My One Regret by Claudia Y. Burgoa (Review)

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Adult, Fiction, Romance
Publication Date:	May 04, 2018
Format:	Paperback
Published By:	Amazon Digital Services
Website:	Claudia Burgoa
	My One Regret on Goodreads

Where to get:

When he left her, he made the biggest mistake of his life. But now she might be gone for good.

Kaden Hades couldn’t handle touring with his rock band and a relationship— until he discovered Sadie, the love of his life. But when tragedy struck with his teenage daughter, Kaden broke off the engagement, swearing to put his kids first.

Then he gets the phone call. Sadie’s been in a car accident.

By the time he reaches her side, she is critical.

With Sadie in a coma, memories flood Kaden’s mind. Her kisses. And all the wonderful experiences they shared. The day it all went wrong…and Kaden made the biggest mistake of his life. Now, as her last line of defense against those who've given up hope, he'll move heaven and earth to protect her.

Because she’s always had his heart—but if he loses her, his world will come apart. 

My One Regret is the best angsty, heart-wrenching romance I've read this year! Kaden Hayes is HOT, smoldering and the kind of guy that every girl wants but knows they can't have. He's a song writer and the lead in his band and has girls falling at his feet. This used to thrill him. He used to take them home with him for a night and forget about them the next morning. Then he laid eyes of Sadie and all that changed. He never felt this way about anyone before. She was naturally beautiful and nothing like the typical girl he went for. That didn't stop him.

Sadie was the owner of a flower shop and a girl who had been hurt before by players. She wasn't going to let anyone break her again. Most of all a heart throb who would get what he wanted and leave instantly. Kade was gorgeous and dangerous to her. Then why did her knees go weak every time she saw him. Why was he doing super sweet things that nobody had ever done? Why did she want to let him in so badly she couldn't breathe?  

This was there beginning, sweet romantic and beautiful. Wait until you reach the ending. Your heart will break. Kade has to choose his daughter over his love right? Kade grew up without a good father, he wasn't going to leave his daughter without one. He made the right chose leaving Sadie, at least he think he did.... Then Sadie gets in a car crash and Kaden's heart breaks all over again. he rushes to her side but she's still in surgery. Will she wake up? Is his love enough to save her life? 

OMG, I am so in love with this story and the writer that created it. Claudia is one of my favorite authors ever. Besides being a great person who really appreciates her readers and gives back, her books never disappoint! She is the whole package. Great writer, amazing story teller and all around great person.

So what are you waiting for? Stop reading and go buy, buy, buy!!! 😏

About the Author

Claudia is an award-winning, international bestselling author. She lives in Colorado working for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss of the house. And a wonderful husband who shares her love for all things geek. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

My One Regret is now available on Kindle Unlimited here.

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April Wrap Up: What I Loved,and Loved Some More!

I can hardly believe we are already in May as I write this post. My April flew by. Between being sick for about 2 weeks, I worked my butt off at my accounting job. Yes, that's right, I'm a boring accountant, but I love it so no judging. 😊I also went on a super fun  trip with my best friend Jen to Temecula, California to stay with some great people and go to the wine country. I can't believe how much fun we had and I definitely want to do another girls weekend soon.

It was a great reading month for me. I read 8 books. Here are the statistics.

Statistics

Books Read: 8
ARC’s Reviewed: 4
Genres: Romance, Poetry, Suspense/Mystery

Us: a collection of poetry by Kiana Azisian

Date Read: April 04, 2018
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐½

(My Review) Fantastically brutal. I have started reading so much poetry lately as it really inspires me to write better myself. This author really knows how to hurt you and heal you at the same damn time.

Junk Shop Heart by Kirk Diedrich

Date Read: April 04, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(My Review) I couldn't believe Kirk Diedrich had a poetry book out and I hadn't read It yet. I've followed him on Instagram and Twitter for years and have always loved his words. They are so profound, hopeful and heart breaking all at once. This poetry book didn't disappoint. I found some amazing poems I hadn't seen before and some favorites too. I'd highly recommend you give this romantic soul a chance. This lady can't wait for the next one.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

Date Read: April 07, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

(My Review) I received an arc of this read from the publisher.

