Why I Love Reading YA by @KimberlyAnnNJ @evernightteen #giveaway

WHY I LOVE READING YA AS AN ADULT

Kimberly Ann Miller

As a young adult, I never read YA novels. I read Stephen King and Terry Brooks, and a lot of magazine articles between high school and college text books. About seven years ago, my sister urged me to read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I started Twilight (against my will!), thinking it was going to be silly for someone my age to be reading a book like that. About 100 pages in, I became interested in the story, and then obsessed with it – then I finished all 4 books in a week! I loved the raw emotion, the insecurity, the conflict, and the newness of the character’s experiences. That series started my love of reading YA, and from that moment on, YA has been my favorite. I’ve read many YA novels since, and continue to love it above all else.

Twilight also sparked my interest in writing as well! Because I had enjoyed the story so much, I decided I wanted to write something that others might enjoy as much as I enjoyed Twilight. Since then, I have written several YA manuscripts, published Triangles with Spencer Hill Press in 2013 and Lost Reputation with Evernight Teen in 2016, and hope to bring many more stories to lovers of YA! 

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LOST REPUTATION

Kimberly Ann Miller

Romance/Contemporary/Suspense/Young Adult

Evernight Teen Publishing/237 pages

Casey Hayes has a secret—she writes the conspiracy theory column for her high school newspaper. As the editor, she thrives on the thrill of uncovering the facts—until she gets tangled up in a scandal.

When she exposes a teacher’s shameful secret, threats start, demanding she stop spreading the vicious rumors. Casey blows it off and keeps on writing. Even sexy Victor Cruz, the hot senior with the adorable accent who chases after Casey and tries to protect her, fails to convince her to keep her mouth shut. But things only get worse as she ignores the warnings, and soon, Casey must decide if exposing the truth is more important to her than her life.

Buy Links:   Evernight Teen    Amazon    ARe 

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Excerpt:

I laughed at the memory as I locked up the newsroom and rushed to my next class. I still had a smile on my face as I plopped down on my seat in the back row of calculus. Victor Cruz, my secret crush, entered the room. My pulse reacted to his presence, but, thank God, no other part of me did that he could see. I didn’t want to be lusting after anyone this year because I was planning on working hard toward my college goals and didn’t need the distraction.

The worst thing was, Charli told me he gave his ex-girlfriend some rash because he cheated on her. I so did not do the sexually transmitted diseases thing, and I definitely had zerorespect for cheaters. Not even for a hunk like him, who obviously screwed around and didn’t care if he got girls sick.

But damn, did this guy make my insides quiver. He was totally hot. His parents moved to New Jersey from Spain during middle school when Vic was scrawny and didn’t speak much English. When senior year started a month ago, no one recognized him because he’d grown ten inches, gained fifty pounds—of muscle—and must have taken some classes in style because, damn, the boy knew how to dress to show off his build.

Loose jeans with a belt, black boots, and a black, long-sleeved tee only made him sexier. And the way he walked? It should’ve been a crime. He had a swagger about him that rivaled any of the good old boys of Hollywood. Watching it made me quiver in places I didn’t know could quiver.

But it wasn’t just his looks that held me captive. He had the values of an old-fashioned guy—holding the door open for girls, helping them with heavy stuff, defending them when guys were too rough or mean.

If it wasn’t for that wild partying side of him … sigh.

As he approached his seat, I couldn’t help but stare at his thighs, mesmerized by the fluid sway they made with each step.

He caught me staring and raised a thick black brow. I diverted my eyes and pretended to be very interested in the junior’s notebook next to me. But I didn’t even know his name. Ugh.

Vic slid into his seat next to me and winked at the girls that were staring at him.

They always stared at him.

I rolled my eyes. But when I felt his eyes on me, I shifted in my seat, fighting the funny tingle in my stomach that came from looking at him.

