Let's have a chat with Wendy Toliver

Today, we have Wendy Toliver, author of LIFTED. You can find my review of it here. LIFTED comes out today

1. Is writing rom-com novels different from writing books like Lifted?
Yes. There are certain things the ro-coms need, like humor, lots of romance, and the happiest endings possible. Those are the things readers expect and want when they pick up a ro-com. Now, with Lifted, I had more freedom because it didn't need to fit into a certain "type" of book. It does have funny parts, romance, and a somewhat happy ending, but that's because it's a) part of my voice and b) what I thought worked well for the story. Also, because I'd never written a so called "edgy" novel, it was a huge and exciting challenge for me. I hope I succeeded!


2. What is your favorite citrus fruit?
Limes. Love them in my Diet Coke, water, and Mexican beer! :)

3. How do you come up with character names? (I like Poppy!)

Aw, thank you! I actually put a LOT of thought into my characters' names. Mainly because when you write a book, you have to look at the same names over and over so you better like them. Poppy is a name I chose because of the whole idea of the book. Do you remember the poppy fields in The Wizard of Oz? Poppies were dangerous because Dorothy and her friends fell asleep while in the field. Poppies symbolize eternal sleep, and they also symbolize how Jesus Christ died but then rose from the dead. Lots of really interesting, deep meanings! And there's the simple reason that poppies are pretty flowers and I think Poppy is a cool name.

As for names of other characters, I choose names I like and that fit the physical appearance of my characters. I never intentially name my characters after real people in my life.


4. When did you start writing books?
While I've always loved writing, I only started writing books when I was about 30.

5. What are you working on? Can you please share?
I am currently working on a paranormal romance YA and a cute fairy tale-like middle grade novel. I'm always looking for a new, exciting challenge.

6. What do you like to do in your free time?

Free time? What's that? LOL
Lately, I would just like to get a little sleep. I also like to do yoga, and now that it's finally getting warm, I like taking long walks and going wakeboarding.

7. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Travel, do fun things for my friends and family, and start a foundation for children.


8. What has been your favorite book to write?
While I consider all of my novels my "babies," I have to admit that I'm the most excited for Lifted. I put so much time and attention into this project and I think that with each book, I get better at writing.

9. Any last words? :)
Thanks for the great interview questions, Kim!

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
Rating: 4.86/5

Synopsis: Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.

Review: I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time. I was going to borrow it from my friend when it arrived at my front door in a box! *gasp* I had no idea what happened, but the label said it was from Free Book Friday . Being the old, forgetful me, I forgot I even entered the contest. So after freaking out about actually winning a book--a signed one too!--in many months, I had to resist from reading this. it didn't help that the book kept teasing me on the shelf. Anyway, this is not a personal blog so I'll stop from my ranting here and proceed to review! Yes.

Ever since I watched the trailer, I was intrigued, and wanted to read it right away, but didn't get the chance to until this week! It was so wonderful, funny, and endearing. A lot of the elements in this story were pretty cliche, but they clicked (get it, cliche...clicked?...if you don't take away though "h" sound...alright I'll shut up...)! The Karma Club was full of laughs, especially during their operations to set the balance. Watching them plan and act out their revenge was both hilarious and nervewrecking. The cover already told me that Karma would mess back, so all I could think was...when would that happen? When it did, I wasn't completely shocked, but it definitely kept me eyes glued to the pages, awaiting to see how the MC would fix things.

One of the few things I disliked was how Maddy was in the beginning of the book; the way she idoled Heather and how she wanted to become popular--it just kind of irked me. Nevertheless, she reedeemed herself. The romance was also just the right amount, and her friends? They definitely deserve one of those "YA BFF Awards," which I'm sure they don't have. I can dream though! All in all, I recommend reading this. With summer coming up, this refreshing book will lift your spirits even higher!

What I thought of...

The Beginning: I got hooked on easily, but would have liked the action to start on earlier.

The Middle: Full of laugh out loud moments! It was so enjoyable.

The End: I would have liked more closure. I guess it was tied up well at the end, but something about it throws me off, like the book isn't fully complete yet.

Favorite quote from book:

"Yes. If something you did brought you faliure, then shouldn't the exact opposite bring you success?"

FTC: Won from Free Book Friday

Win 4 Awesome ARCS from Michelle Hodkin

Just found this over on Twitter, enter now, readers of the blog! ARCs included are below...

Here is the info directly from her blog:

So, to celebrate, I now have some good news for you: I am giving away not one, not two, but FOUR of the most anticipated and buzzed-about ARCs I scored at BEA last week. One winner will receive BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and MATCHED by Ally Condie, and another winner will receive THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger and MATCHED by Ally Condie.

Click here for more details! Amazing books right? I have entered, but we all know my unlucky odds. Fingers crossed! Enter now! Now! Now! Can't stress that enough...or maybe I can! NOW! NOW! (hehe...) And if you entered, feel free to say I referred you! That way, we can get more entries!

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left. Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago! Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self? Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Review: So I've got to admit: this story was so much different from anything I've ever read in my life! It's so relatable because everyone's made mistakes and has wanted a do-over button. I'm sure I've made more than enough mistakes in the past, and so have many others. So a chance to read Gimme a Call? I simply could not resist.

The cover, as you can see, is very lovely and coincidentally, I had no problem picturing Devi like that girl. One thing I was more than impressed with was how freshman Devi and senior Devi were so easy to tell apart! I didn't even need to look at the chapter headings or anything. The way they acted just made them stand apart from each other. I could totally relate to Devi, being a freshman myself. It's hard enough as it is, but with her in contact with "Ivy" (senior Devi), her life turns 324234 more times chaotic. I thought Ivy selfish at times because she didn't realize
that Devi had all the work to do.

It's amazing how just one little thing Devi did changed Ivy's life either for the better or for the better. As the pages turned, I had no clue what would happen in the end, and when it did end, all I could think was, "I hope there's a sequel." I was glad to see the change in character for both heroines (it's still weird thinking of them as two rather than just one.) A must read for those who want something light and warmhearted!

What I thought of...

The Beginning: Hooked right away!

The Middle: So many whacky things happening that left me laughing out loud. Loved it!

The End: Not satisfying. I NEED MORE PAGES!!! In other words, ending was very open.

Favorite Quote:

This is my life. These are my decisions. if there's on thing she taught me, it's that she made her choices. Now it's my turn to make mine.

FTC: Bought with my money.

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
Rating: 4.3/5

Synopsis: What if love refused to die? Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was. In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

Review: I was deeply impressed with this book! I hadn't read a book about reincarnation for a relatively long time so I was more than swept up--my nose was under this book for hours! The third person narration knocked me off a bit, but it worked. If you're looking for something mysterious and unpredictable, this is the pick for you. This book is more than just a rollercoaster of revelations and emotions; it's incredible.

Let's start with the bad; I found Haven too naive. She trusted everyone so easily. One second she'd be on Iain's side, and the next, she'd be plotting against him. This cycle repeated throughout the book, and it got boring. I guess it did make the book more mysterious though because I never knew who was really good or bad. And those visions Haven would get--she would have understood everything if they came sooner! But that last complaint is nothing because it gives us revelations we experience together with Haven.

Onto the good stuff:

The romance was very well done. The intense chemistry between Haven and Iain was clear right when she found him in NY, and it was so sweet. I thought it was implausible that they'd be so comfortable with each other in such a short time, but then again, they've known each other for years and years. Their struggle to trust each other and for Haven to learn the truth is what kept me flipping through the pages.

Even at it being over 400 pages, I still wanted more. That's saying something. Although this book might not be for everyone, it was one of my favorites. I'd reread it!

What I thought of...

The Beginning: The attention grabbing didn't start for me here. It was shaky at first because I was just thrown into the story without information.

The Middle: Gosh, I don't even know where to begin. Like Haven, I couldn't trust anyone. I'd warm up to them, but then the next chapter would send my thoughts flying out the window. This is what I call mystery, and it was done almost perfectly.

