Day Two: Michelle Krys (HEXED)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutante Profile

Name – Michelle Krys

Debut – Hexed 

Publisher - Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books

Genre – Paranormal 

Website– HERE

Facebook -  HERE

Twitter - HERE

Michelle Krys lives with her husband and son in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She works part-time as a NICU nurse and spends her free time writing books for teens. Michelle is probably not a witch, though she did belong to a witchcraft club in the fifth grade and "levitated" people in her bedroom, so that may be up for debate. Hexed is her first novel. Visit her at michellekrys.com or follow @MichelleKrys on Twitter.

Dream Debutante Dress -  

"I never get the chance to get dressed up, so I’m so excited to be part of the 2014 Debutante Ball! My dream debutante dress is the red Elie Saab gown that Taylor Swift wore to the 2012 Billboard awards. It’s sexy, fun, modern, and it’s long enough that I can probably get away with wearing flip-flops underneath it. WIN."

Notes from a YA Debutante

10 Random Facts About Me:

1. I have an identical twin sister. I’m thinking this will be especially handy during book promotion when I can send Brandy out to do all my public speaking events. (I'm so mind blown right now... THATS SO AWESOME)

2. I’ve lived on my own since I was 16. I don’t advise it if you like food and clothing and shelter and stuff.

3. I once went to a house party in Hollywood with Justin Bobby from The Hills.

4. I’m a huge celebrity gossip junkie and have more knowledge on Leanne Rimes’ cheating scandal than anyone should ever feel proud of. (My sisters are just as bad. One memorable Thanksgiving dinner was spent debating Usher’s custody war with ex-wife Tameka.)

5. The first time I drove a car was when I drove my boyfriend’s mom’s Toyota around the parking lot of the DMV before taking my driver’s test. PASSED IT.

6. Family and friends used to call me Elaine because whenever I get excited about something I shove someone in the chest and yell, “GET OUT!”(Also maybe I’m not so good at dancing . . .)

7. My previous jobs include: Telemarketer, McDonald’s burger flipper, Seattle Coffeehouse barista, and Econolodge front desk clerk. Because of my job at the Econolodge, I’m especially good at breaking up parties, expertly folding towels, dodging drunken advances, and keeping a straight face when middle-aged men stutter out their excuses as to why they need a hotel room at 3 a.m. in the same town as is listed on their driver’s license.

8. The first boy I ever kissed was a random guy I chose for practice so I wouldn’t be terrible at it when I kissed my crush. (That’s me, full of great ideas!)

9. I avoid opening bills for as long as possible, until I have piles of unopened envelopes as tall a toddler and my sister’s like, “Um, aren’t you going to pay those?” I will. Just not now (read earlier: great ideas).

10. My full name is Michelle Kristie Krys. So . . . 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookie's Note: First mystery debutante is revealed! AND SHE HAS AN IDENTICAL TWIN SISTER (I still can't even. Nup). Make sure to come back tomorrow for the second half of Michelle's feature where she gives us the insider's scoop on HEXED. Oh and there is a giveaway! :P

Badass Bookie xx

Read More

The 2014 Debutante Event!

SURPRISE! I bet many of you didn't even think this was going to happen this year but it is happening and it's starting tomorrow! While last year, I was completely organised and had everything planned out MONTHS in advance, this year was literally a rush job (I don't know which one was more of a disaster this year or two years ago...)! I didn't even know I was going to host this event until two weeks ago and then I had end of school chaos to deal with along with finding debutantes (which is harder than it sounds because I'm SO out of the loop I didn't even know what books were coming out next year) and then I had to brief in all my debs etc etc etc! 

HOWEVER WE SHALL PREVAIL. And we did. Sorta. Lemme explain -

Essentially NOTHING is changing with this year. We have 12 wonderful debutantes. We are going to have 25 days of an absolutely amazingly awesome time where you guys get to meet some of next year's debutantes and learn more about them and their books! THEY ARE GIVING AWAY BOOKS. That's right - 12 GIVEAWAYS. 

WHO ARE THESE DEBUTANTES? 

