Spotlight: Random House Christmas Comes Early Competition

I just had to share this fabulous competition from Random House with you.

There are a number of competitions on their website - can you afford to miss out.

Go HERE to find out more

Spotlight: Piccadilly Press Competition

Seriously you just cannot afford to miss this one.

Competition

Sign up to receive the Piccadilly newsletter 

between now and 4th December 

to be entered into the draw to:

 win every book 

we have published this year!

Go HERE

How completely awesome is that *dashes off to sign up*

Saturday Spotlight: Torment Giveaway WINNERS

Synopsis: From Amazon

In Torment fallen angel Daniel and his mortal love Lucinda think they are safe but evil forces are massing against them. As Luce learns more about her past, and discovers that the lives she’s already lived hold the key to her future happiness; she starts to wonder if Daniel has told her the whole truth. What if his version of events isn’t the way things happened? What if that means that she’s really meant to be with someone else?

Many Thanks to Random House for providing this giveaway

WINNERS 

1. Carol - South Africa

4. Susan K Mann - UK

8. Rowan - UK

13. Sya - UK

6. SJH - UK

All winners have been informed by email

[ : D ]

Saturday Spotlight: Torment Giveaway

Synopsis: From GoodReads

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

Review here

Thanks to the awesomeness of Random House Children's Books I have not 1 but 5 copies of Torment to giveaway (you may squeal now). 4 UK winners and 1 international. Winners to be selected by random.org

Ends 30th November.
Winners announced 4th December.

Just fill out the form below. You don't have to be a follower but I would really appreciate it if you were. Please leave a comment after entering with the country you are from so I can verify the winners.

Saturday Spotlight: Guardian of the Gate Winner!!!!!

Synopsis: From Amazon
Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe must journey to the uncharted isle of Altus to continue her search for the missing pages of the Book of Chaos - the pages that could tell her how to end the prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. But the journey will test more than just her courage, it will also test her loyalty to her beloved boyfriend, James. Meanwhile, twin sister Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim Lia's role as the Gate. And that's not the only thing she wants from her sister: there's also Lia's true love. The outcome of their battle could have consequences of Biblical proportions and, in the end, only one sister will be left standing.

THANK YOU FOR ENTRYING.

THE WINNER IS:

No: 20 SOPHIE So Little Time for Books

As picked by Random.org

Email on its way to you Sophie : D

Yes I know I am a day late but the big girl had a tea party yesterday and it was a bit nuts so I didnt get chance to do it :P

Before the hoards descended

Supposed to be watching a movie - they gave up after 30 mins and did a dance competition

Saturday Spotlight: Guardian of the Gate Giveaway

Don't forget today is the last day to enter the Guardian of the Gate giveaway.

Just click the link, fill out the form and away we go.

The winner will be announced on Saturday  18th September.

Thank you & Good Luck

Birthday Giveaway at Girls Without a Bookshelf

Firstly Happy 20th Birthday Dwayne, I hope you have a lovely day and much happiness at all times : D

In celebration of Dwayne's birthday she is having a giveaway at her blog Girls without a Bookshelf

I will show you what she is giving away but you have to promise not to enter as I really, really, really NEED these books : D

Dwayne has given the option of having 7 winners with one book each or 1 winner with all 7 books - being a complete bookaholic I want all 7 (Sorry I know its greedy but I really, really - yep you get the picture)

*Drum roll* The books are:

So now I have told you - but you still can't enter *pokes tongue out*

Good Luck Everyone : D

Mental Health Awareness plus Giveaways

After reading Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac and it's references to depression, there were messages all over Twitter on Friday 14th May about mental health issues.
I thought I would include them on the blog as it is a subject close to my heart. As you already know my oldest daughter has dyspraxia, she was diagnosed when she was 3 (mainly because she kept falling over). Her physical abilities have improved significantly with the help she received in the form of Occupational and Physical Therapy when she was younger. However, we were told that one of the problems with dyspraxia is low self-esteem and confidence which can result in depression, etc as she gets older. At 9 the awful teenage hormones are starting to kick in and you can really see the body image issues start to surface.

Thanks to the post by Keren David at Almost True I am now aware that there is a charity dealing with the emotional well-being of children and young adults called Young Minds. It is brilliant  to know there is some where to turn for advice and support. Congratulations to Keren on being long-listed on the Young Minds Book Awards 2010.

The books selected for the long list are:

■Dear Dylan by Siobhan Curham (AuthorHouse)
Synopsis: From Amazon
Fourteen year old Georgie Harris feels as if the summer holidays are over before they have even begun. Banned from going to the local drama workshop by her bully of a step-dad and her increasingly fragile mum, she is consigned to six long weeks of looking after her tooth-fairy obsessed kid sister. Sick of feeling like the outsider at home and at school, she starts emailing the one person she thinks might understand; Dylan Curtland, star of the popular soap opera Jessop Close. And when Dylan starts emailing back, Georgie finally feels a tiny spark of hope. At last she has someone who really gets her, someone who really wants to help. But in the faceless world of email all is not as it seems...

■Desperate Measures by Laura Summers (Piccadilly)
Synopsis: From GoodReads
Vicky and Rhianna are twins but they couldn't’t be more different. For their fourteenth birthday, Vicky wants a card from the hottest boy in school. Rhianna, brain-damaged at birth, wants a Furby. Instead they get a nasty shock – their foster parents can’t cope and it looks as if Vicky and Rhianna and their younger brother Jamie will have to be split up. How can they stay together? Desperate times call for desperate measures… Exciting, fast-moving and deeply affecting, this innovative story is Laura Summers’ first novel.

■Ember Fury by Cathy Brett (Headline)
Synopsis: From Amazon
Pyromania: A mental derangement, excitement or excessive enthusiasm for fire.
Having celebrity parents isn’t as hot as it sounds. Yes, there’s money to burn, fame and some totally smoking guys...But when your dad’s more interested in blazing a trail to the top of the charts than why you got kicked out of school, again, it can make you seriously angry. And if there’s one thing Ember knows, it’s that the smallest spark of anger can ignite a whole heap of trouble...

■Ice Lolly by Jean Ure (Harper Collins Children’s Books)
Synopsis: From Amazon
A heart-warming gem of a novel about a very special girl who suddenly finds herself all alone in the world! Laurel is only twelve when her mum dies and she is shipped off to stay with relatives she hardly knows. Her new family don't seem to care about anything Laurel loves, including books and Mr Pooter, her old marmalade-coloured cat. So Laurel decides that she won't feel anything: she'll become Ice Lolly, the girl with the frozen heart. But a special friend and a mysterious letter open up new possibilities for Ice Lolly, and for Mr Pooter!

■Inside by J A Jarman (Andersen press)
Synopsis: From Amazon
Aged seventeen, Lee is inside for a crime he has committed. And he soon finds out that prison is not the holiday camp he's heard about. Warned to 'play by the rules' he has to decide whose rules - the screws' or the other cons'. Life in a Young Offenders Institution is about survival. But the real struggle is inside Lee himself. Is he destined to be a 'career con' or can he choose to change his life?

■Lottie Biggs is not desperate by Hayley Long (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Synopsis: From Amazon
Lottie Biggs is recovering from her mental disorder of a reasonably significant nature with the help of her counsellor, who rather helpfully looks like Johnny Depp. Things are looking up - her hair is an excellent shade of black, she has a Saturday job in a hairdresser and Gareth Stingecombe and his manly thighs are still the love of her life. When Gareth undoes his trousers to show Lottie a fetching bruise on one of the aforementioned thighs, she comes to the realisation that, unlike everyone else she knows, she is A TOTAL UTTER VIRGIN. But how can she get any sort of experience when her boyfriend is doggedly, stubbornly and infuriatingly determined to preserve his energies for the rugby field?

■No Way To Go by Bernard Ashley, (Hachette)
Synopsis: From Amazon
Amber is shocked when her brother falls to his death from a tower block. She's convinced it wasn't an accident, and so begins her journey to discover the truth and bring some kind of justice for Connor. With twists, turns and a fabulous multi-layered plot, Bernard Ashley has created a thrilling and engrossing tale. Set in south east London, this is a incredibly gritty and absorbing novel.

■Running on the cracks by Julia Donaldson (Egmont)
Synopsis: From Amazon
14-year-old Leo runs away from her aunt and uncle's home, where she has been living since the sudden death of her musician parents. Leo is driven away by the disturbing behaviour of her uncle. But she is not just wanting to escape her life: she wants to discover the secret behind the feud between her father and his Chinese family.Leo's journey is peopled with a cast of fabulous characters: 12-year-old Finlay, who can never get anything right and is always in trouble; Mary the manic depressive, who provides a hideaway for Leo; Rab, the grumpy corner-shop owner and Marina the no-nonsense doughnut lady, both of whom give Finlay work - and plenty of unsolicited advice! Julia Donaldson has crafted a funny, moving, heart-stopping thriller with characters that will stay in your heart long after you have turned the final uplifting page.

■Them and Us by Bali Rai (Barrington Stoke)
No synopsis available

■The Truth about Leo by David Yelland (Penguin)
Synopsis: From Amazon
It had happened again. Dad had shouted and yelled, thrown things and smashed things up. And then he had quietly cleaned everything away.’ Leo’s dad has changed. Since Mum died, his drinking is worse and now he’s a different person, someone Leo doesn’t recognize. The truth is that Leo is covering up for him and when things get bad Leo escapes into his own head, pretending everything’s OK. Things need to change, but what can Leo do? No one understands, except maybe his friend Flora. Leo wants his old dad back so they can be happy again – because Dad is all he has left . . .

