Dead Romantic

Dead Romantic by C J Skuse

Romance, Handmade!

Camille has been teased, picked on and humiliated and all for a boy who is now dating her best friend, a best friend who barely speaks to her anymore. All she wants is a boyfriend, a perfect, handsome boyfriend to make them all jealous, and if she can't find one, she'll make one with the help of her new best friend Zoe.

Zoe is brilliant, secretive and a little scary, but Camille can't wait to see her new boy Zoe is creating frankenstein style. However when Zoe turns up with ideal body parts and people they know suddenly become missing or dead, Camille is left wondering just how far Zoe will go for her creation.

Dead Romantic is a stupidly fun story that goes to the heart of what true friendship means, demonstrating that the formula for love is hardly straightforward and that sometimes life can surprise you. An entertaining story that is humorous, cringe-worthy, mysterious, romantic and of course full of dead bodies.

C J Skuse @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 March 2013
Price (AU): $18.99
ISBN: 9781908435415
Recommended age: 9+
In a word: Sexy Dead Boy
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

The Ghosts Of Nagasaki

The Ghosts Of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen

"All Fact-Seekers Beware"

From memories comes monsters from childhood, a dragon from misspent days and a girl in red shoes. With a stone for a heart and a host of friends, enemies and others to haunt him, this is a journey across time, through sea and over land to discover life, love and a brand new heart. .

The Ghosts Of Nagasaki recounts the past from memories real and re-imagined. When faced with returning to the scene of his youth, the memories and ghosts of the those he once knew invade his present, all in an effort to make sense of a life unlived and unfulfilled. A refreshing and entertaining story that is not to be read lightly.

Daniel Clausen Webpage

On sale: 08 December 2012
Price (US): $15.00
ISBN: 9781478314479
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Ghosts
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
xx

Dance Of Shadows #1

DANCE OF SHADOWS:
Dance Of Shadows by Yelena Black

A Ballet That Transcends!

As a freshman in her first year at the New York Ballet Academy it should have been impossible for Vanessa to be cast as the principal dancer in the upcoming ballet, but Vanessa has a talent for dancing, even if she lacks the passion for it. However Vanessa came to New York for more then dancing, she came to walk in the footsteps of her missing sister Margaret, to dance where she danced and to hopefully discover the truth of what happened to her.

Vanessa is consumed by two mysteries, her sister and the dance. It was the ballet her sister was meant to dance and now the part is hers, Margaret is the reason Vanessa dances, her motivation to go one when she no longer feels the will to. But when she dances she forgets everything, only the dance matters, the erratic, chaotic dance that is somehow linked to her sister. As her dancing improves she comes ever closer to discovering what happened to her sister, but will it be enough to find her.

Dance Of Shadows combines ballet with the supernatural, where dance opens a portal to another world and a ballet of love, loss and danger mirrors life. Like the dance, Vanessa is erratic in her thoughts and chaotic in her actions as she is drawn deeper into the mystery of her missing sister and driven closer to discovering the secrets of the ballet La Danse de Feu. With two leading men and supporting friends this dance is sure to please the romantics at heart.

Yelena Black @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 12 February 2013
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408829974
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Vanessa
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

Guest Post - Dance Of Shadows: Sisterly Love

Blog Tour - Dance Of Shadows
 
Sisterly Love
Guest Post by Yelena Black

 

Sisterly Love

There is nothing like the relationship between siblings. They can be incredibly close, or completely distant. Your sister or brother can be your best friend, or even your worst enemy. (I’m thinking specifically of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? or even, to a slightly lesser extent, the character of Louise and June in Gypsy.)

The bond between siblings is undeniable. Although I don’t have a sister, I do have an older brother … and often times he is my refuge and companion when my parents are acting crazy and I don’t what to do, or when something bad—or extremely wonderful—happens in my life. We have a special connection, and I wanted to write about a character who also had that kind of connection with her older sister. (I.e. explore a happier sibling dynamic than the ones in the above-mentioned films.)

In Dance of Shadows, Vanessa’s older sister Margaret is also a dancer—and she goes missing from the New York Ballet Academy, the very same school that Vanessa is about to attend. For Vanessa, Margaret was the person she always looked up to: she was a caring, kind sister and a talented dancer. She and Margaret were extraordinarily close, so when Margaret disappeared, it broke Vanessa’s heart.

Vanessa doesn’t want to believe that Margaret is dead, and so finding out what happened to her sister gives Vanessa a drive, and raises the stakes for her—she must find out what happened to Margaret because she cares about like her no one else does in the entire world.

In my own life, I have seen friends come and go, relationships begin and end … but family is always there, for better or for worse. This is true in Vanessa’s case as well, and it is why I wanted to include sisters in my story. Vanessa’s love for Margaret is what drives her passion and her sense of curiosity … and I hope it drives yours as well when you read the book!

 

Dance Of Shadows

 

To uncover the mystery behind Margaret's disappearance
and discover more diary entries visit the
Dance Of Shadows Facebook page.

To find out more about the book Dance Of Shadows
and its author Yelena Black visit the
Dance Of Shadows Bloomsbury Australia page.

  

Axel As Well

Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman

"You Will Never Forget Her"

Alex is not just your average teen dealing with emotions, identity and parents that are unwilling to listen or understand. Growing up Alex was always different, special. But now after making a life changing decision Alex is branded a weirdo and worse, and not just by strangers, just for accepting what Alex feels to be true on the inside. The struggles, conflicts and courage it takes to change a life and accept ones true self is a hard path to follow, especially for Alex.

Alex As Well is a challenging, charming and unique story of an individual who was raised as a boy, but who desperately want to be the girl Alex's feels to be on the inside. A story encompassing issues of gender, identity, acceptance and family. It tells of the pressures to conform to the expectations of peers, parents and society and the bravery it takes to challenge these expectations in order to be the person Alex is inside. A story that you will never forget and a girl you will remember always.

Alyssa Brugman Webpage

Alyssa Brugman @ Text Publishing

On sale: 31 January 2013
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781922079237
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Alex
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx