Book Lover Book Reviews

Blog Tour: A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

Genre: Young Adult Rom-Com

Publishing Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Synopsis:

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.

If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Not ideal.

If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant.

For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.

But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember.

Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?

Author Information:

Loan Le is the youngest child of two Vietnamese immigrants hailing from Nha Trang. She holds an MFA degree in fiction from Fairfield University, also her undergraduate alma mater. A Pushcart Prize–nominated writer, her short stories have appeared in CRAFT Literary, Mud Season Review, and Angel City Review. Loan is an editor at Simon and Schuster’s Atria Books imprint and lives in Manhattan. A Pho Love Story is her first novel.

Author Links:

GIVEAWAY INFO: Three finished copies will be provided. This giveaway would only be available for residents in the US only. Giveaway will start on 9 February and end on 19th February.

Rafflecopter link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9e8d94b12/

Hello all! First, I want to thank Colored Pages Bookish Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this tour and to read this book. If you want to follow along, I am adding the link to the tour schedule here. After reading the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read this book and I’ve been looking forward to the release.

For a long time, Linh and Bảo’s families have been at odds as they compete due to both families having pho restaurants. Linh and Bảo have avoided each other due to this but they both think this issue originated from something other than a competition. However, there’s a chance that brings them both together and they begin to wonder why they didn’t connect before and begin to remember what happened.

First, I enjoyed how the Vietnamese culture was set through the story from the food to the language. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys rom com but also stories involving family drama as it made it interesting. Whenever Linh and Bảo discussed their family history, I knew I wanted to read more and discovered what happened between them. This was such a good read for me, I hope you all get the opportunity to pick it up soon.

Blog Tour: Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publishing Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

About the Author: Namina Forna is a young adult novelist based in Los Angeles, and the author of the upcoming epic fantasy YA novel The Gilded Ones. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, she moved to the US when she was nine and has been traveling back and forth ever since. Namina has an MFA in film and TV production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA from Spelman College. She works as a screenwriter in LA andloves telling stories with fierce female leads.

Author Links:

Tour Schedule: https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2021/01/11/tour-sign-up-the-gilded-ones-deathless-1-by-namina-forna/

Hello all! I want to thank TBR & Beyond Tours for the opportunity to read this one, it’s been on my most anticipated for this year. The Gilded Ones is so action packed, you’d need a break to catch your breath.

Deka gets a purity test that will recognize her part of society. When the Death Shrieks attack, she gets to discover that her blood is gold, not red. Deka is now considered a demon, she can be put through violent beatings, beheadings, etc. (Trigger warning). Through Deka’s journey, she learns that the Gilded Ones is something different

Overall, the world building and action you get from the story is done so well. I’m excited to read the next book already. The characters is another aspect I enjoyed as I wanted to learn more about them too. I hope you give this book a chance if you love any fantasy books with a lot of action involved. See you all next time!

PS. I wanted to include the graphic for the virtual tour!

Blog Tour: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

Hello all! I am really excited about this tour, I have been looking forward to this book because it represents a lot of my identity as I am fat and Puerto Rican. The cover alone made me want to read this book, this book means a lot to me,

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publishing Date: Feb 2, 2021

Publisher: Holiday House

Synopsis:

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

Author Bio: Crystal Maldonado is a young adult author with a lot of feelings. Her debut novel, FAT CHANCE, CHARLIE VEGA (Holiday House), will be released on Feb. 2, 2021.

By day, she is a social media manager working in higher ed, and by night, a writer who loves Beyoncé, shopping, the internet, and being extra.

She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Author Links:

GIVEAWAY:Enter to win one (1) finished copy of Fat Chance, Charlie Vegaby Crystal Maldonado! Open USA only. There will be 1 winner.

Giveaway starts: Monday, February 8, 2021

Giveaway ends: Monday, February 15, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. CST

Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1e4a114d21/?

As part of my tour stop, I had the opportunity to send Crystal a few questions about Fat Chance, Charlie Vega which is one of my most anticipated books this year. I hope you all give it a chance and pick up a copy, you won’t regret!

