3 Year Blogversary Celebration featuring Courtney C. Stevens

   Today I'm here with the amazing Courtney C. Stevens. I really enjoyed her marvelous novel, Faking Normal, because, let's face it, Courtney is a very talented writer and that novel was brilliant.

   Check out her As to my Qs below:

   1) What does YA mean to you?

   I see young adult the same way I see board games. Monopoly is for ages 8 and up. My books are for 12 and up. Publishers are suggesting the bottom age of what is appropriate. Everyone else is fair game. From braces to dentures, jump on board if the story resonates with you.

   2) Since this is a blogversary, is there anything you'd like to say to the blogging community and are there any blogs you like/follow?

   The blogging community has been very kind to me. Please know that your words have power. We are all doing the same thing--putting our words in the world and hoping they have transformative power. Thank you for using that transformative power on me.

   3) Could you tell us something about yourself and your books?

   Here is five sentence story about me:

   One of my first memories is jumping off the high dive at the local pool.

   I cried.

   I jumped anyway.

   I was three.

   Go forth and do likewise.

   If you like these five sentences, you'll probably like my books.

   Thank you so, so much to Courtney for coming and answering my questions. What do you guys think of them? Also, have you read her book? If not you totally should give it a chance!

   The next post will be up July 11th and feature the next awesome author.

   Thank you so much for reading!

Writing retreat with Courtney C. Stevens & mini interview

   Hey guys!
   I'm calling out to all the writers! The wonderful Courtney C. Stevens, author of Faking Normal and The Lies about the Truth (Out November 3rd) has reached out to me and a bunch of other bloggers to raise your attention toward a writers retreat she is holding. She

wrote a wonderful post about it, which you guys should most definitely check out, over on her blog which made me really want to go, but as non US resident that's a bit tricky which is why I'm telling you guys about. I'm sure there are others like me out there, aspiring authors who could benefit from attending such a retreat. The MadCap Retreat will also be featuring guest writers such as Victoria Schwab (Vicious, A Darker Shade of Magic and many more), Tessa Gratton, and Natalie C. Parker. How much better can it get?

   Head on over to the MadCap Retreat website and have a look around. If you're worried about financing there is an amazing opportunity waiting for you! Help us spread the word about the retreat and then enter this contest (which runs from June 15th-June 20th) to win a $300 coupon for the retreat! There are three of them in total which is amazing. There are also a couple other awesome prizes up for grabs as well! Check it out:

   1- 50 page manuscript critique by Courtney C. Stevens
   3- signed copies of Faking Normal (U.S./Canada Only)
   1- ARC of The Lies About Truth (U.S./Canada Only)
   5 - electronic copies of The Blue Haired Boy

   Furthermore, Courtney has taken a bit of her time to answer three writer and marketing related questions for you guys. Isn't she amazing?

   1) What do you think is the most important part in the process of creating a story?
   In my opinion, the idea itself. It must be worth pursuing. Good writing and great characters cannot rescue a bad idea. The idea is the lid of the whole project and every other part of the story exists beneath it.

   2) What tip could you give others who might be facing a dry season, so to speak, during their writing process? Taking a break or pushing through? Something entirely different?
   I have several pieces of advice for this, because a dry season isn't one-size-fits-all.
   a) Check your story intake. Are you seeing art? Watching great t.v.? Reading amazing books. Eavesdropping on conversations at the mall? I firmly believe that output relies on intake. The creative well isn't spring fed; it's transported one bucket at a time.
   b) Change the instrument. If you write on a computer, pick up a notebook. If you write on Microsoft Word, download Scrivener. If you write with a notebook, try a laptop. If you usually write in a nook in your house, take your phone and transcribe story into the notes section. I've found that change is the reset button for me.
   c) Take a life analysis. Sometimes a writing problem isn't a writing problem; it's a life problem. I find that I often put down in words something I'm struggling with, and then I get stuck in my writing, because I'm actually stuck in my life. I don't know how to write the end, because I haven't lived it yet. So I advise doing a quick evaluation to see where the actual problem lies.

   3) What are the key elements of a good book marketing campaign? Is there something like a secret recipe or does it all depend and vary from book to book?
   The key element of any great marketing campaign is making champions of either your work or yourself, and I advise the latter.
   There is no secret recipe. The closest thing I've discovered is adopting this mantra: no one is more invest in selling my book than me. What will I do today to make that happen?

   This is an amazing opportunity for all writers out there so take a chance who knows, you might win more then just a coupon but loads of wonderful insights from amazing authors. And, while you're at it, don't forget to check out Courtney's books. I've read Faking Normal last year and adored it.

Top 14 Books of 2014

   Hey guys!
   The year is almost over, only a few more hours are left (at least in my time zone) and so I thought it would be the perfect time to finally talk about my favorite 14 books I've read in 2014. These are not necesserily books that have been published in 2014. They are simply taken out of the 58 books I've read in the past year. If you follow my blog and BookTube channel the book that is on my place nr. 1 will definitely not surprise you.
Anyway, let's get to the list!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 #14 - Riot by Sarah Mussi
   This was a great action packed read set in the near future (2018).  I enjoyed it a whole lot and that cover is amazing!

#13 - Erased by Margaret Chatwin
   So good! This is a not very known YA Contemporary with an amazing and very realistic plotline. The protagonist is a great guy and the things he goes through are great and heartbreaking at time, too.

#12 - Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
   A fun read with hot aliens. I enjoyed Jennifer L. Armentrouts writing a lot and the way Katy and Deamon "function" together is brilliant and funny and super entertaining.

#11 - Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski
   This was the only adult book I read in 2014 and, oh boy, was it amazing! At the same time it was a hard read as it deals with quite a few hard topics and violent scenes but all in all it's a great read but definitely not for those who are not adults yet.

#10 - To all the boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han
   My first Jenny Han book and I loved it! It's a cute YA contemporary with a lovable protagonist and a funny and cute plotline. Can't wait for the sequel to finally come out!

#9 - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
   My first fantasy book in a very long time. I had an amazing time reading this. I love the protagonist because she is just so smart and witty and stays true to herself no matter what. And Sarah J. Maas' writing style is brilliant!

#8 - Slated Trilogy by Teri Terry
   This was a great trilogy which I simply couldn't put down once I started it. I love the different take on the dystopian society with slating terrorists and criminals as means of giving them a second chance. Following Kyla was great and seeing the pieces come together in the end was mind-blowing.

#7 - Ruin by Rachel van Dyken
   A very emotional and amazing read. The two main characters were very lovable and I enjoyed reading about them a lot. Though this book was a little predictable at times it was still exactly what I wanted it to be.

#6 - 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
   This was so creepy! When I first picked it up I was simply sold on the whole moon part but I totally did not expect the direction this book went in. I definitely couldn't read this one at night (I'm usually not a scardy-cat but this book!). If you are looking for a really creepy book that will blow your mind and happens to play on the moon, well, this is exactly what you are looking for!

#5 - Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
   Very beautiful and philosophical with two very lovable characters and a fantastic ending.

#4 - Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
   Witty, funny and all round amazing! I have not enjoyed a Vampire book in a long time but this series had be hooked since page one. And, Dimitri! Enough said.

#3 - Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
   Another book that deals with complicated topics but is just fantastic. The writing is beautiful and the two main characters are very unique and great.

#2 - The Martian by Andy Weir
   Much Mars. Such science. Very fun. I finished this book only a few days ago but it was just so brilliant that it simply had to be on this list and on place number two.

#1 - The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
   Amazing finale to the Mara Dyer trilogy. I love this story, the characters and Michelle Hodkin's writing. She is among my top 3 favorite authors and I will definitely read anything and everything she writes. I could not wish for a better ending to this trilogy.

   And that was it. These are my favorite 14 reads of 2014. I am very curious what reads await me in 2015. Tell me in the comments below, or tweet me (@Alice_Reeds), what books made it onto your guy's lists of favorite books.

   I hope you're having a fantastic day and see you guys in 2015!
   Cheerio!

August Wrap Up + September TBR

   August ended up being more of a reading month then I expected it. Surprisingly enough I didn't buy any books this month but I ended up reading 6 books and 1 novella.

    Books read:

• These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner [4 Stars]
• Anna and French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins [5 Stars]
• Die for Me by Amy Plum [3 Stars]
• Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins [1 Star]
• Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens  [5 Stars]
• My soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent [3.5 Stars]
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins [3.5 Stars]

    Books acquired:

• None

    ~ In Progress ~

• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• Isola by Isabel Albedi
• The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
• The Merciless by Danielle Vega
• Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

   Next month two books will finally come out that I've been dying to read, so that is pretty awesome. And also I've actually decided to film a September TBR video, which you can see here:

   And that's it for this post. Sorry that it's not as long as my usual Wrap Up's.

   Cheerio!