Celebrating Debutantes 2017: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Hi guys! I'm featuring another playlist on Fragments of Life for #CelebratingDebutantes2017. Chelsea will share about her playlist for The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, which was released January of this year! Stick around for a special giveaway at the end!

Hawthorn wasn't trying to insert herself into a missing person's investigation. Or maybe she was. But that's only because Lizzie Lovett's disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don't happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she'll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie's disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously...at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie's life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie's boyfriend. After all, it's not as if he killed her-or did he?

Told with a unique voice that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, Hawthorn's quest for proof may uncover the greatest truth is within herself.

1. Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie by Belle & Sebastian



The main character of the HUNDRED LIES OF LIZZIE LOVETT is Hawthorn Creely, a book nerd who sees herself as an awkward social outcast. This being the case, Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie could be her theme song.

2. Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival



The book begins with popular, beautiful Lizzie Lovett disappearing—during a full moon. Soon enough, Hawthorn finds herself oddly obsessed with the missing persons case. Not only does Bad Moon Rising make me think of the night Lizzie disappears, it’s also an omen for the trouble Hawthorn is about to find herself in.

3. Psycho Killer by Talking Heads


After Lizzie goes missing, rumors begin to circulate that she was murdered by her boyfriend, Enzo. When Hawthorn meets and befriends Enzo, people are aghast—after all, he’s most likely a serial killer.

4. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division


Hawthorn never believes Enzo is a killer, though. She’s convinced he’s nothing but a sad guy who misses his girlfriend—the kind of person who makes art while listening to angsty music (like Love Will Tear Us Apart, which is playing at his apartment one evening) not the kind of person who murders women in the woods.

5. You're Nobody til Somebody Loves You by Dean Martin


Hawthorn remarks at one point that old music sounds haunted to her. This song would fit the bill. Added bonus: the fictional town where THE HUNDRED LIES OF LIZZIE LOVETT takes place is based on the real life hometown of Dean Martin, Steubenville, Ohio.

6. I'd Love to Change the World by Ten Years After


Though Hawthorn is obsessed with Lizzie Lovett’s disappearance, there are other things concerning her. Such as the hippie caravan that’s taken up residence in her backyard. The leader of the caravan, Sundog, spent his youth listening to quintessential hippie songs like I'd Love to Change the World. (Maybe not much has changed—Hawthorn would love to change the world too.)

7. People are Strange by The Doors


From hippies to potential killers, Hawthorn meets a lot of strange people on her journey to solve Lizzie’s disappearance. Though, in all honesty, Hawthorn might just be the strangest of them all.

8. Personality Crisis by New York Dolls


Throughout THE HUNDRED LIES OF LIZZIE LOVETT, Hawthorn grapples with who she is and what her path in life should be. Eventually, she begins to think she’s not the only one who’s had these thoughts. Lizzie, the beautiful girl who looks so perfect from the outside, might be battling demons of her own. Hawthorn wonders if perhaps no one is as perfect as they seem, if maybe we all struggle in one way or another.

9. That’s How People Grow Up by Morrissey


Growing up sometimes means facing harsh truths about yourself and the world around you. As she gets deeper and deeper into the mystery surrounding Lizzie’s disappearance, Hawthorn discovers more about herself and the people around her—and not all of it is easy to accept.

10. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by The Animals


As the song goes, Hawthorn’s intentions are good. But even the best intentions can get misconstrued, or end up hurting people. Though her interest in Lizzie’s disappearance begins innocently enough, as Hawthorn gets deeper and deeper involved, her actions have unintended consequences. Though Hawthorn has always felt like an outsider, she’s about to be more misunderstood than ever before.


Thank you, Chelsea!

About the Author:

Chelsea Sedoti fell in love with writing at a young age after discovering that making up stories was more fun than doing her school work (her teachers didn’t always appreciate this.) In an effort to avoid getting a “real” job, Chelsea explored careers as a balloon twister, filmmaker, and paranormal investigator. Eventually she realized that her true passion is writing about flawed teenagers who are also afraid of growing up. When she’s not at the computer, Chelsea spends her time exploring abandoned buildings, eating junk food at roadside diners, and trying to befriend every animal in the world. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where she avoids casinos, but loves roaming the Mojave Desert.

