{Author Guest Post} Writing & Publishing: Molly E. Lee's Journey to Publishing "Ask Me Anything"

Hey, guys!

I'm so excited to share a lovely post from Molly E. Lee about her thoughts on publishing and her writing process as she wrote Ask Me Anything. I'm so excited for her book, so I hope you enjoy Molly's thoughts about this topic. 

Happy reading! 
Liv

      There are many types of writing processes and the way they are published. Several authors, like myself, are hybrid (we both have experience in traditional publishing and self-publishing) and are able to see both sides of the business. For me personally, it depends on the book to determine how my writing process will go. Sometimes, if I’m under a hard deadline, I have to pull ten hour days with nothing but me and the words on the page. Other times, when I have a bit more time to turn in the story, I take my time and space out my writing into little chunks each day.

      For Ask Me Anything it was an incredible process that took me an entire year from conception to receiving the final document ready to be sent to the printer. I still get chills thinking about it being out of my hands now. After working on something for so many months of my life…it’s extremely hard to let it go. I’m equally excited and terrified for it to hit the shelves and be in readers’ hands. This book (as all of my books) is extremely important to me. I fell in love with the characters and the circumstances they’re set in. Both Amber and Dean are seriously skilled hackers and I spent a great deal of my time researching the culture. I’m lucky enough to have a secret source who helped me keep every detail, no matter how small, authentic as possible. There is always a great deal of research when writing any given book, but this one was by far the one I had to do the most on. There is an entire culture of incredibly talented people that my characters are representing and I shaped each line with them in mind.

      We’re now mere weeks from release and it’s both exciting and emotional. Ask Me Anything has been my main priority as an author for a year and now that it is finished, I’m wicked proud of the work and hope it will resonate with readers as much as it did for me while writing it. Stacy Abrams, my editor, and I worked hard to push the characters and the difficult situations they find themselves in. There are some hot-button topics that are discussed through Amber’s blog—where teens write in anonymously for advice—and it was wonderfully freeing to be able to touch on each one solely from the perspective of Amber’s character. My editor could’ve told me to shy away from some of the topics, but she didn’t, and I believe the strength in Amber’s character to not fear any question from any person who needs help is what makes the book so important to me. That and Dean is pretty swoon-worthy, too. 😉

      I’m so grateful you had me over today to chat! I hope you’ll enjoy Ask Me Anything when it releases on May 7th! Be sure to check out the EPIC giveaway I’m hosting in celebration of its release! Spoiler alert—there is a laptop up grabs!!!   

More About ASK ME ANYTHING:

Goodreads synopsis:

I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

But Wilmont Academy’s been living in the Dark Ages when it comes to sex ed, and someone had to take matters into her own hands. Well, I’m a kick-ass coder, so I created a totally anonymous, totally untraceable blog where teens can come to get real, honest, nothing-is-off-limits sex advice.

And holy hell, the site went viral—and we’re talking way beyond Wilmont—overnight. Who knew this town was so hard up?

Except now the school administration is trying to shut me down, and they’ve forced Dean—my coding crush, aka the hottest guy in school—to try to uncover who I am. If he discovers my secret, I’ll lose him forever. And thousands of teens who need real advice won’t have anyone to turn to.

