Waiting on Wednesday {127}: The Museum of Heartbreak



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is: The Museum of Heartbreak.

The Museum of Heartbreak


The Museum of Heartbreak

by Meg Leder


Publication date: June 7, 2016

From Goodreads:

In this ode to all the things we gain and lose and gain again, seventeen-year-old Penelope Marx curates her own mini-museum to deal with all the heartbreaks of love, friendship, and growing up.

Welcome to the Museum of Heartbreak.

Well, actually, to Penelope Marx’s personal museum. The one she creates after coming face to face with the devastating, lonely-making butt-kicking phenomenon known as heartbreak.

Heartbreak comes in all forms: There’s Keats, the charmingly handsome new guy who couldn’t be more perfect for her. There’s possibly the worst person in the world, Cherisse, whose mission in life is to make Penelope miserable. There’s Penelope’s increasingly distant best friend Audrey. And then there’s Penelope’s other best friend, the equal-parts-infuriating-and-yet-somehow-amazing Eph, who has been all kinds of confusing lately.

But sometimes the biggest heartbreak of all is learning to let go of that wondrous time before you ever knew things could be broken.

Beth Revis' Paper Hearts Tour (writing & marketing advice + giveaway)


Bird by Bird meets Save the Cat in this new writing advice book by NY Times bestselling author Beth Revis. With more than 100000 reads on Wattpad, this newly expanded and rewritten edition features 350 pages of content, including charts and a detailed appendix. 


~~~



Fight the blank page. 



When it comes to writing, there's no wrong way to get words on paper. But it's not always easy to make the ink flow. Paper Hearts: Some Writing Advice won't make writing any simpler, but it may help spark your imagination and get your hands back on the keyboard.



Practical Advice Meets Real Experience



With information that takes you from common mistakes in grammar to detailed charts on story structure, Paper Hearts describes:



-How to Develop Character, Plot, & World



-What Common Advice You Should Ignore 



-What Advice Actually Helps 



-How to Develop a Novel



-The Basics of Grammar, Style, & Tone



-Four Practical Methods of Charting Story Structure 



-How to Get Critiques and Revise Your Novel



-How to Deal with Failure

... And much more!



BONUS! More than 25 "What to do if..." scenarios to help writers navigate problems in writing from a NY Times Bestselling author who's written more than 2 million words of fiction.



Tip 1: Join the community.

Additional details:

You do not live in a bubble. Writing can feel like a solitary endeavor, but marketing is absolutely not. If you want to sell books, you can’t expect to just tell people to buy your book and have them give you money. Instead, approach the book world like a community—and join it. Show up to book signings at your local bookstore. Join writing groups and organizations, and volunteer your time or participate in programming. Get online and contribute to the conversations—don’t just shout at the world to buy your book, join the community. People don’t want an advertisement, but they’re happy to support community members.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Learn more at BethRevis.com

Paper Hearts, Volume 1: Some Writing Advice on Goodreads

Purchase Paper Hearts, Volume 1: Some Writing Advice: Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble The Book Depository

Follow along with the rest of the tour at the Paper Hearts Tour Headquarters, or follow Beth Revis on Twitter!


Waiting on Wednesday {126}: THE LAST TIME WE WERE US



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is: The Last Time We Were Us.

The Last Time We Were Us


The Last Time We Were us

by Leah Konen


Publication date: May 10, 2016

From Goodreads:

A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend recently released from juvie, and the small-town lies that have kept them apart. A teen romance debut with a dark edge.

Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are getting invited to all the best parties, and with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.

Local teen convict released early.

Jason Sullivan wasn’t supposed to come back from juvie. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd. Before he attacked Innis’s older brother, leaving Skip’s face burned and their town in shock.

“Everything is not what you think.”

Liz always found it hard to believe what they said about Jason, but all of Bonneville thinks he’s dangerous. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything. But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out?

“You’re the one person who believes in me.”

Leah Konen’s southern romance swelters with passion as it explores the devastating crush of lies, the delicate balance of power and perception, and one girl’s journey to find herself while uncovering the secrets of so many others.

