BLOG TOUR: Trust Me

TRUST ME

by Gemma Metcalfe

Pages: 209 Kindle

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: March 10th 2017

ASIN: B01M4KBUBM

Summary 

One phone call. Two lives. Their darkest secrets.Lana needs to sell a holiday, fast. Stuck in Tenerife, in a dead end job, she never expected a response quite like Liam’s.Thousands of miles away a phone rings. Liam never intended to pick up, he’s too busy choosing the quickest way to die. But at least someone should know the truth before he goes, even if that someone is a stranger.As time runs out both are drawn to the other, expressing thoughts they never imagined they would share.When you’re about to die will your secrets even matter?

My Advice on Becoming a Published Author 

by Gemma Metcalfe

Since becoming published, people have often asked me for advice on how to write a novel and how to get published. Of course it is a huge compliment, and a little surreal as I too was asking the same questions to authors not so long ago. I always find it incredibly difficult to answer this question because of course I can only really offer my own personal experience. Every author´s journey to publication is personal, and each one will offer different tales of how they got there. However, there is one thing in common with every author. We all fell in love with storytelling, with the written word, and we all picked up a pen, or a laptop, and began to write. 

  My first piece of advice to anybody wanting to become a published author is to do it for the right reasons; because you have a story inside of you that won’t be silenced, because you are thinking up plot lines when really you should be tuning in to your boss´ work presentations. If you were ´born to write,´ you will know about it. It´s like a scratch that you just need to itch, a way of escape from the pressure of life. Do not do it for the money! Believe me, I wrongly assumed myself that a publishing deal was a guaranteed gateway to wealth… I slowly learnt that my presumptions were incorrect. A publishing deal simple gets your book onto platforms such as Amazon, Kobo and iBook’s, and if you have a traditional deal you may also see it in print. Having a book deal does not necessarily mean lots of people will buy it, and royalties on books are pretty low. Of course many authors do incredibly well financially, but it is not something which normally happens overnight. 

  The next big question is obviously how to write a full novel. Many people start their writing career with short stories, and find the transition between two-thousand words and eighty thousand words pretty daunting. I was exactly the same, and there isn’t really a transition formula which I can recommend. The only difference I can think of between ´Trust Me´ and the other novels which sit on my computer unfinished is the story itself. I knew with Trust Me that I had stumbled on something unique, that although the idea was thin when I originally thought it up, it had potential to grow and become something much more complex.

  Then of course there is the publishing deal itself. Many writers enlist the help of an agent first, who works to secure the publishing deal on behalf of the writer. I sent my manuscript to agents and direct to publishers, and in all honesty it was the publishers (HQ digital) who shown an interest almost immediately and I signed a two-book contract with them. They are open to submissions at present from unsolicited manuscripts, so if you have written a novel, why not get in touch with them? 

  So there you are, that is my advice on how to become a published author: Write from the heart, make sure you would like to read the story you write, and send it off to every publisher and agent in the entire world!

Trust Me… If I can do it, so can you!   

Author

Gemma Metcalfe is a Manchester born author who now lives in sunny Tenerife with her husband Danny and two crazy rescue dogs Dora and Diego. By day, Gemma can be found working as a Primary school teacher, but as the sun sets, she ditches the glitter and glue and becomes a writer of psychological thrillers. An established drama queen, she admits to having a rather warped imagination, and loves writing original plots with shocking twists. The plot for her debut novel ´Trust Me,´ is loosely based on her experiences as a call centre operative, where  she was never quite sure who would answer the phone…

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Waiting On Wednesday #18

ONE OF US IS LYING

by Karen M. McManus

Pages: 368 paperback

Publisher: Penguin 

ISBN: 9780141375632

Summary 

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
    Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
    Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
    Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
    Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
    And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

PUBLICATION DATE:
JUNE THE 1ST

What is your #WaitingOnWednesday this week? Comment below as I'm excited to see what everyone else is looking forward to! 

REVIEW: Windfall

WINDFALL

by Jennifer E. Smith

Pages: 320 paperback

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Publication Date: May 4th 2017

ISBN: 9781509831708
Received From: Macmillan Children's Books

Summary 

Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.  

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.  

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

Review

I'm on a bit of a contemporary binge at the moment and this new book by Jennifer E. Smith was the perfect addition! There was something charming about Windfall that had me hooked from the very first page and I didn't want to put it down. I think everyone has wondered what they would do if they won the lottery but I don't image anyone expects it to unfold quite like this! 