Find Chelsea: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Description:

398 pages
Published January 3rd 2017 by Sourcebooks

A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.

Giveaway

Thanks to Chelsea for sponsoring this giveaway!
What's up for grabs: Signed copy of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
Scope: US + CA

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Get your daily dose of YA and MG debut goodness in #CelebratingDebutantes2017! 

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Celebrating Debutantes 2017: The Good Byline by Jill Orr (Interview + Giveaway)

Hi guys! I hope you're having a good weekend so far! For today, we are featuring an intriguing debut about a library assistant who enjoys reading obituaries. It is quirky and so fresh. I'm interviewing Jill about The Good Byline! Stick around for the special giveaway at the end. :)

For an extra point, you could answer any of these questions: Have you ever tried reading the obituary section before? Have you read anything interesting in it?

What do you feel about scoring a three-book deal?
I was thrilled of course! I had the deal for THE GOOD BYLINE first, but my agent had told my editor that the book was planned as a series. Then a couple of months before BYLINE came out, Prospect Park Books made an offer on the next two in the series! It was such a great vote of confidence!

Since you have three books, are all the stories aligned and planned at this point? How do you outline for a three-book story?
I have a general plan for each book before I start writing and an overarching series plan. So in each book there will be a "stand alone murder" but the main character, Riley, will also be working toward solving the mysterious death of her grandfather. This mystery will unfold bit by bit in each book. For better or worse, I'm not a big planner, but I do at least know a few things going into the writing process.

From your first draft, was Riley always a library assistant? Did her character change throughout various revisions and drafts?
She was always a library assistant, but she definitely changed in other ways as I got to know her better. Because my original spark for her character was someone who was obsessed with obituaries, I thought she was going to be this dark, snarky, melancholy young woman. But as I learned more about real life "obituary enthusiasts" (yes, the exist!) I realized the reading the obits is one of the most life-affirming pursuits out there. People who read obits of people they've never met do so in order to see what made a person's life worth living and what they can learn from someone else's life story. It's pretty sweet, really. So Riley ended up becoming far more optimistic, hopeful, and romantic as I wrote her - which surprised me!

While reading and researching about people enthusiastic and interested about obituaries, did you encounter something interesting?
Oh yes! The most interesting thing about this subculture of people are into obituaries, is that they have their own chat rooms and even their own conferences! There's a book I've read and re-read as research for my own writing called LIFE ON THE DEATH BEAT: LOST SOULS AND LUCKY STIFFS by Marilyn Johnson and it's filled with stories about obituaries and the people who love them. It's fantastic, quirky little book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.

Did you encounter problems while writing the first book, The Good Byline? What are these and why?
Oh I think there are always "problems." Like every other writer on the planet, I have those days where I am certain everything I've written is complete crap and I should just give up and go live in a cave. I also wrote THE GOOD BYLINE before I had an agent or a publisher, so I had no idea if anyone would ever read it, like it, buy it, etc. But those things are all par for the course. I think it's part of the process, albeit not such a fun part, it's also what helps make it so fun when you fight through all of that and make it to the other side.

What is your favorite line from the book? Why did you choose this?
"It was the kind of night that made everything sparkle with possibility... even me." I chose this line because I think this is when we see a glimmer of Riley's emotional growth begin peek through. She's pretty hard on herself and has been in something of a slump when the book opens, so here when we get to see her open herself up to the idea that maybe, just maybe, it's all going to be okay - well, I like that!

Thank you, Jill!

Photo credit: Stephanie Atkinson Photography

About the Author:

Jill Orr lives in Columbia, Missouri, with her husband and two children. She writes humor essays about parenting on her blog, An Exercise in Narcissism. The Good Byline is her first novel in the Riley Ellison mysteries series and was released in April 2017 from Prospect Park Books. Book two (title TBD) will be out Spring 2018!

