Racing Savannah - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: They’re from two different worlds.
He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.
With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Miranda Kenneally keeps winning me over with every new book she writes. I love that she’s created her own community that has these strong, confident, and fun girls who each have experiences that are empowering. I also think it’s great that she keeps me guessing. She’s not writing to a formula and she’s not doing what’s expected, so it’s fresh contemporary that ultimately just leaves me totally happy. And Savannah’s story has this kind of glow around it that draws you in. 

I’ve been digging all the horse books that seem to be surfacing right now. The horses really become their own characters and it reminds me of how badly I wanted a horse when I was younger. They take a lot of care, so when you have characters who are into horses, they naturally seem more responsible, likeable, and strong than your average character. Savannah is particularly admirable. She just has a good head on her shoulders. I think it’s great that she has some pretty realistic dreams outside of going to college – although college is still in the mix of possibilities. But mostly, I just think it’s awesome how she demands to be treated well. She doesn’t let anyone treat her less than she is and it’s amazing. 

Which brings me to Jack, who could have easily been another spoiled rich kid, but instead he’s hard-working and he doesn’t shy away from making big decisions. He’s asked to take on a lot of responsibility for a teenager and I think he handles it awesomely. Even when I wanted to smack him sometimes, I just adored him and the way his relationship with Savannah unfolded. It seems like a bad idea for them to be together, but you have to love when they go there anyway. 

Also – Corndog’s little brother is a main character in Savannah’s story, which is just awesome. He’s pretty fantastic. I just have to say that it’s wonderful that these books are so jam-packed with great friendships. And then we get glimpses into what’s become of Jordan, Parker, and Kate Kelly which just makes me so giddy. (Although, in a certain instance Miranda drops a bomb about Jordan and Sam Henry, then doesn’t really explain. I’m still hung up on – what happened between them!) But there’s a really great moment where they all come together again and it just makes me giddy. 

Miranda totally killed it with Racing Savannah. Although, Catching Jordan will always have a special place in my heart, she just keeps getting better and better. She’s definitely a must read author for me and I’m so excited for what she’ll write for us next.

Racing Savannah Pre-Order Campaign

They’re from two different worlds, but Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules. . . get the next contemporary novel from blockbuster YA novelist Miranda Kenneally: RACING SAVANNAH!

Right before her senior year, Savannah’s father whisks the family off to Tennessee to work as head groom at fancy Cedar Hill Farms. Savannah finally sees it as the perfect opportunity to earn extra money as an exercise rider—no matter how many others don’t want a girl around the barn.  But she’s also caught the eye of Jack Goodwin, the owner’s son. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries. With her dream of becoming a jockey, Savannah is not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack.

We’ve put together a fun campaign to thank readers for pre-ordering: send us your proof of pre-order and we’ll send you this fabulous horseshoe key chain!

A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally

We have a special offer for U.S. and Canada YA fans for the release of RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally in stores in a little over three weeks! If you pre-order the book, we will send you an exclusive horseshoe key chain—perfect for any busy teen on the go! You have until December 2 or until quantities run out.

Here’s how to get your charm:
1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Racing Savannah Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the horseshoe key chain! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Racing Savannah when it comes out in December!

Optional: take a pic of you and your horseshoe key chain and share it with Miranda Kenneally or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Miranda @mirandakennealy and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.

Things I Can't Forget - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…
This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy… (From Goodreads)

I just love Miranda Kenneally. She made me cry in book about a girl who plays football and she made me totally fall for a dude named Corndog. She's magical. So naturally she's on my automatic-read list and I was so excited when I got my hands on a copy of Things I Can't Forget. I was looking forward to seeing Parker, Will, Jordan, and Sam again and I couldn't wait to see how Miranda would bewitch me this time.

In the acknowledgements, Miranda writes, "With this story, I want to show you (teenagers) that your beliefs matter - no matter who you are or where you come from. Your opinions matter. You matter." This is one of the truest statements, no matter which way you look at it and it's exactly what this book accomplishes. It's what Kate learns and it's what I absorbed by the end of her story.

Kate is struggling with her Christian beliefs in the wake of helping her best friend get an abortion and falling in love for the first time. I'm a little ashamed to admit that Kate drove me crazy at first. She's terribly close minded and some of the things out of her mouth made me a little ragey. But then she begins to separate her beliefs from the way that she loves her family and her friends. She loosens up a bit and she manages to hold on to her convictions while still allowing the people she loves to have their own. It's great. Which makes me sad that I was so hard on her to start out with.

This book doesn't shy away from issues of religion, abortion, and sex - yet it's never overwhelming. The story comes first. I had some traumatic camp experiences. I was always the kid who just wanted to go home. But it was fun to see the councilors, still kind of kids themselves, in this kind of setting. With all the things that went down at this camp, I kind of wonder now what my councilors got up to when we fell asleep. Even with all the crazy stuff that goes down, some awesome relationships form. It was great to see Will (Corndog) being so great to Kate, and to watch Parker forgive Kate for turning her back on Parker with the rest of the church so they could become really good friends.