The other problem was, besides being a distraction, Vic knew how sexy he’d become. He acted so cocky and confident, I wanted to smack the grin off his face and remind him that not long ago, he could have passed for a ten-year-old boy who couldn’t speak English or speak to girls.

But, whatever. He had a harem now, so good for him. And shiny black hair, smooth, bronze skin, and deep brown eyes that … never mind. Didn’t matter anyway.

Kylie sauntered over to him, swaying her hips so hard, I wondered how they didn’t dislocate. She leaned over his back and wrapped her arms around his ample shoulders, pressing her boobs into his back. I’m sure he loved that. “Hey, Vic. Busy this weekend? My parents are out of town, and we can go riding if you want. I’ll pack us a lunch.” She ran her fingernails over his chest as she spoke, clearly enjoying the feel of him.

He pulled her fingers off him and slipped out of her grasp. “Sorry, I’m busy, but thanks for asking.”

She leaned into him again, making sure to press her boobs into his neck. I rolled my eyes so hard, they almost didn’t return to face front. That would suck. What would I tell the nurse? I was looking at my brain instead of in front of me and I needed an eye adjustment?

“Maybe another time, okay?”

Vic nodded once. “Si.”

I pulled out my phone to check messages, done with listening to the vixen and her attempts at charming the hottest guy in school.

“Hey, Casey,” he said in his sexy Spanish accent. He had this way of dragging out the end of my name, making it sound like Kay Seee.

It was both unsettling and adorable, so I just grunted at him. How else could I get anything done with him around?

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About the Author:

Kimberly Ann Miller received Bachelor's degrees from Georgian Court University and Rutgers University and a Master's degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.  She is an avid reader and particularly enjoys true crime and young adult novels.  She grew up in New Jersey and currently resides in Monmouth County with her husband and cats. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel to sunny islands where she snorkels by day and stargazes by night. She always takes her Nook with her.

https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.a.miller.180
https://twitter.com/KimberlyAnnNJ
http://kimberlyannmiller.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820784.Kimberly_Ann_Miller

authorkimberlyannmiller@gmail.com

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Top 10 YA Authors with Lara Sleath, Author of FOR HER SISTER @evernightteen #giveaway #YA

 My Top Ten YA Books

Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell

Wow, can Rainbow Rowell write! Scenes from this book will stay with my for life. I'll never forget the part when the school bullies cover Eleanor's locker with sanitary pads that they've coloured with red marker. She's so poor that she saves some of these pads for her next period. This book is tense and gritty from the get go. It never loses its hold.

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer

Probably an obvious one but I love the attraction between Bella and Edward. It starts off as as slow burner then it gets to the point where she becomes addicted to him. I mean, who wouldn't? Stephanie Meyer makes him so hot!

The Curious Adventure of the dog in the night time, Mark Haddon

One thing I love about books is that you get to climb inside other people's minds. Here, we're in the head of 15 year-old Christopher, an autistic boy. The book tricks us. We think that we're just learning about him. But really we're learning about his parents and the pressures that they have looking after him. The book is funny. It's very English too, which I love.

The Girl Who Could Fly, Victoria Forester

This is a fun, escapist read told through the hill-billy voice for Piper. My favourite part is when Piper is taken to a so-called school for exceptional children, which turns out to have a sinister agenda. She sees the experiments that they are doing on animals like a swan that is forced to swim in bleach.

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

There's no need to go over the plot of this book. Surely everyone knows the story. One of the clever things is that the author does, is to set the stakes so high from the onset. Not only is Katniss's life in jeopardy but we realize that she might be forced to kill other children. I mean, who wouldn't want to keep reading?

The Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman

An old one but a good one. Be warned, the first 20 pages are slow. But then the book really gets going as we follow Lyra's quest to find out what's happened to the disappearing children. The character of Mrs Coulter – played by Nicole Kidman in the movie – is chilling.

The Book Thief, Markus Zusack

You have to work to read this book but it's worth it. It feels like a beautiful piece of art.