What sparked the idea for the book?

Much of the book is inspired by my real life, but nothing more obvious than Brian, who is fully inspired by my husband! Like Charlie and Brian, my husband and I met in high school, we had art together, and my husband even gave me a valentine, similar to the one Brian gives to Charlie, that I cherished and still have, nearly 15 years later! So, I really wanted to tell a sweet love story — but with a fat, brown girl at its heart. That was my dream. And now I’m so thankful it’s a reality, too!

How do you feel knowing so many people are looking forward to the book?

I’m so thrilled and genuinely taken aback by how supportive everyone has been with this book! When I was writing it, my hope was just to finish it. And then my hope was just to get an agent and publisher. And then it was to just hold the book in my hands. I never expected so many people to be excited about this story, but I don’t take that for granted for even a second. It means the world to me.

How was your writing journey for the book?

I genuinely had so much fun writing this book. Because I wasn’t on deadline, I really took my time, and this book turned into a wonderful way for me to escape the stresses of the world or my life. It was fun to write Charlie, get into her head, and settle into her world. I also loved being able to write something that celebrated so much: fat girls, friendships, books, and love!

I want to thank Turn the Page Tours for the opportunity to check out this book and interview Crystal!

What are you working on next?

I’m currently working on a book about a different fat Puerto Rican girl who is obsessed with photography and Instagram — but she has trouble getting any followers. She takes her obsession to the next level when she decides to steal someone else’s photos and pretend to be them, which goes about as well as you can imagine. Super excited for everyone to read this one! It’s tentatively scheduled to come out in fall 2022. Fingers crossed I can share more soon!

Is there anyone you would like to co-write a book with?

There are so many authors I’d love to have the honor of co-writing with! Obviously Julie Murphy would be a dream, as it was her book, “Dumplin’” that really helped me realize there was room for a story like Charlie’s out there. I’d also love to collaborate with Laekan Zea Kemp, whose YA book “Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet” comes out in April, and Jonny Garza Villa, whose book “Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun” is releasing in June. I met them through our debut author group and it’s been so fun to get to know them both!

Blog Tour: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

First, I would like to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this tour! I am getting back into my reading and blogging groove after moving to a house now. I can’t wait to start posting consistently now that I am settled. I am glad Cast in Firelight is the first book I’m reviewing this year, it was such a great read!

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publishing date: Jan 19, 2021

Synopsis:

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal, and Renée Ahdieh.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who’s mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery’s most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross…and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery’s fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it’s complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.

Tour Schedule

About the Author

Dana Swift started making up fantasy worlds when she was eleven years old and hasn’t stopped since. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned degrees in English and Advertising. While in college, Dana competed as a saber fencer and learned a thing or two about fighting, parrying and how it feels to fall in love with your sparring partner. She currently lives with said husband in Miami, Florida.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading the book but it entertained a lot! I was surprised by how easy I was intrigued by the story, the characters, the magic system, the overall action and my favorite part the enemies to lovers to trope!

I want to point out that the world is influence by Indian culture however the author does not involve the struggles of a POC. Overall, I enjoyed how the magic systems works as it is based on elements and given by the gods which was really interesting to me. There was a lot that I enjoyed about the book, there are so many aspects to the story such as politics, a lot of action and romance as well which made me feel like I was riding a rollercoaster, I loved it!

This book is definitely such a great read, fast paced, well written characters too. I also loved the writing style, it flowed so well throughout the story, I recommend that you pick this one up!

WarMaidens Blog Tour

Hi all! Today, I am bringing you a Q&A with author Kelly Coon!

Synopsis: Warmaidens is the dark, action-packed conclusion to the heartwrenching Gravemaidens fantasy duology. Kammani and the maidens are now going to war against the ruler who tried to entomb them.

Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage.

But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found.

Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.

Author Bio: I was born in Flint, Michigan, a city infamous for its water crisis and murder rates. And since my parents gave up their rock band to join a church when I was four, I heard gunfire on Saturdays and brimstone on Sundays.