Let's Ask Lovemuffin {2}





Welcome to the new feature here at Let Me Tell You A Story where I read titles, then blurbs to Lovemuffin, and he decides what I should read next. (For more info or a refresher on how this all came about, go HERE.)

Quick summary:

1) I read four titles.

2) Lovemuffin chooses a book for me to read based on the title.

3) I then read the blurbs to all four books.

4) Lovemuffin makes a final decision about which book I should read after hearing the blurbs.

Keep in mind that I didn't let him see any covers; this was solely based on hearing about them.

This month's options (shown in the order presented) are:





After reading only the titles, Lovemuffin chose...






 THE TESTING.






THEN I read the blurbs (in this very order, actually):




Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one and the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Publish date: June 4, 2013 | Add to Goodreads




You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Publish date: August 15, 2013  |  Add to Goodreads






Denton Little’s Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day on which they will die. For Denton, that’s in just two days—the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle—as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend’s hostile sister. (Though he’s not totally sure—see, first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton’s long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters. . . . Suddenly Denton’s life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager’s life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on. 

Publish date: April 14th, 2015 | Add to Goodreads




“I love you,” Polly says suddenly when I’m almost to the door.

“I know,” I say.


Hermione Winters has been a flyer. She’s been captain of her cheerleading team. The envied girlfriend and the undisputed queen of her school. Now it’s her last year and those days and those labels are fading fast. In a few months she’ll be a different person. She thinks she’s ready for whatever comes next.

But then someone puts something in her drink at a party, and in an instant she finds herself wearing new labels, ones she never imagined:

Victim. Survivor. That raped girl.

Even though this was never the future she imagined, one essential thing remains unchanged: Hermione can still call herself Polly Olivier’s best friend, and that may be the truest label of all.

Heartbreaking and empowering, Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the story of transcendent friendship in the face of trauma.

“I love you,” I say, because I really, really do.

“I know,” says Polly.


Publish date: March 15th, 2016 | Add to Goodreads



Here's what he chose after HEARING the blurbs:







Tah-dah! 

Are you surprised? I was! Lovemuffin thought this blurb was written the best, and when I showed him the cover, we both agreed that it was gorgeous.

So... how about you? What title would you have chosen? How 'bout after hearing the blurb?


Waiting on Wednesday {125}: The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is: The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society.

The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society


The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society

by Janet Sumner Johnson


Publication date: April 2016

From Goodreads:

Some things are better together. Like peanut butter and jelly. Or Annie and Jason. So when her best friend's house is threatened with foreclosure, Annie Jenkins is bursting with ideas to save Jason's home. She could sell her appendix on eBay. (Why not?) Win the lottery. (It's worth a shot!). Face the evil bankers herself. (She's one tough cookie, after all.) Or hunt down an elusive (and questionably real) pirate treasure. Whatever the plan, it has to work, or this is undoubtedly THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURE OF THE PB&J SOCIETY.

Romancing the Nerd blog tour + Leah's Top Ten Favorite TV Nerds ATM

It's here! Romancing the Nerd is here! Yay! I super-enjoyed The Summer I Became a Nerd, and can't wait to dig in to the sequel this weekend! *squee* 
I am so excited to have Leah here today to share her Top Ten Favorite TV Nerds ATM, but first, a little series background (and a teaser):



Synopsis: On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl’s body isn’t just unknown, it’s anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.  

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.




romancing the nerd
Title: Romancing the Nerd (Nerd, #2) 

Author: Leah Rae Miller Release Date: Apr. 5, 2016

Genre: YA Romantic Comedy