Alice is hopelessly in love with her best friend Teddy (can’t blame her, I’m a little in love with him to) and on his 18th birthday she buys him a lottery ticket as a laugh. However, the gods of sods law decided it would be fun if this lottery ticket happened to be the winning one, making Teddy 140 million dollars richer than he was when he was 17. Throughout the course of the book Alice's relationship with Teddy is pushed to the limits as you see the way in which money changes Teddy and the people around him. All Alice wants is to see him do something special with the money but when she turns down her half she looses her say on what comes next. With college just around the corner, family drama and a past that would break anyone’s heart will Alice and Teddy make it to the end of the book with their friendship in tact? Only one way to find out!

I loved this book so much! There was something about these characters that just made my heart swell! Between Alice and Teddy they have had the worst of luck (not that Alice believes in luck) in life so far, with both of Alice's parents dying within 13 months of each other and Teddy getting the short straw on fathers. I think one of the things I loved most about this book was the relationship between these two! Teddy screws up a lot and Alice is set in her ways but together they bring out the best in each other. They fight, they make up, they disagree on things but they always have each other’s back with the important things! I have a bit of a crush on Teddy so I'm trying hard not to keep the gushing to a minimum. 

There is also a big emphasis on random acts of kindness within this story. If you haven't heard of this then Google it but in short it’s simple, small acts of kindness for no reason other than to make someone else's day a little bit brighter. Whether that is a simple hello to a stranger or buying someone a coffee, these small deeds make someone’s day. There is enough bad shit going on in the world right now, which is why I think I admired this book so much. Yes its fiction but it brings to light a movement that still a lot of people don't know about. Random acts of kindness and simply passing it forward helps more than people imagine and this book highlights the significance of the smaller gestures. 

Overall, this is the perfect book for anyone looking for a contemporary YA. It is my favourite Jennifer E. Smith book to date (and that's saying something because The Geography of You and Me had me swooning for days). It has a strong emphasis on friendship and family, dealing with your past and making a difference to your future. It had moments that made me want to slap certain characters but mostly is made me smile. So if you haven't read it yet I whole-heartedly recommend it. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Macmillan Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: Lying Out Loud

LYING OUT LOUD

by Kody Keplinger

Pages: 368 paperback

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 2nd July 2015

ISBN: 9781444928167
Received From:  Hodder Children's Books

Summary 

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go. 

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with— secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross. 

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand—a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed. 

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

Review

Now for those of you who read my review of The Duff you will know it left me fangirling quite hard so when it came to reading Lying Out Loud I was unsure how I would feel about reentering the halls of Hamilton High without Bianca and Wesley by my side. HOWEVER, I really had nothing to worry about because Kody Keplinger created yet another set of perfectly imperfect characters that had me hooked from pretty much page one. Then just to make me smile even more B and Wesley have a massive cameo so I got to find out what was going on with them after they graduated! 

Lying Out Loud centres around Sonny as she finders herself telling one too many lies to keep on top of. You see Sonny is an excellent liar and has the ability to let the whole world only see the side of her she wants them to, coving up the broken parts with well placed lies. The only person in her life she is honest with is her best friend Amy Rush (as in Wesley Rush's baby sister). When life at home is too much to bare Sonny leans on Amy, moving in with her to hide the fact life with her family is falling apart. However, without meaning to Sonny finds herself in an online relationship with new boy, Ryder, although unbeknown to Sonny he thinks he's talking to her best friend Amy. One lie turns into two and from there things spiral out of control. Can Sonny keep up the pretence or will she find herself loosing everything? 

The story itself is addictive. I was hooked from the first page and read into the early hours just to find out what happens next. I have a thing for flawed characters, as to me they feel the most realistic and Sonny is anything but perfect! There is a need to be independent when it comes to our main protagonist but circumstance leaves her more often than not vulnerable. Lying to Sonny is like breath for the rest of us and knowing when to stop is so unknown it conflicts with everything she has built up. But throughout the book Sonny has to choose between what's right and whats comfortable and her growth from start to finish is heartwarming. 

I think the thing I like most about these books is that there is always a really strong core message to them. With The Duff it was about loving who you are no matter what you think your flaws are and with Lying Out Loud there is a massive emphasis on trust and knowing that YOU ARE ENOUGH! When it comes to writing YA having such strong messages is really important because it helps teach us to really appreciate who we are as individuals and I take my metaphorical hat off to Kody for installing such strong and positive morals to her books! 

Overall this is yet another perfect example of what a YA contemporary can be! It is witty and charming from star to finish but it also has some really strong and not particularly pleasant moments to. The story feels real and the characters have a rawness about them that you can't help but love. If you haven't read this yet I highly recommend it.... I promise you won't regret it! 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: The Duff

THE DUFF

by Kody Keplinger

Pages: 343 paperback

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 5th April 2012 (original publication September 2010)

ISBN: 9781444903508
Received From:  Hodder Children's Books

Summary 

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face.  

But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. 

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. And eventually, through this realization, Bianca begins to see how harmful her unhealthy way of dealing with her problems has been, and finds a way to confront them head on. 

