Thank you everyone for participating in the giveaway. I loved reading your comments and hearing you express excitement for the book. I decided after all to give both books away, even though we didn’t hit 50 comments. After a random drawing using random.org, the winners of a signed copy of Bruised are: Natasha Donohoo and Christina Condomaros! Congratualtions!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! To celebrate, I’m holding a giveaway for a signed copy of Bruised by Sarah Skilton!
I was lucky enough to attend Sarah’s launch party yesterday for her amazing YA debut, Bruised, which was just released. I adored her book (you can read my review here), so I purchased two SIGNED copies to give away! Here is Sarah signing one of those books:
And unfortunately, that’s the only photo I took:( Yeah, when it comes to photography, well, that’s my husband’s strength, not mine! Sarah answered lots of questions about her road to getting published. For example, she started writing Bruised in 2009! And her next book is called High and Dry and will be coming out in 2014. It’s a mystery set in the desert, and it sounds really good. She was so nice, and I could tell she appreciated all the support of her family and friends who attended the party.
There were lots of authors in the audience, many of whom I didn’t know, but I did recognize Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten and the upcoming 3:59! Author Kristen Kittscher (the soon-to-be-released The Wig in the Window) was also there. I admit to eavesdropping on a group of women talking about their agents and editors, which was pretty interesting! Everyone at the party got a raffle ticket, and Sarah raffled off some fun book prizes. She also read a passage from the first chapter of Bruised, which was a perfect section to read, since it does a great job of introducing the character of Imogen—showing her strength, vulnerability and humor—and it also shows off Sarah’s beautiful writing skills.
The book itself is beautifully designed—Amulet Books must have some great designers on staff, because this isn’t the first well-designed Amulet book I’ve seen:
See that ink splatter above the title? That represents blood! Yes, that is important to the story.
Here’s what Bruised is about:
When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else — more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world — full of dark humor and hard truths.
GIVEAWAY!!
This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only, and to enter you simply need to leave a comment on this post. Tell me why you want to read Bruised, do you know Tae Kwon Do, do you like character-driven stories, or anything else you’d like to comment on. I’ll throw in a couple of bookmarks, too! I have two signed copies to give away, but here’s how it’s going to work: if I get less than fifty comments, I’ll give one copy away, but if I get more than fifty comments, I’ll give away the second copy as well! So tell your friends, feel free to tweet about the giveaway or share it on Facebook. The more people who enter, the better! You have until March 29th to enter, and I will select a random winner from everyone who leaves a comment. May the luck of the Irish be with you!
Find Sarah and Bruised!
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Thank you so so much!! I read the first few pages of Bruised online and I absolutely LOVED it! I love the writing, the character’s (Imogen’s) voice and emotions. I connected with her immediately.
And it is so cool to see a girl who’s into martial arts. I’m not athletic but i’d love to learn more about the demands that kind of life asks of you.
I think the plot of the book is awesome, and as my favorite novels have character-driven plots I think this one will become one of my favorites!
High and Dry sounds like such a exciting read!! Sarah Skilton is on my favorite authors list now:))
And your photo is great!
Thank you again and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
ccfioriole at gmail dot com
It sounds different from the trends going around. That alone is enough to make me want to read it. On top of that, all my siblings are into martial arts and it is something I love reading about.
The cover and title are also very interesting, the title made me want to find out what is going on in the book. I love titles like that!
Thanks for the chance to win!
nothought2small(at)gmail(dot)com
I love YA and the character is definitely appealing.
Great recap, Tammy! Glad you had fun at the signing. I’ve had my eye on Bruised since your rave review. Love the clovers 🙂
It sounds really good, like nothing I’ve ever read! Thanks for the AMAZING giveaway! 🙂
Luck of the Irish back to you. Looks really good. Thanks for the giveaway. If we were all honest with ourselves, we are all a little broken at one time or another.
