Played Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Played by Liz Fichera

Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Hooked, Book 2
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● Kindle ● B&N ● Kobo ● iTunes
Goodreads ● Website

Read my review of Hooked HERE

This Game Is Getting All Too Real

He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me. 


She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

I squealed with delight after reading Hooked, as I found out that there would be another book that looks at Riley and Sam’s relationship. I loved Hooked but I’d read it a while ago, so it was great to know that I wouldn’t need to remember a lot of what happened in the previous book going into this one. I liked Played a lot better than Hooked. Hooked was amazing, but this was so much better! I loved coming back to a familiar world and looking at it with new eyes. Liz Fichera definitely has the gift of dealing with multiple perspectives her books.

Is it a surprise that I have a major crush on Sam? I loved seeing the conflict when it comes to his feelings for Riley and Fred, but I also love how there’s so many different small tiny things to him that make him a richer character. I liked that we got to see the relationship with his dad, and what he wants to do later in the future, because it gave a whole-rounded perspective.
Riley was really likeable too! While I didn’t enjoy her during her “dark” phase, I do see the problems she has with being the good child. Sometimes you just gotta let loose right? But unfortunately she learns the hard way that it’s clearly not the way to go. Like Sam she faces conflict with her feelings for two boys – Sam and Jay – but of course, things can happen, and leads to a final choice...

I like how we got to see characters from the previous book in this one, and unlike many other spin-off books where the characters only play a minor role, Fred and Ryan, along with others, actually had a large role to play. Obviously, they weren’t main characters or anything, but their involvement was crucial for the plot.

Played was a fantastic follow-up to Hooked and has easily wormed it’s way into my heart. Liz Fichera brings a compelling novel to the world of YA, and has captured the essence of diversity in YA, needling together two worlds. Can’t wait for more!

If you like this try...

• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell ● Goodreads
• Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott ● Goodreads

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

LIZ FICHERA

I'm an American author living in the American Southwest by way of Chicago.  

Born and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, after college, never expecting to live more than one year among cactus and people who’d never seen snow. I was wrong. It certainly didn't hurt that I met my future husband in Phoenix too. 

Most of my stories are set in the American Southwest because I think the desert is a cool place. Living in Phoenix, I'm surrounded by Native American culture and influences, not to mention intriguing Hohokam petroglyphs and centuries-old canals. There are over 20 tribes in Arizona and I'm lucky to be neighbors to the Gila River and the Salt River Indian Communities. 


When I'm not busy writing my next novel, I like to travel, visit museums, support local theater productions, hike, and pretend that I'm training for a triathlon. I post a lot of photos from my desert and mountain hikes on my Facebook and Twitter pages. In no particular order, I've been chased by javalinas, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and even one curious black bear.

Website ● Goodreads ● Blog ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Tumblr ● YouTube

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Giveaway time!

Enter to win...

One (1) signed copy of Played by Liz Fichera!

Open Internationally

Enter via the Rafflecopter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Check out the rest of the stops on the tour! Click on the tour banner at the top of the post or on the button below.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Thank you so much to FFBC tours for having me along!

Interview and Giveaway with Liz Fichera

Liz Fichera

Liz is an author living in the American Southwest by way of Chicago. Her YA debut HOOKED releases in January 2013 from HarlequinTEEN. Its companion, PLAYED, releases in 2014.

Books

Hooked (2013)
◆ Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ◆

Played (2014)
◆ Goodreads ◆

Reviews

Confessions of a Readaholic ● City of Books

Find Liz

Website ● Blog ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Hi Liz! Thank you so much for stopping by for our Books That Glow: YA & MG 2013 event for an interview :D

Describe your book in 3 words.

How about two words? Worlds collide.

Where did you get the idea for Hooked?

I was driving down a long stitch of desolate desert road by my house that also happens to run parallel to the Gila River Indian Reservation. I got this image of a Native American girl and she was holding a golf club. Weird, I know. But that's how it started. I also did a HOOKED inspiration vlog about it:

How did you come up with Fred and Ryan's characters? Do you see yourself in any of our characters?

I came up with Fred first. Ryan developed later but he was everything Fred was now. I loved their differences.

We have Fred who's a Native American Girl and Fred who's a white boy. What was it like to write in two very different perspectives?

It was a lot of fun but getting inside each of their heads was challenging as they have very different backgrounds from me. Oddly, I find writing teenage boys easier than teenage girls. Girls, regardless of culture and background, are so much more complicated, particularly at that age, in my humble opinion.

That is pretty strange!
A lot of Native American symbols, stories and blessings are mentioned in this book– how did you go about researching the history needed for Hooked?

Well, fortunately I am neighbors to the Gila River Indian Community and have been for a long time. I did a lot of local research and I'm also fortunate to have some close Native American friends whom I consulter throughout the book. Arizona is rich in Native American influences and culture. We have over 20 tribes in our state.

PICK THIS OR THAT:

Cats or Dogs?

I love dogs but I am very allergic to both cats and dogs. How awful is that?!

Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt?

Ice Cream! Vanilla, to be exact.

Drama or Comedy?

Drama, usually.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Night Owl.

Sweet or Sour?

Sour, weirdly.

What (in your opinion) is the hardest thing about writing a book?
It's easy to come up with a great idea and get excited and hammer out the first few chapters. The hard part is staying motivated and determined and finishing that first draft.

What book(s) are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and Louise Erdrich's THE ROUND HOUSE.

The Fault in Our Stars is one my my FAVORITE books. Hope you liked it!
If Hooked was to become a movie, who would be in your dream cast?

