Ballads Blitz - BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert

BALLADS OF SUBURBIA
by Stephanie Kuehnert

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Pub. Date: July 21, 2009
ISBN-13: 9781439102824
Sales Rank: 133,909
368pp

Synopsis (from the publisher)
Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....

Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

Read an Excerpt

About the author (from the publisher)
Stephanie Kuehnert got her start writing bad poetry about unrequited love and razor blades in eighth grade. In high school, she discovered punk rock and produced several D.I.Y. feminist Õzines. She received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago and lives in Forest Park, Illinois. Visit her website at http://www.stephaniekuehnert.com/home.html.

Check out Stephanie's blog: Life, Words, & Rock 'n' Roll

My friend Shelly from Write for a Reader has organized a blitzing campaign in support BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. Shelly has done this as a surprise for the author, Stephanie Kuehnert, who told Shelly that this is "the book I became a writer in order to write." Shelly wants to help her friend, and I want to help Shelly, and so we present to you . . .

THE BALLADS BLITZ!!

What exactly is the Ballads Blitz? Well, it's a sales blitz. We need to make Stephanie's publisher, bookstores, and others take notice of this wonderful new book, and in order to do that, we need to pre-order it like crazy! Order it for yourself, for a friend, a teen in your life, and get others to do the same. What's in it for you? For one, the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped an author because, come on, this is her job and without us buying books, she wouldn't have one. Second, there are PRIZES! When you pre-order the book, email Shelly your receipt and you are entered...it's that easy.

Prize pack includes:

~ a year's subscription to Library Thing - donated by Kelly from Stacked
~ $20 online bookstore giftcard - donated by Karin from Karin's Book Nook
~ $10 online bookstore giftcard for every 20 books ordered donated by Write for a Reader
~ Paperback book of choice from Amazon - donated by Shesten from I Heart Monster
~ ARC - Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma - donated by Sharon from Sharon Loves Books and Cats
~ ARC - Prism by Faye Kellerman - donated by Sharon from Sharon Loves Books and Cats
~ The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - donated by Diane from The Book Resort
he Center of the Universe (Yep, That'd Be Me) by Anita Liberty - donated by Tirzah from The Compulsive Reader
~ A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly - donated by ME!
~ Book (title to be determined) - donated by Mitali from Alley of Books
~ Pride, Prejudice and Zombies w/zombie extras - donated by Nancy from Tales of a Ravenous Reader
~ autographed author swag from Stephanie Kuehnert
~ autographed author swag from Jessica Verday
~ more to be added as the month goes on...

So, here it is again; all you have to do is...

1. Pre-order Stephanie's book from any bookstore: Amazon, Powell's, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound.
2. Email Shelly a copy of your receipt at shelcows AT gmail DOT com
3. Spread the word about this contest by tweeting, posting it on your blog, etc. In order for this to work, we, the blogging community, need to get the word out not only to other bloggers, but other book lovers as well.

This blitz will continue until the end of the month, at which time, a winner will be chosen at random to receive the prize pack. Should we get more donations, there will be more than one winner (stay tuned for updates). Anyone wanting to donate a prize, please contact Shelly at shelcows AT gmail DOT com as she will add prizes throughout the contest. Open to US residents only.