Review

I might be 24 and a half (the half is important) but I still love myself a high school drama! I don't know what it is but something about the firsts people go through during high school and university intrigues me and The Duff had me captivated from the very first page! I've actually had this on my shelf since just before Lying Out Loud came out but with university never got around to reading it and I'm kind of glad. You see, if I had read it when I had got it I wouldn't have been able to lock myself away for a day and completely and utterly submerge myself in it like I did recently and I honestly can't think of any other way to read this book! But I need to stop fangirling for a moment and actually give you lovely lot a review so here you go... 

The Duff follows seventeen-year-old Bianca as she is introduced to the term DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - by Hamilton Highs resident womanizer Wesley Rush. With two ridiculously hot friends Bianca is the Duff of the group and when Wesley tries to use this to get to B's best friends it sets into motion a whole heap of events that no one could have predicted. The word eats at B's self esteem, making her question who she is within her friendship group and with her family falling apart she seeks comfort in the most unlikely of place... Wesley Rush! Throughout the book her friendships are tested, her relationship with her parents change and B has to discover what being the Duff means to her. 

Have I said how much I love this book? It has everything from complex characters, captivating story arcs and a swoon worthy book boyfriend to boot! There was something completely endearing about the way in which Bianca forms relationships with people throughout the course of the book and I found I connected to her in a way I wasn't expecting. She's got this wall up around her feelings and has a habit of rushing into things head on without thinking about the consequences. It felt like a real and raw account of someone trying to come to terms with things beyond her capability. There was a real heart to this book and it speaks to every girl that thinks someone else is prettier, skinnier or simply more than themselves. It is one of those books with dark twists and yet still has you smiling by the last page. 

Overall I couldn't recommend this book any harder! If you have seen the movie and thought "well I don't need to read the book now" you couldn't be more wrong! The only similarity between the book and the film is the character names and the term "DUFF".  The Duff is full of heart and heartbreak, it will have you crying one moment and laughing the next. It is the quintessential high school novel and it is YA contemporary at its best! 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Waiting on Wednesday #17

THE BATTLEMAGE

by Taran Matharu

Pages: 416

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

ISBN: 9781444924268

Summary 

One boy's ability to summon demons will change the fate of an empire ... The epic conclusion to the fantasy trilogy described as 'Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets Pokemon'.
After the thrilling cliffhanger at the end of book two, we rejoin Fletcher and his friends in the ether, where they must undertake a mortally dangerous quest, all the while avoiding capture by enemies and facing foes more terrifying than anything they have yet encountered.
But this is nothing compared to what truly lies ahead for Fletcher, as his nemesis, albino orc Khan, is on a mission to destroy Hominum and everything and everyone that Fletcher loves.
Epic battles, dramatic revelations and breathtaking drama await in the third and final book in the New York Times bestselling Summoner series. 

PUBLICATION DATE:
MAY THE 4TH

I'm currently making my way through these books and LOVING THEM!! Can't wait for the third book to be out :) 

What is your #WaitingOnWednesday this week? Comment below as I'm excited to see what everyone else is looking forward to! 

April Wrap Up

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Girlhood

by Cat Clarke

Mini review

There was something eery and and creepy to the story that kept me on tender hooks from the very beginning. I read this book in a couple of sittings and I didn't want it to end!

Gif review 

CLICK HERE
for my review of Girlhood by Cat Clarke

WHAT I READ IN APRIL

25. The Kiss by Lucy Courtenay (5 Stars)
26. The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull (4 Stars)
27. The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas (4 Stars)
28. Girlhood by Cat Clarke (4 Stars)
29. Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith (5 Stars)
30. One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton (5 Stars)
31. The Novice by Taran Matharu (5 Stars)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN MAY

Reviews 

1st - Girlhood by Cat Clarke
4th - The Duff by Kody Keplinger
5th - Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger
8th - Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith
15th - The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull
19th - Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
22nd - Wishbone by Virginia Macgregor
29th - Darkmere by Helen Maslin

Extras

12th 

Blog Tour for Trust Me, with everything you need to know about the book + a guest post from the author with her advice for unpublished authors.

22nd
Blog Tour for Wishbone by Virginia Macgregor including review + extract from the book!


And of course EVERY wednesday keep and eye out for my Waiting on Wednesday post where I look at a future release I'm excited about :)

REVIEW: Girlhood

GIRLHOOD

by Cat Clarke

Pages: 384 paperback

Publisher: Quercus Children's Books
Publication Date: May 4th 2017

ISBN: 9781784292737
Received From: Quercus Children's Books

Summary 

Harper has tried to forget the past and fit in at expensive boarding school Duncraggan Academy. Her new group of friends are tight; the kind of girls who Harper knows have her back. But Harper can't escape the guilt of her twin sister's Jenna's death, and her own part in it - and she knows noone else will ever really understand. 

