Cover Reavel: Swell by Julie Rieman Duck

Swell by Julie Rieman Duck

YA contemporary

Expected publication: Spetmeber 2012

For 15-year-old Beck Ionesco, discovering love with the most popular guy in school is a surprise. So are the bottles and cans he hides in his room and under the car seat. Through Christian, Beck enters a world where you can never be too cool or drunk, and finds herself falling for him, the bottle… and Christian’s dangerous friend Hillman falling for her.

Thank God for that bottle, though, because it’s all Beck has left when Christian abandons her, Hillman begins stalking her, and she finds herself on the wrong end of popularity in the back seat of his car. She’s left to fend for herself and her heart until she finds friendship – and possibly more - with fellow student Jesse.

But Christian wants another chance with Beck, and collides with a drunken fate that becomes his last call. It’s now up to Beck to clean up and reclaim her life, and discover sober love with the one whose life secretly parallels her own.

Racquel's thoughts:

I'm a big fan of this cover!! It's so cute and pretty and well done. The summary of the book sounds pretty serious but with this lighthearted, I'm thinking the story will also be sweet! Swell has been on my TBR for a looong time now so I'm so happy to share this cover reveal with you. Julie Rieman Duck is a swell author ;D

More from Julie Rieman Duck:

A Place in This Life

Add to Goodreads

For Natalie Miller, it’s just another family vacation. For someone else, it’s the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

With only a single peck from a guy named Frank, Natalie’s anything but experienced with boys. But when Todd pops out of the water, says hi, and tells Natalie he has leukemia, all of that changes.

She’s never had attention like this from a boy, let alone one who’s a real charmer with sex on the brain and the experience to match. Drawn to Todd like a magnet, Natalie gives him her friendship, her love, and her body. Even when she’s tempted by gorgeous, healthy schoolmate Alex, Natalie’s desire to love and care for Todd pushes her to see how far love can go in spite of the potential for death of the relationship — and death of the one she loves.

Buy the book: Amazon | B&N
Find the author: Website | Twitter | Blog

I LOVED this book no matter how much it broke my heart. It's one of the most realistic YA books I ever read and I think you should DEFINITELY give it a try!!

So, what do you think of this cover? yay or nay? it's a definite yay for me!

Tweet

Indie Mania: Free Ebook- The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏

On The Book Barbies, Emma & I are whipping up a Indie Mania feature that will start on the blog ASAP, it's basically and indie spotlight feature with reviews, interviews, guest posts & the likes. So when I saw that an indie author I adore is releasing a new book (actually, a novella) that's going to be FREE for 3 days, I decided what better way to give you a glimpse of the new feature that shares the love of indie books?! More Indie Mania to come!

Title: The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏
Author: Julie Rieman Duck
Genre: YA contemporary
This is a novella (shorter than a full novel would be)
Smashwords summary:

Girls are difficult for 16-year-old Joshua James - especially the ones living right next door. This pair of sisters is more than he could have ever hoped for, and when both take an interest in Josh it’s all he can do to keep things straight.

Blonde Jordan is an angel, with a perfect body and adoring personality. Goth girl Jessa is the devil and much more than that… or so Joshua thinks. But when things start disappearing from his house, and the sisters wage a war of finger-pointing over Joshua, he must decide which one is crazier before he also disappears. 

Today, April 17th through April 19th, The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏ by Julie Rieman Duck is going to be FREE on Smashwords! I read Julie Rieman Duck debut novel and it is absolutely heart breaking, moving and inspiring though Duck said that The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏ is

"a lighter, more humorous read with a touch of macabre and wackiness."

How awesome does it sound?!

Get your copy today for free before the offer ends! If the writing in The Joy and Torture of Joshua James is in anything like the writing in Duck's debut, A Place in This Life, it's going to rock! 

Here is the link. 

Author's website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Tweet

Blog Tour: A Place in this Life- Charcater Interview

I'm beyond ecstatic to be participating in the A Place in This Life by Julie Rieman Duck blog tour because I absolutely fell in love with this book, its truly exceptional!

So without further ado, I bring you a terrific character interview with the main character of the book,  Natalie:

1. What does living life to the fullest mean to you? any limitations? 
I'm still trying to figure out what a full life really is. I used to think it meant having a boyfriend and freedom from my parents. I know now that it goes a lot deeper - inside my heart. When my heart hurts because of things going on around it, I know I'm not living life to the fullest. The only limitation is what I'm able to resist, which is not much.

2. Did being exposed to a fatal disease teach you anything?
I learned that there's nothing permanent. Nothing. It's one thing when your boyfriend breaks up with you, and a whole other when he dies and there's nothing you can do about it. I could have felt helpless with Todd, but then everything we'd have done would have been helpless. That's not living. That's not life.

3. It's been a wild year for you, would you take it back if you could? If you had the opportunity to go through the year minus the craziness Todd and Alex brought, would you? 
 In the back of my mind, I wonder what it would've been like to have had the boring vacation and then go on to school, meet Alex... have a regular relationship from the start. Not sure that would've worked for me - I became so much more because of Todd. He showed me the garden on the other side of life, and Alex taught me how to grow.

4. Tell me more about your friendship with Cara.
Oh God, she came up to me in grade school - I think it was the first day of 4th grade - and told me how she was going to Hollywood and was an actress and had an agent. Ha! I can tell you, it was more like she had a dream and an attitude to match, but I liked that. She was how I wanted to be, but was afraid to try being. I guess it's like living vicariously through someone else? She's okay with it. Sometimes it feels like the "Cara Show" but she's always there for me. I can't say that about most people.

 5. How is living by the beach like? if only we all had that opportunity *sigh* 
 I must take it for granted. My cousins came down to visit one year and all they wanted to do was walk on the beach, go in the water, and fish on the pier. It was like gold to them, but for me it's a few blocks away. My school is in Long Beach, which is... lol... by the beach! I can't get away from it. Actually, Alex is in Pasadena, which is not near the beach and I'll admit that when I'm up there, I feel strange without the Pacific less than a mile away. I guess I'm a beach bum.
_________________________________________________________________________________

This is a truly terrific book that will have you tearing up for sure and this is coming up from a person whose family believes was born without tear ducts!

Don't forget to check out the other tour stops and schedule HERE. There is a giveaway ;D

Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N
Trust me, you are going to NEED to buy it! For .99 cents only, this book is gives much more then it costs♥

Thanks for stopping by!

Tweet