We're a little late to the party, but Banned Books Week kicked off on September 25th and runs through October 2nd. The event is sponsored by The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, the McCormick Foundation and the Newberry Library.
The Banned Books website has a long list of fun activities you can do to help support this important cause, including reading and sharing some of your fave banned books. I, for one, can't imagine my teen years without access to Judy Blume's FOREVER, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, GO ASK ALICE or any of the many other books that pushed me to become an altogether more well-rounded, thoughtful person. Below are the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2009.
1. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle 2. AND TANGO MAKES THREE, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson 3. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, by Stephen Chbosky 4. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee 5. TWILIGHT (series) by Stephenie Meyer 6. CATCHER IN THE RYE, by J.D. Salinger 7. MY SISTER'S KEEPER, by Jodi Picoult 8. THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG, ROUND THINGS by Carolyn Mackler
9. THE COLOR PURPLE, by Alice Walker 10. THE CHOCOLATE WAR, by Robert Cormier
UPDATE: The winner of JANE AND THE DAMNED by Janet Mullany is thebookfairyhaven. Congrats! Please email you rphysical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Leave a comment to win a copy of JANE AND THE DAMNED by Janet Mullany. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
The 411: Mullany (Improper Relations) pens an impressively compelling Jane Austen mashup full of humor ("You damned Damned!") and poignant irony. At a Basingstoke dance, the Austen sisters encounter some fashionable Londoners with a taste for blood. Jane is drawn to meet one of the Damned, enigmatic William, who turns her into a vampire against her will. Reverend Austen takes the family to Bath to seek a cure, but when the French invade England, Jane joins the other vampires in putting their superhuman strength and speed to the service of their country. Purists might regret Cassandra's relegation to soppy sister, but the bond between Jane and her father, the small scenes that reflect Austen's novels, the sly humor of a vampire Prince Regent, and an abundance of moral dilemmas and vivid action make this a very satisfying page-turner for vamp-lovers and Austen fans alike. (Oct., Publishers Weekly)
Hot of the Presses: Chat Transcript for Michele Lang and Lucienne Diver!
Last night, we had a fabulous time with featured guests Michele Lang, author of LADY LAZARUS, and Lucienne Diver, author of REVAMPED, in TKA's chat room. If you weren't able to make it, we've uploaded a transcript to get you all caught up. The ladies shared a lot of awesome information about their books and publishing in general, so it's definitely worth a read. Also, below you'll find links to some helpful articles and a free read that Michele and Lucienne supplied in the chat:
Chat TONIGHT with Michele Lang and Lucienne Diver!
Don't forget to set a reminder for TKA's chat event tonight @ 9pm ET with guest Michele Lang and Lucienne Diver! Michele is the historical fantasy author of LADY LAZARUS and Lucienne is the author of REVAMPED, a paranormal young adult novel. Lucienne is also an agent with The Knight Agency. We've also planned some great giveaways and invited a special mystery guest to drop by -- so be sure to check us out!
(Photo: Michele [left] & Lucienne [right] at their fab double book launch party in NYC)
UPDATE: The winner of a signed copy of JUST ONE TASTE by Louisa Edwards is BrendaJean. Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Ever since I first started writing culinary romances, I’ve wanted to delve deeper into the fascinating world of food chemistry. Now, I wasn’t a straight-A science student in school (sadly, far from it), but one area of scientific study that truly interests me is the study of how ingredients interact with one another to become dishes.
In JUST ONE TASTE, I finally got my chance! The heroine, Dr. Rosemary Wilkins, is a complete genius on the subject. The hero, Wes Murphy, on the other hand, is more interested in how food tastes than in its chemical composition.
Wes is determined to get Rosemary to focus less on her abstract experiments, and more on the very real chemistry between the two of them! So he devises the perfect plan—a hands-on experiment to discover the truth behind aphrodisiacs…
Booklist calls JUST ONE TASTE “a rare treat that is certain to satisfy readers with its delectable combination of lusciously sensuous romance and irresistibly clever writing.”
To celebrate the release of the third Recipe for Love novel, I’m giving away a signed copy of JUST ONE TASTE! To enter to win, simply leave a comment telling me your aphrodisiac of choice. (The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.)
On Thursday, September 23rd at 9pm ET, we're hosting a chat event with two very special guests -- historical fantasy author Michele Lang and paranormal YA author Lucienne Diver (who also happens to be Michele's agent). Michele and Lucienne recently teamed up for a "Supernatural Soiree" book launch party at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art in New York City, and now they're taking the TKA chat room by storm. Both ladies will share details about their respective novels, but there will be plenty of talking shop too! Oh, and of course, prizes. You can always count on that. ;-)
HOW TO CHAT: Enter a username and password (any combination). Choose "Login." **Your computer must be java-enabled to chat.