■When I was Joe by Keren Daivd (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)
Synopsis: From Amazon
When Ty witnesses a stabbing, his own life is in danger from the criminals he’s named, and he and his mum have to go into police protection. Ty has a new name, a new look and a cool new image – life as Joe is good, especially when he gets talent spotted as a potential athletics star, special training from an attractive local celebrity and a lot of female attention. But his mum can’t cope with her new life, and the gangsters will stop at nothing to flush them from hiding. Joe’s cracking under extreme pressure, and then he meets a girl with dark secrets of her own. This wonderfully gripping and intelligent novel depicts Ty/Joe's confused sense of identity in a moving and funny story that teenage boys and girls will identify with - a remarkable debut from a great new writing talent. To follow Keren David's When I Was Joe blog, please click here

■Zellah Green by Vanessa Curtis (Egmont)
Synopsis: From Amazon
My name is Zelah Green and I am a Cleanaholic. I spend most of my life on Germ Alert. Or Dirt Alert. It's a miracle I ever get to school.My life was going OK despite that - you know, school, best friend, bad hair days - until four weeks ago. That's when Dad vanished.Now my stepmother has packed me off to a place with some crazy people. So I'm stuck with the Doc and Alice, Lib, Caro and Sol.Sol, who doesn't speak. Sol, who has brown eyes and olive skin. Sol, who I actually want to touch. Now I'm on Flirt Alert!Maybe, just maybe, something good could happen...This is a moving story of one girl's attempt to come to terms with her grief, told with humour and real insight.
 
From a personal point of view I am grateful that there are books like these available to help young people (& adults like me). It is sometimes easier to read about topics that affect you personally than it is to discuss them, it helps put them into perspective and insight. Well done to everyone one the list :)
 
Giveaway also happening at Keren's blog Almost True click the link to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Swapped by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja. I have almost finished reading Split by a Kiss it is so funny and easy to relate to :)
 

Synopsis: From Amazon
Rachel hates her life and everyone in it - she even has suspicions that her on/off boyfriend David might not be entirely trustworthy. However, when David invites her to a music festival in England featuring their friend's band, she jumps at the chance for an overseas adventure. Hoping to surprise David, Rachel arrives at the festival early, where she runs into a nasty surprise of her own - she sees David kissing their friend Jo. Distraught, Rachel runs off, wishing she could leave her life behind...the next thing she knows, she's back with David. But not as herself...She's now in Jo's body! Can she keep the swap a secret from David until she can work out exactly what's going on and get her revenge? Over the course of a very weird weekend, Rachel puts herself in someone else's shoes and finds that her own maybe weren't as uncomfortable as she'd always thought. But can she ever be herself again?
 
Lastly in this mega post :)Pledge | Stamp Out Stigma

Princess for Hire Giveaway at Read This Book

Post from Read This Book

Open Internationally

Ends 20th May

GOOD LUCK :)

Synopsis:
When a well-dressed woman steps out of a bubble and wants to know if you’d like to become a substitute princess, do you:

A) run
B) faint
C) say yes?
For Desi Bascomb, who’s been longing for some glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C). Desi has a rare ability: with the help of “Royal Rouge,” she can temporarily transform into the exact look-alike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?
Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras…. In this winning debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

Sounds good right? Well I am giving away 5 copies of Princess For Hire! Yes, FIVE shiny brand new ones. Five winners! I will draw 2 international winners and 3 US/Canada winners. However, you must be a follower/email subscriber to enter.

Book Contest & Giveaways

There are some really great blogger contests and giveaways at the moment, check out come of these:

Imperial Beach Teen Blog: Win a signed copy of Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey (I really want this one)

Synopsis: From Amazon

 Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules—especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she’s tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything—even Tristen’s love—just for the thrill of being . . . bad.

The Fiction Enthusiast : also known as @MamaBookWorm is having a 100 follower giveaway in conjunction with The Book Depository *I want so much*

YA Highway: is giving away an ARC of The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger
Synopsis: From Amazon
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 "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that 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.

Sounds FAB (yes!!!!)
 
And lastly today :)
 
Cindy Pon: is giving away 2 ARC's Paranomalcy by Kierstin White and Black Hole Sun by David MacInnis Gill *still mine - grins*  

Synopsis: From Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.
Normal is so overrated
 
 
 
 

No synopsis available - but the cover looks fab!!!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To all those who enter GOOD LUCK!!!!!

