Cover Reveal - Precious Things by Stephanie Parent

Precious Things by Stephanie Parent

Expected Release Date: May 2013

Cover Designed by: Allie Brennan of B Design

Cover reveal organized by: YA Bound

Summary from Goodreads:
Isabelle Andrews isn't supposed to be here. She isn't supposed to be a freshman at Hartford Community College, she isn't supposed to be living at home and working at her dad's failing bakery, and she definitely isn't supposed to be taking Intro to Electronic Music Production, a class that will get her nowhere toward her goal of an English Ph.D. by age twenty-five. But when her dad's latest business fiasco eats up her college fund, Hartford Community College is exactly where Isabelle finds herself - and thanks to her late enrollment, she doesn't even get to choose her classes. Stuck with Electronic Music and way-too-easy English courses, Isabelle is determined to wallow in all the misery she feels entitled to.

But community college brings some unexpected benefits...like the fact that a certain overworked, over-scheduled Electronic Music professor hands over most of his duties to his teaching assistant. His tall, green-eyed, absolutely gorgeous teaching assistant. When TA Evan Strauss discovers Isabelle's apathy toward electronic music - and, well, all music - he makes it his mission to convert her. The music Evan composes stirs something inside Isabelle, but she can't get involved - after all, she'll be transferring out as soon as possible.

Still, no matter how tightly Isabelle holds on to her misery, she finds it slipping away in the wake of all Hartford Community offers: new friendships, a surprisingly cool poetry professor, and most of all, Evan. But Evan's dream of owning his own music studio is as impractical as Isabelle's dad's bakery, and when Evan makes a terrible decision, everything Isabelle has gained threatens to unravel. Soon Isabelle discovers that some of the most important lessons take place outside the classroom...and that in life, as in Evan's favorite Depeche Mode song, the most precious things can be the hardest to hold on.

About the author:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Links: Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

Book Blitz & Excerpt - Forty Days by Stephanie Parent

Forty Days (Neima’s Ark, Book One) by Stephanie Parent

Release Date: 02/12/13

Publisher: Stephanie Parent

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

Summary:

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman.  For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth.  He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge.  But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts.  And doesn’t stop. 

Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril.  Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, Forty Days is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

Forty Days is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story.  It does contain a cliffhanger ending.Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that Forty Days may not appeal to them.  The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

Excerpt:

Mouths are moving, people must be screaming, the trembling goats beside me must be squealing, but the only sounds left in the world are the crash of water and wind and the boom of thunder.  I urge the goats forward, but as soon as they find their footing they slip again, and I do as well.  It takes all my attention just to make some slow progress toward the ark, dragging the goats behind me, and I have to narrow my eyes against the increasingly sharp barbs of the raindrops.  So I don’t even try to see what’s going on with my father and Noah, Munzir and the ruined fire.  And I don’t see the shape approaching me as I stumble onward, till I’m only a few steps from the ark’s open doors—

—and a cold, wet hand grabs my arm.

It’s Jorin, his eyes wide and his lips moving furiously, though I can’t make out a single word.  I try to pull away from him and he just comes closer, his mouth moving even faster; every minute facet of his expression beseeches me to listen, to understand.  I’m doing my best to hold on to my anger against him, but it’s slipping away, a mere gust of hot air that means nothing as the world breaks into pieces around us.  And then I no longer care what he’s saying; I only want to tell him: Go back, now, while you can still cross the river.  I hope your home is strong.  Stay safe.

I must be speaking aloud, for Jorin’s lips have stopped moving and he’s leaning even closer, as though he can pluck my words out of the wind.  Then a hand grabs my other arm—Father.  He takes the goats’ tethers from me and pulls me away from Jorin, into the ark.  And I let him.

About the author:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Cover Reveal - Forty Days by Stephanie Parent

Forty Days (Neima’s Ark, Book One)

By Stephanie Parent

Release Date: 02/12/13

Genre: YA

Cover Artist: Najla Qamber

Summary from Goodreads:

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman.  For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth.  He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge.  But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts.  And doesn’t stop. 

Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril.  Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, Forty Days is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

Forty Days is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story.  It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that Forty Days may not appeal to them.  The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

About the Author:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Author Links:

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Blog Tour Stop: Review + Giveaway: Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent

Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent 

Release Date: July 30, 2012
Publisher: Stephanie Parent
Source: Gifted by author
Links: Amazon / Goodreads

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners' tree than in class...

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other...until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play's theme of love of first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don't always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed's comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd - and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes - but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia's and Reed's families even further apart...and Julia must decide whether she's willing to give up everything for love.

Defy the Star is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel's combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and forma that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare's play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.

As I first started reading, I found myself clicking with the protagonist, Julia. Julia is the good girl who always seems to do what she's told and doesn't question her parent's choices for her. The only thing she's passionate about is the piano and she spends the majority of her time either playing it or inside her own head. I felt some sort of a camaraderie with her and I was things to go right for her and I became her biggest cheerleader. When she meets Reed, I was so excited. Good girl meets bad boy and they fall in love is such a cliche story line, but I love it. Reed is a dark, broody and mysterious guy but he and Julia seems to have this spark that just pull them together.

Now I don't want to spoil what happens but after one night between Julian and Reed, my views of them started to change. I became really disappointed in them and while I tried to keep and open mind, I just expected more from Julia. She transform to this completely different person, she became a whiny, rebellious, crazy mood swings person after always being a smart, rational girl. I also expected a lot from Reed as well, he should have told Julia the first time and for what happens in the end? I was as angry as Julia was. He should have fought for himself and like Julia said "...but you should have tried anyways."

As these changes happened and I tried to put my grown-up wisdom aside, I realize what it was that the author was trying to do. Julia was this adult-like teenager that when she fell in love and started doing things out her norm, she changed. Julia had to trip, fall, and make mistakes so that she would learn for herself and come out stronger. The author created characters where you can see the changes they went through and that it was necessary for them to grow. So I have to give Ms. Parent her credit for creating such a wonderful tragic love story.

Link to tour schedule: http://yabound.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-tour-schedule-defy-stars-by.html

Giveaway Info:

1st prize: $30 gift card from Amazon and an e-book copy of Defy the Stars.

2nd place: 4 e-book copies of Defy the Stars.

Additional Prize: A query letter critique by Stephanie Parent.

All giveaways are open internationally!

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About the Author:
Stephanie Parent is a YA author repped by Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing Program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major.
Contact: Website