Maggie and Noah have no idea what they are getting into when they allow Maggie’s estranged daughter to move in with them and become a part of their family. Maggie, who hasn’t seen her daughter Anna since she was an infant, is full of guilt at not being there for Anna and is ready to step up and do her best as a mother.

Things quickly escalate into a horrible situation. Anna is murdered and all evidence points to Noah as the murderer. Noah is arrested and tried for the crime. The story moves back and forth between the trial and the time Anna was living with them before she was murdered.

The story is one of hope and different expectations, looking at those around us to figure out just how much we truly know those we love. Can the man you love be capable of murder? the child you gave birth to capable of manipulation? what has Anna really been through in the 17 years she wasn't with Maggie and what does her death have to do with it?

I love that a majority of this story is based in a court room. Lisa, a former lawyer, knows how to get in a lawyers mind and can truly describe jurors, the judge and even the defendant.

I love Lisa for her stories, her voice and that all her novels are close to my home. She just keeps getting better.

Fairytale by Danielle Steel 

Date Read: April 07, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐

(My Review)Deeply in love, Christophe and Joy Lammenais built Chateau Lammenais into a small but renowned Napa Valley winery and an idyllic home where they raised their beloved daughter, Camille, who takes on increasing responsibilities for the estate they all treasure. But after Joy’s early death from breast cancer just after Camille’s graduation from Stanford, a lonely Christophe soon falls prey to the machinations of a sophisticate from his native France—who moves, with her two reprobate sons, to consolidate her power over Camille and the property when Christophe is killed in a plane crash. I am always amazed at how seamlessly Danielle Steel weaves a story together with such remarkable characters and action in just the right places. This was just another example of her incredible talent at work.

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

Date Read: April 14, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(My Review) I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Utterly speechless. Intense. This is definitely one of those books to watch in 2018 because I believe it will be on everyone's mind.

This is a love story. Well, that's Mike's love story. Verify and Mike have been together for years. They made it through their college years and still strongly loved each other. No one but them understood their story. How could they? They were made for each other, two people destined to be. Crave was a sex game they played that turned them both in immensely. They'd go to a bar and wait for a guy to hit on V, so Mike could swoop in and save her.

Obviously V is just playing their secret game now. She isn't really getting married to Angus? She's just trying to get Mike's attention. After all, this is Mike's love story and it's him and V in the end.

Damn, this book grabbed me with its intensity from the beginning. The way the author portrays the characters is exquisite. Your heart will pound. Your pulse with race. You'll breathlessly want more

Somebody's Daughter by Rochelle Weinstein

Date Read: April 17, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

(My Review) It's almost impossible to read this book and not let it effect you at your very core. A family is faced with an unimaginable event going public and must decide whether to band together or let it rip them apart. I immediately developed feelings for each character. Sympathy. Anger. Shock.

Emma and Bobby lead a charmed life with their two fifteen year old daughters in Miami beach, Florida. They own their own hotel called the Ross, that is thought of as a family destination but still the place to be. They live in the Ross and feel connected to each and every one of their employees. Their two twin daughters, Lily and Zoe attend private school and have a bunch of great friends. All these people come out to celebrate with them at the hotel for their fifteenth birthday. Then a message is sent to some and tragedy strikes close to home. Emma rushed to try to fix things while Bobby can't even acknowledge what happened.

As a family is tested, family bonds will be broken, friendship will be questioned and revenge will unfold. Somebody s daughter is sure to make you question your own relationships with your children and make you wonder what would happen if it was your daughter? What would you do? How far would you go to protect your own?

This book not only tells a very relevant story but does it so the reader really understands all sides of the story. The story was so moving and told perfectly with just the right amount of laughter and tears. A huge winner for this reader.

Bro Code by Kendall Ryan

Date Read: April 28, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ALL THE STARS 

(My Review) I received a copy of this book from Ink Slinger PR in exchange for an honest review.

Hold on a minute, while I hose myself off from this explosive book. Wow. This book was amazing. I can't believe this is my first read by Kendall Ryan. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go purchase a ton of her books now that I've been blown away by this one.

