KINSLAYER by Jay Kristoff US & UK COVER REVEAL + Giveaway (Int'l)

Alrighty! Among the ten of you who actually read my blog (this including my family members), a few of you might remember that last year around this time, I was part of the Cover Reveal team for Jay Kristoff's YA Debut STORMDANCER. Apparently I did such a good job that this year's I've been invited back again to participate in the Cover Reveal for the sequel KINSLAYER.

So today, when THIS post goes live, 9 other blogs will also be revealing the cover for KINSLAYER ( that's one more blogger than last year, obviously some poor individual has past Kristoff's hazing ritual to join the wolf pack - I won't go into too much details but it involved Celine Dion and a sacrifice). Now some of you might have already seen the covers floating around on the blogosphere, this is because we suffered a serious breach of security  at the Macmillan Headquarters earlier this week where one of our agents went rogue and released these top sekret covers to corporations like Amazon. However please rest assured that we have an alpha team hunting down the leak and when ( not if) we find them, they will be punished severely (read - forced to listen to Nickelback and watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians).

Since, the majority of you probably won't even read anything I write in this post, HERE ARE THE COVERS:

US COVER

UK COVER

MY THOUGHTS:

These covers are absolutely stunning! The US cover definitely has more of a draw on me since I'm on the cover it's so freaking badass, I mean she's looks like she wants to rip my head off like a GUMMY BEAR. The UK cover is also gorgeous! More reserved, less frightening - for people who like books with lighter colours on covers. Although that ninja outfit is really unflattering, on behalf of the male population - I DEMAND LYCRA CATSUITS FOR THE NEXT COVER. 

SYNOPSIZZLE/BLURB:

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ STORMDANCER 

*SPOILER* 

A SHATTERED EMPIRE 
The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously - by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY
Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM
Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

*SPOILER ENDS*

About the Author:

Abandoned as a child by his people, Jay Kristoff was sent to earth in his crib where he grew up as the baddest baby on the streets of Perth. Dangerous and ruthless, Jay didn't have many friends and spent his childhood pretending to be Tarzan, dancing to Wham! and fighting crime. Twenty years on, Jay has relocated to Melbourne where he spreads the word of Christ by day and writes YA novels through the perspective of a girl by night. An alcohol enthusiast, STOP SHAVING YOUR FACIAL HAIR activist and ambassador for the international Inner Beauty organisation, Jay lives with his beard, his UGG boots, his wife and his dawg. 

You can find Jay on Website | Twitter | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Purchase STORMDANCER from The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Fishpond | The Nile | Bookworld

~ GIVEAWAY ~

There are TEN ARCS of KINSLAYER up for grabs! You can win ONE ARC from this blog and if you hop along to the other blogs part of this cover reveal, you can win ARCs of KINSLAYER from their blogs as well! 

On top of that, Jay is running a scavenger hunt where the winner will win a super awesome prize pack filed with exclusive goodies unknown to mankind. All you have to do is answer this question -

5. Name the rebel Guildsman who helped Yukiko and Buruu in STORMDANCER:

HINT HINT: S Y N O P Z I Z Z L E 

 head over to Jay's blog - HERE. Check out of the other blogs part of this cover reveal and answer all their questions as well! DO NOT RECORD YOU ANSWER IN THE COMMENTS. Please tattoo it on your heart and carry it with you as you leave this blog and move onto Jay's!

Fill out the Rafflecopter Form Below to Win KINSLAYER ARC:

OPEN Internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

The Indigo Spell

Review Time! The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead is the third book in the Bloodlines series, a spin-off the bestselling Vampire Academy series, which is being turned into a movie (yay!). I'm a huge fan of the VA series and I've enjoyed the first two books of the Bloodlines series, you can purchase a copy of The Indigo Spell from The Book Depository | Fishpond | The Nile | Bookworld. Thanks to Penguin for the review copy!

(Goodreads) In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

The Short Story? - My favourite book of the series so far, The Indigo Spell was nothing short of amazing! This is definitely two steps forward for Mead, a spectacular plot filled with action, suspense and danger. Beautifully written, a compelling narrative voice and fantastic development in the characterisation department - I'm so proud of Sydney! However the romance definitely took the spotlight, FINALLY Mead throws the readers a bone! A pleasure to read from cover to cover, Mead does not disappoint with the latest edition to her spin off series!