I learned all about following rules as I grew up. (And breaking them.) In ’97, I found myself staring at the angry eyebrows of a woman expelling me from an extremely strict Baptist college because I, as a young woman, had stepped foot off campus without a chaperone. She didn’t like the expression of my irritation that the freshman boys didn’t have to procure the same.

With more than enough fodder for poetry and personal essays, I graduated with my BA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan in 2000, the same year I married a man who’s clearly the better half of this whole. In 2004, I earned my master’s in Secondary English Education to teach high-schoolers the stories with which I’d been enamored since I was in pigtails. (Ahh, Romeo and Juliet!)

I’m the mom to three little boys and a rescue pup who will steal your sandwich. I’m also a young adult author represented by Kari Sutherland with Bradford Literary Agency. My debut YA fantasy, GRAVEMAIDENS, will be published with Delacorte/ Random House on October 29, 2019, and I’m so excited about that, I’m jumping out of my skin. The sequel is forthcoming in ’20.

Gravemaidens recounts the tale of two sisters: Kammani, a 16-year-old healer’s apprentice who wants to save the dying ruler of her city-state and Nanaea, Kammani’s little sister who will be buried alive as the ruler’s bride if he dies.

The problem? Nanaea wants the honor.

My sons say it’s spooky, but cool.

Because I like tearing apart everyone else’s writing along with my own, I’m the editor for Blue Ocean Brain, and am a recent addition to the Washington Post Talent Network. I’ve authored two test prep guides, ACT Strategy Smart, and Ace the ACT, both which are not boring.

I was the test prep expert for About.com for seven years, and have been published on sites like The Washington Post, Scholastic, MSN, Scary Mommy, Folks, Parent Map, and Sammiches and Psych Meds, too.

Twitter | Instagram | Website

How was your writing journey on this book compared to the first?
Much different! When I wrote Gravemaidens, I could take all the time in the world I needed. I
could write and rewrite and toss out ten thousand words and didn’t need anyone’s approval on
anything.
But with Warmaidens, I was lucky enough to have a contract. I’d been paid to write a book
about which I had only conceived a couple of paragraphs. So the pressure was on. Not only did I
have a deadline, I wanted to write something that would be better than Gravemaidens and amp
up the pressure for Kammani and her friends in all the best possible ways.

How was your writing process compared to before, especially during the pandemic?
It was difficult, I’m not gonna lie. I spent much of March and April of this year wallowing in self-
doubt, fear, anxiety, and a keen sense of self-preservation. My sons came first. Everything else
was second, including writing. My brain had a difficult time processing it all because nothing but
our health and the state of race relations in this country felt important.
Gradually, with meditation and exercise, I got back on the horse and am so, so freaking proud of
myself to have written another book this year!

3. Are you working on any other books?
Speaking of…haha! Yes, I wrote a YA thriller this year and have finished a YA contemporary with
speculative elements! I’m diving into a variety of different genres to explore how far I can push
myself. My goal is always to get better and stronger, and challenging myself to explore the real
world has been just the ticket.

4. Is there anything you would have changed from the book?
In Gravemaidens, I would have definitely shifted some plot elements around. I would have
amped up the tension and chemistry between Kammani and Dagan, too! But I think I redeemed
myself in a couple areas with Warmaidens. The pace is faster, the secrets darker, the weapons
sharper, and the romance a little bit steamier.

5. Is there any particular scene that didn’t make it to the final copy?
I wrote a scene in Warmaidens where Kammani and her crew come across a group of war-torn
refugees who are fleeing a conflict. I wanted to show how terrible war can be for every side and
show Kammani’s compassion and adeptness at helping them. Ultimately, though, it slowed the
pace too much and had to go!

6. What do you hope to write next?
I have another fantasy idea brewing in my head right now, and I’m itching to get at it. It’s a
modern twist on an old myth that involves two POVs from a boy and a girl, some gator
wrestling, magical fishhooks, and the swamp! =)

Thank you Kelly for taking from your day for this Q&A,! Warmaidens is the conclusion of the Gravemaidens duology which will be released on December 15. You can get your copy on here. Gravemaidens is available now for purchase!

