BLOG TOUR: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

I am honored to have been contacted by Emlyn Chand to be a part of the Blog Tour for her book Farsighted. I've never been a part of a blog tour and am super excited to be a part of this one. Even more exciting, I'm thrilled to have author Emlyn Chand as my very first Guest poster. Emlyn wanted to share her top 10 reasons why she decided to write YA novels.

This is a guest post by Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted

I am 26-years-old, and I write YA books. Now here I sit on the cusp of my big debut as a published author (squeal), but it probably never would have happened if I hadn’t found my affinity for YA. In fact, the first novel I wrote was multicultural literary fiction— it’s never going to be published. I wrote lit fic, because I was trying to prove something to myself, to the world, to somebody. But the book didn’t encapsulate who I am or what makes me a strong writer. So naturally, the story fell flat. I have no idea what made me decide to write YA the second time around. I even remember trying to avoid it. I spent months trying to convince myself that Farsighted was too ambitious of a project. I was this close to writing a historical fiction novel instead. I’m glad I didn’t listen to my inner worrywart, because writing Farsighted is the best thing I’ve ever done. When you find that genre that speaks to you and allows you to speak through it, don’t let that go! Now I’d like to share 10 reasons why I love writing YA. It’s okay if YA isn’t your genre du jour, but don’t force yourself to write something just because the genre is popular or well-respected. Write what your heart wants to write, and the rest will turn out okay.

 I write YA because...
  1. I wish I had a chance to do my teen years over again. To live them more fully. Writing about teens gives me the chance to do so vicariously.
  2. YA is a broad genre. The sky’s the limit. I can write a dystopic novel this year and a romance or mystery next year. YA is not confined by specific plot conventions like other genres. It’s more focused on the characters.
  3. YA has a broad readership. The primary audience is, of course, teens. But younger kids also enjoy reading about what the big kids are doing, and adults like reliving their glory days too.
  4. The language is fun and approachable. Sure, you could write literary YA, but the candid and easy-to-read style of YA is part of its appeal.
  5. First person POV is where it’s at. YA doesn't have to be told in the first person viewpoint, but a lot of it is. Adult literature sticks more to the third person. I love writing in first person. It’s easier for me to develop a character that way, and I enjoy the writing process more.
  6. The characters are sympathetic. It’s easier to forgive the misdeeds of someone who’s “just a kid,” making it easier for readers and writers alike to identify with YA characters.
  7. The characters can change and grow. They aren’t yet set in their ways. Growth is an expected part of teendom, and it’s wonderful helping your characters achieve that potential.
  8. The readers of YA are incredibly devoted. If they like what you’ve written, they will tell the world. Can you think of any books that have a greater cult following than Twilight, Harry Potter, and Hunger Games? Because I can’t.
  9. YA readers WANT to enjoy books. They’re not looking to tear a book apart and flesh out all of its flaws. They are willing to overlook weaknesses within a book and focus on what they love about it. Their pleasure in reading is free and much more pure.
  10. It’s what I most enjoy reading. Write what you love to read. Don’t force yourself to write a romance if writing sexually suggestive scenes makes you uncomfortable. Don’t write literary fiction as a way to show off your intellect. Write what you want to write. Write was fits your talents and enthusiasm. That’s your best chance at success (no matter how you define the term).

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday). THE CASH PRIZES: Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That’s right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that. THE GIVEAWAYS: Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site. THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky! MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer.

 

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

I have to say, I don't normally read Paranormal fiction. It's not usually my cup of tea. However, when I started reading Farsighted, I couldn't stop. Emlyn found a way to suck me into Alex's world and his mind. I found that "seeing" through a blind boy's eyes, I didn't care what the other characters looked like, I was able to focus on Alex's interactions with everyone. I found myself mesmerized with Alex, Simmi and Shapri as they began to figure out/ learn to accept their special gifts. If you like paranormal books or just enjoy stories where there is a mystery to unravel, I really think you'll enjoy Farsighted. 

I recommend this book!

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

Full Disclosure:  I was contacted by the Author to review this book. I was sent a free eBook to read and review. This had no say in my actual review. 

