Spotlight: Guest Post: Comfort Foods by Chloe: Queen of the Universe

As part of her whistle stop blog tour, it's with great pleasure I welcome Chloe: Queen of the Universe to Book Angel Booktopia today. Chloe's going to talk about comfort food.

Review HERE

Chloe: Queen of the Universe – Comfort Foods 

Welcome bloggers, this is Chloe, Queen of the Universe. Normally you can find me on the air at 88.8 The Edge, a high school radio station broadcasting from the campus of the Del Rey School in Tierra del Rey, California. But this week I’m touring the blogosphere in celebration of the release of my YA contemp book, WELCOME, CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE. Glad you stopped by!

Today we're going to talk about the food you love and need when life gets rough…when you get a Rudolph-size zit on the end of your nose right before the big dance…when you get into a fender-bender with Daddy’s new car. Visualize with me, bloggers, you’re down, you’re beaten, and you need munchies to make it better.

In the queen’s castle, the royal comfort food is Twizzlers – soft, sweet, and oh-so comforting. The last time I had more than the recommended daily allowance was the day a certain guidance counselor disemboweled my Junior Independent Study Project, a story that deserves its own radio show. But back to comfort foods. I want to know what food soothes your battered heart and calms your soul.

At the radio station, news director Clementine loves beets. You heard right: beets, as in purple, bulbous root vegetables. Duncan, who runs the radio boards and wears the cutest scarves, likes eggs and cheese on toast. Haley from the arts and entertainment desk finds comfort in anything with watermelon, and our music guru, Taysom, can find his inner bliss with a hot fudge sundae.

Now it's your turn. What food do you turn to when you need a little comfort? 

One commenter will receive a WELCOME, CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE swag pack, which includes a pen, bookmark, bottlecap necklace, mousepad, and Twizzlers.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To learn more about young adult author Shelley Coriell and Chloe’s high school radio world, visit www.shelleycoriell.com. 

The Debut Drool List May 2012

This month I have included a few titles that are published in the US but available at a reasonable price on Amazon [ : D ] the reason I AM ADDICTED.

Title: Struck

Author: Jennifer Bosworth

Publisher:  Doubleday Childrens

Publication Date: 26 April 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

I have this to read - so excited.

Title: Angel Eyes

Series: Angel Eyes Trilogy #1

Author: Shannon Dittemore

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: 9 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES 

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

I am lucky enough to be taking part in the blog tour for this one. You can check out my review later in the month.

Title: Sweet Evil

Series: The Sweet Trilogy #1

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: 20 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Two words for you - FALLEN ANGELS. I am so there.

Title: Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink

Author: Stephanie Kate Strohm

Publisher: Graphia Books

Publication Date: 8 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

A story of crushes, corsets, and conspiracy 

Libby Kelting had always felt herself born out of time. No wonder the historical romance-reading, Jane Austen-adaptation-watching, all-around history nerd jumped at the chance to intern at Camden Harbor, Maine’s Oldest Living History Museum. But at Camden Harbor Libby’s just plain out of place, no matter how cute she looks in a corset. Her cat-loving coworker wants her dead, the too-smart-for-his-own-good local reporter keeps pushing her buttons, her gorgeous sailor may be more shipwreck than dreamboat — plus Camden Harbor’s haunted. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, Libby learns that boys, like ghosts, aren’t always what they seem. 

With a tag line like that who wouldn't want to read it. 

Title: The Gathering Dark

Series: The Grisha #1

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Indigo

Publication Date: 17 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

Fantasy isn't normally my thing but this really does look irresistible. 

Title: Dreams

Series: The Sarah Midnight Trilogy #1

Author: Daniela Sacerdoti

Publisher: Black and White Publishing

Publication Date: 17 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

“You’d never think it could happen to you. You’d never think that one day you’ll stand in a graveyard, rain tapping on a sea of black umbrellas, watching your parents being lowered into the earth, never to come back. It’s happening to me. They said it was an accident. Only I know the truth. My parents were hunters, like their parents and grandparents before them, hundreds of years back, scores of ancestors behind me, fulfilling the same call. I must follow in their footsteps. I am the only one left to keep the promise. I can never give up the fight, this fight that has been handed down to me, thrust upon my unwilling shoulders. I’d rather be buried with my parents, my brave, fierce father and mother, who lived and died by the Midnight motto: Don’t Let Them Roam.”

Ever since her thirteenth birthday, seventeen-year-old Sarah Midnight’s dreams have been plagued by demons—but unlike most people’s nightmares, Sarah’s come true. Her dreams guide her parents’ hunt as Sarah remains in bed, terrified but safe, sheltered from the true horrors of the Midnight legacy. But all this is about to change. After the murder of her parents, she is cruelly thrust into a secret world of unimaginable danger as she is forced to take up their mission. Alone and unprepared for the fight that lies before her, Sarah must learn how to use the powers she’s inherited and decide whom to trust before it’s too late..

Who wouldn't want to read it after seeing that trailer!!!!!

Title: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe

Author: Shelley Coriell

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication Date: 1 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home. 

Read my review HERE

Title: Darkness Before Dawn

Series: Darkness Before Dawn #1

Author: J A London

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: 29 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Similar premise to The Immortal Rules, really interested to see how it compares.

Musical Moments: Song of the Month: Chosen by Shelley Coriell

To celebrate the publication of Welcome Caller, This is Chloe today who better than to pick the Song of the Month than the author of a book about a radio show (among other things). It is with great pleasure I introduce Shelley Coriell with the song to go alongside the book. Enjoy.

Title: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe

Author: Shelley Corriell

Publisher: Amulet

Publication Date: 1 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

REVIEW HERE

Lenka's music is quirky, textured, and upbeat. A perfect fit for irrepressible Chloe. "Everything's Okay" is a song about a girl whose life comes crashing down on her, and like Chloe, she admits she's responsible for the "messy life I made for myself." I love this bold truth. And I love her response. She crawls out of bed and looks for "a little sunshine," seeking love and hope from those around her. Chloe does the same thing, turning to guarded-heart Duncan, spunky Grams, and the radio station staff.

There's such a lovely whimsy and joie de vivre in this song. Of course songs like this risk the chance of being too sugary-sweet, but the bridge in "Everything's Okay" slows down and becomes almost quiet, which mirrors Chloe's story journey. At its heart, WELCOME, CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE is the story of a bubbly, chatty radio talk show host desperately needing to connect with others but who finally learns to be okay with silence and being alone without being lonely.

Don't you just love it [ : D ]

Review: Welcome Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Title: Welcome Caller, This is Chloe

Author: Shelley Coriell

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication Date: 1 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

REVIEW

Returning to school after Winter break Chloe finds herself outcast by her friends. The subject of rumors, gossip and maliciousness, even her best friends turn against her. Not only does Chloe have to cope with the dramatic change in her social status but to top to all off she has to find a new Independent Study Project (ISP) or fail the course.

At first Chloe comes across as completely self absorbed and shallow. Although I have to mention that I adored her vintage shoe fetish, this alone sets her apart from your average teenager. She has a larger than life personality, easy to understand as she is the youngest child with 4 older brothers. As the story progresses insight into Chloe's attitude generates a degree of understanding. She has been spoilt although she is no where near a brat. She is used to getting attention and being adored by everyone. Disputes really upset her so she has developed a mechanism of deflecting tension by means of humor. 

Sometimes Chloe's use of humor can be seen as insensitive. She is oblivious to the need for tact and diplomacy in certain situations, although her interest in making others feel better is genuine and this shines through the narrative. Such an admirable quality even if it doesn't translate well with Chloe's larger than life personality. The radio show Chloe undertakes as part of her ISP is the perfect platform for her. Her self depreciating humor can be misinterpreted as narcissism until you really get to know her. 

High school cliques and prejudices are in full force within the plot. The superb use of the 'frenemy' added to dynamics of the story. There are incidents within the narrative that can be picked up on showing the level of jealousy and deceit with regards to one of Chloe's 'friends' inducing protective feelings for Chloe.

Chloe's journey of self discovery via what can be classed as a 'right of passage' was fabulous to follow. Lessons we can all learn - listening is an important skill [ : D ] Learning not to judge people by the way they look is something we should all aspire to.

Family problems, teen issues and a touch of romance are brought together with a quirky sense of humor providing a very individual and refreshing contemporary story.