Charity Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the Charity Blog Hop. And an especially HUGE thank you to those of you who donated to the Tour de Cure! You guys rock. I want you to all wrap your arms around yourself and give you a great big hug from me! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Because I am so grateful for both the chance to highlight this cause that is so near and dear to me, and because I'm so happy that some of you donated, I'm giving everyone who entered a free ebook of either Heart on a Chain, Immortal Mine, or Reluctance. I'll be contacting all of you by email.

Oh, I almost forgot. Congrats to Lindsay B, winner of the Amazon Gift Card. Watch for that in your email, Lindsay, and thanks for entering!

Emerald City

Today, Alicia K. Leppert stops by with her soon to be released novel Emerald City.

One city of 600,000 people.

One broken girl.

One mysterious boy.

One fateful night,

Two worlds collide.

Seattle, Washington. The sprawling, industrious city set in a blanket of pine. I have never known a day that wasn’t spent inside this concrete jungle. It’s my home, and for that I love it. But it’s also the setting for the tragedy called my life, and so I loathe it.

I live alone in a cold, empty studio apartment. The tiny square room closely resembles a cell. That’s my life: solitary confinement.

Here, in this desolate place that perfectly reflects my soul, my story begins.

My Review

It's a little bit difficult to review the book without giving away too much of the story, and I don't want to do that. I want readers of the book to discover the secrets as they read rather than from my review, so I'm going to try to give as thorough a review as possible without filling it with spoilers.

Emerald City is the story of Olivia, who lost her mother in the most tragic way a young girl possibly can. She wraps herself in her misery, isolated from humanity, barely existing from day to day. In a moment of desperation, she attempts to end her life. When she wakes, she is in the hospital, having been rescued by Jude, who claims to have seen her from his apartment across from hers. Soon, Jude is part of her life and as she heals, she falls for him. But Jude isn't what he seems. Jude and Olivia can never be together unless he's willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Olivia is a strong character. Though it seems she's weak in the beginning, it doesn't take long to discover that beneath her pain is someone who has a strong will to survive, no matter what is thrown her way. I admired that very much about her. Jude is painted in an enigmatic light so that you're not exactly sure what he is, though I had a pretty good idea early on. My knowing (or thinking I knew) what he is didn't take away from their journey or from understanding the impossibility of their situation.  I still enjoyed the journey.

This is definitely Olivia and Jude's story. There aren't a lot of secondary characters, and those that are there aren't given much definition. However, I didn't find that to be a distraction for me. I was more concerned with Olivia's growth and their story together than any secondary characters, so, again, it wasn't a big deal to me.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, clean YA romance with some intrigue and a bit of... I was going to say paranormalcy, but I don't know if that's right. It has some mystery, maybe a slight bit of a gothic feel, contemporary with touches of paranormal. Kind of hard, I guess, to really pinpoint this book, and that's okay with me. I kind of like books that I can't quite label. My only complaint would be the ending was a little abrupt and didn't answer the Big Question that needs to be answered for Jude, but I guess I can live with that. :o)

There are some adult themes (suicide, for example) but they are dealt with realistically and without anything preachy, or graphic content that would be inappropriate for a teen. Emerald City shows a grittier side of life that is unfortunately some people's reality. Jude is charming, and Olivia is admirable. A definite recommend from me.

Below are links to more info about Alicia, the tour, and where you can get your hands on your own copy of Emerald City.

Alicia Leppert
Pre-order Emerald City on Amazon
Emerald City on Facebook
Alicia on Twitter
Emerald City on Goodreads




Alicia's publisher, Cedar Fort (who also happens to be my publisher for Geek Girl) can be found at the following links:
Cedar Fort Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

In celebration of the release of the new cover of Heart on a Chain, I'm giving away a copy with the new cover. As a bonus, I'm giving the winner a copy of my newest novel Immortal Mine.

US domestic entrants will have their choice of ebooks or paper copies of the two books. International entrants will receive ebook copies of the two.

Why did I decide to change the cover? I can't tell you how many reviews contain somewhere within the words, "I almost didn't buy this book because of the cover" or something similar. I listened, and decided to revamp it. Hopefully, everyone likes the new look!

NEW COVER

OLD COVER

Immortal Mine

If you can't see the entry form, click on "read more"

Reading Between the Lines

Rachel over at Reading Between the Lines rocks! Read her review of Geek Girl here.

