I’m Moderating My Second Author Panel!

As you all may know, back in May I moderated my first author panel on the St. Paul stop of the Fierce Reads Tour from Macmillan. A few weeks ago I was contacted by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers about moderating an author in October…and this time it’s with…

The lovely, LAINI TAYLOR!

I had to leave BookExpo early and was super bummed when I found out I wasn’t going to be able to attend her ARC signing of MUSE OF NIGHTMARES. The first book, STRANGE THE DREAMER, was one of my biggest surprises of 2017 and I was so excited to dive back into the world of Weep. So you can imagine my delight and surprise when I got a copy of MUSE in the mail about a month later. (I apologize to my coworkers, that was a pretty loud pterodactyl scream I let out.)

STRANGE THE DREAMER tells the story of librarian Lazlo Strange, who has been obsessed with the mythical city of Weep and what exactly happened to it and its inhabitants. He’s then given a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only find out the answers, but to go to Weep itself. Then there’s a backstory with some teens with blue skin who powers and of course, a perfect love story if that’s your sort of thing (it’s mine).

MUSE is the second book in this duology and it’s perfect. I was super satisfied with the ending of this story. [Full review of MUSE OF NIGHTMARES to come!]

If you’re in the Twin Cities area, you should def drop by the wonderful Red Balloon Bookshop on October 8 and hang with me and Laini. Her writing is so lyrical and gorgeous and the worlds she creates are so detailed and diverse, I cannot WAIT to chat with her.

BLOG TOUR: Lies You Never Told Me, Jennifer Donaldson (May 29, 2018)

If you are a fan of explosive, edge-of-your-seat YA thrillers, I have your book of the summer. LIES YOU NEVER TOLD ME, the debut from Jennifer Donaldson, is chock full of mystery, intrigue, and (of course) lies.


The 411:  Gabe and Elyse have never met. But they both have something to hide.

Quiet, shy Elyse can’t believe it when she’s cast as the lead in her Portland high school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Her best friend, Brynn, is usually the star, and Elyse isn’t sure she’s up to the task. But when someone at rehearsals starts to catch her eye–someone she knows she absolutely shouldn’t be with–she can’t help but be pulled into the spotlight.

Austin native Gabe is contemplating the unthinkable–breaking up with Sasha, his headstrong, popular girlfriend. She’s not going to let him slip through her fingers, though, and when rumors start to circulate around school, he knows she has the power to change his life forever.

Gabe and Elyse both make the mistake of falling for the wrong person, and falling hard. Told in parallel narratives, this twisty, shocking story shows how one bad choice can lead to a spiral of unforeseen consequences that not everyone will survive.


I was very fortunate to get an ARC of this book (thank you Penguin/Razorbill!) and knocked it out in a couple of hours. LIES YOU NEVER TOLD ME is incredibly compelling and readable. You just keeping turning and turning and turning the pages.

I’ve mentioned on this blog maaaaany times that I am horrible that figuring out plot twists in books…and I actually called this one! So proud of myself. But don’t get me wrong, it’s still a zinger you won’t be expecting.


But don’t just take it from me:

“A compulsive page-turner with a shocking twist–get ready to stay up all night!” –Sara Shepard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars

“This conversation-starting page-turner is…Fatal Attraction meets Big Little Lies.” —Kirkus Reviews


Jennifer Donaldson graduated from Reed College and received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently lives in Austin with her family.

The biggest thank you to PENGUIN BOOKS for including me on this book tour.