Find Jill: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Book Description:

Paperback, 280 pages
Published April 11th 2017 by Prospect Park Books

"Who knew obituaries could be this much fun?"
— Gretchen Archer, USA TODAY–bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Capers

Meet Riley Ellison, a quirky young library assistant who has become known in her hometown of Tuttle Corner, Virginia, as Riley Bless-Her-Heart. Riley’s odd habit of living vicariously through people she reads about in the obituary pages hits a little too close to home when she is asked to write one for her childhood best friend, Jordan James. Jordan's unexpected suicide has left Riley desperate to understand why a young woman with so much to live for would suddenly opt out, so she steps out of her comfort zone and into the role of obituary writer.

Things get messy, however, when Jordan’s co-worker, a paranoid reporter with a penchant for conspiracy theories, convinces Riley that Jordan’s death was no suicide. He leads her down a dangerous path toward organized crime, secret lovers, and suspicious taco trucks. Eventually, Riley’s serpentine hunt for the truth leads to a discovery that puts everything she holds dear—her job, the people she loves, and even her life—in danger. Will writing this obituary be the death of her?

Giveaway

Thanks to Jill for sponsoring this giveaway!
Copy of The Good Byline
Scope: US and CA
*If you have a mailing address in US and CA, you may join.

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Get your daily dose of YA and MG debut goodness in #CelebratingDebutantes2017! 

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Celebrating Debutantes 2016: Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig (Author Interview + Giveaway)

Hi guys! #CelebratingDebutantes2016 is coming to an end. We still have a lot of giveaways ongoing so don't miss out! Today I'm interviewing Caleb about Last Seen Leaving. Stick around for the giveaway!


***
Can you tell us about your writing style?In writing LAST SEEN LEAVING, I really wanted to create a main character whose voice would be recognizable and relatable to teenagers. Writing a contemporary teen in the first person meant I could make the narrative relaxed and conversational when it felt appropriate, which was great. It was important to me that the tension keep building throughout (it IS a thriller!) but that it also be balanced out with plenty of humor, so I tried to keep those objectives in mind throughout.

Do you have a writing ritual? Could you tell us about it?I don't have any rituals, per se, although I do tend to wait until later in the day to get started. I do a lot of plotting and problem-solving in my head when I exercise, so I prefer to work out before sitting down to do any writing. Sometimes I listen to a white noise app while I work, and always, always, always I need to have something caffeinated to drink, but that's about it!

You travel a lot. How does this contribute to your writing, in any way? Do you also write while traveling?I love to travel, and the past five years (in particular) have been filled with some really amazing adventures. I've seen places that have been on my bucket list forever (Rome, Monaco, Iceland), and visited ones I knew almost nothing about prior to getting there (Slovenia, the Faroe Islands). I find that I don't generally have the energy to write while I'm traveling, but every trip I go on provides inspiration; every new place I see becomes a possible backdrop for a new story idea.

You mixed the elements of mystery - missing girlfriend - and exploring sexuality. The former tends to lead to a fast-paced chapters, rendering readers palpitating while the latter tends to be (based on my experience as a reader) a luscious contemporary that savors and examines every moment. How did you write the novel and mix these two? How did you find the balance? This is a really interesting question! I definitely like for my thrillers to move quickly; but when digging into a topic as personal as a character's struggle with their sexuality, there also needs to be space for readers to slow down and appreciate the significance of what that character is going through. In the abstract, they might seem like objectives that shouldn't work together, but I have found (both as a reader and a writer) that the introspective personal beats allow readers a chance to breathe in between the big cliffhangers of a good suspense novel -- and that using one mood as a counterpoint to the other can greatly enhance both.

A lot of people commented on Flynn's voice. It seemed to me that while he is struggling with his sexuality, and while he suspected that he might be gay, he was also very much in love with January. He was in between of some sort. How did you establish his voice, to further cement his situation as "in struggle"? A lot of gay and lesbian teenagers who struggle with self-acceptance have relationships with someone of the opposite sex before they're ready to come out. It's a topic that most LGBT youth can relate to, I think, and one that I had a lot to say about. It was very important to me that readers understand that Flynn's relationship with January was not all "fake" or one-sided -- that he truly cared about her very much. I tried to bear that in mind throughout the crafting of the narrative, and to make it clear how deeply Flynn valued his friendship with her, regardless of anything else, and that his affection for her is part of what drives him to search for her when she goes missing.