Top Ten Tuesday (1)

Hello all! I was trying to think of something to do and came across this meme from the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is:

Top Ten Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open

Here is my list:

10. Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
9. Unwind by Neal Shusterman-- this book actually gave me nightmares. I was way too freaked out!
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling-- by the time the "DEATH" occurs in this book, I'm still too angry about that persons behavior from book 5.
7. Extraordinary: a Novel by Nancy Werlin
6. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. The ending seemed a bit anti-climatic to me.
5. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling-- this book just ticked me off! I hated Umbridge and the death made me furious.
3. Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson-- the ending devistated me and I had to wait YEARS for the sequel.
2. Stork by Wendy Delsol-- the ending made me really want the sequel right away-- IT COMES OUT TUESDAY!!!
1. Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher-- Reason number 13 was HORRIBLE. Well, really all of the reasons were awful, but number 13 could have been prevented. . .

September 11-- Ten Years Later

Dear Readers,
Please forgive me for posting a NON Book related post today. I feel that today should be a day of reflection and remembrance, so I want to take some time and talk about 9-11-01.

They say every generation has a moment that defines them. For my PaPaw and Grandma's generations, it was the Great Depression and World War II, for my parents, it was Woodstock and Vietnam. For my siblings, cousins and me, it has to be 9-11-01.

I will never forget that Tuesday morning. I was in my Freshman year at Freed-Hardeman University. My best friend and I had 7:30 am (CST) classes right next to each other so we went to breakfast in the dining hall and then to class, Heather was going to her Bible Class and I was going to American History I with Dr. John Collins. Looking back, it's kind of ironic that I was in my American History class while one of the most significant/ defining  moments in American History was being played out in our country.

After our classes were over, Heather and I met to go to our English class. As we got to the 3rd floor, a fellow student told us that the Twin Towers had been hit and the South Tower had fallen. At that point, we didn't hear about the Pentagon or the plane in Pennsylvania and North Tower was still standing. I remember Heather being completely shocked-- she had been to the Towers that summer and couldn't believe they had been hit. We still didn't know that we were under attack. I think we just thought it had been a crazy accident that two planes had crashed. We didn't want to think of someone attacking our country. We were still young teenage girls. We couldn't imagine this happening.

I think most of our English class must have been in classes at 7:30 because there wasn't much discussion about what was happening. Most of us didn't know. It wasn't until we were at Chapel (10:30 CST) that we learned what had happened that day. I can't remember which Professor stood up and addressed the entire campus to tell us that our country had been attacked, the planes were not accidents-- someone had planned this. For the first time in my life, I realized people did not like our Country.

We were encouraged to go to our classes for the rest of the day and our professor took time to talk to us and let us talk about how things were affecting us. We were able to talk about our concerns and vent our fears and frustrations.

I remember walking into the student center and dorms after classes and every television was turned to CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other news stations. We were a tiny college craving news. We needed to know what was happening and we needed to know what our President was going to do. For weeks, our tv's were tuned to the news.

Looking back on that day, I think my generation was forced to grow up really quick. Kids who had gone into the military before 9-11-01, had joined during a time of peace, some looking for a military career, others looking for a way to pay for college. Now they were thrust into war time and it wasn't the same Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard or National Guard they signed up for. College Students in the Reserves and National Guard waited for news they were being deployed. We all knew it was coming. Then I heard that my cousin E had signed up for the Army. He had been meeting with a recruiter prior to 9-11 and the attack on America solidified his decision to go. Thankfully, E served in Afghanistan and Iraq and made it home to us safely. He's out of the Army now and pursuing his degree in Radiology.

Where were you on 9-11-01? Were you in class, at home? What were you doing? Please leave your 9-11 story. I want this to be a post of rememberence. We will NEVER FORGET.

YA Bloggers Book Battle WINNER!!!!

Alyssa from The Shady Glade has spent a ton of time this year hosting the 2011 YA Bloggers Book Battle. The Theme for the Battle was Best Overlooked Book. I was very lucky to be paired with Emily from What Book is That to determine the overall winner of the Book Battle! So many really amazing books were chosen by bloggers to be read and judged and after months of work the other judges narrowed the finalist down to StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce and Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. Each book had its own unique moments and drastically different styles.