Oh my gosh! I read BRUISED and LOVED it, so I’d love to have a copy of my own. Thanks for the giveaway!
I love YA and the character is definitely appealing.
Great premise for a novel. We work hard to give our teens a sense of empowerment in this terrifying age that we live in. However, we forget to tell that sometimes that they are kids and we realize that mistakes will be made. I can’t wait to see how Sarah Skilton wraps up the story–with a positive outcome? or teaching the protagonist a lesson about life? Going on my TBR shelf!
cc_clubbs[at]yahoo[dot]com
It sounds like a really good book from the summary. That’s why I want to read it.
I would love to read it because it sounds like a really good read!!
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
I DEFINITELY want to read this book. I grew up competing in Tae Kwon Do at a time where there were not a lot of girls in the sport. It has grown in leaps and bounds since. This book sounds fantastic! thank you!
I like character-driven story lines because it’s like making new friends. If it’s simply driven by new plots twists than you’re not really getting to know the characters that well.
mestith at gmail dot com
I’d love to win a free copy of this book. It sounds interesting and the author sounds like she is very dedicated. I’m interested in it because I have a black belt in karate and have never read a book with a character that had one as well, I think it’s time I do. I also understand the idea of feeling strong because you know how to defend yourself but not knowing if you’d be capable of being truly helpful in defending others in a high stress situation. Can’t wait to read it!
I think this is just the book for both YA and adults. It certainly deals with a lot of the confidence and self awareness that we all deal with. My niece and nephew are both in Tae Kwon Do and they love it. I have been to watch them several times, and I have seen a real change in them with their confidence. This book sounds great, and I am looking forward to her next book also. Thanks for a great giveaway.
Bruised sounds like a very good book, I love books about young people learning what they need to grow up, even the hard lessons, including sometimes realizing that you may not be as prepared as you thought. It actually sounds like it has a little of everything, and that is always good! Sounds like a very good read!! Thanks for throwing the giveaway! (including bookmarks- a weakness of mine)
I want to read Bruised because I think everyone can relate to being ready for anything…and then finding out that they are not as ready as they thought.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Your book sounds really great!
Super excited!
Sounds intriguing. Hope we get some more comments – I think I’m number 19.
I think my wife would like this too.
This sounds like such a good one! I have taken Tae Kwon Do, so there’s a bit of a personal connection there. I also saw one author tweet a couple lines from this book which were so clever and well put that I’m definitely excited to read it through. It already seems like I’ll enjoy Sarah’s writing style. Thanks for the chance! 🙂
Hi there! I’m Korean, is that close enough to Tae Kwon Do? 😉 But anyway, this book looks great, I’ve been keeping my eye on it for a while. Character driven stories is why I love YA so much– I feel like there is a lot more of that in this genre.
I am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, as is my 14-year-old son. I have been away from it for 6 months due to a serious illness (hospitalized for suspicious infection in my foot) and still recuperating. I’m positively ITCHING to get back in the dojang — this could be just the read to get me back to 100 percent!
Wah! This looks great! I always wish I’d learned a martial art as a kid–it’s great discipline and good fitness. Regardless, I want to win this book! Hope more people enter.
I could use a good book to read — just finished running my first marathon and I feel bruised, lol.
Thank you for this giveaway! This book sounds awesome!!! Sounds like something that i might like!
This book sounds really interesting. I love stories with strong female characters. I’ve always wanted to learn Tae Kwon Do or some kind of self defense but I haven’t had the chance. Maybe reading this book will inspire me to 🙂
I love character driven stories, the whole reason I read is for the characters!
I love well-written YA psychological dramas. This one sounds sooo interesting, and it’s getting such great reviews. And Tae Kwon Do and a strong heroine makes this a must-read — added to my library list. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
heres your comment THIS REALLY SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT BOOK.
Bruised sounds like an interesting story about self-discovery. I like the premise of it—how it challenges the character, and makes her really think about her life. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