Here's a little excerpt of what she wrote: "Amazing book! Really. The author sent me a copy which I absolutely adore her for. Wonderful love story, I couldn't put it down. This wasn't just straight romance, it was about love and learning how to love, to be loved, how to get through heartbreak. Also how to see past labels and see someone for who they really are. Cindy is amazing is capturing emotions."

Stop by Rachel's blog and read the whole thing. Thanks, Rachel!

You Asked for It!

The New

Cover for 

Heart on a Chain is here!

I can't tell you how many reviews of my book Heart on a Chain either begin with or contain the words, "I almost didn't buy/read this book because of the cover..."

And so, a year later (my middle name is procrastination), I've decided to change the cover. I'm officially unveiling it here, now. I've also redesigned the blog to reflect the new cover. You can see that here.

To celebrate the new cover, I'll be giving away a signed copy of it in conjunction with the Young Adult Giveaway Hop from January 27-31. Stop back by here on any of those days for your chance to win.

You know, I think just for fun I'll throw in a signed copy of my newest novel, Immortal Mine, along with the copy of Heart on a Chain to the winner of the blog hop.

Wrath-free Review from Wrathsqueen

Erin at Wrathsqueens Books wrote an amazing  review for Heart on a Chain! You can read it here. Thanks to Erin for her time and especially for her kind words. You rock, Erin!

Here is some of what Erin had to say: "I am trying to be objective in this review but I can't because I just loved it SO much. It's a beautiful, poignant book that captivated me from the very beginning." "This has become one of my favourite books and I know I will re-read it over and over because it has a timeless feel to it for me."

Tooting the Horn Yet Again

Yup, I'm tooting again, but I can't help it! It's incredibly, stupendously, wonderfully amazing to find another of my books, Geek Girl, on a top 10 list of 2011. Woot-woot! Thanks to Ro at Zone Out Mode.

Better Late than Never, I Say

Mommy Wants to Read was one of the blogs scheduled for the Geek Girl Blog Tour. Due to some computer glitches, Melissa wasn't able to get it posted. She has graciously posted it now. So, without further ado, I give you a portion of Melissa's review:

Melissa Says: "This was an interesting take on the cliche Pygmalion story." "The progression of the relationship between Jen and Trevor was great and very believable." "I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author and highly recommend this to anyone who wants a good read that does not involve paranormal/fantasy creatures. I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars."

Lookie Where I Ended Up!

On the Haze.Fave.Rave: 2011 Must Reads List!!! (Thanks, Hazel)

Check it out here!

More Chances to Win!

LDSWBR is running a multi-author book contest Countdown to Christmas. Hop on over to see what you can win, and sign up!

Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

I'm honored to be part of the book blog tour for Rachel McClellan's new release Fractured Light. I really loved this book! And I think her cover is just gorgeous. It's scheduled to be released February 8, 2012, but you can pre-order it from Amazon. Below is my official review.

Review of Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

Llona isn't your typical teenage girl. She has snow-white hair, pale skin, an abundance of energy when the moon is full, and she can turn lights on and off just by thinking about it. She’s an Aura, a manipulator of light.

Forced to move every couple of years, Llona and her uncle Jake have chosen Bountiful, Utah as their latest hideaway. She’s hiding from the Vyken’s who killed her parents and are now after Llona.

Llona’s only friend is the strange May, who has secrets of her own. That’s why their friendship works so well, a shared understanding of what it truly means to be different. Christian, new at the school and drop-dead gorgeous pursues Llona, much to her frustration. She doesn’t feel she can get involved with anyone when she may have to run at any time—no matter how much she wants to.

Fractured Light follows Llona as her unwanted guardian reveals himself and the Vyken nears, made clear by the suddenly strange and creepy things that begin happening to and around Llona. She must learn to control and manipulate her Light, the gift that she now will have to use as a weapon to survive—well, that and the new fighting skills she’s been taught at the Dojo and by Christian, who wants her to survive and to protect her power that the Vyken craves, and will do anything to get.