Did you struggle with any scene or part in specific? How did you handle it? This is a hard question to answer without getting into spoilers, but I'll give it a try! There's a scene where Flynn finds himself alone with January's parents right after they've received some shocking news; this scene was probably the hardest to write, because I had three characters reacting very strongly -- yet very differently -- to the same set of circumstances at the same time. Choreographing these reactions, trying to balance them against each other and keep them real, was tricky. In the end, I essentially had to write the scene three times, once from each character's POV, and then integrate them.

Thank you for sharing, Caleb!

About the Author:

Caleb Roehrig is a writer and television producer originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. A former actor, Roehrig has experience on both sides of the camera, with a résumé that includes appearances on film and TV—as well as seven years in the stranger-than-fiction salt mines of reality television. In the name of earning a paycheck, he has: hung around a frozen cornfield in his underwear, partied with an actual rock-star, chatted with a scandal-plagued politician, and been menaced by a disgruntled ostrich.

Find Caleb: Twitter | Goodreads | Website |

Book Description:

Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication: October 4th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?

Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.

Giveaway

What's up for grabs: Copy of Last Seen Leaving
Scope: US!

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Treat yourself to a complete #CelebratingDebutantes2016 experience. Click the image below for the full schedule and links to the posts!

Celebrating Debutantes 2016: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (Movie Cast + Giveaway)

Hi guys! For today, I am sharing with you the movie cast made by Kerri for her debut novel Stalking Jack the Ripper. We're also giving away a pre-order of Stalking Jack the Ripper - open internationally!

Audrey Rose Wadsworth — is our badass Victorian heroine. As a lord’s daughter, she’s been groomed to be an obedient young lady, but has her own ideas about how a lady may act. When she’s not attending high teas or dress fittings, she’s secretly studying cadavers in her uncle’s forensic laboratory. Once the Ripper begins his murder spree, she’s determined to stop him any way she can. Her ultimate goal is to save other women from such a dark fate, no matter what their status in society is.

Aditi Rao Hydari would be perfect because she was born into two royal lineages, is elegant yet fierce, and just screams Audrey Rose to me. Place a scalpel in her hands and add some Victorian finery, and my main character would spring to life!

Thomas Cresswell — is Audrey Rose’s infuriating partner-in-forensic-loving-crime. He’s mysterious, comes from an equally good family, and harbors plenty of dark secrets of his own. He’s charming and arrogant and constantly goading Audrey Rose into either giving him a kiss, or fighting society restrictions. Most days Audrey Rose can’t decide if she wants to kiss or kill him more.

Douglass Booth would make a great Thomas because there’s something about his smoldering look that can light even the most determined girl’s heart on fire. I think he’d be able to pull off the witty banter and get away with some of the more “impolite” things Thomas says while pushing his own societal boundaries.

About the Author:

Photo credit: Kelli Maniscalco @ Dogwood Lane

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a small town just outside of New York City where her love of the arts was fostered from an early age. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.

STALKING JACK THE RIPPER, her debut YA gothic horror, is coming September 20, 2016 from JIMMY Patterson/Little, Brown. It’s the first in a new series and incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history.

Find Kerri: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Tumblr | Pinterest

Book Description:

Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget

Buy links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Giveaway

What's up for grabs: Pre-order of Stalking Jack the Ripper
Scope: International!

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Treat yourself to a complete #CelebratingDebutantes2016 experience. Click the image below for the full schedule and links to the posts!

Celebrating Debutantes 2016: Holding Court by K.C. Held (Playlist + Giveaway)

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's Kristen, also known as KC Held, will be taking over Fragments of Life to discuss her playlist. This is the first ever playlist post on the blog so I'm quite excited. She'll go through the songs and talk a little bit about them. There's another swag lover giveaway later. Without further ado, Kristen please take over from here. :)

Playlist for HOLDING COURT

I use a treadmill desk, which means I walk while I write, and although I can’t listen to music with lyrics when I write, I do like to have book-specific songs to play as a kind of warm-up when I get on my treadmill and open up my computer. I’m sure someday I’ll fall off and break something as I also can’t listen to music without wanting to dance, and I definitely haven’t mastered the art of dancing on a moving treadmill!



