Release Week Blitz + Giveaway: The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver

I am so excited to help spread the word that THE SECRETS WE KEEP by Trisha Leaver is now out in paperback!

If you haven’t yet added this awesome book to your shelf, now’s the perfect time. Just scroll down to learn more about the book and author, to read an excerpt, and to enter the giveaway for a chance to win an Amazon gift card! 

THE SECRETS WE KEEP
Author: Trisha Leaver
Genre: YA Contemporary
Paperback Release Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | Square Fish
Pages: 304
Formats: Paperback, hardcover, audio, eBook
Ages: 12 and up

Description:


Twin sisters. A fatal accident. A devastating lie. Which girl survived?

"A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters."
 
Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When--after a heated argument--Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves Maddy dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. And everyone believes her. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options--confess her deception and risk devastating those who loved Maddy, or give up her own dreams and live her sister's life.

Find it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | IndieBound | Goodreads

Praise:

*"Leaver's brilliant novel is the high school version of What Happened to Janie? The compelling premise will attract readers and the strong characterization will keep them enthralled." -VOYA, STARRED REVIEW

*“Leaver's story is certainly entertaining and intriguing. VERDICT This should be a primary purchase for any library with patrons who love melodramatic mysteries and romance.” SLJ, STARRED AUDIO REVIEW

"Trisha Leaver crafts a powerful and haunting novel that will keep you up long after you read the last page. Full of twists and turns and FEELS, this book questions how far a person will go for her family . . . even if it means losing herself." - Lynne Matson, author of NIL

I don’t remember her room being so cold. Even snuggled into her sweater the chill seeps in, settling into my bones like a whisper from beyond. That’s where I will sleep tonight...in Maddy’s bed, surround by her scent. Mom wants to change the sheets, but I won’t let her. The hint of vanilla mingled with Alex’s dark cologne brings a little piece of my sister back to me each night.

The only thing I have left of my old life is a few sketches and a poor replica of the friendship bracelet Josh gave me. It took me days to re-create, to weave the strings into the right pattern. It’s not perfect, but it goes with me everywhere, a tiny reminder of who I once was and what Josh still means to me. The real bracelet is gone, cut off and tossed aside just like my life.

I want to make peace with my choice, but Maddy’s secret haunts me. The dark pieces of her life are hidden in the back of her closet for no one but me to see. She’s not who I thought she was, but that doesn’t matter. Maddy was my sister, my twin sister, and I’ll do anything for her, including losing myself.

Trisha Leaver lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three children, and one rather disobedient black lab. She is a chronic daydreamer who prefers the cozy confines of her own imagination to the mundane routine of everyday life. She writes Young Adult Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological Horror and Science Fiction and is published with FSG/ Macmillan, Flux/Llewellyn and Merit Press. Her YA Contemporary, THE SECRETS WE KEEP, was named one of the best YA novels for summer (2015) by Teen Vogue and received starred reviews from VOYA Magazine and School Library Journal (audio). For more details, check out her website at www.trishaleaver.com

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

There is a blitz-wide giveaway, courtesy of the author, for:

ONE (1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card

***Giveaway is open to anyone 13 or older who can accept an Amazon Gift Card***

Enter in the Rafflecopter below.

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The Secrets We Keep Tour: Inspiration Board, Review + Giveaway

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the official blog tour for The Secrets We Keep! Today I have my review of the book to share with you, along with a Pinterest inspiration board that the author created - and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.

The Secrets We Keep

Author: Trisha Leaver

Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller/Mystery

Release Date: April 28, 2015

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR

Description:

A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters. 

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world. 

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

PRAISE FOR THE SECRETS WE KEEP:

"Trisha Leaver crafts a powerful and haunting novel that will keep you up long after you read the last page. Full of twists and turns and FEELS, this book questions how far a person will go for her family . . . even if it means losing herself." - Lynne Matson, author of NIL 

"Haunting and beautiful, THE SECRETS WE KEEP, is a gripping, evocative examination of siblings' complex relationships. It compels us to question what we know, or think we know, about our loved ones and--most of all--ourselves." ~Karen Rock, Award-winning YA author and co-writer of the bestselling CAMP BOYFRIEND series 

 

"I didn’t come here today for visual proof of what I had done, of the finality of the lie I had spun. I came to talk to the sister whose life I was trying desperately to figure out."

"That gnarly old willow tree sat in my front yard... It was always changing, a constant, inanimate object that gave me something new to capture each day."

 

 

"We were different. Maddy was skirts and heels and flat irons, where I was jeans and T-shirts and ponytails. She was Friday night parties and Homecoming dances. I was B-rated horror movies on the couch with microwave popcorn."