Oh, that is a wonderful thing to dream about. If those two models on the American book cover for HOOKED could act, I would pick them in a heartbeat. HarlequinTEEN was able to find cover models that perfectly matched the images in my head for Fred and Ryan.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors out there?

Write the story that's in your heart. Don't write to chase a trend or mimic someone else's style. Find your own. And don't forget to read and write every day.

Your next book, Played, features two familiar faces from Hooked. Can you give us a little inkling on what it's going to be about? PLEASE?!? *batts eyelashes*

♥ I'm so please to hear you're anxious about PLAYED. Thank you!! Sam and Riley were two of my favorite secondary characters from HOOKED so I knew that I had to write their stories in the next novel. And, truth be told, Sam is totally the guy I would have crushed on in high school: smart, gentle, yet tough as nails. I heart him. :) PLAYED is less about golf and sports than it is about paling with people's emotions. And in the world of Teenagedom, that can be treacherous. Sam and Riley are going to have a very bumpy rise. ;-)

Thanks so much for inviting me to participate in your book event! I'm really excited about it.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Thank you so much to Liz Fichera for taking the time to answer our questions for this event! I just wrote a review for Hooked yesterday, and if you've read it, you'll know how much I fell in love with it... here's a little bit about it:

Get hooked on a girl named Fred.

When Fredericka "Fred" Oday is invited to become the only girl on her boys' varsity golf team, she can't say no. This is her opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to college, something no one in her family has done. But Fred's prescensce on the team isn't exactly welcome – especially not to the played she's paired with, rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make room for Fred.

Sparks will fly as the girl from the Rez with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile!

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Thanks to Liz, we have an ARC of Hooked plus some swag to giveaway to one lucky winner!

1 (one) winner will receive the ARC, a signed bookmark, a signed "postcard", and a Hooked bracelet.

The Rules:

• Open internationally!
• This contest will be open to entries until February 28, 2013
• The winner once emailed will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner shall be chosen.
• We are not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.

Enter in the rafflecopter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hooked by Liz Fichera

Hooked by Liz Fichera

Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Hooked, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Get hooked on a girl named Fred.

When Fredericka "Fred" Oday is invited to become the only girl on her boys' varsity golf team, she can't say no. This is her opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to college, something no one in her family has done. But Fred's prescensce on the team isn't exactly welcome – especially not to the played she's paired with, rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make room for Fred.

Sparks will fly as the girl from the Rez with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile!

Hooked was one of the last books I read in the year 2012, but it's definitely one that I shall not forget easily. I loved this YA contemporary debut, and it's gorgeously crafted story. I've just been reading some of Sherman Alexie's stories from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in class, and been looking for the stereotypes against the Native American race. I was especially looking out for it in this book, but I'm so happy to say that the author has done a brilliant job of portraying the views of an Indian American girl, as well as the general stereotypes which her peers at school make her out to be.
I must admit, the first thing that drew me to this book would have to be the line "Get hooked on a girl named Fred". I mean, after Cricket from The Story of Us by Deb Caletti, it's a pretty unusual name for a girl. After that (and the attractive cover!) I was intent on reading Hooked.

There have been many heroines in YA contemporary who I've adored, but Fred's one of the only which I can whole heartedly say I respect. She's so shy, but she works her way through that and stays on the boys team. She's so determined, and that's what I really ended up liking about her.
Ryan– oh Ryan. Thou was *ehem* a bleepbag at the beginning, but how I came to fall for thee. Your charming good looks and manners and *sigh* just YOU. Okay, (clearly) I'm a big fan of Ryan. Scratch that. HIS PERSONAL CHEERLEADER. I was so rooting for him the whole time. GO RYAN! *pom-poms enthusiastically waved around*

There were a bunch of amazing minor characters such as Sam and Riley, Ryan's little sister. I really can't wait for the sequel, more like companion novel, to Hooked, because it now features them as main characters. Even Seth, who was the baddie of this book, I came to love to hate...if that makes sense. The characters each had their unique characteristics, and that's what made them all so equally interesting!

There was a whole lot of Golf Terminology which had me confused– I've never played golf in my life, and I had no idea what was a bogey and a birdie, and so on, but there's a lovely little guide at the back which I found pretty useful and hence I was able to get most of it, or at least, the gist of the game.

Get ready to get hooked on Hooked because it's a sweet, touching, heartbreaking, heartwarming, absolutely dazzling debut which will have you rooting for Fred and Ryan the whole way. Do not hesitate to pick this one up! Liz Fichera has tackled a serious issue and put it into a story where teens and adults alike can see both sides of it. Can't wait for Sam and Riley's story in Played!

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Liz Fichera for sending a copy of Hooked for review and BTG2013! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...

• What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez ● Goodreads
• Catching Jordan by Miranda Keneally ● Goodreads

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Hooked Pre-Order Contest!

Hey Everyone!

Liz Fichera, who is one of our authors apart of the Books That Glow: YA & MG 2013 event, is having an amazing pre-order contest for her upcoming book, Hooked!

Wanna win all this??

All you have to do is pre-order a copy of Hooked by 31st of December, 2012. This can be for a paperback or an ebook, and then send your proof of purchase to Liz via email.

You can stand to win a chance at this AMAZING HarlequinTeen Goodie Basket, with books from Paige Harbison, Hannah Harrington, Cayla Kluver, Carol M. Tanzman, and Katie McGarry, as well as some extra goodies!

Did I mention this contest is also open WORLDWIDE?!?!

To find out more details, check it out HERE.