Brave by Sara Bareilles
This is pretty much Jules’s theme song. In fact, there are several characters in HOLDING COURT it applies to. “Don’t run, stop holding your tongue.”

Upside Down by Paloma Faith
This song reflects the tone I was going for with HOLDING COURT, a quirky, rollicking ride with a girl who experiences the world a little differently.

You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift
Jules wishes it were this cut and dried with Grayson, the unattainable boy she’s in love with. That he obviously belonged with her instead of his girlfriend, Bree. But it’s not that simple. She’d love to hate Bree, but she can’t.

El Matador by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Every murder mystery needs a song about a killer.

Speak Slow by Tegan and Sara
If she could make her feelings for Grayson just GO AWAY, Jules would. “I leave my heart all this pain and now I’m at it all again.”

Ho Hey by The Lumineers
Jules is trying to do it right. She doesn’t know where she belongs, or where she went wrong.

Shake it Off by Taylor Swift
Jules would love desperately to be able to just shake it all off. Feeling like a freak, having an embarrassing “gift” she can’t control, a boy she can’t have, and a job that would be awesome if it weren’t for a couple of MAJOR issues. One of which is the costume she has to wear. And the other is the disappearing dead body.

Madly by Tristan Prettyman
For me, this one is about how conflicted Jules feels about Grayson.

Float On by Modest Mouse
My mantra for Jules: “Don’t worry, even if things end up a bit too heavy, we’ll all float on alright.”

Say by John Mayer
This should be Jules’s mantra for herself. “It’s better to say too much, than to never say what you need to say.”

Somebody Loves You by Betty Who
What Jules imagines it’s like when somebody loves you back.

Click here for the spotify URL.

*****

Thank you, Kristen! I'm personally happy to see some Taylor Swift songs in your playlist.

About the Author:

K.C. HELD was born and raised in California with stopovers in Honduras, Mexico, and France. Married to her high school sweetheart, and mom to two avid bookworms, she holds an MFA in costume design and has worked as a freelance costumer in opera, theater, film, and television. Although she once spent a summer working in a castle, there were no dead bodies involved.

Follow Emily: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr

Book Description:

Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 1st 2016 by Entangled Teen

Sixteen-year-old Jules Verity knows exactly what's in store at her new job at castle-turned-dinner-theater Tudor Times. Some extra cash, wearing a fancy-pants dress, and plenty of time to secretly drool over the ever-so-tasty--and completely unavailable--Grayson Chandler. Except that it's not quite what she imagined.

For one, the costume Jules has to wear is awful. Then there's the dead body she finds that just kind of...well, disappears. Oh, and there's the small issue of Jules and her episodes of what her best friend calls "Psychic Tourette's Syndrome"--spontaneous and uncontrollable outbursts of seemingly absurd prophecies.

The only bright side? This whole dead body thing seems to have gotten Grayson's attention. Except that the more Jules investigates, the more she discovers that Grayson's interest might not be as courtly as she thought. In fact, it's starting to look suspicious...

Giveaway

Thank you to Kristen for this giveaway!
What's up for grabs: Holding Court Swag: Magnetic prophecy kit, bookmark, and signed bookplate
Scope: US and CA

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Treat yourself to a complete #CelebratingDebutantes2016 experience. Click the image below for the full schedule and links to the posts!

Out and about: Book Signing with E. Lockhart + Giveaway: Signed Paperback of We Were Liars!

Out and about is a feature here on Fragments of Life for events, book launches and movie adaptations.

This time around, I am sharing my experience about the #ELockhartInPH event.

The Basics:

Who: The author is: Emily Lockhart. The Organizer is: National BookStore.

What books:

The books!

Book Description:

Hardcover, 225 pages
Published May 13th 2014 by Delacorte Press

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

When: March 22nd 2015

Where: National Book Store, Glorietta 4

What I learned about E. Lockhart Frey, her books and her writing style from the event:

Frankie was different in lots of ways better than the author. Frankie is a very difficult person. - executes large-scale and political and funny series of pranks. The pranks end up shaking up the social hierarchy of her high school and end up bringing down the all-male secret society. These pranks took the author forever to figure out, the author had to read tons of books on college pranks.

