Guest Post: CRUSH CONTROL Author Jennifer Jabaley

Please welcome CRUSH CONTROL author Jennifer Jabaley here today as part of her Teen Book Scene blog tour! Curious about what she does when she's not writing? So were we!

Amazon/Website

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I try to balance my life between a variety of responsibilities and interests. I am a practicing optometrist. I've been with the same practice for ten years, but after having my children and branching out into writing, I've cut back to working just one day a week. I feel really fortunate to have a 'day job' that has so much flexibility!

Additionally, while my son was in school, I volunteered in the classroom one day a week. I absolutely loved being involved with his Kindergarten teacher, meeting all the other teachers and aids in the school and most importantly, working directly with the kids. I also teach a sunday school class for the kindergarteners at our church.

My kids are very active with dance classes and karate and I do a lot of driving around. This doesn't leave alot of time for writing or any other outside interests!! But I do set my alarm early and get up in the morning to try and tackle my writing before the day really begins.

I'm an advid exerciser. I've always walked several times a week, but recently I've begun running and am training for the Peachtree road race which is a 10K race on Fourth of July in Atlanta. I used to play tennis before I had children. And now, I'm getting anxious to get back into that. I just signed up for some lessons to get my swing back into shape.

It's a busy life but one that I'm so thankful for! It's filled with a variety of activities and people that I love!

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!
Jen

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She's a busy woman who has her priorities in order! We did find out that she finished the race in her goal of an hour - amazing! Congrats on all the hard work and the fantastic success of writing career! Be sure to check out both of her fabulous books!

And...
What happens to Willow in CRUSH CONTROL sounds like a dream come true...
...or a nightmare! So here's a question.

If you could hypnotize someone, who would it be and what would you have them do?

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control.

Sometimes a good-bye is just the beginning...
 When Emily Carson's parents die in a plane crash, she's left with nothing but her mother's last words scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: "Emily, please forgive me."
Now it's fall and Emily moves to New York City - where she attracts the attention of two very different boys: the cute, popular Owen, and her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony. With the help of some surprising new friends, Emily must choose between the boy who helps her forget and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately heal.

TOP TEN SUPERNATURAL BEINGS by Amber Kizer

We asked Amber Kizer, author of WILDCAT FIREFLIES, to give us her Top Ten Supernatural Creatures. Here's the scoop! 

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TOP TEN SUPERNATURAL BEINGS

(in no particular order...maybe!) 

Gargoyles

Angels

God's right hand never looked so good!

Gods and Goddesses

Yes, he is a god!

With a KILLER smile!

Mediums

Necromancers

Shape Shifters and Were People

Two Generations of Were-Hunks!

Shaman

Vampires

How could he NOT be a favorite!

Witches and Wizards

The Creme de la Creme of Witches and Wizards!

Storytellers 

(there’s something not-of-this world about tapping into story and sharing that with others in a way they feel it)

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Thanks for stopping by and excellent point about Storytellers! Enjoy the Eye Candy. Authors are so helpful in giving us perfect excuses for it! And be sure to check out our glowing WILDCAT FIREFLIES review! 

Who are your top Supernatural Beings?

Title: WILDCAT FIREFLIES

Author: Amber Kizer

pub: July 12, 2011

genre: Teen Fiction/Paranormal

Amazon/Website

Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra—the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead. She has the dark responsibility of helping souls transition safely into the afterlife. If people die without the help of a Fenestra, their souls are left vulnerable to be stolen by the Aternocti, a dark band of forces who disrupt the balance of good and evil in the world and cause chaos.
Having recently lost her beloved Auntie—the woman who showed her what it meant to be a Fenestra—Meridian has hit the road with Tens, her love and sworn protector, in hopes of finding another Fenestra. Their search leads them to Indiana, where Juliet, a responsible and loving teenager, works tirelessly in the nursing home where she and several other foster kids are housed. Surrounded by death, Juliet struggles to make a loving home for the younger kids, and to protect them from the violent whims of their foster mother. But she is struggling against forces she can't understand . . . and even as she feels a pull toward the dying, their sickness seems to infect her, weighing her down. . . .
Will Meri and Tens find Juliet in time to save her from a life of misery and illness? And will Meri and Tens' own romance weather the storms of new discoveries?