Ask me anything…except how to make things right.

~~~

Page count: 320 pages

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Preorder here!

Amazon // Book Depository // Barnes & Noble 

Happy reading,

Olivia

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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New Adult Reviews -Colleen Hoover & Erin Watt Edition

Hey, guys!

I'm back with another group of reviews! This past year was a really great year for reading new adult romance. I really enjoyed exploring the genre and finding the authors that I enjoyed. I'm excited to see what other new adult books I pick up in 2019. Stay tuned for more reviews and maybe some rereads!

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Page Count: 310

Published on: November 10, 2015

Published by: Atria Books

Genre(s): Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Print

Where To Find It: Goodreads// Amazon  

My Rating: 4 stars

TW: trauma, questionable advances, non-consensual sexual advances 

     I have a love-hate relationship with this book. I absolutely adore the characters - Fallon and Ben. I loved the whole concept of this book. It was really unrealistic but so addicting to read and I couldn't put it down. I really wish it had been executed a little differently, but overall I really enjoyed the story. Though I really enjoyed the concept and the characters. I also really loved how the book would make fun of itself sometimes. It was sort of meta, but also not? I'm not sure what to think. 

     With that being said, there were also quite a few aspects that were really problematic. I'm still not sure what to rate this book because of these elements. I really did not enjoy how Colleen used trauma and exploited the character's self-confidence issues to further the relationship. That really irritated me and made me feel gross for enjoying the book. Ben also really did not understand what consent meant. Some of the "romantic" scenes made me very uncomfortable and I wish they had been handled with more care. I understood what Colleen was going for, but the execution was just not stellar. 

      I think I'm going to reread this book in 2019. I'd love to mark up my book and write a longer review. I'm just so unsure at this point, but I really wanted to get my initial thoughts down. 

When reading this book, read with caution. 

It Ends With Us ~ 3 stars

Page Count: 367

Published on: August 2, 2016

Published by: Atria Books

Genre(s): Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Print

Where To Find It: Goodreads// Amazon  

My Rating: 3 stars

     I read this book while on a plane to and from Seattle, Washington and let me tell you...this was a hard book to read. The topic was incredibly impactful and very hard to stomach at times. This probably the most impactful CoHo book to date. I really did enjoy this book quite a lot. Lily is such an admirable and wonderful character. I absolutely adored reading her story. She is one of those characters that I can't help but root for and be proud of. She was raw, she was realistic, she was vulnerable, she was stronger than I could ever be. 

     The powerful message of this book is so inspirational but so heartbreaking. I love the originality of this storyline and I'm so glad that I picked this up. If you read this book, I implore that you read the author's note after finishing this book...but only AFTER, okay? It's pretty essential to the whole ending of the book. 

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Page Count: 306

Published on: July 17, 2018

Published by: Atria Books

Genre(s): Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Print

Where To Find It: Goodreads// Amazon  

My Rating: 4 stars

     This was another CoHo book that I could hardly put down (that tends to be the case whenever I read her books). This was another romance novel that touched on such a relevant and heartbreaking for both parties in the relationship: infertility. While reading this book, I felt so incredibly empathetic for Quinn and Graham. Their love is so beautiful and real, but when they begin to have problems having a child, their relationship and marriage are tested. 

     This story was absolutely beautiful. It is definitely my second favorite CoHo book. I can't wait to read what Colleen gives us next. 

     I'm also so glad that I got to go see Colleen during her Chicago tour stop. It was definitely an adventure to remember. 

Follow Courtney and Mallory @bookishmalpal and @courtney_ann_g

Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Page Count: 370

Published on: April 4, 2016

Published by: Timeout LLC

Genre(s): Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult

Source: Print

Where To Find It: Goodreads// Amazon  

My Rating: 3 stars

    I'm not usually prone to reading romance novels that are solely written for those who just want drama drama drama. I'm not usually a mega fan of books that are so unrealistic and fantastical that I roll my eyes every other page, but I surprisingly was quite engaged when reading this book. It was just so mindless and fast that I couldn't put it down. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series, but we'll have to see. I might pick them up from the library. 

    This was just really fun to read. If you're looking for something mindless, potentially sexy, and full of drama..this is for you! 

When It's Real by Erin Watt

Page Count: 413

Published on: May 30, 2017

Published by: Harlequin Teen

Genre(s): Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult

Source: Print & ebook

Where To Find It: Goodreads// Amazon  

My Rating: 3 stars

When I first started this book, I was absolutely addicted. I loved it so much, but once it hit the half-way mark I really started to hate it. Once the two love interests got together, it was just bad. I was not a fan of the romance. One of my comments was "gag me with a tuning fork". I think I said that two or three times while reading this book. 

Overall, the first half of the book was excellent, but the last half really killed it. I just really did not enjoy the cringy-ness of the relationship. It wasn't executed well.

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} First & Then by Emma Mills

Page Count: 272

Published on: October 13, 2015

Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Genre(s): YA, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, 

Source: Paperback - personally purchased

Age Rating: 

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

Twitter: @elmify