We had this planned out since the middle of freshman year. We’d submit our applications on the same day, to the same schools, then start obsessing about it four weeks out.

 CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE INSPIRATION BOARD HERE!

The Secrets We Keep is a gripping young adult contemporary novel that asks the question - what would happen if one twin sister took over the identity of the other? The story follows identical twins Maddy and Ella as they go about their normal teenage lives. Although they're twins, they are complete opposites - Maddy is popular and outgoing, while Ella is quiet and would rather sketch than hang out with lots of people. Even though they don't have very much in common, the twins are incredibly close to one another. The story takes a tragic turn when an argument causes the sisters to get into a fatal accident - one in which Maddy dies. When Ella wakes up in the hospital, full of guilt and surrounded by people who all believe that she's Maddy, she quickly decides to take on the role of her sister. As Ella delves deeper into Maddy's personal life, she discovers that her sister had lots of secrets and she might not have been the person Ella thought she knew. Ella's left with one choice - come clean about her true identity or take on Maddy's for good.

This book is one of the ones that instantly grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until long after you've finished reading. I was sucked into Ella and Maddy's world from the first paragraph on - and I got so wrapped up in the story that I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Although the plot isn't completely original, the author sets the book apart from the rest by creating incredibly realistic characters and a story line full of secrets, lies, mystery, and some romance. I loved both of the twins - Maddy and Ella. Although Maddy dies in the story, we're able to get to know her through Ella's thoughts and memories. Each of the girls has a distinct personality with flaws, strengths, and weaknesses - among many other things - that set them apart from each other. It does sound a little cliche that one twin is the pretty and popular one, while the other is quiet, shy, and does her own thing - which is sketching in Ella's case. Even though some of these aspects weren't wholly unique, the intimate details of each girl and their lives - along with the story that follows Maddy's death - certainly made it stand apart for me. I loved discovering the truth about Maddy alongside Ella. Nobody is exactly who they seem to be on the surface, which plays a large part in the story. There were definitely some twists in the plot that I didn't see coming, which made me rethink some things I thought I knew about the girls. I love that the author added in these twists to keep us on our toes. There's definitely a bit of mystery going on in the book and I really enjoyed trying to get to the bottom of it all with Ella.

Although this book has some serious twists and suspense, it was also a book that focuses on the twins and their bond to one another. That being said, the book was definitely somewhat of an emotional roller coaster for me. Having that deep of a bond with someone, losing that person - the grief, guilt, loss, pain - it definitely had my emotions all over the place. Some places were happy with good memories, while other parts focused on the not so great things that happen. Ella's emotions are incredibly vivid and written in a way that touched me in a way that most other books don't. The writing was incredibly well done. It had a fast pace and a great flow that made it basically impossible to stop reading once things got going. The author used a great amount of description and attention to detail that brought Ella's world to life, and made it very easy for me to slip inside the book and experience it all as if I was there myself. There's a bit of something for everyone mixed into the novel, so it will definitely appeal to fans of most genres. Even if this type of story isn't your normal go-to or favorite genre - I highly encourage you to give it a shot. I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed in the least - actually the opposite. I very highly recommend this book to readers of all genres, especially those who enjoy YA contemporary fiction, mystery, suspense, and thrillers.

Trisha Leaver lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three children, and one rather irreverent black lab. (He is actually half Dalmatian so that could explain a bit of the excitability.) She is a chronic daydreamer who prefers the cozy confines of her own imagination to the mundane routine of everyday life. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association, and the YA Scream Queens -- a group of nine female authors who are deathly serious about their horror. 

Author Links:
Website: www.trishaleaver.com 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tleaver 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTrishaLeaver 
Instagram: @trishaleaver 

Buy Links:
Amazon 
Indiebound 
Barnes and Noble

 Giveaway: (10) Winners will each receive a finished copy of THE SECRETS WE KEEP by Trisha Leaver (Open to US/CAN only!)

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Creed Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Creed blog tour! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book with you - and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Creed

Authors: Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie

Genre: YA Thriller/Horror

Release Date: November 8, 2014

Publisher: Flux

Description:

Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear. 

Creed is a gripping young adult psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and reading as fast as I could to see what would happen. Our three main characters: Dee, Luke (Dee's boyfriend), and Mike (Luke's brother) - are on their way to see a concert by Luke's favorite band. Dee has been saving money for months to make this weekend happen; she wants to celebrate Luke and her 2 year anniversary with something special. After getting of the interstate to take a back way to the concert, the car runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere. With no other choices, the three teens walk to the nearest town to get help. Only this town isn't normal - nothing is what it seems. When they arrive, there's a siren blaring and the town is completely empty. The following morning, the residents have returned home and our main characters realize that Purity Springs is hiding deep, dark secrets - and they are trapped. When the town's lead, Elijah, decides that he wants Dee to be his wife, the three know they have to get out of there as fast as possible. Joseph - Elijah's son - offers to help them escape the town. But his help comes with a price - and it might just be too high for them to pay.

