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!