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them: first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     This is one of Julia's favorite contemporaries of all time...Julia hates contemporary, so this is a must-read for me. This month (July 2017), Julia and I decided to pick each other's TBR pile for this month and of course, Julia picked out First & Then! I have been meaning to pick up this book since April when I finally picked it up on BookOutlet, but of course, I just haven't. 

      First & Then follows the academically uninspired Devon Tennyson. Devon is content in ignoring the future, crushing on her guy best friend, and going to the Friday night football games. When her cousin Foster comes from California to live with her family, Devon's life starts to get jumbled and full of the unexpected. Foster is a bit of an outcast and when he becomes friends with the aggravating and attractive football star, Ezra, Devon's senior year gets even more crazy. 

      I really didn't really like Devon all that much. I felt like she lacked dimension and drive. Her relationships with any of the side characters (except Foster and Ezra) were lacking. However, she did grow very nicely throughout the book. As I write this review, I realize that she's a very boring character. She enjoys Jane Austen novels and she claims that she enjoys English class, but she rarely shows any kind of individuality. I just thought she was the wrong narrator sometimes. 

     Devon also was somewhat annoying when it came to having actual female friends as well. Her friendship with Cas lacked depth, but the friendship she had with some of the girls (who I cannot name) just wasn't believable. She came off as a loner and her "best friend" didn't even act like a friend. I just found that kind of frustrating.

     Foster, Devon's cousin was one of my favorite characters. He is so socially awkward (& maybe he has autism? I'm not a doctor or the author so I'm not going to diagnose him? That would be rude and probably insensitive.) and just an adorable pudding. I loved his interactions with everyone he met. He is such an original character and I would have loved the book to be in his perspective. His grief over his mother was so wonderfully done. It didn't exactly show the stages of grief, but it was his way of coping. The poor kid goes through so much in this book. The main thing that he goes through isn't really addressed in many YA books, so it was really interesting to see how Mills wrote Foster's character. I would have really enjoyed seeing the book from his perspective. His interactions with the football team and Marabella would have made an adorable book.  

"When you love something, you can't be happy all the time, can you? Like, that's why you love it. It makes you feel all kinds of things, not just happy. It can hurt, it can make you f*cking mad, but it makes you feel something, you know?"

      I absolutely adored Ezra. He and Foster were my favorite characters. Ezra was such a complex character. He was constantly proving that he wasn't what his classmates thought of him. I would have liked to get more of a backstory from him, but the details that we did get about him were fantastic. He is such a sweet and complex character. He reminded me a lot like Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, but only during the last half of the book. Ezra's drive was so cool to see. I loved how he interacted with Foster. He is such a good role model and friend to him. Not to mention he had the communication skills of a turtle. Overall, Ezra is a precious hunky bean. I would love a book on his character. 

     One thing that I wish had been mentioned more was Marabella. She is such a sweet character. She reminded me so much of Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series. Not to mention she's 15 and has a baby on the way. I would have loved to get to know her better. The few details that she revealed about herself were so compelling and I just wanted to know more about her. I could see a really cute relationship form between her and Foster. Their moments together were so precious. Foster is such a sweet kid and I think he would be really great to Marabella.

      A few of the side characters were rarely mentioned or expanded upon, which is one of the reasons why I didn't give this book a higher rating. For example, the dude who hated Ezra could have been expanded upon. I really didn't understand his disdain for Ezra and it wasn't explained well. Another character, Emir, was such a random person to include in the book. He was probably mentioned twice in the book and I felt like he could have been completely left out. The details included were really interesting, but completely random. 

     Overall, this book was super cute and entertaining. I think that some issues weren't dealt with in the best way, but I felt like other things were addressed very nicely. It was a bit of a hit or miss, but I still liked the book. The side characters were the most interesting to me and the main character lacked depth and substance. I really loved the romance aspect of the book. It wasn't forced and it developed realistically. Foster and Ezra are definitely my favorite characters. I would have loved this last summer. As someone who has had a plan for college for over a year now, I just couldn't relate to Devon as much as I would have my junior or senior year of high school. 

Awesome Romance/Contemporaries/Realistic Fiction Books You Would Love:

·  Me Before You (Me Before You #1) by Jojo Moyes

·  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

·  The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

·  Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

·  Eliza & Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

(Excuse the weird spacing. It won't let me fix it)

I hope you enjoyed this review! 

Happy reading!

Olivia 

~LivTheBookNerd~

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

Page Count: 226

Published on: May 18, 2004

Published by: Vintage Contemporaries

Genre(s): YA, Fiction, Mental Health, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

Source: Paperback -School Reading

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @mark_haddon

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      It's been a week since I've posted a review, but I've been so incredibly busy with school and work that I've only been able to read a few books these past couple months. One of them being The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for my Literature class. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more like it.

      The Curious Incident follows fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone, an autistic teen from England. Christopher is a very logical and serious young man who is very set in his ways. Christopher has some very particular quirks that come along with his type of autism. When his neighbor's dog is mysteriously murdered, Christopher decides to investigate the murder of who killed Wellington. As he is investigating, Christopher discovers new information that could change his life forever.

