Friday, March 16, 2012

Lucky (Love) Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!

Welcome 
to this great 
Lucky(-in-love) Leprechaun Giveaway Hop 
hosted by 

...where you can find 250+ bloggers on this giveaway hop!!!


Hopefully you missed some of my hype for this post. I had plans, ya see, plans to unfold the deliciousness of New Love in the name of what's BEST in YA romance. But... I've just walked the Portland Zoo with 1st graders all morning, and I just don't have any brilliance left in me.

I've had a couple goose-bumpy answers from readers... hopefully these will inspire you to bare your own heart to what you think is best with new, tantalizing, fresh-budding New Love...

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Valeria AndreaMar 13, 2012 07:04 PM 
-WARNING- I haven't read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, BUT, the moment I read this quote I double-checked my to-read list.
“I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I'd catch myself just walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me."
Now, let's talk about love. I love love. 
“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.” 
― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones
It brings too much things to the heart -both good & bad- but YA Love...
We're talking about 'Young' people here, & counting how HARD is for "mature-old-experienced" people find love, the possibility for someone to find True-Real love -the kind of Long Lost Lover- so early makes me keep my hope in humanity. & in love.

Hope!!  Yes!!!

   -
1 - Give me your take on LOVE in YA fiction. Is kissing ok? More? How much more?!  (That's ONE question!!)
This is a tough one. I think romance in any literature has to be central to the story and has to be non-gratuitous. Any romance that feels fake or overdone can ruin an otherwise good story.
2 - What's your favorite part of a ROMANTIC relationship?!  (That's very different from question #1!)
The build up--the part where the characters are just realizing their feelings for one another. It's full of tension and suspense, it's the best part :) 
These questions were inspired by Vanish, which bugged the socks off me by treating YA Love like adult romance toned down. A kiss from someone who's hardened by life is much different (not better or worse, necessarily) from a very first kiss EVER.  I think. YA Romance explores the very best of New (First!) Love. It's more full of hope than reality, and it "knocks the wind" out of us.

But since I can't think straight after absorbing the chilly, foggy, soggy Oregon morning while chasing little people from exhibit to exhibit (the hippo's were eating breakfast - I've never seen 'em so active before! Maybe I'll get some pix up tomorrow!)  I want to know from you...

What is your favorite part about New Love?!


By entering this giveaway, you agree to my rules (like being old enough to enter and not holding anyone responsible and fun stuff like that.)

You can choose any book for your winnings up to $12-ish bucks - from either The Book Depository or e-copy ('cause TBD doesn't ship everywhere!!!)

Some inspiration:

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)  Embrace by Jessica Shirvington  Bitterblue (The Seven Kingdoms, #3)

May the wind be always at your back!! 


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