Barrett and Ava were both great characters that you quickly started to route for. Barrett is a lawyer that will do almost anything to make partner this year in his Chicago firm. Ava is the little sister of his best friend and certainly OFF LIMITS according to the bro code that every guy knows about and follows right? Barrett is doing his best but with comments from Ava such as "I don't like being told what to do, unless I'm naked" he is having a heck of a time complying with what is right. The scenes between them are either scorching HOT or LOL funny. I enjoyed them so much.

If you enjoy contemporary, romance and great writing, you have to pick this novel up as soon as possible.

The Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

Date Read: April 30, 2018

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(My Review)Ella is a Rhodes scholar, planning to spend a year at Oxford and then head home to a life in politics. Her plans are upended when she meets Jamie, a teaching assistant. As their relationship evolves, Ella has to make some difficult choices. The setting of Oxford contributes to the appreciation of the story, as do the secondary characters Charles, Maggie and Tom.

Jaime and Ella weren't looking for anything serious. She is leaving for America in June and he is a player that doesn't "do" serious. So they start just spending time together in the bedroom and come to really enjoy each other so they venture out on a few dates.

The story really heats up in the second half of the story when we learn Jaime's secret which seriously blew me away. I didn't see it coming at all.

Read this book. You'll love it. I promise.

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales (Review, Interview, Giveaway)

I am thrilled to be a stop on the book tour for If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales! Be sure to read my review and interview with Leila and check out the tour schedule for more.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Publication Date:	May 1, 2018
Pages:	324 (ARC)
Published By:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Website:	Leila Sales
	If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

Before we go any further, I want you to understand this: I am not a good person.

We all want to be seen. We all want to be heard. But what happens when we’re seen and heard saying or doing the wrong things? What then?

When Winter Halperin—former spelling bee champion, aspiring writer, and daughter of a parenting expert—gets caught saying the wrong thing online, her life explodes. All across the world, people knows what she’s done, and none of them will forgive her.

With her friends gone, her future plans cut short, and her identity in shambles, Winter is just trying to pick up the pieces without hurting anyone else. She knows she messed up, but does that mean it’s okay for people to send her hate mail and death threats? Does she deserve to lose all that she’s lost? And is “I’m sorry” ever good enough?

First and foremost a novel about public shaming in the internet age, If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say is also an exploration of the power of words, the cumulative destructiveness of microaggressions, and the pressing need for empathy.

(Goodreads)

Quotes and page numbers are obtained from the ARC and are subject to change

When we decide someone is an angel, she is an angel only until she falls from the sky. But when we decide someone is a villain, she is a villain forever. Everything she says or does in only more proof of her villainy. She cannot be redeemed. (14)

Over the past seven months, so many people had shown me such cruelty. But there was also occasions that stuck in mind when people briefly shone kindness into the darkness that surrounded me. The one that I returned to now was Claudette Cruz, on my first day to school back after The Incident, saying to me in science class, What's happening to you is wrong. Hold your head up, girl. They don't know you. (319-20)

 I think the moral is that we can do bad things and not be bad people. That we can make mistakes and do better next time. That we can hurt those who love us, and lie to those who trust us, and criticize those who are trying their hardest - and still our lives do not end. That no matter how many times we do wrong, we still have it within us to do right. (324)

We've all said things that came out wrong or were misconstrued in one way or another - especially when it comes to things on the internet or over text. I myself am guilty of having a coworker read over emails because in my head the words come across as bitchy or snarky, but in her mind they sound fine - but maybe you should take that sentence out.

It's the world we live in and the world to which we've all adapted. After tweeting what she believes to be a humorous and lighthearted tweet, but was in fact rather racist, she wakes to find that the internet feels vastly different than she does. Over the course of a few hours, her tweet goes viral and her reputation is destroyed. BuzzFeed, Jezebel, The Washington Post, etc. all pick up the story of "White Winter."

A few days later, another story pops up and Winter's tweet and story are all but forgotten by the general population. But Winter has not forgotten and left to deal with the repercussions:

"It takes such a brief time to destroy someone's life and forget that you did it. But rebuilding a life - that's different. That takes forever" (70).

This quote holds so much truth. We live in a world where Individual A messes up and it's all over the news. A few days later Individual B messes up and nobody remembers Individual A. Except Individual A is still dealing with the consequences - lost job, damaged reputation, etc. And then Individual C steps in to the lime light and the cycle continues.

The sad, and scary thing, is that I have seen real responses Winter received on real articles about real people. People wished her dead, raped, murdered, and all manner of horrific things. Leila's characters are fictional, but the world they live in is entirely real. The internet isn't policed. Winter's mother's lawyer even tells them there is nothing to be done about the comments - they cannot sue anyone, they cannot press charges against anyone. The internet is the Wild West and it's vicious.

Honestly, I couldn't tell if I liked Winter or not - she tells us from the beginning that she is not a good person and I find that fact hard to argue. Throughout the first half of the book, she doesn't feel she did anything wrong. Even while she was writing her apology the next morning, I knew it wasn't going to be well received. She comes off as the person who is "sorry you were hurt by what I said." The individual who is "sorry you feel that way." She doesn't have true remorse and doesn't understand why people are upset. When someone tries to tell her why people, themselves included, are hurt or angry she ignores their feelings because it's "obviously not what she meant" (26).

However, to her credit, Winter seeks help in not only improving her reputation, but also improving herself. She acknowledges that it's not enough to seem better, you actually have to be better. Do better. Leila takes us into the mind and life of someone who has messed up and messed up big, but is (eventually) determined to truly learn from their misstep and better not only themselves but those around them. To apologize and to mean it. Winter is not a stranger on the internet with an offensive and derogatory tweet, but an individual who had to learn the hard way that in the age of the internet your intent can me almost nothing, and your words can mean everything.

Interview with Leila Sales

In today's world where it's easy to misconstrue meaning of text (whether that be a text message, Facebook post, or in Winter's case a tweet), why did you decide to write from Winter's point of view? Why was your inspiration for telling her story?

That was exactly what I wanted to explore: how easy it is to misconstrue text, to read into somebody’s words intentions that may not be there. And then of course I wanted to look at the very question of intentions: do they matter? Should we give someone a pass for doing something wrong—as Winter does—if they didn’t “mean it that way”? The books’ epigraphs take opposite sides of that issue, and personally I can see both.

I’m kind of a perfectionist, and my default state is to think that if I’ve screwed up one thing, then I’ve screwed up everything, most likely due to my intrinsic character flaws. Obviously, that’s not healthy, and it’s not rational. So I wanted to show a character move through that, to realize that it is possible to make mistakes and bad choices and still be a good and valuable human being.

Was there a particular scene or chapter that was especially fun or challenging to write?

The entire second half of the book was challenging to write! I had many models for what the first half looked like—there are so many stories of people who have misguidedly done or said something ignorant and hurtful that has gone viral. We know what that looks like, and what the immediate repercussions are. But we don’t really have a sense of what the path to redemption looks like after that. I wrote entire drafts of a few very different options for Winter—hundreds and hundreds of pages—before I came up with the concept of Revibe.

We've all made decisions that result in unexpected consequences, good and bad. So let's put a positive spin on things and tell us about a decision you've made that led to unexpected, but wonderful, consequences.

I love that way of looking at things! Though it totally does not come naturally to me. I’d say my decision on where to go to college. I hadn’t gotten into any of my top-choice schools, which was disappointing, and then I could not decide between two of the schools that I had gotten into. I’m sure either of them could have been great, and there was no one obvious “right” choice, but the decision that I made ultimately led to all sorts of positive outcomes: I got involved in improv comedy, I connected with my literary agent, I did an internship that allowed me to later get my job, and a bunch of other stuff that I couldn’t have anticipated when I was trying to make that choice.

Is there a particular message you hope readers will take away from If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say?

When trying to understand another’s motivations, do not attribute to malice what can just as easily be explained by ignorance.

And always remember that you don’t know what’s going on in other people’s lives. So don’t treat them as though the part of them that you can see constitutes the entirety of who they are.

I love that! We only see a fraction of a persons life and we have to remember they are more than just those few aspects. If you could write a letter to your 16-year-old self, what would you talk about?

I think I’d tell myself, “There is nothing wrong with you.” And also, “Be nicer to your dad.”

What's the last show you binge watched?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Such glorious characters, and dialogue, and outfits!

I really need to watch that myself! I keep meaning to, but life! Thanks for stopping by, Leila!

Leila Sales was born in 1984 and grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in psychology in 2006. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in the mostly glamorous world of children's book publishing. Leila spends most of her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, dance parties, and stories that she wants to write.