      I really loved Christopher's character. His story-telling style was very bizarre, but it was exactly how he processed information and I loved how realistic it was. I have family that has been diagnosed with a form of autism, so I personally have interacted and I understand how some children with autism think. Mark Haddon has definitely done his research regarding autism. It really warms my heart to read something that represents the autistic community so well. 

      I also really loved the realistic dynamic of family. I loved how Christopher's parents were portrayed and their reactions throughout the novel were really realistic. Their emotions were very raw and interesting to read about. 

      Overall, this book was an excellent read. I'm definitely going to read more books like this. So far, this is my favorite book that I've read for this literature class. We're about half-way through the third book, but I haven't decided which of them I like best yet. 

I hope I can get more reviews up soon, but I've only read a few books in the past month, so my posts won't be as regular as usual so I apologize in advance.

Happy reading, all!
Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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August 2016 Book Haul

Hey, guys!

      I bought more books...YES I'M SO ASHAMED! Holy crap I don't even know how I acquire so many books, but I did. 10 were given or gifted  to me, so it's not like I bought all of them, but the 8 books that I did buy...3 were for school and I bought the rest really cheap or discounted. I'm ashamed for spending money, but I'm not ashamed for giving books a loving home *wink* Here are the books that I bought this month!

I'm really really excited to read these books, and I can't wait to review them for you all. 

*Read
+Review Copies
For School

1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White*
2. The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan*
3. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8) by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne* (review coming)
4. After You (Me Before You #2) by Jojo Moyes* (review coming)
5. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
6. The Curious Incident Of the Dog In Night-Time by Mark Haddon
7. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
8. The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs
9. InSomnus by Emily Fennig*+ (review coming)
10. After We Collided by Anna Todd
11. Lola & the Boy Next Door (SIGNED) by Stephanie Perkins*
12. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Conan Arthur Doyle
13. Striking Terror by Denis Lipman+
14. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (hardback) by J.K. Rowling*
15. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (nicer paperback) by J.K. Rowling*
16. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
17. Furthermore by Tehereh Mafi
18. The Thousandth Floor by Katherine McGee

This list of books is in order of when I bought/received them, so if you're confused about how they're arranged in the picture then that's just by size/height. 

Which book are you most excited about me reviewing? If you want, I'll put it closer to the top of my TBR! Comment below or contact me through any of my social media that is linked down below!

Happy reading!
Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Non-Spoiler & Spoiler} Harry Potter & The Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8) by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne

Page Count: 343

Published on: July 31, 2016

Published by: Little Brown UK & Arthur A. Levine Books

Genre(s): Fantasy, Young Adult, Plays, 

Source: Hardback

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @jk_rowling

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      I've been absolutely ecstatic about The Cursed Child for over a year now and on August 2nd my amazing Aunt Michele brought me a copy of The Cursed Child that she had pre-ordered for me months ago. When I started this book, I was a mess of emotions. Although this book didn't affect me emotionally like the other books, but I still thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I absolutely adore the story and that J.K. & Tiffany & Thorne had this play/screenplay written in a dual perspective. I loved reading from Albus Severus's perspective and I loved reading from Older Harry's point-of-view. I loved reading about how my favorite characters' lives were going and I loved meeting their children. It was a privilege to read this book.

      The Cursed Child was set up in a different format and pace, which was much different than reading the other books. The Cursed Child was in a screenplay format and was much faster than the other books. It felt kind of rushed, but I think it would be a really great full-length novel and I know it would be a really great play. The thing about screenplays and written plays are that they aren't really meant to be only read, but are supposed to be watched. Don't go into this book thinking it will be like the other books, because it's not. It's a play. Don't make it out to be anything different.

      It also reminded me of really well-written fanfiction screenplay. Which wasn't bad, but some of the old characters didn't act like their normal selves. It also kind of reminded me of STARKID'S A Very Potter Musical. Some of the mannerisms of the characters and the plot choices reminded me of the plays. You'd have to watch the 3 musicals to understand. I think I'm going to consider The Cursed Child to be something separate from the Harry Potter series. I mean I know it takes place 19 years later, but it's still not real to me...Maybe it will feel real when I reread it again... Even a few weeks later, it hasn't really sunk in..I can't imagine the story being completely canon.

      Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but I had a few problems with it. The reason that I gave this book 5 stars was because it was a privilege to read another Harry Potter book. J.K. Rowling is one of my all time favorite authors and one of the best authors ever. I love love love her. It's kind of impossible for me to I can't really get into the bits I had questions about without revealing spoilers, so if you have read the book then read on! If you haven't read the book, I don't recommend that you continue unless you..just don't care. So if you haven't read the book then continue on past the spoilers section!