McClellan weaves an enticing, supernatural tale of a reluctant heroine born with a gift that sometimes feels as much like a curse. Unexpected twists and turns in the story keep the reader guessing what’s going to happen next to disrupt this teenage girls life. Llona is a hero worth cheering for. Strong, determined, independent, and compassionate, Llona will do anything to protect those she loves, even at the cost of her own life. Fractured Light is a must read for fans of paranormal—or fans of any genre, for that matter. Don’t miss this exciting book from newcomer Rachel McClellan, the new force to be reckoned with in paranormal YA.

Want to find out more about Rachel? Then you'll probably find these links helpful:

Author Blog

Author Website
Author Facebook
Book Page

Publisher Blog

Publisher Facebook

Publisher Twitter

Publisher GoodReads

I highly suggest you get in line to read this book!!

See who else is on the tour here.

Come to the GEEK GIRL Official Launch Party!

It's finally here, the Launch Party for Geek Girl!

Eborn Books at South Towne Mall 12-3 pm
10450 S State St, Sandy, UT

If you live in the SLC area, please come join us. We will be having lots of fun giveaways - every 10 minutes in fact! You can see some of the swag we'll be giving away in the pic to the left. If your name is drawn, the choice is yours. We'll also have delicious cupcakes FREE from Totally Bodacious Cakes. You don't want to miss out on those! While you're out doing your Christmas shopping, stop by and enter, and have a cupcake on us.

Don't live in the SLC area? Don't count yourself out! I'm going to be having a giveaway here on the blog. Anyone who leaves their name and email in the comments below from now until midnight on Saturday will be entered in a drawing to receive your own swag!

If you can't make it on Saturday, I will be at the SLC Costco on Friday night, December 9, from 5-9 pm. 1818 South 300 West, Salt Lake City. Or you can see what other dates I'll be doing signings here.

It's Official! Geek Girl is Released.

Today is the official release date for Geek Girl! Many of you know it's been available in a few places for a few weeks now, but as of today it's official.  Here's where you can get it online:

Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
Cedar Fort (Paperback & Ebook)
My Website (Signed Paperback)


You can purchase it at Costco (SL and WVC stores) for the reduced price of $9.99
It's also at several of the Barnes & Noble bookstores

If you can't find it at your local book retailer, just ask! They can order it in for you.

Debra Chapoton, my friend and fellow author, hosts me for an interview on her blog today, Edge of Escape, in celebration of the release of Geek Girl. Thanks to Debbie for that!

Fresh Living

I was interviewed by one of the local TV stations, KUTV Channel 2 on their daily show called Fresh Living hosted by Debbie Worthen and Ron Bird. Click here to watch the interview.

Saturday Signing

Come and see me Saturday at Barnes & Noble for Christmas-palooza

Barnes & Noble
10180 S State St, Sandy, Utah
1-4 pm

with these authors:
Wendy Paul
Laura Powell
Melissa Lemon
Heather Frost

Be sure to save next Saturday, December 10 for the official LAUNCH PARTY!
We'll be having drawings every 10 minutes with lots of Giveaways, and a $25 Grand Prize Eborn Books Gift Certificate.
Must be present for the 10 minute drawings, but no need to be there for the Grand Prize drawing (I'll mail that to you)

Black Friday is Here! However,These Blogs are Anything but Black for Geek Girl!

Today is the final day for what has been an amazing book blog tour for Geek Girl. These are the last 3 blogs on the official tour. The may be last, but they are definitely not least! To see all of the blogs who have participated in the tour, I've put a list with their cute blog buttons to the left side of my blog. Go check these bloggers sites who have been kind enough to share their time and blog space with me on this blog tour.

Ali's Bookshelf: Ali says: "Geek girl is an outstanding piece of fiction... While reading this incredible story, I couldn't get enough of the story and the characters so much so that I was so sad when the story ended. I wanted more!" "I (absolutely) adore the plot of this great book." "I love so much about this great book and I could go on and on about the stuff I loved about it..."

Bibliojunkies: (Review and Interview) Natalie says: "...what do I have to say about Trevor Hoffman? All I can say is move over Peeta Mellark! If you know how much I LOVE Peeta, you will be thoroughly shocked to read this." "Another refreshing message in this story is that being loved by a boy doesn’t solve all of life’s problems...Jen has to learn to love herself and not depend on someone else’s feelings about her to determine her self-worth." "It is a great story that I will be recommending it to my YA loving friends – both young and old."