Waiting on Wednesday: 5 Hot Upcoming YA Releases! 7/20/11

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine and showcases upcoming releases we're dying to read!

SCARLET

by A.C. Gaughen

2/14/11

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

A female Will Scarlet for Robinhood? Awesome!

TEMPTATION OF ANGELS

Michelle Zink

2012

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendents charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel. 

Always excited about something new from Michelle Zink!

HOLLOW

Richard Denney

5/8/12

Welcome to the house of Hollow.
In a dystopian future, sixteen year old Leah Munro has been sold to a rich woman in a crippling mansion. Soon Leah discovers that there is something mysterious going on around the home, and with the help of three other girls, she attempts to uncover what is truly happening... what lies beyond all of the plexiglass windows and the hideous screams in the middle of the night? Leah will soon find out.

Sounds creepy!

VELVET

Mary Hooper

Sept 2011

Rose is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Rose is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Rose is noticed by Madame X, a famed medium, who asks Rose to come to work for her. Rose is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Rose realises that Madame X is not all that she says she is, and Rose's very life is in danger ...A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much-loved historical writer for teens.

For historical romance lovers!

SHOOTING STARS
Allison Rushby

Feb 2012

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Teen superstars, paparazzi and romance - exciting!

What are you waiting for? 

Book Giveaway: SIREN"S STORM by Lisa Papademetriou

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Check out our review of SIREN'S STORM by Lisa Papademetriou because we have a copy to giveaway. It's international so just FILL OUT THE FORM below if you're interested!

Title: SIREN'S STORM

author: Lisa Papademetriou

pub: July 12, 2011

genre: Teen Fiction - Sirens/Mythology

Amazon / Website

Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family  finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident.Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people.
Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . .  and inhuman?

Giveaway Details:

- Fill out the Form below

- be 13 years or older

- Open Internationally

- Enter by July 31

Teen Fiction Review: SIREN'S STORM by Lisa Papademetriou

Title: SIREN'S STORM

author: Lisa Papademetriou

pub: July 12, 2011

genre: Teen Fiction/Sirens/Mythology

Amazon / Website
(Teen Book Scene Tour)

Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident.Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people.
Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman?

I'm loving all the mythology stories coming out...

And SIREN"S STORM is a fresh take. We mostly get Will's perspective. He's got this weird family life where it's confusing whether his mom is mean or just so overly protective she comes off that way. Will's a bit of a tortured soul ever since he and his brother went sailing last year and Will's the only one who made it back. 

No brother. No body. And no memory of what happened.

It's summer again and Will's good friend Gretchen is back. 

They have a lovely relationship. It stays on the friend side but there's a romance budding underneath the surface and I like the way it's playing out so I'm hoping for a sequel.

A great take on mythology...

I don't want to give any spoilers but I thought it was fresh and interesting. Especially Asia's back story. And I liked the way Lisa Papademetriou kept me guessing about Asia's character. Okay, we know we've got sirens going on here, yet the answers to who Asia is were still  surprising in many ways.

Likeable characters...

Especially Gretchen. I thought she was going to go stupid when it came to a boy situation but she ended up playing it smart. Her story is intriguing and we get a big reveal on her but I'm dying for more about what life has in store. 

Good summer fun...

Lisa Papademetriou layers the stories beautifully into a cohesive plot that I found unique and entertaining. Good for all ages and a bit of a slow start but once into it, SIREN'S STORM is a fast, fun summer read with a good balance of character development, steady pacing, surprises, and suspense!

We get lots of answers but many just open up more questions so sign me up for the sequel!