One of my favorite genres is horror/thriller novels. I've always felt that there is a real lack of YA books in this genre - especially ones that actually live up to their label. When I read the description of the book, I decided I had to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did! This book turned out to be one of the best YA thrillers I've read this year. The characters are all very realistic - especially our three main characters. Dee has had a hard past and is now living with a kind older couple, The Hoovers, who decided to take her in and give her a chance. She's incredibly grateful to them for this and finds herself becoming a stronger and more trusting person than she thought possible. Luke, Dee's boyfriend, is incredibly smart and a fantastic football player. He's already scored a full ride scholarship to college. He broke through the walls that Dee had built up around herself and now they are inseparable.  Finally, we have Mike - Luke's younger brother. He's the third wheel, but is fun to hang around with and the brothers are close - so Dee doesn't mind him tagging along. The setting of the story - the town of Purity Springs - was perfect for the book. The author has the teens arriving at night in the middle of an ice/snow storm, which only ups the creepiness factor of the whole thing. Every part of the town that we read about - from the perfect houses and lawns and the downright strange townspeople - really made the intensity of the plot come to life. I felt as if I was right there with Dee, Luke, and Mike as they experienced all the creepy and weird things in the town - and the horror that comes soon after. The author did a fantastic job building tension in the story. I seriously devoured this book in a few hours  - 3 at most. I couldn't and wouldn't stop reading until I had finished. Once I started the story, I was fully immersed until the very ending. There's so many twists and turns that you don't see coming - it definitely kept me on my toes. I would think I finally knew what was going on and then BAM - a huge twist in the story knocked me back to square one. The writing was incredibly well done - it had a fast pace and drew me so far into the story that I felt as if I was there. It's hard to describe how I felt while reading the book. The creepiness, twists and turns, tension, and the overall feeling of the book were phenomenal. It was this blend of techniques and styles that had me so enthralled in the story and completely blew my mind. I don't know how else to describe the feelings the book evoked in me or how the story had me on the edge of my seat, dying to find out what was going to happen. Overall, this was by far one of the best YA thriller/horror novels I've read this year and I very highly recommend it to fans of the genre, as well as readers who are looking for a really twisted and well written novel.

Trisha Leaver graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Social Work. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association, and the Cape Cod Children’s Writers. 

Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tleaver 
Website: www.trishaleaver.com
Instagram: @trishaleaver
 

Lindsay Currie graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, IL with an English Literature degree. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association and a contributor to the YA Scream Queens.

Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindsayncurrie 
Website: www.lindsaycurrie.com
Instagram: @lindsayncurrie

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Book Blast + Giveaway: Creed by Lindsay Currie & Trisha Leaver

Creed

Author: Lindsay Currie & Trisha Leaver
Genre: YA Psychological Horror
Release Date: November 8, 2014
Publisher: Flux
ISBN: 0738740802 

Description:

Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear.  

Praise For CREED:

“Debut authors Leaver and Currie make an auspicious foray into YA horror...creating a believably desperate and terrifying situation for their characters, and Dee's history of physical and sexual abuse adds another layer of terror to this suspenseful and sporadically gory thriller.” ~Publishers Weekly

Welcome to a town that makes "Children of the Corn" look like child's play. There's no shortage of scary shenanigans happening in "Creed" ... We'd rather take a year-long gig teaching botany to the "Children of the Corn" than take a gas-and-bathroom break on a sunny day in Purity Springs.  ~Kat Rosenfield author of Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone/ MTV News

"This is: a straight-ahead, cover-your-ears tale of terror that grows more nihilistic and grueling by the page.... Leaver and Currie do the best thing horror authors can do, presenting protagonists who make smart choices, over and over, but to no avail. Now that's scary" ~ Daniel Kraus/ Booklist

 

Trisha Leaver: Trisha Leaver graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Social Work. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three kids and one rather irreverent black lab. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association, and the YA Scream Queens

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | Instagram: @trishaleaver

About Lindsay Currie: Lindsay Currie graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, IL with an English Literature degree. She is a member of the SCBWI, the Horror Writers Association and a contributor to the YA Scream Queens. 
 

TWITTER | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | Instagram: @lindsayncurrie

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Giveaway: $20 Amazon gift card - Open INT! Must be 13+ to enter.

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