grateful for my family and friends–my community.

Tip: This isn’t really a tip–just a joyful observation. My local book launch was a huge success. I felt like a rockstar. In the middle of Hurricane Sandy, my community came out to both of my book launch events. They came and they came and they came. And what touches my heart and always will–was that they didn’t come for my book–they came for me. I could have written a huge pile of poo and they would have come and given me that moment of joy. At that point, they had no idea if I’d written anything good. They just came and with their actions they said…you are one of us and we are proud of you. I’ve since gotten lots of wonderful feedback about TOUCHING THE SURFACE. Phew–most people seem to love it. I hoped they would. I dreamed that my book could be something that they were proud to share. I cherish every text message, every FB post, every comment that I get. It means the world to me, but I’ll always know–that even if they weren’t going to like my book–they came. They came for me. Priceless.

What were some of the best moments of your 2012? Did you have a wonderful holiday? Did you know I missed you while I was reading?

Tags: Anica Rissi, Apocalypsies, Harry Potter, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Michelle Wolfson, The Class of 2k12, Touching the Surface, Wolfson Literary

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Get out your TBR list because MIND GAMES by my Wolf Pack sistah Kiersten White needs to be on it!

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…

or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

*Barnes & Noble

Kimberly’s Review:

I’ve erased this review like ten times because I’m having trouble. When I say that MIND GAMES is not the Paranormalcy Trilogy, I find myself stuck in an endless loop because I loved the Paranormalcy Trilogy, so I don’t want you to think for a minute that this is better, because it isn’t better–but yet–its better. *sheesh* The most accurate thing I can say is that Kiersten White has only begun to play mind games with her readers. It is evident by this unique, exciting and riveting book that White has just proven she’s not a one trick pony. She’s tiny like a pony–but she has lots of tricks and I love them. I love them so much, I want the sequel to this book NOW! So much so, I’m going to start harassing my agent to automatically put me on the top of the ARC list for MIND GAMES #2. Make a list. Check it twice. I’d better be on it. I know you hate me because it isn’t February yet, and you’re justified, but guess what–I’m not even a little bit sorry, because yeah, it was that good. LOL!

Tags: Harper Collins, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Mind Games, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

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***THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED***

Yesterday was my faux book birthday–the date that my book was originally, tentatively, going to be released. Oh, thank my lucky stars that they changed it. A book launch with three kids, the day before the first day of school, would have been less than ideal. LOL! But–yesterday was the REAL book birthday of my Wolf Pack sistah Linda Grimes. Her debut novel, IN A FIX hit the shelves and I just happened to be in the bookstore and couldn’t help but take that baby home with me. Of course I also have my pre-ordered copy in transit, so to celebrate my Faux Book Birthday and Linda’s Real Book Birthday, I’m giving away one of my copies of IN A FIX!!!!

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.

Yes, I rock for sharing, but I have even bigger motivations than howling about the awesomeness of the Wolf Pack. (Although that would be enough.)  Besides the fact that IN A FIX and Linda are made of awesome and martinis, I have another great reason to pimp her book–It’s Darcy Pattinson’s Random Acts of Publicity Week. Woo hoo!!!!! Oh, wait–you haven’t heard? Here’s the info directly from the Facebook event page…

4th Annual Random Acts of Publicity 2012, September 4-7

The Random Acts of Publicity 2012 will focus this year on Conversations about Books. The basic idea of the Random Acts of Publicity is to take the focus off you and your books for a week and instead focus on a friend’s book or a favorite book. How can you help that book’s sales? We know that the basic things you can do is to Blog, link, Like, review, or talk about the book .

This year, we want to focus on Conversations about Books. What are the talking points of the book you want to feature? How can you start a conversation? Are there behind the scenes stories that make the book sound more interesting? Do different audiences require different talking points and different conversations? How do you create online conversations? How often do you start in-person conversations about a book? Let’s TALK about Talking about Books this week.

