We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here are this week's picks:
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A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. Among the living is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a dangerous faction, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors. They’re led by a mysterious young man who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection.
Kirby Howell's Autumn Series is available on Amazon!
The Autumn Series is a young adult trilogy of novels written by Kirby Howell. The series follows the adventures of seventeen-year-old Autumn Winters after an apocalyptic plague decimates the planet. Autumn is forced to grow up quickly when her parents don't come home, and she must decide who she can trust and who she should run from.
Kirby Howell is the pen name for Jessica Kirby Alexander and Dana Howell Melton, who have been writing together since 2000, when they met at The University of Alabama. They've dedicated the past four years to The Autumn Series and are proud to announce the first two installments are available in both paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon!
Why Kirby Howell Chose to Write YA:
When we were young adult readers, books by Ann M. Martin, Judy Bloom, Beverly Cleary, and Christopher Pike were popular, though, these books only made up a fraction of our page-turning hours. Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl, Jane Austen, Robert Heinlein, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, amongst others, captured our attention and inspired us not only to want to be like the characters in their books, but to create characters with similar attributes that might inspire others in the same way.
You’ll find a bit of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Kristy Thomas, Mary Ann Spier, Elizabeth Bennet, Charlie Bucket, Matilda, Ramona Quimby, and Laura and Mary Ingalls (and even a bit of Pa Ingalls!) hiding inside the characters of The Autumn Series.
By writing for young adults, we hope to pass on the inspiration and courage we gained by reading such great works. There is no better age to teach the lessons of integrity, bravery, tenacity, the value of true friends, and the bonds of family.
Dana Melton and Jessica Alexander, who write under the name Kirby Howell, have been writing together since 2000 when they met as freshman in their first script writing class at the University of Alabama. Dana, a native Southerner, quickly showed Jessica the ropes and the joys of living below the Mason Dixon Line. Having lived in nearly every other part of the country, it didn’t take Jessica long to acclimate to sweet tea, grits and football. Four years later, with a couple of film degrees under their belts, they moved to Los Angeles to pursue their professional writing careers.
Recognition for The Autumn Series:
2014 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist
2014 Kindle Book Review Award Semi-Finalist
2014 Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention
Our second title this week is:
Demi Redding has used her powers to vanquish demons for years, but when one shows up next door she will be forced to set both her experience and instincts aside to battle a war that has nothing to do with magic, and everything to do with matters of the heart.
As a Keeper of the Innocents, Demi’s load as a guardian reduces with only one charge to take on at a time. However, when her new foe proves to be a force she can neither see nor find, she has no choice but to doubt the so-called good intentions of the stranger one door down.
Rhyzel Connor is not your average neighbor by any means. The red specks of color in his green eyes alone sets him apart and his demonic heritage makes him an easy target. Because of who he is he can’t afford a mistake that will result in his demise, but the fact that he knows way too much about Demi quickly raises the suspicion veil over him.
There is a mission he must complete, and secrets he must fight hard to keep, but the biggest hardship he must face will be forfeiting his life in order to save Demi’s.
Book Links:
Goodreads| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Createspace |
We asked Christy why she writes for a YS audience.
Why I write YA
Young adult is one of my favorite genres to both read and write. And even though I write other genres, YA is definitely my favorite.
I’m often asked why I write YA. Well, aside from being the age where most rites of passage begin, it’s also an important stage of our lives and often times these years turn out to be the most difficult period of our existence. During our teenage years most of us learn or at least try to learn, where we’re going. We try to figure out who we are and what we’re meant to do. Where we stand. We learn about responsibilities and how to take them seriously. How to accept right from wrong.
Although I’m an adult—having left my teenagers behind some ten or so years back—this self-discovery battle is one I struggled with myself and when I read a young adult fiction, identifying with characters who are often struggling with something in their lives comes naturally to me and I tend to transmit my own feelings in my writing.
One of the reasons I enjoy writing young adult fiction is because it allows me to be challenged by the characters. Often times, teenagers are a lot more open about trying new things, having different experiences, exploring, delving into things they shouldn’t just to see where they end up and I like to push this aspect of their personalities without being extremely graphic.
Ultimately, YA is a huge part of me as well. I’ve been reading YA fiction for as long as I can remember and I feel like I’m tied to this specific genre because a part of me is still young inside. When I started putting together the ideas for my first book, the first thing that came to mind is that my story would definitely fall into this category and even though it wasn’t my plan to continue the trend, I felt compelled to continue writing YA fiction because I have a deep appreciation for it.
Although I read other genres, YA is my first choice even when I’m shopping for something new to read or write. Though my reading list includes many genres, when it comes to the voice that identifies me the most there’s no other than young adult fiction.
So, in case it wasn’t clear, I write YA because I have a deep passion for it.
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