And Matt. I don't know where Miranda dreams up these boys, but goodness gracious they're wonderful.  Matt does romance right - he tells Kate he likes her, he shows her that he likes her and they are able to build a relationship like normal people do. Nobody is lying, nobody is pretending, and they're actually able to build a healthy relationship. Still, Matt is like a normal boy who freaks out when Kate expresses her issues with sex, and then calms down so they can talk through it. It feels real and it's amazing. I love them together. I don't know if they'll make appearances in any of her future novels like her last two couples have, but I'd love it if they do. I'm curious how their relationship will progress from here.

I can't say enough amazing things about Miranda Kenneally and her books. I'm so happy to say I've loved everything of hers that I've read. Things I Can't Forget left me all happy and smiley. There's importance and value in this story. Kate has something to teach everybody. Everybody. Because I consider myself an open minded person, but I still couldn't help but judge Kate. But her beliefs matter, too. So I'm taking a page from her book and respecting what other people believe. I can stand in my convictions and I can let other people have theirs as well. Read this book. Read any and all of Miranda's books. They could change the way you see other people and she just straight up knows how to tell great stories.

October Top 5

Happy Halloween! So, this month was another crazy one. I also deviated a bit from my blog, if you haven't noticed - it's been quieter than usual this month. This is because I've discovered the joys of New Adult and had myself a bit of a marathon. There will be a post later this week breaking down this marathon, but I'm still all about YA. I did manage to read some amazing books this month between my busy schedule and the NA madness. Here are my top five YA reads in October. 

1. Black City by Elizabeth Richards

This book totally blew me out of the water. It twisted every idea I've ever had about soul mates, vampires, dystopia, life in general...This book is spectacular.

2. Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

SUPERHEROES IN MINNEAPOLIS. Plus, it mentions my home town. OH, yeah, and it's just straight up awesome. 

3. Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Miranda Kenneally writes contemporary fiction like a champ. Stealing Parker completely lived up to the awesomeness of Catching Jordan. I will now officially read anything Miranda writes. Check out my review here.

4. Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Norse mythology, Norway, and a new book crush. This book has everything I want out of a mythological adventure. Read my review here. 

5. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Ok, I'm actually only almost done with this one. But of course, it's epic. This book lives up to book one. And duh, more Noah - always need more Noah. 

What were  your top reads this month? 

Home Run Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway

I'm SO unbelievably excited for all the awesome that's wrapped up in this post. Not only do I have Miranda Kenneally here answering a few of my questions, but thanks to Sourcebooks Fire, I also have a copy of her amazing sophomore novel, Stealing Parker, up for grabs. I love Stealing Parker so much - you can read my review HERE.  If you haven't read either Catching Jordan or Stealing Parker yet, I highly recommend you jump to it as soon as you can. So there's my spiel. Now for my interview with Miranda:

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Since you write for teens, what were you like as a teenager? 

Honestly, I was always getting into some kind of trouble (I lied to my parents that I was going to church and then stole their car and drove to an Aerosmith concert I'd been forbidden to attend) or obsessing over some guy who would never want me -- he poured chocolate milk on me in the cafeteria. :(

I've always been the kind of person who sets her sights on something and doesn't give up, and unfortunately that made me spend way too much time trying to woo the wrong guys. Ugh. I mostly liked school but I couldn't do math for sh!t. I enjoyed spending time with friends. My family didn't have much money, so I spent a lot of time worrying about my clothes and my appearance. I dreamed a lot about making something of my life. I didn't know precisely what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do big things. 

What are some of the challenges you faced writing your second novel that you didn't expect? 

It surprised me that a book's "Hook" came into play so heavily in the sales of my 2-3 books. My publisher wanted the book to have a bit "wow" factor, and they loved the idea of a teen girl getting wrapped up in an inappropriate relationship with the coach of the high school baseball team. 

So I had to write a story based around this "hook" and that isn't so much different than me writing CATCHING JORDAN around the hook of "girl football player wants to win the state championship, but then a hot new guy comes to town and he wants her position."

But I guess the difference is that with STEALING PARKER, I had a deadline, whereas with CATCHING JORDAN I could've written forever. 

The dedication to Stealing Parker is "For all the girls struggling to find their place." What do you hope readers will take away from Parker's story?

I want girls (and guys) to learn that doing something you don't want to do in hopes that it will make other people think differently about you is never going to make you happy. The only way people can be truly happy and find the right path in life is to stay true to themselves. 

This quote from a book has stuck with me for a long time:

"To be perfectly frank, you don't quite look like yourself. And if you walk around looking like someone other than who you are, you could end up in the wrong job, the wrong friends, who knows what all. You could end up with somebody else's whole life." 

-A Home at the End of the World

Your books have such great secondary characters. Who was your favorite to write and why?