Tags: Contest, Darcy Pattison, In A FIx, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Linda Grimes, Random Acts of Publicity, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

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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…

*Barnes & Noble

*Amazon

*IndieBound

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).

My agent is the talented, funny, and sometimes crazy, Michelle Wolfson.

You can find out more about Kasie West and PIVOT POINT here…

*Website/Blog

*Twitter

*The Lucky 13s

*Goodreads

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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My recap of BEA 2012 in pictures!!!!

Yeah…off to a pretty good start. *grin*

My awesome roommate, book blogger at THE YA CONNECTION and aspiring author…Lisa Lueddecke. Ummm so we just happened to go right by the Hershey’s store. And they had free samples.

The Class of 2k12 Books at the Bank Street Bookstore where we talked about breaking into the business of children’s and young adult fiction.

We got our swag on!

Bank Street Bookstore provided yummy snacks and beverages.

The whole gang from L-R

Kimberly Sabatini (Touching the Surface available October 30th), Sarvenaz Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost), A.C. Gaughen (Scarlet), Sarah Tregay (Love & Leftovers) and Lynda Mullaly Hunt (One for the Murphys)

Someone asked me why I had such a little book…of course my answer was that I write for little people LOL!

We had so much fun with this bunch!!!

Of course a little ice cream from the “Seinfeld Dinner” never is a bad ending to a great day. Lisa and Kim.

Look what was waiting in our room from the W Hotel!!! I felt so special…((((hugs)))) to A.C. Gaughen.

Tuesday morning…the view from our room.

Lisa needs an official Times Square picture!!!!

Meeting Suzanne Lazear (Innocent Darkness) for a quick breakfast.

The registration area of BEA.

The Editors for the YA Editors Buzz Panel. Everything sounded fantastic. You can read all about it at Publisher’s Weekly-BEA 2012: Diversity Rules at YA Editor’s Buzz Panel. But I want to give a special shout out to my fellow Apocalypsies: Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel and Kat Zhang, author of What’s Left of Me!!!!

I got to spend the WHOLE day with one of my favorite people EVAH!!!! My fantabulous agent Michelle Wolfson. *Heart Squish* And a shout out to Jennifer Laughran for taking a kick-ass picture of us. *grin*

Can you spot all the fabulous Sourcebook authors I found? SEND by Patty Blout, My YAOTL buddy Geoff Herback with STUPID FAST and NOTHING SPECIAL, and some of the Apocalypsies like…Miranda Kenneally with CATCHING JORDAN and STEALING PARKER, Zoraida Cordova with THE VICIOUS DEEP and Leanna Renee Hieber with DARKER STILL and THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART. Plus a ton of other great reads!!!

Time to meet more of the Apocalypsies!!!!! We had an amazing Meet & Greet. Everyone was given a dance card to get signed by all the Apocalypsie authors in attendance. Here’s what they looked like. Each card was numbered and prize packages of books, ARCs and swag were auctioned off through out the afternoon.

So excited–I got to meet Erica Haglund of The Book Cellar and Julie Cross’ Perfect Ten.

I also got a chance to meet Natalia from Dazzling Reads. Love her!

It’s a small world! Barbra Kane (High School Librarian and Media Specialist in Jamestown, NY) and I graduated from the same college. Go Geneseo!!!

And don’t forget my buddy Grace from Words Like Silver. We saw each other everywhere…she may be tired of me LOL!

And here all the Apocalypsies who participated!!!!

After a hanging out with all the wonderful folks at Simon Pulse, I headed over to the NYC Teen Author Carnival.where I found lots of Simon Pulse authors and Apocalypsies and sometimes they were both, like K.M Walton (CRACKED) and Corrine Jackson (IF I LIE.)

Hilary Graham (REUNITED)

Lucas Klauss (EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE)

Fiona Paul (VENOM) and Lauren Morrill (MEANT TO BE)

Rebecca Serle (WHEN YOU WERE MINE)

Gennifer Albin (REWEL), Tiffany Schmidt (SEND ME A SIGN) and Katie McGarry (PUSHING THE LIMITS) There was a ton of other great authors here but I have yet to learn how to clone myself…the dystopian writers are working on that for me though.