The Long Story? - Although I enjoyed The Golden Lily very much, it was nothing compared to my love for The Indigo Spell. You guys are lucky I'm not blabbering and talking mush right now because my feels for this novel are ALL OVER THE PLACE. The plot was nothing short of perfect - what The Golden Lily lacked in action, Mead has doubled in The Indigo Spell. Multiple plots weaved together to create a bigger picture, there was something enticing for everyone. A little mystery, action, suspense, tension, drama and let's not forget - romance. I was initially against the idea of Adrian and Sydney but The Indigo Spell has proven to me that they CAN work. I'm so happy that everything is working out and that things are HAPPENING instead of just kinky chemistry between the two. THIS, is the reason I fell in love with Mead's novels, her beautiful balance in her plots, compelling narrative voice and the ease of the prose! Entertaining and exciting, The Indigo Spell is not one to be missed!

Although The Golden Lily made a lot of headway in the characterisation development, I think The Indigo Spell really hit the nail on the head. I wasn't the biggest fan of Sydney to begin with, partly because of her relationship with Adrian ( who I used to think belonged with Rose) and partly because her personality wasn't very likeable. I find that it's very difficult for me to connect with characters that have a very serious personality and Sydney was the poster child for serious. She has come so far from Bloodlines and she's really turned into someone I have grown to adore and respect! I can't wait to see further development in Fiery Heart! If Adrian wasn't perfect enough to begin with, he is now. I would be lying if I said that I didn't think Sydney has changed Adrian for the better. He is still as sassy and charming as ever but he's so much more now. Adrian Ivashkov is just perfect!

Fans of Richelle Mead definitely have something to look forward to in The Indigo Spell, one of my favourite books of the year so far, I couldn't put it down! New elements, new romance, new friendships and new developments, The Indigo Spell is the book of fresh beginnings. Wonderful characterisation, excellent plot developments and a blossoming romance, Mead's The Indigo Spell is original, entertaining and seductive. Beautifully written, I await impatiently for the release of Fiery Heart!

What's it Worth? - Break Out the Piggy Bank 

Badass Bookie xx

Hidden Among Us

Review time! Hidden Among Us is the latest YA novel from UK based author, Katy Moran! I'm not sure whether you guys are aware but The Book Depository has started this awesome affiliate-reviewer program where they are sending review copies to their affiliates for review! I was lucky enough to be offered a review copy of Hidden Among Us so today I bring you my review! You can purchase a copy of Hidden Among US from The Book Depository!

(Goodreads) When Lissy meets a mysterious and strangely beautiful boy on her way to Hopesay Edge, she is deeply unsettled by their encounter.

She discovers that the boy, Larkspur, is a member of the Hidden, an ancient group of elven people, whose secrets lie buried at Hopesay Reach. Before long, Lissy and her brother Rafe find themselves caught by a powerful magic and fighting to escape a bargain that can never be broken.

The Short Story? - A dark and grim spin on the classic faerie lore, Hidden Among Us is a thrilling and dangerous novel about a curse, a girl and a secret race of Fae looking for vengeance and revenge. An original plot, wonderful use of multiple perspectives and an exciting climax, Hidden Among Us is unlike anything I've read! Twisted, eery and sinister, these faeries aren't the ones from your bedtime stories!

The Long Story? - I'm a little on the fence about this one because for me, this was one of those books that wasn't bad but I can't really say I loved it either - it was an average book. It was a good plot, well-developed although confusing at times. The book also has a rather slow pace, there build-up was long and there isn't much action until the 50 or so pages. However apart from that I really did enjoy the plot, it was dark and sinister, very different from your typical YA faerie novel. It was very clever and I liked how the ending is kind of open-ended so the book works as a stand-alone but it could also be a series, I'm pretty sure it's a stand-alone but you can never tell with the YA market! My biggest concern with the book however was the prose. I feel like the narration really let the book down because I know I would have enjoyed the book a whole lot more if the writing wasn't so middle-grade. I really felt the writing style clashed with the plot because on one hand you have this beautifully dark and grim plot about killer faeries and then the prose is all "targeted towards 7th graders" - it just didn't work for me which is such a shame but nevertheless excellent plot!