Review: WILDCAT FIREFLIES by Amber Kizer (A Meridian Novel)

Title: WILDCAT FIREFLIES

Author: Amber Kizer

pub: July 12, 2011

genre: Teen Fiction/Paranormal

Amazon/Website

(Teen Book Scene Blog Tours)

Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra—the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead. She has the dark responsibility of helping souls transition safely into the afterlife. If people die without the help of a Fenestra, their souls are left vulnerable to be stolen by the Aternocti, a dark band of forces who disrupt the balance of good and evil in the world and cause chaos.
Having recently lost her beloved Auntie—the woman who showed her what it meant to be a Fenestra—Meridian has hit the road with Tens, her love and sworn protector, in hopes of finding another Fenestra. Their search leads them to Indiana, where Juliet, a responsible and loving teenager, works tirelessly in the nursing home where she and several other foster kids are housed. Surrounded by death, Juliet struggles to make a loving home for the younger kids, and to protect them from the violent whims of their foster mother. But she is struggling against forces she can't understand . . . and even as she feels a pull toward the dying, their sickness seems to infect her, weighing her down. . . .
Will Meri and Tens find Juliet in time to save her from a life of misery and illness? And will Meri and Tens' own romance weather the storms of new discoveries?

Be afraid, be very afraid...
Hey, I fell in love with MERIDIAN ages ago and when expectations are high, I'm always afraid of being disappointed. WILDCAT FIREFLIES only left me disappointed that I had to wait so long for more of this fabulous story!


Meridian is still one of the most real teens in YA. Strong, determined yet vulnerable and insecure. She struggles with loss, her strange powers and her blooming relationship with Tens - okay, still not a fan of this name but it's growing on me - and their relationship is one of my favorite parts of WILDCAT FIREFLIES. 


Let's talk about sex, baby...
Thrown together on this road trip to find and protect other Fenestras, Meridian and Tens are also trying to figure out their own relationship. Meridian is wondering about taking it to the next level, and her inner thoughts cracked me up. 


Some of the most hysterical moments come when she's trying to talk to Tens about sex. It's sweet, as well as funny because it's so real and painfully awkward. As Ten's character unfolds you can't help but love him. 


A new POV...
Juliet is a new character with her own point of view. Resilient, interesting and unique in her own right, her sad story intertwines seamlessly into the plot. I love how all the pieces melded together. 


A trip to the dark side...
The whole good vs evil battle takes center stage and Amber Kizer doesn't shy away from the malevolent aspects, but you also get love, hope, faith, loyalty, friendship, family and a generous dose of humor. 


Meridian fans rejoice!
Smooth writing, excellent storytelling, and although at times the pace slowed as Meridian and Tens did a lot of sleuthing, overall I adored it! I highly recommend WILDCAT FIREFLIES - for older teens - as a fantastic addition to your summer reading list! 

And if you haven't read Meridian, get to it!

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate's tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home and Meridian's body explodes in pain.
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. It's there that she learns that she is a Fenestra ; the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Amber Kizer writes two very different young adult series for Delacorte Press/Random House. The Gert Garibaldi series is contemporary, frank and funny following an American high school student through the perils of growing up. Her debut novel ONE BUTT CHEEK AT A TIME was included in the prestigious NYPL Best Books for the Teen Age 2008 list. The next book in the series 7 KINDS OF ORDINARY CATASTROPHES will be released April 2011.
The Fenestra series is paranormal, dark and follows a girl who shepherds dying souls to the afterlife. MERIDIAN has been translated in German, Spanish, Turkish and will be available in Australia, Malaysia, and New Zealand within the next year. The next book in the series, WILDCAT FIREFLIES, will be published in August 2011.
In addition to these series titles, the spring of 2012 will see the release of a stand alone dystopian, young adult novel also from Delacorte Press/Random House.
Amber has toured nationally, speaking at writers’ conferences, on television and radio, to educators, and to teenage readers. Recently, she was selected to present one of a few breakout sessions at the NCTE Assembly on Adolescent Literature at the Philadelphia 2009 Conference.