Of course we were REALLY hungry after all that book talk so K.M. Walton, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Me and Corrine Jackson got some yummy stuff.

Are you getting tired yet? You should have seen me by the time I crawled into bed that night, but no rest for the weary because I was off on Wednesday morning to the YA Author’s Breakfast!!!!

Chris Colfer from Glee was the MC for the event. He was wonderfully funny and very touching as he talked about his own goal, from the age of 10 to have his book published.

In my opinion he seemed very genuine.

Chris Colfer, John Green (the Justin Bieber of the YA world *snort*), Lois Lowry and Kadir Nelson–Each one of these three legends was amazing. Lois Lowry received a standing ovation that was well deserved. You can watch the a live stream replay of the breakfast here…Live Stream Book Expo America

Yeah…I got this close. *sigh*

Back on the main floor I got Tom Angleberger’s autograph for my boys…they were thrilled!

Heading over to my favorite place…Simon & Schuster!!!!

And look who I found on the way…Tim Gunn. He is Fabulous!

Simon & Schuster was crazy busy!!!! I think I can see someone grabbing one of my bookmarks LOL!

I am an awesome mom! Was in line for almost 2 hours to get my oldest son a signed copy of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth! (Lisa, Kim and Jennifer)

And when you make friends on line…you might just get dubbed the Fabulous Five by the line monitors LOL! Don’t forget to check out Terri’s blog Read & Riot. And a Happy Birthday to Terri’s mom, Irene–she’ll be celebrating on Saturday with my brand new 7 year old. Cha, Cha, Cha Irene!!!

The front of the line for the DARK DAYS TOUR had been sitting w-a-y   u-p   t-h-e-r-e since 10 am so I won’t complain LOL!

Apocalypsie Elizabeth Norris signing UNRAVELING, Veronica Roth signing INSURGENT, Bethany Griffin signing MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH and Aprilynne Pike signing DESTINED.

Flew by Rachel Ray

And a very TALL Harlem Globetrotter LOL!

I also wanted to hit some of the Apocalypsies at their author signings. I missed a ton, but was luck to get a book from…

Sorry it’s blurry–Dan Krokos signing Lisa’s copy of FALSE MEMORY.

And TIME BETWEEN US author and sweetheart, Tamara Ireland Stone

My last Class of 2k12 event was Mix, Mingle and Win! So I mixed and mingled with two of my new favorite people Kim an Judy…making me the winner.

The Class of 2k12 Sarah Tregay, A.C. Gaughen, Megan Bostic, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Sarvenaz Tash and me.

One of my favorite BEA pics! A.C. Gaughen and her new FIGHT LIKE A GIRL T-shirts for a GLOW fundraiser. Great cause–I am so getting one! If you’re interested in buying one and supporting GLOW–leave your contact info in the comments and I’ll make sure that A. C. gets it.

And what you’ve all been waiting for…the books!

Not including all the MG books I got for the boys…here was my amazing YA haul. Keep tabs on my blog because a lot of these will be up for grabs after I read them!!!! Contests galore, but I can assure you that you will not be getting my 11yo’s signed copy of INSURGENT or my signed ARC of Lois Lowry’s book SON. <3 But that means my question must be…which book would you be desperate for me to have as a prize in a contest???? *FYI DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT is only a sample–not the full ARC, but it comes with the full paperback of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. Also–if you’ve blogged about your BEA experience–add your link so I can check it out. I had a fabulous time and I hope you did too. And if you couldn’t be there, I hope this helped you feel like you were. Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Apocalypsies, Bank Street Book Store, BEA, Book Expo America, Dazzling Reads, GLOW, Javits Center, John Green, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lois Lowry, Michelle Wolfson, NYC, NYC Teen Author Carnival, Publisher's Weekly, Read & Riot, Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse, The Book Cellar, The Class of 2k12, The W Times Square, Wolfson Literary, Words Like Silver

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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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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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