I know a lot of people found the multiple perspectives very confusing but I personally really enjoyed it because it gave me a better sense of both the story and the characters. It also made the book unique and interesting. Although Lissy was the "main" character, I didn't really connect with her, we were so different from each other, it was a little hard for me to find sympathy for her or put myself in her shoes. She's also a little whiny and helpless which aren't the best traits to have in a protagonist. However I very much enjoyed Joe's character, I like his loyalty and his caring nature, he barely knows Lissy and her family yet in the short amount of time they're been together, he has been nothing but supporting (Joe's the stepbrother BTW, well sorta). I also really like Larkspur, he was actually my favourite character even if he wasn't a main. Very well portrayed, I LOVED his compassion and there is something beautiful about his loneliness and internal torment. My biggest characterisation peeve was probably Mariam, the mother. She was a horrible mother and an unrealistic character. I mean, what kind of parent, sits down and writes in a diary, feeling sorry for herself, while one of her kids is dying and the other one has been kidnapped by supernatural creatures, WHO DOES THAT? Overall it was a good characterisation, not the best but decent.

This wasn't the easiest book to review because there was a lot of pros and cons to weight up, it's definitely one of those books that not everyone is going enjoy. There are a couple of flaws however in the end, I still enjoyed Hidden Among Us and I would recommend it. Good characters, beautiful plot and a spectacular ending, if you're looking for something original, dark and supernatural, I would invest in a copy of Hidden Among Us!

What's it Worth - Squeeze into the Budget

Badass Bookie xx

An Explanation and An Apology

Sooooo you guys (yes, all ten of you who actually read my blog!) might have noticed that I haven't been around lately. In fact, I haven't really been around since December's Debutante Event and I think I owe it to your guys to explain what's been happening... 

Okay, SO this year I started my senior years at school and honestly, education is kicking my ass. It's been a wake up call for me because I've never really had to study for exams. I've always been one of those kids who breezed through classes and got pretty good grades. So I went into this year thinking that it was going to be more or less the same. 

WRONG. 

This year has been a huge slap in the face. The work load is enormous and I have never felt so stressed in my life. I have a never ending list of assignments, I'm struggling in my classes, I'm pulling all nighters, I don't even go out on weekends anymore (not that I used to but I like to have that option, you know?)! For someone who used never did any homework and would cram for exams the night before, it's a huge change. I've had to change all my study habits and really take a step back and reorganise my priorities. Most of the time I feel like this -

And as much as I love my blog, reading and hanging out with people in this awesome community, my future is kinda on the line. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with my life yet *cough* marry someone rich and never have to work *cough* but I want to do as well as I can so I have plenty of opportunities. I want to be successful and if that means giving up weekends, time for blogging and reading, my soul and my other hobbies ( except food) then so be it. 

I try to get at least one blog post up every week but it's hard. The last thing you want to do after writing a 25 page assignment is write a 600 word review. More importantly, I don't even have the time to READ. I've gone from reading 10-15 books a month to reading 20 books in FOUR months. So I don't even have that many books to review! 

I have thought about taking a break but I enjoy blogging too much. I don't want to give it up and I would rather get one post up a week than not post at all. I know I haven't been doing Breakfast with the Bookie posts, I haven't been writing reviews, debut of the month is more often than not late and I've given up on book hauls altogether (although you can follow me on instagram for them - lisayuuu) and I'm very very SORRY about it! 

Please forgive me and I'm going to try to get more posts up but it's just really hard! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me over the years and who still read my blog ( yes, all TEN of you!). So I guess I'm going to head back into my little cave of loneliness and homework now...

Badass Bookie xx

PS - this post is probably filled with spelling and grammatical error but I'm too lazy to proof read. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

Drowning Instinct

Review Time! Drowning Instinct is the first contemporary novel from dystopian YA author, Ilsa J. Bick! I haven't actually read anything else by Bick although I do own the first two books in her Ashes trilogy! Very excited to review this one today because UGH, *feelings*. You can purchase a copy of this book from The Book Depository | Fishpond | The Nile | Bookworld. Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Jenna is sweet sixteen, the age when a girl is supposed to find her prince.