~~~

Spoilers! Read At Your Own Risk!

• For one, I didn't trust Delphi for the whole book, but I really didn't see that ending coming...
• Scorpius is such a sweet boy! He's a sweet little cupcake. I totally love the friendship between Albus and Scorpius. They're such boys and total idiots. I see a lot of Ron & Harry in them. I also really wish that Draco and Harry had become friends towards the end of the Harry Potter series. I loved their interactions throughout The Cursed Child. I'm so glad they're on good terms now.
• Time turners! I loved that we found out more about time turners and how there were different types. If the book were written out I feel like we would get even more information about the different types.
• I didn't like Amos Diggory's attitude in the beginning of the book, but I totally get it now. He was Confunded or the Imperious curse was used on him...I really hate Delphi...
• When Harry started having dreams and his scar started bugging him again, I literally put my book down and walked around my house to mull over what could happen. I couldn't just dive back into the book! I wasn't ready! 
• The Trolly Witch! Wow! I didn't think they would flesh out a character like hers. It was kind of random, to be honest.
• Oh my gosh! Hermione! I didn't surprise me that Hermione would be the Minister Of Magic, but I really thought she would have been a teacher or something. 
• How did Bellatrix have a baby? In prison? There is a plot hole, guys...This would have been explained if the play were a full-length book...JUST SAYING!
• Polyjuice. It took months to create in book two! How did they have it made at the end of the book? Did Delphi have the stuff made before she started her evil plot???

END OF SPOILERS

      I really hope that J.K. Rowling writes out the book or enables the Harry Potter community to be able to see the whole play live. If the screenplay was written as a full-length novel, I'm sure that it would be at least 500 pages. I desperately want a 500+ page book. I also need to reread the Harry Potter series. I may have a full month of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. It would be a fantastic month if I could reread some of my favorite books. Not to mention nostalgic. It would be a great way to destress during the first couple months of college too. 

Comment down below if you'd be interested in reading those reviews!

Happy reading!

Olivia 
~LivTheBookNerd~

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