All her characters have a big part of Emily. Frankie is smarter than the author really was.

Emily basically like to experiment with formats. The boyfriend list has lists. Emily always set herself some kind of structural challenge. In We were Liars, the various tales that Cadence tells are used as interstitials between the stories while not really revealing anything major. In We Were Liars, for the first time, Emily used a different word processor. She used Scrivener, which allows you to see the structure of the book that you're writing from a bird's eye. You can look at the pieces from above and move it around. Emily shared the book with a lot more colleagues than she normally does. She didn't know when people would have the misleading suspicions that she wanted them to have or when they would figure out the plot.

Emily was taught the same way you were taught how to write - to erase yourself. She came out of college writing as formally, as invisibly as a person could be. She writes the same way that she would talk to a friend. The way that you would tell a story to a friend is quite unusual, because you jump back and forth through time, the same way you tell a story, you don't have to make sure that everything is in order. You don't have to be invisible. You just fill them out with what they should know.

Lockhart went to two different high schools: she grew up in Seattle in Washington state and went to the Northwest School of the arts, humanities and the environment. She was just completely miserable in this high school. She couldn't find a friend. She couldn't get into the drama productions. She was so unpopular that people would move away when she sat down at their lunch table. Then she decided to go to a Prep school called Lakeside. She got into the school and she was still the same exact person and nobody had any idea that she was a nerd and a loser. She had boyfriends. She was on the Prom committee. She got into drama productions. She got to experience high school from the bottom and from the top - two radically different experiences, both culturally and socially.

She does not reread We Were Liars. She made the best book that she knew how to make and she's not thinking about it again. We Were Liars had a different style of writing. She was ready for people to dislike the book or the characters because of the style.

She had this idea to write a book about an island, a family, a patriarch with fairy tale. When you have published books, you don't write the entire book, you write a pitch. That was what she did. She met her editors for lunch. She told them: "I want to write a book about real estate." They initially didn't like the idea and suggested for her to write "the sexy stuff" into the story and to include "a thing that happens."

It only took 10 minutes for Emily to finish the plot for We Were Liars while she was waiting in a coffee shop before picking up her daughter.

Emily would like to write about con artists. The next book is not set in high school, and there is a little bit of murder and international jet-setting characters.

Emily likes to write unusual characters who have an unusual voice or way of thinking. But she also always needs to find some points of connection between those unusual characters and other people's lives, human experience. So, in We Were Liars, one of the things she wanted to write about was real estate. But real estate is not really it. It is families fighting over property, and grown children fighting over parental love and approval, and younger kids in the family hearing older people fight and feeling powerless and angry about the way the grown ups are conducting themselves. So, that is an experience that she had and she thinks most young people have had. All families fight, all kids feel threatened when the grown ups in their lives are threatening to dissolve or implode or whatever they're gonna do. That was one of Emily's subjects. All families fight over property and the affection that it symbolizes.

Truism of mystery writing versus writing. In a book or story, when you don't know whats a lie and whats a truth, it gets more interesting. There would be multiple interpretations of what is really going on. The characters are lying for their own reasons and you would know when they are lying but not why they are lying.

Emily and her mom lived in communal houses, with around 15 hippies smoking, meditating and doing yoga during the 70s. She didn't have bookshelves and funiture. One thing that they moved from house to house was a cardboard box filled with books of late nineteenth and early twentieth, beautifully illustrated, bound books of fairytales. It was only much later that Emily found out why: these books were given to her mother by her father during their courtship. She was interested in writing a story We We Liars with objects that were endowed with a lot of family baggage and meaning. She always had that King Lear set-up. Three daughters, one of whom is good, two of whom are bad.

Me and E.Lockhart, my blogger ladies!

Signed books :)

Big thanks to National Book Store for the awesome event! One lucky reader (aka Emily's bookish liar) of Fragments of Life will win a signed (with a message) paperback of We Were Liars. Emily tucked a bookmark in between the pages for you, as well.

So this is open to PH residents only, but if you're based abroad and have a Philippine address to send the book to, you could still join. Enter below!