Dan Garrett has become exactly what he hates—popular. Until recently, he was just another live-action role-playing nerd on the lowest rung of the social ladder. Cue a massive growth spurt and an uncanny skill at taking three-point shots in basketball and voilà...Mr. Popular. It's definitely weird.

And the biggest drawback? Going from high school zero to basketball hero cost Dan the secret girl of his dorky dreams.

 A band geek with an eclectic fashion sense, Zelda Potts's “coolness” stat is about minus forty-two. Dan turning his back on her and the rest of nerd-dom was brutal enough, but when he humiliates her at school, Zelda decides it's time for a little revenge—dork style. Never mind that she used to have a crush on him. Never mind that her plan could backfire big time.

 It's time to roll the dice...and hope like freakin' hell she doesn't lose her heart in the process.






Leah's Top Ten Favorite TV Nerds ATM

It happens every time. If I’m watching a TV show, I will automatically call the resident nerd my favorite character. Maybe it’s because I relate to them, those shy, smart underdogs. Whatever the reason, scenes featuring those guys and gals are always the ones I look forward to. So here, in no particular order, are my current favorite TV nerds!

Bernadette from Big Bang Theory – In a show where the entire cast are nerds, it’s hard to pick my favorite but Bernie stands out to me. She’s beautiful, headstrong, and so so nice. But she can shock you sometimes with that competitive spirit of hers.

Cisco from The Flash – The namer of supervillians and a possessor of superpowers himself. He’s adorable and wicked smart, not to mention the funniest member of Team Flash.

Ravi from iZombie – Once again, a wickedly funny nerd and super handsome to boot. I particularly loved that one time he didn’t ask a girl out because she’d never really cared to see Star Wars *gasp*.

Alice from The Magicians – Alice is the serious type of nerd. Super smart, even smarter than she gives herself credit for. And she can do magic which is pretty much every nerd’s dream!

Brian from Limitless – Brian is an outgoing nerd, but a nerd none the less. He loves doing arts and crafts to help solve FBI cases. He can whip up an elaborate chart or a puppet show in no time and it’s always entertaining.

Fitz/Simmons from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – This is a two for one, but it’s almost like you can’t include one without the other. Also, they belong together. I ship it so hard.

Felicity from Arrow – The tech member of Team Arrow, Felicity is adorably scatterbrained sometimes, but can always pull out a win for the team with her hacking skills.

Molly from Sherlock – Not what you’d call a traditional nerd, but I think she counts. She’s quiet and shy, but won’t take any crap from Sherlock which makes her awesome in my book.

Phil from Modern Family – Phil is that nerdy guy you knew in high school who now has a career and a family, but never changed his nerdy ways. When he gets interested in something, he becomes passionate about it which is a great defining characteristic of nerds.

Stiles from Teen Wolf – Oh, goofy Stiles. He’s the only member of the group that isn’t some mythical being and yet he holds his own. He contributes with his wit and detective abilities and I can’t help but cheer for him.

There you have it! Thanks for having me on the blog today! And if I forgot your favorite, let me know in the comments!



Thanks for the great list, Leah! :)

Now go check out Romancing the Nerd and tell Logan "hi" for me, everybody! ;)


leah-rae-miller

About the Author: Mother, wife, and YA author living on a windy hill in Louisiana. I love fuzzy socks, comic books, cherry coke, and brand new office supplies. THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD released Summer 2013 and ROMANCING THE NERD released in Spring 2016 from Entangled Teen.


Author Website 

Author Twitter: @LeahR_Miller

Author Facebook 

Author Goodreads






Waiting on Wednesday {124}: THIS IS THE STORY OF YOU



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is: This is the Story of You.

This Is the Story of You


This is the Story of You

by Beth Kephart


Publication date: April 10, 2016

From Goodreads:

On Haven, a six-mile long, half-mile-wide stretch of barrier island, Mira Banul and her Year-Rounder friends have proudly risen to every challenge. But then a superstorm defies all predictions and devastates the island, upending all logic and stranding Mira's mother and brother on the mainland. Nothing will ever be the same. A stranger appears in the wreck of Mira's home. A friend obsessed with vanishing disappears. As the mysteries deepen, Mira must find the strength to carry on—to somehow hold her memories in place while learning to trust a radically reinvented future. Gripping and poetic, This Is the Story of You is about the beauty of nature and the power of family, about finding hope in the wake of tragedy and recovery in the face of overwhelming loss.