Closed for the Holidays

Free Book Friday Teens will be closed until January 10, 2009. Please come see us in the new year for more fabulous authors and of course...more free books!

Happy Holidays,
Jessica

Handcuffs - Winners

It's Friday! Time to give away some free books!

Four lucky winners are getting an early Christmas gift today: a free signed copy of the brand new hardback novel, Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin.

And those winners are:


1) Amanda Abrams
2) Maria Ford
3) Bridget Hopper
4) Katie Johnson

Congratulations! Enjoy your book!

If you didn't win, but still want to unlock some of Parker Prescott's secrets, order your own copy of Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin here!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin

HANDCUFFS

by Bethany Griffin

Contemporary Young Adult
Delacorte Press
www.BethanyGriffin.com


We're giving away 4 signed copies on December 19, 2008.





Synopsis:

Parker Prescott is an Ice Princess. Cold, aloof, a snob. At least, that's what everyone says on Marion Hennessey's blog. And everyone reads Marion Hennessey's blog.

Parker Prescott is a middle child. She's the good one, the dependable one, the one her parents trust. Well . . . she used to be.

Parker Prescott's parents want her to break up with her boyfriend. But she already did, two weeks ago.

And then she realized it was a mistake. He came over. He had the handcuffs in his pocket. Everything went downhill from there. Sort of.

Parker Prescott's world is changing and she no longer knows who she is. Does anyone?

Check out this exclusive interview with Bethany Griffin, author of Handcuffs!

1) Handcuffs is your first book. What did it feel like when you first found out it was going to be published?

I jumped up and down and screamed and my kids, ages 2 and 4, kept asking, what’s wrong, mommy? What’s wrong? It was an awesome feeling, and it was compounded by the fact that I had just discussed some plot issues with my agent, and we had decided to revise…the first email I got, scrolling through my inbox, said…this means you can stop revising. I was like, what? And then I found the congratulations email.

2) Okay, I have to ask. A pair of handcuffs? Hmmm…any autobiographical storytelling going on here?

Nope. There is one situation that happened to me. It’s the date with the I Like Fishing guy. And as the book evolved that story became Parker’s, too. But no autobiography with the handcuffs. :)

3) I stand corrected, Handcuffs is not your first book. I just read your bio and saw that you technically wrote your first book in middle school. What was that one about?

The one in middle school was for this big Young Authors’ competition that is still held locally. I wrote about archaeologists. The best/worst part is that I was (and still am) math impaired. For some reason I thought the height of the character’s was important, and my teacher pulled me aside and asked if my characters were…small people. I had made the archeologist hero 4’5.

4) What’s your favorite procrastination activity?

The internet. It's an addiction.

5) Your bio says you’ve always liked to read. If you could meet one fictional character who would it be and what would you do with him/her/it?

From childhood…probably Peregrin Took. We would hang out at the Green Dragon and drink ale. Ginger ale. Or whatever hobbits drink. From later in life, maybe Holden Caulfield. Even though he would probably scorn me. Because he scorned everything and everyone.

About the Author:

Bethany Griffin is a high school English teacher and an avid reader of teen fiction. She teaches and writes in Kentucky, where she lives with her three cats, her two children, and her husband--the first guy she met who had read more than three of her favorite books. Handcuffs is her first book for young readers.

For more information about Bethany and to read an excerpt from Handcuffs, please visit her author website at: www.BethanyGriffin.com

Rowan of the Wood - Winners

Happy Friday Everyone!

Time to give away some free books. Two lucky winners will get a free signed copy of Rowan of the Wood, an exciting new YA fantasy novel by Christine and Ethan Rose.

And so, without further ado, those winners are:


1) Nana Ochiai
2) Linda Fitzjarrell

Congratulations to both our winners!

If you didn't win, but still want to share Rowan's magic journey, you can order your own copy on Amazon here.

Come back Saturday for our next awesome author and free book giveaway!

Rowan of the Wood by Christine and Ethan Rose

ROWAN OF THE WOOD

by Christine and Ethan Rose

Young Adult/Fantasy
Dalton
www.RowanoftheWood.com


We're giving away 2 signed copies on December 12, 2008.




Synopsis:

Harry Potter fans, meet your new hero...

After a millennium of imprisonment in his magic wand, an ancient wizard possesses the young boy who released him. When danger is nigh, he emerges from the frightened child to set things right. Both he and the boy try to grasp what has happened to them only to discover a deeper problem. Somehow the wizard’s bride from the ancient past has survived and become something evil.

A Finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

Praise for Rowan of the Wood:

"This is a great addition to the wizarding world. You'll find yourself reading it in a day because you won't want to put it down."
—Austin Monthly Magazine

"...a fanciful and intriguing book about love, loss, magic and a centuries old quest."
—A. E. Jaskiewicz for Front Street Reviews

"...an imaginative and fun read with a fairy tale flavor to it that will appeal to old and young alike."
—Victoria Kennedy, Midwest Book Reviews





Check out this exclusive interview with Christine and Ethan, the husband and wife author team of Rowan of the Wood!

1) This book sounds like a fascinating read. Can you tell us about your inspiration for writing it?

C: Rowan of the Wood is really a culmination of a lifetime of inspiration. The Authurian Legend and Celtic Mythology, as well as the Green Man Myth, have always spoken to me. Literature in general, especially the classics, have inspired me to action many a time. Ethan's childhood story is a huge source of inspiration for me. More recently, the joy of my nephews and the wonder of Harry Potter were also sources of inspiration. HP brought childlike magic back into my life at 35.

E: For me it was mostly writing down a bunch of stuff that was floating around in my head looking for a way out.

2) You two are the first husband and wife writing team that we’ve featured on the site. How does that writing relationship work? Do you guys ever struggle for control or have disagreements about how a particular scene should be written?

C: We worked very well together, and we look forward to writing the rest of the series together. Unlike many couples, we work the best when we can spend a lot of time together. We're going on a nationwide tour in the Spring, and we'll be together every day, all day. We can't wait! We'll also be finally able to get back to writing the sequel!

E: We actually do a lot of things together and make a pretty good team overall. We did have an occasional difference of view, but since Christine had the original concept for the book, I generally deferred to her.

3) I read online that you’re adapting the book into a graphic novel. That is really cool. But I can’t help but think this would also make a great film. Along the lines of Harry Potter or Eragon. Any thing in the works for that?

C: I used to work in the film industry, and I certainly plan on producing a film on it. Films, especially one's like this and the two you mentioned, have HUGE budgets. It takes awhile to raise millions of dollars! I'm hoping that some of the contacts I made from working in the industry will help us find a producer and financing so we can make it sooner rather than later.

E: I am sure there will be a film eventually, but it is still too early for it. Films generally happen around the third book.

4) Who’s your favorite character in the book and why? Who was the most fun to write?

C: Fiana is my favorite character. She's the most tragic, the darkest, and she's sacrificed the most. She's a woman with a deep, intense love, and I can relate to that in my relationship with Ethan.

E: I think Cullen is my favorite character as well as the most fun to write. A good deal of me as a child went into him.

5) One of the things that makes Rowan of the Wood so much fun is the fantasy elements. If you each could have one magic power, what would it be?

C: Only one?! I'd like to have Slayer strength (for you Buffy fans)... or it would also be really cool to fly! That's a toss up! Perhaps more realistically is a complete understanding of quantum physics, which I believe is where science meets magic and spirituality. We'll be exploring that in the sequel. There is magic all around us, of course, it's just being able to recognize it...

E: Being able to find the road to Faerie would be nice, but I'll settle for a walk through the redwoods. When I was a youth, I used to wish for powers, magic and otherwise, but as I get older, I realize that knowledge and understanding are far more important.

About the Authors:

Christine and Ethan Rose have marvelous imaginations. Often finding their inspiration among the trees, they write as they lead their lives - with plenty of adventure, magic, and love. Ethan grew up in foster care in Northern California reading every fantasy book he could get his hands on (and still does), while Christine holds her M.A. in Medieval/Renaissance Literature & Folklore. Their premiere novel, Rowan of the Wood, follows the magical adventures of a young boy after his life merges with that of an ancient druid. They enjoy traveling and relaxing with their family: three dogs and a cat named Shadow.

For more information about Christine and Ethan and to read an excerpt from Rowan of the Wood, please visit the official book website: www.RowanoftheWood.com

Two books by C Leigh Purtill - Winners

TGIFBF! (Thank Goodness it's Free Book Friday!)

Today we're giving away a free signed copy of All About Vee and Love, Meg by C. Leigh Purtill. Two winners have been chosen at random and they are:

1) Eileen Micale - All About Vee
2) Thao Tran - Love, Meg

Congratulations and I hope you both enjoy the books!

If you didn't win but still want to check out one of C. Leigh's books, you can order All About Vee or Love, Meg from Amazon by clicking on the title.

Next week we're featuring a book that will appeal to all you Harry Potter fans out there, so be sure to come back and check it out!