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Review: Blackbird by Anna Carey

Book Description:

Hardcover, 256 pages
Published September 16th 2014 by HarperTeen

This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her.

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined.

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

Reviewer's Copy: ARC

Source: Harper Collins(Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

I expected Blackbird to be something like The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings, in the sense that there would be chasing, hunting and killing. I was pleasantly surprised to find a mystery/thriller with a strong contemporary vibe. At first, I was taken aback with the second person narration. I found it to be unique and extremely risky. Because of this, I got to participate in the heroine's journey. I, myself, became the heroine in a sense. Though I struggled a bit in the beginning because of the second person POV, eventually I got accustomed to it.

I had come to know the little bit of Sunny that was revealed in the story: quick hands, quiet footsteps, smart and a little bit lost, curious and passionate. Through the flashbacks, small details were given, enough to make sense of the puzzle that was Sunny's life.

Blackbird had startlingly violent bursts of action and adrenaline all over it. This was coupled with the heroine's lack of memory, which made things more interesting. There was something cinematic, heart-pounding-panting-in-the-moment vibe about these events. The second person narration could be a factor in this effect, as I, the reader, was involved.

Throughout the story, the questions, that were buzzing around my head like bees, were answered one by one. But I am a bit frustrated that there was one question, the most important one for me, that remained unanswered. The curiosity about Sunny's past before she was thrown into the wild chaos drove me crazy. That burning curiosity alone, though, was enough to make me rush through the pages. The ending was hopeful and was the perfect surprise for a weak and bone-tired Sunny.

Blackbird was a limb-jolting-read-at-the-edge-of-your-seat and one-of-a-kind mystery thriller. With a contemporary vibe, a dash of romance, a handful of crimson violence and adrenaline rush, and a smattering of colorful memories, readers would be entertained, mind-boggled, and delighted. The second person narration might not be for everybody. But I would recommend that you try it out for yourself. This book is ideal for readers who want a short, can-be-finished-in-one-sitting book, readers who want mystery thrillers and finally, readers who are interested in books tackling memory.

Rating:

4 Cupids = Strong book love.
I really enjoyed this. I recommend this!

Review: Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Book Description via Goodreads:

Paperback, 377 pages

March 5, 2012, Electric Monkey

Ugly people don't have feelings. They're not like everyone else. They don't notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn't hurt them. They're not like real people. Or that's what I used to think. Before I learned...

After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna is permanently scarred. She struggles to rebuild her life, but every stare in the street, every time she looks in the mirror, makes her want to retreat further from the world. Until she meets Ryan. Ryan's a traveller. When he and his mother moor their narrow boat on the outskirts of a village, she tells him this time it will be different. He doesn't believe her; he can't imagine why this place shouldn't be as unwelcoming as the rest. Until he meets Jenna. But as Jenna and Ryan grow closer, repercussions from the crash continue to reverberate through the community. And then a body is found...

Source: Jenn & Egmont UK (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

I was caught off guard by this stunning and brilliant debut! I didn’t expect that I would love it this much. It’s hard to really find the right words for this review – I don’t think there will ever be a set of worthy words for the awesomeness that was Skin Deep.

Jenna wasn’t the same after the accident. Aside from the trauma, the grief and melancholy of losing her best friend, Lindz, she was permanently scarred with a horrible third degree burn on the right side of her face. The pain, the embarrassment, the loss and the damage that Jenna endured was too much. To make things worse, Steven Carlisle, the person who caused this mess was roaming free on the streets of Jenna’s village. She couldn’t face the world anymore, not when people were looking at her with disgust, pity or even revulsion on their faces. She couldn’t even face the mirror anymore. But after everything she has been through, I could say that Jenna was a strong girl. She braved each morning, pushed herself out of bed and went out of her room. But beyond the confines of the house, she shrank back, afraid of the watching eyes.