That's a secret I'll never tell.  Just kidding, here's the list -

Lindsay Cummings ( The Murder Complex)

Michelle Krys (Hexed)

Julie Murphy (Side Effects May Vary)

Kristi Helvig (Burn Out) 

Melissa Landers (Alienated)

Emily Lloyd-Jones (Illusive)

Emery Lord (Open Road Summer)

Elle Cosimano (Nearly Gone) 

Bethany Hagen (Landry Park)

Lynne Matson (Nil)

Anne Blankman (Prisoner of the Night and Fog)

Courtney C. Stevens (Faking Normal)

WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE? -

THE SCHEDULE

1st - Introduction to Event ( You're Reading It!)
2nd - MYSTERY
3rd - MYSTERY
4th - MYSTERY
5th - MYSTERY
6th - MYSTERY
7th - MYSTERY
8th - MYSTERY
9th - MYSTERY
10th - MYSTERY
11th - MYSTERY
12th - MYSTERY
13th - MYSTERY
14th - MYSTERY
15th - MYSTERY
16th - MYSTERY
17th - MYSTERY
18th - MYSTERY
19th - MYSTERY
20th - MYSTERY
21st - MYSTERY
22nd - MYSTERY
23rd - MYSTERY
24th - MYSTERY
25th - MYSTERY

( I told you this year was badly organised! I have a 10 couple of posts scheduled already but I didn't think it was fair to post only HALF a schedule up so I just decided to not post any of it up. Sue me. I'M RECKLESS LIKE THAT)

Please remember to leave lots of lovely comments for the authors and to spread the word about the event! We want to get as many people involved in this fantastic Christmas spectacular! 

AND SO! LET THE 4th ANNUAL DEBUTANTE EVENT BEGIN!

Badass Bookie xx

Read More

Jump BLOG TOUR: Review + Giveaway

As part of the Australian Blog Tour for Sean William's latest YA novel, Jump, I have a review and giveaway for y'all today! Super excited to review this book because not only is Jump (published as Twinmaker in the US) one of the books I was most looking forward to this year but after finishing the book (literally ten minutes ago), I found myself really enjoying the book as well! Thanks to Allen and Unwin for the review copy, the blog tour and the giveaway (you guys are amazing!)

Review

(Goodreads) You can be Improved....

In a near-future world in which technology can transport you anywhere instantly, can a coded note enable you to change your body—to become taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair is pretty sure the offer is too good to be true. But her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try, longing for a new, improved version of herself.

What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious—but powerful—stranger called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.

The Short Story? - One of my favourite reads of this year! I went into Jump not knowing what to expect but finished the book thoroughly enjoying the content between the covers! An interesting and engaging take science fiction, cloning, DNA mojo and an utopian dictatorship, Jump was a thrilling and action-packed adventure. A fast-paced chase across the country, William's clever and intense plot leaves readers on the edge of their seats. A great protagonist with a brilliant mind, a mysterious ally and a race against time to save the world, Jump is definitely one of the cleverest science fiction novels! 

The Long Story? - This is my kind of book. Action-packed, intense and fast-paced yet at the same time, incredibly thought provoking and clever. One of the highlights of the novel for me was the complexity of the ideas behind the technology. IT WAS SO CLEVER. The whole idea of cloning, teleportation and how we can be genetically mutated without our own knowledge every time we teleport is such a fascinating yet plausible theory. I'm not an expert in genetics and DNA mutation but William's take on the classic science fiction idea was thoroughly enjoyed. The other aspect of the plot I very much enjoyed was the chase. Clair, our protagonist, was chased all across the country by clones wanting to kill her, she makes unlikely allies on the way and learns that sacrifice and death is a necessity of life and on top of that, she's on a race against time to save her best friend. It's a highly complex plot and although I didn't exactly get lost, there are certain points in the novel where I felt myself falling behind. Jump is definitely one of those novels that you need to concentrate while reading or else you'll be left confused and unsatisfied.

Throughout the novel, we meet briefly meet a number of characters however most of them come and go very quickly (either they die or they're left behind) therefore leaving the characterisation to be a little empty. However the characterisation of our protagonist was fantastic. I loved Clair as a character, she was smart, responsible yet at the same a badass and master strategist. Where she lacked in physical combat, she made up for with her quick wits and fast thinking. Another constant for the duration of the novel was, Q, mysterious and revealed only at the very end for who she really is, I absolutely loved Q as a character. She was so sincere and the lengths she went to protect Clair were admirable. Jesse was also a character that accompanied Clair from the start to the very end, although there was some attraction between the two I wouldn't really call it a romance, perhaps the beginning of a romance? Overall, the characterisation was well done, a fantastic protagonist, her two constant companions and a body count that follows them!

Although the reviews of Jump have been mixed, I'm definitely on the lover's side for this book. Well written, clever and exciting, William's did an excellent job incorporating science, adventure, drama and action together. Unique, Jump is unlike any other science fiction novel that I've ever read and for those of you who are sick of the dystopian and science fiction cross-over, I highly recommend Jump because it's a solid science fiction novel. Thoroughly enjoyable, I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes Clair and her friends!

What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck/ Squeeze into the Budget

Sean has also created a fantastic Youtube video about D-mat (which is the fascinating technology behind cloning and the DNA mutation I was raving about in my review!)