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One copy of If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales

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Tour Schedule

April 29 - Page Turners Blog
April 30 - Books and Ladders
May 1 - Who Ru Blog
May 1 - Bookish Lifestyle
May 2 - Fab Book Reviews
May 3 - Good Books and Good Wine
May 3 - Across the Words
May 4 - Alexa Loves Books
May 5 - The Book Bratz

Aphrodites Tears by Hannah Fielding (Book Review & Giveaway)

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date:	January 25, 2018
Format:	Paperback
Published By:	London Wall Publishing
Website:	Hannah Fielding
	Aphrodite's Tears on Goodreads

Where to get:

In Hannah Fielding’s latest novel a young archaeologist who travels to the remote island of Helios to investigate an ancient shipwreck, becomes caught in a web of dark obsession, mystery and seduction.

In ancient Greece, one of the twelve laborers of Hercules was to bring back a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides. To archaeologist Oriel Anderson, joining a team of Greek divers on the island of Helios seems like the golden apple of her dreams.

Yet the dream becomes a nightmare when she meets the devilish owner of the island, Damian Theodorakis. In shocked recognition, she is flooded with the memory of a romantic night in a stranger’s arms, six summers ago. A very different man stands before her now, and Oriel senses that the sardonic Greek autocrat is hell-bent on playing a cat and mouse game with her.

As they cross swords and passions mount, Oriel is aware that malevolent eyes watch her from the shadows. Dark rumors are whispered about the Theodorakis family. What dangers lie in Helios: a bewitching land where ancient rituals are still enacted to appease the gods, young men risk their lives in the treacherous depths of the Ionian Sea, and the volatile earth can erupt at any moment?

Will Oriel find the hidden treasures she seeks? Or will Damian’s tragic past catch up with them, threatening to engulf them both? 

If you are looking for a uncomplicated love story, this isn't it! This story is more than complicated, it is epic!

This book took me almost two months to read. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy it. It was because I wanted to keep savoring every last word. Hannah Fielding's writing captivates me. She writes so poetically that you can hardly keep from falling in love with her stories from the first pages. Although the book was long, I didn't feel like it dragged on at all. The story needed the rocky beginning, the beautiful middle and the epic end.

With intrigue, sexy scenes, and some Greek mythology, this novel had everything it needed and more.

Oriel was a archeologist and just loved adventure. Then she is hired by the sultry and sexy Damian to come to his island, Helios in Greece and help him solve a mystery of long ago. A mystery of a abandoned ship and how this mystery affected the Lakkas family. Little does Oriel know that Damian isn't a stranger to her and that one night on a beach long ago she gave herself to him in a passionate embrace. However, the man she met that night doesn't seem to be the same as her boss now. This man is hiding in the shadows of something bigger and hell bent on controlling everyone and everything he meets. Will Oriel be able to complete her work with Damian brooding near by?

The passion of these two characters, whether it be for her work or his island and family mystique was enchanting and so enticing to read. I couldn't put it down many times. I found myself looking forward to reading it every time I picked it up and disappointed when life took over and I had to put it down. Hannah Fielding is an amazing writer who tells epic love story that are totally unique from any other writer.

I'm so excited to be offering a beautiful paperback edition of "Aphrodite's Tears" by Hannah Fielding. Enter below. US only please. 

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About the Author

Hannah Fielding is an incurable romantic. The seeds for her writing career were sown in early childhood, spent in Egypt, when she came to an agreement with her governess Zula: for each fairy story Zula told, Hannah would invent and relate one of her own. Years later – following a degree in French literature, several years of travelling in Europe, falling in love with an Englishman, the arrival of two beautiful children and a career in property development – Hannah decided after so many years of yearning to write that the time was now. Today, she lives the dream: writing full time at her homes in Kent, England, and the South of France, where she dreams up romances overlooking breath-taking views of the Mediterranean.

To date, Hannah has published five novels: Burning Embers, ‘romance like Hollywood used to make’, set in Kenya; the award-winning Echoes of Love, ‘an epic love story that is beautifully told’ set in Italy; and the Andalucian Nights trilogy (Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy), set in sultry Spain.