The Fault in Our Stars, John Green

OMG. I think I used up ten year's worth of tears over this. I knew that a book about a girl with cancer wouldn't be a walk in the park. But I never realized that it would make me cry so much. John Green kept twisting the knife further and further into me during this incredibly compelling novel.

Holes, Louis Sacher

A classic that definitely deserves a nod. We follow the story of Stanley, who's been sent unfairly to a boy's detention centre. The centre is so awful that you can't stop reading. Plus, there's more to the camp than we first imagine. I was hooked as the mystery unravelled.

The School for Good and Evil, Soman Chainai

I love the concept of this book. Two girls are kidnapped and sent to adjoining schools in a village where they groomed to become fairy tale characters. They will feature in story books that appear mysteriously in local book shops. But is the good girl so virtuous? And the bad girl so evil? Get ready for tons or twists and turns.

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FOR HER SISTER

by Lara Sleath

YA Paranormal Suspense

Evernight Teen Publishing / 61,000 words

Eighteen-year-old Bresha blames herself for her younger sister's death. She knew that Arlene was gullible and fragile. Yet she still let her tone-deaf sister meet with Saul Sanderstorm, a record company mogul whose charisma is as big as his temper. 

When Arlene is found floating in Camden Lock canal, the police call it suicide. But Bresha knows different. She knows that sleazy Saul is somehow to blame. And so does Arlene's ghost. Why else would she fog up mirrors and trace the letter S for Saul through the condensation on the glass? Now, Bresha has to find a way to prove that Saul's guilty. 

When Bresha discovers that Saul is getting a kick out of mentally breaking singers, she wonders if this happened to Arlene. The truth has to be ugly and shocking. Because why else would Saul be prepared to do anything to conceal it? 

Bresha faces a choice. Risk her life to unearth the facts. Or drop the case and be forever tormented by her sister's ghost. 

Buy Links: Evernight Teen Amazon ARe

Excerpt:

Someone was screaming. She realized that it was her. She found herself on her feet. She took off down the path, her breath jagged, her shoes pounding over the gravel. Fire flashed against her legs, as the nettles stung her.

She ran a few more steps. She had to be faster than him. Surely, she was faster. He was paunchy old man. Her feet hit a boulder and she stumbled. She felt his hands on her back. Slam. He pushed her down. A burning pain shot across her cheek, as her face smashed into the gravel.

She scrambled up and ran on. He sprang on her from behind. Again, he brought her down. She twisted around. He threw himself on top of her, his weight crushing her. She reached up and tried to claw his face, but he caught her hands and pinned them down by her sides onto the path.

“You will not to do this to me,” he snarled. “You will not ruin me.”

Bresha tried to speak, but her tongue was frozen. She gazed into his eyes, hoping to reason with him on an unspoken level, human to human. She’d read somewhere that eyes were supposed to be the view point into people’s souls. Now she saw his soul. It looked like the photograph of a cancerous organ on the side of a cigarette packet, black and festering.

He brought his head toward her lips. Was he going to kiss her like he might have been trying to do that day on the couch? She turned her head away, pushing one side of her face into the grit. He’d never kiss her. She’d die before he kissed her.

She felt him bite into her neck. He was giving her a love bite, the sick pig. She screamed as he drew blood. 

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About the Author:

British born Lara Sleath has been writing stories - on paper and in her head - for as long as she can remember. But gave up on the idea of becoming a writer because she believed that the idea was too far-fetched. Instead she took the only slightly more sensible option of working in the music industry.

But even that proved too dull for Lara. In her mid-twenties, she set off from London with her boyfriend in a battered VW van. Their aim was to drive to India. They arrived a quarter of a year after adventures with warlords and after having seen many mind-blowing sights.

Today, the boyfriend in the beaten-up VW van is Lara's husband. She lives with him and their two children in Vancouver, Canada close to the ocean and the mountains. Lara writes every day surrounded by an army of cats. For Her Sister is her debut novel.

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