Instead she finds Mr Anderson – intelligent, handsome, married Mr Anderson, who just happens to be her chemistry teacher. With a dark past and a difficult family, Jenna is just happy to have someone to protect her, to worry about her, to love her.

But should she be suspicious of Mr Anderson’s reputation for helping ‘damaged’ students?

Why is the most popular girl in school suddenly jealous of her? And where is Mr Anderson’s wife?

This is a love story that breaks all the rules, but that won’t stop it breaking your heart.

The Short Story? - My favourite read of the year so far, Drowning Instinct takes forbidden romance to a whole new level. Incredibly raw and undoubtedly powerful, Bick explores the complexity behind a romance that is morally wrong. Dark, grim and utterly compelling, Bick's Drowning Instinct blurs the lines between right and wrong. Refreshingly original and beautifully written, Drowning Instinct takes YA fiction to a whole new level.

The Long Story? - This definitely isn't a novel for everyone, it explores the moral ambiguity behind a teacher and student love affair. On top of that, it also explores very serious psychological issues and dysfunctional families. So it's not a very happy book, for a contemporary fiction novel, it's definitely more teeth and claws then fluff and clouds. That said, it was absolutely brilliant. It was beautifully written, the narration was compelling and the plot was full of twists and turns. I know there are a couple of YA books that take on the teacher/student relationship aspect but none have been done as well as this. It was raw, full of emotion and refreshingly real. Bick isn't trying to sell the whole "THIS IS WRONG"perspective, in fact she writes such a beautiful love story that you question whether the love affair between Jenna and Mr Anderson is so wrong that it is right? It's such a beautiful complexity that pushes boundaries and blurs the lines. It's unpredictable and chaotic yet there is something compelling about the novel, I couldn't put it down!

The novel is completely narrated by our protagonist Jenna which allowed readers to form a deeper connection to her character. It probably also influenced our perspective of the book since it was very subjective however I thought that was actually a good thing because it really gave insight into Jenna's character . I really like Jenna, she was so broken and incredibly real that reading the book, I just felt waves of emotion crash over me as Jenna's life crumbled to pieces. She's gone through so much and yet nothing seems to be going right until she meets Mr. Anderson. I actually really liked his character, he wasn't despicable or pedophiliac, I genuinely believed that he loved Jenna and their romance was so many degrees of wrong yet you can't help but secretly wish things turned out differently.

Drowning Instinct is not a book for the light-hearted. It's dark and twisted and grim, it's explores touchy subjects that many authors wouldn't ever consider writing. It's a bold book and a gamble but I think Bick pulled it off really well, it was a beautiful love story that was different and not something that you usually find in YA. The characters were complex and truly troubled on so many levels. It's a book about companionship and love and questioning whether something is wrong if two people are truly in love and it's about the consequences of loving too much. Edgy, raw and chilling, Dark Instinct is a publishing phenomenal.

What's it Worth? - Break Out the Piggybank

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - The Boyfriend App + Giveaway

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Profile

Name - The Boyfriend App (Goodreads)
Author - Katie Sise
Genre - Contemporary
Release Date - April 30th 2013

In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The Insider's Scoop

Three Scoops of Insider-ness on The Boyfriend App’s Mean Girl Blake Dawkins

1) I secretly love my mean-girl antagonist Blake Dawkins.

2) I came up with an entire storyline about Blake having experienced oxytocin poisoning as an infant, thereby causing her narcissitic-bordering on-psychopathic behavior. But early test-readers pulled me back. Sometime I can’t help my wild imagination: It takes over! Thank goodness for test -readers and editors who know when to take it down a notch.

3) I wrote many pages from Blake’s perspective because I was so fascinated by her. Here’s a excerpt taking place after her breakup with Xander:

Just one last taste.

“I mean it, Xander. This is the last time. We have to stop.”

I was whispering lies like these to my ex-boyfriend as his hands slipped over my waist. I’d angled my body just right, so that his fingertips could trail the flat plane of my stomach. Guys are highly visual. So is the rest of the world.

It’s crucial to remember that.

Xander’s fiery, hazel eyes melted as he took me in. “Blake,” he said softly, right before his lips found mine. His hands were moving higher when a shrill bell sounded. 

No.

“Your dad?” Xander blurted. I didn’t need to shove him off me. He was already yanking his t-shirt from my bedroom floor and fumbling with a dark brown leather belt. 

            Ding Dong. Ding Dong.

            “Can’t be. Probably some useless girl scout,” I said, trying not to sound scared. But Xander knew me too well. And even if he didn’t, I couldn’t keep the shake from my fingers as I buttoned my jeans.

            Ding Dong.

            “Hide. Just in case!”

Xander moved toward the closet and I raced down the stairs. My dad wouldn’t ring the doorbell to his own house. Unless he’d lost his keys? Or been robbed by a disgruntled former employee. Would that make him more or less pissed to find Xander here when neither he nor my mom were home?

            I skipped the final step and unlocked the bolt. The metal rang out. I flinched and swung open the door.

My sister. She stood on our white-brick front porch looking pissed.

“Nic?” I said. I hadn’t seen her in months. Her hair was dyed a few shades lighter than mine—a deep chestnut—and it was pulled into a low, messy ponytail. She’d stopped wearing makeup, too. Like she’d try anything not to look like me. To separate her from us. 

But there was no way. Our clear complexions were identical shades of olive. Our noses were the natural version of the tiny, perfect kind girls try for at the plastic surgeon’s office. Our eyes matched, too. Dark like coffee beans and curved like almonds. The only difference now was the purplish crescent moons stamped beneath Nic’s.

My sister wore a baggy gray cashmere sweater. She used to wear snug-fitting stuff during high school. Not anymore. The wide neck fell over her slender shoulders and draped loose around her waist, tighter on the hips.

            “Don’t look so happy to see me,” Nic said, pushing past me with a worn leather bag I’d never seen before. She stared as I stood immobilized next to the coat rack. “Good for you, Blake. You’ve put on some weight,” she went on, even though I hadn’t. “Where’s dad?”

            “Probably on his way home,” I lied. The threat of Dad usually made Nic nicer.

            My sister surveyed the living room and I tried to see what she did. Glossy interior design books that no one read were stacked beside a potted orchid on a mahogany coffee table. Framed photos of Nic and me fake-smiling on a skiing trip to Vail sat on a mirrored glass armoire. The violet velvet sofa with gold armrests was new: One of our mother’s late night internet purchases. A wave of embarrassment washed over me. But Nic gave the sofa an approving nod. Then she turned to me and said, “Why is Xander’s car parked at the end of the block?” which meant she’d circled the cul-de-sac before coming home. Which was weird.

            I opened my mouth to lie again but then Xander was on the stairs.

            “Hey, Nic,” he said, stopping on the bottom step to tie his sneakers.

            Nic was all smiles. She loved Xander. She loved my ex-best friend, Audrey, too. Maybe other people who left me made her feel better about what she did.

“Are you two back together?” Nic asked, clasping her hands and being sweet for the first time since Christmas, when she convinced me to pee in a plastic cup marked NICOLE DAWKINS.

            “No,” we both said. Then Xander mumbled something about watching Friends reruns (my favorite. I’m in love with pretty Rachel and smart Ross and the weird 90s haircuts and outfits.) Nic gave Xander a look that said she didn’t believe him so I changed the topic. “Aren’t you supposed to have midterms this week?” I asked. Notre Dame’s webpage made it easy to keep up with Nic’s schedule and other school stuff. I went to every single play on campus because Nic was usually in two each semester, and she always forgot to tell us which ones.

            Nic waved her hand. “No midterms for my kind of classes,” she said, and I wondered if that was true. Nic was a Film, Television and Theater major. Notre Dame was five minutes from our house, but Nic lived in a dorm and didn’t come home except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Next week was her spring break, but she usually stayed at school for breaks, too. She told us it was because she got so much done while the other kids were back home with their families.

I stood there and tried to think up something interesting to say. Nothing came. So we just stared at each other. Nic was beautiful even if she did look tired. Last year she told me I was the second prettiest girl in South Bend. It was the nicest thing she’d said to me in years, even if it was meant to be about her.