Hannah Fielding Website
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Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian (Interview, Giveaway)

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Publication Date:	April 24, 2018
Pages:	368 (hardcover)
Published By:	Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Website:	Siobhan Vivian
	Stay Sweet on Goodreads

Where to get:

A summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends.

Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

(Goodreads)

"A delectable mixture of ice cream and romance…an empowering novel for young women with big dreams.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With a strong message about female empowerment and hard work, this YA book will be a great read for spring break or summer vacation.” —School Library Journal

“A rare, enjoyable portrait of a woman-run business.” —Kirkus Reviews

Interview with Siobhan Vivian

The fact that Molly created an ice cream shop to cheer up her friends during WWII, and continued to have it run by girls, just makes my heart happy. What was the inspiration for this part of the plot?

Female friendships have always been creatively inspiring to me, and recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about female-only spaces. I never went to summer camp, but have always romanticized the idea of being in a bunk full of girlfriends. Same thing with an all-girls high school. It’s a completely different energy, and a chance to be intimate in ways that wouldn’t happen with boys around. I wanted to explore that.

Can you tell us a bit more about "Head Girl" Amelia?

Sure! Amelia is smart, kind, and a hard worker...but in her mind, those qualities don’t really distinguish her from her peers. She’s never been a leader and conflict makes her uncomfortable. She struggles to try and collapse the distance between being called the manager and actually acting the part.

She just really wants to do a good job and give the girls of Meade Creamery a great summer, because that’s what she got out of it for the previous four years of working there. That is her primary motivator...to do right by the stand, to honor the traditions created before her time, and to not screw anything up.

This is your ninth published book, what are some of the biggest differences you've noticed this time around than when you wrote and published your first novel?

There are soooooo many more books out on shelves. It was easier to break out and be noticed all those years ago.

But I think the quality and diversity of what is available has definitely increased and that is nothing but great news.

How much ice cream did you eat while writing this? Be honest! And what's the best ice cream flavor or combo? For instance, as far as I'm concerned anything in a waffle cone is the best thing ever.

A lot! Basically any chance I get, any time I pass an ice cream shop I haven’t been to before, I stop. It’s a bit dangerous.

And I have a brand new favorite, from an ice cream shop I just visited in Denver called Little Man. It’s Chocolate Whopper Malt, which I had in a waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles. I alllllllways get sprinkles because I like what it does to the texture.

I can't argue sprinkles! Sprinkles just make everything better. :) What are five things you would buy if you won a million dollars (tax free!)?

A vintage car...something small and brightly colored and Italian.

A week-long trip to a spa with rooms booked for my best girlfriends.

Donate money to my favorite local charity ... SisterFriend.org ... which provides menstruation products to homeless and at-risk women.

Visit all the James Beard nominees for Best New Restaurant in the US.

And a new, fabulous coat!

Thanks for stopping by, Siobhan! And thank you for mentioning this charity - this is definitely something I would love to donate to. 

Siobhan Vivian was born in New York City on January 12, 1979 . . . which might sound like a long time ago, but really isn’t. She grew up in Rutherford, NJ, where she got into trouble for such things as constantly talking out of turn, bringing a stray dog into school in a stolen shopping cart, passing notes to her friends, telling jokes, sneaking out, and not doing her homework. It is something of a miracle that she grew up to be a New York Times best selling author.

Siobhan attended The University of the Arts, where she graduated with a degree in Writing for Film and Television. She received her MFA in Creative Writing: Children’s Literature from The New School University.

Siobhan has worked as an editor of several New York Times best-selling novels at Alloy Entertainment, a scriptwriter for The Disney Channel, and she currently teaches Writing Youth Literature at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Thanks to Simon Schuster I have two copies of Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian up for grabs!

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Tour Schedule

Siobhan has already started touring, but make sure to check out her remaining tour dates below! 

BROOKLYN, NY
Friday, April 27
Moderated by bestselling author Jenny Han at 7:30 PM
Books Are Magic
225 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

CLIFTON, NJ
Saturday, April 28 at 2:00 PM
Barnes and Noble
Clifton Commons
395 Route 3 East
Clifton, NJ 07014

PITTSBURGH, PA
Sunday, April 29 at 2:00 PM
White Whale Books
4754 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15224