If you win do you want to share ;)

ARC GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!!!!!!

THE WINNER IS:    Arantza Cazalis!!!!!!

Thank you to all those who entered, it was really, really close. 4 followers had 65 points each so I did the only fair thing  and got my children to pull the name out of a dish. They fought over who got to pull the name out so in the end the name was the one that all 3 of them had their fingers on at the same time with their eyes shut LOL. The things we get kids to do :) 

Juiciliciousss Reviews Random Giveaway

Such amazing giveaways at the moment, for me this would be Christmas in a box :)

Click here to enter :

Post taken from Juiciliciousss Reviews

Well, I thought having another giveaway might be a good idea so...here it is! I have an idea but it's more of a spur of the moment one, so it might be kind of rough. Anyway, so since you guys seemed to enjoy the surprise pack that I had in my previous contest/giveaway, I thought I'll do the same but better. This time, I'll have two winners and for both of them, I'll basically stuff as many YA books as I can or a limit of 8-9? books (haven't decided on how many books should be the limit but...) whichever comes first into a USPS ReadyPost Medium Box. This means that for both winners, they'll each receive about 8-9(!!!) newly released or not-even-released YA novels. Of course, they won't know what they get until they open the boxes but that's the whole gist of it. Sounds great, right?


Open to: US, Canada and International readers! :)

Deadline: April 21st, 2010

Good luck!

I was a Teenage Book Geek Follower Giveaway

Another chance to win some awesome books just by following a lovely person like Lauren.....easy peasy and enjoyable. Thanks Lauren.

To enter click here.

Post taken from Laurens Blog : I was a Teenage Book Geek

I Was A Teenage Book Geek's 300 Follower Contest

When I signed on today, I was super excited to see that I had reached 300 followers. For me, this is a pretty huge deal. So first, I want to thank Jenny from Take Me Away for being my 300th follower, and another thanks to April of Good Books and Good Wine for the twitter shout-out yesterday.

Secondly: contest time! Woo-hoo!

As I'm from the UK, it's often the case that we have to wait a little while longer here for the big US releases. However, we sometimes get a British-author-penned gem way ahead of the rest of the world. Since I have blog followers from all over, I've decided the best option this time round is to have a choice of prizes.

So here's how this one will work. There'll be one winner, who will get to choose three books from the two lists below. Mixing and matching is most definitely allowed.

UK Editions:
Nearly Departed by Rook Hastings (pb, reviewed by me here)
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (pb, sequel to Incarceron)
My So-Called Afterlife by Tamsyn Murray (pb, currently reading this one so review coming soon!)

US Editions:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (hb, reviewed by me here)
The Compound by S. A. Bodeen (pb, reviewed by me here)
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (pb, firmly on my own wishlist and due for publication before the contest ends. Yay!)
Want a shot at it? Just fill in the form below.

But first, please read my privacy policy and check out the contest rules:

Contest is open internationally.

There will be one winner, chosen at random.

Entrants must be aged 13 or over.

Entrants aged under 16 must have permission from their parent or guardian, and must provide an email address for their parent or guardian - not their own!

Multiple entries will be disqualified.

Contest closes at midnight GMT on the 6th April 2010.

Winner will be chosen, announced and contacted by email on the 10th or 11th April 2010. If no response is received after 48 hours an alternative winner will be chosen.

Details provided will not be used for any other purpose, and I will delete all entry information once the winner has been picked and the prizes sent out.

Steph Bowe's Amazing Giveaway

Open Internationally.

Post taken from Steph's Blog : click here to enter.

Massive Book Giveaway! Win, win win!

In celebration of Hey! Teenager of the Year's 1st birthday (two weeks from now, more competitions to come!), I have books to give away! Lots of them! To enter, all you have to do is follow the blog with Google Friend Connect, and fill in the form below! Here are the prizes:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty

Blue Plate Special by Michelle Kwansey

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

World Shaker by Richard Harland

Exposure by Mal Peet

Sprout by Dale Peck

Panama by Shelby Hiatt

Plus...

Every winner will get lots of book swag - bookmarks, postcards, badges, etc...

And if you're an aspiring YA author, you'll also get a query critique & first five pages critique of your YA manuscript from me!

Here's how the contest will work: I'll close entries on April 30th, and depending on how many Google Friend Connect followers I have I'll give away more prizes - if we have 800 followers, there will be 2 winners, who will each win two books of their choice from the above list. 850 followers means 3 winners, 900 followers means 4 winners, 950 followers means 5 winners & if I reach 1000 followers there will be 6 winners!

So, quick! Enter! By you spreading the word, the number of people following the blog will increase and the number of prizes will increase - increasing your odds of winning! Hooray!

Open internationally and entries close midnight April 30th, AEST.