Book & Movie Dimension: Cassandra says: "This is such a bubbly romantic read... there isn't a moment that wont capture your entire attention." "The romance between a geek and goth type isn't the only thing that will stand out... It will slowly build this warm thump, thump, in your heart." "Jen is such a hilarious girl." "The best part though is that (Trevor's) just really, in fact handsome but chooses his geeky nature. Throughout the story, it becomes really easy to fall in love with Trevor." 

I'm Thankful for All the Blogs who have Participated on My Blog Tour.

Today, These Three Get My Love! (And they all have adorable buttons, too.)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Ttoria: (Review and excerpt) Viktoria says: "My first reaction to this novel as a whole is ‘Awww’. Hardly an astute reaction, but it is fitting." "It was well-written and one which stirred all my emotions at some point or another." "...evolved into the sweetest, most heart-breaking and romantic tale of forgiveness, acceptance and love."

Mommy Wants to Read: Melissa will be giving you her take on Geek Girl on her blog today! You know you want to read it.

Bee's Knees Reviews: See what Samantha has to say about Geek Girl today.

While You're Waiting for the Turkey to Thaw . . . Go Visit the Blogs on Tour Today!

This Great Perhapsless: (Review and Guest Post) Lydia says: "Geek Girl reminded me so much of high school and was really great aside from the predictable bet plot . . . I was so sucked up in the story I didn't care." "Trevor was completely adorkable that of course it was inevitable that Jen fell for him. I highly reccommend this book to everyone if you like a really good feel good book to snuggle up with."

The Magic Attic: Bree reviews Geek Girl, and allows Cindy to write about her first crush - and has a giveaway to boot.

Living, Laughing, Loving, Reading: Stop by to read Mariah's review of Geek Girl!

Let's See What Terrific Blogs are on Tour Today...

Mudrock and Pink Nail Polish: Mandi says: "Beautifully written, Geek Girl is one of those stories you will fall in love with fast." "The author did a wonderful job engaging readers in Jen's story and psyche immediately. Each character is important and adds dimension to the plot." "I recommend Geek Girl for anyone looking for a clean, really fun, and very well-written story. I loved it!" 

All About Me: (Review and Interview) Pamela says:"The most special thing about this book was how it came alive for me. Jen and Trevor were solid characters that felt very true, and because of that, they leaped off the pages." "Geek Girl is a must read for anyone who loves romance, YA, family-orientated fiction or a damn good read. I’m recommending this to anyone who will listen."

Practical Frugality: "What a fantastic YA book. I also think that women of any age, and social status during their high-school years will enjoy this and be able to relate to the story."

Ink Scratchers: Jade says: "Stop smiling Jade. Stop smiling!. . .  Stop enjoying this book!" "I had awww moments and yay moments and I barely made it through this book without looking at the last page to see how it turned out (I would have if it wasn't my kindle that i was reading it on)." "...when we get to the second half, we hear Jen's story, ...the book takes this whole new direction with sweet moments but also a lot of heartbreak."

It's Monday, but That's Not All Bad! At Least, Not for the Geek Girl Blog Tour

Ficticious Musings: (Review and Guest Post and Giveaway) Jennifer says: "Jen and Trevor are definitely in the running for favorite characters of the year in my book." "The emotional quality of Geek Girl is enough to keep you flipping the pages but there is so much more to the story than a bet made between friends." "The only bad thing about Geek Girl is that it ended." Read Cindy's guest post, "Why Geeks Rule the World" and scroll to the bottom for a chance to win your own copy!

Alexa Loves Books: "Trev, in my imagination, was definitely a hot geek -- and since that is just my type, I found that I was constantly swooning over his words, his actions and even his character." "Jen, on the other hand, is definitely a little more complex..." "I was touched and emotionally affected during several moments in the story and it was enough to convince me that I should find a geek of my own to love."

Six Mixed Reviews: Misty says: "Filled with intelligent humor, playful banter, and heart-breaking revelations, Geek Girl is a move-to-the-top-of-your-to-read-list read." "Bennett's writing style is witty and relatable." "Jen and Trevor are delightful together, and the entire cast of characters is well developed in just a few masterful strokes." "Now, I'm off to hunt down Bennett's other book (Heart On A Chain). If you need me, I'll be in my reading chair."