In StarCrossed, Elizabeth C. Bunce created a whole world around the suppression of magic, sneak thieves and mayhem. Bunce created a world where silver jewelry can help hide magical powers from those who want to squash magic. She created a character named Digger who had to stop trying to hide and not take sides in the war against magic and determine where she stood.
 While in Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper urged us to look beyond what we see to the person inside others. We met a girl named Melody who has Cerebral Palsy and is seemingly locked inside her own mind. With the help of an amazing aide, a neighbor and her parents, Melody receives the tools she needs to show everyone she is brighter than anyone gave her credit for.

While people will enjoy both books, Emily and I realized that the winning book was one that made people think. It was a book that would taught us to look past what we can see and to not underestimate others.

With that said, I am pleased to announce that the winner of the 2011 YA Bloggers Best Overlooked Book Battle is . . .

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper!

Out of My Mind by Sharon M Draper

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper is about an almost 11 year old girl named Melody who has never uttered a word. Melody can't walk, she can't talk, can't feed herself and people have to help her use the restroom. Melody has Cerebral Palsy and although she is extremely bright, people outside her family and her neighbor don't see past her condition to the brilliant girl she truly is.

Melody has had doctors call her brain-damaged, teachers who insist on teaching the first few letter of the alphabet ALL YEAR long, a dumb Styrofoam snowman and mean kids. She has also had loving parents, wonderful neighbors and a helper named Catherine there with her helping her each step of the way.  When another girl comes to school with a new laptop, Catherine helps Melody research and find something that will finally give Melody a voice. However, not everyone is truly ready to hear Melody, to accept that she's much brighter than she looks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to admit I loved getting a look into Melody's mind. It was wonderful seeing her thought processes. Sharon M. Draper really made me re-think something about myself and how I view others. You never know what is going on in someone else's head and we shouldn't be so quick to judge.

Waiting on Wednesday (1): Frost by Wendy Delsol

From Barnes and Noble:

In this sequel to STORK, Katla Leblanc has to employ her grit, spirit, and special gifts to rescue the boy she loves.

After the drama of finding out that she’s a Stork, a member of an ancient and mystical order of women, and that her boyfriend, Jack, is a descendent of the Winter People able to control the weather, Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. That is, until the snowstorm Jack summons as a gift to Katla turns into the storm of the century, attracting Brigid, a gorgeous scientist who, in turn, attracts Jack. Between the school play, a bedridden, pregnant mother’s to-do lists, and keeping an eye on her aging grandfather, Katla doesn’t have time to question Brigid’s motives or deal with Jack’s increasingly cold behavior. But Katla’s suspicions mount when Jack joins Brigid on a research expedition to Greenland, and when the two of them go missing, it becomes clear that Katla is the only one who can save her beloved Jack from the Snow Queen who holds him prisoner. Adventure, romance, and myth combine in this winter escapade for teens who like a bit of fire with their ice.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I LOVED Stork and really can't wait to read what happens next fot Katla and Jack. I will be picking this book up the day it comes out which is October 11, 2011!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

I have finally seen the final instalment of the Harry Potter EPIC Saga. I have been a fan of the book since I read the first one back in 2000. I will admit, I was a little apprehensive to see this movie-- mostly because I did NOT want to see my Favorite character be BRUTALLY murdered by a maniac and his pet snake, but I was also afraid it would not live up to my expectations.

I was gladly surprised with the awesomeness of the movie. I enjoyed the fight scenes and even though I cried when my favorite character was brutally murdered, I was pleased with how they made that scene. My favorite Molly Weasley line of all time was left in the movie and caused me to throw my arms in the air with joy.

One thing I will say about the movie, it should certain background characters dying that I didn't realized died in the book. I don't want to give too much away, because I'm not sure who has seen the movie or read the book yet. . .

I can't believe this era is over. The movies have been coming for the past 10 years and the books were out before that. I feel as if I have grown up with these characters who are actually OLDER than I am if we go by JK Rowlings timeline. Thinking about it, I'm younger than Ginny Weasley!