Monday, February 17, 2014

Release Day: ELEVATED by Elana Johnson (and a surprise contest!)

Guys. It's been a very long time since I was so excited about a book. But this one? FIVE STARS. Or diamonds. Or thumbs up. Or whatever you use to rate books. Seriously. 

Here's the scoop. ELEVATED is written all in verse (aka poetry), which doesn't sound all that appealing necessarily, until you open the cover and read the first page. And then the second page. Before you know it, you arrive at the last page and it's three hours later and you missed going to the gym and picking up your kids from school and taking them to sports practice or dance class or whatever and it's past dinner time and you didn't even know it because you were lost in this beautiful story. Really. 

I absolutely loved Elly, and finding out why she clearly loves Trav, but doesn't want to talk to him. I love the emotional impact that hits again and again with each event that leads to the one fateful day when they end up stuck together in an elevator with their secrets and their heartache. I love how it's written. I love the voice. I love the characters. I love how real the world and the conflicts feel. But mostly, I love that Elana has managed to cram SO MUCH story into so few words. If you've never read a book in verse, read this one. You'll be converted. If you've read one and didn't like it, read this one. You'll change your mind. 

By the way, this cover is a tiny bit different from the one that was revealed in January. I like this one better. It rocks! 

Check it out!



About ELEVATED: The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.

Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.

But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.


Buy Links:


Praise for ELEVATED:
"ELEVATED will take you on an emotionally gripping journey through the highs and lows of first love."
~Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There and Forget Me Not

"Poignant, raw, and intense, ELEVATED is a novel that will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page."
~Stasia Ward Kehoe, author of Audition and The Sound of Letting Go


About Elana Johnson: Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, Abandon, and Regret, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for free download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.


Social Media Links:


And just because I'm so excited about this book, I've decided to hold a little contest. I'm going to give away a free e-copy of DESCENDANT to one lucky winner. To enter, all you have to do is help spread the word about ELEVATED and fill out this form. You can choose to do only one or a few, or all the options on this list. I'll notify the winner by email. Open internationally. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

Carolyn V said...

Woohoo! I can't wait to read Elana's book. Thanks for letting us know Nichole!