Praise for LADY LAZARUS:
“Lang crafts a creative and terse story as all of Europe awaits the September invasion of Poland. Lang is a writer to watch and is sure to have wide appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, and other urban-fantasy A-listers. An outstanding debut.” -- Booklist, starred review
“An absolutely unique protagonist in an engaging tale set against the backdrop of the greatest clash of good and evil in human history. What’s not to love about LADY LAZARUS?” -- Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Dresden Files series
Praise for REVAMPED:
“This is a witty vampire romance/adventure with plenty of heart and action.” -- VOYA, reviewed by Ava Ehde
“Gina, the 17-year-old fashionista of the undead, is back and as sassy as ever (Vamped, 2009). Thoroughly enjoyable, this sequel is a light, fizzy read… listening in on Gina’s thoughts and quick-witted dialogue is what makes this such a treat.” -- Kirkus Reviews
Take Home Tuesday - Lauren Baratz-Logsted's CRAZY BEAUTIFUL Nominated for a Connecticut Book Award
UPDATE: The winner of CRAZY BEAUTIFUL and THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is Rachel. Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Lauren Baratz-Logsted's CRAZY BEAUTIFUL is one of five finalists in the young adult/children's category at the Connecticut Book Awards, being held this weekend. To celebrate Lauren's awesome nomination and gather up good luck vibes, we are giving away a copy of CRAZY BEAUTIFUL and a copy of her recent August release, THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER, to one winner. To enter, leave a good luck wish for Lauren in the comment section. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
The 411 on THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER: Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?
Filled with shocking twists and turns, THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end.
The 411 on CRAZY BEAUTIFUL: In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.
Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her.
But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.
Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.
UNRAVELED by Gena Showalter Makes Harlequin History
Gena Showalter's recent release, UNRAVELED, the second book in her Intertwined series, has hit the bestseller jackpot! The title debuted in the #6 spot on the New York Times' children's bestseller list for chapter books. UNRAVELED is the first book from the Harlequin Teen line to hit the Times list. WTG Gena!
UPDATE: The winner of an ARC of FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE by Marilyn Brant is macbeaner. Please send your physcial addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net. Congrats!
Leave your name in the comment section to win an advanced reading copy of Marilyn Brant's FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE.
The 411: Every woman remembers her firsts: Her first kiss. Her first lover. And her first time contemplating an affair...
Each Friday morning at the Indigo Moon Café, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara meet to swap stories about marriage, kids, and work. But one day, spurred by recent e-mails from her college ex, Jennifer poses questions they've never faced before. What if they all married the wrong man? What if they're living the wrong life? And what would happen if, just once, they gave in to temptation...
Soon each woman is second-guessing the choices she's made—and the ones she can unmake—as she becomes aware of new opportunities around every corner, from attentive colleagues and sexy neighbors to flirtatious past lovers. And as fantasies blur with real life, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara begin to realize how little they know about each other, their marriages, and themselves, and how much there is to gain—and lose—when you step outside the rules...
Praise for Marilyn Brant's ACCORDING TO JANE:
"A warm, witty and charmingly original story." —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author "An engaging read for all who have been through the long, dark, dating wars, and still believe there's sunshine, and a Mr. Darcy, at the end of the tunnel." —Cathy Lamb, author of Henry's Sisters "This is a must-read for Austen lovers as well as for all who believe in the possibility of a happily-ever-after ending." —Holly Chamberlin, author of One Week In December
Well folks, the hunt ends here. Now it's time to put on your thinking caps. If you've been following Gena Showalter's online scavenger hunt, then you've collected seven letters already from Gena and her young adult author pals Rachel Caine, PC Cast, Marley Gibson, Rosemary Clement-Moore and Tina Ferraro. If you late to the game, then you can still go back to these authors' blogs and grab the letters.
You have until Monday, September 6th at midnight ET to put it all together and email us the answer at Contests(ATKnightAgency.net. The prize for those not "in the know" -- three $100 Visa Gift Cards and five signed copies of UNRAVELED to randomly drawn winners (well who got the answer right, of course!). That's EIGHT prizes. Sounds like you've got a good chance to win big to me. :-)
So let's get on with it. For those who need to start at the beginning, the contest road map and rules are posted here. For those that are at the end of the journey, here is your last letter:
Good luck!
This contest runs from Monday, August 30th to Thursday, September 2nd. All entries must be emailed to Contests(AT)Knightagency.net by Monday, September 6th at midnight ET.
We're a little late to the party, but Banned Books Week kicked off on September 25th and runs through October 2nd. The event is sponsored by The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, the McCormick Foundation and the Newberry Library.