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Jump, I'm giving away copies of Jump! Thanks to Allen and Unwin, I have THREE (3) COPIES of JUMP by Sean Williams to giveaway to Australian Residents (sorry to my international readers but publisher's request!).

- AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY

- Ends 1st of December

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on this review

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Allen and Unwin on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

Read More

COVER REVEAL: Embers and Ash by Ted Goeglein

Guys, do you realise that I've posted four days in a row? I feel so proud of myself for actually sitting down and scheduling posts! *pats back* Today, I'm coming to you with a cover reveal! EMBERS AND ASH (August, 2014) by Ted Goeglein is the third and final book in the COLD FURY trilogy from Penguin Books. If you're a long time bookie, you would know that I absolutely loved the first book in the series! I do have a copy of the second but I'm yet to get around to reading it (my TBR is HUGE and my reading speed is really, really, realllllly slow this year). Anyhow, enjoy the pretty cover!

Previous Books - 

 

YAY FOR MATCHING COVERS!

Check Out T.M. Goeglein ( Hands down, one of the most awesome authors ever!) - Website | Blog | Twitter | Youtube | Facebook

Badass Bookie xx

Read More

Banish

Review Time! Banish is the YA debut novel of Australian author, Nicola Marsh, I was actually part of the blog tour for Banish (you can check out my posts - HERE) and I read Banish so I can post my review up with the blog tour post, CLEARLY that didn't happen because I was too busy (and lazy) to write it but I'm sitting down today to write it! You can purchase a copy of Banish from Fishpond | Booktopia | The Nile | Bookworld. Thanks to HarlequinTeen for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Alyssa has one week to destroy her enemy, save her spirit... and save her soul.

After her ex-boyfriend commits suicide and her mum’s alcoholism sparks yet another psychotic episode, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Wood flees her small hometown of Broadwater and heads to New York City to stay with her bohemian aunt — a Wicca High Priestess.

Alyssa revels in the anonymity of a big city and her new life. Her grades climb, she has a new best friend, and a new guy: the sexy geek Ronan — a saxophone player who prefers jazz to pop.

But her newfound peace is soon shattered when she sees a dead body in one of Ronan’s music clips — and she’s the only one who can see it. Worse still, Alyssa recognises the body that has been murdered a week forward!

Alyssa doesn’t believe in the supernatural...despite her family’s Wicca background. So how will she overcome evil when it’s closer than she thinks?

The Short Story? - For me, Banish was little bit of a hit and miss. There were completely amazing parts and then parts that just fell flat. The plot was interesting however some parts were poorly executed and even though the book was a reasonably quick read, the pace was quite slow. However the characterisation was good, the backstory was interesting and the twist at the end - DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! A solid debut, I can't wait to see where the sequel takes us!

The Long Story? - I didn't exactly love this book but I can't say I didn't like it either. I liked the plot, it was interesting, the mystery aspect and the psychopath aspect really gave the book a killer punch (haha!). However I can't help but feel like the plot has been done before, it's a little bit of a supernatural cliche. Girl doesn't like magic, meets boy and falls in love, supernatural murderer on the loose, girl discovers her powers, embraces power. Marsh added her own touches but for me, it was a generic YA supernatural/paranormal plot. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it but I've read this kind of plot so any times, it's just not the kind of novel that will stick with me for a long time. That said, the ending was amazing, throughout the novel readers are left in the dark about how is this crazy psychopath and while I'm usually pretty good at picking out the hidden bad guys, I just couldn't get this one! Definitely wasn't one of the best plots I've read however the story was beautifully written!

The characterisation was good, like the plot, the protagonist was a little bit of a hit and miss as well. Sometimes she was badass and completely awesome however there were other parts of the novel in which she came off as whiny and a little bratty. Alyssa wasn't someone I could relate to therefore I couldn't really connect with her however I liked how Marsh gave her a backstory ( a pretty traumatising one at that) because it gave her a softer edge and opened me up to accepting her a little more. Ronan was a great character, I liked how Marsh stepped away from the typical popular, jock with a big heart stereotype for a love interest and instead picked an adorable, older and geeky one instead. It's more realistic and honestly, cute geeks are more appealing when you're addressing a bunch of book nerds right? I thought Alyssa and Ronan were really cute together, they had their rough patches but somehow they worked together. A good balanced love story!

In the end, would I recommend Banish to everyone? Yes I would however it definitely wouldn't be the first book I recommend. The series (at least I think it's a series, the ending suggest it is) definitely has potential and I can only see the quality of the story going up from here. It was a quick and enjoyable read, not as unique as I hoped it would be however stunning cover and a mind-blowing ending! Marsh's debut is a supernatural thriller with a killed edge, can't wait to see how Alyssa will grow as her adventures continue!

What's it Worth? - Squeeze Into the Budget

Badass Bookie xx 

Read More