Two characters have given me all sorts of trouble! Sam Henry and Corndog (Will Whitfield). When I started writing, I had planned for Jordan to end up with Ty Green. But then Henry just started taking over the book! He would just appear in scenes and do something silly, and by the time I was halfway done with the book, I realized that Henry loved Jordan, and I didn't even know it! The same thing happened with Corndog. I wasn't even expecting his character. He just drove up an a lawnmower one day and he was in the book to stay. 

Congrats on the release of Stealing Parker! Now we're all anxiously awaiting book three! Can you dish on Things I Can't Forget?

Here are a few juicy tidbits:

1) The main character of Things I Can't Forget was mentioned in Stealing Parker. Her name is Kate Kelly.

2) The love interest, Matt, is by far the HOTTEST of any of the guys I've created so far. (In my opinion anyway.)

3) Parker and Will Whitfield are major characters. 

4) Jordan Woods throws a crazy 4th of July party at her house by Lake Jordan.

5) Jake Reynolds, the pervy guy who was always hitting on Jordan in Catching Jordan, is back, and he tries to pick up Kate Kelly using a ridiculous pick-up line.

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Find Miranda online: Twitter :: Facebook :: Website :: Blog

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And now, I have a copy of Stealing Parker, courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire. This is US/CAN only. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stealing Parker - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.
After her family's scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back. (From Goodreads)

Miranda Kenneally completely won me over with Catching Jordan. So I already knew how much I was going to love Stealing Parker. I had absolutely no doubts that it would be anything less than spectacular. So I'll just declare it now - Dear Miranda Kenneally, I am a super fan of yours for life. I will read anything you write. Love, Hannah.

Parker is a character who rings as one of the truest YA characters I've read in a long time. She's making up things as she goes, she's trying to fit in, and she's following her heart (or her hormones, either one...) even when it leads down some pretty sketchy paths. She also has some issues with being dragged to church and having some questions about religion and God. I cannot even express how well this was handled. Religion can be touchy in books, but it is so naturally a part of Parker's life that it's not preaching, it's not a focus, it's just part of who she is.

Back to those paths that Parker is on though - I absolutely adore that Parker is able to go down these paths and then she recognizes her mistakes and she FIXES them. She doesn't keep going because she has no choice. She stops, evaluates, and executes. She gets off the path, or she turns around and tries it some other way. And she does it HERSELF. There's no boy here saving her - she makes decisions and then keeps going. But of course, she's a teenager, so all of these moments where she's making a choice are intensely charged with emotions or hormones. She's such a teenager - and although there are very few similarities between my life and Parker's - she really reminds me of how I was at that age. Which is the same magic that Miranda brought to Jordan's character.

And ok. The whole falling for the coach thing - a little skeevie. I mean, he's dreamy, for about five minutes. It's the premise for the novel, but what makes this book worth reading is watching Parker heal and connect with the people around her. I love the secondary characters in this book. It is a book about baseball/softball so there are a few jocks popping in and out of the pages. I love the way they're portrayed. They have a bit of an edge, but they're all pretty soft inside. The scenes with Parker and the baseball team were just hilarious.

There are some really great things going on with Parker's family as well. And by great, I mean great for the story. The dynamics there are complex and they are shifting through the entire book. There's also an underlying commentary on religion and sexuality going on (which again is anything but preachy or in your face). There are some things in here that just need to be said and need to be read.

If it's not obvious, I love this book. And I'm beyond excited for Things I Can't Forget. I have an interview with Miranda that will be up in a couple days and she may or may not dish on her next book. So watch out for that!

Catching Jordan - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.


This isn't a crying book, but I cried through it. I'm a sappy person and I used to cry at every movie, but I've gotten a lot better over the years. Not to mention, books have to work a lot harder to make me cry. That said, this book just affected me. To use the football analogy appropriate for this book - I finished this book feeling like I'd been blindsided and sacked. Seriously. It hit me so hard. Mostly because, minus the whole playing football (I'm a wimp when it comes to football - even flag football in high school gym terrified me - if I played football, I'd be so broken...) the situations in this book hit very close to home. I identified with Jordan so much - even though I didn't play football, surround myself with boys, or have a famous dad who didn't notice me. I felt like her trials and triumphs were my own - and while they didn't exactly merit the tears - they still brought them out. Mostly because Jordan had better luck than I did. 


Even though I didn't play, football games were one of my favorite things about high school. My senior year we had a great football team, and our small little town was so proud of them. We followed them to every away game and some of my favorite memories were the road trips and watching them play. I loved reading this and flipping nostalgically through my memories of senior year. 


While this book nailed the emotional aspects, evoked my memories, and was just a really great story - what pushed it from really great to fan-freaking-tastic was that it wasn't what I expected. Any time I thought it was going one way, suddenly it would take another turn. I never really knew where Jordan was heading, even though I thought I had a handle on her and the people around her. Jordan was a fresh voice in YA, the boys-girl - and this provided a whole new look into high school life, into understanding the mystery that are boys- and even a new aspect of looking and friendship, family, and love. I adore this book, it makes me smile now, even if I cried through it (like all the best memories). It represents all the things that were great about my own senior year of high school.