But new girl Kirsty seems to get Harper in ways she never expected. She has lost a sister too. Harper finally feels secure. She finally feels...loved. As if she can grow beyond the person she was when Jenna died. 

Then Kirsty's behaviour becomes more erratic. Why is her life a perfect mirror of Harper's? And why is she so obsessed with Harper's lost sister? Soon, Harper's closeness with Kirsty begins to threaten her other relationships, and her own sense of identity. 

How can Harper get back to the person she wants to be, and to the girls who mean the most to her?

Review

Cat Clarke's books are some of my all time favourites so when I heard that there was a new one on the way I happy danced for at good half hour! Girlhood did not disappoint with it quickly becoming my favourite Clarke book to date!

Girlhood is the story of Harper and her time at Duncraggan Academy. Harper doesn't come from a long line of old money like most of the girls at Duncraggan but landed in it's hallowed halls after her dad won the lottery. Harper and her twin sister Jenna always wanted to go to boarding school so after Jenna's death Harper was even more determined to go for the both of them. Her sisters death hovers over every aspect of Harpers life like a stinking black rain cloud but at Duncraggan Academy she has the chance to start again fresh. However, with a new girl moving in down the hall Harper finds herself in a situation she never dreamed of and her life starts to take a turn for the worst, pushing the limits to her new life to breaking point.

There was something about the characters in this book that I really quite admired. Harper (our main protagonist) is all kinds of broken, taking the strength she needs to live day to day from the friends around her. So when things fall about she is left with only the broken parts, forcing her to deal with things she would much rather leave swept under the metaphorical rug. I think there where moments where I simply wanted to shake Harper and tell her to open her damn eyes to the people around her! However, I couldn't get too annoyed at her because we're all a little bit blind to the things going on around us sometimes and it was her flaws that I think made her connectable.

What I love about Cat's books is that she isn't afraid to show the darker side to being a teenage girl. The whole sugar and spice and all things nice theory is a load of poppycock and being able to look past the stereotypes and show the different sides of human behavior at that age is really important. At that age friendships can be fragile, identities are tested and we discover who we are in the darkest of moments. After all, it is our mistakes we learn from. With Girlhood there was moments that sent shivers down my spine and there are moments that make me laugh but it is the vulnerableness of these girls that kept me hooked. Their relationships are pushed to their limits as they have to learn to be better than they thought they could be in situations that no one should have to go through.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! There was something eery and and creepy to the story that kept me on tender hooks from the very beginning. I read this book in a couple of sittings and I didn't want it to end! Cat's writing style is effortless and so easy to read that I felt that I was in a castle in Scotland myself at times. Girlhood comes out this week (May 4th) and if you haven't preordered it yet I would highly recommend it!

**I received this book as an ARC from Quercus Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: The Kiss

THE KISS

by Lucy Courtenay

Pages: 336 paperback

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group 

Publication Date: July 2nd 2015

ISBN: 9781444922868
Received From:  Hachette Children's Group

Summary 

Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?' 'Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now. 'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?' Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone ...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble? A hilarious rom-com that will delight Geek Girls everywhere! 

Review

This is one of those books I got a while back but for some reason never got around to reading and much like with The Duff I have no idea why I didn't read it sooner!! I fell in love with this book instantly, the characters and the story captivated my attention from the get go and the idea of The Kiss spoke to the hopeless romantic in me. 

This Kiss is a story of romance and teen angst. It follows teen Delilah as she discovers the power of a single kiss - Aphrodite's kiss to exact. The myth is that Aphrodite kissed a mortal under a full moon and it drove him mad and so to easy his madness he kissed another passing on the kiss. The kiss then traveled until one day, many many moons later, it fell upon Delilah. However, when Delilah has to take on a job with sexy, body painting, Jem the kiss becomes more than some myth and one simple kiss might not just change her life but her best friends to. 

By now we all know I have a thing for flawed characters, no one is perfect and I connect more with a character that messes up and learns from their mistakes than someone who sales through from cover to cover without putting a foot wrong. This Kiss is one of those books where EVERYONE has their flaws but that's okay! Throughout the course of the book you see these characters deal with their problems, overcome things they thought were long past saving and learn to accept other people for their mistakes to. There is something about a story that embraces human nature of making mistakes that I find utterly charming and The Kiss is one of those stories. 

This is a book about first loves, friendship and learning to deal with the consequences of your actions. It is heart warming from start to finish and Delilah's point of view is uniquely witty for a sixteen year old. It feels real and honest and yet at the same time magical and full of whimsy. I couldn't but this book down and if you haven't read it get I'd highly recommend it. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hachette Children's Group to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**