SILO . . . A YA read you don't want to miss. And it's FREE!!!

Ok, as y'all know, a few months ago I was blessed to be a part of the cover reveal for CREED, the keep-you-up-all-night debut from the amazing writing duo #TeamCleaver (also known as the VERY talented team made of Lindsay N. Currie and Trisha Leaver :D).

Here's the CREED cover just to refresh your memory:

Isn't is creeptastic?!

And check out the blurb:

Dee Langley is seventeen and mere months away from total freedom and a life where state social workers, counselors, and foster parents don’t dictate her every move. She has spent years trying to eke out a normal existence, hiding from her past and walking the tenuous line between denial and self-preservation. A weekend away with her boyfriend, Luke, and his brother, Mike, seems like the perfect opportunity to forget and start over. Little does Dee know that she's just trading one hell for another.

When an unexpected storm and a lack of gas force their car off the road, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves with no other choice but to wander into the nearby town of Purity Springs for help. But it’s not good Samaritans they find, but rather complete and utter silence, every store and every house abandoned. Forced to seek shelter in one of the deserted homes, they uncover a disturbing book with explicit instructions on how to correctly rear a child, complete with a hand written record of its use. It’s not until the next morning, however, that they discover the alarming truth – the town isn’t abandoned; it is populated by a deadly cult, and the leader, Elijah Hawkins, has plans for the three of them. The group’s only hope for survival lies in the hands of Elijah’s son, Joseph. But is Joseph really their ticket to freedom or is his game just as deadly as his father’s?

*shivers*

Ok, so here's the surprise today from Lindsay & Trisha . . . in their own words:

With the release date of CREED rapidly approaching, Lindsay and I have been fielding questions about what our co-authored voice sounds like, how psychologically twisted our collective mind is, and do I need to read all of your co-authored pieces with the lights on?
Rather than simply answer those questions, we thought we’d take it one step further and actually show you! We toyed with writing a prequel-type novella to set the stage for CREED, but you know us…why write a novella to CREED when you can give them entirely different book to enjoy!

After much discussion with our agents and an enthusiastic ‘go for it’ from our publisher, we have decided to utilize Wattpad to give the world a sneak peek at what they can expect from our co-authored voice. So here it is, a new, psychologically twisted, co-authored YA Thriller. 

“The darkness would’ve scared me years ago, but not anymore—if you couldn’t see it, then you didn’t know it was there to be afraid of.”~Jake Holloway, SILO 

Starting today, we will be sharing a chapter a week of our co-authored book, SILO, on Wattpad for the world to enjoy, hate, question our sanity, run screaming from… The last chapter of the book will drop the week of November 8th, the same week CREED releases!

So, go forth and be appropriately frightened as you realize just what our twisted minds of capable of. Spread the word, leave a comment on Wattpad or simply enjoy the book in the dark confines of your own home.

Link to SILO on Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/54090436-silo

AHHHH!!! Isn't this SILO free read the coolest?! For more info on the amazing writer duo, see below.:)

Trisha Leaver lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three children, and one rather irreverent dog. Her co-authored, YA Psychological Horror drops November 8, 2014 from FLUX. Her solo YA Contemporary, THE SECRETS WE KEEP, releases April, 28th 2015 from FSG/ Macmillan

www.trishaleaver.com 

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Lindsay lives in Chicago, Illinois with one incredibly patient hubby, three amazing kids and one adorable, but irreverent Bullmastiff named Sam. She graduated from Knox College in the heart of the Midwest and has been writing for as long as she can remember.

Today, Lindsay is an author, as well as a freelance editor for young adult, new adult and middle grade fiction. She is a proud member of SCBWI, The YA Scream Queens and OneFourKidLit.

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Happy reading!:)

xo

Lynne

TRANSPARENT is out!

My sweet friend Natalie Whipple's debut novel, TRANSPARENT, hits shelves today. Woohoo!

I'M SO STOKED FOR HER! Natalie's such a sweetheart, always giving her time and support and encouragement to other writers. One Twitter, on her blog, in contests. And she's truly as sweet and kind and giving as she seems on her blog.

And I've been dying to spread the TRANSPARENT birthday love!

Here's the fantastic cover:

Awesome, right?!

Want more? Thought so.:)

Here's the blurb:

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

***

I get shivers every time I read it.:)

Curious to know what readers have said? Here you go....

"Fast-paced, fun, and so original I was downright giddy, TRANSPARENT is a truly awesome debut from an author destined to be on my auto-buy list." —Rachel Hawkins, owner of best awkward foreign cover EVER. (And NYT Bestseller)

“Debut author Natalie Whipple deftly explores painfully real teen experience through delightfully unreal stories. Transparent is a smart, funny, tense gem of a book, and Fiona claims a spot as one of my favorite heroines.” Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy.

Yay! A fun, fresh YA read has hit the wild! Happy book birthday, Natalie! :)

And go TRANSPARENT!!!!!

Shout out to Robin Mellom, author of DITCHED

Hey sweet YA readers!

YA contemporary is so hot right now, and so fun. Lots of great reads out there, like . . .

JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman
(and a sequel is coming soon!)

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins
(companion novel to ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS . . . so good!)

BODY AND SOUL by Stacey Kade
(the finale of THE GHOST AND THE GOTH series--just love!)








But here's one you definitely shouldn't miss:

I know Robin personally (we actually went to high school together, can you believe it?!) and she's as sweet as she is talented. Crazy thing is, I read DITCHED (and LOVED it!) before I realized this Robin was the same Robin I went to high school with. It was that whole maiden-name-changed-to-married-name thing that threw me off. 

So let me say it again--I LOVED THIS BOOK, even before I realized I loved the author.  

Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

There's a girl.
Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. That said, she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

And there's a boy.
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

Then there's a ditch.
But when Justina is ditched, figuratively and literally, she must piece together--stain-by-stain on her thrift store dress--exactly how she ended up dateless...with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven.

To get the whole store, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. Can losing out at her prom ultimately lead to finding true love?

Doesn't it sound amazing? *nods* It really is.:)

I'm over at the YA Valentine blog today getting the full scoop from Robin. Pop over if you can, find out Robin's favorite scene, and say hi.:) 

Plus, if you've got middle-grade readers, Robin had a new MG book coming out next month from Disney-Hyperion! Woot!

Happy Tuesday y'all!

NIL is on Goodreads! And other book stuff.:)

Happy April everyone!

NIL is on Goodreads! Woohoo! I've been a Goodreads member for a while, first as a reader, now as an author. And the idea of someone adding NIL to their "to-read" shelf? It makes my day. Truly. I can't wait for people to meet Charley and Thad...and find out whether they make it off the island. *tease alert* hehe

Here is the link to NIL on Goodreads if you're interested. :)

Other book stuff... reads & recs, young-adult style.

Here's what I'm reading right now:

I really enjoyed Book #1 (THE NAME OF THE STAR) so I've been looking forward to this book for some time. I've got high hopes...

And my recent read I can't stop thinking about?

I LOVED this book. TOTALLY LOVED IT.

I know a book is going to stay one of my all-time favorites when I keep going back to the story...when I keep thinking about the characters and their growth and their choices--and how each choice impacted the plot. Gayle Forman is a master, and JUST ONE DAY is absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2013. If you haven't read it, run to your local bookstore and scoop it up. You won't be disappointed.:)

Other recent reads I loved too: Kasie West's PIVOT POINT, A. G. Howard's' SPLINTERED, and Jennifer Nielsen's THE FALSE PRINCE.

Next on my TBR list:

The cover alone is amazing.

If you had one book to recommend I read next, what would it be? And what's your favorite read of 2013 so far?

The One Four Kid Lit Blog is LIVE!

Yay! The One Four Kid Lit blog is up and running, and it's packed with MG and YA authors debuting in 2014. I'm so honored to be a part of this talented group that I find myself smiling every single time I see the blog header.

Why? Because it's packed with AWESOME.

Like the GETTIN' LUCKY series, where One Fours interview MG & YA authors launching books in 2013, the Lucky '13's. First up? The talented Ellen Oh, author of PROPHECY, which debuted on January 2nd. Ellen's interview (way to go Natalie!) was fun and informative and made me want to read Ellen's novel RIGHT THIS MINUTE. :) (And when I finish my NIL edits, I will reward myself with a 2013 debut read-a-thon, beginning with PROPHECY. :D)

And there's more awesomeness to come!

More interviews, more book birthday celebrations . . . an entire year of book goodness as we gear up to 2014. Over the next few months, you'll find all the OneFours introducing themselves and their upcoming debuts.

Like . . . if you pop over right now, you can meet the amazing Corinne Duyvis, author of next year's OTHERBOUND. I love reading about how books are born, and OTHERBOUND is no exception. Go peek; I'll wait. :)

Hey, while you were there, did you meet Natalie C. Parker, author of the upcoming BEWARE THE WILD? Like Corinne's, Natalie's book belongs on everyone's TBR pile for sure. If you didn't meet Natalie, go back! You'll love her. And if you missed it, the One Fours kicked off the year with an introduction of the talented Annie Cardi, author of QUEEN OF THE AIR, another must-read. If you missed meeting Annie, no worries. Click here and say hello. She's another amazing, sweet author who has been really good to me when I joined the One Fours.

So go check out the One Fours, say hello, and join us in cheering on the Lucky 13's! Aren't new books the best? :)

THROUGH TO YOU

Hi y'all!

Happy-almost-Thankgiving! :D

I know my blog's been a little quiet lately. ;( I'm still figuring this blog thing out, and in the precious minutes I've found to write, I've been revising one manuscript, beta-reading another (an amazing YA light sci-fi manuscript that y'all will LOVE when it comes out!) and reading. Like most writers, I love to read. Books are brain candy all the way. :D

And, as my CP's and family know, I read freakishly fast. It's weird, but I always have. The upside? Two hours and I've read a great book. Done. The downside? I don't get to stay with those characters as long as I'd like. So when characters linger . . . and I keep thinking about them, and the world(s) they inhabit, and the choices they made . . . I LOVE IT. (Think Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Edward Cullen, Mia and Adam, Peeta, Lessa of Pern, Sita, Jenna Fox  . . . I could go on but I'll stop. :D).

The last novel with characters that stayed with me? THROUGH TO YOU by Emily Hainsworth (*psst* The cover is on my sidebar to the right...go on, look. I'll wait. :D)

Okay! You're back! So, THROUGH TO YOU. Here's the description from Goodreads:

"Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. He’d give anything to have just one more glimpse of her. But when Cam visits the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees an apparition. Her name is Nina, and she’s a girl from a parallel world. When Cam follows here there and makes an unbelievable discovery, it’s as if all his wildest dreams have come true. But things are very different in this other world. Nina is hiding a secret, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with the truth, he’s forced to make a choice that will change his life forever."

Don't you want to read it?!

IMO, using the device of parallel worlds, Emily's development of Viv was brilliant. And Camden's evolution as a character is as impressive as Emily's treatment of Viv, for different reasons. I don't want to spoil this read for anyone (so I'll stay vague) but Camden can "see" both worlds, and this dual sight leads to insight: about the people in both worlds, including himself. 

It's been weeks since I read THROUGH TO YOU, and I still find myself thinking about Camden, and Viv. Even Nina. They have lingered, as have their choices....and I love that. :) Thanks Emily, for a GREAT read. :D

Ok, readers, what about you? What books--or characters--have lingered with you after you closed the book? Old favorites, or new discoveries? And on a side note, what's your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Mine is sweet potato casserole, with pecans on top.:D Double-yum.

Off to bake.:) Can't wait to hear about your faves!

BOO! Picture book style . . .

Oh hey! Sorry for falling off the blogger-verse. :) Fall is wild in my house, October especially. I'm still fighting to find that family-writer-blogger-life balance. This month we have fall festivals, Gator games, birthdays, company in town, and of course Halloween. AND MY EDITS ON NIL ARE DUE NOVEMBER 1. Oh--and did I mention we started remodeling our master bathroom yesterday? Yup, I'm a *little* scattered. :)

Let me know how you manage your crazy life-writer-blogger balance, okay?!:)

Anyway, I LOVE FALL. Totally love it. Pumpkins! Candy corn! Cool air, leaves turning, holidays coming...the whole thing. :) And of course I love books.:)

This fall I've read some good creepy books--like Gretchen McNeil's TEN. Super fun. I also just read Robison Wells VARIANT, and its sequel FEEDBACK. All three were one-sitting reads for me.

But today I'm talking picture books!

Here are my five fall faves:

#5. It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse!

The only board book in the bunch, this book is fun for little ones. Great counting, classic mouse. If your child likes the If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, he or she will like this little book too.

#4. The Legend Of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin
I love this spunky square pumpkin! And the message is sweet.

#3. Too Many Pumpkins
Oh, all the things you can do with pumpkins! A family classic.

#2. Room on the Broom
I bought this book last year and love it. The illustrations are fantastic, and so are the rhymes. A GREAT fall picture book. My 5 yo loves this one; it's his favorite.

#1. The Hallo-wiener

Oh my land, I ADORE THIS BOOK. It's as fun for me to read as my boys. The wordplay is awesome, and so's the story. And that's why it's my #1 fall fave. :)

Happy fall! Did I leave any awesome picture books out? Let me know!

NEWS!!!!!!!

My debut novel NIL sold! *pinches self*

It's still a bit surreal.: )

I've known for a while, and I'm SO glad to finally be able to share this news. (Secrets are HARD. :D) But I love this book, and its characters. And I can't wait for y'all to meet them!:)

Here's the official announcement on Publisher's Marketplace:

"Lynne Matson's NIL, when teens end up on the Island of Nil, through a "wormhole" in space, they have 365 days to catch a gate back home or die; a newcomer falls in love with a boy who only has 86 days left...will Nil let them survive?, to Kate Farrell at Holt Children's, for publication in Winter 2014, by Jennifer Unter at The Unter Agency (world English)."

-Sept. 5, 2012

I'm so grateful to my agent, Jennifer, for making this happen. She is truly made of awesome. :)  I can't wait to work with Kate, and to be honest, Henry Holt publishes some of my very favorite authors (like Mary Pearson and Leigh Bardugo) so I'm just a *little* star-struck.

HUGE hugs to my family, friends, and awesome crit partners (who are also friends!:D). I couldn't have done it without y'all. Cupcakes for life are on me. :)

Happy Wednesday y'all!