Ryan was the new boy. He was good-looking, confident, charming and comfortable with himself. However, being a traveler or a gyppo had a bad stigma that was plastered on him like a sticker. When people find out that he’s a traveler, they instantly think of him as a bad person. They had reason to. He had a habit of ‘hanging out with girls’ and getting what he wanted from them. When he’s down, he would drink. He’d been in a lot of fights in the past – both the winning and the losing side but lately, it’s the former. But deep down, Ryan was a good guy. He was polite and careful. He took care of his mum and defended and stood up for Jenna. He understood her in a way that other people couldn’t. He could see past the scar, right through her soul. He was a balance of good and bad but I don’t think that the bad side of him overweighed the good side.

Jenna and Ryan’s lives collided, tangled and entwined forever in Skin Deep. Two imperfect, scarred – physically or emotionally – characters who both had their own problems met in a quiet village. What will happen? In the beginning, it was very awkward. Ryan had a hard time reading and understanding Jenna. He saw the scar on her face but he didn’t know the whole story behind it. He didn’t know her. But after a few more dog-related incidents including blood and dirt, the two became friends. I liked how the two of them hesitated, found comfort in one another, laughed and spent time together. Seeing the story from Jenna and Ryan’s perspective was just perfect. I could really see how their feelings changed, sometimes fluctuated, and burned inside them.

I loved how the author showed how their relationship developed. From being awkward strangers they became somewhat comfortable friends. Jenna found a listener and advisor in Ryan. Ryan found a girl worth protecting and taking care of in Jenna. He strived to make her smile and to make her laugh with his random statements and jokes. He didn’t look at her the same way he looked at other girls. He was very careful with Jenna’s feelings. I really liked that about him. I enjoyed seeing the tension and attraction build up between them. It’s a pulsing energy that sizzled in the air – unavoidable and undeniable. The romance was slowly developed through jokes, conversations, tears, revelations and secrets. Jenna and Ryan’s relationship was the cute, sweet kind. But it had a strong, intense side, too that pulled them in. The couple went through trials, from small ones like meeting Jenna’s parents to big ones like finding out Ryan’s mum was ill and Ryan getting involved in fights that turned most of the boy population of the village against him.

Skin Deep is a touching, undeniably gorgeous contemporary that will snatch your heart in a blink of an eye. It bleeds sadness, hopelessness, pain and loss but it also bleeds hope, joy and love out of the pages. Every page is a beautiful snapshot of life, realistic and imperfect. Skin Deep is a sweeping love story and a chilling mystery. I highly recommend this to YA contemporary readers, romance readers and people looking for a realistic read!

Rating:

Review: Shattered Dreams by Ellie James

Book Description via Goodreads:

e-ARC, 352 pages

December 6, 2011, St. Martin’s Griffin

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.

Source: Netgalley & St. Martin’s Griffin (Thanks!)

My Thoughts:

From the first part of the novel, I was intrigued. The endings of the chapters and the suspense kept me reading nonstop. The writing was definitely good. The author got me trapped in her story world and I was enjoying it.

Trinity Monsour used to live up in the mountains until her grandmother died. Now, she was the new girl in New Orleans. She was living her young and successful Aunt Sara. I found Jessica’s character unique. She seemed to be lost between times – past, present and future, – had a special gift and she had a good heart to go with it. Her decisions were reckless but somewhat unavoidable. Her visions were a constantly pressing into her, urging her to take a step, to do something and with that kind of burden, a girl like Trinity would do the right and reckless thing.

She had a crush on Chase, the ex-boyfriend of the queen bee, Jessica. Their somewhat friendship quickly bloomed to an intimate relationship. I just had a little issue with the romance development. Trinity was the new girl and obviously, the couple didn’t have enough time to get to know each other. However, I think that the intensity and the connection that the two developed were a result of some sort of love at first sight or attraction-at-first-sight. Chase was a big mystery to me. Sure, I liked his good nature, his good looks and his passion but I was slightly confused with his motives.

The story of Trinity’s life and of her parents was fascinating and intriguing. Secret after secret was unearthed in this thrilling novel. Everyone had their own secrets and their own motives. It was mind-boggling and exciting at the same time. The characters introduced as the story progressed were a diverse bunch. The search for Jessica was a long and arduous one. With a newbie psychic on the case, it was bound to be just like that.

Shattered Dreams is a mysterious and dark novel set in devastated but coping post-Katrina New Orleans. Paranormal romance readers will enjoy this startling and intriguing read.

Rating: