I’m not even sure where to start with this post. I’ve written it in a dozen ways in my head over the past several months, and I finally decided I just needed to do it.
If you’re not interested in reading the entire post, I’ll sum it up. I’m quitting The Story Siren. I hate to use the word quit, but I guess that is what I’m doing. (But it’s not happening quite yet!)
What exactly is The Debut Dish? Well it’s a way to highlight a debut authors and their book. Perhaps after you read The Dish, you might want to pick one of them up! And if you’re participating in the Debut Author Challenge this is a great way to find books for your challenge list!
Scintillate by Tracey ClarkFebruary 4th 2014 | Entangled: Teen
website | goodreads
A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.
Cora Sandoval’s mother disappeared when she was five and they were living in Ireland. Since then, her dad has been more than overprotective, and Cora is beginning to chafe under his confines. But even more troubling is the colorful light she suddenly sees around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—instead, she glows a brilliant, sparkling silver.
As she realizes the danger associated with these strange auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student who makes her feel safe. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother orders him home to Ireland upon hearing he’s fallen in love. After a fight with her father, Cora flees to Ireland, both to follow Finn and to look for her missing mother.
There she meets another silver-haloed person and discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…and end her life.
Scintillate is the first book in this lush and exciting new trilogy, full of romance, adventure and metaphysical mystery.
Describe your book in five words or less.
Metaphysical mystery with romantic intrigue. (That’s hard to do!) J
Why should readers pick up your book?
SCINTILLATE touches on topics I haven’t seen much of in YA. If they’re interested in the energy between people, love mystery rooted in history (a la Dan Brown), and want to lose themselves in some first love and scorching kisses, then they should definitely pick it up.
What’s the best thing about being a debut author?
By far, it’s realizing that real-live-people are reading something I’ve worked so hard on. The response has been amazing! A dream come true.
What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?
Milk Duds because they take an eternity to chew! Lasts longer than the previews.
What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
A red and black pig figurine I picked up from a very canny and cute kid in Mexico.
In Bloom by Katie DelahantyFebruary 10th 2014 | Entangled Publishing (Embrace)
website | goodreads
My name is Olivia Bloom and I. Am. Free.
I left for LA with everything I owned piled into my old Volkswagen and dreams of becoming a costume designer. Little did I know I’d wind up designing for a lingerie company—yeah, not sure how I landed this gig—and taken under the wing of two young Hollywood insiders. The fashion shows and parties were great, but life really got exciting when the seriously hottest lead singer of my favorite band started to fall for me.
How does someone like me, an ordinary girl from Pittsburgh, wind up in the arms of the world’s sexiest rock star—surrounded by celebrities, fashion, and music—and not be eaten alive? Berkeley is everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, but the paparazzi, the tabloids, the rumors, it’s all getting a bit too crazy. My life has become every girl’s dream come true, if only I don’t blink and lose it all…
Describe your book in five words or less.
Charming Hollywood fairy tale
Why should readers pick up your book?
So far I’ve been hearing from readers that they find IN BLOOM refreshing and funny…a breath of fresh air from the typical “rockstar” book. It’s a book for those who believe in following their dreams at all costs and I think presents a unique perspective on Hollywood as it is born from personal experience. I wrote an article for USA Today recently that gives a little more insight into how IN BLOOM was accidentally born:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/02/17/katie-delahanty-in-bloom-debut-novelist/5540949/
What’s the best thing about being a debut author?
Finally getting to share the characters with readers! I’ve had them all to myself for three years and it’s time for them to leave the nest. It makes my day when a reader discovers that all of the character twitter accounts in the book are real.
What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?
Gummy Bears
What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
A G-string. (I still work for a lingerie company by day.)
Side Effects May Vary by Julie MurphyMarch 18th 2014 | HarperCollins/ Balzer + Bray
website | goodreads
What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?
Describe your book in five words or less.
The end is the beginning.
Why should readers pick up your book?
Authors are pros at self-deprication, so this is a hard one. But I would say that readers should check out Side Effects May Vary if they’re interested in an unapologetic book that deals with cancer, but is not about cancer. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt if you’ve got a sweet spot for rough-around-the-edges female protagonists and the boys that can’t help themselves from loving them.
What’s the best thing about being a debut author?
Oh man, there’s so much to be thankful for, but I’m going to have to go with the community and friends I’ve gathered along the way.
What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?
Milk Duds! (Preferably mixed with popcorn.)
What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
My desk if full of oddities, but I’ll say a wind-up tin robot from a Denmark. A close second would be a ticket stub from The Texas Theatre where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested.
If Only by A.J. PineMarch 24th 2014 | Entangled Publishing (Embrace)
website | goodreads
Sometimes it takes crossing an ocean to figure out where you belong.
It’s been two years since twenty-year-old Jordan had a boyfriend—which means it’s been forever since she, well, you know. But now she’s off to spend her junior year in Aberdeen, Scotland, the perfect place to stop waiting for Mr. Right and just enjoy Mr. Right Now.
Sexy, sweet (and possible player) Griffin may be her perfect, no-strings-attached match. He’s fun, gorgeous, and makes her laugh. So why can’t she stop thinking about Noah who, minutes after being trapped together outside the train’s loo, kisses Jordan like she’s never been kissed before? Never mind his impossible blue eyes, his weathered, annotated copy of The Great Gatsby (total English-major porn)…oh, and his girlfriend.
Jordan knows everything this year has an expiration date. Aberdeen is supposed to be about fun rather than waiting for life to happen. But E. M. Forster, Shakespeare, and mistletoe on Valentine’s Day make her reconsider what love is and how far she’s willing to go for the right guy.
Describe your book in five words or less.
Swoony Brit lit lovin’ romance.
Why should readers pick up your book?
Studying abroad in Scotland. Angsty love. And lots of references to my favorite British literature classics, A Room With a View and Much Ado About Nothing.
What’s the best thing about being a debut author?
I’ve learned that I can survive on little to no sleep as long as lots of coffee and chocolate covered espresso beans are involved.
What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?
Red Vines. What? This theatre doesn’t sell Red Vines? How’d they end up in my purse?
What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
A pair of jeans that have been on their way to the tailor to get shortened for weeks now. Story of my denim-loving life.
Full Measures by Rebecca YarrosFebruary 10th 2014 | Entangled Publishing (Embrace)
website | goodreads
Three knocks can change everything…
“She knew. That’s why Mom hadn’t opened the door. She knew he was dead.”
Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart.
Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.
Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.
Describe your book in five words or less.
Three knocks can change Everything.
Why should readers pick up your book?
It’s an emotional journey about love, loss, sacrifice, and what we’re willing to risk to be with the ones we love. It has a healthy dose of swoon and enough steam to have you searching for your own Josh Walker. New York Times bestselling author Jen McLaughlin called it, “As addicting as it is heart-breakingly real, this is one New Adult book you won’t want to miss. It has plenty of hotness, pain, and joy. Don’t hesitate to grab it now!”
What’s the best thing about being a debut author?
Definitely reading the reactions from the readers. I never imagined it would touch as many people as it has, and I’ve been blown away by the emails and messages I’ve gotten. It’s been amazing.
What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?
Sour Patch Kids
What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
A Harry-Potter time turner. While my husband was in Afghanistan this last year, he asked me what I wanted for Christmas since he wouldn’t be making it home. With our four boys in hockey, our new daughter that we’re fostering, and a book deal, I told him I just needed more time in my day to make it all happen. I unwrapped the time-turner and an acceptance letter to Hogwarts on Christmas morning while he watched on Skype. What can I say… he’s a keeper. 
Today, Stacey O’Neale and Phoenix Reign Publishing are revealing the cover for
MORTAL ENCHANTMENT, releasing on May 20, 2014!
Check out the awesome cover and enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card!!!
On to the reveal!
“Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
In Kalin Matthew’s world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she’s built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she’s attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.
Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.
To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.
As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more…
If you haven’t read THE SHADOW PRINCE, you can download if NOW for FREE from Amazon and Barnes & Noble!!!
Every sacrifice has consequences.
Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:
Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.
Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he’s capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?
Available for FREE on Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Also available in PRINT from Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Stacey O’Neale lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.
Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult paranormal romance and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.
Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Pinterest, and GoodReads. You can also visit her blog at http://staceyoneale.com/.
Whew! My legs are still shaking from this ride. What an incredible book! Let my preface this by saying that when I started this I was in the mood for a sappy love story. And Don’t Look Back is no where near the sappy love story category, but as soon as I started it, I was IN IT!
This was one of those times that I stayed up way to late, had to read every little chance that I got, because I just had to KNOW! I haven’t been addicted to a story like that in a while. It was so refreshing.
The story starts out with Samantha being found and having no memory of who she is or what she was doing. Flash forward a few scenes and we find out that she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie. Cassie, is still missing.
You get to join Samantha is the ride to figure out where Cassie is. Is she alive or dead. Could Samantha have killed her? It doesn’t seem like such a far fetched idea when you find out what type of people Samantha and Cassie are/were…. they are the epitome of mean girls.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I did have several theories on what went down with Cassie. And one of them was right! But I never knew for certain until everything was revealed. Armentrout did a awesome job keeping you guessing. In the past when I’ve read books like this, there was almost too much information given, and as a reader I would figure it out before the MC. It’s not always a bad thing when that happens, but I loved not knowing until Samantha did.
I’ve read several of Armentrout’s books under her pseudonym J. Lynn and LOVED them. I’m fast becoming a huge fan. I’m going to have to read all of her books! Do yourself a favor! Pick this one up!
Guest Post Question:
If you could have one of the four elemental powers, which would you choose?
Before I answer the question, it would probably be best to talk a little bit about each one. First, there are four elemental courts: Woodland (Earth), Fire, Air, and Water. Woodland is the fey court meaning all the variations of faeries belong here. Their power comes from anything on land like forests, jungles, and even the ground we stand on. The fire court has many different types of creatures like gabriel hounds, ogres, and goblins. They draw their power from anything that can produce heat like fire, volcanoes, and our planets core. The air court is the least diverse when it comes to creatures. They remind me mostly of elves. Their power comes from the skies. They can control the weather and manipulate the air around them. The water court is made up of water creatures like mermaids, sirens, and sprites. As you’ve probably guessed, they control anything having to do with water. They can summon the water without being in it, but they are much more powerful when they are within it.
If I had to choose just one power, I think I’d go with Air because it’s all around us at all times. I think it would be really cool to be able to control the weather. I live on the east coast and we’ve had a tremendous amount of snow this year. I’d love to walk outside and turn this into a summer day. Seriously, I am so over winter.
Question to the Reader: If you could have one power, which would you choose?
Every sacrifice has consequences.
Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:
Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.
Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he’s capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?
Available for FREE on Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Also available in PRINT from Amazon
Stacey O’Neale lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.
Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult paranormal romance and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.
Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Pinterest, and GoodReads. You can also visit her blog at http://staceyoneale.com/.
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