The End: Kind of cliched, but I loved it.

Favorite Quote: [N/A: Let one of my blogger friends borrow it so I can't search up that quote.]

I will be giving my ARC copy away soon! So keep checking back.

FTC: Received from publisher for review.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Review: One word: EPIC. All capitalization intended. I had picked this up last night at B&N, bought it, and wondered if I'd like it or not. I dropped all the books I was reading for A&R, and did not regret it one bit. I found myself reading until 3 in the morning, and the first thing I did when I woke up was open it to the page where I left off. Read when eating? Check. Read when in the bathroom? Check. Read when in the car? Check. Basically, I took this book wherever I went.

The book is not short, but not too long either. It ranges in the 300's, but I wanted it to go BEYOND that. The ending was very open and yet closed at the same time. For me, this is not only the best debut of this year. Right now, it is the BEST BOOK OF ALL TIME. I am so happy that I bought this book, and will keep it on my shelf forever. It is a book you can read over and over and over...you get what I mean.

The romance is there from the start. There is amazing chemistry between the two main characters, but their relationship doesn't form until near the end. It is so worth it, though! As for the story, I felt like it was done very well--structured so amazingly that it all really makes sense at the end. Every single word.

Amy was an incredible character to read about. You can see subtle changes in her, and by the end of the book, I was so proud of her. You see, she's not only strong. She is brave. I liked that she did things on an impulse.I don't think she's afraid anymore than she used to be. She will forever remain one of my favorite female characters. Besides, she's a killer navigator...

The book contains scrapbooks, notes, e-mails, and many of other elements that make this book memorable. Read every single one of them. Especially the last one!! They're heartwarming and funny.

Matson did a brilliant job. I cannot wait for her any of her future work! I hope to have them all on my shelf.

What I thought of...

The Beginning: I loved how it began. Two people who barely knew each other embark on a full-blown adventure. It never lets you go.

The Middle: Read, read, read! I need moreeeee.

The End: It feels open, but when you turn the page, there's a receipt there...*insert awws*

Favorite Quote from Book:

"I was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, but that's hard to do when you're talking to a window. People kept walking by and looking at me."

FTC: Bought this from B&N

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteenth sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do. Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. And a boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride… but they MUST STOP. Because when she was 15? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend's boyfriend.

Review: Mandy Hubbard has done it again! You Wish is a remarkable novel filled with hilarity, romance, and the power of finding yourself. To say that I enjoyed reading this book would be an understatement. I absolutely loved it!! I finished it in one wild sitting of hysterical laughter and lots of smiling. Kayla (which is such a cute name!) and her wishes are just pure outrageous and filled with insanity, but who could blame her! Kayla had such a great personality--being inside her head was sort of addicting. And the romance thrown in? What a plus!

The great part of this novel is that you never know which wish is coming next! Despite the blurb already having several laugh-out-loud wishes revealed, the ones left will have you rolling on the floor. There were lots of pop culture references in this book, which made it even more cute. The book is NOT full of fluff as it holds so much more. Kayla didn't know her true self throughout the book, and it was endearing to go on her journey amidst all the craziness happening around.

I have to say. My favorite character would have to be Ann! She creeped me out at first (highlight: her being a doll! *blushes*) but as the story carried on, she grew to become my favorite character. I actually teared up a bit towards the end of the book.

Prada and Prejudice was amazing in its own way, and so was You Wish. Hubbard's recent work of pure genious has me begging for more!

What I thought of...

The Beginning: Loved it! Caught my attention right away and, it never let me go until the very last page.

The Middle: Lots of laughing and flipping! This book is sure to be reread anytime soon!

The End: Kind of saddening. *tear* Wish there was more! Also, I wonder what grade Kayla got for her photography project!

Favorite Quote From The Book:

"No you don't," I say, stepping forward. She needs to get out of my closet. Now. What does she think this is, Narnia?

FTC : Received from Razorbill for review in the form of an ARC