            “I just thought I’d stop by and see what you all were up to,” she finally said. She had a funny look on her face. Nic was a terrible liar, which was too bad for her, because she lied all the time. But this lie made me smile. Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday. She’d deigned the event important enough to show up.

            Xander and I exchanged glances and I knew he was thinking the same thing. “Cool,” I said to Nic, even if she was one of the only three people on the planet who could make me feel anything but.

~Giveaway~

Katie is giving away (3) THREE Hardcover Copies of The Boyfriend App!

Rule of Entry -

- US ONLY

- Ends 16th of May

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of Katie's posts +1 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Katie on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky/Bloglovin  +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - Katie Sise ( The Boyfriend App)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutante Profile

Name – Katie Sise

Debut – The Boyfriend App

Genre – Contemporary

Website– HERE

Facebook -  HERE

Twitter - HERE

Katie Sise is a New York City-based author, jewelry designer and television host. Her jewelry has been featured in major magazines like Vogue, W, Elle, Lucky, InStyle, Self, People, and Marie Claire, and worn by celebrities like Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz, and Beyonce Knowles. Katie has designed jewelry collaborations with outlets like Target. Her first novel, THE BOYFRIEND APP, debuts on April 30th 2013 with HarperCollins Balzer + Bray. 

Dream Debutante Dress - For my debutante dress, I picked a creation by Elisa Jimenez. Here's a shot of Elisa working on the dress on a model:

Elisa was one of my favorite designers even before Project Runway made her famous. She was so kind to me when I was first starting out as a jewelry designer in my twenties. She let me design jewelry for her fashion shows, and it was so cool to be a part of her wildly imaginative world.

Notes from a YA Debutante

The ten-steps of employment that led me to being an author.

1) Clown. (I’m not kidding. I was only eleven or twelve, but I went to clown camp and everything. I could earn 100 bucks per birthday party! I was already into starting my own business even as a pre-teen.)

2) Babysitter. Loved eating all the new snacks. And especially loved getting paid to eat all of those snacks and talk on the phone after the kids went to bed.

3) Lifeguard and Swim team Coach. This was my job from age 16 through college. I loved it.

4) Girl who drove to different Walmarts from Albany to Massachusetts to stock shelves with a new test-brand of French’s potato sticks. I had to load the things in my car, so my hair always smelled like potato chips. I’d just graduated college and I was trying to save up enough money to move to New York City. It would have been a terrible job, except my dad would come along for the car ride and we'd take turns driving. We'd talk, or sometimes just drive silently. He’d act like it was no big deal to come along for these 5 hours drives. Or he’d say he just wanted to see a certain part of Massachusetts that he hadn’t seen before. But I always knew he did it out of sheer kindness to keep me company.

5) Bartender and Waitress. Highlight: Once dropped a very expensive bottle of champage on my way to deliver it to Robert DeNiro’s table. Lowlight: a restaurant owner told me I was the worst waitress she’s ever seen. 

6) Salesgirl in a boutique. This led me to start making jewelry. The boutique owner was generous enough to let me sell it there. It started a whole career! Which leads us to…

7) Jewellery designer. So much more fun than waitressing! I could hardly believe my luck when it started happening :) All the odd jobs were so worth it to get to this point! 

Then I started doing style segments on TV, which leads to…

8) TV host. Mostly for style segments on networks like Oxygen and Discovery. From 2008-2010, I co-hosted a monthly television show for HSN.

9) In 2009, I had an idea to write a book about how to navigate a creative career path. In 2010, Perseus/Running Press published my first book, CREATIVE GIRL: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR TURNING TALENT AND CREATIVITY INTO A REAL CAREER.

10) I took classes and worked on a bunch of fiction projects for several years. In 2012, Alessandra Balzer bought THE BOYFRIEND APP. It pubs this month on April 30th and I couldn't be more excited!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookie's Note: Thank-you so much for agreeing to be an April debutante Katie! I'm a little awestruck that you've been on a TV host! THAT MAKES YOU FAMOUS! :D Cross country stock-shelver sounds so ... different! I have NEVER heard of anyone who has done anything like that for a job! I hope you were paid well! AND THAT THEY PAID FOR GAS!

Remember to come back tomorrow to see the second half of Katie's feature and for a giveaway! :)

Badass Bookie xx