Owlcrate Unboxing – October 2020

Hi all! Coming with a late post to show you the Owlcrate October box!

Star Touched Queen inspired bamboo phone stand designed by Lady Chubb Letters

Motherland Essentials was inspired by A Song of Wraiths and Ruins when creating this exclusive bath item

Spoiler card, We Free the Stars sneak peek and letter by Tracy Deonn

Bowl cozy designed by Janine Lecour, inspired by Spin the Dawn’s cover

Hey Atlas Creative was inspired by the coin used within Legenborn’s secret society when creating this pin

October’s book was Legenborn by Tracy Deonn

Did you get Owlcrate’s box? What did you think of the items?

“Creatures” Review

Creatures By Crissy Van Meter

Algonquin Books / Publication Date: October 27, 2020

Follow Algonquin Books on Twitter @algonquinbooks or

on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AlgonquinBooks

On the eve of Evangeline’s wedding, a dead whale is trapped in the harbor of Winter Island, the groom may be lost at sea, and Evie’s mostly absent mother has shown up out of the blue. From there, in this mesmerizing, provocative debut, Evie remembers and reckons with her complicated upbringing in this lush, wild land off the coast of Southern California.

Evie grew up with her well-meaning but negligent father, surviving on the money he made dealing the island’s world-famous strain of marijuana, Winter Wonderland. Although he raised her with a deep respect for the elements, the sea, and the creatures living within it, he also left her to parent herself. With wit, love, and bracing ashes of anger, Creatures probes the complexities of love and abandonment, guilt and forgiveness, betrayal and grief—and the ways in which our ability to love can be threatened if we are not brave enough to conquer the past.

Lyrical, darkly funny, and ultimately cathartic, Creatures exerts a pull as strong as the tides.

Author Bio: Crissy Van Meter is a writer in Los Angeles. Her writing has appeared in VICE, Catapult, Guernica, ESPN, The Hairpin, Golly, VIDA, and Bustle. She has an MFA from the New School. She teaches creative writing at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the founder of the literary project Five Quarterly, and the managing editor for Nouvella Books. She serves on the board of directors for the literary non-profit, Novelly.

Evie grows up on an island off the coast of California. Her mom left her when she was young, her father raised her. Evie struggled through her childhood, we are able to see what she went through and how it affected her too.

I really liked the writing style, giving us a change in timeline from present to past. Evie is the sole narrator, we get to learn a lot about her, the reading is deep and it definitely highlights her dysfunctional family. The story is dark, has heartbreak as well but the writing is very poetic, I really enjoyed that.

Love Offline Review

Love Offline: Looking For Romance In Real Life Emily’s Struggling To Find Romance Online. Will Ditching The Dating Apps Lead To True Love? Online dating isn’t working for introvert Emily.

Although she’s comfortable swiping right at home in her PJs, the idea of going out to meet a guy in person fills her with dread. So when her best friend challenges her to ditch the apps, attend a load of awkward singles’ events and find love in real life, Emily wants to run for the hills. Then she meets Josh. He’s handsome, kind and funny, but Emily’s had her heart crushed before and knows he’s hiding something… Is Josh too good to be true? Can Emily learn to trust again and if she does, will it lead to love or more heartache? Love Offline is a fun, sexy, entertaining story about friendship, stepping outside of your comfort zone and falling in love the old-fashioned way. Ideal for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare.

Purchase Links UK: https://amzn.to/2OKcwF3

US:https://amzn.to/35p81oZ

Love Offline is available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited. It is also available to read for FREE in Prime Reading until late November.

Love Offline is available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited. It is also available to read for FREE in Prime Reading until late November. Author Bio –Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women’s fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin’, which was released in July 2018, deals with being newly single in your thirties and beyond, dating, relationships, love, sex and living life to the full.Olivia published three novels in 2019: ‘Only When It’s Love’, ‘Losing My Inhibitions’ and ‘Love Offline’. ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy’, the hotly anticipated sequel to ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin’ and Olivia’s fifth novel, was published in July 2020. When she’s not writing, Olivia can be found making regular trips to Italy to indulge in pasta, pizza and gelato and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!

Social Media Links –https://twitter.com/ospringauthor

https://www.facebook.com/ospringauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/ospringauthor/

Home

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/olivia-spring

Love Offline is about Emily, she’s self employed, working from home which causes her to spend her time hiding from her real life ever since her boyfriend cheated on her. Due to her situation, she spends her time in dating sites or mostly online. One thing she does is constantly checking her ex’s Instagram account, seeing that he moved on causes her to basically hit rock bottom. Emily’s best friend, Chloe is the opposite of her, she proposes to Emily that she should try to live offline for 2 months, living life while giving herself a chance to meet new people. Emily decides to try things that she had not done before such as single events and speed dating.

I found the story to be one we can relate to especially during these times when we spend a lot of time online. I also enjoyed Olivia’s writing, it’s easy to get in to, the story was one I could totally visualize and it makes me realize that it’s nice to have time offline too. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a relatable, realistic story.

Owlcrate Unboxing – September 2020

Hello! I wanted to show you all the items in the September Owlcrate box.

Set of stainless steel skull coffee spoons inspired by the Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd- Jones

Lapels and Spells designed the Death before DNF enamel bookmark. Pumpkin Spice scented lip balm inspired by Sleepy Hollow, created by Fiction Bath Co. Enamel pin inspired by Horrid, designed by Pickety Witch

Flannel blanket featuring full text of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, designed by Michelle Gray

Collectible postcard illustrated by Lovely Illustration

The exclusive cover and artwork on the dust jacket by Rena Illustration

I really loved the items this month especially the candle and bookmark. I adore the exclusive cover and the artwork in the dust jacket too. I’m excited to read the book! I hope you all enjoyed it too.

ForeShadow Blog Tour

Release Date: October 20, 2020

Thirteen Short Stories from Bold New YA Voices & Writing Advice from YA Icons

Created by New York Times bestselling authors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, Foreshadow is so much more than a short story collection. A trove of unforgettable fiction makes up the beating heart of this book, and the accompanying essays offer an ode to young adult literature, as well as practical advice to writers.

Featured in print for the first time, the thirteen stories anthologized here were originally released via the buzzed-about online platform Foreshadow. Ranging from contemporary romance to mind-bending fantasy, the Foreshadow stories showcase underrepresented voices and highlight the beaut

y and power of YA fiction. Each piece is selected and introduced by a YA luminary, among them Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jason Reynolds, and Sabaa Tahir.

What makes these memorable stories tick? What sparked them? How do authors build a world or refine a voice or weave in that deliciously creepy atmosphere to bring their writing to the next level? Addressing these questions and many more are essays and discussions on craft and process by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X. R. Pan.

This unique compilation reveals and celebrates the magic of reading and writing for young adults.

About The Authors:

Nova Ren Suma is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling The Walls Around Us, which was an Edgar Award finalist. She also wrote Imaginary Girls and 17 & Gone and is co-creator of FORESHADOW: A Serial YA Anthology. She has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and teaches writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from the Hudson Valley, she spent most of her adult life in New York City and now lives in Philadelphia.

Emily X.R. Pan is the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After, which won the APALA Honor Award and the Walter Honor Award, received six starred reviews, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit Emily online at exrpan.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @exrpan.

I really liked how each story is introduced by an established writer such as Emily X.R. Pan, Nova Red Suma, Heidi Heilig, Adam Silvera and Melissa Albert to name a few. I love how each story is intriguing in it’s own way, I also liked that after the story there is an author’s note in which the writer describes how they were inspired to write this story and their writing process. The author’s note is a very important part for me as a writer because I get to learn about their writing process as well. I take any opportunity I can to learn from writers and their strategies. It’s incredible to see so many writers have not been widely published and I hope this book helps them get published.

I am glad these authors were able to give the unknown writers the opportunity to find their voices and be featured in this book. This is the first time I read a book including short stories and now I do want to find more!